McCain mocks Obama on international trip 27/07/2008 - 10:27:55
US Republican presidential candidate John McCain mocked rival Barack Obama’s high-profile international tour, as the Democrat argued in London that US President George Bush and McCain were shifting towards his policy on Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr McCain virtually dared Mr Obama to make the trip during earlier campaigning, claiming that his rival was naive on foreign policy and national security and pointing out that the Illinois Democrat wanted to withdraw troops from Iraq within 16 months of his presidency, even though had not been to Iraq since January 2006.
But the former Vietnam prisoner of war has struggled to get the media spotlight in a week that Mr Obama visited Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Europe, as he tried to reassure American voters that he could handle international politics and mend relations with key allies frustrated with eight years of President Bush.
Mr McCain took a swipe at his rival in his weekly radio address yesterday, saying: “With all the breathless coverage from abroad, and with Senator Obama now addressing his speeches to the people of the world, I’m starting to feel a little left out. Maybe you are too.”
Mr McCain has visited Canada, Colombia and Mexico since he and Mr Obama started campaigning for the White House head-to-head.
Mr Obama acknowledged at a London meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown that he could slip in the polls during his international trip because of American voters’ concerns about domestic issues, including sky-high fuel prices and a reposessions crisis.
“The reason that I thought this trip was important is that I am convinced that many issues that we face at home are not going to be solved as effectively unless we have strong partners abroad,” he told reporters.
“And unless we get a handle on Iraq and Afghanistan, not only are we going to be less safe, but it’s also going to be a huge drain on resources.”
Mr McCain has long opposed Mr Obama’s call for a 16-month timetable for the withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq. On Friday, though, Mr McCain said, “I think it’s a pretty good timetable, as we should – or horizons for withdrawal,” echoing a phrase Mr Bush used in recent days. “But they have to be based on conditions on the ground.”
At his news conference, Mr Obama jumped on that to say there was now some agreement “around a proposal that we have been making for a year and a half”.
He also said Mr McCain supported sending additional US troops to Afghanistan, “and the Bush administration acknowledges that as well. I have been talking about that since last year”, he said.
Mr McCain’s campaign also sharply criticised Mr Obama for cancelling a visit to wounded troops in Germany, saying Mr Obama chose foreign leaders and cheering Europeans over “injured American heroes”.
Mr Obama’s campaign called the accusation “wildly inappropriate”. His spokesman has claimed that the visit to a military hospital in Germany was scrapped after the Pentagon raised concerns about political activity on a military base.
Earlier, though, the campaign had said Mr Obama decided the visit might be seen as inappropriate politicking. However, the Pentagon said the senator was never told not to visit.
Mr McCain himself joined in the rebuke, saying in an interview to be shown today by ABC’s This Week that “if I had been told by the Pentagon that I couldn’t visit those troops, and I was there and wanted to be there, I guarantee you, there would have been a seismic event”.
Mr Obama’s trip began with a tour of the war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, visits to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, and included stops in Germany and France.
In London yesterday, Mr Obama met Mr Brown, Middle East envoy and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Conservative Party leader David Cameron. Mr Obama said he and Mr Brown discussed a wide range of issues, such as climate change, terrorism and financial markets.
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US Republican presidential candidate John McCain mocked rival Barack Obama’s high-profile international tour, as the Democrat argued in London that US President George Bush and McCain were shifting towards his policy on Iraq and Afghanistan.
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