McCain Strategist Knocks Coverage Of Extreme Rhetoric At Rallies

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: John McCain

In an interview with National Public Radio this morning, Steve Schmidt, John McCain's chief strategist, suggested that the media have been unfair in their coverage of the extreme rhetoric that has surfaced at some recent McCain-Palin rallies.

"Now, both campaigns have thousands of people in their crowds, and we had one person yell something inappropriate at ours, and of course we condemn it," Schmidt told Renee Montagne. "You see that happen at Obama rallies. The difference is, it seems that when it happens at a McCain rally it gets covered on television. When it happens at an Obama rally, it doesn't get covered."

Schmidt also reaffirmed McCain's vow that Barack Obama's former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, is (officially) off limits for the campaign. (Sarah Palin has discussed the relationship, saying, "I don't know why that association isn't discussed more, because those were appalling things that that pastor had said about our great country...")

"Yeah, there are certainly millions of Americans who have deep concern about that relationship," Schmidt said. "But Senator McCain has been clear from the earliest days of the campaign when the story first entered the American consciousness that he would not use this issue in the campaign, and that remains his position."

He also identified the states that he considers most important to a McCain victory.

"When you look at the states, we need to win Florida, we need to win Ohio, and we feel great about our chances to do that," Schmidt said. "We feel good about our chances to win in North Carolina, our chances to win in Virginia. We look out across the Midwest at a number of blue states that we need to pick up and we feel that we're competitive in those states. We understand that, you know, the day of the beginning of the financial crisis, we were ahead in this race. With the financial crisis, we have fallen slightly behind in this race, and we have some ground to make up. The election isn't today, the election is in three weeks, and we feel good about our chances to come out on top."

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by jefflz-2009 October 15, 2008 3:09 AM EDT: Palin has no right to ask if we really know Obama. His record has already been subjected to intense scrutiny by the electorate, by Clinton as well as by McCain for nearly two years. Palin, on the other hand, is a complete neophyte who burst onto the national scene a mere six weeks ago. Her enthusiastic reception by social conservatives and less educated Republicans is alarming in light of her lack of preparation for national office. Her meteoric rise to fame marks the abandonment of political process for celebrity worship. Here is a woman whose pregnant teenage daughter is about to marry a foul-mouthed drug user while Palin is held up as an all-American mom, whose secessionist husband joined her in abuse of official power while she is held up as a paragon of patriotism, whose ignorance of history and law is looked upon as irrelevant and refreshing. How can this suspension of disbelief last longer than the length of a bad movie? Whether or not her candidacy is successful we must ask how this pretender has been promoted so effectively by the cynical McCain campaign managers. The future of this nation is at stake and too many of our fellow citizens cannot see the danger in her potential rise to the highest office in the land. It is truly frightening.; Reply to this comment


by lmnop13 October 15, 2008 2:47 AM EDT: Well...if your supporters call a US Senator a terrorist, call for his head, yell kill him, and say he''s an arab on freaking national television, what do you expect? What, they didn''t see the cameras there? The media is being unfair? The media did nothing but press record and zoom, the zealots did the rest. It doesn''t take a rocket scientist to watch television and see it with their own eyes. It was like every yahoo with an e-mail account stood up and recanted every forwarded Obama is a muslim, socialist, arab, racist e-mail for the world to hear. If I hear one more time, "no, I was forwarded this e-mail that said Obama was the anti-christ, it says so in Revelations" I am going to lose all hope in humanity. What the hell? Is this the google campaign?; Reply to this comment


by newslink October 14, 2008 9:31 PM EDT: MCcain People should know that we are concerned about MCcain and Palin Pastors also. But the Media does not touch these issues. And the Press is really going easy on MCcain/Palin. But these two shame themselves daily.; Reply to this comment


by jubrown3 October 14, 2008 5:11 PM EDT: Its not over till its over. Obama is not the president yet. And Hopefully never. Sooner or later the honesty of the American people will step up. We cannot put someone in that position with so much baggage. Shooving all the *** under the carpet is not the solution. Dealing with is sooner then later. The plumber who questioned OBAMA in Ohio got the real unscripted OBAMA. SO we are going to spread the wealth. Take away from the small business man and give to someone who never put the hours and time in as the plumber did. How is that fair. That takes away the very essence of what made our country what it was. That kind of Change is what other countries are trying to get away from now. CHINA RUSSIA KOREA it gives no incentive to work harder because you will all make the same. Spread the wealth around OBAMA, how about giving your wealth away.; Reply to this comment


by caddillackid October 14, 2008 1:57 PM EDT: So whats happens when China, Russia and Iran join forces together like they are planning to do. Of course the US governent would be stupid to devulge why the military budget for the U.S. is so massive. 1.Is it because China wants to take our place as the worlds number 1 superpower and will stop at nothing be a superpower? (As if they would actually be qualified to be so! 2. is it because Russia suddenly wants to emerge from the deprevation of poverty: and now wants to flex it''s minor muscle as if it were still a major power? 3. Or is it the fact that Iran wants to obtain a Nukes to destroy us/and/or our chief allied nation-Israel? Wake up people!!! It is possible that the US Government knows something that it is not letting the public know directly....instead its beefing up the military budget. Could it be just telling the world without words...we know what your up to, so don''t even try. I support the MASSIVE spending by our goverment! Did anyone stop to think that maybe they know something about what may be coming upon us that we dont...b4 you try to kill the military budget, dont forget about those around the world who will and want to happily kill YOU/US.; Reply to this comment


by caddillackid October 14, 2008 1:25 PM EDT: Dictionary Information: HATER=jaeschneeman.

if i had one wish...i''d sew the mouths of the anti Obama supporters shut!!! They don''t use them for anything usefull anyway....the babies of America are bored....because the Repulicans are doing all the crying. Shut the f*ck up already..election is over far as we are concerned...Obama Won...Deal with it!!!!; Reply to this comment


by pga39120 October 14, 2008 1:03 PM EDT: Here is a picture of Palin''s daughter shooting the bird at her rally yesterday. If this woman can''t control her children, how can she control the usa. She already can''t control alaska.

http://www.mediatakeout.com/2008/27370-lmao_look_at_what_sarah_palins_daughter_is_doing__thats_a_little_bad_azz_kid_.html; Reply to this comment


by cariboubarbi October 14, 2008 1:00 PM EDT: C''''mon you losers, get your facts straight before you go challenging those of us who do.

Posted by augustman195 at 09:55 AM : Oct 14, 2008

Facts don''t matter to these wack jobs. They are driven by hate and fear.

Modern conservatism is a mental illness.

There is a cure.

Obama 08!; Reply to this comment


by augustman195 October 14, 2008 12:55 PM EDT: To: jaeschneeman,
Have you been paying attention for the past 8 years? We''ve seen, heard and been subject to the dishonest, deceptive acts for as long as such at the hands of...,republicans! Name ONE (1) thing you can document that Mr. Obama has done that is remotely similar to a deciever or imposter. And by the way, to the lady who claimed Barack Obamas real name is Barry, poor thing, his name is BARACK, they called him Barry for "short" growing up. C''mon you losers, get your facts straight before you go challenging those of us who do.; Reply to this comment


by rebelrepubli October 14, 2008 12:48 PM EDT: On November 5, 2008, Americans are going to wake up to their first "brown" president (I use the word brown because that is the word we use in my family) unless my fellow Floridians allow our Secretary of State to steal the election as happened in 2000. Do you realize that Florida (Governor Jeb Bush) actually put George Bush in office even though he LOST the POPULAR vote. My point: Vote early and vote often but don''t assume that your vote really matters.; Reply to this comment