PSoftheD

From MSNBC's Chuck Todd and Co.: *** Liar, liar, pants on fire?

For someone who prides himself on his "straight talk" -- and whose political reputation is based in part on that truth-telling reputation -- it was a brutal weekend for McCain and his campaign. The New York Times front-paged a piece noting all the criticism he has received for “stretching the truth; the Washington Post gave him “Four Pinocchios” for asserting on “The View” that Palin has never taken earmarks as Alaska’s governor; and Bloomberg News reported that the campaign may not have been exactly truthful in estimating the size of its recent crowds.

Even Karl Rove said that some of McCain’s ads have gone “beyond the 100% truth test.” Now the Obama camp is doubling down on this criticism with a new hard-hitting TV ad that questions McCain's honor and the conduct of his campaign. “What’s happened to John McCain?” the ad asks. "He’s running ‘the sleaziest ads ever.’… After voting with Bush 90% of the time, proposing the same disastrous economic policies. It seems ‘deception' is all he has left.” But here's an important question to ask: Do campaigns that complain about tone win? Are those campaigns ahead when they complain about negativity?