McCain Campaign Scorns Remarks About Obama

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

LAWMAKER REBUKED

McCain Campaign Scorns Remarks About Obama

A spokeswoman for Sen. John McCain on Monday condemned comments by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who said Friday that terrorists will be "dancing in the streets" if Democrat Barack Obama is elected president.

"The senator rejects the type of politics that degrades our civics, and this campaign will be about the future of our country," spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said. "McCain could not be clearer on how he views these types of comments, and obviously that view extends to Congressman King's statement."

King, a three-term Republican, made the remarks to a radio station as he announced his bid for another term in the House of Representatives. "I don't want to disparage anyone because of their race, their ethnicity, their name -- whatever their religion their father might have been," King told listeners of KICD. "I'll just say this: When you think about the optics of a Barack Obama potentially getting elected president of the United States -- I mean, what does this look like to the rest of the world? What does it look like to the world of Islam?"

King then said: "I will tell you that if he is elected president, then the radical Islamists, the al-Qaeda, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11th because they will declare victory in this war on terror."

During a campaign stop in Columbus, Miss., Obama said King's comments were more about self-promotion than substance. "I have to say that Mr. King and individuals like him thrive on offensive or controversial statements as a way to get in the papers, so I don't take it too seriously," he told reporters at the Little Dooey restaurant.

-- Michael D. Shear

HEALTH WATCH

After Doctor Visit, McCain Says 'Everything's Fine'

Sen. John McCain went to the doctor Monday as reporters intensified their grilling about the Republican nominee's medical condition.

"He is perfectly fine, and we'll do the full health release in a month or so," spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said.

If he wins in November, McCain, 71, would be the oldest president elected to the office. He was diagnosed in 2000 with skin cancer and had surgery.

McCain told reporters that "everything's fine. . . . Like most Americans, I go see my doctor fairly frequently," according to the Associated Press.

-- Michael D. Shear

SORRY, WRONG NUMBER

Girl in Clinton '3 a.m.' Ad Is an Obama Supporter

Sen. Hillary Clinton's much-talked-about campaign ad -- featuring a ringing phone and images of vulnerable, sleeping children -- has come under new scrutiny, thanks to the protestations of one unwitting star of the commercial.

The ad starts by zooming in on a sleeping little girl in blue pajamas as the narrator intones: "It's 3 a.m. and your children are soundly asleep. . . . Who do you want answering the phone?" Cut to Clinton, picking up the phone, working diligently to solve America's problems.

Turns out the little girl in the commercial is now nearly 18, and has made it clear that she'd prefer to have Clinton's rival -- Obama -- pick up the line.

Casey Knowles of Seattle told a local television station this weekend that she was shocked to turn on the television recently and see herself connected to Clinton. The video footage of Knowles was filmed eight years ago when she was working as a television extra, and the Clinton campaign bought it for the ad.

Knowles has been campaigning for Obama for months and served as a precinct captain for his Washington state campaign in February. She has no control over how her image is used.

"I think it would be wonderful if me and Barack Obama could get together and make a nice counter-ad," Knowles told KING-TV.

-- Krissah Williams