Video: McCain unloads on Obama over Ayers
posted at 12:44 pm on April 20, 2008 by Allahpundit
The first shot in a volley that’ll last the next six months, fired appropriately enough on Stephanopoulos’s show. I can’t decide if it’s a good or bad idea to frame this, as he does, as a defense of Tom Coburn’s honor. It makes his motive in mentioning it seem selfless and noble — why, he’s only standing up for an esteemed friend and colleague — but it also moves the discussion slightly away from why Obama’s gladhanding terrorists and onto the subject of why Obama’s being so mean to TC. Whatever keeps it in front of the public, I guess.
Here’s Team Barry’s feeble response. Exit question recycled from my first post about Ayers in February: If McCain turned up at a fundraiser hosted by a “rehabilitated” abortion-clinic bomber, you think the DNC or Barack Obama or the New York Times or Josh Marshall or Glenn Greenwald would consider it “substantive” enough to mention?
Update: I don’t know where Gingrich gets these crazy ideas of his.
Blowback
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Not a bad moment for McCain but he needs to refine his oratory so he can better parry the obvious Hague thrust.
Hague is an idiot but McCain needs to be able to be more demonstrable as to why Obama’s idiot is a more relevant tar baby.
moxie_neanderthal on April 20, 2008 at 12:49 PM
The more Hilly and Barry gut one another like putresecent carp, the more McCain shines.
Rep. Sue Myrick should be his VP choice.
profitsbeard on April 20, 2008 at 12:53 PM
It’s not really bad strategerie to use the shot at Coburn to attack the general idea of Obama’s relationship with Ayers. For someone promising to change the tone in Washington, McCain’s comment forces Obama to continue to explain how he equates the Senator with the former Weatherman bomber while at the same time allowing McCain to say he wasn’t going after the relationship with Ayers, but rather the slur against Coburn.
The response by the Obama campaign attempts to bypass that problem by ignoring Coburn completely — not a bad idea, given the sympathy of much of the big media folks towards the candidate — but if McCain continues this line of attack (or if Coburn decides to jump into the controversy himself), eventually Barak will have to address the issue.
jon1979 on April 20, 2008 at 1:00 PM
How about an “unrehabilitated” abortion-clinic bomber who wished he had done more?
VolMagic on April 20, 2008 at 1:02 PM
Get em’ Mav! When Obama loses Teusday night. It’ll be his fourth loss in the last five primaries. The only state he won was Vermont, which is borderline communist. Not exactly on a momentum train to the general election. Operation Chaos continues.
THE CHOSEN ONE on April 20, 2008 at 1:02 PM
I still laugh everytime I see that “head”, Stupidanopoulos behind a desk.
Zorro on April 20, 2008 at 1:03 PM
That was rather a good clip. I applaud his desire to stay on the high road but he does need to get down in the trenches every now and again like this.
HawaiiLwyr on April 20, 2008 at 1:03 PM
Excellent strike by McCain.
amerpundit on April 20, 2008 at 1:10 PM
Commenters here the other day were predicting that McCain wouldn’t stick up for Coburn. Well, he just did, and in no uncertain terms.
juliesa on April 20, 2008 at 1:10 PM
I’m just curious as to how Obama is going to bring Republicans and Democrats together in Washington when he’s comparing Republican senators who terrorists he used to hang out with.
Welcome to the new politics of hope, filed under the Audacity of Horsesh*t
blackrepublican on April 20, 2008 at 1:15 PM
blackrepublican on April 20, 2008 at 1:15 PM
to* instead of who
blackrepublican on April 20, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Interesting simile. I like it.
whitetop on April 20, 2008 at 1:16 PM
Now is not the time for trench warfare, it is the time for sniping from the high ground. Trench warfare starts in October. Obama and Hillary are like France and England of the 18th century, while McCain (the US) keeps out of it. Politics 101.
McCain can’t stand Obama, and will eviscerate him if he is the nominee. Rezco has yet to be addressed in some detail, and it will be brought up the longer the trial goes on. The MSM can’t keep protecting their golden child forever.
Stormy70 on April 20, 2008 at 1:16 PM
I think McCain covers both angles: Coburn’s defense and decrying the terrorism. I think a better tack would be to hammer the domestic terrorism angle. McVeigh and other supposed right-wing domestic terrorists were demonized night and day, but Ayers and the leftist nut-jobs are sainted academics. A terrorist is a terrorist. Hammer that point home John. You’re good on Iraq, but check your perimeter.
Cold Steel on April 20, 2008 at 1:16 PM
this is such a bs parallel. Weather Underground sent letters of warning before bombings and set of the bombs when no one was around. Sure it was reprehensible but totally different from your garden variety crazed right winger who would see killing a bunch of doctors as some sort of divine retribution.
crr6 on April 20, 2008 at 1:17 PM
The Weather Underground also killed people. A terrorist is a terrorist, even if they are Marxist and popular with Democrats. They should get no quarter in polite society…which explains why the nutbag left loves them.
Stormy70 on April 20, 2008 at 1:20 PM
I clicked on the HuffPo link Ap added — a mistake I will never make again. A comment on the Newt video:
Those people are NUTS!!
Ferris on April 20, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Degrees of terrorism, very slippery. Sort of like degrees of treason. Don’t get in the weeds and lose sight of what Ayers and his ilk got away with. The same mind that contemplates either should be dealt with swiftly and decisively.
Cold Steel on April 20, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Geez, when are the Dems going to wake up that McCain is not Bush. That’s Obama’s camp response to everything about McCain, “Well, he’s like Bush.” I don’t know but I think that line of response will get tired fast. And also if Obama wants to unite the country shouldn’t he stop calling people “divisive.” Hillary is divisive. Bush is divisive. McCain is divisive. ABC News is divisive. Anyone who doesn’t agree with Obama is divisive.
terryannonline on April 20, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Glad that you cleared that up. For a moment I was thinking they were terrorists or something.
Niko on April 20, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Your update statement was interesting in itself. I will grant you that Mr. Gingrich didn’t properly qualify his remarks; he should have said, “kind of admire American radical left terrorists. And all to many do; not everyone but enough who have a bully pulpit that it comes across that they can ignore some terrorists and racists who are mostly on their side of the ideological divide. One sees very little excusing of such people who may share a right/conservative viewpoint. Maybe because there seems to be many more people with character and integrity right of center than left of center who make the news.
amr on April 20, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Touché! This is such a devastating rhetorical approach! I hope it is employed.
The Ayers rhetoric could be used to great effect to keep picking at the scab of Wright and Rezko so as to demonstrate a pattern of unsavory relationships and poor judgment. It seems to me that Obama’s judgment is the center of gravity that needs to be spotlighted.
The trick for McCain’s camp is to make Obama speak about these people while McCain rises above it all to say that what these people have said or done is not as important as what it tells us about Obama’s judgment.
After all, McCain knows that Obama is an honorable man and does not support racist views, terrorism or dirty politics and it is unfortunate that there seems to be so much of it swirling around the honorable junior senator from Illinois
moxie_neanderthal on April 20, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Once again Obama demonstrates that 1) He’s not equipped to judge anything and 2) He’s a liar’s liar.
McCain makes me mentally tired, though. I’m for him, then seething at him, then for him, then seething…like 5 times a day!
SouthernGent on April 20, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Poor McCain. You really have to sympathize with him. It’s so hard to decide between whether it would be better to emphasize Obama’s disgraceful, dishonorable, arguably disqualifying relationship with an unrepentant terrorist, or, on the other hand, to emphasize Obama’s disgraceful, desperate, disgusting, dishonorable, typically deceptive and absurdly ill-chosen, arguably disqualifying attempt to equate Sen Coburn and that terrorist.
Tough call. On the other hand, McCain did write a book on tough calls, so, all in all, why not press the Coburn angle, since first of all it shows him defending a friend, and also since the depth of Obama’s relationship with Ayers has been disputed, and since Obama’s own reference to Coburn, in addition to all the was intrinsically wrong with it, also happens to reinforce the idea that the relationship with Ayers was at least as close as his relationship with a Senate colleague. And it’s also reminiscent of Obama’s non-disavowal disavowal of Wright, equated with Obama’s own grandmother and the entire black community. And it also gives Coburn a chance, if he wants it, to enter personally into the story, or for the press, if it wants, to twist the knife again by pressing Coburn for a comment…
You could go on… Man, there was so much wrong just with the statement, and with Obama’s entire debate performance. The more you think about it, the worse it gets. You could spend the next seven months analyzing it – and McCain probably will, until and unless Obama comes up with something even worse.
CK MacLeod on April 20, 2008 at 1:26 PM
Put up a firewall and forget him till you need him (if that’s what you want) in November. You’ll have a schizophrenic break if you don’t.
Cold Steel on April 20, 2008 at 1:28 PM
this is such a bs parallel. Weather Underground sent letters of warning before bombings and set of the bombs when no one was around. Sure it was reprehensible but totally different from your garden variety crazed right winger who would see killing a bunch of doctors as some sort of divine retribution.
Hey Idiot, I think the prima facie difference here is that AYERS DID IT and Coburn didn’t. The left throws out Eric Rudolph and Tim McVeigh every chance they can to cover up for the entire of Militant Islam, Left Wing Kook killers comparingt them to a couple of Anti Abortion nuts over the past 50 years. We see your straw man, we laugh in your face over it.
AYNBLAND on April 20, 2008 at 1:28 PM
add a little fuel to the obama fire, now back away, say no more mccain. let them hang themselves.
custer on April 20, 2008 at 1:30 PM
McCain has the luxury of not having to be in full attack mode right now. He handled this perfectly. He comes out with a knock on Obama without making himself look vicious or desperate. Hillary will handle the dirty work for him for a while.
forest on April 20, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Is there anything Gingrich doesn’t weigh in on? Every time that joker is on H&C he pimps his website/email/newsletter. Now I see him hanging out with Pelosi on commercials for global issues. If you want to steer this thing, Gingrich, then grab the wheel. Don’t sit there from your couch throwing rocks at both sides.
Cold Steel on April 20, 2008 at 1:30 PM
LOL…ok.
Bombing abortion clinics bad, bombing the Pentagon as an act of war against the US and killing cops for cheap theft, good. In fact, so good, let’s get a president in office who holds the same ideals.
Nut-tards like yourself twist reasoning into such pretty shapes. Your mind is like a colorful Peter Max drawing…
benrand on April 20, 2008 at 1:40 PM
You are
patheticallywoefully ill informed on this point.The intended dance bombing plot was conceived as a means of murdering as many people as possible. The bomb they built toward that end was demonstrably large and lethal.
But don’t take my word for it, listen to what the actual organization members said. What you will hear is amazingly similar to the rhetorical stylings of your average jihadist.
Money shot @ 7:30 minutes.
“No innocent Americans, at least among the white ones. All are guilty and legitimate source of attacks.
America deserves a taste of what it has been dishing out.
“Wanted to deliver the most horrific hit the United States had ever suffered on its territory.”
“Bring the war home. We wanted to make America unlivable. ”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAEruNACFh0&feature=related
moxie_neanderthal on April 20, 2008 at 1:41 PM
But Ayers said that he wished he had done more. More bombings and more aggression.
He said at the time: “Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home. Kill your parents. That’s where it’s really at.”
Presumably no notice would be given beforehand.
That Obama has had any type of relationship with this unrepentant thug is deplorable.
SteveMG on April 20, 2008 at 1:45 PM
I don’t think Maverick WANTED to attack Obama on the Ayers thing, but the Coburn statement really struck a nerve with him.
malan89 on April 20, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Sounds like the pressure has gotten to George.
RobCon on April 20, 2008 at 1:54 PM
Nicely done by McCain. Time for Barry’s chickenssssssssss to come hope to rooooooost. The Coburn angle is an important one because it completely shuts down the “I was only 8″ BS from Barry. It accentuates the difference between chumming with a terrorist, not to mention not condemning him, vs McCain honoring a man who continues his service as a doctor. Brings life into the world is over the top though, let’s not forget who creates the life.
pedestrian on April 20, 2008 at 1:56 PM
What does Grandma, Sen. Coburn, Ayers and Wright all have in common. They were FOB (Friends of Barak) who got thrown under the bus when they no longer needed.
RobCon on April 20, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Obama wasn’t 8 years old when Ayers made his statements in 2001… putz.
D2Boston on April 20, 2008 at 2:11 PM
I love it when you come around, cervix. Your illiteracy is nearly as damning as your stupidity and knee-jerk leftism. It’s not as easy when Non-Factor is commenting; with him we need to actually make logical arguments and sometimes link sources for data or reference in order to discredit his tired Marxist tripe.
But with you, we can just quote. What a fucking idiot.
Jaibones on April 20, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Hmmm…I notice the “Black Liberation” here too, just as in Wright’s wonderful “Black Liberation theology”.
Wonder what one has to do with the other…
benrand on April 20, 2008 at 2:12 PM
Obama should take a course in logic. What Coburn said falls short of even actually VOTING for a law making abortion a crime. And even he he had done that, we’re still talking about setting up a system with full due process.
How much different is that from Ayers who played the role of legislator, judge, jury, and executioner?
Anyone who can’t tell the difference may not be able to tell the difference between an enemy and a friend (or a pastor and a lunatic)?
Pythagoras on April 20, 2008 at 2:28 PM
profitsbeard has a good idea; Myrick is a good woman, the kind we want in Congress and maybe in the WH.
Keep on pluggin’ away John.
Christine on April 20, 2008 at 2:42 PM
I think McCain put it in the right tone with just a touch of incredulousness.
Obama comparing a terrorist to a fellow Senator. Priceless.
I think that will resonate with the American people.
It just shows more bad judgement on Obama’s part.
I wonder what Senator Coburns constituency thinks of this?
As for McCain not being able to stand Obama, I completely agree with that. I can’t stand Obama either.
ArmyAunt on April 20, 2008 at 2:46 PM
I just caught the
“one of the great Americans who speaks for the rights of the unborn”
Ssssmmmmaaaack!
That’s gonna hurt Obama.
ArmyAunt on April 20, 2008 at 2:51 PM
As long as McCain keeps taking the high road, he’ll attract voters, particularly with Obama and Hillary sniping at each other. After the convention, the only dirty they’ll have to throw at McCain is personal, so staying above the stink will serve him well then.
rightwingprof on April 20, 2008 at 3:11 PM
I’m hoping for November 5th.
Typhoon on April 20, 2008 at 3:11 PM
Heh, both McCain and Newt are in the 10 ring on this! I’ve noticed that the Obama camp’s response to almost every challenge is this kind of passive-aggressive challenge. Never a direct disagreement. Very wimpy but definitely more difficult to combat. I do think, however, that this passive-aggressive reaction plays better in the Democraps primary than in a general election. I still suscribe to Lincoln’s belief that you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.
second digit on April 20, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Au contraire. The KOSTRATI are, by definition, definitely not nuts!
Dr. Charles G. Waugh on April 20, 2008 at 3:21 PM
So does A.Q. (sometimes their warnings are on videotape too). It’s still terrorism, it’s still illegal, it’s still indefensible.
AZCoyote on April 20, 2008 at 3:33 PM
How noble of them.
hillbillyjim on April 20, 2008 at 3:34 PM
You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Be sure to read this chronology of events, slowing down for a careful read of this:
Tell me crr6, why would they pack it with nails if it was only a symbolic gesture preceded with a nice warning letter?
Moreover, I guess the post office screwed up on this one:
And, the Brinks guards who were murdered by the mother of Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dhorn’s adopted son must have had their mail returned to sender:
Buy Danish on April 20, 2008 at 3:42 PM
Can Ayers more closely be compared to Osama Bin Laden?
With friend like this, would Obama take a public opposition to Bin Ladin?
Mike Mose on April 20, 2008 at 3:44 PM
Great. Another troll.
wise_man on April 20, 2008 at 3:59 PM
Here’s a website filled with admiration for the Weather Underground.
A commenter has even included a handy dandy list of the names and prison addresses of prisoners of all stripes (eco-defense, animal rights, anti-war, and so on). Maybe crr6 can send them some Valentines Day cards or something.
There is also a whole lot of internecine bickering going on, but I like this comment:
Buy Danish on April 20, 2008 at 4:05 PM
“Interesting simile. I like it.
whitetop on April 20, 2008 at 1:16 PM”
N. O'Brain on April 20, 2008 at 4:06 PM
Niko, the left has perfected nuance to the point where they can negotiate terrorism into a variety of categories:
1. Conceived terrorism
2. Just planned terrorism
3. Announced terrorism
4. Announced and vacated terrorism
5. Unannaounced terrorism, by night when buildings are empty
6. Full-blast terrorism, especially the kind the U.S. brings upon itself
Entelechy on April 20, 2008 at 4:13 PM
They just whine loudly in very high voices. Great allusion!
horatio on April 20, 2008 at 4:48 PM
Personally I thought McCain sounded very good and resonable.
How anyone can not see through the Obamas is way beyond me.
Conservatives R Us on April 20, 2008 at 6:26 PM
The TIME “Flashback” reference is irresponsible leftist advocacy. There is a difference between who endorses you & who you choose to hang around & work with. And they don’t address McCain’s main point–comparing a terrorist to a good doctor.
jgapinoy on April 20, 2008 at 6:51 PM
This will be the McCain that we’ll be seeing a LOT of this campaign. Nice job.
Mojave Mark on April 20, 2008 at 7:14 PM
As long as John “Insane” McCain doesn’t reach across the table at start strangling the host, he can defend anyone while attacking Barry “Osama” Obama all he wants to.
Neo on April 20, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Kudos to McCain for pointing out that “not-condoning” is fundamentally different from “condemning.”
The former is a vague, disingenuous evasion which tells us nothing other than that Obama wouldn’t commit either to approval or disapproval. The latter is a strong, principled statement of where he would actually stand.
BLOC on April 20, 2008 at 7:54 PM
breathtaking audacity
funky chicken on April 20, 2008 at 8:34 PM
N. O’Brain-
LOL!
In that same piscatorial family.
profitsbeard on April 20, 2008 at 9:15 PM
mccain did a good job. They need keep on like this. barry is matter a factly a racist, elitists, marxist and the mccain camp has to kepp that message out there in a matter of fact way.
peacenprosperity on April 20, 2008 at 9:25 PM
He can’t Obama would be a failure as POTUS on every level, economic, foreign policy, military , and social issues.
Chakra Hammer on April 21, 2008 at 12:15 AM
There have been abortion bombers who have detonated the bombs after ensuring nobody was around if I’m not mistaken. So what’s wrong with the parallel?
OneGyT on April 21, 2008 at 9:31 AM
SteveMG – exactly. How any freedom-loving American could be in the same room with Ayers without wanting to take a 2×4 to his head is beyond me.
I thought McCain’s delivery was… odd. I guess he didn’t want to seem mean, but the smile and the high-pitched tone was strange. Tear into Obama, man!
JohnW on April 21, 2008 at 9:59 AM
The McCain team can hammer away at Obama’s credibility between now and election day on this one issue alone; personal judgment. Obama’s academic credentials completely hamper his ability to express the Presidential characteristics of proper, sound judgment.
Every time Obama is presented with an opportunity to demonstrate his history of moral courage he swings and whiffs.
gabriel sutherland on April 21, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Although I’m not sure the “comparing Coburn to a terrorist” argument is really sound. Obama was using that more as an example of someone he disagrees with, but can still have friendly relatinos with, than saying Coburn was somehow equivalent to a terrorist.
Which in no way excuses his repellent relationship with said terrorist.
JohnW on April 21, 2008 at 10:18 AM