Posted by Jed Lewison on Sat Jul 26, 2008 at 3:47 PM Pacific

Smackdown: McCain campaign "increasingly dishonorable"

A strong response from the Obama campaign to John McCain's detestable new TV ad:

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor: "John McCain is an honorable man who is running an increasingly dishonorable campaign.  Senator McCain knows full well that Senator Obama strongly supports and honors our troops, which is what makes this attack so disingenuous."

More Vietor: "Senator Obama was honored to meet with our men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan this week and has visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed numerous times. This politicization of our soldiers is exactly what Senator Obama sought to avoid, and it's not worthy of Senator McCain or the 'civil' campaign he claimed he would run."

Also, interesting side note: the lunatics over at McCain HQ raised the age issue...as an attack against Barack Obama, who they called a "young man." What a bunch of fools...they want to make age an issue? Go ahead folks, make my day.

Update: If you recall, Charlie Gibson wrapped up his ABC hit job on Obama yesterday by noting that he was sure McCain would be bringing up the Landstuhl issue again. He must have known about this advertisement.

Update 2: Notice how the Obama campaign is pivoting off its "McCain is an honorable man" frame to "increasingly dishonorable campaign"? This is political artistry. They've been saving this.

It's one thing for George Bush, who no one would have ever accused of being an honorable man, to run a dishonorable campaign.

But for a hero like John McCain to run a dishonorable campaign is another thing altogether -- people have higher expectations for McCain, and over the past few months, Barack Obama has been subtlely building up those expectations.

And now McCain is failing to meet them.

Update 3: Statement for U.S. Senator Jack Reed on McCain's dishonorable attack:

“I was with Senator Obama last week as we met privately with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senator Obama listened to their concerns and expressed his gratitude for their service without press or fanfare. He cares for our troops deeply and has worked hard to give them not only the resources they need, but also honor their service with a clearly defined mission and by providing them with the support they have earned when they come home. And just as Senator McCain's support of President Bush's veto of funding for our troops doesn't mean he does not support them, neither does Senator Obama's insistence that we not give George Bush a blank check.”