Obama Pounces, McCain Skirts the Issues

Presidential contenders John McCain and Barack Obama released new attack ads this morning.

In his ad, Obama pounces on “Bush-McCain” deregulation policy that has left the U.S. economy reeling. The ad focuses on an article McCain penned in the September/October issue of Contingencies in which he proposes to reduce oversight of the health-insurance industry, just as “we have done over the last decade in banking.”

Meanwhile, McCain’s ad looks at Obama’s connection with Tony Rezko, a Chicago businessman and convicted felon who is called Obama’s “money man.” The attack also seeks to link him with other questionable Chicago political figures and contributors, putting into question Obama’s character and ethics.

With the U.S. in the eye of a banking crisis, shrinking company payrolls,

and an overall beleaguered economy, one has to question the timing of McCain’s ad. Yes, character and ethics are important in a political figure. But is this ad really bringing anything new to light about Obama? No, according to factcheck.org. Is this ad trying to reshape national discussion and distract Obama and/or citizens? Probably.

“It’s no coincidence that on the very day newspapers reported that John McCain’s campaign manager was paid $2 million

to lobby against tighter regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the McCain campaign would launch this false, gratuitous attack,” said Bill Burton, an Obama-Biden campaign spokesman.

The McCain campaign hadn’t returned calls for comment by the time this blog was posted.

If this ad is any indication of McCain’s political mindset, so much for “country first.”

Readers, what do you think? What do the ads say about the candidates? Is McCain trying to reshape the national conversation? Is it working?

Renita Burns is the editorial assistant for BlackEnterprise.com