Obama Adviser: Barack "Doesn't Go On TV And Have Crying Fits"

The advisor, retired Gen. Merrill A. "Tony" McPeak, said in a telephone interview that Obama has "real gravitas, not artificially created, focus-grouped, poll-directed, rehearsed gravitas."

He also said Obama "doesn't go on television and have crying fits; he isn't discovering his voice at the age of 60" -- references to Clinton's much-publicized show of emotion during the New Hampshire primary campaign and her speech after winning the contest in which she declared that she had "found my voice."

McPeak later retracted his remarks, and the Obama camp disassociated itself from them. [...]

An Obama campaign aide was on the line during the interview. Minutes later, McPeak called back to say he regretted his remarks and that he has "high regard" for Hillary Clinton.

He also expressed concern that "some of those loose-lips-will-sink-ships quotes will be the big story."

In an email, the Obama campaign said McPeak's words "crossed the line" and that Obama "strongly disagrees with these comments and apologizes on behalf of the campaign."

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Comments

[Svenson]

When H CLinton was a sophomore she was helping poor black single mother baby sit her babies.

At the same age, Obama was smoking marijuana.

Thats the difference in their civil rights record.

Today everyone who jump on Obama band wagon are not genuinely intersted in civil rights. They support him becos it is cool to be seen to be supporting a man with black skin, even though he is only half black.

[A Meat Beetle]

Open letter to both campaigns:

PLEASE, PLEASE PLAESE STOP THIS STUPID S**T!

The Republicans are running two of the most incapable, most beatable dips**ts they've ever run (and that's saying a lot!), but if this nonsense, this childish charge/cou­nter-charg­e crap continues, one of those two idiots will be our next president. It's not about YOU, it's about the future of this poor, Bush-damaged nation. Four more years of Republican totalitarian rule will destroy us once and for all. If that happens, you will ultimately own the blame for setting the stage for the end of all that is good about America.

PLEASE STOP NOW!!!

Sincerely--

A Meat Beetle

[falco]

Maybe we should talk about the three undersea cables that have been severed - affecting Asia and the Middle East (except Israel) instead of wasting time talking about issues that are meaningless like Hillary crying. The media likes to keep us focused on surface issues - stupid stuff that only serves to divide Americans. Divide and conquer.

[ElliotNC]

Gen. Merrill A. "Tony" Mc-WHO?

[Tremonius]

When the Midland Midget sought effective photops at the rare funeral he would visit out of all those he had caused, he would bring along his own photographer in case he was able, using the Method acting technique, to muster a tiny tear while thinking of such as a bike he had lost as a child. And now we see the move deplored when a woman is caught with her emotions showing. Even though such is considered the province of women.

Explain.

[StephenDedalus82]

Haha. Hillary is allegedly focus-grouped into perfection, yet this guy makes this indefensible, sexist remark and is later worried about its political impact! Hypocrite.

[sarainitaly]

Typical of the sexist bull crap that still exists, and rears its ugly head day in and day out in this race. This is far worse then 99% of the things the Clintons were accused of racism over, but yet...where is the outrage?

Many americans may still fumble and struggle with language that might be offensive, unkowingly to african americans, but ALL of us have a mother, or a sister, or a wife, or a daughter. There should be a little more respect for a US Senator, Former First Lady, extremely intelligent WOMAN.

Yes, I know he called and apologized, but this stuff has happened so many times during this campaign and nobody seems to care.

[noapologies]

wow whadda dick. and i'm shocked, SHOCKED that ObamaPost wouldn't actually put the quote in the body of its story for everyone to see.

[Bulbul]

Crying fits ? Another mistep from all Men`s club, I have voted already, the one who has not please chose carefully. This is not the way to get vote !

[Ashall]

I would just like to remind all Hillary supporters that when this campaign began and the Clinton camp thought they had the nomination cinched, Hillary came right out and said she wanted to be treated "just like" all the other guys running. Then when Obama gave her the first big scare, she DID cry...a thing you'd never see one of the guys do unless there was something so horrible as a family death. When you refer to this fine young American as a "whiny boy" you're going into the gender issue which should never be done. If we're going to have a fair campaign, race and gender need to be left behind and each candidate judged on their own merit. I don't expect any of you staunch Hillary fans to see Obama the way I do, and that's fine, but my own personal family involvement in war the past 40 years lets me see Obama as someone who definitely will not go into war without stepping back and taking a look at the big picture and discussing pros and cons thoroughly. He was one who was deemed "unpatriotic" for making a speech about the Iraq War in the beginning - something the majority of us agreed with at the time. Hillary voted "yea" with the republicans. If we all go back and do our research, I'm sure the right candidate will be inaugurated as "Mr. President" in 2009.

[venicesurfer]

he'll cry when he loses.

[apresdeluge]

Crying fits? Obama's campaign has been one of smoke & mirrors from the very beginning. "Change", "hope", "vision" are all nice sounding words that don't produce any action. The "uniter" candidate is constantly driving wedges among Deomcrats. His statement that Hillary's voters will vote for him but his voters "may not" vote for Hillary is the ultimate spoiled brat comment, the likes of which we have never seen in any primary (Republican or Democrat). Apparently his "vision" is less that 20/20 if he can't support a Democratic victory in November if he is not the nominee.

[SteveRoach]

McCain will rip Obama a new one. We can't afford another flip-flopper Commander in Chief. Obama continues to fund an op he says he was against from the start. McCain establishes cred on his "I supported the surge from the beginning and still do." What's Obama going to say, "I was against until I was for it?"

[kj593]

McPeak later retracted his remarks, and the Obama camp disassociated itself from them.

[ming099]

.....'crying fits'....someone gets choked up ONCE while talking about something they care deeply about and it is characterized as a crying fit?.........hardly a 'fit' as I see it......even if it wasnt genuine.....ONCE does not constitute fits....

....the spinmasters are all out to put their own brand of HOOEY on it every time she opens her mouth.....

...I just wish they would all SHUT UP.....unless they are going to talk about something that matters and NOT how BAD a guy the other person is.....ISSUES ONLY......