[Pen-l] befuddled Prez candidate

["Jim Devine" <jdevine03@xxxxxxxxx>]

John McCain makes Spanish gaffs during interview

By JUAN GONZALEZ
[New York] DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Thursday, September 18th 2008, 1:51 PM

Where is Spain, John McCain?

Republican Presidential John McCain showed some confusion Wednesday
night about the identity of the Prime Minister of Spain and exactly
where that country of 40 million people is located.

In an interview with a Florida affiliate of Spain's Union Radio,
McCain was asked, if elected president, would he invite Spanish Prime
Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House.

"I would be willing to meet with those leaders who are friends and
want to work with us in a cooperative fashion," McCain said. He then
mentioned Mexican President Calderon, who he said "is fighting a very
tough fight against the drug cartels."

When the reporter repeated that he was talking about Spain, McCain
responded: "I know the issues, I know the leaders."

Asked again if he would invite Zapatero, McCain shot back:

"All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with
leaders in the Hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to
those who are not and that's judged on the basis of the importance of
our relationship with Latin America and the entire region."

McCain's team insisted the candidate knew they were discussing the
socialist leader of Spain.

"The questioner asked several times about Senator McCain's willingness
to meet Zapatero, and ID'd him in the question so there is no doubt
Senator McCain knew exactly to whom the question referred," said
McCain foreign policy adviser Randy Schuenemann told Politico.com.
"Senator McCain refused to commit to a White House meeting with
President Zapatero in this interview."

Spain is a longtime NATO ally, has nearly 1,000 soldiers fighting with
the U.S. in Afghanistan, and was the target one of the worst Al Qaeda
attacks in 2004.

It is also happens to be located in Europe, not the Western Hemisphere
- and Zapatero is no johnny-come-lately: He's been in office for four
years.
-- 
Jim Devine / "Nobody told me there'd be days like these / Strange days
indeed -- most peculiar, mama." -- JL.
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