Updates: Is Frankin Raines advising Obama or not?

McCain runs a new ad quoting the Washington Post that says Raines is advising Obama on housing policy matters. Obama denies this. Who are the Post's sources?

Byron York is trying to tie up the loose ends today, but he's linking to stories I read in August where Raines is touting his access as he revives his reputation after Fannie.

It's the Washington Post vs Obama. Who is right?

Update: This post will be updated all day. This story turning very ugly, very fast.

Time Magazine's Karen Tumulty, a reporter I find to be among the most reasonable, fair minded go getters in the business, is accusing the McCain team of playing the race card. Unbelievable. Newsbusters and Patterico both have reactions to this. Tumulty has this to say.

Let me stipulate: Obama's Fannie Mae connections are completely fair game. But this ad doesn't even mention a far more significant tie--that of Jim Johnson, the former Fannie Mae chairman who had to resign as head of Obama's vice presidential search team after it was revealed he got a sweetheart deal on a mortgage from Countrywide Financial.

No Jim Johnson means the ad is racist? Whoops. The Jim Johnson ad from Team McCain is out today with plans for a national ad buy.

When mainstream reporters speculate publicly on blogs they look foolish, but lets see how they react when you remind them of their commentary. Bloggers on the other hand openly speculate about reports and rumors all the time, but when they're not sure they use a question mark.

Team Obama is vulnerable on his connections to Fannie Mae, his love of ACORN, and Fannie Mae's family embrace of Obama and ACORN. This move to push the race card into these ads is alarming.

Member of DNC Platform Committee endorses John McCain for President

This makes Republicans for Obama or Republicans for Kerry look like a game of four square at the local park in Nowhere, USA.

Junior Varsity Foolery: Team Obama intimidates WGN again

There they go again.

The Tribune-owned station was flooded with calls and e-mails about an hour before an Aug. 27 interview with Stanley Kurtz, a conservative writer who examined Obama's ties to former 1960s radical William Ayers.

Vote early, vote often. The Chicago Way is the Obama way. Help keep Chicago practices in Chicago. My city is a political cancer that is communicable through voluntary means only.

Malkin: American Issues Project in the clear

Eh, not quite. Michelle Malkin is citing a report from a confidential source that claims the DoJ's director of Election Crimes Branch in DOJ’s Public Integrity Section, Craig Donsanto, told a private forum that they would not pursue cases against individual donors. Malkin links this to American Issues Project.

This is a mistake. AIP is incorporated as a 501(c)4. It can engage in political and lobbying activity, but these expenditures cannot exceed more than 50% of its budget. Donsanto's comments are relative to 527 organizations.

The 527 is a 2 year operation that soon dissolves after an election. The scene changes based on the election and thus the objectives alter with it. The 527 is then a born again political operation. The same sources of funding will be there.

A 501(c)4 isn't a fly by night operation. AIP will have to produce more expenditures so that it's political and lobbying budget does not exceed 50% of its expenditures. It's still really early. I don't have a clue as to what AIP will be spending money to do. My friends left of the center don't have any idea either. So how can they write to the DoJ to file a complaint?

Lets recognize political desperation for what it is.