Home  News National News Obama toughens up!
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Saturday, 23 August 2008 |
 Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama has done what many Democrats have been asking for and told his rival Republican nominee John McCain to refrain from bringing his character into question.
The Illinois Senator, who was addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, said, "One of the things that we have to change in this country is the idea that people can't disagree without challenging each other's character and patriotism.” Obama was reacting to McCain’s constant refrain that his opposition of the ‘surge’ means he would rather win the election than win the war. Obama said this while reiterating his stance on the ‘surge’, which placed an additional 30,000 troops in Iraq. He pointed out that the surge did not bring about the kind of political compromise that was needed to secure long-term peace in Iraq.
McCain, who believes the ‘surge’ achieved its mission, have said, while speaking to the group a day prior, that Obama “tried to legislate failure” in the war in Iraq, by putting his political ambitions above US interests. But Obama insists that his opposition to the war and the surge were judgments he made, based not on political ambitions but on the logistics of the situation. He said that he and McCain should debate policies because there are fundamental differences between the two contenders.
“I have never suggested that Sen. McCain picks his positions on national security based on politics or personal ambition. I have not suggested it because I believe that he genuinely wants to serve America's national interest. Now, it's time for him to acknowledge that I want to do the same.”
However, McCain has consistently attacked Obama’s patriotism by his comments and Democrats have been urging the Obama campaign to forcefully respond to these attacks, lest he be “swiftboated” like John Kerry, who lost to President Bush in the 2004 Presidential elections.
At the meeting, Obama said to rousing applause, "Let me be clear: I will let no one question my love of this country."
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