John McCain Flips: Jeremiah Wright Is Now Fair Game

UPDATE: Now that McCain feels it is politically appropriate to bring up Rev. Wright, he has launched a fresh new round of criticism to catch up for his weeks of chivalry. And McCain doesn't let facts get in the way:

"I saw yesterday some additional comments that have been revealed by Pastor Wright. One of them, comparing the United States Marine Corps with Roman legionnaires who were responsible for the death of our savior. I mean, being involved in that. It's beyond belief. And then of course, saying that al Qaeda and the American flag were the same flags. So, I can understand. I can understand why people are upset about this. I can understand why, that Americans when viewing these kinds of comments are angry and upset."

Jake Tapper points out that Wright never actually made those comments about the American flag. And Marc Ambinder notes that, "Wright was in the Marines. He was a corpesman in Vietnam. He voluntarily enlisted."

Meanwhile, even Hillary Clinton is finding fault with McCain's weak performance in halting the North Carolina GOP from running attack ads featuring Wright. McCain declared last week that he would do everything in his power to stop the ad from running.

"I have said that that that was a personal decision of his I answered one question about it that made it clear I would not have stayed in that church under those circumstances," Clinton told reporters in Graham, NC. "But, I regret the efforts by the Republicans to politicize this matter and I believe that if Senator McCain were serious he would do more than just send a letter he is the putative nominee I think he could very clearly tell the North Carolina party tell the Mississippi party that he would not tolerate those kinds of advertisements and I'm waiting to see if he does that."

Sen. John McCain has reversed his position to not discuss Rev. Jeremiah Wright during the general election if Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee. Claiming that Obama has made his relationship with Wright a political issue, McCain now says the topic is fair game.

Mention of Rev. Wright came during a McCain press conference on Sunday afternoon:

"I have said that I will not...have any comment on it and that's because I thought and I believe that Sen. Obama does not share those views" expressed by Wright, McCain said. "But Sen. Obama himself says it's a legitimate political issue, so I would imagine that many other people will share that view, and it'll be in the arena."

The statement came in response to an interview Obama conducted with Fox News Sunday that morning:

JEREMIAH WRIGHT: I felt it was unfair. I felt it was unjust. I felt it was untrue. I felt that those who were doing that were doing it for some devious reasons.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WALLACE: Question: Do you think that Reverend Wright is just the victim here?

OBAMA: No. I think that people were legitimately offended by some of the comments that he had made in the past. The fact he's my former pastor I think makes it a legitimate political issue. So I understand that.

I think that it is also true that to run a snippet of 30-second sound bites, selecting out of a 30-year career, simplified and caricatured him and caricatured the church.

The Obama camp has responded:

"By sinking to a level that he specifically said he'd avoid, John McCain has broken his word to the American people and rendered hollow his promise of a respectful campaign. With each passing day, John McCain acts more and more like someone who's spent twenty-six years learning the divisive, distracting tactics of Washington. That's not the change that the American people are looking for."

Watch clips of Obama's appearance on Fox News Sunday.

Comments

[LINY516]

McCain is not dumb, he knows that even with Wright mania, it will be easier to defeat Hillary than Obama. After all, he has several controversial ministers on his team. If Hillary is the nominee, these maniacs can come out of the woodwork. whip their people into a frenzy, and defeat Hillary in November.

Good strategy, McCain, Limbaugh, and Hannity.

[CatLadyforObama]

McCain also flip-flopped on Stephanolpolous' show when he said Hagee was wrong about the Catholic church, but he welcomed his endorsement, condemned Falwell and Robertson when they said America was to blame for 9/11, then changed his mind and decided to kiss up. It's not very shocking, but let's look at all of his acquaintances. Fair game now, Obama may have opened the door, but he walked through it and it swings both ways...

[BPCentrisAmerican]

If Rev. Wright is fair game than maybe there should be discussion about John Hagee and Rev. Parsley from Ohio, these people have some of most radical ideas on religion that I have ever heard. When asked about John Hagee, McCain blows it off and he is given a pass, yet Hagee has called Roman Catholics the “Whores Of Babylon” and Devil worshipers. There are 70 million Catholics in this country and in 06 they the left the GOP in droves; you want to lose the rest, John. I have conservative Catholic relatives who don’t like you for a whole host of reasons, but would hold their noses and vote for you if Rush gave them permission, but explaining why you ask for the endorsement a Catholic hater like Hagee as are most Christian Fundamentalist I've listened to, this would be a real turn off, trust me on this one. How big Hagee’s following anyway, I can assure it’s not 70 million.

[CommanderWhitehead]

The undeniable fact that John McCain is a liar, a bit of an ill-tempered nut-case, a war-criminal, and an idiot, should therefore also be "fair game".

(If only the military-establishment-corporate-filtered media would pry it's collective head out of McCain's crotch long enough to notice.)

Jeremiah Wright is a decent, articulate, intelligent, caring, honest human being, and I defy any one to point out one single syllable that he has uttered that is not entirely rooted in historical fact.

America is a deeply flawed nation with a history (not the corn-sweetened one that our kids are subjected to in public school) that is fairly drenched in the blood of others.

Face it.

[revolutionaryjerry]

Excellent point "Flower Girl"! I have an extremely difficult time understanding how McFlip, who was tortured as a P.O.W., could possibly condone such tactics by our own military.

I remember when I was little, and I actually believed that we (America)- were the good guys. McCain WAS a good guy once upon a time..perhaps. Not anymore, and if this country ever hopes to regain that precious title, we need Obama in the White House. 8 more years of selling out our country and the world may think of us as: THE BAD GUYS. Although, there are many who already think of us in such a light...we have much work to do.

[MizLiz]

He wants to be president so badly, and he knows this is his only last chance. He'd sell his soul for the presidency. May have already done so.

[Dewtrell]

Let McCain bring it on, we can use Hagee and the other crazy dude who endorsed him too.

[rjcrane]

Couldn't agree more..Bring it on!! And while we're at it let's really look into his affair with iseman and others while McCain was cheating on his first wife, and Cindy McCain's addiction to painkillers where she was taking money from her charity and forging scripts to get refills. And while were at it let's look at what exactly McCain told his captors in Vietnam, when and why? And then let's examine his relationship with lobbyists, the Keating Five, and crazy right wing fundamentalists who support him.

McCain apparently has forgotten that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

RJ Crane, topplebush.com

[SFkid]

His Captors? You mean what McCaine said about how he "Hated the Gooks" and will hate them for the rest of his life?

[DirtyDawg]

Anyone with an once of intelligence that will take the time to listen to the Reverend Wright interview with Bill Moyers would have to admit that the criticism of him is small-minded and fundamentally racist. Of course the problem is that since the country is so full of small-minded, racists it probably means that regardless of the correctness of Wright's comments, including the fact that the ones that they're taking the most exception to, were attributed to an Ambassador Peck (whiteman) and the Book of Psalms, Wright probably should have just stayed at home and let the thing die out. Face it Jeremiah, you're not gonna convince these people of anything - that's why they're Republicans.

[SFkid]

McCan't reverses a lot of issues, including plenty of policies he one stood for but now has changed since his running. He is a media darling that has no stance or integrity. The man is a phony just like Bush was. It time for a CHANGE. No more of these stuffy Republicans that try and pull the wool over people's eyes promising the the world and instead giving us debt while they fill their pockets with $$$ off the backs of hard working American people. John is just another GOP puppet and a 3rd term GW.

[lvogt]

Fair but stupid. "I 've got nothing on this guy so I'll attack his pastor." That's a solid case.
What a lame and pathetic argument.

[changeishere08]

B I N G O lvogt!!! Have you noticed the NO ONE has anything really on Sen. Obama, so they are MILKING the GUILT BY ASSOCIATION angle. EXCEPT one thing.......McCAIN has more SKELETONS in his closet and so does HillLIARy.

People in glass houses should play with rocks..........

[atp2007]

Give him a couple of weeks and McCain will flip on any issue. It must be tough for poor John to try and look like a maverick and stay loyal, tough to be a good friend of Kerry and stand by while his service record is Swift Boated. I used to think he was an American Hero but the more I watch him knuckle under to the Right and Bush (I still get the creeps looking at that picture of him hanging onto W so blissfully). Now I'm starting to take those articles about his collboration with the North Vietnamese more and more seriously as the story does fit his present actions.

[FlowerGirl]

So McCain has flipflopped again. Well, this is slimy but not the worst old Uriah Heep has done. I consider his flipflopping on TORTURE a much worse crime.

[enoughalready]

Rev. Wright made it very clear today in his press conference that he is speaking for and defending the Black Church in America. If McCain or Hillary seek to make this a political issue they take the risk of offending all Black Churches in this country and the values they hold dear. It will backfire on both of them. Hillary if the candidate will need the Black vote. She won't get it if she attacks their church and that is exactly what they do when they go after Obama through Rev. Wright. Wright stated very clearly today he speaks for his church not Obama.

McCain should walk a very fine line with what has come out about his connections with lobbyists and his connections with Pastor Hagee also his reference to his wife and calling her the "C" word. If he opens that door with Rev. Wright he also opens the door to all of his personal relationships etc.

If you don't think that there are 527's out there just waiting to filet McCain if he goes into the gutter then this just wouldn't be election season.

[LINY516]

There is no single "black church" in America.
He is defending what is the presentation in a vast majority of black protestant churches.
This presentation can also be seen in may of Dr. King's sermons.

[bygollymissmolly]

So, the DNC needs to run an add with an endless loop of all the despicable things that Rev. Hagee has said and then end the ad with a picture of McCain shaking hands with or hugging Hagee and his quote about how he is "honored" to have his endorsement.

Two can play at the same game.

[mfsomom]

Good for Rev Wright for speaking. He has every right, and if people will take the time to listen, his message resonates, even with this 50 year old white woman. Dare we not judge, lest we be judged. To hear Mrs. Clinton repudiate this man, and his church, and all those who attend with her "this man would not be my pastor, I would leave this church" comments, she remains a divisive figure much to the detrmiment of our nation, and the healing we so need. If a person is to be judged solely on comments run through a continuous loop on MSM, I wonder how she would respond to the impression she made with her Bosnia fabrication?? Is this one incident totally descriptive of her and her character, her works, her good deeds and intentions? Shame on all those who are attempting to describe who Barack Obama is because of anothers words and philosophy. Have you read "Dreams from my Father"? If not, please do, it is highly informative and enlightening. Sen. Obama is a civil, respectful, decent, stand up man. We would be a lucky nation indeed to have this man represent us during our time of need.

Obama '08!! The time is now!!

[dwillisno1]

How about a debate between Wright and Hagee? Wright seems better able to defend his positions than Hagee.