McCain assails Obama for lack of experience

GOP contender criticizes Democrat's call for shift from Iraq to Afghanistan

By Tom Curry
National affairs writer
MSNBC

Add Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain to the list of Sen. Barack Obama’s rivals who are suggesting that he lacks the experience required to be president. In a speech in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, Obama pledged that he would “remove our combat brigades from Iraq and increase our military, political, and economic commitment to Afghanistan" as president.

Asked Tuesday night about Obama’s comments, McCain got in a slap about his opponent's slender foreign policy credentials, although he also included other Democrats in his critique as lacking “judgment.”

“They don’t understand the implications of failure in Iraq: that it will directly affect Afghanistan and the entire Middle East,” McCain said. “They simply either don’t have the experience or that judgment to understand that. If we fail in Iraq, the consequences of defeat will spread throughout the region.”

“They all take simple views,” McCain said of the Democratic contenders. “Sen. Obama and the others wanted to threaten (Pakistani leader Pervez) Musharraf with cutting off aid. We didn’t want threaten to cut off aid; we wanted to work with him and get him to make the progress that he is making.” He added, “That’s the difference between (having) experience and judgment — and not having it.”

...Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, “John McCain supported taking our focus off of al Qaida and invading Iraq; Barack Obama opposed the war. John McCain wants to continue an open-ended commitment of our troops to Iraq; Barack Obama will end the war and provide more troops in Afghanistan." Psaki also said McCain "wants to give President Musharraf a blank check; Barack Obama wants a Pakistan policy that is focused on results. That’s the difference between the failed foreign policy of the Bush-Cheney years, and Obama’s judgment to lead.”

...Asked whether Afghanistan is in more peril now than it was 18 months ago, McCain said yes, but added, “I don’t think it is due to our concentration on Iraq. It is due to a number of other failures including corruption in government, poppy crops,” and among other factors, the safe haven for al Qaida soldiers in the Pakistani region of Waziristan.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22326360/

I know this has been posted elsewhere, but the actual story hasn't really made it past the thread titles.

To make him appear equal and competitive. It would be wise for Obama not to acknowledge it. Why should he, since his current challenge is not with a repug.

I've never understood why he's ever been a serious contender.

Maybe we are both right in this one. O8)

What better way than taking a swipe at one of the Dem frontrunner who just happens to share a key demographic in his base of supporters.

Clinton did not know much about overseas and did well. Bush grew up in a family of people who deals in such things and look at his mess. I think it has to do with how one thinks.

so much for the experience argument ...

that leads one to support the invasion of a country that didn't attack us, for a threat that didn't exist? And to still support the occupation of this very same country now, for undefined goals of "victory" and "fighting them over there"? Yes, let's talk judgment, John McCain.