McCain Denies Surge Gaffe Again

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Republican presidential candidate John McCain had his own German experience Thursday _ at a restaurant in Ohio. He asserted that he was happy to devote his time this week to touring the nation's heartland.

"I'd love to give a speech in Germany. But I'd much prefer to do it as president of the United States rather than as a candidate for president," McCain told reporters after a meal of bratwurst with local business leaders at Schmidt's Sausage Haus und Restaurant in Columbus' German Village neighborhood.

As Barack Obama delivered a high-profile speech in Berlin, McCain said he was focusing his attention this week on economic issues, including soaring food and fuel costs. He has been busy campaigning and raising funds in key battleground states like Ohio.

In what was clearly not a coincidence, McCain spoke with reporters shortly before Obama began his speech at Berlin's Victory Column.

At the same time, the Republican National Committee was running anti-Obama ads in Berlin, Pa., and other namesake villages in Wisconsin and New Hampshire.

McCain is trying hard to get attention during Obama's week abroad. He had planned to visit an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, but rough seas left over from Hurricane Dolly caused him to scrub that trip.

On Thursday evening, he shared a stage at the Ohio State University with fellow cancer survivor Lance Armstrong at a forum that focused on cancer treatment and prevention.

"Yes, I was in a battle. Not a war; I was in a battle with melanoma. And I know how tough that battle can be," McCain said. He is a three-time survivor of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

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Both McCain and Obama were invited to the non-partisan event.

"My opponent, of course, is traveling in Europe," McCain said. He said Obama would soon see a scene familiar to seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong. "A throng of adoring fans awaits Sen. Obama in Paris," said McCain.

"And that's just the American press," McCain added to laughter. The jest underscored the difficulty McCain has been having in competing for media attention.

On Friday, McCain will meet with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, in Aspen, Colo.

He said he regretted not being able to make the trip on Thursday to the drilling rig off the Louisiana coast, a visit intended to emphasize his support for lifting of the ban on offshore drilling. President Bush earlier this month rescinded an executive order reinforcing the congressional ban, but Congress must act as well for the moratorium on Outer Continental Shelf drilling to be abolished.

"I'm sorry Congress is gridlocked again on offshore drilling," McCain said. "When I'm president, we'll all sit down together and work this out."

On Europe, where Obama has been meeting with leaders, McCain said cultivating good relations with a new generation of European leaders was important. "A lot of these leaders are a lot more pro-American than their predecessors were," he said.

The Arizona senator defended his assertions that Obama was more interested in winning a campaign than winning the war in Iraq. Democrats have suggested McCain went overboard, implying that the Illinois Democrat would put the nation's children at jeopardy for political reasons.

"All of us care about our children," McCain said. "I stand by my comments."

McCain has complained that Obama's support for a fixed timetable to withdraw troops ignores recent progress made under President Bush's troop buildup.

"It's clear Sen. Obama doesn't understand what's at stake here. It's pretty obvious he's taken this position to secure the nomination of his party."

Of Friday's meeting with the Dalai Lama in Colorado, McCain called the Tibetan spiritual leader "a transcendent national role-model."

"I have been a great admirer of the Dalai Lama," said McCain, a sharp critic of the Chinese crackdown in the Tibetan region.

Ohio is a key swing state. Recent polls have suggested a close contest between Obama and McCain. President Bush narrowly defeated Democrat John Kerry here in 2004, and some Democrats have suggested that voting irregularities that favored Republicans helped swing the election Bush's way.

German Village is in the 15th congressional district, held by Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce. It encompasses most of the city of Columbus and its southern and western suburbs. Pryce won in the last congressional election by a narrow margin.

Before settling down to lunch, McCain bounded through the crowded restaurant shaking hands and posing for photographs with lunchtime patrons.

He was overheard remarking on the "great sausages here." The restaurant's specialties are "Bahama Mama" bratwurst and cream puffs.

"Can we have a couple of cream puffs to go, too?" he asked.

Comments

[VSamuels]

Many here are joking about McCain's seemingly endless gaffes, however, these things mean little to the voters who will never logically connect the dots and understand they signal a sign that he may have some dementia issues. Liberals like Maddow and Olbermann are clearly a clear voice in a sea of media pundits who are keeping these things in front of the voters, but the 800 pound gorilla; something that even Maddow and Olbermann are basically reluctant to confront: that there is a vein of racism within the Democratic Party that rivals the overt racism and xenophobia of the republican party.

The basic issue is that racism is under such assault by most Americans who practice and believe it, that to raise it is problematic; as first one must fight to establish its existence then project that they subscribe to it, before acknowledging how prevalent it still is within both the Democratic and republican base. It is not likely that any Democratic insider is going to come out and publically decry that it is real, so it merely simmers and boils as an election where Hillary's base opt to vote for McCain who does not represent their views or their interests.

But, in the end Obama will come up short, having been felled by same sentiments which have always plagued this nation's consciousness, the upside may be that liberal voices begin to confront the demons of race and openly admit that it isn't soley the works of the republicans.

[kawika]

Not a gouda day for Ace McCain. Maybe among the wurst.

[keepemhonest]

Did anyone see McCain with Bush #41 riding in #41's golf cart with the sign that said, "Property of #41 HANDS OFF!"

Well, 41 probably told during that ride, "hey John, remember my debate when they asked me what the cost of a gallon of milk cost and I had NO CLUE ... buddy, you got to go shopping." Low & behold that very night, McCain dons a grocery store! THAT VERY NIGHT!!!!

He told the lady shopping for him ... err with him ... "The last time I shopped, bread was a nickel & a gallon gas was 10 cents hehehehehe"

Did anyone notice that he didn't know eggs were put in cartons? He pointed at the eggs and said, "Oh my god, what's that?"

Then he pulled out his cheat sheet from his pocket, staired at it and said, "milk is $4.00 a gallon." He must be prepping for the debate question #41 got.

[LiberTLover]

Does anyone believe that McPityparty, who didn't know the price of gas because he hadn't pumped it himself in years, knows anything about going to the supermarket (remember his $200,000 household help budget?) and shopping for food? From his comments the only thing he knows about cheese is cutting it, and it smells the same as his positions. They stink!

[tel8034]

The CHEESE aisle?

McCain's skin color is near to that of cheese ................. It was hard to tell the difference between the cheese on the shelf and the talking (rambling) CHEESE. ................... THE SURGE, THE SURGE, THE SURGE.

[LTinCali]

Lying blinking eyes will tell. McCain's eyes go crazy with blinking when he is lying.

[chrissy22]

HOW IS IT THAT BARACK OBAMA IS 60% WITH LATINS, 40% WITH WHITES, AND 90% WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS. THIS IS INSANE SOMEONE IS PLAYIN GAMES WITH THOSE POLLS

[egal]

Yes, that's it, McCain, Obama retroactively took this position on leaving Iraq years ago just to get his party's nomination now, after he has had it for quite some time due to that position he took long before it became popularly credited as it is now.

[Nyla785]

The list of McCain's gaffs grows daily. I cannot understand the poll numbers. Evidently people are out of town on vacaton or busy with the kids home from school

[tel8034]

Most of McCain supporters are senior citizens who stay home waiting for the phone to ring, so they are ALWAYS included in the numbers.

Most of Obama supporters are always out and about, and they communicate via e-mail, text messaging, or the CELL PHONE .................... Pollsters NEVER reach this demographic to incorporate their vote.

But this might work in Obama's favor, because the Republicans will become more and more OVER-confident with poll numbers being reported by the MSM, and they will drop their guard. We have clearly seen results of that this week with McCain and his surrogates and their numerous gaffes ................. They have ceased to be careful ................... Even Bush got caught with his pants down.

Speaking of the MSM, they tend to cherry pick through the poll data (as was proven recently in WaPo) and ONLY release poll numbers which support their "Need For High Ratings" argument that the race is indeed very close .................. Because they say the race is close, we would be more inclined to tune in everyday for new developments and to see if the poll numbers have changed................ And they never really do change...............Surprise, Surprise!

The poll numbers don't make sense either ................ Most Americans are on board with Obama's positions per the poll results, the Republican brand is tarnished per the poll results........... YET the race is still close?............... Go figure!

[VSamuels]

Possibly, but more than likely as the 'reality' of what some believe the election of an African-American means in their minds---begins to come closer to homeplate, these folks are beginning to move to the familar and comfortable image of an old, rich white male.

Obama was never the frontrunner in a society where he is a statisical minority and whose minorities have never held this office in America, here the corporate media is being irresponsible by according Obama the 'frontrunner' status and McCain the 'underdog' status. How absurb! While it is easier for some to see how Obama's saturation coverage is more pronounced, it has been largerly negative and combative and skeptical; he has basically spent most of this election fighting against one allegation after the next; whilst, at the same time having this same media calling him the 'frontrunner.' This has been specifically done to frighten and move those white folks who otherwise wouldn't be moved if they perceived McCain the 'frontrunner.'

Lastly, Hillary and Bill Clinton are not an asset for Obama and won't be, they will continue to silently use their voters as a sort of wedge, while publically projecting they're on his team. Obama like millions of trailblazers before him will make a way for a AA president one day, but today his real racial problems remain squarely in his own party.

[JiminNC]

"He had planned to visit an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, but rough seas left over from Hurricane Dolly caused him to scrub that trip."

And that oil rig is producing a 12 mile oil slick on the ocean I hear? Bad time for a photo-op I suppose. drill drill drill - Any photos of the oil slick yet HuffPo?

[gditty]

When John McCain descended on a Bethlehem, Penn. grocery store late yesterday afternoon, the unscheduled campaign stop, meant to highlight McCain's concern over skyrocketing food prices, instead quickly became a theater for the absurd. First, a cameraman knocked over several glass jars of Mott's applesauce, which rolled near McCain's feet as he posed for a bevy of cameras while strolling the grocery aisles. Then, the senator's hastily assembled press conference, held in front of a perishable food case labeled "Dairy Delights," was interrupted by the scream of the store's P.A. system announcing a staffer had a phone call. Finally, there was the fact that Renee Gould, the young mother McCain had an extended chat with about the high price of tomatoes and milk, was not a random shopper, but an area resident funneled to the campaign by the local Republican Party. Gould's admission (a reporter cornered her and asked how she came to be there) was ultimately not all that surprising. Even with the amusing mishaps, the entire event came off as canned, and McCain"whose discomfort with the phoniness required by politics has always been evident"spent most of his time shifting uncomfortably.

[notthistime]

RAOTFLMAO. gditty , , , , are you kidding or did that really happen? LOL

[gditty]

http://www.blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/07/24/with-mccain-scenes-from-a-bethlehem-grocery-store.aspx

[JiminNC]

This article makes no mention of the 12 mile oil slick coming off the drill rig that McOoops cancelled.

[thromulese]

McSame, the surgier surge candidate.

[ComnCents]

Buffoon n.

1. A clown; a jester.
2. A person given to clowning and joking.
3. A ludicrous or bumbling person; a fool.

Number 3 is a good fit.

[helonias]

Where's the Geritol aisle