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Obama Spanish-Language Ad Ties McCain To Anti-Immigrant Limbaugh
The Obama campaign has a new attack ad running on Spanish-language TV, attacking John McCain for having dos caras (two faces) on immigration, and being in league with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and other Republicans who routinely insult Latinos:
"They want us to forget the insults we've put up with, the intolerance," the announcer says, accompanied by text of Rush Limbaugh saying that "Mexicans are stupid and unqualified."
McCain has actively courted the Latino vote, and the RNC is running their own Spanish radio ads accusing Obama of being in league with those who killed the immigration bill last year. But the Obama campaign's counter-punches are definitely a whole lot more hard-hitting.
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McCain has actively courted the Latino vote, and the RNC is running their own Spanish radio ads accusing Obama of being in league with those who killed the immigration bill last
Is that McCain's immigration bill? The one he now says he'd vote against?
September 17, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ooooh! Somebody's lancing Moby Big Fat Idiot! I can't wait to hear his sputum laced tirade in response!
September 17, 2008 3:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
how do you say I called my wife a cunt in spanish
McCain did - google it
September 17, 2008 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would tell you, but I could embarrass myself in the process. So, I won't do it.
September 17, 2008 3:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
oh come on -
thats never stopped you before
September 17, 2008 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good. The the mendacity of the republican ads is so outrageous that it deserves a hard-hitting counter-punch. I hope that Obama roughs him up so badly that he cannot even win re-election in Arizona next time around for lack of Latino support.
September 17, 2008 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
These craven miscreants will stop at nothing to besmirch themselves, their campaign, and our nation itself in their unbridled, unethical, and immoral pursuit of power!
I have had it!
And don't call me a Fundamental either!
I am a person!
I reject and denounce being called a Fundamental.
I call on the mcShame campaign to apologize to Americans for calling them Fundamentals.
Add your voice here:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/i-denounce-and-reject-being-ca.php
September 17, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only problem is if you google "Mexicans are stupid and unqualified" the only sites that come up are talking about this commercial. You'd think if Limbaugh had actually said that it would've appeared somewhere.
September 17, 2008 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Suddenly you have a problem with dishonesty in campaign ads?
September 17, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Suddenly you don't?
September 17, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, I still do. If this is false, it should not be aired. Period. Sorry, but you can keep your claim on hypocrisy champion of the universe.
September 17, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I never hear Limbaugh but even I can tell you Limbaugh said it and I didn't even google or look up for a link.
September 17, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I was actually listening today when news of this broke (I know, go figure) but he was laughing that Obama had attributed the quotes to him and said that the Obama campaign will definately have some egg on their face over this on...we'll see.
September 17, 2008 3:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
given the following few posts, what do you suppose limbaugh was talking about, the dems will have "egg on their face" for attributing the quote to him?
OH, I KNOW!!! he was totally wrecked on pain killers and didn't know what he was saying! the obama camp is disrespecting filthy rich, lying, bloviating, prescription drug addicts! which, of course, means that obama was also attacking cindy mccain, after saying that spouses are off-limits. bad, bad, obama. enjoy that egg on your face.
something like that?
September 17, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Limbaugh was full of shit?!
Well, I never...
September 17, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
yes, you'd think, wouldn't you?
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1895
On NAFTA: "If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people--I'm serious, let the unskilled jobs, let the kinds of jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do--let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work." (Radio show quoted in FRQ, Fall/93)
http://www.coloradoindependent.com/4427/celebrating-rush-limbaugh-the-energizer-bunny-of-hatemongering/
– On Mexicans: “If we are going to start rewarding no skills and stupid people — I’m serious, let the unskilled jobs that take absolutely no knowledge whatsoever to do — let the stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work.”
(Fairness and Accuracy in the Media)
September 17, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
One would think that Sarge would be right here to correct himself...one would think.
September 17, 2008 4:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
But... But... RUSH SAID IT WASN'T TRUE!!
September 17, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Correct myself?...all I did was tell you what I heard on the radio...and do a google search for the quote...SchrodingersCat can breif you on the proper use of quotes in attack ads.
September 17, 2008 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
LOL. up is down, right, dude?
September 17, 2008 5:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your starting to sound... a bit shrill there SFC.
How you holding up now that your boy blared a clarion to the nation drawing attention to the fact that he doesn't know the first thing about economics; right square in the middle of an economic meltdown???
September 18, 2008 4:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
..awaiting the egg.
September 17, 2008 4:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
and what skill exactly does drug addict bring to the table
September 17, 2008 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only problem is if you google "Mexicans are stupid and unqualified" the only sites that come up are talking about this commercial.
If you google "stupid and unskilled," though, you'll find a lot more, like this. The quote was from 1993.
September 17, 2008 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Two brief responses:
1) I am not sure that this is quite the same thing as a quote "Mexicans are stupid and unqualified," but a quick Google search does turn up a site with the following quote:
2) So, is that a dishonest wrenching of a few words out of a broader context? I think that the fair answer is "yes." On the other hand, this is nothing near as low a blow as McCain has tried to land in the last few days, so lot of luck making that argument convincingly. If McCain wants a no-holds-barred fight, he has to be prepared to get put in some rather uncomfortable holds himself.
September 17, 2008 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've got to disagree with you a little bit here.
If Limbaugh said "let the stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work" then he was, in fact, saying Mexicans are "stupid" and Mexicans are "unskilled". I'm not sure how you think Obama's being dishonest here.
September 17, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
It seems to me that there are two ways that you could read "let the stupid... Mexicans do that work."
1) Let those Mexicans who happen to be stupid do that work.
2) Let the Mexicans do that work because they are all stupid.
#2 is akin to "we must destroy the vile Nazis." The speaker is not claiming that we must destroy just those Nazis who happen to be vile, but all Nazis because vileness is something intrinsic to Nazis. #1, however, is more akin to "let the older volunteers have the desk jobs." The implication is not that all the volunteers are old, but rather that a certain segment of them are and that segment should be treated in a particular fashion.
So, did Limbaugh intend his line in a fashion more analogous to reading #1 or #2? The quote as it stands is ambiguous. By phrasing the line as it does, however, the Obama ad tilts the implication unambiguously to the reading #2. That is a smidge unfair in my book, but I am hardly broken up over it. McCain is throwing punches below the belt, so he deserves it if he gets kicked in the crotch in response.
September 17, 2008 4:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I totally agree. But given Limbaugh's history, I'm gonna go ahead and assume he meant #2.
September 17, 2008 4:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
To tell the truth, dear Hyperevue, my suspicions run in exactly the same directions as yours on this point. Still, to be totally fair, I think one has to admit that one could give Mr Limbaugh a more charitable reading. On the other hand, Sen McCain thought that because Sen Obama chooses his words with care, all unflattering interpretations are fair game, so this ad is totally fair by the very standards that McCain himself has articulated.
September 17, 2008 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you look at the whole quote, he was dicussing NAFTA and we were losing jobs to Mexico. His point was that they were low wage, low skilled jobs and that it wasn't hurting us to lose them. I guess it's no worse than McCain's representation of Obama's stance on "age appropriate" sex education...for kindergrdeners (unless you are an Obama supporter then it's nothing like the lies McCain is making up about Obama).
September 17, 2008 4:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you even reading the posts to which you are responding? 1) I am an Obama supporter and 2) I just finished saying that Obama's use of the quote was squirrley. Lord have mercy, do you have any other exaggerated grievances about us Obama folks that you would like to air?
September 17, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fair enough. I hadn't thought about the other way to read that quote. I guess maybe it's a Rorschach test sort of thing. You really are a "the glass is half-full" sort of person, aren't you?
September 17, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Personally I'd like to see McCain come out and Make this defense himself. That would be something to see..
September 18, 2008 5:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Oh jeez --- stupid and unskilled. Completely different than stupid and unqualified.
Given that Obama has been held personally responsible for everything Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers have ever thought, I think this ad is awesome.
September 17, 2008 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know-seems like alot of mental gymnastics trying to figure out what what that ass meant:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0908/Limbaugh_hitting_back_over_usage_in_ad_says_Obama_stoking_racism.html
Somehow I think Rush's explanation that he was only talking about Mexican citizens won't do him a damn bit of good with Mexican-Americans.
September 18, 2008 1:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well golly, I found the quote using google in less than 2 minutes.
http://home.att.net/~jrhsc/rush.html
http://www.fair.org/pu-litzer/pu-litzer93.html
September 17, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
If sarge can't find it on google, it never happened. (well, except it did during the 90's over NAFTA)
And doesn't anyone else find it funny that a racist is claiming someone else is "stoking racism"?
Please Rush. Take some more oxy's and sit this one out.
September 17, 2008 11:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
And the next person that Obama should saddle McCain with should be Lou Dobbs, that xenophobic blowhard.
The Research 2000 DKos results indicate just how effective McCain's "outreach" to Hispanics has been: not at all.
September 17, 2008 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Word. Dobbs should be the next target. It's a natural trend. I can't wait to see it happen.
September 17, 2008 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
word ????
September 17, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's brilliant. Provoke these fat blowhards and they're certain to respond with racist venom. Then Obama wins the Latino vote in a landslide.
September 17, 2008 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, Obama mentioned Dobbs in the primary. Dobbs went ballistic.
September 17, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's a link to Obama's comment.
September 17, 2008 4:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, here (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/23/obama-rush-limbaugh-lou-d_n_103315.html) is the link. (New software on Sep 15th, huh? Right.)
September 17, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Finally, my man Barack has produced the kind of ad that I have been waiting for. Just hit "old Man sees Clouds right in the mouth along with his fat boy buddy limbaugh. I will be sending more money tonight. Hip Hip Hooray!!!! Hit em right in the mouth.
September 17, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Obaminator is smart -
-
he has kept some ammo and his powder dry -
McBush and Ms. Moose kill heaven sent prom queen ain't got no more bullets left and their powder done got wet out on the tundra.
September 17, 2008 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Speaking of counter-punches, how about Obama's line that the good ol's boys club is what McCain calls a staff meeting. Effn. Brilliant.
Pufferfish
September 17, 2008 3:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
This ad is just great. The Limbaugh reference is the key here. For the people they're targeting, it just hits home. I can't wait to hear the rant of Rush tomorrow. He'll be pissed and I'm happy for it.
Obama-Biden'08: El cambio que necesitamos.
September 17, 2008 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Damn. I will always regret not paying more in attention my Spanish class. I just love the way it sounds, though I can only understand it in bits and pieces.
September 17, 2008 4:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am sure Oilbama, so called because he voted FOR the Bush Cheney Big Oil Energy Bill, was as condescending as usual to the spanish help at his $28,500-a-head fundraising dinner, followed by a $2,500-a-head reception featuring Barbra Streisand singing a song or two. Knowing Oilbama he probably stiffed the Spanish waitstaff, unless he had his buddy the slumlord Rezco around to pay. Whoops I forgot Rezco is in Jail. I guess helping Oilbama buy his house did not get Rezco the get out of jail free card he expected.
September 17, 2008 4:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're gonna lose and you know it.
September 17, 2008 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, those repubs just are so envious. Remember, when they tried to diminish the Oprah impact? Oprah said she was endorsing Barack and all they talked about was how celebrity endorsements don't mean much and carry little or no clout.
Then, after the primaries we learn Oprah brought in about a million votes.
Now, we are suppose to feel bad that Obama is fund raising? Give. me. a. break.
George Bush sat and read My Pet Goat as the towers collapsed.
McCain says we need a commission as the financial markets spin into crisis.
But it is Obama who doesn't care about America becasue he is fundraising $9M dollars in one evening after the govt bails out AIG?
Riiiiight...sounds like all the noise they made about him being a 'celebrity' and talking to big crowds but not the 'little person'.
Now the McCain camp is lying about their crowd sizes saying they had 23K when the venue had only 8K and saying they had 10K when the venue only holds 3,500.
Geeez...these liars just never quit!!
September 17, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
How can he be "Oilbama" when McCain constatnly attacks him for NOT wanting to do immediate off-shore drilling? Just curious.
September 17, 2008 4:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Its funny how neutered Dem Bill C's propagandic droolings are when Obama is ahead in the polls. LOL
September 17, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I kind of think that with Lehman going down, the Merrill fire sale, the AIG bailout, and the feds desperately looking for a buyer for WAMU, you'd want to be discussing Chuck Keating.
September 17, 2008 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
THe narrator sounds pissed.
September 17, 2008 4:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. That's the point.
September 17, 2008 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
All we need now is an effective pro-choice ad. IT should be pretty powerful. The ad should should show a few women and doctors being locked up behind bars with really powerfull sounds of handc cuffs being put on and the prison cell being shout behind them . The ad she say is this what will happen under a john McCain presidency. Obama need a memorable AD. This one will be talked about for at least two week. If the right wings nuts want to make abortion a central core issue, than smack them right in the mouth with the issue to concentrate everyone's mind.
September 17, 2008 4:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, that ad is really tough on Republicans. Why doesn't he do that in English too?
September 17, 2008 4:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can anyone offer a rough English translation to your-typical-monolingual-American boob here?
Robert
September 17, 2008 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Having lived in New Mexico for four years, I think this ad is great. It's really under the radar for CNN and other "reporters" but hits the target exactly because gets to the gut of the GOP's severe disconnect with Latinos. It all comes down to respect (or the lack thereof). And Latinos are less likely to be peeled off by a reignition of the culture wars.
Obama has been building a relationship with Latinos since his "Si se puede" ("Yes We Can") slogan, which was also the rallying cry for Cesar Chavez. I have a good feeling about his chances in the Southwest. I get the sense that McCain is pretty clueless about the Latino vote--despite having lived among them in Arizona (maybe they were his house servants?)
September 17, 2008 4:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
How underhanded! McCain didn't endorse Limbaugh's comments. And Limbaugh has never been a big McCain fan.
I LOVE it!!!!!
September 17, 2008 4:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
If only he would be this brutal in English...we might see a different race. Keep McCain's feet to the fire! This ad should cause some movement in those key states like Nevada.
September 17, 2008 4:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oops: Barack Obama lied about those Rush quotes. Perhaps TPM would care to post an update.
September 17, 2008 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is a perfect opportunity for Rush Limbaugh to clarify his position on illegal immigrants from Mexico, as well as share his preference in the upcoming presidential election.
September 17, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
perhaps you could just quote them to us ourself as I'm sure youv'e a memorized em by heart.
Well good for you - here is your little gold star to put on your forhead - now go out and play
with the rest of the kids - but don't be a buying no crack from that Rush boy.
September 17, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh -- of course. Limbaugh didn't suggest that all Mexicans were stupid and unqualified. Just a lot of them.
Since that sort of thing is viewed by the media as morally equivalent to McCain making shit up out of thin air -- Obama has nothing to lose here.
September 17, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
yes, rush DID say it. even your source says he said it.
i swear, i'm trying not to be part of the northern elite and make an observation about the mental capacities of the mccain camp's most rabid supporters, but it's getting very difficult.
September 17, 2008 5:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
No to abortion ads. The lines are clearly drawn on that issue already.
September 17, 2008 4:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Should be in reply to Optimus upthread.
September 17, 2008 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
pay no attention to Dem BillC,
His kind are a minority now wondering how their vote for bush went so wrong.
The socialist GOP party.
September 17, 2008 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Limbaugh is quoted in Waves of Rancor: Tuning in the Radical Right, by Robert L. Hilliard, Michael C. Keith, Published by M.E. Sharpe, 1999 as saying:
"let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work"
This quote came from the September 21, 1997 New Orleans Times-Picayune, p. L21.
I think Obama's ad is sufficiently close for politics.
September 17, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
mcbillips2008 says: "let stupid and unskilled Mexicans do that work"
Oh, wait, I took what he said out of context. Just like BHO did with Rush. I did it to make a point; BHO did it to lie to people.
September 17, 2008 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think its awesome to see Rush hoist on his own petard. And contributing to the cause. This may be the first time that anyone has used one of his bloviating diatribes for a good cause.
I also saw yesterday where McCain has spanish language adds blaming Obama for the failure of the last Immigration reform bill.
September 17, 2008 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Limbaugh did say it, he can now try to deny but he did say it.
That's a very good ad Barack, keep up the offense, they're gonna collapse very soon.
September 17, 2008 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok. This is the Barack Obama we've been waiting for. Obama team, Keep attacking McCain.
September 17, 2008 6:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
These craven miscreants will stop at nothing to besmirch themselves, their campaign, and our nation itself in their unbridled, unethical, and immoral pursuit of power!
I have had it!
And don't call me a Fundamental either!
I am a person!
I reject and denounce being called a Fundamental.
I call on the mcShame campaign to apologize to Americans for calling them Fundamentals.
Add your voice here:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/i-denounce-and-reject-being-ca.php
September 17, 2008 7:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
This ad is 100% accurate. It does not claim that Limbaugh said, "Mexicans are stupid and unqualified." What is does is merely translate his 1993 phrase "stupid and unskilled Mexicans" into Spanish. The ad says "...Mexicanos estupidos y no calificados." That is how you say "stupid and unskilled Mexicans" in Spanish. This is as accurate a translation as you can get, folks.
September 17, 2008 8:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope this isn't too late. We collected letters from children for an event to call attention to children as a part of the political decision making. One student said Obama wanted to send his family back to Mexico. I am sure this was a result of the McCain Spanish language ads.
September 17, 2008 9:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope they start running it in other battleground states - there are Latinos in Wisconsin, for example, who were not real happy that Kerry ran almost nothing on Spanish media in 2004 while Bush & Co had much more. I'd bet it's an issue in other swing states with growing Latino populations too - Pennsylvania, Carolina, and others.
September 17, 2008 10:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure there's a whole bevy of other offensive quotes from Rush Limbaugh that can be used to tie him to McCain as well, for pretty much any demographic.
For once, let the Reeps try to distance themselves from their top spokesman! Limbaugh spews hate for a living, and it's time for the Reeps to own that failure of a human being.
September 17, 2008 11:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
For many years no transcripts were made of Limbaugh's show. He spewed into the ether with little or no oversight and accountability.
So if you google for Limbaugh quotes you're not going to get as many hits as you might expect. Only exceptional segments of his show can be found.
Sadly, it's not exceptional for Limbaugh to insult or ridicule individuals or groups.
I vaguely recall some 'watchdog' organization stating that they'd start recording and transcribing a subset of his shows but I couldn't find anything via google that would indicate that this actually occurred.
Note that the simple lack of easily available transcripts has given Limbaugh the ability to get away with a lot of hate speech over the years.
Cute trick.
I think this is the main reason why 'traditional media' dopes such as Brokaw have been able to cozy up to Limbaugh without any blowback...
September 18, 2008 1:48 AM | Reply | Permalink