Obama Aide: Bill Clinton Like McCarthy

[JimGinPA]

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A retired Air Force general compared former President Clinton to Joseph McCarthy, the 1950s communist-hunting senator, on Friday after Clinton seemed to question Democrat Barack Obama's patriotism.

Merrill "Tony" McPeak, a former chief of staff of the Air Force and currently a co-chair of Obama's presidential campaign, said he was disappointed by comments Clinton made while campaigning for his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in a speech Friday in Charlotte, N.C.

"I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country," Clinton said. "And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics."

McPeak learned of the remarks while at an Obama rally in Salem, Ore. Afterward, he called Clinton's statement horrible and compared it to McCarthy, the Republican senator from Wisconsin who held hearings on suspected Communist sympathizers in the 1950s.

"It sounds more like McCarthy," McPeak said. "I grew up, I was going to college when Joe McCarthy was accusing good Americans of being traitors, so I've had enough of it."

Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer rejected the comparison.

"To liken these comments to McCarthyism is absurd," Singer said. He said McPeak was "clearly misinterpreting" the remarks and suggested that might be an intentional effort to divert attention from a recent controversy involving controversial statements by Obama's former pastor.

In a posting on Hillary Clinton's Web site Friday, the campaign said the former president was simply talking about the need to keep the race focused on issues, "rather than falsely questioning any candidate's patriotism."

McPeak, who served under Clinton and the first President Bush, was skeptical.

"It's a use of language as a disguised insult. We've seen this before, this little clever spin that's put on stuff," McPeak said. "I have no idea what his intentions are, but I'm disappointed in the statement. I think Bill Clinton is, or ought to be, better than that."

The former president has attracted criticism over earlier comments during the heated Democratic primary race. Following South Carolina's primary in January, he was accused of fanning racial tensions for appearing to cast Obama as little more than a black candidate popular in state with a heavily black electorate.

He also criticized the news media for making a race story out of his comments


http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iWSIm6rMH4mnWBT-fKZg_58OrA8QD8VI7D600

[Cali_Democrat]

1. He hit the nail on the head

[A-Schwarzenegger]

2. It depends on what the meaning of the word "slimebucket" is.

:redbox: :graybox: :daily: :weekly: :tv: :radio: :web:

[Straight Shooter]

3. Well, one day one of O's people will compare the Clintons to Nazis.

Then we can invoke Godwin's law and start back at square one.

[JimGinPA]

4. Seriously, Are You Proud Of The Campaign They're Running?

:shrug:

[Straight Shooter]

5. Are you proud of McCarthy being invoked?

Are you proud of Robert Gibbs being on Obama's team, an operative who is infamous for tearing down Democrats, as his PAC tore down Dean in the Osama morphing ad?

All campaigns have the same basic characteristics. Ever since people fell for that idiot silver-tongued devil Reagan against a genuine man like Carter, I tend to shrug all campaign tactics off. It's politics.

[leftstreet]

7. Tit for Tat

McCarthyism sucks.

If Clinton is stupid enough to imply that ANY Dem candidate is unAmerican, then he deserves the McCarthy comparison.

[JimGinPA]

8. Ah, The Old "Answer A Question With A Question" Dodge...

All campaigns don't have the same basic characteristics.

[mattclearing]

6. Yeah, when that happens, we'll talk.

In the meantime, this person, who is not only one of Hillary's people, but her husband, and a former President of the United States, is denigrating the future nominee as un-American. Talk about a spoilsport.

[F.Gordon]

9. I saw this on the AP news internet tubes

This is beyond low. Both candidates operate on the assumption that they will be running for President on the dem ticket, and the "other stuff" reference has been used by President Clinton a couple of times. It was coined by Edwards. He wasn't dissin' Obama.

I hope this makes the 10 o'clock news cause' the actual Dem voters, not the Obama supporters that intentionally 'packed' the caucus locations, won't take this favorably.

This new campaign strategy by Obama is so low.. so disgusting ... that the repukes wouldn't even use this crap. And the Obama peeps are amazed that so many Clinton supporters won't vote for Obama. :eyes: You expect this bullshit from a repuke... but not another Dem.

McCarthy? Incredible. I can't wait to see what Obama will do next to lower the bar in political discourse.

Makes ya' feel all warm inside... don't it?

[JimGinPA]

11. Pretzel Logic! Nice!...

Once again the clinton campaign purposely demeans Obama, while at the same time expounding the virtures of McSame, and when someone calls them on it they cry victim! Too funny!


:rofl:

[F.Gordon]

14. I'm sorry. Are we both living on the same planet?

Where did Clinton demean Obama? If this Obama fuck wants to address his shill "victim-hood" ... fine. But when you call another Dem 'McCarthy'.... that crosses the line in my book.

Shit.. let's just call Bill Clinton a fucking chronic liar that raped women. Does that work for ya'?
:hi:

[cali]

16. YOU call Obama "this Obama fuck"

you aren't standing on any high ground there, dear. In fact you're knee deep in your own filth. And your hands are smeared with it. As for victimhood that is not the campaign that Obama has run. Delusional.

[F.Gordon]

19. Wow!!

Blinders, Ear Plugs, and everything. Kewl.

The Obama "fuck" I was referring to was the shill, not Obama. And I could have sworn I washed my hands before I posted.
:silly:

Referring to Bill Clinton as "McCarthy" is taking the high ground? Check. Got it.
:thumbsup:

[boston bean]

20. He can't call them racists anymore, so they play another victim card.

[LulaMay]

10. I hope Obama supporters are proud of what they're doing to this party and our former president.

[anonymous171]

12. Yeah-- We are ditching the corporate Dems.

And it feels good.

[LulaMay]

15. You don't know what you're talking about, and you don't care. You're full of hate for good people.

Hillary supporters have not done to your candidate what you feel so free to do to her.

[cali]

17. bwahahaha.

Many Hill supporters have been disgusting lying pigs.

[F.Gordon]

22. "hill supporters ..... disgusting lying pigs" Check. Got it.

:thumbsup:

This "high ground" stuff is hard to follow. :eyes:

[JimGinPA]

13. Really? You're Serious? I Always Thought Your Lack Of Insight Was An Act

:wow:

[McCamy Taylor]

18. Here is another interpretation: Clinton thinks Obama will be divisive this fall.

So the campaign between Obama and McCain will be like the one between Obama and Hillary--all about Obama repeatedly accusing McCain of being a closet bigot who is making racist attacks at him through surrogates in an attempt to destroy McCain's image at a straight talker. And the issues will be ignored. And voters may get turned off by the negativity. For all his talk of Reagan style, Obama does not understand why Reagan won in 1984.

[JTFrog]

21. Being Divisive Now, So You Don't Have to Later!!

We're Fightin Em Over There So We Don't Have To... Errrrrrrrr