From an ABC News report:
Today in Western Pennsylvania, per ABC News' Jan Simmonds, McCain attempted to repudiate remarks about the area made by Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Penn., last week.
"There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area," Murtha said. He later apologized, but yesterday he told WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, that "this whole area, years ago, was really redneck."
So McCain, sensing an opportunity, said the following.
Which probably couldn't have gone worse:
"I think you may have noticed that Senator Obama's supporters have been saying some pretty nasty things about western Pennsylvania lately," McCain said, as folks booed.
"You know," he continued, "I couldn't agree with them more."
(Sound of crickets chirping.)
"I couldn't disagree with you, I couldn't agree with you more than the fact that western Pennsylvania is the most patriotic, most God loving, most patriotic part of America," McCain said. "And this is a great part of the country. My friends I couldn't agr-- I could not disagree with those critics more, this is a great part of America."
