The class of John McCain - wallowing in the Rove gutter

In the WaPo, the McCain campaign revealed that for the remaining days between now and election day they are going to focus on character assassination, since John McCain and Sarah Palin have nothing positive to offer voters. The only way they can win is to take the Karl Rove path of destruction.

Sen. John McCain and his Republican allies are readying a newly aggressive assault on Sen. Barack Obama's character, believing that to win in November they must shift the conversation back to questions about the Democrat's judgment, honesty and personal associations, several top Republicans said...Before the bailout crisis, aides said, McCain was succeeding in focusing attention on Obama's record and character. Now, they say, he must return to those subjects. "We are looking for a very aggressive last 30 days," said Greg Strimple, one of McCain's top advisers. "We are looking forward to turning a page on this financial crisis…"

Will the American people fall for this BS? Bill Burton of the Obama campaign:

“On a day after we learned that America lost three-quarters of a million jobs this year and a week after our financial system teetered on the brink of collapse, John McCain and his campaign have announced that they want to ‘turn the page’ on the economic crisis facing working families and spend the last month of this election launching dishonest, dishonorable character attacks against Barack Obama. We understand that it’s not easy for John McCain to defend the worst economic record of our lifetime, but he will have to explain to the people struggling to pay their bills and stay in their homes why he would rather spend his time tearing down Barack Obama than laying out a plan to build up our economy.”

And with that, here's the reason why John McCain plans to go into the gutter -- look at the record of Republican rule and denial of reality.

It looks like the Obama camp is going full bore specifically against the gutter tactics this week, labeling McCain "erratic" and "out of touch" (those are euphemisms of the highest order, no?):

Obama isn't waiting to respond. His campaign is going up Monday on national cable stations with a scathing ad saying: "Three quarters of a million jobs lost this year. Our financial system in turmoil. And John McCain? Erratic in a crisis. Out of touch on the economy. No wonder his campaign wants to change the subject.

"Turn the page on the financial crisis by launching dishonorable, dishonest 'assaults' against Barack Obama. Struggling families can't turn the page on this economy, and we can't afford another president who is this out of touch.

And as we all know, McCain sent Gov. Palin out to pull up the Ayers strawman. See below the fold. As expected, the carefully prepared bleatings for Bible Spice are predictable and weak.

Speaking early Saturday at a fundraiser in Englewood, Colorado, Palin told supporters Obama "is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country."

Her comment referred to William Ayers, who supported Obama's first run for public office in 1995.

The relationship between Obama and Ayers, a member of the radical 1960s group the Weathermen that committed bombings on the Pentagon and the Capitol, was highlighted in The New York Times Saturday.

Obama's camp responded quickly to the bs:

"Governor Palin's comments, while offensive, are not surprising, given the McCain campaign's statement this morning that they would be launching Swiftboat-like attacks in hopes of deflecting attention from the nation's economic ills," said Obama-Biden spokesman Hari Sevugan.

"What's clear is that John McCain and Sarah Palin would rather spend their time tearing down Barack Obama than laying out a plan to build up our economy."

Hey, we can just go into detail about "associations." Keating 5, Vicki Iseman, all those damn lobbyists on McCain's campaign.

For bonus points on political running buddies, let's hit the replay button regarding Gov. Palin and Pastor Muthee, the Kenyan witchhunter. Will the NYT run a prominent story on this and ask for comment from the McCain/Palin campaign?

The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witchhunt against a Kenyan woman who he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells.

At a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8 this year, Mrs Palin described how Thomas Muthee had laid his hands on her when he visited the church as a guest preacher in late 2005, prior to her successful gubernatorial bid.

..."As I was mayor and Pastor Muthee was here and he was praying over me, and you know how he speaks and he's so bold. And he was praying "Lord make a way, Lord make a way."

"And I'm thinking, this guy's really bold, he doesn't even know what I'm going to do, he doesn't know what my plans are. And he's praying not "oh Lord if it be your will may she become governor," no, he just prayed for it. He said "Lord make a way and let her do this next step. And that's exactly what happened."

...According to accounts of the witchhunt circulated on evangelical websites such as Prayer Links Ministries, after Pastor Muthee declared Mama Jane a witch, the townspeople became suspicious and began to turn on her, demanding that she be stoned. Public outrage eventually led the police to raid her home, where they fired gunshots, killing a pet python which they believed to be a demon.