Biden: McCain Can't "Look Obama In The Eye" When Attacking
(CBS)
(ST. JOSEPH, MO.) - Joe Biden told supporters today that John McCain did not have a “steady hand” in leading America through economic crisis and attacked his campaign’s negative advertising toward Barack Obama.
“Look, folks. Don't be distracted. These attacks don't hurt Barack Obama and me. What they hurt is you, and your fellow Americans. Every single false charge, every baseless accusation is an attempt to get you to stop paying attention to what's going on in this country and what's going on in your lives,” said Biden.
Biden spoke in a gymnasium with several hundred supporters, and said his goal to ending the economic crisis would be bringing back some of the 70,000 jobs lost in Missouri during the last eight years.
“All of the things they said about Barack Obama…on the TV, at their rallies, and now on YouTube, and everything else they're doing before the debate, all the things they're saying after the debate as recently as this morning, John McCain could not bring himself to look Barack Obama in the eye and say the same things to him,” said Biden.
However, Barack Obama himself kept mum during his town hall debate with McCain when it came to attacks his campaign has made against McCain’s character.
Obama did not mention the recent 13-minute documentary the Obama campaign posted on YouTube, which brought attention to McCain’s involvement in the Keating Five savings and loan scandal, during which McCain was criticized by a Senate committee as having “poor judgement” accepting contributions from Charles Keating, a real estate speculator.
The Obama campaign said their acknowledgement of McCain’s role in the Keating Five scandal was a “direct response” to attacks on Barack Obama for his association to radical activist Bill Ayers of the Weather Underground, a group which was accused of domestic terrorism in the late 1960s and early '70s.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., introduced Biden, calling the McCain campaign’s tactics “petty, small and personal.”
“The oldest trick in their playbook, they’ve gone to it time and time again, the politics of fear and smear,” said McCaskill. “Now they want America to be afraid of this inspirational, smart, strong, humble patriot. God-loving family man. That’s what they want?”
She argued that Americans should instead “be afraid of four more years of Bush economics.”
Biden continues a two-day trip through Missouri, making several campaign stops before flying to Chicago for a fundraising event tomorrow evening.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
I have heard them all and the Republicans do not represent the God that I serve. Specifically Palin and McCain are promoting HATE, Violence, Ignorance, and FEAR. This is happening daily.
I do not promote sexist conduct or attitudes. Palin put herself in hiding instead of talking to the American people. Sure she has been at some rallies, but look at who is there...Republicans target only a limited segment of americans..there are few minorities (almost none)who are also citizens of this great country.
When Palin has spoken to the press, she is responsible for how she is perceived. Katic Couric asked her very basic questions which she had trouble answering. She is on the national stage and does women a great dis-service when acting as if she will melt. Yet in her rallies, mean and attack seem to flow naturally.
I am a Hillary Clinton supporter - she is gracious, tough, determined and intelligent. Greatly admired.
I find many making excuses for Palin and McCain....accepting such low expectations.
I have also researched Barack Obama. He is not perfect, but the intolerance, hate and attack dog mentality of McCain/Palin is a turnoff. And is NOT GODLY according to my Bible.
Not only that, it would completely infuriate him to look up.
And look up he would have to, in more ways than one.
Bill Ayers is a respected professor at the University of Illinois, who is currently a left-wing activist that is strictly non-violent and law-abiding. It has been nearly 40 years since Ayers'' last crime, and Obama has known him 15 years or less.
Serving on the same board of the Annenberg challenge as Obama and Ayers were many other highly respected bi-partisan officials, and Walter Annenberg himself was a close personal friend of Ronald Reagan, and Leonore Annenberg was his State Department''s Chief of Protocol. If the Annenbergs saw fit to have Bill Ayers on the board of their foundation, that speaks volumes for the rehabilitation of the man.
Further Ayers has never claimed to be a friend of Barack Obama. They have never "palled around."
Now, I am supposed to believe that Ayers must be the same terrorist he was in the 60''s, but Charles Keating is not the same man McCain took trips to Bermuda with?
McCain was implicitly involved in Keating''s criminal acts. Obama was 8 years old when Ayers committed his. McCain and Keating vacationed together. Neither Obama nor Ayers, nor anyone near them, has said they are close.
There is now way I can absolve McCain and lambaste Obama, and if I had to chose which relationship is more damning, it is OBVIOUSLY McCain''s and Keating''s.
I agree that sexism is more overt than racism at this point in our history. But that''s not Obama''s fault, and it doesn''t make Palin more qualified to lead the country should the need arise. I would encourage you not to change your party allegiance on that basis.
I''ve been waiting for the Keating Five thing to come out. We thought we''d see it before this, with some of the attacks McCain has made. As far as I am concerned they asked for it by stirring crowds to the point of yelling "Kill him", about Obama, at Palin''s event. It is not wise to stir up that kind of hatred and then not even to condemn it when it happens. Palin doesn''t have very good judgment.
- by seattlesteph October 9, 2008 5:49 PM EDT
- It''s the height-differential, really. McCain needs a step-stool to be at eye level. Otherwise, the alternative that McCain as a former officer and current Senate member is being rude, hostile, avoidant and disrespectful towards Obama is unthinkable.
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