Democrats Get Go-Ahead to Raise McCain Associations To Keating, Others

By GottaLaff

Our wish is granted:

Democratic surrogates say they've been given the go-ahead from the Obama campaign to mention John McCain's associations with S&L kingpin Charles Keating and other historically tarnished creatures when asked about Obama's connection to ex-Weatherman William Ayers.
A senior Democrat who has had contact with Obama's high command points to Democratic strategist Paul Begala's comments on this morning's Meet the Press.

We had a strong inkling that Begala got the okay from above and wasn't acting independently.

Begala noted that McCain once "sat on the board of a very right wing organization," the U.S. Council for World Freedom, led by a retired Army Maj. General named John Singlaub. The Anti-Defamation League allegedly called the CWF's parent organization a gathering place for racists and anti-Semites.

Said Begala: "Now, that's not John McCain. I don't think he is that. But, but, you know, the problem is that a lot of people know John McCain's record better than Governor Palin, and he does not want to play guilt by association or this thing could blow up in his face."

Now what else could we have up our sleeves?

Other potential negative associations for McCain are his long-time South Carolina consultant, Richard Quinn, a publisher of a Southern heritage magazine, and John Hagee, a pastor whose endorsement McCain solicited and later rejected.

They wanted to play dirty. Fine. Make our day.

UPDATE:

Responding to reports that Sen. McCain's associations are considered fair game by Democrats, Republican strategists affiliated with the McCain campaign say they plan to highlight Obama's alleged contacts with individuals who've been linked to terrorist organizations, including Rashid Khalidi, a former PLO spokesperson and Ali Abunimah, a member of the Arab American Action Network who received a grant from the Woods Fund approved by Wm. Ayers, Obama and Khalidi.

One strategist said: "Obama needs to understand he will own his friendships with individuals that are in some cases anti-American, anti-Semitic and pro-terrorist. The American people can decide whether Obama's buddies reflect their values."