Obama Hits McCain on Iraq Comments & Tax Cuts
EmailABC News’ Sunlen Miller Reports: Senator Obama continued to draw clear contrasts with Senator McCain at a town hall in Kaukauna, Wisconsin over tax policy and the war in Iraq.
Obama used McCain’s recent comment on the Today Show to paint McCain as out of touch to troops and their families’ burdens – but also out of touch with the economic impact of the war in Iraq.
Yesterday, McCain responded to a question from Matt Lauer asking if he had an estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq.
“No, but that’s not too important,” McCain replied, “What’s important is the casualties in Iraq, Americans are in South Korea, Americans are in Japan, American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine. American casualties and the ability to withdraw; we will be able to withdraw. General Petraeus is going to tell us in July when he thinks we are. But the key to it is that we don’t want any more Americans in harm’s way.”
Senator Obama referenced McCain’s response today before the Wisconsin town hall – countering that McCain is not thinking of the burden on soldiers and their families.
“I agree that obviously the most important thing is making sure that our young men and women aren’t killed, but the notion that if they are not being killed that we can leave them there in perpetuity, 100 years John McCain says, “Obama said, “First of all, that means he’s not thinking about the extraordinary burden that families are under on two or three or four tours of duty. But he’s also not thinking about tax payers who are spending $10-12 billion a month in Iraq. And that’s money that could go to rebuilding Wisconsin and putting people back to work right here in the United States of America.”
Obama outlined the choice the voters in Wisconsin have, saying that McCain will “dust off the old political play book” of Bush’s with “disastrous” tax policies and told the crowd that ¼ of McCain’s tax cuts will go to households making more than $2.8 million a year.
“Now, I don’t want to embarrass anybody but how many people here make more than $2.8 million a year?” Obama asked the middle-class crowd amid giggles and then joked, “If you’re there, I wanna know you because we’re still fundraising!”
Obama reminded the crowd that McCain sides with Bush tax cuts and had once said that it was irresponsible to cut taxes during a time of war.
“But now he’d continue running up hundreds of billions of dollars in debt while spending billions of dollars a day in Iraq. There’s nothing conservative about that. There’s nothing fiscally prudent about that but that’s John McCain’s plan.”
Thursday afternoon, McCain spokesperson Tucker Bounds responded, "Senator Obama demonstrated the type of naïve, callous and weak leadership that we’ve come to expect from him when he accused John McCain of not ‘thinking about the extraordinary burden military families are under’. It only proves Barack Obama is willing to play attack politics with anything and just isn’t ready to be commander in chief."
Senator Obama is in the middle of a “Change That Works for You” economic tour throughout many battleground states – and will head to Ohio and Pennsylvania in the coming days.
"We are going to be back in Wisconsin," Obama told the crowd, "We intend to win Wisconsin."
Rick Santorum Sweeps 3 States 
Pentagon to Open Additional Jobs to Women
Could you let us know just how many people are attending Obama’s town hall meetings.
Posted by: Kris | June 12, 2008, 3:40 pm 3:40 pm
His speech is posted on real clear politics. Obama is an economic moron. He said tax cuts incurred billions of dollars in debt.
Posted by: Nobamage 08 | June 12, 2008, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
McCain’s own 19 year old son served in Iraq.
How dare Obama. Obama never served.
McCain has visited Walter Reed dozens of times. Obama has been there once.
Obama called McCain’s grandfather and father elitists because they were admirals.
Posted by: david | June 12, 2008, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
Obama wants it both ways.
Obama wants to keep u.s troops going after al queda and guarding the embassy.
You need troops guarding the airport. You need troops for supply lines.
A top Obama advisor said you would need 60,000 troops and Obama is just talking politics.
McCain has said he is for Petreaus making more troop cuts in Iraq.
McCain has said he will turn over the areas to the iraqis and bring our troops home and have the iraqis deal with the insurgency.
McCain has said the cost will go down as troops come home.
Posted by: david | June 12, 2008, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
Agree or not at least Obama is talking about the issues while McCain is making personal attacks with old news & going after VP vetters, like his team is squeaky clean.
Posted by: focus | June 12, 2008, 4:03 pm 4:03 pm
So what, Obama wants to go back into Afghanistan, Pakistan and is mute on invading Iran. It’s a freakin’ shell game. You are being duped folks! And as for tax cuts. When was the last Democrat that cut taxes. (Clinton doesn’t count, he was fiscally conservative, remember… Pay down the debt, DENY benefits, ring a bell?)
Posted by: patriot | June 12, 2008, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
I’m sure it was important to McSame and his family when he was in Vietnam..
Posted by: Lawrence | June 12, 2008, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
The first couple of comments on here are so wrong…lol
Yes McCain’s son has now served a tour of duty but Mccain’s point of view on this does not represent the rest of the soldiers families.
McCain was raised as “Lieutenant Dan.”
My granddaddy fought my da fough I gfought…my son will fight.
well most of the soldiers didn’t sign on for the glory of the battle…
they signed on to protect America and make them safer…but they also signed on thinking the US government would be remembering they are human not just a soldier.
Their is a problem when a man who said before the war over and over that “Bush should level with the people that this is going to be long, expensive and hard” and STILL wanted to go.
McCain expected this and STILL thought we should go to Iraq.
and for the mor*n that doesn’t understand that the wealthy tax cuts (and this war)have put the burden on the rest of us and our infrastructure…not to mention our safety and our fiscal viability in the world… and we have had to borrow from China… yes those tax cuts cost most of us.
well I said it…you are that.
Posted by: dl | June 12, 2008, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
DEAR JOHN MCCAIN JUST A LITTLE MESSAGE TO YOU AND YOUR PAID BLOGGERS I AM A WHITE 37 YEAR OLD WORKING MIDDLE CLASS WOMAN AND I LIVE IN PA AND YOU MY FRIEND WILL NEVER GET MY VOTE AND NEVER WIN MY STATE NEVER OH BY THE WAY IM ALSO INDEPENDENT SO THIS 37 YEAR OLD WHITE INDEPENDENT WORKING MIDDLE CLASS WOMAN WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR MCCAIN AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: angie | June 12, 2008, 4:11 pm 4:11 pm
There is no question that the national debt is 3 trillion dollars more than it was after Clinton. Bush alone is responsible for every penny of it.
As far as the Reagan voo-doo economic plan of ‘tax cuts for the wealthy will drip down to the lower classes’ was proven a falacy long ago. To think that Bush’s version of the same plan is what has been the reason for economic growth in a nation full of unemployed people is just another falacy.
Think about it, if any of it were true, then why are we in the mess we are in? If all the tax cuts are what is holding the economy together, then why is the economy in a recession.
The next question is; If the economy recovers because of the tax rebates to the middle class, then doesn’t it prove the tax cuts to the rich do nothing, but giving tax cuts to the middle class do? Which of course is Obama’s point.
Posted by: Oberlin Riojas | June 12, 2008, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
Nat Turner, you are disrespecting yourself by trying to disrespect U.S. servicemen and John McCain’s service in the United States Armed Forces.
Are you a neo-socialist too, like Obama, Jeremiah Wright, and Louis Farrakahn?
Posted by: Crusher | June 12, 2008, 4:36 pm 4:36 pm
bush was suppose to have a 5 trillion surplus, and now were 3 trillion in debt
the first posters are so out of touch its no wonder why they back john mccain for president
Posted by: bhrandon | June 12, 2008, 4:39 pm 4:39 pm
nat turner isnt disrespecting servicemen hes responding to you people who keep throwing service into our faces
you cant claim that being a serviceman or women somehow admonishes you from doing no harm or being wrong or being out of touch
nat turner was saying sometimes service men arent all they cracked up to be
SO QUIT THROWING IT IN OUR FACES AS IF ITS SOME KIND OF ULTIMATE TRUMP CARD
im sure all of you loved swiftboating KERRY
Posted by: bhrandon | June 12, 2008, 4:42 pm 4:42 pm
david
mccain has said removing troops isnt all that important
he wants to keep people there until there are no casualties
do you konw when that magical time will be… closer to 100 years or no?
Posted by: bhrandon | June 12, 2008, 4:46 pm 4:46 pm
hey redneck, i guess you cant do math can you? 2210 is the total delegate count possible :( but you are right they halved MI and FL so that gave it some other magic number.
however, if you would like to go count obamas delegates now if you can find that number still, he went way over both magic numbers.
im guessing you didnt watch the DNC deliberations?
the purpose of that meeting was to decide if they (the states, the candidates, and the DNC) could agree on some sort of resolution. Previously it was going to count for nothing. what they found from those meetings and if youll take note of the vote real fast
13 hillary supporters, 9 obama supporters, and 6 uncommitted DNC members. FL vote was passed with full support of teh states decision on what to do with the delegates.
The michigan deal passed with only 8 votes against, if you count up the hillary supporters youll see that 5 of them agreed with the STATES decision on how to fix the problem… there was no cheating here get some new talking points.
im guessing you are a republican trying to garner sympathy from supposed disillusioned democrats… namely hillary supporters…
well what has mccain done for women? what will he do for women care and womens rights?
Posted by: bhrandon | June 12, 2008, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
McCain/Bush policy will no longer be americas!!!
Posted by: bhrandon | June 12, 2008, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
Anyone that thinks McBush knows about the economics of this war is a moron. These right wing neo-nuts will spend any amount if it comes to war. They let the real elite convince them that money for any thing domestic is tax and spend. THIS COUNTRY NEEDS REBUILDING!!!! Neo-Nuts grow a pair!!!!
Posted by: Vernon | June 12, 2008, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm
If you listen to the experts[media pundits] they will tell you those early polls DON’T MEAN NOTHING right now.
Check out the polls after labor day.
Whites had not even voted yet-not even on primaries and caucuses.
JOHN McCAIN ’08
Posted by: Redneck | June 12, 2008, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Rich or well to do or successful people can already afford to buy the things they want: They don’t spend any more money when they get tax breaks, or incentives. Obama isn’t the economic moron. In fact, McCain is the self-admitted economic moron.
Posted by: Ben | June 12, 2008, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
John McCain – “War wisdom that only comes with AGE”
“There’s not a history of clashes that are violent between Sunnis and Shiahs. So I think they can probably get along.” [MSNBC, 4/23/03]
” I believe that the success will be fairly easy.” [CNN, 9/24/02]
“We’re not going to get into house-to-house fighting in Baghdad. ” [CNN, 9/29/02]
“But the point is that, one, we will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” [MSNBC, 1/22/03]
“But I believe that the Iraqi people will greet us as liberators.” [NBC, 3/20/03]
“It’s clear that the end is very much in sight.” [ABC, 4/9/03]
“This is a mission accomplished..” [This Week, ABC, 12/14/03]
“I’m confident we’re on the right course.” [ABC News, 3/7/04]
Can you give an estimate when can our troops come home?(Matt Lauer) “No, but that’s not too important.” [ABC 6/11/08]
Posted by: In his own words | June 12, 2008, 5:16 pm 5:16 pm
actually the polls now can tell a candidate a lot about what he needs to start focusing on
does that mean things cant change?
of course not, so to maybe the average american it doesnt matter what hte polls say today or tomorrow (although to political junkies they like to follow these polls so they can see where their candidate is lacking or making huge strides)
but to a candidate and his campaign they mean a lot
mccain has to beef up his support across the board
well besides males…
Posted by: bhrandon | June 12, 2008, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
Hey Nat Turner, led any socialist slave rebellions lately?
LOL
What a loser name you picked for yourself!
Don’t you know what happened to the real Nat Turner.
His own people snitched him out!
LOL
Posted by: Crusher | June 12, 2008, 5:23 pm 5:23 pm
Call it the Embarrass Rick Davis Act of 2008.
Rick Davis, of course, is John McCain’s campaign manager, and has taken a hit for doing business with companies with ties to Iran. Now Barack Obama has signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill to subject American lobbyists like Davis to tighter disclosure requirements if they work on behalf of foreign entities.
During a conference call with reporters, Sen. Chuck Schumer insisted the bill wasn’t primarily influenced by Davis, but instead by some lobbying activities by the Iraqi government that were discovered in recent weeks. However, he said, Davis would be affected by the bill.
Schumer invited McCain to sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill — a pretty aggressive throwing down of the gauntlet, since it puts McCain in the tough spot of either signing on, and making life difficult for all the lobbyists on his campaign, or refusing, and ceding the reformer high ground to Obama.
No comment yet from the McCain camp.
Posted by: bhrandon | June 12, 2008, 5:27 pm 5:27 pm
Just remember we shouldn’t have gone there in the first place. We all know whose idea it was to “present the facts” *cough* for the grounds to go there.
It’s the guy in office now that McCain wants to continue the polices of.
Posted by: major Payne | June 12, 2008, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
Hey Nat Turner, tell us more about this neo-socialist revolution you and Obama are leading to change America.
The real Nat Turner got all his followers killed.
You should think about changing your name to Booker T. instead.
Posted by: Crusher | June 12, 2008, 5:35 pm 5:35 pm
Nat Turner, no wonder your first rebellion failed! You definitely don’t have the smarts to pull off your Neo-Socialist Revolution with Obama.
I guess you would know about the job vacancies at Barnum and Bailey Circus. What happened? Did your fellow clown co-workers quit because they didn’t want to work with a radical clown?
Posted by: Crusher | June 12, 2008, 5:44 pm 5:44 pm
What’s the latest figure for the Iraq war, $2.4 trillion or something like that. Tell we “republicans”, how many roads, bridges, tunnels, dams, levees, etc., etc. could have been fixed in the US, note United States, for that kind of money? All of them? Could New Orleans have been rebuilt for that money? Could Social Security have been funded thru 2075 for that money?
The answer is, all of the above.
We are damning our country with this war and McCain wants it to continue however long it takes to satisfy his sense of honor. He sounds more like Bush every day. Sounds more like the crap we’ve had for seven years. Isn’t enough, enough?
Posted by: JR | June 12, 2008, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
Can Obama ever give a speech or statement with out digging on someone, blaming someone, or hating someone.
Can’t he just run on his own merit and give us the details we need.
State the issue, State the plan, How are you going to do this, where are you getting the money for this. Who is going to run it, and so on.
With everything he has promised everyone it is totally impossible to do, Or does he not understand that.
Posted by: seah | June 12, 2008, 6:18 pm 6:18 pm
Obama needs to release his under table deal with Rezko for his dream house purchase….
Americans deserve the truth…
Posted by: True Truth | June 12, 2008, 6:27 pm 6:27 pm
Americans deserve the truth…True truth
…………………………….
Here’s a truth for ya, America elected Bush twice, America deserves a burning corncob shoved up it’s collective a**.
If you like the corruption and incompetence that’s gone on for the last seven years, then vote McCain because that’s what your gonna to get for the next four.
Obama may or may not become a great president, only time will tell, but he isn’t a REPUBLICAN, that’s enough for me.
Posted by: JR | June 12, 2008, 6:37 pm 6:37 pm
Americans will vote for the one who we think is the best for this country…
It is democracy and free of speech but majority will decide the fate of this country…
Thanks to Obama, this election is no longer only about the issues matter to American’s dail life.. It is mixing of race, religion, patriotism, personal preference…
It has been a lot of personal feel involved for a lot voters and America has been divided sharply, again thanks to Obama’s controversies…..
God bless America!!
Posted by: True Truth | June 12, 2008, 6:56 pm 6:56 pm
Can we all say, baaaah?
We all got tax cuts under the alleged “tax cuts for the wealthy”. In 2010 when those expire guess what? Everyone’s taxes go up. Unless, our esteemed elected representatives deem us worthy of lower taxes. With the Dems in power, who really believes anyone gets lower taxes?
Let’s just hope our economy has recovered somewhat before 2010 and before the next President or Congress goes on a spending spree and hikes taxes waaaaay up or we could have another Great Depression on our hands.
Posted by: Not a sheep | June 12, 2008, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm
Honestly, would you all stop buying into the media-fed sound bites and do your own research?
BOTH Obama & McCain have talked about the issues. And they have both gotten digs in on the other guy.
It’s called politics in the USA. Don’t like it? Move!
Posted by: Not a sheep | June 12, 2008, 7:13 pm 7:13 pm
“Baracks talk to the nation after he is elected”
Baracks Bills -
1. 2006 Transparency bill = expose corrupt lobby $ that lobbyist give to politicians so we the people can either impeach them or not re-elect them
2. TECH PLAN = 2007 = http://www.USAspending.gov = expose all government spending so the citzens can see where their tax money goes
3. 2008 = SUNSHINE bill = SUNLIGHT FOUNDATION = http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/ = http://www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/candidates = EXPOSE future spending. This is acomplished as Barack and his newly elected cabinet point out to WE THE PEOPLE , negative porkbarrel spending so we the people can rally against a certain senator or congress person or committee to stop it before it goes up for vote or support it if it is good for we the people = honest government finally controlled by WE THE PEOPLE. Who knows maybe one day in the future we won’t need politicians as we the people stay involved in what is going on in all 3 branches of government and we use the computer to approve the direction of our country / government.
Barack will be holding weekly / monthly speeches, to WE THE PEOPLE, guiding them as to which negative earmark / porkbarrel spending should be stopped (removed from a future bill) by the people rallying together online before a bill with that earmark goes up for vote!
…………………………….
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
Obama has outlined an ambitious transparency plan that incorporates technology to “help connect government to its citizens and engage citizens in a democracy.”
Among the proposals in Obama’s plan to open government are: putting government data online in accessible formats; airing live webcasts of agency meetings; restoring scientific integrity; allowing people to track federal grants, contracts, earmarks and lobbyist contacts online; and allowing five days for public to review and comment on legislation online before its signed.
In an October 2007 speech, Obama pledged to “turn the page on a growing empire of classified information, and restore the balance we’ve lost between the necessarily secret and the necessity of openness in a democratic society by creating a new National Declassification Center.”
Past is Prologue
One of Obama’s most visible Senate actions on the open government front was his co-sponsorship of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2008 with the launch of USAspending.gov, a Web site that gives people access to information on government contracts, grants and other awards.
As an Illinois state senator, Obama co-sponsored the Verbatim Record Bill, requiring public agencies to video or audio record closed door meetings, The First Amendment Center reported, noting the law was the first of its kind enacted by any state.
Obama is the only remaining candidate to have signed the Reason Foundation’s Oath of Presidential Transparency, and, according to The Washington Post he is the only leading candidate to have released his income tax returns.
Posted by: Danielle Clarke 50+ white woman | June 12, 2008, 7:22 pm 7:22 pm
It seems as if the Republicans are getting their knickers in a knot over Michelle Obama. And getting ready to take aim at her over the next few months. But maybe they should take a look in the mirror and ask themselves what are they so “proud” of? Maybe they should revisit what Michelle Obama has seen from her American leaders since she was born the year after President Kennedy got killed. And then, no matter what they come up with and manage to spin, I’ll still take a straight shooter who doesn’t mince words – the Michelle way. That’s American. That’s the American way. And the choice of spouses also tells me loads of the candidates themselves. And not the way you think. http://angryafrican.net/2008/06/12/michelle-not-a-stepford-wife/
Posted by: Angry African | June 12, 2008, 9:31 pm 9:31 pm
Only Hillary have real solutions for our economy and health care, and the war in Iraq.I dont trust Hussein, he will throw our country under the bus.If not Hillary, it is McCain.Never Hussein Obama.
Posted by: Moe | June 12, 2008, 10:36 pm 10:36 pm
When The American People enlighted and see the big picture, will see that president Bush is the greatest president of our time.Hussein Obama will never come close to him, he should not even be a nominee,if he sold drugs to Larry Sinclair in 1999 in the limo and had gay sex with him, he sould be in jail with all the other criminals.
Posted by: Fred | June 12, 2008, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm
Republicans use racist fear of the black man while they continue to screw over whites and everyone else as they laugh all the way to the bank.
Yep, republicans are counting on whites to ignore 7 years of getting screwed without vaseline because they think fear of blacks will trump any problems they have with bush/cheney and mccain.
Posted by: LG | June 12, 2008, 11:56 pm 11:56 pm
I would vote for McCain, but he keeps sending these little messages that he same crap as Bush. There is no change to old America or new America, there is no vote from me.
Posted by: BOSTER | June 13, 2008, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
Yay Go Obama! Show them what McCain’s really about. I love Obama, but there is no way he can win. He’s just involved in too many entaglements and potential scandals. Most of them have not yet hit the big news sites but are listed on the http://www.realdealreport.com website.
Posted by: jjandall | June 13, 2008, 6:42 pm 6:42 pm
John Sydney McCain III is really out of touch with Americans. He does know at least one person who makes more that $2.8 million a year and that would be his wife. For the rest of us struggling to make ends meet, he says “Screw You”
Posted by: Tommy Thompson | June 14, 2008, 12:12 pm 12:12 pm