Obama Hamas Ties Pushed In McCain Letter: So Much For "Respectful" Campaign

John McCain has repeatedly insisted in public that he wants to run a respectful campaign, but a recent fundraising email from his campaign suggests there will be nothing revolutionary about the Republican nominee's tactics this year.

McCain's deputy campaign manager, Christian Ferry, sent an email to donors today with the subject line: "Hamas Weighs In On U.S. Presidential Election." The email, which attacks Obama over his foreign policy stances, includes these paragraphs:

Barack Obama's foreign policy plans have even won him praise from Hamas leaders. Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to the Hamas Prime Minister said, "We like Mr. Obama and we hope he will win the election. He has a vision to change America."

We need change in America, but not the kind of change that wins kind words from Hamas, surrenders in Iraq and will hold unconditional talks with Iranian President Ahmadinejad.

The letter comes in response to this report of a Hamas leader speaking favorably about Barack Obama. The article -- though not the McCain campaign -- notes that Obama has condemned Hamas, repeatedly said that he would not meet with the terrorist organization, and also condemned former President Carter's decision to meet with Hamas leaders.

Contrast the fundraising letter to the praise McCain has won for statements about running a respectful campaign:

Sen. John McCain called Saturday for a presidential campaign that is more like a respectful argument among friends than a bitter clash of enemies, and said he is better able than either of his Democratic rivals to govern across party lines....

"It is more than appropriate, it is necessary that even in times of crisis, we fight among ourselves for the things we believe in," McCain said. "It is not just our right, but our civic and moral obligation."

"Let us exercise our responsibilities as free people. But let us remember we are not enemies," he added.

And speaking of former Rep. Morris Udall, McCain said:

"I intend to wage this campaign and to govern this country in a way that they would be proud of me."

McCain, in April, on running a "respectful campaign":

The subject arose when a questioner at Episcopal High School asked McCain whether the prospect of two senators running against each other in the fall might lead to less negativity.

McCain said he hopes so, adding that he respects both Obama and Clinton, and believes they respect him. "Americans want more respectful campaigns," he added.

And in January, respectful McCain said:

"I'm going to raise the level of political dialog in America," McCain, R-Ariz., said at a campaign rally in central Michigan, "and I'm going to treat my opponents with respect and demand that they treat me with respect."

Comments

[reelcobra]

Obama should be proud of his suporters, not shy away from them.

Hugo Chavez, Alec Baldwin, Michael Moore, Fidel Castro (I guess Raul now), Jimmah Carter, and now Hamas.

What an amazing coincidence.

Has anyone asked the North Korean midget whom he endorses?

[Insideout143]

The republicans are shaking in their boots! They will do anything and everything, as Hillary Clinton does, thinking that it will give them a win. NOT THIS TIME! Americans are on to them and all of their corporate big whigs. The time has come. We can, we will and we MUST get change. Barack is our only chance for a better America right now.
WooooHOOOOOO!!
Go Barack!

[LightningJoe]

Heaven forbid that we should do anything that encourages any of our designated enemies to say nice things about us!

----
Get thee behind, me, television!

[TishiJo]

Yah McCain, Americans are so stupid they believe that Senator Obama is a friend of Hamas leaders because you said so. The downfall of Washington politicians like McCain and Clinton is that they are so arrogant they believe that all Americans will just believe whatever they say. NOT THIS TIME! 8 years of fascist government is enough. NOT THIS TIME!

The American people have spoken across this country. We want Senator Barack Obama as our next President.

[rthom]

Obama would be more like Dukakis than Kerry in electoral votes. They'd tear him up so bad, the Democratic party might cease to exist as we know it. The party needs to dump Obama before it's too late.

[truthzone33]

If Mccain play dirty not only Obama grassroot will play dirty but also the DNC who already launch ads against Mccain..its in his best interest for Mccain to take the High Road cause all his skeletons can be reveal again..I don't think he wont to go that route...Bush destroyed him in previous elections..

[FrankBlackFrancis]

Your either a very dumb Democrat or a cagy Republican scared to death of Obama. Obama is no Dukakis and Kerry would have won had he pursued the voting shenanigans in Ohio.

[americansfordemocracy]

DrRJP said something in his comment that I understand to be correct, in that Hamas teaches their children to hate Jews, and Jewish people, simply because they are Jews.

This is true and they have cartoon characters which are rewarded for killing Jews, said cartoons shown on government sponsered TV.
This is brainwashing and dogma taught to children which is reflective of their stated Hamas mandate that Jews should not exist and need to be exterminated. This is what natzi germany taught to their brown shirt children, which led to public acceptance of extermination policies. Hamas even teaches children that Jewish people are "pigs" which is meant to dehumanize Jews and also teach children that killing Jews is a good thing. Then the Hamas so called leaders, further abuse their own people by using them as human bombs. This is a perverted and morally corrupt society. So much energy spent on death instead of life.

Israel and Jews worldwide have no such mandate in which children are trained with so much hatred, disrespect and nonacceptance of others. It is no wonder that Israelis are suspect of palestinians and Hamas. How can they have lasting peace with people that are taught to hate them. Hamas needs to be respectful of others, to stop their abuse of their own children.

[sushi27]

McCain is a conservative flip-flop old man. His campaign will be a Rove/Rep typical campaign.

[pdsimdars]

I remember back in the 2004 election, it was Osama bin Laden who wanted Bush to win. Applying McCain's logic, what does that say about Bush? You do the logic (if you can).

[Dottie654]

I am sorry, but just because a Hamas leader says those things does not, in any way, mean that Barack has any connections in any way to the terrorist group. Anyone who interprets it that way is just plain ignorant. I cannot, in my wildest negative ways, even attempt to believe there is any merit to what has been written and implied. That is just another example of the dirty journalism that has been going on since both candidates declared.

The things that are being said about Obama, and believed by those who haven't the intelligence to research and learn the truth, is just obscene. The blogs are full of nasty comments, racist and bigoted, propagating these nasty rumors. And I blame the media, including blogs such as these, for starting many of them and pick, pick, picking to make sure they don't get stopped.

OBAMA '08

[LightningJoe]

...but it's part and parcel of politics-as-usual to try to make it look as though your opponent IS in bed with the enemy-du-jour.

----
Don't watch tv.

[jjhayes]

But isn't the more interesting issue not whether this is a dirty campaign tactic (it actually seems quite mild to me) using guilt by association (are we reading too much into this?), but whether the reasoning behind the argument is valid. Why not hit the main point head on-- "Yes, it is not a bad thing that an enemy might have a kind word for us-- that's the start of ending enmity and maybe ending the violence-- should I espouse different principles because someone else whose main positions I condemn likes my idea? Should I only hew to principles that will frighten and anger the violent among us?"

The argument here, and it is much more argument than personal attack, is an old one, like calling a person who believes in social justice a communist because communists applaud their remarks critical of capitalism. It's simply a fallacious argument. One could even argue in reply, "You who think a position must be such that it will be condemned by Hamas are arguably controlled by Hamas. You must state your principles with an eye on their reaction while I have come to my principles independently... "

[Craiger]

TRUTH HURTS HUH HAYES?

[jjhayes]

I'm not sure which truth you're talking about. Well I guess some truths hurt temporarily, some feel good temporarily and some do both and some are permanent hardships or joys. Seriously which truth are you talking about?

[drbala]

Now Ralph Nader can correctly claim, "there is no difference between McCain and Obama." Both were speaking at various times about running a clean campaign, both spoke about running a respectful decent campaign, both also spoke about not going negative. Now both are trying to score points by pointing out their opponents' negatives however flimsy they look.

[pdsimdars]

I think you should probably go to Rush's site, you'd feel more at home there. BECAUSE, you have no subtlety or understanding of issues, just seem to want to find something and bash.
Obama did run a nice campaign and tried to keep it that way. But under constant fire, you have to fight back or be labelled a whimp. That isn't a subtle concept. So you are either willfully ignorant or plain ignorant. C'mon, people seem to be WAY to smart for this stuff.

[Obama08Supporter]

I though Obama waited to long to slap back at Clinton with all the dirty things she has done. I would not have lasted this long no matter how much I wanted to fight clean. I do not blame him at all. You see she is trying to paint him as a whip, get out the kitchen!

Well, she is starting to whin again, I hope PA comes out in droves and stop this constant blood shed in the Dem party.

[LiberTLover]

Was anyone seriously expecting a respectful campaign from McCain? Didn't he run to hire the people that made the ad against Harold Ford in Tennessee that everyone said was racist and disgusting? Funny he didn't mention that at the speech he made on the anniverary of MLK's death. Or that the only reason Arizona finally passed King's holiday (the last of the 50 states) was because otherwise it threatened their opportunity to have the Superbowl there with the NFL.

[ssmit98]

Breaking news! Hillary Clinton caught lying AGAIN!

http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=62012

[marinemomof3]

I am NOT a fan of the "HILL"S" but there is no way I could ever
believe a word of Dick Morris!

[ssmit98]

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Warning: Hillary supporters this will hurt your feelings

Obama supporters this is breaking news about Hillary, she has terrorist ties!!!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351760,00.html

[rjcrane]

I am not happy to learn that Obama has denounced Carter's attempts to meet with Hamas in order to try and help resolve the problems between Israel and the Palestinians anymore than I am happy that we can never get an honest discussion about solutions to this problem without everyone pandering to Israel and their powerful lobbyists. But getting back to McCan't. Why would anyone expect him to run a clean campaign when he hired former swiftboaters to work on his campaign? And when they attacked Kerry, McCan't did very little to denounce this nor could he stop them from doing it. McCan't is an opportunist and has been all of his life. He will do whatever he can to win including slinging his own brand of mud.

RJ Crane, topplebush.com

[DrRJP]

What's disrespectful about stating facts? Which, BTW, Obama NEVER DENOUNCED Carter. He said, "I disagree with Carter's decision."

Why, then, has Obama spoken at rallies held by Muslim groups allied with Hamas? Why is Obama's foreign policy advisora former Hamas fundraiser? Why did Obama say nothing about the Hamas manifesto in Rev. Wright's newsletter until now? Why is Obama's campaign "flattered" that Hamas wants him to win?

So, now Obama's a critic of Hamas?

Does he care that Hamas has been a threat to America, & not just Israel? Does he care that a top Hamas cleric declared that Hamas will destroy Israel and lead a glorious conquest of the entire world?

Does he care that Hamas teaches 5-year olds to hate Jews using Mickey Mouse clones, trains 8-year olds at military camps how to kill Jews, and sends teenagers wearing explosive belts into daycare centers and schools in Israel? Does he know that 80 percent of Gazans blame Hamas for causing a humanitarian crisis by hoarding food, medicine, and fuel, and would rather live under Israeli control?

Why does Obama refuse to wear an American flag pin? Because, after 9/11, he decided that it "became a substitute for 'true patriotism.'" Why did everyone EXCEPT Obama put their hands over their hearts during the national anthem at Senator Tom Harkin's Steak Fry event last year? Why did he simply stand there, holding his hands in front of his crotch?

Patriotism, or protest?

[wmfor]

And finally, Why do you believe and repeat every lie you are told?

I hope you have volunteered to fight in Iran, because that is where Grampa McCain is taking us.

[Obama08Supporter]

I guess for the same reasons Ed Rendell praises Farrakhan. He is Hillary's top supporter in PA. Isn't Farrakhan suppose to love Hammas as well? See for yourself. You all take any prepared piece of script and run with it. I guess Sadam was our worst enemy too, you know the one with WMD, where are they. You all refuse to accept that America lies about people in other countries as welll they lie about us.

Why does one have to wear a lapel pin? Is Hillary and the rest of the gang wearing one as well? Oh that does not matter becasue someone that knows Barack is a racist, uh?
So, therefore he is held to a higher standard.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/21/ed-rendell-clinton-surrog_n_97784.html

[FrankBlackFrancis]

If you don't talk to our enemies how do you expect to defeat them. This guilt by association tact assumes that any contact with an undesirable group is equivalent to an endorsement. How does John McCain feel about the governemnt of Saudi Arabia? Shouldn't he denounce them in the strongest terms for their aiding and abetting terrorissts? Should we then blame McCain for capitulating or endorsing their tactics? Obama doesn't refuse to wear a flag lapel pin. He sported one last week before the debate. He made it quite clear he saw the lapel pin as a symbol of mock patriotism so decided to no longer wear it. Hand over your heart during the national anthem? You may not know this but that isn't the tradition. So basically, all your complaints are pretty petty.