Blog Mix

Mike's Blog Round Up

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:00 GMT

The Left Coaster: The days of BUSHCO dictating to the Iraqis are over.

Halfway There: Why polling is volatile even if voter's aren't

Beggars Can Be Choosers: No president in history has ever handed off a bigger mess to his successor

The Strange Death of Liberal America: ‘Hillary Trojans' are McCain people masking themselves as disgruntled supporters of Hillary Clinton. They are the new Swift Boaters.

The Brad Blog: A Missouri voter refused an illegal demand to show a photo ID at the polls and got thrown in jail. November should be interesting.

No More Mr. Nice Blog: Get the smelling salts…Obama said America is not always great!!!

The Clintons and the Convention

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:35 GMT

There's been at least some talk in recent weeks about exactly role the Clintons would have the Democratic National Convention. Would they get snubbed? Would they feel respected? Would those who supported Hillary in the primaries feel like the Clintons had been given their due?

By all appearances, it looks like the Clintons will up front and center in Denver.

Yes, Bill Clinton will have a role at the Democratic convention.

After a curious week of back-and-forth between the Obama and Clinton worlds, the former president was offered an invitation to speak on the second-to-last night of the party's convention in Denver. He will take the stage on Aug. 27, three Democratic senior officials said, before the address by the party's vice-presidential nominee.

The offer was extended by the Obama campaign on Thursday to Mr. Clinton, who accepted it.

The Democratic convention only spans four nights. Now, two of the four will feature prime-time speeches from Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Not too shabby.

I know the media would love there to be intra-party drama here, and would gladly exaggerate any lingering ill-will between the Democratic nominee and the candidate who came in a close second, but it's getting increasingly difficult to make the case.

Isn't the more interesting story that John McCain has no idea what to do with George W. Bush at the Republican National Convention and that Dick Cheney might not even show up at all?

I don't want to exaggerate the intra-party dynamic too much; there are some questions to be resolved. That said, the notion of Democrats tearing each other apart have been wildly off the mark.

The Obama and Clinton camps said this week that they agree on a central point: They would like to avoid an embarrassing display of discord from Clinton's most ardent backers when the national convention begins in just over two weeks. Conversations about how to achieve that have increasingly focused on the question of whether Clinton's name will be offered in a roll-call vote by delegates to determine the nominee, even though she has said she is not challenging Obama's claim as the party's standard-bearer.

Clinton confidante Cheryl Mills is working directly with Obama campaign manager David Plouffe to reach an accommodation, both sides confirmed. Clinton has been told that she will probably speak Tuesday night, Aug. 26, two nights before Obama's acceptance speech, and she is working on her remarks, which will touch on her breakthrough as a woman but will be, in the words of one associate, largely “forward looking.”

It appears the lingering question is whether, and why, Hillary Clinton's name would be submitted alongside Obama's for a required roll-call vote. There's been some suggestion that Clinton supporters would find this “cathartic,” though I'm not sure why. (”You worked hard during the primaries and came up short. As part of an exercise to make you feel better, we'll have you come up short again at the convention in a choreographed defeat.”)

It's one more detail to be worked out, but the bottom line remains the same — it's hard to say the Clintons are being slighted if both Bill and Hillary get prime-time speaking slots.

"This is sounding more and more like the Republican convention of 1976."

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:40 GMT

"That whole convention, Ronald Reagan kicked butt. Every speech he gave was far better than Gerald Ford. But Gerald Ford was the incumbent, and the old party hacks were not going to upset the apple cart now, and everybody knew they were nominating the wrong guy. "

From the brilliant Rush Limbaugh monologue about what Hillary Clinton is up to right now.

Folks, I think there's some of that going on in the Democrat Party now, that they have nominated the wrong person. This guy should be up by 10 to 15 points; the Drive-Bys writing stories about why isn't that happening. Now Mrs. Clinton saying, we gotta get... her name in nomination -- so that people don't walk away unhappy, "dissatisfied"?... You know that old Bill is out there working the phones. "I warned you people. I warned you. I tried to tell you, but he threw the race card out on me and distracted everybody, and I had to run around and defend myself on race. I'm the first black president of this country, and I had to run around and tell everybody, 'I'm not a racist.' I warned you. I said, 'This is not gonna work. This guy can't win. He can't get enough votes, get enough support, and he's got no experience at all.'

"Look, he had all that media coverage over there when he went over, that 'summer intern tour,' as Limbaugh calls it. He's exactly right about that, and what happened? His numbers fell, and keep falling. I tried to warn you."

Rush is at his best — and he knows it — when he's telling us in blunt terms what various Democrats must be thinking.

McCain touts Dems’ praise, but also gives Dems an opening

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:55 GMT

In recent weeks, the McCain campaign has unveiled a series of web videos that are created for the sole purpose of generating news. These videos aren't “ads,” in any traditional sense, and won't even be considered for television broadcast. They are, in effect, video press releases with provocative messages, made to generate media attention and a sense of “buzz.”

And, invariably, it works. The more outrageous the web video, the more the news networks will run it, repeat it, and talk about it. The videos about “The One” and reporters' alleged affection for Barack Obama were, as planned, everywhere.

That said, the latest effort, unveiled yesterday, may have been a miscalculation.

When John McCain railed against the Bush administration or bucked his party on campaign finance reform, he was his Democratic colleagues' favorite Republican.

But their praise is coming back to haunt them.

On Thursday, McCain's campaign released a one-minute Web ad seeking to burnish his maverick image — with testimonials from prominent Democrats.

You'll notice that a few of these Democratic leaders look a few years younger than they do today.

My first thought was, “Let this be a lesson to all of us — if you say something nice about a Republican, the Republican will use it against you later.”

But as it turns out, the DNC's response was both fast and pitch-perfect.

It's called, “Maverick No More,” and it features the exact same Democrats who appeared in McCain's clip.

If you can't watch clips online, Seth Colter Walls has the transcript.

The point's pretty obvious — excluding the attack Hillary Clinton made during the presidential primaries, Dems used to appreciate McCain's willingness to cooperate and occasional independent streak. Indeed, before his metamorphosis, McCain had probably earned some of this praise from his Democratic colleagues.

But that's precisely the point: McCain changed. The people who used to respect him don't anymore. Those who've worked with him in the Senate have seen, up close, the transition from independent thinker to Republican hack.

Indeed, thanks to the McCain campaign's new web video, we could — if the media has any interest at all — have a debate about the Old McCain vs. the New McCain, exploring the ways in which the previous incarnation would find the revised model offensive.

As Howard Dean says in the DNC's response, “You know, the John McCain of 2000 wouldn't vote for this John McCain.”

This probably isn't the kind of response the McCain gang wanted from its video. Good.

John Edwards Scandal Finally 'Pierces' LAT Blogs

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:30 GMT

Mark August 7, 2008 on your calendars. That was the day that the John Edwards scandal finally "pierced" the Los Angeles Times blogs following an earlier e-mail from Times editor Tony Pierce muzzling his staff (emphasis mine):

Because the only source has been the National Enquirer we have decided not to cover the rumors or salacious speculations. So I am asking you all not to blog about this topic until further notified.

The historic occasion for this Edwards scandal to "pierce" the LAT blogs was the looming Democratic convention in which Edwards role there could prove very embarrassing as noted in my previous blog. In fact, whether or not Edwards plays a prominent role at that convention is making it much more difficult for the mainstream media to continue ignoring the scandal. The only major newspaper covering this potentially embarrassing situation in depth has been the Charlotte Observer which the LAT Top of the Ticket blog uses as a source:

As Barack Obama heads off on vacation in Hawaii, his convention planners will be hard at work ironing out not only the logistics of Hillary Clinton's presence at the confab in Denver (will she or will she not insist on having her name placed in nomination?), but dealing with a potentially even trickier question: how large of a spotlight -- if any -- to give John Edwards.

In a story Thursday, the Charlotte Observer quotes several prominent Democrats -- by name -- who urge Edwards to more convincingly confront allegations by the National Enquirer, which he has denied, that he had an affair and that his alleged mistress bore a child by him.

If he does not meet this challenge, these Democrats say, he risks losing a high-profile slot as a convention speaker.

So why has the Los Angeles Times avoided the Edwards scandal? Top of the Ticket author, Don Frederick, explains:

For the most part, mainstream media outlets have not pursued the matter, in part because Edwards no longer is a presidential candidate nor does he hold a public office. The Times National Editor Scott Kraft explained the newspaper's stance in a note today, published on the Reader's Representative blog.

So the reason to avoid covering this scandal was because "Edwards no longer is a presidential candidate nor does he hold a public office?" And the fact that he was a vice-presidential nominee nor the fact he has, until recently, been mentioned as a having a prominent role in a possible Obama administration doesn't count? Of course, if Frederick were completely honest, he would admit the real reason why the MSM has been shunning the Edwards scandal story: because John Edwards has a (D) not the dreaded (R) after his name.

The reason for suddenly allowing an Edwards story to "pierce" the sanctified environs of the LAT blogs is provided by the Times' Readers Representative Journal in a hand-wringing rationale:

Times readers and others since late July have sent notes by the dozens to the readers' representative office, asking if The Times was looking into a story published by the National Enquirer containing allegations about John Edwards. National Editor Scott Kraft sent an e-mail Thursday night to the Times' communications department and the readers' representative office, two departments that have fielded the questions about how this story was being handled. [Update: This posting earlier said that The Times hadn't published anything about the Enquirer reports; in fact, the Opinion LA blog did post an item on July 23 that was a roundup of coverage by others.] Kraft's note:

"We have decided to post, on Top of the Ticket, an item and link to a Charlotte Observer report, quoting Democratic supporters of Edwards on the record as saying that they think he needs to address the National Enquirer report if he hopes to speak at the convention.

"While we have stayed away from that Enquirer report, because we couldn't confirm it, this strikes us as a legitimate story -- that on-the-record Dems, including a former Edwards campaign manager, are criticizing Edwards' decision to stay mum on the topic and saying it might affect his credibility enough that he wouldn't get a speaking slot at the convention. (Those speaking slots haven't been decided yet, the party says.)"

Somehow we think that the excruciating soul-searching internal debate at the LAT would not have been so difficult had Edwards been a Republican. However, we should give Don Frederick credit for alluding to the frustrations of the LAT bloggers being forced to avoid this scandal story by quoting from former newspaperman, Alan Mutter, in Reflections of a Newsosaur:

National Enquirer scoop or not, there appears to be way too much smoke here for the major mainstream media to continue ignoring the story about the out-of-wedlock child that John Edwards may have fathered.

With everyone from Drudge to Leno to Wonkette riffing on a tale that began trickling out at Christmas, the MSM look foolishly out of touch by continuing to remain silent about the allegation that Edwards fathered the girl recently born to a former campaign aide.

This is a messy and unseemly matter that I wish never had seen the light of day. Now that it is festering on the web, on talk radio and around the watercooler, mainstream journalists owe their readers and viewers their best professional efforts to sort fact from innuendo. ...

And with the Democratic convention clock ticking ever closer, it will be harder and harder for the MSM to avoid the John Edwards scandal. Perhaps this scandal might even "pierce" the LAT print edition itself someday.

NewsBusted 190

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:59 GMT

Topics in today's show: Global Warming Delusion, the latest fad disease, Barack Obama goes back on his pledge to do townhall debates, Hillary Clinton hosts dinners to pay off campaign debts, Kim Cattrall of "Sex and the City" says she won't get plastic surgery.

"NewsBusted" is a comedy webcast about the news of the day, uploaded every Tuesday and every Friday. Check us out on Myspace or hop over to our YouTube channel and poke at the resident lefties.

Think you're funny? Send your (short) jokes to rightstuffcomedy@yahoo.com. If we use them, we'll pay you USD $50 for each one.

Starring: Jodi Miller
Director: Bruce Roundtower
Executive Producer: Matthew Sheffield

Obama's Strategery

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:20 GMT

[Guest post by DRJ]

Denis Keohane at The American Thinker explains why Obama's strategic decisions may jeopardize his Democratic nomination:

“It looks like Obama's belief in his inevitability may have led him into a blunder, making it easier for Hillary supporters to prevent a nomination on the first ballot. After that point, anything goes, as all super delegates and many pledged delegates are free to vote their preferences.

After accepting the party's decision last June to seat the delegates from Michigan and Florida but with half votes, only days ago Obama said he wanted the delegates to have full votes

Obviously, he said this believing he has won the nomination and that pandering to voters in critical general election states is of more importance.

If the party goes along with Obama's request, it reduces the number of super delegates who would need to sit out the first ballot for Obama to be denied the nomination, opening the way for Clinton! Ouch!

This is proof that the man should not be negotiating with Ahmadinejad. If he cannot think strategically and recognize his vulnerability to a last minute ambush at the convention, he would be eaten alive in big league world affairs.”

Of course, Obama doesn't need to worry about Ahmadinejad yet. He has his hands full dealing with Hillary.

– DRJ

With Friends Like the Clintons, Why Are “We” Afraid of the Rovian Raptors

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:59 GMT

As the Chinese general and military strategist, Sun-tzu, said about Karl Rove back in 400 B.C., “keep your enemies close, but your friends closer”. So here is the real landscape with profound implications for the election–and it has nothing to do with the rampaging Rovians or McBush. First, we have the egomaniac, Bill Clinton, still licking his racist wounds by saying I am not a racist, and giving McCain his cue cards, “Obama played the race card.” This was in Africa, of all places. He was also asked if Obama was qualified to be president. This now, once Big Dog diminished by his own behavior to a Little Puppy, said, “A case could be made that nobody is prepared to be president.” Translation: feck you Obama. This was after he repeatedly said during the primaries, after it was clear that McCain would be the Pugs pugger, that there were only two people in the race who are prepared to be president on day one. Obama, of course, was the odd one out.

Second, we now know today, direct from that woman, Mrs. Clinton, that she wants the convention to be about her before it is about him. She wants her supporters to be able to come to the convention and “yell and scream”, her words, not my characterization. She promises that she can keep the cackling hens together and disciplined enough to squawk on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and then be hen-pecked (behind Obama behind 100 percent) on Thursday?

There is nothing trustworthy about the Clintons, both of them. An uppity black boy as whoooped the Southern Democratic plantation owner and his wife, and they don't like it. If Obama does not shine the massa's shoes, Hillary has a free ride in four years. What part of this Rovian strategy don't we get.

To Obama's credit he is playing this down: after all he has enemies, Rovian raptors, to fight off.

Exclusive: McCain Economic Strategy Memo's Margin Notes

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:48 GMT

According to the Politico's Jonathan Martin:

John McCain's campaign is considering a series of tactics intended to focus attention on the Republican's effort to address the economy, including a jobs-oriented tour of targeted states, an economic summit and family roundtable events "heavily tilted towards women," according to an internal memo.

In a document titled "Economic Communications Plan" sent Sunday to top campaign aides and economic advisers and obtained by Politico, McCain communications adviser Taylor Griffin writes that their polling reveals "Americans are still not tuned into what the candidates might do to fix the economy."

To address that, Griffin writes, McCain needs to convey three ideas:
1. McCain understands the economic problems of ordinary Americans. Barack Obama does not.
2. McCain understands that the situation is urgent.
3. McCain’s “Jobs for America” plan is superior.

Thankfully Americablog has discovered the original version of this policy memo with margin notes about sticky areas to avoid discussing:

DRAFT MEMO ON MCCAIN AND ECONOMIC POLICY PUSH

1. McCain understands the economic problems of ordinary Americans. Barack Obama does not.

Note: Don’t Mention That Senator McCain Extreme Wealth Makes It Hard to Relate To The Concerns of Everyday Americans. Do not discuss taste in clothing or HOUSES!!!

John & Cindy McCain Own At Least Ten Houses In Arizona, California, and Virginia Worth an Estimated $13,823,269. [San Diego County Property Records; Maricopa County Property Records; Yavapai County Property Records; Arlington County Property Records; GQ, 3/18/08; McCain 2008 Senate Financial Disclosure Report]

McCain Was The Eighth Wealthiest Senator In 2006 Based On His 2006 PFD. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, John McCain was the eighth wealthiest Senator in 2006, based on his 2006 personal financial disclosure. McCain’s minimum net worth was listed at $ 27,817,187 and his maximum net worth was listed at $45,045,011. [Center For Responsive Politics via Opensecrets.org, accessed 4/2/08]

McCain Was Seen Wearing $520 Ferragamo Loafers. The Huffington Post reported that John McCain wore a pair of $520 leather Ferragamo loafers to several campaign events, from a meeting with the Dalai Lama to a stopover at a Pennsylvania supermarket. [HuffingtonPost.com, accessed 7/30/08]

2. McCain understands that the situation is urgent.

Note: Please Avoid Mentioning McCain’s Congressional Action on Key Economic Policies. Remember that Senator McCain Was “Focused On Other Stuff” And “Too Busy” To Cast The Deciding Vote On The Stimulus Bill To Extend Unemployment Benefits, Even Though He Was In Washington, DC.

McCain Skipped Vote on Stronger Stimulus Package. On February 6, 2008, McCain skipped a vote that would have bolstered the economic stimulus package to offer additional help for American families and businesses. [CQ Today, 2/6/08]

• McCain Would have been Deciding Vote. Senate Democrats had 59 votes to end debate and bring the stimulus package to a vote – including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton – meaning McCain would have cast the deciding vote. “The tally was 58-41 to end debate on the Senate measure” because Majority Leader Harry Reid “switched his vote to ‘no’ at the last moment” so he can “bring the measure up for a revote.” [Associated Press, 2/7/08]

• Mccain Was In Washington For Vote. The Associated Press reported, McCain’s “decision to miss the vote appeared to come at the last minute, after his plane had landed at Dulles International Airport outside Washington just before the proceedings opened on the Senate floor.” [Associated Press, 2/6/08]

• McCain “Too Busy” to Show Up and Vote, “Focused on Other Stuff.” Asked on his plane to Washington about the vote, McCain said, “I haven’t had a chance to talk about it at all, have not had the opportunity to, even,” McCain said. “We’ve just been too busy, focused on other stuff. I don’t know if I’m doing that. We’ve got a couple of meetings scheduled.” [Associated Press, 2/6/08]

McCain Said It Is Necessary To Work A Second Job Or Skip Vacation. During his speech on the mortgage crisis, McCain said, “Of those 80 million homeowners, only 55 million have a mortgage at all, and 51 million are doing what is necessary – working a second job, skipping a vacation, and managing their budgets – to make their payments on time. That leaves us with a puzzling situation: how could 4 million mortgages cause this much trouble for us all?” [McCain Remarks On The Housing Crisis, 3/25/08]

McCain Blamed Homeowners As “Irresponsible” And Opposed Federal Help During remarks on the housing crisis, John McCain said, “I have always been committed to the principle that it is not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they are big banks or small borrowers.” [McCain Remarks On The Housing Crisis, 3/25/08]

3. McCain's "Jobs for America" plan is superior.

Note: Under NO Circumstances Should Senator McCain Repeat His “So-Called” Straight Talk That He Knows American Jobs Lost To Trade Deals That Help Corporate America Are “Not Coming Back” !!!

McCain: “We In America Have Experienced A Dramatic Loss Of Manufacturing Jobs… Those Jobs Are Not Coming Back.” During a town hall meeting in Inez, Kentucky, John McCain said, “We in America have experienced a dramatic loss of manufacturing jobs. Not only here but particularly across areas of America that are our traditional manufacturing base. I have to tell you and I have to tell you this very honestly that many of those jobs are not coming back to America.” [McCain Town Hall in Inez, Kentucky, 4/23/08]

McCain Justified Job Losses By Saying “It Was Never A Lot Of People’s Ambition To Have Their Children Work In A Textile Mill.” During a roundtable in Santa Ana, California, John McCain said, “I believe that NAFTA has been a great thing for America...I went to South Carolina and I told the people of South Carolina that the old textile mill jobs weren’t coming back and they aren’t coming back. And frankly it was never a lot of people’s ambition to have their children work in a textile mill.” [Roundtable in Santa Ana, California, 3/25/08; emphasis added]

McCain: “Let The American Businesses Have Their Way.” During a speech in Tampa, Florida, John McCain said, “So I went to New Hampshire and I told them the truth, and we had over a hundred town hall meetings. And we went to Michigan, and we told them the truth, they didn’t like it much. And we went to South Carolina and we told them the truth, that maybe the old textile mills weren’t coming back... Let the American businesses have their way and get the government out of their way.” [McCain Speech in Tampa, Florida, 1/28/08]

McCain's Campaign Strategy

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:54 GMT

[Guest post by DRJ]

I've read several articles and blogs criticizing McCain's campaign strategy but I like his recent strategy. McCain has run ads that show he will criticize Obama and ads that focus on his values. Now he airs an internet ad entitled “Praising McCain” that shows prominent Democrats and Obama praising McCain:

“John McCain is a maverick — just ask Democrats,” a caption reads in the broadcast, which came a day after Obama dismissed McCain's “maverick” credentials by casting him as a tired retread of President George W. Bush.

The Republican's spot features old footage of prominent Obama supporters, including senators John Kerry and Joseph Biden, praising McCain as an honorable politician who is unafraid to reach across party lines.

It even includes a snippet from Obama himself, in January 2007, lauding a Senate bill co-sponsored by McCain on greenhouse gas emissions.”

The ad ends with a clip of Hillary Clinton:

“But the real sting comes with the final guest speaker — Clinton, shown making a biting remark about Obama at the bitter height of their primary battle for the Democratic nomination in March this year.

“I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002,” she says in the ad, referring to Obama's stand against the Iraq war.”

This ad could give the media more openings to ask Obama and his campaign staff questions about their shaky relationship with Hillary and to drive a deeper wedge between Obama and Hillary as the Democratic convention nears. It's almost enough to make me wonder if the Clintons and the McCain campaign are tag-teaming Obama:

“The “Praising McCain” ad was released as Clinton prepared to hold a web chat with supporters Thursday, amid a clamor from her diehard backers for her name to be put forward on the nominating ballot at the convention in Denver.

Clinton herself appears to be backing the idea as a way of officially recording the nearly 18 million primary votes she won and, she says, to let the party purge itself of any lingering anti-Obama discontent.”

Surely not.

– DRJ

CBS’s Rodriguez: McCain Ad ‘Started This Negative Tide’

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:45 GMT

On Thursday’s CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez talked to Republican strategist Ed Rollins about the recent exchange of ads between the McCain and Obama campaigns and started the discussion by declaring: "Let's begin with the one that started this negative tide, John McCain's ad last week comparing Barack Obama to celebrities Paris Hilton and Britney Spears." Rodriguez went on to admit the media’s distaste for the ad as she asked Rollins: "So even though he was being criticized, do you think this was an effective ad because it got people talking about McCain again?" On Wednesday’s CBS "Evening News" correspondent Dean Reynolds said of the McCain ad: "Some Republicans wonder about the new approach. McCain's own mother said using Paris Hilton in this controversial ad to insult Obama was, quote, ‘kind of stupid.’"

Later in the Early Show segment, Rodriguez introduced a clip of the Obama campaign’s response ad in a positive fashion: "Barack Obama says that he -- John McCain is taking the low road. He's supposed to be a straight talker who doesn't resort to this sort of thing, but he has. And he said as much in this ad, let's take a look at it." When Rodriguez asked Rollins what he thought of the ad, he observed: "Well he's responding to McCain. The truth of the matter is you want to run your own campaign, you don't want to respond in the opposition. That's the basic rule." Rodriguez seemed surprised by the critique: "You don't think that Barack Obama pointing out John McCain's weaknesses, in his view, is a good strategy?"

At the top of the show, co-host Harry Smith teased the segment by declaring: "McCain launches another attack on Obama. Is it having an effect on the latest polls?" Rodriguez offered a similar preview: "Up next, McCain versus Obama. Yet another new negative ad is out. You will see it." This new "attack on Obama" referred to a new McCain ad that again referred to Obama as a "celebrity": "Is the biggest celebrity in the world, ready to help your family? The real Obama promises higher taxes, more government spending. So, fewer jobs."

Rodriguez described the latest ad as "a part two" to McCain’s original celebrity ad, but seemed to suggest that it wasn’t quite as negative: "So still a jab about the celebrity but much more on message...And also when they say things like ‘he's going to raise your taxes,’ which they focused on much more in this ad than the first one." In reality, both 32-second ads spent only about 7-8 seconds referring to Obama’s celebrity status.

Following up on Smith’s question: "Is it having an effect on the latest polls?" Rodriguez quoted new poll numbers: "A new CBS News poll on the presidential race is out this morning and it shows Barack Obama leads John McCain 45% to 39%, the same lead that he had a month ago." Prior to proclaiming that McCain started a "negative tide," Rodriguez observed: "With such a tight race, the gloves are off as more and more campaign ads take negative turns." Apparently only McCain campaign ads, according to CBS.

Here is the full transcript of the segment:

7:00AM TEASER:

HARRY SMITH: The Paris effect. Her ad draws millions of viewers as McCain launches another attack on Obama. Is it having an effect on the latest polls?

7:12AM TEASER:

MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: Up next, McCain versus Obama. Yet another new negative ad is out. You will see it. Plus, has Paris Hilton's ad changed the game?

7:16AM SEGMENT:

MAGGIE RODRIGUEZ: A new CBS News poll on the presidential race is out this morning and it shows Barack Obama leads John McCain 45% to 39%, the same lead that he had a month ago. With such a tight race, the gloves are off as more and more campaign ads take negative turns. Ed Rollins is a Republican strategist and a veteran of political campaigns and he's here to talk ads with us this morning.

ROLLINS: Morning. My pleasure.

RODRIGUEZ: Good morning. And that's why we're so far apart, because we're going to watch these ads. Let's begin with the one that started this negative tide, John McCain's ad last week comparing Barack Obama to celebrities Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. Obama had just come back from his overseas trip. Everybody was talking about him. Then suddenly this ad comes out and everybody -- us -- starts talking about John McCain. So even though he was being criticized, do you think this was an effective ad because it got people talking about McCain again?

ED ROLLINS: Well, it was a very effective ad because for the first time since really February, the equal news coverage for the week, and it was about this ad. Network television, cable television put this on and made it work. At the end of the day the message is that he's not ready to lead. And I think that's in essence what McCain wanted to do.

RODRIGUEZ: Last week the McCain camp told me they were very pleased with the ad and the response. And they must be, because we're sort of seeing a part two, a new version of this which just came out. And I'd like to show it for those of you who haven't seen it. So let's take a look.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Is the biggest celebrity in the world, ready to help your family? The real Obama promises higher taxes, more government spending. So, fewer jobs. Renewable energy to transform our economy, create jobs and energy independence. That's John McCain.

RODRIGUEZ: So still a jab about the celebrity but much more on message, Ed.

ROLLINS: It's definitely on message and the message obviously are the things that are the negatives. But I think the key thing here is it's building on this celebrity. This is a guy who basically four years ago nobody knew who he was, now they do. He's very famous but there's no substance. And I think that's their message.

RODRIGUEZ: And also when they say things like 'he's going to raise your taxes,' which they focused on much more in this ad than the first one.

ROLLINS: Absolutely. That's the message you want to drive. I mean, it's -- this is an ad that'll work in August. It may not in October. But the message of raising taxes will definitely work in October. And I think you're going to keep hearing that over and over and over again.

RODRIGUEZ: Alright, Barack Obama says that he -- John McCain is taking the low road. He's supposed to be a straight talker who doesn't resort to this sort of thing, but he has. And he said as much in this ad, let's take a look at it.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN B: He's practicing the politics of the past. John McCain. His attacks on Barack Obama 'not true,' 'false,' 'baloney,' 'the low road,' 'baseless.' John McCain, same old politics, same failed policies. Barack Obama supports a $1,000 middle class tax cut, an energy plan that takes on oil companies, develops alternative fuels, and breaks the grip of foreign oil. That's change-

RODRIGUEZ: What do you think?

ROLLINS: Well he's responding to McCain. The truth of the matter is you want to run your own campaign, you don't want to respond in the opposition. That's the basic rule. But I think he thinks that the ads must have been effective enough that he's out there basically responding already. Once again, this is August. What goes on in September, October, maybe a totally different game.

RODRIGUEZ: You don't think that Barack Obama pointing out John McCain's weaknesses, in his view, is a good strategy?

ROLLINS: Well, it's a good strategy in the sense, if he can make McCain a grumpy old man as opposed to a significant command-in-chief, he's done his job. And I think that's what he wants to do. He's the more likable candidate by an overwhelming margin. And in the end, these undecided voters often vote for the person they like the most.

RODRIGUEZ: I want to ask you about Hillary Clinton real quick, because we're hearing this morning that she is not ruling out placing her name for nomination at the convention.

ROLLINS: I think that'd be a foolish mistake on her part. I think she's had a tremendous campaign. I think she's only enhanced herself, even though she didn't win. I think if she plays any kind of havoc, and it would create havoc at a convention, it'll be a detriment to her.

RODRIGUEZ: She can't do that.

ROLLINS: I would hope that she wouldn't for her sake.

RODRIGUEZ: Alright. Thank you very much.

ROLLINS: My pleasure, thank you. Wonderful to be here.

RODRIGUEZ: Ed Rollins, appreciate your time. And if you have a video response to any of these ads, send them to our website, it's earlyshow.cbsnews.com. And we'll air the best ones.

The McCain-Clinton Axis

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:21 GMT

The latest sign of what Hillary delivered to John against the Democratic nominee. Here's the DNC response.