54 Days Out: The Lowest Day

Jesse Lee is the Online Rapid Response Manager for the DNC, this is the first daily update on the day's happenings which will continue through the election.

Yesterday Mark Halperin, no liberal community organizer, called it "a low point in the day ... and one of the low days of our collective coverage of this campaign."

First we had the farce surrounding the putting of lipstick on pigs. Mike Huckabee ruined Sean Hannity's day by dismissing it, and ABC News has a virtual encyclopedia of debunking and mockery on the Republican "crocodile tears."

Senator Obama responded today, saying "I don't care what they say about me, but I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and swiftboat politics."

Then there was the too-despicable-to-link-to ad which McClatchy flatly called "a deliberately misleading accusation." Joe Klein went further: "I just can't wait for the moment when John McCain--contrite and suddenly honorable again in victory or defeat--talks about how things got a little out of control in the passion of the moment. Talk about putting lipstick on a pig."

Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton responded this time:

"It is shameful and downright perverse for the McCain campaign to use a bill that was written to protect young children from sexual predators as a recycled and discredited political attack against a father of two young girls - a position that his friend Mitt Romney also holds. Last week, John McCain told Time magazine he couldn't define what honor was. Now we know why."

So what's this all about? Let's go back to Mark Halperin, who explains the McCain strategy on flooding the zone with deceptive charges:

Speaking of which, we're watching today's McCain-Palin rally right now here at the DNC and she just gave the "thanks, but no thanks" line again. Ding!

Comments

[janvier28]

As sleazy as the McCain camp is the real scorn needs to be for the media. I keep the TV on in the background when I am at home and I just couldn't take listening to these morons anymore so I put on something more mature and informative -The Cartoon Network.

[CharlieinDenver]

Exactly how delusional are Republicans that they don't see these blatant lies? It's one thing for a politician to lie, it's a whole different story when your constituents knowingly accept and even celebrate those lies.

[Kerris]

Oh, my friend, they see the lies. They just don't care. They just want someone "who shares my values" or who looks like them or is named the same name as their Uncle or who hunts like them or fishes like them or who works the same job as their dad and who blows smoke up their collective a**... the entire concept of difference scares them. So all someone in the GOP needs to do is remind them that they are the salt of the earth, the only real Americans, and promise never to raise taxes and we get another 4-8 years of bull.

[HHarvey]

Bravo! You hit the nail on the head with this comment.

[JoeTN]

This is no worse than the non-issue regarding how many homes McCain has.
The media and Obama carried that sad topic on and on.
Where was the outrage?????
Obama should have chosen Hillary!
He cries racist so often yet cannot respect women.

[PioneerKing]

This is far from the lowest. The republicans want ot win so be prepared for the worst to hit 9 to 21 days away from election day.

[EagleFury]

McCain: the new brand of shameless, conniving republican hypocrisy.

Now, let's see which of the above words triggers a Huffington Post pre-censorship review of my comment.

[Karen08]

Obama should have put Hillary on the ticket. Joe Biden does nothing for him in terms of votes.

[alguien]

and therein lies the rub. we don't care about who's the best individual to lead the country, we're too wrapped up in who captures the most votes.

[WASanford]

If you don't get the most votes, you don't lead the country. It's that simple!

[StephenDedalus82]

Republicans must be a sad bunch of drunks for them to wake up every day knowing they can only win power in this manner.

[christabor]

Its a great day to be an American and a Republican!

[Whinger]

Mark, if you could sell depression you would make a killing!

[olderdem]

If Palin McCain will lie about a bridge, what else will they lie about? When will the MSM start asking that question?


Perhaps her "thanks, but no thanks" comment is her way of saying "I was for it before I was against it."

[426andersting]

I hope all of American knows that if Michelle Obama had given a speech like Palin, she would be considered a mad black woman. If Obama's daughter were pregnant out of wedlock, Obama would already be out of the race. We know there's hypocracy in the room, but what about that other ELEPHANT? Palin get's to call hers SEXISM, can you name the other?

[ojim]

Thanks for saying it. It really needed to be said.

[exurbia]

these are the words that the obama campaign and surrogates need to use to define mccain: CONFORMIST, TRADITIONALIST, FOLLOWER ... and quit using the word maverick even when trying to rebut his claim. he is not a maverick ... he's a right-wing conservative CONFORMIST who chose a right-wing extremist as a running mate and who has an eight year record as a george w. bush FOLLOWER. what he is not is a leader or rebel.

[PhDiva]

The Obama campaign has got to do more to challenge this.

[TCHa]

I read in Palin's biography (Wikipedia) that she holds a degree in journalism. Is this true? If so, the irony is too rich.

[notthistime]

yes she has a degree in journalism.

[smark]

Yes, and she thinks that is part of her qualification to be VP. Everyone else has law degrees. She can't even answer questions on the issues! What is she going to say to Putin? "Wait, I will get back with you after my tutoring session!"?? LUDICROUS!!

[AFPISCES]

Well, it took her 6 years and 5 schools to do it or was it 6 schools and 5 years.....­.

[harvest9]

First the WSJ, now Mark Halperin. You know McCain has sunk to a new low if these Republican apologists are calling him a liar.

Thanks, Mark. Now continue to do your job and report on all the McCain low blows and distortions, as well as his manipulation of the press. It will keep you busy for quite some time.

[Spesabsquemetu]

Ethics in Journalism - Part II

Source: RTNDA

Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
Professional electronic journalists should operate as trustees of the public, seek the truth, report it fairly and with integrity and independence, and stand accountable for their actions.
PUBLIC TRUST: Professional electronic journalists should recognize that their first obligation is to the public.
Professional electronic journalists should:
* Understand that any commitment other than service to the public undermines trust and credibility.
* Recognize that service in the public interest creates an obligation to reflect the diversity of the community and guard against oversimplification of issues or events.
* Provide a full range of information to enable the public to make enlightened decisions.
* Fight to ensure that the public's business is conducted in public.
TRUTH: Professional electronic journalists should pursue truth aggressively and present the news accurately, in context, and as completely as possible.
Professional electronic journalists should:
* Continuously seek the truth.
* Resist distortions that obscure the importance of events.
* Clearly disclose the origin of information and label all material provided by outsiders.
Professional electronic journalists should not:
* Report anything known to be false.
* Manipulate images or sounds in any way that is misleading.
* Plagiarize.
* Present images or sounds that are reenacted without informing the public