McCain Campaign Now Attacks Michelle Obama Over Ayers

[jefferson_dem]

McCain Campaign Now Attacks Michelle Obama Over Ayers
By Greg Sargent and Eric Kleefeld - October 10, 2008, 4:58PM

The McCain campaign is now broadening their attack on Obama's past association with William Ayers to include Michelle Obama -- even though McCain has repeatedly said spouses should be off limits during the campaign.

The attack? Bernardine Dohrn, Ayers' wife and fellow former Weatherman, went to work in 1984 for the major Chicago-based national law firm of Sidley & Austin, and three years later, Michelle joined the mega-firm as well.

That's the entire attack. We wish we were joking. But we aren't.

In launching this latest, McCain is ditching yet another formerly-claimed principle as he faces the growing likelihood of defeat. In a statement back in June, the McCain campaign said: "Senator McCain agrees with Senator Obama that spouses should not be an issue in this campaign, and he has stated that position frequently."

The attack on Michelle came on a McCain conference call with reporters this afternoon featuring John Murtagh, who has been hitting Obama over the Weather Underground's attack on his family's home back in 1970. Murtagh noted that Dohrn and Michelle Obama had both worked at the firm starting in the late 1980s.

The firm's Chicago office currently employs more than 500 lawyers.

Murtagh didn't even bother alleging that the two even knew each other, instead suggesting that they might have. If so, he said, the Obamas have known the two longer than suspected.

"If it is true" that the two women knew each other, Murtagh said, "the relationship is almost a decade older than Senator Obama has acknowledged. And that can very easily be resolved by Senator Obama, by Mrs. Obama, by Mr. Ayers and by Ms. Dohrn."

"And incidentally, I would emphasize that we've all been focusing on Senator Obama," said Murtagh. "I think we need to speak to his wife."

Keep in mind that this wasn't any surrogate speaking off the cuff. He was on a call organized by the McCain campaign, and he was apparently reading from a prepared statement, which would of course have been vetted by McCain aides. And so another once-cherished McCain principle gets junked in the service of self-parody.

Here's the audio of the call:

<SNIP>

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/mccain_campaign_goes_after_mic.php

[terrya]

This is really getting bad.

Do we go after Cindy McCain now?

Hell, I'm all in favor of going after Todd Palin.

[yardwork]

3. No, we don't even have to respond to this. It's a fail all by itself.

Apparently, Ayers is all McCain has for October.

[Richardo]

13. Todd Palin is a legitimate target - he's been in on official state business a LOT

If he were in a titled position, that's one thing, but this acting on behalf of the Governor's office in an unofficial capacity should be illegal if it isn't already.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

1. Fuck McCain and fuck his participation-trophy wife.

[nickgutierrez]

2. Sure, and there "might" actually be a Santa Claus

McCain - go find Santa Claus, and leave the country to Obama. We'll be better off.

[Vinca]

4. Michelle was employed by the same firm? That's it?

Time to start talking about Cindy's "charity" work. The charity, of course, was pretty much the "Committee for the Advancement of Vicodin."

[nc4bo]

5. I'm sick of this sh*t.

[Johonny]

6. Apparently

McCain is afraid of 60 year old college professor's wives. Tell me he HAS what it takes to be commander and chief. Tell me he can stand toe to toe with Putin when he is afraid of the wife of a old hippie college prof. Talk about sad.

[madaboutharry]

7. This is totally off the rails and utterly sick.

I have never seen anything like this.

[aquamarina]

8. If it wasn't so pathetic it would be funny.

[jillan]

9. So, in other words, families are no longer off limits?

Are they really sure they want to go there?

Cindy, stealing anything else from charity lately - or is it still drugs?

Todd - been to any AIP meetings lately?

Thing is - Obama won't go there, he has too much class.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

10. Kick.

[chowder66]

11. Baiting Obama?

Could it be that they are hoping that the Obama campaign goes after Cindy and they can turn it around saying they were out of line since her half sister passed away today???

[politicasista]

12. McRude the flip-flopper

:mad: :grr: :mad: :grr: