ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) - Republican John McCain on Monday sharply criticized Democratic rival Barack Obama for not having been to Iraq since 2006, and said they should visit the war zone together.

"Look at what happened in the last two years since Senator Obama visited and declared the war lost," the GOP nominee-in-waiting told The Associated Press in an interview, noting that the Illinois senator's last trip to Iraq came before the military buildup that is credited with curbing violence.

"He really has no experience or knowledge or judgment about the issue of Iraq and he has wanted to surrender for a long time," the Arizona senator added. "If there was any other issue before the American people, and you hadn't had anything to do with it in a couple of years, I think the American people would judge that very harshly."

McCain, a Navy veteran and Vietnam prisoner of war, frequently argues that he's the most qualified candidate to be a wartime commander in chief. In recent weeks, he has sought portray Obama, a first-term senator, as naive on foreign policy and not as qualified to lead the military.

The Iraq war, which polls have shown that most of the country opposes, is shaping up to be a defining issue in the November presidential election. McCain, who wrapped up the GOP nomination in March, supports continued military involvement in Iraq; Obama, who has all but clinched the Democratic nomination, has called for withdrawing U.S. troops.

"For him to talk about dates for withdrawal, which basically is surrender in Iraq after we're succeeding so well is, I think, really inexcusable," said McCain, who has been to Iraq eight times, most recently in March.

You need more than hoping and wishing to change a country around.

oh and isn't hoping a lot like wishing... You need more than hoping and wishing to change a country around.

I remember the democrats promising to pull troops out of Iraq when they had majority and cut funding for the war. Truth is we can't pull out. I was originally for it, but I was being stupid.

My brother has served two tours there. He hates the fact that he had to kill, but he was being shot at. I'm sorry but the smugness of Colorado is far off from the reality of Iraq.

I admittedly don't know much about Islam, but based on their track record, I doubt they take kindly to religious dissent by their offspring. His dad was a practicing Muslim. Oh, and anyone with an IQ higher than a gnat knows publicly admitting you're a Muslim is political suicide, especially in this day and age

Scary thing is, Jimmy Carter ran on a "change" and "hope" platform and that tard won.
Anyone else noticed the news has been eerily quiet on the topic of Iraq?

Iraq is a non issue now. People are more concerned with the economy and gas. It was an issue 4 years ago, but like everything else, political concern goes in cycles.

Iraq is a non issue now. People are more concerned with the economy and gas. It was an issue 4 years ago, but like everything else, political concern goes in cycles.

Iraq is a non issue now. People are more concerned with the economy and gas. It was an issue 4 years ago, but like everything else, political concern goes in cycles.

the media makes it a non-issue because it's going well. when it's going bad they make it an issue again.

/baaaaaaaa