McCain says Obama’s “Fox News Sunday” interview makes Wright fair game?
posted at 3:38 pm on April 27, 2008 by Allahpundit
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I’ve got a question mark on it because I can’t find a direct quote, but Halperin says it’s true. Does this mean he’s going to back off his moronic “I didn’t see it but it sure sounds bad” criticism of the NC GOP ad?
Here’s the clip of Obama opening the door, so to speak. People were complaining of problems with RedLasso in the last thread, but wonder of wonders, after downloading the latest version of Flash they were able to see the video just fine. If you haven’t updated recently, there’s no time like the present.
Update: Here’s the transcript of the full interview.
Update: Looks like I spoke too soon. McCain’s not budging, although he seems to be greenlighting attacks from 527s in this vein:
“Senator Obama himself says it’s a legitimate political issue, so I would imagine that many other people will share that view and it will be in the arena,” he said at a news conference. “But my position that Senator Obama doesn’t share those views remains the same.”
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Yeah, does that mean that the North Carolina GOP isn’t out of touch with reality any more?
You know, if the Rev. Wright was a Republican, McCain would have already demanded that he be sent to Diversity training by now.
Snake307 on April 27, 2008 at 3:41 PM
I thought he came off as very cool and collected through most of the interview. He is very good at making himself seem reasonable. Quite dangerous.
VolMagic on April 27, 2008 at 3:42 PM
Still having errors.
John_Locke on April 27, 2008 at 3:42 PM
AGain, this is why I’m voting for Huckabee or Paul in NC. I want McCain to get less than 50% of the vote from NC. We’ll throw a dose of reality on the Maverick for sure!
SouthernGent on April 27, 2008 at 3:45 PM
I think it would have been great if Wallace said, “Can you do a little of that Alabama accent that you do in you speeches?”
peacenprosperity on April 27, 2008 at 3:46 PM
I can’t wait for Obama to try and walk back that quote.
knat on April 27, 2008 at 3:47 PM
Maybe this means McCain will finally stop appeasing liberals. But probably not.
Travis1 on April 27, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Ditto. McVain needs to find out exactly who is “out of touch.”
Les in NC on April 27, 2008 at 3:49 PM
It’s been fair game all along. This issue has been talked about over and over and over again. This interview changes nothing. What more can be said about right.
This will open McCain up for some good ‘ole Hagee and Parsley(spiritual advisor) discussion when the democrats have a candidate.
sandman on April 27, 2008 at 3:49 PM
Wright is, was, and will be fair game. It’s just that only racists would bring it up.
/sarc
trubble on April 27, 2008 at 3:50 PM
It looks like McCain will criticize Obama on any topic, as long as Obama approves the criticism first.
Or more likely, McCain will just go back to his nap.
Cicero43 on April 27, 2008 at 3:52 PM
Exactly. The shrewd, hard-fighting Bob Dole The Second is on the attack. What a dynamo. We’re all wondering why he hasn’t attacked Indiana Republicans yet.
Django on April 27, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Maybe this means McCain will finally stop appeasing liberals. But probably not.
Travis1 on April 27, 2008 at 3:49 PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
STOP IT! I JUST INHALED SOME WATER DOWN THE WRONG WAY!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh, that’s rich. I needed that laugh.
catmman on April 27, 2008 at 4:02 PM
The banner quote is taken out of context since he further explained and contrasted the statement. VolMagic stated the obvious, which is unfortunately he is quite good at articulating a ‘reasonable’ counter.
The tragedy here is is the foxhole McCain dug on Thursday and Friday excoriating the NC GOP as ‘not representative of the Republican Party’ and now feels the need to pander to the right.
What a naive shill for his own maudlin center/left worldview that somehow thinks his ‘honorable’ campaign will attract enough centrist dems and independents such that he will not need, nor be beholden to the Republican Party.
The unthinkable will happen. We have nominated a man who is only in it for himself. He will gut the party of any conservative loyalists to anyone other than himself, and will constantly invoke the mantle of ‘Reagan’ while destroying it.
Starlink on April 27, 2008 at 4:06 PM
Funny how, in 20 years, he was never in the pews when these kind of comments were made. Dang. What are the odds? But hey, let’s not question his honesty… or patriotism… or judgment.
All of these “controversial” (i.e. vile, race-baiting, anti-American, anti-Semitic) comments only became know because the CHURCH ITSELF made them available for sale on DVD. So, these comments were what the church itself felt was the “best” of Rev. Wright… but poor widdle Barry had no clue?
Sugar Land on April 27, 2008 at 4:07 PM
Look, I think McCain didn’t realize just how strong the reaction would be to his “moronic” comments would be. None-the-less, I’ve always believed McCain would go after Obama for what he, Obama, says. He hit Obama when he made the stupid comparrison to Ayars and Coburn and McCain hit him again about AQ in Iraq. McCain goes after what Obama says not what Obama’s pastor or assoicate says. Right or wrong, fair or not, that is what McCain is doing. Take Obama’s own words and smack them down.
sophiesmom on April 27, 2008 at 4:09 PM
Why does McCain have to get permission to talk about Wright. What a wimpy guy he is about Obama. It makes the base dislike him more. NC repub party made a truckload of money after McCain called them out of touch. Blowback.
thatcher on April 27, 2008 at 4:13 PM
I really hope McCain’s some mad political genius…
Vizzini on April 27, 2008 at 4:15 PM
Look, I think McCain didn’t realize just how strong the reaction would be to his “moronic” comments would be.
sophiesmom on April 27, 2008 at 4:09 PM
And that’s the problem.
McCain didn’t know what the heck he was talking about.
He was quicker to jump onto fellow republicans than he has been to attack his supposed opponents in this race.
Yes. McCain did mention the two examples you stated. Why isn’t he still doing it? Why isn’t he being more proactive about either one of those two incidents?
He was quicker to attack his own, more frequently and with more force, than he has ever been to attack his “opponents”.
If McCain doesn’t change this tactic, he’s doomed.
catmman on April 27, 2008 at 4:18 PM
McCain really wants to lose. No campaign was ever won by being civil.
Even GWB smacked down McCain in the 2000 elections. His nice guy appeal makes him a sappy dope for the democrats to walk all over him. He’s never learned his lesson then and continues to guide his campaign down the toilet.
Kini on April 27, 2008 at 4:32 PM
Since I don’t beleive early voting opens anywhere for the Nov. 4 presidential election until about Oct. 20 or so, there’s really no urgency right now for McCain to go into any sort of attack mode — annoying as that can be — especially with Hillary still in the race and pretty much laying out for voters all of Obama’s flaws.
She many not have called him a card-carrying member of the ACLU, but the Clintons both know now that the left is lost to them, so all their attacks on Obama are coming from the right. Which is why the Clinton attack machine was in the midst of a love-fest with Richard Mellon Scaife and Fox News during the run-up to the Pennsylvania primary, since unlike NBC News or the New York Times, they knew their attacks on Obama’s far left associations and positions would get widespread play.
As long as Hillary’s in the race and playing “bad cop”, there’s no reason why McCain has to take on the role. Once the Democrats settle on a candidate, if McCain continues to act above the fray while getting hammered on the left, then he is using the Bob Dole “Nice Guys Finish Last” strategy to fast track himself back into the Senate in January. But with the press and the Democrats looking to paint him as an evil, mean-spirited Republican for the fall campaign, there’s no reason right now to give them any early ammunition — just leave them putting out things like Howard Dean’s “100 years in Iraq” ad, which even Tim Russert called him out on this morning on “Meet the Press”.
jon1979 on April 27, 2008 at 4:35 PM
Oh, by the way Allah….
Here’s the message I get when waiting for the player to cue up.
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Kini on April 27, 2008 at 4:40 PM
Gee, Obama sure is a racist for thinking that Obama’s association with Wright is a legitimate basis for criticism of Obama.
It’s obviously racist to question Obama’s judgment and character for associating with Wright for 20 years.
And it’s even more racist to question the judgment of others who endorse Obama because of Obama’s association with Wright.
Obama’s a racist. Who’da thunk it?
misterpeasea on April 27, 2008 at 4:42 PM
By taking the route of condemning these kinds of ads McCain has opened the door for the MSM to force him to condemn ANY ad attacking the Dem candidate. Instead of just saying ‘talk to the people that made that ad’ he has to claim it is an unfair attack. Horray for principles!
He can take the frakking high road without shooting his own troops in the back.
I need another Stoli and cranberry.
Limerick on April 27, 2008 at 4:48 PM
Kini on April 27, 2008 at 4:32 PM
Right on the money! I’ve pretty much given up on McCain, his VP pick will either make it or break it for me. Until we know who that is, not a single penny of mine goes to his campaign.
dmann on April 27, 2008 at 4:51 PM
When I read Captain Ed’s post at 9:57 about Obama on Fox News,that quote jumped right off the page.
Obama supporters rant two main points about the Wright controversy:
1. Obama did not actually say these words,this is guilt by association.
2. This is a “distraction” from the real issues.
Now we have Obama in his own words saying this is a legitimate issue.
Now it may only be a matter of time before we get the Kerry”what I actually said is not important,smart people will understand what I really meant” spin that democrats do after they “misspoke”.
Obama’s connections to Ayers,Wright,Rezko,big oil,and other far leftist/corrupt money ties need to be investigated with the same intensity as Haliburton,Bush’s “oil connections”,and all the other conspiracy’s that the left has ranted about for the last 7 years.
Baxter Greene on April 27, 2008 at 5:01 PM
dmann on April 27, 2008 at 4:51 PM
I sense a James Stockdale moment in McCain’s political future.
“Who am I? Why am I here?”
Kini on April 27, 2008 at 5:06 PM
There, fixed that for you AP.
Squid Shark on April 27, 2008 at 5:11 PM
Excellent post, sums it up right there.
Squid Shark on April 27, 2008 at 5:14 PM
It’s too bad James Stockdale has become a synonym for bumbler because of his debate performance as Perot’s VP pick. Stockdale has a truly remarkable biography — A-4 pilot, Master’s Degree in International Relations and Marxist Theory from Stanford, one of the most highly decorated Naval officers ever, POW in Hanoi for seven years. Maybe its to his credit that he was a lousy politician, if an empty suit like Obama can be a great one. Obama isn’t fit to shine the shoes of a guy like Stockdale.
(If that’s a racist observation, then I apologize in advance to whomever might be offended.)
Cicero43 on April 27, 2008 at 5:21 PM
I agree, he was the senior guy at Hanoi and has the stones to violate the code of conduct and order no more escape attempts.
One of my Navy’s few modern badasses.
Squid Shark on April 27, 2008 at 5:25 PM
Hey, John, you expect Obama to reciprocate your generosity? You expect Obama to vote for you too?
Some high roads are ethically shallow. Some cost more to travel than they’re worth. And some are suicidal.
petefrt on April 27, 2008 at 5:31 PM
Well, Wright may have played he ultimate trump card by claiming he has been “Crucified” at today’s sermon. Jeebus, can’t touch him.
bbz123 on April 27, 2008 at 5:38 PM
I sense a James Stockdale moment in McCain’s political future.
“Who am I? Why am I here?”
Kini on April 27, 2008 at 5:06 PM
Well said . May he R.I.P.
Texyank on April 27, 2008 at 5:40 PM
I had a recent version of Flash before and updated it today but still get the same, “Sorry, an error has occurred”, until I refresh enough times that it loads.
FloatingRock on April 27, 2008 at 5:45 PM
As Obama continues to bash McCain for wanting 100 years more of war, McCain bashes Republicans for bringing up legitimate issues against Obama. What’s wrong with this picture? Maybe someone can explain it to McCain.
katieanne on April 27, 2008 at 5:58 PM
By “his own” you mean Republicans?
Well, yeah, but in understanding McCain’s psyche, “his own” is way down the list of what he really considers ‘His Own’.
McCain’s loyalties are in this order:
1: Himself.
2: Himself.
3: Himself.
4: His cadre of slightly left of center Senators
5: Any Senator except the few very conservative ones.
6: Any Representative, except the conservative ones.
7: Any elected official.
8: America in general
9: The Democrat party in general
10: The Republican PARTY (not republican VOTERS.. the party apparatus)
11: Republican ‘Party line’ voters.
.
.
.
.
547: Conservatives
———————————————–
McCain has proven many times, that beyond his loyalty to himself, his primary loyalties lie with his Senate Fraternity Brothers (and Sister Hillary) above anyone else… Even the ones that he despises personally get a lot more loyalty than any of us peasants.
So, it is a given, that he will protect Obama, and Hillary from us evil Conservative hoi polloi.
LegendHasIt on April 27, 2008 at 6:06 PM
What an ass-kisser McCain’s turning into!
McCain’s a you-know-what hair away from having us conservatives crash his damn election. He’s not getting better, he’s getting worse, if that were even possible.
He better shut the hell up and stop bashing our Party members, the lying old fart.
He can’t raise any money and then he kicks conservatives again and again and winds up raising less. That is one stupid SOB, in my opinion.
The RNC chairman is a cipher, every other Republican leader is running around kissing the old jerkoff’s ass to get a VP slot on the SS Titanic, and the money just goes down and down.
Why the hell is he having to go now into the taxpayers’ wallets? Isn’t that a pathetic thing for conservatives to do? If he even is one anymore…
I don’t think we can take this much longer….
TexasJew on April 27, 2008 at 6:08 PM
Hmm; 9 & 10 should probably be reversed.
It is a close call, but but to be fair, he would probably rather hang out with Charles Krauthammer than with Chris Matthews.
LegendHasIt on April 27, 2008 at 6:14 PM
legitimate political issue??
You don’t get to make that call, Barry. You take what comes. If you don’t like it, the door’s over there. See ya.
mojo on April 27, 2008 at 6:14 PM
By going after McCain every chance they get conservatives only help the Democrats. And they call McCain a moron.
Maybe the guy is just biding his time. But by all means if your primary has not come around yet, vote for Ron Paul or Huckabee in the primary. We want to make sure the American public knows the Republicans are every bit as screwed up as the Democrats.
Terrye on April 27, 2008 at 6:16 PM
And how anyone could say that a man who spent years in a POW camp is an ass kisser or a coward I don’t know.
One thing he did do is win the nomination which is more than can be said for Fred! or my man Mitt.
Terrye on April 27, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Well, I’m all for letting the truth be known.
It will never be fixed if you refuse to acknowledge that it is broken.
LegendHasIt on April 27, 2008 at 6:19 PM
What Olberdouche and other bed-wetters don’t understand is that McCain has a 25 year track record on stuff- nobody belives he supports anything extreme Hagee has said.
Obama is a blank slate so Wright becomes a serious indicator- especially when he won’t unload on his insane rhetoric.
jjshaka on April 27, 2008 at 6:20 PM
The problem here is that our party has selected an accidental candidate, an very old Senate hack who may lose the election due to his own ineptitude as sure as his teaming up with Huckabee to derail Romney was the key to his nonstellar less-than-40% vote total road to the nomination.
And he is surely a back-stabbing (to his allies) asskisser (to the Dems).
I’m reasonably sure his VP nominee will be a very crappy one if McCain is left to his own dimwitted devices.
TexasJew on April 27, 2008 at 6:28 PM
I’m not a huge McCain fan. As a matter of fact, I’m not a McCain fan at all. That being said, I don’t see any point in McCain attacking anyone for anything at this point. He’s got the nomination pretty much locked up, so he’s not on the campaign track right now. After the primaries, when we know who he’s running against, all bets are off. Why open his mouth now and give his opponent something to use later? Hopefully, he’s just sitting back watching the dems beat each other up, and taking notes.
speed911 on April 27, 2008 at 6:38 PM
jon, you have nailed it. McCain’s advisers understand the dynamics at play with Hillary still in the picture. They also understand that its a long way to November and there’s no point in shooting bullets at the Dems when they’re shooting each other.
People, be patient.
Syd B. on April 27, 2008 at 7:20 PM
Wright’s remarks were so ugly and so offensive, there’s a risk of overexposure. There’s a saturation point for this issue, and obviously McCain is guessing the voting public has reached it. Obama has lost all the voters he’s going to lose over Wright, now it’s just a matter of whether those voters will turn out for McCain or stay home on election night. I think McCain has a pretty good case for staying away from the Wright issue.
RightOFLeft on April 27, 2008 at 7:23 PM
+1
windansea on April 27, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Holy crap.
Is anyone watching the Rev Wright intro at the NAACP dinner?
It’s on Fox and CNN.
Amazing.
BallisticBob on April 27, 2008 at 7:47 PM
sorry..too logical…we need to listen to bitter Fredheads who think a fire breathing Tancredo approach will be more effective in today’s political climate
windansea on April 27, 2008 at 7:57 PM
Exactly why is it that everything a Republican says, even if he didn’t actually say it unless you carefully edit the words on the tape to remove context and qualifiers and anything else you want, is absolutely “fair game” but…
…anything a Democrat says has to be vetted by the media and the Dem before his opponents are supposed to even mention it?
The simple answer is that the Dems need the media cover so they can say anything to any audience at any time without fear of consequences, in other words pander at will, even contradicting themselves from one audience to the next, without fear of exposure. The media is happy to provide that cover because they like the Dems and think of themselves as the better, smarter, super-voters we mere actual voters should be. It is a corrupt co-dependency and a major conspiracy to deceive the American voter.
drunyan8315 on April 27, 2008 at 8:23 PM
I listened for as long as I could stand it.
The part that struck me the hardest was where he said that people seem to think HE was running for President.
I thought to myself: “I wish HE, (Wright) WAS running for President instead of that fake Obama; At least Wright is honest in his hatred of America and ‘white people’. Obama does too, but isn’t honest enough to admit it.”
LegendHasIt on April 27, 2008 at 8:31 PM
Friendly fire.
misterpeasea on April 27, 2008 at 8:45 PM
Then maybe the Fox interview was a subtle trap after all. Delightful.
Kralizec on April 27, 2008 at 9:05 PM
Still trying to figure out what’s so tenuous about this connection:
Politician endorses Obama who has America-hating, white-hating, conspiracy-theory spouting “minister.”
I think I can make out the relevance.
Or are they endorsing the name “Obama” and not the actual man and his judgment and his world view?
misterpeasea on April 27, 2008 at 9:11 PM
McRove….????
tgharris on April 27, 2008 at 9:46 PM
Brother, I am tired of fighting this battle, the only thing this ad does is make us look like a bunch of retards.
Squid Shark on April 27, 2008 at 10:11 PM
McCain listened to criticism from his side of the aisle and changed his position…shouldn’t that make conservatives happy?
funky chicken on April 27, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Nothing will make them happy short of the resurrection of the Gipper.
Squid Shark on April 27, 2008 at 11:15 PM
At this point, Bob Dole’s nomination would make most of us happy.
LegendHasIt on April 27, 2008 at 11:31 PM
We’ll throw a dose of reality on the Maverick for sure!
SouthernGent on April 27, 2008 at 3:45 PM
Hog Wild on April 27, 2008 at 11:47 PM
^^^ goofed on the quote button… heh.
Hog Wild on April 27, 2008 at 11:47 PM
Great…fair enough, Obambi. If it’s a fair question, then we’ll add the Moyers knobbing and the NAACP hilarity to the reel and we’ll play them every day until November.
There are a lot of stupid people out there, obviously, and we’ll have to make sure they all see who you’re friends are.
Jaibones on April 28, 2008 at 12:32 AM
re RedLasso: nope — I’m all up to date and RedLasso still sux. Slow as molasses to load.
EweToob may have issues but at least it loads. Those of us with slower DSL connections appreciate that…
Claire on April 28, 2008 at 12:46 AM
And that’s the way I like it. Every time they stop bickering at each other long enough to actually do anything, they end up further restricting our liberty and spending even more of our money on projects that are inefficient and ineffective at best, and often as not, unconstitutional.
Other than in an actual national emergency, I’d rather pay those bozos to stay home and shut up rather than making new rules and spending my money.
LegendHasIt on April 28, 2008 at 12:51 AM