McCain invites Obama to Iraq

'The Australian'

DID someone say road trip?

Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting John McCain has offered to take his likely Democractic counterpart Barack Obama to Iraq to "educate him" on the real situation there.

Senator McCain has said Senator Obama has not been to Iraq in more than two years, since before the so-called troops surge announced by President George W. Bush at the start of 2007.

He has said the country has been transformed since then and Senator Obama cannot have a credible policy on Iraq unless he returns there to see the improvements in security.

"Look at what happened in the last two years since Senator Obama visited and declared the war lost," Senator McCain has told the Associated Press. "He really has no experience or knowledge or judgment about the issue of Iraq and he has wanted to surrender for a long time."

"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."

Senator McCain supports a long-term US military commitment in Iraq, but Senator Obama wants to start withdrawing troops.

The Republican candidate once spoke of a "100-year" deployment, but later claimed he was just using the figure to make the point that he was thinking many years ahead.

A supporter of Senator McCain floated the idea of a joint visit over the weekend. On cue, Senator McCain said he was supportive of the idea.

"I would also seize that opportunity to educate Senator Obama along the way," he said.

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'Educate' indeed. Just make sure that he brings his 'binky'.