Foot-in-mouth disease

TAMPA -- Jim Piccillo swears he was not a spy planted by the John McCain campaign to sabotage Barack Obama. Yes, he's a registered Republican, but all that phone banking and get-out-the-vote grunt work done on behalf of Mr. "Yes We Can" is for real.

So what made Piccillo, in front of thousands at the USF Sun Dome on Wednesday, introduce Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, as "John McCain"?

"A brain fart," he said.

"To be honest, I think it was just an everyman kind of moment," said the 34-year-old Land O'Lakes resident, who was watching a Rays playoff game at home Monday night when a party operative called and asked him to warm up the crowd for Biden. (see jump for the rest of the story)

 

Piccillo, who had been quoted briefly in a New York Times article about his abandoning the GOP, heartily accepted and immediately began working on a speech. The draft was traded back and forth between him and the Obama campaign and was revised "seven or eight times."

On top of page three is a reference to McCain, and Piccillo thinks he must have glanced down at it when it came time to say the senator's name. However, he didn't realize he had named the wrong senator. The crowd cheered, and Biden stepped on stage without missing a beat. It wasn't until he was driving home that they learned about the flub, played on WFUS-FM 103.5. "We thought it was a joke, that they'd spliced it in," said Piccillo's fiancee, Sandi Keeble.

Then the reporters started calling. No, Piccillo told them, he didn't get paid by the McCain campaign. He just messed up. "This is the biggest foot I've ever had in my mouth," he said.

*

Comments

Can't blame him. Who really wants to vote for Obama/Ayers/Wright/Rezko?

Has anyone noticed the Obama symbol? It looks like the port hole of a ship looking out onto a wave of RED TIDE coming right at you.

God help us...

[Tony]

Obama is not connected with Ayers! These are lies He sat on a board with Ayres..that's all. I sit on several boars and I'll tell you 95% of those people I have to relation with outside the meeting space. It's not like they were going hunting together or going to dinner together.

[Jonathan]

Has anyone noticed the Obama symbol? It looks like the port hole of a ship looking out onto a wave of RED TIDE coming right at you.

God help us...

[Jonathan]

Sorry for the repost! I meant to say, THAT'S THE FUNNIEST THING I"VE HEARD IN A LONG TIME!

[Jonathan]

@Tony He also launched his political career at a dinner hosted at Ayer's home. Ayers helped groom him to be the politician he is today. How many dinners have you hosted at your fellow board member's homes? What's your excuse for Wright or Rezko?

McCain is not fit for being Vice President. Ever since he lost the amnesty fight he has pretty much been less of a man. If he cannot stand up to Barack Hussein Obama I don't trust him for a second in a world with Putin and Iran's Hitler.

The nation needs to experience change and suffer what will come with it so we will all realize just how wretched socialism is.

Americans will realize they need to throw out both the Big Business Republicans like McCain and socialist Democrats. Then and only then will the nation begin to unify and move forward.

2010 the year of the Independent.

Tony -

Obama began his political career in Chicago at a fundraiser at Ayers' home.

The relationship is deeper than you think it is...

Has anyone noticed that McToady's getting a little flustered by Obama's success and can't keep his cut and paste IDs straight? He's repeating exactly the same blather and only changes the name. What a stooge!

[Samuel]

Do the world a favor and slash the tires of public transportation vehicles on 11/4. Keep Obama OUT.

[Commonsense]

You Republicans who keep saying that Obama will switch us to SOCIALISTS do realize that NO US PRESIDENT HAS THAT POWER. There is this thing called the US CONSTITUTION and also Congress!!! Didnt you guys ever take US Government in school?

Samuel, what a horrible thing to say. We'll be voting early anyway. I will personally shuttle voters in my own vehicle to the polls starting on Oct. 20 and ending Nov 4.

[surfdog]

commonsense:
Bush shredded the constitution

hey BUZZ
howzabout posting THIS GAFF??!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYFm5kK4f1k&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/8/1550/41356/348/615972

ha ha ha ha ah hahahahahahahaha

[Bleat]

Do the world a favor. Put observers in all the polling places. Keep McCain OUT.

[Angry Black Guy]

Our troops have fought to get a Huessein out of power in Iraq, and the tratior 'Americans' are pushing to get another Hussein in power in America??

What is wrong with this picture, his profession is a Liar/Lawyer!(and yes, he has great job security).

Wake up people he has done nothing but give opening statements like this is a trial.

What has he actually done besides talk? (rhetorical question)
Nada, Nothing, Zip, Zilch!!! On the count of three can we all say "EMPTY SUIT"??!!!

We need a President, not a cheesy public defender.

[surfdog]

hey folks

WHY ALL THE HATE???!!!!

I dont HATE McCAIN
I Dont HATE Palin

I am against THIS IRAQ WAR FROM DAY ONE

IRAQ WAR was the biggest foriegn policy blunder and war profiteering of any president
and where's Osama and howz the taliban doin.....FOOLS

THIS IS WHY I am voting Obama

John McCain wants to keep us in Iraq 100 years

and I think Sarah Palin is UNQUALIFIED TO BE PRESIDENT

BUT I DONT HATE SARAH OR JOHN
just want the country to go oppisite direction then Bush/cheney

BUT I DONT HATE THEM!!!

WHY ALL THE HATE?????

and I might add to 4:33 who added such nonsense:

DID SADAM ATTACK US???!!!
WHERE's the people WHO ATTACKED THIS GREAT COUNTRY???

FOOL FOOL FOOL

[Rob]

Nice work, Times. First today we get Ch. 10 doing bikini wax stories, now we get our local rag pointing out someone's gaffe. I feel like I'm in middle school all over again. The guy screwed up. Is it this big of a deal? Go post something worthwhile on You Tube and your own Web site.

Commonsense -

The problem is that Obama will simply rubber-stamp anything that the Pelosi-Reid Congress wants to shove down our throats.

I would much prefer grid-lock with McCain holding the veto pen.

[raymond]

here’s a little history 22 of our last Presidents had less qualifications than Obama. None of the Pres. With more experience were considered good for this country. The top ten Pres. Of this country were people that had less experience than Obama when they took office. Check you facts.

[Kristen]

Samuel, why don't YOU do the world a favor and move to Canada.

OBAMA 2008!

Commonsense: His proposals reek of socialist ideas.

[Raymond]

4:38 where was that pen when the bail out bill came around? where was your maverick. I'm glad you swallowed thathe mess.

[Terry]

I cannot believe how hateful and bigoted some of these comments are. So only people using public transportaiton would vote for Obama? Shameful! Not to mention that taking public transit is a good thing to do, good for the environment for sure and will save you lots of money! I wish I could take public transit to my job! It's okay to prefer one candidate over another - must you say hateful things? You have the nerve to criticize Barack Obama when you have such hatred in your heart? People who live in glass houses....you know the rest

[Rob]

Terry, people who live in glass houses, have to sell them because they can't afford mortgage payments or cooling costs. ;)

Raymond -

I agree, but Obama voted the same way...at least McCain disagrees with his party once in a while...and disagrees with the Democrats on earmarks.

McCain would make better use of the veto than Obama would, especially with a Democrat Congress.

[Guffawing]

LOLOLOLOL

[More SNL bellylaughs.]

http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/mystery-of-missing-snl-bailout-skit-explained-nbccom-took-it-down-for-legal-reasons-will-put-back-up-edited-version-today/

[Tom]

Ayers and Obama worked on a charity foundation called the Annenberg Challenge to help public schools.

The Annenberg Challenge was founded by Walter Annenberg, a republican philanthropist and close friend of Ronald Reagan. So was Annenberg a terrorist because of his ties to Ayers? Was Reagan a terrorist because of his ties to Annenberg?

Your attacks are completely unfounded and ridiculous. On the other hand, McCain had a direct part in the Keating Five.

[Tom]

Ayers and Obama worked on a charity foundation called the Annenberg Challenge to help public schools.

The Annenberg Challenge was founded by Walter Annenberg, a republican philanthropist and close friend of Ronald Reagan. So was Annenberg a terrorist because of his ties to Ayers? Was Reagan a terrorist because of his ties to Annenberg?

Your attacks are completely unfounded and ridiculous. On the other hand, McCain had a direct part in the Keating Five.

I am so over hearing about McCain and his argument against earmarks. He lost that argument when he picked Palin for his VP.

Hey saw Barclay Harless at the Palin event what is up with that thought he was a big Democrat now and he 's working for Nehr a right wing repub, guess all those drunken nights and scandals at the Beta Theta Pi house are causing you to sink to new lows, oh Barclay how is your boyfriend doing

[Tom]

5:25, you're exactly right. He is completely double talk.

1.) He complained about Obama's experience, then he picks Palin. If "executive experience" is what she brings to the table then Brian Zimmerman is qualified. He was mayor of Crabb, TX at the age of 11.

2.) He's against earmarks and then he vets Palin, who got more dollars per capita then any state in the nation.

3.) He wants a new change in Washington when he's been there 26 years. Look in the mirror, John.

4.) He worked the republican mantra of deregulation for his entire career and now wants more regulation when it blows up in his face.

I could go on but it's useless. The GOP is a complete disaster. Now, there's talk of the Democrats gaining a filibuster proof 60 seats in the Senate. Thank George W. Bush for singlehandedly destroy the GOP. And the voters who put that idiot in the office.

[Dan]

Honestly was that real? I mean if you listen to it, you don't hear the feed back when you hear him say John McCain. It sounds as if that was voiced over if you listen really closely. I dont believe he said John McCain at all and if you believe that he did, then you're just kidding yourself.

OBAMA & AYERS by Jeff Schrembs
Do the Democrats/Liberals/Socalists/Communists think that we are ALL stupid? To use the excuse that a grown man, harvard educated, attorney does NOT "know" who he is (a) sitting on two boards with (b) doing lectures with (c) contributing to each others "campaigns/endeavors" and (d) meeting wtih to LAUNCH their own Political Campaign...RIDICULOUS!
Furthermore OBAMA was HAND SELECTED by the EXTREMISTS Ayers to distribute 50 MILLION (yes that is right FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS) NOT to children in schools but to "extremists organizations" who want to turn America's poor into little BRAINWASHED TERRORIST.
If you don't believe this then go look at the facts of where this money went.
Obama takes "credit" for 100% Majority votes in the Congress yet he has never said a WORD about this 50 Million Dollars and where it went. Why?
Wake up America and DEMAND the facts from this "Emperor's New Clothes" named OBAMA.
Everyone he has dealt with from his preacher, to the people who HELPED him to buy his home and the land next to it, to his Political Advisors are all KNOWN EXTREMISTS.
Obama is a COWARD and the WORST kind of Liberal...a LIAR!
Nuff said.

[flarrfan]

McCAIN BACKER SUPPORTS DOMESTIC TERRORISM!
Is It Official Campaign Policy?

Do the world a favor and slash the tires of public transportation vehicles on 11/4. Keep Obama OUT.

Posted by: Samuel | October 08, 2008 at 04:16 PM

[flarrfan]

Everyone he has dealt with from his preacher, to the people who HELPED him to buy his home and the land next to it, to his Political Advisors are all KNOWN EXTREMISTS.
Obama is a COWARD and the WORST kind of Liberal...a LIAR!

Hmmm, where have we heard this before? Yes, I believe I heard pretty much the same crap from Joe McCarthy, and look where it got him.

Neo-con McCain supporters...the new McCarthyism.

Good night and good luck!

The Obama school of dirty tricks isn't restricted to voter fraud schemes. They're infecting every online conservative blog and news source.

You may have noticed every time you correspond with these liberal shills online they just send you off to an MSNBC YouTube link, or even worse, just tie up your time with more irrational socialist B.S.

My suggestion - don't waste your time on them. You'll never win them over, and you have more important things to do than banter with immature or malicious wing nuts.

Make sure you vote. And get your friends and neighbors to vote. This is a battle we CAN win.

Have a great day, and just remember how great and valuable our American nation is to our families, neighbors, and to the world.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

[flarrfan]

Commonsense: His proposals reek of socialist ideas.

Posted by: | October 08, 2008 at 04:44 PM

And McCain's plan to nationalize the mortgage industry would be...?

Conservative? Capitalistic? Free-market? Rooseveltian (and I'm NOT talking TR)?

[flarrfan]

McCAIN BACKER SUPPORTS DOMESTIC TERRORISM!
Is It Official Campaign Policy?

Do the world a favor and slash the tires of public transportation vehicles on 11/4. Keep Obama OUT.

Posted by: Samuel | October 08, 2008 at 04:16 PM

Time for a Thug bust!
I would like to see the real issues brought to light in the debates. If BO will insist on ignoring a newborn from a botched abortion and refuse any compassion or help, should it surprise anyone that he would stoop to any tactic that would win an election? What kind of president would he be, if he did win, God forbid! It is not about personality, but character and trust. I don't see either one!

Obama - Wrong on Guns!!

Obama - supported the DC Gun-Ban until the Supreme Court overturned the ban.

Obama - completed a political survey saying he opposed gun ownership (later blamed an "aide" made the mistake).

Obama - is "ok" working with a US Terrorist that bombed government buildings.

Obama - is "ok" blaming us military soldiers, "Air-raiding villages and killing civilians".

If you VALUE the 2nd Amendment - you had better vote for McCain/Palin.

It amazes me that so many of these supposedly educated media readers did not see this as indoctrination. I am 61 years old a post WWII boomer and remember reading what Hitler said "give me their minds at 5 and I will own them for life." I am not saying Obama is Hitler - however his leanings are very Marxist, he just has a way of making "Brown Shirt" youths not sound so bad...this is the message that is not being communicated to the public..and all this talk of never again a Holocost looks more real than ever - except it is here in America this time.

6:02 that is crap. There was already an Illinois state law that required doctors to see to the health of any viable infant, abortion or otherwise. He opposed the state bill because it could have potentially effected right to abortion. Which is probably the real problem of those who bring this up.

Doctors also opposed that bill as it would have forced them to perform life saving measure on babies that had no chance of living, even those whose parents knew there was no chance of living. A non-viable infant can be born with a heartbeat for a few moments. That bill would have not allowed parents time with their dying child and instead forced doctors to take the child from the parents, wasting precious time and resources.

So do you support not allowing parents time with their dying/dead infant?

After much of my own research, I have seen a pattern in Obama's career; a pattern that shows Obama to be a person that is both insecure about his own identity, resentful towards society, and determined to have control. It shows in many areas of his background. To me, he is a dangerous man and it scares me to think of him as our President. His choice of who he has associated with all his life tells us he has no principles and I will not vote for a person like that since it is character, above all, that determines how good a person will be as a leader of others.

[Carl]

"Ayers and Obama worked on a charity foundation called the Annenberg Challenge to help public schools.

The Annenberg Challenge was founded by Walter Annenberg, a republican philanthropist and close friend of Ronald Reagan. So was Annenberg a terrorist because of his ties to Ayers? Was Reagan a terrorist because of his ties to Annenberg?

Your attacks are completely unfounded and ridiculous. On the other hand, McCain had a direct part in the Keating Five." Obama was chairman of the committee that received $50,000,000 in a grant that Ayers helped write. He is closer than you think.

As to the Keating Five McCain and John Glenn were both exonerated by the DEMOCRATIC chair.

Obama's radical associations shows his belief system which includes indoctrination of children. The Chicago Annenberg Challenge that Obama co-chaired with Ayers for 4 years had an indoctrination program as part of it under the guise of advocacy training. (Wall St. Journal Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122212856075765367.html )

Obama is truly a threat to our country from within, but soooooo many people are buying into the image and not the real man.

Please keep doing your part to expose the real Obama, maybe someone will really stop to think instead of just mindlessly following the Obama herd.

If the people who vote for Democrats were informed, they would not vote for Democrats.

Actually, Ann Coulter had the best line on this with the title of her newest book: If Democrats Had Any BRAINS, They'd Be Republicans.

But regarding your comment: now you see why the Democrats have been so ardent in trying to dumb down the American public education system. As former Sacramento Bee columnist Linda Bowles wrote about this years ago, children indoctrinated in a public school system that teaches them that government is the source of all blessings have been prepared for a lifetime of active membership in the Democratic Party.

.....They are all in on the big scam ...GW, Paulson, Wall Street Bankers, Soros and Obama ...

....The goal is to tear up the Constitution, establish America as a Socialist State and to join a One World Government controlled by the U.N., World Courts and Internation Bankers .....COLOSSUS

[El Gee]

It is much easier to think that Obama will be elected only by people on public transportation that to consider the fact that Obama has appealed to a vast and diverse audience. Anyone who was at the rally today would have seen that in real life. Jim Picillo did a nice job sharing his personal story and the reason the audience didn't react when he said "John McCain" is because they were so fired up and excited to see Biden that they didn't even hear the "gaffe".

It is much easier for McCain's base to pretend that Obama's supporters are somehow radical and different than them rather than looking at the larger picture. We are black, white, Hispanic, Asian and every other race and culture you can think of. We are rich, poor and middle class, straight and gay, young and old, doctors, teachers, electricians, mail carriers, moms, hair dressers and lawyers. We are your neighbors, co-workers and friends. We are people who are saying no to hatred and old ideas.

Your political tactics of the past that are based on fear will not work this time.

We are ready.

And we are fired up.