Can the McCain Campaign Sink Any Lower?

[Ruby]

This one has me spitting mad. I don't know if it's going to take the form of money or campaigning door to door or working a phone bank, but this is just too far beyond the pale. This is not a slight distortion, this is the kind of deliberate lies that Bush/Cheney have made famous, and I will not stand for it any longer.

(P.S. I hate that they use "mis-state" in the title, as if this were an honest mistake. This is a LIE.)

Check it out, and be very afraid:


Out of bounds! McCain misstates Obama sex-ed record
By Margaret Talev | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Throw the flag against: The McCain-Palin campaign.

Call: Unsportsmanlike conduct.

What happened: A new 30-second TV ad attacks Barack Obama's record on education, saying that Obama backed legislation to teach "'comprehensive sex education' to kindergartners." The announcer then says, "Learning about sex before learning to read? Barack Obama. Wrong on education. Wrong for your family."

Why that's wrong: This is a deliberately misleading accusation. It came hours after the Obama campaign released a TV ad critical of McCain's votes on public education. As a state senator in Illinois, Obama did vote for but was not a sponsor of legislation dealing with sex ed for grades K-12.

But the legislation allowed local school boards to teach "age-appropriate" sex education, not comprehensive lessons to kindergartners, and it gave schools the ability to warn young children about inappropriate touching and sexual predators.

Republican Alan Keyes tried to use Obama's vote against him in the 2004 U.S. Senate race. At the time, Obama spoke about wanting to protect young children from abuse. He made clear then that he was not supporting teaching kindergartners about explicit details of sex.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said Tuesday of McCain's ad: "It is shameful and downright perverse for the McCain campaign to use a bill that was written to protect young children from sexual predators as a recycled and discredited political attack against a father of two young girls."

Penalty: 15 yards for the McCain campaign's deliberate low blow.


http://www.mcclatchydc.com/staff/mar...ory/52169.html

[Piper]

Good God, I actually agree with you on this one. It is in bad taste and simply inaccurate. Low blow and uncalled for. Such dirty politics that I'm honestly embarrassed to call myself a republican.

[Ruby]

Good God, I actually agree with you on this one. It is in bad taste and simply inaccurate. Low blow and uncalled for. Such dirty politics that I'm honestly embarrassed to call myself a republican.

Thanks, Piper, for acknowledging that this one went just too damned far. It's hard for any of us to see past our existing loyalties, and I appreciate your willingness to do so!

No one else has anything to say, though? Really? Hmmm.....

[Athena]

Time.com has a poll running on their home page that asks who is running the dirtier campaign. People definitely know what's up:



As it relates to this particular topic, my idol, Radley Balko, a Libertarian, is as upset about the dishonesty as anyone, writing:

I’d call this a new low, but I’m not really sure that’s true. And I’m sure we’ll reach new lows tomorrow. But it’s sure as hell despicable. For now, let’s just call it another low.

It is, quite simply, a lie. Not an exaggeration, or taking something of context. It’s a lie.

If McCain has any honor at all, he’ll pull it. Yesterday.

...this, coming from a third party guy, is pretty significant. No veiled interest, here. Any new news on the ad? Has it been pulled considering the awful press its receiving?

You know, I'd like to believe that McCain himself is a respectable individual. But, christ almighty, his campaign staff includes some of the most heinous people in politics, it appears. And, since they work for McCain, he must take responsibility. A man who allows this shit on his watch is not who I want in office.

[Ruby]

You know, I'd like to believe that McCain himself is a respectable individual. But, christ almighty, his campaign staff includes some of the most heinous people in politics, it appears. And, since they work for McCain, he must take responsibility. A man who allows this shit on his watch is not who I want in office.

Well, they have to take responsibility by law; that's why every campaign ad has to include that final voice over: "I'm Canidate X, and I approved this message," so we'll know they ARE taking responsibility.

I'm not sure recognition of a dirty campaign will translate into lack of votes, though, which is what gets my goat.

Harumph.

[brokenandtwisted]

You know, I'd like to believe that McCain himself is a respectable individual. But, christ almighty, his campaign staff includes some of the most heinous people in politics, it appears. And, since they work for McCain, he must take responsibility. A man who allows this shit on his watch is not who I want in office.

Heinous indeed. It doesn't take a grade eight drop out to notice the blatant hypocrisy and...well, ridiculous antics at play. I'm kind of sympathetic for Obama.

[polis]

How come I don't see any McCain supporters on their soap box on this thread, ...they sure are on all the others?