Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., continued to attack Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., today for suggesting during a Democratic debate that after withdrawing combat troops from Iraq, Obama, as commander in chief, would be willing to send U.S. troops back into Iraq "if al Qaeda is forming a base" there.
"The fact is, al Qaeda is in Iraq," McCain said. "Al Qaeda is in Iraq today. If we left Iraq there's no doubt that al Qaeda would then gain control in Iraq and pose a threat to the United States of America. Ask anyone who knows about the situation on the ground in Iraq. I look forward to continuing this debate."
The remarks constituted the third time in one day that McCain had assailed the Democratic front-runner for his comment, in what seemed a preview of the general election matchup.
McCain vs. Obama
McCain started the day in Tyler, Texas, assailing Obama for his comments, then repeated the charge at a town hall meeting in San Antonio at the offices of USAA Insurance.
"I guess that means that [Obama] would surrender and then go back," McCain said.
Watch McCain's comments today HERE.
Read the article at ABCNews.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
America Votes, World Riveted
The world may or may not be economically “decoupling” from the United States as some have suggested. But it remains heavily invested, emotionally at least, in U.S. presidential politics. From Mexico City to Mumbai, media closely cover the presidential nominating contests as they play out across the United States. There is keen interest in the three front-runners, Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and Republican John McCain, described by Britain’s Independent as an “ All-American cast of characters.” Underlying the spectator-sport enthusiasm is also concern about who will replace George W. Bush at a time when confidence in U.S. leadership on a variety of global topics has plummeted from Europe (PDF) to the Muslim world.
Sports metaphors of a kind not common in U.S. coverage abound in foreign coverage of the party primaries. The Hindu, an Indian daily, evokes a classic cricket match. British scholar Timothy Garton Ash likens it to the World Cup soccer tourney (LAT). McCain’s come-from-behind effort has been a popular story line. But generating the most interest now is the historic struggle between Obama—the most successful black candidate ever—and Clinton—who has advanced farther than any woman candidate—to gain their party’s nod for the presidency. German interest, detailed recently by Spiegel, is typical of the global obsession.
The prospect of presidency for Obama, the son of a Kenyan-born Muslim who spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, has fascinated international observers. East Africans are especially caught up in his candidacy, as President Bush discovered in his recent visit to Tanzania (WashPost), which borders Kenya. An op-ed in the Dubai-based Khaleej Times worries about the pressure Obama faces because of his call for direct negotiations with Iran. Israeli press, meanwhile, closely follow the to and fro over the credibility of Obama’s positions, and advisers, on Israeli-Palestinian issues (Haaretz).
Read the article at CFR.
Sports metaphors of a kind not common in U.S. coverage abound in foreign coverage of the party primaries. The Hindu, an Indian daily, evokes a classic cricket match. British scholar Timothy Garton Ash likens it to the World Cup soccer tourney (LAT). McCain’s come-from-behind effort has been a popular story line. But generating the most interest now is the historic struggle between Obama—the most successful black candidate ever—and Clinton—who has advanced farther than any woman candidate—to gain their party’s nod for the presidency. German interest, detailed recently by Spiegel, is typical of the global obsession.
The prospect of presidency for Obama, the son of a Kenyan-born Muslim who spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, has fascinated international observers. East Africans are especially caught up in his candidacy, as President Bush discovered in his recent visit to Tanzania (WashPost), which borders Kenya. An op-ed in the Dubai-based Khaleej Times worries about the pressure Obama faces because of his call for direct negotiations with Iran. Israeli press, meanwhile, closely follow the to and fro over the credibility of Obama’s positions, and advisers, on Israeli-Palestinian issues (Haaretz).
Read the article at CFR.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The Politico: Kingmaker
If you are a political junkie, I advise you to check out The Politico's Kingmaker.
*Predict the outcome of the primaries
*Earn points for correct predictions
*Justify yourself and build "Politico Cred"
*Compete with friends by joininig pools
Just click the icon above to visit the site.
*Predict the outcome of the primaries
*Earn points for correct predictions
*Justify yourself and build "Politico Cred"
*Compete with friends by joininig pools
Just click the icon above to visit the site. For unbiased political news, visit ThePolitico on a daily basis for the latest on the Presidential race, Congressional stories and an open forum.
McCain camp vows to 'go to war' with NYT
John McCain’s campaign promised to “go to war” against The New York Times Wednesday night after the newspaper posted its long-awaited story on McCain's alleged relationship with a telecom lobbyist. Both McCain and the woman in question denied having a romantic relationship. The story, word of which first leaked to the Drudge Report in December, relies on anonymous sources tied to McCain who said the lobbyist was warned to keep her distance to the senator in the run-up to his first presidential bid. In the piece, McCain is quoted as telling Times Editor Bill Keller that he never did anything unethical. Top McCain advisers, including his former Senate Chief of Staff Mark Salter, also say on the record that there was nothing inappropriate done legislatively. McCain told reporters Wednesday night when asked about the story: "I haven't seen it yet, so I can't comment."
Read the story at ThePolitico.
Read the story at ThePolitico.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Romney Suspends Presidential Campaign
Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign on Thursday, effectively sealing the Republican presidential nomination for John McCain. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney told conservatives.
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.
Read the full article at Breitbart.
I don't know if I can support McCain...
"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror," Romney told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington.
Read the full article at Breitbart.
I don't know if I can support McCain...
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Republicans head South, Democrats go West in push before Super Tuesday
Sen. John McCain barnstormed through a skeptical South on Saturday, campaigning for a Super Tuesday knockout in the Republican presidential race. Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton worked the West on the final weekend before primaries and caucuses in more than 20 states.
"I assume that I will get the nomination of the party," McCain told reporters, the front-runner so confident that he decided to challenge rival Mitt Romney in his home state of Massachusetts.
Clinton stressed pocketbook issues, the home mortgage crisis in a discussion with voters in a working class neighborhood, and health care at a noisy rally attended by former basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson. "This is a cause that is the central passion of my public life," she said, and jabbed at Obama on the issue.
"My opponent will not commit to universal health care. I do not believe we should nominate any Democrat who will not stand here proudly today and commit to universal health care," she said in the continuation of a monthslong debate over which candidate's plan would result in wider coverage among the millions who now lack it.
Obama stopped in Idaho, where caucuses offer a mere 18 delegates on Tuesday, and he worked to reassure Westerners on two fronts.
"I've been going to the same church for more than 20 years, praising Jesus," he told an audience in Boise, warning his listeners not to believe e-mails that falsely say he is a Muslim.
In a region of the country where hunting is a way of life, he also said he has "no intention of taking away folks' guns." The Illinois senator did not mention his support for gun control legislation.
Read the rest of the article at TheDetroitNews.
"I assume that I will get the nomination of the party," McCain told reporters, the front-runner so confident that he decided to challenge rival Mitt Romney in his home state of Massachusetts.
Clinton stressed pocketbook issues, the home mortgage crisis in a discussion with voters in a working class neighborhood, and health care at a noisy rally attended by former basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson. "This is a cause that is the central passion of my public life," she said, and jabbed at Obama on the issue.
"My opponent will not commit to universal health care. I do not believe we should nominate any Democrat who will not stand here proudly today and commit to universal health care," she said in the continuation of a monthslong debate over which candidate's plan would result in wider coverage among the millions who now lack it.
Obama stopped in Idaho, where caucuses offer a mere 18 delegates on Tuesday, and he worked to reassure Westerners on two fronts.
"I've been going to the same church for more than 20 years, praising Jesus," he told an audience in Boise, warning his listeners not to believe e-mails that falsely say he is a Muslim.
In a region of the country where hunting is a way of life, he also said he has "no intention of taking away folks' guns." The Illinois senator did not mention his support for gun control legislation.
Read the rest of the article at TheDetroitNews.
McCain: Race could be over Tuesday
From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-TreworgyMcCain held a lengthy press conference on the plane somewhere between St. Louis and Chicago last night. He addressed his need to unite the Republican Party by improving his standing amongst conservatives, and he also said that he believes there's a good chance the race could be over on Tuesday.
"From what we see in the polls I think that there's a very good chance that it will be over on Tuesday. But I think there's still a lot of undivided -- undecided voters, but I'm hoping that we can, we can -- the sooner I get that done, the sooner I can go to work on uniting the party."
Talking about courting conservatives, McCain said: "We'll be talking to them. We'll be going to their gatherings. We'll be talking to them and emphasizing my conservative credentials. And there's one other factor. The reason we are doing so well with conservatives outside of some of those very visible people is because they think the transcendent challenge is radical Islamic extremists and I think I can prove to them that I can keep America safe."
He added, "Now there are some others who obviously don't feel that's there priority, but I don't think we could have won the Florida primary, which was a Republican primary, without getting a significant number of conservative voters. And also finally, I think maybe when they look at the opposition, I may be a little more attractive."
Read the story at MSNBC.
Go Mitt!
"From what we see in the polls I think that there's a very good chance that it will be over on Tuesday. But I think there's still a lot of undivided -- undecided voters, but I'm hoping that we can, we can -- the sooner I get that done, the sooner I can go to work on uniting the party."
Talking about courting conservatives, McCain said: "We'll be talking to them. We'll be going to their gatherings. We'll be talking to them and emphasizing my conservative credentials. And there's one other factor. The reason we are doing so well with conservatives outside of some of those very visible people is because they think the transcendent challenge is radical Islamic extremists and I think I can prove to them that I can keep America safe."
He added, "Now there are some others who obviously don't feel that's there priority, but I don't think we could have won the Florida primary, which was a Republican primary, without getting a significant number of conservative voters. And also finally, I think maybe when they look at the opposition, I may be a little more attractive."
Read the story at MSNBC.
Go Mitt!
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