Obama Courts Florida Voters, McCain Gets Clean Bill of Health

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), Arizona: Well, I just think that the statement is crazy and unacceptable.

And, certainly, Reverend Hagee, Pastor Hagee, is entitled to his views. But we've reached a point where that kind of statement simply -- I would reject the endorsement of the expression of those kinds of views.

KWAME HOLMAN: This afternoon, John Hagee sympathized with John McCain's situation.

REV. JOHN HAGEE: The past 24 hours have been extremely painful and disappointing to me. My disappointment has nothing to do with the fact that I parted company with Senator John McCain. This was by far the best for both of us and best for the country.

It is time for the candidates and the media to turn their attention back to the pressing issues of our day and stop focusing upon what I did or did not say decades ago.

KWAME HOLMAN: But in distancing himself from Hagee yesterday, McCain also took a swipe at Barack Obama and his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, in the process.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: My church that I attend is the North Phoenix Baptist Church. My pastor and spiritual guide is Pastor Dan Yeary. I've never been in Pastor Hagee's church or Pastor Parsley's church. I didn't attend their church for 20 years.

KWAME HOLMAN: Obama, on a campaign swing through Florida yesterday, called McCain's comments "unfair."

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), Illinois: If you're in national politics, everybody -- you can find one or two people who have said offensive things or done offensive things.

You know, John McCain is having to deal with his -- Hagee, who said stuff that is mind-boggling.

I don't attribute those statements to John McCain. Nobody thinks that McCain believes that stuff. And for McCain to then suggest that every single statement that was made by somebody is somehow attributable to me is just wrong.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA: I have to be very cautious about this, because you remember the old stereotype about somebody says, "Well, I'm not prejudiced. Some of my best friends are Jewish," right? Or, "I'm not prejudiced. Some of my best friends are black."

The irony is that, when I was in Chicago, one of the raps on me when I first ran for Congress, in the African-American community was, "He's too close to the Jewish community." Seriously, you can look this up in the newspapers. "All his friends are Jews. You know, he's from Hyde Park. He's University of Chicago."

And so that's part of why this kind of conversation is frustrating.

KWAME HOLMAN: Today, Obama met with another important group of Florida voters, Cuban Americans, taking part in a Cuba Independence Celebration in Miami. Obama reiterated his willingness to negotiate with Cuban leader Raul Castro.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA: After eight years of the disastrous policies of George Bush, it is time, I believe, to pursue direct diplomacy with friend and foe alike, without preconditions.

Now, there must be...

There must be careful preparations. We will set a clear agenda. As president, I would be willing to lead that diplomacy at a time and place of my choosing, but only when we have an opportunity to advance the interests of the United States, but even more importantly to advance the cause of the freedom for the Cuban people.

KWAME HOLMAN: Hillary Clinton campaigned today in South Dakota. She met with the editorial board of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, where she downplayed calls for her to leave the race, saying historically it makes no sense.

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D), New York: We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know, I just -- I don't understand it. And, you know, there's lots of speculation about why it is, but...

JOURNALIST: What's your speculation?

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON: You know, I don't know. I find it curious. And I don't want to attribute motives or strategies to people, because I don't really know. But it's a historical curiosity to me.

KWAME HOLMAN: Clinton later issued a statement saying, "I regret that, if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and particularly for the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever."