McCain draws fire for troop withdrawal comment

By Deborah Charles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats accused John McCain on Wednesday of being confused and unsympathetic for saying it's "not too important" when U.S. troops leave Iraq, attacking the Republican presidential candidate on an issue he has made key in the November election.

McCain's campaign said his comment had been distorted and there was no one better placed than the former prisoner of war to understand the sacrifices made by American soldiers and military families.

The Arizona senator has built his campaign largely around his strength as a potential commander in chief and has drawn contrasts with his Democratic rival Barack Obama who McCain says is too inexperienced in foreign policy.

But Democrats seized on McCain's response to a question in a television interview when asked if he had a good estimate of when he thought American troops might come home from Iraq.

"No, but that's not too important," McCain said on NBC's "Today Show". "What's important is the casualties in Iraq."

In dueling conference calls, the campaigns propelled Iraq and the squabble over national security credentials back to the front of the campaign agenda. The focus this week had been on the U.S. economy, an issue that many analysts believe favors Obama.

"It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs and concerns of Americans and particularly the families of the troops who are over there," said Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

"To them it's the most important thing in the world when they come home. And it's the most important thing in the world that we have a commander-in-chief who understands how you can bring them home," said Kerry, a Vietnam veteran and close Obama supporter who lost the 2004 election to President George W. Bush.