During a Friday news conference, Barack Obama denied he would try to appease terrorists.
Story Created:
May 16, 2008 at 10:39 PM CST
Story Updated:
May 16, 2008 at 10:39 PM CST
Barack Obama campaigned in Watertown on Friday and came out swinging against President Bush and Republican presidential hopeful John McCain.
On thursday, both suggested Obama would appease terrorists if he were elected president:
In Watertown, Obama called the idea a Republican scare tactic.
"After 8 years I did not think I could be surprised by anything George Bush says." The President's appeasement assertion was the first thing Obama addressed during the Watertown visit. President Bush made the comments Thursday before Israel's parliament. "Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and the radicals."
The comment is a shot at Obama's willingness to negotiate with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Republican presidential hopeful John McCain soon followed up. "He wants to sit down across the table from individual who says israel is a stinking corpse."
"They're trying to fool you and trying to scare you and they're not telling the truth." Obama told the crowd there's a difference between coming to an agreement with your enemies and giving in to them. "I believe we need to use all elements of American power to pressure Iran including tough, principled diplomacy. That's what John F. Kennedy did. That's what Ronald Reagan did with the Soviets."
During a post-rally news conference, Obama took the idea one step further. "Syria, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela. I would meet with them."
Obama says any nation wanting to normalize relations with the United States would have to cut all ties to terrorism and recognize Israel as a soverign country.
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