U.S. -- Barack Obama fired back at President Bush and presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. He ripped Bush for saying in a speech in Israel that some want to appease terrorists.
Obama reads the speech as an attack on his campaign. The White House denies that.
Obama also took on McCain for embracing the president's attacks and policies.
"Our Iran policy is a complete failure right now, and that's the policy that John McCain is running on. He has nothing to offer except for the naïve and irresponsible belief that tough talk from Washington will somehow cause Iran to give up its nuclear program and support for terrorism. I'm running for president to change course,” said Obama.
Obama has said he would meet with Iran's president, who has called for the destruction of Israel, but would not negotiate with Hamas.
Though the Democratic candidates are still slugging it out for the nomination front runner Senator Barack Obama and presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain are already butting heads. Rita Nissan has the story.
"The irony is yesterday just as John McCain was making these attacks, a story broke that he was actually guilty of the exact same thing that he's accusing me of, and in fact was saying that maybe we need to deal with Hamas. That's the kind of hypocrisy that we've been seeing in our foreign policy. The kind of fear pedaling, fear mongering that has prevented us from actually making us safe. They are trying to fool you, and trying to scare you, and are not telling the truth," Obama said.
In a speech Friday McCain responded.
"It would be a wonderful thing if we lived in a world where we don't have enemies. But that's not the world we live in. And until Senator Obama understands that reality, the American people have every reason to doubt whether he has the strength, judgment and determination to keep us safe," said McCain.
McCain also released a new ad, taking a shot at Obama and Hillary Clinton.
"While Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama argue and fight with each other, John McCain leads," the commercial states.
McCain is also courting the gun rights movement, with a speech Friday to the National Rifle Association. He's had a difficult relationship with some gun owners, but McCain said Obama and Clinton have a worse track record.
"If either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is elected president, the rights of law-abiding gun owners will be at risk. They have both voted as Senators to ban guns or ban ammunition or to allow gun makers to be sued out of existence," McCain said.
The gun rights lobby is powerful. Just like the president's bully pulpit. Something Obama is clearly mindful of.