Aide: McCain Likely To Confront Obama Over Ayers At Next Debate

On Monday afternoon, John McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds offered a quick preview of the third and final presidential debate this Wednesday at Hofstra University.

After being asked by a Fox News host whether the lack of any mention of William Ayers during today's speeches from McCain and Palin meant that "the gloves [are] going back on" after a week of tough attacks, Bounds rejected the idea.

"I don't think so at all... If you see some of the advertising coming from the RNC today, which we stand behind, and some of advertising that we'll see going forward," Bounds said, hinting at another onslaught of Ayers material still to come.

When asked if McCain plans to "go after" Obama on these topics this Wednesday, Bounds added: "So much of a debate is determined by the moderator and the questions that are posed to the candidates. I expect it could come up and I expect John McCain will ask Barack Obama to speak truthfully about his relationship with friend and unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers. I think that voters deserve to know, deserve to vet these candidates to the fullest extent... Certainly, Bill Ayers raises questions. Certainly, Tony Rezko raises questions."

If it is McCain's intention to raise the issue of Ayers -- with or without moderator Bob Schieffer's prompting -- it would serve as something of an answered prayer to many of the Arizonan's town hall attendees, one of whom even begged McCain to bring on the character attacks in the last presidential debate of the season.

Comments

[Greg285]

The night he mentions Ayers will be the night the final nail is hammered in his coffin...M­cCain has nothing of substance to offer the American People other than ' I was a POW'....

[stepintothelight]

Bomb bomb bomb I R A N was a shot across the bow. I am sure there is nothing they can rehash that O isn't loaded for bear (or moose ... wink wink) to deal with. If McDrool turns broadside then he should be prepared for the volley to follow and his ship will be sunk. Leave it to McWhatsMyName to bring a frigate to face the Obama Armada.

[Tropiholic]

cad*aver*ick, 0bama is ready for you, we're waiting for you to you kick his arse wednesday night. as promised, let's see you do it

[JRsNana]

I think McCain has to bring it up. He promised his supporters. He promised them he'd do it at the last debate. Oh well. Guess his promises aren't worth much.

[Obibrenner]

Repeat a lie often enough it becomes people's reality. I like how Bill Ayres is always described as one of Obama's "Friends". I've never heard Obama call him a friend, I did hear him say he lived in the same neighborhood and they certainly were "friendly", which most of us make a distinction. I'm friendly with my neighbors, four of us share a small cul de sac off a rural road, one even works in an office my office has contact with as we both provide indigent defense work, we talk with each other at the mail boxes, or when taking out the trash, but in the 11 years we've all lived here, there as never been anything more than that. Whereas my "friends" and I do things together, like have dinner parties, talk about our lives, go to concerts, that type of things.

Are republican's so bereft of friends, they don't understand the difference between friendly and being friends?

[Krikkit]

What's been bugging me for some time now is I have never seen anyone self-destruct like McCain is doing. My mind has been struggling for a "narrative" to explain it. I'm beginning to wonder if McCain isn't deliberately throwing the race in an "I'll show YOU!" kind of slam against his own party for not backing his ambitions for so long.

Either that or the most irrational elements of the GOP have come together in a perfect storm of self-deception yet put on display in the American public. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY who is sane makes this many mistakes in a row and fails to learn from a single one, not even the most self-deluded egomaniac.

So there you have it, irrational and insane. Those are the only conclusions I can come up with.

[honeydiva]

please don’t believe that, gollum wants precious and that’s something you can believe in!

[obamanation31]

Bring it on!

[tydicea]

Talk about beating a dead horse. One thing McCain has shown is that the doesn't learn as he goes. he makes the same mistakes over and over, doing the same things again and again looking for a different result. I believe that is called insanity!

[thenvoteObama]

I think Schieffer bails McCain out. He brings up Ayers.

Obama will knock the pitch out, but not as far as he would if McCain brought it up himself.

[keepacoolhead]

For McCain going negative on Wednesday will most likely prove to be a "no win" situation. If he doesn't he will be perceived as having wimped out, if he does he will give Obama the opportunity to set the record straight and possibly bringing up some more of McCains shady connections.

It is too bad that the McCain camp had to take that low road to begin with, although with Palin's lack of knowledge about the issues it must have seemed like a convenient way to fire up their base but as it backfired with mainstream Americans it seems apparent that it was a losing strategy and that McCain will drop only further on Wednesday.

[Lagniappe]

I would be curious if some of the more scurrilious accusations against Ayers by McCain's campaign could rise to the level of slansder, leaving McCain and his camp open to a lawsuit for defamation of character?

[wm1066]

I have been wondering why Ayers hasn't responded to Mccain, or even the Chicago community that knows him.

[ptobe]

It would be a thing of beauty:

McCain askes Obama to come clean.

Obama comes clean - turns out there is nothing to the story.

Obama (or Schieffer) turns the question around:

And now, Senator McCain, can you please describe your long time friendship and admiration for would-be terrorist and convicted Felon G. Gordon Liddy?

Check and Mate.

[marthlois]

And that is precisely what needs to happen. I hope it does!

[cbat]

I do not think McCain has enough guts to bring up Ayers, but if he does, believe me, Obama has a comeback.

[truegreen]

McCain WILL NOT bring up Ayers. His campaign is seeking to get attention. It would be political suicide if McCain brings up Ayers in a time were the economy is the main issue during the debate.

[Lagniappe]

Isn't suicide considered an honorable death,on occasion,as in Japanese Hari-Kiri?

[GoBarryGo]

McCain's already going down in flames, this would just hasten his demise.

[Lagniappe]

If Ayers was /is a threat to our country,how did Obama pass the vetting process for President to begin with?

[EvasDaddy]

Also, the adjunct question to yours: If Ayers was/is a threat to our country, why did McCain not bring it up until three weeks before the election?

(oh yeah, plummeting poll numbers)

[wm1066]

Right now Obama doesn't need to be on the attack, Mccain is self distructing on his own... well, Palin is helping alot! But Obama should just sit back and let Mccain hang himself with his own rope.
If Obama gets his message out about how he will help America Mccains lack of a message will be very evident, a stark contrast.
Let Mccain and Palin foam at the mouth. They will only drop further in the polls.