McCain Defends His Own Association With Unrepentant Criminal: It's Ok, He Went To Jail

After weeks of hammering Barack Obama for having an association with a former Weather Undergound member, John McCain was asked Thursday afternoon about his own connections to a past felon: G. Gordon Liddy.

The question came, of all places, from late night comedian David Letterman, who pressed the Senator to explain why he was friendly with the man who was convicted in the Watergate scandal of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping. McCain - according to an advanced report of the show - initially said that he "met" Liddy before adding, "He paid his debt, he went to prison, he paid his debt." Here is another segment of the interview:

Dave: Did you not have a relationship with Gordon Liddy? McCain: Uh, I met him. I -- Dave: Did you attend a fundraiser at his house? McCain: Gordon Liddy's? Paul: I object, your honor. Dave: We will be right back here... (laughter)

And yet, important to note in all of this, is that Liddy has been publicly unrepentant for his actions, much like Ayers. In an interview with the UK Independent Liddy said he didn't regret burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee.

In addition to the burglary - for which he served a four-and-a-half year sentence - Liddy broke into the office of Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers. He also admitted to plotting both the murder of journalist Jack Anderson - a harsh Nixon critic - and the firebombing of the Brookings Institute.

The parallels between Ayers in Liddy are stretched in the regard that Ayers was part of a group that did undertake bombings (though all of them were designed to avoid casualties). But McCain seems to be suggesting that an association is legitimate if the individual served a jail sentence, something Ayers, too, would have done had the FBI not mangled its investigation.

Liddy's relationship to McCain has ventured somewhere between the personal and political. Liddy donated $1,000 to the Senator's presidential campaign and has hosted him on his radio program. Media Matters for America reports that Liddy once described McCain as an "old friend."

In addition to addressing Liddy - for what seems the first time in this campaign - McCain was asked by Letterman if his running mate had really said that Barack Obama "pals around with terrorists." McCain, according to a write up of the appearance, "started to say he didn't know, then said 'Yes. And he did.'"

That line has been the subject of much debate over the past week, with Palin actually removing it from her stump speech after Republicans and Democrats alike criticized her for inciting already rabid crowds. McCain, during the debate on Wednesday night, also sought to downplay that angle, saying the issue with Ayers was not one of terrorism, but rather whether Obama was being fully truthful with voters.

Comments

[indups]

YOU WON'T FIND THIS KIND OF STORY IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA. HERE'S ANOTHER ONE:

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/print_friendly.php?ok=y&p=Liddy-the-Plumber-Why-Is-by-John-Wilson-081017-188.html

[mooses4obama]

Fox News' faux documentary sets new low
Sean Hannity's Sunday report, 'Obama and Friends: The History of Radicalism,' relied on innuendo and guilt by association to label the Illinois senator a dupe of the shadowy forces of the left.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-onthemedia10-2008oct10,0,783115.story?track=rss

[Vienna Jack]

(Part 2): The Chicago Tribune has pointed out McCain's own radical associations with G. Gordon Liddy: "How close are McCain and Liddy? At least as close as Obama and Ayers appear to be. In 1998, Liddy's home was the site of a McCain fundraiser. Over the years, he has made at least four contributions totaling $5,000 to the senator's campaigns-­-including $1,000 this year. " And, just last November, McCain went on his radio show, where Liddy greeted him as "an old friend," and McCain sounded like one. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family," he gushed. "It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great."

Conspiring to destroy democracy and advising people to shoot ATF agents in the head is what McCain thinks helps keep our nation great? Liddy has said he has no regrets about what he did, insisting that he went to jail as "a prisoner of war."

The article fails to point out that when Obama met Ayers, he had become much more of a positive contributor to society than Liddy will ever be, was voted citizen of the year in Chicago shortly thereafter and has dedicated his life to helping children be educated. And, unlike McCain's positive affirmation of Liddy's character, Obama has been highly critical of the bad things that Ayers did when Obama was 8 years old.

[Vienna Jack]

This article understates Liddy's terrorism and McCain's relationship to Liddy, overstates Obama's relationship to Ayers and omits important aspects of Obama's relationship to Ayers.

Liddy not only led the Watergate breakin but was also involved in related undertakings where he planned to kill people if things went awry. He admitted that he had prepared to kill someone during the Ellsberg break-in “if necessary” and had plotted to murder Jack Anderson, to murder Howard Hunt to stop him from cooperating with investigators, to firebomb the Brookings Institution and to kidnap “leftist guerillas” at the 1972 Republican National Convention. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail (he served only 4.5 because Pres. Carter commuted his sentence).

On his radio show, Liddy said, on August 26, 1994: "Now if the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms comes to disarm you and they are bearing arms, resist them with arms. Go for a head shot; they're going to be wearing bulletproof vests." ... "They've got a big target on there, ATF. Don't shoot at that, because they've got a vest on underneath that. Head shots, head shots.... Kill the sons of bitches." On September 15, 1994, he said: "If the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms insists upon a firefight, give them a firefight. Just remember, they're wearing flak jackets and you're better off shooting for the head." (Continued)

[notb observer]

Someone already said it, but why has the mainstream media completely ignored some of these obvious stories and left it up to people like Letterman, Maher, Stewart and Colbert to cover potentially important items ?

CNN played the Ayers story for days, even doing a special report on it, yet they remain almost silent on Palin's husband and his association with the AIP, and of McCain's association with Liddy.

I find it somewhat difficult to believe that CNN is in the tank for McCain. Maybe they are just loving the ratings they get when they cover the Ayers story. I'm certain that the average CNN viewer is completely fed up with the Ayers story, and of hearing Joe the Plumber's opinion on the state of the nation.

Is CNN holding back on these stories until the week before the election, or do they not realize how offensive their obsessive need to over dramatize has become.

[harriettubman]

You know how Republicans are--Do as I say in public but not behind closed doors. That's their motto. McCain is a pot calling the kettle black.

[CyberCitizen]

Both McCain and Bush praise and hobnob with Watergate 7 ex-felon Charles Colson, who also smeared whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg of the Pentagon Papers and who, says John Dean, planned to firebomb the Brookings Institution. Why are terrorists on the right more equal than terrorists on the left.

[Wigelah]

This guy has the nerve to talk about Obama being fully truthful. There hasn't been much truthfulness in the entire McCain/Palin campaign. Their idea of truth is if they say the same lie over and over it becomes the truth. Liars always accuse others of lying. How can anyone not see the hypocricy?

[honestpolitician]

you see..what goes around - comes around....

http://politicaladattacks.blogspot.com/

[haveitoldyoulately]

OK....he went to jail, and came out worse then when he went in. Does that make him a Better Citizen?

When you advise your radio listeners how to correctly shot to kill an AFT agent...TH­AT is NOT REPENTING

Your Friend is a DISGRACE, my friend!

[Oldbuck]

McCain is such a idiot is this the best the RNC has to offer for a candidate there is a reason this guy could not even beat George Bush and that is he dumber than George and I though that was impossible.

[SaltySaltillo]

And Ayers never went served time because he was never convicted of anything. It still boggles me how they cannot call him a criminal because he doesn't have a criminal record, but they can get away with calling him a terrorist not for any crimes he was ever found guilty of, but because of things he said, and actions he allegedly took, when Barack was 8 years old. Its like someone being accused of "palling around" with an unrepentant murderer because they have some sort of social interaction with OJ Simpson... We all have opinions about OJ, but on a very technical level, it is a bit slanderous to call him a murderer seeing as a jury of his peers returned a not guilty verdict.

[snarkopolitan]

Let it never be forgotten that Liddy ADVOCATED SH.OOTING FEDERAL AGENTS AND GAVE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW BEST TO DO IT. This was as a radio talk-show host, so it was to a large audience. He is more than unrepentant, he is a sociopath, and McCain is truly tied to him, does "pal around" with him, goes on his show. It is much more serious in magnitude than serving on a the same panel of a charitable organisation, where the focus is the charity. It is two people voluntarily and deliberately endorsing each other's philosophy.

[haveitoldyoulately]

Let's not forget the greeting the two had on that radio show:

Liddy greeted him as "an old friend," and McCain replied. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family... It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great

[JohnDrake6]

I don't remember the full quote, but I recall that Liddy referred to Federal Agents as "jack-booted thugs".

I doubt I will ever see a more obvious example of projection unless Liddy accuses someone of being an over-compensating, repressed homosexual.

[RealHRCFansVoteObama]

WHY does it take a late night talk show host to get this issue on the table?

It's about time!

[HurryUp1212009]

Obama needs to open the Gates of Hell on McCain and Palin (mostly on Palin - she's the most vulnerable) or he's GONNA LOSE THIS THING!

Would SOMEBODY at Huffpo, who has access to Obama's people, PLEASE throw cold water on them, and tell them to WAKE UP BEFORE IT's TOO LATE???

This is a brawl in the sewer, and we have to strike back TWICE AS HARD in the remaining weeks!

[RegLib]

I disagree. While Obama supporters like you and I should be making noise about this (I've certainly done my share), Obama is right to stay above it all. You need look no further than McCain's plummeting favorable ratings to see what his negative ads are doing for him.

What the real underlying message of all this is: McCain thinks all of America is a stupid as those few troglodytes you see at Palin rallies. Obama thinks the great majority of Americans are smarter and better than that, and is willing to let them figure out the validity of McCain's slanders on their own. Voters' appreciation of his position is shown in the polls.