McCain Planning 'Fiercely' Negative Campaign In Final Days

John McCain and his Republican allies are "readying a newly aggressive assault on Sen. Barack Obama's character, believing that to win in November they must shift the conversation back to questions about the Democrat's judgment, honesty and personal associations," several top Republicans told the Washington Post.

With just a month to go until Election Day, McCain's team has decided that its emphasis on the senator's biography as a war hero, experienced lawmaker and straight-talking maverick is insufficient to close a growing gap with Obama. The Arizonan's campaign is also eager to move the conversation away from the economy, an issue that strongly favors Obama and has helped him to a lead in many recent polls.

"We're going to get a little tougher," a senior Republican operative said, indicating that a fresh batch of television ads is coming. "We've got to question this guy's associations. Very soon. There's no question that we have to change the subject here," said the operative, who was not authorized to discuss strategy and spoke on the condition of anonymity. [...]

Moments after the House of Representatives approved a bailout package for Wall Street on Friday afternoon, the McCain campaign released a television ad that challenges Obama's honesty and asks, "Who is Barack Obama?" The ad alleges that "Senator Obama voted 94 times for higher taxes. Ninety-four times. He's not truthful on taxes." The charge that Obama voted 94 times for higher taxes has been called misleading by independent fact-checkers, who have noted that the majority of those votes were on nonbinding budget resolutions.

A senior campaign official called the ad "just the beginning" of commercials that will "strike the new tone" in the campaign's final days. The official said the "aggressive tone" will center on the question of "whether this guy is ready to be president."

The Obama campaign painted the Post story as evidence that the McCain campaign is trying to disregard the country's serious economic challenges in favor of personal attacks on Obama:

"On a day after we learned that America lost three-quarters of a million jobs this year and a week after our financial system teetered on the brink of collapse, John McCain and his campaign have announced that they want to 'turn the page' on the economic crisis facing working families and spend the last month of this election launching dishonest, dishonorable character attacks against Barack Obama. We understand that it's not easy for John McCain to defend the worst economic record of our lifetime, but he will have to explain to the people struggling to pay their bills and stay in their homes why he would rather spend his time tearing down Barack Obama than laying out a plan to build up our economy," said Obama-Biden Spokesman Bill Burton.

Obama's team also released this web ad hammering McCain over the new job loss numbers:

Comments

[RegLib]

Burton has hit exactly the right note. I hope the Obama campaign uses the phrase "dishonest, dishonorable character attacks" over and over, while Obama himself continues to appear in positive messages like his unusual 2-minute spot. Nothing can better show the contrast between a candidate that cares about our country and one that thinks we are morons that will respond to the hate-filled Republican slanders.

[Dystopic]

right on, that's McCain's achilles heel. He thinks he's honorable, and by attacking that the Red Faced Rage Monster will come out.

Honorable is getting up every day, going to a job you hate to make life for you and your family better.

[SharkSteve]

So they're going fiercely negative over the next four weeks? Will it be possible to make this small man (McCain) look even smaller?

[Dystopic]

You know, just putting McCain and Obama next ot each other, on LEVEL GROUND, wouls show how short the little pipsqueek is, humans are hard wired to place more importance on height

[it started with reagan]

Do you really want to go there?

Mitt Romney is a tall man. Fred Thompson is also. This is a dead end that has nothing to do with providing quality leadership. Roosevelt spent his presidency in a wheelchair, remember.

[Tropiholic]

Newsflash cadaverick, trashing 0bama didn't work before and it won't work now, why aren't you telling us why to vote FOR you instead of against 0bama?

[Noogie]

John McCain is the UnObama.

[Johnjlws]

On his private plane, on the campaign to nowhere, a moment with "the Maverick's" brain:

"Note to self:

Hurry!!!"

---------
"Campaign In Final Days"

"Final Days" may have passed. Sorry "Maverick."

[MyGuyO]

We Phoenicians hope and pray that McCain's ~Keating 5~ scandal comes forth once again. American needs to know...once again.

[tlgeiger62]

It'll be the final nail in his campaign's coffin if he does. But he'll do whatever he wants anyway. What is sad is all the people who believed in him who he let down with his mismanagement and inability to make good decisions.

[tililek]

And at the same time they expect to defend Palin, who turned a debate into a political speech? She seems to see Cheney as a role model, and she was chosen by McCain who's made a lot of mistakes he hasn't been caught on big time yet. He may have more to worry about than he knows.

Calling someone else inadequate, only means the caller is himself examined more closely and does McCain want that?

[robXdion]

Wait until Troopergate blows up next Friday. They won't have time to go negative because they'll have to defend Palin.

[luvronpaul]

How about what she said about Katie Couric?? Katie gave her the easiest questions my 12 year old nephew could answer!

[cabledave]

People are tired of McCain/Palin's nasty campaign.

We all have enough negativity on our plates as it is, without hearing more from these two.

So far they have made one miscalculation after another and you can add this one to the list.

[AddictedToHope]

Yup Yup.

So they decided that they can't convince us of McGump's qualifications on their own? Party platform, legislative agenda, etc. etc. ???

Time for a pre-emptive ad buy in battleground states.