Bill Manzi.com

Finally an inside look at the methodology of the Palin media strategy.

Here we have Democratic VP Nominee Joseph Biden criticizing an Obama ad on McCain’s computer skills. Biden later issued a “clarifying” statement attacking the tone and veracity of McCain’s ads. This week also had Barack Obama saying on the Today show that Biden ‘should have waited” before criticizing the bailout of insurance giant A.I.G. Obama had needled McCain on that very point, only to have Biden take the same position as McCain. Todays column over at “The Fix” details some of the Biden gaffes, including a lighter one in which Biden urged a non-football playing Washington Post reporter to “work on your pecs”. With Biden it was only a matter of time, but the availability of Biden contrasts sharply with that of Governor Palin. Palin has effectively been placed in a media cocoon, while Biden will talk to anyone that will listen. Looking forward to the VP debates almost as much as the presidential ones.

The National Rifle Association has waded heavily into the presidential race, unleashing a series of ads attacking Obama and attempting to exploit the controversy over his “guns and religion” comments during the primaries. The N.R.A. did some major political damage to Al Gore in 2000, and remain a potent force in some states. A definite political plus for McCain, and something that Obama must essentially ignore, since a political war with the N.R.A. is not going to be helpful in this race.

The Mittster still working hard as a surogate for John McCain. I know Romney is not well liked by Massachusetts Dems but can there be any doubt about who can talk to the press about financial issues with more authority in a contest between Romney and Palin? I don’t see Palin out there talking about the campaigns thoughts on the financial crisis.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/26842711#26842711

A new Obama ad pummeling McCain for protecting tax breaks for U.S. companies that hide profits overseas. The Obama ad is a good one for him, and it appears to me that the Obama financial advantage is begining to manifest itself.

Obama in a one on one interview with NBC.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/26838910#26838910

John McCain sits for a one on one interview with NBC News on the financial crisis.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/26839509#26839509

Obama attacks in areas where McCain is really vulnerable. A good ad for Obama.

Yes we have seen the McCain ads, attacking Barack Obama for allegedly having a close relationship with Frankin Raines, the former Fannie CEO. I have posted that McCain ad on this blog. Well now we discover that McCain campaign manager Rick Davis received $30,000 (yes thirty thousand dollars a month) from a company set up by Fannie and Freddie to lobby against additional regulation. From the New York Times:

Senator John McCain’s campaign manager was paid more than $30,000 a month for five years as president of an advocacy group set up by the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to defend them against stricter regulations, current and former officials say.

Mr. McCain, the Republican candidate for president, has recently begun campaigning as a critic of the two companies and the lobbying army that helped them evade greater regulation as they began buying riskier mortgages with implicit federal backing. He and his Democratic rival, Senator Barack Obama, have donors and advisers who are tied to the companies.

But last week the McCain campaign stepped up a running battle of guilt by association when it began broadcasting commercials trying to link Mr. Obama directly to the government bailout of the mortgage giants this month by charging that he takes advice from Fannie Mae’s former chief executive, Franklin Raines, an assertion both Mr. Raines and the Obama campaign dispute.

Well it looks like the McCain campaign has some serious egg on their face now, with all of their strong condemnation of Obama for the so called Raines connection. I believe that the McCain ad called Raines alleged connection to the Obama campaign “shocking”. Since Raines has no connection to the Obama campaign it is another whopper told by the McCain campaign. But what is truly shocking is that Rick Davis, the current McCain campaign manager, made almost two million from lobbying against regulatory reform of Fannie and Freddie. Will McCain now fire Davis? That is the two million dollar question.

Thats a shame! Shame