McCain disowns radio host's anti-Obama rant
CLEVELAND, Ohio, (AFP) — Republican White House contender John McCain Tuesday condemned remarks at a campaign rally by a right-wing radio host disparaging McCain's potential Democratic rival Barack Obama.
Warming up the McCain supporters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Bill Cunningham repeatedly used Obama's middle name, Hussein, and described the Illinois senator as a "hack" politician who could fall prey to corruption charges.
McCain said he was not present in the hall during Cunningham's tirade and said he had never met the talk-show host, who also attacked Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton.
"A comment disparaging of Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally inappropriate. I have never done that in any of my campaigns," the Arizona senator told reporters after the rally.
"And I absolutely repudiate such comments and, again, I will take responsibility," he said, describing the two Democrats as "honorable Americans."
"It will never happen again."
Obama spokesman Bill Burton welcomed McCain's disavowal of Cunningham.
"It is a sign that if there is a McCain-Obama general election, it can be intensely competitive but the candidates will attempt to keep it respectful and focused on issues," he said.
In November, McCain was criticized for chuckling when a voter in South Carolina called Clinton a "bitch."
But the maverick senator, who is on the verge of clinching the Republican nomination, has pledged to maintain a civil tone against his Democratic opponent in November's general election.
The Cincinnati-based Cunningham, one of a legion of conservative talk-show hosts who have been strongly critical of McCain, meanwhile turned on the senator during his evening radio broadcast.
"He just threw me under the bus to the national media. I've had it with McCain," he said. "I want Hillary Clinton to become the next president of the United States.
"Guess what, Barack Hussein Obama hasn't been vetted. But Hillary Rodham Clinton has been. She's been vetted. We know her dirt. It's a lot. We don't know about the dirt under the fingernails of Barack Obama."
