Rice: Surge success benefits Obama, McCain

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (UPI) -- The success of the surge of U.S. combat troops in Iraq benefits both major-party presidential candidates, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said.

Rice, in an interview with Politico and Yahoo! News, also noted the positions of Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and John McCain, R-Ariz., "seem to be narrowing somewhat" and that's possible only because violence fell after the increase of U.S. forces.

Rice sidestepped a question about who benefits from the surge's success.

"Well, America has benefited from the surge," she said. "Iraq has benefited from the surge. And the whole region has benefited from the surge."

The United States is in the midst of "an important debate about how we keep our country safe," she said when asked whether she would feel safe "with a President Obama."

"Oh, the United States would be fine," Rice said. "I think we are having an important debate about our responsibilities, our obligations, our interests in the Middle East in the wake of the now increasing evidence of success in Iraq. Those are important judgments for the American people to make."

Rice also avoided directly answering a question about the possibility of being named McCain's running mate.

"I don't need another job in government with anybody," she said, adding McCain would be "a great president."