McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds calls Sen. Obama “recklessly dishonest” for quoting McCain’s own words at a rally in Erie.
Make your own judgment.
What Obama said …
“John McCain went on television and said that there has been quote “great progress economically over the last seven and a half years,” Obama told a Pennsylvania crowd. “John McCain thinks our economy has made great progress under George W. Bush. Now, how could somebody who has been traveling across this country, somebody who came to Erie, PA, say we’ve made great progress?”
What McCain said …
Interviewer: I’m going to ask you a version of the Ronald Reagan question. You think if Americans were asked, are you better off today than you were before George Bush took office more than seven years ago, what answer would they give?
SEN. MCCAIN: Certainly, in this time, we are in very challenging times. We all recognize that. Families are sitting around the kitchen table this evening and figuring out whether they’re going to be able to keep their home or not. They’re figuring out whether they’re – why it is that suddenly and recently someone in their family or their neighbor has lost their job. There’s no doubt that we are in enormous difficulties.
I think if you look at the overall record and millions of jobs have been created, et cetera, et cetera, you could make an argument that there’s been great progress economically over that period of time. But that’s no comfort. That’s no comfort to families now that are facing these tremendous economic challenges.
The McCain message is that if you don’t spin McCain’s statements for him you’re recklessly dishonest.
Late Update: ABC actually swallowed this one from the McCain Camp hook, line and sinker. It’s a tour de force of special pleading, and not even by the McCain campaign but by ABC. You’ve got to read it.
McCain ties Obama to Hamas in fundraising letter.
I think pretty much everyone knows now that that picture of Barack Obama with his hands at his sides that’s been making the rounds of the right wing sites actually wasn’t taking during a recitation of the pledge of allegiance. So why does Tim Russert repeat this canard on national TV? Here’s Russert’s question to David Axelrod this morning (emphasis added) …
Let me ask about two final issues. David Axelrod, based on the last couple of weeks, many Democrats fear Republicans in the fall will string together an ad which shows Michelle Obama saying that she really never had pride in America until this campaign when Barack Obama was running, Barack Obama with his hands clasped in front of him rather than holding his heart during the pledge of allegiance, Barack Obama not wearing a flag pin, Barack Obama talking about clinging to faith and to guns, suggesting–Barack Obama meeting with Bill Ayers, a former Weather ground under–Weatherman underground figure. Are you concerned that all those kinds of issues could be strung together to create an impression of Obama that would make him almost unelectable to a lot of swing voters?
With his supposedly crack research staff, how does Russert manage to make a mistake like that? Where’s the retraction and apology? Or is it intentional?
(ed.note: Special thanks to TPM Reader PF for the catch.)
Obama slips back into the lead in the Gallup tracking poll — 47% to 45% over Hillary.
One other point: when I publish these dailies, I do so assuming that we all understand that these low and middle single digit margins are within the polls margin of error. Also, one weird day can create the appearance of a trend as it wends its way through the three day cycle.
All of Pennsylvania …
Strategic Vision (R) (4-18/20) Clinton 48%, Obama 41%.
ARG (4-17/19) Clinton 54%, Obama 41%.
Mason-Dixon (4-17/18) Clinton 48%, 43%.
(ed.note: An earlier version of this post wrongly included an old SurveyUSA poll from early April. I have removed the interpretation of the polls that followed the numbers since it focused on the out-of-date number that I thought was current. My apologies for the error.)
John Zogby’s gone up late this evening with the second to last day of his tracking poll. And it shows late deciders moving to Clinton. The topline is Clinton 48%, Obama 42%.
SurveyUSA: Clinton 50%, Obama 44%.
Late Commentary Update: What’s interesting to note about the SUSA poll is that it shows not just a tightening of the race, as measured by SUSA, but a convergence of the polls. SUSA has been showing big double-digit leads. I’m pretty sure 6 points is the closest they’ve had this race. Meanwhile, the more traditional operator-run polls, which had been showing an even closer race, seem to have notched back a bit in this direction. By tomorrow morning we may have a relative polling consensus in the mid-high single digits for Clinton.
Bill Moyers will be first journalist to interview Obama’s controversial former Pastor Jeremiah Wright. Wright will appear on Bill Moyers Journal this Friday, April 25th, at 9PM.
Finally Public Policy Polling poll: Obama 49%, Clinton 46%.
Note that PPP’s most recent poll before this one also had Obama by 3 points, but at 45%-42%.