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

[ConcernedCtzn]

I can't wait until the Democratic Primary is over so we can get started on him. And it has nothing to do with age.

[haiku1]

What Obama said about the other senator, of course, was that he liked him and knew him in the Senate, and that he, Obama, should no more be responsible for what the senator had said about abortionists (that they should be murdered) than he should be held responsible for what Ayers did or said. Obama was saying that just because he knows and likes someone in one context doesn't mean he endorses their every word and deed. McCain is purposefully distorting the record here in order to appeal to his base, as if Obama had attacked the right-to-life senator for opposing abortion. Or perhaps the point was too subtle for McCain?

[Phaedrus21]

I'm really afraid we're left with two equally unappealing possibilities:

A) The point really WAS too subtle for McCain
B) He understood the point but purposefully chose to distort it for political gain

[McFlipFlop]

Aye.

[sandtats]

Yep. As my Mom used to say, no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. That's the thing about Obama, he doesn't paint with a broad brush, throw someone under the bus simply because they are not in complete and full agreement with all of his views. Please God, let this primary end soon so we can really go after this loon with full vigor.

[jac66]

Does Obama have to condem every person on the planet? Why is McCain wanting Obama to give back Hagee contributions to his campign but McCain gladly keeps the money Rev Hagee contributions to the McCain campaign. Hypricrite, Liar and Displayer of an UNCONTROLLABLE TEMPER, that Physically Attacks fellow Senators.

[dwillisno1]

Worse was McCain's feeble and repeated interrupting of the host attempting to ask a question by smiling laughing and talking about how he would find enough waste in the budget(excluding Iraq) to balance the budget while extending the tax breaks for the rich. He did manage as all righties do, to define the expiration of a "temporary" tax cut as a "tax increase." His lengthy, rambling and repetitious answers seemed designed to prevent the host from asking any further questions. Pretending to believe that eliminating waste will be sufficient to 1 increase war spending, 2 not raise taxes or cut them,and 3 balance the budget is all he has.

[nsiah7]

YOU ARE ON THE MONEY. THIS GUY DOES NOT UNDERSTAND ANY ECONOMIC POLICY.

[DGregory]

wtf? hes not making any sense

[gevan]

This guy seems as spineless as Frank Pierce (another military "hero"), and we all remember how well his presidency turned out.

[Phaedrus21]

Wow. A reference to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854.

I don't think it's really fair to bring that up. McCain had only been in the Senate a few years at the time.

Cut the guy a break.

[NC4Obama]

"I admire and appreciate his advocacy for the state of Israel, the independence of the state of Israel." Does McCain know WHY Hagee supports the state of Israel so much?

[Stirner]

"Does McCain know WHY Hagee supports the state of Israel so much?" -- Ah. let me guess... Isn't the long awaited (all-too-long awaited) return of Jesus expected to take place soon on or over the Temple in Jerusalem? And isn't that the time that Hagee and his followers will be swept up in a "rapture" (expected to be almost as good as sex)? And then won't all the others, including Jewish folks, be either converted to Hageeism or burned? Poor Jewish folk ... this looks like another Holocaust is in the cards. Well, I bet that silver-tonged devil Hagee has convinced McCain that he is due for a "rapture". I wonder if l Mrs. McCain have one as well? Will they have it together? Questions, questions...

[McFlipFlop]

If you look at her recipes, Cindy McCain has always been proud of her tuna.

[nomobull]

doubtful

[CindyKay]

Total Idiot!