This is just pathetic. The media has graciously kept the details of Obama's Iraq visit private, because of legitimate security concerns. So leave it to McCain try to blow that up by speculating on the details of Obama's visit.
DIGG IT UP!
Story:
DETROIT (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Friday that his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, is likely to be in Iraq over the weekend.
The Obama campaign has tried to cloak the Illinois senator's trip in some measure of secrecy for security reasons. The White House, State Department and Pentagon do not announce senior officials' visits to Iraq in advance.
"I believe that either today or tomorrow -- and I'm not privy to his schedule -- Sen. Obama will be landing in Iraq with some other senators" who make up a congressional delegation, McCain told a campaign fund-raising luncheon.
What an ass. As the Reuters report states, the Obama Campaign has been trying to keep the details on the exact timing of the trip vague for security reasons. They also note that the White House, State Department and Pentagon do not announce senior official visits in advance.
I'm not sure what type of game McCain is trying to play here, but his behavior in the past week has become increasingly douchy. Examples include predictions of election terror as well as implying that Obama is a Socialist. Of course, what do you expect from someone who loves rape jokes.
Obama's campaign put it best:
"First John McCain wanted Barack Obama to travel with him to Iraq and the campaign used the occasion to raise campaign cash," noted Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan. "Now, his campaign is calling Senator Obama’s trip a ‘campaign rally overseas.’ The McCain campaign should stop worrying about Barack Obama’s travel plans and start focusing on addressing the pressing challenges that the Bush-McCain foreign policy has made worse,"
Update: TPM weighs in:
It's known that Obama is leaving on his foreign trip this weekend and the Journal OpEd page this morning said that Obama could arrive in Iraq "as early as this weekend." And with a slew of reporters in tow, it's not exactly highly classified information. But there is a reason definite information about these sorts of trips aren't released in advance.
Hypothetically, maybe McCain was just guessing. But even so it would still be a serious lapse of judgment on his part.
TPM also has a round up of the Media keeping the details vague.
Update 2: Politco raises an eyebrow as well, but the Obama campaign has yet to respond. I hope they do; this is starting to get some attention. Nothing on TV yet however; if you find something let me know and I'll update.
Update 3: Hat tip to gooderservice, who points out that McCain's trip was unannounced for security reasons.
Update 4: McCain blasts media for releasing details of his son serving in Iraq.
Update 5: McCain camp still silent on this growing outrage.
As of yet, it's unclear exactly how serious a breach this is. Some media have reported obliquely on the timing of Obama's trip, though to our knowledge no media have named the two days Obama is supposed to be in Iraq. It's also unclear as yet whether McCain was sharing inside info or simply passing on what he thought had already been reported.
But the McCain campaign has yet to offer any public clarification.
Update 6: Keith is all over it, and FOX is spilling the beans as well.
Update 7: The NY Times has a brief mention in an overall brutal article about McCain's bad day:
In a speech at a fund-raising luncheon in Detroit, Mr. McCain also implicitly criticized Mr. Obama in suggesting that his trip to Iraq — the schedule for which remains undisclosed, partly for security reasons — might be at hand.
Update 8: Last update barring some new development. Obama has landed in Afghanistan.