A day after mentioning Jeremiah Wright, John McCain in Florida reiterated his view that he does not associate Obama with Jeremiah Wright:

"I am not going to be a referee. I have made my position very clear on this issue. And that I do not believe that Senator Obama shares Reverend Wright's extremist statements or views," McCain said a media availability after a health care round table. "I'll make my position very clear and then I'll run my campaign on health care challenges, on all of the great challenges we face, including the economic difficulties we are facing today, the challenges of a recession and providing available and affordable health care to all Americans."

Yesterday, following Obama's appearance on Fox News Sunday, McCain had this to say:

"I saw yesterday some additional comments that have been revealed by Pastor Wright, one of them comparing the United States Marine Corps with Roman legionnaires who were responsible for the death of our Savior," said McCain, responding to a question only about the North Carolina GOP ad, at a news conference in Coral Gables, Fla, He also cited comments Wright made that seemed to compare the United States and Al Qaeda....

"But Senator Obama himself says it's a legitimate political issue, so I would imagine that many other people will share that view, and it will be in the arena," McCain said.

For that, the Obama campaign quickly responded:

"By sinking to a level that he specifically said he'd avoid, John McCain has broken his word to the American people and rendered hollow his promise of a respectful campaign. With each passing day, John McCain acts more and more like someone who's spent twenty-six years learning the divisive, distracting tactics of Washington. That's not the change that the American people are looking for."