June 18, 2009 6:25 PM

N.C. GOP Leaders Stand By Anti-Obama Ad

(AP)  North Carolina Republican leaders are standing by a TV ad critical of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama despite dissension in their own ranks and one station's refusal to air it.

Republican National Committee member Linda Shaw said Thursday she was shocked that her colleagues decided to produce and air the ad, which shows Obama with his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, and a clip of Wright's anti-U.S. comments.

"I do not support it," Shaw said. "I had nothing to do with it ... and I'm very disappointed."

Shaw, a longtime party leader, said she repeatedly urged state party chairwoman Linda Daves to withdraw the spot.

John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, asked party officials to not run the ad on Wednesday and again Thursday.

"I cannot dictate to the North Carolina Republican Party what their message is, but I condemn it and I can appeal to the overwhelming majority of Republicans in the state of North Carolina," McCain said while campaigning in New Orleans.

State GOP spokesman Brent Woodcox said officials still planned to air the ad Monday, beginning with the evening newscasts. He said the party had not completed the details on the size of the ad buy.

Despite the ad's focus on Obama, Woodcox has said it is targeted at Democratic gubernatorial candidates Richard Moore and Bev Perdue; both have endorsed Obama, an Illinois senator. The ad was posted online Wednesday.

WRAL-TV in Raleigh and WSOC-TV in Charlotte have declined to run the ad, Woodcox and station officials said.

Jim Hefner, vice president and general manager at WRAL, said the station had determined the ad was "inflammatory" and decided not to run without knowing that McCain and national Republicans had objected to it.

Democratic party officials have criticized the ad. On Thursday, state Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek urged Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole to use her power to keep it off the air.

"As the highest-ranking Republican in the state, you have both the ability and responsibility to erase this stain on our state," Meek said in a letter to Dole. "Your silence tells North Carolinians that you will also sanction similar gutter tactics in your own campaign."

Dole said in an interview that she didn't want to get involved.

"I am concentrating on getting my work done here in the Senate, and I'm just not going to get into refereeing a third-party political ad that has nothing to do with my race," she said.

North Carolina holds its presidential primary May 6, with 115 delegates at stake. Polls give Obama the edge over Hillary Rodham Clinton.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 69 Comments
by lorinkundert April 25, 2008 8:55 PM EDT
Now why would the GOP work so hard against Obama? Could it be that they want Hillary to be nominated so McCain can defeat her.
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by realpatriot1 April 25, 2008 6:29 PM EDT
starleo,

Dole is staying true to form, se dosn''t get involved in anything! That''s why the citizens on the coast had to fight the NAVY off themselves on the landing practice field issue and why the triangle lost out on federal funding for mass transit. Remember the Dole Plan when she ran for the Senate. She''s hoping you won''t. Kay Hagen for sure! Bev Perdue also!!

BLKPRESIDENT,

I''ve formed a new group which I think can provide you with the help you so desparately need. It''s called S.A. for sexists Anonymous.

We have a 12 step program for recovering sexists like yourself. We begin with a remedial history of leadership in the midst of conflict from Joan of Arc to Annie Oakley to Golda Meir to Margaret Thacher.

In the next session we simulate childbirth by expanding the slit in your *** to the size of a baby''s head to test your pain endurance to determine how brave you are.

It goes on from there. I think it could do you a world of good.

I beg you t seek the help you so desparately need.

Reply to this comment
by rowdytexan2 April 25, 2008 4:29 PM EDT
Wonder who these broads would tap as Secretary of Defense, Jane Fonda? America needs a strong foreign policy over the next four years--not a weak and soft foreign policy that coddles our terrorist enemies. America cannot take a chance on lil'''' Hillary''''s lack of experience in foreign policy matters.


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Posted by BLKPRESIDENT at 12:19 PM : Apr 25, 2008

lol, I have more foreign policy experience than Barak Obama! Hell, any numb nuts knows you can''t go over to Iraq and prop up Bush''s failed puppet government! He thinks he can just wave a magic wand over those people and they''re just going to sit up and beg him to solve all their problems! ROFL!

Of course you could look at it another way, it would make a really good way for Barak to swill money off these corrupt idiots so similar to Chicago politicians! Maybe Obama sees some really good payola money there to be had!
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by lindaredtail April 25, 2008 3:45 PM EDT
As I said yesterday Clinton had an affair and lied about it. Millions of people do that all the time. All of the cases in American history involving the abuse of power by the executive office have involved Republican presidents. Teapot Dome was Warren Harding. Watergate was Nixon. Iran Contra was Reagan. Now we have Bush with numerous "gates". Historians recognize the most corrupt presidency as having belonged to Ulysses S. Grant. He was not directly connected to corrupt acts but he surrounded himself with very corrupt people who were involved in serious wrongdoing. That can be found even in encyclopedias. The Republicans can complain about Clinton all they want. But the big first prize trophy for corruption in the office of the President belongs to them.
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by blkpresident April 25, 2008 3:19 PM EDT
Hillary-Steinem ''08?

Wonder who these broads would tap as Secretary of Defense, Jane Fonda? America needs a strong foreign policy over the next four years--not a weak and soft foreign policy that coddles our terrorist enemies. America cannot take a chance on lil'' Hillary''s lack of experience in foreign policy matters.
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by ksh1022 April 25, 2008 2:54 PM EDT
tru-america1
I do think Bill Clinton was a great president! You Republicans love to bring up "He lied to the American people. He was *** Monica" What has Bush done? He lied to the American people and it has cost thousands of lives and the good will of the world. We unilaterally attacked another country. Iraq did not attack us first. Al-Quada did. Most of the airplane hijackers were from Saudi Arabia not Iraq. Bush is buddies with the Saudis so we couldn''t go after them. There were no weapons of mass destruction found. Yes, Saddam was a despot but there are many, many far worse despots out there. We only cared about Saddam because there was oil involved. For you to disparage Bill Clinton is laughable. He did a great job of running this country. He never took us to war, we had a budget surplus, we had jobs. Interesting, that during Reagan and GeorgeI, the defecit tripled. Then during GeorgeII we are in a financial crisis not seen in 75 years. We are in an unwinnable war. People are paying $3.50 for a gallon of gas. The oil companies are making record profits. We should be so lucky as to have Bill Clinton running the show again. You Republicans hated him because the American people loved him and you couldn''t run him off. He was tougher than all of you and a better President than either of the Bushes.
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by lindaredtail April 25, 2008 2:41 PM EDT
It seems that too many of the Republicans conveniently want to stay out of the fray. If the National party really wanted the state party Republican chairwoman replaced she would be. All just the typical ploys. Almost like a bad cop-good cop scenario. But it doesn''t fly under scrutiny. Any more than some of mudrose''s supposed references from yesterday flew once I started to check them out.
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by starleo146 April 25, 2008 2:03 PM EDT
Good bye Elizabeth, BACK TO KANSAS WITH YOU, GO GO,hello Kay Hagen
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by starleo146 April 25, 2008 2:01 PM EDT
Dole said in an interview that she didn''t want to get involved.


Good job Elizabeth Dole, stay true to your ideals never get involved unless Bush tells you of course, North Carolina sure hasn''t been your priority so far, why hurt the N.C. republican Party who has been known for dirty tricks before and why hurt there feelings now, you may need them right!!!!!
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by spoonerfineart April 25, 2008 1:09 PM EDT
NC GOP, well now that''s the same ol'' *** isn''t it!
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