What a brilliant move by the Obama campaign. Sen. Biden's comments were clearly no accident.
Taking an issue like stem cell research and provoking an angry response from the McCain campaign will go far to remind moderates how extreme these people are and maybe even force McCain to rebuke Palin.
Joe Biden today waded into the now-sensitive discussion of developmentally disabled kids, my colleague Victoria McGrane reports, and differed with Palin on the issue, though he didn't mention her by name:
I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy, because there's joy to it as well, the joy and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect. Well guess what folks? If you care about it, why don't you support stem cell research?
Of course, speaking the truth seemed to strike a nerve with the McCain campaign:
“Barack Obama’s running mate sunk to a new low today launching an offensive debate over who cares more about special needs children. Playing politics with this issue is disturbing and indicative of a desperate campaign.” — Ben Porritt, McCain-Palin Spokesman
What a great move. This is a winning issue, of course, because it "goes there" with regard to an issue that the GOP was hoping to hold up as their unassailable strength: abortion.
It also is a winner because it is a huge wedge to drive between moderates and crazies like Palin.
Remember, stuff like this? With the Obama campaign, it's no accident.
UPDATE: Just got back from class to see Geek's diary. God bless O/B for sticking with it:
"Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that embryonic stem cell research represents real hope to millions of families dealing with debilitating conditions. John McCain has adopted and promises to implement a Republican platform that takes an even more extreme position in opposing stem cell research than that of George Bush four years ago. While the McCain campaign may not believe the American people deserve a debate on the issues, it's simply insulting for them to suggest that raising a substantive difference on this critical issue is playing politics," said Obama campaign spokesman Hari Sevugan.
I've been waiting for this kind of stand for YEARS. GoBama.