"It's Time To Hit Johnny on Keating 5" -- Rahm Emanuel
""If we are going to go down this road -- you know, Barack Obama was eight years old, somehow responsible for Bill Ayers," he said. "At 58, John McCain was associating with Charles Keating." --
Rahm Emanuel on Sunday.
Along these lines: here is are places to go for your John McCain primer. First a short Rolling Stone video on the 5 myths that define Mc Cain. Even by the standards of politicians, he is a dishonorable man.
And at 12 noon today (Monday) a new video is being released about McCain and the Keating 5. This is the corruption scandal that almost ended Johnny's career. See the video here after noon today. And if you can't wait to bone up on McCain's own Teapot Dome, read this fact sheet.
Emanuel warns that if McCain continues lying about Obama, we'll tell the truth about McCain. That is a deal McCain almost surely will want to resist.
As Biden said: "And the truth will make them feel it's hell!"
October 6, 2008 8:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
A couple of thoughts -
Hitting McCain on the S&L Crisis now works because it ties into what people are currently worried about, the economy. The McCain attacks on Obama's "association" with Ayers fall flat because no matter how they try, you just can't tie Ayers closely enough to the terrorists of today to make him scary.
I think this was released today in hopes that it will cause McCain's head to explode tomorrow night at the debate. There is no way his staff can keep him from finding out about it and it hits right at his cherished re-made self image. I expect either a lot more simmering anger "I won't look at you!" stuff or an outright rant-fest. Either way, McCain will not look good.
October 6, 2008 9:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
... Emanuel warns that if McCain continues lying about Obama, we'll tell the truth about McCain. That is a deal McCain almost surely will want to resist. ...
McCain will not resist. He'll poison the political atmosphere, and he'll *still* lose, but he won't resist.
October 6, 2008 11:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well, now they've made it official. Keatingeconomics.com
I don't know about this one. It seem premature to go nuclear as Rome burns (see stock market plunge - the bailout has put nothing behind us). Now McCain will have no qualms at all about going nuclear himself.
And while McCain can say he was exonerated, Obama will face the softer fears of "who is this guy?" etc.
It most likely won't work, but what if Obama had kept the high ground for a little longer? Landslide vs. squeaker?
What do you all think?
October 6, 2008 12:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Senate Ethics Committee said McCain showed poor judgment. McCain has been quoted admitting as much. I don't think it counts as "going nuclear" for Obama to agree with the Ethics Committee and to agree with John McCain.
Regardless, honor is not a constraint on John McCain's behavior. Honor is what the country owes John McCain because John McCain was a POW POW POW. I don't think the man has any qualms about scorched earth, nuclear campaigning.
Obama, to his credit, doesn't appear fearful of provoking John McCain's cruelty. He's making a tough but accurate attack that perfectly illustrates John McCain's poor judgment and misplaced loyalties. Good.
October 7, 2008 5:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thera:
Truman said "I tell them the truth and they think it is hell"
Moose
October 6, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
So, this. And now that Palin is uttering the Rev. Wright meme, doesn't it stand to reason that she should prepare for the blessing of the air waves with video of cell phone blessings, witch doctors, speaking in tongues. Maybe there will be some pics or video of her rolling around on the floor, or dancing with rattle snakes.
October 6, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nah, this is the perfect time. McCain has already gone nuclear with the Ayers crap. That's why Obama waited until McCain went into the mud to release the Keating stuff, so that he can't be accused of going dirty first.
October 6, 2008 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
A Rolling Stones video that best defines McCain? I figure it would be "Sympathy For the Devil". Oh, that was a Rolling Stone video? Never mind, my bad. :-P
I was wondering why it was taking so long to bring up the Keating 5/S&L debacle. In the light of our current economic mess it is very topical and shows how McCain (who obviously learned nothing from that period in his public life) and his fellow republicans who pushed deregulation are the ones most responsible for our economy being where it is now.
October 6, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not so sure Obama should go back to the Keating scandal.
When McCain goes back to Ayers it looks like he's reaching, and in today's economic environment what happened 20 years ago is irrelevant; and it might even piss people off in that he's going back in History while their Titanic is going down today. For Obama to do the same thing offsets the negativity of McCain's reach.
The question Obama should be asking is;
Look at your 401K and ask yourself, what has Ayers to do with this?
October 6, 2008 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I actually checked out the video. It's impressive -- ties the Keating scandal to the same type of crisis we are in.
The implicit message: "If you want to talk guilt by association, let's talk about associations that may actually have affected the American people."
The Obama guys are the best I've ever seen. Wow.
Should be an awkward debate though ;-)
October 6, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
relevancy: the buzz word to define Obama's going nuclear on McSpittles, the VIDEO paints a picture of a very corrupt politician and what he has garnered for the American people in the ways of our current melt down, his bespectacled cohort "Graham" have reaped what they have sown and corporate America thanks them at out expense.
Perhaps there remains a remedy for all this, GOING NUCLEAR is appropriate and warranted, let the American taxpayer see the greed and avarice espoused by McSpittles and his cohorts.
Most of all let them see the true McSpittles, let them judge on their own as to the straight talking ass hole that he is???
Here's hoping they find a way to vilify the Nooksack Nannie that has enamored the political scene with her unbridled ignorance.
October 7, 2008 1:29 AM | Reply | Permalink