Biden Demands McCain Stop Robocalls

By: Ryan Corsaro
Topics: Joe Biden

(CBS)

From CBS News' Ryan Corsaro:

(GREELEY, COLO.) - Joe Biden demanded today that John McCain cease running automated "robocalls" to voters' homes that attack Barack Obama's character.

"I say to my friend John McCain, if he's really serious when he said this morning on one of the shows that this election is all about the economy, then I say, John, stop…your…ads," Biden shouted. "Bring down those robocalls! If it's about the economy, argue about the economy. Not about Barack Obama's character. Not about these scurrilous ads. John, stop…these…calls!"

Biden was referring to McCain's interview with Harry Smith this morning on CBS's "The Early Show", where McCain defended recorded phone calls to voters that say "I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama has worked with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers."

McCain told Smith this morning, "That robocall is exactly accurate. And by the way, Sen. Obama's campaign is running robocalls as we speak…you know, to think that somehow we are saying something not true in those calls is absolutely false. He was friends with a terrorist and his wife, he was. And we need to know the full relationship."

Later, when Smith asked McCain if Republicans wanted to avoid discussing the economy, McCain replied. "Listen to me, I'm the candidate. And this -- this campaign is about the economy."

Biden said McCain's ads raised "unfair questions" about Obama's character and said "a lot of Democrats are angry" because of it.

"Folks, if, God willing, we win this, when we win, we have to reach out. We have to isolate those extremes. We have to reach out to Democrats and Republicans and independents," said Biden.

Meanwhile, the McCain campaign continues to go after Biden for comments he made over the weekend at a fundraiser, when Biden said that in Obama's first six months of the presidency he would face a crisis like President John F. Kennedy did.

"Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of [Obama]. And he's gonna have to make some really tough -- I don't know what the decision's gonna be, but I promise you it will occur," Biden said in Seattle.

The McCain campaign picked up on the Biden line and said they planned to "drive it hard."

This morning by e-mail, McCain spokesperson Ben Porritt said, "It is clear by his failure to address the controversy stirred by his recent comments that Joe Biden stands by those remarks: Barack Obama's election guarantees an international crisis. As we face two wars overseas and a global economic crisis, Americans are looking for a leader who does not need on-the-job training, and that leader is John McCain."

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by heaven28 October 22, 2008 11:37 AM EDT: all of u....get over urselves :); Reply to this comment


by john43218 October 21, 2008 9:42 PM EDT: Identity? You want to define Idenity as a Democrat please:

in 2009: Total Socialisitic, loss of 1st, 2nd, and 4th constitutional rights..Loss of jobs, money, and independance, loss of country identity..

THE USA NEEDS MCCAIN to keep our COUNTRIES IDENTITY!

ENOUGH WITH THE MEDIA BIAS ALREADY!!!!!!!!!

It is disgusting and immoral.; Reply to this comment


by asamiller October 21, 2008 9:32 PM EDT: Get over yourself OneAmerican7: Anybody who knows any history knows Democratic Presidents win wars. Woodrow Wilson was a Democrat, Franklin Roosevelt was a Democrat as was Harry Truman. Bill Clinton wasn''t afraid to unleash America''s military in containing Hussein in Iraq and in intervening in the Balkans.; Reply to this comment


by obbcbs October 21, 2008 9:22 PM EDT: Palin''s attacks on Obama claim he pals around with terrorists, plural. WHO exactly?

She is a liar. Her own husband is a former member of the secessionist party. That''s not a casual association with a person at a meeting whose members you do not control.; Reply to this comment


by obbcbs October 21, 2008 9:04 PM EDT: the lies and misinformation about the Democrats must really be working. The electoral college map on yahoo is now 344 electoral votes for the DEMs, with Mizzou and Virginia not "leaning" anymore, they are in the DEM column now, and Mrs Dole in North Carolina is now in a death match to keep her Republican seat. GOP big shot senator Mitch McConnell in Kentucky is in a death match to keep HIS seat in Kentucky. Keep up those lying calls. Apparently people really like them.; Reply to this comment


by obbcbs October 21, 2008 9:00 PM EDT: what''s the over and under on the date of Palin''s impeachment for her latest round of investigations for abuse of power and misuse of Yahoo to do state business? 100 days?; Reply to this comment


by obbcbs October 21, 2008 8:59 PM EDT: The sane people are voting for Obama.

Loonies, liars and millionaires continue to vote for the Grand Old Party''s Biblical interpretations of civil rights and war as precursor to the Apocalypse.

Just my observation, based on the postings.; Reply to this comment


by rudy654-2009 October 21, 2008 8:39 PM EDT: These robocall seek the most racist part of people in hoping they will associate Obama with actual ACTUAL terrorists. McCain, if there is a hell, you will surely rot there. But apparently, you don''t really believe in your religion, or you would be afraid for what will happen to you in the afterlife.; Reply to this comment