So I just heard McCain spokeswoman Nancy Pfotenhauer on MSNBC. The host asked her to respond to Joe Biden’s assertion on the Today show this morning that Sarah Palin, or any candidate for VP, should stop what they’re doing and call out any audience member who is yelling out obscenities about another candidate. Instead of addressing that issue, Pfotenhauer repeated the false accusations Palin made about a “close” relationship Obama allegedly has with Bill Ayers and then went on a bizarre rant about Ayers radical education agenda. This was a new one, as far as I could tell.
As we discussed yesterday, it is highly irresponsible for the McCain camp to be carrying on a campaign of dangerous rhetoric which appears to be on the verge of inciting violence. One of the commentors on this blog yesterday described a Palin rally as a “lynch mob,” not using the term lightly. The New York Times calls their campaign one of “race-baiting” and “xenophobia” and Radar is reporting that the Secret Service is investing a threat on Sen. Obama issued at one of Palin’s rallies. Still, in despite of all of this, Pfotenhauer ducks the question and continues the attacks. McCain couldn’t bring himself to confront Obama with this misinformation in person at the debates last night. What does that tell you?
**Update: I heard Ron Christie on public radio around lunchtime doing the same stick-to-the-Ayers thing. The discussion was on whether or not the candidate speaking has the obligation to put a stop to racist or vicious (i.e. violence inducing) language coming from the audience he or she is addressing. Christie didn’t have the backbone to stand up for what is right, instead holding the party line in perpetuating the Ayers myth.