Republican presidential hopeful John McCain mocked Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday for saying he would take action as president “if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq.”
“When you examine that statement, it’s pretty remarkable,” McCain told a crowd in Tyler, Texas.
“I have some news. Al-Qaida is in Iraq. It’s called `al-Qaida in Iraq,’” McCain said, drawing laughter at Obama’s expense.
Obama quickly answered back, telling a rally at Ohio State University in Columbus, “I do know that al-Qaida is in Iraq.”
Here’s the full quote:
“As commander in chief, I will always reserve the right to make sure that we are looking out for American interests. And if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad.”-(emphasis mine)
February 27th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
This reminds me of the debate where John McCain pounced on Romney saying something like “if the surge is working.”
February 27th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
ha ha, maybe Obama will pull out the troops and put them somewhere close, like Okinawa,
just in case Bin Laden shows up in Iraq…or whatever….poor guy, he’s sweet but in
over his head.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Russert had asked what they would do if after the US pulled out AQI reconstituted itself in Iraq. So the premise was that AQI had been destroyed. But I guess this is more evidence that candidates should avoid hypotheticals.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Oh that’s interesting Axel, so you agree that the surge has worked?
February 27th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Here is the question Russert asked:
RUSSERT: I want to ask both of you this question, then. If this
scenario plays out and the Americans get out in totality, and Al Qaida
resurges and Iraq goes to hell, do you hold the right in your mind as
American president to reinvade, to go back into Iraq to stabilize it?
February 27th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Of course the surge has decreased violence. Our troops always do what is asked of them.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Axel, why do you have (Wash insider) after your handle? It makes you look like a
clown.
February 27th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
This is yet another example why Mr. Obama should never be president.
February 27th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
This is so pathetic. This site has fast become nothing more than parroting of Republican talking points.
Obama was clearly referring to a future situation. Withdrawing from Iraq, for Obama, does not necessarily require neutering our ability to attack Al-Qaeda bases in Iraq.
February 27th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Kevin,
Take a gander to the left side of the screen. This is a Republican-leaning site. If I went to Kos I’d see pro-Democrat post after pro-Democrat post – hardly anything objective. And that’s ok – because that is what I would expect on a Democrat-leaning site.
February 27th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Kevin says ‘Withdrawing from Iraq, for Obama, does not necessarily require neutering
our ability to attack Al-Qaeda bases in Iraq.’
‘For Obama’ maybe it doesn’t…For us in the ‘reality-based community’ which you lefties
love, it, uh, does. How are we going to attack these Al-Qaeda bases with no troops?
Oh I remember, air strikes. Whatever, Obama doesn’t even know what those are, he
keeps talking about them – remember when he said we should consider just bombing the hell
out of Pakistan, because he heard there was some Al-Qaeda there? Ignorant and pathetic.
But maybe we should just Hope, because Yes We Can, right Kevin and Axel?
February 27th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Kevin:
I fear you don’t know Mr. Obama very well. If you do, please fill us in.
February 27th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Axel #6: what are troops for, anyway? To NOT obey orders? PINHEAD!
February 27th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
“Take a gander to the left side of the screen. This is a Republican-leaning site. If I went to Kos I’d see pro-Democrat post after pro-Democrat post – hardly anything objective. And that’s ok – because that is what I would expect on a Democrat-leaning site.” Exactly, but I guess only liberal sites are allowed to take a side.
February 27th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Ya gotta admit though guys, Obama won this round with his response today, doncha think?
THis is gonna be a fun 8 months.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:08 am
The best thing to ever happen to W was when an insurgent group in Iraq decided to call itself Al-Qaeda in Iraq- suddenly there *was* a good reason to be in Iraq! Al-Qaeda was there! Not the same Al-Qaeda that ran planes into the WTC, granted, but *AN* Al-Qaeda. Or someone that called themselves that!
And the funny thing is, people believe it and repeat it. A win for the terrorists, a win for the chickenhawk neo-cons who have stock in Blackwater and Halliburton, a loss for logic, decency and the american economy, as trillions flow into the sand.
February 28th, 2008 at 9:08 am
“Ya gotta admit though guys, Obama won this round with his response today, doncha think?”
Actually…no, I don’t. While I think this is a situation where Sen McCain is being misleading (much like with Gov Romney in FL), Sen Obama’s response seemed pretty weak to me. Sen McCain put up Sen Obama’s statement and said “See, he doesn’t think Al Qaeda’s in Iraq, and everyone knows they are,” and the best Sen Obama can say is “Well, gee, I knew they were there all along, despite my earlier comment that can be made to sound like I didn’t.” Lame. Flip flop. Any number of other comments. It would be much more effective, imo, to point out that Sen McCain has a history of stretching the truth, and pointing to FL as the second-most recent incident.
Jim, I could go over good reasons we got into Iraq, but as there isn’t anything anyone could say to convince you there was actually a reason, and your response would consist of inane namecalling (as evidenced by #16), what’s the point?
February 28th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Richard, I miss your debates with Caroline, too
Maybe instead of chickenhawk I should have said President Bush, who avoided serving in Vietnam, and Vice President Cheney, who also avoided service. Nothing else in the post was name-calling, to my view.
I think instead of debating whether or not Iraq was worth it (pretty much everyone agrees it was not and wishes we didn’t do it), your best tactic is to just ignore that question and deal with the future of Iraq, as McCain is trying to do.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
All you all are focusing entirely on the wrong aspect of this story. BHO got this completely wrong from the get go. Al Qaeda WAS MOST CERTAINLY in Iraq before 2003. There is mountains of evidence to indicate this.
Number One, Zarcawi appears to have been in Baghdad as early as 2001 receiving medical treatment. Saddam even set him up with a pension and a free home in Tikrit.
There were two Terrorist training camps in Iraq before we invaded: Salman Pac and Answar Al-Islam.
Answar Al-Islam was Al-Qaeda in Iraq, but by a different name. It was in a semi-autonomous region of northeastern Iraq on the Iranian border.
Salman Pac, 20 miles south of Baghdad hosted numerous Al Qaeda operatives as early as 1999.
Richard Miniter in his book “The Shadow War” outlines in his Appendix fully 40 instances of cooperation between Saddam and Al Qaeda before the War began.
When you cede the point to Obama that he’s right on Al Qaeda not being in Iraq, we lose the argument.