When John McCain decided to embrace the rabid right wing of the Republican party, he also left the door open for the racists, bigots, homophobes and hate-mongers who dominate the so-called conservative movement.That decision rose up and bit him in the ass Tuesday.
In an obvious lapse of judgment, taste and common sense, someone in the McCain campaign allowed hate-filled Cincinnati radio host Bill Cunningham to precede the presumptive GOP nominee on stage during a campaign stop in that city.
Cunningham is a typical right-wing blowhard whose screaming fanaticism can make Rush Limbaugh look moderate. He sneeringly refers to the broadcast networks as the “Clinton Broadcasting System,” (CBS), “Nobody But Clinton,” (NBC) and “Always Bill Clinton” (ABC) and made sure everyone in the crowd knew Barack Obama’s middle name is “Hussein,” calling the Democratic frontrunner “Barack Hussein Obama” three times.Cunningham added:
Now we have a hack, Chicago-style Daley politician who is picturing himself as change. When he gets done with you, all you're going to have in your pocket is change.
It's going to be Barack Hussein Obama's wonderful life. All is going to be right with the world when the great prophet from Chicago takes the stand and the world leaders who want to kill us will simply be singing 'Kumbaya' together around a table with Barack Obama.
At one point, the media will quit taking sides in this thing and start covering Barack Hussein Obama.
Ohio Republican Congressman Rob Portman had a chance to repudiate Cunningham’s remarks when he took the stage right after the talk show host but chose instead to say:
Willie, you're out of control again. So, what else is new?
But we love him. But I've got to tell you, Bill Cunningham lending his voice to this campaign is extremely important. He did it in 2000, he did it in 2004. It was crucial to victory then and it's even more important this year with his bigger radio audience. So, Bill Cunningham, thank you for lending your voice.
Conservatives are shopping Portman as a potential running mate for McCain. God help us.
McCain didn’t mention or acknowledge Cunningham’s spiteful diatribe during his speech to the audience at Cincinnati’s Memorial Hall but spoke about to reporters after the speech:
I apologize for it. I did not know about these remarks, but I take responsibility for them. I repudiate them. My entire campaign I have treated Senator Obama and Senator Clinton with respect. I will continue to do that throughout this campaign.
I want to dissociate myself with any disparaging remarks that may have been said about them. Any comment that is disparaging of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally inappropriate. I will certainly make sure that nothing like that happens again.
McCain, sources say, later chewed out campaign officials who made the decision to invite Cunningham to the event.
The Arizona Senator will face this problem again as long as he agrees to shack up with the GOP right wing. There’s an old saying that when you “lie down down with dogs you get up with fleas.”
John McCain should be scratching up a storm this morning and he deserves every itch he has.
