McCain Scrambles to Control Backers
Local radio talk show host Bill Cunningham introduces John McCain at a campaign event Tuesday in Cincinnati. McCain afterward repudiated comments made by Cunningham seen as disparaging toward Barack Obama. (AP Photo)
Though John McCain vowed that attacks on Barack Obama at his campaign events “will never happen again,” the Republican presidential candidate says he’s concerned he may be unable to control all of his supporters - especially third party groups.
At a rally in Cincinnati Tuesday, McCain denounced the remarks of local radio talk show host Bill Cunningham, who introduced the candidate with several attacks on Obama, including suggesting he is a “hack” who would sit down for tea with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hezbollah terror leaders.
Cunningham also called Obama by his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, during the on-stage introduction. McCain immediately denounced the remarks and promised a civil debate should Obama become the Democratic presidential nominee.
But speaking to reporters aboard his campaign tour bus late Tuesday, McCain acknowledged that conservative independent groups pursuing a similar line to Cunningham’s could be impossible to control.
“I think you have to worry about that, particularly the 527s,” McCain said, referring to the independent advocacy groups that are not subject to contributor limits.
“We’re aware of many of the things that 527s have done … where unlimited amounts of money can pour into negative campaigns such as we saw against John Kerry and his combat record, as we saw against (former Georgia Sen.) Max Cleland … they’re really very not accountable to anyone. At least I have to say ‘I’m John McCain and I approve this message.’”
Some critics blame his signature campaign finance reform legislation, co-sponsored with Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, for the explosion of uncontrolled 527 groups. But, McCain said the law is not the problem and argued that 527 groups were able to sprout up as a result of loophole in a 1974 campaign finance law.
McCain said he would do his best to prevent dirty politicking by his campaign and surrogates.
“The moral of the story is we just have to have stronger control of our campaign. … There is no excuse for what happened today,” he said, adding that his campaign has plans to expand its bare bones staff.
Cunningham says he was told by party officials to give the audience red meat to warm up the crowd that came to see McCain. He says he did and the crowd loved it, but McCain then threw him under the bus. Cunningham says McCain has now lost his support.
“I’m gonna follow the lead of Ann Coulter. I’ve had it with John McCain,” Cunningham told FOX News’ “Hannity & Colmes.”
“I’m going to endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton for president because she would do a better job in the Oval Office, I think, than the liberal John McCain. I’m done with him.”
Cunningham said McCain “embarrassed himself,” and then made up a name of his own for the Arizona senator, “John Juan Pablo McCain,” an apparent reference to McCain’s sponsorship of immigration reform legislation. He added that McCain should be “repudiating Democrats and leaving conservatives alone.”
Meanwhile, as McCain preaches civility, his own campaign put out a call to Obama’s camp to call off Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, who has been attacking McCain for choosing to forgo public campaign financing.
“Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee leadership have launched a personal and negative assault on Senator McCain’s character. Howard Dean himself questioned Senator McCain’s integrity, and a DNC official called McCain a liar,” said Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker.
“We agree with the Obama campaign’s statement today that this debate should be respectful and focused on issues, and it would be encouraging to see Senator Obama denounce the character attacks coming from the leadership of his party.”
FOX News’ Mosheh Oinounou contributed to this report.
I’m a fiscal and social conservative who will probably vote for McCain only because there is no way I would vote for Mr. Obama or Ms Clinton. What the conservative movement needs to do is elect conservative congressmen and women and senators. Because the bottom line is Congress controls the money. The president can only veto or sign and have the big vision, but its congress that controls what does and does not get done. So conservatives lets get the people who will do things right and then but a conservative president in to promote conservative judges.
UpcHuckabee lacks integrity…. To say he is the only true conservative left is not right — there are NO conservatives left. Upchuck raised taxes and cannot be trusted to keep religion out of the office. Go Obama 2008……..
Dear Sir,
I agree with Bill Cunningham’s remarks. We are at a crucial junction in our country;s history. All information should be on the table. Our country deserves a Just Leader. We the strongest Christian Nation in the world. God Almighty has blessed us. I pray that he continues to do so.
How can we be in his favor if we don’t honor him in our government? How can we fight our enemies if He isn’t blessing us? How can we have hope if He isn’t blessing us? It is time to turn over legislation that is not moral and right. It is time to support our families. It is time to support our marriages. It is time to call wrong wrong and right right.
Thank You
Lhrry Hyrne
I’ve thought long and hard about this and can’t bring myself to vote for McCain. I’ll be writing in Mitt Romney in November.
Everytime I try to throw my support behind John Sidney McCain (JSM) he says something stupid, AGAIN! Tell me what Bill Cunningham said that was wrong. McCain whines about 527s by using Kerry and Cleland as examples of people being treated unfairly without mentioning all the garbage the same Soro’s funded groups have said about those in his “OWN” party including President Bush and the troops, Gen Betray Us. Give me a break! It certainly would be nice if politicians were gentleman and ladies but those days are long gone. I fear JSM is going to be standing on his civility pedestal while Dean, Terry McAwful and the forhead Begalla tear him limb from limb and Barak Hussein Obama mops the floor with him. Come on JSM, fight for something besides your “dear friends” in the democratic party!!!
Give me a break. This is not dirty campaigning. Dirty campaining is when you drag the candidate, his family and children through the muck like Obama’s big handlers/supporters did to his Democratic opponent Blair Hull, who had a 27 point lead over Obama before he drug out the mud, and then caused his Republican opponent to withdraw rather than continue to drag his young son through any more. Obama sat on the sidelines, smiling and calm like he is now. Did you hear Obama chastise the NY Times for its smear on John McCain? Obama talks a great story, but he doesn’t walk the talk, which is what we can expect from him as President.
I for one am sick of the politicians who want to censure speech. Senator Kerry got blasted by his fellow soldiers who had a grudge because he lied about their service. For all I know, they may have been telling the truth. Why should they be silenced? Kerry didn’t care that Bush was “Dan Rathered” by a story that was shown to be a fake. What little I saw of Cunningham’s comments, they seem to be right on.
If Obama doesn’t want Hussein as part of his name, then change it. Obama has taken some positions that harken back to Jane Fonda, Sean Penn, and others of the extreem left. It he doesn’t want to be called extreem or stupid, then stop taking stupid and extreem positions.
OK being from N. KY I listen to Bill C on occasion….Lets not act shocked for anyone and I mean ANYONE who lives in this area Cincinnati and outskirts …we know what Bill C is going to say …and even bigger NO SHOCK …he has called Barack by his full name since 2004 …not like he said something out of the norm for him….. So …is it that John McCain maybe used this as a way to direct attention from the New York Time story. OR try to make us conservatices feel all warm and fuzzy about him ? As long as he keeps taking the “high ground” in this campaign the republicans are screwed……Stopping kissing the Dems behind and start challenging them on the issues..I am sick of kissy face!!! This election is too important for us to be diplomatic …. I want details answers and accountability… oh wait … I am in the USA we have mastered the art oof spin only ….
PS if your curious I am a conservative and I hate Mc Cain .. I think he is a joke and personally we are screwed if he wins
Senator McCain is a democrat calliing himself a republican. He is too friendly and supportive of Senator Kennedy and libral demo spending and giving everything to illegals from Mexico and other foreign counties. I cannot vote for Senator McCain. I am an Independent and have no one that reflects my values running for President.
Rajah Kahn go back to your musulem rat hole and shut up Americans have no use for you. Tim Ball that was mighty profound and very thought provoking.
McCain really needs to respond to Huckabee’s invitation to debate. People deserve to know where both candidate stand. McCain has to convince the republicans by debating Huckabee that he is tho right candidate. Unless he does, I don’t think he will win in general election if he is the nominee.