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NC Republicans Use Rev. Wright Against Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates

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April 23, 2008 10:04 AM

ABC News' Tahman Bradley and Mike Elmore Report: A number of Democratic strategists have said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., would be the best presidential candidate to help down-ballot Democrats in the fall, but a new ad set to be released by the North Carolina Republican Party could make a few candidates weary of latching onto Obama's coattails.

The North Carolina Republican Party is trying to use the controversy surrounding Sen. Obama's former Pastor Jeremiah Wright against Democratic gubernatorial candidates in the state.

The party is preparing to unveil a television ad which functions on two levels: paint Obama as "extreme" for attending Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago where Rev. Wright made incendiary comments and knock Democrats Bev Perdue and Richard Moore for endorsing someone as "extreme" to North Carolina as Obama.

There' s no real money behind the ad right now. NC Republican Party spokesman Brent Woodcox told ABC News the party will make a final decision about the ad buy on Monday.

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, of Arizona, moved quickly on Wednesday to reject the ad. "I have been committed to running a respectful campaign based upon an honest debate about the great issues confronting America today.  I expect all state parties to do so as well.  The television advertisement you are planning to air degrades our civics and distracts us from the very real differences we have with the Democrats,"  said McCain in a letter to the North Carolina Republican Party Chair Linda Davis.

McCain demanded that Davis discontinue plans to run the ad: "It is imperative that you withdraw this offensive advertisement."

Watch it HERE.

April 23, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (54)

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All great nations rise and fall. I personally don't want Obama at the helm of this country during its eventual collapse. He shouldn't have to take the blame for what America is doing to herself. Obama has the gifts and talents to restore this country to its greatness but it appears that for some people Bush wasn't enough torture for them to go through.

Well, not to worry, more is coming. While we're over here trying to divide ourselves on race, others are trying to figure out how to destroy us financially or with real weapons of mass destruction and wipe the last remaining arrogant super power off the planet. No country wants to be the next Iraq. America is the target now. We are all on our way down because we refuse to lift everyone up. At this critical time, destroying your best and brightest is merely self-destruction!

Posted by: Barbara | Apr 23, 2008 11:33:43 AM

When hearing "The God Damned America" comment. Patriotic americans became upset.

For that Obama called americans upset about it "Racist"

Obama does not know the difference between Patriotism and racism.

Nothing can justify Damning this country , no excuse and there is not way to take that out of contents.

To make it more absurd. Obama forgave the one spewing Hatred for America, but your still racist.

Ironic as it it he succeded in getting his message across loud and clear, your all racist. Not so but He did it.

Another way he tries to Divide the nation.

IN 2008 96% of the people of this Great Country Live, work and play well together. He chooses to turn back the hands of time.

Yes it will always haunt him, because 2 wrongs does not make it right. which all on his part.

Posted by: Sharon | Apr 23, 2008 11:35:59 AM

Hey Louis
Wright served as a marine. So did Lee Harvey Oswald.

Posted by: toby | Apr 23, 2008 11:39:54 AM

It all boils down to judgement. Selecting a president is a risky exercise, where the electorate attempts to gauge the character and decision making skills of the candidates. Barack has no one to blame but himself. He supplied the ammunition and then in the last debate Hillary rubberstamped the Reverend Wright controversy as a legitimate campaign issue.

BTW I don't care for any of the three mainstream candidates. Its a pitiful field considering the crisises we face.

Posted by: Sharpy | Apr 23, 2008 11:40:43 AM

Ami,
You are the perfect example of an Obama supporter in every aspect and that is all I will say on that.

JH

Posted by: JH | Apr 23, 2008 11:40:55 AM

BO is a toast with these ads in November - him hand-in-hand with Wright compared side by side with McCain on bed just released from Viet Nam prison camp.

Even McCain says he does not wanted it, someone else will do it for him.

Posted by: boneheaded, chicago | Apr 23, 2008 11:50:34 AM

Watch it her? NOOOO we won't. You want us to do the republican hit job for free.

Rev Wright won the right to criticize the country he shed his blood for. He spent years as a marine even though he was considered less than a human being in his own country. Jeremiah Wright was part of a medical team that took care of President LBJ in the Unites States Naval hospital (Bethesda, MD).

Posted by: tchanta | Apr 23, 2008 11:55:51 AM

It's not the republicans defining us, it is the Move On, Soros, Air America people that are defining us, and guess what, our democratic leaders blindly hand it over without feeling any loyalty to the people who once defined the democratic party. They are the ones selling us out to the far, far left.

Posted by: Mark | Apr 23, 2008 11:56:39 AM

I am really tired of hearing about Mr.Wright's comment. I would like to know who is without sin in this world???? Mr.Obama needs to apologize for staying in that church for the 20 years just the same way Hillary lied about Bosnia and said "sorry".

Posted by: Roxanne | Apr 23, 2008 11:58:56 AM

Ami - What was BO doing? Being educated by the Wright stuff all that time while others are debating NAFTA. Now, on one hand he deceives the voters - what makes him think he could even re-negotiate the treaty, what if Canada and Mexico say no? You think BO will just say he can sit them down by a table and give in to his hypocrisy? On the other hand, he lies to the voters by wink wink the Canadians that he does not mean what he says about NAFTA during his campaign.

A typical BO, bozo style hypocrisy - some times words matter, other times words have no meaning (or what he meat to say).

Posted by: tooth | Apr 23, 2008 12:02:37 PM

Isn't is funny that the RNC has now rejected that ad about rev. Wright saying it is not what the campaign should focus on ...the RNC!

and Hillary supporters are on here defending the use of this argument.

McCain wants it to be about issues that are effecting us, the RNC want the issues to be the focus and Hillary and her not-so nice brainwashed zombies...still want to keep the focus on this.

That alone should wake all of you up. She is playing you for the worst parts of American society.

We need to be brought back up in the views of the peoples of the world...she will not do that. In fact out of the three candidates she is the least to do that now.

Her nasty negative campaign has handed over the "change" mantra to McCain. For all those times Hillary supporters keep calling oBama supporters stupid...they really need to take a long look in the mirror.

If you can't catch on then you will be.

15 years of bait and switch. Most of America is done.

Posted by: dl | Apr 23, 2008 12:03:13 PM

tooth

Hill has her husband and her chief strategist telling countries to either ignore what she was saying and continued fighting for the opposite of what she was telling the American people and you are saying "wink wink" with Obama...

Hillary is the one who tells people one thing and does the other ..the worst of which now...is this "arms race" and hawk stance with no fiscal or congressional checks that she is proposing ...go tell the people in NH after I SAW her talk about changing our foreign policy away from imperialismand policing the world... that she is now offering middle east countries promised protection with massive retaliation and threats of obliterating a country with nuclear weapons to keep them from getting the same nuclear weapons...

she would have lost. she has duped many in just this campaign.

and we should be very scared...this woman who likes to "play" that she was in battle and who still has never really ackowledged that giving the Presidency carte blanch for military action wasn't wrong...just to give it to GW.

wake up.

Posted by: dl | Apr 23, 2008 12:10:30 PM

I wish someone had footage of all the times Hillary said we need to take down this "cowboy diplomacy"
what does she call her newly discovered stance... "ivy league with pearls and an obliterating nuclear bomb"

Posted by: dl | Apr 23, 2008 12:15:22 PM

i agree that this scenario (the topic/article) will play out in the democratic party elections at large over, and over. for example i live in new mexico and although bill richardson will not run for re-election (thank God) i will have second thoughts about any democrat for state office that richardson may endorse. why? richardson betrayed the trust we, his core hispanic catholic base entrusted him to represent us (hillary won new mexico). he betrayed the clintons who launched his national/international career. and nationally he betrayed hispanics who have largely supported hillary. he is a carpetbagger who moved to nm due to its large hispanic population from where he planned to launched his LOOSER presidential bid. then he jumped on the obama bandwagon because that was were the momentum was at the time-or because he threw a tantrum and got angry with the clintons. why would i trust richardson's judgement ever again-a richardson endorsement would be the kiss-of death. by the way i will not need a commercial to remind me. i will never forget the betrayal by my party leaders that includes richardson, kerry, kennedy, peolosi, dean and others, who are finished as well. WE WILL NEVER FORGET.

Posted by: sonia trevino | Apr 23, 2008 12:37:33 PM

wink, wink ,please don't use that ad on the golden boy after all we are going to run a clean race for the White House said John McCain to J helms. in North Carolina a state that just gave up the rebel flag.

Posted by: Bishop | Apr 23, 2008 12:45:48 PM

dl

I think your leader Obama has continued to brainwash his youth group rather well.

Obama Is the one who started all the dirty campaign tricks and games. from day one he came out with the Blame and Shame game.

That is his main one he uses even now.

Of course he mostly voted Present in anticipation of all this.

But he vote to fund the war making him
100% Pro-WAR. He can shake and bake that any way he wants, Makes him a Hypocrite.

His ploy this week was to direct his obamamaniacs to go forth and tell, post, email, why his opponents should not be elected, while he puts on his mr nice guy suit. I am sure you got the memo.


Problem is he is not a nice guy.

He Blames everything on the Government. (wonder where he learned that at)

Posted by: Sharon | Apr 23, 2008 1:34:55 PM

dl - Man, you are just like BO, frame and blame others by what he actually does himself. To say HRC wink wink does not make her wink, but Obama actually sent his aids to the Canadian Consulate to talk about "wink wink".

Let's see the patterns:

First, Obama denies there was a contact from his chief adviser with Canadians, but only to be contrasted by the Canadians' release of the meeting record.

First, Obama denies he never heard of Wright's hatred speeches, then, he changed his story. He first defended him by rationalizing it with black anger, and then, he cannot disown him, then, he denounce Wright, and then, he is disowning him now.

First, Obama defends his bitter, guns and religion clinging speech, then, he explains it, then, he claims what he really meant was something different, and then, he blames other people mentioning about it because he now thinks his words do not matter.

Enough? Do you want more lists?

Posted by: tooth | Apr 23, 2008 2:16:06 PM

The dubious cast of characters: Rev. Wright, Bill "the bomber" Ayers, Meeks, among so many others, will never go away. Whether the republicans air the ad in NC now or later in the year is completely irrelevant. Voters will NEVER forget who Obama's friends are, and his profoundly bad judgment.

Yesterday, it was clear to PA voters that Hillary is the only candidate who can beat McBush in November. Indiana will follow suit.

Posted by: Emily | Apr 23, 2008 2:23:23 PM

Some pundint's ask disingenuously, Why Can't Barack Close the Deal? The TRUTH OF THE MATTER, is that Barack is fighting TWO opponents, Clinton & the Republican Machine: Joe Scarborough, Pat Buchanan, Fox News and they fight a lot dirtier, louder, harder than "light"! They fight with lies, distortions, brain wash and money. Barack is doing something new and necessary, though slower because a loud voice gets a lot more attention than a sane, compassionate, low-speaking one, like Barack's. That is why he is having such a hard time. Look at the unevenness and unfairness of the last debate? The new Republican's and Clinton's talking point is why cannot Barack put it away. The answer is he is fighting a three-headed Giant, the Clintons and the Republican Machine -- it is a Giant compared to Barack and the assault goes on 24/7 starting with Morning Joe and continuing all day with Fox News! Then there are the new swift-boat TV adds and false emails, he is being blanketed with -- and then they smile to themselves and ask smugly, "Why can't he put her away? Knowing the dark answer to this question and the dark seed they hope to plant into the minds of the people who are unable to think for themselves and are influenced by fear and ignorance. But humanity's heart is opening to the light and the energy of goodwill. May be this time, we can overcome these awful forces of destruction to mankind, may be this time.

Posted by: Angellight | Apr 23, 2008 2:41:05 PM

Dawuud - What happened to America? It started being run by far left liberals and far right conservatives. No longer will good old fashioned common sense be tolerated. No longer will we tolerate those in the middle. No more doing what is actually best for the country and what is actually best for the MAJORITY of Americans. No common sense will be tolerated! We will give everything away and bend over backwards to please the few while offending, taking away from and basically changing life as they know it to the hard working middle class men and woman majority. They are the true peons in this nation. They are insignificant, their only purpose on this planet is for taxes and to vote the almighty leaders in.

Bitter Voter

Posted by: Bitter Voter | Apr 23, 2008 3:44:08 PM

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