McCain Camp Hammers Obama Over Meeting With Foreign Leaders Without Preconditions

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: John McCain

The McCain campaign held a conference call this afternoon criticizing Barack Obama for his comment a year ago that he would be willing to meet with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea without preconditions.

If Obama is President on January 21st, the leaders of those countries will invite Obama to visit, Michigan Republican Congressman Pete Hoekstra predicted on the call. "That would be an untenable position for the President of the United States to be put in," Hoekstra said.

He said that Obama "has set himself up for a performance measurement that he cannot meet," adding that the presumptive Democratic nominee "has set himself up for a policy direction that undercuts our allies."

McCain senior foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann said that Obama's answer to a question today about whether he stands by his position from a year ago is a testament to his inexperience, stubbornness, and malleability. Obama said today in Israel that he would be willing to meet with those leaders "at my time and choosing...if I thought it would promote the national security interests of the United States of America." He said "that continues to be my position."

Obama is attempting to "rewrite history," Scheunemann said. "He takes a position calculated to appeal to the extreme left in the primaries...then he changes his position and hopes the media won't call him on it," he added.

"I guess with Obama words matter expect when they cause an inconvenient truth," said Scheunemann.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by ramos937 July 24, 2008 11:19 AM EDT: If Obama is President on January 21st, the leaders of those countries will invite Obama to visit, Michigan Republican Congressman Pete Hoekstra predicted on the call. "That would be an untenable position for the President of the United States to be put in," Hoekstra said.
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Hoekstra is a fool. If, by meeting, Obama can save one soldier''s life, I am all for it. Bush''s refusal to meet with Saddam''s representatives led us into the current Iraq war nightmare. The darkest cloud in American history.; Reply to this comment


by clestes-2009 July 24, 2008 1:46 AM EDT: Fossil John is fast losing his mojo! I mean how many more stupid comments is he going to make?? Are we going to listen to this curlish nonsense for another 4 months?? When are we going to hear some definate plans from his mouth instead of the childish whine he is currently producing??; Reply to this comment


by dnsallday July 23, 2008 6:14 PM EDT: Doesn''t this guy have a job to do?
Is he ever going to start running for president, or is he going to continue this anti-Obama rant that he has been on.
Why is he coming unhinged because Obama has gotten some positive press? McCain is a frighteningly insecure and petty man.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 July 23, 2008 5:23 PM EDT: It could be possible that considering the results and actions of our current War Mongering Administration, and the prospective of continuing the most disastrous and revolting foreign policy in US history, that sitting down and holding dialogue with world leaders without requirements could be beneficial to the overall well being of the both Americans and Foreign Citizens.; Reply to this comment