Obama blasts McCain on Iraq troop levels

Barack Obama on Saturday continued laying the stage for the general election, criticizing Arizona Sen. John McCain for saying last week that troop levels in Iraq were at pre-surge levels.

"Senator McCain was wrong. He was wrong on the most important question for a commander and chief," Obama said.

In a speech last week, McCain gave an upbeat assessment of the situation in Iraq, and he said troop levels were back where they were before the U.S. sent an extra 30,000 soldiers and Marines last year to help stabilize deteriorating conditions there.

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In fact, Obama said, McCain was wrong, and there still were 20,000 more troops in Iraq than before the surge. McCain's campaign has said troop levels will be at pre-surge levels this summer.

Iraq and foreign policy have emerged as a key battleground between the presumptive Republican nominee and Obama, who is the heavy favorite to win the Democratic nomination. And the two sides have been mixing it up on the issue.

Obama called the war in Afghanistan a war "that we need to win" and Iraq a war that the U.S. needs to get out of. Obama has vowed to pull U.S. combat troops out of Iraq as soon as possible.

The head of the state Republican Party, Karl Adam, said Saturday that a large number of South Dakotans are veterans, and he thinks most people want a "more measured approach than unequivocally" pulling out of Iraq.

"He's more inclined to talk to rogue leaders in the Middle East than talking with our generals," Adam said.

Obama made stops in Rapid City and Aberdeen before going to Sioux Falls on Saturday night. He makes another stop in Mitchell today in a weekend tour of the state before Tuesday's primary.

Some observers think Obama is likely to get the number of delegates he needs to clinch the nomination after the outcomes Tuesday. Saturday, he said his rival for the nomination, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, was an "outstanding candidate" who had run a "good race."

"She deserves our honor," he said of Clinton. "She deserves our respect. She's been a great public servant."

Democrats, he said, would unite this year, because they don't want McCain in the White House.

Obama, who spoke at the Aberdeen Civic Arena, had the chance to win some undecided voters. Chris Johnson of Aberdeen said he wanted to hear what Obama had to say about the economy.

"Our economy has gone down in a slump, and it needs to come back up," he said.

Wendy Mette of Aberdeen said: "I'm just waiting to hear what he says to get my vote."

She was with her husband, who uses a wheelchair, and their seven children.

"Food prices and gas prices are obviously huge for us," she said, pointing down a row of chairs were her children were sitting.

Mette said the family has good health insurance, but even with that, health services have become more expensive. She said finding decent care also was a problem.

Obama didn't need to win Mike Kocabinski, who said before the speech that he was committed to voting for the Illinois senator.

"I don't care for Hillary Clinton," he said. "I think there's been too much controversy for her and her husband, even when he was in office. I think we need a new slant on politics."

Obama referred to the situation in Iraq a number of times during his speech, and again later during a question-and-answer session with members of the audience, which campaign officials estimated at 2,200.

He said the U.S. could create millions of jobs by building an electrical grid focused on renewable energies, and by exploring new energy sources. And he called for a universal health care system and improvements in education.

During the Bush administration, he said, family incomes fell by $1,000 while corporate profits soared. He promised $1,000 a year in tax relief to middle-class families, and he said senior citizens making less than $50,000 shouldn't pay income taxes on their Social Security benefits.

Obama said he would pay for all of his new programs by closing tax loopholes and ending subsidies for oil companies and businesses that send jobs overseas.

"If people tell you we can't afford them, you just remind them that we're spending $10 billion a month on Iraq."