McCain disavows comments about Obama

[IsItJustMe]

Source: By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer

CINCINNATI - Republican John McCain quickly denounced the comments of a radio talk show host who while warming up a campaign crowd referred repeatedly to Barack Hussein Obama and called the Democratic presidential candidate a "hack, Chicago-style" politician.

Hussein is Obama's middle name, but talk show host Bill Cunningham used it three times as he addressed the crowd before the likely Republican nominee's appearance.

"Now we have a hack, Chicago-style Daley politician who is picturing himself as change. When he gets done with you, all you're going to have in your pocket is change," Cunningham said as the audience laughed.

The time will come, Cunningham added, when the liberal-leaning media will "peel the bark off Barack Hussein Obama" and tell the truth about his relationship with indicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko and how Obama got "sweetheart deals" in Chicago.

McCain wasn't on stage or, he says, in the building when Cunningham made the comments, but he quickly distanced himself from the radio talk show host after finishing his speech. McCain spoke to a couple hundred people at Memorial Hall in downtown Cincinnati.

"I apologize for it," McCain told reporters, addressing the issue before they had a chance to ask the Arizona senator about Cunningham's comments.

"I did not know about these remarks, but I take responsibility for them. I repudiate them," he said. "My entire campaign I have treated Senator Obama and Senator (Hillary Rodham) Clinton with respect. I will continue to do that throughout this campaign."

McCain called both Democrats "honorable Americans" and said, "I want to dissociate myself with any disparaging remarks that may have been said about them."....


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_talk_radio_host

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Help me out here. Reverse psychology? or is McCain gonna let the msm and his cronies do the dirty work?


On Edit: Or we could possibly have a descent election based on ideals. I won't be holding my breath.

[TwilightGardener]

1. Johnny Mac gets surrogates to make the smears, and then takes credit

in the media as a hero for disavowing them. We are getting played.

[IsItJustMe]

I was thinking the same thing. Good cop McCain, bad cop Cunningham, who ever the hell he is.

[Virginia Dare]

6. Looks like it's working like a charm too...n/t

[speedoo]

2. Aww, fuck you McCain.

Goddamn shameless rethug coward.

[LakeSamish706]

3. I don't know, not saying I like McCain but having watched him cut Cunningham...

up for his remarks supposedly on McCain's behalf... I have to give Kudos to McCain for doing that, it took guts and confirmation repudiate Cunningham's BS... Good for him.

[Virginia Dare]

5. I'm going to be extremely cynical here.

and say that's exactly how McCain wanted you to see it.

[LakeSamish706]

7. You might be right I don't know, but if something like this happened with....

a Democratic candidate I hope they would respond in like fashion....

[Virginia Dare]

11. I don't think a Dem would appear with such a hater..

I would hope not.

[AlinPA]

9. McCain is a phony. He trashed Chelsea Clinton and lost my respect:

http://www.salon.com/news/1998/06/25newsb.html

[Hawaii Hiker]

14. I agree..That was a really mean-spirited joke about Chelsea Clinton who

was like 18 at the time..I mean, it's one thing to attack Bill Clinton, but to go after Chelsea is extremely cruel....Let presidents' kids alone, they didn't ask for the spotlight....

[Doctor_J]

18. It's called "Psycho cop/pandering cop"

all staged to try to distance McCain from all of the whack jobs that will be campaigning for him this summer

[icnorth]

4. I'll give McCain a pass on THIS one...

When Cunningham was told what McCain said about his remarks he went ballistic on McCain.

[TwilightGardener]

8. That was theater. Please. He said he was going to "vote for Hillary"--come on.

[icnorth]

12. Theatre maybe...

but he sure as hell didn't say anything about McCain that would entice the ideological wing nuts into the McCain sheep pen.

[rontun]

19. McCain doesn't deserve a pass on this one

McCain's campaign specifically invited Bill Cunningham to speak at the event in Cincinnati. Anyone who has lived within range of WLW, the 50,000 watt, Clear Channel station on which Cunningham spews his right-wing demagoguery could have anticipated Cunningham's remarks.

This is a guy who has repeatedly referred to Senator Obama as Barack Muhammad Hussein Obama. He's also noteworthy for highlighting on his program crimes committed by African-Americans, defending himself by paraphrasing Martin Luther King Jr., that "it's not about the color of their skin, but about the content of their character."

Just as campaigns are expected to vet their contributors, they have an equal, if not greater responsibility to vet their surrogates. Hillary has taken quite a beating for comments made by her surrogates, including former NH Governor Jeanne Shaheen's husband Billy, BET Chairman Robert Johnson, former Nebraska senator Bob Kerrey, and even her husband, Bill Clinton. McCain should not be exempt from comparable criticism or from being held accountable for what his surrogates say.

Might I also suggest that DUers contact WLW radio in Cincinnati and complain about Bill Cunningham. His producer is Darryl Parks ( [email protected] ) and/or write a letter to the editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer by linking to http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/EDIT0202/302160003 .

If we're going to put a stop to this kind of behavior we have to be proactive.

[Ediacara]

10. McCain shows class here. When's Obama gonna show the same degree re: McClurkin?

[TankLV]

16. OUCH! Aparently when fundie hell freezes over...we're STILL WAITING!

I posted this in the GBLT forum and in a reply to another thread...

my my my, how the obamabots are all "too little too late" and similar comments regarding mcinsane - but STRANGELY SILENT or TRY to defend the indefensible about their own "saint"...

[rontun]

20. From my perspective he has

I admit that as a gay man I was extraordinarily upset upon learning about McCurkin's inclusion on the Obama campaign's sponsored Gospel Tour in South Carolina, and I let the Senator and key campaign staffers know how offensive I found it that the upon learning of McCurkin's anti-gay positions he was not dis-invited as a participant.

The Senator was quite clear in expressing an understanding of the outrage McCurkin's appearance would cause within the gay community, and acknowledged that it might cost him some votes. But he was equally adamant that he was not going to abandon the underlying theme of his campaign, which is one of unity.

Just as he believes that we must sit down and negotiate with our International adversaries, Obama maintains that it's essential that we include those with whom we disagree in our dialogue about social and domestic issues.

He has openly repudiated McCurkin's views, and in appearances before meetings of African-American ministers, has importuned them to reject anti-gay messages and discrimination against the GBLT community.

I must say that Senator Obama and his staff were incredibly responsive and sensitive to my concerns.

[yellerpup]

13. Brian Williams said on NBC News this evening

that after McCain repudiated Cumingham's remarks, Cunningham repudiated McCain! Like fish in the ocean, the repigs eat their own! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[jzodda]

15. Later on the guy's show Cunningham went after McCain

So the love affair laster for like a day. LMAO

[Doctor_J]

17. Our candidate's ads should feature as much hate radio idiocy like this as possible

Then voice-over with "psychos like this vote republikkkon - are you one of them?"

[bklyncowgirl]

21. Giving credit where credit is due. That was a classy move.

I'm not saying that this did not have some up side for McCain. By repudiating an other the top talk radio type he gets to show moderates and independents that he's a "Good Guy" bipartisan type. On the other hand I would think that not only would the radio talk show host he blasted be pissed but the whole cabal of the Right wing scream machine be offended--and after they defended him from the NYT--oh the injustice.

It would be a good thing for this country to have a campaign of ideas and not slams and smears. Naturally, with the 527s and everyone else playing in the game I'm not holding my breath either.

[Supersedeas]

22. disparaging comments about Hillary's daughter are fair game, I guess