McCain's Mom Secret Weapon: Rips Into RomneyWhen you're down and out and starting to lose ground in a political race, reach for Secret Weapon Number One: Your Mom. That's what Senator John McCain of Arizona has done as his mom ripped into Mitt Romney.
John McCain's 95-year-old mother, in a swipe at her son's rival Mitt Romney, said Friday that Mormons were to blame for the scandal that rocked the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
During an appearance on MSNBC, Roberta McCain laid out why her son, John, deserves to win the Republican presidential nomination. But in evaluating McCain's primary rivals, she criticized Romney's Mormon faith and his time in Salt Lake City.
"As far as the Salt Lake City thing, he's a Mormon and the Mormons of Salt Lake City had caused that scandal. And to clean that up, again, it's not a subject," Roberta McCain said.
John McCain quickly stepped in: "The views of my mothers are not necessarily the views of mine."
"Well, that's my view and you asked me," Roberta answered.
The Salt Lake Organizing Committee had enticed International Olympics officials with lavish gifts and accusations of bribery mired the Games in scandal while resignations sullied the region's reputation.
Utah officials tapped Romney to lead the effort and as president and CEO of the organizing committee he pared the budget, boosted revenues and worked to repair the committee's reputation.
A Romney campaign spokesman said the McCains made a mistake.
"I would disagree with any candidate or any campaign surrogate that chooses to disparage someone based on the faith that they hold, and instead implore other candidates and their campaigns to make a case to voters based on the important issues facing the nation," said Kevin Madden.
McCain is losing ground in the polls while maintaining his 5/1 odds at most reputable online bookmakers
You can't keep an old dog down apparently (no offense to John McCain). He's come out swinging this weekend. In addition to his mother ripping Mitt Romney, McCain also took a swipe at frontrunner, Rudy Giuliani on Friday.
John McCain said he would have never recommended Bernard Kerik to be the nation's Homeland Security director, as Giuliani did, because of Kerik's lack of qualifications and his "irresponsible" actions training Iraqi police in 2003.
"He stayed two months and one day - just up and left," McCain told reporters while campaigning in Concord, N.H. "That's not what I think are the qualifications of the head of Homeland Security."
McCain's campaign retooled its New Hampshire schedule so that when Kerik's indictment was announced, the senator could present Tom Ridge, the first Homeland Security director, a former Pennsylvania governor, and the newly announced chairman of McCain's "national first-responders coalition."
Ridge joined McCain in questioning whether Kerik was qualified to run Homeland Security.
"He obviously had a relationship with Bernie that suggested to him that Bernie was the man for the job," Ridge said. "I just questioned the call because I thought his sense of the judgment required and the profile of the individual he thought would fill the need was different from mine."
McCain appeared pleased to have Ridge at his side in a happier portrait than Kerik and Giuliani could offer.
"That was great," McCain said quietly to Ridge as they disembarked the bus. "It couldn't have come on a better day."
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Alejandro Botticelli, Gambling911.com
Originally published November 10, 2007 7:46 pm ET
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