Subject: Re: McSame Ran on NBC and CBS Nightly News!
From: "Begala, Paul" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked], [email-masked]
Cc: [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked], [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2008 23:45:25 -0500

Outstanding. Congrats to Tara and the team! 

----- Original Message -----
From: [email-masked] <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked] <[email-masked]>
Cc: Zach Schwartz <[email-masked]>; Susan McCue <[email-masked]>; [email-masked] <[email-masked]>; john podesta <[email-masked]>; stan greenberg <[email-masked]>; susan mccue <[email-masked]>; Begala, Paul
Sent: Wed Mar 05 22:21:03 2008
Subject: Re: McSame Ran on NBC and CBS Nightly News!

This is really excellent work by our team with Tara's leadership.

Today was a really busy news day and we made it into McCain's nightly
news stories. Nobody else has done that. Sticky visual with easy
digestion for the press and the right timing. Great.

More clips tomorrow.

On Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 8:18 PM, Tara McGuinness
<[email-masked]> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> Just a quick update on our first foray into framing McCain publicly.  The ad
> ran on the NBC and CBS evening news (attached clips in case you missed it,
> transcripts below).  I expect more in print tomorrow, but here is a round-up
> of the coverage so far.
>
> -Tara
>
>
>
> Television
>
> CBS Evening News
>
> "REPORTER: How much will Bush really campaign for McCain? he didn't sound
> very sure.
>
> BUSH: If he wants my pretty face standing by his side at one of these
> rallies, I'll be glad to show up.
>
> REPORTER: That uncertainty because an endorsement from this President cuts
> both ways. It helps with the conservative base but it gives liberal critics
> ammunition to argue that a mccain presidency would be more of the same, as
> in this TV ad out today.
>
> >> a millionaire who's for tax cuts for millionaires. mcsame as bush. >>
>
> NBC Nightly News
>
>
>
> ... KELLY O'DONNELL: The picture of John McCain walking out of the Oval
> Office with a smiling President Bush will be an 'eye of the beholder' moment
> in this campaign.
>
>
>
> BUSH: It's been an honor to welcome my friend, John McCain, as the nominee
> of the Republican party.
>
>
>
> O'DONNELL: Republicans see the President as a valuable asset.
>
>
>
> BUSH: Well I can help raise him money and if he wants my pretty face
> standing by his side at one of these rallies, I'd be glad to show up.
>
>
>
> O'DONNELL: Democrats will seize on this side-by-side moment to wrap McCain
> in Mr. Bush's unpopular policies. Today a liberal advocacy group launched
> this TV spot in Pennsylvania.
>
>
>
> [clip of ad]
>
>
>
> reporter: But McCain resisted any suggestion that he will keep the President
> at arm's length.
>
>
>
> MCCAIN: I hope that he will campaign for me as much as is keeping with his
> busy schedule.
>
>
>
> MSNBC covered the ad along with positive commentary.
>
> Reporter: "We got a preview essentially of maybe the McCain strategy, in the
> fall, but let me show you this new ad that some have created in order to tie
> McCain to George W. Bush, take a listen:
>
>  *AD is played*
>
>  Reporter: "Well we can see this is already going to be a big ad buy, uh
> that some of the independent groups are going to do what the democratic
> candidates themselves can't do because they are still battling to win the
> nomination. How effective might it be?"
>
>  Ken Walsh: "Well I think it can be quite effective, and I think that is the
> problem McCain had exemplified today when he was at the rose garden with the
> president when he was walking this tight rope. He doesn't want to alienate
> the standard bearer of his party who is still quite popular in the base of
> the republican party, but at the same time he is very unpopular president
> bush is with independents and with a lot of centrist and conservative
> democrats I think it was a gamble what McCain did today, those images are
> going to be around a long time and now in an ad like that they can add the
> scenes from today with the towel slapping moment in the rose garden"
>
> This story can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXKSkyqBZTU
>
> CNN - New ad links McCain, Bush - (CNN) — A recently-formed group that
> debuted a million-dollar attack ad against presumptive GOP nominee John
> McCain this week is backed by deep-pockets Democratic donors planning a
> major campaign-year push.  Full Story
>
>
>
> III.             Print – The various papers have covered the ad widely on
> their blogs in preview of
>
>         tomorrows editions
>
>
>
> Associated Press – Outside Group Aims at McCain - WASHINGTON -- A
> Democratic-leaning group financed by a major labor union and wealthy liberal
> activists is running ads against Sen. John McCain in Ohio and Pennsylvania,
> the beginning of a media campaign against the GOP nominee-in-waiting.  Full
> Story
>
>
>
> New York Times - McCain's First Stop: An Embrace from Mr. 32% - Nothing
> would make the Democrats happier. In the fall election, they can be counted
> on to take every opportunity to underscore the bond between the two men.
> They are already doing that now — calling the new Republican nominee "McSame
> as Bush" in this snarky attack ad.  Full Story
>
>
>
> Washington Post - Democratic Group Launches Anti-McCain Ad - A Democratic
> group launched a massive new independently-financed ad campaign attacking
> John McCain today, launching the first assault on the Republican nominee in
> the absence of a Democratic candidate.  Full Story
> The Politico - Dem group: 'McSame as Bush'- Greg Sargent gets a copy of the
> first ad from the Campaign to defend America, which he reports is running in
> Ohio and Pennsylvania.  Full Story
> The Hill - McCain the "McSame" as Bush - The Campaign to Defend American
> announced a $1 million ad buy today going after John McCain, calling him the
> "McSame as Bush."  Full Story
> The Tribune Papers - McCain 'McSame' as Bush, Democrats say in ad - Let the
> fun begin.  In a preview of the general election, the Campaign to Defend
> America has launched a $1 million ad buy accusing McCain of being "McSame"
> as Bush on Iraq, the economy and health care.  Full Story
> US News & World Report - 'McSame as Bush' Ads Attack GOP Nominee - A day
> after John McCain captured enough delegates to secure the GOP nomination,
> television ads characterizing him as "McSame as Bush" were scheduled to
> begin airing in the swing state of Pennsylvania, according to an official
> with Campaign to Defend America, a liberal advocacy group.  Full Story
>
> IV.             Blogs – The ad has also gotten much favorable coverage on
> the blogs.
>
> §  Huffington Post - McCain Attacked In Third-Party Ads - Link
>
> §  Marc Ambinder - A Seven Figure Anti-McCain Ad Buy - Link
>
> §  National Journal - Campaign to Defend America has launched a $1M ad buy -
> Link
>
> §  Talking Points Memo - Here's A First Look At Third-Party Group's Ad
> Against McCain - Link
>
> §  Time - The Page - Independent Group Does $1 Mil Anti-McCain Ad Buy - Link
>
> §  AmericaBlog - McSame as Bush - Link
>
> §  Carpetbagger Report - Be prepared to hear a lot about John McSame - Link
>
> §  Rolling Stone – McSame As Bush - Link
>
>
>
>
>
>