McCain Continues Criticism of Romney
POLK CITY, FLA. -- One day after criticizing Mitt Romney on Iraq, John McCain took aim at Romney again, this time on the economy.
"My record on the economy is very strong. From being part of the Reagan Revolution to cut taxes and restrain spending to my latest efforts that I have been involved in as chairman of the Commerce Committee and many other economic issues. So I'll be glad to debate that side of the equation with Governor Romney. And his record of governor of the state of Massachusetts is not one that I would want to imitate."
Yesterday, McCain asserted that Romney supported a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq to which Romney all but called McCain a liar and said he should apologize.
Today, McCain was asked if he had unfairly characterized Romney's position.
"I think that it's very important because the Romney campaign has been trying to interpret his remarks in a way that can't be interpreted," McCain said.
"You can only read it as an endorsement of a timetable which is clearly, in my view, would have lost this conflict for us and we would have paid a very heavy price in American blood and treasure. So they can interpret it any way that they want to. I believe that any objective observer would read these remarks as a support for a timetable. That in my view would have sent the message to al Qaeda that we are leaving."
For the record, Romney never supported a public timetable for withdrawal from Iraq but did say once that there should be private discussions of timetables in order for President Bush and Iraqi leaders to figure out the progress in Iraq and adjust troop levels accordingly.