WASHINGTON- Cindy McCain did not join U.S. first lady Laura Bush in giving the benefit of the doubt to Michelle Obama for her comments about being proud of the United States.
The wife of U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain was asked in a television interview on Thursday to give her views on Obama’s controversial comment made in February that “for the first time in my adult lifetime I am really proud of my country.”
”Everyone has their own experience. I don’t know why she said what she said — all that I know is I’ve always been proud of my country,” McCain said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
After critics questioned her patriotism because of the remark, Obama — wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama – said her comment was referring to being proud of the political process this year.
The first lady came to Obama’s defense earlier this month, saying the remark was likely misconstrued and she thought Obama meant to say “I’m more proud.” Bush then offered Obama some words of wisdom: be really careful what you say because comments can be misconstrued.
Obama said on Wednesday that she sent the first lady a thank-you note for for coming to her defense. During an appearance on ABC’s “The View” Obama said she was trying to take some cues from Laura Bush’s rational approach.
Obama also said people like the first lady because “she doesn’t sort of fuel the fire.”
That comment was likely aimed at her rival to become the next first lady. McCain had said one day after Obama’s controversial comment: “I am proud of my country. I don’t know about you, if you heard those words earlier — I am very proud of my country.”
McCain was asked why she made that comment.
“It was nothing planned,” she said on CNN. “It was nothing more than me saying look I believe in this country so strongly. I think she’s a fine woman, she’s a good mother, and we both are in an interesting line of work right now.”
Yet when McCain was asked on “Good Morning America” if she would feel safe with Barack Obama as president she responded: “I would feel safe with my husband as president. I think Barack Obama is a fine man, I think Michelle Obama is a fine woman. This is about who would be better and I think my husband would be better.”
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage
Photo credit: Reuters/Kham (Cindy McCain waves to media in Vietnam’s central Nha Trang city, June 18, 2008).
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Take one comment and flog it to death! Cindy should come out more often and talk trash so that folks can see her for what she truly is. Laura Bush, a classy lady who deserves to be where she is. Cindy, the fuel-mongering, trash-talking classless person (lady she is NOT), just as mean-spirited as her husband! But we should not base our opinions on this kind of issue. McCains DO NOT have any issues of substance to base their campaign on, so on with the trash-talking. We want a good president, not another one from the privileged class, who knows nothing of how we, everyday folks go through. McCain and Cindy knows nothing of the lives of most Americans. He will not think of us from our view point. Instead, he will continue to protect the rich like Bush (and himself!!), continue with the same policies, tax breaks for only the rich, taxing us citizens more to support themselves. No, we cannot afford MsSame/McBush any longer, regardless of Cindy. We ned solutions and we need them soon, but they will not come with another McBush term.
- Posted by karuna bertamI say, “Let’s assume that both Cindy McCain & Michelle Obama are both decent women & patriots & therefore we can just take them out of the mix! The question ought to be: “Who has the most compelling vision for the future of this country?” Barack Obama is exponentially superior to John McCain as the leader this country needs to return our country to it’s once vaunted place as the Leader of the Free World. Nothing transcends this truth!
- Posted by GenevieveMichelle Obama will make a tremendous first lady!!!
All things being equal, there shouldn’t be a comparison of spouses. But, this campaign has shown that things aren’t equal.
Who wears a flag pin? Folks tried to cream Obama for not wearing one, but no one seemed to care whether or not McCain wore one.
Sen. Obama graduated at the top of his class. Sen. McCain graduated 5th or 6th from the bottom of his.
Let’s just say if Michelle Obama had
1. stolen drugs from the charity she managed,
2. had an extra-marital affair and
3. been bookkeeper in a situation that invited investigation,
(all things which Cindy McCain has done, by the way)
no one would be concerned about whether Mrs. Obama is ‘proud’ or ‘really proud’ of the United States. It’s as if Mrs. McCain is daring people to bring up her past indiscretions.
She and the Republican Party are playing with fire…
- Posted by IsonprizeThere is a single relevant question: which women would you prefer representing the United States of America as First Lady. Whom is your preferred hostess for a state dinner or representative leader of a contengent to a refugee camp or royal court.
Some things are beyond politics…they are social, graceful, and supportive…and…they are important.
- Posted by Terrebonne TroubadourThere are those who still care for style, poise, manners, dignity, and loyalty…but we seem to be fewer by the day.
Pride, as I have always understood, is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. If you check on beliefnet, you’ll see that all the major religions say pride is bad. So why this dispute about which wife is more sinful? Personally I’d rather vote for someone whose main sin was lust. We’ve already had a few presidents like that and they turned out quite well.
- Posted by StewartHey OK Jack,
I agree! Who cares about pride and flag pins, there is nothing to gain from it. I want to know about my life and how the government is going to help me. Besides, McCain is not showing suppport for the troops by cutting health care to them upon their return. What could be less patriotic than that? It’s shameful that we do not give education and health care benefits to people who offer up the ultimate sacrifice. That is completely and totally un-american!
- Posted by LadyI think it’s time for the media to be called on its skewering of the facts. Michelle Obama didn’t say that, for the first time in her life she was proud of her country, she said for the first time in her life she was REALLY proud of her country. Big difference. You quote it incorrectly in the first paragraph and correctly in the second. Get your facts straight! What a difference one word makes. Actually, you should use the quote in context, as there’s nothing controversial about it whatsoever. It’s just been blown out of proportion to sell more ads in the media. Nice try. And, if that’s the best the Republicans can do, they might as well stay home in November.
- Posted by Bob DobMichelle Obama and her husband are devote disciples of Rev. Wright. What Michelle said was brought to you directly from the racist and anti-US teachings of Rev. Wright and his Trinity United Church.
- Posted by mr_wizardJack - I couldn’t agree with you more.
Unfortunately our news media seems to be more interested in reporting on gossip and pettiness than they do on the real issues… like withdrawing troops from Iraq, our failing economy, rising gas prices, tax breaks for working class Americans, fixing our health care system and veterans health care system, and the list could go on, and on, and on. It’s become a game of bait and switch to the media, and it’s about time they stop distracting themselves and everyone else with them by giving these non-stories the coverage that they should be giving the real stories.
- Posted by AdrienneI think Michelle meant exactly what she said. She was saying that because a bi-racial man was running for president that she was finally proud of America. She judges events through racially colored glasses. Plain and simple.
What I don’t particularly care for is her lack of candor, her lack of honesty. Very un-authenic.
- Posted by KeithWhat kind of person would be proud of this country ALWAYS? There once was a time when Blacks were to be dominated, confined, and excluded in their own country. Whites endeavored to do this by enslaving Blacks, denying them human, political and civil rights, subjecting them to racist laws and racist segregation, by public denigration, by denying or diminishing their education, by denying them employment opportunities, access to health and medical care, forcing them to live in poor neighborhoods, and by subjecting them to various forms of violence.
Senator John McCain and his wife Cindy were adults when much of this gross mistreatment of Black people was occurring. They said that they had always been proud of their country, without any qualifying language. That means, then, on the basis of their own words, they were proud of this country when it was treating Black people the way it was doing.
But what is Patriotic about this? Who would be proud of this? This would be tantamount to being imbecilic
- Posted by wendy alane wrightI couldn’t agree more, OK Jack. One does get a little tired of invented confrontations like this one. Who cares what Cindy McCain thinks about anything? For that matter, who cares what Michelle Obama thinks? Neither one is running for president, and either one will make a terrific first lady.
I happen to believe that Michelle Obama is more intelligent, well-spoken and well-rounded - and a person who understands the plight of America’s middle class better than Cindy McCain does - one need only compare backgrounds to see that (working lawyer/hospital administrator v. idle heiress).
But it doesn’t matter.
We all understand that the media are desperate for news these days, and with Hillary Clinton out of the race, they’ve got to find something else to talk about, preferably something about women - just to keep alive the myth of angry Clinton women not voting for Obama. If they can gin up a controversy or two about future First Spouses, that’s better than nothing.
Meanwhile, the rest of us are just trying to survive this economic malaise Bush and Cheney created, with the willing support of an incredibly ineffectual Congress.
Yeah, I’m ready for some change. On a lot of fronts.
- Posted by Dennis Berry02/19/2008
Pride to be an American:
May I set the record strait, I am 72 years old, an African American born in GA, I served in the US Navy for 24 years, and I have visited many countries on this planet.
I would not trade my life in this country for any other place on earth, my disappointment when I read the declaration of independent and it say all men are created equal.
As I travel in other countries I did not see Black people hardly in any countries place of business or any place else, maybe they did not say all men are equal, but America made that pledge, now before I tell why I promise to defend this country at all cost even to death, I want to point out some of the low points.
As a young sailor in uniform I were force to give up my seat on the bus for a white person, I was turn away from a hotel in San Diego, CA, Oakland, CA. and traveling across country we would drive nonstop across the USA because we could not find a place to sleep.
My wife was fired from her job at San Diego State because and establishes employee would not work in the office with a black person.
The pride I have for America is that we have a system that allow the under dog to have a fighting chance if we are willing to go against the odds.
My reason for this letter is to help somebody to understand what Michelle Obama said today, we are looking at the final barrier of racial divide in this country, not saying that racisms is dead, but to accomplish what Barack and Michelle have, give hope to every Black or child of color born in America, yes we can.
Of my 72 years of living as a citizen of the USA, today Michelle Obama said what I have wanted to say for all this time, I am truly pride of America, Cindy McCain said she have always been pride of America, you know she have a good reason to say that as a white woman, all she need to do is marry a white man and she would be lifted to what ever high he reached with the same respect. Black American in 2008 can feel pride along with all America.
Mizell Sumter SC
rmdgm@ftc-i.net
- Posted by Ralph Mizell