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Kansas City, MO– After his campaign went to full battlemode this weekend regarding an Obama supporter who called Sen. McCain a “warmonger” prior to a speech by the Democratic candidate, Sen. McCain made clear Sunday he is ready to move on.

“I think it’s satisfactory, the statement by his campaign and I hope we can keep these things to a minimum,” McCain told reporters aboard his plane. Campaign aides had said earlier this weekend that Obama should personally denounce the remarks by radio talk show host Ed Schultz after an Obama spokeswoman put out a statement Saturday that condemned the remark but also took a shot at McCain on the war.

But asked if Obama is conducting a “respectful campaign,” McCain would only say that he is “disappointed” in the way Obama is arguing that the GOPer wants to fight a 100-year war in Iraq.

“It’s contradictory to his statements about the kind of campaign he would run,” McCain said.

For background, read more here and here

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Prescott, AZ — Sen. McCain called on Sen. Obama Saturday to personally condemn the remarks by talk radio show host Ed Schultz, who referred to the AZ Senator as a “warmonger” yesterday during an Obama campaign rally.

“I would hope that in keeping with his commitment…that Senator Obama would condemn such language since it was part of his campaign,” McCain said at a press conference today following a speech in Prescott. “That kind of thing I don’t think is necessary at all in this campaign. I’ve made it very clear how I feel about war and my experiences with it.”

Despite an Obama campaign statement in which traveling press secretary Jen Psaki said “John McCain is not a warmonger and should not be described as such,” the McCain campaign is pushing for personal repudiation of Schultz by the Democratic candidate.

“Senator Obama must personally and publicly repudiate his campaign supporter’s attacks–rather than give tacit approval to this blatant smear — or his rhetoric of change will be exposed as nothing but words,” McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said.

Phoenix, AZ — McCain campaign officials are calling on Sen. Obama to condemn remarks made by an introductory speaker who personally attacked Sen. McCain as “a warmonger” at one of the Democrat’s events Friday.

While he warmed up the crowd at a Grand Forks, ND campaign stop, local liberal radio talk show host Ed Schultz referred to Sen. McCain as “a warmonger” prior to Obama’s arrival at a North Dakota Democratic party event.

During his remarks to a crowd of several hundred Democrats, the Illinois Senator thanked Schultz and called him the “voice of progressive radio.”

“Senator Obama has repeatedly said that words matter, they do, and for him to stand on stage and thank someone who just minutes before used hate filled and inflammatory language to describe John McCain, someone who has served his nation in and out of uniform for over 30 years, shows Obama’s true colors, liberal Chicago-style politics as usual,” said McCain campaign spokesman Jeff Sadosky. “Americans want more, they deserve better.”

The controversy arises about six weeks after McCain condemned conservative radio talk show host Bill Cunningham for launching a personal attack on Obama during one of the GOPer’s campaign events. Prior to McCain’s arrival at a Feb. 26 Cincinnati, OH town hall meeting, Cunningham repeatedly invoked Obama’s middle name, “Hussein,” and mocked him as a “hack” during his own introductory remarks.

After learning about Cunningham’s incendiary comments from advisers immediately after the event, McCain condemned and disassociated himself with the talk show host minutes later at a press conference. The presumptive GOP nominee has vowed repeatedly to run a “respectful” race and campaign officials are attempting to draw a contrast between the McCain’s quick condemnation of Cunningham’s remarks and Obama’s lack of reaction thus far.

Note: More details and context may become available from Schultz’s remarks in the coming days since the event was open only to pooled media, meaning most of Obama’s traveling press corps were not able to attend the event and have to base reporting on the event on limited sources.