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Download Leave it to Tom Brokaw to further GOP media narratives. In asking about John McCain's fifth-grade bully attack ads, he asks Obama supporter and former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry if Obama is "playing the race card." Question: is there any way for Barack Obama to directly confront these ads without being accused of the pasty white GOP (and their mouthpieces in the media) as "playing the race card"? I don't think so. McCain used that whole mocking "Obama on the currency" analogy in June. But Obama can't say that because he's playing the race card. Project much?
Kerry, no stranger to these kind of character assassinations himself, calls it a Rovian strategy:
KERRY: But this is, you know, this is a complete contradiction in John McCain. John McCain has said he wants a campaign of ideas, not insults. John McCain, who said the American people want a campaign that's respectful. Even you, Joe, ten years ago you went to the floor of the United States Senate and you said our public life is coarsening. You said that the society's values are shrinking. That's an ad that plays to the worse instincts in America, which is to diminish someone's character...
BROKAW: But what Senator...
KERRY: And then Karl Rove turns around, and Karl Rove brings up another statement, saying Obama's like the guy at the country club with the beautiful date and a martini and a cigarette in his hand. What are they trying to do? They're trying to say to America, ‘Somehow, he's not like you; he's not like us.' Last point, Joe...
LIEBERMAN: Karl Rove doesn't work for the McCain campaign...
Is that right, Holy Joe? Liar, liar, Democratic turncoat pants on fire.
transcripts below the fold
BROKAW: Sen. Kerry, by using the language that he did, saying ‘I don’t look like the president on the dollar bill, the five dollar bill,’ wasn’t he in effect saying they’re picking on me because I’m black?
KERRY: No. What he was saying is they’re trying to scare you. They’re trying to scare the American people. Believe me, I’m an expert on how they do that. They are engaged in character assassination, even John McCain’s partner in a number of initiatives in the Senate, Russ Feingold, said yesterday, ‘they’ve decided they can’t win on the issues, so now they’re going to try to destroy his character.’ That is exactly what this ad is calculated to do. But it’s the [Brokaw interrupts] NY Times…let me just…Tom, the NY Times said this is the Low Road Express. John McCain himself, you just quoted him, John McCain said I want to have a campaign, not of insults but of ideas. I mean, Joe, what’s the idea in there? What’s the idea…no wait, let me just ….
LIEBERMAN:The idea is Barack Obama is not ready to lead and is against off-shore drilling.
KERRY: I’m going to come to that. No, it doesn’t mention not ready to lead…
LIEBERMAN: Yes, it does.
KERRY: …doesn’t mention off shore drilling. What it talks about, it tries to insinuate his celebrity is somehow all he has. Now, I’m going to get to the other. But this is, you know, this is a complete contradiction in John McCain. John McCain has said he wants a campaign of ideas, not insults. John McCain, who said the American people want a campaign that’s respectful. Even you, Joe, ten years ago you went to the floor of the United States Senate and you said our public life is coarsening. You said that the society’s values are shrinking. That’s an ad that plays to the worse instincts in America, which is to diminish someone’s character…
BROKAW: But what Senator…
KERRY: And then Karl Rove turns around, and Karl Rove brings up another statement, saying Obama’s like the guy at the country club with the beautiful date and a martini and a cigarette in his hand. What are they trying to do? They’re trying to say to America, ‘Somehow, he’s not like you; he’s not like us.’ Last point, Joe…
LIEBERMAN: Karl Rove doesn’t work for the McCain campaign…
KERRY: Well, partly…they just hired Karl Rove’s top protégé to help produce these kinds of ads and believe me, they talk to Karl Rove.
