Rapid response: Obama and McCain's lightning-quick attack "house" ads prove a point
Politics, like so many things in this age of Twitter and the 24-hour news cycle, is speeding up.
A candidate's gaffe sometimes took days or weeks to swell into a matter of swirling debate. Now, the fur almost always starts flying right away.
Today provided the perfect example of this new political paradigm.
This morning, just hours after John McCain told a Politico.com reporter that he wasn't quite sure how many houses he owned, Barack Obama pounced. The Illinois senator scoffed at McCain's blunder in a speech this morning, and the campaign released a cable television commercial that attacked the Republican as out of touch with Americans who are struggling economically.
But the McCain camp struck back in a flash. In plenty of time for the evening news on the East Coast , it was up with an ad that mentions Obama's "million-dollar mansion" and questions the Democrat's dealings with Chicago political fundraiser -- and convicted felon -- Antoin "Tony" Rezko.
Obama's camp isn't likely to drop the "McCain doesn't know how many houses he has" line soon. It thinks it will help paint McCain, the man who defined "rich" as having $5 million, as an out-of-touch elitist. But at the rate that political fires get put out these days, we wonder what kind of impact it will have.
Here are both of the ads. The transcripts are after the jump.
Script for Barack Obama's "Seven"
"Maybe you're struggling just to pay the mortgage on your home. But, recently, John McCain said: 'The fundamentals of our economy are strong.' Hmmm. Then again, that same day, when asked how many houses he owns, McCain lost track. He couldn't remember.Well, it's seven."
Script for John McCain's ad, "Housing Problem"
"Barack Obama knows a lot about housing problems. One of his 'biggest fundraisers' helped him buy his million-dollar mansion. Purchasing part of the property he couldn't afford. From Obama, Rezko got 'political favors' including $14 million from taxpayers. Now, he's a convicted felon, facing jail. That's a housing problem."
-- Kate Linthicum
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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Anyone ask Obama which crook helped pay for his million plus dollar house? Better yet, ask Obama how many friends he has who are radical Muslims and crooks.
The proper question to McCain should have been "How many houses do you have, how many does Cindy have, and how many do you own together". Women have a right to own property in their own names in this country if they owned them prior to marriage or paid by inherited money.
Posted by: John Peabody | August 21, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Rezko gave funds to Obama that originated from close
collaborators of Saddam Hussein. This prooven fact will
not stop Pres Obama from pardoning his jailed buddy.
Anyone who wants to befriend Amadhinedjad ,Castro,
Chavez and Kim Jong Ill ,would certainly want to let loose
a fraud like Rezko.
Posted by: Pres. Obama pardons Rezko | August 21, 2008 at 07:43 PM
Remember this news story???
"Over the Fourth of July Weekend, the Washington Post revealed Obama had also secured a reduced mortgage for the same home, on top of the Rezko's discount, saving him more than $300 a month in mortgage payments."
"When Obama purchased his current home in June 2005, he and his wife paid $1.65 million — a hefty sum but $300,000 less than the asking price. In February 2008, his campaign largely defused questions about the sale when the couple from whom the Obamas bought their house said the senator had submitted three bids, starting with an offer of $1.3 million, before his final offer was accepted."
I don't care if the McCain's have 17 homes as long as they earned them,
NO FREEBIES!!!!
Posted by: Amy Dugan | August 21, 2008 at 07:53 PM
Frankly, this debate over who is richer only matters because the US President SHOULD be above the average US citizen. It doesn't mean he or she is out of touch. If the President is not above the average citizen (GWB) he shouldn't be president.
See: http://www.eleventhdraft.com/blog?id=184
Posted by: T Black | August 21, 2008 at 08:32 PM
" I'll see your REZCO and raise you a KEATING 5 " The nerve of the McCain camp saying the gloves are off. They took their gloves off a month ago. The only difference is that Obama didn't fabricate any lies. He just used the gift that keeps on giving. McCain's mouth.Has anyone noticed that McCain is not allowed to talk any more. He reads everything. My favorite moment was last week when McCain completely screwed up on something and his people put out a statement. " Senator McCain does not speak for this campaign "
Posted by: Ron | August 21, 2008 at 10:06 PM
This is a losing issue for the "APPEASEMENT KID"
He is down in the polls and this is the best he can do.
He campaign is on life support.
VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
Posted by: VJ Machiavelli | August 21, 2008 at 11:01 PM
The DNC would not listen , they allowed fraud throughout the caucuses . After Reading Evelyn Pringles's investigative story on Operation Boadgames ~ Pay to Play , it was declared web junk . The DNC did not even consider it and took Obama's word this even after a group from Florida investigated this and found it to be accurate . Another friend of Obama Nadhmi Auchi also convicted of fraud and not alowed back in the USA , sent a fortune scrubbing the internet , taking Evelyn Pringle to court , with all his money the truth could not be silenced . . The FBI logged 10 visits in one month of Obama visiting Rezko at his home yet Obama claimed only he only saw Rezko once or twice a year . This along with Google Scubbing the Internet ,George Soros dumping in $350 Million to groups like MoveOn . Anything to get Obama elected . Googles help was more then money could buy , placing subliminal advertisements by Clinton's name and any search in youtube on Clinton brought up nothing but negative garbage , search a negative on Obama and Clinton came up , pro Hillay groups locked out . You bet a new kind of Politician ~ Chicago stile . No matter what was shown it was ignored. Media would not cover anything , he was the chosen one , chosen by who ?
Now maybe the media will look into this , late. Now to late for a fair race . DNC Reform is needed . Shame on them .
we will not be silenced shows the Texas Fraud with much more to come , tracked back to Camp Obama . Once you look everyone looks into that its over. Pitiful behavior . So many have tried so few listened .
http://wewillnotbesilenced2008.com/video/index.htm
Posted by: Rick | September 01, 2008 at 10:04 PM