Thanks for saying it out in the open, Salter! Thx for reminding voters that McCain is older than Yoda.

Bill Burton's response to this is priceless.

“Clearly losing one’s bearings has no relation to age, given this bizarre rant that Mark Salter just sent out. It’s clear why a candidate offering a third term of George Bush’s disastrous economic policies and failed strategy in Iraq would want to distract and attack, but it’s not the kind of campaign John McCain has promised the American people that he would run,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

In the general election, Obama is not going to need to point out McCain's age. McCain does it every day. He hardly seems to know where he is. He is barely coherent sometimes. He will fall off the stage. He needs to be more carefully managed than Ronald Raygun ever did and we all know that he was in the beginning stages Alzheimer's Disease when he was president. At this point in our history, we cannot afford another doddering fool whose strings are being pulled by self-interested robber barons. Obama does not need to say one word. Let these facts speak for themselves.

I say this as a former respecter of John McCain. He had my respect because it seems that up until this election cycle, he always conducted himself with basic decency and had some original ideas. He WAS a very brave man. In his dotage, he has become the wholly-owned "thing" of the shadowy oligarchs who run this country.

He has lost my respect but perhaps gained my pity.

And the delightful thing about this is that nothing Obama actually said is conclusively a knock against McCain's age.

"Losing his bearings," could refer to McCain's normally ethical behavior (LMAO!!) diminishing into the smear tactic he's employed here. He has, in that sense, lost his way. It's actually a compliment to McCain, although a backhanded one.

It's Salter who thinks Obama's talking about McCain's age. He's the one injecting thoughts about McCain's age into this- as Burton points out.

Probably thought Obama said lost his HEARING. It happens....

McCain lost his bearings a long time ago, when he was a much younger man, 6-8 years younger to be precise. There is a long list of changed positions and wierdness like hugs for Bush, tolerance for the spiritual wingnut "agents of intolerance," and his obsessive support for the Bush admnistration's failed foreign and economic policies.

He has lost his bearings and he is old. But let's be clear; being younger didn't seem to help him with his bearings.

He's old. Obama is 1/2 African-American. Hillary is a woman. Who cares. This is another manufactured controversy.

"Is it possible to quote me yawning?"
Another manufactured controversy from the Republicans ... Obama already said this is the campaign they would run.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I'm surprised the old onion belted one woke up for long enough to be insulted.

Im sorry, but the "Hamas" line is right along using White voters against Obama. It instills fear.

PERSONALLY, the more easterners and foreigners that like him, the better. They are less likely to attack his House. They are less likely to spread false propaganda. And they are less likely to see us as a enemy.(Not that Hamas, Terrorist in general, or Al Qaeda have ever mentioned "black people, hispanic, or asians" in any of their race/political stylized crimes".

I might as well say this now:
Yes black people know that alot of "new" foreigners(first generation) do NOT like or trust Black or Hispanic people, based on area they moved to, imo, but they dont "hate us". They dont necessarily even dislike us, most arent close enough to develop that "sense" that what i call "rural amercan" or conservatives(never change) have.

All they know is that white politicians act real uppity, fuck up their native customs and act with disrespect to their homeland and customs.

The rest of us, never have. They might have to lump us all in with the American/United States Citizens generalization, but their is a reason they dont take black people/soldiers hostage.(Partly joke, partly truth) :P
^ This brings a question to mind. Does anyone here even get the reasonings behind this? Does anyone here realize the underlying weakness here? Just curious.

Id rather them like Obama(or ANY presidential Candidate), than hate him, but Republicans are going to use that so they can try and turn people afraid. This is going to be interesting to see.

Because it must be said...

THIS IS GREAT NEWS!!!!! FOR HILLARY!!!!!!!

Hey my friend, we in Hawa'i are familiar with minorities...In Hawaii there are no magorities...
Get over it he gets it.We got it.
Go For Broke Obama!

Shorter John McCain:

Oh noes! That nasty, young, black, elitist is beating up this old white man. Poor iz me.

issues that raise legitimate questions about his judgment and preparedness

OMG--they're using Hillary's talking points!

Huh.

Not doing very well with them, are they?

How about Senator Inouye (Medal of Honor recipient ) for VP!

Apparently what McCain said is accurate and truthful.

Obama may want to recall Reagan's response to Mondale regarding age vs. inexperience.

The Hamas thing will stick. Supporters of Israel will not vote for Obama.

Clinton is still the better choice.

If I were a member of Hamas I would choose McCain...
Why; more recruits, more money and more hate to America..Think fogu

Senator Inouye has been a Champion for Jewish causes.

Anyone dumb enough to fall for this Hammas line most likely has no idea who Hammas is.

McCain's declining faculties are shown by his idiotic health plan (raise taxes on benefits and mail the proceeds directly to insurers), his inconsistency on Iraq (it isn't like SK; no, it is), and his confusion about key the basic religious and ethnic dynamics in the ME. So, Salter's hypersensitivity on this is understandable. They see it as a weakness and want to declare it off limits for polite discussion. However, I think they are going to look foolish over-reacting in the way that Salter did to everything that could potentially be construed by someone as referencing McCain's advanced age or declining faculties.

At the age of six, John McCain, a young lad in knickerbockers, saw a telegram arrive for his father. It detailed the explosion of the Battleship Maine and called the young naval officer to active duty.

Little Johnny did not see his father again until the end of the war, but his sense of pride had already assured that he would follow family tradition and attend Annapolis, where he would earn the fond nickname "McNasty" from fellow midshipmen.

If a man can't lose his bearings once in a while it just means he is not being mavericky enough. Full speed ahead.

"Losing your bearing" is a nautical term. I think it's fair to make a nautical reference when discussing a third generation Naval officer. If McCain is concerned he is being projecting an image of approaching senility, he shouldn't get into an argument with his mother about what day of the week he was born on - that ad makes it seem that McCain's memory is going faster than his mother's. Also in that ad, I find it telling that 1) the baby shower was "at the club" - just who is the elitist in this race? and 2) that they were given 27 bottles of Scotch as shower gifts - it seems like McCain's dad must have been awfully fond of a wee dram.

On another note, overnight Super Delegate news:
- previously uncommitted OR Congressman Peter DeFazio now supporting Obama with lass than two weeks to the primary there.
- Clinton Super Delegate Congressman Donald Payne of NJ is switching to Obama.
That nets Obama three SDs, and I think puts him currently just 4.5 behind Hillary.

I love this. This is dog whistle ageism and I don't care. I hope they keep it up using phrases like "losing his bearings". May I suggest they use the word "feeble" alot. Everytime McSame's campaign whines about it they make it worse.

If this is the first salvo or alledged salvo I am not looking forward to this campaign.

McCain: Obama endorsed by Hamas.

Obama: Old man shouts at cloud.

#@$%&%!!!!@@#%$*&*

John McCain walks into the Senate. Another Senator walks up to him and asks, "Senator, why do you have a suppository in your ear?" McCain pulls it out, looks at it for a second, and says, "Well, I guess I know where my missing hearing aid went."

Ka-ching!

John McCain is so old, he drove a chariot to high school.

John McCain goes to the doctor and says, "Doc, I'm having a problem with my bowels." The doctor says, "Constipation?" McCain tells him, "No, every morning at eight o'clock sharp, I crap like a cow." The doctor asks, "Well then, what's the problem?" McCain says, "I don't wake up until nine."

Obama's reference to McCain's losing his bearings may not have anything to do with McCain's age. After all a 10-year old child lost in the shopping mall can be said to have lost her bearings. But the metaphor is spot-on. The word "bearing" refers to where the compass is pointing towards a destination. Obama's comment means McCain has no idea where America is right now and where it is heading.

It is ABSOLUTELY SPOT-ON and he should continue to use it.

The Republicans know that this was the true intent of Obama's remark, and are trying to cover it over with the age issue.

I find it a little ironic that John McCain would jump to conclusions regarding Obama's comment about McCain "losing his bearings". I stumbled across an old 1992 video at Youtube where McCain is attacking Delores Alfond verbally bringing her to tears. While McCain is on his rant he refers to General John Vessey and states that Vessey is, "doing the best that he could at age 70". Now, am I wrong here or is McCain insulting this man's abilities because of his age?? And McCain is, as of this date, 71-years old (and soon to be 72). Hmmmm

The remark is about 4 min into the tape:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CazKanlYDg&feature=related

Methinks they doth protest too much.

I thought "Losing one's bearings" was a nautical term.

HERE is another thought...
BO has not done well in the elderly voting cohort for the Democrats. This is also the group most likely to have reservations about a black man being president. Could we be playing into their hands of wanting to piss off the elderly?
I know it gives them way too much intellectual depth but there is that chance. The 60 and older vote at a much greater rate than those younger.

Decision 2008:

Let's see here, how am I going to vote. This McCain guy is 71, or 72? Well, the choice is clear. I'm going to vote for the guy with almost no experience who pals around with America-haters and terrorist bombers. He's a black guy, and it's so cool to vote for a black guy. It's a no-brainer, and since I have no brains, my choice is clear.

Now the really tough question: Who to vote for on American Idol?????

He lost his bearings when he left his wife to marry the heiress, the one who will never release her tax returns because she's "not the candidate". And I agree, that has nothing to do with age, it refers to moral bearings.

Re: McCain yelping

They only holler when they're hit, as we say in Texas.

And what about McCain saying on The Daily Show in response to this supposed Hamas "endorsement" saying that "I'll be their worst nightmare!"

Is that kind of bravado really going to help anything? It's anti-Teddy Roosevelt policy: Speak Loudly and Carry a Small Stick. If that sort of language is any indication of McCain's idea of "diplomacy", then he really is just following Bush's footsteps. Sad and stupid.

They left out: " . . . shook his fist and told him to get off his lawn!"

Cry me a river. When McCain leaves off from the Hamas-wants-Obama nonsense he can presume to lecture Obama about tasteless attacks.

Mason hit the nail on the head.

Hillary backers' anger at Obama because Hillary lost serves no purpose.

"Resentment is like taking poison and [then] wondering why the other person doesn't die."
Irish actor Malachy McCourt