After Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin did the "mainstream" media's job for them over the weekend by pointing out Barack Obama's close association with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, the Obama campaign retaliated by bringing John McCain's status as one of the "Keating Five" back into the media limelight (notice I used the word back).
Amanda Carpenter points out something interesting about this, though:
If Barack Obama is so outraged at John McCain’s involvement in the Keating Five scandal, why is John Glenn, another Keating Five member, doing surrogate work for Obama?
But Obama doesn’t seem to have any quarrel with Glenn. The former Democratic Ohio senator introduced Bruce Springsteen at a benefit concert for Obama in Ohio on Sunday, October 5. He's also done other surrogate work for Obama as well. According to Obama's presidential website Glenn held a conference calls with reporters for Obama in August.
A day after Glenn urged people to register to vote for Obama in Ohio, Obama’s campaign began a multimedia campaign to remind the public McCain was one of the “Keating Five” although he was eventually cleared of all charges.
Like McCain, Glenn was also found not guilty of violating any Senate rules.
Though Obama is quite willing to condemn McCain for his involvement with the Keating Five, he seems to have no qualms taking help from Glenn for his campaign.
Something else to consider: McCain bailed on his dealings with Keating when he realized what was going on, and has admitted his bad judgement in getting involved with Charles Keating, calling it "the worst mistake of my life".
Meanwhile, Bill Ayers is unrepentant for bombing the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon and several other government buildings; in fact, Ayers said on September 11, 2001 "I didn't do enough."
What's more, while Barack Obama has mouthed a condemnation of Ayers' terrorist activities, Obama had no qualms taking a job at an organization Ayers created, working with Ayers on the board of that organization and in other projects, or attending a meet-and-greet Ayers threw for Obama at Ayers' home to help launch Obama's political career.
I have never heard Obama express regret for his involvement with Ayers the way McCain has expressed regret for his involvement with Keating.
What's worse: someone regretful for limited dealings with a financial shyster, or someone unrepentant for their dealings with an unrepentant terrorist?
2 comments:
Yeah, but John Glenn isn't running for president of the United States, either. McCain promotes himself as being ethical and "better" than Obama in terms of judgement.
I think it's completely fair to bring this up, especially in light of the current economic situation.
If the McCain campaign is going to call Obama's casual relationships with Ayers "palling around with terrorists," then he's opened up the guilt-by-association subject himself.
Sure it's fair to bring it up. It's also of the utmost relevance whether lessons were learned and mistakes were admitted.
Apparently, in McCain's case, they were.
In Obama's and his buddy Ayers', it's equally apparent they were not.
And what's more, terrorism is in a slightly different league than financial improprieties.
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