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The Rundown

12:15 p.m. ET: Sarah Palin continued her role as designated attack dog this morning (or, of course, designated lipstick-wearing pit bull) by going after Barack Obama again on his Bill Ayers connection. Some questions to consider:

1) Will anybody pay attention to the Ayers story (or the Keating 5 story) when the economy continues its death spiral? The Dow broke below the 10,000 barrier this morning.

2) Will the McCain campaign shell out any money to air ads on the Ayers issue, or are they just sticking with the "dangerous" Afghanistan ad? How much money is behind the latter spot, and will the Obama Keating 5 "Web video" actually go on the air? Is all of this just for the media's benefit?

3) Joe Lieberman introduced Palin at her event in Clearwater, Fla., this morning, calling her "so capable ... so competent." Could his excommunication from the Democratic caucus next year be any more assured?

4) Which candidate will be the first to accuse the other of negative campaigning and "gutter tactics" during the debate Tuesday? Will McCain himself bring up Ayers, and will Obama hit back with Keating 5 or try to take the high road?

8 a.m. ET: Send the children to bed and shield the elderly -- there's some negative campaigning up ahead.

Trailing in the polls, John McCain vows to run a more aggressive campaign that will raise questions about Barack Obama's judgment and even his "character" (ooohhh...). Step 1 in this plan: A renewed emphasis on Obama's ties to the Weather Underground's Bill Ayers. Sarah Palin helped get that ball rolling by accusing Obama of "palling around with terrorists" (cue a montage of Obama and Ayers going shopping and eating ice cream). The Obama camp hits back by vowing to run a "multimedia campaign" (translation: they're not spending any money on it) highlighting McCain's ties to the Keating 5 scandal.

This morning, we've also got a new McCain ad hitting Obama on Afghanistan, while Obama went up over the weekend with a spot tarring McCain as "erratic" on the economy. The next thing to expect is a series of tsk-tsking stories and editorials on the evils of negative campaigning, along with contradictory stories on whether negative tactics really do or don't work. Can we also expect a genuinely combative debate tomorrow night in Nashville?

Stories on negative campaigning may at least benefit McCain by reducing the media's attention emphasis on the GOP's shrinking map of electoral opportunities and financial disadvantage. It seems that McCain's (public) decision to pull out of Michigan marked a genuine shift in how the press is handicapping this race. Couldn't McCain have done it a little more quietly?

By Ben Pershing  |  October 6, 2008; 7:55 AM ET
Go to full archive for The Rundown »

COMMENTS

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McCain's campaign, in its death throes, has gone into full desperation mode and is vowing to smear, slime, LIE, sink into whatever cesspool it must, because absolutely no depth is too low to stoop when one aspires to hold the highest office in the land.

Posted by: David F NYC | October 6, 2008 10:16 AM

The Post just went up, so I had a big X on my chart. If it keeps going like this, the X looks like it will get bigger.

X's and O'Post. It's looking like an Irish Math kind of day from here. I hope it looks better there. New York looks like it's gone from the Big Apple to the Big Mess and the mess appears to be getting bigger for the bailer. This is interesting. It's not looking like Bailfast. It's getting sporty though.

Posted by: Anonymous | October 6, 2008 11:27 AM

It looks like another X is starting on the chart. Could go either way. It keeps going and that's certain and certain things are shore things.

Posted by: Anonymous | October 6, 2008 11:41 AM

As we watch our 401K’s evaporate and look at how the current administration is handling the financial disaster, Consider this. Do you want more of what the REPUBLICIANS can deliver? Do you really have confidence that McCain & Palin can put us on the correct financial path?
We as Americans need to look deeper than just the party affiliation, but ask what has this party done. Let’s review shall we:

• Over the past 8 years due to no enforcement of laws on the books. The Bush Administration has put us into this mess. No. No. It wasn’t that too many minorities obtained home loans and could not afford them, but rather it is the depressed markets due to a trade policy that favors other countries such as China, and watching our manufacturing jobs go overseas.
• Once again the lack of enforcement of illegal immigration. Once again the laws are on the books, but there isn’t a competent person in the Bush Administration to see that laws are enforced.
• When the Bush Administration came into office in 2000, we had a budget surplus, What happened? Oh, yea, the Iraq war which is another product of the Bush administration.
• Let’s also remember Keiting Five. McCain claims he is a reformer. I guess if he says it enough people will consider him a reformer. If you buy into that, then go to http://www.keatingecomics.com. Not making this up. Check it out.

• Many of us are watching the equity in our home evaporate almost as fast as our 401Ks.

• How about education for your children. We were told by the Bush administration that thru stringent standards no child will be left behind. Well… Every child has been left behind due to no appropriations to the dept of education for this effort.

Posted by: jabrown2 | October 6, 2008 11:59 AM

I keep wondering why, in an age of personality politics, Obama doesn't name his Secretary of Treasury NOW. Maybe Robert Reich and then announce that his orders are to restore the prosperity of the Clinton years.

Posted by: Mike Piazza | October 6, 2008 12:23 PM

So that's the answer; when you have no answer for the financial mess that the Republican party has put us in, you sic your "Pitt Bull" on the candidate who is best positioned to point us in the right direction. Just like the Republican party to go negative when our country is facing a crisis. Don't support the invasion of Iraq--you're not patriotic! Dear Senator POW; IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID!!

Posted by: Beingsensible | October 6, 2008 12:26 PM

Joe Lieberman is in his very last years as a Senator from CT. He is considered by the majority of the people in CT to be a gross embarrassment. His comment that Sarah Palin is "so capable, so competent" is laughable. He would say anything to anyone with the hope of maintaining his own power and he hopes for a job in a McCain administration. McCain is going to lose and so will Joe Liebermann in our next election.

Posted by: Patricia C. Gilbert | October 6, 2008 12:31 PM


We must take our country back from Ali Mohammad McCain and Osama Bin Palin! My Friends..If they want to play the blame game with silly tactics flavored with racial overtones and list Barack Obama's name with terrorists, muslims, thugs, resko/ayres fibs, anti-hillary accusations, & flag pins; We must demand the following GOP/McCraziac issues come to the forefront and be answered in the media:
~Keating 5www(dot)KeatingEconomics(dot)com
~Fundamental Deregulator
~Deregulation of Social Security
~Deregulation of HealthCare
~Enron Loophole
~100 Year War Monger,$Trillions Spent On Iraqi War
~Vicki Iseman
~Brokaw/McCain Friendship
~Infidelity/Adultery
~Anti-Catholic
~Tax Break Elimination
~Voted Against Equal Pay & Equal Rights For Our Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, Grandmothers, Nieces, Aunts, Wives, & Girlfriends
~Temperament-Erraticsism, Is There A Blood Relation Between McCraziac & Bill-Had-Sex-With-A-Show-Intern-O'Reilly ?
~McCain Campaign Lobbyist ie. Rick Davis & 169 more Lobbyists
~Andrew McCain + Nevada based Silver State Bank
~Andrew McCain + CMKM Diamonds,better known as CMKX
~Palingate/Troopergate Criminal Investigation
~Palin's REV.THOMAS MUTHEE Witchdoctor Video
~Betrayus With A Surge To Nowhere In Iraq
~US Council For World Freedom; Radical, Dangerous & Racist Organization
~Voted Against Veteran Benefits At Home
~4th Stage Cancer
~Anheuser Busch(Budweiser)Cindy Mccain #1 National Debate Sponsor
~*Straight Talk America PAC, *Altria Group, *American Issues Project, *National Campaign Fund, *Vets For Freedom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
www(dot)mccainslobbyists(dot)com

www(dot)mccainsource(dot)com

www(dot)therealmccain(dot)com/butler

www(dot)mudflats(dot)wordpress(dot)com

www(dot)plnewsforum(dot)com/index.php/forums/viewthread/39966

www(dot)phoenixnewtimes(dot)com/1989-11-29/news/mccain-the-most-reprehensible-of-the-keating-five/1

www(dot)rationalrevolution0(dot)tripod(dot)com/war/bush_family_and_the_s(dot)htm

www(dot)republicansexoffenders(dot)com

www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=GEtZlR3zp4c

McCain Campaign Has Strong Ties To Corporate Lobbyists At Center Of Bailout
www(dot)thinkprogress(dot)org/2008/09/22/mccain-campaign-lobbies-bailou

McCain on Special Interest, Lobbyists and DC Sleaze—What you should remember
www(dot)personals(dot)nymag(dot)com/blog/1069/post_78180.html?dcb=personals(dot)nymag(dot)com

Media advance myth of McCain as lobbyist foe
www(dot)mediamatters(dot)org/items/200802260009

the McCAIN BUSH GRAMM foreclosure plan: called BIG BANK BAILOUT (4 more years of BUSH PILLAGE?)
www(dot)miami(dot)craigslist(dot)org/mdc/pol/850631984(dot)html

NOW, IF YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE, PUT "credit default swap + Mccain lobbyists" INTO THE GOOGLE SEARCH BAR
AND YOU CAN'T BELIEVE THE UNETHICAL THEFT THAT MCCAIN HAS PULLED OVER THE EYES OF ALL THE LOW INFORMATION AMERICANS THAT WILL VOTE FOR HIM. IT IS DISGUSTING!

Posted by: WyattObamanation | October 6, 2008 1:54 PM

Two words: Stock and market.

Posted by: SteveIowa | October 6, 2008 2:34 PM

Hoping at tomorrow's debate, Obama takes the high road and talks about the issues that we care about vs. getting into the gutter with McCain.

Posted by: Linda from St. Paul | October 6, 2008 2:52 PM

Those who still think that John McSame is the economic guru to fix the economic/ financial crisis must see the documentary "Keating Economics: John MCain and the Making of Financial Crisis" on YouTube.
So much for a guy who is proud of his service to the country and his good judgement.
America should tell to take a hike!

Posted by: dschff | October 6, 2008 3:09 PM

Who thought up the name Rundown? For the record you are better off running up. It's looking like fall down and fall out time and people are doing analysis with YouTube, as if that's going to improve anything. Just amazing. Everybody can go home and edit their own Web TV show now. Keep the presses rolling. There should be plenty of news this week.

Posted by: JD in PA | October 6, 2008 3:55 PM

Proof by Obamas own words that he is alot closer to Ayer's than he would like to admit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-45A6I-N5I

Posted by: Enubis | October 6, 2008 4:20 PM

Hello there...

I'm going to the doctor tomorrow for a tetanus shot just in case the mud and excrement being thrown in the 2008 campaign
misses the target and hit us voters. All Americans should be protected, don't you think? Sara, aka "hot lips," should be wary
of the report regarding the Alaska investigation of she and her family's behavior in the firing of the head of the State Police as it
will be arriving in a few weeks. It should be tasty.

Posted by: Steve Dobkowski,Detroit | October 6, 2008 5:02 PM

There's never been a nasty town hall debate ... it's real people asking these questions, candidates tend to be polite and stick to the subject matter and voters really don't care about the garbage. Those looking for sleeze (REPORTERS) will be disappointed.

Posted by: Dan Conley | October 6, 2008 5:42 PM

Don't be too concerned with the future of Joe Lieberman. He will do an excellent job as the next Secretary of State.

Posted by: jcarob | October 6, 2008 6:09 PM

Don't be too concerned with the future of Joe Lieberman. He will do an excellent job as the next Secretary of State.

Posted by: jcarob | October 6, 2008 6:09 PM

Don't be too concerned with the future of Joe Lieberman. He will do an excellent job as the next Secretary of State.

Posted by: jcarob | October 6, 2008 6:09 PM

//

What a tragedy to watch the GOP turn conservatism from a political philosophy into a cheap tent show.

jcarob, I'm not concerned at all about Lieberman's future. But I'll bet HE is.

Posted by: Attucks | October 6, 2008 6:33 PM

I find it fundamentally disgusting how the McCain team decided to change tactics from running an honest campaign to playing dirty politics and smearing his opponent.

There is a world of difference in character between the cosy financial relationship McCain had as one of the Keating 5, and Obama working on a charity with Bill Ayers, who is a former Weather Underground radical of the 1960's, NOT a terrorist.

That kind of smear attack linking legitimate demostration and dissent against the Vietnam War to today's Islamic terrorism or even the McVeigh type domestic terrorism is completely ludicrous. Palin's "palling with terrorist" statement is not indirectly racist; it's blatant racism.

John McCain has shown his true colors, much like the expose in RollingStone that shows what an unsavory, disturbed sociopath he is.

Posted by: KMBerger | October 6, 2008 11:08 PM

I feel pitty for low life women like Sara MC Pallin, how in the world can anybody go so low this is just beyond politics. It is completely insane and pathetic to hear all the prejudice that exist in the republican party and how they want to fool americans with their LIES. FYI Ms Palin is going to end up eating and drawining herself in her own and disgusting pool of Mud lipstick four weeks from today. Hopefully by that time she wakes up from the nightmare that her fellows republicans got her into and realize that she belongs only 3000 miles under the the Alaskan soil!!!

Posted by: Fausto | October 7, 2008 12:23 AM

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