CBS/AP/ June 18, 2009, 6:27 PM

McCain, Obama Spar Over Iran Comments

Republican John McCain accused Democrat Barack Obama of inexperience and reckless judgment for saying Iran does not pose the same serious threat to the United States as the Soviet Union did in its day.

The likely GOP presidential nominee made the criticism Monday in Chicago, Obama's home turf.

"Such a statement betrays the depth of Senator Obama's inexperience and reckless judgment. These are very serious deficiencies for an American president to possess," McCain said in an appearance at the restaurant industry's annual meeting.

He was referring to comments Obama made Sunday in Pendleton, Ore.: "Iran, Cuba, Venezuela - these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying, `We're going to wipe you off the planet."'

A video clip of Obama making the comments was distributed Monday by McCain's campaign.

McCain listed the dangers he sees from Iran: It provides deadly explosive devices used to kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq, sponsors terrorists in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East and is committed to the destruction of Israel.

"The threat the government of Iran poses is anything but tiny," McCain said.

Responding to McCain, Obama told a town hall rally later Monday in Billings, Mont., "Let me be absolutely clear: Iran is a grave threat." But the Soviet Union posed an added threat, he said. "The Soviet Union had thousands of nuclear weapons, and Iran doesn't have one."

Obama said the threat from Iran had grown as a result of the U.S. war in Iraq. "Iran is the biggest single beneficiary of the war in Iraq," he said. "John McCain wants to double down that failed policy." If McCain is elected, Obama said, "We'll keep talking tough in Washington, while countries like Iran ignore our tough talk."

The alternative, Obama said, is to follow the example of Presidents Kennedy and Reagan who negotiated with the Soviet Union. Obama called for "tough, disciplined and direct diplomacy. That's what Kennedy did; that's what Reagan did."

Obama's "words sound strong, but he is playing defense, and you'd think he wouldn't want to be doing that, especially against John McCain," said CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds.

Although the Democratic primary race rolls on, McCain and Obama have criticized each other as if they are in the general election campaign. On Friday, Obama called McCain's tough-guy foreign policy "naive and irresponsible;" McCain questioned whether Obama has the strength and judgment to be commander in chief.

At the heart of the dispute between the candidates is Obama's assertion that, as president, he would meet with leaders of these rogue countries without preconditions. Obama insists that direct engagement with the Soviets helped prevent nuclear war and, over time, helped to bring down the Berlin Wall.

McCain strongly disagrees with Obama's position; he argues such a meeting would lend international prestige to U.S. foes.

"An unconditional summit meeting with the next American president would confer both international legitimacy on the Iranian president and could strengthen him domestically, when he is very unpopular among the Iranian people," McCain said.

His remarks were interrupted for several moments by three protesters from the Code Pink anti-war group, one of whom yelled, "No war in Iran!" as she was hustled from the room.

McCain prefaced his speech to the National Restaurant Association with criticism of Obama but then focused mostly on economic issues. He said Obama and his Democratic rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, would raise taxes and regulate businesses "more than ever."

The Arizona senator has been trying to counter the allegation by Democrats that McCain would continue Bush administration policies.

Yet McCain's arguments on Monday - on tax cuts, trade agreements and farm subsidies - mirror those of President Bush.

McCain said that letting the Bush tax cuts expire, as the Democrats would do, would raise taxes by a trillion dollars or more. And he said Obama was wrong to oppose the North American Free Trade Agreement, a pact that, though still controversial after more than a decade, resulted in an estimated $17 billion dollars in exports from Illinois alone.

McCain said farm subsidy payments, like those in the farm bill Congress recently sent to Bush, are the biggest obstacle to global trade deals. Like McCain, Bush dislikes the bill and is threatening to veto it.

"Here we are at a time when food prices are at historic highs, and farm income is up by 56 percent in just the past two years," McCain said. "Yet even now, the Congress has voted to give billions of dollars in subsidies to some of the biggest and richest agribusiness corporations in America."

The Illinois Farm Bureau and other farm groups point out that high energy prices have driven up the costs farmers pay to produce their crops.

"Farmers are in the middle of planting the most expensive crop in history," Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson said last week.

Acknowledging he was in Obama territory, McCain said he agreed with Illinois Democrats that Obama is the right choice to be their senator.

"I couldn't agree more, and I promise to do everything in my power to help him finish his first term in the United States Senate," McCain quipped.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
672 Comments Add a Comment
linkicon reporticon emailicon
abbe91 says:

Does this guy know anything about the Middle East ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr6Va7PEBg8

Anything more than the average American knows ...
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
omaar-101 says:
Posted by vmcneal2: Are you saying the members of Rev Wrights church want to kill White people like the Klan killed Black people or like when White Christians tried to kill off the entire American Indian race?


Mr. Mcneal:

These Hate, Race & Fear Mongers, will stop at Nothing to Stop the Inevitable !!!



reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
omaar-101 says:
China & Russia.

Go Vote For McCain and World (3)will Happen ...

Note: You War Mongers, World War (3) is just One More Arab Invasion Away... From being Made Real !!


And All You Yahoos are Screaming about Terorist !!

Keep Your War Mongering & Blood Thirsty EYES on ..China & Russia and India !!


http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2
007/08/17/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-*********
euvers.php


Russia and China: Hold Joint Military Exercise
The Associated Press Published: August 17, 2007


CHEBARKUL TESTING RANGE, Russia: President Vladimir Putin said Friday he had ordered strategic bombers to resume regular Long-Range Patrols as Russian & Chinese Forces held their 1ST Joint Military Exercise on Russian soil.

NOTE: A show of Armed Muscle Aimed at Sending a Pointed Message to the.... United States.

The resumption of bombing patrols, which analysts say signaled a significant change for Russian military policy, comes amid a growing chill in U.S.-Russian Relations, strained over Washington`s criticism of Russia`s democracy record, Moscow`s objections to U.S. Missile Defense Plans and Differences over Global Crises.

Both Moscow and Beijing share a Heightening Distrust of what they see as the United States` Oversized Role and Influence in Global Politics, and the two former Cold War rivals have forged a "Strategic Partnership" aimed at Counter Balancing Washington`s Policies.

reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
eroosevelt08 says:
More people have gone to the polls and caucuses and voted for Hillary Clinton than have done so for Obama. She should have the nomination. More Americans want her than Obama.

That is a pretty straight forward fact.
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
eroosevelt08 says:
With respect to Senator Obama''s comments about Reverend Wright April 29, 2008: What? Has Senator Obama been in a coma for 20 years? Did he sleep through the sermons? Was he even there? His hangdog story that he ALL OF A SUDDEN figured out what Reverend Wright is about insults everybody''s intelligence. If he is that dense, why on Earth would anybody want to vote for him?
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
vmcneal2 says:
Make no Mistake...Obama studied Black theology with wright.

Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community.... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love.

Black liberation theology, as Wright has elaborated, is closely aligned with the %u201Cliberation theology%u201D of Nicaragua during the seventies and eighties: i.e., the doctrine that catalyzed Marxist revolutionaries. It spurred an unabashedly Leftist movement that emphasized, you guessed it, the crying need for %u201Cchange%u201D -- as George Russell aptly described it in a 2001 Time magazine analysis, %u201Csocial change in the process of spiritual improvement.%u201D



--------------------------------
----------------------------------------
--------

Posted by obama8years

Are you saying the members of Rev Wrights church want to kill White people like the Klan killed Black people or like when White Christians tried to kill off the entire American Indian race?
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
omaar-101 says:

Go Ahead an Vote For McCain and World (3) will Happen ...

Note: You War Mongers, World War (3) is just One More Arab Invasion Away... From being Made Real !!


And All You Yahoos are Screaming about Terorist !!

Keep Your War Mongering & Blood Thirsty EYES on ..China & Russia and India !!


http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/17/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-***************.php


Russia and China: Hold Joint Military Exercise
The Associated Press Published: August 17, 2007


CHEBARKUL TESTING RANGE, Russia: President Vladimir Putin said Friday he had ordered strategic bombers to resume regular Long-Range Patrols as Russian & Chinese Forces held their 1ST Joint Military Exercise on Russian soil.

NOTE: A show of Armed Muscle Aimed at Sending a Pointed Message to the.... United States.

The resumption of bombing patrols, which analysts say signaled a significant change for Russian military policy, comes amid a growing chill in U.S.-Russian Relations, strained over Washington`s criticism of Russia`s democracy record, Moscow`s objections to U.S. Missile Defense Plans and Differences over Global Crises.

Both Moscow and Beijing share a Heightening Distrust of what they see as the United States` Oversized Role and Influence in Global Politics, and the two former Cold War rivals have forged a "Strategic Partnership" aimed at Counter Balancing Washington`s Policies.

There were several Other Asian Countries Involved in those Joint Excercises..also !!

reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
omaar-101 says:

Call me when Clinton EVENS-SURPASSES Obama`s NUMBERS...Please

Oregon:IS GOING TO BE CLINTON`S, SC,NC & MISSP..NIGHTMARE ALL OVER AGAIN !!

For 2 Months we`ve known Clinton was going to WIN W.Virg. & Kentucky...

But Bill Clinton said Hillary had to WIN in both those States by 80-90%...

She won W.Virg. By (40%) and she will NOT WIN Kentucky by (80-90%) Sorry its another Clinton Mirror Math Job gone Bad !!

Oregon is Clinton`s Swan Song !!!


Total Delegate Count

Democrats | 2,026 Needed to Clinch

OBAMA (1,911)

CLINTON 1,713

EDWARDS 9

Republicans | 1,191 Needed to Clinch

MCCAIN (1,337)

HUCKABEE 231
ROMNEY 149

CBS News estimates. Includes super delegates.

reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
omaar-101 says:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/957762,byrd051908.article

Sen. Robert Byrd, (Ex-Klansman) Backs Barack Obama

May 19, 2008



WASHINGTON %u2014 Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and a one-time opponent of civil rights legislation, is endorsing Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Obama is vying to be the nation%u2019s first black president.

The West Virginia senator says Obama has the qualities to end the Iraq war.

In a written statement, Byrd called Obama a shining young Statesman, who possesses the Personal Temperament and Courage Necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure in Iraq.%u2019%u2019

Note: Byrd is the longest-serving senator in history and third person in the line of presidential succession.

PS: And Byrd Studied (White Supremacy & Race Hate Theory) and is the Longest Serving Senator and 3rd person in line of Presidential Succession !!


And You Racist are Worried about ...Obama ...Please
reply
linkicon reporticon emailicon
omaar-101 says:
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/957762,byrd051908.article

Sen. Robert Byrd, (Ex-Klansman) Backs Barack Obama

May 19, 2008



WASHINGTON %u2014 Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and a one-time opponent of civil rights legislation, is endorsing Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Obama is vying to be the nation%u2019s first black president.

The West Virginia senator says Obama has the qualities to end the Iraq war.

In a written statement, Byrd called Obama a shining young Statesman, who possesses the Personal Temperament and Courage Necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure in Iraq.%u2019%u2019

Note: Byrd is the longest-serving senator in history and third person in the line of presidential succession.

And Byrd Studied (White Supremacy & Race Hate Theory) and is the Longest Serving Senator and 3rd person in line of Presidential Succession !!


And You Racist are Worried about ...Obama ...Please




reply
See all 672 Comments