2010 AZ Senate Debates: on War & Peace

John McCain: Obama "an uncertain trumpet" for Afghan & Iraqi withdrawal

Some of McCain's former aides wish he would pick his shots more carefully. One former adviser, who also worked in the Bush administration, said that McCain has let his personal distaste for Obama get in the way of actually influencing the debate. "Certainly through the Bush administration, McCain was the most credible voice on the conduct and prosecution of the war," this adviser says. "We knew it would lead the news and people would believe him. If there's a missed opportunity with the Obama presidency, it's letting his personal feelings get in the way of trying to shape the policy. When he talked about Iraq or Afghanistan, we listened." This adviser added, "I think that in some ways he's sacrificed that to deliver messages that other people could deliver."