McCain Ad: Fact Check

McCain comes out with a new ad in which the first claim is entirely and intentionally misrepresented. McCain selectively quotes from FactCheck.org to call attacks on Palin "completely false" and "misleading." With the well placed image of Obama in the background, as these quotes are displayed, the implication is that Obama is responsible for these attacks.

The original passage from which these quotes are lifted, reads:

We’ve been flooded for the past few days with queries about dubious Internet postings and mass e-mail messages making claims about McCain’s running mate, Gov. Palin. We find that many are completely false, or misleading.

So, these are claims made via anonymous Internet postings and mass emails, just like the ones about Obama being a Muslim. The attacks in question cannot be legitimately be attributed to Obama.

The claim about Obama’s 30-person background research team is dubious and exaggerated. Background research is a normal part of presidential campaigns. Maybe the McCain campaign does not believe research (a.k.a. vetting), but that does not mean the Democrats shouldn’t either.

For what it’s worth, DNC’s research chief denies that any Obama or DNC staffer has been sent to Alaska. See details here.