McCain Defends Britney Ad

During a town hall meeting in Wisconsin on Thursday, Sen. McCain defended his campaign ad painting Barack Obama as a self-obsessed celebrity along the lines of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

"We are proud of that commercial," said the presumptive Republican nominee. "There are differences and we are drawing those differences. But what we are talking about here is substance and not style. And what we are talking about is who has an agenda for the future. Campaigns are tough but I am proud of the campaign we have run I am proud of the issue we have tried to address to the American people. And I wish Sen. Obama would join me to discuss this."

The statement came after a young member of the audience -- a self-proclaimed admirer of the Senator -- told McCain that she was troubled by the recent tone of his campaign ads. McCain insisted that he was basing his candidacy "on what we should do for Americans here at home."

If McCain found himself looking for a better explanation for his recent spate of Obama attacks, it came from the next questioner.

"I'm 18 and I have to say, Obama terrifies me. You have to call him on every shot," she said. "Don't let him get away with it ... We can't afford it.

Following applause, the Arizona Republican replied: "I respect and admire Sen. Obama, we just have stark differences and those have to be drawn. He wants to raise your taxes and I want to keep them low ... whether we should have choice and competition for our children as I was discussing or are we going to let the teachers unions set the agenda."

Comments

[t9chi]

05:10 PM on 08/01/2008

Slime politics that got Bush in office. Here we go again.

[vixie29]

07:16 AM on 08/03/2008

It's an attempt to portray Obama as weak. McCain is playing the bully kicking sand in his face and what you going to do about?

Obama surrogates need to hit McCain hard and put him on the defensive, hit him hard on the crazy old man thing and PTSD.

[MemphisBuffalo]

10:21 AM on 08/01/2008

McBush is a prime target for an ad showing an old man hitting a computer! I would run one of his three tims saying yougoslavia!

[DaOne]

10:12 AM on 08/01/2008

Funny how between the two of them only Mc Cheese has hosted SNL.

Who is the real celebrity poser?

[legoh]

09:34 AM on 08/01/2008

... ameding my previous post ...

Sure, they won't TALK about race, they'll just use it in their sleazy ads - bltantanly or subliminally - and then they'll say "let's leave it up to the American people to decide."

[legoh]

09:32 AM on 08/01/2008

I just wish he'd stop saying how much he admires and respects Obama. It's clearly such a lie.

[Bboyshoes42]

09:22 AM on 08/01/2008

I think what it comes down to is that McCain launched this ad for the same reason that a old man buys a porche...McCain is jealous. He sees someone with new ideas with lots of popularity and realizes that he doesn't doesn't have either. Some people might call this a mid-life crisis ad, however, provided McCain's age this is more of a end-life crisis. He's already lost relevancy, the ad just confirms it.

[MissingAmerica]

09:19 AM on 08/01/2008

Definition of a son that only a mother could love. Another definition? George Bush!

[barackobama4prez]

09:11 AM on 08/01/2008

The scared 18 year old must have interests which can be protected by electing JSM. The COUNTRY can't afford JSM! We deserve better.

[Brooklynindy]

09:00 AM on 08/01/2008

Can anyone locate a video link to Cindy McCain's April appearance on "The View" where she swore up and down that NO negative campaigning would be coming from the McCain side? The video has been withdrawn from the links I've found. I'd like to use it as part of a Youtube piece.

[QuicksilverKW]

08:54 AM on 08/01/2008

I don't see McCain defending his "Paris Hilton" ad - especially since her family - great McCain supporters are really PO'd at him for dragging Paris's name through the mud. I wonder why?

[moseyon]

08:26 AM on 08/01/2008

This is what I have read on another blog.

Why are these young women involved with the Muslin. That is scary for me?

That is was some people read into that add. Makes you wonder?

[OliverTwist]

07:54 AM on 08/01/2008

It is sad to see the indifference that Republican politicians regularly show to the effects of their actions on other people. Their eagerness to destroy President Clinton led them to trash and exploit Monica Lewinsky. Their eagerness to destroy Senator Obama leads them to trash and exploit Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Their eagerness to punish Muslims led them to attack Iraq and now McCain sings songs about killing Iranians. This is not the way that decent Christians behave.

[uvymopkq]

08:52 AM on 08/01/2008

You would almost think that they were running for president.

[wanj]

08:56 AM on 08/01/2008

Isn't it funny that they actually happen to be the "religious right"? Ohh the irony!

[tlgeiger62]

07:17 AM on 08/01/2008

How do McCain supporters SUPPORT this guy:
"We are proud of that commercial," said the presumptive Republican nominee. "There are differences and we are drawing those differences. But what we are talking about here is substance and not style. And what we are talking about is who has an agenda for the future. Campaigns are tough but I am proud of the campaign we have run..."

And did anyone catch what he actually means by this statement?
"He wants to raise your taxes and I want to keep them low." -- doesn't that mean he plans to RAISE TAXES?

WTF

[tlgeiger62]

07:13 AM on 08/01/2008

There is a great article running in the WP today entitled "The Curious Mind of John McCain" ... lengthy but definitely worth a full read. Says a lot about what makes him tick based on the 4 books he co-authored with Mark Salter.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103032.html?nav=rss_email/components

[LanosIceland]

05:27 AM on 08/01/2008

Hello Sam,

McCain's strategy is not a surprise, but his tactics are. The frenzy of dishonor that McCain has
unleashed is a much wider yet unacknowledged shamefull narrative: the idea of germans as dark evil figures lurking in the background... Hitler.

Both his adds are shot in Berlin, with audio clips of 'chilling' german accents in addittion to the cheerings crowds under the siegessäule. The continuous remarks about "fawning germans" are an insult to the german people.

I was in Berlin for that visit: people came from all over Europe for that moment, to feel hope, to see the possibilty of a new America not bent on ' war as the solution' for every problem, an America finally ready to take cake of it's own, an America ready to listen and lead with vision. Peace.

McCain has now singled out Paris Hilton and Britney Spears to help carry the offensive remarks of his subliminal message to promote 'a negative impression'.

So now he insults his german allies, and his countrymen, at will.

Does this man not understand the dark consequences of his deeds?