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Radio talk show host Bill Cunningham's mocking and harsh criticism of Democrat Barack Obama upstaged Republican presidential candidate John McCain's rally today in Cincinnati.

Sen. McCain apologized for the remarks by the WLW radio talk show host.

"I take responsibility and I repudiate what he said," Sen. McCain told reporters after the rally at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine.

Cunningham came out on stage to whip up the crowd as he often does at Republican campaign events in Cincinnati.

Cunningham was critical of the national news media, saying that sooner or later, the media would begin covering Obama's "sweetheart deals in Chicago and the illegal loans he got in Chicago.''

He also called Obama a "hack Chicago-style Daley politican'' and twice used Obama's middle name Hussein, referring to him as "Barack Hussein Obama.''

McCain was not on stage when these remarks were made but was told of them later.

"I will not tolerate anything in this campaign that denigrates either Sen. Obama or Sen. (Hillary) Clinton,'' McCain said after the rally.

Cunningham's blistering comments were carried by national news media, including CNN.

Cunningham said later that he stood by his comments. He told his listeners: ‘”I’ve had it with McCain. I’m going to throw my support to Hillary Rodham Clinton.”

Cunningham, a conservative Republican who also hosts a Sunday night syndicated radio show, said he was asked Monday “by a McCain operative” to introduce the Republican front-runner at Memorial Hall.

He spoke to the crowd and left, without meeting or speaking to the candidate, because he had to do his WLW-AM talk show at 12:30 p.m. McCain also said he had never met Cunningham.

Full Story From The Cincinnati Enquirer