Obama To Tennessee GOP: "Lay Off My Wife"

WASHINGTON — Democrat Barack Obama has a message for Tennessee's Republican Party: "Lay off my wife."

Obama, his party's presidential front-runner, and his wife, Michelle, were asked in an interview aired Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America" about an online video last week by the state's GOP taking her to task for a comment some considered unpatriotic.

"The GOP, should I be the nominee, can say whatever they want to say about me, my track record," Obama said. "If they think that they're going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful because that I find unacceptable, the notion that you start attacking my wife or my family."

He called the strategy "low class."

The video, posted on YouTube, centered on remarks Michelle Obama made while campaigning in Wisconsin last February, when she said: "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country."

The four-minute video replayed the remark six times, interspersing it with commentary by Tennesseans on why they are proud of America. In a news release that included a link to the video, Tennessee's GOP said "the Tennessee Republican Party has always been proud of America." It urged radio stations to play "patriotic music" during Michelle Obama's visit to Nashville last Thursday.

Michelle Obama later clarified the remark, saying she meant she was proud of how Americans were engaging in the political process and that she had always been proud of her country.

"Whoever is in charge of the Tennessee GOP needs to think long and hard about the kind of campaign they want to run, and I think that's true for everybody, Democrat or Republican," Obama said in the ABC interview, adding: "These folks should lay off my wife."

Obama said his wife "loves this country. For them to try to distort or to play snippets of her remarks in ways that are unflattering to her is, I think, just low class. I think that most of the American people would think that as well."

Tennessee's Republican Party was roundly criticized in March, including by likely presidential nominee John McCain, for a news release that used Barack Obama's middle name _ Hussein _ and showed a photo of him wearing what it said was "Muslim attire."

The release ultimately was removed from the party's Web site at the urging of the state's two Republican senators and Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan, who said he "rejects these kinds of campaign tactics."

Comments

[zreeb]

McCain's wife has plenty of dirty laundry, but the Obama campaign will keep it classy.

[abouttime]

Absolutely! He has demonstrated his honor and integrity over and over again. The dirt politics displayed by the Republican Party in Tenessee is obsfucation from issues Obama represents but his Republican opponents refuse to debate. Why? Because they are loosers who drag this country down. Obama is classy and his character is supreme. He won't be pushed into the gutter that Republican's wallow in.

[bayfield]

Well then you need to tell her to stop campaigning for you. As long as she does, her words are fair game. Can't have it both ways.

[ladyv]

Sure we can. We can have it any way we want.

[alex13a]

I just sent a few email to the tenessee GOP, just to blow some steam after a hard day's work.

It works really well, I encourage you to do the same:

http://www.tngop.org/leadership/staff.html

[indieminded]

Thanks for the link to the Tennessee GOP. Maybe we should ask if they wouldn't mind if we followed their spouses around and recorded their comments to use at a later date.....

[notthistime]

great idea.

[init]

Why would any decent person pick on a mans wife? Probably because they are desperate. Is it the Britons? Wild undisciplined people? Somewhere in history; early Britons are known for even cannibalism.

[ladyv]

It's really, really petty and small, but Obama just turned smokin' hot for me, putting himself out in front of his wife like that. That's how men are supposed to treat their wives, when they're attacked.

[Obama08Supporter]

We all may as well get ready for this. However, we and only we as Americans can put a stop to the GOP, by voting against them in ALL elections, be it local or national. We need to finally send them a message, that the buck stops here.

I will never allow FEAR to have my vote again. This is America and if I am one of its residents, I am willing to die for it. So with that in mind, I say bring on the FEAR TACTICS and let's roll. I have to die one day but I will not die in FEAR.

There is too much to continue to lose by allowing personal attacks to get our minds off the most important issues, like the economy, the failed war plan, home foreclosure. Think about it, McCain and Bush started this talk about security to get our minds off of the most important issues because McCain does not have a clue, now he is trying to change his imagine to fool us that he is not like Bush. Well, smart Americans know he is exactly like Bush and will always be no matter how he attempts to change his imagine.

Time to attack his wife and her issues as well as having independent doctor's evaluate the bastard for Alzehimers, because he is demonstrating signs of it, imagine his hand next to the button, when he pushes it thinking that he is pressing the door bell! I don't think so!

[indieminded]

Does the GOP really want to open up this can of worms of scrutinizing the candidates' wives?

I should think not, unless they enjoy shooting themselves in the foot.

[briel]

Really. Cindy should release her tax returns.. But, we won't be rude enough to attack her. Plenty to talk about w/ John anyway.

[indieminded]

Yes, he is becoming a three-ring acrobatic circus of amazing flip-flop feats all on his own.

[Tulka2]

Michelle Obama is Barack's greatest assest. In the Karl Rove school of politics, one must attack the opposition's strongest walls. No wonder they attack Michelle. Michelle Obama is the daughter i wish was mine. Any older woman would be inclined to admire her and every younger woman would be inspired. They have to attack her because she is a bright and shinning light. They live in a mental hole in the ground.

[Hotshortie]

I agree. She is one of his greatest assests. She is intelligent, dynamic and caring. Michelle is a lioness who is not afraid to protect her family. She is to be admired and that is why they are trying so hard to tear her down. Wedge issues are dumb!

Let's talk gas prices!
Let's talk education!
Let's talk food prices!
Let's talk about getting our solders home from Iraq!
Let's talk health care!

GOP - the let's make up something about the other person party instead of dealing with real issues!

Women...GOP are so afraid of Intelligent Women!!!!

[DontEvenThinkIt]

"Women...GOP are so afraid of Intelligent Women!!!!"

Apparently so are a lot of Democrats!!

[Nochnoi]

I think the GOP are afraid of women, any kind of women..... but true.... very afraid of intelligent women....

They still think old white men should rule the world..... and women are like cuff links to them.... pretty on the arm....

[craigson]

I agree, Michelle is an exceptional individual and admirable role model. She needs no defending. This just goes to show Barack's own integrity and class. Obama 08!

[BlackWidowPilot]

Let's talk about the GOP's actual record as the self-appointed "party of family values:"

http://www.armchairsubversive.org

Yeeach.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[creekside]

Stay tough Obama. Whenever they try and distract the news media bring up the issues. The current economy, the endless war, gas prices....If they want to bring up the past, just talk about the keating 5.

[Hotshortie]

GOP men are afraid of intelligent, bright, well educated women such as Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Both are amazing women!
The GOP has to use wedge issues, silly issues to try to divide people. You know how GOP boys are...Mine's bigger than yours. Trophy wives etc. Just silliness.
Let's bring down a good man or the good man's wife.

GROW UP GOP!!! GROW UP and talk issues that matter to the AMERICAN people!

It's all so silly when people need to put food on their tables and gas in their tanks. How do we educate children? When will we bring our solders home from Iraq? When will reason come back to the white house?

GOP are afraid of big strong women with minds of their owns!!!!!

Go Michelle & Hillary show the GOP that women are smart, caring, strong and can hold the world on our shoulders.

[notthistime]

exactly hotshortie

[indieminded]

They do seem to like their Stepford Wives....

[OverCoffee]

When the easily identifiable haters who have jobs as commentators or making up ads give equal time to the story of John McCain publicly calling his wife a word that starts with letter 'c' and rhymes with hunt, I'll be the first to say they aren't motivated by the secret desire to see every black girl who looks like Michelle Obama get no further than working in the White House kitchen, and black boys, at best, become drivers or landscapers at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[john85msy]

Turn over your taxes cindy.

[researcher]

amen to that. this is the woman that should be looked at closely.

dated a married man then married him leaving a wife with three kids.

most of us have skeltons in our closet but her hubby is running for pres skeltons come out cindy.

stealing drugs from third world countries.

mega rich born with a silver spoon in mouth.

sells beer for a living.

money invested in third world killer countries.

she is an example of the very thing wrong with america.

it is class war fare but americans are too brainwashed to see this.

bye bye middle class happening as we speak.

need I say more.

[StillAmused]

This is what Republicans do.

... remember?

[plafayette]

And so "the game is afoot". As far as I am concerned, this is what a real man does...he protects and defends his wife and family. He is not whining...he is indeed warning the GOP! If Obama wanted to go down this path we all know fully well that John McCain and Cindy would lose this MUD FIGHT hands down. By the time we BLASTED her on Adultry, Addiction, and Theft to support her ADDICTION most Americans would be far more put off by Cindy's CHARACTER, MORALS AND BEHAVIOR...than with anything that Michelle said and did not mean. Cindy on the other hand cannot say that she did not mean to sleep with a married man, or steal money and drugs to hide her drug habit. Come on America would we really rather have John McCain and Cindy...then Barack and Michelle Obama? I sure as heaven don't!

[john85msy]

So its ok to go after Cindy McBush. Cindy McCain is a Homewrecker sneaking around with McCain behind McCains sick wifes back. So long for the Married women vote. I wonder when was the last time she took a percocet just to get high. Hell she looks perked out all the time on TV.

[BatedBreath]

The Democratic party has not taken this line against Mrs. McCain. You have to be severely challenged in the judgment department If you cannot tell the difference between a poster on a blog making derogatory remarks about Cindy McCain and having it be the official line of a political party.

[windwalker1984]

You are right - so much for family values! Cindy Hensley McCain had an affair with John McCain while he was married to his first wife, Carol, who was disabled in a car accident was her husband was a POW. John divorced Carol & left his family (3 children) to marry rich heiress Cindy Hensley.

Then there's Cindy McCain drug addiction to prescription painkillers. She stole drugs from her own non profit medical relief organization. The McCains only came clean on the story when a former employee of the charity & the Phoenix News Times were working on a story to expose the scandal.

Cindy McCain was also in trouble during the Keating 5 scandal of her husband John. As bookkeeper for the McCains, she was questioned about reimbursement checks to Keating for plane rides, etc that were found to not exist.

Cindy McCain, worth over $100 million said on the Today Show recently that she would never release her tax returns. It was announced this past week that she was divesting herself of some Saudi Arabian investments. What is she hiding?



Cindy & John McCain and the Republicans had better hope Obama takes the high road and not tit for tat, becaue Cindy comes off a heck of a lot worse than Michelle if the Democrats were to run their own counter ad.

[Mr. Cobb]

Hillary Clinton should get out. She wont win but she's putting regular rank-and-file democratic activists through this crap with the wingnuts. She wont win in 2012 if that's her strategy. She will never win a nomination from the democratic party now. Get out

[daddigrace]

The thing is that her most ardent supporters are the not rank-and-file Democrats. They tend to be these one-to-two-issue rabid white femmes who aren't concerned the least bit about how she's ran her campaign, how many RAFD groups she throws under the bus, or even feminism for that matter. It's about electing Hillary, no matter how much gets damaged in the process.

[afgail]

Hillary is not a quitter and her supporters want her to stay in the race. There is an abiding sense that if Obama is the nominee he is going to need the support of her slice of the Democratic party who also happen to be the core of the Democratic Party. Obama is in the mold of Kerry and Dukakis representing the urban elite liberal wing of the party who have been unable to win the White House since FDR. The dream ticket still is having both of them on the ticket. Together they are unbeatable. Obama with anyone else is doomed to fail.