McCain Invites Obama on Iraq Junket

This is just brilliant.

McCain contrasted Obama's accused negligence with the Illinois senator's proposal to meet with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, asking, "Why is it that Senator Obama wants to sit down with the president of Iran but hasn't yet sat down with General Petraeus, the leader of our troops in Iraq?"

The McCain camp's criticism of Obama's single pre-surge trip to Iraq originated Sunday, when surrogate Sen. Lindsey Graham raised the issue and proposed a joint McCain/Obama trip to the region as a solution. (McCain has visited eight times to Obama's one.) McCain told the Associated Press Monday that he hopes to use such a venture to "educate" Obama. The Republican National Committee joined in today, posting a clock of the days elapsed since the likely Democratic nominee visited Iraq.

McCain reiterated that appeal, saying of the proposed trip with Obama, "I would be glad to go with him because these issues are far more important than any election. The security of this nation is far more important than any political campaign."

1. The gesture contrasts Obama's inexperience on foreign policy, esp. as a contrast to McCain.

2. It reinforces the gaffe about meeting with leaders of terrorist state, "without preconditions". In that he will meet with them, but not our own generals.

Of course, it's a stunt, because McCain knows that there is no way that Obama could possibly accept. The trip would be nothing but humiliation for Obama. But the offer, I'm sure, is a genuine one. And wouldn't that be a sight to see. Obama can not accept, but this highlights that he needs to do some work on his foreign policy credentials.