VOA标准英语2008年-McCain Highlights Differences with Obama Over I

As Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama continues his highly publicized overseas tour, his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, is doing all he can to remain part of the election debate. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more on the McCain campaign from Washington.

Senator McCain's strategy going into the week was to focus on domestic economic issues, which the polls say are the top concerns of voters this year.

But with all the attention focused on Senator Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe, Senator McCain finds himself in reaction mode as he comments on what Obama is doing on his travels.

The war in Iraq continues to be at the center of their disagreements. At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire Tuesday, McCain reminded his audience that he was one of the few members of Congress to speak out in support of President Bush's surge strategy in Iraq at a time when the war effort was not going well.

McCain added that Obama has yet to say that the surge has been a success.

"We would never have succeeded and we would have had defeat, and my friends, that would have been a catastrophe² for the United States of America," he said. "He was wrong then, he is wrong now and he still fails to acknowledge that the surge succeeded. Remarkable³. Remarkable."

McCain opposes setting a timeline for the withdrawal⁴ of U.S. troops from Iraq. Senator Obama has vowed⁵ to remove most combat troops within 16 months of taking office. Obama got a boost of sorts Monday when an Iraqi government spokesman said he would like to see U.S. troops out of Iraq by the end of 2010, roughly within Obama's proposed timeline.

Senator McCain told supporters in New Hampshire he looks forward to U.S. troops coming home, but only as a result of success on the ground in Iraq, and not pre-set withdrawal timetables.

"And we will be coming home, my friends," he said. "Our troops will be withdrawing, but they will come home with honor and victory. They will not come home in defeat. They will come home with honor and victory!"

Obama has enjoyed a bonanza⁷ of news coverage⁸ during his trip so far. He visited Iraq and Afghanistan with two fellow senators, Democrat¹ Jack⁹ Reed of Rhode Island and Republican Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

Obama spoke⁶ about his plans for Iraq at a news conference in Amman, Jordan.

"All three of us, I think, we struck by both the peril¹⁰ and the promise of this moment," he said. "If we responsibly end the war in Iraq, we can strengthen our military, step up our efforts to finish the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan, and succeed in leaving Iraq to a sovereign government that can take responsibility for its own future. In short, we can seize this moment to make America more secure."

Obama says there has been security progress in Iraq, but that the focus now must be on a political solution.

Obama also acknowledged that the U.S. commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, opposes the idea of a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops.

McCain strategists are trying different ways to gain attention while Obama is on his overseas trip. The McCain campaign has launched an Internet video critical of the news media for what it believes is overly positive coverage of Obama's run for the White House.

"The media's love affair with Barack Obama is all-consuming," states McCain's ad.

Reporters traveling with Senator McCain have also noted¹¹ speculation¹² that the presumptive Republican nominee¹³ might announce his vice¹⁴ presidential running mate this week to draw attention away from the Obama trip. But so far there has been no official indication from the McCain campaign that they are close to making any announcements on that.

 

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 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。

5 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 bonanza   

n.富矿带，幸运，带来好运的事

参考例句：

• Bargain hunters enjoyed a real bonanza today.到处买便宜货的人今天真是交了好运。
• What a bonanza for the winning ticket holders!对于手持胜券的人来说，这是多好的运气啊。

8 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。

9 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

10 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

13 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。

14 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。