McCain blasts Gitmo ruling in Burlco visit

Republican presidential candidate John McCain today denounced the U.S. Supreme Court's decision yesterday granting legal rights to the combatants detained at Guantanamo Bay as "one of the worst decisions in history" and blasted Democrat Barack Obama for endorsing it.

Speaking with reporters after a town hall meeting at Burlington County College in Pemberton, McCain predicted that the court's ruling would damage the nation's ability to wage the war on terrorism.

And he said the difference between his outlook and that of Obama underlined the differences in the kinds of Supreme Court justices each man would appoint if elected president.

"Sen. Obama applauds this decision and supports it," McCain said. "I argue against it and will do what I can to narrow its impact."

In addition, McCain described as "very disappointing" the Obama campaign's response to his call for a series of 10 joint town hall meetings featuring the two candidates, one a week between now and the Democratic National Convention in late August.

Obama's counterproposal calls for one town hall meeting on the economy in July and a foreign policy debate in August, in addition to the three already-scheduled debates in the fall.

Said McCain: "I'll let the American people decide which they think is the preferable proposal. . . . I believe strongly that the American people will support my position."

David Plouffe, Obama's campaign manager, said he was disappointed at the McCain campaign's rejection of the Obama plan, which Plouffe said would provide the most face-to-face contact between major-party candidates in the modern era.

"Apparently, they would rather contrive a political issue than foster a genuine discussion about the future of our country," he said.