Starting Gate: A Tough Call
John McCain's campaign hit Barack Obama this weekend over his decision not to stop by the Landstuhl hospital in Germany to visit wounded troops while on his European tour last week. A new ad released by the McCain camp accused Obama of making time "to go to the gym" on his trip, but canceling "a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras," the ad states.
The Obama campaign says the proposed visit was cancelled because it was a campaign trip (not a congressional delegation trip like the one he took to Iraq and Afghanistan where he met with wounded troops). And despite some back-and-forth with the Pentagon over the specifics of what happened, the Obama campaign points out that such a visit on the campaign's dime would have been singled out for criticism had he gone.
Specifics aside, the McCain camp's decision to roll out their criticism in a tough ad is the latest example of an increasingly aggressive (dare we say "negative") tone. Whether the issue is Iraq, Iran, the economy or energy policy, McCain's criticisms of Obama are growing sharper and more pointed. Given the success of Obama's rock star trek overseas and the lead the Democrat holds in the polls, the stepped-up attacks might be understandable.
But does McCain risk losing one of the few advantages he has by doing so? In this very difficult environment for Republicans, McCain has still managed to float above his party label for the most part. His reputation as a "maverick" may have hurt him within his own party, but makes him more popular among independent voters. And even those who may disagree with him on most issues don't have the same level of dislike they might for President Bush or other Republicans.
Simply put, McCain is likeable – or at least does not generate the same deep level of divisions that have become part of presidential politics. Obama may be ahead in this race but does not seem to have "closed the deal" with voters. In the next 99 days, there will be plenty of opportunities for him to do that – or raise more questions in the minds of voters about the riskiness of elevating someone so new to the stage to the presidency.
The GOP campaign will certainly do their best to raise those kinds of questions but if he's seen as too negative or overly aggressive, McCain may not find himself in a position to benefit from concerns voters might have on Election Day.
Around The Track
After a week spend focused on foreign policy, both candidates jump back into the economy. Obama will talk with advisers at an economic roundtable in Washington while McCain makes the media rounds and raises money in California.
CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic looks at Obama's overseas trip and breaks down what the candidate learned from it. Among them: Don't leave a note at the Western Wall if you are running for president. "On just a few hours of sleep, Obama paid a pre-dawn visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall where he placed a written prayer between stones. Thousands of visitors leave similar notes but rarely is one tampered with. Obama's note, on the other hand, was allegedly taken from the wall and published by Israeli newspapers. The campaign would not confirm or deny that the note was legitimate, but Shmeul Rabinovitz, the rabbi in charge of the Western Wall condemned the incident as an intrusion on Obama's relationship with God."
The Politico looks at why McCain seems to be struggling with the Latino vote.
More details are emerging about Obama's acceptance speech which will be in Invesco field in Denver. According to plans from the convention, Obama will speak from the 50-yard line. "Obama will be standing in a circular podium 6 1/2 feet off the
ground when he makes the historic speech," the AP reports, "with almost 6,000 delegates seated on the field."
© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. The Obama campaign says the proposed visit was cancelled because it was a campaign trip (not a congressional delegation trip like the one he took to Iraq and Afghanistan where he met with wounded troops). And despite some back-and-forth with the Pentagon over the specifics of what happened, the Obama campaign points out that such a visit on the campaign's dime would have been singled out for criticism had he gone.
Specifics aside, the McCain camp's decision to roll out their criticism in a tough ad is the latest example of an increasingly aggressive (dare we say "negative") tone. Whether the issue is Iraq, Iran, the economy or energy policy, McCain's criticisms of Obama are growing sharper and more pointed. Given the success of Obama's rock star trek overseas and the lead the Democrat holds in the polls, the stepped-up attacks might be understandable.
But does McCain risk losing one of the few advantages he has by doing so? In this very difficult environment for Republicans, McCain has still managed to float above his party label for the most part. His reputation as a "maverick" may have hurt him within his own party, but makes him more popular among independent voters. And even those who may disagree with him on most issues don't have the same level of dislike they might for President Bush or other Republicans.
Simply put, McCain is likeable – or at least does not generate the same deep level of divisions that have become part of presidential politics. Obama may be ahead in this race but does not seem to have "closed the deal" with voters. In the next 99 days, there will be plenty of opportunities for him to do that – or raise more questions in the minds of voters about the riskiness of elevating someone so new to the stage to the presidency.
The GOP campaign will certainly do their best to raise those kinds of questions but if he's seen as too negative or overly aggressive, McCain may not find himself in a position to benefit from concerns voters might have on Election Day.
Around The Track
ground when he makes the historic speech," the AP reports, "with almost 6,000 delegates seated on the field."
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He has none or he would of stopped and visited the American wounded troops. Posted by seah5
It is hard to imagine that anyone was so brainwashed and naive that they would believe the above BS..Obama and Hegel visited troops and wounded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan--Obama was set up by the Pentagon--damned if he did, damned if he didn''t--the shrub has sent these boys off to die for no good reason and he gets a free pass--do you really believe this???
He has none or he would of stopped and visited the American wounded troops.
Since he could not make a marketing photo shoot of it he let down our troops.
Shows he has no Honor, Loyalty and no character.
****************************
That is exactly right. Even though I am an independent I supported McCain in 2000 and would have voted for him. Now though, as far as I am concerned he is below Bush in my estimation. I always thought Bush was a no-character loser, but McCain I thought was better. I guess not. I wouldn''t vote for him in a million years after that ad. Not so much because of the ad, but how he stood against that kind of slime coming from his own party. Now out of desparation, he slides into the pit.
Obama = wimp
Posted by liberty_1776 at 07:36 PM : Jul 28, 2008
It doesn''t take a brave man to send the worlds strongest military into combat. It DOES take a very brave man to stand up at a time when a Nazi is in Charge of this nation, saying that anyone who is against him isn''t American. Obama stood up in the face of Bush and the Fascist and told all of us that Iraq was a BIG MISTAKE. As a Combat Veteran folks, give me a guy like Obama EVERY time... THAT man has JUDGEMENT and VISION to know who to attack and when. McSame? He doesn''t have a clue and never has.... regardless of how he ended up captured. Sieg Heil McSame
Obama = wimp
Posted by liberty_1776 at 07:36 PM : Jul 28, 2008
Yes, McCain was in the military. But unfortunately that does not qualify him to be President and he has shown us that he does not have a good comand of the facts, he lacks moral character, and he has demonstrated that he will not hesitate to exploit the troops to make a cheap, (fabricated), political shot against Obama.
McCain has nothing to offer Americans. He has even sacrificed his personal integrity in his quest to become all-powerful.
The angry one should not be in charge of anything of consequense.
Why hasn''t McCain closed the deal?
I have an idea. Maybe it has something to do with the way he so eagerly is exploiting the men and women in uniform as he puts out a campaign ad that accuses Obama of skipping out on the troops.
Obama made calls to the troops in Germany because he didn''t want to have the troops pulled into the middle of a political cheap shot from McCain who would have accused him of using the troops to further his political goals. Unfortunately, as we see McCain was ready to exploit the troops either way.
I don''t know if this is always the way McCain was or not. (based on his personal infidelities, I expect it was) McCain has shown us that he lacks character. That he is willing to dishonor himself and the troops for political gain.
And go to www.FACTCHECK.org if you want to see that McCain makes up stories just about every time he opens his mouth or runs an ad.
Obama = wimp
* On July 22 McCain said the troop surge President Bush ordered in January 2007 and which didn%u2019t reach maximum tactical deployment for months after led to the so-called Sunni awakening or uprising against Al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists. While the surge no doubt gave greater confidence to Sunnis over time, the awakening began in the fall of 2006 with the moves against AI Qaeda by a collection of high-profile tribal sheiks.
* On July 23, McCain said the surge wasn%u2019t really about more troops, but counter-insurgency tactics. And yet the political credit McCain seeks for the turn-around in Iraq is based principally on his advocacy if the surge - meaning more troops to carry out counter-insurgency missions. To say the surge wasn%u2019t really about more troops undercuts much of McCain has tried to tell the public about what has changed in Iraq and why.
* On July 24th, McCain called Iraq %u201Cthe first major conflict since 9/11.%u201D Tell that to Hamid Karzai, current President of Afghanistan and brought to power by the US-led defeat of the Taliban in the months immediately following 9/11.
* And Friday on CNN, McCain said 16 months for a troop withdrawal from Iraq is %u201Ca pretty good timetable.%u201D
McCain''s incompetency for President of the United States of America
McCain''s ad makes the assertion about the reason the trip was canceled: "Seems the Pentagon wouldn''t allow him to bring cameras." This is a false statement. Obama had gone to see wounded troops in Iraq earlier in the week, without even confirming he''d been there. No press, no pictures. He has done the same when he goes to Walter Reed -- never any press. Of course, the Republicans attacked Obama for visiting the troops in Afghanistan just a few days ago saying it was wrong to use the troops for political purposes, and now they are attacking him for the exact opposite thing.
The truth was reported by NBC''s Andrea Mitchell: there was NEVER a plan for Obama to take the press to Landstuhl, despite the claim by McCain. The plan was to go with his military aide, retired General Scott Gration. The Pentagon said Gration was off-limits because he had joined the campaign -- violating rules that it not be a political stop.
McCain is using our troops as game pieces in a presidential campaign. McCain should be advised to support the troops instead of voting against important bills on their behalf and then using injured soldiers to profit his campaign.