McCain Apologizes for Radio Host’s Obama Comments at Rally

AP ^ | 2/27/08 | fox news

[Billg64]

John McCain apologized Tuesday for disparaging comments about Barack Obama made by talk radio host Bill Cunningham at a McCain campaign rally in Cincinnati. Cunningham, a radio host at WLW-AM, had warmed up the crowd at Memorial Hall with comments about Obama and Hillary Clinton, likening Obama to a “hack, Chicago-style” politician and saying the Illinois senator would “saddle up next to Hezbollah,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il if elected president. When McCain addressed the crowd, he apologized for the remarks. “I regret any comments that may be made about these two individuals (Obama and Clinton) who are honorable Americans,” he said. “We just have strong philosophical differences, and so I want to disassociate myself from any disparaging remarks that may have been said about them.”

[duckln]

McCain is consistently a RINO. Ann Coulter is consistently right

Not true. The GOP has RINOs, McCain is not one. Ann bless her, has slid from being consistently factually right, to being overly prone to ridicule opponents in her every always short paragraphs. It's becoming nauseating to me and IMO counterproductive.

Upshot is, both Cunningham and McCain played their parts within their respective boundaries.

[marinamuffy]

I’ve been trying to cozy up to Mccain, trying to find a way in which I may be able to hold my nose and vote for him, but every time he opens his mouth, it gets more difficult.

I completely agree with your sentiments. I think the only way to be comfortable with voting for McCain is to look at the other side. Which is more distasteful - voting for McCain or tacitly supporting the 'Rat candidate by not voting for him? I concluded that I absolutely can not stomach the thought of contributing to a win for Hildog or OsamaObama (hence the tagline).

marinamuffy

[Joe Boucher]

Mr. Reagan was to much a gentle man to do so.
McLame doe though only when it suits him. He does it to distractors and other senators.
If you heard the story on Hanitys radio show yesterday this guy was asked to fire op the rally in preperation for McLame/ and he did so by simply stating Obammas middle name over and over.

[Billg64]

Hello Tut,
Many of us (conservatives) will be weighing our options in November very seriously. We all will have different reasons for voting the way we will and we should not be disparaging each other over those decisions. Not voting is not a viable option for me,neither is voting for Sens. Obama or Clinton; unfortunately every time he opens his mouth, Senator Mccain diminishes the possibility of getting my vote.

That being said, showing up at the polls is quite important. I will be voting third party or writing in a candidate; I feel the the two parties are not offering up a candidate worth my vote. I will be voting for and supporting conservatives for congressional seats and state offices, there is no gubernatorial race in my state.

Forty CONSERVATIVE senators can block socialist legislation and judge appointments; CONSERVATIVE governors can illustrate conservative principals in action and lead voters back to sane thinking; CONSERVATIVE state officers can legislate conservative laws and show constituents that conservatism works.

A conservative commitment to show up and vote will help our country to make it through the very trying times coming -and they are coming, it does not matter if the president wears a D or an R.

[Goreknowshowtocheat]

Juan McCain, as he walked away, was heard saying “those stupid conservatives, why do I have to appear with them, I have spent 8 years making apoologies for their agenda”. You are right, the name calling should stop.

[CharlesWayneCT]

The man was speaking at the McCain rally. Since McCain arranged for him to speak, McCain was apologizing for remarks that were personal in nature and would be considered intemperate for senators.

We don;’t like it, (well a lot of you don’t like it), but the population that is going to vote for McCain like that he tries to remain civil about his politics, or at least keeps up that perception, which for elections is reality.

Note he did not attack the talk show host, he simply apologized for the remarks.

[Pravious]

Better watch out. McCain will draft a law declaring that the unauthorized use of a candidate’s full name, if any of that name might be taken negatively by the American public, is “hate speech,” and therefore cannot be uttered in public discourse.

McCain will lead the charge... when he’s back to being a Senator after his 50 state loss to the slick-tongued one.

[Pravious]

He kind of looks like Christopher Pike in the Star Trek pilot... AFTER being disabled, of course.

[expatguy]

What a pussy.

[r9etb]

Cunningham’s blistering comments were carried by national news media, including CNN. Cunningham said later that he stood by his comments. In his speech at Memorial Hall, he threw his support behind McCain, but later, after McCain repudiated his comment, he told his radio audience on WLW that he had “had it with McCain. I’m going to throw my support to Hillary Rodham Clinton.”

Which tells us everything we need to know about Mr. Cunningham. Stomps off in a tizzy when called on the carpet. Can dish it out, but cannot take it.

[MBB1984]

Thanks for the link. Cunningham’s comments are so mild, I am almost surprised the McCain apologized. But, then I realized, he is just Soro’s leftist surrogate. He will do anything but attack his fellow leftists.

[evad]

The man was speaking at the McCain rally. Since McCain arranged for him to speak, ...

ahhh...makes more sense.

[stockstrader]

McCain sure knows how to pi** off his base!!

Exactly what was it that Cunningham said that was so bad--that it required an apology????

[DesScorp]

John McCain is a puss. Obama comes from the Chicago political machine... these people turn firehouses on their own supporters. He’s gonna murder McCain in the general election.

[MBB1984]

McCain is not a Rino. McCain makes Rinos look conservative.

McCain is a leftist nut.

[drubyfive]

Fred Dalton Trumbo

[Tut]

It's as easy as snot to cut and past old stuff. Here is one.

When questioned about his statement during an appearance with host Chris Matthews on MSNBC's Hardball a few days later, Senator McCain said he felt that the Herald had presented his words out of context:

MATTHEWS: Senator McCain, here's what you said about the Republican Party in the Boston Herald: "I believe my party has gone astray. I think the Democratic Party is a fine party, and I have no problems with it, in their views and their philosophy." Did the Herald get you right?

MCCAIN: No.

MATTHEWS: You didn't say that?

MCCAIN: I said that, but let me put it in the proper context. I was speaking to some constituents of Congressman Marty Meehan. The question [was]: Why don't you run as Senator Kerry's running mate? I am a Teddy Roosevelt Republican and [an] Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt Republican. I will not leave my party.

Now I think that the Democratic Party is a fine party. I still think we need a two-party system in this country. I don't want to be a Democrat. I'm proud of my party and its heritage. That article in the Boston Herald was the most taken out of context, several quotes, some of which you'll probably give me ...

MATTHEWS: No, I think we've had enough here.

MCCAIN: It was incredible. I mean, I said I don't want to leave my party. I love my party. I think it's gone astray. Sure I think it's gone astray on climate change, pork barrel spending. Take a look at this highway bill that they just [ran] through the House. They're trying to attack the energy bill, the pork barrel energy bill, on this problem of taxation of corporation overseas. I mean, the deficit is now $7 trillion. I think that that is a party gone astray.

Last updated: 1 February 2008

Now the question is, did The Boston Herald really take McCains quote out of context or didn't they and if they did, why do you suppose they did.

Yea.... all that spending was one of McCains peeves and kinda mine too. I assume you are fine with it.

I mean.... if you REALLY need to troll to find what you can to smear a guy, knock your socks off. I personally have no need to stoop to that level.

[Tut]

There ya go! I’ll be doing both.... even though my state is a GOP rich state,

I am actually counting on the dems to dump on McCain one time too many and I think he’ll turn a hard right in the result. The dems have a way of crapping all over everyone that doesn’t carry their watter for them.

[roses of sharon]

Hardly old, since he has just secured the nomination, but you know that I’m sure. As we all have been listining to McCain, for decades, no sense in trying to pretend he was taken out of context.

But, since you asked, here is a NEW interview (with a foreign paper) with “our” guy, denouncing OUR President of the United States as not credible, a torturer, a human rights abuser, a polluter of the earth, and damaging to the world.

He promises, if elected to apologize to the world for GWB, Iraq, and Gitmo.

He promises to declare to the world that there are lines he WILL NOT CROSS TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, in interrogations of the enemy.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,534459,00.html

SPIEGEL: Senator McCain, Europe is reserving a lot of hope for the next president of the United States. Will you try to win back trust in America around the world?

McCain: I know most of the leaders in Europe and other parts of the world and I have a long record of my positions and my ability to work together with our allies. I think I will start out with a level of credibility.

SPIEGEL: America has lost a lot of friends because President George W. Bush angered, indeed outraged, them. He allowed human rights to be violated at Guantanamo Bay, and he dismissed the joint effort to combat global warming. Under a President McCain, could we expect a change of course?

McCain: Yes. I would announce that we are not ever going to torture anyone held in American custody. I would announce that we were closing Guantanamo Bay and moving those prisoners to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and I would announce a commitment to addressing climate change and my dedication to a global agreement — but it has to include India and China.

SPIEGEL: So is America coming back to renegotiate the Kyoto Protocol?

McCain: I believe America is going to enter into negotiations to try to reach a global agreement. But, as I said, that agreement must include India and China, two of the emerging economies of the world. We would be foolish not to do so.

SPIEGEL: Will America attempt to go it alone less frequently in the future?

McCAIN: Well, we all hope that America will be multilateral again in the future. There were times when the United States acted unilaterally, but I think we would all prefer to work in concert with our friends and allies.

SPIEGEL: What role will the United Nations play? Bush always ignored the UN.

McCain: The United Nations always plays an important role. But right now we are having to deal with a Russia that is clearly intent on blocking action. That’s why the UN must act in a league of democracies that share our values and our common principles.

More.....

[fish hawk]

I’m in the same boat as you. I detest the man but would be willing to vote for him just because of this: Supreme Court Judges in the future. The radio host was a true right wing conservative and McIdiot is turning his back on him. This is going to lose a lot of “hold your nose” votes.