VOA标准英语2008年-McCain Questions Obama's Fitness As Commander-i

Republican presidential contender John McCain questioned Democratic candidate Barack Obama's fitness to be commander in chief Friday. McCain made the remarks to a veteran's group in Colorado not long after Obama met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris as part of his trip to Europe and the Middle East. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.

Senator McCain has found it difficult this week to gain much media attention given the avalanche¹ of coverage² for Senator Obama's overseas trip.

On Friday, McCain continued to hammer away at Obama on the Iraq war, noting that Obama opposed the Bush administration's surge strategy of increased troop strengths in Iraq, a strategy that was initially³ championed by McCain and only a handful of others in Congress.

"In Iraq, we are no longer on the doorstep of defeat, but on the road to victory," he said. "Senator Obama said this week that even knowing what he knows today that he still would have opposed the surge. In retrospect⁴, given the opportunity to choose between failure and success, he chose failure. I cannot conceive of a commander-in-chief making that choice."

McCain says he is confident that he could dramatically reduce the number of combat troops in Iraq during his first term as president. But the Arizona senator and presumptive Republican Party presidential nominee⁵ remains⁶ opposed to Obama's proposal for a timetable to pull out most U.S. troops within 16 months of taking office.

"We can withdraw when we have secured the peace, and the gains we have sacrificed so much to achieve are safe," said McCain. "Or we can follow Senator Obama's unconditional⁷ withdrawal⁸ and risk losing the peace, even if that results in spreading violence and a third Iraq war. Senator Obama has suggested he would consider sending troops back if that happened. When I bring them home in victory and with honor, they are staying home.

Obama was in France Friday, the latest leg of a trip that has taken him to Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Germany.

Obama told a news conference in Paris that improved security in Iraq has set the stage for a gradual pullout of some U.S. troops.

"My trip to Iraq confirmed that the security situation has greatly improved, that our troops have performed an extraordinary service, and that the Iraqi government is ready to take more responsibility, and that will free up our capacity then to begin withdrawing our troops at a steady, prudent⁹ pace," he said.

Obama and McCain have conducted an international sparring session on Iraq all week.

McCain told the veterans group Friday he would rather lose the election than see the United States lose the war in Iraq.

At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire earlier in the week, McCain said it seemed to him that Obama would be willing to lose in Iraq in order to win the election.

Obama was asked to respond to McCain's charge in an interview with NBC News.

"I have never questioned that he wants to make America safer, and for him to suggest that I don't, for him to suggest that somehow I am less concerned about the safety of my wife and daughter than he is, I think, was unfortunate," said Obama.

Public opinion polls suggest more Americans believe McCain would do a better job of handling the Iraq conflict. But those same surveys also show that voters are more concerned with the weakening economy and rising fuel prices, and, as of now, prefer Obama's approach on those issues.

 

1 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

2 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

3 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

4 retrospect   

n.回顾，追溯；v.回顾，回想，追溯

参考例句：

• One's school life seems happier in retrospect than in reality.学校生活回忆起来显得比实际上要快乐。
• In retrospect,it's easy to see why we were wrong.回顾过去就很容易明白我们的错处了。

5 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

8 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

9 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。