itshappening
08-04-2010, 01:21 PM
U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will visit Grand Junction on Sunday to press the case for the United States to continue its commitment in Afghanistan, the Jane Norton Senate campaign says.
McCain’s real mission in Grand Junction is to shore up Norton’s faltering campaign, one that he helped launch, said Norton’s GOP primary opponent, Ken Buck.
McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, will appear with Norton at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in front of Mesa State College at 12th Street and North Avenue.
McCain’s visit will “highlight fundamental differences” between Norton and Buck regarding the war on terrorism, especially the central front of the fight in Afghanistan, Norton spokeswoman Cinamon Watson said.
Buck “has been all over the map on Afghanistan,” Watson said.
No so, Buck said.
“Jane has misstated about 20 different things I said,” Buck said in telephone interview Tuesday.
At issue is Buck’s comment to the Colorado Statesman on June 29 in which Buck said: “I think if the terrorists do any sort of cost-benefit analysis about attacking America, I think we’ve done a formidable job in terms of what we’ve done in Afghanistan.”
Buck on Tuesday said the United States should not draw down on its armed forces in Afghanistan until it has assured the country is no longer a safe haven for terrorists, has “disrupted and dismantled the drug trade” and promoted stability there.
“We should not try to build a Western-style democracy” in Afghanistan, though, Buck said.
Norton called McCain “the foreign policy conscience of America” and said it is time to remember the lesson of the surge that McCain advocated in Iraq.
“Now is the time to show political courage,” Norton said in a statement. “John McCain believes that, and so do I.”
McCain is fulfilling his obligation to Norton by appearing in Colorado, first in the Denver area and then in Grand Junction, “because she’s behind” in the polling, Buck said. “This has nothing to do with Afghanistan.”
McCain’s real mission in Grand Junction is to shore up Norton’s faltering campaign, one that he helped launch, said Norton’s GOP primary opponent, Ken Buck.
McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, will appear with Norton at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in front of Mesa State College at 12th Street and North Avenue.
McCain’s visit will “highlight fundamental differences” between Norton and Buck regarding the war on terrorism, especially the central front of the fight in Afghanistan, Norton spokeswoman Cinamon Watson said.
Buck “has been all over the map on Afghanistan,” Watson said.
No so, Buck said.
“Jane has misstated about 20 different things I said,” Buck said in telephone interview Tuesday.
At issue is Buck’s comment to the Colorado Statesman on June 29 in which Buck said: “I think if the terrorists do any sort of cost-benefit analysis about attacking America, I think we’ve done a formidable job in terms of what we’ve done in Afghanistan.”
Buck on Tuesday said the United States should not draw down on its armed forces in Afghanistan until it has assured the country is no longer a safe haven for terrorists, has “disrupted and dismantled the drug trade” and promoted stability there.
“We should not try to build a Western-style democracy” in Afghanistan, though, Buck said.
Norton called McCain “the foreign policy conscience of America” and said it is time to remember the lesson of the surge that McCain advocated in Iraq.
“Now is the time to show political courage,” Norton said in a statement. “John McCain believes that, and so do I.”
McCain is fulfilling his obligation to Norton by appearing in Colorado, first in the Denver area and then in Grand Junction, “because she’s behind” in the polling, Buck said. “This has nothing to do with Afghanistan.”