McCain’s campaign staff knew precisely what it was doing when it asked local conservative radio talk show host Bill Cunningham to warm up the crowd prior to a McCain rally in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Cunningham delivered his conservative political philosophy as he has done to millions of listeners on his daily radio talk show.

It is impossible to think the McCain think tank didn’t know who Cunningham was or what he might deliver; but somehow after he delivered his message, which McCain wasn’t present to hear, the staff thought it was necessary to inform McCain about some of the perceived sensitive comments before he went on to the staged rally.

Cunningham described Obama as a “hack Chicago, Daley-style politician who is picturing himself as change.”

“When he gets done with you, all you’re going to have in your pocket is change,” he said.

The radio host told the crowd he’d had a dream about “Barack Hussein Obama’s wonderful life a year from today.”  In the dream, he said, “Obama was president and had just met with Iranian leader Mhmoud Abmadinejad and was set to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong II.”  Then Cunningham said, Obama was going to “saddle up next to Hezbollah.”

“All’s going to be right with the world when the great prophet from Chicago takes the stand, and the world leaders who want to kill us will simply be singing (Kumbaya) together around the table with Barack Obama,” Cunningham continued.

Many in the audience laughed, cheered and applauded during Cunningham’s remarks, others said they were embarrassed by them.

McCain apologized for the remarks and said he took “full responsibility.”

“Any offense that was inflicted I apologize for,” he said, adding that he was outside the building when Cunningham spoke.

“Whatever suggestion was made that was in any way disparaging to the integrity, character (or) honest of either Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton was wrong, and I condemn it.”

Asked whether Obama’s middle name was an appropriate topic for discussion, McCain said, “No, it is not.”

It makes one wonder about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Richard Millhouse Nixon, Hillary Rodham Clinton and William Jefferson Clinton?

Why were these middle names mentioned?

Is there something sensitive about Obama’s middle name to Obama?  After all,  his parents thought it a fine name when they gave it to him.

Perhaps some need to be reminded of the sensitivity the first time an Irish American Catholic, by the name of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, ran for president.  We didn’t omit his middle name at the time.

Are these double standards, or just and attempt to be politically correct at a what is perceived to be sensitive times.  It’s all so phony, these candidates have taken the gloves off a long time ago and do they really think we the public are stupid?  Sometimes I think that is precisely what our politicians think or they wouldn’t act in the bazarre manner in which they do.

McCain went on to say, “I absolutely repudiate such comments, and again, I will take responsibility.  It will never happen again,” the Arizona senator said.

Well Cunningham took his conservative vote away from McCain, unless he apologizes on several fronts for his non-conservative positions.

Rush Limbaugh took McCain to task on his talk show yesterday, the story gained legs and played on all the networks and the conservative faction of the Republican party took another step back from McCain, after taking one careful step forward earlier in the week.

Unlike Ronald Reagan, George Bush and George W.; McCain doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut to get the conservative vote.

McCain didn’t have to say anything — perhaps he should have followed the lead of the Clinton campaign, when they denied knowing anything about who circulated the Obama Somali elder picture over the weekend.