Mark Salter on Team Hope
May 9th, 2008 at 08:38am Matt DiBari
Earlier today on CNN, Barack Obama essentially called John McCain a loony old man for mentioning that Hamas has endorsed Barack Obama.
Now, of course, Howard Dean and the DNC have said that they won’t make Senator McCain’s age an issue, but we’ve already seen the “ethical bar” that Dean and Obama have, so it isn’t a shock that Senator Obama would try this. It became clear that Barack Obama’s “new politics” are little more than old style Chicago sewer politics.
Anyway, Senator McCain’s Chief of Staff Mark Salter responded with this letter.
To: Interested Parties
From: Mark Salter, Senior Advisor
Date: May 8, 2008
Re: Senator Obama’s Attack Today
First, let us be clear about the nature of Senator Obama’s attack today: He used the words ‘losing his bearings’ intentionally, a not particularly clever way of raising John McCain’s age as an issue. This is typical of the Obama style of campaigning.
We have all become familiar with Senator Obama’s new brand of politics. First, you demand civility from your opponent, then you attack him, distort his record and send out surrogates to question his integrity. It is called hypocrisy, and it is the oldest kind of politics there is.
It is important to focus on what Senator Obama is attempting to do here: He is trying desperately to delegitimize the discussion of issues that raise legitimate questions about his judgment and preparedness to be President of the United States.
Through their actions and words, Senator Obama and his supporters have made clear that ANY criticism on ANY issue — from his desire to raise taxes on millions of small investors to his radical plans to sit down face-to-face with Iranian President Ahmadinejad – constitute negative, personal attacks.
Senator Obama is hopeful that the media will continue to form a protective barrier around him, declaring serious limits to the questions, discussion and debate in this race.
Senator Obama has good reason to think this plan will succeed, as serious journalists have written of the need for ‘de-tox’ to cure ’swooning’ over Senator Obama, and others have admitted to losing their objectivity while with him on the campaign trail.
Today, Senator Obama is complaining about comments John McCain made about a senior Hamas advisor stating that Hamas would welcome Senator Obama’s election as president. Indeed, on April 13th, senior Hamas political advisor Ahmed Yousef said, ‘We don’t mind – actually we like Mr. Obama. We hope he will (win) the election and I do believe he is like John Kennedy, great man with great principle, and he has a vision to change America to make it in a position to lead the world community but not with domination and arrogance.’
The McCain campaign has never suggested that Senator Obama supports Hamas’ agenda, but it is more than fair to raise this quote about Senator Obama because it speaks to the policy implications of his judgment.
Just today, the president of Iran, whom Senator Obama wants to meet with unconditionally, called the state of Israel a ’stinking corpse.’ Iran is the paymaster and state sponsor of Hamas.
In his victory speech this week, Senator Obama stated that ‘wisdom’ is meeting with our enemies, including Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, North Korea’s Kim Jong Il, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Cuba’s Raul Castro. John McCain couldn’t disagree more. Rather than giving tyrants and dictators the prestige of meeting with an American president, John McCain will instead meet with the champions of human freedom around the world and opposition leaders fighting for liberty .
We understand why Senator Obama doesn’t want to engage in a debate over leadership and judgment with John McCain, but the American people demand that debate take place.
These are serious times that call for a serious debate on the profound issues facing our future. John McCain is ready for that debate and we hope Senator Obama will one day get serious and join it.
Team Hope fired back with their usual line about Hope and Change or something. I see no reason to post it, I’m sure you can all recite it off without having to read it.
Entry Filed under: Barack Obama, John McCain
7 Comments Add your own
1. KMorrison | May 9th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Senator Obama is out of his league in addressing foreign affairs. Sounds like he may be looking for a way to not discuss the issues.
2. Joe | May 9th, 2008 at 10:31 am
First off… Obama did NOT call him a “loony old man”. Talk about having a glass jaw. Good grief. Salter sounds pissed off in that letter for no reason what-so-ever.
Let’s looks at what Obama actually said, shall we?
That isn’t calling anyone a “loony old man”. That is saying that McCain is getting caught up in the nomination and using smear and scare tactics.
Salter is sounding like he is the one that is concerned that age will become an issue with the people, so he is firing the first shot to try and pin this on Obama.
3. Matt DiBari | May 9th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
As Salter said, the phrase “losing his bearings” has a very clear connotation. Thirty-five year old men do not “lose their bearings.” Its a less offensive way of calling someone senile.
Its no different than Obama “cleverly” using lines like “taking out the claws” and “throwing the china at me” against Hillary Clinton.
And the Ahmed Yousef said that Hamas would like Barack Obama to be President of the United States. That’s not a smear. It happened.
I for one think its relevant that Barack Obama’s flaky foreign policy gets the seal of approval from Hamas.
4. Joe | May 9th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
So if McCain was 42 yrs old and not 72 years old and Obama said he was “losing his bearings”, how would you take that?
Would you take it as Obama calling him senile?
Or would you take it as McCain is getting so caught up in becoming the next President that he is getting dragged into the smear/scare tactic piece of a campaign?
Don’t just claim Obama is calling him old just because Mark Salter says so. Think for yourself.
As for Hamas, this was covered in the other thread… If Obama actively sought after the Hamas “endorsement” or even accepted it, then you would have a beef. Obama has no control over what Hamas says.
Did Hamas say they wanted him to be President because he would allow terrorist activities? No.
Perhaps they like the thought of him being President because he would work more actively towards some sort of peace unlike the current administration and the possible McCain administration. Perhaps they like the idea of LESS war in the Middle East.
Go ask them why they said what they said and report back to us.
5. Joe | May 9th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
By the way…… since roughly 80% of the people of Iraq want the US out, who do you think THEY support in the election?
6. Matt DiBari | May 9th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
I think its a non issue. He wouldn’t say a 42 year old was losing his bearings. Much like he wouldn’t say that a man is taking out the claws or throwing the china. Barack Obama knew exactly what he was saying and how people would take it. No one uses the phrase “losing their bearings” to describe a young man.
And no, I don’t think Barack Obama will directly or intentionally support terrorist activity, and I don’t think Hamas does either. They just look at his naive, idealistic, “why can’t we just all get along” foreign policy and see him for what he is.
Neville Chamberlain without the umbrella
Sitting down to talk with Hitler worked so well, after all.
I’m sorry if that scares you too much, but you know what, the potential of a dangerously naive President appeasing Mahmoud Ahmadinejad scares me.
7. KMorrison | May 9th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I should have been more clear with my comment. The ‘losing his bearings’ remark I don’t find terribly offensive, but it was a convenient way for him to avoid the issue that he was endorsed by Hamas. Obviously Senator Obama doesn’t have control over what a lot of people say, but that doesn’t make what they say irrelevant. I think much of the objection to the ‘losing his bearings’ remark is that it flies in the face of his ‘hope and change’ message. It’s somewhat similar to President Clinton’s comparison of Senator Obama to Jesse Jackson; at face value maybe it’s not offensive, but implication behind the remark is distinctively low ball poitics.
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