In debates, candidates differ little

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By S.A. Miller

'08 ISSUES:

A defining exchange in the first presidential debate opened with Republican Sen. John McCain's incredulous condemnation of the threat by Democrat Sen. Barack Obama to launch unilateral military strikes against terrorist outposts in Pakistan, a U.S. ally.

"Now, you don't do that. You don't say that out loud," Mr. McCain said. "If you have to do things, you have to do things, and you work with the Pakistani government."

Mr. Obama responded that he never talked about "attacking Pakistan" and challenged Mr. McCain to disagree with his policy on hitting terrorist safe havens in Pakistan's rugged mountains bordering Afghanistan.

"If the United States has al Qaeda, [Osama] bin Laden, top-level lieutenants in our sights, and Pakistan is unable or unwilling to act, then we should take them out," he said. "Now, I think that's the right strategy. I think that's the right policy."

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