Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa

An Iowa Republican congressman refuses to back down from his assertion terrorists will celebrate if Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama is elected president.

Rep. Steve King's interview with a paper in his home state Friday drew reaction from the Obama campaign, which demanded Republican presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain denounce the remarks.

King, speaking from Washington this morning, told Radio Iowa his comments were "factually accurate" and a "reasonable" assessment of how Obama is perceived in the Middle East.

"What is discouraging to me is to hear all the allegations that came out and all the name-calling that came my way because I pointed out something that has to do with the culture of the Middle East and how it will be viewed and how a declaration for defeat as a presidential candidate will be viewed by our enemies," King said.

"They'll see it as victory and that's really the central point."

(Story continues below)

The congressman told Radio Iowa the media missed his main contention: It's Obama's promise to pull American troops out of Iraq that will be celebrated by the terrorists as an American defeat.

"They will be dancing in the streets, and they'll be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11th," King said. "They will declare victory and they will use it to recruit more al-Qaida."

Radio Iowa noted King's mention of Obama's middle name, Hussein, sparked the most criticism over the weekend.

The congressman insisted he never used the name "Hussein" in Friday's interview with the Daily Reporter in Spencer, Iowa.

But King did refer to Obama's "middle name" as having different meaning for Muslims overseas, and in his radio interview this morning, he expanded on that.

"His middle name is the name of the grandson of Muhammad. It's used many, many times throughout the Muslim world and it associates itself with the religion and with the heritage and with the struggle and with some of the violence that's over there as well," King said. "And so it isn't just one person who was a dictator in Iraq, it's a thread that goes through the entire Muslim world."

If you'd like to sound off on this issue, please take part in the WorldNetDaily poll.

Special offers:

Get the stunning new film "Hillary! Uncensored" from WND's online store

'Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton'

Previous stories:

Obama lobbies 'gays' for edge over Hillary

Obama supporters: 'I believe'

Is Obama the messiah?

Obama campaign: Mum's the word!

Sleaze charge: 'I took drugs, had homo sex with Obama'

Swooning supporters fainting for Obama

Obamamania rocks Seattle

Obama aide wants talks with terrorists

Obama's pastor disses Natalee Holloway

Obama-Farrakhan link off-limits

Will Farrakhan pray at Obama's inauguration?

Black pro-life leader rips Obama

Obama's church: More about Africa than God?

NBC admits bias toward Obama

Hillary eats Obama's dust – trails 10 points in N.H.

Futures markets see McCain, Obama wins

Iowa is heaven for Huck, Obama

Pollster says 'futures markets' pick Huckabee, Obama in Iowa