McCain Defends Robocalls

On "Fox News Sunday," John McCain defended his use of nasty robocalls against Obama, telling host Chris Wallace that the calls are nothing like the ones used against him in the South Carolina 2000 primary. (In fact, McCain appears to be using the same firm as that smear campaign.) Asked if, in response to bipartisan condemnation, McCain would stop the calls, he replied, "Of course not."

WALLACE: But Senator back, if I may, back in 2000 when you were the target of robo calls, you called these hate calls and you said--

MCCAIN: They were.

WALLACE: And you said the following: "I promise you I have never and will never have anything to do with that kind of political tactic." Now you've hired the same guy who did the robocalls against you to, reportedly, to do the robocalls against Obama and the Republican Senator Susan Collins, the co-chair of your campaign in Maine, has asked you to stop the robocalls. Will you do that?

MCCAIN: Of course not. These are legitimate and truthful and they are far different than the phone calls that were made about my family and about certain aspects that -- things that this is -- this is dramatically different and either you haven't -- didn't see those things in 2000.

WALLACE: No, I saw them.

MCCAIN: Or you don't know the difference between that and what is a legitimate issue, and that is Senator Obama being truthful with the American people.

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