McCain Declines To Condemn Virginia Republican's Comparison Of Obama And Osama
This seems like it might make a bit of news today. At the end of an interview with a small TV station in Virginia yesterday afternoon, John McCain declined to condemn a Virginia Republican's comparison of Barack Obama to Osama Bin Laden, saying he needed "more context" first.
McCain was asked about comments by Virginia GOP chairman Jeff Frederick, who told McCain campaign volunteers that Obama and Osama "both have friends that bombed the Pentagon." Here's McCain's response:
QUESTION: The chair of the Republican Party in Virginia has said, quote, in Time magazine, "both Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden have friends that have bombed the Pentagon. That is scary." Is that appropriate for a state party chair to be saying?MCCAIN: "I have to look at the context of his remarks. I have always repudiated any comments that have been made that were inappropriate about Senator Obama. The fact is that William Ayers was a terrorist and bomber and unrepentant. I don't care about that. But Senator Obama ought be the candid and truthful about his relationship with Mr. Ayers in whose living room Senator Obama launched his campaign and Senator Obama said he was just a guy in the neighborhood."
(Via Raising Kaine.) As you can see, McCain's questioner read him the whole quote. What more context would he need?
McCain's campaign over the weekend issued a statement kinda sorta distancing itself from the Virginia Republican's comments: "While Barack Obama is associated with domestic terrorist William Ayers, the McCain campaign disagrees with the comparison that Jeff Frederick made." Now McCain himself has proven unable to even do that.
Respectful...
Late Update: Here's the video:
all, can you let us know what you're experiencing today?
October 13, 2008 9:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Is there a new thing where all posts to the cafe section need approval of the blog writer? I tried to post a comment twice this morning, both have not shown up.
October 13, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
I could not log in as my old Username, LarsThorwald, so I had to recreate an account. Which may be for the best. Because LarsThorwald was not a nice man.
October 13, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Everything's running well for me.
October 13, 2008 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Although, I notice now that my avatar's Afro has been cut down to size...
October 13, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
As well as Henry's eyes and ear.
Henry would not approve. He is very proud of the way he looks.
October 13, 2008 1:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
A huge mess so far, Greg. After posting a comment, I'm being redirected to pages that make no sense at all (like other peoples' myTPM Blog pages). My comments are showing up on the page I've commented on but not in the comments section of my own myTPM page.
Disappointed not to see a consistent interface for posts and comments. Formatting buttons everywhere or nowhere at all, please.
October 13, 2008 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
The redirection problem seems to be fixed. Comments still not showing up on the myTPM page.
October 13, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
I take that back. I just got redirected to someone else's myTPM Blog page after submitting a comment.
October 13, 2008 1:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
It was tpmgary's page. Here's the error message:
Publish error in template 'Comment Response': Error in tag: error in module User Blog - Comment Response: Publish error in template 'User Blog - Comment Response': Error in tag: Can't find included file '/var/www/html/domains/talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/tpmgary/blog_profile_sidebar.php'
October 13, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
You think that's weird? The past couple of days, I've been clicking on certain blogs and they come up as written by someone else entirely. My recent blog became Jan Knaus's. One of Billy's was Loki's. Freaked me out. ;)
October 13, 2008 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
PS: I just had to log in again.
October 13, 2008 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Love the Preview function. And I've got my avatar back. Meow.
October 13, 2008 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Authentication is really slow.
October 13, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just posted a comment to someone else's post. My comment shows up in my dashboard, but not on the post I commented on.
October 13, 2008 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just posted a comment to someone else's post. My comment shows up in my dashboard, but not on the post I commented on.
October 13, 2008 1:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I guess that means so much for the dialing it back -
I've signed in 3 times, Greg. We'll see if this posts -
October 13, 2008 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well I see my avatar is now the same as Greg's -
October 13, 2008 10:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Greater unity through common avatars...
October 13, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
I went with a whole new username and a new avatar (that of unrepentant song and dance man Donald O'Connor).
Because change is good.
October 13, 2008 11:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
ask and ye shall receive:
PREVIEW!
October 13, 2008 10:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I noticed! Thank you.
What are we doing about our avatars?
And Wow! Krugman won the Nobel - I didn't even know he was on the list.
That's just incredible - someone I sorta know (not really) won the Nobel. Congratulations, Krugman!
October 13, 2008 10:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Greatly appreciated! Thanks!
October 13, 2008 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seems to be working. and congrats to Krugman!
Alas, I have Greg's avatar, not my cute little barking terrier.
October 13, 2008 10:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, we all have the same avatar!
'
LOL!
October 13, 2008 10:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Preview? Cool!
And hey, the avatar looks just like me, except I gave up pipes.
Oh yeah, and as for McCain, that soon-to-be-irrelevent desperate old twit, let's just see if he manages to bring any of this up to Obama's face at the debate.
October 13, 2008 10:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
McLame is so fucking lame he can't even make a mild threat without lodging both feet firmly in his mouth.
Whip? I know he wasn't thinking when he said that but that's what I mean - he doesn't think.
October 13, 2008 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
McLame is so fucking lame he can't even make a mild threat....
Laughing out loud literally. You have a way with words Tena. And with contempt. Love it.
October 13, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hate to sound vindictive, but I have to agree with something Markos (of Daily Kos) wrote the other day. It is not enough just to win. We must break their backs, crush them, run every one of the Armani suited charlatans out of town.
October 13, 2008 10:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
How are those of you with your avatars back getting them to work?
Please?
October 13, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
As much as I'd like to agree with you (and I really, truly do in my heart of hearts), I think that single party rule is not a good prescription for democracy. It's past time to ashcan the Republicans, but we still need a party or two of loyal opposition. I don't think that there are any other parties out there that are big enough to match the Democratic juggernaught at the moment. So, I think we'll need to keep the lame repubs around for a cycle or two until we can grow some others to keep the Dems honest.
October 13, 2008 11:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
I want to hear the lamentations of their women on election night. Except for Lindsey Graham and Governor Crist. Because, well, you know.
October 13, 2008 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
No offense to you or to Kos, but I just want to win.
We're going to sweep the country and have the White House and the majority.
The Repug Party is totally broken and will have to rebuild.
October 13, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
The rebuilding is an interesting concept.
Didn't the republicans used to have a valid core set of beliefs, which the sane ones still support, rather than what they see as the negative aspects of the Democrats beyond just 'rampant liberalism'?
If they rebuild, will it be as a party returning to those core principles of methods of governance, rather than core principles of bigotry, hate, and cronyism under the deceptively wholesome banner of principles which are held dear by the ignorant and backward?
Hopefully this election will be the proof that there is no more place in politics for hate, that the bigot demographic just doesn't have as many votes as the sane part of the nation... And when they stop courting that demographic, we can maybe see a welcome return to the conflict between loftier (but still diametrically opposed) ideaologies...
...A man can dream.
October 13, 2008 11:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I want to be the smoking salon guy, too.
October 13, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Awesome!
October 13, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is quite an elitist avatar for everyone at TPM to use.
October 13, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
I kinda like me with an 18th C powdered wig.
Anyway, so the theory is: we crank the Wurlitzer to the max and make Obama apologize and disavow etc etc etc for the last 3 weeks of the campaign. Put 'im on defense! Yeah! Only the old surefire recipe, venerable as it is, just doesn't seem to be working. Nobody's taking 'em seriously and nobody's being forced to apologize except McCain, rather fecklessly, for turning his campaign into the Hate Talk Express. God how that must burn.
I'm reminded of Moe Greene: "The Corleone Family don't even have that kind of muscle anymore." Only in this case it's actually true. Must be frustrating as all blazes to keep pumping away on those organ pedals and watching Obama's numbers edging up into Historic Realignment Territory.
October 13, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
I kinda like me with an 18th C powdered wig.
What's in the pipe that he's smoking???
October 13, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
all, we're working on the avatar problem
October 13, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ok - I'll shut up about the avatars!
This is really nice, Greg. Don't mean to bitch.
McLame has us where he wants us - LOL! I was looking at ledes at googlenews and I'm seeing that Palin has exactly 2 weeks to come clean, quit lying and tell us who she is.
Which is not going to happen -
October 13, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, and I'm sure being down 2 in North Dakota three weeks out is exactly where McCain wants to be.
October 13, 2008 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I keep getting a message stating that my post will be reviewed by site administrators before being posted (or something to that effect)...
October 13, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Jonze,
I was getting the same thing. I found that you need to update your password. You can keep the same one, but you have to reenter it on your "edit profile" feature, and add a password recovery hint, and then you will be able to post like you always did.
October 13, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, not anymore...
October 13, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
"As you can see, McCain's questioner read him the whole quote. What more context would he need?"
He needs to check the guy's official RNC "Under the bus" rating. He might still be useful, and McCain needs to check first.
October 13, 2008 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Testing. Let me know if you folks can see this image. It is a good one. Take a gander at it. Ah, gwan, gwan, gwan, gwan. It will make you smile.
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/6/N/2/terrorist-pals.jpg
October 13, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
I smiled!
I chuckled, too.
October 13, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Test.
October 13, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Retest
October 13, 2008 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think Grampa needs another visit from the Secret Service. The fact that he does not realize or, worse, care how incendiary all this could be a sign of incipient senility. (That make you happy, Sarah?)
October 13, 2008 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whoa. I got through. Let's see if my old login works now.
October 13, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Mine did.
October 13, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Damn. Still won't let me login with my old name.
October 13, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Testing 1,2,3...
October 13, 2008 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hello? Is this thing on?
October 13, 2008 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
You have your avatar! Lucky Schrodinger!
I watched 2 hours on TV on Time and string theory last night, which always brings up your handle....
October 13, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's fascinating stuff, isn't it?
After sweating through two semesters of quantum mechanics, I will also add that it is humbling as well.
October 13, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
TPM like Shro's avatar...
and Nate thinks McCain is gonna reboot to become a mavericky maverick. Again.
October 13, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whee! I'm back on.
I don't know if it'll work for everyone, but I went on my profile page and reloaded my avatar which seemed to work; but then, all of my posts began disappearing into the ether....don't know if the two are related.
October 13, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
So, is this the new discussion forum, or is this the old one? I'm praying it's still the old one.
October 13, 2008 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
We don't just need a preview we need an EDIT button, to edit our posts after if we have made a mistake.
October 13, 2008 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seconded...
October 13, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nah. I don't like the "edit function" idea. It'd allow people (read: trolls) to go back and edit posts after people have responded.
October 13, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just stop feeding the trolls my friend and that won't be a problem anymore.
October 13, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't feed them. Others do.
October 13, 2008 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
There's no way for only the writer of a post to edit?
October 13, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's an easy thing to prevent. You don't let people edit their posts once someone has replied. Plenty of blogs do it that way.
October 13, 2008 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, if you preview your post, you should notice any mistakes, spelling or otherwise, then.
October 13, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
You can edit them, you have to go back to Blog Now in order to manage previous posts.
October 13, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
NO edit! We don't need no stinkin' edit!
Posting a comment is going on the record. Trying to change the record of what you've said is just too, too Republican.
If you're too lazy to preview and proofread (as I often am), you can clarify your meaning with a reply to your own comment.
October 13, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not only did McCain not condemn the attack, he responded with the same attack using slightly less inflammatory terms.
I don't know what polls they are looking at that makes them believe keeping this up is going to help.
October 13, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
F**k McCain, he is a racist and a liar.
October 13, 2008 10:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
John McCain POA (Prisoner Of Anger)
October 13, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Awww come on people, "whipping his ass" is so common in America if you think something is racial about that you are way to oversensative. I am biracial and I take totally no offense to that.
October 13, 2008 10:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't think he meant it that way and I don't think he was thinking but it was a terrible choice of words which just is more evidence that the man never thinks before he does something - including open his mouth.
Yeah, what's he going to say to someone like Putin that's going to set off an incident?
October 13, 2008 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree, and I think that McCain helped Obama by saying it, because now McCain has raised the debate expectations level on himself sky high. Now all Obama has to do, is let McCain flail away, and make a fool of himself.
October 13, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with that - McLame is fucked if he does try to go after Obama and fucked if he doesn't. He keeps painting himself into that corner.
October 13, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Still no comments from my side of universe.
October 13, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Belay my last.
October 13, 2008 10:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
BTW, I am in CA, got my absentee on Friday, and have voted for Obama. Best vote of my life.
October 13, 2008 10:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm going to go do that today - I'm going to go use a friend's FAX and see if I can't get them to fax my ballot rather than mail it- the mail is so bad here I'm scared shitless I won't get the ballot in time.
October 13, 2008 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink
Have them mail it to your hubby, then have him FedEx it to ya?
October 13, 2008 12:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
testing
October 13, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Temporary icon.
They sure are smaller than they used to be, huh?
October 13, 2008 10:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's good. More comments, less scrolling.
October 13, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's sad to see most of you have the same avatars: You don't have distinct identity. I will wait until they fix this thing.
Has anyone heard anything from private back door channel with TPM about this avatar mess?
October 13, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think it's all a part Obama's secret plan to socialize this country.
October 13, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Don't be afraid. Come, join us. It's beautiful here where we all look the same.
October 13, 2008 10:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Regarding avatars, you have to re-upload it is all. At least that worked on my end - though you needed to provide a password hint in order for the changes to process.
October 13, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
I did everything but upload the pic and I don't know where the pic is - I'll have go through my files and see if I can find it.
October 13, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah. My avatar uploaded no problem.
October 13, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dang it! Operator? Hello operator? Sheesh! Frickin NSA wiretapping equipment must be causing too big a voltage drop...
October 13, 2008 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
I need some help with the new software. On the Dashboard feature:
How do I mount a plastic Jesus on it?
I don't care if it rains or freezes,
'Long as I got my plastic Jesus,
On the Dashboard of my car.
October 13, 2008 10:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm tempted to keep this guy as my avatar. I was getting sick of my lipstick-on-a-pig-McCain anyway.
Otherwise, works fime for me. Thanks Greg.
October 13, 2008 10:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
D'OH! - Works For me! Dammit. Still have to learn to read.
October 13, 2008 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's a cool avatar. Keep it through the election!
October 13, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's a cool avatar. Keep it through the election!
October 13, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Damn "Not Enough Nodes" message again. But the comment (first time) went through anyway.
October 13, 2008 12:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
If I switched it up so can you bro, no brain homer for me. I was actually looking for the one where he votes for Obama but no luck.
October 13, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
What happened to my on topic comment?
October 13, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's play guilt by association. President Bush was close friends with the head of royal family of Saudi Arabia, the country where 15 of 19 9/11 jihadist came from. They invested in George Bush's failed company in the '80s. The royal family is very close to the bin laden family, that is Osama bin Laden's family.
Bush is the grandson of Senator Prescott Bush, one of the members of a group that help Hitler during the before and during WW II. His assets were seized by the US government in 1942 under the Trading with the Enemy Act.
October 13, 2008 10:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Jeff Frederick's from my county in Virginia. Used to be a state delegate. Keep it up Jeffie.
October 13, 2008 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Everyone, if you are looking for your old avatar file, you can get it this way:
If your profile is "Name,"
1) do a google search with "tpm Name" (no quotes in the search);
2) when the list of sites comes up, find the one that has your profile and click "Cached."
3) The cached file will have the avatar, which you can click and save.
October 13, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Of course, uploading may be a different story....
October 13, 2008 11:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
That's interesting. The right side of my avatar is cut off.
Not that I mind losing Texarkana and Port Arthur, but....
October 13, 2008 11:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Test
October 13, 2008 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
You could play guilt by association on a national scale. The entire history of the Cold War was shaped by the US promoting the world's meanest tyrants and crooks because we could control them. You have Pinochet, Sadam Hussein's, the Taliban (even, yet), that guy now residing in the twelfth basement from Panama, whom we later could not control, and so on. John Foster Dulles used to say, "They may be bad guys, but at least they are our bad guys."
Does that make us a bad nation? Oops. Point taken.
October 13, 2008 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
McCain's new fangled speech is still pretty lame and out of touch. not much has changed despite the shiny, new stump speech. Still the same old McCain with the same old policies and same old politics.
October 13, 2008 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Let's not forget, in all this condemnation of Ayers, that John McCain was bombing and napalming civilians in an illegal and immoral war, committing atrocities not unlike those that were and are being committed by US, coalition, and Nato forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. At the time, I objected to Ayers tactics, not his opposition to the Vietnam war. In my book, McCain was the bigger criminal. And yes, we should support our troops, but just like Iraq, they shouldn't have been there in the first place. McCain was "only carrying out orders," but he and the perpetrators of other atrocities in other wars in the 20th century didn't have to follow those orders. McCain was a POW because he deserved to be a POW.
October 13, 2008 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
"But Senator Obama ought be the candid and truthful about his relationship with Mr. Ayers in whose living room Senator Obama launched his campaign."
Another lie from McDumbnuts. Needless to say, he did not launch his presidential campaign from Ayers's living room. He had a meet-and-greet for his state senate campaign.
October 13, 2008 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Testing, testing...
Ok, I'll say something, too.
McCain is losing.
He's sunk, and is grasping at whatever floating planks from the Titanic he can find. But none will keep him above water for long.
October 13, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yay! I get the torch weilding masses for my avatar = those are the Joe 6 Packs I'd like Palin to meet. heh heh.
October 13, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I'm going to spam on here a second.
Felons may get the right to vote. Legislation is has just been brought up. I thought I'd let you all know since it comes up here every so often. I blogged on DKos about it yesterday.
Here's the link:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/12/20232/533
Tena: Another reason to like my favorite Senator.
October 13, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
My favorite part of McCain's new line on Ayers is when he says, "He's a terrorist and a bomber, unrepentant. And I don't care about that!" It's such a bizarre line of attack. You can't be half in and half out of the muck, McCain. Just pick one and commit to it. Jeez.
October 13, 2008 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ayers was blowing up stuff while I was a POW in the Hanoi Hilton. But I don't talk about that.
October 13, 2008 12:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
test
October 13, 2008 11:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
McShame in VA Beach... If THAT was his last stab at resurrecting his campaign, I mean jeez. C'mon. Haha.
October 13, 2008 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Testing, testing, is thing on?
October 13, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is there even one f*****g reason that no one EVER asks this slimebag coward what he believes Obama is hiding? He's just such a f*****g coward. This man is beginning to get me unhinged every time I see him speak on a video.
October 13, 2008 12:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think he is hiding the fact that the 40 year post terrorist Ayers is now Professor Ayers at a major univeristy, on several charity boards, and has received an award from the mayor. Scary fellow this Ayers, truly scary...
October 13, 2008 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's hiding behind a microphone on the podium at a campaign rally in Toledo, OH.
Yeah, I know BigO is skinny, but a mic stand just isn't enough cover, even for him!
October 13, 2008 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
If McCain can't tell the difference between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden , how is he ever gonna track him down to the gates of hell?
October 13, 2008 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
But will he condemn the comparison of himself to Tim Conway?
October 13, 2008 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
wow, preview! Rock on, TPM.
I find it interesting that McCain "doesn't care" about Ayres, in and for his own record. At least, that seems to be the gist of what he's saying:
McCain's issue, then, seems to be only that Obama hasn't been "candid and truthful" about the relationship. So... huh? McCain doesn't care about what Ayers did. But if what Ayers did wasn't a problem, why does Obama need to be "candid and truthful" about it?
How does this "guilt-by-association" thing work, again?
October 14, 2008 1:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
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December 16, 2009 6:09 AM | Reply | Permalink