DENVER—Stumping for Barack Obama, former Colorado Sen. Gary Hart said John McCain would return to Cold War military strategies to fight 21st century wars, leaving the United States unprepared for terrorist attacks.
McCain’s campaign fired back Friday, saying McCain has called for international collaboration in confronting terrorists and rogue nations. It also trumped up Obama’s ties to “Bill Ayers, a known terrorist.”
“John McCain will recreate the military of the 20th century and be more willing to intervene unilaterally without our allies,” Hart said at a Denver round-table to promote Obama.
The U.S. military must be “fast, light and quick” to confront groups that don’t fight conventional wars, Hart said. He also called for a new international nuclear watchdog agency that could use military force if necessary.
“This is the warfare of the future,” Hart said, adding he has known McCain for 30 years and respects McCain’s military experience.
Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter, who serves on the House Homeland Security and National Security committee, also attended the conference.
Hart co-chaired a bipartisan U.S. Commission on National Security for the 21st Century, which reported seven months before the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that “Americans will likely die on American soil, possibly in large numbers.” It urged that a homeland security agency be created.
McCain spokesman Tom Kise said McCain has assured voters there won’t be another Cold War, though the candidate did say after Russia’s invasion of Georgia that the United States should “use the leverage—economic, diplomatic and others—united, with our allies” to respond.
“That’s opposed to Barack Obama, who has not explained his association with Bill Ayers, a known terrorist,” Kise said.
McCain’s campaign has a new commercial focusing on Obama’s past association with William Ayers, a founder of the violent Vietnam-era group the Weather Underground.
The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Obama and Ayers are not close but that they worked together on two nonprofit organizations from the mid-1990s to 2002. Ayers, now a college professor, also hosted a small meet-the-candidate event for Obama in 1995 as he first ran for the state Senate.
Obama, who was a child when Ayers’ group committed acts of domestic terrorism, has denounced Ayers’ radical views and actions. He also said during a radio talk show this week that he thought Ayers was rehabilitated.
McCain opposes a scheduled troop withdrawal from Iraq, saying the current strategy is succeeding. Obama says he would complete a combat troop withdrawal in 16 months.
McCain favors a boost in U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Obama says he would bring reinforcements from Iraq. He also has threatened a unilateral attack on terrorist targets in Pakistan “if Pakistan cannot or will not act” against them.
