McCain sits down with Iraqi

June 16, 2008

Republican presidential candidate John McCain met yesterday with Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari. The two discussed security improvements in Iraq, and spoke about negotiations between the two countries on the future presence of US military forces in Iraq.

"It's very important that we not let any of this success slip away," McCain said after the meeting at his campaign office near Washington.

Iraqi officials have raised a number of objections to the proposed agreement. Zebari acknowledged there were "difficulties in negotiations." But during an interview later on CNN's "Late Edition," he predicted an agreement would be reached by the end of July.

Asked whether he would promise indefinite protection to the Iraqi people, McCain said that the United States has made progress in Iraq and that the decision to send additional troops has worked.

He used the opportunity to criticize Democratic rival Barack Obama's stance on the troop increase.

"The situation on the ground is that we have made enormous success and the surge has worked," McCain said. "Senator Obama was wrong when he said it would fail."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Two former US senators and one governor thought to be possible candidates for vice president yesterday expressed minimal interest in the job but didn't remove themselves from consideration.

That was in contrast to former governor Mark R. Warner of Virginia, who on Saturday said he did not want to be considered as a running mate for Barack Obama.

Former senator John Edwards, who was John Kerry's running mate in 2004 and a candidate for president this year, said yesterday that he had not ruled out another run for vice president.

"I'd take anything he asked me to think about seriously, but obviously this is something I've done and it's not a job that I'm seeking," he said.

Former senator Fred Thompson, who sought this year's GOP nomination, said: "It's presumptuous for a person to turn down things that haven't been offered to them and I don't think will be offered. And it's not something that I want."

Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana said he's focused on the job he started in January. He was one of the potential candidates who spent Memorial Day weekend at the Sedona, Ariz., home of John McCain. Jindal did not say whether he'd reject a running-mate offer.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Internet now plays a central role in US politics, with nearly half of all Americans using it and other new media to follow the presidential campaign, according to a study released yesterday.

The study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 17 percent of adults scoured political websites, read campaign e-mails and text messages, or otherwise used the Internet every day to keep up with the campaign.

That's more than double the 8 percent of adults who followed on the Internet daily at the same point in the 2004 race.

The figure is likely to grow even more by the November election, said Lee Rainie, the nonprofit group's director.

Supporters of Barack Obama and John McCain showed similar rates of Internet use, the study found.

REUTERS