McCain: At Wednesday's Debate I Plan To Bring Up Ayers

Taegan Goddard reports that John McCain confirmed this morning he would try to bring up William Ayers at Wednesday's debate. McCain appeared to blame Obama for the move:

In an interview on a St. Louis radio station, McCain said Obama's comments that "I didn't have the guts" to talk about William Ayers in the last presidential debate have "probably ensured" that the former 1960s radical will come up in Wednesday's debate.

The Huffington Post's Seth Colter Walls wrote Monday that Ayers was "expected" to come up at the debate.

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

[genia]

Wow...this man would be a catastrophic president. !! If...any questions of his judgment or even is capability.....his mental health....all of it!
I'm sorry but this guy just needs to retire...go away and do some perpetual BBQing.
Oh..how I hope that he brings this stupidity up at the debate.
How dense is this man?
The base....has bought it.....the rest of the voters don't approve of this...and he's going to bring it up anyway?
Geez........again...I hope he does. I only hope Obama is prepared for this nonsense....Mention Liddy and others. I for one would like to know why all Republican politicians including Cheney and Bush are always on Rush's show ?

[BWonka]

Hey, John - looks like you STILL can't get your gloves off. Sad old man....

[DanSmith]

McCain camp is childish.

[shellshell77]

Good! I hope McCain does this so that Obama can slam his, well you know what! Obama will tear his rhetoric up.

[mombito]

Go for it Mcsame we will enjoy the victory even better.

[theLeftPaw]

"Bounds added: "So much of a debate is determined by the moderator and the questions that are posed to the candidates."

Clearly Bounds completely missed the VP debate; where Palin answered with whatever she wanted to, regardless of what the question actually was. I can't say any of them have done a really good job of just answering questions, but that's the most obvious example of how the moderator DOES NOT have any control over the topics.

I'm not so sure that McCain will bring it up either, no matter how badly his supporters want him to be the one with "the guts." I think it will only serve to sink his campaign further. He should know it too, because of the overwhelming rejection of Independent/swing voters based on their view that attacks were pretty much all he had to offer last time.

On the other hand, is anybody else here beginning to think that he may be tanking his campaign on purpose???

[PuddyKatz]

Maybe McCain will call off the debate at the last minute because he's putting America first.

[Agentlady007]

Let's hope so with that hell face. Ther are better things we can watch besides some leader getting angry.

[osusana]

Correction: "Wanna-be Leader"!!

[Call me Sweety]

If McSame really wants to put America first...he'll put a paper bag over his head...so we won't have to see his stupid grin anymore. He has that "elitist" manner toward Obama..and you know he's thinking "Dammit....That One...isn't good enough to be standing up here with me! What a joke he has become.

[R1Rider]

I heard there are "That One" t-shirts out? I wanna get one!

[lisad]

How exactly is this going to go?
"Senator Obama, I question your judgement in asociating yourself with an unrepentant domestic terrorist!"
Followed by something like, "Senator McCain I question the judgement and integrity of a ticket where both members, yourself and Governor Palin, have been formally investigated and found guilty of ethics violations."
So this is going to benefit McCain how????

[osusana]

Not to mention "Senator McCain, I question the judgement and integrity of a candidate who goes to great lengths to disassociate himself from lobbyists, then appoints as his Transition Chief the very lobbyist who lobbied Washington ON BEHALF OF the late, and not particularly lamented Saddam Hussein."

[fcsakes]

Sick, silly, stupid old man.

[iPolitics]

McCain is yella

[BarackMarley]

Here are the Top 5 Ways Obama Can Counter-Attack McCain on Ayers
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/elections/top-5-ayers-counter-attacks/

[rdipent]

Good, then O can bring up Timmons and Saddam connection, G. Gordon Liddy and Keating 5. for starters.

[Seamus]

Yes fire back with McCain's associations, as well as his gambling - how much has he lost? And his temper? The three planes he crashed in the Navy - Rolling Stone magazine stated that even W is a better pilot than McCain. How about how he almost got tossed from Annapolis for demerits - except he called granddaddy, mommy & daddy to bail him out.

Not the leadership I want.

[PitBullsBite]

You again! You are making a fool out of yourself! I wonder if you'll come back and visit after Nov. 4th?

[zbig]

Read the link, BarackMarley. Good ideas all! I'm sure Obama's campaign team will consider it.

[feyangel]

What the heck does McCain plan to "go after" on the very tired Ayers topic-- "Ooooo, bad Obama. . . you served on a community board doing good for people with a many years past reformed ex-domestic terrorist." Hmmm--and what about the connection a McCain supporter had to that same board-- and the recent info on some other weird "connections" McCain and some people around him have had to some very "iffy" people?? Does McCain think no dirt about him will come up if he starts down that path at the debate?

I have to laugh really-- those McCain/Palin people just keep throwing stones when they live in glass houses. And they are like the bullies on the playground-- they can dish out the tough talk and the nasty crap, but as soon as anyone points the finger at them, or uses stern language to suggest that what they are doing is wrong-- and/or revelations come forward that suggest they may not be so "clean" themselves-- they cry foul and start whining.

[jdw1981]

His campaign can't decide whether he should be angry old man or boring old man. I hope he does bring up the Ayers trivia, that will give Obama an opportunity to talk in depth about McCain's employment of a Saddam Hussein-loving traitor as head of his transition team.

[JonW]

Obama can also quiry McVain about his association with Charles Keating, Gordy Liddy and a host of other bad guys. So much fuel to burn the old guy with , there just won't be time.Sounds like McCain will bring his angry persona so watch for a big meltdown. Obama should finish these debates batting an easy 1000.

[theLeftPaw]

Now THAT, would be excellent!!!

For those that haven't seen it yet:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/14/mccain-transition-chief-a_n_134595.html

Another GREAT reveal by Huff!!!

[hortonhearsawho]

Whats with all that wandering around by the way.....Could'nt we just put this guy in , say the Sinai desert for about 40 years or so?

[hortonhearsawho]

The hell with the who is John McCain question. Where is John McCain....AMBER ALERT.