McCain Downplays Frederick's Remark
Republican presidential nominee John McCain responded this morning to the comments Virginia Republican Party Chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick made over the weekend comparing Democratic nominee Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden.
Speaking on Richmond's WRVA radio this morning, McCain said it's not fair to compare Frederick's remarks to those made recently by U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).
Lewis said over the weekend that GOP ticket was "sowing the seeds of hatred and division" at its rallies. Lewis compared McCain to the segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace, and through Wallace to the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham that killed four girls.
Frederick told a group of GOP volunteers in Prince William County on Saturday that Obama can be compared to bin Laden because "they both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," a reference to Obama's past association with Bill Ayers.
In his interview with host Jimmy Barrett, McCain said he's already denounced Frederick's statements but said Obama has yet to speak out against Lewis's
more:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2008/10/mccains_grows_testy_about_fred.htmlSen. John McCain talks to WSLS (and refuses to condemn remarks from Jeff Frederick, GOP Chair VA) ~snip~
WARREN: “WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SECOND REMAINING, THE CHAIR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN VIRGINIA HAS SAID, QUOTE IN TIME MAGAZINE, “BOTH BARACK OBAMA AND OSAMA BIN LADEN HAVE FRIENDS THAT HAVE BOMBED THE PENTAGON. THAT IS SCARY.” IS THAT APPROPRIATE FOR A STATE PARTY CHAIR TO BE SAYING?”
MCCAIN: “I have to look at the context of his remarks. I have always repudiated any comments that have been made that were inappropriate about Senator Obama. The fact is that William Ayers was a terrorist and bomber and unrepentant. I don’t care about that. But, Sen. Obama ought be the candid and truthful about his relationship with Mr. Ayers in whose living room Sen. Obama launched his campaign and Sen. Obama said he was just a guy in the neighborhood.”
WARREN: “SEN. MCCAIN WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, WE WANT TO SAY THANK FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US, WE DO HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA IN THE COMING DAYS.”
MCCAIN: “Thank you Jay, I look forward to being back. Thanks again.”
http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/politics/article/mccain_talks_to_wsls/19188