From: David Plouffe — Obama Campaign Manager

When the McCain campaign rolled out their petty “celebrity” attacks against Barack Obama, there’s one thing they didn’t consider — John McCain spent decades establishing himself as Washington’s biggest celebrity.

Once a media darling for his self-proclaimed “maverick” approach to politics, McCain has completely transformed himself to please special interests and the far right wing of his party. Now he’s the biggest and most vocal champion of George W. Bush’s disastrous policies.

We’ve created a new ad showing how he’s embraced the broken Washington system to stay in the limelight. And now we need members of the Obama Action Wire to step up and help make sure people see the ad pushing back on McCain’s low road attacks.

John McCain said he’s proud of his ads comparing Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. He wants you to think you’re just caught up by a “celebrity” and don’t really want change in this country.

The McCain campaign has embraced the hollow, Karl Rove-style attacks we’ve seen Republicans use again and again when they can’t run on their record.

As soon as he became the presumptive Republican nominee, McCain reversed his calls for a dignified campaign and steered the “Straight Talk Express” straight for the low road.

Our campaign will stay focused on the serious issues and work to bring the change we need to Washington.

Watch the ad and make a donation to help get it on the air to respond to McCain’s negative campaign.

To BARACK OBAMA

Thanks,
David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Popularity: 9% [?]

For the last couple of months all the major polls have consistently shown Sen. Barack Obama with a 4-7 point lead over Sen. John McCain. The general election is three months away, and polls are just a snapshot in time. But when all the snapshots show Obama in the lead, it’s not a good omen for the McCain camp.

McCain is desperate to close the gap, and he is clutching at straws to come up with an issue that will resonate with the electorate. The desperation of the McCain campaign is manifest in their commercial comparing Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

Sen. Barack Obama is a Harvard educated lawyer, a brilliant orator, an accomplished author, and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. To compare Obama to the vacuous celeb twins is sinking to the gutter; McCain should be ashamed of himself.

That abominable political ad backfired — it made McCain look like a frustrated, jealous and bitter old man.

Recently Obama mentioned that if folks kept their tires properly inflated it would improve their gas mileage. That’s practical advice and it shouldn’t have caused a ripple in the political landscape, but that innocuous remark unleashed a tide of heated rhetoric from the Republicans.

McCain seized upon the “tire gauge” comment as if it were a political lifesaver. McCain has not missed an opportunity to mock Obama for his comments. You would think that Obama had advertised his tire comments as his complete energy conservation plan.

   Cagle Cartoons

The Republican’s ally in the media, Fox News, has joined the crusade to mock Obama’s tire gauge remark. Recently FOX News listed gas saving tips, and keeping your tire pressure correct was at the top of the list.

“Florida Gov. Charlie Crist also believes keeping tires inflated is important.

Third Update: Not too long ago, NASCAR told fans, ‘With escalating fuel prices, the time is now for drivers to focus on simple things like proper tire pressure to maximize tire performance and increase fuel economy.’” — Quotation from the Carpetbagger Report/Steve Benen

How low will the Republicans sink? Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and tire gauges. Will the GOP claim that Barack Obama is responsible for the Montauk Monster?

REFERENCES:

   THE REPUBLICAN HATE-MACHINE — NOW HEADED BY JOHN MCCAIN
   [Clockwise: Sean Hannity, James Dobson, Rush Limbaugh, Anne Coulter,
   Glenn Beck, Greta Van Susteren]

Popularity: 14% [?]

While taking part in the “Sturgis Rally 2008” at Buffalo Chip, South Dakota, yesterday John McDUMB offered his wife Cindy McCain — a recovering drug-addict and a thief, to enter the “Miss Buffalo Chip” contest — a topless, bottomless and sometimes NUDE beauty pageant.

   [Enlarge Pic]

Said McCain: “I told her with a little luck, she could be the only woman ever to serve as both the first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip.”

Sturgis attracts upward of 500,000 bikers over a week-long period each year. Events at Sturgis include the “ringin’ wet & wild” a women’s wrestling event, the “pickle-licking contest” and the “miss buffalo chip beauty pageant.”

Stinky unbathed and sometimes naked, bearded men and women roam Sturgis — plastered with tattoos and leather garments — a rough looking pot-smoking crowd.

The sturgis rally is an act of immoderate indulgence, an emotional binge, a splurge of spending,….an orgy of drinking and sexual activity to be precise.

….and in trots presidential candidate John McCain, with an offering — his wife Cindy McCain. LOL!

Meanwhile in the New York Times, Maureen Dowd writes:

….and Obama said yesterday: ‘Republicans Take Pride In Being Ignorant’

Speaking to a crowd in Berea, Ohio, yesterday — Obama went off on a riff, laughing at Republicans who are isolating his call for tire inflation as the linchpin of his energy plan. After noting that his energy policy has a lot more to it, Obama circled back to wonder why Republicans were choosing to mock an idea, small though it was, that could actually help matters….[MORE >>]

……and Glamor Hog, Miss Paris Hilton struck back at McCain’s Ad

MORE ‘BIKER’ VIDEO:

The Wet T-Shirt Contest

The Beauty Pageant

The Pickle-Licking Contest

Overheard

From SatiricalPolitical.com: McCain, Confused, Tells Biker Crowd to ‘Drill’ His Wife — LOL!

It looks like ObamaMania alright — everybody is going bananas.

What a day!

Popularity: 11% [?]

Writes: BOB HERBERT

Running While Black - McCain’s Sexual Politics of White Women & Men of Color

John McCain’s recent ads are foul, poisonous and emanated from the upper reaches of the Republican Party. (What a surprise.) Both ads were designed to exploit the hostility, anxiety and resentment of the many white Americans who are still freakishly hung up on the idea of black men rising above their station and becoming sexually involved with white women.

The racial fantasy factor in this presidential campaign is out of control. It was at work in that New Yorker cover that caused such a stir. (Mr. Obama in Muslim garb with the American flag burning in the fireplace.) It’s driving the idea that Barack Obama is somehow presumptuous, too arrogant, too big for his britches — a man who obviously does not know his place….[MORE >>]

McCain in the pockets of Big-Oil — Like Bush

            To BARACK OBAMA

Popularity: 8% [?]

John McCain thanks the Hilton family for their support. Now if you’ll excuse him, he’s got to take a nationally televised dump on their daughter.

Popularity: 12% [?]