Campaign Drama: McCain's "Not Important" Soundbite, Obama's Ex-VP-Hunt Adviser

Well, everyone wanted the 2008 election to begin after the long primary season, so now we get round-the-clock accusations and recriminations! While Barack Obama's campaign has been battered over its vice-presidential search team, to the point where one of the three members, James Johnson, resigned yesterday, John McCain's campaign has to deal with a Wednesday Today show appearance that could be edited down to a haunting soundbite.

McCain was being questioned by Matt Lauer about when the candidate thought troops could be withdrawn (video above). McCain responded, "No, but that’s not too important" before explaining the concern is casualties, "We will be able to withdraw. But the key to it is that we don’t want any more Americans in harm’s way.” Obama's campaign and the Democrats pounced on the moment, calling McCain out of touch, while McCain's campaign attacked Obama's stance on Iraq.

Obama campaign-wise, as for why Johnson, who had helped Walter Mondale and John Kerry search for running mates, stepped down from the campaign, the Wall Street Journal reported as Johnson, as the former head of Fannie Mae, had received a number of favorable home loans from Countrywide Financial (company most associated with subprime mortgage crisis) and the Washington Post noted he was perhaps too generously compensated from Fannie Mae. McCain's spokesman said of the resignation, "The American people have reason to question the judgment of a candidate who has shown he will only make the right call when under pressure from the news media."

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By Jen Chung in News on June 12, 2008 11:56 AM

Comments [rss]

S.D.

O, and "nik13"? It's 2008, not 2004. Sen. Obama is the candidate.

Sen. John Kerry's military record is well documented, but you'd have to actually read it, right?

S.D.

(sigh)

Dude69: So, How'd I personally insult you?

What's the matter? Don't like when people actually use Facts?

Reality is quite a bitch, No?

nik13

Hmmm... so was John "2nd Rich Trophy Wife" Kerry a trailblazer & trend-setter? Or was he only a trophy hubby? Man set a standard for flip-flopping too, being for something before being against it. True American war hero. Wounded someplace, somewhere. Nobody knows where.

Dude69

SD - I see you are good at putting quotes in between people names as well as distorting facts (100 years in Iraq??)

Anyway, we'll see in Nov.

McCain'2008

Brouhaha

http://www.fightthesmears.com/

S.D.

So, basically, Despite your opposition to invading Iraq, You're cool with Sen. John "Flip Flop" McCain's idea of keeping us there 100 years? O, that's right, It's not too important when they come home...

If you think Sen. John "Don't Support the Troops" McCain will pull them out, I'm not the naive one here.

Now if you can refrain from personal insults for a minute (Clue: I'm not the Naive one here) I'd consider it.

So, How'd I personally insult you?

The problem is: You stated that you get your info from Bill "loufa" O'Reilly, a man who publicly implied that Shawn Hornbeck stayed with his Child molestor Kidnapper because:

"The situation here, for this kid, looks to me to be a lot more fun than what he had under his old parents. He didn't have to go to school, he could run around and do whatever he wanted…there was an element here that this kid liked about this circumstance."

That's who you use a point of reference? Wow. I mean, if that's who you listen too...

Don't get me started on Rush "Viagra Vacation" Limbaugh...

Dude69

SD - Before you start twisting my words, please read my first post carefully. Invading Iraq was a bad bad idea, GW Bush was a moron who let his cronies run the show (Cheney, Rumsfeld), who never had a post invasion / security plan to stablize the region, and I agree it has done nothing to strengthen goodwill nor security for the country. These things have already happened, and going back to whine and complain about them are useless and not gonna improve the situation.

Now we need a leader to clean this mess up. My stand is that McCain is better suited and prepared to work out a logical withdrawl plan than Obama, who has absolutely no foreign nor even solid governing experience. With the bad economy and Iraq, this is not a time for someone to fumble around for four years. McCain at least has proven he can work with Congress for a change to get things done.

I am not convinced that a McCain term will be GW Bush III either, since he's no friend of Cheney/Rumsfeld.

Now if you can refrain from personal insults for a minute please present your view of the situation. Also have YOU really listened to Rush/O'Reilly or just believe what the media is telling you about them. Have you listen to Al Franken for that matter?

Ralph

Jen, you HAVE to be able to better than this. This sentence is just horrific. 6 commas? I don't even know what you're trying to say.

Obama campaign-wise, as for why Johnson, who had helped Walter Mondale and John Kerry search for running mates, stepped down from the campaign, the Wall Street Journal reported as Johnson, as the former head of Fannie Mae, had received a number of favorable home loans from Countrywide Financial (company most associated with subprime mortgage crisis) and the Washington Post noted he was perhaps too generously compensated from Fannie Mae.

S.D.

"Obama will pull troops out in haste without a sound security plan, just to satisfy his naive constituents like jt100000000 and SD, and I bet we'll have to go into Iraq again for round II in the near future."?

Riddle me this, Batman:
<ul><li>Do you really think invading IRAQ, a country with nothing to do with 9/11, made us more "secure"?</li><li>Do you think GW Bush has any "Security Plan"?</li></ul>

I'm Naive? Cause a 3rd term of GW Bush style of Gov't is such a success. Yeahhhh, right.

Dude69, you're acting like a bad joke. Can you use any more GOP Talking points? Please.

"I can't wait for Rush or Bill O'Reilly to get their hands on him now."

O Wow! That's your source of Info? Don't worry about getting your credibility: If you listen to them, you just don't have any. Um, Are you a proud little "Dittohead"??

Sen. Obama is a Moderate. GW Bush and Sen. John "I CAN Flip flop!!" McCain are Radical Right wingers. How's that working for you,Dude69?

jt10000

OMG Obama's a liberal. That's basically a terrorist w/o a gun, right Dude?

Dude69

Maybe I should have used George Will instead, then I can get my credibity back from the liberals on this comment board?!

Not as well-spoken as Ron Reagan, the Great Communicator!

jt10000

But Obama is so well-spoken.

Anna_Merkin

Dude69, you undermine your credibility with weak logic. Your credibility is completely destroyed by referencing O'Reilly and Rush.

Brouhaha

"I can't wait for Rush or Bill O'Reilly to get their hands on him now."

Do they have better insults?

Dude69

Code for idiot = "Brouhaha"

Obama could be a closet radical, but definitely an out and about liberal. I can't wait for Rush or Bill O'Reilly to get their hands on him now.

Brouhaha

Dude69, just curious... is "closet radical politician" code for black, muslim or both?

I wish I knew some code for "idiot." :roll:

likesrudylikesbooty

When it's McCain or Hillary, it is "the same ol' politics run by special interests".

But when it is one of Barack's, he says the dude ain't tangential to my campaign.

I like how he changes his tune every time the heat gets turned up.

Dude69

Obama will pull troops out in haste without a sound security plan, just to satisfy his naive constituents like jt100000000 and SD, and I bet we'll have to go into Iraq again for round II in the near future.

McCain might not be ideal, but gotta go with the old pro on this one.

McCain'08!!!

gobius

the first sentence in the second paragraph made my brain explode.

S.D.

Well, I think John Cusack says it best.

PBRK

McCain had a chance to call Bush on all the bullshit Bush had slung his way (black babies et al) and McCain backed down. No way he can be trusted to be the Predident.

S.D.

Dude69, since there is Every indication that Sen. John "Rich Trophy Wife" McCain would be a 3rd Term of GW Bush, Sen. Obama does looks like a saint in comparison.

Straight Talker? Are you even listening to what he says? For Sen. John McCain, YouTube keeps biting him in the Ass with his own quotes.

I'm sure he'll continue to be his own worst enemy.

jt10000

Sure, don't trust Obama.

Instead, trust a man who confuses the major factions in Iraq, who voted for us to get into this mess, who can walk through Bagdad while protected by a troop of soldiers and a helicopter gunship and claim it's safe. Trust a man who says the surge is working when it's not meeting it's goals of creating space for political reconciliation.

Trust a man who has voted with President Bush over 90% of the time.

Trust a man who has no idea of how many American troops are in Iraq.

Trust a man who says we should keep soldiers in Iraq for as long as it takes to get to the point where they are no longer getting injured. Ten years, a hundred years, whatever with soldiers in harm's way.

Trust a man who wants war with Iran.

Sure, go ahead. Spread your baloney bogeymen about Obama and support a guy who's at worst a proven liar on major political issues and at best just very, very confused over the details of our involvement in that country.

Jen Chung

@bxbrian - HA! thanks for pointing it out and I think if they had a son, he'd be very tall.

Dude69

I am sorry but if Obama's supporters think their man is squeaky clean they need to have their heads examined. A politican is a politician no matter of race nor gender, and we need a straight talker like McCain with experience to make sure that our exit from Irag is done right, and the economy is soundly managed. I totally blame Bush and his cronies for getting us into the Iraq mess, but i cannot trust an inexperience and possibly a closet radical politician to lead us out of Iraq and leave an even bigger mess behind for Al Queda to take over.