McCain Video: Democrats Love Our Guy

The McCain campaign has released a Web-only video, "Democrats Praising McCain," that is, well, pretty much exactly what it sounds like.

As the video opens, these words appear onscreen: "John McCain is a Maverick. Just ask Democrats."

Then comes video of Democrats speaking highly of the presumptive GOP nominee.

First, Tom Daschle: "He can work with Democrats on key issues whether it's campaign finance reform or tobacco policy. He's worked with us."

Then Joe Biden: "John McCain is a personal friend, a great friend and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain."

And John Kerry: "I have enormous respect for him. He is a courageous, patriotic American who stands up for what he believes."

Howard Dean: "I admire Senator McCain greatly, and he's one of the people we modeled our campaign on, because he is very direct, very blunt, and nobody has to guess at what he's thinking."

Russ Feingold: "I love John McCain, he's a great guy."

Barack Obama: "Since coming to Washington, I've believed that the right approach begins with the proposal put forward by Senator Lieberman and Senator McCain."

And finally, Hillary Clinton, who contrasts Obama to McCain in a way that probably won't bring a smile to her former primary rival's face: "I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."

Watch the video below. It's worth noting that plenty of Republicans have had kind words for Obama in recent days – among them Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty, two rumored potential McCain running mates.

UPDATE: Both Kerry and Biden have released responses to the video.

"The McCain campaign is determined to give their Paris Hilton ad a run for its money in the desperation department, and they've succeeded only in shining a light on the fact that the John McCain of today is unrecognizable from the John McCain of just a couple years ago," Kerry said. "The real question is what happened to the John McCain we used to know and why he changed overnight into a George Bush nominee with a Karl Rove campaign."

"The John McCain of 2008 is not the maverick of 2000," said Biden. "On the most urgent national security challenges we face – Iraq, Iran and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan – there is no day light between George Bush and John McCain. He has embraced President Bush's failed policies and will continue them. It's unfortunate he's changed so much in just eight years."

Added Kerry: "The new John McCain supports the Bush tax giveaways for the wealthy he once denounced, opposes his own immigration bill, flip-flopped on torture, and runs negative ads after calling for an honorable campaign. Frankly, it tells you everything about this election that the McCain campaign spins its wheels recycling what we said about John McCain way back when while scrambling and sputtering to explain away Governor Pawlenty's praise of Barack Obama today."