McCain campaign responds: 'Hysterical diatribe'

politico.com ^ | 05/16/08 | bensmith

[TornadoAlley3]

This general election campaign is getting off to a rollicking start.

From McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds:

It was remarkable to see Barack Obama’s hysterical diatribe in response to a speech in which his name wasn’t even mentioned.

These are serious issues that deserve a serious debate, not the same tired partisan rants we heard today from Senator Obama. Senator Obama has pledged to unconditionally meet with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- who pledges to wipe Israel off the map, denies the Holocaust, sponsors terrorists, arms America’s enemies in Iraq and pursues nuclear weapons. What would Senator Obama talk about with such a man? It would be a wonderful thing if we lived in a world where we don’t have enemies.

But that is not the world we live in, and until Senator Obama understands that, the American people have every reason to doubt whether he has the strength, judgment and determination to keep us safe.

Oddly, McCain's response also contained the claim he'd distorted Defense Secretary Robert Gates' willingness to meet the leaders of Iran, but didn't contest Obama's point that McCain had suggested meeting with Hamas.

UPDATE: Cancel that. The McCain campaign sends over video of a second 2006 interview from the same day in Davos in which, unlike in his interview with Jamie Rubin, McCain suggests that aid and the peace process can only "resume" when Hamas agrees to "renounce" their commitment to the state of Israel.

That's a different tone, though it doesn't really contradict the the first interview, in which McCain was asked directly about American diplomats meeting with Hamas, and seemed to answer in the affirmative.

[massgopguy]

This is why I don’t like voting for people younger than me for higher office and haven’t for quite some time and I’m only 50. Arrogant senses of entitlement and youthful zealotry do not a good candidate make.

[Brilliant]

Obama’s temper is worse than McCain’s.

[Jeff Head]

This guy is an absolute idiot, or an absolute quisling. My vote is on the latter.

There are 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan who differ with Obama...they are free to do so now because of Bush.

There has not been a major terror attack on our soil since 911, because of Bush and taking the fight to the enemy on their turf.

...and in the process, Iran, who is the chief sponsor of terror, is surrounded by our forces now, who are ready to attack should we need to.

Obama would have the world still living with Saddam Hussein, and an inabaility for us to respond to either him or Iran...and he calls that world safer.

I pray the American people will have the wisdom to see the difference.

BARACK HUSSEIN CHAMBERLAIN

[river rat]

Obama will NEVER pull that “appeaser” shoe out of his A$$..

[henkster]

Obama is a whiny little girl, running to his mommy (the MSM) because he thinks the mean girls said bad things about him. WAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

[CougarGA7]

What I want to know is how long until Obama’s rant is posted on youtube so I can see it.

It feels like waiting for a movie premeir.

[DuncanWaring]

This guy is an absolute idiot, or an absolute quisling.

Those two are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

[Retired Greyhound]

Obama is a little B**ch!

[Lancey Howard]

Obama’s temper is worse than McCain’s.

"Temper? You don't know from temper, home. You shut your mouth or I will cut you."

[Enchante]

"This guy is an absolute idiot, or an absolute quisling. My vote is on the latter."

Choosing between A and B, my answer is "all of the above" -- btw, great photo!! Although it is quite arguable that Demagogues like Obama are much worse than Chamberlain because they have learned nothing from the past 70 years of history. Chamberlain did not have his own catastrophic example to learn from, but what excuse do our Demagogues have left?

[CougarGA7]

I wonder...

[RoseofTexas]

HEHEHEHHE...I like her better in the AUNT ESTHER pic!

[Domandred]

[unkus]

Michelle looks like she could get real mean real quick.

[edpc]

That's a different tone, though it doesn't really contradict the the first interview, in which McCain was asked directly about American diplomats meeting with Hamas, and seemed to answer in the affirmative.

The press is demonstrably wrong, here. No, the answer did not seem to be anything of the sort. Rubin's article ran in today's Washington Post and has the following quote from McCain:

McCain answered: "They're the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so . . . but it's a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that."

When you acknowledge Hamas as the locally elected government and say you will have to "deal with them, one way or another," that's a lot different than stating you'll have one-on-one, unconditional negotiations with the head of the said (terrorist) group.

The Left is flailing in the dark on this one. They know Obama is weak on defense issues and has stepped in it big time. They'll beat this mantra into the ground about how McCain wanted to talk to Hamas (probably on the Sunday shows) and try to make it stick through sheer repetition.

[HamiltonJay]

Every time this schrub opens his mouth he shows himself to be a bigger child... Fauxbama is on his way to making McGovern look like a winner.

[edpc]

She always reminded me of Flip Wilson's "Geraldine" character.

[CaliforniaCon]

Oh, that is too funny! Jostled me out of my heat-induced stupor here in So. Cal.

Sure hope we don’t have to tolerate even one term of that lovely (not) couple, the Obaminations.

[upchuck]

Obamanoresume.