by Mark Silva
The McCain campaign has denounced a racially charged, anti-Barack Obama newspaper column written by one of the Republican campaign's organizers in Virginia, and has removed the author-activist from his post as a member of the candidate's statewide leadership team, our colleague at the Top of the Ticket reports.
"The column by Bobby May appeared in a southwestern Virginia newspaper, The Voice, and drew attention after it was cited in a Sunday Los Angeles Times report about how voters in that mostly white region were reacting to potentially electing the country's first black president,'' the Times' Peter Wallsten writes.
"May, who in July was named his county's Republican representative on the McCain statewide campaign team, offered a spoof of Obama's platfrom and plans in his recent column,'' Wallsten reports.
"Examples: Obama would hire the rapper Ludacris (a prominent supporter) to paint the White House black. And the Democrat's administration would divert more foreign aid to Africa so "the Obama family there can skim enough to allow them to free their goats and live the American Dream."
"May also joked that Obama would replace the 50 stars on the U.S. flag "with a star and crescent logo," an Islamic symbol, and that his policy on drugs would be to "raise taxes to pay for Obama's inner-city political base."
McCain campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho, issuing a written statement announcing that the campaign is dropping May from its team, called his attempts at humor "are offensive'' and "insulting. They "have no place in political discourse,'' the spokeswoman said. "Mr. May's comments in no way reflect the views or opinions held by John McCain or his campaign. The McCain campaign wholeheartedly disavows Mr. May's column."
The campaign first learned of May's column from the author himself after he had been contacted by The Times. "The moment the campaign learned of Mr. May's comments, we immediately removed him from his campaign position," Gitcho said. "Mr. May is no longer a part of our campaign organization."
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Comments
Now dump the pit bull and regain some credibility as the maverick.
Posted by: Kenneth Janowski | October 7, 2008 12:44 PM
That would mean that a great number of his campaign workers would have to withdraw, if we can make any judgements about them, given their leader, Senator McCain !! For Senator McCain, and his campaign, to have approved of the garbage that is coming out of his campaign and Governor Palin's mouth, there is no doubt that their opinions of Senator Obama are less than good !! The lying, misleading, distorting and character-assassinating that they are now engaged in, is reprehensible and unamerican !! It must be stopped, it is tearing our country apart and it is an attempt to destroy the reputation and life of a good American and a good father, Senator, and husband, Senator Obama. Doesn't the Bush-McCain Republicans have any shame, at all !!? Tear our country apart, in order to win an election !! How is that for bad judgement, to put it mildly !!??
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don " Hussein " Fitzgerald, Chicago | October 7, 2008 12:57 PM
Don't think this is nobility...he probably dumped the guy because the poll numbers continue to worsen for him. Here are the most recent Gallup numbers, through yesterday:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/111004/Gallup-Daily-9Point-Obama-Lead-Ties-Campaign-High.aspx
Posted by: cta | October 7, 2008 1:39 PM
May must have attended the Goebbels school of standup comedy.
Posted by: C.Morris | October 7, 2008 1:57 PM
I know ignorant people that will laugh at this crap and vote for McCain.
There are so many of them it is almost unbelievable.
Note: I said almost.
The worst thing about this is that they think they are TRUE AMERICANS.
Posted by: Thomasburns | October 7, 2008 2:20 PM
It would be far more meaningful for him to dump Rick Davis, his grubbing campaign manager who was raking in do-nothing money from Fannie and Freddie until early this summer. Either McCain didn't know, and so is a potted plant in his own campaign, or he knew and he's a hypocritical farce.
Posted by: Barack Like Me | October 7, 2008 2:26 PM
Sad to see racism a running theme of McCains campaign. Seriously folks, what else do you expect from the GOP? Handshakes, smiles, winks and you-bethca's? Both camps are running for the office of the President of the United States, not for president of the the local kiwanis club.
Posted by: RJINCHI | October 7, 2008 2:48 PM
hahaha... You said "Maverick"... Drink Joe Sixpack
Can you give one example of him being a Maverick? (drink) His campaign partner can't... Guess that's pretty Maverick-y (drink)
Posted by: Maverick | October 7, 2008 3:05 PM
IT WOULD BE A SAID DAY IN AMERICA FOR US IF PEOPLE LIKE MCCAIN & PALIN WERE TO BE LEADERS OF THE FREE WORLD . THIS WOULD BE A REAL DEPRESSION FOR THE MORALITY OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND WORSE FOR THE OLDER ONE'S LIKE ME...
Posted by: BERNADETTE BROUGHTON | October 7, 2008 3:52 PM
This guy is ridiculous. All of this is completely insulting.
Posted by: The Truth | October 7, 2008 3:53 PM
Was it rash to dump Mr. May? After all, he simply spoke his mind - went his own way. Sounds charactistic of a "maverick".
Posted by: JimBob | October 7, 2008 3:57 PM
"wholeheartedly disavows??"
I think not.
Posted by: Aaron | October 7, 2008 4:17 PM
I am just cynical enough to believe this entire thing was done just so his campaign can say "Look at what McCain did!" If I am wrong, I am glad to be wrong...but I don't think I am.
Posted by: Jane | October 7, 2008 4:48 PM
Mr. May's words look tame compared to the Obama slander and hate I've seen circulating on the interwebzz.
This is hype.
Posted by: Jen | October 7, 2008 4:58 PM
Now the McCain campaign said they were taking the gloves off didn't they? This is just the first of stream of such comments that will emerge from their camp.
Posted by: P Dog | October 7, 2008 5:07 PM
Lets see, there is a report out there that shows the number two receipient of funds from Freddie and Fannie is none other than Barak himself. Seems like if he really wants to fix things, he needs to give that money back or turn it over to help pay the bailout. Figure the odds
Posted by: GWayne | October 7, 2008 5:13 PM
I agree with Jane. This was most likely orchestrated to try and make McCain like he is not "racist". What about all the other hate and venom that McCain himself and the soccer mom are spewing?
Posted by: Goomba11 | October 7, 2008 6:26 PM
"the number two receipient of funds from Freddie and Fannie"
Actually read teh report? No, of course you didn't. BO wasn't in the top 100 in contribuitions from the 2 PACs, but he was #2 in contributions from employees--now remember these 2 each had over 5000 employees (almost 12,000 combined), so given BO's huge donor base and the (my presumption only) ethnic makeup of FNMA and FHLMC employees (and that he was running for president), this isn't shocking, or really much of note.
Posted by: clane | October 7, 2008 6:43 PM
It's hardly surprising these comments were made by someone on McCain's campaign staff. It's good he was fired, but I'm sure his comments are feeding the smear campaign going on against Obama.
Speaking of, I understand there are vile comments made about Obama in the crowds at Palin's recent campaign appearances, yet no one seems to go out of their way to condemn or attempt to stop these comments, the type that children should never hear.
Must be the right-winger's version of free speech.
Posted by: RomanB | October 7, 2008 6:47 PM
Lincoln must be turning over in his grave because this Republican party lost all its morals...
Posted by: Maximillion | October 7, 2008 7:10 PM
America, if we elect McCain and Palin to the White House, where do you think black america will be during these economic hardships?We all knew that racism would eventually raise it"s ugly head sooner or later. But when money, jobs, and credit takes a hit, we are all in this together. I would think that the american public are smarter than to think that Obama would run the country any worse than it is right now,right now. He's smart enough to have the best and brightest minds that transcend race or color.
Posted by: Michael Wheeler | October 7, 2008 7:37 PM
While McSame says nothing about his hate-inciting VP's latest racist rally.
Posted by: phylosopher | October 7, 2008 7:44 PM
It's time to throw in the towel Mc Cain. You've hit more time below the belt that you ought to disqualify yourself. You are an IDIOT too
Posted by: artaxxx1 | October 7, 2008 8:16 PM
This is really no surprise. Palin and McCain have being trying to paint Obama as the Other after the economic debacle. When Palin gets up and says, "He doesn't see American like you and I see America" she is trying to portray him as the Other without explicitly mentioning race. Just like this column, McCain's only strategy is to make white Americans so fearful of the black man that they will not vote for him. Before he started to run for president (back in the day when he wouldn't be seen on the same stage with good ol' Jerry), I had a lot of respect for McCain. His latest tactics are just pandering to the same fears played against lower to middle class whites by the Republicans: the Other (minorities, immigrants, foreigners) is just poised to take your job, house, and city. George Bush did it and apparently so is McCain.
Posted by: Third Floor | October 7, 2008 8:17 PM
I am surprised that the Obama camp is angered by these comments! Are you saying that Ludacris is "not qualified" to paint the White House, just because he is African-American? I, for one, will NOT put up with that kind of racism! Are you suggesting that the goats should NOT be set free?!?! How can America dare to elect an administration that advocates such blatant Animal Abuse?
Posted by: Jeffrey Alsip | October 7, 2008 10:01 PM
phylosopher -- let's not forget the supporter at a McCain rally - same day, I believe - who, in response to McCain saying basically "Who is Barack Obama?" shouted out "a terrorist!"
Then there's the sheriff -- I repeat, the SHERIFF -- of Lee County in Florida, who not only wore his uniform to a Palin rally, but intentionally used Barack Obama's middle name as a way of saying, "oooo, look at his middle name, he must be a terrorist!"
No way this, or the "kill him" comment at a Palin rally would get a pass from the media if spoken at an Obama rally about McCain or Palin.
Posted by: SouthSideD | October 7, 2008 10:50 PM