Log In | Register
24 Comments
Printadvertisement
Republican John McCain, trailing in polls and searching for a way to gain ground, assailed Democratic rival Barack Obama on Friday in a sharply worded TV ad that said: "When convenient, he worked with terrorist Bill Ayers. When discovered, he lied."
At the same time, McCain moved to restrain the anger that has emerged from some of his crowds this week, telling a town hall meeting in Minnesota that Obama is a "person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."
McCain's new ad is his toughest one yet. It uses Obama's association with Ayers, a Chicago college professor who was an anti-Vietnam war radical in the 1960s, to assert that Obama has "blind ambition" and "bad judgment," and, thus, can't be trusted during an economic catastrophe. "In crisis, we need leadership" — the ad says and implies that Obama doesn't offer any.
With little more than three weeks before the election, the GOP presidential candidate is seeking to turn his campaign around by steadily escalating his attacks on his Democratic foe and raising questions about his associations with Ayers, who in 1969 helped found the violent Weather Underground group blamed for bombing government buildings in the early 1970s.
But at a Lakeville, Minn., town hall meeting, McCain said his differences with Obama are over "rhetoric and record," not character, and he was booed by his own supporters when he said: "I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."
"I don't mean that has to reduce your ferocity," he said. "I just mean to say you have to be respectful." The comments followed several GOP rallies this week during which angry supporters shouted "traitor," "terrorist," "treason," "liar," and even "off with his head" in reference to Obama.
The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Obama and Ayers are not close but that they live in the same Chicago neighborhood and worked together on two nonprofit organization boards from the mid-1990s to 2002. Ayers also hosted a small meet-the-candidate event for Obama in 1995 as he first ran for the state Senate.
During the campaign, Obama has denounced Ayers' radical actions and views.
In a Democratic primary debate in April, Obama called Ayers "a guy who lives in my neighborhood, who's a professor of English in Chicago, who I know and who I have not received some official endorsement from. He's not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis."
To back up its claim that Obama lied about his relationship, McCain's campaign juxtaposed that debate comment with a CNN report in which a reporter asserted that "the relationship between Obama and Ayers went much deeper, ran much longer, and was much more political than Obama said."
But McCain's campaign provided no other evidence that Obama "lied."
In an interview with Philadelphia-based radio talk show host Michael Smerconish, Obama said Thursday that when he met Ayers in the mid-1990s Ayers was teaching education the University of Illinois. "I was sitting on this board with a whole bunch of conservative businessmen and civic leaders and he was one of the people who was on this board," Obama said of the Annenberg Challenge, a nonprofit educational group. "Ultimately I ended up learning about the fact that he had engaged in this reprehensible act 40 years ago, but I was eight years old at the time and I assumed that he had been rehabilitated."
In response, McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds asked: "Does Barack Obama continue to believe William Ayers has been 'rehabilitated'? Or has Barack Obama changed his mind now that William Ayers is a liability, rather than an asset, to his political ambition?"
Campaigning in Ohio on Friday, Obama didn't mention the Ayers attacks but chastised McCain and his Republicans for "a barrage of nasty insinuations and attacks."
"It's easy to rile up a crowd by stoking anger and division," Obama said. But, he said: "The American people aren't looking for someone who can divide this country. They're looking for someone who will lead it."
Obama suggested McCain's attacks were motivated by his falling poll numbers.
After referring to Ayers, the new McCain ad offers images of Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Chris Dodd, D-Conn., as it accuses "congressional liberals" of fighting for "risky" subprime home loans" and the narrator then notes the collapse of the housing market, "costing you billions."
As backup, the McCain campaign cited a quote from Obama in September, 2007, prepared remarks: "Subprime lending started off as a good idea — helping Americans buy homes who couldn't previously afford to." But it failed to mention that the rest of Obama's speech called for greater regulation of the mortgage industry.
Over the past week, McCain's campaign resurrected Ayers and other associations of Obama's that were first raised during the Democratic primaries. McCain's advisers have signaled that they believe the 72-year-old four-term Arizona senator's best chance to win rests with stoking voter unease about the 47-year-old first-term Illinois senator who would be the country's first black president.
The new ad, which the campaign says will run nationally, comes the same day the Republican National Committee begins running its own TV commercial in Indiana and Wisconsin that also seeks to sow doubts about Obama's political upbringing. That spot links Obama to Ayers and other Chicago figures. "The Chicago Way. Shady politics. That's Barack Obama's training," the ad says.
McCain himself stepped up this line of attack on Thursday, telling voters in Wisconsin that the Democrat's association with Ayers raises questions about his honesty and asserting that Obama had not been truthful in describing the relationship.
© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
6 Votes- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
Published to:
- Liz Sidoti's Column, All of Newsvine
- Groups: none
- Regions: none
 | McCain: Obama link to ex-radical is honesty issue | Associated Press | Thu Oct 2 | 4 |
| McCain: Obama link to ex-radical is honesty issue | Associated Press | Thu Oct 9 | 244 |
| Obama: McCain camp brings up Ayers to score points | Associated Press | Wed Oct 8 | 34 |
| Today on the presidential campaign trail | Associated Press | Thu Oct 9 | 0 |
 | McCain's claim that Obama lied about Ayers is false | factcheck.org | Sat Oct 11 | 1 |
- Public Discussion (24)
What's this?
Who's leading the conversation?
This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user
has on the current conversation.
The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd
row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera).
Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group
is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the
left, in their corresponding group.
Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the
number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative
one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their
relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.
6.2
3.8
2.4
{"commentId":3412983,"authorDomain":"PeteZaHutt"}
Is this all you've got, John? -- LOL!
How's troopergate going?
{"commentId":3412983,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"PeteZaHutt"}
- 5 votes
#1 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 8:21 AM EDT{"commentId":3413855,"authorDomain":"sha-1"}
I just read about the Mccains not paying taxes on one of their La Jolla homes for 4 years. Back in July when it gained some press (although apparently not enough), THEN they mail a check. I think in light of this economic mess, Obama should run an ad about it, Mccain sure would if it was the reverse. Honestly, I learn something new about Mccain & Co. every day and it is never something nice.
{"commentId":3413855,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"sha-1"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":3416312,"authorDomain":"sashimimark"}
I thought the McCain camp took Wright and Ayers off the table?
{"commentId":3416312,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"sashimimark"}
- 2 votes
{"commentId":3420916,"authorDomain":"mschwartz4"}
mark
they don't have anything else...mcsmear is desperate...
{"commentId":3420916,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"mschwartz4"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":3413409,"authorDomain":"mpitt"}
While watching clips of the Mcsenile rally last night, the gentleman that emplored Senator McClain to revisit the "Rev. Wright" issue looked strangely familiar to me. Please verify if he was Armstrong Williams. The same one that paraded around the country and managed to get on most conservative talk shows promoting the Bush agenda for Black America, the same Armstrong Williams that tried to get Black media to help him promote that agenda as op-ed pieces. The same Armstrong Williams that was later found to have been paid by the republican party to do promote their agenda in the Black community and denounced nationally for lying about his agenda. Judas was a bargin at 30 pieces of silver-I hope Armstrong found his price and can live with it.
Mike Pitt
Clemmons, NC
{"commentId":3413409,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"mpitt"}
- 3 votes
#2 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:01 AM EDT{"commentId":3413465,"authorDomain":"mpitt"}
While watching clips of the Mcsenile rally last night, the gentleman that emplored Senator McClain to revisit the "Rev. Wright" issue looked strangely familiar to me. Please verify if he was Armstrong Williams. The same one that paraded around the country and managed to get on most conservative talk shows promoting the Bush agenda for Black America, the same Armstrong Williams that tried to get Black media to help him promote that agenda as op-ed pieces. The same Armstrong Williams that was later found to have been paid by the republican party to do promote their agenda in the Black community and denounced nationally for lying about his agenda. Judas was a bargin at 30 pieces of silver-I hope Armstrong found his price and can live with it.
Mike Pitt
Clemmons, NC
{"commentId":3413465,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"mpitt"}
- 1 vote
#3 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:06 AM EDT{"commentId":3413482,"authorDomain":"Aware"}
All I have to say is this: If any harm comes to Barak Obama physically, Palin and McCain should be held fully responsible and accountable for conspiring encouragement of manslaughter by mendacity.
Why is this woman so readily unavailable for public questioning?
Why are the lawmakers being so secretive?
Why are Americans voting for this private secretive ticket???
{"commentId":3413482,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"Aware"}
- 3 votes
#4 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:07 AM EDT{"commentId":3413605,"authorDomain":"arad"}
Didn't McCain just say he wasn't going to bark up this tree?
{"commentId":3413605,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"arad"}
- 2 votes
#5 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:18 AM EDT{"commentId":3413641,"authorDomain":"arad"}
{"commentId":3420945,"authorDomain":"mschwartz4"}
arad
well flip flop mccain rides again....
{"commentId":3420945,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"mschwartz4"}
{"commentId":3414346,"authorDomain":"paulpeg1"}
Picture yourself as an innocent Iraq, just trying to survive the turmoil. Your home gets hit by an American bomb or shell by accident, American terrorism? By GWB? McCain`s buddy.
Ayers means about as much to me as Keating, one makes me think of the other!
{"commentId":3414346,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"paulpeg1"}
#6 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:06 AM EDT{"commentId":3414901,"authorDomain":"roasted"}
Picture yourself as an American citizen, waiting in line to be issued toilet paper for five hours, courtesy of Obama.
{"commentId":3414901,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"roasted"}
{"commentId":3415777,"authorDomain":"sha-1"}
I'll gladly take it to wipe of the dung that Mcain/Bush has dumped on us.
{"commentId":3415777,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"sha-1"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":3472391,"authorDomain":"roasted"}
You dumped it on yourself.
{"commentId":3472391,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"roasted"}
{"commentId":3414879,"authorDomain":"roasted"}
Hey when Palin starts throwing bombs at state troopers, THEN she's on the same level as Ayers.
{"commentId":3414879,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"roasted"}
#7 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:36 AM EDT{"commentId":3415861,"authorDomain":"sha-1"}
When you say nothing when one of your supporters shouts violent threats towards your opponent, YOU are condoning violence, which in my book connects Palin MORE to Ayers than Obama.
- An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.
{"commentId":3415861,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"sha-1"}
- 1 vote
{"commentId":3472384,"authorDomain":"roasted"}
Palin isn't in direct control of her supporters. And I wouldn't be surprised if those people were plants from the Obama campaign. It would be right in line with the liberal philosophy to fake it.
{"commentId":3472384,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"roasted"}
{"commentId":3417106,"authorDomain":"prezo"}
Yawn, Obama just crossed paths with Ayers. But Sarah Palin sleeps with terrorists
{"commentId":3417106,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"prezo"}
#8 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 12:30 PM EDT{"commentId":3417146,"authorDomain":"prezo"}
McCain - Flip-flopper.
After claiming that he will not stoop down to bring up Ayers and that it was off the table, he goes on and does it out of frustration.
Can we trust John McCain in troubled times? Hell, no.
{"commentId":3417146,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"prezo"}
#9 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 12:32 PM EDT{"commentId":3417350,"authorDomain":"earthchild24"}
After weeks of hearing John McCain and Sarah Palin attach the stigma of terrorist to Barack Obama, I'm a little sick of it now. I find it offensive that they would stoop so low when they are beginning to slip behind in the polls. I'm more than sure that if the situation was reversed they would not be so vicious. But it makes me wonder as well, are John McCain and Sarah Palin terrorist to the American people?
If people look at it on a real level, they are. What are the characteristics of a terrorist? Someone who kills , hurts, or strike fear into others. Are John McCain and Sarah Palin not being terrorist? My answer is yes they are. They are purposely trying to strike fear into the hearts of voters by calling Barack Obama a terrorist and linking him to a man who did something wrong when Mr. Obama was eight years old.
To think that the American people are so thin that they would automatically switch after the weak linkage to Mr. Ayers, is disgusting. I want a President who works for me. Not one who lies to the American people in order to get what he needs. We've had enough of that. I'm an Independent and I was in the air about my choice after Hillary Clinton was beaten but seeing this has made my choice for me. I'm voting Obama.
{"commentId":3417350,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"earthchild24"}
#10 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 12:41 PM EDT{"commentId":3420670,"authorDomain":"proscribe"}
I feel sorry for a lot of Obama supporters because he is very good at hiding the truth, and the liberal media will NEVER air or print the truth about his decietful background. Here's a bit of info that really tells you about his associates:
WINDS OF JIHAD
By SHEIK YER' MAMI
The LA Times wrote an article about Obama's association with Rashid Khalidi in April: It was a celebration of Palestinian culture — a night of music, dancing and a dash of politics. Local Arab Americans were bidding farewell to Rashid Khalidi, an internationally known scholar, critic of Israel and advocate for Palestinian rights, who was leaving town for a job in New York. A special tribute came from Khalidi's friend and frequent dinner companion, the young state Sen. Barack Obama. Speaking to the crowd, Obama reminisced about meals prepared by Khalidi's wife, Mona, and conversations that had challenged his thinking. His many talks with the Khalidis, Obama said, had been — consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots and my own biases... and it's for that reason that I'm hoping that, for many years to come, we continue that conversation — a conversation that is necessary not just around Mona and Rashid's dinner table, but around this entire world. The LA Times acknowledged it has a video of this tribute Barack Obama gave to the Khalidis at their going away party but won't release this video before the election.....It's hard to imagine that they would hold onto a video of Sarah Palin praising an anti-Israeli radical and former PLO operative…But, that is today's liberal mainstream media.
{"commentId":3420670,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"proscribe"}
#11 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:05 PM EDT{"commentId":3420766,"authorDomain":"proscribe"}
CONT: Not only does Barack Obama attented his church for 20 years, and support Hamas and Hezbollah, but Barack Obama also has a long close friendship and financial association with suspected former PLO operative and Israel hater Rashid Khalidi, Obama funneled thousands of dollars of cash to Rashid's anti-Israel Foundation through his work on the Woods Fund. In 2000, Rashid Khalidi, a former PLO operative who justified Palestinian terrorism as contributing to "political enlightenment," threw a fundraiser for his friend Barack Obama. Although he is described as a former PLO operative, via Free Republic, this is what Rashid Khalidi has to say about Palestinian terrorism against Jews: Khalidi glorifies anti-Israel violence by the PLO as contributing to "political enlightenment and unsurprisingly admires those who carry it out. His loyalty to Palestinian terrorist groups run so deep that he actually dedicated his 1986 valentine to the PLO, Under Siege, to "those who gave their lives . . . in defense of the cause of Palestine and independence of Lebanon."[viii] The book whitewashes PLO violence against Israelis and Lebanese, as well as the Syrian occupation.
{"commentId":3420766,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"proscribe"}
#12 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:09 PM EDT{"commentId":3472388,"authorDomain":"roasted"}
Yah, Obama is in the tank for the radicals.
{"commentId":3472388,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"roasted"}
{"commentId":3424289,"authorDomain":"cricketticket"}
Does John McCain go to church or practice religion? With who, when?
{"commentId":3424289,"threadId":"384601","contentId":"1980016","authorDomain":"cricketticket"}
#13 - Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:09 PM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"384601","isPrivate":false}
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
Start Tracking
Stop TrackingCOMPANY STUFF:
LEGAL STUFF:
- © 2005-2009 Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine® is a registered trademark of Newsvine, Inc. |
- Newsvine is a property of
