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Obama Claims Characterization of McCain's Statement on Iraq is Fair

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March 31, 2008 5:16 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller: Part of Sen. Barack Obama's stump speech is claiming that John McCain wants to be in Iraq for 100 years.

"John McCain has suggested that we might leave our troops in Iraq for a couple of hundred years," he said at a Penn State rally Sunday.

Obama is playing off a byte from January 6th in Derry, New Hampshire which McCain responded to a questioner who asked about President Bush talking about staying in Iraq for 50 years.

"May be a hundred," McCain cut the man off, "Make it a hundred….We've been in South Korea, We've been in Japan for 60 years. We've been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That's be fine with me as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. Then it's fine with me. I would hope it would be fine with you if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where Al Qaeda is training, recruiting, equipping and motivating people every single day."

Today at the Wo Go gas station in Lititz, Pennsylvania, Obama defended his characterization of McCain’s statement.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

"I don't think it's unfair at all," Obama answered when questioned by ABC’s David Wright, "John McCain, I mean we can run the youtube spot, has said that we will stay there as long as it takes and if it takes another 100 years he’s up for that commitment and that implies that there is some criteria by which we would understand how long it takes. John McCain has not been clear about what exactly would lead him to decide its time to pullout……I think it is entirely fair to suggest that unless he’s got some criteria where by at some point we would be able to pull out our troops that for him to argue that, which he has repeatedly, that any suggestion that we withdraw troops is surrender. That implies that we will be there as long as he thinks it's necessary for us to be there."

Obama said this is different from his proposal for withdraw troops in Iraq but then leaving a small force to protect embassies and to maintain a strike force in the region, "That’s very different from saying that we're gonna have a permanent occupation in Iraq. And it’s certainly different from saying that we would have a high level of combat troops inside Iraq for a decade or two decades or as John McCain said, perhaps 100 years."

At the end of the exchange Obama admited that he understands McCain is talking about the Korean style bases and not a hot war like Iraq, "Well we’ve been in South Korea for 50 years and he’s used that as an example as George Bush has and that is decades and we’re spending 10 billion dollars a month in Iraq right now. Which means that John McCain is willing to sign up for the prospect of spending as much as $150 billion or more each year for who knows how long. That is something that the US cant afford and I think that is going to be a debate we are going to have in the general election should I be the nominee."

March 31, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (21)

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ahhh poor Obama

finally being nice

Wonder what happened to him?

McCains statement of the war in Iraq has always been a decent realistic one.

Obama just jumped like a mad man on him before.

Does this mean he is going to steal McCains Platform on war now? would be par for Obama to do.

Posted by: seah | Mar 31, 2008 5:36:00 PM

So exactly how small this strike force will be that Obama's is planning to leave in Iraq, and will that not cost money also?

Most US embassies throughout the world have marines stationed not a small strike force, so rather than Obama slam McCain's idea he should tell us just how big this strike force will be and how much it will cost instead of dancing around the subject.

Posted by: SJ | Mar 31, 2008 5:39:03 PM

Doesn't Hillary say the same thing as Obama that McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years?

What's wrong with that?

Posted by: Maritza | Mar 31, 2008 5:42:10 PM

Obama is a mud-slinging empty suit.

What does this jerk really stand for anyway? Does anybody know -- beyond his wild assertions, that is? He's good at words and waving this hands in the air but he's incredibly short on details.

I guess, if you're weak on the details of issues, mud-slinging is one's best offense. Pity that some people can't seem to get to the detail level of their candidates blathering and are content to simply soak in the wildest of unsupported claims.

Posted by: Surelock Homes | Mar 31, 2008 6:02:14 PM

How many troops 50,000, 100,000, give us a number. It's funny how we had a "surge" (not an escalation?) then sent the exact number of troops home, and had the gall to say that we've cut the number of troops. Uh, how dumb do you think we are? And as for Obama, he want's to shift troops from Iraq, into Afghanistan, with no comment on the war on Iran, none. So forgive me if I need a little more info before I believe anything he espouses on this subject.

Posted by: cba | Mar 31, 2008 6:07:24 PM

Obama's top national security advisor General McPeak said we would be in Iraq for a century. McPeak compared it to South Korea. When is the media going to call out the Obama campaign for hypocracy. When is the media going to ask him about this hypocracy. McPeak Obama's co chairman gave this interview to the oregonian.

McCain hates war. He said he would withdraw responsibly by handing over areas to the Iraqis.

McCain said it would be the Iraqis on the frontlines not americans. McCain said it will be the Iraqis who will deal with the insurgency. We will train the iraqi air force, train soldiers, guard embassy, and have special forces going after al queda.

McCain's 19 year old son just came back from a 7 month tour in Iraq. He saw first hand how it hurts the mother of a son to have him in combat. Obama is distorting McCain.

McCain was talking of a post U.S combat phase. McCain in the same townhall said he will be withdrawing troops. The media is distorting mccain.

Posted by: Sam | Mar 31, 2008 6:27:16 PM

Obama keeps demonstrating civility, maturity and rational discourse.

Hmmm.

Quite a refreshing way to differentiate himself during the campaign of 2008.

A class act. We may be looking at our next president.

Posted by: Gorgon '08 | Mar 31, 2008 6:32:23 PM

McSame says we'll be there like in Korea, well in Korea the govt army doesn't get its butt whupped by Al-Sadr over the weekend and have to go running to Iran to save them.

McSame doesn't even realize what is going on over there

Posted by: axt113 | Mar 31, 2008 6:37:38 PM

McSame was surprised that there was going to be fighting, probably thought that Al Qaeda was moving into Basra to attack US troops, lol, the guy needs Joe whispering more stuff in his ears

Posted by: axt113 | Mar 31, 2008 6:39:51 PM

Obama's top military advisor said we would be in Iraq for 100 years if we get it right.

Now Obama promoted him to be co-chairman of his campaign.

Obama did this because he knows he was talking about a post war scenario just like McCain.

So it is hypocritical for Obama to be blasting McCain when he promoted McPeak who said the same thing.

When is the media going to call him out on this hypocracy.

Posted by: Sam | Mar 31, 2008 6:41:36 PM

Poor McCain, he has foot in mouth problem. He said it was fine with him if we were in Iraq for 100 years. When you say it you own it. He has backed up every lie and stupid decision that Bush and Cheney have made in and about Iraq. Poor, poor, poor McCain. His horsey yellow teeth and ugly mug are not too promising for his chances.

Posted by: Vicki | Mar 31, 2008 6:41:47 PM

Sounds like McCain has already bested Senator "Green Behind the Ears" Obama on this issue already, not even out of the gate yet.

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Mar 31, 2008 6:45:35 PM

Poor McCain, he has foot in mouth problem. He said it was fine with him if we were in Iraq for 100 years. When you say it you own it. He has backed up every lie and stupid decision that Bush and Cheney have made in and about Iraq. Poor, poor, poor McCain. His horsey yellow teeth and ugly mug are not too promising for his chances.

Posted by: Vicki | Mar 31, 2008 6:47:42 PM

When the Iranians are the one's saving Maliki's behind you know things are bad for the US

Obama's advisor isn't Obama, he doesn't necessarily share the same view, McSame is McSame, and if he doesn't know the reality of Iraq then he's only going to ruin america more

Posted by: axt113 | Mar 31, 2008 6:50:15 PM

It's called "distinction without difference". All three candidates have called for some kind of presence in Iraq for the unforeseeable future. They each characterize it differently.

The only tactical difference is that McCain actually wants to succeed, while the other two want to cut and run, by diminishing forces and letting it go to seed.

Civility is always nice... just as Neville Chamberlain was polite when he appeased Hitler and gave him Poland in exchange for peace. We can admire Chamberlains demeanor but not his tactics.

Posted by: smartprimate | Mar 31, 2008 6:50:40 PM

Obama's a class act. ACT would describe it perfectly. Because that's what he's doing so perfectly. Preacher/Used car salesman. Just because he's an orator doesn't make him qualified to be president. He hasn't done a single thing for this country. Playing the "judgement" card on his campaign. Heck he was in the STATE senate when he made it. He had no more information on the situation than you or I did at the time. I didn't agree with it either. I guess that gives me the "judgement" to be president too. the only thing Obama does is pump sunshine up everybody's back side. Sunshine makes me happy, makes me sad, makes me cry. Almost always makes me high. That's about it.

Posted by: Texas Lil | Mar 31, 2008 7:25:38 PM

Obama is doing to McCain just what he has been doing to Hillary. He dances around what someone says, then before you know it, he agrees with what they said....but, then adds something, then spins a little more...then before you can say huh?, he pretends he thought of it in the first place.

Where did his "couple of hundred years come from? In debates with Hillary, he talked about how quickly he would get the troops home, while Hillary talked about situations requiring care and caution as you removed the troops. He criticized her and said that she would keep troops in. His later words were a copy of Hillary's that we would need people to protect the embassies, protect the thousands of Iraq citizens who helped us, and possibly keep a small strike force in the region.

He wants to sound equally knowledgeable as McCain and Hillary, and he is not. He is a spinner and a double talker. Who wants someone operating by the seat of their pants? I don't. We had that with Bush.

Posted by: georgia | Mar 31, 2008 8:02:14 PM

I've been watching elections of all sorts since 1960. It doesn't matter what any campaigning candidate says. Circumstance will dictate the policy of whomever is unfortunate enough to be elected President. It is a shame, however, that the reality of geopolitical economics seems like such a fog to the candidates. Or is it us? I can't recollect any candidate who "told it like it was" ever getting elected. Expecting happy endings, folks, sows the seeds of American dominance's demise.

Posted by: MahatmaCoy | Mar 31, 2008 8:11:02 PM

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.....Hillary should just stand out of the way and let 'ole McCain attack obama-----he does A REAL GOOD JOB OF IT !!!!!!

But, NO......obama needs to get it from the front AND back, too.....

GO, HILLARY, GO !!!!!!!!!

Posted by: COUNT THE MI & FL VOTES & SEAT THEIR DELEGATES | Mar 31, 2008 9:54:55 PM

With all due respect to Sen McCain, his philosophy served him well in the 20th century - duty, honor, service. History books will reflect that. But we are now in the 21st century - Sen Obama is right. We need to review, reflect and learn from mistakes made in the 20th century, especially with regard to war and aggression. We need a 21st centory kind of vision that will bring real lasting peace and will repair and restore America's damaged relations worldwide! Obama is the man with that kind of vision.

Posted by: geekay | Apr 1, 2008 10:00:53 AM

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