Incompetent: McCain ad attacks Obama for not visiting the troops by using video of Obama visiting the troops
By SilentPatriot Sunday Jul 27, 2008 12:00pm
We all know the McCain campaign is becoming increasingly desperate with their scurrilous and baseless attacks on Senator Obama. When you think about it, there really is no other option for them since they're on the wrong side of literally every single issue. But if you're going to smear your opponent, you should probably aim to help your cause rather than hurt it. McCain latest ad, called "Troops," attacks Obama as some kind of troop-hater because he didn't bother to visit with wounded soldiers during his trip overseas. The only problem? The ad contains footage of Obama meeting with the troops during his overseas visit. You can't make this stuff up.
Sen. Barack Obama's landing at Chicago's Midway airport this evening was greeted with the news that rival Sen. John McCain launched a new TV ad attacking Obama for that canceled visit to see wounded troops in Germany.
McCain's ad asserts that Obama "made time to go to the gym, but cancelled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras."
The McCain campaign provides no evidence for the assertion that being told he couldn't bring media had anything to do with the trip's cancellation.
Oddly, when discussing Obama's trip to the gym, the ad uses footage of Obama playing basketball with US troops in Kuwait over the weekend.
I thought those Bush/Cheney guys McCain hired -- remember, the same ones who viciously smeared him during the 2000 campaign -- were supposed to be good at this stuff?
Here's the ad. Check out the video clip in the upper right-hand corner between :13 and :21. You'll clearly see footage of Obama in Kuwait bouncing a baskteball with hundreds of soldiers cheering him on. Did I mention he drained that three-pointer, too?
Keep 'em coming, Team McCain.
UPDATE: Jake Tapper adds this little nugget to his post. In case there was any doubt left that Senator Obama wanted to "use the troops as a photo-op," this should put that to rest:
Obama campaign spokeswoman Linda Douglass says, "We told military officials explicitly that Senator Obama had absolutely no intention of bringing any members of the media or photographers in with him to visit the wounded warriors. In all of our communications with the military, we stressed that this was to be a private visit by Senator Obama."
Somehow I don't think this will stop the wingnuts from foaming at the mouth, though. How sad.
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Signs around California:
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.com/2008/07/some-war-quotes.html
I've been mistaken for George Bernard Shaw... Hooray!
The party that wore purple heart band-aids on their faces, at the 2004 Republican Convention, now pretend to care about wounded soldiers?
Give me a fucking break.
I just think McCain's campaign is impotent so now he's desperate. It reflects poorly on him because more people are discussing the merits of the ad which goes against his straight shooter message.
somewhat off this topic but McFlatulent relevant:
Are gas prices going down because we drove 48 billion less miles or -
as McCain suggested because Bush announced lifting the drilling ban?
Does anyone know?
Beelzebud @ 2:
And voted for the guy who turned helped to turn vet hospitals into for-profit businesses?
Mister Anderson (#3) hit it right on the head.
I admired McCain in 2000. It's a damn shame he allows his campaign to put forward these kind of attacks.
this is absurd and dirty politicing. if obama would have made the visit then it would have been plan "A" used the wounded/hospitalized troops for politics.....obama is not
only campaigning against mccain but also bush.
I think the real outrage here should be aimed at the Pentagon and the Commander in Chief, aka Bush Admin. If there was any doubt who they are supporting just look at rulings that the foreign embassies could tell campaigns where to find a bus, or that workers couldn't attend Obama's Berlin speech. Is it really any surprise then that the Pentagon higher-ups tried to sabotage the Obama trip? Is it any wonder that the admin/mccain are trying to use wounded troops for political gain?
McGrampa......desperation......failing......priceless.
O/T: Robert Novak has brain cancer.
taller ghost walt @ 4:
Uhh...what business is the Bush family in? What political party do they belong to? Who's candidate is trailing in the polls and suffering politically because of the bad economy? Who has friends in the oil industry? How far back does the Bush and Saudi Family relationship go?
Connect the dots.
Perhaps Obama should counter-attack in the very same markets the GOP has ran this ad, pulling no punches, and flat out accuse McCain of dirty politicking.
Long Tooth @ 11:
The harder McGrampa tried, the further he falls behind.
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 9:
And I'm sure the tumor is wondering what the hell that new growth on it's butt is.
His adds are childish aimed a childish folks.
edschultz asks some very good, logical questions:
WHERE ARE THE OFFICIAL OBAMA CAMP & SUPPORTERS' PUSHBACK ON THIS???
it's one thing to be "above the board", another to let this pass without setting the facts straight.
mcMAVERICK voted AGAINST the G.I. BILL.
Long Tooth @ 11:
Simply rehashing MCSame's sorry-ass voting record on NOT-helping WOUNDED SOLDIERS should cause McSame's new ad to be removed immediately.
Snidely Whiplash @ 6:
he lost in 2000 to "dirty politics" bush campaign....that tells me something he couldn't beat bush.....now he knows what it takes.......dirty politics...linguistic framing and trapping your opponent in a boxed situation....to me it's so obvious.....
JimboSlice @ 8:
BIN-friggin-GO !!
These people will stop at NOTHING for a mythical GOP victory.
Be worried, be veeeeery worried !
Yes, McCain is lying about the "cameras" issue, and the Pentagon was jerking the Obama campaign around. But still, why didn't Obama go, even if he had to leave his campaign staff behind? Dumb mistake on his part.
McCain's staff and his Amen corner in the dusty right wing have no choice but to find anything, anything at all to criticize Obama. No matter how ridiculous. He visited troops in Iraq, he visited troops in Afghanistan, but he didn't visit troops in Germany, therefore he hates the troops! They will criticize for the sake of criticism.
They are still foaming at the mouth over at Commentary Magazine, for Obama daring to challenge Americans to learn more than one language. They are apoplectic at the arrogance of Obama for suggesting such a thing.
Amazing...
Just when you think the McCain camp has reached the bottom rung on the Stupidity Ladder they go down another peg. This will go down in history as the most badly run Presidential campaign ever.
Oh well, I guess McCain will get his name in the history books one way or another....
More proof the surge is working:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iuXxuhwd08-hJxlnNqFHd_5tJ6oQD926EA580
LockeNessMonster @ 22:
A noun, a verb, and "the surge".
sluggo @ 21:
The wheels are coming off and they can't stop it. Soon the resignations from the campaign will be starting.
Sit back and enjoy.
katy @ 15:
I agree. I think MoveOn should answer these lie attacks McCain cowardly released while Obama was out of the country. Sounds like Karl Rove is behind this new strategy.
And yet, that decaying fossil is basically running neck-and-neck with Obama in several key states.
After sticking us with Chimpy for 8 long, miserable years, those stupid shit kickers in the heartland are going to bury us with McC*nt. The fly-over states strike again.
Nice job, rednecks.
The Truth Hurts @ 26:
Prez: Obama 292 McCain 195 Ties 51
Senate: Dem 57 GOP 43
House: Dem 239 GOP 196
as that gunman in Tennessee shows, it doesn't matter how bad the lies of the GOP are, there are still plenty of suckers who fall for it every time.
I'm frankly surprised that Obama made it back home alive from his trip. It would have been a golden opportunity for him to be fragged by Blackwater and then later just blame it on an "insurgent" attack.
now the reichwing is pretending to care about the troops? umm, little late guys...
Greg S. @ 14:
So he's still trying to shore up his base?
Greg S. @ 25:
Rove is definitely the clown behind the curtain
Again, how is McSame even close to Obama in the polls?
So what is McCain trying to tell us in his ad...?
Is he trying to tell us that Obama does not care for the troops ; does not have love for the troops?.
That's silly, specially when Obama was against the war from start..and he is trying to get us out of this war...while McCain claims that he can win us more coming wars he has in mind and has no plans to leave Iraq.
displaced @ 28:
why would blackwater frag a potentially friendly-admin?
DMS @ 32:
Thanks to the librul media at work.
Hmmm....country first....country first. I am somehow hearing his wife's name in there. Is this a subliminal message?
Greg S. @ 25:
Relax. Obama is playing all this beautifully. He has slowly and methodically eliminated his only vulnerable issue, the Iraq War. He has also solidified his CIC qualifications with his European trip.
Next...the ECONOMY. That will be the coup de gras. BANG! High oil prices! BOOM! Healthcare! BANG! Unemployment! BOOM! Falling 401K values! BANG! Mortgage foreclosures! BOOM! Education assistance! BANG! The GOP threat to Social Security! BOOM! GI benefits! BANG! BOOM! BANG!
And Grandpa is DOWN! 1...2...3...he's struggling to get up..."I'm..I'mm...a WAR Hero!"..."Senator McCain...did you vote against the latest GI benefits legislations"...ooh...McCain slips to the canvas again....4...5...6....he's reaching for the ropes again...7...8..."Senator McCain...the Democrats plan to reintroduce legislation to extend medical coverage to poor children, legislation that was vetoed by President Bush last year as too expensive...a veto that you supported...where do you stand on this issue now?"...9...10! He's OUT!!
displaced @ 28:
i've mentioned this many times there are people of the (R) persuasion who hate liberals...i didn't realize that until i moved out west from Minneapolis....big mistake
of course this guy is extreme but there are plenty of them that are less extreme. the hate culture lives ask them why and their answers are pathetic. these people are told we hate them and we look down at them for example......human insecurity/stupidity
The Exotic, yet bitter Chico Hussein Escuela @ 18:
Yup, to see this mindset just look at DICK morris on Faux News last friday when he advocated Israel attacking Iran so that McCain could win the election. To recap he was advocating war so that a repug could get elected. What horrible human beings
McJealous is just envious that Obama had swarms of GIs greeting him in the ME.
wow...uh...that's a pretty stupid ad...
lol, yea. McSenile is getting desperate. This is a clear example of propaganda. I guess when you don't have much to run on, attacking the other side using the usual, same, tired, "evil music" and low and sneering voice followed by "Hopeful music" and a noticeable elevation of pitch and inflection in the voice is a valuable strategy.
Once you know facts on BOTH SIDES, slanted attack adds like these look childish and outdated.
Amazing. In spite of the traditional press script of horse-race, the pros at Krustyville know it's already desperation time. Like the Civil War, with them being the rebs, the campaign will be fought on their homeground. They will fight expensive defensive combat in states that were supposed to be safely red. It will get uglier as their desperation increases. And the horseshit from McCain about honorable standards? He exposes himself as a grade A political whore, pimped by the lobbying community.
taller ghost walt @ 4:
You can be damn sure Bush had nothing to do with gas prices finally going down. For years the oil companies have been pushing us, asking themselves "How much can we steal from these dumb cunts?" Now that most of us have been pushed into poverty thanks to these greedy pricks, we've been forced to drive less and as a result the price of oil has come down. It's supply and demand, something everyone is very familiar with. Because we're such over-consumers, demand for gas has always been through the roof allowing Big Oil to charge whatever the fuck they want. Now that we've FINALLY woken up and realized that we've been taken advantage of, we're consuming less oil.
Demand goes down, supply goes go, price goes down.
Can McCain go any lower? I mean, really. If 2006 has taught us anything, for the most part, these ads don't work. (Except in Harold Ford's case, but what can you expect in Tennessee?) McCain is going to drive Independants away with crap.
DMS @ 32:
Well...take a look at WHO is conducting the polls and WHERE the results are reported and maybe you'll see a pattern.
It has to be a close contest or the results of a rigged election will be too obvious.
constituent @ 17:
The problem with old soldiers is that they're always trying to fight the last war.
The worst part about the political coverage is that they keep trying to relate everything back to 2000 or 2004. First, there is no precedent for a Black candidate. Second, the same issues that Bush won on in 2000 and 2004 are the same issues on why he's so hated now. His strengths in those campaigns have become his weaknesses. In 2000, we voted for the guy who want to drink a beer with. in 2008, we want the guy who will be thinking and working more than drinking. In 2004 it was about security, in 2008, we reject the Iraq war and this militaristic attitude to solve all of our problems.
Plus in 2000 and 2004, the internet was still a non-factor in fundraising and promoting your message. Cable news and talk radio still dominated the media coverage. Now the internet and blogs balance both out. Hell, YouTube didn't exist so you can't say one thing on camera Friday and say another thing Monday and assume the audio and video of what you said on Friday will be lost in some A/V storage room.
John McCain is trying to use a 2000 and 2004 campaign to win in 2008. Hillary Clinton made that mistake and she was A LOT better campaigner than John McCain.
New slogan for the reslugs:
Mcsame: Smell the Desperation!
Snidely Whiplash @ 6:
It's who he is... he's only interest is winning this "race"... that's it. His integrity is for sale and has been sold, over and over again. The fact that the very people who put him down so badly are the ones he's cozied up to. Pitiful and totally pathetic in my opinion.
My question is how did this all hit the news in the first place? Did Sen. Obama's campaign talk publicly about it first or did it come from the Pentagon? I would like to have the pentagon person who talked to Sen. Obama's campaign under oath for a couple of minutes.
Andrea Mitchell said Obama did visit the wounded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. There was no press present and no cameras. No one even knew about it until she reported it.
Anyone who believes that Sen. Obama was trying to make the visit to the hospital in Germany political, probably yet believes that Sen. Obama is a Muslim.
McCain is stooping pretty damned low by talking about the wounded troops in a political commercial attacking his opponent. Mr. Straight talk looks like Mr. Shit Flinger.
any Republican who admonishes someone for being anywhere near a soldier and a camera at the same time is an idiot. The republicans made an art out of military photo ops. They drape themselves in the flag, the blood of US troops and the dust of 9/11 every chance they get. Hypocrites every one. WWJI who would jesus impeach? A man who had sexual contact outside his marriage or a hypocrite firmly entrenched in the politics of usery and bloodshed. 100k plus dead in an Illegal war of aggression. a liar and a theif, using politics to stack the justice dept and bring charges against political rivals, when did we become a 3rd world nation ruled by a dictator and their special brand of justice? If Jefferson was alive today he'd be formenting a revolution as sure as I'm posting here, since our legislative branch seems somewhat reluctant to use the powers the founders gave them, and cautioned the future they would HVAE to use to keep our mighty republic intact.
I think that it is time for the Obama campaign to roll out the ad that shows McCain saying "I don't talk to lobbyists" with an image of the invitation to all those lobbyist sponsored fundraisers. What about the one about how McCain didn't support the new GI bill? What about Cindy's pill popping ways and how Johnny got the whole thing covered up?
Now THAT'S character.
And the poor guy can't blame anybody on his campaign; he syas: "I'm J.Mc and I approve this message".Tsss Tsss....Sad Sad!
P.D. @ 44:
he wants to make sure the 'haters' vote and not feel premature defeat....rove did this is in bush campaign stir the pot...create a hate movement....even they know bush is terrible so they need to be pushed alittle.
some of these people get off on hating it's like an addiction
Yellow Elephant Safari @ 45:
A six point national poll lead is enormous.
When McCain makes stops in Florida, California, and Louisiana to discuss off shore drilling, you'll see those numbers improve.
Then it's off to Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania to discuss JOBS.
What's McCain's answer going to be...cut taxes to big corporations?
I fully expect McCain's campaign manager to be gone well before the debates.
With his foot over the line....McCain still thows an airball....
katy @ 15:
WHERE ARE THE OFFICIAL OBAMA CAMP & SUPPORTERS' PUSHBACK ON THIS???
it's one thing to be "above the board", another to let this pass without setting the facts straight.
mcMAVERICK voted AGAINST the G.I. BILL.
Katy, McStupid didn't show up for the vote. He hasn't voted since early April. He hates the troops as well as America.
Bill in Chicago @ 19
The hospital is 400 miles away.
I meant...see those numbers improve for OBAMA.
And I meant that Obama will be visiting those states.
Sorry.
McCain's started playing dirty. No wonder his Gallop poll rating is 40 compared to Obama's 49 today. Keep it up Gramps we need a double digit lead on you.
Poor old Sidney Applesauce McSame. Can't catch a break.
This one was so very sleazy that it gave me that nauseous 'heart-falling' feeling when I read about it. What soulless, humanity destroying tactics, to use a man's very decency to attack his character. And I thought nothing would surprise me at this point.
ysbaddaden @ 13:
hahahahahahaha!!!
Tom M @ 58:
He had no choice. He HAD to go negative. He's behind and slipping.
mccain tax cuts will cost 4.2tril....obama 2.8tril
look at the graph in this article about bush deficit
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-07-27-deficit_N.htm?csp=34
Liberal AND Proud @ 54:
I agree but I'm still wary of anything reported in the MSM polls. Especially when they frame issues designed to prop up grampy's numbers like, "who is the riskier candidate? and then trumpet the results like it's an indicator of a grassroots movement against Obama.
Anonymous Hussein @ 60:
Just McNasty bein' McNasty. He's the new poster boy for right wing extremism.
Since Sen. Obama is running a clean and respectful campaign so far, this just makes McCain look worse. McCain has nothing of his own to run with so his whole campaign has been negative against Sen. Obama. I have yet to see an ad here in Florida where Sen. Obama goes negative. The most recent one I've seen is very positive about our future. It also stresses his desire to get rid of loose nukes.
Those who are never going to vote for Sen. Obama need to have an excuse or reason, so they desperately latch onto anything that can be twisted and turned enough to claim it is a negative.
Liberal AND Proud @ 24:
Why isn't the Obama campaign pushing back harder against this pathetic geezer's lies?
More poor judgment on McCain's part. And he wants to run the country? Lawd help us.
Amen to that is it's within 10 points they will steal it as sure as rain. Mike Connell time. If you don't know who he is, look him up, then call your media outlet and your representitive in congress and ask them if they know who Mike Connell is.
http://www.velvetrevolution.us/electionstrikeforce/2008/01/bushs_hometow...
Why is it that everyone acts like conspiracies are impossible. All you need is 2 or more people to formulate a plan, then act on the plan. The greatest thing the devil did was convincing us he doesn't exist, same for conspiracies. The media will report on anything but a conspiracy, the justice dept prosecutes thousands every year for conpiracy. Yet we are to believe that no two people in the GWB administartion never got totgether and came up with a illegal or quasi-illegal plan and put it in action? The conspiracy is that the media don't want us to know how totally fucked up things are. If McCain is elected, which he will be, you can't beat the electronic voting, they will spend the next 4 years cleaning up all the evidence and history will have nothing but glowing reviews of the GWB administration.
McCain entered his second childhood
The ad is so bad that even Drudge and Malkin are criticizing it. Now that's pathetic.
On the topic of Obama supporters, yet unrelated. Scarlet Johannsen's album is pretty impressive if you are into cool production value.
Back on the topic of this ad... they could change the phase from "McCain: Country First" to "Obama: Damned if He Does, Damned if He Doesn't... So Ha!"
John @ 67:
be patient it's coming plus why not just hand mcBush the rope and let him do it himself
Dr. Hussein Matt @ 27:
I can't believe it's this close on all three counts. These republican ba$tards have effed over the entire population, okay with the exception of their friends with money, most of the population of the United States and they're still in the running?! WTF????!!!
Yellow Elephant Safari @ 63:
I hear what you're saying...and if this is a two to three point race I agree with you.
Obama is going to head into election day...if I had to guess...with a 6 to 8 point lead. That will be too big a lead to cheat. Yes, I know...the electoral college presents the same problems that it did in 2000 and 2004.
I think McCain wins Ohio. I've looked at the math, and looked at the map the way he is looking at it. He CAN win without Florida. But, I believe that it won't matter. The offshore drilling issue is not going away, and it's a loser for McCain in Florida.
All the social issues (gay marriage, abortion) ALLL off the table. The economy trumps them all, and we win on the economy and REAL working class issues.
I've seen several Obama surrogates on tv cable news channels today batting this story down. They aren't letting any grass growing under their feet. The quick response team is on the ball.
One part of this that strangely fascinates me is this continuing attack on Obama as an elitist...simply because he goes to the gym and watches what he eats. He's evil because he actually knows what arugula is.
Oh the nerve of that damn liberal!
I know most Americans don't give a damn about how they look or what they eat. Walk around any US city or town and that is instantly apparent.
However, to slam Obama because he takes care of himself is just bizarre.
Liberal AND Proud @ 75:
DAMMIT! I meant...OBAMA wins Ohio.
a href="#comment-800880">right on! @ 66:
and yet i wonder... we will all be sitting here jaws agape wondering "how the f*ck did McCain win come November?" barring any obvious fraud. i try to be so optimistic... but it gets hard sometimes! (that's what she said.)
This is where McCain officially has jumped the shark. I expect that the tone of his campaign is going to meltdown into some sort of paranoid Ed Muskie Ibogaine trip... and become a joke that people will scoff at for decades.
Ha! I bet Hunter is smiling right now.