Politics

McCain In Chicago Slams Obama As Inexperienced

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Republican John McCain was in Barack Obama's home town Monday, and denounced the Democrat's "inexperience and reckless judgment."

As CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery reports, Obama fired back with tough talk of his own.

Campaigning with former Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman, McCain focused fire on the Democrat he expects to face in November. He attacked Obama for supporting "corporate welfare" for agribusiness, for hypocrisy on international trade, but most of all for proposing to meet the radical Islamist president of Iran without any preconditions.

"Such a statement betrays Sen. Obama's inexperience and reckless judgment," McCain said.

But in response to charges of inexperience, Obama said, "Anything but their failed cowboy diplomacy that's produced no results is called appeasement. Here's the truth: when the world was on the verge of nuclear holocaust, Kennedy talked to Khrushchev and got those missiles out of Cuba. Why shouldn't we have the courage to talk to our enemies?"

When three anti-war demonstrators disrupted Sen. McCain's speech to the National Restaurant Association, the crowd booed them and cheered the senator. They were mostly quiet during his multi-pronged attacks on Obama, including on foreign trade.

"Sen. Obama likes to scold others for playing 'old politics,'" McCain said. "But when he plays on fears of foreign trade, he's playing the oldest politics there is."

McCain also attacked Obama for supporting legislation that includes billions of dollars in subsidies for giant agribusiness companies -- what McCain calls "corporate welfare." A spokesperson for Obama said he actually opposes those subsidies, but supports the bill because it also includes funding for food stamps and other nutrition programs.

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