McCain likes to remind Obama that he's not running against President Bush, but maybe someone needs to remind McCain that he's not running against William Ayers. Before his Lumberyard rally in Miami this morning, McCain was on Radio Mambi talking about the "washed up old terrorist" according to Naked Politics:
"Sen. Obama said it was just a guy in the neighborhood," McCain said on Radio Mambi. "We know much more than that. So I don't care much about an old, washed-up,unrepentant terrorist and his wife, who was on the FBI Top 10 wanted list, but we should know about their relationship."
This comes just weeks after The Huffington Post reported that Radio Mambi commentator Max Lesnik warned that it would be a huge mistake to bring up Ayers amongst the exile community:
"South Florida is not, Lesnik and other critics say, the best place for Republicans to talk tough on terrorism. "It's interesting to see how Governor Palin avoided Miami during her visit to Florida on Tuesday," said Lesnik whose experience of domestic terrorism began after he criticized the U.S. embargo against the island where he fought alongside Fidel Castro, who he has also criticized. "She was probably asked by some South Florida Republicans like the Diaz-Balarts (two brothers in very tight Congressional re-election bids this year) not to come here because it might cause them -- and Mr. McCain -- problems. They don't want Palin to come here screaming about 'terrorism' right now"
We've already hashed over the similarities between Bill Ayers and Eduardo Arocena, a man that many of el exilio and Joseph Lieberman hope to see pardoned by Bush. Then there's McCain affection for Roberto Martin Perez.
Are these men necessarily terrorists? Well if Ayers is, then they are (though running mate Sarah Palin has a habit of only applying the terrorist tag to people's whose political views she doesn't agree with). Makes you wonder though, if Lesnik is right and the exile community (and Lesnik, probably isn't the best bellwether of their feelings) strongly felt McCain shouldn't bring up Ayers in Miami, then how close is he really paying attention to them anyway?
