Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain today called the U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing Guantanamo detainees to challenge their status in civilian courts "one of the worst I've ever seen."

"These are not American citizens. They are enemy combatants," McCain said during a campaign visit to New Jersey. "I think this is one of the biggest mistakes that's been made in terms of our ability to defend our nation in a long, long time."

He called Thursday's 5-4 ruling "a stunning reversal" of World War II precedents empowering the president, as commander in chief, to deal with enemy combatants.

McCain made his comments while traveling on his campaign bus to a town hall meeting at Burlington County College in Pemberton, where he vowed to compete in New Jersey, a state that has not voted for a Republican for president since 1988.

McCain used the Guantanamo decision to draw sharp distinctions between himself and the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, on the types of justices they would appoint to the U.S. Supreme Court. "Senator Obama applauds this decision," McCain said.

In a statement Thursday, Obama called the ruling "an important step toward reestablishing our credibility as a nation committed to the rule of law." He also called it "a rejection of the Bush Administration's attempt to create a legal black hole at Guantanamo -- yet another failed policy supported by John McCain."

More Star-Ledger coverage:

-- Guantanamo case confirms it: Justices are our conscience

-- McCain and Zimmer hope to make Jersey a red state

-- Politics & Elections page