Obama: McCain Wasn't Willing To Say Ayers Attacks "To My Face" (VIDEO)

During an interview with ABC's Charlie Gibson Wednesday night, Barack Obama accused John McCain of scoring "cheap political points" with the personal attacks he had leveled at him in recent days. Speaking of the previous night's presidential debate, Obama said he was surprised McCain didn't attempt to repeat these attacks during their time on stage together:

Well, I am surprised that, you know, we've been seeing some pretty over-the-top attacks coming out of the McCain campaign over the last several days that he wasn't willing to say it to my face.

Watch the clip:

Update: Joe Biden echoes the line during an appearance on Thursday in Missouri:

"All of the things they said about Barack Obama in the TV, on the TV, at their rallies, and now on YouTube ... John McCain could not bring himself to look Barack Obama in the eye and say the same things to him," Biden said this morning. "In my neighborhood, when you've got something to say to a guy, you look him in the eye and you say it to him."

Biden, who arrived on stage in St. Joseph to chants of "Joe! Joe! Joe," urged the crowd not to be distracted by McCain claims, saying that every "false charge, every baseless accusation is an attempt to get you to stop paying attention to what's going on in this country and what's going on in your lives." And on the issues that matter, he said, McCain is offbase, particularly on his newest mortgage plan.

Comments

[sayinnotsayin]

The views of Palin's church toward Catholics and Jews. They sponsored the Jews for Jesus.

How is Jews for Jesus considered hate towards Jewish people? Do you have a clue what it means? Sarah Palins church is Christian. Christians allow anyone to join in the church. Jews for Jesus only means they accept Jesus Christ as their savior. Jewish religion does not accept Jesus Christ as their savior. There is not hate in that whatsoever to allow people freedom of religion. The hate is in not allowing it and mocking others choices.

Hatemongering, how many times has Obama's campaign people brought up racism? To call racism everytime something is said and cannot be denied or discussed is what Obama does. When you say why isn't anyone talking about this or that, I see a lot of this and that happened, he did this, she did this. No basis of fact. You heard it from Obama's campaign, liberal MSM and right here at Huffington post. You repeat but you have not researched.
As far as this kenyan Christian who visited Palins church, VISITED, does not come close to Obama sitting in a church with hatefilled speech towards American and Whites for 20 years. It does not even come close to Black liberation theology where members have chosen black needs over anything else in the world. How can Obama be President of the United States when he will only look after African American needs? Racism, Obama has it cornered.

[sayinnotsayin]

If Barack Obama is so outraged at John McCain’s involvement in the Keating Five scandal, why is John Glenn, another Keating Five member, doing surrogate work for Obama? Notice 4 of the Keating five are democrats. Obama’s presidential campaign released a scathing documentary on Monday detailing McCain’s ties to the Savings and Loan crisis on the 1980’s. Five U.S. senators were named in the scandal: Sen. Alan Cranston (D.-Calif.­),Sen. Dennis DeConcini (D.-Ariz.)­, Sen. John Glenn (D.-Ohio), Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.) and Sen. Donald Reigle (D-Minn.). Obama doesn’t seem to have any quarrel with Glenn. The former Democratic Ohio senator introduced Bruce Springsteen at a benefit concert for Obama in Ohio on Sunday, October 5. He's also done other surrogate work for Obama as well. According to Obama's presidential website Glenn held a conference calls with reporters for Obama in August.

February 1991, the Senate Ethics Committee found McCain and Glenn to be the least blameworthy of the five senators. Guilty of nothing more than "poor judgment," the committee said, his actions were not "improper nor attended with gross negligence­."

[nowarpleez]

Once again we're allowing these clowns to control the conversation. Where are the discussions about McCain's association with felons like Charles Keating and G. Gordon Liddy. What about his personal involvement with a right wing organization tied to the Nazi party? How about Palin's friends over at the Alaska seccessionist party? These are activities they were directly involved in while in office. Not something that happened back in the Stone Age when McCain was a child. Why isn't the Obama campaign talking about this?
They wanted to divert our attention from McCain's campaign manager's continued lobbying for Freddie Mac, so McCain stole the headlines with his fake campaign suspension. Now he wants to divert the attention away from his part in the financial meltdown, so were' back on Ayers, which is an old conversation that was already resolved, and is absolutely ridiculous. Who cares what Ayers did back in the 60's. Everyone hated the Vietnam War and did things to make their point. The only difference is that the Weather Underground took credit for their actions. And guess what, no one died or went broke in the process.
I've lost about 50% of my net worth in the past 3 months. I don't care about Bill Ayers!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!

[bongogirl]

McKKK has Post Trauma Stress Disorder. Did anyone here him say on the stump, " MY FELLOW PRISONERS", in stead of my fellow Americans. He continued his speech as if he didn't know what he had said. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN PALIN'S FACE WHEN HE UTTERED THAT GAFFE. IT WAS PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS SCARY TOO!! He said it on Wednesday.

[QuestionItAll48]

McCan't does not address it because his VP Choice, Ms Palin connection to radical right-wing pals is MUCH WORSE
Please read this ariticle and I hope this gets Headlined or Referenced on HP....t
his NEEDS TO BE READ!
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/10/10/palin_chryson/

Thanks, jw

[rudyacuna]

Innuendos are splitting the nation apart, and they are weakening the democratic process. No matter what side you are on there should be transperancy. At the next debate Obama should answer questions about Ayers and Wright--although he has addressed them in the past. However, in the interest of fair play, McCain should also answer questions that are on the internet:
1- His participation in an anti-Semite organization in the 1980s that also had associations with the Pioneer Fund and the death squads in Central America.
2- His association with a Republican delegate who praised a woman who shot a physician because he performed abortions.
3. His, McCain's, asking for and getting the endorsement from a rabidly anti-Catholic minister
4. The accusation made by former Vietnam POW that McCain was a songbird.
5. Address the context of temper tantrums widely documented on You Tube, and questions about whether he is temperamentally stable enough to take the 3AM phone call or make one at that hour.
6. Palin's husband's membership in the Alaska secessionist party, and her friendship with its founder who said he hates America.
7. The views of Palin's church toward Catholics and Jews. They sponsored the Jews for Jesus.
8. Palin's attending and participating in witch cleansing ceremonies at he church.
After these questions are answered, both parties should promise to concentrate on the economy. How to make this a better country. McCain and Palin's campaign via innuendos amounts to cowardliness.

[hominidx]

This is an interesting angle. It'd be interesting to see Obama take these things head-on - not as a question from a moderator or response to McCain. Just keep on with the "Ok, here are the facts, here's how they do or don't matter, and here's what does matter: the Economy, the War, the Future..."

[vegangoddess]

McCain has PTSD and is Bi-Polar..­.that's the scariest combination ever. I refuse to look at his face (or PFailin's) after Obama wins on Nov. 4th.

[dentuso]

This is absolutely beautiful.

They've boxed McCain into a tiny little corner where has now has two choices; a) Continue to look like a backstabbing coward or b) bring up Ayers at the debate, and get slammed as a complete joke.

You can be sure that Obama already has a quick, clear, complete response, ie; "I know this man, who was never charged, never conviced of anything - for actions he took while I was 8 years of age, through a total of eight meetings, all of which were are as an invited fellow volunteer chair for the Annenberg Challenge; a Republican board, set up by a Reagan Ambassador, who invited Ayers as an honored fellow. These are the same people who just endorsed you.

Next?

[malcolm77]

Anyway I think its becoming obvious why Obama is baiting McCain into bringing up the Ayers issue in the next debate with the "say it to my face" comment. If McCain was smart (lol) he would just leave it alone. Hillary fell into the trap and got pwn3d on national TV. The Obama team is really good at throwing the last punch. They do detailed research and with McCain telegraphing this attack he really has given them time to come up with a series of scorching responses that will make McCain seem like a hyporcrite­..McCain should just take an L and keep it moving... Remember this....

Hillary Clinton- "You have a relationship with William Ayers, a terrorist that bombed he Pentagon and Capital building. That shows questionable judgement. How can the American people trust you?"

Barack Obama-"You do know that your husband actually pardoned two members of the Weather Underground right?"

Hillary Clinton- Uhhhhh....

*crowd hears cricketts

[cantgetright]

How can anyone trust McCain to look international leaders - even if he can't identify them - when he cannot and will not look at Mr. Obama and give his, "Straight talk?" He couldn't even stand up to B43 when he was Swiftboated! It's bad enough to show how desperate he is but to act like a coward just further proves that he nor Palin is ready for prime time.

[Probus]

McCain's a coward that's why he didn't say it to Obama's face.

[Twentylaws]

I cannot imagine Sen. McCain having the nerve to speak of Ayers, Wright or Rezko, in lieu of his background at the next debate! Let alone calling or implying that Obama should be thought as a "Terrorist". The Republicans need to reign McCain in before he makes the biggest mistake of his candidacy!

But, I suspect by tomorrow, the narrative will change back to Palin (Troopergate) and if McCain will be forced to drop her from his ticket!

[qtpi410]

Lets clear the air. At the next debate each candidate should have a list of questions for each other.
Obama questions should include
Keating, gambling winnings, Palin and AIP, McCain voting against the vet bill, ministers McCain and Palin associate with, Iran contra and how much did Cindy's shoe cost (maybe that could have provided protection for her son). Lets clear the air.

[XME]

Folks, as many of you as possible need to contact McCain, in every manner possible, to let them know that voters are disgusted by INCITING HATEMONGERING. If even an attempt his made to harm Obama, John McCain and everyone involved with his campaign will bear some responsibility, and they need to know that Americans are disgusted and ashamed of such behavior in an attempt to win an election!

McCain Campain website: http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/
McCain Senate Office: 202-224-2235
McCain Senate Office Fax: [phone]
McCain Senate: website: http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
RNC Chairman: [e-mail]
RNC Strategy Office Phone: [phone]
RNC Strategy Office Fax: [phone]

[TexasCrat]

I just tried to leave messages at several of the numbers and the mail boxes were full. I will send an email in a second. I want to know:

1. Palin admitted to being on the scene for only 5 weeks and McCain admitted to meeting her one time. Why isn’t he asking: Who in the h&ll is Sarah Palin??
2. Obama and McCain and both Senators and since McCain is some kind of isle reacher acrosser why is it that he’s just now trying to find out who Barack Obama is?

[DSully]

BREAKING: McCain camp says moon looks like cheese, is cheese!

I knew it was cheese all along. Cheese is round and the moon is round.