McCain Leaks Details Of Obama's Iraq Trip

Reuters reports that McCain shared details of Obama's trip to Iraq at a fundraiser:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Friday that his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, is likely to be in Iraq over the weekend.

The Obama campaign has tried to cloak the Illinois senator's trip in some measure of secrecy for security reasons. The White House, State Department and Pentagon do not announce senior officials' visits to Iraq in advance.

"I believe that either today or tomorrow -- and I'm not privy to his schedule -- Sen. Obama will be landing in Iraq with some other senators" who make up a congressional delegation, McCain told a campaign fund-raising luncheon.

Josh Marshall points out that there's something very wrong with this:

The Reuters piece hints at it. But if Obama is going to be in Iraq this weekend, this is a major breach on McCain's part. As a knowledgeable insider notes ...

"If it is true that Obama is going to Iraq this weekend, it is a very serious mistake for McCain to have disclosed it publicly. Even for run-of-the-mill CODELs the military gives guidance like, "Please strongly discourage Congressional offices from issuing press releases prior to their trips which mention their intent to travel to the AOR and/or the dates of that travel or their scheduled meetings. Such releases are a serious compromise to OPSEC." If Obama is going to Iraq this weekend, I can not begin to imagine how much this is complicating the security planning for the trip."

It's known that Obama is leaving on his foreign trip this weekend and the Journal OpEd page this morning said that Obama could arrive in Iraq "as early as this weekend." And with a slew of reporters in tow, it's not exactly highly classified information. But there is a reason definite information about these sorts of trips aren't released in advance.

Hypothetically, maybe McCain was just guessing. But even so it would still be a serious lapse of judgment on his part.

In fact, McCain was furious when the press reported on his son serving in Iraq -- he feared the coverage would make him a target.

Comments

[karela]

A lousy---and most unpresidential----thing to do! As he's told us endlessly, he's been to Iraq several times. He knows the drill and he knew that he was going against Secret Service and State Department directives when he broke security. If he's so forgetful that he can't keep secure information secure, we surely don't want him for president.

[yhgtup]

Believe me, McCain knew what he was saying, this time. This wasn't a "slip". He doesn't give a hoot about Barack's safety.

[Changeizgood]

The Airman of the Armed Service called in on C-SPAN AT 9:50am with Greta.
He said he was actually surprised to see him on that plan.

[saywha]

I cannot stand to hear that "wispy voiced" man speak. Of course he knew what he was doing in releasing information that he hoped would cause security problems. Oh, and didn't he push Obama into going on these trips, in the first place, to gain some "foreign policy experience"? What's that old saying..."be careful what you wish for". Now, go back to bed, you ol' coot!

[Dr. Sam]

SO MUCH FOR MCCAIN'S FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIENCE! This man is getting senile, and perhaps losing his mind. Yet he is so sensitive to the age issue, although he keeps calling Obama a young man, naive and inexperienced. Now see who has the better understanding and judgment to be Commander-in-Chief. McCain's many gaffes paint a picture of a man who knows little about the world he is talking about. But the major news media organizations continue to give him a pass. McCain had in the past wrongly stated that Al-Qaeda in Iraq was being trained by Iran (Sen. Lieberman publicly corrected him three times in the same venue in Israel where he made that claim). It is noteworthy that during the interview with Diane Sawyer (Mon., July 21), McCain not only spoke about "Iraq/Pakistan border," but again referrred to a non-existent country (Czechoslovakia). He said he did not know whether the situation in Afghanistan is "precarious and urgent," as Obama had concluded.

[JAMES GORMAN]

NO SURPRISE===MCCAIN COULD CARE LESS ABOUT DETAILS THAT WOULD THREATEN
OBAMA'S SECURITY---IF SOMETHING HAPPENED, WE'D GET A LONG DIATRIBE THAT THIS ONLY
PROVES THE NEED TO BOMB TERRORISTS IN IRAN.
MEANWHILE Lieberman continues the Israeli assault upon Obama--Israel wants to bomb Iran
regardless of what that means to the United States---and we are supposed to tag along.
When we offer to talk with the enemy, that is of course treason.
Lieberman is so biased and blind in regard to Israel that he should not be entrusted with
the care of McCain's "policy" (whatever that means) and Lieberman surely cannot claim himsself
as a Democrat---he is an unprinciipled and biased opportunist. J.Gorman

[NoScreenNamesLeft]

If the Democrats had any _________, the would no longer allow Lieberman to caucus with them, even if that meant losing "control" of the Senate!

[gtalkspolitics]

Forgive him at his age he can't help himself some important things just escapes him!!!!

[berrycooda]

Didn't everybody who reads the paper and listens to the news know where B. Obama and his entourage are going to be.....
They said he was going to Afghanistan and Iraq. It was already all over the news that he went to Afghanistan first.....so logic would only tell you approximately where and when the next stop would be.
He wasn't going to stay over there on a month long vacation.
To much nit picking trying to discredit J. McCain and also B. Obama. Hang in there....only 4 more months
left and then hopefully all the critics will give it a rest.
I am still wondering if all these people out politicking are still getting gov't salaries....
Sounds like paid vacations to me.

[waitforme]

It is not 'nit-picking' to divulge the whereabouts in a dangerous country of a high-profile politician, especially a presidential candidate. McCain knows this. As much as anyone else he knows this. My first take is the same as I had when Hillary Clinton referred to Bobby Kennedy's assassination as the reason she wanted to stay in the primary race -- it is a not too unconscious wish to have one's opponent 'taken out' and, thus, have the field to oneself.

[laragale]

old fart

[DAVESEAN]

And then there's the special treatment, given no other American politician, to allow McCain to make his case to the public. When Media Matters conducted a study of Sunday-morning network guest lists, it discovered that the most frequent invitee during the nine-year period of 1997-2005 was McCain, who had appeared 124 times--over 50 percent more than his closest competitor. What's more, not only was he the most frequent guest, he was the most honored. McCain was accorded eighty-six solo interviews. The runner-up in this solo interview sweepstakes was former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle, with just forty-five. As Senate minority leader, Daschle was the highest-ranking official in his party; McCain, who was on the outs with the leadership of his party for much of this period, was the leader of nothing but himself. In fact, during the early period of Bush's presidency, before--apparently--he decided that he wanted to be the Republican nominee for President in 2008, McCain often represented the Democratic position on questions about taxes and political reform.

[iswideopen]

Just my opinion, but, McBush, and George W. Bush & Co. and any other "crazies" out there would want to fiercely hope that Senator Obama NEVER has harm done to him.

[harriscrl3]

A slip of the tongue sort of like what happened to Valerie Plame. Serioulsy if MCcain is suppose to be the expert and he is getting all this stuff wrong now he is leaking security details is he really any different than Bush. In some ways I actualy think he is WORSE and it boggles my mind that folks cant see that.

Carol

[kajolo]

It is a typical Bush/McCain type of leak. Bush leaks the names of undercover CIA operatives that disagree with him politically and McCain leaks plans that could endanger his political opponent also...Same Same McCain.

[WFV]

I guess 'National Security' doesn't extend to political opponents, eh Mr. McC.?

If the tables were turned, they would be having an absolute fit. What a loser.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

Hell, if you can out a covert operative, put Brewster Jennings out of business, do so much damage to the intelligence community that the CIA won't say how bad it is......
and not get charged with treason, you could certainly divulge the travel schedule of a Dem presidential candidate???

No?

[joeyp404]

Hold the presses! Barack left the country? Who knew?

[Changeizgood]

I'll be back at 12pm yal'll peace!

[WWJD2]

LOL--good one. : )

[egal]

Oh, yes, and it wasn't wrong to leak the exact locations, times, and troop numbers and types of a dangerous attack our soldiers were about to make because we all knew they were in Iraq anyway.

I honestly hope you're never in (contractor-type) security, because that kind of insoucience regarding putting another person in unnecessary danger would get you and your client killed, along with probably all your fellow security people, and we really don't need any more deaths that could be avoided.

[phyllip]

McSame is a loser and a jealous one too.

[americanalien]

True word phyllip.