Obama, McCain square off on war The Chicago Tribune ..THE SWAMP

[applegrove]

Beyond the headlines, beyond newsprint
The Chicago Tribune's Washington Bureau

Originally posted: January 14, 2007
Obama, McCain square off on war
Posted by Mark Silva at 10:06 am CST

"Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican who supports President Bush's new deployment of U.S. troops in Iraq, and Sen. Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat who is calling for a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, faced the first of a likely long series of counterpoints over the war today in back-to-back interviews on CBS' Face the Nation. It wasn't a debate so much as a laying down of markers.

Obama and McCain, eyeing campaigns for their parties' presidential nominations, were introduced by CBS News' Bob Schieffer as "two possible presidential contenders in 2008.'' Schieffer told them: "My guess is, gentlemen, this is not the last time the two of you will come together to talk about this subject.''

Obama, reluctant to commit himself to any vote blocking spending for the war, is joining Democratic leaders in calling for the start of a phased withdrawal starting over the next four to six month and calls Bush's new plan "stay-the-course-plus.'' McCain, warning that a withdrawal of U.S. forces will lead to "catastrophe'' in Iraq, also acknowledges that he cannot "guarantee success'' with the president's plan.

The president, whom CBS News will feature this evening in an interview aired on 60 Minutes, vows to carry out the deployment regardless of congressional criticism for it. "I fully understand they could try to stop me from doing it,'' Bush tells 60 Minutes. "But I've made my decision and we're going forward.''

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http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/01/obama_and_mccai.html

[illinoisprogressive]

1. Good article. I like the Swamp.

[applegrove]

2. I don't think I've heard of the Swamp until today. Yes. Well written.