The Phil Gramm quote is pure gold. Everyone in America needs to hear it before election day.

He attacked on the seven houses, the Ingram quote and Phil Graham. 3 out of 3. He nailed it.

And something else:

http://www.wilshireandwashington.com/2008/08/mccains-hollywo.html

So, who's the celebrity now?

PD: Next ad, they should use the Jon Stewart long "Hum", that could be awesome. Or course he wouldn't do it but can you imagine?

2PD. I can't believe Jon Cryer is a republican.
Well, nobody's perfect. The more you know...

McCain: Reckless abroad, seven houses at home.

(Or it is ten, as Josh said?)

It's just mind bugling that John McCain does NOT know how many homes he owns!

Remember, this is just getting started, so there will be a lot more "gifts" coming our the GOP cauldron of lunacy.

Separately, the Obama campaign is apparently planning to deploy surrogates in at least 16 states to press the "houses" attack.

The reason this is so damaging: Obama is using McCain's own words against him. Give a guy enough rope...

http://pufferfish.typepad.com/

And this is just classic!

Obama V.P. prospect and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine mocked Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Thursday for not knowing exactly how many houses he owns.

"I understand that Sen. McCain was asked yesterday this question, 'how many houses do you own?,' and he couldn't answer that question. He couldn't count high enough, apparently, to even know how many houses he owns," said Kaine.

What?!?!?!? A coordinated surrogate strategy?! Do mine eyes deceive me? A Democratic campaign?

btw, the real test is how long they keep this up. One day isn't enough.

http://strategy08.wordpress.com

Does anyone else pick up on the senility subtext? How rich McCain (or his wife) were before yesterday was well known? It was his inability to remember how many houses he has that made it newsworthy.

I'm not saying that's the primary meme, but it seems a significant, if unstated, component.

If the Obama campaign doesn’t play this up big hard, fast, and CONSISTENTLY for at least a week (into the convention)…

then they don’t deserve to win.

How many bloody noses can Obama take without hitting back EFFECTIVELY?

I've almost cried with joy, that's how happy I've been to see a Democratic candidate for president finally giving back what he's been getting.

I love how they keep hitting Obama on his vacation in Hawaii. Why won't a surrogate come back with these questions: Hawaii? Isn't that where the married 42 year old John McCain chose to cheat on his seriously disabled wife? And wasn't it with a 24 year old beer heiress by the name of Cindy, soon to be his next wife?

NIce, but Obama's presentation is a bit too similar to the oft criticized "talking paragraphs" issued by his campaign.

The style is still too desultory and peripatetic - pick a couple of points and hammer away, giving details and move on. The catalog of the McCain campaign's missteps, leading to the "who's he talking to," answer, "the rich" seems a bit opaque to me.

I think the question should be "who isn't he talking to?" m When Obama the "great progress quote" and Gramm's gaffe should be delivered like bullets should go on to talk about how the people in the audience know they're working harder for less, discussing the cost of insurance, gas, groceries, etc. Tie the gaffes into real world problems, strengthening both Obama's empathy - he understands how and why people suffer in this economy - and the sense that McCain is out of touch.

I'm glad to see the campaign finally realizes they need to get more aggressive with their deeply flawed opponent; maybe my criticisms are a bit off base as the tape is spiced together. I'd just like to see the campaign take McCain's constant gaffes - as well as his more carefully considered policy positions - and use them as ways to talk about Barack's understanding of the everyday struggles of the great majority of Americans.

And of course even when he comes out swinging, someone criticizes it as either not enough or too much.

That is so fucking predictable that it is boring - I've heard this shit through 4 elections now.

It's boring - get another line, please.

Cliff there's a faux The Fabulous Life of: John McCain--I don't remember who made it, but here's the link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7PfSEtiXPw

I know I'm rope-a-dope obsessed, but another byproduct of the Obama feint is that the more confident Johnnyboy becomes, the more "Maverick"-y he gets. And the more "Maverick"-y he gets, the more stupid things he says.

It makes the Dr. Strangelove comparisons all the more apt, except that instead of an uncontrollable left arm, he's got an uncontrollable mouth. Attached to an uncontrollable ego.

I loved the answer from the McCain campaign about Obama's hitting them on houses owned. First line; "Does the guy (Obama) who makes 4 million a year........."

I am surprised this is not getting more laughs, as we all know you are not 'rich', by Mcain's own definition, until you make 5 million a year.

What about the fact that McCain's been hedging on reinstating the draft?

Here's something that will greatly enhance both Obama's already significant advantage among the under-30 and ensure a high turnout.

Yeah. Finally, unleash the dogs of war. Surrogates all over the place blasting mcbush and "define" the putz for what he is. No more free rides. . . . . and NO MORE WHINING.

Awesome. The guy doesn't know how many houses he has? He doesn't know that czechoslovakia ceased to exist 20 years ago or that iraq doesn't have a border with pakistan. The guy is a hot headed, senile fool. Do it team obama.

I am still for the daisy ad. Maybe the obama people can float out there some statement to get the right-wing media to air the ad and say is this a replay of goldwater in 64? We'll bring you the facts and they run the stupid ad 50 times. Bring on the daisy ad!

7 Homes, 3 investment properties, 100 million dollars, 100 plus flip flops, 5 million dollars and a nation of whiners what do they all have in common?

Out of touch and elite

How can someone like that relate to foreclosures, unemployment, high gas prices and inflation?

They cant and wont.

Instead he will leave you with less money, less jobs and less homes.

news release: In response to Obama's lack of respect for the POW, McCain has decided debate himself at one of his homes.

As soon as finds out where they all are, he'll let us know via email - that is, if Cindy will show him how to use email.

The McCain Residences: A Google Earth Tour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Glia_Vrbc8&eurl

Send it, share it, post it everywhere!

McCain: Reckless abroad, ten houses at home.

(I take the word of Josh on this!)

He should just say yes i have a house, a home for my family, and I know exactly where it is.

but how 'elitist' can O be if he isn't even 'rich' by Mc's standards? Someone should def hit back with how much him and Cindy make per year...

Phil Gramm quote is pure GOLD.

Keep it up. This is good stuff.

Americans simply do not know the truth about the real McCain.

Let the vetting begin!

I don't know if you guys have wondered over to Ambinder's site. He is at it trying to defend McCain. He goes on saying he does not think this will work because the McCain brand is not associated with the general public with 'rich'. And why would that be ah? Because people like Ambinder question every single thing Obama puts forward and just reprints the McCain smears.

Okay Obama camp - all you have to do now is HAMMER THIS HOME EVERY DAY UNTIL THE ELECTION. EVERY DAY. EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Problem solved!

By the way - the 'private beach' charge in McCain's response this morning is a lie.

All beaches in Hawaii are public beaches - by law.

State law requires all beaches remain accessible to the public, and counties must make sure the public can reach the beach in areas where private property dominates.

But the Iroquois Point Island Club, which rents homes to the public, can refuse access to its beach because it is on land belonging to the Navy. Military property is exempt from the state and county beach access rules.

Just pointing that out.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,408101,00.html

In a hypothetical matchup, Hillary Clinton tops McCain by 46 percent to 43 percent.

Hey PUMAS, I thought you guys said HRC would have been crushing McCain by like 20pts?

Politico has put the audio clip of McCain:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12685.html

Spread the word.

McCain: Reckless abroad, ten houses at home

By the way, another angle of this that is bad is McCain's sneaky politician's answer to a simple question. Most people would either know the answer (!) or just guess.

McCain just plays dumb. He pretends he doesn't know, he says he'll have his people get back. He's done this repeatedly with other issues, like his surrogates character attacks or Corsi's book.

"I don't know" is not an acceptable answer. McCain's "straight talk" is pure doubletalk.

They need to get ads out there. Ads piecing all of this together with the basic message being that McCain is wrong for the economy.

The McCain camp replied that someone who made $4 million from book sales shouldn't be picking this fight... But according to McCain, that's not even rich!

I would say the gift is five-fold!

That's all well and good, but, as the Saddleback "civil forum" taught everyone, long answers don't work on most of the electorate. Basically, Obama should just end every sentence he utters with "..and John McCain doesn't know how many houses he owns." from now until November.

Arugala? Lmao thats it??? OMG Obama can hammer that home. All he needs to do is paint his opponent as someone who is trying to win an election over a vegtable. Mock, mock mock some more add in serious tones that this country needs focus on issues that matter then mock again.

Ok - they own 10 to 13 properties worth over $10,000,000.00.

That's like Russian fucking nobility in the 19th century - fucking Repugs - Rumsfeld owns a good bit of northern New Mexico; Cheney owns most of Wyoming.

These fuckers think they are really barons.

Loving that Obama is on the attack. Greg's last line worries me though. I agree that McCain has made gains in the area of national security, but that does not mean that we should try to shift the focus to domestic issues and avoid foreign policy. Honestly, McCain's economic policies will be a question mark, mostly because he doesn't seem to have any sort of grasp on the complicated issues. But he has clearly outlined his "tough guy", "Us vs. Them" foreign policy that Josh has so often said is perilously demented. Obama's team needs to ride herd and get a unified Democratic message to point out just how dangerous a McCain presidency would be. The facts are there. We need leadership and discipline and persistence to pound that message home with the American people. Truth is on our side. Obama and his surragates shoudl be out there every day talking about McCain's vision for Cold War 2.0, "bomb bomb bomb bom Iran", and his plethora of jingoist rhetoric post-9/11 (mostly directed at Iraq) without any evidence.

Off topic - an article by a former classmate and fellow POW explaining why he will NOT vote for McCain.

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html

Awesome stuff!!

Great job, Obama & Co.!

Funny video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7PfSEtiXPw

I think we've touched a nerve!!!

Where is the more substantive argument that the timeline deal underlies the fact that McCain confuses militarism with patriotism, while Obama is basing his positions on what is best for the US (and Iraq)?

Go Barack! Great stuff — keep it up!!

Gawd, with all his dough, you'd think that McCain would have got his teeth fixed by now. If he gets into the White House, dentists across the U.S. are gonna be happy campers.

Hey, I agree with you on that. I want to hear him get excited... raise his voice a little bit. I like the line of attack but, quite frankly, I thought Obama sounded bored while delivering it.

Are you people insane? What evidence do you have that the house thing is gaining any traction? I can't count the number of times I've come here and seen you all declaring how "devastating" something is going to be for McCain. You really think if Obama says something that pleases you, then the voters at large will respond the same way.

I used to work in advertising, and it was a common occurrence to have people submit ideas for commercials. No idea of the long term strategy or messaging, just whatever they thought was clever. From reading this thread its clear that politics is like running a sports team; everyone thinks they can do it.

This is the one that killed me: "What does it mean to have a network of online commentators whose analysis of a campaign is constant and immediate?" Do you really think these guys who have been running campaigns for years in places like Chicago really give a shit about the advice from a bunch of bloviating commenters who think they're qualified to give campaign adbice because they comment a lot on blogs? The level of self regard and self congratulation never ceases to amaze me at this circle jerk.

I still think Obama's going to win, but he was pathetic in that clip. You're congratulating him for using ridicule? Ridicule implies at least a dollop of humor. That was dry as toast. I don't suppose any of you noticed there wasn't a single applause break during that entire clip. Obama can't say anything without getting applause breaks. Yeah, he really got McCain alright.

"I have a mansion, forget the price

Ain't never been there, they tell me it's nice"

-Joe Walsh "Life's Been Good"

Sorry, couldn't resist.