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Hecklers Butt In as McCain Addresses Latino Group

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June 28, 2008 12:30 PM

ABC News' Bret Hovell and Jennifer Duck report: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was interrupted repeatedly by hecklers as he and his likely Democratic presidential opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., separately addressed the National Association of Latino Elected Officials Saturday, at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C.

McCain was interrupted four times by protestors, three of whom were identifiable as CodePink members. Four separate interruptions (as opposed to the number of people protesting, which can vary) may tie a record for recent McCain events. In Denver in late May, McCain was interrupted four times during a foreign policy speech.

One of the protestors spoke in Spanish, then translated as she was getting hauled out of the room: "Your silence is consent to war crimes," she shouted at the crowd, which booed her.

Three of the protestors were women, one was a man.

Of the first protestor, a woman from Code Pink who frequents most of McCain’s stops in Washington, McCain quipped, "That’s a very familiar voice to me."

The woman was protesting the Iraq war, saying that she wanted a "peace candidate."

McCain also used the line he regularly does when interrupted by a protestor.

"The one thing Americans want us to stop doing is yelling at each other," McCain said.

Late in his remarks, a man stood up from what looked to be a part of the press section and shouted at McCain about the war. McCain barely broke stride, continuing to talk as the man was escorted out.

Generally, the crowd was very receptive to McCain’s remarks, which touched on many of the aspects of his stump speech and included a heavy dose of his opinions on illegal immigration.

"We must prove to them that we can and will secure our borders first," McCain said, speaking about those who opposed his comprehensive immigration plan, "while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States."

The crowd was particularly supportive whenever McCain was interrupted, several times cheering after a protestor was pulled from the room.

Before Obama took stage later in the morning, a NALEO official apologized for the protesters, noting they were not a part of NALEO and didn't represent NALEO.

Protestors at a McCain events are not uncommon; many people are opposed to McCain’s position on the war in Iraq. Especially in Washington, the likelihood of someone interrupting McCain is about as good as the likelihood of McCain addressing his audience with his signature appellation, "my friends."

June 28, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan | Permalink | User Comments (195)

User Comments

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Ryan, I am so impressed with your comment to Angie... You are so right about Obama...I remember all the debates with Hillary, he couldn't even answer any issue unless Hillary went first and then his favorite thing to say was "I agree with Senator Clenton"
How in the world could the American people be so stupid as to want this idiot to be our president...

Posted by: glenda | Jun 28, 2008 1:44:34 PM

tom, not true, McCain has always been for some form of comprehensive immigration reform. However, McCain is willing to listen to the people who are against comprehensive immigration reform and shore up the the border before going forward with another plan for comprehensive immigration reform.

Posted by: mary | Jun 28, 2008 1:46:53 PM

Civility is dead.

Remember when people were taking potshots at Bush during Coretta Scott King's funeral? No one praised Bush for being respectful but there was plenty of MSM praise for those who "exercised their right to free speech."

Then there's the boorish behavior that has become commonplace in the U.S. Capitol. People have developed a sort of talk show mentality - why bother formulating an intelligent argument when all you have to do is drown out your opponent with noise?

Posted by: Ed | Jun 28, 2008 1:47:49 PM

Nothing wrong with war...when it's waged intelligently and with good reason...and there's an exit strategy that will avoid a quagmire afterwards.

Unfortunately. Iraq is not one of those kind of wars.

Blunder after blunder after blunder...after incompetence, lies, embezzlement and corruption.

Bush Junior - wearing that ridiculous flightsuit - declared "Mission Accomplished" ONE-THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED and EIGHT NINE DAYS AGO.

So...why are we still there...wasting BILLIONS of American taxpayer dollars each month...and losing more American lives?

Must be because - quoting the Bush Junior administration before the war - "Iraqi oil will pay for the war".

Posted by: wilder5121 | Jun 28, 2008 1:50:01 PM

Recent polls suggest that only 19 percent of likely voters say that Iraq is an issue for them. Protesters just making noise.

Posted by: Jimbo | Jun 28, 2008 1:53:32 PM

I guess Republcians can't handle free speech. One more reason to vote them out in November.

Posted by: Karl Hungus | Jun 28, 2008 2:06:25 PM

Why do republicans hate free speech? Isn't that what they claim they're trying to bring to Iraq?

Posted by: nando | Jun 28, 2008 2:14:15 PM

Neither of these presidentual candidates offer any right now solutions to any problem we face here in the states.
We need a candidate that wants to solve the problems here at home before solving the problems of the world.
I am not interested in freedom for other countries such as Iraq when my freedoms are being stolen from me here at home.
I am not intrested 20 years from now, I am interested in the here an now, because if we don't deal with these issues now 20 years from now who cares.
You don't make things better in the world by making things worse here in the US.
You don't make things better for americans by eleminatating jobs in this country.
Even the village idiot knows that the price of gas is killing the economy, and if not brought back down there will be no economy.
The war in Iraq is a being used as a distraction from the issues here at home that neither party want to deal with.

Posted by: Michael L. Tucker | Jun 28, 2008 2:15:19 PM

mccain king of flip flops he even said he wouldnt vote on some of his own bills and for RYAN responding to you why does mccain not have public speeches like hillary and obama why just town halls im just curious can anyone answer please!! why is mccain scared to address the public openly outside????

Posted by: angie | Jun 28, 2008 2:15:25 PM

McCain is the one who gets interrupted and heckled numerous times AND HE IS THE ONE WHO HATES FREE SPEECH? DUH!!!
McCain/Romney 08

Posted by: Jimbo | Jun 28, 2008 2:20:15 PM

I think Cristinalatina2008 is correct: these people must be working for McCain. Only for profit would someone pretend to be so dumb.

Posted by: Don | Jun 28, 2008 2:21:27 PM

Hey , connect the dots. These disruptive tactics -- trying to shut down free speech -- are the same as those used by the community organizers that Senator Obama worked with (ACORN). Attempts to shut down speech and the press are surging from the left. It's called disinformation and it's an old revolutionary tactic. It's not Republicans who are trying to muzzle people. They know their ideas are good enough to take a beating.

Posted by: T Foreman | Jun 28, 2008 2:21:41 PM

18 years/2 days, Active duty, 3 time COMBAT veteran, United States Marine voting unashamedly, unapologetically Barack Huseein Obama for President of the United States.

Posted by: LosDangerous | Jun 28, 2008 2:22:55 PM

Cubans love repubs because they get free rides from them. Cubans don't understand what it feels like to go through immigration hurdles. They are just accepted as soon as the get here.

Posted by: tom | Jun 28, 2008 2:25:18 PM

CodePink does not represent the people of America. They are just group of loud-mouth nuts.

Posted by: annoyingrabbit | Jun 28, 2008 2:30:13 PM

hey no to obama you have that right to vote for mccain but dont lie and make up rumors and smears about obama and as far as your comments dont you have a little class oh no thats right your a republican!!

Posted by: angie | Jun 28, 2008 2:30:31 PM

Maybe if McCane wasn't so much a Bush Clone who favors both big oil and the war, he wouldn't get the reception he gets. McCane will lose BIG Time! Why ou ask?? Because He's traded off the environment he once claimed he wanted to protect for greed! HE DESERVES WHAT HE GETS AND MORE!

Posted by: savoymt | Jun 28, 2008 2:33:33 PM

T. Foreman.
If Obama get elected one of the first things he will do to is to reinstate the FAIRNESS DOCTRINE which will in effect SHUT DOWN ALL OF POLITICAL TALK RADIO. YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK. The libs are mad because conservative talk radio thrives, where lib radio is a bust (Air America, etc.)

Posted by: Jimbo | Jun 28, 2008 2:33:46 PM

hey no to obama i guess you wont be voting for mccain since you dont want lying and duping are you staying home voting day

Posted by: angie | Jun 28, 2008 2:34:35 PM

One question: where is America going to get the money to continue and or start more wars? Borrow more from China? Our economy sucks and the dollar is the weakest it's been in decades. If McSame is elected a depression will occur no doubt. Tax breaks for the rich never work ever!

Posted by: AJ | Jun 28, 2008 2:37:55 PM

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