Trying to keep score on the amount of outright lies being spewed forth from the McSame campaign is getting problematic. I was originally going to list same, with examples of some much needed pushback from the corporatist media, but it soon became an overwhelming task. I will only note this analysis from MSNBC:
The Washington Post gave “four Pinnochios” to McCain’s recent assertion on “The View” that Palin never took earmarks as Alaska governor. Then the Boston Globe reported that Palin didn’t really travel inside Iraq as has been claimed. And Bloomberg News said that the McCain camp may not have been exactly truthful in estimating the size of its recent crowds. “Now officials say they can’t substantiate the figures McCain’s aides are claiming.”
To top it off, McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said this to the Politico about the increased media scrutiny of the campaign’s factual claims: “We’re running a campaign to win. And we’re not too concerned about what the media filter tries to say about it.”
A few comments.
First, the McSame campaign is not even trying to obscure the fact that they’ve abandoned any attempt to make the election about issues. As I noted last week, McSame campaign manager Rick Davis told WaPo that:
“This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates.”
And now we’re being told that they don’t give a damn about media scrutiny– they are going directly to the American people and just lie their freakin’ pants off, hoping to cement the “maverick” narrative into their psyches while their pals in the media look the other way.
Second, the corporatist media is finally beginning to push back. Having earned the title as “McCain’s base” by none other than the sainted maverick himself, the brown on their nosies is just getting too obvious to hide.
Third, it shows just what a dishonorable man John McCain has become, selling his soul to the Rovian devils (for the opportunity to command the US military, among other things). As Josh Marshall at TPM puts it:
“Basing a campaign for high office on a strategy of deliberate lies is not an issue of tactics. It calls into question the character of the candidate and his fitness for office.”
Fourth, the Obama campaign is beginning to realize that they could lose if they ‘take the high road’ and allow the lies to continue. As Obama campaign spokesman Hari Sevugan put it:
“In running the sleaziest campaign since South Carolina in 2000 and standing by completely debunked lies on national television, it’s clear that John McCain would rather lose his integrity than lose an election.”
Game on.
Update I: Egads! Even Karl Rove himself say McSame has gone too far. Watch the video here.
Update II: Obama campaign hits back with new ad: “The Truth Be Damned.“ See above.
Update III: Brent Budowsky over at The Hill compiles McSame’s top 12 lies, with promises of more.
The crap is hitting the fan at last. The media is slowing awakening from its slumber. I read that one possible reason is that since August the caretakers have kept the traveling press away from the old man, either because he needs his rest or more likely because he makes so many senior mistakes. Either way, the press is heating up under McCain and there is so much to report every day, one hardly knows where to begin.