Obama Presses Red Button to Release K-Bombs

Email Print posted by rbruck 10/05/2008 09:02:32 PM EST

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Palin has gone and done it now.  Maybe she doesn't realize that she lives in a glass house.  Or maybe 7 glass houses.  Or is it 9?

Palin never should have called Obama a terrorist or un-American.

Today, Obama gave the go-ahead for his campaign and the 527's to talk about the Keating 5 scandal.  Obama's "relationship" with William Ayres is NOTHING (really!) compared to McCain's relationship with Charles Keating.  Plus, this gets to the heart of the current financial crisis.

Also, depending on whether the 527's seriously try to bring back Rev. Wright as an issue, Dem 527's will have the go-ahead to talk about McCain's relationships with Richard Quinn (publisher of the racist Southern Partisan magazine) and with Rev. John Hagee.

It was one thing when Clinton was throwing stones - she was out in the open.  But McCain lives in too many glass houses to be throwing these kinds of stones.

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Obama Presses Red Button to Release K-Bombs | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 hidden)
Is there evidence that Obama committed a felony? (none / 0)

You imply that Obama gave the go-ahead to the Section 527 organizations to talk about the Keating 5 scandal.  That is a very serious accusation.  If there's evidence of it, I'd appreciate seeing it.  It would mean that Obama is in violation of federal election law.  I'm not sure what the penalties are, but if he's breaking the law by coordinating his campaign with the 527s, that's pretty serious.



by EveningStarNM on 10/05/2008 09:20:00 PM EST

Obama Has No Direct Control over 527's (none / 0)

But Obama is free to say what he feels is appropriate and inappropriate to use in advertising.  The 527's are free to take his advise or not.

Often, candidates are criticized for not condemning particularly offensive advertising by 527's.  In a perfect world, Bush would have condemned the advertising done by the Swift Boat Vetrans.

A true measure of a person's authority is not whether the people under his direct command do what he says, but whether people who he has no command over follow his advise.

by rbruck on 10/05/2008 09:38:18 PM EST

[ Parent ]
So it's possible that he did commit a crime? (none / 0)

Research.


by EveningStarNM on 10/05/2008 10:03:16 PM EST

[ Parent ]
some research (none / 0)
It looks like this is a little over-hyped.  At least, as far as it's been reported.  I can't find any instances of Obama's campaign being in contact with 527s.  His supporters are just saying, "hey McCain, if you want to play the association game, you'd better be able to take the heat yourself."  I don't see any indication of the Obama campaign's involvement myself, but apparently some bloggers do.

Here's an AP article in the Houston Chronicle:

http://www.chron.com/disp/s tory.mpl/nation/6041101.htm l

It seems like the most respectable source of this info.  The most sensational source is a blog on Daily Kos linking to it, as well as to an interview with Paul Begala essentially saying the same thing:

http://www.dailykos.com/sto ryonly/2008/10/5/19317/4480 /333/621072

Here's the blog post that uses the language "go-ahead" from the Obama campaign, but it doesn't cite its sources.  It makes the claim of a "go-ahead" from the interview with Paul Begala who says that McCain's strategy could backfire because he has way more potent skeletons in his closet.

http://marcambinder.theatla ntic.com/archives/2008/10/d emocrats_to_raise_mccain_as so.php

I think it would be a bad idea to bring up the Keating Five, at least at this point.  Maybe by next week the atmosphere will be different, but there's no need for Obama's side to descend into the mud when he's got the issues on his side and the people listening.  He managed to get the media off him on the Ayers connection and make a good point to the American people.  His next ad continues that storyline of "McCain's trying to mislead you because he's losing on the economy."  It's a strong story, and Obama might be able to keep it up for a long time, at least as long as the economy is front and center in people's minds.

If there's a lull and McCain's character attacks start sticking, if Obama starts slipping in the polls, then it might be a good idea for Obama surrogates and 527s to let the K-Bombs fly, and try and tie those to the more legit (less character-association-based ) attack message of "McCain is bad for the economy".  All while Obama's camp is coming up with some new, more substantive attacks as well.

If anyone else has other research let me know.  I know that Obama's guys are exceptional strategists and they're running a really tight ship, keeping everything on message, so if they're using illegal means (like strategizing directly with 527s) that's important information that would make me reconsider Obama's ethical stance.  But I don't see any indication of that.

by marlonm on 10/05/2008 11:18:51 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Thank you. Good stuff. (none / 0)

But McCain has already brought out his big guns.  Obama must fight back with his.  Hopefully, if Obama get's his Keating 5 material out first, it will make that creepy old man impotent.

Geez.  I need to get some funding and start a 527.  I just found four words with which I'd love to play.

by EveningStarNM on 10/06/2008 12:17:35 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Obama needs to stay on target (none / 0)
But he could easily dovetail  keating 5 into the national conversation as it has everything to do with the economy. Its great Obama has options. McCain on the other hand is just about out of options.

by Chinese Democracy on 10/06/2008 03:03:27 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Precisely (none / 0)

McCain's involvement with the Keating 5, which the Senate Ethics committee said was at least poor judgement, shows the judgement with which he would manage our economy.

And we need to make more noise about his ties to the gambling lobby, too.  He's as corrupt as a U.S. Senator could be.

by EveningStarNM on 10/06/2008 10:50:06 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Not at All (none / 0)

527's operate independently, but must periodically disclose their financing.  Also, they are regulated.  The FEC limits an individual's contributions to any 527 Politcal Action Committee to $5,000.  527's that make no campaign contributions are not subject to this limit.

527's are supposed to attack issues, not candidates.  There is a fine line that 527's have to follow, it all depends on how their advertising is presented.  Both MoveOn.org and Swift Boat Vetrans were fined for their ads during the 2004 presidential campaign.  It may be that 527's now consider these fines as part of the cost of doing business.  The RNC is blatantly running ads for McCain, which they must fully expect to be fined for.  The McCain campaign has pretty much made a mockery of the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance law.

by rbruck on 10/05/2008 11:20:04 PM EST

[ Parent ]
The RNC is exempt. (none / 0)

They can run ads for their candidate.  They nominated him.  He's is their ticket.

But it's not the technicalities that matter -- it's the accusation.  Obama surely can say publicly that he wishes 527s would not do something on his behalf, but to say the opposite -- that they must or should do something on his behalf -- skirts dangerous ground that could cost him the election.

To that end, and I've forgotten where I read it, but it seems that Obama's campaign has put up a "Chinese wall" between their staff and all 527s.  They don't talk to them.  If they do, they'll have problems that could cost them the election.

Let's leave it at that and not go around suggesting that Obama may be breaking the law, especially when there is no evidence that he did.

by EveningStarNM on 10/06/2008 12:11:07 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Interesting Distinction (none / 0)

But I'm still not buying it.

The time when a candidate's opinion is most valid is when they say what attacks are inappropriate.  For example, a candidate could ask that nobody criticize his opponent in a way that is sexist, racist, or discriminatory in any other way.  He can do this by stating publicly that his own campaign will not engage in such practices.  This is what happened in this case.

What is not allowed is for a candidate or his campaign to coordinate or work with the 527's.

by rbruck on 10/06/2008 08:59:42 AM EST

[ Parent ]
You're not hearing me (none / 0)

You made an statement that easily could be construed as meaning that Obama is breaking the law.  Don't do that anymore unless you've got evidence and want to sink him.

by EveningStarNM on 10/06/2008 10:53:00 AM EST

[ Parent ]
Keating attack is NOT 527 (none / 0)
Call me crazy but the new "Keating economics" site is "paid for by Obama for America" That is the campaign itself not a 527.
Its true that 527s might follow on on the issue but there is no question of illegal 527 influence here. The attack is direct from the campaign.

by Scotty12 on 10/06/2008 12:30:35 PM EST

Obama Presses Red Button to Release K-Bombs | 12 comments (12 topical, 0 hidden)
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