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) 
Black, McCain's strategist, says his expectation is that "if somebody runs an ad designed to help McCain that hits below the belt, he's going to say so, and say he wishes they didn't run it." (Along with this week's spot, Black points out, McCain condemned an ad he deemed inappropriate during the GOP nomination battle.) But Black adds that "we can't spend all day every day commenting on everybody's ads."

"The irony is McCain was the guy who helped pass the campaign finance bill, which really downsized the power of the political parties and upsized the power of these shadowy organizations," said Republican strategist John Feehery.

For candidates like McCain and Obama, who have aggressively sought to portray themselves as champions of clean campaigning, ads from outside groups and state parties - even when they're put out by people on the same page as the candidate ideologically - have the potential to tarnish the above-the-fray image the candidates want to project.

"When there is an independent group out there putting out a negative ad, voters typically don't make a distinction between your ad and the ad of your group," said Terry Nelson, who was McCain’s campaign manager until the middle of last year. "A lot of the time the candidate faces the brunt of whatever the backlash is to that ad."

Ads from outside groups don't necessarily hurt a candidate - the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth spots from 2004, for example, are credited with helping George W. Bush defeat John Kerry in the general election. Many of those involved with such groups have past connections to a party or candidate: Chris LaCivita, who was the Swift Boat Veterans' adviser on media strategy, worked previously for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Sen. George Allen, and the Republican Party of Virginia.

Asked if outside groups like the Swift Boat Veterans could be accused of engaging in tacit collusion with the campaigns - working in concert without engaging in any official communication - LaCivita said no. He argued that the reason people who have worked with the parties become involved with outside groups is simply that they have the relevant experience.

"No one in my business in their right mind is going to willfully engage in an illegal activity that could get their ass in jail," said LaCivita. In 2004, he added, "the left made a big deal about my past. But they could never prove we were coordinating, because we weren't."

Feehery said that McCain is less open to charges of tacit collusion than Mr. Bush was because of the nature of his campaign and the public perception that the Arizona senator genuinely disapproves of below-the-belt tactics.

"The Bush campaign had a very corporate structure," he said. "McCain's campaign is much less structured, smaller, less corporate. They're more nimble and more able to turn on a dime. But no one really knows where they're going next. So I think it's plausible and credible to say McCain is not going to be telling these 527s, even in a tacit way, what to do."

The only real power McCain -- or any candidate -- has over such groups, Nelson argued, has to do with the potential consequences over the long term for those who fund or work with outside groups whose ads a candidate disavows.

"If John McCain becomes president, the question people have to ask themselves is, 'do you want to have a relationship with the Republican Party?,'" Nelson said. "Because it's difficult, as a matter of honor, for him to allow his White House or party to engage in relationships with outside groups that he has condemned."

Unsavory ads aren't always the work of outside groups, however - they sometimes come from the national parties themselves. Nelson himself was the head of the RNC's independent expenditure unit in 2006, which was behind the somewhat infamous ad targeting Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr.

With voters faced with the bewildering task of differentiating between ads coming from the candidate, ads coming from the party, and ads coming from outside groups, perhaps it's no surprise that skepticism so often greets candidates' promises about "respectful" campaigns.

"Just about every campaign in America starts on the premise it's going to be positive," said LaCivita. "The first time somebody lays a glove on somebody else, all that changes."

[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.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.