Leave it to John McCain to straight talk himself into the ground over John Hagee. Isn't it interesting that it took all this time for the media to finally discuss McCain's relationship with John Hagee? McCain foams up over Obama's knowledge of Ayers, not an endorsement mind you, but says he still is very happy with the endorsement of the extreme Catholic hating preacher by the name of John Hagee and is proud to have lobbied to get it. Obama never asked anything of Ayers, but McCain begged Hagee's help. It probably was a mistake actually says STM, but he's glad he got his support anyway. What the heck is he talking about?
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Download STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, you say he should condemn these comments.
MCCAIN: Sure.
STEPHANOPOULOS: A lot of Senator Obama's allies and others say that you should condemn the comments of Reverend John Hagee, an evangelical pastor...
MCCAIN: Oh, I do. And I did. I said, any comments that he made about the Catholic church I strongly condemn, of course.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yet you solicited and accepted his endorsement?
MCCAIN: Yes, indeed. I did. And I condemned the comments that he made concerning the Catholic church.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But you're going to hold onto his endorsement? Your own campaign acknowledged that you should have done a better job of vetting Pastor Hagee.
MCCAIN: Oh, sure.
ABC News supplies the transcripts:
MCCAIN: Because if you're going to associate and have as a friend and serve on a board and have a guy kick off your campaign that
says he's unrepentant, that he wished bombed more -- and then, the worst thing of all, that, I think, really indicates Senator Obama's
attitude, is he had the incredible statement that he compared Mr. Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist, with Senator Tom Coburn, Senator
Coburn, a physician who goes to Oklahoma on the weekends and brings babies into life -- comparing those two -- I mean, that's not --
that's an attitude, frankly, that certainly isn't in keeping with the overall attitude...
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Obama said...
MCCAIN: And it's very insulting to a great man, a great doctor, a great humanitarian, to compare to him with a guy who says, after 2001, I wish we had bombed more.
I had a reconciliation with the anti-war movement. One of the great experiences of my life was to get to know and love David Ifshin.
I had a reconciliation with the Vietnamese, when we normalized relations.
But how can you countenance someone who was engaged in bombings which could have or did kill innocent people...
STEPHANOPOULOS: Senator Obama says he was eight years old when that was happening.
MCCAIN: But he became friends with him and spent time with him while the guy was unrepentant over his activities as a member of a
terrorist organization, the Weathermen. I don't -- and then to compare him with Dr. Tom Coburn, who spends so much of his life bringing babies into this world -- that, in my view is really -- borders out outrage.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He also pointed out that he and Mr. Ayers have a very loose relationship. They live in the same neighborhood. There
was an organizing meeting many, many years ago, in his house. And he says, frankly, I don't agree with these comments that Mr. Ayers made.
MCCAIN: Doesn't agree with them? Does he condemn them?
Would he condemn someone who says that they're unrepentant and wished that they had bombed more -- and compare him to a doctor, one
of the great humanitarian -- in my view, one of the greatest spokespersons for the rights of the unborn in America?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, you say he should condemn these comments.
MCCAIN: Sure.
STEPHANOPOULOS: A lot of Senator Obama's allies and others say that you should condemn the comments of Reverend John Hagee, an
evangelical pastor...
MCCAIN: Oh, I do. And I did. I said, any comments that he made about the Catholic church I strongly condemn, of course.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yet you solicited and accepted his endorsement?
MCCAIN: Yes, indeed. I did. And I condemned the comments that he made concerning the Catholic church.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But you're going to hold onto his endorsement?
Your own campaign acknowledged that you should have done a better job of vetting Pastor Hagee.
MCCAIN: Oh, sure.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So was it a mistake to solicit and accept his endorsement?
MCCAIN: Oh, probably, sure. But I admire and respect Dr. Hagee's leadership of the -- of his church. I admire and appreciate
his advocacy for the state of Israel, the independence of the state of Israel.
I condemn remarks that are made that has anything to do which is condemning of the Catholic church, but -- so...
(CROSSTALK)
STEPHANOPOULOS: ... no longer want his endorsement?
MCCAIN: I'm glad to have his endorsement. I condemn remarks that are, in any way, viewed as anti-anything. But thanks for asking.
