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05.30.2008 5:23 pm

McCain the travel agent? Obama the verb watchdog?

WASHINGTON _ A few minutes ago, John McCain’s “ecampaign” sent out a message that began thusly: “It has been 873 days since Sen. Obama’s one and only visit to Iraq.”

Tonight, Barack Obama planned to recall to an audience these words uttered yesterday by McCain: “We have drawn down to pre-surge levels” in Iraq.

There’s something to both statements: Obama, unlike many senators, has not traveled to Iraq for a considerable period of time time even though he has based his campaign heavily on his opposition to the Iraq war.

And McCain’s assertion yesterday was flat-out wrong: The current troop level in Iraq is about 155,000, way beyond the 130,000 during pre-surge levels.”

Some points here: Obama, obviously, has been pinned down by Hillary Clinton and has yet to lock down the Democratic nomination. Would it have been politically wise while campaigning over the past 17 months or so to pick up and leave a red-hot race? Maybe. Maybe not.

Meanwhile, could McCain — who has been to Iraq five times since Obama’s trip — not know what’s going on there troop-wise? His aides contended today that the Arizona senator simply was off in his verb tenses, and meant to say that “we are drawing down” rather than “we have drawn down.”

Both campaigns are on the attack, be it on travel or verb tense. McCain has proposed a joint trip with Obama to Iraq, which Obama rejected (wisely, it would seem) as a political stunt.

“While he (Obama) is happy to hold unconditional presidential meetings with the world’s worst dictators, he has yet to meet with Gen. Petraeus about the improving conditions in Iraq,” the McCain campaign said a little while ago after accusing Obama today of “nitpicking” about verbs.

Meanwhile, Obama planned to use these words tonight in Montana: “Today, Sen. McCain refused to correct his mistake. Just like George Bush, when he was presented with the truth, he just dug in and refused to admit his mistake.”

This is the sort of give-and-take we can expect to hear in the coming months. But a larger question presents itself with regard to tactics of the Democrats’ nominee-in-waiting:

Is Obama falling into a trap by attempting to compete with McCain on national security – an issue on which McCain holds much better credentials?

Is Illinois’ junior senator a tad hasty in his effort to avoid being defined by McCain or, in the vernacular of the day, getting “swiftboated” by his opponents? Might he be better off focusing on the economy and issues more favorable to him?

Stay tuned.

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22 comments

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Whoa. As confused as the poor ol’ guy is now, makes you wonder what he’ll be like at the end of his term when he is 76 years old.

— Lisa12
2:01 am May 31st, 2008

Lisa, you are so quick to point out McCain’s gaffe’s, would you care to comment on Obamessiah’s gaffes?

“In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.” The actual death toll: 12.

“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.”

“Sen. Clinton, I think, is much better known, coming from a nearby state of Arkansas. So it’s not surprising that she would have an advantage in some of those states in the middle.” On what map is Arkansas closer to Kentucky than Illinois?

“There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born.”

Obama was born in 1961. The Selma march took place in 1965. His spokesman, Bill Burton, later explained that Obama was “speaking metaphorically about the civil rights movement as a whole.”

“We only have a certain number of them and if they are all in Iraq, then it’s harder for us to use them in Afghanistan.” The real reason it’s “harder for us to use them” in Afghanistan: Iraqis speak Arabic or Kurdish. The Afghanis speak Pashto, Farsi, or other non-Arabic languages.

Last March, the Chicago Tribune reported this little-noticed nugget about a fake autobiographical detail in Obama’s “Dreams from My Father:”

“Then, there’s the copy of Life magazine that Obama presents as his racial awakening at age 9. In it, he wrote, was an article and two accompanying photographs of an African-American man physically and mentally scarred by his efforts to lighten his skin. In fact, the Life article and the photographs don’t exist, say the magazine’s own historians.”

“I had an uncle who was part of the first American troops to go into Auschwitz and liberate the concentration camps, ”

“On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes — and I see many of them in the audience here today — our sense of patriotism is particularly strong.”

Is that past cocaine use catching up to Obamessiah?

— Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum
10:18 am May 31st, 2008

Si - you are the best - keep up the good work!

— A CENTRIST
12:07 pm May 31st, 2008

When are you people going to realize that as soon as a term (? name?) or whatever like “obamassiah” is used to refer to a possible democratic (?) presidential candidate the author looses any credibility with persons who could just as easily vote for the other parties candidate. Those of us who try to gain some insight out of the drivel on these blogs that you people are obviously being paid to slop all over any public blog or forum about the various would-be candidates is made somewhat easier just by reading the signatures on the comment. That way we know which to disregard. I will not use anyone’s name in this comment, you know who you are.

— willys
5:47 pm May 31st, 2008

If McCain is elected, which McCain will we get?

Flip.
“I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us at the expense of middle-class Americans who need tax relief.” — John McCain, May 2001

Double. Flip.
“[W]e must enact comprehensive immigration reform. We must make it a top agenda item.” McCain went on to take an anti-deportation position on immigrants already in the U.S. who entered the country illegally, saying “they are also God’s children, and we have to do it in a human and compassionate fashion.” — John McCain, May 24, 2008

Flop.
“You know, I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it on the past. I have to find out what my position was. Brian, would you find out what my position is on contraception…” –- John McCain, March 2007

— Lisa12
1:10 am June 1st, 2008

If Obamessiah is elected, which one will we get, the one that meets with unrepentant terrorists? The one that simply made up parts of his autobiography? The one who sat in a church pew for 20 years before realizing the racist divisive bile the preachers were spewing? The one that has visited 57 states? The one endorsed by such renowned world leaders such as FARC (terrorists), Chavez (socialist thug), Hamas (terrorists) Ahmanutjob (Crazy terrorist enabler)? The one that admits raising the capitol gains tax wouldnt increase in federal revenues, but will do it anyway because its “fair”? The one that sees dead people? The one that doesnt know his own family history on where his great Uncle served. The one that wants unilateral US disarmament? The one that will raise your taxes to give $650 Billion to the UN? The one that will surrender in Iraq regardless of what the Generals say?

Or maybe Billary II is elected. Which one will we get, the one that for years couldnt find Rose law firm billing records in her own house? The one that testified under oath over 70 times “I dont recall” or some form of it? The one that ran from sniper fire in Bosnia? The one that wants to take things from you for the common good?

— Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum
8:16 am June 1st, 2008

Great work Si. I’ve posed this question before and will do so again: Why vote for Obama? What will Obama change about this country? So far, not one Obama supporter has replied. Lisa?

— Logicprevails
12:53 pm June 1st, 2008

Also, before y’all go all ga-ga over Mr. Bellum’s “good work”, it’s copied and pasted from Craigslist. The only work he did was to google, copy and paste.

But then again, how would a Republican know anything about work?

— Robert M Walsh
1:53 pm June 1st, 2008

Sorry Bobby, I dont do Craigslist. Better luck next time. Of course, you could have provided a link to the suspect work, but it doesnt matter, I dont visit Craigslist, so there is no way I could have copied it from there.

— Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum
3:20 pm June 1st, 2008

What will Obama change about the country?

Get us out of Iraq. Undo the gutting of departments like FEMA and regulatory agencies (like actually enforce mining regulations so people don’t die). Actually support the troops by implementing reasonable tours of duty and providing good healthcare and college benefits. Make improvements to our broken healthcare system (even signing single payer legislation if Congress were to pass it). Take global warming seriously. Invest in alternative energies to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Repeal the Bush tax cuts for the rich. Pass and enforce laws to protect our environment. Restore the Department of Justice to an independent and non-political entity. Address problems that affect most Americans, rather than catering to corporations and the rich. Return transparency to government and put an end to no-bid contracts meant to enrich the president’s buddies. Work to decrease wasteful spending, decrease our budget deficits and decrease the federal debt. The biggest CHANGE will be having a President who is intelligent and engaged in running the country. If we experience another disaster like Katrina, Obama will not be yukking it up and eating birthday cake with McCain.

— Lisa12
8:06 pm June 1st, 2008

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