McCain Camp Continues Contrast With Obama on Georgia Conflict

By: Ryan Corsaro
Topics: John McCain

(CBS)

From CBS News' Ryan Corsaro:

(NEWARK, N.J.) - John McCain travels with fellow Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., today to Michigan. There, McCain and wife Cindy will tour Beaver Aerospace and Defense, a company that builds commercial, military, and aerospace aircraft parts – he will then meet with and deliver remarks to employees. He'll also be greeted in Michigan by Mitt Romney's brother, George Scott Romney.

The press expect more statements from McCain later this afternoon, which will likely concern the ongoing conflict in the country of Georgia. In the past two days, McCain, his staff and supporters such as Lieberman have been addressing the Georgia issue in hopes of contrasting McCain's foreign policy experience with Barack Obama's.

On McCain's campaign plane yesterday, foreign policy advisor Randy Scheunemann told reporters, "I think the first major speech (McCain) gave expressing concerns about Russian policies in former Warsaw Pact or former Soviet Pact was in 1993. I don't know when the first statement Senator Obama might have given about Russia when he started issuing statements on Russia. So there's a depth of knowledge, a breadth of knowledge and an extent of historical experience that doesn't compare between the two on Russian policy."

"You can't compare a 15-year historical record with three or four statements over the course of fifteen months," he added.

Last night, Lieberman told a group of fundraisers that Obama did not have a "moral neutrality" in his statements on the violence in Georgia.

"The last few days, four or five days, we've seen one of the most unexpected crises in the world as the Russians moved into Georgia as aggressors," said Lieberman.

"And if you read the statements from the beginning, Senator McCain and Senator Obama, one had kind of moral neutrality to it, that comes I think from inexperience. The other, Senator McCain, was strong and clear and principled and put America where America always wants to be."

Obama has made several statements on Russia's aggressive actions in Georgia from Hawaii, where he has been vacationing with his family since this past weekend – just as both the Olympics began and Russia started engaging in military strikes in South Ossetia and moved into Georgia.

Yesterday, Obama issued a statement, saying, "Now is the time for action - not just words. It is past time for the Russian government to immediately sign and implement a cease-fire. Russia must halt its violation of Georgian airspace and withdraw its ground forces from Georgia, with international monitors to verify that these obligations are met."

Both candidates have spoken directly with Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili; Obama on Saturday and McCain as recently as Tuesday, which he recounted to supporters at a town hall that afternoon: "I told him I know I speak for every American when I say to him today we are all Georgians."

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by bud_w11 August 13, 2008 4:17 PM EDT: Ah yes, Georgia''s paid agent Randy Scheunemann has 100,000 reasons (or make that 450,000 reasons - $$$ -in the past 4 years) for us to all believe that Georgia is such a victim and that John McCain is the ultimate defender and going to keep us all safe from Georgian (er. Russian) reckless aggression.

Why is this guy still in McCain''s campaign if his company (he is still the president of Orion Strategies, no?) is Georgia''s paid lobbyist in Washington? Certainly McCain''s pronouncements are not colored at all by Scheunemann''s views. And why does the Justice Department allow someone to claim they are not a paid lobbyist, when if fact they are still getting paid (just not "lobbying", wink, wink...) Give me a break. The man is co-owner of an LLC and the LLC is taking in $200,000 from the Georgian government. If it looks like a foreign agent, quacks like a foreign agent, it''s a foreign agent.

So after his WMD in Iraq, we will be greeted as liberators lies lead us to the Iraq War fiasco, now Scheunemann wants us all to believe this fantasy that Georgia wasn''t the reckless instigator of this crisis so that McCain can appear of so presidential and restart the Cold War.

Hey, that would be good for business, wouldn''t it? I''ve got to buy more oil stock... Say hello to $10 a gallon gasoline under President McNutty.; Reply to this comment


by aj4321-2009 August 13, 2008 4:05 PM EDT: The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40%u2019s, of MUSLIM descent

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

How do you know anti-christ will be Muslim? Islam was not even there when Christianity was born. Or are you acting like a false prophet?; Reply to this comment


by pdchapin August 13, 2008 3:57 PM EDT: "No time for on the job training...McCain will bring a lifetime of experience...Obama will bring a speech that he gave in 2002". -Hillary Clinton.

Posted by usais11 at 10:50 AM : Aug 13, 2008

So, with all that experience, why is he *** it up so badly? So far the only thing he''s done is make threats that he can''t back up and generally make the situation worse. This conflict has been going on for centuries and to assume a position that you know who''s morally right is immature.; Reply to this comment


by aj4321-2009 August 13, 2008 2:54 PM EDT: It''s easy for McCain to act tough on Russia - he and his lobbyist friends are getting paid to do it.; Reply to this comment


by spongekill August 13, 2008 2:53 PM EDT: My first reaction to McCain and Obama''s comments was disappointment at Obama''s apparent lack of opinion one way or the other, but upon further research of the situation, it seems McCain doesn''t have much more to offer. Judging by Saakashvili''s sensationalist, inaccurate proclamations of continued Russian aggression, this is NOT such a clear cut situation as policy "expert" McCain would have us believe. Journalists'' reports from the scene directly conflict with statements by the Georgian president, yet McCain is all to eager to spout myopic, pseudo-patriotic nonsense, no doubt hoping to appear the bold, loyal leader to a captive voter audience. McCain is probably still suffering from Cold War brain as well, unable to shake the post-WWII taboo against Russia, and thus unable to fathom that maybe this is not as simple as an unprovoked Russian power play.

And a ridiculous statement like "today we are all Georgians" really makes me want to punch McCain in the mouth, it''s such despicably pandering, meaningless ***. yes, I''m sure he is speaking for all Americans, especially his red state voters, many of whom probably are not even aware that there is a country called Georgia.

All McCain has proven is that he has no trouble exploiting international turmoil to boost a false image of leadership.; Reply to this comment


by spongekill August 13, 2008 2:36 PM EDT: My first reaction to McCain and Obama''s comments was disappointment at Obama''s apparent lack of opinion one way or the other, but upon further research of the situation, it seems McCain doesn''t have much more to offer. Judging by Saakashvili''s sensationalist, inaccurate proclamations of continued Russian aggression, this is NOT such a clear cut situation as policy "expert" McCain would have us believe. Journalists'' reports from the scene directly conflict with statements by the Georgian president, yet McCain is all to eager to spout myopic, pseudo-patriotic nonsense, no doubt hoping to appear the bold, loyal leader to a captive voter audience. McCain is probably still suffering from Cold War brain as well, unable to shake the post-WWII taboo against Russia, and thus unable to fathom that maybe this is not as simple as an unprovoked Russian power play.

And a ridiculous statement like "today we are all Georgians" really makes me want to punch McCain in the mouth, it''s such despicably pandering, meaningless ***. yes, I''m sure he is speaking for all Americans, especially his red state voters, many of whom probably are not even aware that there is a country called Georgia.

All McCain has proven is that he has no trouble exploiting international turmoil to boost a false image of leadership.; Reply to this comment


by chika6 August 13, 2008 2:24 PM EDT: Does McCain only preoccupation War? Why is it that at any slightest opportunity he talks about war even when it is obvious non exist. When will he learn that the world is no longer about wars but diplomacy? If he kills everybody in the world who will he rule over if elected president? Its very saddening for a man nearing his grave to always be preoccupied with wars and rumours of wars. We are so tired and sick that Mccain should please leave us alone. How many of his children and relations are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan? This man is a offence to anything American. I hope America has not decsending so low to the extent of electing this finished and booring old man as president. Where is the American pride and charm which the world respects. Can any genuine American be proud to see Mccain stand as American leader among world leaders? I am watching.; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 August 13, 2008 2:04 PM EDT: Republicans desire, and have already comenced their agenda to surplant our production economy with a destructive Military Industrial Complex Economy.

War Mongering based on fear and hate is the bases of the Conservative Agenda to force the masses into poverty while bolstering the top 1% wealty elite into a perminate ruling class.

Besides the corruption and pilfering of Federal Treasury (tax) funds into the accounts of Private War Contractors (and, investers) Republicans seem to just enjoy the notion of continued military conflicts throughout the world.

Vote McCain, VOTE FOR WAR!; Reply to this comment


by usais11 August 13, 2008 1:50 PM EDT: "No time for on the job training...McCain will bring a lifetime of experience...Obama will bring a speech that he gave in 2002". -Hillary Clinton.; Reply to this comment


by lagaxy August 13, 2008 1:42 PM EDT: well now we need Mccain to respond to this, once again this man''s judgement is found wanting, his rhetorics has been rumbled, what will you do about the situation in Georgia now, the US millitary is strectched to breaking point becuse of the uneccessary Iraq war, US is now billy no friend on the international scene, nobody fears or respect the US again, Russia chose the worst time in US history to embark on this invasion. The Great USA is weak,in everything, economy ,millitarily and foreign affairs. No thanks to Bush''s policies to be continued by Mccain. Go on Mcsame bomb,bomb, bomb, iran, bomb Russia, infact bomb the whole world, that will be problem solved . Mcsame the most experienced Jedi the world has ever seen.
Everyone should see that this very experienced stateman is a danger to world peace and not fit to be POTUS. Right now the US needs a president who will be a healer to correct the anomalies of the past 8 years not another war mongering dinosaurs.
So much for experience.
Finally I thought there is a sitting president at the moment, why is Mccain carrying on speaking for the president and all Americans when he is still presumed nominee of his party, he can''t make any decisions now, so all he could do was to suggests and let the voters make up thier mind unless as Mcsame, he can speak for the reigning POTUS, remember embrace?; Reply to this comment