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.
It’s not about terrorists in Iraq. It’s about the WMDs in Iraq. And yes, the WMDs were there. The Iraqi weapons declairations to the U.N. PRIOR to the invasion are the proof of that. There were discrepancies - missiles & WMD material missing from one declairation to the next and Iraq refusing access to the weapons inspectors who wanted to verify the disposition of those materials. That’s why we went in; to prevent those materials from falling into the hands of people like those who had attacked us on 9/11.
We brought the terrorists to Iraq? Great! Better to battle these nuts with our troops in THEIR back yard than in the streets of our cities with our men in blue.
theres a lot of reptilian demon republicans on this board don’t you think?
‘of course Al Quaeda was there prior to the invasion, and of course Sadam was hated by them, but for some reason you don’t study and read, you follow your peer group and listen to your radio talking points from both sides’
Al qaeda were in iraq prior to the invasion?. I dont remember any suicide bombings in iraq prior to the invasion, in fact there wasn’t one in the whole history of iraq before the invasion and then when the us invaded there have been hundreds if not thousands.
What does that tell you genius? huh any idea? It tells you if you can do math 2 + 2 = 4
us invasion + iraq = al qaeda.
Face facts you messed up in iraq dont try and justify it with lies. Lies lies lies thats why america wants change. Americans are sick of the self serving lies made up by the republicans.
Hindsight is always better, however for someone speaking so much about “hope” for the “future”, all Obama has is words he spoke about a situation over which he had nothing to do with, ie. going into Iraq. Who knows what he would have said, had he actually been in a position to make a decision that mattered. It’s clear by his comments that Al Quaeda was not in Iraq BEFORE the war, but that is NOT the issue. The issue is NOW. What do you do NOW. That is the issue that the man who only bases his campaign on words has to deal with.
The same is true in regards to his Church, which does NOT allow white people to become members. Now how is that providing “hope” for the future?
He had to be FORCED to REJECT the endorsement of Louis Farrakhan. I’m sorry, but “denouncing” the man’s political rhetoric in the “past”, does not answer the question of the recent support of Farrakhan.
The idea of direct negotiations with leaders of “terrorist” countries defies common sense. When you go on a job interview, do you interview with the CEO/President of the company? I think not. This man is so naive, that one can only shudder at the thought of the man being in a leadership role in this nation.
As for Afghanistan, his bragging card in regards to the war. One of the main reasons we are losing the fight there is for lack of real help from NATO allies. If a country provides troops who can’t fire a gun, what good are they? Obama chairs the committe on foreign affairs over Europe. Last time I checked, NATO was in Europe. Why hasn’t he held hearing to help resolve this issue. Oh, I forgot, he’s been too busy “running for president”. What a lame excuse.
In a McCain vs Obama contest, I’m afraid that the country will go for McCain and any hope of change will have gone the way of the Kool Aid drinkers who pass out after too many gulps of the preferred drink.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH SOME OF YOU PEOPLE???
Hitler is Obama?
Obama is a Islamic Extremist?
WOW you people are a disgrace… im ashamed that it has come to this…
I cant believe that in 2008 there is still so much racism because that’s what this is.. A black president would be so much better then a tired old man who has done nothing for any of us.. And way better then a lying , cheating, only worried about her being the first woman president..
Its 2008, don’t you think that racism should be gone by now ? is this what your teaching your kids ?
SHAME.
I am a white REPUBLICAN and i will be VOTING for CHANGE !! cuz we NEED IT ….
I supporterd Hillary but I heard that the Republicans diverted some of their voters by right wing radio talk show hosts many months ago! It was almost not possible to believe media to give support the most liberal senator Obama!
Now , we Hillary supporters decided to back Barrack Husseyin Obama to drive the Republican ship to tank!
You screawed Hillary and we will do the same!
I sure hope we all wake up, soon, and realize what is going to happen to our country, our lives, and our kids futures if we allow the democrats to control the White House. All I’ve heard so far is everybody gets gets everything, no matter what. Health care is mandatory, why? Is anybody trying to reduce the costs and ask why does a patient have to pay $25.00 for an asprin? Why can’t I have my own health care account? Pull out of Iraq, why? We’re winning, the thugs are on the run, we haven’t been attacked and we have a foothold in the region to help stabilize the entire area. Change, we need change? What does that mean? More taxes, more programs, more restrictions, more government ownership of my life? Educations in trouble, we need change, more money, why? The parents that make the time to read to their children and become active parts of their lives generally succeed. Why do we spend so much money and have the highest drop out rate in industrialized world. Try and listen to someone speak ebonics, what do it mean? Can’t drill for oil or build more refineries, no way too easy, drive less, that a bus, except for the rich guys like Al Gore, he can afford his own jet. I sure hope we wake up and start to talk about and react to our real problems and start to develop some real solutions other than government. Thank God that we have the warriors we have to protect us.
For 2 weeks I have sat here and read the ranting of you Obama hating brain surgeons…but Randy, for God’s sake, get a dictionary!!!!! The word is spelled M U S L I M not muslin (that is a fabric) or muslem.
I was reading the other day about the worry that Mr. Obama might be in some danger. HMMM. I wonder why that would be after reading some of the posts on this board.
I am guessing most of you Right wing Einsteins (that would be Albert Einstein any of you know who that is????) are sitting in your one room with the shades drawn with your 30 pack of buddy weiser and cradling your M-16 (I know you know what that is) like a baby, praying to the poster of the great Rushbo, Drudge or that other nut job Cunningham.
You ask isn’t Barack Hussein Obama a scary name. Uhhhhh…. no George Walker Bush is. Richard Cheney is.
Maybe Dr. Phil (if you has something more than a transister radio you might know him) , when he is done with Brittany, can help you.
Now I am going to use some names and references that are probably waaaaaaaay beyond your paranoid delusional minds.
Maybe you can come out of your Joseph Mccarthy bomb shelters, where you have had to much Jim Jones Kool Aid and get it together. The world will not end if Barack Hussein Obama or for that matter Hillary( I just can’t vote for her), or John Mccain (who I would vote for if Mr. Obama was not around), wins. Maybe, just maybe when the beer hangover wears off of you guys you could open your minds (and the shades) just a WEEEEE bit.
I wonder why the rest of the world dislikes us. You people are no different then the radical M U S L I M S we ALL dislike. You are close minded bigots (another big word I know) the Hitler analogy fits you people to a tee.
As you like to say WAKE THE HELL UP!!!!! This is not boot camp or a crazy cult, it is america for God’s sake. Become a human bing not a robot.
Response to Deb. We have shown his links to the Muslims, now you prove he isn’t. My god, have you done any research? Or does he make you feel sooooo good that you don’t care what lies, fraud and corruption he has done. Maybe you should start watching the trial of his largest campaign donor on March 1st.
How naïve can one be to believe that Al Qaeda was not in Iraq until the United Nations (headed by United States) took out Saddam’s regime. That is like a local principal saying there are no gangs in our high school. If Obama needs proof, he can look no further than the book, “Lone Survivor.” Marcus Luttrell, former Navy Seal, states that he saw firsthand an Al Qaeda training camp recently abandon right after the fall of Baghdad. I encourage all to read the book.
Can Obama be that naïve, or does he have another objective? Either way, his comment is frightening.