McCain Mocks Obama for Comment on Al Qaeda in Iraq at Debate
John McCain tried to capitalize Wednesday on what he sees as a weakness for his potential Democratic opponent, Barack Obama — his positions on Iraq.
McCain ridiculed the Illinois senator for a comment he made in a debate with Hillary Clinton on Tuesday night. Obama was asked if he would send soldiers back to Iraq to quell an insurrection or civil war if Al Qaeda in Iraq re-surges there. He responded that as president, he would take action “if Al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq.”
McCain, who has staked much of his political fortunes to political and military successes in Iraq and his own national security credentials, suggested his anti-war colleague’s response was either naive or uninformed.
“When you examine that statement, it’s pretty remarkable,” McCain told a crowd in Tyler, Texas.
“I have some news. Al Qaeda is in Iraq. It’s called ‘Al Qaeda in Iraq,”‘ McCain said, drawing laughter at Obama’s expense.
The dig triggered a back-and-forth that continued long-distance through much of the day.
Obama quickly answered back, telling a crowd at Ohio State University in Columbus, “I do know that Al Qaeda is in Iraq.”
“McCain thought that he could make a clever point by saying ‘Well let me give you some news Barack, Al Qaeda is in Iraq,’ like I wasn’t reading the papers,” he said. “But I have some news for John McCain, and that is that there was no such thing as Al Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq.”
While an Illinois state senator in 2002, Obama gave an anti-war speech that the Iraq conflict would strengthen Al Qaeda’s ability to recruit.
Noting that McCain likes to tell audiences that he’d follow Usama bin Laden to the “gates of Hell” to catch him, Obama said Wednesday: “All he (McCain) has done is to follow George Bush into a misguided war in Iraq.”
McCain said he had not watched the Democratic presidential debate on Tuesday night but was told of Obama’s response to the Iraq question.
Obama did not say whether he’d send troops in the event of an insurrection but responded: “As commander in chief, I will always reserve the right to make sure that we are looking out for American interests. And if Al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad.”
The exchange previewed the likely flash-points for the candidates if they do in fact face off during the general election.
The latest head-to-head Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, taken Feb. 21-25, showed McCain besting both Democratic candidates in a hypothetical general election — but a race with Obama looks more competitive.
The poll showed McCain with a 46-to-40 percent advantage over Hillary Clinton, but with a slim 44-to-42 percent lead over Obama. Most recent head-to-head polls show Obama beating McCain by a hair and McCain edging out Clinton in a general election. The poll’s margin of error was 3 points.
In an effort to highlight his own security credentials, McCain has throughout the primary season repeatedly attacked both Obama and Clinton for saying they would withdraw troops from Iraq.
“And my friends, if we left, they (Al Qaeda) wouldn’t be establishing a base,” McCain said Wednesday. “They’d be taking a country, and I’m not going to allow that to happen, my friends. I will not surrender. I will not surrender to Al Qaeda.”
He said that withdrawing troops would be “waving the white flag.”
In the debate, Clinton did not answer the question about re-invasion of Iraq on grounds it contained “lots of different hypothetical assessments.”
For years, McCain has urged sending more troops into Iraq, even before President Bush adopted such a strategy about a year ago.
“I knew enough from talking to the men and women who are serving that this new strategy was what we needed, and I’m telling you, it is succeeding,” McCain said. “So what needs to happen, we need to continue this strategy. It should be General Petraeus’ recommendation, not that of a politician running for higher office, as to when and how we withdraw.”
He was referring to Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq.
As he began a swing through Bush’s home state of Texas, which holds a presidential primary election on Tuesday, McCain made sure to play up a line he always uses.
“I also think it might be nice for President Bush to get a little credit that there’s not been another attack on the United States of America,” he said to applause.
FOX News Molly Henneberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I’ve noticed as Obama gains votes, Republicans are turning into Hillbillettes,as an Indy I was hoping for better candidates also but this is what we got.Republicans know Hillbillary can’t beat McCain but Obama may, so they are starting to play Hillbillary politics.As long as Obama keeps focus on issues instead of insults,he will win,so lets stop the media circus,the Hillbillary circus,the politics as usual and get to real debates with Obama and McCain so the people can see what we are getting,with Hillbillary we allready know the facts,and they aren’t good!
The only change Barack Hussein Obama will want is to change United States of America to the United States of Al Quaeda!
Barack Hussein Obama this does not sound Presidentail to me at all!
McCain-Romney 2008, God Willing.
Everybody, please understand that the purpose of invading and occupying Iraq was to make it a democracy. The Neo conservatives has been saying this forever. Long before Bush took office. It’s nothing new. The Neocon theory, to which Bush is a subscriber, is and has always been that democratic countries are better and more stable allies to the USA. Thus by forcing them to become democracies, they become good allies. That is the concept. So the strategy was to decrease terrorism by creating democratic states in the middle east. The fact that the Project was way to big a task to handle successfully and the fact that the democratization of Iraq did not “inspire” other middle eastern dictatorships to follow their example does not change the fact that it was the intention. As it turned out they were wrong in most of their assumptions. There was no democratic domino effect. They took on a way too ambitious plan and they failed in explaining people, what they were doing.
The story behind the now legendary but in reality not significant story about the WMD’s was that the Bush administration needed something urgent, a ticking clock to make people buy into the war. Just like when a salesman says that if you don’t buy his product now, the price will go up or someone else will buy it or whatever. To make it urgent to make the customer (in this case the UN) act. There was some reality to the danger of the WMD’s. It was not completely false and they exaggerated that danger to convince the UN. It was never the real reason.
Sorry for my bad English since I’m not American.
Hey Sick and Tired, is that your name are who you are: Do you attend church? and if so, I bet you there is more whites in your church than blacks. If this is true, does that make you a racist
Take your white hood off or on and get real
Randy-
Muslin is a type of fabric. I’m not sure what a muslem is. Does no one look over their work anymore? You want the world to know you can’t spell?
The majority of people with a decent education are for Obama. Its unfortunate that Fox News is misleading so many people with its Republican slant and fear mongering. Its a disservice to the country. Of course it benefits the wealthy elite, that want to keep America stupid and labor cheap. Obama is the man for positive change for the majority of Americans. Vote Mccain if you want to benefit the top 1% elite.
Moderators, please update the posts to this story. It has been over 50 minutes since you let any posts through. We are at 129 and holding….holding….holding…. Come on, McFly, what’s up?
“Obama is showing his ignorance and he thinks he’s prepared to lead this country!!???”
He hasn’t shown half as much ignorance as the guy who has been running it for the last 8 years.
As for Obama and using the Koran (Qu’oran, Curan, whatever) to swear in: I don’t know, but I would not bet on it. I would like to know the truth on this, though.
Remember, people said Mitt Romney swore in as Governor using the Book of Mormon instead of the Bible. This was utterly assinine, but was effective fear-mongering by the dishonest conducted successfully among the ignorant. They will have to answer for their bearing of false witness some day.