Graham and Lieberman defend ad

Posted: Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:58 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: Congress, Andrea Mitchell

From NBC's Ken Strickland and Andrea Mitchell
Responding to criticism of McCain's recent TV ad depicting Obama as celebrity without substance, two of McCain's key Senate allies fired back in an unrelated news conference.

GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said the whole idea of the ad was "fame without portfolio." "This is a hysteria around a personality that's attractive, but when you look under the hood there's not a whole lot there," Graham told reporters. "So fame without portfolio is sort of fashionable. But leadership without experience is dangerous."

VIDEO: A TV ad released by John McCain's campaign labels Barack Obama an an empty celebrity to be compared with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Ads from Obama have hit back. NBC's Savannah Guthrie reports.

The "hysteria" Graham referenced was about Obama's recent European trip. "If you embark upon a world tour and you decided to make a campaign speech in a foreign country in front of 200,000 Germans and you act like you're already president, people may notice."

Graham then suggested that Obama may be getting too big for his britches. "He said something yesterday, basically, that he embodies everything good about America. Well, it's good to have self confidence, but you can maybe go too far."

Meanwhile, Sen. Joe Lieberman took a different tack, saying the ad simply compares the two candidates in a "creative" way and people should lighten up. "To some extent the appearance of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears -- people complain about it -- they should just relax and enjoy it," he said. The idea is to draw people into the ad. The point of the ad is really quite strong: Who's ready to lead America?"

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Comments

Well. There. Now we have an objective analysis. <gag>

So the question remains: What is McCain FOR, and why isn't he talking about that?

btw, if I were a southern Senator I wouldn't want to say something that sounds so close to "uppity."

Joe Don, Topeka, KS (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:03 PM)

The flip-side to this is they're trying to convince people that Obama's an empty suit, but when they see the debates, they'll see just how substantive he is.

http://strategy08.wordpress.com

Dan, New York, NY (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:03 PM)

Unplug your TV.

The Paris Hilton is a place not a person.

The Truth (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:04 PM)

As if anyone would listen to Lieberman - considering he doesn't know which side of the aisle he is most comfortable -- or maybe it is just the idea of pretending he has some influence on anyone -- or maybe it is riding shotgun to McCain that gives him value. As for Lindsey Graham, I've already respected him, now I am starting to wonder.

Kay P Tempe AZ (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:05 PM)

Lieberman is a little troll. Simple as that.

221 (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:06 PM)

The ad makes me think Obama is ready to be leader since only a moron would put such a stupid ad on tv.

Rod, South Carolina (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:06 PM)

Again, what makes Lieberman an Independent??? Oh thats right, he couldn't win his democratic primary race. Graham and Lieberman are pitiful. Graham better watch his tone. Sorry to say this but with that southern drawl and those comments about being too big for his britches, his words could take on a different meaning.

Mike, Chicago (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:07 PM)

Don't these two windbags realize that not a single voter gives a damn about what eiher of them have to say?

And "leadership without experience"!? It's not like either of these two sad excuses for lawmakers have any room to talk on that issue.

Someone should ask Graham whether he thinks the 74K workers who lost their jobs last quarter are "whiners"

These two are a joke (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:07 PM)

These two repukes make me ill. Who could care less what either of them think or say.

Chris, Dorr, MI (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:08 PM)

The ad makes me think Obama is ready to be leader since only a moron would put such a stupid ad on tv.

Rod, South Carolina (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:09 PM)

Now we know the Dana "I want to be the story" Millbank leads to. An inaccurate second hand comment on something Obama supposedly said is now the TRUTH. It is alright to allow the LIE to continue because we believe Obama had this in his mind . The accurate statement reported out was he was diffusing his influence. This reminds me of the compliant press of 2002 who gleefully followed the Bush tactics on going to war with Iraq. They helped dessiminate inaccurate information to smear any one questioning th run up. Thanks Washington Post for becoming the voice for smear tactics for the Republican party. Where is the journalistic credibilty from the Watergate years.

Terry, Great Plains (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:09 PM)

How can these blowhards defend SENILE OLD MCFLIPFLOP A.K.A. "Mush-Head". "Mush-Head" hasn't done a thing in congress which is why he can't run on what he would do for the country. He is too stupid and SENILE to know what he would do to help people. All "Mush-Head" knows how to do is be a bitter OLD man and complain about them "damn" kids!

Patrick, Indianapolis (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:09 PM)

Wow, Nancy's been tossed in the discount bin by Amazon and poor Lindsey can't be the center of attention without a sex scandal. There really are no winners this year. http://twocanpete.blogspot.com

twocanpete (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:10 PM)

Hey Joe nobody likes you and when the democrats win a huge majority this november in the House nd the Senate you will be out and we will not need your votes for anything anymore Joe!

mendoza sams (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:10 PM)

As sad as it is, Lieberman and Graham are the REAL minds behind John McCain. There is no way McCain can relay an arguement for this stupid add.

The add was a waste of money. If I were a McCain supporter I would want my candidate to talk about why we should vote for him NOT why we should not vote for Obama.

. (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:10 PM)

RIGHT ! That's terrible - Obama is liked by the majority of Americans and by the rest of the world. He thinks because he speaks well and does not dumb fumble around in a press conference he is better than King George and McCain. We know *everything* about McCain, like he was a POW, he was a prisoner of war and he was in Vietnam and in the war - and he was a POW! Yes, and we know what he does not like (Obama). No clue what McCain is for ... but does that matter in the USA ?

Frank, Kansas City (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:10 PM)

Just the fact that McCain uses Lindsey and Joe so heavily as his surrogates should indicate to what degree the wheels are off his bus!

CB, Hadley, NY (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:10 PM)

"Sen. Joe Lieberman took a different tack, saying the ad simply compares the two candidates in a 'creative' way and people should lighten up. 'To some extent the appearance of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears -- people complain about it -- they should just relax and enjoy it'.

Isn't that what McAuthentic said about getting raped?

McLiebergraham (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:10 PM)

What does too big for his britches supposed to mean. Are trying to engage in code words in order to cut down Obama!! He is running for President for godsake!!!

Rodney,Hilton Head,sc (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:11 PM)

Soooo? I guess McCain embodies what's bad about America then and it's true - he's another Bush but older and grouchier. What's Judas Lieberman gonna do after his adopted repug party gets pissed away in the elections? There ain't no comin back, Joe.

Brian, Cedar Hill, TX (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:11 PM)

So, Lindsey, you're basically saying that Obama is an uppity n****r.

Gee, let me think here. We could have a president that grew up with the difficulties of a single parent family, EARNED his way into Harvard and did so well that he became the head of the prestigious Harvard Law Review.

Or, we could have a president that was brilliant enough to finish second to last in his naval academy and the only reason he was allowed to stay in was because his dad was a general. But, at least he had the judgement to vote for the Iraq War.

Seems like an easy choice there Graham

Jesse, St. Louis Park, MN (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:11 PM)

Joe and Lindsay ...two senators going the way of the dodo.

Jim, Santa Cruz (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:11 PM)

"Too big for his britches." REALLY? Whose choice of wording is this? SHAME on you!

We're discussing a United States Senator here - NOT an errant 8 year old!

The language is just a bit condescending, don't ya think?

Was John McCain "too big for his britches" when he went to Canada, Columbia, Mexico, Iraq, Israel? Well, was he?

What other US Senators are "too big for their britches?" Please, enlighten us.

U.S.

Laura, Knoxville TN (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:12 PM)

Lieberman whispers in McCain's ear daily, why wouldn't he defend the old man's ad. It's just another sign of what's wrong with the GOP. Their mindset is skewed. They have no longer connect with the majority of average Americans.

subgruvet, ok (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:12 PM)

Translation: while Republicans pretend there's a message to these ads, in reality its just another opportunity to look at the two girls. Republicans pretend not to like them, but really can't get enough.

Except for Bob Dole. At least in that soda commercial he didn't pretend he likes looking at Spears. Sure, he was telling his dog to take it easy, but when is the last time we saw him smiling so wide?

I'll bet next the Republicans find a contorted message comparing Janet Jackson and Obama, just as an excuse to re-air the superbowl boob shot again.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:12 PM)

So basically Graham is saying that Obama is a twinkie just like Paris and Brittany. The GOP are threading on thin ice..what an insult.

Obama08

Elizabeth Marrero, Orlando Florida (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:12 PM)

From Time Swampland via Huff Post”

‘…July 31, 2008 8:39
Hope Dashed (Again)
Posted by Joe Klein | Comments (23) | Permalink | Trackbacks (0) | Email This
A few months ago, I wrote that John McCain was an honorable man and he would run an honorable campaign. I was wrong. I used to think, as David Ignatius does, that McCain's true voice was humble and moderate, but now I'm beginning to think his Senate colleagues may be right about his temperament. From what I can gather, Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran, a Republican, reflected the views of many of his colleagues earlier this year when he said:

"The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine...He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."
The erratic nature of McCain's campaign seems to be confirming that judgment. The McCain I used to know would never have touted his own courage as he did a few weeks ago when he said:

"I had the courage and the judgment to say that I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war.It seems to me that Senator Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign."
Courage is grace under pressure. McCain showed it when he was a prisoner of war, and on many issues--yes, even on his stubborn insistence that the surge would work--but he is not showing it now. He is showing flop sweat. It is not a quality usually associated with successful leadership….’

And a blogger’s response:
‘…giveusfree:
I contend that John McCain was never honorable. He was a low achieving womanizer every step of the way. He simply muddled his way through life and lucked up with the press choosing him all those years ago to label him a Hero and a "Maverick". He skated by every step of the way. How soon we forget about the Forrester, the jilted ex-wife, Keating 5, MLK Votes, the "Rape Joke", the "maybe this is how we kill-em", his campaign being infested with oil lobbyists, the flip-flops, etc. McCain is no Audie Murphy and he does not have the intelligence nor the temperament to be President. What does he stand for?...’

MSierra, SF (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:12 PM)

Shouldn't Joe Lieberman be holding John McCain's hand and whispering his positions in his ear ("No John, we're AGAINST taxes, remember?")?

That new campaign manager better start back letting Lindsey Graham whisper in one ear and Joe Lieberman whisper in the other, or John McCain might wonder back into a grocery store for a press conference again! lol

(Why do all of John McCain's closest associates look like overgrown frat boys?)

Nashville_fan (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:12 PM)

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2008/07/the_new_normal.html

please see this Business Week article stating that the McCain Campaign had an ad all ready to go if Obama DID visit the troops.

Surprise, surprise.

renegademom (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:13 PM)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/31/mccain-planned-to-attack_n_116091.html

A Republican strategist tells BusinessWeek that John McCain was planning an attack ad against Barack Obama whether or not he visited wounded troops in Germany:

What the McCain campaign doesn't want people to know, according to one GOP strategist I spoke with over the weekend, is that they had an ad script ready to go if Obama had visited the wounded troops saying that Obama was...wait for it...using wounded troops as campaign props. So, no matter which way Obama turned, McCain had an Obama bashing ad ready to launch. I guess that's political hardball. But another word for it is the one word that most politicians are loathe to use about their opponents--a lie.

Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that McCain's ad accusing Obama of not caring about the troops was not supported by facts.

sheryl, Houston TX (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:14 PM)

Uh, so Lieberman has not problem with the LIES in the video? Yeah, lighten up people, they're just lies for fun!

Bob, Denver (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:14 PM)

Can I translate Graham's comments?

"That boy is uppity. He doesn't know his place. He wants you to think he's one of the good ones."

Stay on message - and it is getting through, loud and clear.

Knox Headagainstwall, RNC HQ, Wash DC (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:14 PM)

Mccain is in bed with the oil lobbyists and didn't he sleep with a lobbyist ? Or is that a rumor?

just say no to OLD politics (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:14 PM)

Speaking of celebrity, what did McCain do when he was a celebrity war hero right after Vietnam?... What happened to his first wife, Carol McCain?

Everyone talks about John McCain the war hero but what about John McCain the man that left his wife after she was in a terrible car accident. From what I read, his so called "admiration" for in first wife was only skin deep. Once she had 20+ operations and her appearance changed he started sleeping with other women. He was still married to Carol when he had an affair with Cindy. He filed for divorce soon later.

McCain is a cheater. His character is not representative of family values.

Why doesn't the media talk about this? I have not heard a peep.

They are drudging up Obama's college thesis but no one is asking how come a cheating, carousing liar has come to speak for the so called "values" voters the Republicans claim to represent.

This is why evangelical leaders' support for him is so appalling. This election is about more than one issue. It is about who has the moral compass to lead. Evangelicals should hold their leaders accountable for supporting such a man.

Being a war hero only gets you so far. When you have sex with a bunch of women while married that does not represent the values that I want to teach my children. When you leave your wife because she is not as "pretty" anymore for a rich rodeo queen (Cindy); that says a lot about your character.

Explain that to your kids McCain supporters!

Here in Kansas, it shows why Obama has been and is such a good husband. He was raised with strong Midwestern values. His mother and grandparents instilled it in him. Honor means more than fighting wars, it means standing up for your family when times are tough. Not deserting your wife when she has a terrible accident. That is not "right" in anyone's book. It is not the values that we hear about in church or read in the Holy Bible.

Think twice about voting for McCain for President.

http://laststopmidwest.blogspot.com

James, KS (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:15 PM)

Relax and enjoy it? You mean like the Texas GOP idiot who said the same thing about rape?

This country has too long been screwed by the GOP and frankly, I have not been enjoying it. I can't enjoy $11 million a day for Iraq while this country's infrastructure falls apart. Like bail out of the Bairs and Stern for making bad loans but don;t care about the people who got the loans.

Paul DObro (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:15 PM)

Another non story on the same story to give McCheese extra free mileage from his corny video. When I think of McCain and his Dr. Evil grin when he makes a talking point. I see a man out of touch .

Brian M. De (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:16 PM)

Oh, well, now that Graham and Lieberman have given this "objective" opinion about the ad, I feel so much better now. NOT.

Cindy Lou, TX (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:16 PM)

Mike: "...but with that southern drawl and those comments about being too big for his britches, his words could take on a different meaning."

Exactly what the McCain campaign is hoping for. Then if someone raises the question, they'll respond by accusing Obama and his supporters of raising the race card.

The bottom line here is this campaign isn't a race for African-American voters. Obama probably has 85-90 percent of that vote, and it won't go up or down much. This is a strategy aimed at whites, who maybe aren't "racist" but not fully, completely comfortable with a black guy as president.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:16 PM)

The Republican attack machine is all geared up to deliver one message to divide this country across racial lines.

McCain has come out against affirmative action while simultaneously running ad campaigns that are all about casting the very presidential Sen. Obama as an "Uppity Negro".

While sen. Obama has consistently corrected his campaign's course whenever it started to veer into negative territory, McCain's campaign has shown no such discipline. After originally promising to run an above board campaign, Sen McCain has revealed that when the going gets tough, he is morally bankrupt.

Fed up with the old fart, Atlanta (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:16 PM)

What does Lindsy mean by saying, "too big for his britches". He needs to watch his town because we all know what's he too chicken to say. " That Obama is an Uppity negro"

Yetty (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:17 PM)

I can tell you who's not ready to lead America - McMyFaceTwistedJustLikeMyPoliciesCain. He has no idea what to do. If Obama wasn't giving speeches they wouldn't be able to adopt his policies and try to beat him to the punch, pretend like it was their idea all along, or change (flip flop) their policies to somewhat match Obama's. If Obama wasn't giving speeches they wouldn't have taking the initiative to talk to other leaders we've had conflict with. The purpose of Obama's speeches is to introduce his policies and ideas on a broader platform, so maybe that's why McCain is sticking to small town hall meetings because he's not talking about shit. STICK TO THE ISSUES!!!

Neshka, MN (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:17 PM)

Isn't Graham the same person who was with McWar when they strolled around the market-place in bulletproof vests telling the world how safe it was. Isn't he the one who boasted about buying a rug on the cheap and then promptly got the seller killed for trading with an American.

I wouldn't call that good judgement. As for Leiberman... he is as bad as Zell Miller. (What happened to that idiot)?

Oscar, Rio Vista CA (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:17 PM)

Fame without portfolio? Britney was famous because she was selling albums at record breaking paces. I'd say having a couple multi-platinum albums is portfolio enough else Michael Jackson has "fame without portfolio as well".

Paris.........look the point is no one really has the experience to lead a country, THAT'S why they run for President because they believe they CAN. Right now it looks like McCain isn't even ready to lead a marketing firm with these terrible ads.

Cannon, Largo, MD (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:18 PM)

"This isn't a flip-flop. It's a sex-change operation."

I THOUGHT SO !!

From Huff Post:

'... WSJ Columnist: Is McCain Losing It?

Wall Street Journal columnist Daniel Henninger looks at John McCain's tax policy and concludes, "This isn't a flip-flop. It's a sex-change operation." He continues:

What I'm asking is, does John McCain have the mental focus, the intellectual discipline, to avoid being out-slicked by Barack Obama, if he isn't abandoned by his own voters?

Why as well shouldn't the Obama camp exploit all of this? If Sen. Obama's "inexperience" is Mr. McCain's ace in the hole, why not trump that by asking, "Does Sen. McCain know his own mind?"

...

Yes, Sen. McCain has honor and country. Another month of illogical, impolitic remarks and Sen. McCain will erase even that. Absent a coherent message for voters, he will be one-on-one with Barack Obama in the fall. He will lose.

The Chicago Tribune's Frank James comments: "More evidence that Sen. John McCain is giving fits to many conservatives, like those who comprise The Wall Street Journal's editorial board: they're asking aloud if he's stupid."...'

MSierra, SF (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:18 PM)

"...they should just relax and enjoy it," he said.

wasn't there a joke with that punch line?
didn't old john tell it?

JP, milltown, nj (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:19 PM)

After this election Lieberman will will be totally irrevelent, Graham already is

jAYjAY, AlbanyNY (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:19 PM)

Who cares....John McCain's dumb ad will doom him.

Because the GOP are so out of touch; that they have to explain the ads they have - that are trying to explained what they want it to explain.

How stupid is that.

Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA

The - Democrat Soldier (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:20 PM)

Someone please give these people a valuim!

Anne/Ohio (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:20 PM)

Gee wiz, you think you guys might be beating the paris Hilton thing to death this morning. I find mention of it in at least four of your articles. Are you guys stuck in the replay mode? How about we talk about that horible article in the Washington Post (Dana Milbank)yesterday claiming the same old tired nonsense many others are throwing out there Like Graham about Obama being too upity( my translation) but it's accurate. He looks and sounds presidential and he's black so it must be arrogance or inapropriate behavour for a candidate, never mind that John McLazy is making presidential like staements about himself or referring to when he is president. Nobody seems to notice that, but then he's white. He has earned the right to be acting presidential, right?

Dand1212 (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 1:21 PM)

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