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Political Wrap-Up: McCain, Obama and Russert

Host Steve Inskeep talks to NPR's Scott Horsley about the latest controversy involving John McCain's campaign, Barack Obama's Father's Day speech, and the death of Tim Russert, host of NBC's Meet the Press.

GOP presidential hopeful McCain was supposed to have a fundraiser this week in Midland, Texas, at the home of oil man Clayton Williams. But the campaign canceled it, Horsley says, after being reminded of some offensive, misogynistic comments that Williams made in 1990 while running for governor against Ann Richards.

"For McCain, who's been trying to attract women voters and who spent the weekend reaching out to disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters, that was not a message that they wanted to be associated with," Horsley says.

Meantime, Democratic presidential hopeful Obama made a strongly worded Father's Day speech to one of the biggest black congregations in Chicago. Horsley says it was a chance for Obama to play against type.

Horsley also offers a remembrance of Meet the Press host Tim Russert, the political analyst who died after a heart attack Friday.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Steve Inskeep is a host of NPR's Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.
Scott Horsley is NPR's Chief Economics Correspondent. He reports on ups and downs in the national economy as well as fault lines between booming and busting communities.