Obama Campaign Memo for August 12

The Obama Campaign Today – Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Today, the campaign will launch its Republicans for Obama campaign with a conference call featuring Jim Leach and other Republicans who are crossing the divide of old politics to support Barack Obama for president. Watch for the call advisory to come this morning.

Also today Tom Harkin will be joining the campaign for a conference call to discuss Senator Obama's commitment to Iowans in rural communities. The Obama Iowa Campaign for Change will open six additional offices in rural Iowa and kickoff its series of rural roundtable discussions. As President, Senator Obama will fight to revitalize rural economies, bring good jobs to rural communities and make sure every American has access to quality, affordable health care.

In Milwaukee, WI the Obama campaign will host a press conference with Mayor Tom Barrett at 12:00 PM to highlight a new radio ad on the air in Milwaukee that discusses Senator John McCain's opposition to ‘Buy American' provisions that require investment in American companies like Harley-Davidson, a Milwaukee institution. The ad, entitled ‘Harley,' also highlights McCain's support for tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas. Barack Obama supports ‘Buy American' provisions and believes that we must close loopholes and end incentives for corporations that ship our jobs overseas.

Must–Reads:

NYT -- Obama-cans Unite (Luo): Led by a former Bush fund-raiser and a former U.S. Senator who bolted the G.O.P. several years ago, a group of current and former Republicans disenchanted with Senator John McCain and supportive of Senator Barack Obama are banding together to start a “Republicans for Obama” effort. LINK <http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/11/obamacans-unite/>

Editor & Publisher -- Target Obama: Why The Press Must Fact-Check Campaign Claims: This is a fact: Today Barack Obama is subject to what is probably the greatest concentrated attacks of smears, lies and innuendo in the lifetime of anyone who reads these words. Consider this: John McCain in personal appearances, in his campaign staff presentations and various media and ads, falsely and aggressively accused Barack Obama of neglecting wounded troops. McCain, widely reported by most media with virtually no fact checking or refutation until days after McCain's attacks, accused Barack Obama of planning to bring political reporters to his visit with wounded troops. As every single reporters from every media organization covering Obama knew, that charge was either a deliberate lie or a total ignorance of the facts. LINK <http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/shoptalk_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003837873>