Now, a McCain debate warning: Watch for a contrast of his known bio with someone else's

NASHVILLE -- Look for Sen. John McCain to draw a personal contrast with freshman Illinois Sen. Barack Obama at tonight’s debate.

This, according to McCain confidant Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

McCain may segue into the realm of personal biography by saying, “When it comes between me and Sen Obama, you know me,’’ Graham said in an interview with The Times' Peter Nicholas here before the debate.

“One thing I want you to know about him is," Graham continued, as if he was McCain speaking, "when [Obama] started in politics he started in the left lane in Chicago. And Bill Ayers [the former 1960s radical and Weather Underground co-founder] was somebody well-known to the left. He was a guy who could get you started and he did. Did a fundraiser for him. Been sort of an associate in Sen. Obama’s political aspirations. And now he’s trying to deny those associations because most Americans wouldn’t feel comfortable having Bill Ayers jump-start your campaign.’’

This is the second advance warning from a campaign today. As The Ticket reported here a brief time ago, Obama's chief....

...strategist threatened to bring up the Keating Five savings and loan scandal if McCain raised Obama's 12-year friendship with Ayers.

Campaigns issue these kinds of forewarnings for several reasons: 1) It's a feint to cause the opposition to waste time preparing for something that isn't coming,

2) they really think the audience is so dumb that people might miss their candidate's verbal pivot without a pre-announcement or

3) the speaker is the dumb one who just can't keep his/her mouth shut when flattered by the attentions of an inquiring reporter so they actually tip off the enemy.

Rarely in a national political campaign are many sources tempted by silence.

Graham hinted that McCain may also raise the issue of Obama’s flip-flop on campaign public financing. Obama had initially said he wanted to forgo private financing in the general election, relying instead on public money, as McCain is doing.

But with donations pouring into the Obama campaign, he changed his mind, figuring public money would never match what he could raise privately, now in excess of $400 million.

A senior advisor to Obama, Robert Gibbs, said in another interview before the debate that if McCain brings up Ayers, expect Obama to raise the Keating Five scandal of the 1980s.

McCain and four other former senators were accused 20 years ago of intervening with federal regulators on behalf of Charles Keating, who headed a savings and loan that collapsed. McCain was cleared of wrongdoing by the Senate Ethics Committee, though he was found to have “exercised poor judgment.’’

-- Peter Nicholas

Don't forget, in less than two hours, starting at 6 p.m. Pacific, The Ticket will be once again live-blogging the presidential debate right here. You can also still go to Twitter and sign up for free automatic and instant alerts of every new Ticket item sped directly to your cell.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Comments

[John Johnson]

Will McCain include in his "bio" the fact that he graduated at the bottom of Naval Academy class of nearly 900 midshipmen and that his poor judgment as a pilot led to several expensive mishaps before he was finally shot down over Hanoi? Will it include his obvious conflict of interest when he met with regulators on behalf of Charles Keating, the ultra right wing banker who went to prison? Will it include numerous statements by fellow senators about his ferocious temper and lack of self-control? Doubtful.

[Socrates Six-Pack]

McCain's a liar and a cheat. Don't believe anything that he or Palin or Fox news is trying to sell. It's all Snake Oil for a worse America. These people all belong on Jail for lying and cheating us tax payers.

[chris]

Here we are in the worst financial crisis of our times and all Obama can talk about is increasing spending. If you vote for this guy and let his programs get voted into by his leftist goons in Congress our country will go further into the red. How you can promise tax breaks to 95% of Americans when only 70% of Americans actually pay taxes just seems to be more democratic math. Obama is nothing more than your cliché redistribute the wealth lefty.

Please remember the Democrats consider anyone that makes over 80K a year rich. If you are a married couple of firemen in California your joint return is above 150K/year. That puts you in the direct line of fire for a tax the rich redistribution policy. According to Obama the only people who should sacrifice in these tough times are business owners, successful farmers, hard working public servants and anybody else that makes 80K a year or greater.

I don’t know about you but I have to have a balanced bank account every evening in order to stay ahead of things. Washington needs to realize that they have to start doing the same. Out current deficit is over 10 trillion and Obama wants to add another 1.6 trillion to that with his programs. If you can’t figure out that his new spending programs wants to increase this deficit by another 10% then you should consider staying at home on November 4. There is a reason why the Democratic Congress’s approval rating is lower than President Bush’s and it certainly isn’t because they have been effective.

[Dj]

McCain got the big national security wrong: Iraq invasion. He has no national security cred.

[Alexandra]

OBAMA has my vote. Mc. Cain is more of the same I honestly don't think this country can handle another Bush.

[jack]

So if my kid wants to run for office in 40 years he can find a friendly Bin Laden to help him enter politics and support his causes without having to worry about it?? I doubt it.

[Janet]

It is hypocritical for McCain to make an issue over Ayers, considering McCain’s own terrorist friends. Unlike Obama, where the close connection is a speculation, McCain’s association is open and documented.

Consider someone who McCain is openly friends with, and who has actively supported McCain’s political career. That Person is G. Gordon Liddy.

G.Gordon Liddy went to jail for his major participation in Watergate, a crime that attempted to undermine the Democratic process and harmed America far more than the Weatherman ever did. Liddy even admitted to proposing bombings, kidnappings and other criminal acts to accomplish his goals. Just last year McCain expressed to Liddy on his radio show how proud he was of Liddy. Proud of a man who praised Hitler and advised those who were under fire from ATF officers to shoot the officers in the head, because the officers would be wearing flak jackets (and this was said as recently as 1994).

Check it out for yourself.

Terrorism comes in many forms. Liddy is a terrorist against our fundamental rights as Americans.