WASHINGTON: United States Republican John McCain has taken a shot at Democratic presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama, saying he was the candidate for the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas. “I think its very clear who Hamas wants to be the next president of the United States,” said Senator McCain in a conversation with bloggers.
According to a transcript posted on the website of the Weekly Standard magazine, he said “I think that people should understand that I will be Hamass worst nightmare. If Senator Obama is favoured by Hamas I think people can make judgments accordingly.”
Senator Obama says he considers Hamas a terrorist organisation, and he condemned the recent meeting between Democratic former president Jimmy Carter and Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal in Damascus.
He sparked controversy by saying he was ready to meet with Iranian, Cuban or North Korea leaders if he is elected president, but said he would not meet with the leaders of Hamas.
Senator Obama also affirmed recently that if elected, he would “work with Israel to isolate terrorist groups like Hamas and support Israels right and capability to defend itself from any attack.”
Senator Obamas spokesman Hari Sevugan took issue with Senator McCains statements, which also pointed to recent remarks by Daniel Ortega, Nicaraguas leftist president and a US enemy in the 1980s, that Senator Obamas candidacy was a “revolutionary phenomenon.”
“We want to take Senator McCain at his word that he wants to run a respectful campaign but it is becoming difficult when he tries to makes claims he knows not to be true to advance his campaign,” he said. Senator McCain vowed to raise the tone of the presidential campaign at a rally in January. “Im going to raise the level of political
dialogue in America,” he said.
