McCain Camp Accuses Politico Of Being “In The Tank”

Politico’s Ben Smith, writing a column called, “McCain Camp Criticism Rife WIth Errors” contends that McCainiacs are going overboard in exaggerating Obama’s record.  A conference call with McCain campaign manage Steve Scmidt was rife with overstatements.

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.

On Biden, Schmidt said Joe Biden’s son Hunter is a lobbyist for the credit card and banking industry.  Smith writes:

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.

Schmidt said that Obama was untruthful about his relationship with William Ayres and that Obama raised money at Ayers’ house.  But Smith says:

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.

And Schmidt compained that Obama surrogate, Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida, called Sarah Palin a Nazi sympathizer.  Untrue, explains Smith:

But Wexler didn’t call Palin a Nazi sympathizer. He called former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan a Nazi sympathizer, and attacked Palin for allegedly having endorsed him.

McCain aides would not provide Politico evidence to back up their statements.

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

Another, Brian Rogers, responded more directly:

“You are in the tank,” he e-mailed.

What happened to the John McCain who said the press is his base?

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.