McCain Ayers Ad Says "Terrorist Ayers Isn't The Issue"

Greg Sargent noted on Wednesday how the McCain campaign seems to want it both ways when it comes to using William Ayers as a campaign issue. After suggesting that it was "off the table" and that it couldn't compete with economic issues, the campaign has dispatched Sarah Palin to make repeated references to Ayers.

Now it appears, however, that the campaign is coming down firmly on the "pro" side of whether or not to use Ayers as an issue -- with the release of a 90-second ad titled, simply, "Ayers." Produced exclusively for the web, it appears designed to fight with the economic crisis for cable news coverage.

Somewhat humorously, the new web ad tries to make the case that "Ayers isn't the issue," but rather Obama's honesty in describing Ayers as someone from his neighborhood.

"When their relationship became an issue, Obama just responded, "This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood.'," the ad notes, before asking, incredulously: "That's it?"

At the spot's close, it repeats the charge that Obama has somehow only ever described Ayers as someone from his neighborhood. "When Obama just says, 'This is a guy who lives in my neighborhood.' Americans say, 'Where's the truth, Barack?'"

Well, as it happens, the "neighborhood" line was not all Obama said about Ayers at the time of the quote used in McCain's new ad. In response to a question from ABC News' George Stephanopolous, Obama described Ayers's past acts as "detestable" in almost the same breath.

Comments

[mudbones]

sign of drsperation, can you say Keating keating keating

[jusion]

It’s up to voters to decide how much weight they want to put on Senator Obama’s association with Bill Ayers. Some may believe it should matter a lot, some may believe it should matter a little, and some may believe it shouldn’t matter at all. But that association, like the associations with the Reverend Wright and Tony Rezko, are part of Obama’s history and deserve to be discussed in a temperate, reasonable, factual way.

[whcjr46]

You can bet your a$$ the Obama campaign will release a response ad. How about Todd Palin's association with the AIP. Gov Palin married that treasonous unpatriotic bum so now she needs to explain his association with that group. McCain and Palin actually make Bush and Cheny look competent. McCain and Palin are mental midgets!!!

[Dari]

Yes, Sir.....
"Character IS" according to Sen. McCain. Today, he stated that Obama never wrote a letter concerning the 'meltdown'­.......

Well, Senator McCain LIED again! Here it is:

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/03/obamas-prescien.html

Spread the word......­..

[FROGIE]

'you don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows'

BOB DYLAN

[MYSTERIOUS]

PALIN KEEPS ASKING "DO WE REALLY KNOW OBAMA?" SHE'S BEEN ON THE SCENE FOR HOW MANY WEEKS? WHO IS SHE? WHAT IS SHE? OBAMA HAS BEEN VETTED AND REVETTED FOR 20 MONTHS. GIVE US ALL A BREAK, PALIN PEOPLE. (AND I USE THE TERM "PEOPLE" LIGHTLY."

[RAYINNJ]

"Honesty"? If Ayers is such an issue, my question to McCain is: what next if you win the election? Since you so earnestly seem to believe this crap if you win are you going to demand an investigation in the U.S. Senate and try to remove Obama from the U.S. Senate? If you are unwilling to do that, then these trumped up accusations should be silenced!! How can you allow a "terrorist sympathizer" to lawfully exist in government, Mr. McCain? Such insincere and disingenuous outrage is not befitting an "honorable" candidate like McCain - that is, the McCain of 2000! So much for "honesty" and "honor"!

[RAYINNJ]

"Honesty" huh? If Ayers is such an issue, my question to McCain is: what next if you win the election? Since you so earnestly seem to believe this crap if you win are you going to demand an investigation in the U.S. Senate and try to remove Obama from the U.S. Senate? If you are unwilling to do that, then these trumped up accusations should be silenced!! How can you allow a "terrorist sympathizer" to lawfully exist in government, Mr. McCain? Such insincere and disingenuous outrage is not befitting an "honorable" candidate like McCain - that is, the McCain of 2000! So much for "honesty" and "honor"!

[RAYINNJ]

On Ms. Palin. I heard the most duplicitious statement from Sarah Palin yesterday where she blasted Obama for not being "upfront" and "open" with the American people on this subject - questioning his patriotism and "judgement". THIS from someone who thinks it's perfectly fine not to be "upfront" and "open" in regards to complying with a lawful investigation regarding Trooper-gate, and perfectly fine NOT to answer "real" questions from the press and citizens of America so we can ascertain her "judgement" on central issues!

[LeBeau59741]

OMG- Amazing!

The city gave Ayers its Citizen of the Year award in 1997 for his work on the Annenberg project.

You can find more information on the Chicago Annenberg Challenge here-

http://www.annenbergfoundation.org/news/news_show.htm?doc_id=702786

[alienobserver]

The very same McCain supporter Annenberg.

[LeBeau59741]

Yep- Friend to the Reagans, conservative, "as radical as bread pudding" Annenberg.

[RAYINNJ]

"Honesty" huh? If Ayers is such an issue, my question to John McCain and Sarah Palin is: what next if you win the election? What you're doing is denigrating a "sitting" U.S. Senator as a sympathizer of terrorism! Since you so earnestly seem to believe this crap, Mr. McCain, are you, as President, going to demand an investigation in the U.S. Senate and try to remove Obama from the U.S. Senate? If you are unwilling to do that then these trumped up accusations should be silenced!! I mean, how can you allow a "terrorist sympathizer" to lawfully exist in government, Mr. McCain? Such insincere and disingenuous outrage is not befitting an "honorable" candidate like McCain - that is, the McCain of 2000! So much for "honesty" and "honor"!

[Chiana]

I waited till the end of this smear posing as an ad, thinking "Surely McCain can't have endorsed this. He can't possibly have sunk so low." But sure enough, he did. No shame or dignity left to the man, who will next cry foul when the Palin ties to secessionists get airtime. I recommend the new Rolling Stone bio on McCain. It makes it clear that this turning tail is more of a life-time same. Still, it is sickening.

[zanbama]

Radical Education. Everyone on the board of that Organization should do an AD. PLLLLLLLLL­LLLEEEEAAA­SE Do it quickly.

[RAYINNJ]

"Honesty" huh? If Ayers is such an issue, my question to John McCain and Sarah Palin is: what next if you win the election? What you're doing is denigrating a "sitting" U.S. Senator as a sympathizer of terrorism! Since you so earnestly seem to believe this crap, McCain, if you win are you going to demand an investigation in the U.S. Senate and try to remove Obama from the U.S. Senate? If you are unwilling to do that, then these trumped up accusations should be silenced!! I mean, how can you allow a "terrorist sympathizer" to lawfully exist in government, Mr. McCain? I also heard the most duplicitious statement from Sarah Palin yesterday where she blasted Obama for not being "upfront" and "open" with the American people on this subject - questioning his patriotism and "judgement". THIS from someone who thinks it's perfectly fine not to be "upfront" and "open" in regards to complying with a lawful investigation regarding Trooper-gate, and perfectly fine NOT to answer "real" questions from the press and citizens of America so we can ascertain her "judgement" on central issues! Such insincere and disingenuous outrage is not befitting an "honorable" candidate like McCain - that is, the McCain of 2000! So much for "honesty" and "honor"!

[IndySC]

Load of malarkey.