No attack too vile - McCain goes after Obama's Holocaust remarks
By Steve Benen Wednesday Jul 23, 2008 5:00pmIt may only be July, and Election Day may still be 104 days away, but we’ve reached the point at which the McCain campaign is even willing to attack Barack Obama’s remembrance of the Nazi Holocaust.
Speaking today at Yad Vashem, Obama said, “Let our children come here and know this history so they can add their voices to proclaim ‘never again.’ And may we remember those who perished, not only as victims but also as individuals who hoped and loved and dreamed like us and who have become symbols of the human spirit.”
Soon after, the hopelessly tasteless McCain campaign alerted reporters to a news item from a year ago.
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday the United States cannot use its military to solve humanitarian problems and that preventing a potential genocide in Iraq isn’t a good enough reason to keep U.S. forces there.
“Well, look, if that’s the criteria by which we are making decisions on the deployment of U.S. forces, then by that argument you would have 300,000 troops in the Congo right now — where millions have been slaughtered as a consequence of ethnic strife — which we haven’t done,” Obama said in an interview with The Associated Press.
In other words, the McCain campaign wants Americans to believe that Obama is weak on genocide. Asked for clarification, McCain aide Michael Goldfarb told the Huffington Post, “Today he says ‘never again.’ A year ago stopping genocide wasn’t a good enough reason to keep U.S. forces in Iraq. Doesn’t that strike you as inconsistent?”
Not for those of us with cerebral cortexes.
It’s not especially complicated. A year ago, Obama wasn’t suggesting genocide is tolerable, and he wasn’t advocating indifference for murder on a grand scale. He was simply making the point that if genocidal attacks alone were the basis for a massive military deployments, we’d have deployed thousands of U.S. troops to central Africa right now. That we haven’t suggests that genocide — or in the case of Iraq, speculative potential for genocide — does not drive U.S. military deployments.
But in response to this obvious observation, the McCain campaign has decided Obama, speaking in Israel about “never again,” must be insincere.
There’s something deeply wrong with these people. I know McCain brought in Rove’s team to run the show, but his campaign operation is getting … ugly.
The HuffPost added:
It’s a heavy charge to make, not least because Obama had just wrapped up his visit to the Holocaust memorial. In addition, there are, for better or worse, outstanding implications when discussing genocide when it comes to Jews — and the insertion of the issue into the presidential campaign will border for some, on the taboo. Moreover, on the topic of Iraq, Obama has said he would leave a residual force to intervene in potential humanitarian crises and that he reserves the right to intervene militarily with international partners in order to “suppress potential genocidal violence within Iraq.”
Login or Register to post comments.
And this is McCain's idea of running a clean campaign???
Jesus Christ on a cracker..give me an effin break.
McGrampa is desperate. He's a caged rat again, just like in Nam. He'll say and do anything to say his [political] life, just like in Nam.
He's on the defense and he's swinging wildly and blindly. America doesn't need a soulless, shell-of-a-man as president who is physically and mentally unfit.
Good riddance to the reich-wing and their hate.
Obama said, “Let our children come here and know this history so they can add their voices to proclaim ‘never again.’ And may we remember those who perished, not only as victims but also as individuals who hoped and loved and dreamed like us and who have become symbols of the human spirit.”
Not to nitpick, but i thought this was what he wrote into the holocaust memorial guestbook....not something he said (in my mind that makes it even worse)
Mc Same is terrified and he has good reason to be. Obama will be out next President.
Crooks and Liars has consistently been one or two days behind every other news/political blog for a while now. I'm wondering why I bother checking this site anymore.
[Well that makes two of us-Sitemonitor]
Doug @ 5:
Is someone forcing you to check C&L?
McCain is really reaching on this one. Gee, Mr War Hero; there are all kinds of genocide going on now - Darfur, Myanmar to name a couple. Where was John McCain when xtians were being slaughtered by muslims in E Timor? Oh, wait; the muslims were the ones who were playing ball with the oil companies! Maybe McCain should shut his damn pie-hole when HE could have pushed for interventions in numerous places in HIS career. Bampot!
I think Karl Rove or his buddies are running someone's campaign. Very similar to a couple others campaigns in the past, hope noone is going to think it's a shoe-in with Obama. They can only steal the election if there is a low turnout.
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 2:
Wow! You are so right! McGrampa is still the coward he was in Nam!
Doug @ 5:
Buh - Bye!
I can just see the next McCain ad already; Obama eats babies with Nazis while he is fucking your wife on the hood of a islamic terrorist's car bomb.
mcfuckhead is just some more sh*t to
scrape off on the curb and let it dry out.
[Deleted-Sitemonitor]
McC*unt and his handlers are embarrassingly desperate. You have a decaying, scarred, liver-spotted, wrinkled fossil who finished at the bottom of his class, can't get on the Internet, and who's claim to fame is getting his ass shot out of the sky. That's quite a resume.
They are now in full kitchen sink mode...even though it's only July. They will try anything and say anything. No matter how wrong, twisted or vile. And it's only going to get worse.
Mcslime attacks guarantee my vote for Obama everytime he opens his mouth.
(and also my friends and neighbors who are/were reps.)
Just on MSNBC they were talking about what one of McAsshole’s handlers was saying about Obama being outside of the country delivering speeches and McVeryoldman saying he would rather give speeches in foreign countries AFTER he is elected etc etc. and then good ole Rachel Maddow pipes in with (and of course I paraphrase) “McSame’s words would carry more weight if he hadn’t just come back from Colombia and Mexico and Canada.” Everybody on the panel cracked up. She hit is out of the park with one sentence. Blew their whole talking point. Very very well done.
I think the McShame camp are getting very bitter about how well Obama is doing to the point they can't stop whining.
Seems to me that, if anything, the mass deaths in Iraq that have occurred within the last decade were brought about by years of economic sanctions by the US followed by invasion and occupation. Therefore, it was the Bush regime, with the support of McCain who have caused a holocaust in Iraq.
Yes, yes, Saddam was also a mass murderer, but that does nothing to rationalize the position that we had to unleash mass murder ourselves to oust him. By the time of the invasion, Saddam was so boxed in that his killing spree had been brought to an effective end.
BTW, it wasn't the "Surge" that reduced violence in Iraq, it's the political deal with al-Sadr. It was a bad idea in the first place to try and sideline him instead of bringing him into the political process.
What's Obama nuts talking about people as valued individuals instead of insurgents,dead-enders or that universal republician death sentence " terrorist" so how the hell do you go ahead and blow up the wedding parties when talking about human beings as individuals ?
So are they talking about the holocaust saddam was waging or the holocaust that dumbya is currently engaged in?
Desperation!
Snowball @ 18:
Didn't start with W.
Clinton administration blocks easing of sanctions against Iraq
By Barry Grey
28 September 1999
After two weeks of intensive negotiations within the United Nations Security Council, the United States has blocked efforts by France, Russia and China to lift sanctions against Iraq. Washington has thereby ensured the continuation of a policy which must rank as one of the great crimes against humanity of the twentieth century...
Wow that's sad. Forget the propriety of picking a political fight over the holocaust, just as a matter of basic political strategy it's a sure loser.
You don't gain by accusing your opponent of being soft on Nazism. Why?
A) Very few people consider mid-20th-century European fascism to be much of a voting issue in 21st century America
B) The coverage of your comment will ALWAYS be on your propriety and NEVER on the point you're trying to make.. Only FAUX will run segments like "Is Obama a secret Nazi?" Everyone ELSE will be running segments like "What is John McCain smoking?" You already have loyal FAUX viewers, so that's no gain.
C) Even if your point is engaged, the new conversation becomes about Burma, Darfur, Rwanda and a whole host of other things you'd rather not talk about.
Look, John, if you want to stay in this thing you have to take a page from T. Boone's book: you need a plan.
Then you need to write that plan down so it can be communicated clearly without changing from press avail to press avail.
Then you need to actually communicate that plan to the people who you want to have vote for you. I know, I know, for seven years "noun, verb, 9-11" has worked, but Rudy wrecked that song for this theater season. You're better off with "The Future Belongs To Me" from 'Cabaret.'
You then need to tout the fact that you have a plan and that your plan is better than your opponent's plan.
And that's how you win.
JasonS @ 23:
Most often when I read a comment, I don't look to see who wrote it unless it's a really bad or a really good comment. When I read this one, I was not surprised to see it was yours because it was so smart and to the point. Please continue to visit C&L, you have a wonderful way with words and thoughts.
Seems to have drawn little comment from the Traditional Press. One of the most vile slanders I have seen in presidential politics. If one single Jew besides Lieberman votes for that codger they should be ostracized.
The title "No Attack to Vile" says it all. The republicans may be expected to do anything that may keep them in control of the White House. They must retain control of the White House to further their corruption of the federal judiciary. Even if they lose their legislation killing 41 senator minority and cannot rig enough state elections to win, there will still be enough blue dog democrats with sticky fingers and other party uber alles democrats to aid and abet their continued obstructionism. But only if they don't loose the White House. If they do, they will lack a majority in the House to impeach the next democratic president, and a majority of the republican wing of the Democratic Party will lack the political cover they need to sell out to the republicans. All this speculation depends, of course, on the next democratic president not being a closet republican.
The Repubs are so much different from the Dems.
Screw McCain.
Vote Obama.
Grandpa, what a pathetic, lying, toothless rat you've become. You care more about destroying Obama than you care what's best for your country.
Left&Left @ 28:
That was well said.
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 2:
From Easy Rider:
JasonS @ 23:
Actually, I think the last thing Republicans want is people knowing their plan.
Left&Left @ 28:
Gomer McDepends fan:
But, but, but... if Obama wins, women will kill their unborn babies!
If there was ever a demonstration of why you should not vote republican, this is it. When McKeatingFive was attacked by his own with the rumor of the 'black prostitute's baby' in his home, even Dems knew a line was crossed. But here we have again, tha say anything McSame, through a surrogate (which makes it even lower and more cowardly) debasing the campaign for the most important office in the world, with utterly disgusting and out-of-bounds remarks.
where is the lowest point for these people? where could it possibly be?
Jo @ 9:
You have proof of him being a coward? Just wondering.
Just when you think that they couldn't sink any lower.......
The republicans are running scared because they essentially dared Sen Obama to take this trip. When he called their bluff, he knocked it right out of the park. He has done more this past week for improving our image abroad, than Dubya has done in his entire presidency. Seeing the response from the troops downrange tells me that he is definitely Commander in Chief material.
sulphurdunn @ 26:
whatever the outcome of the election, this stands on its own as fucked up!
Man I am really getting sick of this anti McCain, Obama can do no wrong rhetoric. You need to start calling it like it is on some of Obama's recent actions or I am going to have to stop visiting this site.
[That would be your choice-Sitemonitor]
bobbie @ 34:
check the google. there's plenty on his days as a well-kept vietCong concubine. he ain't no fucking hero, so don't start that shit here.
Bri @ 37:
open your eyes. if you don't like Obama, that's one thing. this is fucked up and can't be twisted to make obama somehow a villain.
Gee whiz, John, who is the Decider in matters of US foreign policy?
The guy whose policies you have supported better than 96% of the time? Start sweating, my dude. I am a republican, and I'm not voting for you.
evidently the reichwingneocon gop and
mcfuckhead are going to be consistent
as usual and resort to the lowest level
they can stoop to, and the election
conventions have not occurred.
mctrash is as dishonest as bush and just
as corrupt, this is their attempt to have
a 3rd bush term.
NO WAY !!!!!!!!!!!
CNN is big for oil drilling.
even though the oil companies already have leases they are not exploring... they fail to mention that ALOT!
The hypocrisy continues from McKeatingFive:
However, on June 20, McCain himself gave a speech in Canada -- to the Economic Club of Canada -- in which he applauded NAFTA's successes. An implicit message behind that speech was that Obama had been critical of the trade accord. Also, McCain's trip to Canada was paid for by the campaign.
mary77 @ 40:
oh, snap!
Dusty @ 1:
Jesus Christ on a cracker is tastier than the
sh*t on mccain's fingers he is trying to pass
off.
[Deleted. Off topic. Bandwidth is expensive. The comment space is reserved for comments that relate to the topic of the post. In addition, you may not reprint lengthy text from your own works or those of others, including news articles. You may link to them-Sitemonitor]
[Deleted. Off Topic-Sitemonitor]
McCain had his chance to be constructive while Obama was overseas and he blew it. He could have talked about the economy, oil prices etc . I guess campaign strategist Rovian Turd Schmidt thought otherwise.
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 38:
Check out vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com or org; anyway, there are a number of his colleagues that think of him often....
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 47:
OK, but I'm not the bad guy here. I was just perspectivizing, the perpetration of excessive prose.
[I deleted that post while you were quoting and replying to it. Getting deleted doesn't make you a 'bad guy' BTW-Sitemonitor]
Loonie @ 31:
No doubt, but since the "vote for me or your children will die" thing isn't selling as well as it used to, they've got to come up with SOMETHING.
I'm suggesting that John tell people the Real Plan(tm). Don't be silly.
Oh McCain is so desperate, I feel sorry for him. He is truly clutching at straws and realizes that he may be at the tail-end of things. Obama contrasts him greatly. Everything that McCain is not, especially someone clinging on to the other's everyword to find what isn't even intended. You know Obama is the best candidate we've got and McCain should probably vote for Obama too. Visit WHYOBAMA08.ORG!
(sorry, I'm NOT suggesting that John tell people the Real Plan(tm) )
StirFry @ 48:
mcKeatingFive did talk about the economy - he blamed it on barack
mcKeatingFive did talk about high oil prices - he blamed it on barack
mvKeatingFive did talk about etc. - he blamed etc. on barack.
Aiken Blue @ 52:
Priceless!
McCain's total lack of class this past week, especially his retarded "Sen. Obama would rather lose a War..." remark has convinced me more than ever that Obama should pick Wesley Clark as his running mate. McCain has opened himself up to attacks from the likes of a Jim Webb and Wes Clark, and Obama should take advantage of it.
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 50:
...just delectably deleterious...
;-}
For fuck's sake, this strikes me as the most desperate and lame accusation yet. More of throwing whatever they can and hoping it sticks; like chimps throwing shit.
bandit @ 3:
His words were poignant. Why would you see such words, spoken or written in a guestbook, as abhorrent?
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 33:
Ten times lower than the belly of a whale on the bottom of the deep blue sea.
Old Billy Hussein @ 30:
I vote that we get him riled up to see if his teeth will fall out!
Fuck McCain in his swollen left gland.
The Truth Hurts @ 14:
Yeah, they're already used up the Hitler card, the Chamberlin card, and now the genocide card. Last month they used up the hates women card, and the black supremacist card. The month before that they used up the bad preacher card. What else is left?
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 54:
Indeed. The straight-jacket express was busy this week.
Saint Augustine @ 60:
nice rhyme and great beat!
McStrainedPeesExpress is under duressed for the Commander in Cheese test....dependably so.
Proud2bHumble @ 57:
glad to see you, P2B. this is a bit tasty as recent threads go. target rich day in the McCantGetItStraightEvenIfItWereStuckUpMyAss topics list. This one just takes the cake. then some assjacket C&Ps a complete article attacking Obama. So I got pissed off, which is way better than being pissed on.
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 67:
'Strue, yer commentary's golden today... :)
AgentX @ 63:
Don't forget elitist, flipflopper, and Bush-like (the "no, you are!" strategy). Oh yeah, and he's the most liberal senator , or marxist. No kitchen sink is too heavy to throw in desperate times, my friends.
jeff @ 11:
While he shits on the bible and wipes his ass with the American flag no doubt.
McCain is a fucking slime.
"...Soon after, the hopelessly tasteless McCain campaign alerted reporters to a news item from a year ago."
Okay, I can't stomach McCan't any more than the rest of you, but, remember a couple of weeks ago when the old fart's "joke about rape" was a topic here? That lousy quip of his was from TWENTY YEARS AGO, but the left felt justified in dusting it off and bringing it to light once again. Obama supporters have to EXPECT his earlier statements to be twisted and used against him by the republicans, it is what they do best, besides, it is tit for tat. If one side can dig up a statement from the past and use it against a candidate, so can the other. I am glad they at least had the decency to use a quote from just a year ago, rather than dig up some obscure statement from a few decades past.
A new smear attack is bubbling up on the right against Obama in ways reminiscent of the Swif Boat smear on Kerry. 7/24
samdog @ 71:
this isn't 20 years old.
mccain, have you no shame, have you no morals, have you no dignity. is achieving this position worth your soul. you're so close to the end, are you willing to take this baggage with you? these are the same guys in your corner who attempted to slime you. now you're playing on their team. Have some dignity, man and come clean. how refreshing to think that some one would actually know that coming completely clean is the right thing to do. mccain in one bold stoke could right this whole ship and give paybacks at the same time. at his age, what does he have to lose. He could finally earn that "hero" title. to be sure, i'm just babbling and dreaming aloud. this will never happen, but i'm old as well and i can dream.
bobbie @ 34:
He surrendered to the enemy and signed anti-American documents as a POW.
no longer a proud american @ 74:
he's in love with the people who slimed his family.
what kind of character could we expect to find after that?
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 75:
and he was rewarded with hotels and ladies' visitations.
The McCain campaign makes up things Obama "gaffes" while the candidate himself cancels his appearances in order to duck questions about his own lies and failures. McCain's press corps is down to 25 members, including cameramen - the nation has moved on.
This race is over, McCain is a joke. It is not Obama vs McCain but rather Obama vs a strawman "old white guy we know" who inspires no one, which, given how horrible a candidate McCain is, works to his benefit. Obama's running against nothing but the institutional racism and fear of progress the right wing has ingrained in so many generations.
Campaigning isn't going to help McCain, everyone already knows he's the wrong guy for the job. The question is whether or not Obama can convince the "passive" racists to get over their idiocies by November.
Commentator @ 78:
Yeah, I've been thinking for months now that some people are basically looking for an excuse not to vote for Obama, rather than a reason to vote for McCain.
Come to think of it, how come we dont send troops to the Congo to stop the genocide? If 300,000 Jews were being slaughtered in the Congo I'm sure the United States would justifiably send our military to stop the wholesale slaughter. Would the color of the victims be a determining factor in US policy? Nah, of course not.
orcas @ 80:
Because nobody speaks for the Congolese. This is the first, and I think, only time any US politician has even acknowledged the events in the Congo. Guess the religious affliation of the Darfur murderers has nothing to do with the emphasis each receives? Oh, no that would never happen...
Fuck this media shit.Question I would love to ask Rove:
"In the year 2000, your campaign floated the suggestion that McCain was not mentally fit to be president. 8 years later, what has changed?"
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Victory Over SCLM, DIEBOLD, ESS and SEQUOIA! @ 65:
Learned that in the Navy, back in the 60's. Used to refer to polywogs a lot. Thought it would be fitting for McInsane.
That should be pollywogs. I've been spending too much time with polygons I think.
Strangely back on topic, McCain and his handlers have tried to blunt the German visit with a new rule for candidates, you can't speak to foreigners if your running for president.
http://democurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2008/07/just-when-you-thought-republi...
cubiclegrrl @ 79:
Exactly - That's what all this "Muslim", "Sworn in on the Koran", "Won't Salute the Flag", "Doesn't Wear a Flag Pin", "Not Experienced/Too Young" shit is, excuses racists give for not voting for the Black guy. Ever notice how most people can't give a good reason they don't like Obama? Even after you tell them, show them, prove to them the rumors are false, they're still against him. Why? Because they never believed those crazy rumors in the first place, it was just something they hid their racism behind.
McCain will get more votes from racists hiding behind some bullshit excuse than from actual supporters.
As the campaign progresses, and McCain is left further behind in the dust, their campaign tactics will become nastier. There is a common rule/courtesy, you do not attack a rival, when he is out of the Country. McCain has done this repeatedly. Just as he has squatted, and offered up the Vaseline, for everyone who could help put him in the 'big chair', all we have left is the shell, the body remnants, of the man he once was. I would love to see someone press him hard on camera. Push him to completely 'blow his cork', exposing the vile nature, lurking just below the surface. As he continues to lose ground against Barack, the chances of this happening significantly increase.
As a vet, I always respected McCain even though his politics are at least 120 degrees out from mine. But, I don't respect him now at all. What he is doing is pathetic, not to mention evil. We need leaders who stick with the truth, speak to the issues, consider the effect of their actions on the lowest amongst us and go from there. It is time for a semblance of sanity in this country ... we have been on a psychotic rage as a country long enough and it is time we checked into a hospital before we hurt anyone else in the world. Of course, how do you check an entire population into a psyche ward? What else can you call men who will lie, cheat, steal, and do anything with no regard to the consequence to others? I call them crazy. All the while they profess to be Christian. Man oh man if that is what being a christian thinker is, I have been wrong all my life, and I'm old!
I want to thank my friend, John McCain, for not taking long to get his campaign to the lowest level.
Maybe that absessed tooth on his left side is bothering Mc Cain. That is an absessed tooth, right? Shouldn't he get that looked at after all these years?
If being tortured for 5+ years by the North Vietnamese makes McCain qualified to be the nexy U.S. president then there are more than 250 current and former Gitmo detainees from Afganistan who are qualified to be the next Afgan president. MZ
"tHE SURGE IS WORKING!!! ....I'm told by my Arizona sources that this is McGrampa's coded message to the missus for when the Viagra starts kicking in...
Login or Register to post comments.