The Russia-Georgia back and forth
Posted: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 2:37 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Security
From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
The McCain campaign seized on Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice's comments on MSNBC's Hardball last night, in which she said, "We cannot shoot from the hip. We cannot act on the basis of ideology and preconceived notions. When this crisis began, Barack Obama, the administration indeed, and all of our NATO allies took a very measured and reasoned approach, because we were dealing with the facts as we knew them. John McCain shot from the hip -- very aggressive, very belligerent statement, and he may or may not have complicated the situation."
Rice was responding to a clip of McCain overtly siding with Georgia, having told the Georgian President, "I know I speak for every American when I say to him, today, we are all Georgians."
McCain camp's Tucker Bounds offered this affront: “During an international crisis when bipartisanship is needed most, it’s disappointing that the Obama campaign has chosen to launch inflammatory and baseless political attacks.”
Obama camp took issue.
“It is the absolute height of hypocrisy for the McCain campaign to play the victim after launching attack after attack on Barack Obama for his strong and appropriate response to the conflict in Georgia, but it’s characteristic of the old Washington tactics that have failed the American people," Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan writes. "Empty words about bipartisanship mean nothing just days after the McCain campaign accused Barack Obama of being ‘in sync with Moscow’ and not putting his country first. Senator Obama is focused on what the United States and the international community must do to resolve this crisis, not on the tired political games that have stood in the way of progress.”
McCain and his surrogates haven't exactly been pure. There have been several instances of criticism of Obama's judgment, readiness and leadership potential with regard to the Georgia situation.
Lindsey Graham: "You got a guy who is ready to be president on Day 1 who understands the world for what it is. The thing about Sen. Obama, he's playing catch-up here. His initial statements, quite frankly, didn't appreciate how bold a move this was from Russia."
Bobby Jindal: The situation in Georgia is " 'an example of Senator McCain's push to spread democracy in that part of the world as a very important advance of America's interest. I wish Sen. Obama had actually confronted the issue, not trying to detract our attention by focusing on a McCain adviser.' Jindal said the conflict underscores why a president with deep experience in international affairs is important. 'I think this is another example, during these uncertain times, where we need experienced leadership. We need someone like Sen. McCain who will take a stronger view, a more experienced view when it comes to international security and protecting America's interest.'"
Early on during the conflict, Obama camp went after McCain foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann for having lobbied for Georgia. McCain camp called that "disgraceful"
"Mr. Scheunemann proudly represented a small democracy that is one of our closest allies in a very dangerous region," the campaign wrote, and then went further. "Today, many are dead and Georgia is in crisis, yet the Obama campaign has offered nothing more than cheap and petty political attacks that are echoed only by the Kremlin. The reaction of the Obama campaign to this crisis, so at odds with our democratic allies and yet so bizarrely in sync with Moscow, doesn't merely raise questions about Sen. Obama's judgment -- it answers them."
And, of course, there's Joe Lieberman: “The last few days, four or five days, we’ve seen one of the most unexpected crises in the world as the Russians moved into Georgia as aggressors. And if you read the statements from the beginning, Senator McCain and Senator Obama, one had kind of moral neutrality to it that comes I think from inexperience,” Lieberman said. “The other, Senator McCain, was strong and clear and principled and put America where America always wants to be.”
Lieberman again: "[T]he choice could not be more clear; between one candidate, John McCain, who has experience and has been tested in war and tried in peace, and another candidate that has not. Between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put his country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate that has not. Between one candidate that’s a talker and one candidate who’s the leader America needs as our next president. You never know -- we never know what crisis will occur in the four years of his watch; we’ve just seen over the last few days, as the Russians invaded a sovereign nation, Georgia. And watch the response of this man, John McCain, to that crisis: right, strong, clear, principled. The kind of president we need in the White House over the next four years, to protect our country, our security, and our freedom.”
