(CNN) – John McCain and Barack Obama both lost campaign advisers this weekend because of problematic foreign relationships.
Doug Goodyear, McCain’s Convention chief executive officer, and Doug Davenport, one of his regional campaign managers, both resigned after Newsweek reported that GOP firm DCI - where Goodyear had served as CEO and Davenport had headed the lobbying effort - had represented Myanmar’s ruling military junta.
“Today I offered my resignation so as not to become a distraction in this campaign,” Goodyear wrote in a statement released by the McCain campaign Sunday. “I continue to strongly support John McCain for president, and wish him the best of luck in this campaign.”
Earlier, Robert Malley – an unpaid Middle East policy adviser to the Obama campaign – resigned after hearing the Times of London was planning to report on his meetings with Hamas in his role as head of the International Crisis Group. Obama himself has said that he would not meet with the Palestinian group.
"My job with the International Crisis Group is to meet with all sorts of savory and unsavory people and report on what they say. I've never denied whom I meet with; that's what I do,” Malley told NBC News in a weekend interview.
From CNN Politics
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Work for us | Help
That's politics for ya!
I hope that I'm wrong, but I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg and there will be more to come in the next few years. When its over, it will be over and there will be no turning back. Im not sure this country can afford any more "ooops's"
pssst- *quit
OBAMA AND HAMAS....DOESN'T THAT SOUND FAMILIAR!!!
DOWN WITH OBAMA!! HE ISN'T FIT TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF ANYTHING!!
Obamabots need be the ones that need to be careful and stop spreading hate to Hillary 's Democrats because they need us for him to win. They are millions of us , millions that are going to vote and I one of them that will never vote for a liying ,crook , unpatriotic person like Obama, never!
At least Obama people have sense not to ruin the Democratic Party with speculations that they are playing both sides. An honest person is someone who can admit their mistakes and bow out gracefully. Thanks for not letting this be a big blowup and cause the Clinton campaign to bring on negative attacks.
quite..... I think CNN mean's QUIT
This is really going overboard. What do people think is going on–that presidential candidates are consorting with and getting advice from terrorists and enemies of the United States?
John F. Kennedy knew Frank Sinatra. Sinatra allegedly had friends in organized crime. I'm pretty sure Sinatra wasn't involved in organized crime, and I seriously doubt JFK was involved in organized crime (unless that's how you view the govt.).
It's like Seven Degrees of Separation: if you can establish a link from a politician to someone who has a link who has a link who has a link....
It's sad the media has gotten to the point where if your Sister's roommate's uncle's stepcousin's girlfriend did something wrong, you have to disown that person from your campaign.
Hillary 08
We need someone with experience in the White House
Hillary we are with you all the way!!!
I can't wait to see how Hillary uses this against both of them. She is a wounded animal, and cannot be trusted with a microphone.
Respectability which we can count on.
"Quite"? Might want to re-check that headline...
Come On CNN-WHY DON'T YOU MAKE THE HAMAS STORY FRONT PAGE ON OBAMA, like the Columbia Story on Senator Clinton!!!!!!!!!!
CNN-YELLOW Journalism at its' finest!
But you will have even more gossip this fall when MILLIONS of voters WRITE IN Senator Clinton as their candidate!
How OUTRAGES Obama sends Malley to meet with Hamas!
This Creep has to go!
Are you paying attention to this Supper Delegates!?
The Creep is a Traitor before even reaching office!
I will never vote for this Anti-American Creep!
Hillary 08
Why would Obama not meet with Hamas, he already read, supported and paid for Wright to publish Hamas material in the church website and it's Trumpet Reader publication.
obama's campaign sure is "friendly" with a lot of terrorist. when is cnn going to put up the picture of ayers, that upstanding domestic terrorist stomping on old glory. why doesn't cnn interview the judges son who was nine years old when his family home was bombed by ayers wife, and the weather underground. he was only 6 months older than obama at the time of the bombing. since ayers is a professor now, and barack was only 8 when this happened, obama feels it's ok to be "friendly" with him.
HO HUM.......let's see......now how can we blow this all out of proportion and turn it into a scandal ?????????
tisk tisk tisk on Obama's campaign. Obama will damgae his own chances. He is just like his adviser no problem with meeting with unsavory people.
Meeting with people to report what they say is one thing. Taking $800K in speech fees to talk about how our jobs would be better over there is something altogether different. Bill Clinton, the first used-to-be black president.
The End of the Clinton Dynasty is Near, People! Let's rejoice and celebrate them as they go back to NY for good!
GO OBAMA '08!!!
Here come the Hillary supporters out of the woodwork to complain how an UNPAID advisor who has to meet with people he doesn't like as PART OF HIS JOB is somehow indicative of Obama's character.
Notice that Malley is an unpaid advisor, McCain's adviser was paid!!! Tit for Tat. I agree with the other bloggers. If we listen to all the media hype anyone that participated in the million man march, attended Trinity Church, attended college at Chicago University is not fit to run for office, where is the line drawn, can they serve our country? can they serve as Police Officers? or maybe teach our children, GET OVER IT AMERICA vote for what is best for the majority of people in this country. Least we forget that Hamas was voted into power by a DEMOCRATIC election that the US supported.
The difference between the two: just like Mark Penn and Bill Clinton were hired to push something that Hillary disagrees with, McCain's PAID campaign advisers were PAID by a dictatorship (the same one that's been seizing humanitarian aid) to promote that dictatorship in this country, while Obama's adviser was an unpaid person who wasn't paid by Hamas and just met with them.
There's so much noise about how patriotic Americans are...duh! For all those threatening to vote McCain and not Obama, you deserve the highest award of shame for unpatriotism and idiocy.
So, you would rather destroy your country, kill your brothers and sisters for a 100 years in Iraq and Afghanistan, go Trillions of Dollars more in debt, lose your home and sleep in the gutter and freezing cold or squat with someone who has more sense than you, ship all your jobs overseas while you whine and complain all over these blogs and die in penury, die even more quicker because McCain has no provision for a solid healthcare plan, ridicule America in the eyes of the world while China and India take over.
I think you must be the dumbest of the dumb to vote yourself into destruction! Don't you realize how easy it is to destriy something than build it up? Yet, you have devilishly conspired to destroy America by voting against your best interests, against the good and life of your brothers and sisters, against the good of your own children and subsequent generations!
Okay, since you are so super-stupid, vote McCain, who cares? If you have a problem with Obama because he is so visionary and far ahead of you losers, whose fault is that? If he doesn't win, note these:
1. He has become more popular than your entire generations will be
2. He has been known to stand for something and highly-gifted
3. He is only 46 and can afford everything for his own family
4. Michelle will never need to worry about food or gas prices
5. Those guys are highly gifted, well trained and can only have more
6. Their children would likely not end up in Iraq but yours are there
7. The list is endless...
So, go vote McCain and don't complain when all the American soldiers are killed and America is finaly sold to China. You will have no choice to go work in China for .50 cents per day! Now, you know you are such a BIG LOSER!
When Obama gets the nomination, the Democrats will get exactly what they deserve for shunning Hillary...they will get John McCain as their President.
Obama and his fans have a big surprise coming.
Hillary's supporters will NEVER vote for Obama. Hillary has been robbed the nomination. Every time someone says something about Obama it has to be race related. Look at South Carolina. Obama has played you guys. Every time some questions Obama he get angry and says that's not what he meant. He lied about Wright and hearing the things he said.
Hillary supporters will have the last laugh!
Hillary supporters unite..VOTE McCain or stay home on election day!
TO DEB,
SEEMS LIKE YOU NEED TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK IN THE MIRROR, AND YOU'LL REALIZE THAT THE " CREEP" THAT YOU FEAR, IS NONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF.
I will never vote for Obama. I think he is arrogant and to sure of himself. Therefore, I will vote for McCain. Also, if anybody is destroying the democratic party, is the media. Not Obama or Hillary. The media should only be allowed to report and not comment. This is the worst election I have ever seen. The media is bias and too liberal. They never gave Hillary a chance. However, the race is not over until the fat lady sings. Obama don't have 2,025 yet. Therefore, Hillary still has a chance to win, especially if and when Florida and Michgan is counted in. Also, if Obama wins the nomination and he goes against McCain and loses against McCain, the democratic party can not and should not blame Hillary. Obama is not experience enough, he is all talk but has no game.
May 12th, 2008 10:43 am ET
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Why are some of my fellow Obama's supporters so mean and angry Stop clinging to your computer with antipathy for Hillary.
We have won be nice. Remember she is still pretending to be a Democrat and her husband was a great President.
Obama is not about hate.
—————————————————————————————HRC: I'm not quitting! I am in this for the long haul because the people deserve a choice – they deserve a president who's ready on DAY 1.
OBAMA: Give it a rest Hillary then continue Swearing Ceremony
Obama / Webb 08
So much hate toward Obama this morning, same as usual I see.
Hey Clinton New Network, what is the point of this story: That mccbush and Obama are not electable. Is that new drum beat we will have to hear unitl NOV? I say the money speaks vloumes as to who has it and who does not!
Your bias toward Clinton makes me want to puke. You guys there do even hide the fact that you support Clinton.
We've heard for a long, long time that Robert Malley was an international adviser to Barack Obama. Perhaps nobody ever had the intuitive courage to research this man. He and his father both have ties to notably unsavory groups, and one has to wonder why the mighty media hasn't picked up on this.
McCain has two paid advisor's who also work for the military Junta which took over this country by using military force. Does this sound familiar? Iraq? McCain has these two advisor's working in very high position's on his campaign. These same guys are lobbying for a cruel and ruthless dictatorship.
Obama's guy was not a paid advisor, he was not a high ranking member of his campaign and the guy is paid by many government agencies to meet with the sorts like hamas and report back his findings. This guy is not a lobbyist for hamas or any other leadership.
McCain has some real problems here.......
Glad the malley guy quit. He was super anti israel.
Hey, Obama! Gotcha!!
Obama, not even elected as of yet, having his liberal left wing nuts, meeting with Hamas? Is this the way foreign affairs are going to be conducted if he is in the White House? I am a Clinton supporter and if she is not the nominee, I will have no other choice but to vote for McCain. At least he knows the difference between war and peace, the good guys and the bad guys, Obama knows neither. Think Pastor Wright, Rezko and nuclear waste.
This is a premature situation,Because neither candidate has power,
however Mr.Malley can gather information to give direction to our foreign
policy .We are a country with many problems,but in these days we are doing more in fighting, than problem solving, If you see an aidvisor as an
Obama had nothing to do with this,An advisor who is not on the campaign payroll was doing his job.Dumb people will find away to say Obama is a terrorist now,how stupid are we.
I can't wait to see Hillary concede the nomination to Barack Obama! It will be great to watch the news and not have to see her smug face and her collection of ugly pantsuits. Best of all, I won't have to hear her cackle anymore!
This is a premature situation,Because neither candidate has power,
however Mr.Malley can gather information to give direction to our foreign
policy .We are a country with many problems,but in these days we are doing more in fighting, than problem solving, If you see an advisor as an
aid we may be able to solve problems.
To the Hillary-ites out there...it is over, she is done.
Toast, hasta la vista, game over, syanara, later.
The superdelegate rats are all leaving the ship, the money is gone, she even wants Obama to pay off her campaign debt.
I, for one, could not be happier. Her campaign has been such a disaster that I cannot imagine what her white house administration would have been like.
She needs to fold up her tent and hope for a 2012 run at incumbent John McCain.
If they were Hillary employees, they'd still be on the payroll .... whether they would be collecting anything is another matter.
It's "quite" sad that "the best political team" does not know the difference between "quiet" and "quite."
It would not be a write-in if Obama was not endorsed by several newspaper medias as the coverage was unfair and bias against Clinton. When all is said, You will see Obama as the person he really is.
How can we defeat the enemy if we are afraid of the enemy. Obama straight out said you have to talk to your enemies even if they don't like you. And he is willing just like Jimmy Carter. But, yet people criticize him for boldly saying this. If you are afraid you are only showing the enemy your weakness. If we are going to be a strong nation we must join together and remove fear away from us.
Obama supporters stop being mean. I know you were upset with the kitchen sink strategy but it really has helped your candidate. He is much stronger now and knows exactly what the Repub are going to throw at him.
Hillary supporters stop blaming Obama and the media for Hillary's lost. I know the Obama supporters our nasty but you have been just as so. The media built Obama up and then tried to tear him down but he survived. Rev Wright had been out there for a while yet Obama still held on to support. Mainly because of the Old politics used by Hillary.
The only reason Hillary is not the Nominee is poor planning. She thought it would be over by Super Tuesday and did not realize the importance of Iowa.
I know folks talk about Obama has not done anything but seriously can you name me something Hillary has done and not Bill.
Blah Blah Hate Blah Obama Blah Barack Blah Wright Blah no experience Blah Muslim Blah Flag Pin Blah Blah .
If you had the balls you'd come out and either admit you don't want a black man in office and/or that you want a woman at any cost. How long can we go on while run by these Washington insiders? How long can we go on proclaiming ourselves moral and infallible? We need a real person in office, not just a corporate surrogate.
Would a journalist meeting with Hamas for an interview get slated? I don't think so, so why does someone who meets with them for his job get attacked by others in this e-mail line? The International Crisis Group is one of the most respected organisations in international relations work reporting on siutations in all sorts of dangerous locations which require them to meet nasty people. They are not lobbyists unlike Penn's organisation or McCain's advisor and do not receive money from the likes or Hamas, the Burmese Government or the Columbian govt. I would suggest that those such as Belle or Debs who have suggested that this makes Obama a terrorist should first check out the ICG website and secondly realise that patrioism is not about threatening to start a nuclear war but about wanting America to stand up for decency, human rights and the fight against poverty and disease.
Welcome to silly season.
You see boys and girls? Our educational system has failed to teach our children to read. They can only read half truths and headines.
The comments on this board are a clear indication that this country needs an overhaul when it comes to Education.
CNN: you are pandering to just this unfortunate group of dropouts.
If your headline is negative against a candidate that is all they see.
You know this.
Can't you make an effort to be patriotic and stop stirring the pot?
wats up cnn?
John McCain and Barack Obama both lost campaign advisers this weekend because of problematic foreign relationships. Why are all of the Clinton supporters on this blog only seeing Obama'a name in this report? John McCain surely thanks you for not focusing on his supporter's issues with the military junta in Myanmar. Clintonites, did you not know, wearing McCain blinders can become habit forming!
Unless you want to do nothing, you must work with others and build coalitions. That's democracy, that's freedom, that's a balanced system.
China doesn't seem to have these problems does it. But then China has its own problems with civil rights. When you have a big tent, you have supporters of all stripes. If you have no supporters, you don't have this problem.
Mike
I believe this circus called democratic choice was already planned before it even began. The power structure with all the money knew the republicans could not win the white house. So, they decided to let Hillary win and use McCain as scape goat. Why Hillary? Because she is as close as they could get to keep our govt. in their control.
They were shocked to find an unknown could not only defeat her but could become a president they could not conrol.Every one knows Her campaign was nothing but to cast doubts about Obama being a loyal American, and anything else she could throw at him.It mattered not if she destroyed the party. The whole campaign was to get Obama out of the race, because they owned the other two.
Uhhh.... OOOPS!
Do you people know how to read or do you just believe everything you hear??? It was Obama's UNPAID advisor that was meeting with Hamas, and he never denied it. IT WAS PART OF HIS JOB with the International Crisis Group, not something he does on a Sunday afternoon because he likes it. Believe it or not, people have JOBS, and this was his.
Where does Mike get the info that Obama PAID to have Hamas published on the church website? The Clinton campaign?
Why does DEB think it makes her look smart to capitilize OUTRAGES when the correct word would be OUTRAGEOUS, and SUPPER delegates?
Too all you Clintonistas that think you will solve this "problem" by writing in Clinton's name in the fall, why don't you just vote for McCain? It would be more honest, since a vote for HRC is a vote AGAINST the Democratic Party. Also, if you DO write in HRC, be prepared to have the blood of thousands more people on YOUR hands, because the war in Iraq will NEVER end.
Maybe this is the "miracle" the Clinton's were orchestrating, I mean "waiting for".
Something else to ruin Senator O's reputation and tephlon John's story will role off of his shoulders as nothing (and he gets a pat on the back). This sucks! If it didn't take so long to navigate through MSNBC's site and blogs, I would switch to them for good!
CNN your lucky your site is so easy to navigate and get to stories or else!
Hillary doesn't have to do or say anything in reference to Obama. He keeps on shooting his onself in the foot. I just don't see why people keep supporting him, there is nothing there that makes me think he would be a good President to led this country.
I know that this is one vote that he will not get.
Hillary 08!
Hopemongers!!!
SO WHAT IF HAMAS PREFERS OBAMA AS PRESIDENT,... SO DOES THE REST OF THE WORLD. CHECK THE POLLS IN EUROPE, JAPAN, CANADA,.. THEY ALL PREFER OBAMA.
Obama seems to be surrounded by unsavory people..., why are we just now finding this stuff out CNN???
Ex-congressman Bob Barr announces presidential bid.
ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, what a joke
He isn't any better than Ralph Nader.
I would vote for Hillary before I would give my vote to this idiot.
I swear there should be a law that if you don’t run in the primary’s then you should not be allow to all of a sudden come out and run for president. All this is to try and split the votes we know the game that’s being played.
Barack is going to take all of them down.
Obama 08...
I shouldn't be surprised to read these kinds of responses, but let me spell it out.
1. He is an unofficial advisor. He has much less connection to the campaign than, say, Mark Penn has to Clinton.
2. He went under his authority as head of the International Crisis Group. I can say with almost absolute certainty that the meeting did not involve nefarious wringing of hands and plots to destroy Israel. Pretending a problem doesn't exist is no way to deal with it.
3. Obama didn't remove him from his campaign because it would be politically expedient. The man removed himself because he KNEW this kind of reaction, ignorant though it may be, would certainly be invoked. "What?! Someone he knows talks with terrorists as if they're human beings because that's his job?! Outrageous!!" Get over yourselves...
The Obama's supporters better be nice to the Clintonians. Otherwise, you are not going to get our support in November, and I know you need it if you want to win in the GE.
As a former human rights intern, i must say Obama has surrounded himself with brilliant people. I did not know Malley, the head of International Crisis Group, was one of his advisors. He was Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. Dr. Malley is an expert on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, and wrote numerous articles regarding that problem. He attended Yale, Oxford, and Havard University. Anyhow, i respect Samantha Powers and Robert Malley. If this serves as an indication of some sorts, then Obama's administration will be experts driven. He seems to rely on the best brains of this country. Wow!
WHY DON'T YOU PUT THIS AT THE TOP CNN????
OBAMA IS ON HIS WAY OUT....WHETHER NOW OR NOVEMBER!!
An unpaid policy adviser like ROBERT MALLEY, does not make him a spokesperson for the OBAMA campaign. I imagine all the candidates have similar individuals out in the field gathering info, just to be appraised of the world situation and developing events. OBAMA has made it clear that he will talk to both friends and enemies.
Oh, here YOU GO AGAIN CNN! People just do not think, so now an UNPAID foreign policy advisor has resigned and some ignorant people are making comments about Obama!
Get a grip! Foreign policy experts speak to a lot of people, both good and evil, that's their job! But the Limbaugh-ditto-heads and those who want nothing more than to destroy Sen. Obama will add 2 + 2 come up with 1 and still try to condemn someone for nothing! Are WE REALLY THAT STUPID?!
THINK, people.
WHY IS THIS BURIED IN THE TICKER!
ALERT- OBAMA DEMS- THIS IS OF CONCERN!
Where's my comment?
Hmmm... and why isn't this Obama scandal getting more headline coverage in the U.S. press? I think this is definitely a bigger deal than Hillary relaying some FACTUAL observations about the Democratic voter demographics. It is undeniable that the mainstream media has hand-selected their pick for president: McSame.
Have you folks noticed that.... HILLARY HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED?
Hmmmmmmmmm! Wonder why??Check with the Hillary campaign jerks!!! But don't forget, what goes around comes around. And Cnn this goes for you, for the first time ever, you are reporting that Barack is ahead of Hillary in Super delegates, boy you must have chocked when you tried to spit this info out. I watched Jessica Yellin try to tell your viewers about the difference in delegate reporting. Guess what? We are not buying it! By the way, Barack has 276 super delegates, and Hilary (I still can't bring myself to call her all the names that have been used to describe Her) has, at the most, 273.5 super delegates. ( interesting to note, you guys at cnn keep giving her .5 of a delegate due to overseas delegates, I wonder who she is going to tie to the horse wagon and pull until said delegate is split evenly in two) Cnn we sympathize with you, even today, with all that has changed you are down on your bended knees, praying that... "Something, Anything".... will happen, so that you do not have to come right out and say "Sen. Obama Wins The Democratic Nominee" and even after this is said and done, you will start cheering for John McCain!!!!!!!!!!! Your bias is so transparent, that even the poor little finch will try to fly right through you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deb – here you are again making ridiculous statements. It just never ends with you. I hope you're the last in your gene pool. You can't even make a comment without being insulting. Aren't we all supposed to be adults?
The article never stated that Obama sent anyone to meet with Hamas. You're just grasping at straws. You'd never vote for Obama because he's black. It's ok. Really it is. The only one being Anti-American is you. This country is in desparate need of someone who can not only unify this party, but unify this nation. The USA has lost the respect of many other nations. Most nations no longer have faith in us.
We finally get a candidate who has intergity, character and tells the truth and people like you can't stand it. I don't want to be lied to or pandered to anymore. Let's elect a candidate who actually stands for something. A candidate who didn't have to ride anyone's coattails to get to where he is today.
Obama '08.
It seems to me if a man or women was to be president it would be there responsibility to talk to and understand not only there friend but there enemys. It is not enough to threaten to nuke them or send in 140000 good men and women to be targets without doing so( I can not think of anything more unprestidental than that, except for cheating on your wife in oval office.)
Ok, who is surprised by this. Not me. Die hard democrat that will vote republican if Barrack Obummer gets the dem nomination. Nobody absolutely nobody to include the media is reporting the truth. The truth of the matter is this is a "race" race. Look at the numbers. Blacks are overwhelming supporting Obummer to the tune of 95% or more. I am of Sicilian decent but my vote would not be based on if a candidate is Sicilian or not but thats what is happening in this so called "race" for the nomination.
Looking at the comments on this blog, I'm shocked at the level of ignorance displayed by some people. I'm not an Obama supporter but maybe people should look at this objectively. The International Crisis Group is a very highly respected non-partisan, non-profit that reports and analyzes on violent trouble spots around the world. Much of its funding comes from governments around the world, including our own. Robert Malley is the head of the the Middle East and North Africa progams which might just make him extremely highly qualified to advise a potential future president on Middle East issues. He talked to Hamas as part of that program. If every person who's ever talked to a group that we don't like is automatically disqualified from advising our leaders they're probably not going to get very good advice.
After the last seven and a half years, wouldn't it be nice if our next president was getting advice from competent people who actually have a clue?
Another piece of the Senator Obama puzzle. The picture becomes more clear every day but millions of people continue to ignore the truth and blindly support the Obama "fairy tale".
Senator Obama is far beyond unqualified, he is dangerous.
Malley is an UNPAID adviser to the campaign. In his work with the International Crisis Group, he obviously has contacts with people that Obama would not have direct contact with... but that's exactly the reason that he is able to provide information and perspective that Obama would not otherwise have. I think that it's good that he surrounds himself with advisers who can increase his understanding of a situation. It does not mean that 'Obama is a terrorist,' for goodness' sake... or even that Malley is. Good grief!
I'm tired of the comments by Obama supporters so I'm voting against the ideology of my party, significantly altering the future of our country, and punishing Obama for something he didn't do just to spite sme random bloggers that I'll probably never meet in my entire life! When I get drafted to Iraq, that" show those bloggers what for!