Obama: "Is That The Best You Can Come Up With?"
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Barack Obama condemned John McCain's "Celeb" ad today as the latest of his rival's "predictable political attacks," and the presumptive Democratic nominee portrayed his opponent as looking out for profitable big oil contributors instead of the working class.
"While big oil is making record profits, you're paying record prices at the pump, and our economy is leaving working people behind," Obama told residents of this flood-ravaged city, hours after Exxon-Mobil announced a record $12B quarterly profit.
He defended his opposition to expanded offshore oil drilling, saying it wouldn't provide "short-term relief or medium-term relief or, in fact, long-term relief."
"Now although it won't save you dollars at the pump, I have to say that it has helped raise campaign dollars," he added. "Because last month, Senator McCain raised more than a million dollars from -- guess who? -- oil and gas company executives and employees - most of whom, most of these campaign contributions came after he went to Houston to meet with a bunch of oil executives and announce that he was in favor of offshore drilling. That's not a strategy designed to end our energy crisis, it's a strategy designed to get politicians through an election."
Obama also said that McCain is resorting to negative attacks instead of offering solutions for the nation's economic woes.
"Given the magnitude of our challenges when it comes to energy and health care and jobs and our foreign policy, you'd think that we'd be having a serious debate," he said. "But so far, all we've been hearing about is Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. I do have to ask my opponent, is that the best you can come up with? Is that really what this election's about? Is that what is worthy of the American people?"
Obama said he did not want to get into a "tit-for-tat" but noted that McCain "has fallen back into the predictable political attacks, demonstrably false statements."
Obama concluded the rally with a riff about which candidate really is the riskiest choice. Notably, however, he did not allude again to attacks on his name, or the idea that he did not look like other presidents on dollar bills - a line the McCain camp has suggested is invoking the race card.
"All they're doing is churning out the same stuff they've done every four years," he said. "All you do is you, you just replace the name then you say he's too liberal, he's soft, and he's and this he's that, he's going to raise your taxes. It's the same arguments that they've made over and over and over again."
Before the town hall meeting at Coe College, Obama met with some families who had been effected by the flooding here. He promised as president to "be a strong, swift, effective" partner with local governments in the event of future natural disasters. He also claimed at the town hall event to have special ties to the city, since it was his first stop as a candidate in 2007.
"The skeptics predicted I wouldn't go very far," he said. "The cynics dismissed it as a lot of hype, a lot of celebrity, a little too much hope. By the fall, the pundits had all but written us off. You guys remember this. The politics and the attacks haven't changed much."
(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)
ah, the old "tit for tat" the same reason Obama gave when he wasn't supporting the idea to impeach Bush and Cheney.
The cynics dismissed it as a lot of hype, a lot of celebrity, a little too much hope.
Well I don't know, Barack; that seems to be the best you can come up with.
Americans are obssesed with racism.., Is this the kind of democracy you want to "export" to other countries in form of "wars"?
Hey Obama ... if you want substance between you and McCain ... then, why do you refuse to debate him in 10 town hall meetings? Obama has been attacking his opponents ... first Hillary ... now McCain, by way of his supporters ... who he has to keep distancing himself from, only after they're caught that is, to give the appearance that he is not involved in the attacks. As far as Obama looking different than the Presidents on our dollar bills ... this presumptuous, pompous, arrogant candidate is probably already planning how he will redesign our currency, with his picture on it, like the way he redesigned the Presidential seal ... that is, whenever he can take some time away from accusing everybody who disagrees with him of being a racist. Obama is a cry baby, who is not qualified to be President of the United States.
Stay on the attack, Barack. The only way to stop a bully is stomp him down.
if anyone is a racist, it's obama. first of all he sat in church with jeramiah wright for 20 years as he said things like U.S. of KKK. he followed Farakan on the million man march. Malcom X was one of his hero's and now he's trying to play the race card against McCain when McCain has said absolutely nothing about race. He already played the race card on the Clintons now he's trying it on McCain. What an ass.. I wish that instead of McCain, conservatives had a truly conservative black man to vote for and shut all the race baiters up.
What happens if people elect (or appoint) another pro-torture candidate like (or worse than) the current bozo? We continue down the path of trying to build that Empire to keep that supply of gas for Hummers, foreclose on houses, lose jobs ... and what do we gain from that?
There will always be distractions so you will not notice the real issues here. Are you pro-torture? Then vote for McCain. Do you want a hundred-year quagmire? If bullscheiss like "race cards" are too important for too many people, we as a nation will get what we deserve. Oh yes, and more phone tapping. Enjoy!
Obama '08! At least Barack knows how to be honest and forthwright with the American people and will not insult us with oil schemes to make the wealthy "fatter" while the middle class slowly erodes to poor class! Where is McCain's energy plan - any details yet? What about his social security plan? No? Nothing there either...well no wonder he is losing in his home state and can't come up with any policies - similar to his days as an POW for 5 years. I don't think McCain created or made any policy decisions then did he? McCain is an angry, empty, old suit running sided by side with Bush and using very outdated and old tatics! By the way, can someone ask McCain if he even penned his own book? I think Mark Salter wrote the words for him. Maybe too much detail has gotten lost over the years! McCain will lose this election!
i believe that Obama needs to come to terms with the fact that he is using the same tactics on different oponents, while McCain might use outdated tactics, they have worked, and still are. Obama does attack McCain through his supporters but denies when confronted about it. He refuses to debate about strong points, but trashes McCain for negative attacks. Obama might be a smooth talker but if we continue to listen to his delightfully dishonest tactics, we will end up even worse off than right now, and tat is saying something.