Obama: 'George Bush and John McCain Have a Lot to Answer For'

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Obama: 'George Bush and John McCain Have a Lot to Answer For'

May 16, 2008 12:49 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller, Bret Hovell and Ed O'Keefe Report: Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill, sparred in separate speeches Friday, perhaps a foreshadowing of the tone of the general election race to come.

At the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association in Louisville, Ky., the presumptive Republican nominee hit hard at Obama, calling him reckless and saying that the American people have a right to question his leadership abilities.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

"Senator Obama made some remarks I'd like to respond to. I welcome a debate about protecting America. No issue is more important," McCain said.

"Senator Obama claimed all I had to offer was the quote 'naïve and irresponsible' belief that tough talk would cause Iran to give up its nuclear program. He should have known better," McCain told the pro-gun rights crowd.

McCain went on to echo the tone of the Bush speech, which criticized Obama's remarks in a primary season debate that he would be willing to meet with world leadersr, including some with whom the US does not currently have diplomatic relations, like Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.

"I have some news for Senator Obama," McCain began, "Talking, not even with soaring rhetoric, in unconditional meetings with the man who calls Israel a stinking corpse, and arms terrorists who kill Americans will not convince Iran to give up its nuclear program."

"It is reckless to suggest that unconditional meetings will advance our interests," McCain said, to a round of applause at the NRA conference. "You know it would be a wonderful thing if we lived in a world where we don't have enemies. But that's not the world we live in. And until senator Obama understands that reality, the American people have every reason to doubt whether he has the strength, judgment and determination to keep us safe."

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., fired back at President George W. Bush and presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., earlier Friday, after a dust-up over comments Bush made while speaking to the Israeli parliament Thursday.

"After almost eight years, I did not think I could be surprised by almost anything George Bush says," Obama told a crowd at a campaign event in Watertown, South Dakota, Friday, "He accused me and other Democrats of wanting to negotiate with terrorists and said we were appeasers no different than people who appeased the Nazis before World War II."

Watch Obama's remarks HERE

Speaking before the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel's statehood, Bush said, "Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is –- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

Watch Bush's comments in Israel HERE

"That's exactly the kind of appalling attack that has divided our country," Obama said Friday, going on to criticize McCain for concurring with Bush.

The presumptive Republican nominee was questioned about President Bush's remarks and said, "Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along."

"It does bring up an issue I will be discussing with the American people," McCain said, "and that is why does Barack Obama, Senator Obama want to sit down with a state sponsor of terrorism?"

"What does he want to talk about with, with [Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad who said that Israel's a stinking corpse, who said that he wants to wipe Israel off the map, who’s sending the most explosive devices into Iraq, killing Americans?" he said. "The point is that peace through strength is the way we achieve peace in the world. That's the point. I will debate this issue with Senator Obama throughout this campaign."

Going farther, McCain said Thursday that Obama's willingness to sit down with the president of Iran shows "naiveté and inexperience and lack of judgment."

Watch McCain's attack on Obama HERE

Obama tied Bush and McCain together on Friday, in what is clearly becoming the opening salvo in the yet to be begun general election campaign.

"I want to be perfectly clear with George and John McCain," Obama said, "If George Bush and John McCain want to have a debate about protecting the United States of America, that is a debate I'm willing to have anytime, anywhere because that is a debate that I will win because George Bush and John McCain have a lot to answer for."

In a press conference following his town hall meeting in South Dakota, Obama continued on the offensive, insisting there is "no separation" between Bush and McCain and repeating the challenge that he would meet McCain "anywhere, anytime" for a debate on foreign policy.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., who continues to campaign hard in advance of Tuesday's primaries in Oregon and Kentucky, also criticized Bush on Thursday.

"On the face of it and especially in light of his failures in foreign policy, this is the kind of statement that has no place in any presidential address and certainly to use an important moment like the 60th anniversary celebration of Israel to make a political point seems terribly misplaced," said the New York Senator during an impromptu conference with reporters. "Unfortunately this is what we've come to expect from President Bush who has refused to change course in Iraq, neglected Afghanistan and failed to provide leadership on the range of important issues that face our country and the world."

It may be a smart political tactic for Obama to connect the President, who hit a historic low approval rating of 31% in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, and McCain.

Obama went on to call the statements by Bush and McCain "dishonest" and "dismissive", criticizing McCain for calling for civility during a speech Thursday morning before making the statement against Obama later that day.

"I'm running for president to change course," Obama said to the applause of the South Dakota crowd.

ABC News' White House troops point out that the President has made similar statements in the past and Bush did not specifically cite Obama by name, though he did reference Sen. William Borah's immortal reaction upon hearing that Hitler had invaded Poland and begun World War II, something he has not highlighted in the past.

"(The President) has said similar things before," a White House official told ABC News' Martha Raddatz. "But it is in reference to a number of people, think Carter, others who have engaged in this or suggested it."

White House spokesperson Dana Perino was asked if Bush's line was a slam against Obama and she insisted, "It is not."

"I understand that when you are running for office sometimes you think the world revolves around you. That is not always true and it is not true in this case," Perino added, though the White House is keenly aware of how such statements might play during a heated political season and has steadfastly avoided commenting on the 2008 race.

Late Thursday that notion seemed to be confirmed.

"Did we know this could be construed as being about Obama? Yes, of course," a White House source told ABC News. "But was this about just Obama? No, it was about Pelosi, Carter, Biden, Obama, etc. When the line went in the speech, we made sure that it was the same as everything (Bush) has said in the past. This was not about just Obama."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Cali., did not take kindly to the remarks calling Bush's statement "beneath the dignity of the office of the president" in her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill.

Others including Sen. Joe Biden, D-Dela., had a more blunt response.

"This was a political hit. This was a hit. Not trying to make a point," Biden, who will be a guest on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" this Sunday, said in a pugnacious counteroffensive against the president on behalf of Obama on Thursday.

Biden took Bush to task and said the president should "get a life".

ABC News' Ann Compton, Lindsey Ellerson, Jon Garcia, Martha Raddatz, and Z. Byron Wolf contributed to this report.

May 16, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Bush, George W., Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred, Veepstakes | Permalink | User Comments (1082)

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The Real Obama......seen through the women in his life. Excellent read!

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/front_page/jb26aa01.html

Posted by: david from texas | May 16, 2008 1:14:08 PM

Great! If they win we'll have 4 years of impeachment & congressional hearings while they do nothing! This crying makes them look weak. Do they think that their talks with Iran will be easier or that Iran will welcome them with open arms? If they can't take this kind of talk, they should not have a candidate for president of the United States (I would think the job is harder than this). I hope after November we do not end up acting like some spineless, socialist country that lets the world walk over us and tell us how bad we are...

Posted by: Rochelle | May 16, 2008 1:14:30 PM

Barack: Get a life!

Posted by: JH | May 16, 2008 1:15:11 PM

For you Obamabots, your guy DID say he would sit down and talk with terrorist leaders....remember? or, has the Obama kool-aid got you so drunk you can't remember? However, whether Bush was directing this at the Obama idiot or not, eveidently the shoe fit, because your guy, Obama is crying like a baby now...LOL! And now, he wants to debate? Remember, he was afraid to debate Hillary....this is going to be fun....McCain will literally rip his rhetoric and lies to pieces in the fall!

Posted by: david from texas | May 16, 2008 1:16:31 PM

DAVID tell me what he did to make this country racial, it merely shows how america has not passed over the racial problems when it comes to the older generation. OBAMA will be president!!!!!!

Posted by: bez | May 16, 2008 1:17:19 PM

talking with someone and negotiating with someone are two different things. Bush seems to still forget it was Bin Laden who terrorized our nation - and he is still running free in Afghanistan - he is not nor ever was in Iraq - we are there for oil. And revenge on Hussein for emabarrassing Bush Sr. Nothing to do with 9/11.

Posted by: katie | May 16, 2008 1:17:51 PM

Hey people get serious!!!!!!!
Hussein Obama is un-electable in
november.
He lost all the big states.It's
impossible to get 270 electoral
votes in november.
Do the math state by state.

Posted by: Nicholas | May 16, 2008 1:17:59 PM

Obama was not raised as a Muslim, his biological father gave him an Arabic name, but Obama was raised by a non-religious step-father and his Christian mother. We need some intelligence and common sense in the white house. Obama will be a great president.

Posted by: oobflyer | May 16, 2008 1:18:45 PM

For those who do not know what the issue is, this is from http://www.barackobama.com/issues/foreignpolicy/ Quote: "Talk to our Foes and Friends: Obama is willing to meet with the leaders of all nations, friend and foe." End quote. See for yourself that Obama is indeed a Neville Chamberlain clone and is on a path to America's (and the Free World's) destruction if we allow him anywhere close to The Oval Office. Want more disturbing facts on Obama's policies? Check out his "Energy Plan" and his "Illegal Alien Amnesty Plan". This guy is absolutely unreal.

Posted by: Bill | May 16, 2008 1:18:51 PM

Man, from the posts I receive, you Obamabots really get offended when the truth hurts......LOL....your guy is toast now...this is just the BEGINNING !

Posted by: david from texas | May 16, 2008 1:19:24 PM

BO is such a wimp. He has to manufacture controversy where there isn't any. He's also an arrogant SOB who feels that no one can question him. He's an elitist snob.

Posted by: Frustrated Voter | May 16, 2008 1:19:35 PM

I strongly disagree.

We've been following Bush/McCain foreign policies for 8 years.

The Results...

Al Qaida in Iraq has strengthen.
Al Qaida in Afganistan has strengthen.
Bin Laden is still at large.
Israel has not prospered.
The Iraqi government has weaken.
Iran has strengthen.
Our security is in jeopardy.

AND

Our influence amongst World Leaders has weaken.

It's time for a change.

Posted by: Vanessa | May 16, 2008 1:19:42 PM

For Sen Obama, he just thinks about himself. NO MORE DEBATE WITH Sen Clinton. Now Call for DEBATE WITH Sen McCain.
Good, I want to know how your advisors answer the debate questions.

Posted by: The truth | May 16, 2008 1:19:47 PM

Obama is popular due to high numbers of gullible Americans who are being told what they want to hear. Doesn't mean he can or will deliver on all the promises he's making. Doesn't mean he has to have any experience to deliver on those promises. Just making the promises wins over the mush brains.

Posted by: Lee | May 16, 2008 1:21:11 PM

Besides Mccain's hypocrisy, Bush is negotiating with North Korea as we speak. Is North Korea not a part of the axis of evil, along with Iran & Syria ? He is offering them incentives to stop their nuclear program.

Bush struck a deal with Libya - a country that blew up american airliner over scotland killing americans.

As we speak, He is paying and negotiating with the Iraqi insurgents to stop the war in Iraq.

Is George Bush not the greatest appeaser and hypocrite of all times?

Posted by: Geldo | May 16, 2008 1:21:39 PM

BO can't afford to have people find out that he's an appeaser. He can't fight his own fight so he sends his surrogates out to fight for him. But there is a double-edge sword. The last time he used surrogates such as that racist pastor, it came back to bite him and he's been losing primaries. Now that he's recognizing that others are onto him, he wants HRC to give up. He's not even a man.

Posted by: Frustrated Voter | May 16, 2008 1:21:39 PM

Bush struck a deal with Libya - a country that blew up american airliner over scotland killing americans.

As we speak, He is paying and negotiating with the Iraqi insurgents to stop the war in Iraq.

Is George Bush not the greatest appeaser and hypocrite of all times?

Posted by: Geldo | May 16, 2008 1:21:48 PM

Is it over yet? Come on, America, the entire world knows Bush's statements were directed at Obama. The white house said he was speaking out against Hamas 'endorsing' Obama and then speaking about Obama's stance on meeting with rogue leaders. You've got to be in denial or in a coma if you think Bush was not referring to Obama. Who else has been on the campaign path and speaking like this, and Hamas liking a particular candidate? Duh--

Posted by: RuthieM | May 16, 2008 1:22:12 PM

Boy, you better grow up! You want to sit at the grown ups table? You better put your big boy pants on!
Who is this guy & how the heck did he get this far??????

Posted by: kathy | May 16, 2008 1:22:16 PM

Being called a nazi appeaser by Bush is very much like being called a nazi appeaser by Hitler. Research Prescott Bush and see whose family financially supported the nazis when it counted.

Posted by: anonyq | May 16, 2008 1:22:17 PM

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