Obama speaks out, tangles with McCain
In his first extended interviews since a resounding win in North Carolina that put him on the cusp of winning the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama accuses his likely Republican opponent of "smear" politics for trying to link him with the terrorist group Hamas.
"This is offensive," Obama said in an interview this afternoon on CNN's "Situation Room."
He also says it's "disappointing" that presumptive GOP nominee John McCain has mentioned Hamas because McCain has pledged to run a respectful campaign.
"For him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination," Obama added. "We don't need name-calling in this debate."
UPDATE: The McCain campaign just issued a strongly-worded response.
"First, let us be clear about the nature of Senator Obama's attack today: He used the words 'losing his bearings' intentionally, a not particularly clever way of raising John McCain's age as an issue. This is typical of the Obama style of campaigning," said the memo from senior adviser Mark Salter.
"We have all become familiar with Senator Obama's new brand of politics. First, you demand civility from your opponent, then you attack him, distort his record and send out surrogates to question his integrity. It is called hypocrisy, and it is the oldest kind of politics there is. It is important to focus on what Senator Obama is attempting to do here: He is trying desperately to delegitimize the discussion of issues that raise legitimate questions about his judgment and preparedness to be President of the United States."
UPDATE: Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton responded: “Clearly losing one’s bearings has no relation to age, given this bizarre rant that Mark Salter just sent out. It’s clear why a candidate offering a third term of George Bush’s disastrous economic policies and failed strategy in Iraq would want to distract and attack, but it’s not the kind of campaign John McCain has promised the American people that he would run.”
Last month, McCain told conservative bloggers, "I think it's very clear who Hamas wants to be the next president of the United States. I think that people should understand that I will be Hamas's worst nightmare.... If Senator Obama is favored by Hamas, I think people can make judgments accordingly."
McCain was referring to Hamas political adviser Ahmed Yousef, who said in an interview with WABC Radio last month that the terrorist group supports Obama's foreign policy vision.
Obama, however, has repeatedly denounced Hamas as a terrorist group.
In a separate interview with NBC's Brian Williams that aired tonight, Obama highlighted May 20, when he is expected to win the primary in Oregon and could very well hit the mark of winning the majority of pledged delegates in all primaries.
"That will be an important date," Obama said, pointing out that Democratic Party has always picked the candidate with the most pledged delegates chosen in primaries and caucuses.
Obama's campaign is reportedly planning a bigger-than-usual victory rally that night to declare he has effectively won the nomination.
UPDATE: In the CNN interview, Obama also had a rather cutting response to Mitt Romney, who is now supporting McCain and who has belittled Obama's experience.
"He can read a prompter very well and energize a crowd, but he has not accomplished anything during his life in terms of legislation or leading an enterprise or making a business work or a city work or a state work. He really has very little experience, and, you know, the presidency of the United States is not an internship," Romney said on CNN on Wednesday.
Obama pointed out that Romney had questioned McCain's qualifications before dropping out of the Republican race.
"The contest didn't work out so well for Mitt Romney," Obama added, a wry smile on his face. "Here we are, and there Mitt Romney is."
UPDATE: Later on CNN, Romney disputed that he had similarly questioned McCain's qualifications, praising his long service in Congress.
Of Obama's comments, Romney said, "Well, his response, of course, was not to discuss the merits of the issue. The truth of the matter is, just as I said, that he doesn't have a record of accomplishment in the private sector or in the governmental sector. He hasn't led any kind of entity. He hasn't pushed a major piece of legislation."
"He seems like a charming guy who's very well spoken. But in terms of actually having led, actually having accomplished something, actually having been the kind of leader that America needs at a critical time with our economy fragile, with us facing real challenges around the world, he's untested and unproven."
Dear Fellow Americans.
Our Great-grand Nation, the United States of America
is and will face very critical and substantial
"Challenges" in coming,
months, years, and decades.
It is very essential that we pick our next
President on the basis of following criteria.
1. A candidate with a clear "Vision and Mission".
2. A candidate with a sound " Character and Integrity"
.
3. A candidate with a evident "Presidential
Temperament" and " Principled Judgment".
4. A candidate with "little "Washington exposure"
and "real future and past Voters".
5. A candidate who "Inspires us up" rather than
"Tears us down".
6. A candidate not based on past "sexism, racism, and
ageism".
In my professional and personal opinion, the only
candidate who has shown the above qualities and
characteristics is Senator Obama.
As an independent registered voter since 1980. I voted
for Carter, voted for Reagan, voted for First Bush,
and second Bush in 2000 and In over time last
interest in "Washington politics".I stopped voting.
Not a good idea under any circumstance, particularly
at present time.
This time we can not afford to stay on side lines and
let Washington remain the same.We can not afford our
Greatgreat Nation to become less than what we are and
can be.
We need to send clear and candid message to the world
and some 24 hour partisan piosonous hateful media.
These type of media outlets are trying to deprive,
dupe, and derail us from getting it right this time.
I pray and hope that we the American people won't be
part of this deception, seduction, and confusion.
These type of media and pundits are trying there best
to deny us better and replac our past remember some of
our bitterness and differences. { "Our Greatgrand
Nations people are persistently and constantly
subjected to Psychological terrorism" without our
knowledge by these these poisonous hateful partisan
media outlets".
We Americans are should not and would not to allow
these type of media psychologically terrorized,
traumatized and silence us this time.Not this time.
I am sure that we will get it right this
time and elect Senator Obama our next President. let
us not get dragged down into racism, sexism and
ageism.
Let us remember that our Greatgrand is constituted of
family, friends,fellowships, faith, funds,foundations,
fun, and future with fairness and freedom and without
fear or favor.
We can not afford to lose any of above conectins. Let
us stand up, be counted, save, build our Greatgrand
Nation for decades to come and regain our world
economic, and power status back.
God Bless our Great grand Nation and its diverse
people.
Our Greatgrand nation needs present and future
stability, security, safety,sustained progress and
restoration of our due status in this perilous Global
World at the all levels.
Yours sincerely,
COL.[retd] A.M.Khajawall
Forensic Psychiatrist.
Disables American Veteran.
Las Vegas Nevada.
Obama pointed out that Romney had questioned McCain's qualifications before dropping out of the Republican race.
"The contest didn't work out so well for Mitt Romney," Obama added, a wry smile on his face. "Here we are, and there Mitt Romney is."
HAAA!!! If Obama was a posty....I'd have to say that was a good one!!! NICE!!
Romney is a Republican propagandist tool......
Obama's a racist. Plain and simple.
I like Barrack Obama as a person but his attitude as a presidential hopeful doesn't convince me.He is too soft spoken and seems at ease most of the time in other words he's not a lively candidate and also there's nothing he stresses he will do as President except change,change what hopefully he'll not meddle with the Constitution and that is very scary wouldn't be anyone?
bob: Obama's a racist? Come on, pull your head out & enjoy a little sunshine.
skmj: I'm sure you will see a significant sharpening of Obama's tone in the upcoming weeks. And he has been pretty forceful & direct about pegging political distractions for what they are. As for meddling with the Constitution, first of all, WHAT on earth other than baseless paranoia would make you say that, and secondly, WHY would you think the president has the power to write laws? Now, Bush, on the other hand hasn't so much meddled with the Constitution as he has simply ignored it at his whim. "It's just a piece of paper," he said, remember? This from a jackass who kept insisting that "We're a nation of laws."
I have no fear of Obama. I'm more concerned about the vested interests that will stop at nothing, literally, to oppose him.
Just how out of touch is this Obama character.
Barry ought to get with it. He doesn’t even know that he received the endorsement of Hamas, and denying it now ain’t gonna make it go away.
Come to think about it, maybe we finally found something other than the Obama/Wright connection with which to compare McCain/Hagee .. now it’s Obama/Hamas.
Let’s see he didn’t sit in the pews with Hamas for the last two decades, so the fit is much better.
Now my choice is much clearer .. is it MaCain who has the endorsement of some (unarmed) crazy preacher .. or Obama who has the endorsement of Hamas, a group on the State Department’s list of terror organizations ?
Gee .. that’s a real tough call there.
Wow, bob.
Plain, simple, and completely without any evidence. Care to back that up with an example of Obama's racism?
An example of racism: Romney in the above story calling Obama "well-spoken." I'm sure he meant it as a compliment. Just happens to carry a history Romney is insensitive to. But his LDS church thought it was okay to have black people as second class citizens until the 70's.
skmj, Change is a common refrain of Obama's, but he's just talking about getting away from the way the way the two parties have been unable to agree about anything because of politics. I'm hopeful he'll make a good President. You don't have to worry about him being any sort of radical.
Paul
Oregon (voting by mail right now!)
Senator Obama is receiving constant criticism very often in the form of innuendo. I wrote about this in my blog today at the Globe's sister paper The Worcester Telegram and Gazette. The title is "What can you tell from a lapel?"
I invite interested readers to visit my blog. Comments are always welcome.
Thanks.
http://208.112.77.53/town_portal_includes/display_full_blog.cfm?TOWN=Southbridge
I agree 100% with Governor Romney Obama is being used to accomplish other peoples agenda that is not fall to the same interest and purpose of sustaining economic development for all Americans.If long term solution is his aim why is he talking about pulling troops out of Iraq the moment he took office if he is lucky to be President, that sounds like not an intelligent plan or was he misspoken?Obama cannot preach the different message and is planning to do something else.Because if he does these words of long term solution he is selling are not his but of someone else.
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