Obama: McCain Deserves "Credit" On Wright

Politico:

CBS's Katie Couric asked Obama in an interview that aired just now about the Pennsylvania Republican Party ad using Wright, and whether he blames McCain for it.

"The McCain campaign has been pretty restrained on that front, and I think they deserve...credit for that," he said.

And he explained the decision not to respond to that and to another that's airing more widely.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[t0msman]

I just saw the Wright commercial about 10 mins ago on the SNL Presidential Bash. I'm nauseous. I don't watch much network tv and even then it is on tivo and i don't pay attention to anything, but as i was zipping through SNL, I caught a glimpse of Wright's face over the Obama blue color scheme... I had to rewind. I live in the suburbs of Detroit. Are these running nationally? Big ad buy to run during SNL nationally, but I'm not surprised. Hiding behind PACs like this is vulgar. I was hoping (silly silly me) that the hate campaign would stop before tonight, especially with BO's Grandmother passing today. No shame, just hate. i just want this over with...

[DrFrescas]

I saw this commercial a million times watching MSNBC tonight. Made me sick!

[DarkandStormyNight]

MSNBC is showing it showing it over and over. Funny though, they are showing during the Oberman and Maddow shows. Who do they think their audience is. Idiots.

[377thCSH]

i feel exactly the same way. im in tennessee and i think i have heard this ad coming on 20 times today, but when ever i hear it starting, i change channels. wasted money. besides the ad back fires on mccain, because of how o's grand mom and grand dad raised him, she died today. and everyone knows how barack cherished his grandmom. the wright ads are stupid and useless.

im working the polls tomorrow. one shift for myself and one shift for my husband. YES WE CAN!!!!!

if you can take water, candy, chips, juices, really cheap halloween candy, to the local election polls in your town, the lines will be long. people will surely appreciate your deeds.

[plwood01]

Unfortunately, they are running nation wide, over and over!!!! No class at all for anything..­.what kind of people are these who want to take over our country and run it further into the ground? We have to pray for their defeat bigtime! That would be the only way to force them to understand what they have done in the name of patriotism! We are lucky to have Barack battling them on all fronts... Go Vote, Vote Obama!

[Fabienne]

I, too, have seen it on MSNBC, at least twice. It will change nothing and only denigrate the gops further. They have to live with themselves on Wednesday morning. I suggest everyone send all the ugly literature they've received from them (I've received much of it in Wisconsin) back to them on Wednesday morning and gently suggest they attempt honesty and positive campaigning next time around.

[allonfla]

Obama, you are a better person than I am because I think the group that ran this ad was pushed by the McCain campaign.

[Yermammy]

If this f#cked up country had any brains, they'd see that Reverend Wright was right. When you have mouth breathers that actually believe the world is merely six thousand years old (and people walked with dinosaurs), you know we're in BIG trouble. There ARE bitter people that cling to their guns and religion. There ARE racists in this day and age, regardless on the futility of it. I enlisted way back when it was NOT cool to do so, and I thought I was fighting for the Greatest Country on Earth. I was wrong- up until now...
We have THE greatest chance (probably the last before Mother Earth decides enough) to change our ways with Barack Obama at the helm. It's going to take massive corrections to the steerage to get us back on course, and there will be strong resistance, but the alternative would literally cause me to abandon this experiment in Freedom.
Vote for our last chance of sunlight, because it's fading fast. Barack & Joe in ONE day!

[ObamanextPresident]

Totally! Thank you for expressing this much needed truth so succinctly.

[plwood01]

I feel you so much on what you said here! I went to school for years just so I would be able to escape the fall of America when it came. Having hope that things could finally change has kept me here and again I am feeling that history can be made and dreams fulfilled that everyone has the same chance at the American Dream in the 21st century. If we can put all the hate that Republicans love aside we can again lead the world and no longer be hypocrits. I also think that at some time or another African Americans and other minorities can relate to what Rev Wright said even though we continue to fight for equality and our chance to experience the American Dream. People who have no frame of reference to injustice do not try to understand anything that does not affect them! Get a clue before you make comments about things you do not understand Republicant's!

[realtalker]

DEMOCRATS: WHEN YOU VOTE, PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTION PRECISELY!! DO EXACTLY WHAT THE BALLOT SAYS YOU SHOULD DO. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LAST DETAIL.

VOTE PROPERLY SO THAT YOUR VOTE WILL BE COUNTED!!

[MysticInd]

Katie, the Crack Reporter

And headline misleading­....

all in the name of politics

[mediamarv]

Actually, I like the sound of Katie the tool, sort of rolls off the tongue, if you know what I mean....

[plwood01]

She was just hanging on anyway...t­hey wanted to get rid of her until they realized that she could be used as a pawn. I hope she is not far from the unemployment office where she lives, cause she's toast now for sure.

[iPolitics]

MMMMcCain. You don't have to wear the white hood. MMMcCain. Wear the white hood. MMMcCain. wear the white hood. You don't have to: wear the white hood.

[hardsun]

Ad running in Oregon.
Really?
Oregon?

[plwood01]

Everywhere! Americans will come out even greater now that McCain shows what he is made of...he is a joke and no hero to me!

[Vern58]

Tonight the inpotent republicans are running this spot on Maddow and Olberman at every commercial break- over and over again. It seems they are banking on overkill to get their candidate elected.
With the audience that these two shows get- 99.999% Liberal- i wonder what they are up to. If it is to sow doubt- they are failing. What gives, loosers?

[BetterAmerica]

I'm definitely voting for O and don't support McC in any way. But I do think that McC deserves some credit for not airing Rev Wright ads for the last 3 months. I think it could have been an achilles heel for O.

That said I'm glad he didn't and I look forward to an Obama presidency!

Vote-Your vote counts!

[Archivist1000]

Guess you're not watching TV tonight? There is a Slime Tsunami of Wright ads everywhere across the land!

[ObamanextPresident]

Credit? NO. It was totally strategic. They used Ayers instead and every other slime tactic first. They were saving it for a last tactic. The ad is disgusting. 30 seconds of film from 20 years of sermons run over and over. I think it says alot that after all of Hannity's and every other smear merchant'sdiligent research that they couldn't find anymore than those few clips where Rev. Wright was actually quoting someone else.

[Whistlestar]

Too little, way too late.

I wish more people had read Obama's book, Dreams from My Father. He had his philosophi­cal/politi­cal conflicts with Rev. Wright from the beginning. Nevertheless, Obama recognized Wright's core spirituality, had a personal conversion in his church, and they declared a truce on the rest.

Anybody honest and true to themselves and their spiritual tradition has had to overcome conflict in belief with preachers or others they associate with in their house of worship. At least that has been my experience and that of others I have heard from in my and other religious persuasions.

Rove, Bush, McCain, Palin and the Republicans who put up this add lack understanding, compassion and are full of hate, self-righteousness and unrighteous judgment. Pull out the beam in your own eye. It looks like the voters will repudiate your hate tomorrow.

[scottbee]

always nice to see some class displayed on both sides

then there's sarah whose idea of class is

Palin Bedroom Stimulus Package

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUMO6zc27gg

[PaluaWahine]

I've seen it 4-5 times on local Hawaii TV as well... what a waste of money! First off, there is no WAY Hawaii isn't going blue for our local boy, and second, they're calling the election long before our polls close anyway. We never count. :) Oh well, use up the last of that money, John!

[JJeff88]

Maybe Sen. Obama isn't responding to the Rev, Wright commercials, but I think each of us as citizens should do so. I just zapped off protest letters to CNN and NBC which essentially said this:

"I tuned in your network on the eve of the Elections only to discover that the McCain campaign was carpet-bombing the airways with a relentless barrage of vile and disgusting Rev. Wright TV spots.

The spots – especially the visual of Sen. Obama and Rev. Wright - go clearly beyond the pale and are misleading because they convey the false impression that Sen. Obama is still associated with someone he no longer has any relationship with.

I’m not certain what was more disgraceful – that McCain permitted these commercials to be aired or that your network took money in exchange for running them.

I am so upset over this that I plan to compile a list of every one of your advertisers and urge everyone I know to boycott your products and services.

You are a news network whose mission is allegedly to provide your viewers with accurate news, informatioin and commentary. What you and the McCain campaign have done could very well change the outcome of the election and your airing of those spots is a disgrace to our country’s democratic process."

[beniceorshutup]

You do not listen to someone for 19 years and not support and believe in what they are saying....­.truly scary....

[tploomis]

This comment shows you don't know Obama and probably don't know any mature adults. Obama does not need to surround himself only with people who agree with his views one hundred percent of the time. He's even willing to listen closely to people with whom he completely disagrees. Having somebody disagree with him or express a repellent view is not so threatening to Obama that he has to turn away. He understands people, like issues, are not all good or all bad, but mixtures of both. I'm sure he got some good things from Reverend Wright, and he had the maturity to overlook the bombast.

[EvaChasida]

Kudos! Great letter and a wise idea, to let the networks know their viewers oppose such attack ads.

[CeeCee]

Bravo!

[darthmaul]

The reason the McCain campaign was restrained is simple. Pastor Hagee, who's endorsement McCain sought and later disavowed, was the same guy that said that Hitler was doing God's work, and that that Hurricane Katrina was an example of God's wrath because of a gay pride parade that had been held in New Orleans. With a whack job like this in the wings, you know that McCain was in no position to talk about religious judgment.

[VAforObama]

I am in Wisconsin and saw this ad for the first time. This sad, tired ad runs next to O's ad where Paul Simon's singing "American Tune" with images of foreclosures, lost jobs, and the Bush/McCain hug.

Voted early for O and back to Virginia tomorrow to get out the vote.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbuLchsauKs

It's quite nice. Always enjoyed Simon (and Garfunkel)