McCain adviser attacks Obama judgment

Posted: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:24 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Security

From NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy
On a conference call after Obama's press conference, McCain's senior foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, took off the gloves and launched an attack at the foundation of Obama's foreign policy argument: his judgment.

The other participants on the call -- Rep. Heather Wilson (who lost her Senate primary in New Mexico earlier this year) and Sen. Sam Brownback -- emphasized that the difference between McCain and Obama on the issue of Iraq is that McCain's strategy is not based on the calendar but rather conditions on the ground.

VIDEO: At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, Sen. John McCain criticizes Sen. Barack Obama's plans for withdrawal in Iraq.

But the merits of this sort of civil differentiation seemed lost on Scheunemann, who launched into a long diatribe questioning Obama's record and where his judgment on foreign policy comes from. After first saying that Obama's recent comments while overseas prove that he "seems to forget that we have elections in this country not coronations," Scheunemann made the point that Obama's approach to the situation in Iraq is based on ... nothing.

"He refuses to credit Gen. Petraeus and Gen. Odierno for their leadership; he disparages their strategic judgment and trumpets his own," Scheunemann began. "What is Sen. Obama's judgment based on? His tenure at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, when he did not hold a single substantive hearing? His years in the Illinois state Senate or as a community organizer? Or is it based on his international experience gleaned while he was in junior high school in Indonesia or on a college spring break trip in Pakistan? Or is it based on the memos and briefing papers from his 300 foreign policy advisers?"

"The reality," he continued, "is that Sen. Obama's judgment on the most important national security questions facing our country in 2007 was wrong, and it demonstrates both his inexperience and his ideological rigidity."

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Comments

Has the McCain campaign's rage made them appear completely unbalanced or what?

Sheunemann is way out of control. They are beyond desperate.

Oh how they display their displeasure toward Obama! They bite the tips of their fingers off at him. They cannot stop our fabulously formidable candidate that they never saw coming.

Plus, Phil 'A Nation of Whiners Nixon' is back for us to kick around some more.

McCain's candidacy is in a long, long death rattle.

We have a bird's eye view of his staff as they surround it's death bed. Listen to them how weep! Oh how they wail!

donna (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:54 PM)

Obama. Inexperienced, ignorant, and an idiot. I have covered it?

Junus James, VA (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:54 PM)

The McCain camp are trying real hard to stay relevant. They have their work cut out for them. It appears that as Obama's stature grows, McCain's gets smaller. I was pleasantly surprised by the Gaffe Machine post today. McCain's comment suggesting that Obama is more concerned with the politcal campaign than the security of our country is bullsh!t. I think McCain is really staring to show his envy for Obama.

dqool1, IL (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:55 PM)

I completely agree - Obama's judgment on these issues is lacking b/c he was one of the main proponents of the misinformation that got us into Iraq AND he was one of Bush's biggest cheerleaders right up until he started running for President and needed something to set himself apart AND he has repeatedly made reference to a country that has not existed since the 90's AND he has repeatedly made misinformed statements about Iran's involvement in Iraq AND he has gotten Sunni and Shia confused several times AND he thinks that Iraq borders Afghanistan....oh wait - THAT is McCain...I'm sorry - who has the judgment with which to deal with foreign policy issues???

Another statement from the McCain Campaign that would be hysterically funny were it not for the fact that so many people actually BELIEVE this crazy nonsense.

Why doesn't McCain ever tell us why HE has the judgment WITHOUT referencing Obama -- that is what Obama has done time and again.

Mel (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:56 PM)

Britney Spears used to pack them in too. But I don't think she'd be a very good president either.

Linen Koogle, Beersville, IL (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:56 PM)

I think the entire McCain campaign is insane!

Bobb Barr (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:58 PM)

TRUTH!!
The Truth
***

Not really. More like a temper tantrum because they know they are losing and they have no real stance on issues.

DV, CA (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:58 PM)

What non-sense Mr Scheuneumann ! Why don't we argue about the experience of John McCain ?Could you explain what the Senator meant when he misspoke and said Iraq instead of Afghanistan , yesterday ? How many times has Senator McCain been to the Iraq / Pakistan border and did you accompany him ? Will Senator McCain campaign in all " 57 " states ?

Daniel Schlafer (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:58 PM)

Wow! The McCain camp is looking desperate and is in full "put the FLAMES out mode"!

McCain and his surrogates have been trying to "slam" Obama all day from the morning shows to these conference calls.

These types of rantings do not help McCain's candidancy at all.

Obama-Junkie (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:59 PM)

Guess they did not want to get into the judgement talk regarding going to war with Iraq in the first place. Wonder why?

Michael Richmond, VA (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:00 PM)

we could just say that Obama's position is based on doing exactly the opposite of anything McBush has done or proposes to do and we will ALL be in better shape!!!!!!!

OBAMA '08

Doreen, Chicago (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:00 PM)

If somehow obama wins, SOMEONE will have to do something to protect this country, its freedoms, it people, and all we stand for. Folks, this man CANNOT be in chrage of our beloved homeland. What would our fore fathers think if we turn it over to someone like him.

Independent Texan (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:00 PM)

John McCain was a navy pilot. He got shot down while on a mission in Vietnam and spent time as a prisoner of war. He came back to the United States, spent some more time in the navy and then went into politics, becoming a senator. He's made a few trips to Iraq (as have many other people, politicians, entertainers, etc.) How does any of this automatically qualify him to be any particular sort of foreign policy expert? Seriously, I don't get it. Also, is it just me, or do the Republicans seem to be in a tizzy over the possibility of the war actually coming to an end?

Garden Party (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:02 PM)

All this outrage from the McCain Camp about Obama on his foreign tour. Weren't they the ones that "goaded" him into going? Can you say, "Egg in the face"?

Now, I believe John McCain needs to go abroad on a fact finding mission of his own to rebut Sen. Obama's findings. I bet he, as he has been recently doing so along with Bush, conveniently moves towards the Obama foreign policy ideology.

Can you say, "hypocrisy" along with the "egg in the face"?

JK, PA (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:05 PM)

Brain, Wausau, WI

The fact that McCain said "it seems to me that Senator Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign." is disgraceful and pathetic. He truly has sold his soul to the NeoCon Conservatives. They own him now.

I guess myself and over half the country also want to lose the war. He basically insulted half the country with this statement who hold the same views as Obama.

Jeff, Portland, OR (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:05 PM)

Camp McCan't continues with the same old strategy -- attack, attack, and create diversions. All of the supporters use the same tired talking points -- why continue to have them on television -- they are ALL saying the same bogus stuff.

And as to another issue:

I read McCain's piece and it was the same old tired rhetoric we have been hearing for months! "The New York Times" was right in rejecting it -- they asked for some "new" information.

I read Obama's article and it mentioned McCain's name twice in areas of policy differences. The McCain article was "all about Obama (NO POLICY)"! "The New Times" asked that he re-write it with some indications of Mccain's:

(1) Definition of Success in Iraq
(2) Date of troop withdrawal
(3) Policy strategy for Iraq tied to Afganhanistan.

All the above items were mentioned in the Obama article --non were mentioned in the McClain article.

I believe "The New York Times" was correct in its actions. McClain has been getting a free ride by the press and it needs to stop. McClain's "foreign policy" has been blown up the the Republicans, Hillary Clinton, and the news media. We are slowly finding out that there is no substance behind the myth! That is why McClain is using diversion tactics to keep the negative one-liners on Obama and off his incompentence. As it is turing out, Bush is appearing smarter than McClain!! And we thought Bush was as dumb as they came!!!

WILLIS, TX (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:05 PM)

McCain has talked about a Federal Gas Tax holiday this summer. That can only take place if the Congress votes on it and the President signs the bill into law.

So where is the bill?
Where is John BUSH McCain's bill for Congress to vote on?
McCain does not have the guts to even write up his own bill, because he has failed to remember that he has to write up a bill.

Or is the truth, that McCain knows he will be the ONLY one to vote for it.

Republicans talk alot. But have to guts to even write up a simple bill.
GO OBAMA!
WOW! A Black COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF!
What will all the REDNECKS THINK ABOUT THAT?

Joel Providence (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:06 PM)

Does it really make any sense to question where Obama's judgment comes from? The fact is: He Has Judgment, and it's good. You either have it or you don't.

McCain's campaign looks sillier and more desperate every day, trying to find a way to compete with Obama, and they just can't seem to find a way.

Nancy B, Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:09 PM)

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