Today's new McCain ad quotes Clinton on Obama, asks why she's not on the ticket

Well, it didn't take long for the campaign of Sen. John McCain to bring his good friend Hillary Clinton into the confrontational mix.

Both senators are on the Armed Services Committee and, as The Ticket wrote back in June, McCain was among the first to befriend Clinton when she arrived in that nearly all-male body in 2001.

Neither attacked the other during the harsh winter primary season.

And, in fact, as The Ticket noted back in June when Clinton dropped out of the Democratic race, McCain's website posted an immediate tribute to her tenacity and commitment, familiarly titled "Hillary Out."

It took Sen. Barack Obama's website two days to post the same kind of acknowledgement. 

Moments ago, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the Republican's campaign released a new commercial. Like the one put out 21 hours ago featuring Joe Biden, the Democrats' new vice presidential pick, this one also uses the words of Democrats to attack members of their own party.

In that first GOP ad after Biden was picked (see two videos below), he was shown talking about his new running mate's inexperience, a claim the Democrats now attribute to merely primary politics, and about his regard for McCain.

This new Sunday ad is titled "Passed Over." Aimed clearly at the 18 million disappointed Democrats who voted for her during the long primary season, the ad asks why Clinton was passed over for the No. 2 spot.

It shows Clinton and says:

"She won millions of votes.

"But isn't on his ticket.

"Why?

"For speaking the truth.

"On his plans:

HILLARY CLINTON: "You never hear the specifics."

ANNCR: "On the Rezko scandal:

HILLARY CLINTON: "We still don't have a lot of answers about Sen. Obama."

ANNCR: "On his attacks:

HILLARY CLINTON: "Sen. Obama's campaign has become increasingly negative."

ANNCR: "The truth hurt.

"And Obama didn't like it.

JOHN MCCAIN: "I'm John McCain and I approved this message."

(UPDATE: The following day a spokeswoman for Clinton said:

"Hillary Clinton's support of Barack Obama is clear. She has said repeatedly that Barack Obama and she share a commitment to changing the direction of the country, getting us out of Iraq, and expanding access to health care. John McCain doesn't. It's interesting how those remarks didn't make it into his ad.")

To view brief videos of both new political commercials, click on the "Read more" line below.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: The McCain Report

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The new McCain ad featuring Clinton is here on top. The one from Saturday featuring Biden himself is below. >

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Comments

[Paul Peete]

It was a love fest between those two. If McCain likes her so much let him put her on his ticket. She would probably accept and try to shag him to death so she could get her dream job. Bill would play along to get back in the Oral Office.

[N.E. BodybutHillary]

McCain can have her if he thinks she is VP material. After all she did say that she prefered the Republican method of "Winner take all" elections. Sounds like a match made in heaven, or at least in desparation.

[pesca]

Man, smear tactics used to be the republican parties forte. What the heck happened? I mean, at least the celebrity ads struck chord with a few people, but these? I fall asleep watching them.

Look, we all know at some point during a presidential campaign, every last shred of civility is thrown out the window, and every subsequent blow is aimed below the belt. Well, my question is, why wait? Lets have at it!

Let the egg heads study policy. I want to see some good ol' fashion mudslinging!

[Alessandro Machi]

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC and Jonathan Alter of Newsweek both used a 4 and a half minute section of Olbermann's show to ridiculle John McCain after McCain had give Hillary Clinton a thirty second tribute.

Keith (I can't believe I used to like that guy) Olbermann, what a sad sack.

[Alessandro Machi]

Clinton/McCain would demolish Obama/Biden.

[sig]

If John McCain does not select Hilary for his running-mate then he is an opportunist.

[James Thomas]

I thought the best Democratic ticket would have been Obama/Clinton.
If Obama's message is "Its time for a change", then why not Clinton as his running mate?
I feel cheated and lied to.
This time I'll vote Republican.

[acarponzo]

No kidding! Is Joe Biden being brought in as a hired mudslinger. He sounds like to nice of a guy. Well most of the polls are quiet today except the one at http://www.bop-o-rama.com. This real-time open poll shows a big time bounce in the wrong direction for the new Team Obama/Biden. Although Joe did take a pretty good dig at McCain about the 7 dinner tables, it appears that it is going to take way more than that to stir things up.

[ari]

you and other reporters should point out the contradictions between the 2 ads

the Biden ad shows him making critical comments about Obama while the Clinton ad says he didn't pick her because she made critical comments.

and someone should investigate what attacks they had ready if Obama had picked Clinton.

[SVRichard]

No Clinton/McCain would demolish McCain, since it would be ludicrous. Plain and simple.

[plankbob]

Politics as usual. Go here to find factcheck.org cut through the confused clutter of McCain ads. There are also some on Obama but the lion's share of falsehoods goes, as always, to the GOP:

http://factcheck.org/

If you think that if Clinton had been the nominee the Rethuglicans wouldn't have thrown every bit of dirt they could dig up at her you would be wrong.
This is the Democratic ticket. Please get behind it or change your registration to GOP. My two favorite candidates also lost. I voted for Nader in 2000 but would never repeat that mistake.

[julie]

Gee, Allessandro -- Do you really think McCain will give her top of the ticjet? Cool!

[julie]

Wow! Everyone has been saying that McCain is running a dirty campaign and here he is paying for an ad to tell us how much better the ticket could be! See he only wants to help Dems defeat him. What a guy!

[Darrell Kern]

Hillary got less than what she deserved. She should be prison rather than a mere slap on the wrists by being kept off Obama's ticket. She is courting McCain now and vice versa which clearly shows once and for all what she and McCain are really about!

Am I the only one who can read between the lines? I am not an Obama fan and even less of a fan of Biden- but seriously, Obama/Biden are far better than McCain/Clinton.

At least Obama will give us all some time. McCain/Clinton would declare Martial law two days into their presidency!

[an intellectual midget]

Will Hillary Clinton, who CLAIMS to be a Democrat, speak out against Republican use of her words?

Don't count on it.

This is the reason Clinton got rejected as Presidential candidate and as VP nominee. She's the only one from the primaries who has no problem with such ads.

Can you imagine Republicans using Biden or Dodd's words in an ad and those two men staying silent?

No.

Because they are proud to be Democrats whereas Hillary prays with right-wing Christians. Here is her prayer-"cell"

"When Clinton first came to Washington in 1993, one of her first steps was to join a Bible study group. For the next eight years, she regularly met with a Christian "cell" whose members included Susan Baker, wife of Bush consigliere James Baker; Joanne Kemp, wife of conservative icon Jack Kemp; Eileen Bakke, wife of Dennis Bakke, a leader in the anti-union Christian management movement; and Grace Nelson, the wife of Senator Bill Nelson, a conservative Florida Democrat."

[gorefan]

Does this mean that McCain will have to pick either Romney or Huckabe as his running mate since they did so well in the primaries. Or will he diss them because they spoke the truth about him.

[Dan]

Dem women governors: 5
GOP women governors: 3

I count 72 women in the House of Representatives

Dem women representatives: 52
GOP women representatives: 20

There are 16 women senators:

Dem women senators: 11
GOP women senators: 5

Obama is running better among women then Kerry or Gore according to your own blog.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/08/barack-obama-an.html

So, why are you spreading a republican smear like this without noting that it has no bearing on reality?

[kathy foster]

The truth is that NO ONE knows for sure about Obamas real agenda, I am very afraid to vote a president into office that grew up with muslim teachings and does not want to reconize his allegiance to our flag. What kind of change? And if he is telling the truth about his wanting to kill the old way of politics, why did he pick a 35 year old Washington old timer for vp? Be smart read up on him on his views, on his upbringing, on his history of voting, don't just listen to slick words but be a informed voter, after all it is the furture of our country that we are talking about.

[CynPro]

MCCAIN & HILLARY TICKET - MCCAIN'S NEW AD

In John McCain's new ad, which can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ta8IZ9sa0
McCain states that Hillary won millions of votes.
Hillary did win a good portion of democrats' votes.
If McCain is sincere, and genuinly belives Hillary
would be the best vice president (as his ad suggests),
maybe McCain will "reach across the isle" and ask
Hillary to join him on his ticket. That would mean
McCain would have all the republican votes, and
also a good portion of the democrat votes.
It seems like McCain would be smart to select Hillary.

On the other hand, if McCain is just USING Hillary
for his own personal agenda in a mud-slinging campaine,
then shame on McCain for using Hillary, or for using any
woman with so little regard, to satisfy his own desires.
If McCain is not for responsible change, is not willing
to reach across the isle to work with both republicans
and democrates, and if his belief in Hillary as a good
VP candidate, are all lies, then why on earth would any
woman who respects Hillary Clinton support McCain??

We'll have to wait till John McCain announces his
running mate to see just how genuine he is, or if
he is simply using Hillary to further himself.
See McCain speaking to the press:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c

[jefflz]

If you peel away the facade of PUMA you will find a bunch of Karl Rove stooges. What is even more shocking is that McCain presumes that intelligent women can be so bitter about Clinton's loss of the primary that they are willing to vote against their own personal interests. Even if they aren't enthralled with Obama and feel cheated by the bizarre primary process, how can these women support a man who will overturn Roe v. Wade?, a man who has demonstrated his contempt for women through his coarse remarks even to his own wife? a man who promises to send their sons into more illegal wars? a man who has brought in Karl Rove the Cheney/Bush attack dog,, Ralph Reed the corrupt Christian Coalition leader and Phil Gramm of Texas/Enron fame to run his campaign?? Get real and move on -only Republicans could stomach a vote for McCain/Bush. It is simply the worst possible formula for the advancement of women's causes.

[Bananaphone]

Clinton wasn't chosen for a variety of reasons, a big one being that Clinton made just as many enemies as friends during this campaign. Forty-something percent of voters said they would be more likely to vote for Obama with Clinton on the ticket. However, Forty-something percent of voters indicated they would be less likely to vote for Obama with Clinton on the ticket. Why choose a running mate that gives you roughly 0% benefit?

James, if you believe that we're impressed with your little "I can't vote for Hillary, so I'm going to take my ball and leave" hissy fit, you're wrong.

[Doris]

I am disappointed, plain and simple.
You can put a positive spin on everything, but I don't see it that way. I wonder how women will be treated under his administration should he become president?

[VH Trabosh]

I can't tell you how impressed I am with this ad! Because I'm not. Good for you Mr. McCain for endorsing this ad. It tells me all I need to know. Campaigning isn't for the faint of heart but it is certainly for the slingers of the mud.

[dave]

he won all the debates before the total propaganda war waged on his campaign and on his message, of liberty, prosperity and peace, shifted into top gear. he is the legitimate republican candidate, most qualified by far, and the only one in these elections to uphold integrity, the constitution, and the sovereignty of america. he has viable solutions to america's most fundamental problems. and didn't even get the floor in the neocon-hijacked republican convention, so he had to organize the REAL republican convention on his own. his name: RON PAUL.

[PaulS]

mccain's passed-over ad will work, because when he chose biden obama showed it was about "change." obama needed someone experienced - but rather than suck it up, share the ticket with hillary and lead the democrats to victory in november he chose biden - who couldn;t even muster up a couple thousand viotes in iowa and was surpassed even by dennis kucinich.

http://londonamerican01.blogspot.com/2008/08/stupid-party.html

[scootmandubious]

Speaking of running mates...want to know why McCain should pick Joe Lieberman? Because the 2 were part of the gang of 10 that George Bush cherry-picked to jump start the American invasion of Iraq. They have been soulmates for far longer than America realizes.

I have the details on the joint letter they sent on Iraq from early December of 2001, as well as part of the transcript of McCain's appearance that same week on "Face The Nation."

It's at http://scootmandubious.blogspot.com/2008/08/mccain-lieberman-sought-to-invade-iraq.html

[ellis]

Hillary was passed over twice in her quest to be on the Democratic ticket. Maybe that should tell her supporters something - she's not electable on a national level. That doesn't necessarily mean she's not incapable, but that's how it is. Deal with it.

To vote for McCain as some sort of retaliation tactic is beyond petty, especially when you consider how close Hillary and Barack's policies actually are.

[DanaG]

Tell me the truth!... I saw the new McCain ad with the female saying she was a staunch HRC supporter but for the first time she is going to vote Republican, and holds up a McCain Leadership sign. Ok, what is she really saying.. Obama and Clinton pretty much stood for the same policies, there were not too many differnces between them all but the fact that she was white and female and he was black and male.. so this lady is going to vote for a republican.. well, we can rule sexims out because she is voting for man..so what's left..your candidate does not get elected so you vote for her enemy (republican) cause you don't want Obama in because ??? Hey Kentucky resident at least said how they felt "we don't think a black guy is ready" these turncoa so called democrats just show you how far the American people still have to come.