Obama speaks out, tangles with McCain

In his first extended interviews since a resounding win in North Carolina that put him on the cusp of winning the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama accuses his likely Republican opponent of "smear" politics for trying to link him with the terrorist group Hamas.

"This is offensive," Obama said in an interview this afternoon on CNN's "Situation Room."

He also says it's "disappointing" that presumptive GOP nominee John McCain has mentioned Hamas because McCain has pledged to run a respectful campaign.

"For him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination," Obama added. "We don't need name-calling in this debate."

UPDATE: The McCain campaign just issued a strongly-worded response.

"First, let us be clear about the nature of Senator Obama's attack today: He used the words 'losing his bearings' intentionally, a not particularly clever way of raising John McCain's age as an issue. This is typical of the Obama style of campaigning," said the memo from senior adviser Mark Salter.

"We have all become familiar with Senator Obama's new brand of politics. First, you demand civility from your opponent, then you attack him, distort his record and send out surrogates to question his integrity. It is called hypocrisy, and it is the oldest kind of politics there is. It is important to focus on what Senator Obama is attempting to do here: He is trying desperately to delegitimize the discussion of issues that raise legitimate questions about his judgment and preparedness to be President of the United States."

UPDATE: Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton responded: “Clearly losing one’s bearings has no relation to age, given this bizarre rant that Mark Salter just sent out. It’s clear why a candidate offering a third term of George Bush’s disastrous economic policies and failed strategy in Iraq would want to distract and attack, but it’s not the kind of campaign John McCain has promised the American people that he would run.”

Last month, McCain told conservative bloggers, "I think it's very clear who Hamas wants to be the next president of the United States. I think that people should understand that I will be Hamas's worst nightmare.... If Senator Obama is favored by Hamas, I think people can make judgments accordingly."

McCain was referring to Hamas political adviser Ahmed Yousef, who said in an interview with WABC Radio last month that the terrorist group supports Obama's foreign policy vision.

Obama, however, has repeatedly denounced Hamas as a terrorist group.

In a separate interview with NBC's Brian Williams that aired tonight, Obama highlighted May 20, when he is expected to win the primary in Oregon and could very well hit the mark of winning the majority of pledged delegates in all primaries.

"That will be an important date," Obama said, pointing out that Democratic Party has always picked the candidate with the most pledged delegates chosen in primaries and caucuses.

Obama's campaign is reportedly planning a bigger-than-usual victory rally that night to declare he has effectively won the nomination.

UPDATE: In the CNN interview, Obama also had a rather cutting response to Mitt Romney, who is now supporting McCain and who has belittled Obama's experience.

"He can read a prompter very well and energize a crowd, but he has not accomplished anything during his life in terms of legislation or leading an enterprise or making a business work or a city work or a state work. He really has very little experience, and, you know, the presidency of the United States is not an internship," Romney said on CNN on Wednesday.

Obama pointed out that Romney had questioned McCain's qualifications before dropping out of the Republican race.

"The contest didn't work out so well for Mitt Romney," Obama added, a wry smile on his face. "Here we are, and there Mitt Romney is."

UPDATE: Later on CNN, Romney disputed that he had similarly questioned McCain's qualifications, praising his long service in Congress.

Of Obama's comments, Romney said, "Well, his response, of course, was not to discuss the merits of the issue. The truth of the matter is, just as I said, that he doesn't have a record of accomplishment in the private sector or in the governmental sector. He hasn't led any kind of entity. He hasn't pushed a major piece of legislation."

"He seems like a charming guy who's very well spoken. But in terms of actually having led, actually having accomplished something, actually having been the kind of leader that America needs at a critical time with our economy fragile, with us facing real challenges around the world, he's untested and unproven."