Obama launches attack on McCain

[daihashi]

With video: New Obama ad hits McCain

BY TODD SPANGLER â?¢ FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF â?¢ August 5, 2008

* Read Comments(1)
* Recommend
* Print this page
* E-mail this article

* Share this article:
* Del.icio.us
* Facebook
* Digg
* Reddit
* Newsvine
* Whatâ??s this?

Democrat Barack Obama's presidential campaign aired a new TV ad in Michigan and some other states Monday to coincide with his energy speech in Lansing. Unlike some other ads, this one is a direct attack on Republican candidate John McCain.
Advertisement

Title: "Pocket"

From: Obama's campaign

Images: It begins with a shot of prices at a gas station and a motorist pumping gas. Text on the screen then suggests oil companies made $143 billion in profits in the last year and that McCain received $2 million in contributions from oil companies, with citations, before the words "$4 billion in New Tax Breaks for Oil" appear on the screen. McCain is then shown standing next to President George W. Bush before the ad cuts to Obama and the words "$1,000 Energy Rebate."

Narration: The announcer says that "Big Oil is filling John McCain's campaign with $2 million in contributions" and that McCain wants to give domestic oil companies "another $4 billion in tax breaks." When Bush appears on the screen, the announcer says, "After one president in the pocket of Big Oil, we can't afford another." The announcer then says Obama supports a windfall profits tax on oil companies and a $1,000 rebate for families.

Analysis: Some of Obama's claims were debated almost immediately after the ad was made public. The Center for Responsive Politics, one of the sources cited by the ad in its claim that McCain has accepted $2 million in oil contributions, said its data showed McCain receiving about $1.3 million from oil and gas interests from the start of his campaign through June 30. It reported Obama received about $400,000 from those sources in the same period.

The ad, according to the center, seemed to be adding the $1.1 million the Washington Post reported that McCain and the Republican National Committee's Victory Fund had raised in June alone from those sources. The center said that could result in some double counting and that not all the Victory Fund's money ends up in McCain's account, though it's all intended to help him win the election. The center's tally of industry money to McCain in June was $271,265.

As for the $4 billion in tax breaks for oil, that number comes from the left-leaning Center for American Progress and a March report of the effect McCain's plan to cut corporate income taxes from 35% to 25% would have on the five largest American oil companies. This tax cut, however, is intended for American companies as a whole -- not just oil companies -- and is needed to lower one of the highest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world, McCain argues. Doing so, he says, will spark job growth and keep more businesses in the United States. McCain says only Japan has a higher tax rate.

Certainly, McCain's calls for offshore drilling have pleased oil company executives. In recent days, however, Obama has said he could accept some limited offshore drilling as a way to reach a compromise with Republicans on Capitol Hill on an energy plan that could cut gasoline prices quickly.

With video: New Obama ad hits McCain | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press


Too tired to discuss this right now... just thought I'd post it up for everyone else.

daihashi Reviewed by daihashi on 08-05-2008. Obama launches attack on McCain With video: New Obama ad hits McCain | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press Too tired to discuss this right now... just thought I'd post it up for everyone else. Rating: 5

[Psycho4Bud]

Too tired to discuss this right now... just thought I'd post it up for everyone else.

I'm sure it will come out that so far McCain is actually $1million "ahead" of Obama who by the way has gotten over $390,000 from the oil industry. Besides that, right now people see that initial high price at the pump and they have it in mind that this guy is against drilling. REAL BAD commercial for him to run as far as I'm concerned....at least leave the price at the pump off the damn thing. Just my impartial, bi-partisan opinion.

Have a good one!:s4:

[daihashi]

I'm sure it will come out that so far McCain is actually $1million "ahead" of Obama who by the way has gotten over $390,000 from the oil industry. Besides that, right now people see that initial high price at the pump and they have it in mind that this guy is against drilling. REAL BAD commercial for him to run as far as I'm concerned....at least leave the price at the pump off the damn thing. Just my impartial, bi-partisan opinion.

Have a good one!:s4:

I think the ad will be effective against McCain amongst mainstream media watchers. The people who don't bother to fact check or verify information. All most voters are going to hear are key words and the commercial was designed that way: Big Oil, President Bush, Money, Pocket, McCain.... it's obvious they're trying to paint McCain as corrupt to some degree because he accepted money for his campaign. In addition they are trying to link him to the current very unpopular Bush, which thus far has been fairly unsuccessful (much like trying to label Obama as the second Jimmy Carter).

McCain needs to rebuttal this soon if he wants to do any sort of damage control. If he lets this get away from him I'm afraid it could do him in. Being a republican who has been down in the polls and gotten signifigantly less media attention in this election is not good. Couple that with the fact that Obama recenty said he would be willing to support/consider offshore drilling and is now trying to paint McCain as some corrupt politician who will just do the oil companies bidding...

I think it's safe to say that this kind of attack could be detrimental; again only if McCain doesn't rebuttal strong and fast. He also needs to stress Offshore Drilling even harder as well as more detail into his energy plan in order to instill more confidence into his voter base that he does want to find a final solution to the energy problem and not just another bandaid.

I have to say though, it was refreshing to see an article for once that seemed to be fairly neutral in it's position. The article is simply reporting news and did fact research.

[daihashi]

I swear I must be friggin psychic.. what does he do? Talk about his energy proposal.. expanded offshore drilling and tries to seperate himself from Bush..

The Associated Press: McCain ad pushes independence, distance from Bush