Amid Negative Ads, McCain Claims High Road

CBSNews.com Reports: Candidates Want To Be Seen As Running Positive Campaigns, But They Have Little Control Over Outsiders

(CBS)  This story was written by CBSNews.com political reporter Brian Montopoli.

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A controversial ad out this week is raising questions about how much control presidential candidates have over their broad array of campaign supporters - and how much they might ultimately want.

The ad, from the Republican Party of North Carolina, is aimed at raising questions statewide about two of the state's Democratic gubernatorial candidates. Normally, such an ad wouldn't get much national attention, but this isn't you're run-of-the-mill local politics spot: It focuses on the support both candidates, Bev Perdue and Richard Moore, have given Democratic presidential frontrunner Barack Obama - who, the ad claims, is "too extreme" for the state.

"For 20 years, Barack Obama sat in his pew, listening to his pastor," an announcer says as the ad opens. That controversial pastor, Jeremiah Wright, then appears onscreen, saying, "No, no, no. Not God Bless America. God Damn America!" (The ad, which you can watch here, has been called "misleading," since, according to Obama, he was not sitting in his pew when this particular sermon was delivered.)

Presumptive GOP nominee John McCain, who has pledged to run a "respectful campaign," quickly condemned the ad. He suggested in a letter to the state party chair, which was released to the media, that the spot "degrades our civics and distracts us from the very real differences we have with the Democrats." The Republican National Committee also condemned the ad.

The state party, however, didn't back down.

"We make the decisions how to run state campaigns here," state party spokesman Brent Woodcox said on Thursday. "We think it's a legitimate question to ask and we intend to run it."

After McCain's letter went out, skeptical bloggers questioned whether the Arizona senator was trying to have it both ways, suggesting that he was publicly taking the high road while allowing the anti-Obama ad to remain on track to air. Charlie Black, a chief strategist to McCain, called that notion "crazy."

"We wish we had influence on state parties, but we cannot legally tell them what to do," Black told CBSNews.com. He acknowledged that in so-called "targeted states," the general election battlegrounds to which the national parties often funnel money, the national party and nominee could potentially use "financial persuasion" to try to exert control over the state party. But Black said the McCain campaign wasn't doing so, and additionally noted that North Carolina isn't a targeted state.

"I could give you my 35 year history of watching the RNC try to control state parties, and it's not a very good batting average," Black added.

The North Carolina spot wasn't the only ad to surface this week over which a presidential campaign has no control. Floyd Brown, the producer of the famous "Willie Horton" ad that helped defeat Michael Dukakis, unveiled a 60-second anti-Obama spot called "Victims." The spot opens with an announcer detailing the gang-related murders of three Chicago residents in 2001.

"That same year, a Chicago state senator named Barack Obama voted against expanding the death penalty for gang-related murders," says the ad's female narrator, as ominous music plays in the background. "When the time came to be tough, Obama chose to be weak. So the question is, can a man so weak in the war on gangs be trusted in the war on terror?"

Brown's ad, which he says will air in North Carolina and elsewhere, has thus far has not attracted much attention. But with outside groups on both sides gearing up for massive spending to influence the 2008 campaign - in the 2004 election cycle, according to the Campaign Finance Institute, the outside groups known as 527s raised more than $400 million - "Victims" looks like a harbinger of things to come.

The 527 groups, named for their tax designation, can raise money to run issue ads but cannot legally coordinate with the campaigns. (Among the major 527s planning major pushes this year are the conservative Freedom's Watch and liberal Campaign for America's Future.) Asked if he would stop running the "Victims" ad if McCain asked him to, Brown, who fronts his own 527, replied, "I think that you should get a primer on election law."

"What they think or don't think is none of my business, because I'm not a part of their campaign," Brown said. He added: "I am bound by federal law. I can't take direction from them, can't work with them, can't really listen to them."

[shingles1]

obama8years, I hate to break it to you but that whole Hamas supports Obama story is a fabrication. The "journalist" who wrote this, Aaron Klein, has a pattern of popping up around election time with an "incredible exclusive interview" with some terrorist or other in which they always, amazingly, announce their support for the Democrat. Klein did the exact same thing with Kerry in 04 and with Hillary earlier in the year when she was the front-runner. In this case, the "terrorist''s" voice on this interview doesn''t match the known recordings of this guy.

Too bad, eh?

And Canada Free Press are a joke. Not World Nut Daily funny, but pretty close.

[sgtrds]

Core democrats and cross=over republicans will never cast an Obama vote! It''''s that simple!

Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 12:55 PM : Apr 27, 2008

Completely 100% 180 degrees backwards.

[obama8years]

canadafreepress.com/index.php/ article/2462

If anyone needed a reason to not vote for Obama, and also wonder why HAMAS is supporting Obama. Please be brave, patient, this is a long article but worth the read.

canadafreepress.com/index.php/ article/2462

[rowdytexan2]

The idea that McCain is somehow gaining by the dissension in the Democratic party is a GOP wet dream. This is the Democrats year and even they can''''''''t scr*ew it up. McCain is already toast. Some one change his diaper, give him his afternoon fruit cup and put him down for his nap. He''''s done for.



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Posted by SgtRDS at 02:01 AM : Apr 27, 2008

It''s not a wet dream at all if Obama becomes the DNC nomination!

Core democrats and cross=over republicans will never cast an Obama vote! It''s that simple!

When you have a choice of an old guard republican or an anti=American freakoid...the choice is clear!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by John_Lai at 05:30 PM : Apr 26, 2008

Well said!

[watcher269-2009]

The senator was able to fly so inexpensively because the law specifically exempts aircraft owned by a candidate or his family or by a privately held company they control. The Federal Election Commission adopted rules in December to close the loophole %u2014 rules that would have required substantial payments by candidates using family-owned planes %u2014 but the agency soon lost the requisite number of commissioners needed to complete the rule making.

Because that exemption remains, Mr. McCain%u2019s campaign was able to use his wife%u2019s corporate plane like a charter jet while paying first-class rates, several campaign finance experts said. Several of those experts, however, added that his campaign%u2019s actions, while keeping with the letter of law, did not reflect its spirit.

%u201CThis amounts to a subsidy for his campaign, which is notable given how badly they were struggling last year,%u201D said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan group that collects and analyzes campaign data.

Mr. McCain was not available to be interviewed, a campaign spokeswoman said. In response to written questions, the spokeswoman, Jill Hazelbaker, said his campaign had acted legally and ethically in paying first-class airfares for Mrs. McCain%u2019s corporate aircraft.

%u201C

[watcher269-2009]

Mcain - just another Republican Hypocrite - LIAR - FOOL - GOP CANDIDATE!

Given Senator John McCain%u2019s signature stance on campaign finance reform, it was not surprising that he backed legislation last year requiring presidential candidates to pay the actual cost of flying on corporate jets. The law, which requires campaigns to pay charter rates when using such jets rather than cheaper first-class fares, was intended to reduce the influence of lobbyists and create a level financial playing field.

But over a seven-month period beginning last summer, Mr. McCain%u2019s cash-short campaign gave itself an advantage by using a corporate jet owned by a company headed by his wife, Cindy McCain, according to public records. For five of those months, the plane was used almost exclusively for campaign-related purposes, those records show.

Mr. McCain%u2019s campaign paid a total of $241,149 for the use of that plane from last August through February, records show. That amount is approximately the cost of chartering a similar jet for a month or two, according to industry estimates.

[sgtrds]

The idea that McCain is somehow gaining by the dissension in the Democratic party is a GOP wet dream. This is the Democrats year and even they can''''t scr*ew it up. McCain is already toast. Some one change his diaper, give him his afternoon fruit cup and put him down for his nap. He''s done for.

[truthyness]

A new story from "On the Road" says that Obama says no to debating Hillary. This is political suicide. She offered to debate him without any moderators too. It looks like its between McCain and Hillary now.

[Lai K W]

It bothers me when we think that racial discrimination was history and the Rev Wright and his followers bring it back to our attention.

When there is a 92% of black population voting for a half brother, you must be aware that it is not a matter of issue but race; Bill Clinton is no fool.

When you hear OBAMA denigrating the very good economic record of the only Democratic administration most Americans remember; the Clintons'' 90s. There is no problem with folks like James Clyburn. But when Bill was resented about the 92% of Black community voting against him, they were upset over Bill''s remarks.The black community is entitled to the presidency while the typical white people clings on guns and church because of bitterness. Double standard I call it. Racial discrimination, isn''t it? Now you got to be very racial biased to swallow that.

While guys like OBAMA behind a podium may promise you the moon, you have no right to question about his past history with dangerous villains and extremists. Negativity means that you have no right to say anything about a politician who claims to change WASHINGTON while he has never been a factor in Congress or Senate, not of any leadership in bipartisan drive and major causes. If that is being positive, I find negativity is acceptable and safe for the country.

Glaring Racism Appears and nobody should comment because the black community would vote against any typical white person. It is a terror in nightmares that OBAMA brings us into.

[lindaredtail]

homespunlady if you come back here.Scaife, Murdoch they are all the same pretty much. Their activities are hair curling. Scaife is up to no good. And Hillary is so blinded by ambition that she either can''t see it or doesn''t care. He''ll bail and go for McCain, spill whatever secrets he''s learned to help him if he manages to get the nomination for her. Bill is too blinded to see it too. There is something huge going on yet Scaife is helping Clinton when his money is needed elsewhere. This was very calculated.

[homespunlady]

lindaredtail

Just made a quick check of Scaife - reads like it''s going down the SAME rabbit hole as when I checked out Rupert Murdoch.

The results of Some of the actions of that league on certain sectors of the human race make porno/slasher films seem saintly.

All I can hope for is the new generation of voters will be more astute than the Baby Boomers were as to political trickery. I''ve been hearing some good things are brewing on some of the college campuses although the NCLB and the encouragement of fear-mongering has apparently made a travesty of the Public Schools.

Makes me glad that I chose Home-Schooling for my youngest after all attempts at correcting some of the local problems fell on deaf ears. The poor kids she was in that school with seem to have all had underage pregnancies, drug problems and legal problems and this is a fairly quiet rural area..

[lindaredtail]

When the new supposed "election reform laws" went through after 2000 they did not even require a paper verification sheet of the vote totals ect off of the newer voting equipment. So there is no paper trail if the machine has been tampered with and it can be. Especially the computerized ones.

[lindaredtail]

What people do not understand is the following. Look at the number of delegates it takes to win the Republican nomination. Look at the number it takes to secure the Democratic nomination. Those numbers are decided by population. There are millions more Democrats than Republicans in America. Over 20 million more. Anything that tracks voting, ect. the Republicans don''t want. They fight that kind of stuff all the time. They look for ways to suppress the vote like they did in Florida in 2000 and try to pass laws, (ID''s,ect) that make it more difficult to vote for some populations like African-Americans. That is their way. In a vote without any of those interferences they would lose by the sheer weight of numbers in many places. It is also the reason that they so fiercely uphold the electoral college. Al Gore won the popular vote yet Bush became President. Without the electoral college how many times would they win? Not many I don''t think. Or as many.

[homespunlady]

After watching McCain''s early campaign hit the toilet and then the UNREAL about face and mysterious "funding" occur with his foreign "fact finding tours" it''s really hitting home that the American People NO LONGER have a nation.

Been hearing that some of the nations that would get American ex-pats if the feces gets much worse are "closing THEIR borders" to us and wondering if I''ve waited too long to get my "vacation home" elsewhere.

It''s beginning to smell of Germany in the mid-late 30''s.

[homespunlady]

Taking a deep breath...
OK, back on track.

Just worried - read in an EARLIER post that the GOP BLOCKED and quietly BACK-DOORED an effort to insure a trackable vote AFTER making PUBLIC noise that they SUPPORTED it.

Typical ROVE-STYLE dirty trickery that I''m SOOO sick of.

Topping it off with hearing a clip of that blowhard trying to INCITE trouble (like this nation doesn''t have enough) is NOT the way to star the morning.

[lindaredtail]

I don''t think they will be able to stop the election. But influence the election? Oh yes. I think that is already going on. Hillary and Scaife. Scaife is a rabid Republican attack dog. If he does, as soon as he succeeds in getting Hillary the nomination he''ll bail to McCain. Of that I have no doubt. Scaife will not support her in the fall. He is there with all his money and connections for the sole purpose of defeating Obama for the nomination, not getting Hillary elected in November. Unfortunately Hillary is too ambitious and concerned with self to see it. She will end up spelling doom for her party in the fall.

[homespunlady]

Sure starting to look like SOMEONE is trying REAL HARD to CAUSE MASS "CHAOS", DISRUPT the ELECTION PROCESS and CALL OFF the election due to "unrest" or "potential terrorism" so the CURRENT REGIME can maintain THEIR straglehold AND "finish the job" OF detroying THIS NATION for their BILLIONAIRE buddies in OPEC!!!

[lindaredtail]

I think homespunlady you nailed it right on the head. There''s a lot of that phony kind of stuff going on on this website. I''m starting to be able to pick it out (still new at this) but there are lots of troublemakers.

[lindaredtail]

Good morning homespunlady. Nothing that Rush says or does surprises me. This is the guy who doctor shopped all over Florida for Oxycontin. Then got caught on a plane with someone else''s Viagra prescription. Why anyone pays the least bit of attention to him is beyond me. He''s just a mouthpiece for the extremist Republicans and everyone should just turn their radio dial to off.