McCain: Obama "Does Not Share" Wright's Controversial Views

Politico:

A classic exchange between Sean Hannity and John McCain last night (bolding mine):...

HANNITY: He's been -- but he's been going to the church for 20 years. His pastor -- the church gave a lifetime achievement award to one of the biggest racists and anti-Semites in the country, Louis Farrakhan. Would you go to a church that -- where your pastor supported Louis Farrakhan?

MCCAIN: Obviously, that would not be my choice. But I do know Sen. Obama. He does not share those views.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[estreya]

Classy response. Good for him. What a shame Clinton do the same.

[mjc]

All this praise is going to embarass Senator McCain. Actually, this would be the first time that I could actually agree with Hannity's remarks. The speech Obama gave was very little about his problem with Jeremiah Wright but more about the racial issues in the US past and how his version of unity would go a long way toward solving them. If you all can believe that Obama never heard any of the racist comments of Wright, even though attending the church for 20 years, even though DVDs of his sermons and comments were always on sale in the lobby of the church, even though he knew that Louis Farrakhan had received a special award from Wright,....then you will believe anything he says. Unity can be achieved in that way....Obama is always right, pay no attention to critics....or it can be real and some sort of explanation of why Obama waited over a year to let the rest of the world and us know about this man who he did consider his spiritual mentor, advisor, and a member of spiritual campaign committee. It just doesn't compute in my mind.

[missette]

I'm an Obama supporter who respects McCain but strongly believe he has the wrong answers for how to move this country forward. Imagine what a rare opportunity an Obama/McCain race would provide - once based on ideas and solutions instead of attack and innuendo. That he won't lower himself to an attack machine is just one more reason why the rabid right hates him.

[VoteOnPaper]

When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer denounced America and even called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frank-schaeffer/obamas-minister-committe_b_91774.html

[Ramirez]

McCain approval rating now at 67%.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/105073/McCains-67-Favorable-Rating-Highest-Eight-Years.aspx?version=print

[EddieMcWords]

I'll never vote for McCain, but I do think favorably of him. He could have pulled some, "as far as I know bullshit", but he took the high road, as usual. Bravo, Senator McCain.

[HumeSkeptic]

Fortunately, the election is several months away. By then, this warmongering old geezer McBomb will, hopefully, self explode.

It was just a couple of months ago that Hillary was 30 some points ahead of Obama.

[beboy]

At least McCain is a class act. What happened to you?

[MariaHopeful]

Thank you Mr. McCain. You have shown that you are a decent man even tho I profoundly disagree with your politics. You have done so much than Hillary Clinton. Do you remember what Obama did for Joe Biden? Has Clinton ever done anything like that? Remember her answer to 60 minutes.
Thanks again, Mr. McCain you have earned my respect!

[ndolomar]

Something tells me that McCain is thankful he didn't have to jump through the same amount of hoops for Parsley or Hagee. Frank Schaeffer posted a very profound blog the other day comparing "right wing" hate speech with what the. Rev. Wright said, and sadly it got little play. However, it is true: when narrow-minded concepts come from conservative religious figures who endorse Republican candidates, it's OK; when they come from the left, um...not so OK.

[Ramirez]

Which one of these "right-wing hate speech" conservative religious figures have been McCain's mentor for 20 years? Which one baptised McCain's children? In which one's church was McCain wed?

If you are straining for an "everyone does it" argument, you're are going to have a bit of a stretch.

[TerenceHartnett]

Look, Wright was born in 1941. That means that he is old enough to have had to actually go to the back of the bus--literally. It was the law. And every single white person alive at that time is partially responsible for that. Which is the greater crime: 1) saying God damn America or 2) persecuting fellow Americans. If Wright is guilty of something here, then everyone who was in the Greatest Generation (survived the Depression and fought WWII) were guilty of far far greater crimes.

[TheRealMacDaddy]

While it doesn't showi the above...Hannity made a big stink over "a man who went on a trip with Louis Farrakhan to Tripoli."

What Hannity DID NOT say is that in 1984 Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Louis Farrakhan went to Tripoli to meet with Muammar Gaddafi and secured the release of American Naval Pilot Robert Goodman who was shot down over Lebanon.

Of course, their meeting Gaddafi was against Reagan Administration wishes who refused to speak with Libya to gain Lt. Goodman's release.

But of course Hannity either was too young of a snot nose then to remember, or just wants to edit out that fact because he works at FOX News, you know like they edited Michelle Obama's comments to make her look like she hates America.

Too bad as a Fighter Jock who has experience with being shot down and captured John McCain didn't back-hand Hannity out of his chair.

[wyntka]

I still like to think of McCain as someone above the Rove-level of GOP muck. Since he may be our next president, I hope I'm right, at least a little.

[HumeSkeptic]

I think this is exactly Rove-level of GOP muck that McCain is involved in. He is just using a different tactic. Dirty work has been assigned to Hannity and Limbaugh.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

"But I do know Sen. Obama. He does not share those views."

----------------------

well it does say a lot about mccain that he would not choose to say:

"He does not share those views, AS FAR AS I KNOW."

[ltfcrazy]

Yes it does. It says anyone but Hillary!

[Quaoar]

McCain can afford to be nice and let the army of GOP shills do his dirty work for him.

[cesca1]

I am no fan of Sen. McCain. I believe he is wrong on almost every issue and has sold himself to the Rright wing to get the nomination. His election would certainly be a third Bush term, but with a brain!

Having said that, I appreciate his statement to the moron Hannity, that he knows Obama does not believe the things Wright is spouting lately. And he realizes that a candidate can't control aor agree with every supporter.

Thank you Se, McCain for showing some of your old reasonableness.

[Poised]

McCain would rather run against Obama than Hillary. He helps himself every time he is "reasonable" about Obama's many shortcomings.

Hillary would be more difficult for McCain to beat.

[starboymikey]

Hillary would be more difficult for McCain to beat.
__________________________________________________

Fortunately, not all of us are as cynical as you seem to be. After Hillary's recent performances, McCain has regained some of the decency points he'd lost by cowtowing to the religious right.

Hannity was making it easy for him to pile on, and McCain said "no thanks."

[LeftLeaner]

There'll be enough 527 Hit jobs that McCain can "PLAY" nice.

[Kordo]

Senator John McCain is a class act. I'm still mad at him about embracing the NeoCon agenda, and I'm really mad at him about his position on Iraq, by my respect for the man on a personal level just went way up. Not enough to vote for him, of course :-}

A decent Republican, who'd have thunk it?

[DennyCrane]

I agree. McCain comes off looking more presidential than Hillary. And that's saying a lot.

[RationalDem]

I agree too. I hope he campaigns the rest of the year on the high road.