McCain Returns, Criticizes Obama on Iraq

John McCain did two main things during his visit to Rochester’s opera house: One was to stress his affection for the voters who’ve twice made him a New Hampshire primary winner.

"I love my home state of Arizona, but coming back to NH is also like coming home."

The other was to lay into on Barack Obama’s foreign policy credentials – particularly when it comes to Iraq.

"I had the courage and the judgment to say I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me that Senator Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign."

While mix of ingratiation and blunt talk has certainly worked in the past, according to the latest poll, Barack Obama now leads McCain in among a key constituency -- the independent voters who tend to decide elections here.
In April, UNH found McCain enjoying a 2 to 1 edge among independents; UNH’s new poll finds that same group favoring Obama by 9 points, with many still undecided. In an effort to burnish McCain’s appeal to these swing voters, his campaign tapped two democrats to introduce him yesterday. Here’s college professor Bill Condon.

"I’ve never voted for a republican. I never dreamt that I would."

But things didn’t go that smoothly will another attendee to Mccain's political left. Barbara Hilton is a peace activist from Portsmouth, who pressed McCain with a series of questions on Iraq.

"Why do we have the largest embassy in the world there and all kind of military bases there if we are not there to steal their oil?"

crowd.....

"Eh, Eh, Thank you very much."

Despite audience catcalls, McCain talked Iraq with Hilton to for nearly ten minutes McCain said his bottom line is that he would pull troops from Iraq if Al-Queida were “completely defeated.”

"We have to have conditions based withdrawal and we all – we will withdraw. The fact is whether we withdraw in victory or defeat.

Other topics, like energy, the economy, and former rival Mitt Romney were less charged. For the record, McCain said he supports more domestic energy production, including up to 45 new nuclear plants, that he would hold the line on taxes, and is proud to have the backing of the entire Romney clan. McCain wrapped up the town hall with a simple request.

"I need you to get out there with the bumperstickers and signs, and I need you to register voters, and I need you to get out the vote."

And with a promise that he’ll take for more local questions in the coming days.

"I be back and back and back between now and Nov 4th."