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McCain: Obama Needs to 'Listen and Learn'
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ShareMay 28, 2008 5:12 PM
ABC News' Bret Hovell Reports: Presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., continued questioning his rival’s preparedness for the office of President Wednesday, saying that Democratic frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., needs to "listen and learn" on a range of issues, most specifically Iraq.
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
McCain pressed Obama for only having gone to Iraq once and for not having visited the country since the so-called surge of troops started early last year.
"Senator Obama has been to Iraq once a little over 2 years ago he went and he has never seized the opportunity except in a hearing to meet with General Petraeus, General Petraeus!" McCain told the crowd at a Boys and Girls Club in Reno, NV. "My friends...this is about leadership and learning."
McCain proposed that he and Obama go to Iraq together.
"I would be glad to go with him because these issues are far more important than any election," McCain said.
The Obama campaign fired back that McCain is complicit in a failed war, one that the Illinois senator has been challenging for years.
"Senator McCain stubbornly insists on pursuing the failed Bush policy that continues to cost so much, while Senator Obama believes it's time to begin a deliberate, careful strategy to remove our troops and compel the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Obama campaign.
Nearly 700 people attended McCain’s town hall meeting here, and were lively in their support for the Arizona Republican and presumptive Republican nominee.
McCain also borrowed an Obama criticism from the Clinton campaign, slamming Obama for the way he has handled the chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Europe, which has some purview of the war in Afghanistan via NATO.
"Senator Obama is the chairman of an important subcommittee that has the oversight of what's going on in Afghanistan," McCain said. "He has not held one single hearing on Afghanistan, where young Americans are in harm's way as we speak."
McCain also hit Obama for his willingness to sit down with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
"Now why is it that Sen. Obama wants to sit down with the president of Iraq but hasn't yet sat down with General Petraeus, the leader of our troops in Iraq?" McCain asked rhetorically.
On the pertinent local issue of the day, McCain said he is in favor of using Yucca Mountain as a storage space for nuclear waste. His response received no boos and evoked scattered applause from about a quarter of the gathered group.
He also said that he'd prefer to have an international system in place to coordinate the storage of nuclear waste, and that he also believes nuclear waste should be reprocessed. He blamed former President Carter (whose name evoked boos) for a "misguided decision" that set the course against reprocessing in this country.
May 28, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (154)
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Everthing Obama does or says is a dream.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | May 28, 2008 6:10:17 PM
I listened to McCain and learned:
1. he doen't know who heads Iran
2. he doesn't know the difference btn. Sia and Sunni.
3. he doen't know Iran has not rel. with al-qaeda.
4. He ZigZagged about tax, talking to Cuba and Hamas, torture,...
5. His judgement and vision chambers is empty, and he proved that by voting for the dumb_war
6. He is still supports the war like a_fo?l.
7. His foreign policy knowledge is so poor that he needs another ZigZag Lieberman to correct him.
The list goes on....
.....
Posted by: moeen | May 28, 2008 6:11:24 PM
I don't think McCain has any real advantage on FP over Obama to be honest, however you look it. In the one big FP issue over the last 8 years, McCain called it wrong, and continues to call it wrong. The point of the surge was to make it possible to start to draw down troops, but in fact more troops are going in (I believe that to be correct, but if its not then troop levels are remaining at current levels.) So how can we say that the surge has worked? The fact is that the war has failed at all levels and will not work until Iraq is left to take a lead over its own security.
Then there is all this fuss about meeting the Iranian President. (BTW is that a typo in the posting about meeting the President of Iraq, or did McCain misspeak?) Sounds like McCain does not at all agree wit JFK. 'Let us never fear to negotiate, but let us never negotiate out of fear' (Or the other way around!)
Posted by: markymark | May 28, 2008 6:12:37 PM
What causes Obama to lie so much and the media support him? Have the News media chosen this man?
Posted by: Anders Scooper | May 28, 2008 6:12:50 PM
Anders Scooper:
That would appear to me to be the case.
The media has selectively covered the Democratic Primary races, and as a result, the weakest candidate (nothing new there) will probably be in the general election.
Posted by: SandyB | May 28, 2008 6:15:32 PM
Scholar John Lott Recalls Obama Stating: “I Don’t Believe That People Should Be Able To Own Guns.” John Lott: “In fact, I knew Obama during the mid-1990s, and his answers to IVI’s question on guns fit well with the Obama that I knew. Indeed, the first time I introduced myself to him he said ‘Oh, you are the gun guy.’ I responded ‘Yes, I guess so.’ He simply responded that ‘I don’t believe that people should be able to own guns.’” (John R. Lott, Jr., “Obama And Guns: Two Different Views,” Fox News, www.foxnews.com, 4/7/08)
Posted by: SM | May 28, 2008 6:15:43 PM
Senator Mccaine is very condescending to his fellow senator. I sense a bit of disrespect and dismisdiveness in his rhethoric that is disturbing.
Just because he was an incompetent war pilot who got himself captured does not gave him the right to be president and ruin the world for generations to come.
He needs to get off his high horse.
Posted by: mal | May 28, 2008 6:16:46 PM
Obama says he will pull out of Iraq if elected this is also not true.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | May 28, 2008 6:22:31 PM
John McCain has the experience to be president. Obama does not, nor is his judgement all that great, if it was he would not have remainded in Rev, Wrights church 20 years.
Posted by: BARBANEL | May 28, 2008 6:24:22 PM
Obama says he is not a ordinary politician...this is also not true. The news media should ask the people in Chicago about this.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | May 28, 2008 6:26:00 PM
Anders:
Oh, I have absolutely no doubt about that one.
Posted by: SandyB | May 28, 2008 6:28:01 PM
If all you can complain about is McCain's age, then you are obviously immature. Next you'll be saying his mom wears army boots. Grow up. And you Mal are the epitome of an ahole.
Posted by: druggstohr | May 28, 2008 6:39:59 PM
Oh Sigmund,
Make sure you smile during the inauguration of Senator Obama, soon to be POTUS.
Please make sure to make a few batches of kool aid for Aunt B and Opie, ok?
Posted by: Jack | May 28, 2008 6:40:23 PM
Obama is one stupid monkey. How can a unpatriotic terrorist supporter be trusted with this country, he can't. That chimp doesn't respect the flag or the anthem. That baboon actually thinks there are 57 states. Somebody ever teach their pet monkey to count stars on that flag that he hates so much.
Now seems the ape doesn't want to go to Iraq and talk with Gen. Patraeus. How is this ape supposed to end something he knows nothing about. Other than of course to oppose it because that is what good little liberals do. Oppose war and embrace terrorism and the terrorists with appeasment.
Posted by: GTA | May 28, 2008 6:41:00 PM
Coca Cola is more refreshing than Root Beer.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | May 28, 2008 6:41:51 PM
After all John McCain didn't liberate Auschwitz but he was a hero.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | May 28, 2008 6:45:18 PM
NBC Today Show poll. Who lives in the most expensive house.
Clinton?
Obama?
McCain?
Posted by: kravitz | May 28, 2008 6:47:51 PM
I can't wait for the teleprompter to go out on Buttermilk McCain.
He's virtually going to s*** his Depends when it happens, and you know it WILL.
With a meth'd out wife for a companion and right wing snake stomping evangelicals calling you all day combined with forgetting where he left the buttermilk, this guy is gonna wish he was in Vietnam by the time this campaign is over.
Out with the Old and in the the New and Improved
Posted by: Jack | May 28, 2008 6:47:53 PM
GTA...Obama is not a monkey but with study in foreign policy he may someday reach that high achievement.
Posted by: Anders Scooper | May 28, 2008 6:52:03 PM
We were first told that 'elect Obama because he is black", now it is "elect obama because he is young." Both of these should not be the reasons to qualify him. Indeed, he is unqualified. I will not vote for him.
Posted by: amy | May 28, 2008 6:52:45 PM
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