In case there was any doubt that the McCain campaign is being run by wingnut bloggers, check out this:
Sen. John McCain’s campaign is finishing a hard-hitting television ad highlighting Barack Obama ‘s ties to shady Chicago land dealer Tony Rezko, the one-time Obama patron who was convicted earlier this summer of fraud.
A campaign official said that the decision to Go Rezko was Obama’s. “He’s opened the door to this,” the official said.
The ad will be released to network news divisions in time for their broadcasts tonight.
Though McCain is widely perceived to to drawn first blood by attacking Obama’s character, the official said that the difference between Obama’s mocking McCain for his wealth and his shaky answer on the number of homes he owns was that McCain’s charge “reflects an existential reality,” where Obama’s charges “attack Cindy. She owns the homes. I thought he said the wives were off-limits.”
Got it? When McCain can’t name how many houses he owns, it is attacking his wife to point it out.
Always the victim, these wankers.
BTW- is it elitist to discuss “existential realities?”
*** Update ***
LOL:
âJohn McCain got a wife! A wife, motherfucker! And she owns shit! This is crazy! This shit is crazy! TONY REZKO, BITCHES!â
– Dave Chappelle, campaign spokesperson
I enjoy the âexistential realityâ of Obama hating America vs. the entirely off limits discussion of which of the four to thirteen mansions that McCainâs family owns are really his, as opposed to his wifeâs. Itâs good to see that the McCain campaignâs response to the first punch heâs caught is to go apeshit nuclear out of the gate. He may go Taxi Driver on us by the time this is said and done.
Like I said- they have two modes: asshole, and out of control asshole. I vote pushing them into the latter.
nightjar
Hiding behind skirts is not very Mavericky when your running as a POW War Hero POW. POW
JGabriel
McCain Campaign:
That negro made us lynch him.
Classy.
.
John Cole
There is no there, there with Rezko.
Keating Five, on the other hand.
bdr
“I thought he said the wives were off-limits”
Which means: Operation Michelle begins now.
Conservatively Liberal
Lets see:
Cindy owns the houses, not John.
They have a prenuptial agreement.
This just points out that John and Cindy have lots of money (RICH!), they own lots of houses (RICH!) and they had to have an agreement before they would marry so that money would stay where it belongs (Cindy is RICH!). One other point is that as honorable as John is (CHEATED ON CRIPPLED WIFE AND LEFT HER FOR CINDY!), Cindy felt it best to have a prenup just in case.
This has RICH, ELITIST and UNTRUSTWORTHY written all over it. Oh, and POW!
mapaghimagsik
Stay classy, McCain campaign. I think its time we all brushed up on our Keating 5. :)
I don’t have a problem with McCain being wealthy, even if he married into wealth after being a mediocre pilot. I mind that he can’t even keep track of his junk in his trunk. :)
Again. He doesn’t know how many homes he has. How can he keep track of the country. Its time for this proud warrior to step down. He’s done his part.
Should Know Better
Um, is it really wise to remind his conservative base that he is a kept man rather than a selfmademaverickwhiteheropow?
jake
OMG! THE MANLY MAVERICK POW doesn’t hold the purse strings in the house?
Quick! They need a photo op of McPOW wrestling a steer.
This is going to be a blood bath.
Popcorn?
Brian
The reason they want to push the idea that Cindy McCain has been attacked is that it leaves the door open to Michelle Obama being attacked. It won’t come from the top, of course, but it’ll look a lot less hypocritical, perhaps the thinking goes, if the McCain camp doesn’t throw the first punch.
But I’m wondering, is there anything to this Rezko charge? In other words, is it even remotely accurate, or is the McCain camp pulling this out of its ass?
jake
Le yikes.
Whoo boy.
Equal Opportunity Cynic
Cindy owns the houses, not John.
That’s what makes this line of attack so brilliant. It’s absolutely true that the houses are hers — and there’s no way the McCain campaign can point this out without (1) looking even more out of touch (2) reminding us that pretty much everything their candidate possesses, he got by marrying into it (3) undermining the whole “Daddy Party” subtext of the last several elections.
BTW- is it elitist to discuss âexistential realities?â
Heh… I hope Schmidt and company make this their soundbite of the fall season.
John McCain: More in touch with existential reality than the other guy. I’m John McCain (creepy smile) and I approved this message.
Martin
The ad:
John McCain has claimed that his 8 homes are actually the property of his wife. Should a man that can’t even be trusted with the household finances be trusted with the finances of an entire nation?
(Overlay with the ‘I don’t know much about economics’ clip)
Hubris
Are quotation marks missing there? If so, funniest fucking statement ever.
Hubris
Are quotation marks missing there? If so, funniest fucking statement ever.
PeterJ
So the McCain campaign strategy is MAD, hoping that they will have more supporters still standing on election day?
I guess if you don’t have anything to offer other than the same there’s not very much you can do.
jnfr
Oh plase, like if Obama just hadn’t been so MEEEEEEEN they would never have attacked him about Rezko. Fucking wankers.
ThymeZone
“Existential realities” is McCainspeak for “I am aware of all internet traditions.”
Conservatively Liberal
Fix’d
gbear
Heck, if McCain having so many houses is his wife’s problem, then the Keating Five is her problem too. It was her real estate deal, not John’s. I guess we have to back off that attack too. Damn that trollop.
Ripley
Cindy’s houses? So John McCain doesn’t even know what’s going on his marriage?
As far as Keating goes, it would have more impact to refer to it as Savings & Loan Scandal. I’d guess that most people don’t know who Keating is, but those S&L scandals ring a bell.
Studly Pantload
Over at The Great Orange Satan (Daily Kos, not Keith Olbermann’s show), Pastor Dan has come up with a golden concept that quickly morphed to the idea of conventioneers in Denver bringing in keyrings with seven keys each and holding them high and jingling them throughout the convention. It, a) is paybacks for the goddam puple Bandaids, and b) it’ll grind McCain’s face into the mess he’s made, which seems to be a good way to get him and his goons to misfire on a Fail Level of 11.
God, I love the idea so much it give me chills.
You can’t miss the diary over at Kos’s place, as it’s conveniently called, People, These Rats Aren’t Going to F*ck Themselves.”
JGabriel
Equal Opportunity Cynic:
So the GOP is the “Gigolo Party” now?
Actually, that explains a lot. (tm Joss Whedon, BtVS, 2.13 Surprise, Oz/Seth Green)
nightjar
The case was prosecuted by Patrick Fitzgerald, a guy who makes Elliot Ness look like a third rate gumshoe. Which means it was examined in excruciating detail with not a hint of any wrongdoing by Obama. There is nothing to it, other than guilt by association for which the bulk of the American public doesn’t particularly care for (ie Wright), so relax.
Martin
Actually, calling it the Savings and Loan scandal recalls some of the banking problems today. Another reason to call it that. But Keating Five has a nice organized crime sound to it.
JGabriel
JNFR:
It’s possible, likely even, that they were planning to save Rezko till later in the campaign, closer to the election.
Maybe this attack made McCain blow his wad prematurely.
.
Marshall
Is John McCain channeling Jean-Paul Satre ? What’s next, a campaign tract entitled Being and Nothingness of the Estate Tax ?
gbear
Anyone seen him with a cigarette yet?
Dreggas
Bet McCain is cuckolded too…hehehe he’s Cindy’s bitch.
Phoenician in a time of Romans
You know, an absolutely brilliant way to respond to McCain’s “one home for 5 years – as a POW!” occurs to me.
Start trotting out other POWs, stating how they’ve lost their homes, downsized because of rent, lost investments etc etc etc in the economy McCain lauds as so wonderful, and keep hammering McCain’s 10 homes as you do so…
AkaDad
John McCain: Ask My Staff
Martin
Not POWs but Iraq vets. Iraq is the policy failure that hurts McCain. It would showcase that the opportunities that allowed McCain to get 8 houses don’t exist for veterans today. (Marrying rich is always available, but force McCain to make the argument that he’s not a self-made man.)
JL
Rezko donated to both parties. Did Bush/cheney donate the several thousand that they received to charities like Obama did? I love google or like Bush says the google.
Martin
Elite: A group or class of persons or a member of such a group or class, enjoying superior intellectual, social, or economic status:
It’s worth pointing out that by claiming your POW status means that you don’t need to answer for anything is, in fact, the very definition of elite.
CapMidnight
I’d do an ad interviewin’ the five guys (out of 899) who got lower grades than John at West Point.
Or have a very special episode of Jeopardy!
Conservatively Liberal
I expect the McCain campaign will soon release a statement that says that John McCain is neither rich or elite, he just married a woman who is.
I have to give Cindy credit for not being a complete dummy. She knew that she was marrying a philanderer, so she had him sign an agreement to keep him honest. If John wanted to share in the riches, he would have to stay married to her. Sharp move if you are going to marry a serial philanderer.
From what I have read, McCain had two other affairs after returning from Vietnam (and while he was still with his first wife) before starting up the bump & grind with Cindy. If this is the case then John was a man who was led around by letting the wrong head do his thinking for him. Hmmm, didn’t the right have a meltdown not too long ago about some Democratic president who had a similar problem?
Contrast that with Barack and Michelle. First marriage, two beautiful kids and no philandering. Everything that the values crowd on the right say that they respect.
But they are going to vote for McCain?
The Populist
John McCain sounds like this scam artist known as Casey Serin. They both sell b.s. in order to snooker people to their cause.
Delia
He is a self-made man. He is he is. He himself dumped his first wife for one who was younger, still pretty, and much, much richer, and he’s been living off her ever since. He thought it up all by himself.
Dreggas
Joe Watkins: Douche bag extraordinaire.
He just said that McCain’s response of “John McCain had a home for 5 years, blah, blah blah” was fair.
kid bitzer
yeah, the biggest lie here is that if obama hadn’t hit back, then mccain’s shop never would have got dirty.
as though the lack of pushback has ever kept the rovian scum from rolling out their biggest dirt, no matter what.
they’re all bluff, the rove/bush/delay gang. and if the democrats finally step up and start punching back, the republican thugs are going to collapse like a paper sack.
Oracle
Absolutely. They had the Ayers card, the Rezko card, and the Wright card. After yesterday’s SuperGaffe, they’ve only got one left to play.
Meanwhile, Obama’s got enough fodder for a new devastating attack ad every week from the conventions to election day – and the cash advantage to hammer it home.
Roger
There is no there, there with Rezko.
Keating Five, on the other hand.
My sentiment exactly. When they pound him for Rexko, i think he should rekindle the S&L fiasco. I remember it well, and I think lots of older, more concerative voters will too. It was a scandle that echos the morgage crisis we have noe. It’s tailor made.
JL
McCain can’t answer a question about the number of houses that he and Cindy own and now Obama is attacking Cindy because her husband can not remember. Am I missing something?
Just Some Fuckhead
Hard to believe his campaign thinks “he only lives in four of them” is some kinda rebuttal. Really spotlights how outta touch Republicans are.
jake
Uh-huh:
I-22
If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him.
And:
VI-5
Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.
Davis X. Machina
Rezko, huh?
Anybody want to Google on McCain and Bonnano?
Brian
“The case was prosecuted by Patrick Fitzgerald, a guy who makes Elliot Ness look like a third rate gumshoe. Which means it was examined in excruciating detail with not a hint of any wrongdoing by Obama. There is nothing to it, other than guilt by association for which the bulk of the American public doesnât particularly care for (ie Wright), so relax.”
That’s what I figured. I hate to sound horrifically lazy, but I drove myself crazy trying to keep up with the Swiftboat garbage last time, so I’ve decided to take a more detached attitude toward Obama’s alleged scandals. I’m not entirely sure why Tom McGuire believes there’s a reason we should care about his connection to William Ayers. It just doesn’t seem like there’s anything substantial there.
Steve
I don’t find that very hard to believe at all, considering how out of touch the Republicans are.
Breschau
You know how you can tell when a political attack worked? When the target just freaks right the eff out about it.
They were going to do this eventually. The fact that they are doing it in mid-August — before the VPs, before the conventions, and before the debates — simply reeks of desperation.
Obama tried to stay positive, and stay about the message – and it didn’t work. Now, the gloves are off. And frankly, I couldn’t be happier: we all knew the GOP could never stay with a meaningful debate on issues, and Obama simply can’t pull a Kerry here and try to stay above the fray.
Part of me really now hopes the VP choice is Biden – he’ll have a field day being the bulldog of the campaign. (Assuming he doesn’t open his mouth once too often and say something totally over the line.)
Ernest Tee
That would make him a gigalo
Delia
This just in from Josh Marshall. It looks like Cindy’s employing a pretty hefty staff in her eight homes if they’re mere investment properties.
w vincentz
Time out all of you that have your knickers in a twist.
Time to read the GOP “playbook”.
It was written many years ago. It served Rove well.
The title: Propaganda and National Power: The Organization of Public Opinion for National Politics.
Author: Eugen Wadomovsky
Pub date: 1933
Read it if you dare. It was Hitler’s playbook, also Goebel’s. It worked then as well as it does now.
Quitcher bitchin’ and take the time to find out how the “game” is played. It deals with the crreation of a Fascist state.
To read more, google “newsforreal”. It’s all there.
Don’t remain ignorant.
This has been a public service message.
Hubris
Just to be clear, I don’t begrudge McCain one fucking condo. Shit, I aspire both to be wealthy and to marry wealthy. On my way on both counts. It’s when someone implies that their opponent eats other than iceberg lettuce and therefore does not deserve my vote–that’s when I take serious fuckin’ umbrage. If McCain bragged about snorting coke off hooker’s asses and lambasted Obama for taxing ass-coke, I’d be all for him.
Gus
Stolen from the Poor Man. Most brilliant post title ever.
w vincentz
@ Hubris,
Though I agree with your outrage, seems you’re missing the point. The “how many homes?” shit is very minor.
Read the book that I just cited, or go to newsforreal.
you’ll be able to put this clusterfuck into context.
flavortext
Oh lawd, curiosity got the better of me and I actually watched “The One II” ad pandagon linked to. Jesus. Christ. On a cross. The dog-whistle to the fundie dispensationalist right is so damn brazen it puts the hack job on Harold Ford to shame. I’m fully expecting McCain’s next ad to consist of:
“He’s loved by millions all over the world, he’s running for President, and he thinks he’d make a good leader.
But would he? No. Because Barack Obama is the fucking Anti-christ. There, I said it. What are you going to do about it? NOTHING! BECAUSE I WAS A POW!”
Just Some Fuckhead
Clearly this general never suffered captivity and torture like John McCain. Did I mention John McCain was a POW? Jesus wept.
Brian
“Just to be clear, I donât begrudge McCain one fucking condo. Shit, I aspire both to be wealthy and to marry wealthy. On my way on both counts. Itâs when someone implies that their opponent eats other than iceberg lettuce and therefore does not deserve my voteâthatâs when I take serious fuckinâ umbrage. If McCain bragged about snorting coke off hookerâs asses and lambasted Obama for taxing ass-coke, Iâd be all for him.”
I agree completely. It’s not that the McCains are rich nor that they spend their money. It’s that they have the gall to be hypocritical about all possible angles of this story and that the media repeats the senseless accusations when there’s really nothing more to disputing them than a few seconds of Internet research and an understanding that up is up and down is down.
Church Lady
Personally, while not needing seven houses, I’d be absolutely thrilled to be financially able to buy seven houses. Heck, I’d be thrilled to be able to buy a second home.
Yes, we can all make fun of this, but everyone also needs to remember that his circumstances (multiple very expensive homes, most only in the wife’s name and an existing prenup in place) mirror almost exactly the circumstances of John Kerry when he was the Democratic nominee in 2004. I don’t remember any Democrats bitching about his wealth.
Heck, I’d be thrilled to have the Obama family’s annual income, even without the book residuals. A Senator’s pay isn’t exactly chickenfeed (and comes with kickass health and retirement plans) and Michelle makes a pretty nice salary working for that hospital.
Face it – they both make a lot more money than the vast majority of Americans and I, for one, say good for them.
Steve
I also don’t remember John Kerry bitching about how elitist George W. Bush was.
Xanthippas
Off the topic and I’m sure Cole will hit this at some point, but here’s a story from Radar about Scott Beauchamp and the rightwing ratfucks who impugned his character and his service because they didn’t like what he had to say. Though to be fair he wasn’t actually captured and tortured by insurgents for years, so I guess his character is totally fair game.
Bootlegger
They keep raising with a low pair and they will lose the stack early in the game.
Reks
I don’t give a flying crap that McCain owns 7 houses. I take great delight in him being roasted over this though. Those fuckers have the nerve to call a guy who grew up in a broken home living for awhile on food stamps an elitist. They started the shit, now eat some.
Dusty
Since when do Americans not aspire to hang out with celebrities? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have at least one celebrity they’d like to hang with.
Phoenix Woman
Yupper.
There’s a reason Obama has a certain very famous picture on his office wall. It’s not from the “get UP sucka!” fight, but the sentiment’s the same.
colleeniem
This is all so interesting…concern trolls (and others-John Dickerson???) are saying, stop whining about the him having 7 houses. Or however many. This is negative attacking. OH NOES! Obama has not kept his promise (wrings hands).
WTF? I mean, seriously, WTF. How can people come back with this, and mean it? Obviously, if liberals were worried about McCain’s wealth (Cindy or John, who cares) this would have been an argument made already. It’s not about wealth.
McCain has displayed shocking indifference to his family’s financial status, and we just had a president whose own lack of intellectual curiosity has created a national security failure of epic proportions. If Obama didn’t bring this to the forefront, to make sure that people knew about McCain’s characteristics, I would consider him a negligent leader. Out of touch at home, Reckless abroad. Amen.
/end rant
MattM
I’d lay the odds that McCain will throw a punch at Obama during the debates currently stand at 3-1 and are falling fast. Get in while you can still make some cash.
Breschau
Very prescient comment, PW. Did you hear? Ali actually contacted the Obama campaign and said I want to attend.
That’s a freaking goosebump moment, right there.
Conservatively Liberal
I think that is really cool that Ali wants to be there with Obama. Que the meme from the right that draft-dodging black radical NOI muslim Muhammad Ali is an Obama supporter, and Obama likes Ali!
Oh teh terrur!
caleb
John McCain pulling out the John “It’s my wife’s money” Kerry defense……too rich. (pun intended)
But, more to the point, this “It’s Cindy’s” shows more then McCain wants to. What it shows is…..who wears the pants in their marriage.
Do we really want a guy “wearing the pants” for our country who doesn’t even have this position in his own marriage?
J. Michael Neal
Eh, sorry. This is one of the few things I’ve learned that makes me like Obama less. Anyone that calls Joe Frazier an Uncle Tom should be shunned until he manages a sincere apology, which Ali has never offered.
Conservatively Liberal
If you are going to be angry at someone for something then it would probably be best to get your facts straight. Look up the name Ernie Terrell if you would like the correct version history regarding this. Frazier had nothing to do with it.
Nancy Irving
McCain pwns nothing–no houses, no $500 loafers. He is totally pwned by Cindy. In fact, he is just a gigolo, a kept man.
Our future president (please not!) is not his pwn man. Every decision he makes as “leader of the free world” will be referred back to Cindy, ’cause she controls the purse-strings. Must keep Cindy happy, folks!
American, vote for John McCain and be PWNED!