Kerry: McCain confused, 'unbelievably out of touch'

John Kerry, who's served in the past as Obama's heavy-hitter on national security, expressed incredulity at McCain's remark this morning that the timing of troops return is "not too important."

"It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs of Americans and particularly the families of troops who are over there. To them it’s the most important thing in the world when they come home," he said. "It’s a policy for staying in Iraq."

Kerry and Obama aide Susan Rice also both said McCain is "confused"* -- a line some in McCain's camp will surely take as a shot at the candidate's age.

"He confuses who Iran is training, he confuses what the makeup of Al Qaedais, he confuses the history going back to 682 of what has happened to Sunni and Shia," Kerry said.

Rice cited a "pattern of confusing the basic facts and reality that pertain to Iraq."

UPDATE: Asked if "confused" was a shot at McCain's age, Rice responded: "What I meant by that was very simple: That on critical factual questions that are fundamental to understanding what is going on in Iraq and the region, Senator McCain has gotten it wrong, and not just once but repeatedly."

Kerry called the suggestion it had something to do with age "unfair and a ridiculous."

"There are plenty of Senators and Congressmen in Washington, D.C., who understand the difference and don’t make the mistakes that he has made with respect to those policies," Kerry said, mentionin John Warner. "They know who the Sunni are and they know who the Shia are."

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