IT'S NOT THE MISTAKE THAT SHOWS SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR CAMPAIGN...:

Oops, Obama ad mocks McCain's inability to send e-mail. Trouble is, he can't due to tortured fingers (Andrew Malcolm, 9/13/08, LA Times: Top of the Ticket)

Here's a passage from a lengthy Boston Globe profile on McCain that was published the last time he ran for president. It was headlined "McCain character loyal to a fault." It was written by Mary Leonard.

And it was printed more than eight years ago, on March 4, 2000.

It is available online, where Jonah Goldberg of The Corner blog at the National Review found it.

"McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan -- Ted Williams is his hero -- but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball."

Obama spokesman Dan Pfeiffer denied the freshman Illinois senator's ad was making an issue of McCain's age. "It's extraordinary," he said, "that someone who wants to be our president and commander in chief doesn't know how to send an e-mail."

...but the failure to pull it and apologize immediately. They're putting themselves behind the story curve again, instead of getting out front.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 13, 2008 8:51 AM