Obama Hits Hamas "Smear": McCain Is "Losing His Bearings"

Over the past few weeks, John McCain has pushed the idea that the terrorist organization Hamas is supporting Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Today, Obama hit back at McCain for the smear by association.

"This is offensive, and I think it's disappointing," Obama told Blitzer, when asked his thoughts about McCain's comments that the terrorist organization Hamas wants Obama to be president. "Because John McCain always says 'I am not going to run that kind of politics,' and to engage in that kind of smear is unfortunate, particularly because my policy toward Hamas has been no different than his."

"I've said it's a terrorist organization and we should not negotiate with them unless they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and unless they are willing to abide by previous accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis. So for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination. We don't need name calling in this debate."

Will Thomas reported on the first example of McCain's camp passing the smear through a fundraising letter with the subject line: "Hamas Weighs In On U.S. Presidential Election." It also has a nice breakdown of McCain's repeated promises to run a respectful campaign.

McCain later repeated the Hamas smear himself, saying "It's clear who Hamas wants to be the next President."

Comments

[robodweeb]

A C-SPAN caller says she's voting for McClone because Obama is a Muslim.

Do you have to be stupid to support McClone or is that just a coincidence?

[flyguy14222]

THAT is scary. I always thought of C-Span viewers as halfway intelligent.

[robodweeb]

Sort of. Half of the C-SPAN callers are intelligent. The ones on the line for Democrats.

[shockmagog]

Some of the stupidest people on earth call C-SPAN. I think someone else has to dial the phone for them.

[anticon]

They are the moderate wing of the idiot farm.The true believers think he is the devil in drag.
You wonder how these creatures have managed to remain in the dark ages.

[MajorKong]

Obama is a muslim, but he has a crazy Christian preacher. They can't even keep their smears straight anymore.

[ExRepublican]

"Do you have to be stupid to support McClone"

yes

"or is that just a coincidence?"

no, not really.

[bobdob]

The McCain camp has hit back, claiming that Obama was taking a cheap shot by making a reference to McCain's age. Apparently, McCain thought Obama said that he was losing his BALL bearings. Old people are like that.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/05/08/obama-accuses-mccain-of-losing-his-bearings-over-hamas-comments/

[HumeSkeptic]

They are upset that the truth about McCain losing his bearings became public Knowledge.

BTW. This is excellent that McBomb's age becomes an issue. They are stupid to respond this way.

[MajorKong]

I would think a Naval Academy graduate would know what the term "losing his bearings" means. Of course, McCain didn't do very well at the Naval Academy.

[robodweeb]

He seemed to have problems keeping his bearings when he crashed all of those airplanes, too.

[FirstShirt]

Well, if you were Hamas [or Iran] and you wanted to be a bigger player in mideast politics, who would you want to be president? 'Nuff said.

[robodweeb]

"Well, if you were Hamas [or Iran] and you wanted to be a bigger player in mideast politics, who would you want to be president? "

George Bush.

[Mogamboguru]

Exactly! HE gave them EVERYTHING they didn'd even dream of, EVER! So, Hamas and Iran MUST be the GREATEST supporters of the McCain-candidacy IMAGINABLE!

[vocalist]

Democrats, join hands together, forget the tiny differences and vote for the Nominee !

Too many values are at stake, one important we do not hear much, the Supreme Court....

So many of them are about to retire, if McCain goes to the Oval Office we are doomed...

[DRPike]

Looks from the comments here that the HRC supporters have decided that Obama is the candidate. Good, now lets start down the road of being a party again, get behind our candidate and beat MvCrazy in Nov.

[halyscomet]

Not only has McCain lost his bearings, he has lost his marbles!

His statements prove that despite his wife's assertion, he will go as dirty as possible to win. The good news is that Obama has already faced the BEST of the "Republican Machine" in the Clintons and won.

Obama will similarly win against McCain.

[tjwdraws]

Obama needs to train his eye on McCain from now on. Clinton will be a bit of a fly in the ointment for now (another one who seems to have lost her bearings if she thinks she can win) but he must keep his eye on the prize and the real battle he must win for the good of our country and the world.

[robodweeb]

What? McClone had bearings?

[shockmagog]

Are "bearings" those glass spheroids with colorful patterns in them?

[DRPike]

LOL

[flyguy14222]

Obama is starting off on the wrong foot if he is switching to "general mode". "Losing ones bearings" is often used to describe elderly folk who may be confused etc. I hope Obama does not have the audacity to think he can alienate ANOTHER demographic.

[Fireback]

your cynisism is getting really boring....

please stop

[flyguy14222]

Sorry Fire. I am one of the most optimistic persons and no I won't stop. I post what I hear from people in my community. If you don't care for/believe what I post then move on. Covering your ears and saying "I don't hear you" is not going to put a Dem. in the White House.

[abby4ever]

I disagree. He needs to switch to 'general mode', needs to ignore Hillary, she is irrational right now, she is beaten, and she is shaming our party---and our party leaders, who do nothing but sit back and watch this spectacle. Along with millions of voters who must be virtually nauseated at this spectacle and as a consequence will not vote democrat in the autumn. Obama just needs to get on with it and let her implode, he should not lend her bizarre words and actions any credibility.

[Faxus]

And the folks who voted for her are idiots too and Obama doesn't want or need their millions of tainted votes. Right?

[kiwi77]

First i heard, sounds like McCain is reading too much into this well used phrase.

[nomobull]

oh really since when . has it been limited to describe elderly people who are confused. i always heard this used to refer to anyone who has lost their way as in someone who forgot the direction the started from, and mccain has lost his way. he is not the mccain of 2000. and it has nothing to do with age.

[Bertha40869]

As a 39 year old woman who often can't find her way out of a paper bag when driving, I lose my bearings on a daily basis (geography was never my strong suit). McCain is trying to create a situation where there is none. I think telling voters that Hamas endorses Obama is a fear tactic and runs contrary to what McCain says about how to run a campaign. Classic bait and swith. We can already see what angle McCain and his cronies are using-hypocricy. I hope the Obama team puts that out now.

[Trilby]

Just gotta say, Obama looks so handsome in that picture...­.

[StephenJK]

LOL It looks like he's a stroke victim. The whole right side of his face appears to be drooping and the left side looks all blotchy. Maybe we are looking at different pictures.

[HumeSkeptic]

Want to talk about McCain's face?

[Bertha40869]

As much as I despise McCain, I wont' talk about his face, which looks that way as a result of skin grafts he got when being treated for cancer. He's still a donkey's behind, though.

[robodweeb]

One of the big factors in 1960 was when Americans saw JFK and Nixon side-by-side.

Barack and Grandpa Munster will provide that contrast again.

[lizr]

ROFL.

How True!

[whizkid]

At the end of the day, should we lose in November, it will be because of
the churlish nature of Barack supporters.

[jbsouth]

No No No........­....G..D..­.America. From the pulpit no less. Obama did not know. For twenty years he just did not know. I believe him and so will all people when they finish hearing all the pretty speeches he has.

[CocteausTwin]

Just get back from your crack dealer?

[Fireback]

I don't think you two goosestepping Nazi's should speak.....

[robodweeb]

"The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti- Reverend Wright, or (if Senator Clinton wins), anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail.

This model has already been tested with disastrous results."

Newt Gingrich

[julescator]

We are not going to lose in November. If people forget about the issues and vote for revenge or anything else then we will lose. This is the point obama was making in San Francisco. Everytime we have the issues on our side, the GOP comes out and and gets them focused on gun rights (guns) religion ( faith-based initiatives) Affirmative Action (race card) and Abortion (we will overturn Roe-vs-Wade). Nothing gets done for these people except they lose more jobs and they have been hoodwinked again.

Now here we are again - we have been re-focused on race (white blue collar workers) we have been focused on religion (rev. Wright) and guns - Hillary saying she went shooting with her grandfather while voting for gun control.

When the american people wake up and focus on the isseus we will alll be better off. You are easily distracted if you think rev. Wright will take food off your table, or keep healthcare unaffordable, or keep a war based on a lie going thus killing more Americans, or give you a tax break, then you have officially been distracted and you will vote against YOUR own economic interests AGAIN. Good Luck with that! The rest of us WON'T BE DISTRACTED LIKE THIS!

[nomobull]

and mccain saying what he said?

[DRPike]

I will never understand how some can choose to abandon their party's candidate because of a few juvenile blog participants.

[65plus]

I hope it is true, the reports that McCain and Obama want to organize their own traditional debates on the issues. Free of spin, ads and interference from the TV networks. It would be such a refreshing improvement, and an educational achievement for the nation.

Maybe four debates: each limited to determined topics, such as FOREIGN POLICY ... HEALTH CARE ... THE ECONOMY ... EDUCATION.

Arrange for live coverage of the debate on the Internet and maybe C-Span. Or public TV. Hold the debate around the country, with 50-50 tickets for both sides. The brief introduction should be by a neutral person, not connected with the tainted news and political industries. Perhaps a high school debate coach, who briefly explains how it works. Make widely available the complete printed transcript of these debates.
The bad guys (news and opinion marketers, political hacks) would do their spins anyway, but could not control the debate in any manner.
What a step forward this would be.

[kay]

Obama will do great in a debate with McCain. McCain has a bad temper. It came out even in the the Republican debates. It isn't attractive.

I don't think John McCain is familiar or comfortable with being questioned. He's had fawning admirers for 30 years.

Not that debates matter. George W Bush was clearly a nitwit, and conservatives lined up to vote for him. Twice.

McCain could stand there with Leiberman feeding him answers and conservatives would vote for him.

[CocteausTwin]

I am going to regularly report this until you "update" your article Mr Edsall

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGB93V/commentary

And I quote:

As posted by blogger Obamacrat:

"Hillary"s Debt Will NOT Be Paid By Obama for America.

It is not legal to do so.

I secured this information personally from campaign HQ in a phone conversation with the
Finance Chairman In Chicago at 2:40 P.M. EDT today Thursday, May 8th. I was asked to relay this
information onto the blog by the Finance Chairman.

DONATE to Obama with Absolute Confidence.

End of quote, now lets see an update from you Mr Edsall

[richcpl]

McCain is a house of cards.