San Diego Union-Tribune: McCain Makes Visit to County
GOP Candidate Blasts Democrats, Reasserts Iraq Views

By John Marelius, San Diego Union-Tribune
March 26, 2008

Article Excerpt:

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain yesterday accused his Democratic rivals of "naivete" for advocating what he considers a premature withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Such a move would undermine the fight against global terrorism and be a "disaster" for the region, McCain said in a visit to San Diego County.

The Democratic presidential candidates -- Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois -- want to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq. McCain, who has won enough delegates to secure the GOP nomination, favors a more open-ended commitment.

McCain recently returned from a trip to Europe and the Middle East and said Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, told him the country had become the central battleground in the fight against al-Qaeda. Osama bin Laden said much the same thing in a recent audiotape.

"General Petraeus and I and Osama bin Laden are in agreement," the Arizona senator said. "It is hard to understand why Senator Clinton and Senator Obama don't understand that. I don't know if it's naivete or what the problem is, but they are dead wrong."

Yesterday, McCain held a town hall meeting with more than 100 veterans and military family members at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2111 hall in Chula Vista.

The meeting was part of a three-day California campaign trip in which McCain will meet with Latino small-business owners in Santa Ana today and address the Los Angeles World Affairs Council tomorrow. He is also scheduled to attend several fundraisers.

He began his day in San Diego with a fundraising luncheon at the La Jolla Marriott.

Outside, a few dozen local Democrats held signs making the case that McCain would continue Bush administration policies. "No McBush," several signs read.

"We're here to let the folks who are here to support John McCain know where he stands on issues, just in case they weren't aware of that, and basically to reiterate that a vote for John McCain is a vote for a third Bush term," said Jess Durfee, chairman of the San Diego County Democratic Party.

McCain campaign officials say they plan to aggressively contest California this fall even though no Republican presidential candidate has carried the state since 1988.

McCain said yesterday he is uniquely positioned to address issues of concern to the West such as water, the environment and climate change, and Indian tribal issues.

"There's a broad variety of issues that I believe I can convince the voters of California that I am deserving of their support," he said.

Addressing an issue of particular concern to veterans, McCain called for expanding the Veterans Administration. . . .

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