Posted on 10/03/2007 10:23:25 AM PDT by seanmerc
Republican presidential candidate John McCain has decided not to assail Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton for her stance on the Iraq War in a speech Wednesday at a military prep school. On Tuesday, McCain's campaign released excerpts of his speech at Camden Military Academy in which the Arizona senator accuses Clinton of indecisiveness, arguing that won't work for a post-Sept. 11 commander in chief.
"The Democratic front-runner wants to have it both ways when it comes to foreign policy. On the one hand, the New York senator voted for the Iraq War. On the other hand, she now opposes it—sort of," McCain says in the prepared remarks.
"On the one hand, she wants a firm deadline for retreat. But, on the other hand, she says we cannot abandon the nation to Iran's designs," the speech says.
"Senator Clinton, this is not the '90s," McCain says. "This is the post-September 11 world. The commander in chief does not enjoy the luxury to conduct our national security by means of triangulation."
McCain decided Wednesday not to deliver those remarks, said Brooke Buchanan, McCain's spokeswoman.
"It has nothing to do with the content of the speech. It has to do with the with the venue," Buchanan said. "This isn't the appropriate venue for that."
Camden Military Academy is for students grades 7 to 12.
Late Tuesday, McCain said he had not yet seen the remarks. "But I will look at them very carefully," he said.
Buchanan said while McCain had not seen the language in the speech about Clinton, he still planned to deliver the critique. She said Wednesday that he would not.
On Tuesday, the Clinton campaign said the two senators, both members of the Armed Services Committee, "have an honest disagreement on the war."
"Senator McCain is the Senate's biggest supporter of President Bush's escalation there. Senator Clinton wants to end the war and when she is president she will," Zac Wright, Clinton's South Carolina spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement.
McCain says he has not seen the contents of his own speech? If President Bush ever used an excuse like that he would be pilloried. Although McCain won’t critcize Hillary, he was quick to jump on the Rush criticism over the phony soldier comment.
This doesn’t surprise me. McCain has consistently exhibited a remarkable tin ear politically as it relates to the GOP base over the last two decades.
This is just the latest example of it.
And as another poster noted if Bush had said ‘I haven’t read’ my speech, he would be getting creamed in the MSM.
Which also confirms the view McCain for President is only viable among the media elites that would prefer a Dem in the Whitehouse.
John McCain is not going to become president of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce or any place else.
McCain has a history of being nice to traitorous Democrats like Clinton, Kerry, Murtha, Cleland, but stabs conservatives in the back on judges, immigration, campaign finance.
And he wants the Republican nomination for President?
Grow a penis, McCain. Cripes!!
Setting the stage for Clinton/McCain 2008?
Give Rudy some credit. He realizes that the way to win the nomination is to prove he’s the best candidate to go after the Witch and is doing it. McCain, OTOH, won’t even realize that basic essential for winning the nomination. He’s toast.
Someone please tell the Islamo-fascist front group called “CAIR” to shove that back where the sun won’t shine.
YUP, this episode makes McCain look ridiculous with anyone who had not already concluded he is ridiculous. Your campaign releases “speech excerpts” with some sensible criticism of Hillary’s flip-flopping on the war, and you backpeddle so fast that you have to admit you have not yet ‘read’ the speech your own campaign is promoting for you????
That’s pathetic - I know we have speechwriters everywhere these days, but the least a candidate can do is stick by their own speechwriter when something critical is said about Shrillery!!
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