I, and many like me, have questioned your honor over the course of this Presidential election season, and with good reason, but today I am appealing to it.

For quite some time now your campaign has degenerated into a hate fest with robocalls essentially calling Obama a terrorist for an association with Bill Ayers far less extensive than your own relationship with G. Gordon Liddy, a convicted felon a man who once publicly called for people to shoot federal law enforcement officers, a man you refused to denounce recently when questioned about him by David Letterman. Instead you embraced him as an old friend and said you were proud of your relationship with him, something Obama has never said about Mr. Ayers.

Your running mate has held rallies where shouts of “muslim”, “terrorist”, “Obama bin Lyin” and “Kill him” (i.e., Obama) have been uttered by your supporters, the same people you defend when questioned about them. Your demonization of ACORN at the last debate, a non-profit community organization which registers poor and minority voters, has led to nasty, racist death threats against its members, even though its rate of disputed voter registrations is much less egregious than previous Republican affiliated registration drives. Your running mate Sarah Palin has stated in her speeches that she prefers campaigning in the Pro-America parts of the country (i.e., small towns) while your own campaign spokeswoman, Nancy Pfotenhauer, has divided Virginia into two parts, “real Virginia” (i.e., where people more likely to vote for you live) and “not real Virginia” (i.e., where Obama supporters are more likely to live). Your own brother referred to Northern Virginia as a communist country, and another supporter, Michelle Bachman called for a media witch hunt against Obama and other Democrats in Congress for their anti-American activities, comments reminiscent of the worst days of days of Joseph McCarthy.

I don’t expect that your campaign is going to change its relentlessly negative and deeply offensive tactics at this late date. I don’t expect you to denounce the nasty acts of people who have been riled up by your campaign’s “low road” strategy or to denounce people who have called Colin Powell a racist for having the audacity and ingratitude to endorse your opponent. Frankly, after all that has gone on in the last few months, I don’t expect much from you at all.

However, Barack Obama’s grandmother is seriously ill. So ill she may be dying. Indeed, Obama likely spent a week in Hawaii before the Democratic convention in large part to be with his grandmother whose health was already deteriorating. In any event, at this time, she is so ill that Obama is taking time away from his campaigning this Thursday and Friday to fly to Hawaii, where she lives, to be with her. Only eleven days before the election. A time critical to any political campaign, as you well know. Yet, his love and concern for her is so great that he is risking time away from his campaign to be with her. A woman who helped raise him when his mother became a single parent after his father left her. An outstanding American in her own right. A person whom Barack Obama deeply loves and who loves him just as much.

And now she is deathly ill. I imagine all the slurs and negative ads and constant attacks on her grandson have contributed to her poor health. Stress over what might happen to a loved one will do that. I know politics is a rough game, and most politicians get thick skin, but it’s not that easy for their families. I’m sure you can appreciate that after the attacks that were made against your character by President Bush in 2000 when he used the same robocall company you are employing right now to besmirch your character with false and misleading statements about you.

I am not asking for much, Senator McCain. I don’t expect you to suspend your campaign because Senator Obama’s beloved grandmother is seriously ill and he has made the decision that time with her is more important than time spent on his campaign. But for those two days, senator McCain, I am asking you to call off the attack dogs besmirching Senator Obama’s character and reputation. And I am asking you to cancel your negative robocalls on Thurday and Friday out of respect for Mrs. Dunham, if not for her grandson, Senator Obama. Two days Senator McCain. Surely you can spare two days for a sick old woman who may be dying.

I’m sure it would do a world of good for Mrs. Dunham’s health to hear that you had taken this step. The relentless attacks in the media on her grandson, and the death threats made against him, have no doubt taken their toll on her health, and anything you could do to alleviate her stress would certainly garner you some favorable press at a time when you could use some.

But more importantly, Senator McCain, it would be the right thing to do. The honorable thing to do. You frequently claim that you are a man of honor and integrity. We haven’t seen much of that side of you in this campaign, but it’s not too late to start.

Sincerely,

Steven D