Obama Camp Chides Host Who Called McCain a ‘Warmonger’
Barack Obama’s campaign distanced itself Saturday from a liberal talk show host who called John McCain a “warmonger” while introducing the Illinois senator at a North Dakota campaign stop the night before, after the McCain campaign called on Obama to denounce the comment.
Local talk show host Ed Schultz used the term to describe the Arizona senator while warming up the crowd in Grand Forks, N.D., before Obama’s arrival at the state’s Democratic convention.
“John McCain is not a warmonger and should not be described as such,” Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Saturday. She added, “He’s a supporter of a war that Senator Obama believes should have never been authorized and never been waged.”
The campaign stressed that Obama was not present when the “warmonger” comment was made and that Schultz is not a campaign surrogate.
That wasn’t enough for the McCain campaign, which pressed Obama to personally repudiate Schultz.
“Barack Obama promises a new brand of politics, but today refused to directly denounce Ed Schultz and his vicious smear attack on John McCain. John McCain is committed to a civil debate worthy of the American people and has a record of standing by that commitment,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds. “Senator Obama must personally and publicly repudiate his campaign supporter’s attacks — rather than give tacit approval to this blatant smear — or his rhetoric of change will be exposed as nothing but words.”
The McCain campaign likens the insult to the language used by conservative radio talk show host Bill Cunningham, who rallied the crowd for McCain in Cincinnati, Ohio, in late February by repeatedly invoking Obama’s middle name, “Hussein,” mocking him as a “hack” and suggesting that as president he’d cozy up to Hezbollah and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. McCain condemned Cunningham, prompting a fierce response from the talk show host.
On Friday, however, Obama thanked Schultz and called him the “voice of progressive radio.” Obama also appeared as a guest on his radio show earlier in the week.
Without realizing Obama’s campaign had commented on the matter, McCain said Saturday afternoon in Prescott, Ariz., that Schultz’ “kind of language is unnecessary for this campaign.”
“I hope that in keeping with the spirit of Senator Obama that they … will condemn such language since it was a part of his campaign,” he said.
After learning about Cunningham’s incendiary comments from advisers after the February event, McCain rebuked and disassociated himself with the talk show host minutes later at a press conference. The presumptive GOP nominee repeatedly has vowed to run a “respectful” race and campaign officials were attempting to draw a contrast between McCain’s quick condemnation of Cunningham’s remarks and Obama’s reaction.
FOX News’ Mosheh Oinounou contributed to this report.
It seem to me Obama is in a catagory of one. He can say anything, and who cares?!The media, if I didn’t know better, I would think most were on Oprah’s payroll, to elect Obama at any cost, so she could have a means to an end of getting Obama to the whitehouse. Msnbc, and cnn act like Obama hung the moon, and Hillary reached up there and jerked it out of the Heaven’s to spite him —- I just don’t get it! —- Why do so many media people want an inexperienced guy, who has not proven himself in the Senate, to get anywhere near the Whitehouse?!—-This is scary stuff folks!!!! — Amanda in Eastern NC.
Nick on April 5th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
“…More cheese with the whine ?
If McCain can’t brush off Ed Schultz’s remarks, how will he stand up to Al-Qaida?”
What logic! We’re all Americans, we’re supposed to be together in this. Democrat/Republican is not the same as Democrat/Al-Qaeda or Republican/Al-Qaeda. We don’t need to stand up to malicious remarks from each other so we’ll be ready to stand up to terrorists. McCain has pledged to run a respectful campaign. He took responsibility and acted immediately in the case of the out of bounds conservative talk show host who mocked Obama. Obama’s people need to be held accountable for their remarks, not have them brushed off. Asking for some R-E-S-P-E-C-T is not whining.
McCain only knows war. He bombed dams, bridges, hospitals and maybe a few military targets in a country that wanted the Japanese out, Chinese out, French out, Americans out. People who just wanted to be free. We supported under the guise of freedom a corrupt bunch of criminals that stripped and raped their country for their own evil lust and greed. Yet McCain thinks we should have “fought for the honor” of these guys.
Iraq is the same deal - the Sunni are fighting because one side - the US backed prime minister and his bunch wants to open their nation to permanent US bases and give the oil to private companies which is the genesis of the problems in the first place in the Mid East going back to Nasser and the real origins of Israel. The other side - the so-called insane cleric Sadr - is nationalist and wants no US bases and wants to control their own resources.
Imagine the temerity of some dark-skinned people not wanting to bend over and spread ‘em for Bush and his corrupt cronies who have made a mockery of our nation at home and abroad and looted the treasure while reaming the constitution that myself and others have fought for.
Jeez. McCain, like Bush, will, in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. bring the judgment of the lord down on our nation. With McCain, we will continue to be “the greatest purveyor of violence on the planet.”
Vote Obama or get ready to cry for the future of your children. Imagine, American boat people setting sail for a China dominated South America, stowing away on ships for Europe, or just reduced to being a service economy like Jamaica. That is what awaits no matter what names you call me - liberal, commie, radical puke, phony conservative, traitor.
I remember John McCain appearing very often on CNN in the three weeks leading up to the start of the Iraq war. There was an incident in this period when two men were arrested in southern Turkey near the Syrian border with metal bars in their truck. One suspected that these bars contained uranium and that Iraq was the ultimate destination of these bars. McCain did not question this suggestion at all. He went on and on about it. According to him, it was another fact which showed that the world could not wait any longer. (At the the time there were UN weapons inspectors at work in Iraq.) It was of vital importance that the dictator should be ‘taken out’ as soon as possible.
Everyone who’s interested should study how wars begin. Often any rumor is used to stoke up the fire. McCain certainly played a role in the run-up to this one.
By the way, the charges against the two men were dropped. The suspicions against them turned out to be nonsense. They were set free afterwards.
Obama is just speaking the truth!
A vote for Senator McCain is a vote for the return of an inevitable draft. I agree with Mr. Schultz.
perhaps anna should try living in a 3 rd world country with left wing ideas wonder how long she would last……..not long
McCain often denies the truth, claiming in some cases to have opinions opposite to what his voting record, and older public comments have been. Suggesting that the USA may have to stay in Iraq for a Century is warmongering, and there is nearly no other interpretation to put on that remark. McCain would be labeled “flip flopper” if it were not for his consistent hair trigger rage, and his willingness to take drastic action to silence opposition.
The greatest thing about America is our political process, where all candidates are spotlighted by the media, and get to answer what their true “heart of hearts” principles, values & beliefs really are, … Then based on their ‘honest’ words, … prior associations, ….past history, … and present actions,…. We get to decide who we think is best for our vision of the Future.
obama has 2 ways of doing things….
his way and his way again
i hate obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
people, he has not scrupples. it is going to get ugly and obama is behind all of it!!!!!!!!