Graham rips Obama on Iraq

ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Barack Obama shouldn't be commander in chief if he can't acknowledge U.S. success in Iraq, Sen. Lindsey Graham told Republican delegates in St. Paul, Minn.

"While Barack Obama expresses appreciation for the troops; service he refuses to acknowledge their success," the South Carolina Republican said in a withering attack on the Democratic presidential nominee from the convention podium. "If Barack Obama cannot appreciate that our troops are winning in Iraq, he should not be their commander in chief."

Others have acknowledged the surge worked and "about the only one who are denying it are Barack Obama and his buddies at Moveon.org," Graham said. "Barack Obama's campaign is built around us losing in Iraq."

The surge of U.S. troops worked and the combat troops who made up the surge "have returned home in victory," Graham said.

The surge was a test for Obama "and he failed miserably," Graham said.

"I'm not saying Barack Obama doesn't care," Graham said, "I'm saying he just doesn't get it," poking fun at a line from Obama's acceptance speech last week at the Democratic National Convention.

Obama told Fox News Channel Thursday the troop surge "has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated."

"I've already said it's succeeded beyond our wildest dreams," he said.