OBAMA GROUP ATTACKS McCAIN'S POW STATUS

Obama Group Attacks McCain's POW Status

One of John McCain's fellow prisoners of war in Vietnam is the star of a new "Swift Boat" style ad in which he describes the Republican presidential nominee as "unfit to lead."

"The prisoner of war experience is not a good prerequisite for president of the United States," Phillip Butler says in the ad, which is produced by Brave New PAC, a liberal political action committee affiliated with Brave New Films. "He was known as a very volatile guy and he would blow up and go like a Roman candle. John McCain is not someone I would like to see with his finger near the red button."


The McCain campaign issued this response to the POW ad, according to Boston.com: "It's unfortunate that Senator [Barack] Obama has fallen so far, from opposing outside expenditures and supporting public financing at the beginning of this race to opting out of public financing and now "looking the other way" on independent expenditures — no matter how vile.

"But this comes after a week in which Senator Obama openly questioned Senator McCain's patriotism and his honor as part of a new series of "tough" attacks that have been dutifully echoed by the press. But it should be clear by now that Senator Obama will say anything, and do anything, in order to get elected."

Leighton Woodhouse, communications director for both Brave New Films and the PAC, told Fox News that the ad would air for two days on CNN and MSNBC. Woodhouse said the groups may extend the ad if “it seems to be resonating.”

The ad is similar in tone to those produced in 2004 by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which assailed John Kerry's military record. According to Fox, the Brave New PAC ad is part of a new effort by outside groups to help Obama in his quest for the White House. Last week, The Atlantic magazine reported that Obama’s campaign would no longer criticize outside groups that are helping spread his campaign message.

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