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McCain: Not Offended By Alleged Age-Baiting
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ShareMay 09, 2008 2:10 PM
ABC News' Ron Claiborne Reports: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz, dismissed remarks by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., that McCain's aides charged were aimed at making issue of the 71-year-old Republican's age.
Campaigning in Jersey City, N.J., Friday, the Arizona Republican said he wasn't offended by Obama saying McCain had "lost his bearings" for remarking that Hamas favored the Illinois Democrat's candidacy. McCain said, "I ignore it. I don't take offense to it."
Watch the VIDEO HERE.
Two senior McCain advisers blasted Obama for what they characterized as an underhanded gibe about McCain's age.
On The Daily Show earlier in the week, Obama said McCain was trying to "smear" him by saying Hamas, a group that controls the Gaza Strip and that the United States government considers a terrorist organization, wanted him to be president.
For him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination," Obama said. "We don't need name-calling in this debate."
Mark Salter, one of McCain's top aides, fired back: ""He used the words 'losing his bearings' intentionally, a not particularly clever way of raising John McCain's age as an issue. This is typical of the Obama style of campaigning." The Obama campaign denied the remark was an allusion to McCain's age.
In New Jersey, McCain said he does not believe and was not implying that Obama shares "the values and the goals of Hamas," but he added: "It's also a fact that a spokesman for Hamas (in North America) said that he approves of Senator Obama's candidacy. I think that's of interest to the American people and that's something that needs to be discussed: why his policies should meet with the approval of a spokesperson for Hamas. I think that it's a legitimate point for discussion."
McCain was also asked if his age is a legitimate issue in the race for president.
"Every issue that the American people want to be an issue and it's part of their discussion, it's fine with me," he said. "Just as Reverend Wright's remarks -- [which] I don't think Senator Obama shares in anyway, but [Obama] has said that it's a legitimate topic of discussion. If that's what the American people want to discuss, that's fine. I'll continue to try to introduce them to my 96-year-old mother and the same vigor and the same energy that I have been able to display throughout this campaign allowed me to win the nomination of my party."
At that point, Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who has endorsed McCain and accompanied him to the environmental-themed campaign event at the Liberty Science Center, stepped forward and said, "I just want to report that this morning I personally checked John McCain's bearings and he has not lost any of his bearings. They're all in great shape."
May 9, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (98)
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Way to go Kevin. Best reason to vote for McCain -Obama supporters.
Posted by: geevill | May 9, 2008 2:28:51 PM
Johnny and Joey need to get a room!
Posted by: rita forte | May 9, 2008 2:42:48 PM
Well, gee, John, that's awfully nice of you not to take offense, but do you think calling Obama a friend of Hamas might have been a bit offensive from Obama's point of view?
If not, you may have lost more than your bearings.
That was a cheap shot to say the least!
Posted by: DAVID NH | May 9, 2008 2:51:12 PM
Sen. Hillary Clinton should consider running independently! The polls indicate that she can win--she can beat both Obama and McCain in a three way match-up!
Posted by: charleschaplin | May 9, 2008 2:59:20 PM
Chuck,
"she can beat both Obama and McCain in a three way match-up!"
Do you care to share where you found these numbers? On its face, this is a ludicrous claim. Say she got 50% of the Dem vote, which will be roughly over half of the voters in November, where would she get the rest? Republicans? If you actually think that any meaningful number of Republicans like her or want her to be prez, you must have the Columbian Cartel's number on speed dial.
Posted by: x | May 9, 2008 3:04:47 PM
If Hillary could not win the Democratic primaries vote, how would she win the general election? All of the Republicans that voted for her in primaries would vote for McCain, and all of the Democrats that voted for Obama evidently want him to be the president and not her. She would be the Ross Perot/Ralph Nader of the election.
Posted by: MeMyself | May 9, 2008 3:19:00 PM
I watched that interview and there was no way that could have been construed as a poke at McCain's age. Perhaps his ethics, but not his age.
Seems like kind of a dumb reach on Salter's part. Obama ignores about 20 of those kinds of comments a day out of Clinton.
Posted by: Michael | May 9, 2008 3:28:48 PM
McCain must be senile if he thinks that Obama was talking about his age. He wasn't. He was talking about McCain's "moral compass" which has so many holes in it with his Hamaas smear that he has indeed LOST HIS BEARINGS.
The soul of McCain will be tainted by this race.
He is OBVIOUSLY NOT going to run a campaign based upon the issues.
McCain is a FRAUD.
Posted by: maritza | May 9, 2008 3:29:08 PM
Senator McCain should be the very last individual to take that cheap shot about Hamas' preference for Obama. is it Obama's fault that they find Obama a more appealing leader?
Moving forward to the general elections, I hope McCain remembers that he adopted a NON-WHITE child and remember how certain racists comments were used against him when he was running against George Bush.
We expect certain behaviour from Hillary and Bill Clinton...NOT McCain!
Also, with reference to guilt by association, I hope he knows that America remembers the Keating 5 issue!
Posted by: Maurice Stewart | May 9, 2008 3:31:51 PM
I find this so funny. This all started with that snide crack about Hammas and Obama. Recently, McCain's Michigan staff fired a suspected terrorist supporter that Bush also had on his staff. Seemed kind of interesting, given the timing.
Did they fire him because he supports terrorist causes or because the press found out he was working for McCain?
Posted by: DAVID NH | May 9, 2008 3:38:10 PM
I'm a little confused myself. What does age have to do with losing one's bearings? How can that statement validly be read as some sort of age-ist remark, unless the person making that interpretation has a faulty idea that losing one's bearings comes with age? McCain needs to find smarter advisors.
Posted by: Steve | May 9, 2008 3:41:52 PM
The DNC has lost it's bearings.
I am voting for McCain via...writing Hillary in on my Nov ballot.
Hillary run as an independent we will vote for you and we will support you.
The old guy and the newbie will not win.
Posted by: HP Boston | May 9, 2008 3:45:35 PM
"Obama is a pro-Palestinian surrounded and supported by anti-Semites. Hamas has endorsed him. Beware his plans for the Middle East." --- wrote HoosierSue
---------------------
Obama spent last night in Wash DC at the Israeli embassy, celebrating the 60th anniversary of their Independence.
Just because you like to spread lies about him, doesn't mean anyone else buys it.
Posted by: wolf | May 9, 2008 3:46:08 PM
The only ones who brought up the age comment was McCain. Obama never said anything about age.
Posted by: wolf | May 9, 2008 3:48:20 PM
Hillary as an independent? What a great idea! Where do I sign? Obama is a left wing nut who has his head so far where the sun doesn't shine that he's starting to believe all the hyperbole he has been spouting the past year. Want absolutely nothing to get accomplished for the next 4 years? Then vote Obama!
Posted by: Rich | May 9, 2008 3:54:38 PM
I am sick and tired of all these sore losers who can't get past their Hillary vision. She needs to throw in the towel. It comes down to Obama and McCain. Pick one. Don't waste your time crying over Hillary... I am sure she will find some other way to try and fill her hunger for power. Oh yeah I almost forgot... VOTE 4 McCAIN!
Posted by: Andrew | May 9, 2008 3:54:44 PM
"No Country for Old Men!!!
no more needs to be said except:
Barack Obama & Bill Richardson 2008!!!"
Bill Richardson is a rabid Mexican reconquista zealot
Posted by: DV | May 9, 2008 3:55:59 PM
If the pubic perceives that Obama - I mean the real brain trust of Kerry kennedy and Pelosi - is trying to get rid of Bill and HIllary, Obama will lose the general election.
Posted by: tomdavie | May 9, 2008 3:10:00 PM
------------------------------------
Exactly. It is the reason I left the Dem party. I will not have them diss Hillary and shove the Obamnation down my throat.
Posted by: HP Boston | May 9, 2008 3:57:21 PM
President Barack H. Obama, the 44th President of the United States.
Posted by: Alex | May 9, 2008 4:02:26 PM
This seems a pretty silly rehash of yesterday's blog. It is not a "nasty" attack to comment on how John McCain has started doubletalking past all of his previous positions. He really has lost his way in trying to become President from the man he was several years ago. That's what "losing his bearings" means; and who cares anyway? Why pick apart a few words here and there?
Even more to the point is that McCain's insistence on this Hamas nonissue as an issue. If you don't like Obama, then fine, but this is pretty ridiculous. And it won't make a difference for the price of oil or healthcare or anything else important.
Posted by: MIguy | May 9, 2008 4:03:16 PM
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