I was relieved to see that clip of McCain regaining a bit of decency. BUT...when that woman who said she thought Obama was an Arab, McCain said no he wasn't - he was a decent family man, blah blah.

Okay, it was an oversight, whatever. But McCain needs to work on his responses. Obama is not Arab, not Muslim, is Christian...but Arab and Muslim and non-Christian do not equal terrorist...your perfectly ordinary neighbours may be all three things...

That's what it looked like to me. An abusive husband feeling like he must apologize as soon as he realizes the neighbors have been watching.

You make some excellent points - but the next question is whether or not McCain will also rein in Sarah Palin and the other members of his campaign. McCain has not been the main or only source of this hate-mongering, but behind it all has echoed "I'm John McCain and I approve this message."

Sue Katz, author

Thanks But No Thanks: The Voter's Guide to Sarah Palin

He's just as disrespectful as his supporters. This is a ploy promulgated by his handlers, designed to make him look more even-tempered.

We are going to see every dirty trick in the Republican playbook from here until Election Day. Get used to it.

Thinking he could he bring them to heel just as easily. But they have the scent of blood in their nose, and they are stupid people to a degree most Americans can't believe. Barack HUSSEIN Obama is an Arab terrorist who wants to kill babies even after they are born; and those babies that survive, he wants to show them porn in kindergarten, and that's just the beginning. He may, in fact, be the anti-christ. These are things that they KNOW as an absolute fact.

McCain misunderestimated the results of his actions. It's yet another reason why he should not be president.

as reported in Slate:

"The African American gentleman who "Begged" McCain to "Hit Obama hard", citing the "Good Reverend Wright" at a rally in Wisconsin today was a paid motivational speaker.

Slate has already identified him James T Harris, Milwaulkee talk radio host. What they failed to mention is that Mr. Harris's services are for hire through his main business, IllumiNation. Homepage: http://www.jamestillumination.com. "

Mostly it appears as if they are still palying to the standard GOP script. McCain gets to look like he's setting the record straight while the negative ads continue to play, and Sarah Palin continues the same attacks.

About damn time he corrects these lies and innuendo.

WOW - GREAT DAY. JOHN MCCAIN DECLARES AT HIS RALLY THAT BARACK OBAMA IS NOT AN ARAB AND IS " A FAMILY MAN CITIZEN". THEN THE DEMAGOGUE PALIN WHO ENJOYS INCITING TO VIOLENCE LOOSES THE TROOPERGATE CASE. MY PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED !

John McCain has taken everything decent that his family may ever have stood for and dragged it through the mud.

The test of a man isn't when things are at their best but when they're at their worst and sadly John McCain has abandonded any honour and decency he may ever have had. Or did he just claim this honour and dignity and no one ever looked at him that closely before?

Shuffling and smiling and allowing Americans to call for the death of another American without lifting a finger to help him is the sickest form of dishonour and disloyalty.

Once someone whips that hatred up against the "OTHERS THAT COULD HARM US", especially in difficult times, it's very hard to stop it. Hatred is a destructive, uncontrollable force that benefits no one and often causes permanent damage when it spirals out of the control of the ones that want to use it, like McCain and Palin. I nwould hope that they are now thinking that they overplayed this and hopefully someone on their team has made them realize that they could be held criminally and civilly liable should their stoking of the flames lead to an attack on someone. No matter how this ends, it will likely be the deathnell to the political careers of both Palin and McCain.

One can only hope.

Look it up. They came from Mississippi. You're going to see figures lynched and burned in effigy at a McPalin event. No, really, you will. And make no mistake McCain is von Hindenberg. Palin is Adolf.

I honestly felt bad for McCain tonight, I felt like he suddenly knew this was out of his control. It felt like McCain was truly sorry for the horrible campaign he'd been running. He's been playing to the baser side of the fringe right winger, the nut. I really felt sad, there was a glimmer of the old John McCain, the guy we used to see, even if it was a farce, but the guy that appeared to stick up for everyone. His campaign has been nothing short of a complete disappointment. He hired Bush's boys and played the game their way and here they are destroying him one more time. It is South Carolina all over again. In his face everything was apparent, they had misread the public terribly, he knew it too. This election the nation isn't prepared to play games, our economy is spiraling downward, quickly, the wars continue and all McCain's campaign offers is another scare tactic, another gimmick. Sen. McCain sold his soul. The look on his face, he was suddenly Gollum, lost without his master, knowing there was something wrong, but his longing for the ring was just to powerful to overcome so he was willing to do what ever it takes. Suddenly tonight he realized it too, he felt it, I saw it on his face. He realized he sold his soul and it is destroying him. The proof was the look on his face. He knew what they'd done was wrong. He'd allowed his campaign to step over the line. Just like Gollum the power of the Ring was too much. The look on his face tonight said it all. And as he slunk of the stage all you could hear, was Precious, my precious.