McCain brings in 'The Bullet' as White House race turns nasty

[Bozita]

Source: Guardian UK

McCain brings in 'The Bullet' as White House race turns nasty
The ailing Republican campaign has turned aggressive as it deploys an expert attack squad to wound the Democrat favourite
Paul Harris in New York
The Observer, Sunday August 3 2008
Article history

The first warning sign was delivered in a phone call nine days ago, when John McCain's new senior adviser, Steve Schmidt, held a conference call with worried senior Republican party figures.

Schmidt told them that they would soon see McCain go on the offensive against Barack Obama. Some tough TV ads were coming, he warned. It was no lie. The first ad came barely 24 hours later. Others followed, and soon the US presidential election erupted into its most vicious fight so far. Both sides traded insults over patriotism, racism and allegations of becoming negative. It dominated the front pages and cable news shows, and there is little sign that the storm will abate quickly.

Many pundits saw the move as a sign of desperation from a McCain campaign humbled by Obama's triumphal world tour, behind in the polls and written off by some commentators. But the truth is very different.

McCain's aggressive strategy is a deliberate and well-thought-out ploy. It was developed and implemented by a coterie of advisers brought in last month who are protégés of the Republican political guru Karl Rove. Schmidt, who learnt his trade with Rove, heads the group and is now guiding the campaign.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/03/johnmccain.barackobama

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. It's evident McCain doesn't know Schmidt about what's going on

[NanceGreggs]

2. Perfect!

:rofl:

[goforit]

3. Schmidt is directly taking orders from Rove without the "ROVE" lable.

[Bozita]

4. I wanna hear about the Keating Five. ... And, I wanna know about the blonde in this photo.

[bbinacan]

7. Here's a link about the Keating 5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_5

[UpInArms]

15. wikis been whitewashed on that one - here's the unedited version

http://www.realchange.org/mccain.htm

Back in the old days, defendants in famous trials got numbers -- the Chicago Eight, the Gang of Four, the Dave Clark Five, the Daytona 500. McCain was one of the "Keating Five," congressmen investigated on ethics charges for strenuously helping convicted racketeer Charles Keating after he gave them large campaign contributions and vacation trips.

Charles Keating was convicted of racketeering and fraud in both state and federal court after his Lincoln Savings & Loan collapsed, costing the taxpayers $3.4 billion. His convictions were overturned on technicalities; for example, the federal conviction was overturned because jurors had heard about his state conviction, and his state charges because Judge Lance Ito (yes, that judge) screwed up jury instructions. Neither court cleared him, and he faces new trials in both courts.)

Though he was not convicted of anything, McCain intervened on behalf of Charles Keating after Keating gave McCain at least $112,00 in contributions. In the mid-1980s, McCain made at least 9 trips on Keating's airplanes, and 3 of those were to Keating's luxurious retreat in the Bahamas. McCain's wife and father-in-law also were the largest investors (at $350,000) in a Keating shopping center; the Phoenix New Times called it a "sweetheart deal."

[Demeter]

5. McCain Is Always Offensive

It's his only saving grace.

[CitizenPatriot]

6. rovian

I've walked with too many people like Rove in my life to flinch at this. Bring it on, cowboy. There is ALWAYS a way around this stuff -- and we will find it this year, because we are all onto it.

We need to plaster youtube and the web with accusations of this creep. ask him why he hates america. why he thinks as a member of the country club elite he is ready to lead regular americans? why isn't he sticking up for minorities like his adopted daughter? why is he allowing racism to belittle his campaign? Why did his son resign? What did his son do at that bank? Did he own stock in it? How did the regulations McCain backed in his position as legislator impact his son's job? Why can't we see his wife's financial records? He thought we needed to see Kerry's wife's records, so what makes McCain special? That's indicative of how he will rule, no? doesn't he think Americans need transparency? Doesn't the constitution call for it? Why would we elect a candidate who thinks he is above the constitution? Does he have any respect for it? If so, can he share with us exactly what parts of the constitution he will swear to uphold, because as a senator he has not upheld much of it? does he view it as something he can pick and choose what to keep, like Bush? Is he the same as Bush? If not, how does he differ? Can he explain why he thinks he knows how to win a war and why he hasn't told anyone else yet? What war exactly has he won that makes him so sure he knows how to win one? Wasn't that Clark who was actually in charge of strategy -- Has McCain ever been in charge of strategy? No. So what war has he won? How does he know when he's won? Was Viet Nam a "win"?

God I'd love to have five minutes with any of the pathological liars from this administration.

[Bozita]

9. That's a terrific post!

Welcome to DU.

[Occulus]

12. If you have a webcam, you should record that rant and upload it to YouTube yourself

That's a very beautiful string of questions!

Welcome to DU. :hi:

(I'd give you cake, but the cake is a lie. ;) )

This was a triumph
I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction....

[liberal N proud]

8. Mr McGoo is offensive

[Voice for Peace]

10. not gonna happen! too bad suckahs

"Schmidt and others believe they can do to Obama what the Republicans did to John Kerry in 2004"

if what they've shown so far is an exhibition of their talent...

[Saintgermane]

11. Fawning Bullshit

Written by a ghost with Rove's cock stuffed in his mouth. Paul Harris is either a clueless sycophant masquerading as a journalist, or he has been paid by the McCain campaign to write this tripe.

[liam_laddie]

13. Very well put, inDEED! n/t

[bemildred]

14. Bring on the asshole du jour. nt

[progressivebydesign]

16. McCain is a nasty asshole.

How the fuck can anyone even consider having that man represent the US?

What amazes me is that a poll today showed that McCain shaved Obama's lead down to nothing since the nasty and vile attacks ads began. Basically, that says that contrary to what AMericans claim, they DO LOVE attack ads, and let them influence them. As an intelligent person, I see McCain's ads as jealous desperation, and they make him look stupid and impotent.

McCain got his clock cleaned in the filthiest way imaginable by Bush's people in 2000, in the primaries, and McCain learned NOTHING from it. He is an angry, small, bitter, man who will do anything to get power (and attack Iran.)