McCain campaign says Obama team's apology falls short
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/08/art.mccainrock.gi.jpg caption="Rockefeller apologized to McCain Tuesday."](CNN) - John McCain’s campaign said an apology from Barack Obama’s team for comments from West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, who supports the Illinois senator’s presidential bid, were not enough, calling for a response from the candidate himself.
“It was a spokesperson. Just as with the situation with liberal attack artist Ed Schultz, Obama refused to reject the statements personally. It’s a trend that undermines Barack Obama’s credibility when he makes calls for a ‘new’ more ‘accountable’ debate,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.
The Obama campaign and Rockefeller both apologized Tuesday afternoon for his comments about the presumptive Republican nominee’s war record in a West Virginia paper.
“Senator Obama has a deep respect for Senator McCain’s service to this country and doesn’t agree with what Senator Rockefeller said,” said Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Rockefeller’s Senate office released a statement by the senator that said he regretted the comment. “I have deep respect for John McCain’s honorable and noble service to our country. I made an inaccurate and wrong analogy and I have extended my sincere apology to him.
“While we differ a great deal on policy issues, I profoundly respect and appreciate his dedication to our country, and I regret my very poor choice of words.”
At virtually the same moment, the McCain camp charged that his comments were “more than a coincidence that Obama campaign surrogates are making character attacks against John McCain without any repudiation.”
“Barack Obama’s silence is giving his surrogates a license to make attacks that don’t contribute to the dialogue on the issues,” said Bounds.
“As long as people affiliated with Barack Obama’s new brand of politics continue to make gutter attacks, we are going to call on Barack Obama to do something about it. And so far he’s done nothing.”
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There are no surprises here. Obama has to apologize for everyone! He's the big bad guy who hurt weather vain McCains feelings.
Every time Barack speaks about McCain. The first thing he does is say how he respects John McCain's service. You can pull any of his debates or speeches. He always gives McCain respect.
So why should he crawl on his knees and ask McCain for his forgiveness for comments made by another Senator?..This is RIDICULOUS!!!
Just what did Rockefeller say anyway? The CNN article did not say what he said. In anycase, it's small potato.
The person who made the comment said he was sorry, and the person who didn't, Barack, said he respected McCain and did not agree with what was said by the person who is not even a member of his campaign. So what do you want now McCain? A beheading? Quit your whining and tell us what you know other than war.
McCain is certainly a War hero.
But it is a cheap shot to try to equate Obama with Rockefeller's comments. Rockefeller made the comment, Rocefeller apologized.
Unless you can find proof that Obama caused Rockefeller to say what he did then Obama has no need to apologize since he did nothing to apologize for.
This is just a cheap political shot to try to bring Obama into the fray. Take your cheap shots somewhere else.
These boards have been hi-jacked by Obama supporters! Sorry, but Obama is same old politics, you won't be getting the change you are looking for people. He smears the Clinton's for a prosperous nineties. He wants to keep criticizing Hillary on her authorization vote but in the same sentence says we need to turn the page. There is nothing new that he is proposing and, somehow, he's got everyone hook, line and sinker.
McCain campaign is playint games. Ignor it!!!
Who is asking about Obama giving Military credibility?
you kidding? ..he was at Harvard!
..OBAMA 08
PEOPLE DO NOT LET OBAMA BUY THIS PRESIDENCY!!!!
HE HAS PROVEN THAT HE DISLIKES OR DISTRUSTS WHITE PEOPLE!
HE HAS LIED MANY TIMES THEN REFUSES TO OWN UP TO THEM BY SAYING THAT IS NOT WHAT HE MEANT!
HE IS IMMATURE AND NOT READY FOR THE JOB!
CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT WOULD GO ON IN THE WHITE HOUSE?
WE NEED TO PICK THE RIGHT PERSON TO GET US OUT OF THIS MESS!!!!
IT IS NOT OBAMA!!!!
MY VOTE GOES TI HILLARY CLINTON!!!!!!!
He apologized! Rockefeller apologized. What the heck more do you want, flowers?
Hey now.
McCain is a very nice old woman.
Reminds me of my grandma.
McCain was capture !!! That don't make you a HERO . Surly not a PRESIDENT!!!!
SENATOR CLINTON CONTINUES TO LEAD IN THE POLLS!!!
OBAMA'S MONEY IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT!!!!!
HE CANNOT WIN IN NOVEMBER!!!!!!
HOW CAN SOMEONE THAT IS KEEPING THE AMERICAN PEOPLES VOTES FROM COUNTING RUN FOR PRESIDENT?
WE LIVE IN A MESSED UP COUNTRY!!!!!!!!
HILLARY IS THE ONE I TRUST TO FIX OUR PROBLEMS!!!!!
All this apologizing going on, and denouncing and rejecting. It's getting utterly rifrikkindiculous. I don't trust Senator John McInsane because he looks like a old saddlebag with holes cut out for the eyes – or more like Fire Marshall Bill's grandpappy.
I don't trust Shrillary Clitton because her cankles look like Jack LaLanne's biceps – old, wrinkled, and fat.
Obama all the way, but please Obama ya gotta "man up" a bit and start being more ballsy with Clitton and McInsane.
I'm really starting to think Hillary is much tougher than McWhine.
What makes people so sure that Barack Obama has integrity, is smart, is so perfect for everyone – just because he says so? Come on, it's time for people to wake up from their trip they are on. Barack Obama is a bad person, he is a puppet being promoted by the Supermedia, of which CNN is part of. He is being led by the nose, and if he becomes president, those around him will lead him by the nose.
At least McCain is somewhat his own man. He really has integrity and experience and the track record to prove it. What does Barack Obama have? Can you imagine this man being the leader of the most powerful nation on earth – no foreign policy experience – no fiscal expertise – give me a break people. You hate Bush so much you are being led by the nose by the media to vote for Obama.
McCain '08
Vote Republican '08
Obama has had a history of letting his flunkys say nasty things regarding the other candidates. He has had one of the most negative campaigns I have ever witnessed. He doesn't want to get his reputation tarnished but is willing to let it happen. He is just as guilty. He is suppose to have such a well oiled campaign so why should we believe that he is unaware of what is being said on his behalf.
I support John McCain and I say that babies should be put on spikes and sacks of kittens should be boiled!
I've now said it in a public forum!
So Rockefeller's an idiot who didn't know they didn't have laser-guided bombs in Vietnam. Who cares?? McCain should tell his whining spokesman that he's making a fool of him.
Bob, Phx AZ April 8th, 2008 6:03 pm ET
McCain is certainly a War hero.
But it is a cheap shot to try to equate Obama with Rockefeller's ---------------------------------------------
This is just stupid! Obama is OBama why the hell would he say sorry for something he didn't do!!!
WHEN OBAMA HAS THE SAME SERVICE THAT McCAIN HAS I WILL RESPECT HIM!!!!!!!!
AS OF RIGHT NOW I THINK HE IS AN UNACCOMPLISHED SNOB THAT THINKS HE IS BETTER THAN THE REST OF US!!!!!
HE REALLY HAS A LOT OF NERVE!!!!!!
VOTE FOR HILLARY PEOPLE!!!!!
And really? Tucker Bounds? McCain hired a spokesman named Tucker Bounds???? Really?
You won't find Hellary apologizing for any of the many, many cheap shots she has taken at either McCain or Obama. She's a loser!
Obama or McCain '08
When that speach was made at a Mc Cain even using the middle name of Obama, you all cried foul and said that Mc Cain made him say it and so forth. Mc Cain himself made comment against what this guy did. That was using the real alst name of the guy, however one of Obama's guys says things that are not even true and you are all saying that no way Obama was behind it, and Mc Cain is a whinner and why should Oboma make a comment himself... ect.
This is why Mc Cain will win... Come the GE people will know who is real and who is fake ( hint either Oboma or HRC will be shown as the fakes they are)
I've been reading through the rhetoric here and I must say that I'm fairly disgusted with the lot of you. You are so in love with your candidate (Obama) that you have lost touch with reality. "War monger"? "Saber rattler"? Are these apt descriptions of McCain? He at least had the guts to put his posterior on the line and fight for what he believes in. Something that most Americans, even your precious Obama, can't comprehend. I doubt he (Obama) has ever spent a night dirty, hungry and in fear for his life. If McCain wants an apology, well guess what, he's earned the right to it. What have any of you done lately? (My apologies to those of you who, like me, have served) As for Obama and the war, it strikes me as odd that so many of you (including Obama himself) believe that he has had the right idea about the war in Iraq all along. Yes, I agree, the war was a colossal mistake. But at the time, the intel indicated a real threat and guess what, most of us (I believe it was around 80% of us) swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Even Colin Powell believed it, a man with more credibility than Obama will ever have. As I said, I believe the war was a mistake but that is in retrospect. You can make decisions only on the information available at the time. Yet Obama voted "no". So, that just leads me to wonder what he will do as President if confronted with a credible threat with imperfect information and has to make a gut-wrenching decision. Well, I guess he has already answered that question. I just hope that too many lives aren't at risk when it happens. But who am I kidding ... you guys think he's clairvoyant.
Boycott the WHOLE thing...dont subject
our "cream of the crop" athletes to such torture....If one of them was my grandchild I would pay them "big bucks" to stay at home...!!!