The New Normal: McCain and Obama Clash Over Pakistan

An exchange of charges this morning between John McCain and a senior adviser to Barack Obama marks the first time the two frontrunner campaigns have conversed about foreign policy. Welcome to the new normal: presidential politics without Hillary Clinton.

McCain began last last night, implying that Obama's policies amounted to "no more than a holiday from history and a return to the false promises and failed philosophy that trusts in government more than the people." This morning, he called Obama "naive" for saying he'd bomb "our ally in Pakistan."

The Obama campaign offered Susan Rice, a senior adviser to Obama on foreign affairs and a leading Clinton administration fopo official, to rebut. "Barack Obama had the vision to see that The Bush-McCain approach of putting all of our eggs in Musharraf’s basket was flawed," she said. And McCain's "approach to foreign policy is very much a continuation of the flawed Bush policy. He really is in many respects just four more years of George Bush."

More: Yglesias breaks it down.

Comments

"He really is in many respects just four more years of George Bush."

A+

Posted by Mike | February 20, 2008 11:27 AM

Thanks for summarizing various speeches and statements, Marc. Your readership values it, truly.

Two things. Actually, three:

1. So, do you have, like, any analysis or insight on how the "new normal" will impact the race going forward? Hell, I'd even settle for some killer insights from reader Chuck Thies. ("Oprama" -- classic!)

2. When are you going to post the best comments from the "Off the Grid" Reader's Open? Don't tell me you didn't read those comments either, even after you specifically solicited them.

3. "Fopo" officially replaces "pomo" as my most hated syllabic concatenation.

Posted by Jeff Larson | February 20, 2008 11:27 AM

Actually, I kind of wish she had pointed out the Bush has apparently taken Obama's advice and done exactly what Obama was talking about. The recent al Qaeda big shot was killed by a surgical strike from an unmanned drone based upon "actionable intelligence". And this individual was in Pakistan at the time.

So apparently, McCain isn't really serious about defeating terrorism after all.

Posted by John | February 20, 2008 11:31 AM

Indeed, McCain is the best friend Al Qaeda could ever wish for.
First, he agreed with the Bush letting BIn Laden get away in Tora Bora and helping Bush be a surrender monkey in Afghanistan by picking up and leaving to go attack Saddam, who hated Bin Laden incidentally.

Secondly, talk of a 100 years war is just what the Al Qaeda recruiter ordered.

Third, he thinks we should just let Al Qaeda plot the next 9/11 with impunity in waziristan because we don't want to hurt Musharraf's feelings. All this talk of the nukes getting in the jihadist hands is absurd when the paki mititary is secular, the populace is modrate, and our military is helping safeguard the nukes.

Sometimes I wonder if the Bush-McCain crowd purposely screw the pooch on anti-terrorism because each terror attack improves their electoral chances and, as an added bonus, since most terror attacks occur in cities, its usually democrats who die. It's just kind of like when the republicans welcome hurricanes like Katrina and don't do squat about it because now Louisiana is a redder state because all the black people moved out.

We've spent way too much time questioning the anti-terror credentials of democrats. Its time to hold the necons feet to the fire about the many ways they are harming our country.

Posted by RKA | February 20, 2008 11:39 AM

Didn't the U.S. recently bomb Pakistan, killing a wanted Al Quaeda weapons expert?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/18/world/main1219000.shtml

Based on this report, McCain's comments appear uninformed and naive. Can we extrapolate and now say that McCain is soft on terrorism and doesn't want to win the "war on terror?"

Posted by SMN | February 20, 2008 11:42 AM

Who is Jeff Larson and why is the tone of his posts always so angry?

From his paintings http://www.jeffreytlarson.com/ and cartoons http://thebackpew.com/ he seems so gentle.

Posted by Almatt | February 20, 2008 12:15 PM

Punditopia thinks that once McCain and the GOP levels it's sleazeball paint guns on the Obama campaign, Obama will be taken down...perhaps to McCain's level. Horrors! How will he handle it! Will he make the Big Blunder and crash back to earth, where we'll mourn his fall from On High?

Tune in nightly to the "Best Political Team on television" (Wolf Blitzer et al, ad nauseum)...or best team "in the Universe!" (Keith Olberman)

I predict another scenario: the more the American people see the tired old soldier behind the Oz curtain, the more they will realize he's not up for the contest, and has neither the campaign skills, fresh ideas, or a true vision. They will flock away from him in droves, except for those misguided souls who still believe the last 7+ years have actually been good for America, and the world.

Posted by James Lawrence | February 20, 2008 12:44 PM

I wish they called him out for LYING about Obama's position on Pakistan to the American people. Take the fucking gloves off and start playing hardball.

Posted by John M. | February 20, 2008 12:44 PM

I wish they called him out for LYING about Obama's position on Pakistan to the American people. Take the gloves off and start playing hardball.

Posted by John M. | February 20, 2008 12:44 PM

John M.

Right on. Obama needs to hit back to right-wing lies HARD. They already have purchase on all the wacky talk radio shows, and it's now generally accepted among Republicans that Obama is basically a dove who wants to invite Chavez and Bin Laden to tea.

Posted by wj | February 20, 2008 1:29 PM

This is how the people are unaware of the tactics of government and political leaders who for their own sake and interests make fool the general public. I think that terrorism is when you be-head the citizens for excercising their human rights, and geography does not matter, whether in usa or the citizen of the so-called third world country. When people become frustrated, and disappointed when you bomb them, they may react because they loose their beloved ones. The present strategy to counter for terrorism is failed. You have to bring prosperity or atleast help the countries to become self-reliant in getting prosperous living standards, and peace to them. This is the only way to achieve a peaceful world. USA government cannot bring the peace in the world by the bombardments and other terror like activities and supporting such terrorist government agents. Everybody knows the intelligence agencies are involved in the suicide bombings on the government say to de-stablize the countries and to achieve the political aims of their governments. You have to tell the people truth, because they cannot see what is going on outside their country's borders, the only facts are reached to them through pro-media warfare. Media is speaking only 20 percent truth in regard of war of terror.

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