Repeating a line of attack developed over the weekend, the McCain campaign released an ad Tuesday morning accusing Barack Obama of being missing in action on the current economic crisis.
Titled "Mum," the spot is an inherent recognition that economic debates will continue to trump presidential politics going forward. Yesterday, remember, the McCain campaign's daily ad focused on Bill Ayers.
"In crisis, experience matters," reads the narrator. "McCain and his Congressional allies led. Tough rules on Wall Street. Stop CEO rip-offs. Protect your savings and pensions. Obama and his liberal allies? Mum on the market crisis. Because no one knows what to do. More taxes. No leadership. A risk your family can't afford."
In the current spot, McCain turns back the "experience" meme, an attempt to dispel the image that he's the candidate who stumbled in addressing the nation's financial and housing market problems. The ad is released the same morning that George Will unloaded on McCain's "unpresidential" behavior in his Washington Post column. And while Obama has preached prudence in addressing the current crisis, McCain's approach has hardly been comprehensive. Both, indeed, had discussed the principles they hope to see in the proposed bailout without delving too much into the weeds.
UPDATE: The Obama camp responds...
"This ad is laughable. If you believe John McCain, George Bush and the Republicans in Washington have led on reforming Wall Street and restraining CEO pay, I've got a bridge in Alaska to sell you," said Obama-Biden spokesman Bill Burton.