RNC Statement on Obama Camp Response

From the RNC:

“Barack Obama broke his promise to run a positive campaign when he joined forces with the DNC and MoveOn, who for months have run false ads attacking John McCain. How can Obama call for a positive campaign, even as his surrogates continue to unapologetically smear John McCain? It's clear Obama does not mind political attacks – just attacks that hurt his political interests. Once again Obama is putting his own political interests first and holding everyone to a higher standard than he holds himself.” –Alex Conant, RNC Spokesman

The Democrat National Committee, Which Has Set Up A Joint Fundraising Committee With The Obama Campaign, Ran A Misleading Attack Ad, Featuring A Discredited Argument Which Distorts Sen. McCain's Words:

The Democrat National Committee Unveiled A New Ad Called "100." "On NBC's Meet the Press this morning, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean announced that the DNC will air its second television advertisement of the 2008 Presidential Election season. Entitled '100,' the ad will begin airing on cable networks nationally next week." (Democrat National Committee, "DNC Releases New Ad On John McCain: '100,'" Press Release, 4/27/08)

"The Republican National Committee Demanded Monday That Television Networks Stop Running A Television Ad By The Democratic Party That Falsely Suggests John McCain Wants A 100-Year War In Iraq." ("RNC Demands Networks Yank McCain Ad," The Associated Press, 4/29/08)

Obama And The DNC Established A Joint Fundraising Agreement. "After a series of discussions, the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have decided to file papers with the Federal Election Commission establishing a 'joint fundraising agreement.'" (Mark Halperin, "Obama-DNC Fundraising Deal," Time's "The Page" Blog, www.time.com, 4/25/08)

In May, Liberal Group MoveOn.Org Launched A Political Attack Ad Against Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) And His Campaign Adviser:

MoveOn.Org Has Launched An Attack Ad On McCain And His Campaign Adviser's Former Lobbying Ties. (MoveOn.Org Website, www.moveon.org, Accessed 5/20/08)

Media And Non-Partisan Groups Agree That Democrats "Mischaracterize And Distort" Sen. McCain's Comment:

Non-Partisan FactCheck.Org Calls DNC Attacks On "100 Years" Comment A "Serious Distortion" And "A Rank Falsehood." "The DNC's message portrays McCain as bent on fighting an 'endless' war in Iraq. DNC: We can't afford four more years with a President who fights an endless war in Iraq. ... On the war, McCain scoffed at Bush's call to leave troops in Iraq for 50 years, saying 'Make it a hundred!' That of course is a serious distortion of what McCain actually said to a town-hall meeting in New Hampshire back on Jan. 3. ...There's little doubt that McCain is less eager than either Clinton or Obama to bring troops home without further suppression of insurgent attacks. But it's a rank falsehood for the DNC to accuse McCain of wanting to wage 'endless war' based on his support for a presence in Iraq something like the U.S. role in South Korea." (FactCheck.Org Website, www.factcheck.org, Accessed 3/25/08)

Non-Partisan Politifact.Com Calls Obama Attacks On "100 Years" Comment "False." "Obama twisted McCain's words in the Cleveland debate. He said, 'We are bogged down in a war that John McCain now suggests might go on for another 100 years.' As we explain above, McCain was referring to a peacetime presence, not the war. So we find Obama's statement False." (Politifact.Com Website, www.politifact.com, Accessed 3/25/08)

Politifact.Com's Bill Adair: "It's really a distortion of what McCain said. McCain was talking about a peace time presence in Iraq that would continue. He even said as long as 1,000 years, not a war that would last that long. And so, the line that Obama and some other critics of the war have been using is really not an accurate description of what McCain said." (Fox News' "The Big Story," 4/2/08)

Columbia Journalism Review's Zachary Roth: "[L]ately, Barack Obama in particular has stepped up his attacks on McCain's '100 years' notion. But in doing so, Obama is seriously misleading voters--if not outright lying to them--about exactly what McCain said." (Zachary Roth, Op-Ed, "The U.S., Iraq, and 100 Years," Columbia Journalism Review, 4/1/08)

USA Today: "[Sen. McCain's] offhand comment about keeping U.S. troops in Iraq for '100 years' has been distorted (he said that meant as long as troops weren't getting killed or wounded)..." (Editorial, "5 Years After 'Shock And Awe,' A Shallow Debate On Iraq," USA Today, 3/18/08)

DNC Chairman Howard Dean Has Repeatedly Launched Over-The-Top Personal Attacks Against Sen. McCain, Which Obama Has Refused To Denounce:

Dean Called Sen. McCain A "Blatant Opportunist" In Response To Ad Highlighting McCain's Military Service To Our Country. "The American people have been waiting for a president who understands the challenges they face, not another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership. John McCain can try to reintroduce himself to the country, but he can't change the fact that he cast aside his principles to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush for the last seven years. While we honor McCain's military service, the fact is Americans want a real leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn't understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years." (Democratic National Committee, "Dean: New Ad, But No New Ideas From John McCain," Press Release, 3/28/08)

"The Republican National Committee Demanded An Apology From Mr. Dean And Denouncement Of The Remarks From Mr. Obama And His Democratic Rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton Of New York. Neither Democratic Candidate Has Denounced Mr. Dean's Comment." (Christina Bellantoni, "Obama Salutes McCain Patriotism," The Washington Times, 4/1/08)

"The Washington Times Asked Mr. Obama Whether He Agreed With Mr. Dean's Characterization, But The Senator From Illinois Said He Had Not Seen The Ad Nor Heard The DNC Chairman's Remark." (Christina Bellantoni, "Obama Salutes McCain Patriotism," The Washington Times, 4/1/08)

Dean Said McCain "Doesn't Seem To Really Have An Ethical Compass." (Howard Dean Interview With National Journal's Linda Douglass, www.nationaljournal.com, 2/21/08)

Dean: "But look, John McCain is a flawed candidate. Here's a guy who has a typical situation ethicist. He runs on his integrity, but he doesn't seem to have any." (CNN's "Late Edition," 3/2/08)