AP Report on decline in Obama fundraising doesn't mention Address Verification System

Obama fundraising drops as McCain's cash dwindles

I have written to AP reporter Jim Kuhnhenn, AP DC bureau chief Ron Fournier, and AP Managing editor Michael Oreskas asking them if they had any information about the use of or lack thereof of the Address Verification System(AVS) that apparently is not being used by the Obama camp to validate online credit card contributions.

Tee Hee

Michael Goldfarb reacts to Karen Tumulty's postulation.

Tumulty did not correct her post, she simply responded “I grew up in Texas. I know what this stuff looks like.” Well, now we all know what hysterical liberal bias looks like as well.

McCain pressing Raines ties to Obama

A brief review of the events that unfolded yesterday.

McCain camp ad tying Franklin Raines to Barack Obama hits airwaves the evening of 9/18. The ad is accurate based on reporting in the Washington Post.

Karen Tumulty insinuates the ad is racist because the voice of a white woman speaks in between photos of Barack Obama and Franklin Raines. Both men are black in case you didn't know. Tumulty further states that the lack of Jim Johnson, another disgraced executive at Fannie Mae that was chairing the Obama VP search committee, in the ad is further evidence of racism. On the morning of 9/19 the McCain ad citing Jim Johnson's connections to the Obama campaign hits the airwaves.

The ad is depicted as a lie. These claims are false.

McCain on the stump exaggerates Franklin Raines' connections to the Obama campaign.

This statement is accurately depicted as a lie. McCain extended the veracity of his campaign ad to say Raines is advising Obama on "housing policy matters". This claim is inaccurate.

One of the big problems I have with flinging lie, lies, and liar accusations at bloggers, reporters, pundits or politicians is the fact that a lot of comments made do extend or retract the accuracy of the original information. McCain's statement is something I would classify as a mistatement, but certainly one that he should correct. If that mistatement is made again, that's when we get into lie territory. At that point he's knowingly forwarding a point that is refuted as untrue.

Follow this story: TPM elevating "voter suppression" charges

lol

From a longtime reader ...

What, like a lawyer involved in the case?

Ride in the Delorian: I blogged about this story earlier this week. Macomb County GOP Chair John Carabelli continues to deny he ever made these statements about foreclosed homes and the voters that are registered as living in them.

When denials are made, Talking Points Memo is only listening when they want to hear what you're saying.

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.

More on that later: Two fronts to watch; Update: Drizzle

Two items today that actually do require a little "more on that later" insight. First is a TPM post from David Kurtz unlocking the door to discredit Amir Taheri's column published in the NY Post. Taheri alleges that Barack Obama tried to get the Iraqi government to delay their decisions on Iraq and the US presense there until after the November elections. Itself a serious charge, Taheri wrote this.

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

David Kurtz is suggesting this isn't really accurate and appears to have some sort of inside baseball quotes from Team Obama. Well, no quotes no, but hopefully more on that later. Kurtz does poor some slime in the path of, no, behind the path of Randy Scheunemann, a McCain foreign policy adviser.

If the news reports are accurate, and therein lies the rub. We'll have more on what exactly Obama has said on this issue, publicly, in a bit. But you need to know a bit more about Taheri, who runs in the same neocon circles as Scheunemann.

Taheri and Scheunemann might read the same newspapers. Uh oh.

Second story comes out of Michigan where allegedly the chair of the Macomb County GOP said that residents with homes in foreclosure will be challenged at the polls. Holy power of satan does this alleged charge have the passion and zeal to fire up the nutroots. But did the chair or didn't the chair actually make this statement that was reported and published by out and out left wing journalists.

Carabelli, however, told The Detroit News on Thursday that "I never said anything even close to that. We won't be doing voter challenges on foreclosures, and we've never had a plan to do it."

It's not the denial, but the original statement. Will it even matter if the original statement is fabricated? Project Vote is already on the scene in Michigan from a national view. Locally, the nutroots organized left of center media interest groups are pouncing.

What's in the postgame? Is Taheri a liar? Is Carabelli one too? More on both later.

UPDATE: In regards to Amir Taheri's column, has Team Obama confirmed the story? You decide.

In fact, Obama had told the Iraqis that they should not rush through a "Strategic Framework Agreement" governing the future of US forces until after President George W. Bush leaves office, she said.

Oh nos. More questions. Is the current Congress unable to review any statframagreement? Obama's part of that Congress. The Democrats control both chambers of the Congress. What gives? The Iraqis clearly state they're future cannot wait for Obama's clock to toll.

Team Obama goes back to the issues, one of which is, John McCain can't use a computer

OK. Perhaps not the best issues, but certainly "gloves off" "hard hitting" "non-trivial issues". Computers and email: change we can believe in that I sure hope doesn't push consistent voters over to McCain.

Jake Tapper is asking if this is the proper approach. He notes it is not the first time Team Obama has come out with a "gloves off" memo. In fact, he thinks it's the fourth time they've said this.

Obama also has a new "hard hitting" ad on "non-trivial issues" you have to see to believe. It's over with Tapper.

Why the McCain campaign is winning; Update: Does Obama read this blog?

Team Obama is trying to move forward while walking on their heels. Barack Obama's comment about lipstick on a pig wasn't directed at Sarah Palin. However, the McCain camp effectively played it up that way. The media bought it hook, line, and sinker.

Yesterday's slow news day was only made worse by the fact that Barack Obama cannot control the message of the day. The President still does that as he did yesterday.

Obama started his day with a big speech on education outlining his policies. But this was after the President made his comments about Iraq. Naturally the press had all sorts of questions for Obama at his education policy speech ABOUT IRAQ.

Did this foil the entire day for Team Obama? Later Obama makes his lipstick remark trying to be casual and humorous. I laughed when I heard the quote, but then started trying to figure out what he meant beyond the humor.

It didn't matter what the remark meant to convey. The McCain team pounced on it which led to the quote dominating the talk circuit that evening. To make matters worse, Larry King's show was devoted to featuring women in politics talking about Sarah Palin.

Whoops. But still this campaign is freaking sweet.

Barack Obama cannot set the national agenda for the day. This campaign strategy is foolish and further attempts by Team Obama to do so will have to be based on defensive positions or capitalizing on immense gaffes from Team McCain.

And there is a gaffe today from Team McCain. It's an ad about education which I posted earlier. Here Team Obama can play defense effectively to push the media to talk about what they want to talk about - Education. However, did Team McCain already consider this option? If Barack Obama starts talking about Education, Team McCain can start asking about the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, something Barack Obama NEVER TALKS about.

Mr. "32 percent approval" President still sets the agenda for the day. The Obama campaign should know better.

Team Obama should be reading Mark Halperin's dispatches at The Page as well as reading his fantastic book.

Update: Barack Obama made some public statements in Norfolk, VA this morning. I promise I have no direct access to his Blackberry. Via Politico.

Obama said the McCain campaign moved to "seize an innocent remark and take it out of context because they knew it's catnip for the news media."

"See, it would be funny, but the news media decided that would be the lead story yesterday. This happens every election cycle. Every four years, this is what we do. This is what they want to spend two of the last 55 days talking about...Enough!" he said.

Obama called the attacks "lies, outrage and swift boat politics."

"These are serious times and they call for a serious debate...spare me all the phony outrage. Spare me all the phony talk about change."

Barack Obama just kicked this discussion from a topic that was moving to life support to a topic that will be discussed yet again for another 24 hour news cycle.

Where are the handlers? The rookie needs a visit to the mound. Coach him.

Josh Marshall insinuating falsely that new McCain ad is "race-baiting"

Josh "more on that later" Marshall reacts to the new McCain ad that tries to tell viewers about the type of education reforms that Barack Obama has authored and supported. Marshall declares the ad to be "race-baiting".

And today McCain comes out with this rancid, race-baiting ad based on another lie. Willie Horton looks mild by comparison. (And remember, President George H.W. Bush never ran the Willie Horton ad himself. It was an outside group. He wasn't willing to degrade himself that far.)

Marshall doesn't explain how the ad is "race-baiting". Does he even think it is necessary to explain it? Just watch it, I suppose, and you'll clearly see the ad has to be "race-baiting".

Watch the ad for yourself. Perhaps Marshall will explain the "race-baiting" angle when he has "more on that later". Members of the press actually read this guy.

Update: McCain +10 among likely voters; Can Obama get out out the youth vote? New: A telling graph

USA Today publishes a report on their recent polling with Gallup as their partner.

In the new poll, taken Friday through Sunday, McCain leads Obama by 54%-44% among those seen as most likely to vote. The survey of 1,022 adults, including 959 registered voters, has a margin of error of +/— 3 points for both samples.

McCain is +4 among registered voters. Barack Obama needs a GOTV strategy like one never seen before. Or, he needs 60 days of the best campaign ever. Probably a whole lot of both.

Here's a grandiose start.

BRAND: “Now, as a representative of the global community and a visitor from abroad, I don’t want to come across a little bit biased, but could I please ask of you people of America, to PLEASE ELECT BARACK OBAMA. Please! On behalf of the world. (Camera pans to singers Chris Brown and Britney Spears applauding and cheering.) Some people, I think they’re called racists, say that America is not ready for a black president. But I know America to be a forward-thinking country, right. Because, otherwise, you know, would you have let that retarded cowboy fellow be president for eight years?

We were very impressed. It was nice of you to let him have a go. Because in England, George Bush wouldn’t be trusted with a pair of scissors.

I am obliged by broadcasting law to show some balance in this situation, which means, uh, the Republicans might be alright. Sarah Palin. She’s a VILF! A vice president I’d like to…fumble, fondle, I dunno. I do feel a little bit sorry for her daughter, getting pregnant, poor kid. Is it a boy? Is it a girl? It’s a P.R. stunt. Come on. Be honest.

Enjoy the ride folks.

Update: A timely graph can help here. Notice the deduction from the "Other" and the addition to "McCain". Are those wily undecideds now decided? (HT: Mark Silva at "The Swamp")