It seems more trying to distract everyone about today's revelations of Davis' lobbying role in fighting fiscal regulations.

Steve, are you calling the McCain campaign a bunch of whiney little brats at a scary, exotic birthday party? Oh, where's the umbrage?

Steve Benen wrote: "... on the whole, it just sounds kind of sad."

No. On the whole, it just sounds entirely evil.

Davis and Schmidt "attacked" The New York Times for what? For accurately and correctly reporting that Davis was paid two million dollars over a period of years by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to lobby against precisely the sort of common-sense regulations that might have prevented the sub-prime crisis.

What is kind of sad is that this sort of thing may very well get the Republicans close enough to steal the election with voter disenfranchisement and fraud.

but when john w. mcsame was a pow for over 5 years (did you know that), he didn't have a pinate, or a bat to swing at it, or a celing to hang it from, or birthdays to celebrate, or.....

Just wondering, since I wasn't on this particular conference call. Did either Davis or Schmidt happen to mention anything substantive that a McCain administration would, like, do? I mean, it's good to know how Obama has met all these people. But, it seems to me, if I wanted a job and was being interviewed for it, I'd talk about my qualifications rather than bitching about the other applicant. It just seems so much more, I dunno, classy. And last I heard, the next person in this position is going to have some shit to clean up.

Here's a website that should be bookmarked as by all the WATBs of the GOP:

http://www.thelaceshop.com/fanhan.html

In fact, I understand Larry Craig is a regular (among others)!

DanP nails it! They are whining! The Whining McCain Campaign is a meme Obama can take to the bank.

Because its true.

I'm partial to John McCain, Weathervane. A gust of wind comes and he spins like a top.

I guess this is excellent news for John McCain?

You guys are biased against bald fat people with glasses who look like crime bosses straight of central casting, like Steve Schmidt.

what concerns me most is the hate that they inspire amongst their base, if obama wins half the electorate won't reconise him and will feel justified in their hate,.

also on the bailout - if the goverment buys the dodgy morgages will it be in the business of evicting citizens who can't keep up with their payments?

what concerns me most is the hate that they inspire amongst their base, if obama wins half the electorate won't reconise him and will feel justified in their hate,.

also on the bailout - if the goverment buys the dodgy morgages will it be in the business of evicting citizens who can't keep up with their payments?

I listened to the Rick Davis whine. It was embarrassing for all concerned. I kept thinking, is Davis the best the Bush Republicans have to offer? If so it is no wonder the Republic is in a world of shit.

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR MCCAIN!!!

Viva !!JophnSidneyPinataMentum™!!!

After the pair of convention bumps canceled each other out, the race came back to where it had been, i.e. not a good place for John McCain. Then a massive event in the real world (the Wall Street meltdown) suddenly swung everyone's attention to one of Obama's best issues (and one of McCain's worst). The debates start in a few days, and even assuming their candidate survives these without his own meltdown or fatal gaffe, there will be no time to swing things back to friendly territory campaign-wise. Oh, and the usually supine MSM is finally noticing that their campaign message is total BS.

I'd be swinging for the fences too. Not much else can save them.

Davis lost me back when he took false offense and whined about Obama playing the "race card" when Obama did no such thing.
Then of course, when Palin came along, they started playing the gender card and screaming sexism any time that anyone dared to point out Palin's many flaws.
Any criticism of McCain, and they respond with POW.
Any criticism of Palin, and the respond with charges of sexism.
The Republicans are definitely the whiney little babies this time around. Obama just needs to ignore them and continue his new agressive campaign.

Having these two whine about every slight, real and imagined, might work the refs, and it might make the angry conservative base feel a little more motivated, but on the whole, it just sounds kind of sad.

How true -- and what's even sadder, this close to the general election, McCain's campaign shouldn't have to be making the angry conservative base feel a little more motivated. They should be appealing to the center, and I see nothing to indicate that this kind of bullshit is doing so.

Maybe they're generating enough Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt to keep the undecides from breaking overwhelmingly toward Obama -- let's face it, if you were at all inclined to vote McCain, why would you be undecided now? -- but combined with a fired-up Democratic electorate -- which this shameful campaign is also fueling; thanks, Davis and Schmidt! -- and an increased new voter pool, all I can figure is that Rove's minions know the GOP is doomed this election, so they're firing up the angry conservative base to create enough Obama Derangement Syndrome -- which, unlike the dishonest Bush variety, will be genuine -- to make the nation ungovernable.

Steve Benen wrote: "Davis and Schmidt attacked Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod, suggesting he was involved in a whisper campaign against Sarah Palin"

David Axelrod certainly should be criticized if, in fact, he is involved in a "whisper campaign" against Sarah Palin ... when he should be SHOUTING FROM THE ROOFTOPS about her record of mismanagement, fiscal irresponsibility, negligence, incompetence, ideological extremism, divisiveness, corruption, cronyism, vindictive abuse of power, and brazen, preposterous dishonesty.

There is no place for "whispering" about her.

Commenter Chrenson asks "Did either Davis or Schmidt happen to mention anything substantive that a McCain administration would, like, do?"

following up on that, did they say ANYTHING positive about McCain at all?? if so, let's hear about that...should be something else we can snark at....

wondering
rusty

Just wondering,when does the lawsuit go into effect. You know, the one McCain threatened on behalf of Palin.This would be against the National Enquirer.

Perhaps Pinata Politics is their way to do Hispanic outreach?

George W.Bush must be very pleased right now. I think its safe to assume he won't be regarded as the worst President in US history. We have that to look forward to with John MCCain.

Any criticism of Palin, and the respond with charges of sexism.

Governor Palin's a self-described pit bull with lipstick who called Hillary Clinton a whiner for complaining about sexism.

It is deplorable the MSM is allowing the McCain camp to sequester Palin...This is the same MSM that brought us the Iraq War.

Well, it's both sad and evil.

For future reference, the word is "piñata".

Isn't it all about getting the ugly characterizations out there? Creating a miasma of doubt around the Obama campaign, and hoping enough people get suckered. Rationality has nothing at all to do with it. It's all a propaganda appeal to fear, doubt and free-floating suspicions and prejudices. The bush people put the same pattern to work in 2000 and 2004; many of the same people are working the McCain campaign today. Why is it the political press corps allows itself to be used? And more to the point why do the Democrats have such a tough time counteracting this stuff?

This kind of behavior, as was mentioned, will undoubtedly energize the famous base, but in this election, it is the independents who are important. Anything, this constant immature whining for instance, that offends normal human beings and makes them question the abilities of the whiners is something we need to keep hammering on. What we need to do is emphasize what a bunch of whiners they are so that more and more decent people are turned off by their childish behavior.

It would also be advisable to make sure that the PUMA's are aware that Palin called Hillary a whiner for her reaction to the way the presss treated her. Now Palin is reacting worse even though the press has bent over backwards to be nice to her.

Let'em whine. The more they whine, the less the "independent" voters will respond.

Whiners indeed. I could hear their squeaking all the way to Texas, like a couple of meeses caught snacking the cheese. Those two even look like mice, or more precisely rats. Squeaking, whining little rats on a sinking ship. Squeak away, little rodents; every ten year old hears your simpering for exactly what it is: the insignificant mewling of irrelevance.