Obama and 100 Percent

Barack Obama said something remarkably stupid during the debate.

Referring to the negative campaigns that both candidates have been running, Bob Schieffer asked Obama and John McCain if they were "willing to sit at this table and say to each other's face what your campaigns and the people in your campaigns have said about each other."

The exchange:

JOHN McCAIN: Well, this has been a tough campaign. It's been a very tough campaign. And I know from my experience in many campaigns that, if Sen. Obama had asked -- responded to my urgent request to sit down, and do town hall meetings, and come before the American people, we could have done at least 10 of them by now.

When Sen. Obama was first asked, he said, "Any place, any time," the way Barry Goldwater and Jack Kennedy agreed to do, before the intervention of the tragedy at Dallas. So I think the tone of this campaign could have been very different.

And the fact is, it's gotten pretty tough. And I regret some of the negative aspects of both campaigns. But the fact is that it has taken many turns which I think are unacceptable.

One of them happened just the other day, when a man I admire and respect -- I've written about him -- Congressman John Lewis, an American hero, made allegations that Sarah Palin and I were somehow associated with the worst chapter in American history, segregation, deaths of children in church bombings, George Wallace. That, to me, was so hurtful.

And, Sen. Obama, you didn't repudiate those remarks. Every time there's been an out-of-bounds remark made by a Republican, no matter where they are, I have repudiated them. I hope that Sen. Obama will repudiate those remarks that were made by Congressman John Lewis, very unfair and totally inappropriate.

So I want to tell you, we will run a truthful campaign. This is a tough campaign. And it's a matter of fact that Sen. Obama has spent more money on negative ads than any political campaign in history. And I can prove it.

And, Sen. Obama, when he said -- and he signed a piece of paper that said he would take public financing for his campaign if I did -- that was back when he was a long-shot candidate -- you didn't keep your word.

And when you looked into the camera in a debate with Sen. Clinton and said, "I will sit down and negotiate with John McCain about public financing before I make a decision," you didn't tell the American people the truth because you didn't.

And that's -- that's -- that's an unfortunate part. Now we have the highest spending by Sen. Obama's campaign than any time since Watergate.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Time's up. All right.

BARACK OBAMA: Well, look, you know, I think that we expect presidential campaigns to be tough. I think that, if you look at the record and the impressions of the American people -- Bob, your network just did a poll, showing that two-thirds of the American people think that Sen. McCain is running a negative campaign versus one-third of mine.

And 100 percent, John, of your ads -- 100 percent of them have been negative.

McCAIN: It's not true.

OBAMA: It absolutely is true.

Now, Obama is a lawyer, right?

What was he thinking?

"And 100 percent, John, of your ads -- 100 percent of them have been negative."

A statement like that is sure to be challenged.

I could not believe Obama said that. It was as if he were channeling Joe Biden.

Obama is beginning to lie with the same passion and conviction that Joe Biden summons when he tells one of his many whoppers.

Obama was just making stuff up.

I don't know why Obama said 100 percent. Why stop there?

I bet Obama's followers would have liked this better:

"And 110 percent, John, of your ads -- 110 percent of them have been negative."

And the Obama supporters would swoon and say, "He's so eloquent."