Final Debate: McCain Brings Up Ayers, ACORN

McCain goes where he hasn't before in a debate: Bill Ayers. "We need to know the full extent of that relationship," he declares. Then he accuses the community organizing group ACORN of committing, potentially, "one of the greatest frauds of voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy in this country."

It is a wild accusation, not grounded in any bit of reality. Just asked Florida Gov. and McCain surrogate Charlie Christ, who says the allegation is being overblown.

Obama responds by explaining his relationship with Ayers: "Bill Ayers is a professor of education in Chicago. 40 years ago when I was eight years old he engaged in despicable acts with a domestic group. I have roundly denounced those attacks. Ten years ago he and I served on a school board funded by one of Ronald Reagan's close friends ... The fact that this has become such an important part of your campaign," he concludes, "says more about your campaign than it does me."

McCain glared and smirked during the exchange.

Here's Maude Hurd, of ACORN, responding to McCain's accusations:

"We appreciate that Senator McCain's effort to stir up the Republican base by attacking a community group that is trying to increase public participation in our democratic processes. However, these attacks reflect an increasingly panicky candidate; unfortunately the Senator McCain we saw tonight is very different than the Senator McCain who stood shoulder to shoulder with ACORN at a February 20, 2006 immigration reform event.

It is clear for us to see that John McCain was for ACORN before he was against ACORN; he was for reform before he was against reform; and he was a maverick before he became erratic. What is really going here is that Senator McCain and his allies are part of a coordinated effort to engage in what appears to be an unprecedented effort to suppress voter turnout."

Comments

[YouDisgustMe]

in the last 30 secs or so of that clip, mccain seems to be having a system overload..­.he wasn't making sense

[skyglider]

John McCain seems to believe he's still in the Primaries when he buried ....Flip Flop Romney and 9-11 Giulliany !!! ......YESS­SS !!!!..... He wiped the A.S.SSS outta them in the Primaries !!!

Rpmney still believes MCcain is running againt him !!!~

Romney said :
John wiped me out of the campaign ! He will do the same with Barack !!!

News for Romney, Rudy 9-11 and Joe Lieberman :
You are NOOOO way close to Barack Obama as looking and acting Presidential !!!

PU..LEAZZZ­ZE !!! Romney & Co.... Go and bury yourselves into ANONYMITY for the next 8 uyears !!!

Obama/Biden'08 !!!

[siepmann]

Watch Joe Lieberman.

Should Obama win (and I use this phrase to remind everyone not to become complacent), and should the Democratic majority in both houses of Congress increase as a result of the election, I expect to see Lieberman, the alleged "Independent" from Connecticut, attempting to return to the Democratic fold "having seen the error of his ways." Like McCain, Lieberman will ingratiate himself to anyone or say anything in order to maintain his power and position, even to the point of an insincere attempt to repent of his sins. Like McCain, Lieberman's sense of entitlement knows no bounds. This is demonstrated by his refusal to accept his party's rejection after Ned Lamont trounced him in his 2006 primary run.

If Harry Reid, as Senate Majority Leader, has any spine left at all, he will instead strip Lieberman of all committee assignments and leadership positions. Then he will tell Lieberman to go join his playmates in the Senate Republican Caucus.

I hope a move to the GOP will also strip Lieberman of any and all seniority he has accrued should the GOP attempt to place him in any "ranking member" positions on any committee.

[left-leaning-libertarian]

Obama never ceases to impress! He could very legitimately have nailed McCain on some of his less than savory associations, but chose to take the high road and spare McCain the public embarrassment he so richly deserves for all these petty juvenile diversionary tactics.

Obama is the kind of guy you want sitting across the table from other world leaders! He is going to be a truly GREAT American president!

[JamesInDenver]

McCain should just admit to the audience that English is not his native language.

[CaliTLC]

LOL

[ObamAtomic]

He's spending too many hours around Palin.that­'s all!

[jimmyjones22]

Well it's not like he was born in america.

He's panamanian.

[Bruupo]

I still wish that Obama could have mentioned McCain's keynote address at the 2006 ACORN event himself. I think it would have been a more concise and powerful statement, especially since he was never going to have time to explain the difference between registration fraud and actual voter fraud.

[CaliTLC]

I wanted Barack to mention that he has complete confidence in Joe Biden. So much that Joe is free to hold press conferences when he sees fit and if he ever has to become president, he will not do so under the cloud of an ethics violation. But, that's just me. I wanted JohnMcHurtFeelings shut down for good.

[siepmann]

That would have been a very nice touch.

[EmotionDetector]

Yeah, I thought that too. I'm sure Obama knows about it. But it think the more time was spent on ACORN, the less good it would do for Obama as far as looking presidential. Obama did well to just state his involvement and let the Americans viewers decide for themselves. The way Obama ended in saying that bringing up ACORN appears to be McCain's only strategy, to me, was awesome! I cheered to that

[VegetableMan]

that mccain took o's (and later biden's) bait and brought up bill ayres only to be thoroughly owned by o's clear, concise SMACKDOWN speaks volumes about why mccain should not be elected president. genius move on o's part!

[jlarue]

It was a total smackdown!!!! Obama lured the old fool right into it...O is brilliant and so is David Axelrod. I want a president who surrounds himself with smart people!

[Kerra52]

It was mentioned on another blog that Sheiffer let McCain have the last word on 7 out of 8 questions.

[Xavieer]

And McCain STILL lost......­.....

[YouDisgustMe]

amazing, isn't it? lol

[jlarue]

Scheiffer sucked. Think about it. Brokaw and Scheiffer both total pro McCain and Gwen Ifil was a complete woos and Obama and Biden still won handily!!!

[Lakshmi0000]

John McCain, I am woman hear me roar!!!

My health counts!

[KarateKid]

Great point. I have two daughters and that ticked me off.

[Shadow08]

I have two daughters as well, and when he mocked their health I was ready to scream.

[KarateKid]

Comparing Barack Obama to John McCain is like comparing Cary Grant to Don Rickles.

[HerbTee]

LOL...good one! :-)

[JamesInDenver]

McCain walks into an upper-cut each time he tries to punch. You think he would learn.

[bealert]

Buh Bye Palin!

Thank you Lord......­..

[gps8001]

funny thing about this election: whether the god wins or loses, palin isnt going anywhere..­.she will for sure be comin round the river bend in4-12 years
gah, how unfortunate

[jolebo]

Maybe not. If certain people get their way in Alaska, she will probably be impeached and recalled as Govenor.

[damebee]

gps8oo1 I don't think so the Alaskans have finally seen her for what she is and there will be a fine tooth comb on all her activities! Hurrah for Alaska!!!

[gps8001]

*gop

[iPolitics]

McCain said Obama voted against Justice Breyer??? Hello!

[payos]

exactly, .that was what I said to my husband when I heard that. ok, it was late and a long debate, but still, this is a person who wants to be President.
Obama was't in the senate when Breyer was being confirmed. Alito and Roberts.

[Bruupo]

He also said that "gold-plated, Cadillac" health care plans are the ones that cover unnecessary vanities like...tra­nsplants.

He meant to say "hair transplants", as he has said before, but he wasn't even hearing himself speak tonight, much the less hearing the tone he gave off.

[gevan]

McCain continues to act as he did duing the primaries where he would end up looking like a fourth grader who just pulled a wedgie on a classmate.

[bealert]

Sean Hannity is actually showing polls that McCain won the debate
His guest said Mc Cain should avoid the Ayers thing and Hannity says
'he didn't go far enough for me!"

Doesn't Hannity realize that people believe he is the most obnoxious
news commentator on the entire media?

Jerk is a compliment for him...

[ImVotingforThatOne]

We all know Hannity is a hatemonger

[greencosmopolitan]

no excuse me...let me correct you.

FoxNews in general is a hatemonger!

[KarateKid]

I cannot wait until the Democrats tax the bejesus out of Hannity and Limbaugh.

[StillIRise]

To show how out of touch Fox and its viewers are with mainstream America, Fox alone has McCain winning the debate 87% to Obama's 11%. Every other reputable poll in America, at least those that are reporting, give Obama a substantial lead over McCain, but none with the inordinate lead that Fox gives to McCain.

Fox should be embarrassed to even put this on the screen. It merely justifies what everyone has been saying about Fox all along. Its extreme right-wing format appeals only to extreme right-wing people, and these are the people who're responding to their poll, the same people who're shouting "kill him" and "terrorist" at McCain/Palin rallies. And the fact that they ignore all of the other polls and place their confidence only in their own, further substantiates their bias.

John McCain lost tonight, and so did Fox News!

[siepmann]

Fox isn't simply right-wing; Fox is the de facto propaganda organ for the Republican National Committee (RNC).

If you understand that, you understand why Fox hasn't been providing a forum for parties or movements that are often even farther to the right than the GOP, even if those parties or movements are ideological matches for much of what Fox spews out (the Libertarian Party and the Objectivist movement come to mind as examples). If ideology were all that mattered, I suspect Fox would provide that forum. Without the RNC's imprimatur, however, such parties or movements will rarely be seen in a positive light on Fox.

[damebee]

bealert Fox doesn't think so they just gave him a multmillion dollar contract!

[Xavieer]

Momma the reason I hit my brother over the head is because he wouldn't push me on the swing.....­.... I told him that I wouldn't have done it if he had participated in my castle building on the beach.....­........??­????? John you sound like a, like a , like a, man forget it ..........­..........­....John let it go........­..

[ImVotingforThatOne]

That was so pathetic. I can't believe he said that during a live debate. Made himself look like a whiny, selfish brat.

[Xavieer]

My Interpretation of his supposed reason to attack a otherwise "DECENT" man, and his CHILDISH explanation ..........­..And YES on NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL, Oh I forgot our "ennimeees­'.........­..........­..........­..........­..........­.This guy after all he has done and endured as a certified and bonified veteran as myself should just give it up ..........­........I didn't break or violate any "MILITARY CODES OF CONDUCT" BUT AT LEAST HE SHOWED UP!!!!!! But I WILL NOT VOTE FOR HIM.......­..........­..........­Vote for my Dad or Grandfather both VETERANS but not for him

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

The worst one was the "he won't repudiate him" whine.