Marc Ambinder just reported that the Obama camp gave the green light for democrats to raise McCain's past associations with troubling figures if they are asked about Ex-Weatherman, William Ayres.
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/
Democratic surrogates say they've been given the go-ahead from the Obama campaign to mention John McCain's associations with S&L kingpin Charles Keating and other historically tarnished creatures when asked about Obama's connection to ex-Weatherman William Ayers.
Apparently a senior democrat has talked with the upper echelons of the Obama campaign and got approval for Paul Begala to raise some troubling past associates of McCain's on CNN's Wolf Blitzer this morning.
Begala noted that McCain once "sat on the board of a very right wing organization," the U.S. Council for World Freedom, led by a retired Army Maj. General named John Singlaub. The Anti-Defamation League allegedly called the CWF's parent organization a gathering place for racists and anti-Semites.
Other potential negative associations for McCain are his long-time South Carolina consultant, Richard Quinn, a publisher of a Southern heritagte magazine, and John Hagee, a pastor whose endorsement McCain solicited and later rejected.
So, look for democrats who are on the talk shows to raise some undesirable 'friends' of John McCain in the coming weeks to counter the attempt by republicans and McCain's campaign to smear Obama and make him some kind of 'scary other' in people's eyes.
And I am betting there are more then few name that will be dragged up and thrown in their faces.