Billionaire Repudiates Campaign Plan to Use Rev. Wright Sermons Against ‘Metrosexual’ Obama
- Posted on May 17, 2012 at 3:38pm by
Billy Hallowell
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (The Blaze/AP) — The billionaire said to be weighing a proposal to resurrect incendiary comments by President Barack Obama’s former pastor shelved the idea Thursday after Obama and Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney denounced the tactic.
A screen shot from the "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama" plan
An aide to Joe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade, said the proposal to draw the Rev. Jeremiah Wright into the presidential campaign — and the issue of race, by extension — went too far.
The New York Times reported Thursday that Ricketts’ Ending Spending Action Fund, a conservative super PAC, was considering a proposal for a $10 million TV ad campaign highlighting Wright’s sermons. The original Times report read, in part:
Timed to upend the Democratic National Convention in September, the plan would “do exactly what John McCain would not let us do,” the strategists wrote.
The plan, which is awaiting approval, calls for running commercials linking Mr. Obama to incendiary comments by his former spiritual adviser, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., whose race-related sermons made him a highly charged figure in the 2008 campaign.
“The world is about to see Jeremiah Wright and understand his influence on Barack Obama for the first time in a big, attention-arresting way,” says the proposal, which was overseen by Fred Davis and commissioned by Joe Ricketts, the founder of the brokerage firm TD Ameritrade. Mr. Ricketts is increasingly putting his fortune to work in conservative politics.
A screen shot from the "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama" plan
The blueprint, titled “The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama: the Ricketts Plan to End His Spending For Good,” was devised by a group of Republican strategists, one of whom confirmed its contents for The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss private working sessions.
The document also suggested hiring a spokesperson who is an “extremely literate conservative African-American” who would be able to argue that Obama presented himself as a “metrosexual, black Abe Lincoln,” The New York Times reports. BuzzFeed decided to have a little PhotoShop fun to showcase what, exactly, a metrosexual Lincoln would look like:
Brian Baker, president of the super PAC, said Ricketts was not the author of the 54-page plan (see it here). Baker blamed consultants.
“Not only was this plan merely a proposal — one of several submitted to the Ending Spending Action Fund by third-party vendors — but it reflects an approach to politics that Mr. Ricketts rejects and it was never a plan to be accepted but only a suggestion for a direction to take,” Baker said in a written statement.
A screen shot from the "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama" plan
Romney had urged the independent group, which favors his candidacy, to abandon the Wright strategy and to focus instead on his bedrock issue, the economy.
“I repudiate the effort by that PAC to promote an ad strategy of the nature they’ve described,” Romney told the conservative website Townhall.com. “I would like to see this campaign focus on the economy, on getting people back to work, on seeing rising incomes and growing prosperity – particularly for those in the middle class of America.”
Listen to Romney’s statement, below:
Obama campaign manager Jim Messina criticized the plan as a “campaign of character assassination” and accused Romney “reacting tepidly in a moment that required moral leadership in standing up to the very extreme wing of his own party.”
Messina noted that Republican Sen. John McCain, Obama’s opponent in the 2008 presidential race, had rejected using Wright and Wright’s sermons against Obama.
Messina commented before Romney’s interview with Townhall.com, and issued no comment after Romney urged Ricketts’ group to abandon the effort.
McCain made clear four years ago that he wanted to challenge Obama on his record, not on the words or deeds of those around him, and forbade adviser Fred Davis from incorporating Wright into their advertising plans.
A screen shot from the "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama" plan
But Davis, a colorful Hollywood consultant, clearly wanted another chance to go use the strategy against Obama.
Davis’ firm said in a statement Thursday that the document — which called for “hitting Barack right between the eyes” — was only a proposal and did not win Ricketts’ approval.
Wright became a problem for Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign when videos of the pastor’s sermons surfaced. In a 2003 sermon, Wright said black people should condemn the United States.
A screen shot from the "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama" plan
“The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing `God Bless America.’ No, no, no, God damn America, that’s in the Bible for killing innocent people,” Wright said at the time. “God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.”
Wright, who preached at the Chicago church Obama once attended, became such a distraction for Obama that he ended up delivering a major speech on race relations to try to quell the controversy. He also severed his ties to Wright.
For his part, Arizona Sen. McCain said he had no regrets over his handling of the Wright issue.
“I remain proud of our campaign and proud of what we were able to accomplish, and I would do it over again,” McCain told reporters Thursday at the Capitol. He said the matter seemed dead after Romney repudiated the proposal.
A screen shot from the "The Defeat of Barack Hussein Obama" plan
He shrugged when asked whether independent groups should take up matters such as Wright’s remarks.
“It’s a way for political operatives to continue to make money,” McCain said.
Another top Republican, House Speaker John Boehner, of Ohio, declined to be drawn into the debate.
“This election is going to be about the economy,” he said when reporters asked him to react to the proposed ad campaign. “I don’t know what these other people do or why they do it.”
Ricketts is the founder of Nebraska-based TD Ameritrade Securities and owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. He has been active in conservative politics for years, most recently in Republican Deb Fischer’s upset win this week in the Republican Senate primary in Nebraska.
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Comments (47)
Independent4233
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 6:12pmMcCain lost the last election, because he was too timid to point out the vast discrepancies in Obama’s past, as well as his embrace of much anti-white rhetoric.
It looks like Romney is going to go down that same cowardly road.
These establishment Republicans are just not capable of fighting a guerilla war, as Democrats always do.
We need a third party, but we won’t get one. Our best bet is to secure as much US territory as we can get during the coming civil war and militarize it to the point where we control everybody that goes out and comes in, making certain radical leftist whites are left in the urban areas to enjoy all the benefits of the wonderful diversity they forced on us in the form of mob attacks and Reconquista plans to take over the Southwest.
Report Post »Holland
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 6:09pmGood grief! The republicans have nominated a taller Peter Lorie aka John McCain. They can ripe Mitt a new one everyday, but no, no, no…..not God bless America, Mitt will smile the weasel smile and republicans will continue to be the loser…..I can’t stop vomiting long enough to think about voting for Mr. Potato head.
Report Post »BradLee
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 5:15pm***…sadly that gets elected these days :-(
Report Post »fuzzy20841
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 5:07pmHere we go again! What value is taking “the high road” if we lose the election and let Obama and the other Socialist thugs putt his country down the tube! McCain redux!
Report Post »girlnurse
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 5:55pmYep–Mittens is another MacCain….sigh
Report Post »TEARS FOR AMERICA
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:51pmNot only were murderous forces in the Democratic machine threatening people, you had progressive McCain throwing the race as witnessed by many a Republican Chairman…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9TcHyqPlpU
Report Post »searching for the Truth
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:50pmDang, there’s my chicken!
Report Post »cbrown
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:49pmLet‘s boycott Ricketts’s TD Ameritrade for not airing the ad.
Report Post »Delores at CH WV
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:36pmIt is Interesting that this book, Rev. Wright charge, and the loser John McCain Campaign truths comes out after the GOP gets their chosen one, Romney.
Report Post »Romney better step up, not like the loser McCain.
cbrown
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:47pmWe should boycott Joe Ricketts’s TD Ameritrade for not airing the ad. I plan to cancel my account today.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:32pmAre you kidding? After 3 1/2 years of arrogant disregard of the Constitution and the People, you’d think they would have PLENTY of material for videos. Almost enough to make a couple of movies.
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:31pmNot a testicle to be found in the republica “leadership”.
Report Post »Sure hope Breitbart’s find helps compensate for the group shortage of cajones.
LibsAndCopKillersALoveStory
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:27pmWe all know what O brings to a street fight. Mitt, as you know, you are battling someone who re-wrote the book on street fights. What are you going to bring?
Report Post »Remember, losing this would be like Washington losing to the British.
G-dspeed, my friend.
G-dspeed.
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:23pmGod above here we go again; the truth of Obama-Wright needs to come out, loud and clear for all to see and hear with his own words.
Report Post »netmail
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:52pmAnd few can project a message like Wright can. I hope ‘they’ choose to go after him and that he fights back on an open mic. Complete self destruction would be such poetic justice.
Report Post »constitutionaldirective
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:19pmThe GOP is going to take a flower to a gun fight.. AGAIN????
I hope there are some CPACs out there with the TESTICULAR FORTITUDE that the GOP hacks DON’T HAVE!
Romney AND the GOP had better damnwell grow a pair.. AND QUICK!
Report Post »HKS
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:27pmEverything, including the kitchen sink will be coming at Romney, he had better be ready for a fight. Nice guys finish last.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:16pmMcCain part two.
Report Post »WISEPENNY
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:10pmWhere was the repudiation when the Super pac was butchering Gingrich and Santorum?
Report Post »toomuchgovt
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:08pmThe Truth has no agenda.
I’ve been stalked, slander, hacked and harassed to shut me up.
So what if “Romney” doesn’t agree. Does he think the Left won‘t won’t use lies to win? So he wants us to hide the truth. Go figure. I hope the “billionaire” does as he wishes.
I am no “birther” but it is funny how everyone is jumping on Warren, but one one seems to care that Obama said he was born in Kenya on a Harvard application.
None of my posts are being posted today, so I am sure I am just wasting time.
Report Post »edmundburk
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:17pmafter this, will you romney at any cost ass kissers still support him?
Report Post »jblaze
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:32pmAt least Romney is not a Commey!
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:04pmIf it’s true let it out. Do not support suppression of information. Repubs are the biggest pansy-a## MoFo‘s I’ve ever seen… and Romney is a poster child for pansy.
Report Post »toto
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:04pmThere is plenty of ammo to use against Obama, don’t know if old news would be effective anyway. Just hope timidity is not going to be the style Romney assumes throughout the campaign, we just can’t afford that now. We will know much more about the direction he will take by who he picks as a running mate. The real war will start when Obama dumps Biden for Hillary, believe that is a fait accompli, and was decided weeks if not months ago.
Report Post »WISEPENNY
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:03pmSeems kind of odd that he would take a solid stance against the Superpac now, but not while they were annihilating Gingrich and Santorum. There was simply nothing he could do with those bad boys.
Report Post »Seems like the old Romney flip flop trick. Boy, are we screwed. :(
johnpaulkuchtajr
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:02pmOh boy, here we go again!
Hey, Mitt, whether you remember the incident of head shaving or not, show the same ‘nads and go for the Ayatollah Obama’s jugular!
Would that be asking too much? Please? Pretty please?
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:00pmObama campaign manager Jim Messina criticized the plan as a “campaign of character assassination”
Well duh? Somebody needs to show what this man truly is!
Romney, YOUR A WIMP!
Report Post »marcus_arealius
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 3:54pmRepublicans think on this : “Nothing is off limits to the left, they will use anything and everything to win”.
STOP this idiotic ‘Nice guy’ tactic.. it does not work. Play as if this is war, because it is.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:04pmNice guys do finish last and Mitt doesn’t have the stones to get dirty,roll in the mud and get nasty,his campaign should be slinging mud til the cows come home,something will eventually stick.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:34pmI’ve noticed Establishment conservatives are not very good at “half-time adjustments”, if you will. They seem to seldom deviate from their game plan no matter how poorly they might be doing at any given point in time. There point is continually the high road over the American people. Maybe it helps them sleep better at night – I really don’t know.
I‘ve always argued that you’re better off sitting the game out if you’re not in it to win it, because there is always somebody lurking in the shadows that brings more “hunger” to the table. Traditional Americans can no longer choose the high road over the proper road and hope it all works out in the end.
So, Mitt, if you‘re head’s not in the game for the American people, there’s still time to step aside and let a real red-blooded American assume control of the sinking ship – Sarah Palin. She would eat that sniveling, bottom-feeding Marxist’s lunch.
Report Post »freedoc
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 5:48pmBAM!
Your absolutely right: This is a WAR. Tyranny versus Freedom.
And many others who have posted, are also right on target: NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING should be off-limits. This includes….HELL…SHOULD include character assasination because Oblabber has NONE. Its his most vulnerable position.
Romney, you better get it, and get it FAST, or your going down. Your losing…..and with it the hopes of the world.
Republicrats are morons. Seriously. Fight with EVERY ounce of your strength, and use EVERY countermeasure available…show the Nation what a lying SOB this clown really is.
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 3:52pmi don’t know what is more scary that man or the book of mormon.
Report Post »Fubared
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:19pmWhat about all that preaching about indivudualism and rights to worship? Paulbots are more scary than socialists sometimes.
Report Post »The-Monk
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:21pm@Individualism
You still have not answered my questions.
Exactly which bank and/or what corporation shut down the ice cream stand?
Whom did you call a “pig lover”?
Report Post »Want our country back
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 3:52pmObama and Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney denounced the tactic
….. sounds like McLame when Sarah Barracuda wanted to expose this fraud
Report Post »momrules
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:29pmExactly like McCain. I want a candidate that will tell the truth about Obama and not be afraid to get his hands a little dirty in the process. Just TELL the TRUTH………..no lies necessary.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 3:44pmAnybody get the feeling “our” guy is in it NOT to win it? It appears to be no different than with John Wayne McCain.
We deserve who we elect, I guess.
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:02pmYou are absolutely correct. Romeny’s a bigger wimp than McCain. Why do we always get stuck with these Democrat Lite’s ? Will they ever give us a true conservative candidate?
Report Post »blanco5
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 4:06pmRead Ron Paul’s books and see where he stands on things.
Report Post »freedoc
Posted on May 17, 2012 at 5:53pmTotal complete wimp. And the election will be a farce.
The ‘paulbots’, as they are frequently referred too, or YET again, looking pretty smart: Romney will get beat. Now, I am certain. He is a Republican stooge, and his chief interest is upholding the Republican status quo, that has managed to retain a semblance of power, the corrupt stash of government money—-cavorting down the tunnel leading to one world government.
They like that. Just like the Democrats: Keep our positions and our money, and the grand hierachy intact.
Sickening.
Report Post »