O News

While John McCain toured Latin America today, an emissary for his campaign hit Barack Obama on another area of the world -- Iraq.

Representative Eric Cantor (R-Va.) blasted Obama's plans for an Iraq withdrawal today, saying "I don't think there's any question that Barack Obama should change his plan in Iraq. His old plan is the wrong way to go."

"He is now clinging to a very ideological commitment on his part," Cantor added.

Cantor's comments were fueled by a recent interview with Obama national campaign co-chair Claire McCaskill, who said the presumptive Democratic nominee would not alter his Iraq policy during the remainder of the election. Obama has said he will begin troop withdrawals immediately, if elected, and aim to have all combat brigades out of the country within 16 months.

Obama's campaign fired back at Cantor, saying:

"Throughout this campaign, Barack Obama has been clear and consistent in saying that we need to responsibly end the war in Iraq so that we can restore our military strength, finish the fight in Afghanistan and focus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11. Today, eleven months after Barack Obama called for more troops in Afghanistan, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff supported that position while pointing out once again that the war in Iraq is shortchanging our effort in Afghanistan. Instead of questioning Barack Obama's consistent call for a new direction in Iraq and Afghanistan, John McCain should explain why he is offering nothing more than four more years of a failed foreign policy that has asked nothing of the Iraqi government, overstretched our military, failed to finish the job in Afghanistan, and failed to bring Osama bin Laden to justice for over six years."

McCain has been an ardent supporter of the war in Iraq, even saying he would rather lose the election than the war.

WhyObama08.org

Barack Obama Tag:

Barack Obama, Barack Obama Supporter, Support Barack Obama, Barack Obama Presidential Campaign, Democratic Party