RACE BAITING BY MCCAIN CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL IN VIRGINIA- UPDATED

The LA Times scoops the Virginia media with this column from the McCain campaign's official Buchanan County representative.

You need to read this column to believe it. In "humor" he accuses Obama of wanting to paint the White House black, supporting reparations, changing the national anthem to the "black national anthem", teaching "black liberation theology in all churches", and replacing the flag with a "star and crescent logo".

Why has the Virginia McCain campaign not removed this guy already and publicly rebuked him?

DEVELOPING...

UPDATE: Wow- a bunch of well known blogs have picked this story up.  Howie Klein at Down With Tyranny,  Matt Stoller at Open Left, Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars, Oliver Willis, Adam Seigal, Watertiger, Jack and Jill Politics, and The Huffington Post.

Here are the statements from Bobby Lee May and the McCain Campaign: 

"I offer a sincere apology to anyone that I may have offended with anything that I've written when expressing my personal opinions. Effective immediately, I have resigned my position as McCain Campaign Buchanan County Chair." -- Bobby Lee May

“Bobby Lee May’s comments about Barack Obama are offensive, insulting and have no place in political discourse. Mr. May’s comments in no way, shape or form reflect the views or opinions held by John McCain or his campaign. The McCain campaign wholeheartedly disavows Mr. May’s column. Mr. May is no longer a part of our campaign organization.” – Gail Gitcho, McCain mid-Atlantic spokesman

Comments

[Leslie Connolly]

We'll remember this the next time you Democrats come up with some Jew-baiting or woman bashing crap (that for you are never parody). Fortunately, you never condone such activities, right, bitch?

The only thing new I see is the "star and crescent logo".

[Cottonpickers]

Don't forget us whiteys will be put in the fields to pick cotton in our overalls too! What we need is more MOOSEBURGERS from the queen of witches!

Virginia Republicans prove once against that they are fearful, pathetic, ignorant, hateful people. No wonder why they're going down for the long count.

LC (and that's not Leslie Connolly, it's loose cannon), you are a sick individual. But that goes without saying because you voted for Bush/Cheney and you will vote for McSame.

The best legacy of a Bush/Cheney Administration would be a 60 vote Democratic Senate. We will obtain 5-7 seats in the Senate this year and the outlook looks awesome in 2010:

http://www.senateguru.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=35

So if 60 vote total doesn't happen this year, it will happen next year. Great legacy, right LC?

The McCain campaign comes down to two words:

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/7740/bushagainfz0.png

You are all sheep.

[Mike in Oakland]

And so it begins...pathetic.

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

Seven and one half years of miserable failure, and this is all the pukes have.

Maybe losing eight Senate seats will get their attention.
~

[Irene]

What paper printed that stuff? Surely not The Coalfield Progress. Seems it would be time for some letters to the editor.

Hey Ben:

Did you are about John McCain's brother calling Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria "Communist Country"?

Here it is:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hby_5Pku5ywmfC_rEtEV5BcYKR5gD93KDFPO0

You should put this up.

11:11 AM, sounds like you have a sick infatuation with animals. Please don't talk about your sex life.

11:11 am has a weird obsession with lemmings and sheep. He must be into bestiality.

"woman bashing"?

Obama is leading among women by a large margin.

I guess Dave Albo is no different than Joe/John McCain.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/03/AR2008080302056_pf.html

Joe McCain just ensured an 85% turnout rate in Northern Virginia.

[books]

The author of the column, Bobby May, really ought to get back on his meds. His paranoid schizophrenia is producing some very serious delusions.

[William in Petersburg]

"Only one person can solve this economic crisis and that is Hillary Rodham Clinton."

Interesting what Ben has put up there. Maybe Obama can't solve this economic crisis because he's black? Is that it, Ben?

[Mister Papercut]

Wow. Did this cretin's use of "Jim Webb's aide" in a punchline for a lame Second Amendment joke jump out at anyone else?

Stay classy as ever, Republicans.

This Bobby May character needs to be completely ostracized. This was a sad piece of writing and the GOP should be asked if they want to repudiate him and his claims.

[Indy]

Ostracized? dude, he already lives in Buchanan.

///could relocate to Floyd- they don't even have a major road of any kind running through.

//Buchanan county is really, really beautiful. It has several gas stations, a subway, and a lot of cattle.

Did he get this off in the Lynchburg NewsAdvance? That a wackaloon paper has an elderly bigoted crank for every type of conservative.

[ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®©]

Skins!
~

From Gail Gitcho, McCain mid-Atlantic spokesman:

“Bobby Lee May’s comments about Barack Obama are offensive, insulting and have no place in political discourse. Mr. May’s comments in no way, shape or form reflect the views or opinions held by John McCain or his campaign. The McCain campaign wholeheartedly disavows Mr. May’s column. Mr. May is no longer a part of our campaign organization.”

Maybe John McCain's brother should team up with Dave Albo to do outreach to independents in NoVA.

I'm sure the good people of Fairfax love to be called food stamp using Communists.

4:28 PM, provide a publication (e.g. web site, newspaper, magazine) for your quote. If you can't, then we have to assume that you are not telling the truth and you are in bed with 11:11 AM and his sheep.

[wb]

"Did you are about John McCain's brother calling Fairfax, Arlington, and Alexandria 'Communist Country'?"

Did he say Fairfax? I thought he just said Arlington and Alexandria. Anyway, John McCain lives in Crystal City. So he's not just a communist, he's also lame.

Well, Dave Albo said people in FFX are on food stamps. So I wouldn't be surprised.

Can you imagine the fall out of a NoVA Democrat called Southwest a place for "inbred hicks" or something similar?

These insults direct at Northern Virginia are similar.

5:01 PM, the difference is NOVA Democrats are smarter than John McSame's brother, of course, I don't think we want to move the bar that low.

They are probably smarter than Dave Albo, too. Don't forget him!

[People's Republic of Reston]

Best schools in the country. Astounding prosperity. Horrible traffic? Must all be dirty rotten libruls!

[red dem]

Posts unnecessary: President-elect Obama in little more than four weeks.

wait until the people hear about obama's illegal foreigner contributions libs...

5:37 PM, Pat Robertson doesn't trust McCain's finger on the button. I'm trying to find that Meet the Press video.

6:07, why isnt it racist that 90% of the blacks voted for obama in the primaries??

6:39 PM, because we live in a democracy and people can vote for who they want to.

[Sandi]

I read this article and it is a smear, nothing like that was printed. It was never written, good fake job. How low can the O Camp get? Now you all come out and write some hate. I am a Democrat, and this is the filthest Democratic campaign I have ever witnessed.

[Sandi]

lol I see more censorship by the O supporter, and they just deleted my post. Smear with fake newsclipping!

Sandi,

The LA Times article is here mentioning the original local newspaper columnist is here (the LA Times likely uses to peer review process for their sources):

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-virginia5-2008oct05,0,3655355,full.story

And the local newspaper columnist article is here (the LA Times most likely had to SCAN THE HARD COPY newspaper article):

http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2008-10/42750415.pdf

If you are saying that the LA Times is not checking their sources, then you need to contact their editorial board with your concerns. In the mean time, if you can substantiate your claim, I am sure that Ben would gladly take your information and follow-up on it. If you cannot, then quite frankly, you're full of shit.

[Carole B]

I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. Tonight I happened to tune into Fox News to see what was going on over there, and I was shocked to see they were broadcasting a whole program called "Obama and Friends: History of Radicalism". This vile piece of distorted journalism is the worst thing I have ever listened to in the United States of America. It smacks of the kind of hate the Nazis used to turn people against the Jews. I find it racist and diabolical. The sponsors of the program were Mr. Clean, Outback Steakhouse, and Red Lobster. I wrote them to express my disgust at their involvement in this smear campaign. I'm urging everyone to do the same.

[Gnarly]

Hey...stop playing the race card,,,the hate card...and everything else you do to quench your thirst for power. You guys can have the White House...take it.....in the voter fraud landslide in which you will get it....YOU lefties preside over this mess. Obama will have to sit by like GWB with thumb in mouth and watch Congress spend us into oblivion...he can add his one trillion dollars...it won't matter.....dude...we are done either way......take it bro...it's all yours.....I'm packing. Off to Fiji...peace.

[wb]

"why isnt it racist that 90% of the blacks voted for obama in the primaries"

Can you point to a white Democratic presidential nominee since LBJ that hasn't received 85-90% of the black vote? I didn't think so. Guess you should quit with the race-baiting, then.

[red dem]

Oct 6, 6:20am,

When have the republicans put up a platform that welcomed anyone but white america?

[red dem]

let me correct that: white, straight, gun-toting, Jesus-loving, woman-subjugating America?

We've finally found someone stupider and crazier than "t," and her name is "Sandi."

[Pete in Williamsburg]

I am long-past trying to tie an entire organization to one rogue.

In my humble opinion, you had guy who outed himself as a racist and a fool. Granted, he's probably been putting a racist imprint on everything political that he has touched over his years. However, the moment the statement hit daylight, there was an appropriate outcry, he appropriately resigned and the McCain campaign appropriately denounced him. It's worth a mention, but this hardly means John McCain has a race problem.

[Ronnie Ruff]

Racism in my home state rears it's ugly head. How human beings can be so ignorant is beyond me.

[Pete in Williamsburg]

Additional thoughts: The article itself was written with a maximum effort towards angry racist smears. I hope all who know Bobby Lee May look at him with new eyes and shake their heads to thoughts of "Wow, I didn't realize he was one of those types."

His apology was the standard pathetic not-apology by using the slimy conditional phrase "to anyone I may have offended." Trust us, Bobby, you didn't possibly offend, you did offend. Just as you intended. I am confident that your fellow GOPers will give you a decade or so of a cold shoulder in hopes you will learn something about this country. Good luck in finding a new hobby.

[underdog]

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ASSOCIATES OF KNOWN TERRORISTS?

The Ayers-Weber-McCain connection. Truth? Guilt by Association? We report. YOU Decide!

Arnold R. "Arnie" Weber is a Chicago Annenberg Board Member and Chicago "insider". He was a part of the Nixon White House. Arnie Weber has held other Washington "insider" jobs too. He is a LONGTIME REPUBLICAN DONOR. But get this: Arnie Weber was a BOARD MEMBER of the infamous **CHICAGO ANNNENBERG CHALLENGE** organization, which was founded by known "TERRORIST" Bill Ayers!

Sarah Palin was using "guilt by association". This, however, is a two way street but Gov. Palin may not understand this.

NEW INFORMATION SHOWS THAT JOHN MCCAIN HAS ACCEPTED "TAINTED" CAMPAIGN MONEY FROM ARNIE WEBER, AN ASSOCIATE OF BILL AYERS.

Arnie Weber has given the maximum legal amount of $1,500 to the McCain campaign in 2008. He probably would have given more if allowed by law. In 2008, Arnie Weber made two separate donations of $1,000 and $500 to McCain’s presidential campaign run by EX-LOBBYIST AND WASHINGTON INSIDER RICK DAVIS.

And that's not all. On 10/08/2008, John McCain's campaign released a list of 100 former ambassadors "endorsing" the GOP presidential nominee. Second on the list is Leonore Annenberg, currently the president and chairman of the Annenberg Foundation and widow of ambassador and philanthropist Walter Annenberg. Ms. Annenberg was herself the "chief of protocol" at the State Department under President Reagan. Annenberg was responsible for the Chicago education board where Arnie Weber and William Ayers worked on their political agendas for Chicago. Arnie Weber is a McCain CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTOR. Clearly there is a pattern forming here. Sarah Palin SHOUTS TO HER FANS IN FLORIDA that THE ANNENBERG FOUNDATION ACTIVELY SUPPORTED A "DOMESTIC TERRORIST" and now she and John McCain embrace not only their BLOOD MONEY but their political endorsements! WHAT ON EARTH IS NEXT? Will McCain/Palin start accepting endorsements from members of Osama bin Laden's family, or from the religious leaders IRAN?

I demand that Senator McCain denounce this man, Arnie Weber, and this woman, Leonore Annenberg, and all of their associations to "terrorists" (as defined by his running mate, Sarah Palin). I call on Senator McCain to reject these tainted donations. John McCain should then investigate how such a thing could possibly happen inside HIS OWN CAMPAIGN before seeking to cast stones at Senator Obama. McCain's campaign CEO, RICK DAVIS, needs to explain to the AMERICAN VOTERS his reasons for accepting this dirty money and these shameful endorsements. Are they really that *desperate* to win this election at any cost? Doesn't John McCain still believe in the *honor* that he felt when defending this country against the godless enemy in Vietnam where he served as a prisoner of war for more than 5 years?

THE "LIBERAL MEDIA" SHOULD ASK JOHN MCCAIN WHY HE ACCEPTED THIS TAINTED CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THIS "TERRORIST" ASSOCIATE. THEY SHOULD DEMAND THAT LEONORE ANNENBERG explain how this happened to HER FOUNDATION. Incredible as it may sound, Arnie Weber doesn't even DENY that he ASSOCIATED FOR YEARS with a "KNOWN TERRORIST". NEITHER does Ms. Annenberg.

This is probably because neither of them have been been asked. Nor should they be. Leave them alone.

What? Oh, now for the reality check: It turns out that these types of "facts" are simply BASELESS SMEAR ATTACKS WITH NO MERIT! Yes. It is true. Attacks like this are meant to distract the uninformed voters near the end of an election. We don't hear about them very often because most candidates have too much integrity to run them. They know that winning an election based on lies is unacceptable. Besides, people want to talk about REAL issues affecting REAL lives, not play a game of "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon".

Random associations are EASY to find. For instance, it turns out that you can trace Obama's FAMILY TREE to both George W. Bush (10th cousins once removed) and Dick Cheney (eighth cousins). Yep! They are legally RELATIVES. This is yet another useless "fact" for Trivial Pursuit lovers, but it is not worthy of any media time in this national election for the greatest country on God's green earth.

If you want some more guilt by association, here is something to find out for yourself. Who said this? Who supports this guy and his political party? "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government. And I won't be buried under their damn flag."

Guilt by association is an attack on voters and on the electoral process. Voters need to learn about the issues. Governor Palin should apologize for raising this STUPID guilt by association tactic against Senator Obama. And if she REALLY believes what she is saying, she REALLY should demand that they return "Arnie" Weber's campaign donations. Seriously. To do anything short of that would be blatant hypocrisy.

"Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you run is negative attack ads you don't have much of a vision for the future or you're not ready to articulate it." [John McCain - The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer - 2/21/2000]