While Obama visited Iraq, his Republican rival John McCain defended his own Iraq policy. During an interview on The Today Show, McCain dismissed Maliki’s request for a troop withdrawal. McCain said he knows what Iraqis want.

Meredith Vieira: “If the Iraqi government were to say, if you were president, 'We want a timetable for troops being removed,' would you agree to that?”

Sen. John McCain: “I’ve been there too many times. I’ve met too many times with him. And I know what they want. They want it based on conditions. And of course they’d like to have us out. That’s what happens when you win wars.”