The MSM Strikes Back Against Hyperventilations of McLame Camp -- "criticism rife with errors"

[jefferson_dem]

:popcorn: anyone? It's a total implosion of the McLame Camp. A sight to behold.

McCain camp criticism rife with errors
By: Ben Smith
September 22, 2008 04:25 PM EST

Sen. John McCain’s top campaign aides convened a conference call today to complain of being called “liars.” They pressed the media to scrutinize specific elements of Sen. Barack Obama’s record.

But the call was so rife with simple, often inexplicable misstatements of fact that it may have had the opposite effect: to deepen the perception, dangerous to McCain, that he and his aides have little regard for factual accuracy.

The errors in McCain strategist Steve Schmidt’s charges against Obama and Sen. Joe Biden were particularly notable because they seemed unnecessary. Schmidt repeatedly gilded the lily: He exaggerated the Biden family's already problematic ties to the credit card industry; Obama’s embarrassing relationship with a 1960s radical; and an Obama supporter’s over-the-top attack on Sarah Palin when — in each case — the truth would have been damaging enough.

“Any time the Obama campaign is criticized at any level, the critics are immediately derided as liars,” Schmidt told reporters.

But as he went on to list a series of stories he thought reporters should be writing about Obama and Biden, in almost every instance he got the details wrong.

Schmidt criticized the press for the relatively sparse coverage of the fact that one of Biden’s sons, Hunter, is a registered federal lobbyist.

“His son is a lobbyist for the credit card and banking industry,” Schmidt said.

But Hunter Biden’s lobbying clients don’t include any banks or credit card companies. He did work, as a vice president and then as a consultant, for MBNA, a Delaware-based bank and credit card giant to which Biden had close ties. But he does not appear to have lobbied for the firm.

“Steve Schmidt lied — or just got it flat wrong," said Biden spokesman David Wade. "Hunter Biden has never — never — been a lobbyist for the credit card or banking industry."

Schmidt attacked Obama for his ties to William Ayers, who has spoken of his role in 1960s anti-war bombings committed by the Weather Underground.

"What we know for sure, and is beyond debate and argumentation is this: Senator Obama said that William Ayers is a guy that lives in his neighborhood. We know that that is a disingenuous and untruthful answer,” Schmidt said.

“Senator Obama began his political career in its early stages raising money at Ayers’ house,” he said.

Obama did hold a 1995 campaign event at Ayers’ house. It was not, however, a fundraiser, and Ayers did not contribute money to Obama’s first campaign, according to Illinois records.

Schmidt also complained of Obama backers’ attacks on McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

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http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=8B938576-18FE-70B2-A85A7409BC2461BC

Conference Call Audio, if you're interested --- http://blip.tv/file/1284017/

[emulatorloo]

1. Recommending -- audio link is fascinating EOM

[Kdillard]

2. McCain and his camp just keep digging themselves in deeper and deeper.

It is fun to watch.

[quiet.american]

3. The GOP cockroaches are so used to getting away with their crap, now all they can do is whine.

One McCain aide, Michael Goldfarb, said Politico was “quibbling with ridiculously small details when the basic things are completely right.” :crazy:

"...ridiculously small details," being the TRUTH.

[Cha]

4. Obama called that ayers campaign event

a "boneheaded mistake". They're so desperate to connect him to anything.. anything bad that this has become an obsession.

They think if they repeat "ayers" enough it will become a reality.