McCain Struggles To Explain Away Hagee Connection In Attempt To Criticize Obama, Ayers

Today on ABC's This Week, John McCain attempted to go on the offensive about Barack Obama's tenuous connection to Weatherman Bill Ayers because that was what all the cool kids were attempting to do. McCain said that those loose connections were indicative of Obama's overall attitude and he thought it was wrong for Obama to not condemn Ayers' actions of four decades ago.

The only problem for McCain is that a). Obama, did, in fact, condemn those actions, and b). McCain is chummy with bigoted scumdumpster extraordinaire John Hagee. How did McCain manage to navigate his way through this seemingly dense thicket of contradiction and hypocrisy? Not very well, if you must know! Not very well at all.

STEPHANOPOULOS: A lot of Senator Obama's allies and others say that you should condemn the comments of Reverend John Hagee, an evangelical pastor...

MCCAIN: Oh, I do. And I did. I said, any comments that he made about the Catholic church I strongly condemn, of course.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Yet you solicited and accepted his endorsement?

MCCAIN: Yes, indeed. I did. And I condemned the comments that he made concerning the Catholic church.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But you're going to hold onto his endorsement? Your own campaign acknowledged that you should have done a better job of vetting Pastor Hagee.

MCCAIN: Oh, sure.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So was it a mistake to solicit and accept his endorsement?

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MCCAIN: Oh, probably, sure. But I admire and respect Dr. Hagee's leadership of the -- of his church. I admire and appreciate his advocacy for the state of Israel, the independence of the state of Israel. I condemn remarks that are made that has anything to do which is condemning of the Catholic church, but -- so...

(CROSSTALK)

STEPHANOPOULOS: ... no longer want his endorsement?

MCCAIN: I'm glad to have his endorsement. I condemn remarks
that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything. But thanks for asking.

[WATCH.]

Comments

[DC]

Why isn't the MSN showing those videos of Hagee's rant about the whore of Babylon, etc? And then presenting that to their viewers, and after most see who Hagee is, then asking McCain about having sought his support?

[savory1]

I like McCain generally, He does not ruffle my feathers like Hillery, however I find him very Hypocritical during this interview. He is also doing the same thing he complained that Obama did to him, he is not retelling the entire reply that Obama made to the Ayers question. He reminds me of seniors who have bad hearing, they hear facts wrong then go off on a tangent with these wrong facts.

[army193]

A Letter to the Times Found Five Years Later…

September 15, 2001

To The Editors—

"In July of this year Dinitia Smith asked my publisher if she might
interview me for the New York Times on my forthcoming book, Fugitive
Days. From the start she questioned me sharply about bombings, and
each time I referred her to my memoir where I discussed the culture of
violence we all live with in America, my growing anger in the 1960’s
about the structures of racism and the escalating war, and the
complex, sometimes extreme and despairing choices I made in those
terrible times."

Read the rest at:

http://billayers.wordpress.com/2006/09/26/a-letter-to-the-times-found-five-years-later/

McCain and Hillary new of this...

[spokensoftly]

This is "Polictics in the US".

Another expensive text book with misleading conclusions.

Based on factless rhetoric.

[mediamarv]

Funny how ol George didn't use anyone else's questions for thi interview.­...

Note to ABC: Could someone get the dictionary and look up the following: followup.

No one seems to be familiar with it on Sunday talk shows anymore..

So, Imus, who's the bigger pussy, George S or the Grand Canyon????

[mydemos]

Yep, McCain just got caught with his hypocrysy. When Obama condemned the words of the Pastor Wright but praised the good things that he has done over the years, people jumped on him. Now that McCain says the same things i am waiting for the reaction of the press.

Why Obama is the only target of this kind of standards?

[Biracial1]

I know, I know !!!

[MizJ]

The media adores McCain! He's a hero, he's a maverick, he's a straight talker. What's the matter with you guys? He is Christmas and Easter all rolled into one. He loves ice cream, little kids, and dogs. He does a great barbecue. He never knew Jack Abramoff or has ever been to K Street in his whole life. Joe Lieberman supports him and that's good enough for me and George Stephanopoulos. Kissing his ring is as close as I am going to get to the pope. And when the Rapture comes and you are still standing in your shoes don't say I didn't warn you. Get on that Straight Talk express now. Somebody in the MSM will gladly make room for you while they are passing the donuts.

[abigail1]

He condemns remarks that are "viewed" as offensive?!?! Isn’t that another way of saying that the person who sees them that way is an idiot?
Ayers served on a charity board with Obama, a well respected charity board helping the poor. So when comparing him to Tom Colburn who gets paid for delivering babies maybe John McCain should stop channeling McCarthy and consider that a compliment.

[meleon]

McCain is of another time and mindset, and operates from there and there alone. He is the product of 3 generations of military men who's fervent patriotism excludes/d them from ever being questioned no matter what regarding their standing as a warrior for the U S of A. That said, It also has given them (in their minds) the right to gauge and bring into question anyone's loyalty to country should they deem the person's flag not flying high enough.

The one thing that kept coming to mind today as I was watching and listening to the Senator was how it was the first time anyone had ever evoked McCarthy, and how it sent a chill through me.

[dax49]

this guy makes my skin crawl. as a catholic, i condemn john mc cain, which proves thet i have balls, something teflon john is obviously lacking. on some level, it is also obvious that mc cain is in agreement with hagee's comments

[WAstateliberal]

Hagee's support for the state of Israel? I have this show DVR's and haven't had a chance to watch it, but do I take it that Stephanopolis said NOTHING in response to this absurd statement? Hagee does not support the independent state of Israel beyond his anti-semitic wish that all jews be contained within the state of Israel when they die the death he believes they all deserve. He is an anti-semite, and I thought that was pretty common knowledge. Except for that douchebag Stephanoplois.

[sawdustinhershoes]

uh, you might want to read up on Hagee. He's part of the jewish christian alliance whose goal is to start WWIII and bring on the second (third?) coming of Christ. These people all want the US to go to war with IRAN to further unsettle the Middle East into a major war.

And John McCain WELCOMES this endorsement. F-ing wackjobs.

[CTmom13]

The OLD ANGRY WAR Monger may just be as dumb as BUSH, whod a thunk

[dutchess2]

This is the same kind of round and round and round McCain used when people were trying to explain to him that he had misinterpreted Mitt Romney's position. Despite several attempts to show him where he went wrong and get him to change his tune, he refused as if everyone else was crazy...

Samo Samo here...

He's got some REAL problems..­.. and they are NOT just with is temper...

[timothydcraig]

So what about Hagee's statement on NPR that Katrina was caused because of a gay pride parade?

[edva]

So disappointing to see what a double talker he has become.
How the mighty have fallen.
Feet of clay.

[helloworld2008]

Double talk indeed.

Yes it was a mistake but he's proud of his endorsement, expect for the part he condemns.

Whatever.

McCain is either very dishonest or going senile.

[sawdustinhershoes]

Both?