Senator McCain began the conference call with a review of his recent speeches, high praise for Louisiana's Bobby Jindal, and a vigorous defense of tax cuts and sharp series of blasts at Obama's proposals to rasie the capital gains tax rate and the cap on wages subject to social security taxes.

I got the first question and noted the senator's Sunday rebuke of Senator Obama for his comparison of his friendship with  Wlliam Ayers and his friendship with Oklahoma Senator Tom Colburn, mentioned the 2007 video/audio of Dohrn and Ayers, and asked what obligations Obama had to address the details of his association with Ayers/Dohrn, and what obligations the media had to push for that explanation.

McCain responded by again blasting Obama's comparison of Ayers and Coburn, and said an apology from Obama was necessary as Coburn actually works to save lives and Ayers had worked to take them.  He repeatedly referred to Ayers as an unrepentant terrorist, and expressed surprise that there hasn’t been more discussion about the comparison, or about what an unrepentant terrorist which is what Ayers is.  McCain said that Obama had to repudiate Ayers and apologize for ever having had anything to do with an unrepentant terroist.  McCain noted that Ayers brags about his organization and is unrepentant about his past, so that Obama can try and persuade the American people or perhaps he can make a case that Mr. Ayers made some contribution, but it was a terrorist organization, and that the media ought to be discussing it.

Other highlights:

Michael Goldfarb and Jim Geraghty both pushed the senator on why he doesn't want the North Carolina ad to run, and McCain repeated his explanation that it just isn't the tone he wants to set.  He reminded the bloggers that while he has influence over the RNC, he doesn't over the North Carolina Republican Party.

Jennifer Rubin brought up the Hamas endorsement of Obama.  Senator McCain responded that it is very clear who Hamas wants to be the president of the US, as has Danny Ortega and several others. People should understand, McCain added, that I will be Hamas’ worst nightmare.