Obama Slams McCain, Says He Is "Losing His Bearings"

Expect a lot more of this as Obama turns his attention from Hill to McCain.

As you know, McCain has tried to peddle a baseless Karl Rove type smear against Obama:

All I can tell you Jennifer is that I think it's very clear who Hamas wants to be the next president of the United States. I think that people should understand that I will be Hamas's worst nightmare....If senator Obama is favored by Hamas I think people can make judgments accordingly.

I can't really imagine any candidate going any lower than McCain already has. Even George W. Bush never said that Osama bin Laden wants John Kerry to be elected -- he left that up to right wing cretins like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. If McCain keeps up this kind of rhetoric, he will only tie himself closer to the Rovian politics that Americans have become sick of. Karl Rove scared plenty of folks, but he never got anything done. He didn't make the country better. He didn't win any wars. He's a phony and a criminal, and that dog just doesn't hunt any more.

Obama's response today:

This is offensive, and I think it's disappointing. Because John McCain always says ‘I am not going to run that kind of politics,’ and to engage in that kind of smear is unfortunate, particularly because my policy toward Hamas has been no different than his.

I’ve said it’s a terrorist organization and we should not negotiate with them unless they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and unless they are willing to abide by previous accords between the Palestinians and the Israelis. So for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination. We don’t need name calling in this debate.

A very subtle reference to how old, confused, and out of touch John McCain is. Obvious Obama can't go as far as we will in saying that McCain is batshit crazy warmonger whose best days passed him long ago. But it's a good first step in labeling McCain has someone who has really lost his marbles (and sold out his principles, if he has any) while trying to win this election.