by Frank James
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is calling Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain out on the controversial North Carolina GOP ad which tries to link two Democratic candidates in the state to Democrat Sen. Barack Obama's by now infamous preacher Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Dean is framing it as a test of McCain's leadership, basically saying, if he can't get people affiliated with his presidential campaign in North Carolina to not run an ad, how can he run the country?
It's an interesting question which will no doubt generate an equally interesting answer.
Here's the DNC press release:
Dean: McCain Needs to Show Real Leadership on North Carolina Ad
Washington, DC - According to reports, the chair of the state Republican Party in North Carolina is planning to move forward with its plans to air its racially divisive campaign ad despite John McCain's emailed complaints. While the McCain campaign made a show of protesting the ad, McCain made no mention of the fact that key officials in the North Carolina GOP are members of McCain's state steering committee and McCain donors.
Nor did he mention the fact that the state chair who is bucking his leadership is a member of the arrangements committee of the Republican National Convention. Given his ties to state Republican leaders, if McCain is serious about making sure this ad never airs, he should have no trouble making it happen. If not, McCain should return their contributions, remove them from his campaign committees, and strip the state chair from her role on the GOP's convention committee.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement calling on McCain to exercise real leadership and pull the plug on this ad:
"This is a test of leadership for John McCain. If he can't pick up the phone and make members of his own party stop airing a television ad he claims to oppose, how can he lead our country through an economic crisis or the war in Iraq? After shifting his positions on gun control, immigration and tax cuts throughout this campaign, McCain should not equivocate on this issue. Making a show of releasing your emails to the press is not leadership. If he is serious, he will get this ad pulled."
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Comments
Only in America can Howard "Michigan and Florida will be seated after I said they wouldn't be" Dean question anyone else's leadership.
Posted by: Jeff | April 24, 2008 11:30 AM
Shame on you Bush McClone!!! you cannot even handle your party, how can you handle the country!!!
Just like your buddy George Bush was an ineffective leader, so shall you be!!!
please say No to Bush McSame!
Posted by: sandra | April 24, 2008 11:31 AM
Oh Please...How do you stop the right from digesting the red meat. We have yet to hear what Obamas' butcher, landscaper, barber, and others have to say yet.
Posted by: bill r. | April 24, 2008 11:47 AM
Amazing - the DNC is speaking out against this ridiculous ad (which I personally think would get Obama more votes than it would take away), while Hillary Clinton remains silent. I'm so grateful that her true nature has been revealed during this campaign. Truly disgusting.
Posted by: D. Shushan | April 24, 2008 12:28 PM
if the DNC is opposed the this ad they should pull their ad that misrepresents John Mccain's position on the economy and provides made statistics.
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2008/04/20/will-media-question-false-economic-statistics-dnc-ad-bashing-mccain
Posted by: Peter | April 24, 2008 12:38 PM
i agree D. Shushan
Posted by: criss | April 24, 2008 12:43 PM
I am pleased John McCain did what he did. I don't believe anyone yet has understood where Jeremiah Wright was coming from. He was contending, quite rightly to my mind, that America would suffer dire consequences from Abu Ghraib, from Guantanamo Bay, from secret prisons, and from its treatment of Muslims. The suggestion that 9/11 was punishment for our sins was not an original work by Reverend Wright. Many conservative pastors said 9/11 happened because of Abortion and Gay Rights. Apparently, you are allowed to say America Sins if you are white and pro-life and straight. It you are none of those, you should never suggest that America is sinful. Does God bless torture? Does he bless slavery? Does he bless lying to the people? What kind of God would? Apparently the God of all Patriots.
Posted by: Gary Haden | April 24, 2008 12:43 PM
This WILL test McCain's leadership.
According to Howard Dean and Frank James, Republicans are maybe allowed to talk about the weather, but nothing else. Certainly no criticism of St. Barack is allowed.
Will McCain stand up to the leftwing media, as typified by Frank James, who are ALWAYS trying to censor what Republicans say? Will McCain give in to the slime attacks of Howard Dean and his media megaphones?
Posted by: Bruce | April 24, 2008 12:43 PM
I wonder why Dean doesnt have the same to say to Obama about Moveon.orgs attack ads that are running against McCain. Shouldnt that be a test of Obamas leadership as Moveon.org is part of Obamas campaign and Soros is one of Obamas biggest donors.
Posted by: Vinny | April 24, 2008 12:44 PM
Democrats need to immediately air an ad showing the racist, hateful statements made by McCain's spiritual advisor. Democrats know what the amoral Republicans will do, they need to be prepared to hit back just as hard. "He pulls a knife, you pull a gun..that's the Chicago way!"
Posted by: Paul | April 24, 2008 12:54 PM
"THE CHAIRMAN SPEAKS"
I HAD CONTROL OF ALL "PORTALS" BUT VICKIE LOBBYIED THEM AWAY!
I HAD CONTROL OF ALL "TELECOMMUNICATION" PORTALS ABOVE AND BELOW THE GROUND, BUT VICKIE LOBBYIED THEM AWAY!
I CANNOT CONTROL THE MEDIA TELEVISION OUTLETS THAT I "CREATED" FOR THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION. A FIGHT, A FIGHT, A BLACK AND A WHITE!
I CANNOT CONTROL AS I AM NOT THE "MAJORITY LEADER" BUT IN THE MINORITY.
PLUS I'M SELLING THE GOOD PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS TODAY A BAG OF "CHERTOFF" IMMINENT DOMAIN BONES.
SO I CANNOT COMMENT OR MAKE DEMAND FOR ANY "CHURCH PROPAGANDA" AGAINST OBAMA AS I'VE TAKEN MONEY FROM "STRAIGHT UP" HATERS OUT THERE OF ALL WALKS OF MANKIND.
SO, NEXT QUESTION, A YES, "WE CAN'T GIVE BORDER COMMUNITIES A VETO"
THAT'S JUST FOR THE GOP!
NEXT QUESTION.
Posted by: Roger Morris | April 24, 2008 2:15 PM
If John McCain has no influence on members of his own party, how do we expect him to have influence over other world leaders. Is he spineless probably so. What makes this ad particularly offensive is that it involves smearing two people who have endorsed Obama. Is this the message of the Republican Party. McCarthyism. ?
Posted by: Ron | April 24, 2008 7:19 PM
Sen. McCain's biggest mistake was getting involved in a race that is seriously damaging the Democratic Party. Also, this incident is a good reminder that we live in a federal system. National parties, on either side, don't "boss" state parties.
Posted by: Kevin | April 25, 2008 8:56 PM