Will McCain Campaign Disavow Surrogate's Claim That "The Muslims" Are "Going To Kill Us"?
Here's a test for the McCain campaign: Will it disavow the incendiary comments that a key McCain surrogate made about Muslims on a campaign conference call?
I've asked the campaign for comment on the fact that the surrogate, fellow POW and former Swift Boat Vet Bud Day, said the following on a campaign call for Florida reporters:
McCain POW bud: Muslims 'going to kill us'One of John McCain's fellow POW's in Vietnam defended the war in Iraq, saying, "The Muslims have said either we kneel or they're going to kill us.''
In a phone call with reporters arranged by the McCain campaign, Colonel Bud Day added: "I don't intend to kneel and I don't advocate to anybody that we kneel, and John doesn't advocate to anybody that we kneel.''
As Ben Smith archly notes, Day "seems to have cast McCain's foreign policy in stark, religious terms."
Keep in mind that Bud Day isn't any old surrogate. He's a fellow POW and regular fixture on campaign conference calls.
The McCain campaign hasn't yet disavowed the remarks. We'll see what happens.
I'm starting to blame the Obama camp for the lack of attention to Bud Day. Let's all agree that the first responsibility should the press', but since they're abdicating their responsibility, it's now up to Obama (and his surrogates) to draw attention to these odious characters.
When are we going to hear them push the media? It's clear without Obama's camp saying it, the press will ignore it.
http://strategy08.wordpress.com
July 18, 2008 1:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
The ones who should be all over this guy are the Muslims. You know, all the "I'm no terrorist!" Muslims.
Where are those folks who were so outraged when a couple of Obama volunteers didn't want headscarfs behind him on the podium?
July 18, 2008 1:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
i agree they are outraged when obama does something and are requesting personal phone call apologies but when McCain camp does something they suddenly go quite. Nothing is going to change if they keep being quite.
http://sensico.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/mccains-porn-friend-is-back/
July 18, 2008 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
This Bud Day quote implies that he and John McCain have a pretty serious relationship.
The Associated Press - Jul 11, 2008
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I know him extremely well, better than his wife." — George "Bud" Day, 83, in joking about his close friend Republican John McCain.
July 18, 2008 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why is this guy Obama's responsibility? How does his comment hurt Obama? It simply makes McCain look like an ass. I say that taking Day down a peg or two is a job for McCain. If he doesn't then Obama pounces on McCain for failing to control his own spokesperson.
Time for McCain to "THROW HIM UNDER THE BUS."
July 18, 2008 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. Obama needn't muddy his hands with this chuckle-head. Day is just another example of sketchy judgment by McCain. There's your meme. Imagine what sort of cabinet might present in the Errant Aviator's Administration.
July 19, 2008 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
What would you like to hear?
"John McCain has turned to his Divorce Lawyer, the guy who helped him abandon the woman who bore his children and waited long years for his release from POW camp, to speak out on matters that Senator McCain is afraid to address himself."
Something like that?
July 18, 2008 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS TERRIBLE NEWS FOR SENATOR OBAMA!
July 18, 2008 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
In other fear-mongering news, McCain said this in Michigan today:
"Al Qaeda is on their heels they are not defeated," he told auto workers in Warren, MI, speaking of Iraq. "I also predict that they will make an attempt as we get in to the election season to make more of these spectacular kinds of attacks which they’re still capable of doing. The suicide bombers, et cetera. Would not surprise me and we’ve already found out that they’re going to try and step up their attacks and try and do things in a more spectacular fashion so that they can erode the support of the Maliki government."
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0708/McCain_predicts_electionrelated_terror_in_Iraq.html
July 18, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought we already won in Iraq. I swear McCain assured us that the Iraq War was over for the second time but that we had to stay because it was over to make sure that it's over. Or something.
July 18, 2008 1:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
And if they don't attack it means the surge has worked and if they do they are trying to effect our elections by making it look like the surge didn't work because they don't want McCain in office because he "knows how to win wars".
July 18, 2008 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
They'll disavow, but not like that means anything. Wait he was a POW? Well then forget what I said, he has carte blanche.
The McCain camp put on a good performance for the press with Gramm, but he's still right where he was in the McCain Campaign, nothing changed other than a public photo-op verbal spanking. Of course there will be no follow-up by the MSM asking why Gramm is still advising McCain and if Gramm will have a cabinet or any official role withing the McCain White House (shudder at the thought).
July 18, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, wasn't Gramm speaking to the WSJ ed board for McCain on the same day that McCain said "Phil Gramm doesn't speak for me."?
July 18, 2008 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain will disavow this. "Bud Day does not speak for me" will be the words.
Bud Day will remain a part of the campaign, as has Phil Gramm, and McCain will carry on, with the noodleheads on cable lauding him for his principled stand on yet another issue.
July 18, 2008 1:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain often looks like he's trying to shoot laser beams out of his eyes. Now, if he could do that, I might consider voting for him. That would bring our allies to their feet and our enemies to their knees!
July 18, 2008 1:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I understand that Obama is trying his darnedest to run a clean campaign free of attacks and the politics of the past and blah blah yadda yadda...but it's seriously time to push back. The fact that he's not going on the offensive when McCain and his surrogates say silly nonsense like this will make him look weak. Combine this with an ignorant American electorate that gets its news from a just as ignorant media, and, well, we have a problem.
July 18, 2008 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bet those Mooslims come to his dreams wearing black pajamas.
July 18, 2008 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain promised to kill us too by keeping us Iraq and later Iran for a gazillion farging years . . . PLUS McCain threaten the Muslims with cigarettes . . .
July 18, 2008 1:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Obama campaign does push back on when they feel that things are warranted.
It is shocking that Bud Day is making this in religious terms.
July 18, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with Maritza and I would also add that I think that took place on a conference call that happened today. Was Barack supposed to push back before the conference call took place? Are we trying to one-up McCainiburton in the "You haven't gone on your trip yet, but it's political and you won't gain anything from it or say anything new in the speeches you haven't delivered yet" psychic powers category?
July 18, 2008 2:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shocking? As in surprising? Not really. End timers want religious war, which is why they support Bush's (and McCain's) Mideast policy: the coming of Armageddon.
"Shocking" as in "deplorable", agreed.
July 18, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten. The point: if you want to be able to set message, and not just respond defensively, you have to pick through which b.s. you respond to. What's great about this season is that most of these crazazy attacks are worse for the attackers than the attacked. Kinda makes it easier to pick choice battles when responding. I don't know, I think the way he has been responding makes Obama seem more presidential.
July 18, 2008 2:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
That ought to get those Saudi's pumping that oil out of the ground for us faster! And there's no way that kind of talk could have them reconsidering their stance towards the dollar. No harm, no foul.
July 18, 2008 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Consider what's come out of the McCain campaign today.
Obama "may be" a socialist.
Muslims are trying to kill us.
There are going to be "spectacular" attacks in Baghdad near election time.
Why are these statements tolerated? Again, had any one of them come from the Obama campaign, that would be all anyone would be talking about.
July 18, 2008 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bud Day?
Just picture Principal Seymour Skinner speaking over the Springfield Elementary PA system, drifting into a embittered soliloquy of his days in Vietnam that no one else understands, before he cheerfully concludes with a recitation of that days cafeteria menu.
July 18, 2008 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bud Day is a complete lunatic. He lives near me and has had many wacko quotes such as this in the local press on every subject you can imagine.
July 18, 2008 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can you dig some good ones up and share them with us?
I have a feeling that could have a powerful impact.
This guy is obviously a complete and total loose cannon. McCain is making a huge mistake by having him in his camp and on his calls! I would not be surprised if Day has some quotes calling for something along the lines of a crusade or genocide or something like that.
July 18, 2008 2:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
What's your local newspaper?
July 18, 2008 2:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's Little Green Footballs and Powerline personified
July 18, 2008 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
And the scary 9 foot tall islamo-fascist hoards are congregating in Northern Mexico and preparing to invade our homeland and steal our women. We need to build a 25 foot high wall and all buy assault rifles to protect our women and our way of life. It's really not that complicated and we all have to get with the program.
July 18, 2008 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Our problem isn't with the majority of Muslims, but rather a small number of Muslim extremist terrorists.
Failure to see the big picture, a real problem with the GOP.
July 18, 2008 2:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
They don't want to see the big picture, because they want to keep us in fear to win elections. If they told the truth and didn't distort reality, they would get hammered. I still don't understand why they are the national security party. They f*cked everything up from 9/11 to iraq. How is it that they are the national security party? Unbelievable.
July 18, 2008 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Xzactly- and not just fear in the security sense but in the xenophobic, non-pluralistic society sense. They want us to be scared of everything, just so long as we vote for them.
Of course, the less actual truths we know the better, as far as they are concerned. More uninformed voters are good for them, they're easier to scare into voting for them.
The scary thing is one of the guys from from my H.S. graduating class, A-honor roll student, actually believes Obama is a Muslim terrorist. Now that I can't explain...
I guess "smart" doesn't exactly mean "informed voter".
July 18, 2008 2:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the Muslims lived in Scandinavia or somewhere else that wasn't oozing oil, nobody would be bothering them, and they wouldn't be bothering us.
We're the bad guys in this beef. Intrusive, double-dealing, belligerent, xenophobic and provocative Zionists with no respect for anybody who interferes with American gluttony.
July 19, 2008 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Shame on Senator McCain for not immediately disavowing this and telling Bud to go home and drink his namesake.
Big difference between Muslim and Islamic extremists. WOW. Off the deep end stupid.
July 18, 2008 2:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I doubt if McCain disavows this since it won't cost him any votes with the demographic he panders to, aka the ignoramus sector.
At risk of overstating the obvious, it is only a tiny fraction of one percent of Muslims who would resort to terrorism. Of course, even a fraction of one percent of a population over a billion can result in a sizable number of individuals. Still, it doesn't seem entirely fair to paint the other ninety-nine plus percent with the same brush.
July 18, 2008 2:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kudos Greg. Big headlines with your story on Huff Post :)
July 18, 2008 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course the best way to ensure that Muslims do not become extremists, and then terrorists, is NOT through military action and invasions. Rather it is through humanitarian efforts and by getting them jobs. Now that's what we should be doing more of over there...
July 18, 2008 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about not flooding governments who oppress their own people with billions of dollars in oil revenue?
July 18, 2008 2:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's just crazy talk....
jk
July 18, 2008 3:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
The American Muslim birthrate is about 4.5 children per couple, versus the 1.9 child per couple national average.
They are the fastest growing religion in America. As many as five million Muslims live in the United States.
Way to
July 18, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
go Bud :)
July 18, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
There you go, demonstrating that reality has a liberal bias...
July 18, 2008 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Obama campaign made it clear that they will not get swift-boated like John Kerry.
Don't worry, BUD will get his DAY and the media can then send him packing, back into that deliverance hunting blind that he crawled out of!
July 18, 2008 3:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
I swear I just read a yahoo article where McCain gave away the date when Obama was heading to Iraq, and was going to blog on it and how reckless it was and put Obama in danger however when I went back to link the story it was no longer to be found - I assume Yahoo! realized the security implications and pulled it.
July 18, 2008 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also remember that Bud Day was the lawyer buddy that McCain specifically sought out to handle his divorce from his first wife. To the extent that McCain filed for divorce in a state he had no relation to simply so that Day could handle the case for him.
Remember that should anyone in the future mention that Rev. Wright performed Obama's wedding. That when it came time for McCain to END his marriage, he decided this religious bigot was the guy that had to handle it for him.
July 18, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Day is just another whiner, worried about mental Muslims...
July 18, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
My response to this is too long, so for anyone interested, here is the post:
http://www.thepersonalispolitical.com/2008/07/does-mccain-advocate-jihad-against.html
July 18, 2008 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
This garbage should be answered by publicly available statistics. The people who are going to kill us are, in all likelihood, drunk drivers and others with no ideological or religious bent. For example, more than 13,000 people were killed by drunk drivers in 2006, about four times the number killed in 9/11. About the same number were killed by drunk drivers in 1996. If dying is really what we're worried about, Muslims are not the answer - they don't drink.
July 18, 2008 10:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe what Bud is trying to tell us is that all those supposed "drunk drivers" are actually Al Qaeda sleeper agents.
July 19, 2008 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink