US:DEMOCRATS HAVE accused John McCain of being out of touch with American public opinion and the needs of the United States military after the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said reducing casualties in Iraq was more important than bringing troops home.
The controversy erupted after a television interviewer yesterday asked Mr McCain if he had a better estimate for when US troops could leave Iraq.
"No, but that's not too important," he said.
"What's important is the casualties in Iraq. Americans are in South Korea, Americans are in Japan, American troops are in Germany. That's all fine. American casualties and the ability to withdraw - we will be able to withdraw.
"General Petraeus is going to tell us in July when he thinks we are. But the key to it is that we don't want any more Americans in harm's way. That way, they will be safe, and serve our country and come home with honour and victory, not in defeat."
Former Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry described Mr McCain's remarks as "unbelievably out of touch" and contrary to the interests of US service personnel.
"To them it's the most important thing in the world when they come home," Mr Kerry said.
"It's a policy for staying in Iraq and it's completely contrary to the desires as well as the needs of the American people."
The Republican has consistently declined to identify a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, although he has suggested that most troops could be home by 2013. Mr McCain believes that as Iraqis take more control of security in their country, the number of US casualties should decline.
Senate foreign relations committee chairman Joseph Biden said that withdrawing troops from Iraq was essential if US military resources were to be redirected to fighting al-Qaeda and the Taliban on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. "It is long past time to refocus our foreign policy on the many challenges we face, not just Iraq," Mr Biden said.
"Like President Bush, Senator McCain cannot tell the American people when, or even if, Iraqis will come together politically - which was the purpose of the surge in the first place. He can't tell us when, or even if, we will draw down below pre-surge levels. He can't tell us when, or even if, Iraq will be able to stand on its own two feet. He can't tell us when, or even if, this war will end."
In Philadelphia yesterday, Mr McCain sought to revive a controversy over Mr Obama's description of small-town Pennsylvanians as "bitter" and clinging to guns and religion. "We're going to go to the small towns in Pennsylvania and I'm going to tell them I don't agree with Senator Obama that they cling to their religion and the constitution because they're bitter," he said.
Pennsylvania is one of a number of states Mr Kerry won in 2004 but which Mr Obama failed to win in the Democratic primaries, which Mr McCain believes he can win in November.
Addressing a discussion on the economy in Chicago yesterday, Mr Obama accused Mr McCain of helping credit card companies responsible for predatory lending.
"When it comes to Washington letting credit card companies get away with all this, John McCain has been part of the problem. When he had the chance to help families avoid falling into debt, John McCain sided with the credit card companies."
Mr Obama yesterday announced the head of his vice-presidential search team had stepped down over questions about loans he received from a company involved in the US housing crisis. Mr Obama said Jim Johnson decided to quit to avoid distracting from the process of gathering information about possible vice-presidential candidates.