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

[DASChicago]

Why does McPalin's numbers drop when the DOW drops?

[BIG JOHN]

BECAUSE DOW STANDS FOR DID OBAMA WIP MY AS-

[Nikola Tesla]

DOH!

[RogueButterfly]

Songbird McCain doe not have the guts to face Obama and make the accusations directly. I think Obama should call him on it at the next debate and put an exclamation point on this embarrassing race finale.

[DonnaDee]

McCain will do anything to win, he picked Palin, he pulled a political ploy rushing off to congressional meeting, in the debates he is disrespectful, childish and bitter. . .he is not even trying to win votes with his plan to handle this economy, give me a break, McCain is out for himself while we all go hungry!!!

[Cambridge9]

Maybe we have a clue here as to why he says he won't talk to leaders of "The Axis of Evil". He's afraid to look them in the eye and be diplomatic because he can't trust himself and his temper.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[Noogie]

John McCain has redefined the "Axis of Evil" to be the liberal media, Barack Obama, and Spain.

[silentreader]

John McCain not only hides behind Palin, but now is hiding behind Cindy "Cold Chill" McCain to attack Barack Obama instead of manning up and saying this crap to Barack's face himself. WTF is wrong with McCain that the POW looks like the weakest person in the room after the moose-hunter and the junkie?

Be a MAN, McCain. Say it to Barack's face. Yeah... thought not.

[sunnisland]

McCoward can't even Man up to Obama, instead he's hiding behind two women.

[JeanPaulSatire]

Interesting connect-the-dots kind of story on Daily Kos about the Obama/Ayers/Annenberg/Reagan connection that shows Mc Ancient to be wildly off the mark about Ayers being anathema to the right-wing. That is, unless Mc Ancient also wants to renounce both Annenberg AND Reagan.

Read it here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/9/104314/783/502/624955

Pass it on.

[cindyw]

Obama has really put McCain in a bind now. If he doesn't bring up Ayers in the next debate, he'll look like a coward who lets his surrogates do his dirty work. If he does bring up Ayers, he'll look like a fool because no one but the rabid right is concerned about Ayers while the economy is tanking.

[MrsJackson]

Sexy, classy and cool....Senator Obama handled this trife and pitiful attack like the regal man that he is----cannot WAIT to call him President!!!

[BitterInPA]

Just read this Rolling Stone article to see what kind of man McCain is. He is really just McCain First.

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23316955/the_doubletalk_express/

Why doesn't this stuff appear in the corporate MSM? This is more damaging than Ayers. Besides, McCain pals around with war criminal who have done more to destroy America than Bin Laden... George W.

[UnderdogSRD]

McCain lost his honor long ago. Of course he can't look at Obama and spew out his lies. He's a 2nd rate political hack. He sold his soul to the republican party. Cindy owns him, he's no man. He can't draw a crowd without Palin, he's no man. Another failure / screw off of a son, trying to be as good as his father... just like Bush.

[JeanPaulSatire]

Yup yup.

Just as he's doing with his complete medical records.

Whatcha hidin' Johnny 180?

[JeanPaulSatire]

Oops! The above was intended to piggy-back on 23000Days' comment about Mc Ancient refusing to disclose his full military service record.

[Nikola Tesla]

The film the Vietnamese shot of him confessing his war crimes like a little girl?

[Lakshmi0000]

shout out to Sarah Palin racism and Cindy Lou drug use!!!! You go girls...

[bcass2]

John McCain felt sorry for Obama and didn't want to see him cry at the debate. Thats why he didn't mention Obama;s mentor Bill Ayers. Wait until the last debate. I am willing to bet John McCain will have Obama Crying.

[vang]

i got 1000 dollars on obama that he won't cried, but you will once obama becomes president.

[jackiecee]

No the truth of the matter is McCain didn't want Obama to bring up all this new information flooding the waves-the ties with AIP and the contra organization he was involved with in the 80's not to mention the brand new Troopergate scandal where Todd says he and his wife were real close but yet she knew nothing about him snooping around to get the Chief fired-he's not even part of the Governor's office. Wow what a tangled web of deception we weave. This information has nothing on Ayers-she's on tape welcoming the members. Shame shame shame

[quest44]

For a man who lauds his time in Vietnam as he is some big hero so strong he held out against torture before selling out his country ,he sure has shown no honor at all in this campaign with all his bare face lies and letting his VP pick go out to rally's inciting vioplence against Obama.Where is his dignity ,where is his honor ? He must have left it back there in Vietnam because he sure doesn't show any now !

[Doots]

Buchanan is a joke...period.

How about a shout out to Sara Palin's racism!