Talking the talk

Oh, that rascally Barack Obama:

“Barack Obama promises a new brand of politics, but today refused to directly denounce Ed Schultz and his vicious smear attack on John McCain. John McCain is committed to a civil debate worthy of the American people and has a record of standing by that commitment,” said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds. “Senator Obama must personally and publicly repudiate his campaign supporter’s attacks — rather than give tacit approval to this blatant smear — or his rhetoric of change will be exposed as nothing but words.”

The McCain campaign likens the insult to the language used by conservative radio talk show host Bill Cunningham, who rallied the crowd for McCain in Cincinnati, Ohio, in late February by repeatedly invoking Obama’s middle name, “Hussein,” mocking him as a “hack” and suggesting that as president he’d cozy up to Hezbollah and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. McCain condemned Cunningham, prompting a fierce response from the talk show host.

On Friday, however, Obama thanked Schultz and called him the “voice of progressive radio.” Obama also appeared as a guest on his radio show earlier in the week.

The explanation for this is pretty simple, really. Obama doesn’t dare repudiate statements from the likes of Jeremiah Wright or Ed Schultz, because he hasn’t sewn this primary up yet. For all his bluster, he’s perfectly aware that if Hillary Clinton wins Pennsylvania, then a majority of the remaining states through June, she has a persuasive argument to take to the super delegates, and to the party.

To answer Glenn’s question, no. This isn’t the way to spread hope and unity, it’s the old fashioned way to stoke lefty anger and garner lefty primary votes…you know, those delicious netroots flavored votes that Obama needs so badly. Any Obama tack to the center after this primary season is going to look about as bad as Mitt Romney’s tack to the right, though, and general election voters aren’t anywhere near as partisan, or as forgiving, as Democratic primary voters.