Greg Sargent from TPM looks at the latest ad from the Straight Talk ExpressTM, in which McCain's people claim Obama says Iran is "tiny" and "doesn't pose a serious threat." Greg says it's a grievous distortion.
The AP agrees. So does the Boston Globe.
Andrew Sullivan says it's "so out of context as to be a lie."
The Guardian sums it up well:
The script:
Announcer: Iran. Radical Islamic government. Known sponsors of terrorism.
Developing nuclear capabilities to "generate power" but threatening to eliminate Israel.
Obama says Iran is a "tiny" country, "doesn't pose a serious threat".
Terrorism, destroying Israel, those aren't "serious threats"?
Obama -- dangerously unprepared to be president.
JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.
Read on...
Here's a real quick fact check:
Obama didn't quite say Iran is "tiny" and doesn't "pose a serious threat". What he said, in Oregon in May, was: "Iran, Cuba, Venezuela -- these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us." He went on to advocate direct engagement of the sort John F. Kennedy had with Nikita Khrushchev. And Nixon had with Mao. And Reagan had with Gorbachev.
Meanwhile, in a June speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Obama in no uncertain terms acknowledged the threat the Iranian regime does play. He said, "There is no greater threat to Israel - or to the peace and stability of the region - than Iran."
It used to be that during conventions, the other side's campaign would do the courtesy of laying low. Not only is the McCain campaign not doing that, they're pushing boundaries with highly questionable ads.
But don't forget: the Republicans have yet to hold their convention.
Payback, it is to be hoped, will be a bitch.
[Added] Steve Benen put up a more detailed post, including video, quoting and analyzing Obama's remarks at the time he made them.
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