Despite still being in the Democratic race, Democratic co-frontrunner Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has continued to focus his attacks on presumed GOP nominee Senator John McCain of Arizona on the issue of Iraq. Within the last few months, the issue of Iraq has been eclipsed by the issue of the economy.
So far, polls have shown that the state of the economy is the issue on the minds of most Americans. The issue of Iraq has come at a distant second. Iraq has been the main platform for McCain’s presidential campaign. McCain had said that Iraq will either make or break his campaign.
However, the issue of Iraq could pretty much be the wildcard issue in the general election. But, Democratic-co frontrunner Senator Hillary Clinton of New York is still in the fight. Clinton has refused to drop out of the Democratic contest.
But, many have told Clinton to drop out. Many within the Democratic Party and the GOP are prepared to accept and acknowledge Obama as the Democratic nominee.
So far, Obama and McCain have clashed on Iraq and many things that can be connected to that issue. Obama and McCain have recently sparred on the extension to the G.I. Bill called the “Post-9/11 Veterans Assistance Act” drawn up and co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Jim Webb of Virginia.
McCain had openly voiced his opposition and voiced his favor of an alternative that focuses on career soldiers. But, there are some in the GOP that feel that McCain has been outsmarted by the Democrats on the issue. This gives the indication that McCain is in danger of losing a voting bloc that could have been exclusively his.
It opened up an opportunity for Obama to attack McCain on the issue. Now, it may seem that Obama and McCain will clash on the troop surge.
While in South Dakota, Obama has attacked McCain for not admitting to his “mistake” about the pre-surge levels of troops deployed to Iraq. He would link McCain’s comment on the troop surge and Bush’s defiance in saying that the war was faulty.
“Just like George Bush, John McCain is refusing to admin that he’s made a mistake,” Obama explained. He added: “And that’s exactly the kind of leadership that has got us fighting for five years in a war that should’ve never been authorized.”
However, the McCain campaign fired a counter-round of ammunition. The campaign said that Obama is recklessly ignoring the facts about Iraq.
Recently, McCain had called Obama out to visit Iraq and see the progress.