McCain exploits Obama ignorance of Iraq

AP/Houston Chronicle:

Republican John McCain on Monday sharply criticized Democratic rival Barack Obama for not having been to Iraq since 2006 and said they should visit the war zone together.

"Look at what happened in the last two years since Senator Obama visited and declared the war lost," the GOP nominee-in-waiting told the Associated Press, noting that the Illinois senator's last trip to Iraq came before the military buildup that is credited with curbing violence.

"He really has no experience or knowledge or judgment about the issue of Iraq, and he has wanted to surrender for a long time," said McCain, who has been to Iraq eight times, most recently in March. "If there was any other issue before the American people, and you hadn't had anything to do with it in a couple of years, I think the American people would judge that very harshly."

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This appears to be a Lindsey Graham idea and for once it is a good one. Obama has shown a profound ignorance on what is happening on the ground in Iraq and this challenge will demonstrate the willful nature of that ignorance. Obama's embarrassing gaffe about the Anbar Awakening has been allowed to be ignored since it was spoken in the echo chamber of a Democrat debate. It is time to break out of that echo chamber where Obama can get away with a snarky response rather than reasoned argument.

I don't think he will go to Iraq, because he is afraid he might have to admit he has been wrong.