Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain's campaign circulated a fundraising e-mail to supporters Friday afternoon, urging them to contribute to the Arizona Republican senator by highlighting some of Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) foreign policy proposals.
{mosads}The e-mail, with the subject line “Hamas weighs in on U.S. presidential election,” charges that while "Obama would surrender in Iraq and hold talks with the Iranian regime, John McCain will never surrender in the struggle with Islamic extremists."
Christian Ferry, McCain's deputy campaign manager, wrote in the e-mail that Obama would withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq regardless of what military commanders advise, hold direct talks with Iran and has won praise from Hamas.
Ferry writes that Ahmed Yousef, the chief political adviser to the Hamas prime minister, said: "We like Mr. Obama and we hope he will win the election. He has a vision to change America."
"We need change in America, but not the kind of change that wins kind words from Hamas, surrenders in Iraq and will hold unconditional talks with Iranian President Ahmadinejad," Ferry said.
Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) have overwhelmingly outraised McCain since the campaigns began last year.
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), an Obama supporter, decried the fundraising email language, saying McCain was engaging "in a shameful, divisive, and cynical kind of politics that he pretends to reject – all in reckless pursuit of campaign dollars."
"That may make sense to someone who has spent over two decades learning the ways of Washington, but this kind of empty tough talk and divisive fear mongering won't work with the American people," Wexler said in a statement. "We call on Senator McCain to reject this embarrassing and outrageous tone, and to join with Barack Obama in calling for an America that is united in its determination to isolate Hamas and support our ally Israel."