Posted on 02/26/2008 11:37:45 AM PST by indcons
CINCINNATI (AP) — Republican John McCain quickly denounced the comments of a radio talk show host who while warming up a campaign crowd referred repeatedly to Barack Hussein Obama and called the Democrat a "hack, Chicago-style" politician.
Hussein is Obama's middle name, but talk show host Bill Cunningham used it three times as he addressed the crowd before the likely Republican nominee's appearance.
"Now we have a hack, Chicago-style Daley politician who is picturing himself as change. When he gets done with you, all you're going to have in your pocket is change," Cunningham said as the audience roared.
The time will come, Cunningham added, when the media will "peel the bark off Barack Hussein Obama" and tell the truth about his relationship with indicted fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko and how Obama got "sweetheart deals" in Chicago.
McCain wasn't on stage nor in the building when Cunningham made the comments, but he quickly distanced himself from them and the talk show host after finishing his speech. McCain spoke to a couple hundred people at Memorial Hall in downtown Cincinnati.
"I apologize for it," McCain told reporters, addressing the issue before they had a chance to ask the Arizona senator about Cunningham's comments.
"I did not know about these remarks but I take responsibility for them. I repudiate them," he said. "My entire campaign I have treated Senator Obama and Senator (Hillary Rodham) Clinton with respect. I will continue to do that throughout this campaign.
McCain called both Democrats "honorable Americans" and said "I want to dissociate myself with any disparaging remarks that may have been said about them."
Asked whether the use of Obama's middle name — the same as former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein — is proper, McCain said: "No, it is not. Any comment that is disparaging of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally inappropriate."
McCain said he didn't know who decided to allow Cunningham to speak but said he was sure it was in coordination with his campaign. He said he didn't hear the comments and has never met Cunningham, but "I will certainly make sure that nothing like that happens again.
They certainly were.
In fact, I bet McCain will continue to do this for the entirety of his campaign because the man prides himself on having no core principles save House of Lords courtesy.
And with every thread like this there will be McCainiacs who jump right in first thing and defend this guy.
I wouldn't want this job for nothing in the world. there's just no defending John MCCain and he will continue to spit in our eyes for the duration.
Bill Cunningham said absolutely nothing wrong.
Nothing.
McCain's pathetic apology shows a total lack of courage.
What a sad little job you have.
Can you imagine Fred Thompson apologizing for this?
McCain doesn’t treat the democrats like the enemy that needs to be defeated, he sucks up to them. It is disgusting and I am not a nut case. I just don’t want Obama in the White House. Let the dems defend his name. Why should the man that is his opponent help him?
No I can’t, and even Slick Hillie doesn’t apologize!!! McCain lost some points (once again) with conservatives on this one.
I was just today arguing with two people about my decision not to vote for McCain. They don’t like the guy either but like the fine Republicans they were raised to be they’re caving.
McCain will do this for his entire campaign. I love Bill Cunningham. He always calls Barack “Barack Hussein Obama”...when did calling someone their name become a bad thing?
By the time comes to vote, conservatives across the land, even the gonad-less moderate Republicans, will be so sick of McCain he’ll be lucky to get one vote.
And always note, there is always one or two posters on every damn McCain thread in this forum that happily in Arizone defend this nasty-tempered man as if he were Ronald Reagan reborn.
Yep. The first time in our history that calling someone by their name is disparaging.
McCain is turning into a wimp. He’ll probably lose bigtime unless he can get tough. (I’m strongly leaning 3rd Party anyway).
Isn't he PROUD of his name?
Isn't he PROUD of his heritage?
Isn't he PROUD of his muslim background?
Why aren't Hussein and his apologists CELEBRATING this wonderful 'diversity'???
I have noticed this for the last month or so.
I really think that these are people HIRED to get on conservative forums like this to bat down any McCain bashing.
The fine, even-tempered John McCain knows he’s got a real big problem with this base and we’ll have this crap from him from now to election day.
And always note that these suspect McCainiacs almost always are the first to comment on a McCain thread, always positive for the fine, even-tempered John McCain, always ready to lambaste anyone who says one bad word.
I think they’re PAID to do this, yes I do.
McCain is correct. I hesitate to say right. I’m not so sure he wants to be in that company, with some justification.
If I was B. Hussein Obama, I’d be insulted by McCain apologizing. If that’s his name, then why should someone else apologize for it? I think I heard that McCain’s middle name is Sydney. What if Obama apologized for someone calling McCain by his middle name of Sydney? What right would he have to do that?
I think not.
Even with the big empty O ahead in the polls, I'll have to see who McPain picks as his VP before I would ever think of voting for him. Right now, I am not voting for the demonrats.
I am not a McCain fan, but he did not get to be nominee seemingly out of nowhere without being politically savvy. He knows that many of the conservatives moaning today will in the end never sit out the election and let Obama become president. He has to woo those who are politically moderate but doubt Obama's image as a uniter or realize that his inexperience makes him too dangerous to be President.
Cunningham has withdrawn his support for McCain. McCain better get a spine real quick. If he thinks appeasing the MSM will get him positive press coverage he’s obviously too senile to remember the Slimes last week and too senile to be President.
WTF?? Ya'll as nuts as loudmouth Limbaugh?
This kind of foul behavior plays right into the hands of the Dems.
So where are all the innocent, "pure as the driven snow" true conservatives for us to rally around?
Where's Newt with his slightly checkered past and very wise words?
It appears to me that McCain is all we've got...
Your thoughts?
Yup
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