McCain, slings and arrows

McCain fundraiser's joke about rape resurfaces
GOP candidate postpones event in Midland after questions emerge


By RICHARD S. DUNHAM
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
WASHINGTON ?- An 18-year-old joke about rape told by 1990 Texas gubernatorial contender Clayton Williams has erupted as an issue in the 2008 presidential campaign, causing the man he is supporting for president, Republican John McCain, to scramble Saturday for damage control.

McCain's campaign late Friday said it had pulled the plug on a fundraising event scheduled for Monday at Williams' Midland home after reporters contacted the campaign asking about remarks made by the Texas Republican during his 1990 race against Democrat Ann Richards.

But Saturday afternoon, the McCain campaign told the Houston Chronicle that the Midland event had been postponed until this summer and would be held in a public venue.


Like a rainy day
McCain campaign officials changed plans after being contacted by reporters calling attention to Williams' comment 18 years ago seeming to liken bad weather to rape.

"As long as it's inevitable," Williams was reported as saying, "you might as well lie back and enjoy it."

Williams, 76, has made and lost fortunes in energy, ranching and other businesses over the past half-century, but is perhaps best known for his 1990 Republican race for governor. The Midland oilman's controversial campaign comments are widely known in Texas, but McCain aides told reporters they were surprised when they learned of them.

"These were obviously incredibly offensive remarks that the campaign was unaware of at the time this event was scheduled," said spokesman Brian Rogers. "It's positive that he did apologize at the time, but the comments are nonetheless offensive."

A representative for Williams declined to comment.


PR compromise
Items posted Friday evening on the the Houston Chronicle's "Texas on the Potomac" blog, along with Web pieces by ABC News and the Washington Post, triggered nearly 24 hours of sometimes-tense communications between the McCain campaign and the Williams camp.

Late Saturday afternoon, a McCain aide confirmed to the Chronicle that the Midland event had been postponed but had not been taken off the calendar. The compromise allowed McCain to say he had not held a fundraiser at Williams' house; it gave Williams an opportunity to say that the event he organized had not been canceled.

Stuart Rothenberg, publisher of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report, said the recycling of ancient controversies reflects a new reality of politics in the Internet Age.

"This whole campaign is about destroying the candidate by destroying the surrogates," Rothenberg said. The trend "is enhanced by the Internet and the ability to do research on those connected to the campaigns."

Because attacks spread so quickly on the Internet, campaigns have adopted a new philosophy, he said: "If there is a hot potato, drop it as soon as possible."


Struggling for women
Saturday, Democrats were doing their best to make Williams as hot a potato as possible.

The Democratic National Committee demanded that McCain return all money raised by Williams ?- something the GOP candidate rejected.

"Offensive, disgusting comments like these cannot be tolerated," said DNC communications director Karen Finnery. "Sen. McCain's refusal to return the money Williams raised for him raises serious questions and shows the reality behind his rhetoric about running a new kind of campaign."

Cecile Richards, daughter of the late governor and president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, blasted McCain for being ignorant of Williams' history.

"Clayton Williams' totally inappropriate remarks about women are well-known," Richards told the Chronicle. "Planning to host a fundraiser at his house is just another example of how out of touch John McCain is when it comes to women's issues. This is a major misstep for the McCain campaign, who is having a hard time getting support from women."

By Saturday afternoon, Republicans had launched a
counteroffensive. Republican National Committee press secretary Alex Conant blasted Democratic candidate Barack Obama's "campaign of hypocrisy and fingerpointing," pointing to fundraising for Obama by controversial figures such as former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson and Jodie Evans, co-founder of the women's anti-war group Code Pink.


New rules

The latest controversy reverberated through the Republican state convention in Houston.

Delegate Loyce McCarter of LaVernia, near San Antonio, said McCain did not need to react to something that happened so long ago.

"That was unwise," she said.

But delegate Malcolm McGregor of El Paso said McCain was smart to steer clear of Williams.

"It just goes to show you some people have very good memories," he said. "Elephants never forget."

Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia government professor, said McCain's campaign should not have been surprised about Williams' past.

"Candidates should vet all the key people they come into contact with," he said. "They are lousy rules, but those are the rules."

Staff reporters Alan Bernstein in Houston and Bennett Roth in Washington contributed to this report.