RNC: Obama's Weak Judgment on Iran

Sen. McCain: 'Over Three Quarters Of The Senate Supported This Obvious Step,
But Not Senator Obama.'

WASHINGTON, June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following release was issued
today by the Republican National Committee:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO )

Today, At The Annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Sen. McCain Noted That Obama Did
Not Support An "Amendment Calling For The Designation Of The Revolutionary
Guard As A Terrorist Organization Responsible For Killing American Troops In
Iraq":

McCain: "I was pleased to join Senators Lieberman and Kyl in backing an
amendment calling for the designation of the Revolutionary Guard as a
terrorist organization responsible for killing American troops in Iraq. Over
three quarters of the Senate supported this obvious step, but not Senator
Obama." (Sen. John McCain, Remarks At 2008 AIPAC Policy Conference, Arlington,
VA, 6/2/08)

McCain: "He opposed this resolution because its support for countering Iranian
influence in Iraq was, he said, a 'wrong message not only to the world, but
also to the region.' But here, too, he is mistaken. Holding Iran's influence
in check, and holding a terrorist organization accountable, sends exactly the
right message -- to Iran, to the region and to the world." (Sen. John McCain,
Remarks At 2008 AIPAC Policy Conference, Arlington, VA, 6/2/08)

Obama Opposed Legislation Designating Iran's Revolutionary Guard A Terrorist
Organization:

"Obama Opposed The Kyl-Lieberman Amendment, Which Says We Should Use Our
Military Presence In Iraq To Counter The Threat From Iran. Obama Believes That
It Was Reckless For Congress To Give George Bush Any Justification To Extend
The Iraq War Or To Attack Iran." (Obama For America Website,
www.barackobama.com, Accessed 6/2/08)

Obama: "There was another problem with the resolution that we haven't spoken
about, and that was that it suggested that we should structure in some way our
forces in Iraq with the goal of blunting Iranian influence in Iraq." (Sen.
Barack Obama, NPR Democrat Presidential Debate, Des Moines, IA, 12/4/07)

Obama: "[T]he notion somehow that [Iran is] not going to have influence and
that we may be using yet another justification for a continuing mission in
Iraq I think is an extreme problem and one of the reasons why this was a bad
idea." (Sen. Barack Obama, NPR Democrat Presidential Debate, Des Moines, IA,
12/4/07)

Obama Is In Michigan, Where Both Democrat Senators Took The Opposite Position
Of Obama On The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Legislation:

Today, Obama Held A Town Hall In Troy, MI. (The Washington Post's "Candidate
Tracker" Website, www.washingtonpost.com, Accessed 6/2/08)

Both Of Michigan's Senators, Sen. Levin And Sen. Stabenow, Supported The
Legislation. (H.R. 1585, CQ Vote #349: Adopted 76-22: R 46-2; D 29-19; I 1-1,
9/26/07, Levin And Stabenow Voted Yea)

Sen. Clinton Also Supported This Legislation:

At Democrat Debates, Sen. Clinton Noted That She Supported The Legislation
Naming Iran's Revolutionary Guard A Terrorist Organization. Sen. Clinton:
"Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is in
the forefront of that, as they are in the sponsorship of terrorism. So some
may want a false choice between rushing to war -- which is the way the
Republicans sound; it's not even a question of whether, it's a question of
when and what weapons to use -- and doing nothing. I prefer vigorous
diplomacy, and I happen to think economic sanctions are part of vigorous
diplomacy. We use them with respect to North Korea. We use them with respect
to Libya. And many of us who voted for that resolution said that this is not
anything other than an expression of support for using economic sanctions with
respect to diplomacy. You know, several people who were adamantly opposed to
the war in Iraq, like Senator Durbin, voted the same way I did and said at the
time that if he thought there was even the pretense that could be used from
the language in that non-binding resolution to give George Bush any support to
go to war, he wouldn't have voted for it. Neither would I." (Sen. Hillary
Clinton, MSNBC Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Philadelphia, PA,
10/30/07)

To view the video go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI2g7w-LYvI

Sen. Clinton: "My understanding of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran is that it
is promoting terrorism. It is manufacturing weapons that are used against our
troops in Iraq. It is certainly the main agent of support for Hezbollah, Hamas
and others, and in what we voted for today, we will have an opportunity to
designate it as a terrorist organization, which gives us the options to be
able to impose sanctions on the primary leaders to try to begin to put some
teeth into all this talk about dealing with Iran." (Sen. Hillary Clinton,
MSNBC Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Hanover, NH, 9/26/07)

To view the video go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lSImdnCmQg

NOTE: Even Obama National Campaign Co-Chairman, Sen. Durbin, Supported The
Legislation:

"Durbin, 62, Said Obama Was Wrong To Upbraid Clinton For Her Sept. 26 Vote To
Label The Iranian Revolutionary Guard As A Terrorist Organization, A
Nonbinding Resolution That Durbin Also Supported." (Julianna Goldman, "Durbin
Says Obama Will Win Iowa Caucus; Disagrees on Iran," Bloomberg, 10/12/07)

Sen. Durbin: "It's rare that Barack and I disagree on an issue of this
magnitude ... I have the same concerns that Barack Obama does about this
administration and what they might do with the power that they have. But I
don't think this resolution gives them a green light to do anything."
(Julianna Goldman, "Durbin Says Obama Will Win Iowa Caucus; Disagrees on
Iran," Bloomberg, 10/12/07)

A Product of the RNC Research Department
Paid for by the Republican National Committee.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee

SOURCE Republican National Committee

Republican National Committee, +1-202-863-8614