Obama New Oregon Superdelegate Impugns McCain’s Ethics
EmailOne of the newest superdelegates to join Flock Obama, Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., attacked Sen. John McCain’s ethics Friday afternoon in Albany, Ore.
"He says we need less regulation," said DeFazio in his introduction of Obama. "Hello! Wall Street mortgage meltdown, Bear Stearns taxpayer bailout, Enron, but, you know, I guess maybe for a guy who was up to his neck in the Keating Five and savings and loan scandal less regulation is better."
DeFazio went on to say that "some are tempted by the false promise of John McCain. What he calls the ‘Straight Talk Express.’ But let’s call it what it is. It is not the Straight Talk Express — it is the Trojan Horse Express.
"It’s the same old Bush-Cheney politics but even more reckless on public policy, even more reckless on foreign affairs," DeFazio said. "We cannot allow the American people to be fooled again by John McCain and his stump speech!"
- jpt
UPDATE: McCain spox Tucker Bounds says "Peter Defazio’s unhinged rhetoric and reckless disregard for the facts shows Barack Obama can’t stand up for his own standard of new politics, which means it isn’t likely that he’s going to stand up for much else either."
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I also see Obama’s little followers going after McCain. Taking the high road? LOL!! Obama has got everyone convinced that all of the problems are caused by the present Government. Obama has no respect for the work others have done so he can sit up there and bad mouth and disrespect them. He will end up giving this country away… The foreign countries will see him as weak (and he is) and move on us. That’s what happened in the Cuban Missile crisis…you children need to check your history..
Posted by: Cheryll | May 10, 2008, 1:11 am 1:11 am
Joan:
Disregard that sort of garbage; it seems to “cling” to Obama’s publicists and posters.
________________________________________________________________________________
I think this election has proven that the press deserves no freedom.
I think Obama would be back at the starting gate if he were not Black!
The story of Obama is that of someone whose motives, according to his autobiography, are questionable…but he knows how to work a crowd and please the press .
Like his cousin Raila Odinga who ran for office in Kenya under the slogan “Your agent for change”, and like George Bush who also chanted for “Change”, Obama echoes the cheer.
But the change which now seems eminent…. at least until the G E in November… will send us back to the late 50′s!
And the Clintons, who have been staunch supporters of all races… are being treated like lepers by the press and by B O’s followers because they have acknowledged this truism!
Ninety two percent of the black vote in North Carolina was for Obama.
Ninety one percent of the black vote in Philadelphia voted for Obama.
True some of these people and some whites really thought about who they were voting for when they (mis)voted B U T you cannot honestly say that this isn’t exploitation of race and thus, r a c i s m!
The prestige of an HONEST news story…. remember them???…. disappeared early on. And the joke of Obama being swallowed by eight American flags on a podium defending his belligerent pastor lingers. His free publicity was granted again when he finally flung his belligerent pastor “under the bus”. We know little of his policies but lots about his magnificent race speech and his talks of his young impoverished life… all free publicity!
Little was mentioned of his lack of accomplishment…. of his earmarking money for Michelle’s employer…. of taking money from Rezko supposedly intended for heating this landlord’s broken down tenements and freezing tenants.
Meanwhile, Accomplishments of Hillary have been swept beneath the carpet; All ears and eyes have been diverted to THE blue dress and her initial failed health plan. (The successful health plan which helped in the healing of 6,000,000 children is never mentioned!)
During the last debate through which Obama stumbled and stuttered, Clinton answered a question about what to do about Iran. (Obama was still trying to get thoughts to reach his tongue).
She suggested the “Umbrella of Deterrence”… not a unique idea…. but an IDEA which might have become a stepping stone to other ideas (Although I think that it’s a great idea which, used with caution and p unity might prove quite worthy in its own right.
The press colored Hillary’s spur of the moment response as something very suspect. Obama’s posters went wild in their disdain… dis remembering that Obama was still thinking of an answer!
In addition to the prejudiced press,The DNC is broken! It has effectively disenfranchised two states full of voters from being able to select their nominee…… but it is very satisfied with itself because it’s self-analysis has deemed itself G-D to the Constitution!
My point is this:
Obama is a new face. He hasn’t accomplished much….so aside from his questionable associates there’s not too much to fault him for.
He presents a neat presence, speaks well in front of a teleprompter… though I have seen his querulous side peeking through several times.
The press decided early on that they favored him…. and skewed their news stories his way on too many occasions.
There have been instances in which a story issued incorrect information… but corrections either required a password and a mouse-over…. or were omitted!
I think this election has proven that the press deserves no freedom.
I think Obama would be back at the starting gate if he were not Black!
The story of Obama is that of someone whose motives, according to his autobiography, are questionable…but he knows how to work a crowd and please the press .
Like his cousin Raila Odinga who ran for office in Kenya under the slogan “Your agent for change”, and like George Bush who also chanted for “Change”, Obama echoes the cheer.
But the change which seems eminent…. at least until the G E in November… will bring us back to the late 50′s!
And the Clintons, who have been staunch supporters of all races… are being
treated like lepers by the press and by B O’s followers because they’re being honest about this truism!
And I blame the Press and the DNC for most of this onesided pre-determined circus which, if we are not lucky, might win us a President who is unfit…. and undeserving.
Meantime, I’ll continue to back Hillary because of the three, I think she’s best.
Posted by: eyes wide open | May 9, 2008 6:14:47 PM
Posted by: EYES WIDE OPEN | May 10, 2008, 1:15 am 1:15 am
Keating Five will be a HUGE thing for Democratic 527s.
This was a HUGE black eye in the McCain history.
Posted by: Stacey | May 10, 2008, 1:17 am 1:17 am
Oh Hello!! was McCain convicted of Keating Five?? If you’re accused of something and you were acquitted, are you still guilty? It’s ashamed that these guys have nothing else to bring up but brought up a charge that McCain wasn’t found guilty of. Go Democrats!! Not only had you shot yourselves in the foot again in this primary but is that all you can come up with?? Nobody even knows of Keating Five. If they hear of it, they will research it to find that McCain wasn’t guilty. That will leave a great impression on the lying democrats.
Posted by: Aaron | May 10, 2008, 1:30 am 1:30 am
aaron:
Obama posters feel that all you have to do is show the accusation… not the resolution. In other words, you’re guilty because you were accused; not because you were necessarily guilty!
This is the “NEW CHANGE” you’ve been hearing so much about.
They use this on Hillary a lot because her husband was impeached ….and acquitted (but shhhh don’t let anyone know about the outcome…..)
And I can’t disagree with Cheryll either.
Posted by: EYES WIDE OPEN | May 10, 2008, 1:40 am 1:40 am
This is the same DeFazio on the Transportaion Committee, whose top contributors are Transportation Unions, Construction Services, Air Transport, and Railroads. Hmmmm? Transpportation Committee… must be coincidental.
I have no reason to impugn his ethics… but “Brutus is an honest man.”
Posted by: smartprimate | May 10, 2008, 2:13 am 2:13 am
hi all…i am sick of hearing about the ‘blue dress’ just like the obama supporters are sick and tired of hearing about the rev wright, rattso, ayers, and the rest. i am a hillary clinton supporter….my late father is a korean war vet, a truck driver, a blue collar worker….i am all of that now in my own right…..so what does obama have to say to that.
Posted by: carlasue | May 10, 2008, 2:32 am 2:32 am
Cheryl
You need to check out your history…so did you just compare Obama to JFK?
I thought so.
I think “the foreign countries” that you think will see Obama (and therefore the US) as “weak” lol
are much more likely to “move on us” you say using the excuse that we are imperialists who have no regard to sovereign nations and that they are protecting us from nuclear threats…and then when they use the video clips at the UN and in the villages recruiting new terrorists…they will show video of Hillary Clinton saying she will “obliterate Iran” with nuclear weapons…and discussing her policing the middle east with “massive retaliation” threats…
or McCain saying no sorry singing… “bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran” (tell me that is not an image that will come across to most nations as crazy as Kim Jong Il)…
Please. This guy that said the comments in reaction to the mud McCain threw today bringing up an issue by saying he wouldn’t “bring up the issue but my opponent said it was okay to bring up”…should have taken the higher road…and my guess is he will be asked to do that from Obama… as Obama has always asked anyone to do.
Posted by: DL | May 10, 2008, 3:10 am 3:10 am
Iam more interested in the voting irregularities that occurred in the counting of NC votes. Seems that Obama got at least 38 thousand fewer votes than first declared. They counted Obama votes twice in many of the counties. How does that happen? LOL. First its the allegations about Obama’s people at the caucuses, then its Indiana’s Lake County, now this.
Posted by: BJinChicago | May 10, 2008, 3:14 am 3:14 am
If Obama is the Democratic nominee, he is going to get a real surprise in November. Not one Democrat I’ve spoken to will vote for him. If Hillary is not the nominee, all are planning to vote for McCain. Better a centrist Republican, than an inexperienced, deceptive, divisive Obama.
Posted by: Trudy | May 10, 2008, 3:34 am 3:34 am
wow, i want hillary to win so badly. but it looks as if she may not. ok, fine, someone convice me as to why i should vote for obama. so what if hillary stretched the truth about bosnia. was she ever affiliated with the KKK….and if she was, she would never be able to live it down….my god….it would have beeen over months ago. so what is the deal with letting obama get away with the rev so=called wright…..someone give me the answer to this comparison….thank you
Posted by: carlasue | May 10, 2008, 3:36 am 3:36 am
carlasue: There is no comparison. The fact is that if Hillary had been involved with a racist church for 20 years, and considered its racist pastor to be her “mentor and spiritual adviser,” she would have been out of the race long ago. It is not unreasonable to assume that if someone is a member of a racist church or organization for 20 years, then they are a racist. This holds true for Obama, too.
Posted by: Ernest | May 10, 2008, 3:44 am 3:44 am
At a later stop Obama was talking with reporters and expressed concern he’d also mis-stated the number of potential cyclone victims in Burma. He said, “”I hope I said 100,000 people the first time instead of 100 million. I understand I said there were 57 states today. It’s a sign that my numeracy is getting a little, uh.” At that point, an aide cut him off and ushered journalists out. Before he could mis-speak again?) — Obama; what an embarrassment.
Posted by: Fred | May 10, 2008, 4:05 am 4:05 am
This is the same Peter DeFazio that said, “”Maybe the people who think there’s a [911] conspiracy out there are right.”
This is also the same Peter DeFazio that gets a “soft on crime” rating by the National Criminal Justice Association.
He also voted against removing the “marriage penalty” in the Federal tax code; voted against tax cuts to small businesses; and is also considered a “big spender” by the NTU. He is also considered a “hard core liberal” in the political spectrum.
Consider the source.
Posted by: Thunderbolt | May 10, 2008, 4:08 am 4:08 am
thank you ernest, you at least make sense. i am not a racist by any means….i don’t care about the color of one’s skin or his or her creed….all i care about is justice and fairness for all….people dont understand me here. i am for the people, speak for the people, and represent the people. i am a true democrat…..so take that anyone who wants to challenge me….
Posted by: carlasue | May 10, 2008, 4:50 am 4:50 am
rizabove, did you actually post this??? i really don’t think you did. i think someone here is taking on your name like they did mine. i am going to sign off and say good nite, and nice talkeing to you, and everyone else. god bless, god bless the usa.
Posted by: carlasue | May 10, 2008, 5:45 am 5:45 am
It will become apparent soon that this Presidential election is going to be a blow out on a scale larger then Clinton vs Dole. I can see it now when Obama choses Jim Webb as a running mate and McCain choses Lieberman. It will be Obama & Webb vs Mr Magoo & Elmer Fudd. Even though the American people were stupid enough to vote for George Bush twice, I think they will find 8 years of embarrasment to be enough…
Posted by: jim | May 10, 2008, 6:52 am 6:52 am
As I have read these blogs and read what has been said about Obama. It is a shame how when a black person is winning fair and square. White people say they are “cheating” or “stealing”. You people are so use to being on top and blacks being on the bottom it scares you of how far America has come. Then you say it is not about race, yes it is to white people. Blacks are suppose to be in the back not the front. Please look at the words you are using and know that it shows your true “color”.
Posted by: Kristle | May 10, 2008, 7:37 am 7:37 am
Robert S. Bennett (born 1939) is an American attorney best known for representing President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky investigation (Wikipedia). This attorney went on television a couple of weeks ago and said regarding the Keating Five incident that John McCain was as clean as a hounds tooth. Keep in mind the Congress was controlled by the Democratic Party at that time. Mr. Bennett said the only reason John McCain was included by the Dems was the four senators who were involved were Democrats and the Democratic Party wanted a Republican in the mix so it wouldn’t look so bad for the Democratic Party. Folks, those are the facts. If you want to see some ugly stuff, look at Obama’s deal with Tony Rezko concerning how Obama bought his home. Rezko’s wife bought the adjoining parcel the same day Obama bought his home. Take a look at how much Obama paid for his house and how much Rezko paid for his parcel. Oh, the seller to both was the same person. Look at how much Obama paid and how much Rezko paid. Then ask yourself why Obama paid way below market. That is ugly.
Posted by: Bill | May 10, 2008, 7:50 am 7:50 am
now this is just rish:
i see folks saying that if mccain wasnt convicted, hr isnt guilty, so we cant bring it up
yet these same hypocrites will whine all day about the OJ verdict
nice
Posted by: Josh | May 10, 2008, 8:11 am 8:11 am
Most of the comments I read by some of our white folks brothers and sisters are sickening. I am an 80 year old white lady. I had been a clinton supporter for over a decade. Sometimes, you’ve got to step outside and see the mess you had been into. I was in a mess surrounding by racists, deceptionsists, dividers and ranters and Hillary camp is not an exception; it is notorious for it!. I donated a total of $3000 to her campaign but I am now regretting it. She is a liar! She is racist of late! She is a divider! If Obama were white with such a lead this would have ended long since. It is so disturbing when I heard Clinton said “the race card has been played on me”! This pathetic and a political stunt kind of statement. Blacks had been voting for white candidates for over a generation and no one called it “a race card played on me”! Now that they vote for a black candidate because of his belief to change the system in Washington DC, pathetic fools cry out “a race card been played on me”! Look, those who are playing the race card here are some of my fellow white folks who cannot stand a better change; but, you want it or not, majority of us want that change and so we are behind Obama, not because of his color but because he is an American just like us and we believe in the change he stands for. The game of race card is a game of fire which when it is uncontrollable will be another revolution in this civilised nation! I urge you with all my heart to unite and prove to the world that we are not racists nor divided but united as one! Please vote for Obama! Let’s give him a chance to prove himself to us and the world. CAN’T WE SEE THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO HURT ANYONE? HE LOVES ALL AND HATE NONE. I am with all my heart donating his camp a $1500 today and with the rest of my neighbors.
Posted by: PAT | May 10, 2008, 8:18 am 8:18 am
Beirut Shooting After Hezbollah Takeover
Posted by: Jack | May 10, 2008, 8:45 am 8:45 am
Tucker Bounds sounds wright on Obama.
Never will I or my family vote for BO!
Posted by: HP Boston | May 10, 2008, 8:48 am 8:48 am
You know what ,what Obama paid for his house is none of your business and what does that have to do with this election???Clinton pays for her with your money sonny boy she chages the government $10.000 for secret service being in her cottage so it pays her house payment now tell me thats ok…Plua we pay the jerks $420.000 phone bill
Clintons pastor just was sent to jail for raping a 7 year old thats ok????She is on trial for fraud thats ok????Sick of this crap.So much hate not even funny she used the race card first it came out of Billy boys mouth.
Posted by: older wh lady | May 10, 2008, 9:14 am 9:14 am
funny the mccain campaign is talking about unhinged rhetoric. obama has no more control over DeFazio than McCain has over the North Carolina GOP.
Maybe the McCain campaign should try to control its own party before they accuse Obama of negative politics (by the way jpt, i noticed you left out the Obama campaign’s disavowal of these comments).
Bu, of course, I would expect nothing like this from the Double Talk Express.
Posted by: RJ | May 10, 2008, 9:55 am 9:55 am
I’m a lifelong Democrat, however, after seeing how deceptive, ruthless and divisive Obama has been throughout this campaign, I could never vote for him. Better a moderate Republican than Obama. Also, I don’t think I could stand another 4 or 8 years of race cards being thrown at all who disagree. That’s really getting old.
Posted by: James | May 10, 2008, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm
This will be my first time voting in a general election. I just heard something mentioned called ‘keating five’. Can somebody explain to me what Keating five is. I hear it involved John MacCain but honestly, I don’t know what it is. By the way I will vote for Barack or Hillary if either of them wins the nomination
Posted by: Siam | May 10, 2008, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
if everyone will we be held by the actions of their friends or pastor, that mean we all are involved in this. we cannot hold obaman by the words from his pastor. Rev, wright is just a pastor and does not
speak for obaman. we will not cruxify obaman for attending his church. bill clinton has an affair with monica, and the wife knew about it and will not cruxify her for her husband act. we need to support these candidates for what they stand to give to american voters. so, lets make our judgement for the sake of our right to vote.
Posted by: peter adams | May 11, 2008, 7:51 am 7:51 am
Dear Pat,
your comments almost made me cry. thank you for telling the truth.
It’s funny how people conveniently forget Sen. Clinton and Sen. McCain’s prior misdeeds. Sen. McCain was disciplined over the Keating five. He voted against MLK holiday, and now he’s contrite. Perhap’s this is true and perhap’s not. Wonder what took so long.
The point is, all of the candiates have made mistakes and associated with questionable people. I doubt you could go so high on the food chain and avoid running into people or ideals that are not questionable. The key thing to remember is, these canidates are human. They entered a race knowing they could win or lose.
Voting for change, voting Obama 08
Posted by: ginger | May 11, 2008, 6:22 pm 6:22 pm
OlderWH lady. I was in Nevada when Michelle and Obama declared that people would be a part of history and change by voting for him, the black candidate. He even stated it again in the debates. THEY WERE HOPING TO WIN ON IT which was their original reason for “change”, he later “changed” the message after being vague in the media because everyone wanted clarification of his “change” agenda. Put that together with his church choice, his surrogates ruthless attacks on Clinton and Michelle’s continuous “slips” and its all clear. People call us racists for not voting for him doesn’t help either, especially since we have a wider range of demographics in supporters. Obama is reaping what he sowed.
Posted by: YOUNG BLACK WOMAN | May 11, 2008, 9:51 pm 9:51 pm
McCains Skeltons:
That New Time Religion
John McCain grew up Episcopalian. He went to an Episcopalian high school. For at least 15 years, he has been listed as an Episcopalian in authoritative directories such as the Almanac of American Politics and Congressional Quarterly’s Politics in America 2008. He told a reporter from McClatchy News Service in June 2007 that he was an Episcopalian.
Suddenly, in September 2007, he’s campaigning in South Carolina, the heavily Baptist state where George W. Bush barely managed to stop McCain’s presidential campaign 8 years ago. And guess what? McCain tells a reporter “By the way, I’m not Episcopalian. I’m Baptist.”
When pressed, he said he’s attended the North Phoenix Baptist Church in Arizona for more than 15 years, though he has never been baptized in that church. Now see, that’s exactly the problem. Baptism is kind of a big thing in the Baptist Church. (That’s how they got the name.) No baptism, not Baptist.
Anyway, details aside, this is one very clear indication of how McCain has changed. Now, he’s just another hungry politician, happy to pander if it helps him win. Which eliminates the very reason people were excited about him in 2000 — his honesty.
Founding Member of the Keating Five
Back in the old days, defendants in famous trials got numbers — the Chicago Eight, the Gang of Four, the Dave Clark Five, the Daytona 500. McCain was one of the “Keating Five,” congressmen investigated on ethics charges for strenuously helping convicted racketeer Charles Keating after he gave them large campaign contributions and vacation trips.
Charles Keating was convicted of racketeering and fraud in both state and federal court after his Lincoln Savings & Loan collapsed, costing the taxpayers $3.4 billion. His convictions were overturned on technicalities; for example, the federal conviction was overturned because jurors had heard about his state conviction, and his state charges because Judge Lance Ito (yes, that judge) screwed up jury instructions. Neither court cleared him, and he faces new trials in both courts.)
Though he was not convicted of anything, McCain intervened on behalf of Charles Keating after Keating gave McCain at least $112,00 in contributions. In the mid-1980s, McCain made at least 9 trips on Keating’s airplanes, and 3 of those were to Keating’s luxurious retreat in the Bahamas. McCain’s wife and father-in-law also were the largest investors (at $350,000) in a Keating shopping center; the Phoenix New Times called it a “sweetheart deal.”
Mafia ties:
In 1995, McCain sent birthday regards, and regrets for not attending, to Joseph “Joe Bananas” Bonano, the head of the New York Bonano crime family, who had retired to Arizona. Another politician to send regrets was Governor Fife Symington, who has since been kicked out of office and convicted of 7 felonies relating to fraud and extortion.
Family Problems
McCain has a reputation as a politician who has difficulty keeping his pants zipped, according to Republican sources. He acknowledges that his adultery broke up his first marriage. His second wife Cindy, the daughter of a wealthy Budweiser beer distributor, was addicted to prescription narcotics and even stole hard drugs from a medical charity that she ran. McCain acknowledges that she didn’t want him to run, and only agreed once he promised that she doesn’t have to go to New Hampshire or Iowa.
Quotes:
- Leonardo DiCaprio is “an androgynous wimp.” — McCain.
Sources:
“McCain Says He’s Been Baptist For Years”, by Bruce Smith, The Associated Press, September 12, 2007
“Candidates invite questions about their faith”, by Stephen Dinan, Washington Times, September 18, 2007
“The Pampered Politician”, by Amy Silverman, The Phoenix New Times, May 15, 1997
Posted by: ginger | May 11, 2008, 11:01 pm 11:01 pm
Why isn’t the Keating Five scandal a legitimate issue? All you have to do is ask: How did McCain meet Charles Keating? You will find that Keating was part of a fundraising network setup by Cindy’s father, the muli-millionaire beer distributor. Then you have to ask: did McCain dump his first wife to marry Cindy for her money and political connections and because she was 20 years younger than him and not disabled like his first wife? Afterall, McCain is using Cindy’s jet illegally. So what are the McCains hiding financially? Why won’t she release her tax returns?
Posted by: Doug | May 12, 2008, 1:45 pm 1:45 pm
Cheryll,
Was it an experienced peron running the country when the Cuban Missile crisis happened? hmmmmm….Exactly. What you need to do is look at all the accomplishment Obama has done for 10 years before the senate. Hillary is winning because of Bill, well guess what. He is not running. Hillary has been in the Senate a while but tell me all she has done for NY.
Posted by: donna | May 15, 2008, 9:11 am 9:11 am