Obama May Visit Iraq, But Not With McCain

Democrat Says He Is Considering Trip This Summer, But Declines GOP Candidate's Offer For A Joint Trip

(AP)  Barack Obama is considering a visit to Iraq this summer, his first since becoming a presidential candidate.

The Democrat, who has been criticized by Republican rival John McCain for not visiting Iraq since 2006, revealed his plans to The New York Times. He also declined McCain's invitation for a joint trip.

"I just don't want to be involved in a political stunt," Obama said, according to a report on the newspaper's Web site Wednesday.

"I think that if I'm going to Iraq, then I'm there to talk to troops and talk to commanders," he said in the interview. "I'm not there to try to score political points or perform. The work they're doing there is too important."

McCain said he was pleased to hear that Obama was considering making the trip.

"It's long overdue," he told reporters in Los Angeles.

But that apparently welcome news gave the rivals another opportunity to engage each other on major campaign issues - the war in Iraq and who possesses the leadership and judgement to be the next commander in chief.

McCain supports continued U.S. military involvement in Iraq; Obama opposes the war and wants to bring home the troops.

McCain said Obama "was driven to his position by ideology and not by the facts on the ground. And he does not have the knowledge or the experience to make the judgments. Presidents have to listen and learn. Presidents have to make judgments no matter how popular or unpopular they may be."

Obama, who spoke to reporters on his airplane Wednesday night as he flew home to Chicago, said it's "not relevant" that he hasn't been to Iraq since 2006 and that McCain was using the argument as a diversion.

"I don't think John McCain or the Bush administration have a very strong argument to make about their foreign policy, so they're going to try to come up with diversions or distractions and not argue the substance," Obama said.

Obama's campaign has been considering an overseas trip since last year to beef up his foreign policy credentials, but the extended fight for the Democratic nomination with Hillary Rodham Clinton has delayed those plans.

"A trip is under consideration but no final plans have been made," spokesman Bill Burton said Wednesday.

The Illinois senator made his only trip to Iraq in January 2006 as part of a congressional delegation. McCain, a senator from Arizona, has been to Iraq eight times, most recently in March.

McCain has been criticizing Obama for his absence from Iraq, and the Republican Party joined the fray Wednesday by launching an online clock to count the days since last visited the war zone. By the GOP's count, it's been 871 days.

McCain seemed offended that Obama characterized the invitation for a joint trip as a political stunt, saying it showed Obama's "lack of appreciation of the importance of this issue."

"I don't think that people who serve there would believe that a visit to find out the facts by a person who wants to lead the country, would be a, quote, stunt," he said.

Obama also had harsh words for McCain's assertion that Obama is more willing to meet the heads of rogue states, such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, than with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq.

In Reno, Nev., McCain asked: "Why is it that Senator Obama wants to sit down with the president of Iran but hasn't yet sat down with General Petraeus, the leader of our troops in Iraq?"

Obama said that was "just a typical sarcastic comment that doesn't have anything to do with substance and is patently untrue, since I just saw General Petraeus when he was testifying in Washington."

[klyphan1]

I AM HAPPY TO SEE WHITE AMERICANS ARE LOSERS! DID I SAY AMERICANS ARE NOT READY FOR BLACK PRESIDENT? WOMEN IS THE BEST.
Guess what I meant?
Good LUCK!

[ioweign]

LibH8er,,,, Quite frankly why should he travel with McBush ???

If I traveled with McBush I would throw him out the window over the Atlantic for the damage he''''s done to our military, our nation & our national security.

Posted by j-whitman at 04:35 PM : May 29, 2008


McBush in a cockpit - look at his Naval Air career - not quite his strong suit - what is his strong suit ?

[terrorislami]

NO RECESSION!!!

Economy''s growth picks up slightly in first quarter
Economy grows at a 0.9 percent pace, better than first thought but still weak
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080529/economy.html?.v=21

[terrorislami]

HEY HUSSEIN???

WHAT ABOUT YOUR COUSIN IN KENYA AND YOUR RADICAL MUSLIM LUO TRIBE YOU VISITED IN 2006???

ARE THEY NOT COMMITTING GENOCIDE TOO???


Obama''s Cousin Charged With Ethnic Cleansing
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/01/great-obamas-cousin-charged-with-ethnic.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7192958.stm

Obama''s relative linked to Ethnic Cleansing in Kenya
http://libertarianrepublican.blogspot.com/2008/02/obamas-relative-linked-to-ethnic.html

Signs in Kenya That Killings Were Planned
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1957451/posts

Ten Obvious Reasons Why Islam is NOT a Religion of Peace
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/Top-10-Reasons.htm

Kenya Muslim Violence Pictorial *Warning Graphic*

Africa, Kenya, Muslims%u2026nothing more needs to be said%u2026
http://patdollard.com/2008/01/kenya-muslim-violence-pictorial-warning-graphic/

The Kenyan jihad
http://www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/433766/the-kenyan-jihad.thtml

nothing new,,, more radical muslims ethnically cleansing non-muslims

19 Burned to Death in Violence in Kenya
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1960644/posts

[realpatriot1]

McCain needs to visit Iraq again. He claimed that Mosul was peaceful on the same day that 3 suicide attacks happened there.

[von_marko]

O''Baama''s travel itinerary as president:
1. Meet with Al Q
2. Meet with Iran
3. Meet with Syria
4. Under no circumstance visit US troops in Iraq
5. Meet with Hugo Chavez
6. Meet with Castro
7. Repeat step 4
8. Go on vacation with mom to Jamaica to increase foreign policy resume
9. Repeat step 4

[boycot-china]

Senator Obama: When will you finally visit Iraq?

Vets for Freedom is releasing a second ad, featuring Iraq war veteran and Vets for Freedom member, Specialist Kate Norley. Kate, who served 16 months on the front lines as a combat medic, asks Senator Obama two simple, but powerful, questions:

1. Senator Obama, when will you finally decide to go back to Iraq, to see the progress first hand?

2. And when will you finally decide to meet one-on-one, unconditionally, with General Petraeus?

Shortcut to: http://michellemalkin.com/2008/05/29/spc-kate-norley-speaks-truth-to-obama-sens-lieberman-and-graham-step-down-from-vets-for-freedom/

[mr2258]

Obama going to Iraq.HA HA HA HA. He is not going to Iraq.He is a COWARD.He is scared to go.

[j-whitman]

Anyone see the Puppet Strings on McCain yet ??? You can''t miss them.

[j-whitman]

This GOP is nuts -- Every White House attempt to distance McCain from Bush just pulls him closer