McCain Aide Suspended For Pushing Racially-Charged Obama-Wright Video

A McCain campaign aide actively pushed an incendiary, racially-charged video that uses the controversial words of Barack Obama's pastor to tar Obama as unpatriotic -- despite the fact that McCain himself has suggested that Obama shouldn't be held accountable for Wright's views.

The aide, Soren Dayton, who works in McCain's political department, has been suspended from the campaign, a McCain spokesperson, Jill Hazelbaker, confimed to me.

The move by McCain's aide could create controversy for the McCain camp, because the video itself is thoroughly reprehensible -- it interweaves footage of Obama explaining why he won't wear the American flag pin, Wright saying "God damn America," Malcolm X, and Obama's wife saying that his candidacy has made her proud of America for the "first time."

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Comments

[sugarmoes]

so mccain agrees that this should not be an issue.

good.

the rednecks can put down their guns now.

[PhillyFanInFL]

Maybe this ad is inflammatory but I think Americans should be concerned about the views of one of Sen Obama's mentors. No doubt, Obama must have been present during a sermon or two over his twenty years of attending this church where these views came up. Rev Wright is extremely close to Sen Obama. I have to say I am concerned about Obama's wife's comment (first time proud of America) and Rev Wrights numerous comments. As Obama said, words do matter. How much do these words put forward by people so close to Obama reflect Obama's own views. I don't know but I am concerned.

To say that it is racsist to bring these up is ridiculous. Extreme inflammatory comments like these rasied here need to be publicized and discussed by all.

[kettletop]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/20/224958/631/841/481227
go look at the sermons
the statements in full context
One of the "quotes" by Wright was him quoting one of our white ambassadors, yet it is played again and again as if it were his words.
What was his MESSAGE?
Well in the one about 911, his message to his church was "we are stunned that our enemies have killed our innocents. We forget that our country has also killed innocents (such as dropping the bomb on two cities in Japan) and we have not batted an eye. You want to hurt them back. But violence begets violence. Killing theirs does not bring back ours.

This reminds me of an article I read about I think the Quakers. It said you can forgive without granting pardon. That's a powerful concept.

Try it.

[jcwtts1]

If Hillary's worker had done this it would take her a week to react. At least McCain wants nothing to do with this madness. Anybody note that Morning Joe has lost his darn mind. I work on a college campus and no one has even mentioned the Rev's comments in two days. In fact, I don't know if anyone brought it up besides me, ever.

J

[sugarmoes]

him and buchanan. mostly they see a political opening. but they seem to be pretty insensitive to race issues as they affect "minorities" (i hate that description) in this country.

[dax49]

i'm shocked that fox has not started a news blitz on this news. i mean, they are "fair and balanced"

[robeson]

Hagee embraces McCain again.

In an interview that will appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, controversial televangelist Rev. John Hagee declares, "It's true that [John] McCain's campaign sought my endorsement."

McCain has attempted to distance himself from some of Hagee's views, much as Barack Obama is doing in relation to Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But unlike McCain, Obama has not stood on stage with Wright and accepted his accolades this year.

I believe this means that John McCain and his staff have lied again.

[nellie]

This video, although produced by a campaign staffer, reflects exactly what is wrong with our television media. It shows how easily sound an images can be manipulated into a message that can hold a person's attention but have no relation to the truth. It shows how even an amateur can construct something that seems to have meaning, but that, in reality, is a distortion.

[debwarot]

Reprehensible, disgusting, vile - none of these words seem to do this justice. It is getting difficult to find the honor in our leaders, those who would hope to lead and our political process. If this was done without the knowledge of McCain or his inner circle and they have removed the responsible person from their campaign then they are to be commended. BUT, this will still be played over and over and over, and some people will begin to believe it after hearing it repeatedly.

[jj]

McCain's campaign has more integrity than Clinton's.

Who would've thought.

[Plowboy]

And once again, McCain proves to be better than Clinton. She continues to spread the filth of her racist ploys, Even before Obama's address McCain had opposed this stuff.
And as for thew damned medikaa, I hate their America. It is the disgusting racist thing that made my home state stink, and it is the stinking bigotry that makes its masters stink to thev world with all the hatefulness that they gernerate. Americca will not be clean until all the evil that controlls our disgusting media is purged along with every dirty force driving them.

It is now clear as glass. If you want a decent nation, those trying to profit from this merde must be defeated. And that does mean Clinton. To a lesser extent the Clinton-lite McCain.

Hatefulness is reflected by hate.

[Tankan]

The suppression of terrorism will be a long tough struggle!

The suppression of racism and bigotry will be even tougher and longer against the enemy within!

[Ramirez]

Pretty powerful video.

[beboy]

Should play well in the general election.

[cowman]

You've got to be kidding me. Powerfully offensive in it's manipulation and distortion of the truth and undercurrent racism. That's right, play some Public Enemy to demonize the black man...

[zull2]

Well, it's not surprising in the least that he's borrowing Hillary Clinton's tactics to run his campaign as well. Get a "zealous staffer" to distribute something, then back off and fire the guy. Sacrificing a pawn in order to put a king in check is as commonplace a move in chess as it gets.

[MNmommy]

I wonder if the aide distributed it before or after Politico posted it?

Merely curiosity - no justification.

[Grannysue]

Just answer me this, Did McCain remember who the guy was before he fired him?

[Zhonni]

I appreciate that McCain TEMPORARILY put his Aide in hiding, but I think he is afraid of the scrutiny he is going to get once the media focuses on him.

Obama is getting it now but McCain would get it later and it won't be funny because I am sure he has more skelentons than Obama could have.

[RobertaInCT]

He appears to have more than skeletons it deal with. There is something going on with him health wise. I find it strange what Lindsey Grams and Joe Lieberman are always hovering around him of late. This bears watching. Something is not right with him.............

[snowcat]

MSNBC, CNN still showing Wright videos all day today 1 week later and having Obama critics discuss them:
As the msm insists on continuing their swift boating hit job on Obama, write to the national media and express your rage at what they're doing:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x1903

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

i've been emailing them all day. such a double standard