WaPo To McCain - You Effed Up... You Trusted Us

The Fact Checkers at Animal Post couldn't be funnier - they give McCain two Pinnochios for lying in an ad that relied on Washington Post reporting:

So what evidence does the McCain campaign have for the supposed Obama-Raines connection? It is pretty flimsy, but it is not made up completely out of whole cloth. McCain spokesman Brian Rogers points to three items in the Washington Post in July and August. It turns out that the three items (including an editorial) all rely on the same single conversation, between Raines and a Washington Post business reporter, Anita Huslin, who wrote a profile of the discredited Fannie Mae boss that appeared on July 16. The profile reported that Raines, who retired from Fannie Mae four years ago, had "taken calls from Barack Obama's presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters."

...

The Pinocchio Test

The McCain campaign is clearly exaggerating wildly in attempting to depict Franklin Raines as a close adviser to Obama on "housing and mortgage policy." If we are to believe Raines, he did have a couple of telephone conversations with someone in the Obama campaign. But that hardly makes him an adviser to the candidate himself--and certainly not in the way depicted in the McCain video release.

Byron York goes animal himself.

UPDATE:  Oh, geez - I did not steal the Animal Hosue reference from here.

Comments

[kim]

Heh, business, style, to the amateurs at Obama's it's all the same.
=====================================

[kim]

With any luck, or with any integrity, the WaPo would now actually figure out to what degree Franklin Raines is connected to the Obama organization. What's the chances?

OK, Jake, an opportunity.
===================

[Gabriel Sutherland]

The Animal House reference has helped ease my pain. I need to borrow that line more often.

[Gabriel Sutherland]

This is what the AP reported today.

Obama's campaign says Raines is not an Obama adviser and that McCain's campaign knows it because Raines said so in an e-mail earlier this week to Carly Fiorina, a top McCain adviser. Obama's campaign provided The Associated Press with a copy of the e-mail.

I'm not an adviser for the Obama Campaign, but I am providing them with copies of my emails. - Frank Raines

[Jane]

How is he gonna get out of Jim Johnson?

[ex-democrat]

"If we are to believe Raines..."

and why should we do that?

[MayBee]

This is how Jay Newton Small at TIME explains it:

Kaybeel,
The Post is right and so is Raines: they called him to consult several times but he never consulted. So for McCain to say "he advised him on housing policy" is not, in fact, true.
JNS

Posted by Jay Newton-Small | September 19, 2008 4:02 PM

You will note she offers no link to this definition of 'is'.
Whatever happened, it is an outright lie for McCain to mention it and not just believe the new Raines story.

[GMax]

Oh I get it a non advisor advisor. Sorta of an ambassador without portfolio or something like that...

[ROA]

In the “The Facts “ section of the article it originally states “It turns out that the three items (including an editorial) all rely on the same single conversation, between Raines and a Washington Post reporter, Anita Huslin, who wrote a Style section profile of the discredited Fannie Mae boss that appeared on July 16.”

The article now states “It turns out that the three items (including an editorial) all rely on the same single conversation, between Raines and a Washington Post business reporter, Anita Huslin, who wrote a profile of the discredited Fannie Mae boss that appeared on July 16.”

The original July 16 article actually appeared in the business section of the paper. Is the Washington Post really to lose all credibility just to elect Obama?

[GMax]

Or is it the wanted to consult, but he was on the golf course given the windfall of his take of the loot and could not be bothered to return the call. Time seems to be being deliberately obtuse here.

We called but he did not return the calls promptly enough?

Lord they have got to do better than this.

How about the V/P vetter is that not a consultant too?

[JBean]

WaPo: We made stuff up. Quote us, and you are a liar!
(Unless you're Barack Obama, then we'll make stuff up to cover the lies.)

[clarice]

How interesting,ROA--So they first tried to diminish the credibility of their own reporter by suggesting she was a ditsy Sytle reporter, not a business reporter. I hope there's blood in the WaPo coffee room tonight.

[Ranger]

So, was Frank Raines lying for the July 16th article, or is he lying now?

I guess its possible that the reporter misunderstood what he told them... Nah...

[Rick Ballard]

Obviously we've made a serious error. It isn't Franklin Raines, it's Claude Raines and he's invisible as needed.

[Thomas]

Someone needs to get the Post on record: how many times must they repeat something before we are to take it as true? And in which sections?

[hit and run]

Ranger:
So, was Frank Raines lying for the July 16th article, or is he lying now?

Both.

[MayBee]

So, was Frank Raines lying for the July 16th article, or is he lying now?

I suggest a compromise. We'll split the difference, and call McCain the liar.

[clarice]

Of curse, it is possible that Raines was simply puffing up his creds by exaggerating his ties to Obama but then one ask to ask Obama what took you so long? If he was unhappy with the puffery he needed only to pick up the phone and have Raines explain to the WaPo and ask for a clarification.

[hit and run]

Heh, MayBee!

Clarice:
Of curse, it is possible that Raines was simply puffing up his creds by exaggerating his ties to Obama but then one ask to ask Obama what took you so long?

Because McCain is a liar.

[hit and run]

h/t MayBee

[Charlie (Colorado)]

How is he gonna get out of Jim Johnson?

Cry "racist", point to the WaPo and Karen Tumulty, and hope no one notices.

[ROA]

I hope there is someone in a position of authority at the Post who realizes telling readers that articles in the business section are just made up and subject to change on a whim is not good for circulation.

[hit and run]

Charlie:
Cry "racist",

Cry like a baby.

[kim]

Heh, was Franklin Raines paid or not for his 'advice' and what position in the Obama administration is he angling for. Inquiring minds want to know.
============================

[centralcal]

The Washington Poop. Only good for potty training puppies.

[kim]

Listen guys, whines Obama, we don't vet these people, they vet us. Why do think I hide my past under a barrel.
==================================

[ben]

Obama: The Iranians have promised not to build nuke.
Question: And how do you know that?
Obama: They sent me an email and told me.

[Extraneus]

Iowahawk: Clockwork O-Rage

[Peut]

McCain trusted his wife who is a ONE flunky who paid to fly a bunch of Congressmen to Africa to open up a new PC office ONE(British like the Live8/G8 GDP tax 'terror double tax') lobbied to have opened. It's dangerous like Ethiopia and PC dont pay much- ONE seems to be interested in Bush's MCC and PEPFAR cash. He wants to make both programs not country cashed, but programed like AIDs. Like AIDs knows no bounds so they need school meals and farms etc. Yes, people get aids.

This is where McCain screwed up and you could see it in his face the day that happened. Maybe he shouldn't trust us.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

To summarize, it would appear the WaPo is saying "Well, McCain was a fool to trust us then, but you should trust us now."

[ben]

The Washington Post wants to issue the following clarification: IF they write anything that reflects poorly on Obama, it's obviously not true and should not be quoted. Negative items about McCain, however, are always true and should be quoted extensively.
- WAPO Ombudsman

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Peut, what the hell are you talking about?

[Whitifsuesan]

I sayn that ur mortgage is bad. ONe is the bil colektor for Bill's fed the world no one should be poor speech. U alredi paid allot of monies cus of these.

Right o refusal? Slippery sloap. Cross that bridge when we get to it. I don't see why, I, as a woman speechifies. Ur looking good....

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Finnighan? Is that you? How was the wake?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

I couldn't resist: just posted this on the WaPo comments:

"If I'm getting this right, you're saying 'Trust us --- McCain was a fool to trust us.'"

[M. Simon]

Charlie,

If you don't ask he won't tell.

[bad]

Whit was not me.

[MayBee]

Ha!

[matt]

so pull the Raines ad and use the Johnson one.....Blame it on the WaPo...

[matt]

like the Finnegan's Wake reference, Charlie!

[hit and run]

Obama takes advice from Johnson but not Raines because he's racist.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Breaking: Obama's Finance Chair Will Host Reception For Ahmadinejad Next Week At Her New York Hotel

If this is, in fact, true, how in the world could Obama recover? Oh I know his dewey-eyed followers won't care, but I'm talking about Americans.

[Paul Zrimsek]

My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.

[clarice]

Biden lends a hand:
"Speaking to members of the University of Delaware football team Friday morning, the Democratic VP candidate said he thinks the Fightin Blue Hens (1-1 this season) could thrash a certain team from Ohio.

"I was out in Ohio," he said while fiddling with a football in his hands. "I told the folks in Ohio that we'd kick Ohio State's ass!" (It remains unclear if Biden actually ever told Ohio voters this.)

Biden, a proud University of Delaware alum, was clearly trying to rally his Division 1-AA team ahead of their match-up with Furman this weekend, but the comments couldn't have come at a worse time for faithful Buckeye fans who saw their team suffer a 35-3 trouncing at the hands of USC last weekend."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/19/biden-in-hot-water-with-some-ohioans/>Nitwit

[Barney Frank]

How is he gonna get out of Jim Johnson?

Duh? Put a little black face on him and have him tap dance out onto the stage saying "I don't know nuthin bout birthin no mortgages, Miss Michelle".

How's McCain gonna touch him then?

[GMax]

Penny Pritzker and her siblings tubed a bank back in the S & L days and had to payoff the FSLIC for their malfeasance. Finance chair is an interesting choice, but if she meets with Amadhatter, she is crazy as loon. Lets see if this does not get quashed.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

like the Finnegan's Wake reference, Charlie!

Happens I'm trying to read that sonuvabitch just now.

I suspect it might be easier as an audiobook.

[Semanticleo]

With Palin's Negatives soaring and her positives tanking, it became necessary for McCain to get REALLY ugly.....

TIME Magazine.....................

"elderly white woman.

Let me stipulate: Obama's Fannie Mae connections are completely fair game. But this ad doesn't even mention a far more significant tie--that of Jim Johnson, the former Fannie Mae chairman who had to resign as head of Obama's vice presidential search team after it was revealed he got a sweetheart deal on a mortgage from Countrywide Financial. Instead, it relies on a fleeting and tenuous reference in a Washington Post Style section story to suggest that Obama's principal economic adviser is former Fannie Mae Chairman Frank Raines. Why? One reason might be that Johnson is white; Raines is black."

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/mccain_plays_the_race_card.html

Can anyone think of a BETTER reason to focus on the one, instead of the other?

I thought not.

[kim]

Do 'Dubliners' first.
============

[kim]

Leo, think again.
==========

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Can anyone think of a BETTER reason to focus on the one, instead of the other?

I thought not.

Try to keep up. The Jim Johnson ad came out before Tumelty's column. The only people who are focusing on the Raines ad are the Dems.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Oh, and Time, although the difference is pretty subtle.

[boris]

It must be like algebra, where a negative ad plus a negative ad is still negative.

[GMax]

Time + democrat

no difference at all, indistinguishable.

[M. Simon]

I think the Raines move was excellent. It got Time to admit that ∅'s ties to former FNMA chief executives were dodgy.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Charlie Rangel on Palin: “You got to be kind to the disabled”

[GMax]

"It must be like algebra, where a negative ad plus a negative ad is still negative."

I think that's formula taught in Boristan,
Borat.

[hit and run]

Let me stipulate: Obama's Fannie Mae connections are completely fair game. But who he chose to advise him... the more significant tie--that of Jim Johnson, the former Fannie Mae chairman who was chosen to head Obama's vice presidential search team. Instead, he only allowed a fleeting and tenuous relationship to former Fannie Mae Chairman Frank Raines. Why? One reason might be that Johnson is white; Raines is black."

Can anyone think of a BETTER reason for Obama to trust the one, instead of the other?

I thought not.

[Barry Dauphin]

So why exactly did the Obama people call Raines in the first place?

[M. Simon]

We have a first.

*** Admits ∅ prefers crooks who steal from widows and orphans.

[Semanticleo]

Slimon;

It must be 5 o'clock somewhere..............

[JB]

Charlie Rangel gets his oppo briefings from Tina Fey. You do need to be kind to the disabled, but in this case it isn't Gov. Palin who meets the description.

[M. Simon]

I wonder when that small time crook Rezko get back in the mix?

∅ can tout him by saying "He only stole a few million and deprived a few black folks of heat in the winter. Nothing the the mess Raines an Johnson caused. Which is why Tony is my new BFF. Besides those are not the Raines and Johnson I once knew. And now I'm going over to the Mudd hut to chill."

[Rocco]

Have we discussed Fannie Mae's "HouseChicago" yet?

[hit and run]

Surely everyone is seeing the video, now on instapundit and Ace etc.

I have it LUN, but no, go to instapundit or Ace or Contentions and who knows where else it is by now.

Bill Clinton, FDR, JFK, Lincoln *AND* Sarah Palin

vs

Charlie "Are we in a holy war?" Gibson

Wow.

[tina]

Yes, and Instapundit's one word commentary on it: "Devestating" is spot on.

[clarice]

Yes, it is. If Charlie were the sort of person capable of honest self-evaluation, he'd quit broadcasting and go to Nepal or something to meditate and grow up.

[DrJ]

I suspect it might be easier as an audiobook [Finnegan's Wake].

Cliff's Notes, if you must...

[bad]

Why didn't Obama called for Rangel's resignation due to his financial shenanigans?

Now this? Its a set-up.

Rangel under the bus. Rangel Under the bus.

[bunky]

Clarice, the poor Nepalese!!

[kim]

Why not Tibet? He could ask them if they're in a holy war.
===================================

[kim]

Little known fact; we are in a holy war.
========================

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Cliff's Notes, if you must...

I don't want to pass a test on the damn thing. I even really enjoy it. But it's like walking in thigh deep caramel.

[jean]

I don't think Rangel was ever on the bus.It would make Obama look good and at little cost

[Enlightened]

"Can anyone think of a BETTER reason to focus on the one, instead of the other?"

I think Raines $100 Million payout trumps Johnson's any day and obviouslyis the bigger story.

But then again I'm not using Josh Marshalls blanket claim of racism as a pacifier.

[DrJ]

I even really enjoy it. But it's like walking in thigh deep caramel.

Indeed. There is no way to replace the original and its language, but it is slow going. Carmel is a good analogy, actually.

[hit and run]

Oh gosh. McCain may be willing to resurrect Wright, because Obama has been willing to use the guilt by association ploy...

John McCain: Get Off My Lawn!

Knife to a gun fight.

But hey, Obama, trying to do the whole tie McCain to Limbaugh en español was worth it, right?

¡Qué bueno!

[M. Simon]

RDS = Racism Derangement Syndrome

[Pofarmer]

Wow, that Gibson video is great. Too bad we can't play it for a week on all the major networks.

[sbw]

[OT] Charlie (Colorado), I can't recall your ask questions email address.

I'd appreciate it if you could email me an address where I could send a longish email that purports to be Wooten's story. My email address is at the blog under my name. The email starts out, "Lots of sound bites - but here is a narrative and chronology.
Story from Alaska
He's the governor's ex-brother-in-law, and his job as an Alaska State
Trooper is drawing scrutiny in a way rarely seen except in cases of killings by
officers."[/OT]

[Charlie (Colorado)]

"askcharlieanything AT gmail DOT com" but I'll email you.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

sbw, he is a scumbag abuser who was dumped by 4 wives. He drinks, he stalks, he threatens and he tasers children. That he is still allowed to carry a badge and gun is disgusting. The fact that the Union got him off with a slap on the wrist makes it all the worse.

Who cares what he has to say. His bad acts and behavior are documented. He can't hide behind victimhood and guilty before proved innocent. He has already been judged guilty by his own superiors, but the good ol' boys saved his sorry ass. He should be sleeping with the polar bears, not being given any kind of forum.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Done.

[Semanticleo]

McCain must be suffering form an overfilled rhetorical colostomy bag............

This is YOUr GUY???????????????????????

"Here’s what McCain has to say about the wonders of market-based health reform:

Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.

So McCain, who now poses as the scourge of Wall Street, was praising financial deregulation like 10 seconds ago — and promising that if we marketize health care, it will perform as well as the financial industry!"

THAT'S from TODAYs NYT- Can dementia be far behind his behind?

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/mccain-on-banking-and-health/

[Charlie (Colorado)]

The McCain Report blog has a nice take:

Pretty flimsy? As Dobbs goes on to say, that "pretty flimsy" source is his own paper, the Washington Post. The Post reported that Raines had "taken calls from Barack Obama's presidential campaign seeking his advice on mortgage and housing policy matters." It then recycled that information into two more pieces, one of which was an editorial. But we're willing to make a deal. If Dobbs admits his newspaper is not a credible source, we'll take down the ad.

[Bill in AZ]

I don't think Rangel was ever on the bus.It would make Obama look good and at little cost

I don't think Obamas bus driver cares anymore - he's running folks over at random anymore.

"If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk"

[centralcal]

Hit, I am always on the wrong thread! The video, done by Newt, "Are we in a holy war?" is wonderful.

I hope it goes viral. Are we in a holy war? You betcha!

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Leo, that would be more impressive if we thought you understood the big words you're pasting in.

[kMN]

LuN
Well, I guess Plame had that WMD figured as a non genetic assessment of the natural deweaponization of the spore before she traded that laptop for an Iranian one. So, who what happened to the human genome project anyway?

[kim]

Leo, I haven't even read it, but can critique it already. Krugman makes a Procrustean Bed for his industries to lie in.
====================================

[sbw]

Thanks, Charlie. I've returned the email. Something as refined as was sent has no reason to be sent... which makes one think of something viral.

[hit and run]

Charlie:
The McCain Report blog has a nice take:

Pretty flimsy? As Dobbs goes on to say

No relation.

[kim]

Well, cryptic commenter, that is a very interesting link, but it doesn't explain why finding the silicon on the inside of the spores was a link to the perpetrator. How did the silicon grow on the inside of the spores, anyway.

And Joe's the dirty one, not Val. She's just a dupe.
===============================

[M. Simon]

Forcing companies to give mortgages to the unqualified is the cause of the current mess.

Had the government just appropriated the money the losses would have been known and limited.

As usual government interference with the market place is the cause of the difficulty. Now the bills are coming due all at once instead of being spread out over decades.

[Semanticleo]

"Leo, that would be more impressive if we thought you understood the big words you're pasting in.'

Chaco; Your right-brain is malfunctioning again, describing my writing as 'big words' instead of onomatapoiea and alliteration.

Ever crack a non-math book?

[ben]

"TIME Magazine.................."

Uh oh Semanticleo is digging around the trash again to bring us some dead roach or mouse.

Yes, Time Magazine, and Newsweek,etc. don't like McCain and are in the tank for Obama. I think that's well understood, but thanks for sharing.

[ROA]

OT: Hot Air has a link to an ABC story containing an approved travel authorization that contradicts one of the reasons she gave for firing Walt Monegan.

LUN

[bad]

Steve Diamond has his site blocked again.

[hit and run]

centralcal:
Hit, I am always on the wrong thread!

No such thing. I have a tendency, since I can't get JOM at work and thus am 4,542 comments behind when I get home, to concentrate on the most recent thread *OR* whatever thread has the most commenters. If I can't tell the difference -- I stick to the most recent thread.

15 more years and I will retire and be here 24/7 and thus be all over all active threads. Hopefully, TM will still be going strong.

And yes, for those of you planning on being here in 15 years that is a promise and a threat.

[ben]

Oh and Semanticleo quotes Krugman too.

Stop the presses, Krugman doesn't like McCain's health plan....

I wish I knew where to get these nuggets of incredibly shocking information....