There's a lot of work to do on their message strategy, but to give Obama's team credit, at least this response pivoted to an attack on McCain (although not nearly a tough enough one).

Also, every single press release, response, statement, etc, should have the phrase "McCain is offering nothing more than a 3rd Bush term."

Using the word "lie" is great. But more importantly is saying Bush = McCain. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat again....

http://strategy08.wordpress.com

Yep, the construction (used in different pieces here) should be "this is a lie, and John McCain knows it" or "John McCain knows this is a lie." That is as close to identifying McCain as a "liar" without using that word. (Although I have no problem with "McCain is a liar.")

I agree to "Bush/McCain" and/or "McCain/Bush" in every instance that the candidate's position is identified.

Such responses are fine, but I'm tired of playing defense. It looks weak and it means that the initial attacks and smear get discussed, which means more exposure in the MSM, increased credibility etc. We need Obama and Dems to go on the offensive. We need McCain to be explaining why he says "country first" when his entire campaign team represents foreign and corporate interests. We need him to defend his votes against clean energy, equal pay for women, the GI Bill, and even the Martin Luther King holiday. I want to see McCain surrogates explain how it is that a man with 10 homes and private plane, who can't even get onto the entry ramp to Information Superhighway, can relate to middle class Americans in the 21st century. None of these issues ever seem to get covered and it's killing me. Even the ads run in the spring by the DNC, featuring McCain's support for 100 years in Iraq and his claims that the economy isn't that bad, were better than what we see now.

"This is more of the same lies from John McCain that have been discredited, but he continues to repeat them. Perhaps he think the press won't call him out on his repeated lies.

He's trying to hide the truth that his tax proposal is all about giving away money to the big oil companies and the wealthy few that don't care about the pain that regular Americans are facing at the grocery store, the gas pump, and in their homes from utility bills.

McCain is more of the same, just like George W. Bush. Tax cuts for the wealthy, nothing for the middle class. Americans won't be hoodwinked this time by another Republican like McCain. Barack Obama will provide a tax cut for 100 million American families, and he's the one they trust on the economy.

Not John McCain. Another Bush third term."

OK, I've been holding steady with the al giordano/"no chicken littles" model of staying confident and on message. But frankly, I'm beginning to feel a twitch of nervousness that the obama team is not confronting these attacks the way they should be and that they are beginning to have an affect on the race.

Quick, someone tell me I'm being paranoid and to buck it up!

The tag line in the McCain ad "Barack Obama: Economic Disaster" should be re-used but with the linkage of John McCain and George W. Bush.

"McCain called my plan to give tax cut breaks to over 100 million working American middle-class families an "economic disaster" at a time when they're suffering from high gas prices, increases in their grocery budget, and utility bills in the winter.

Let's examine the truth about the economic disaster this country has faced in the past eight years.

John McCain has voted with George W. Bush every single time to increase the federal deficit by continuing the war in Iraq in the past eight years, which has increased gas prices and the cost of groceries at home. McCain also has lobbyists on his campaign that helped sell subprime mortgages to Americans. Millions of homes now have foreclosed. Now that IS an economic disaster.

Can Americans afford four more years of John McCain? He'd be another Bush third term."

I think Obama should punk McCain and make it into a campaign ad. Wait until the next time Lieberman and Graham are at one of McCain's houses for a sleepover, and then have something like 20 . . . no, 50! . . . pizzas delivered so he has to ask Cindy for some money to pay for them. Then have David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs jump out from behind a bush (wearing t-shirts that say "McLiar=B3T"), grab all the pizzas, and take off running.

The media would cover that.

If I could advise the Obama campaign, I'd suggest they hit McCain on fiscal responsibility.

The McCains have a combined personal fortune of nine figures yet carry six-figure debt. The Obamas are certainly wealthy but carry zero debt. They've reportedly always lived well within their means.

If, as reported, Rick Warren gets personal with the candidates, this is what I'd love him to address.