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Obama to Vets: "I Love America, So Do You, and So Does John McCain"
August 19, 2008 9:39 AM
Some strong pushback from Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, this morning, as he speaks before the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention here in Orlando.
Obama said that when Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., spoke before this group yesterday, "instead of just offering policy answers, he turned to a typical laundry list of political attacks. ...he declared, 'Behind all of these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president' – suggesting, as he has so many times, that I put personal ambition before my country."
Obama said, "if we think that we can use the same partisan playbook where we just challenge our opponent’s patriotism to win an election, then the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of politics."
After outlining his policy disagreements with McCain on Iraq and Afghanistan, Obama said, "one of the things that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can’t disagree without challenging each other’s character and patriotism. I have never suggested that Senator McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America’s national interest. Now, it’s time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same."
Obama continued, "Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country. I love America, so do you, and so does John McCain. When I look out at this audience, I see people of different political views. You are Democrats and Republicans and Independents. But you all served together, and fought together, and bled together under the same proud flag. You did not serve a Red America or a Blue America – you served the United States of America," Obama said, echoing his famous Democratic convention speech in 2004.
The Democrat pledged that "no matter how heated it gets or what kind of campaign he chooses to run, I will honor Senator McCain’s service, just like I honor the service of every veteran in this room, and every American who has worn the uniform of the United States of America."
The estimated 3,000 veterans here applauded these sentiments.
- jpt
August 19, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (227)
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And what drjohn does mccain propose to do? He can't do a damn thing all our troops are in Iraq. All mccain has done is made the situation worse with is stupid saber rattling. Besides we have no moral high ground on invasions. Face it Bush lies to us all took our country's morals and flushed them downn the toilet.
Posted by: Joe | Aug 19, 2008 4:10:27 PM
Debra, which of our "enemies" support Obama?
Posted by: Lou | Aug 19, 2008 4:05:18 PM
Why does Obama have to preface all his
statements with,
"LET ME BE CLEAR..."
?????
Posted by: GOOGLE | Aug 19, 2008 4:04:18 PM
dk
Do you think Russia withdrew because Obama noticed someting?
DO you think Russia has withdrawn anything?
Posted by: drjohn | Aug 19, 2008 4:04:06 PM
You would think if any of these politicians 'loved America' they would outlaw "earmarks" in bills.
This practice puts so much "pork" in spending bills.
Why should a bill for improving VA benefits have earmarks that have nothing to do with VA benefits?
Why did a bill Obama voted for have an $1,000,000 'earmark' for the hospital his wife worked for and shortly thereafter her salary was more than doubled?
If a bill for off shore drilling is put up for vote --- that's the one that will most likely have another study for the DNA of bears linked to it.
Throw all the knuckleheads out!!
Posted by: susie | Aug 19, 2008 3:56:14 PM
It's been well established here, at least among the McCain supporters, that they find Obama's alleged "flip flops" quite bothersome.
Any McCain supporters care to tell us what they think of their candidates "flip flops"?
Posted by: Lou | Aug 19, 2008 3:49:10 PM
After seeing Obama's bio last night on FOX, I can see why he's confused as to his allegiance to this country. I also found it interesting that 3 of his "good friends" from college would not talk to FOX and a couple of faces were blurred out...what's up with that?
Does he have no one to speak on his behalf from his youth...even his own Grannie. A couple of these guys he roomed with looked like drug dealers. Hopefully FOX cable will re-run, McCain's bio is tonight.
COUNTRY FIRST, VOTE McCAIN!
Posted by: Debra | Aug 19, 2008 3:42:35 PM
You'd think the guy who stands behind our military would vote in favor of the GI bill?
Bring oour troups home.
Time horizon... right.
OBAMA 2008
Posted by: pwer2people | Aug 19, 2008 3:41:54 PM
Nope - not a higher pay grade than God. Just a pay grade to know that life begins a conception.
Obama doesn't even think there is life during a late term pregancy and agrees with partial birth abortion.
Posted by: georgie | Aug 19, 2008 3:41:01 PM
both obama and Senator Clinton know that America needs a strong leader to lead all Americans towards a better future.....obama is certainly willing, but only Senator Clinton is able to do so....
Posted by: chris | Aug 19, 2008 3:34:47 PM
We know where Americans stand on this one....the guy who says "Country First" and stands behind our military and doesn't just pander to them.
Nobama quit barking up this tree and go give a speech on some liberal campus.
COUNTRY FIRST McCAIN!
Posted by: Debra | Aug 19, 2008 3:33:55 PM
i know i love America because i will vote for the only candidate who will make the best President: Senator Clinton
Posted by: chris | Aug 19, 2008 3:32:37 PM
I'm so saddened to see the state of politics today.
What happend to the United States?
In times like this we need so much more than smear campaigns and rebuttals back and forth from both sides...It's all a distraction...and you "blogers" etc just make it worse spouting half truths and spoonfed party lines.
For the sake of the people can't we on both sides of red/blue liberial/conservative lines stand up and demand our candidates address some real issues.
They Say Nero fiddeled while rome burned, although it is unture the image no less calls to mind the politicians blogging and smearing while our great country collapses
Posted by: Sad | Aug 19, 2008 3:32:10 PM
great speaker, poor legislator
Posted by: chris | Aug 19, 2008 3:31:56 PM
To be fair, he would probably assess the situation and notice that by then Russia had withdrawn their troops and decided no further action would be needed.
But that wouldn't be good enough for McCain. He'd need to teach them a lesson!
Posted by: dk | Aug 19, 2008 3:25:26 PM
It's a fair statement.
Obama has said that Ayers is
"..just a guy (he) knew" like a neighbor. It's far more than that.
And Ayers is admittedly an unrepentant terrorist.
"Guilty as hell- free as a bird" as Ayers puts it. Ayers didn't kill anyone but only because of incompetence and not for lack of trying.
Posted by: drjohn | Aug 19, 2008 3:20:12 PM
What would Obama do, dk?
It took Obama three tries to finally come up with the same position as McCain.
Posted by: drjohn | Aug 19, 2008 3:17:31 PM
drjohn, as far as giving Kurtz access to the files at the Daley library, my basic response would be to answer it would be "fair" to do so.
Now, I'm not falling into Kurtz's cover up conspiracy, but after reading his earlier articles on the matter and his attempting to interpret the library's refusal to release the documents as a “cover up” gives me good reason to say it would be fair NOT to do so.
Especially after a line like this:
“The records would almost certainly make Obama out to be a liar about the extent of his personal relationship with this unreconstructed terrorist:”
If Kurtz was playing “fair”, then releasing the files to him would be “fair”.
Posted by: Lou | Aug 19, 2008 3:16:36 PM
No, Mike, I am saying that Obama had that higher pay grade 7 years ago. And all of a sudden he lost it.
Posted by: drjohn | Aug 19, 2008 3:16:31 PM
So what happens if McCain wins? Does he send millions of fresh newly drafted soldiers to Georgia to fight off the Russian oppressors, possibly starting WW3?
What a true patriot.
Posted by: dk | Aug 19, 2008 3:16:31 PM
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