(CNN) - John McCain today said that President Bush was not to blame for the decision to speak in front of the famed “Mission Accomplished” banner aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln five years ago.
“Do I blame him for that specific banner? of course not,” McCain told reporters during a press conference Thursday afternoon in Cleveland.
The presumptive Republican nominee said that he feels responsibility should rest with elected officials who made statements at the time that “were contradicted by the facts on the ground.”
McCain, who has been a fierce critic of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld for years, said again that the former cabinet member was to blame for misleading statements. “When the leaders of government – the Secretary of Defense – says that ‘there’s only a few dead enders,’ then that is an area that responsibility should be placed, in my view.”
Asked if there will ever be a moment when the United States’ mission will indeed be accomplished in Iraq, McCain responded: “I don’t know if you could ever say quote ‘mission accomplished’ as much as you could say ‘Americans are out of harms’ way.’”
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/05/01/art.easleyad.cnn.jpg caption=" Easley stars in a new campaign ad for Clinton."](CNN) - Hillary Clinton's campaign launched a new ad in North Carolina Thursday that features the state's governor, Mike Easley.
Easley, who endorsed Clinton earlier this week, says the New York senator is "so resilient, so determined."
"These are tough times in America and I think that Hillary is the one we can count on to get the job done," Easley also says in the 30-second spot, titled "Determined."
The ad comes five days before the state's May 6 primary. Barack Obama is considered the favorite, though recent polls suggest Clinton is gaining support.
BOONVILLE, Indiana (CNN) - Michelle Obama said Wednesday that her husband's move to distance himself from his controversial former minister has been "painful," but that she's pleased with the way he's handled the situation.
"I was proud of the statement he made yesterday," she said in an interview with CNN's Suzanne Malveaux. "It was a tough thing for him to do - it's a painful situation to be in."
On Tuesday, Obama said he was "outraged" by comments the Rev. Jeremiah Wright made to the National Press Club in Washington on Monday. The candidate said he was "saddened by the spectacle" of what Wright said.
KOKOMO, Indiana (CNN) – Hillary Clinton is defending her proposal to eliminate the gas tax this summer, as rival Barack Obama and some economists continued to criticize it as a gimmick to appeal to voters that won’t actually impact their wallets.
“You’re going to hear from my opponent, and you’re going to hear from columnists and you’re going to hear from talking heads about how there’s nothing we can do about these gas prices except to have a long-term plan,” Clinton told supporters at an Indiana rally Wednesday night.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/22/art.clinton.pa.jpg caption="Clinton and McCain are calling for a summer gas tax holiday."] “Well of course we need a long-term plan,” said the New York senator. “But I’m not going to sit idly by and see people go out of business who are independent truckers not able to continue to choose between food and gas because they can’t afford either. I’m not going to sit idly by.”
To illustrate her point, Clinton rode to work with a steelworker from South Bend, Indiana, Wednesday morning in a pickup truck. In a staged photo-op, they stopped for gas and paid over $60 for just under three-quarters of a tank.
Clinton has said hers is a short-term solution that would mostly benefit truckers and drivers with long commutes. She plans to introduce legislation in the Senate in the near future.
Recent Comments