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McCain Campaign Brings On Board Yet Another Operative McCain Once Blamed For Sliming Him During 2000 South Carolina Primary
October 18, 2008 1:29 PM
ABC News has learned that Warren Tompkins, one of the strategists of then-Gov. George W. Bush's South Carolina campaign in 2000 -- which Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., blamed for his family being slimed -- is now a part of the McCain-Palin campaign team, albeit in an "unofficial" role.
Tompkins, a protégé of Lee Atwater, has been dispatched to North Carolina to assess the state for the McCain-Palin campaign, Southern GOP strategists tell ABC News.
The McCain campaign says only that Tompkins has "no official role" with the campaign. The Raleigh News and Observer spotted Tompkins in the state "surveying North Carolina for the McCain campaign to determine what can be done to shore up the state."
The news of Tompkins being brought on board the McCain campaign brings to a total of three the number of GOP operatives McCain now is using despite the fact that he once held them responsible for the ugly campaign that contributed to his South Carolina primary defeat, a campaign in which McCain's wife Cindy was attacked for her past addiction to painkillers, and the McCains' adopted Bangladeshi daughter Bridget was targeted as his illegitimate black baby.
Last month, to the dismay of many McCain 2000 alumni, McCain hired another former Palmetto State opponent, Tucker Eskew.
This week, as a wave of robocalls attacking Obama has been reported across the country, and some of those calls have been tied to Jeff Larson and his firm FLS-Connect, a client of Bush's in 2000, whom McCain's team back then held responsible for anti-McCain robocalls.
The recipient of one of the new McCain robocalls, Minnesota Democratic County Commissioner Chris Shoff, was reported in the Huffington Post and the New York Times as having tied the call to FLS-Connect, which has been paid more than $8 million by the Republican National Committee during this election cycle.
The McCain campaign has refused to comment.
Eight years ago, of course, McCain was much chattier on the subject of these types of calls.
"A lot of phone calls were made by people who said we should be very ashamed about her, about the color of her skin," McCain told one interviewer. "Thousands and thousands of calls from people to voters saying 'You know the McCains have a black baby.' I believe that there is a special place in hell for people like those."
"You've seen it -- turn on the radio, turn on the television, and unfortunately now pick up the telephone and you'll hear a negative attack against John McCain," McCain said during a February 2000 GOP debate in South Carolina.
"At a town hall meeting a mother stood up and she said, 'Senator McCain, my son was 13 last year. We had a lot of trouble of explaining things to him that went on in Washington.' She said, 'Now he's 14. He's told me not long ago, "John McCain is my hero. He's the man I want to be like." Well, last night he came into her room,' she said, 'and he had tears in his eyes because he had answered the phone and the phone call, even though he told the caller that he was 14, said, "Do you know that John McCain is a liar, and a thief and cheat?"' Well, that night I called my people together. I said, 'Take down our response ad. We're running nothing but a positive campaign from now on.' I committed to that, I promise that."
In 2001, McCain said he was "very unhappy" about his family being attacked, specifically identifying "the phone calls that said, 'Do you know that Cindy McCain's a drug addict?'...Phone calls saying, 'Do you know the McCains have a black baby?'" Phone calls, he told Rolling Stone magazine that went out to the voting public of South Carolina "by the hundreds of thousands, yeah. And, you know, that's really the ugly underside of politics."
In Maine, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine -- an original member of McCain's 2008 campaign kitchen cabinet who's up for re-election -- recently said the calls "don’t serve John McCain well. This kind of campaign call does not reflect the kind of leader that he is.”
-- jpt
October 18, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (163)
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As a black man, I can tell you if Barack Obama wins, there is going to be a lot of trouble in this nation. I hate to say it, but as a black man, I don't particularly like my own people and I certainly won't vote for a black man. I think it will be very bad for this country.
Posted by: jazzman646 | Oct 26, 2008 1:22:26 PM
It’s not just his taking on Sarah Palin as his running mate that casts doubt on John McCain’s judgment. The fact that Palin was foisted on him by his handlers and that he accepted her sight unseen (she was nowhere on short or long list) belies his public image as a strong leader.
Posted by: Carlos Navarro | Oct 20, 2008 1:51:16 PM
He said in 2000 "' I believe that there is a special place in hell for people like those."
For him to turn around, in his despiration, to use the same Robocalls against a fellow Senator of the United States has shown us what part of hell he would go to.
It is so pathetic when one sees a purpoted hero he has admired over decades to stoop this low It is like seeing Esau selling his birthright to Jacob because of a plate of poridge.
I empathize with Senator McCain, bearing in mind that at 72, this is his last chance at having a shot at the Presidency. The ambition he has nursed since Hanoi.
A man that is willing to dine with the devil to win an election portends great danger not only to the United States but the World.
But he needs to leave the stage with his head held high. But at this state of negativity he, Mrs Palin and the RNC have displayed in these elections season, whether he wins or loses in the GE, I doubt if he will feel good with himself in the morning of November 5, if his shameful campaign is anything to go by - Except he has no shame.
Posted by: Dare Nigeria | Oct 20, 2008 5:33:38 AM
WAKE UP AMERICA! Obama is going to RAISE your TAXES, do you really think he supports gun ownership, and do you really think he is capable of being our president and dealing with other world leaders when he cannot make a decision or stick with one real policy decision? THINK AMERICA!!!!- Barack H. Obama will be a total disaster. Most do not remember the Depression but right before it happened the economic climate was really bad, like it is today, and the democrat raised the taxes- this is what we can expect from Obama a possible great depression II.
DOES ANYBODY REMEMBER THE CARTER YEARS??? Obama years will be the same- listen to his policy talk. WAKE UP AMERICA- BEEN THERE DONE THAT & IT IS REALLY BAD!!!!!
Posted by: Debra | Oct 19, 2008 10:41:42 PM
Do you know what "spread the wealth around really means?" It means TRICKLE UP POVERTY! I know it is hard for some of you, but try and think about that.
Posted by: Amy | Oct 19, 2008 10:39:34 PM
This just shows the last ditch efforts of a desperate campaign...bring on board the man who slimed you and your wife. If I was McCain, I would rather lose this election than work with the crass slimer who made a muck of his 2000 run for the Presidential office, a run that I actually had the upmost resepct for McCain.
Posted by: annazette | Oct 19, 2008 6:28:41 PM
In an Obama-Biden administration you will still have a grantee of freedom of speech until you say something against them at which time you will become much like Joe the Plumber and people will be digging into your life and trying to make you look like a bad person! Even people talking about him here... You probably have things in your past your wouldn't want out there.
A sign of things to come?
First, they came for Sarah Palin, and I said nothing because I was pro-choice. Then they came for Joe the Plumber, and I said nothing because plumbers cost too much anyway. Then they came for…
In Germany they first came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
The point of the post was that we can't tolerate any group that wants to suppress another or their ideas by violence or intimidation.
Posted by: wahm5 | Oct 19, 2008 6:10:47 PM
Today Obama was endorsed by former Secretary of State General Colin Powell. Today, a campaign operative known for sliming McCain in South Carolina was dispatched to North Carolina by McCain. Speaks volumes, doesn't it?
Posted by: ricky | Oct 19, 2008 4:12:29 PM
America is a laughing stock everywhere in the world today.My question to you McCain supporters, are you better of today than eight years ago? If your answer is yes, you will count your-selves lobbyist who's influencing the President for the mess we are today,which McCain still believe in, and he don't know how to deal with it when such question come to him.Due these lobbyist of a group, American economy is becoming so poor even more like fifth world countries.Why do you still want Republican President in the white-house again?Americans are tired of Republican government.It look like tradition in America, Democrat build the economy, and Republican destroy it with unnecessary war! Why why????????
Posted by: danimania23 | Oct 19, 2008 2:15:02 PM
The voters need to know that Obama not only has good points, but some real issues that have been under reported or ignored by Team Obama ABC, NBC & CBS relating to his socialist agenda and his connections with the left wing loons, We understand that you were in Alaska and hot on the trail of Joe the Plumber that had the Audacity to Ask Obama a Question. We have received your message loud and clear you will track down, harrass and destroy any citizen why dares speak up against the Socialist Party.
They need to know that the transparancy Obama is so proud of does not exist he has been trying to pass off the biggest welfare program in history as the tax cuts.
Posted by: ubu1991 | Oct 19, 2008 2:06:57 PM
I really cannot believe that you folks are so blind that you would vote for an inexperienced person with ties to radical groups (i.e. Rev Wright). Our country is having financial problems and giving the current Democrats in power a free hand would solve our problems? Mr. McCain is not George Bush!! John McCain is the only choice we have. Can you image what Obama will do if he is elected. Welfare reform will go out the door and Rev Wright types will be in power and may god help us. We only have ourselves to blame if Obama is elected. Remember that the Democrats controlled Congress and were the main reasons for a lot of our current policies that have just about bankrupted our country.
My friends and I are Hilary supporters who will never vote for Obama. If we had another choice outside of McCain we would take it. But we do not.
Posted by: John | Oct 19, 2008 11:52:42 AM
DIRTY POLITICS - Just what do we want with a President, someone who can do the job and be respected around the world or someone who has lost their character and integrity. My father who fought in World War II and a life long Republican must be spinning in his grave.What a sorry mess.
Posted by: SmileAlready | Oct 19, 2008 9:00:43 AM
M; I've thought about it and no - a name cannot run for President, but a person can and the person who bears the name - due to no fault of his, just like you - will be the next President of the USA, not because of a name, but because of who he is: i.e. a President that the the USA and the world are going to be darned proud of
Posted by: exatlantic | Oct 19, 2008 6:45:46 AM
Sorry, president was spelled wrong. it's late
Posted by: m | Oct 19, 2008 5:16:09 AM
Does a name like Barack Hussian Obama need to be running for presedint of the united states? Think about it!!!!!!
Posted by: m | Oct 19, 2008 5:09:44 AM
How can Senator McCain say that he is not Bush? He sold his soul to the slime merchants he setested in 2000. John, how low are you going to go to become President, you are willing to sell your wife and adopted daughter to these slime balls. The only person remaining from the group that slimed you is Rove. Go ahead and hire him too, what are you waiting for? You might as well give it a shot because all these negative attacks are not working for you. Please, Senator McCain, do not stoop so low. Go with some dignity left. You deserve it and we all deserve it.
Thanks
Posted by: Raju | Oct 19, 2008 4:49:11 AM
Desperate times call for desperate measures and McCain is a very desperate man right now. Palin and McCain will be tossing the kitchen sink next since they already tossed joe the plumber into the mix, an unlicensed plumber who doesn't pay his taxes. Palin and McCain use name calling, labeling, accusations and never, ever, with proof. McCain seems to physically and mentally unhealthy. Perhaps, McCain suffers from PTSD from his POW days. Something is not right about McCain and he seems to get worse by the day if not week.
Posted by: Lawrence | Oct 19, 2008 4:30:24 AM
All Obama supporters should note again that his campaign opted out of federal campaign financing, which was the hallmark of campaign reform to put an end to spiralling funding by special interests and runaway "legalized" bribes. Note that he lied on this issue and completely reversed his position after beating Hillary and committing to accepting the limits. He is now being accused of cu=orruption and outspending McCain with his funding 3 or more to one. WAKE UP OBAMA SUPPORTERS, IS THIS CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN?
Posted by: Rob | Oct 19, 2008 3:38:30 AM
It is time that this country gets its moral life blood back. Barack Obama and his campaign has given us a glimmer of hope that we can turn the moral compass back from greed and and distruction. I am tired of hearing about "fat cats" of Wall Street getting away with crimes againist ordinally working people. Robbing us of our homes, our jobs and now our retirements that we have worked our whole adult careers to acheive. Mr. Obama has had a unique life which can bring more insight on how other nations view Americans and help restore our dignity. I've been ashamed of our country for many years for the way our politicians just step on other nations to achieve their ends. And no it has not been for the good of America, it has been for the good of their pocketbooks.
Posted by: Anne Cooper | Oct 19, 2008 3:31:46 AM
DON, Have you ever looked inside a Bible. Makes me wonder. It looks like you should read it more often. It may CHANGE your life.
Posted by: Mikel | Oct 19, 2008 3:17:30 AM
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