GOP Mailer Uses Obama Supporter To Attack...Obama

The Republican Party of Wisconsin is sending out a somewhat peculiar attack-mailer targeting Barack Obama.

The literature accuses the Illinois Democrat of never having "led" like a president is required to do, citing a history of voting "present" and a failure to oppose his own party's leadership. Those are basically boilerplate accusations.

What is interesting is the back of the piece, which features a picture of a bird with its head in the sand -- meant, ostensibly, to represent Obama. Moreover, the prior page (which has upright birds in the backdrop) includes a quote from an article written by Ezra Klein -- of the liberal American Prospect -- that reads: "Obama is that oddest of all creatures: a leader who's never led."

That Klein piece was written way back in October 10, 2006 -- several months before Obama even announced his candidacy. And one would be hard pressed to find an article written by him since the launch of the campaign that praises John McCain as a more adept leader than the current Democratic nominee. Indeed, here is evidence of Klein's more recent commentary, which is noticeably harsher and more focused on McCain's credentials.

Reached over IM, Klein responded to his inclusion in the mailer by saying: "I'm Ezra Klein, and I do not approve this message."

Comments

[newsmctado]

I really like that this mailer touts McCain as having "Led the effort for a bipartisan agreement to address the Wall Street Meltdown". You can agree or disagree with the bailout package, but to argue that McCain led the effort for a bipartisan agreement is factually untrue. The bailout package was already being negotiated by a bipartisan group when McCain decided to "suspend his campaign" (ie: leave the campaign trail for 36 hours while the rest of his campaign machinery and cronies continued to pump out personal and contradictory attacks on Obama and the Dems) in order to parachute in and look like he was rescuing the situation. All he did was gum up the works, inject presidential politics into it and prove that he doesn't keep campaign promises (like not joining the first debate until a bailout package was agreed upon. That didn't happen for another week yet I still believe I saw McCain at that debate.) McCain could have actually had a decent chance at this election if he had simply acted rationally and by his own convictions. Instead he threw it all away to rally the republican base and kowtow to the conservative religious right.
Obama/Biden supporter from "Fake America"

[IndyReader]

I just love how the Repubs always have these "Il Duce" pictures of Obama, but McCain is Santa Claus benign.

[MissO]

Thought it was just me who noticed that they use the most unflattering pics of Obama in their pieces.

[cyndeewi]

Please, will someone tell me then, What has John McCain led? Please somebody tell me.

[dhertzfe]

A P.O.W. does NOT make a leader. A pilot who crashes 3 planes is NOT a leader. A man who dumps his wife for money and position is NOT a leader. A man who spews hate and divides is NOT a leader.

[HRHuffnstuff]

Here, here!!

[daveincolorado]

But...... he's been 'tested'!! At what, i don't know or understand, but he keeps saying it.

[Rimser]

Five planes, nearly destroying the Forrestal; and when are we going to hear about this accident he was supposed to be involved in with a "possible fatality" in 1964?

[Fran1972]

I hate this stuff! Hey, yesterday's Democracy Now show rocked!

"Lawsuits, Machine Malfunctions and Missing Absentee Ballots Among Voting Rights Issues Facing Jittery Election"

Guests:

Harvey Wasserman, Senior editor of the Ohio-based FreePress.org and co-author of What Happened in Ohio: A Documentary Record of Theft and Fraud in the 2004 Election and How the GOP Stole America"s 2004 Election and Is Rigging 2008.

Brad Friedman, independent journalist and commentator on election issues. He is the creator of The Brad Blog and has reported extensively on vote rigging.

Click on the "Real Video Stream" to watch the segment. iPhone users can click on MP3 Download and hear the segment on the go.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/29/lawsuits_machine_malfunctions_and_missing_absentee

[H2Opolomom]

They have a new mailer with a lovely picture of Hillary and McCain on the front cover, talking praises about Hillary and breaking glass ceilings, talking on the inside of this 4 page piece about how McCain is going to support womens rights, Back cover has a statement from Biden recanting how Hillary would have been a better choice.

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE. The Clintons need to speak out about this - WHO AUTHORIZED the GOP to use her picture???????

[bubbles3660]

Looks like the photochoppers have been at work on that pic of O.

"falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus"

[Icantbelieveher]

McCain needs to stop using the "reaching accross the isle" as a quality he has. I think it's pretty apparent by his behavior that he can't do that. And with his campaign, he is burning bridges with not just democrats, but with republicans as well.

Who wants to shake the hand of a man who has done the damage he's done with his campaign?

[JustSteve]

Well of course there's Joe Liebermann...

Though technically Joe reached for John... heck he ran over and held John's hand -- whispered in his ear the differences between Sunni and Shia...

Because John's middle east experience didn't include any knowledge about the differences between the two.

[395spoons]

Joe Lieberman is jumping ship. Don't you know that?

He's trying to make nice with the Dems again.

[DrVeruju]

Things change, you know. Obama has a couple more years of maturity now and over the past two or three months he has shown that he certianly has great leadership potential.

At one time (quite a few years ago) I thought McKeatingFive might have the makings of a leader, but my opinion has changed as I've got to know him better, particularly over the past two or three months.

[InnocentBystander]

MayDay---M­ayDay----M­ayDay

My propaganda missles have turned into my wake and shot my campaign's stabilizer out. I'm rudderless and losing altitude rapidly. My navigator has already bailed and I'm flaming out. Need a vector bearing for rescue. Straight Talker, out.

[shelobo]

Have we heard WHAT McCain has led ,OTHER than looseing Campaigns?Or belittleing a woman who treated him with respect :National Alliance of POW/MIA Families http://mccaininsults.wordpress.com/category/powmia-grouprelative/

[homerun]

A maverick is No leader!

[labman57]

As Ronald Reagan would say, "here we go again".

One key reason why McCain and Palin are struggling in the polls is that they continue to lack the ability to distinguish between negative ads and speeches that attack the opponent''s positions from those that attack the person.

At the same time, they have not been able to successfully promote their own agenda beyond vague generalities such as being a "maverick" and a "reformer".

Obama''s campaign from its inception has been much more positive in tone, and when he does attack, it is consistently against the policies and platform rather than the person.

Obama has shown far better judgement in how to run a campaign; this is usually the first good indicator about how the person will run the country.

[debrouillard]

Remind me again "Evangelicals" How old was Jesus when he became the leader of his people? and before then where had he ever led?

[billofgoods]

Uh , we know you think Obama is the second coming but, Jesus is eternal, no beginning or end, .. And don't forget the divinity factor and also ... he was leading and hanging around with 12 to 72 Middle Eastern guys,,, That last part is where Barack has similarities

[ElBruce]

So Jesus has connections to terrorists and is pushing a Socialist agenda?

[joefazio]

Mr. McCain with his negative and many time untruthful campaign
has discraced himself and the republician party.

Respected in past times he has reduced himself to a man
precieved to be on without much honor.

He will be remembered as a man once thought of as
an American Hero, to a deviceive, lying, dishonerable
man of little integrity.

Millions of Americans have been deeply dissappointed
by his actions and words.

John...you coulda been our hero. YOU and YOU
alone have created the disrespect we all now feel.

[Bitsko]

Off topic, but at this site you'll find some great songs to get you in the mood for the next 5 days.

http://boogiewoogieflu.blogspot.com/