(CNN) - John McCain's campaign is crying foul over what it characterizes as repeated distortions from Barack Obama, saying on Friday the Illinois senator is "recklessly dishonest."
The most recent dustup comes after Obama criticized McCain earlier Friday for comments the Arizona senator made in an interview on Bloomberg Television.
"John McCain went on television and said that there has been quote "great progress economically over the last seven and a half years," Obama told a Pennsylvania crowd. "John McCain thinks our economy has made great progress under George W. Bush. Now, how could somebody who has been traveling across this country, somebody who came to Erie, PA, say we've made great progress?”
The McCain campaign immediately took issue with the comment, noting the Arizona senator also said he knows families are facing "tremendous economic challenges."
“American families are hurting and Barack Obama is being recklessly dishonest," McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said. "It is clear that Barack Obama is intentionally twisting John McCain’s words completely out of context. Obama is guilty of deliberately distorting John McCain’s comments for pure political gain, which is exactly what Senator Obama was complaining about just yesterday."
The McCain campaign has long argued Obama has a habit of twisting the presumptive Republican nominee's words. Referencing McCain's comments earlier this year when he said he'd be okay with some troop presence in Iraq for 100 years, Obama has said the Arizona senator "wants to continue a war in Iraq perhaps as long as 100 years."
The non-partisan factcheck.org later called that characterization a "rank falsehood."
Obama has since dialed back from that characterization, saying Friday that McCain is "willing to potentially maintain the troop presence there for as long as 100 years."
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
The problem lies more with McCain: how can you have great economic progress for 7.5 years while also face tremendous economic challenges?? Obama latched on to half - which is misleading - but what on earth is McCain even talking about??
NO COMMENT. SICK OF THE WHOLE THING. AMERICA HAS TRULY LOST IT'S WAY. IF THESE THREE CANDIDATES ARE THE BEST THIS COUNTRY CAN DO, THEN WE ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE. BETTER LEARN TO START SPEAKING CHINESE!
And Republicans would never do anything so devious. P.L.E.A.S.E.
YES OBAMA CAN twist those words. Read his books to see just how much. Obama can not be trusted. He will say whatever is needed to get him the nomination.
The non-partisan factcheck.org later called that characterization a "rank falsehood."
Yes. But we're not surprised. Senator Obama is the king of twist and spin.
McCain admitted before that he knows nothing about the economy and it's showing. Do we need another four years to realize that the Republicans know nothing about the economy? If McCain becomes the president, i'm moving to Canada.
Hey McCain, you say it then mean it....no one is "twisting" your words,
they are the words you used!!!!!
say what you mean, mean what you say...don't blame Obama for taking the words you say at face value....so does everyone else in the
US!!! We are STRUGGLING TO EAT!!!!! this economy is HORRIBLE and has been for 7.5 years!!!!!
YES WE CAN!!!!!!!change D.C.
So did McCain make the comment or not? The fact that Obama used the word "quote" makes me think McCain said it verbaitum. If that's the case, its pretty hard to twist a direct quote.
If Obama is the nominee, McCain will win, period. Perhaps with a Clinton-Obama ticket there will be enough Democratic support to defeat him. If Obama is the nominee, there are too many Clinton supporters that will switch to McCain, as Independents. I know that this election cycle has turned me from being a Democrat to an Independent. I can't handle the whiney Dems anymore.
McCain just put foot in mouth. Obama's bitter comment was just 2 sentences from a lengthy explanation of average Americans hurting from job loss and a economy that works only for the rich. Plus people distrust in government. The Media, Hill, and McCain are guilty of misinformation day in and day out. I'm a middle of the road American frustrated with the political no-nothing hacks running the show. For any politician to say America's so great and leader of the free world, yet can't seem to share it's own wealth equally or fairly across all individuals, needs a reality check. Stop feeding us BS.
Obama gets away with loose facts and negative attacks in his own camp with his faithful followers. Hillary has called him on it once in a while but he has a free ride in the media.
But the conservatives will step it up and not let him get away with it. Hillary was polite compaired to angry conservatives. And if he gets in office (not likely), he will get a taste of the same persecuting attacks that the Clintons endured. Let's see how holding hands and singing works for him then.
The economy made great progress...!? Geez, McCain, apparently! Great progress BACKWARDS!!! That's why he attacked, people. He got caught not paying attention.
wow what happened to bo being the one above the old washington style of politics? when he is not twisting mccains he is twisting clintons and then he whines when they hit back.
The McCain campaign immediately took issue with the comment, noting the Arizona senator also said he knows families are facing "tremendous economic challenges."
--------------------------
Ummm.... Ok......AND???
That doesn't deny the fact that everyting else Obama said was TRUE!
They are just adding to what he said. But that doesn't make the comment false because THAT IS WHAT MCCAIN SAID!
Politics as usual from a savior that claims to be above all of that. I don't understand how his cult followers do not see that Obama talks out of both sides of his mouth.
You people have been blinded by your own need to be saved. Obama is a man, not a god.
"Bitter-gate" never would have happened had HuffPost also not been so blind to the man's faults. They sank their own savior out of their blind faith in Obama's every word.
So according to Mccain, Obama is "recklessly dishonest" when he points out the truth?
What a weak, excuse for an argument.
Judging from how he can't formulate any substantial argument against Obama, I forsee mccains camp crashing and burning.
Obama is the Roosevelt that we needed during the great depression.
Electing mccain will only cause this reccesion we are headed into to become much worse. We need someone strong, sincere, pragmatic, and innovative, qualities mccain doesn't have enough of once you scratch beneath the surface.
You know, Mccains a nice guy, but this is kind of ironic that he's making a big deal out of this when Mccain along with Hillary tried to twist Obama's words about the bitter comments, and they did it with no time to spare.
There are so many issues at stake, and instead of talking about substance, this is what Mccain and Hillary have to offer, the same old politics trying to make someone's character look bad, instead of focusing on the issues. America is tired of this kind of politics...
As I said, Mccain is a nice guy, but my vote's for Obama without a doubt.
We know he is dishonest.... the question will he ever be held accountable for it???
I agree 100%, Obama IS 'recklessly dishonest'
He is a wolf in sheeps clothing!! EVIL....EVIL....EVIL!!!!
Johnny The Mummy will digest McCain alive.
hahahaha McCain is crying even NOW!
Wait until Obama or Hillary actually pushes his SCOOTER off the road!
McCain is a trumped up GI JOE that HATES ALL GI BILLS!
You can't un on a military platform, say you want to help the troops but do NOTHING to HELP them.
Yes McCain was a POW but when it comes to REALLY supporting the TROOPS McCain has always been MIA!
Obama wants to play politics when it is convenient for him. He strikes but can’t handle a strike back. He was ready to throw a fit at the last debate (which shows he is not ready to be the nominee if he can’t handle a couple of journalist) He cries politics when he is questioned on something he actually said or is involved with! Character says a lot about a person, these were mostly issues that question his character. He can surround himself with people that hate America but we can not question it???? How is he going to follow thru with anything of theses “changes” if he can't play in his own game, He is a politician isn't he? I will not support him and his wife’s antagonizing remarks.
A rank falsehood? The problem is McCain talks and thinks in such simplistic terms that there's no way to know what he does mean. Hardly a "straight shooter." He says stuff like, "We'll stay until we win," but then says we may be there for 100 years and cites Japan and South Korea as precedents. So is he saying it'll take 100 years for us to win? If so, it sounds like a 100 year war. If not, why would we be staying? Last I checked, Iraq had not attacked us as Japan had. Last I looked, we didn't need to establish a front against Communism as we did in South Korea.
Obama will do anything to win. He's errogant, disrespectful to women, behaves as though he has already won the nomination. Hey, Obama, there are other states that still need to vote (duh). If Hillary looses to Obama, my whole family and friends will definitely vote for McCain.
I believe John is a little out of touch here, but if you have been living off your wife (which one of the newstations just said) it would be easy to see where you are coming from.
I have to give this one to Obama...
Our country has NOT made great progress under the Bush Administration and if you were listening to the people, you would know that. Get off the bus, throw away the prepared scripts (that you still stumble with, as in 'atricity') and listen.
Your campaign is getting a little nervous about facing Obama.
I really don't know how you can make that comment. It is out of touch with reality.