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.
We are conservative Republicans in Ohio but we are going to cross over and vote for Hillary Tuesday. She would at least be orderly about withdrawing from Iraq, or maybe not withdraw at all if she gets the intellligence reports before taking office. And she would be pragmatic about many things which Obama would be populist and liberal about. But our main reason is to screw up the Democrat primary system and help ensure Hillary is the nominee, because she’s more beatable by McCain, who, is not our first Republican choice either.
The argument obama uses about alquida in iraq is simply stupid. I don`t care how OR when they got there, the fact is THEY ARE THERE NOW, and we MUST get them out of there.
Obama`s reasoning would be ” well i didn`t have cancer until i smoked, so i`ll just not try to cure it!!!
He said he would go back in IF alquida was there, HELLO, again it seems to be that disease called “willful ignorance” that the democrats seem to perpetuate raising it`s ugly head again!!!
Getting people informed about the real Obama is exactly the problem. He doesn’t want us to know about the real Obama. Once peole do they will not vote for him.
Are all Republican’s biggots? I’m reading through these responses and it’s no wonder our country has been heading in a downward spiral. I’ve voted Republican since Reagan, but I’m sick of the idiots who have taken over the party. We used to stand for class & dignity, but now have regressed to nothing more than name calling bullies. McCain was right to appologize for that idiot who got up on stage in Ohio & acted like an idiot. I have deep respect for Obama, but I’m don’t agree with his politics. Isn’t that enough? Why do we have to make up lies about someone being a Muslum. I’ve actually been to Trinity church in Chicago, and it was a nice place where my family was welcomed by every around us. (Our white skin gave us away as being visitors) It wasn’t really my cup of tea, but everyone worships God in their own way. Can normal people please take back control of the Republican party before people like me are forced to leave?
if i was mccain i would have told obama that he’s knows damn well his relatives were in iraq before the u.s invaded
All you who hold to “Al Qaeda in Iraq” only occured because of George Bush:
Help me understand more. Yes I see that our presence in the Middle East is driving Soviet hard liners to back Iran. There is probably much unease and tension that our foreign policy stirs up that I don’t understand. I am reading “Three Cups of Tea”, I get some of it.
However few seem to put the last 20 years of extreme Islam in context - yes Al Queda wasn’t organized in Iraq, but Saddam did and likely was pursuing nuclear capability. He wouldn’t use it if available? What facts do you have to contradict that intent? Show me how you could reasonably conclude otherwise - facts - not emotional drivel erupting from contempt for morality transfered as hatred for Republicans (excuse me, what Republicans should be).
You really think the world would would continue in peace? The history of Islamic freaks perverting religion for political power has no meaning? You would reason with them?
Maybe they would focus instead on global warming… or is it global cooling? That’s right, back in the 80’s that was the mantra for some of you, but no apologies now for being “wrong”. And what will you say in 5-10 years when warming is exposed?
Why aren’t you lucid on Saddam’s dumping of oil in the gulf and burning of oil well? One of the world’s largest man-made environmental disasters (Islamic freaks that would live peacefully…) and he caught less flak from you than Exxon for the Valdez spill.
Put geo-political conflict in context, I am asking for more information. Perhaps the Middle East is more peaceful now than it would have been.
Regards,
OBAMA IS CORRECT IN HIS REBUTTAL. AQI OR AL QAEDA IN IRAQ IS ONLY ONE OF ABOUT 12 GROUPS IN IRAQ WHO ARE PART OF AN IRAQ INSURGENCY. AQI CAME TO IRAQ TO DEFEND IT AGAINST THE US IN 2003. AQI ORGINATED IN AFGHANISTAN AND FORMED IN IRAQ IN 2002. THIS IS WELL KNOWN BY THE MILITARY AND ANYONE CAN LOOK IT UP. WE ARE NOT FIGHTING A COUNTRY. IT SHOULDN’T EVEN BE CALLED THE IRAQ WAR. WE ARE FIGHTING PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY ARE “PROTECTING” THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND ISLAM. IF WE LEAVE, THEY WILL LEAVE. THESE GROUPS TRAVEL BETWEEN AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, AND PAKISTAN AT CERTAIN POINTS TO RENEW WEAPONS AND SUPPLIES. IF WE CUT OFF THESE POINTS IN PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN, WE CAN CRIPPLE THEM. OBAMA VOTED FOR THIS ACTION IN 2006. HE WAS CRITIZED FOR THE VOTE FOR “WANTING TO BOMB OUR ALLY” PAKISTAN. NOW, THE UNITED STATES IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT WAS SUGGESTED IN 2006 AND THINGS ARE IMPROVING IN IRAQ! THESE GROUPS ARE UNITED FOR ONE PURPOSE, TO FIGHT AGAINST US. OBAMA IS ON POINT AND I’M EXTREMELY IMPRESSED! THE PRESIDENT’S “SURGE” FAILED BUT ATTACKING THE “CHECKPOINTS” IN PAKISTAN WORKED! LAST WEEK, THE US KILLED A TOP AL QAEDA OPERATIVE IN PAKISTAN, NOT IRAQ MR. MCCAIN. OBAMA IS VERY SMART. GO OBAMA!
To all of you war mongering college educated conservatives and Republicans. If you are so afraid of being attacked by terrorists and they are such a threat to our country….Do something constructive and substantial. Take a stroll down to you local recruiting office and enroll in any one of our military services. Or better yet encourage your sons and daughters to make the ultimate commitment and enlist. My two sons did. Put up of shut up!!!
So, Obama will pull our troops out, let thousands of innocent Iraq’s be murdered then send our troops back in after it is a full fledged war. Very smart. Why more of our troops can be killed by letting Al Qaeda get a stronghold in Iraq and of course it is the Republicans fault for going in there in the first place. Never mind that the Democrats voted this in also. The fact is regardless of the circumstances Al Qaeda is in Iraq and that can’t be changed by blaming Bush. Obama will destroy this country. He wants to change this country. Does that mean we must tolerate Islamic terrorists? We have to go from the bible to the Koran? Watch how you vote America or soon we will be called the Iran of north America.
Osama? or Obama?… thoses names are way too close for comfort!
McCain has never looked so good.. Wake up people!