Obama's Gaffe, Shades of McCain

A ghost from presidential campaigns past has come back to haunt President Obama.

On the day that Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in 2008, Sen. John McCain said, ?the fundamentals of our economy are strong,? a line that came to define the McCain campaign for the rest of the 2008 presidential race, appearing in countless attack ads and campaign speeches.

Obama may have committed an equally damaging gaffe when he said on Friday that ?the private sector is doing fine.? Although the campaign has attempted to brush off the comments, pointing to job creation under Obama and attacking rival Mitt Romney on his record in Massachusetts, this controversy may not just disappear.

Within hours, Obama?s gaffe made its way into Republican National Committee online ads, and the Romney campaign followed suit by the end of the day. Throughout the weekend, bleeding into Monday, Team Romney has been relentless with attacks, releasing a plethora of Web ads.

If this latest gaffe sticks like McCain?s now infamous line, it could spell trouble for Obama and his reelection effort. On the other hand, in a campaign marked by gaffes, it could be just another puff of smoke with very little fire. As David Axelrod, Obama?s senior adviser, said on Monday on CBS, the election will be about big ideas, ?not on these individual days in June.?

--Matt Vasilogambros
@MattVas

NATIONAL JOURNAL?S PRESIDENTIAL RACE REPORT

Obama?s Rough Stretch Exposes Weak Spots
[ABC News, 6/10/12] This has not been a good stretch for President Obama?s reelection campaign. From poor jobs reports to gaffes to Wisconsin, the Romney campaign is smelling blood. With his latest comments on the private sector, Obama takes some ownership of a struggling economy.

Priorities USA, SEIU Release Spanish-Language Ads Attacking Romney
[National Journal, 6/11/12] A new $4 million campaign from pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action and the Service Employees International Union will target Hispanic voters in Colorado, Nevada and Florida. The Spanish-language ads will run throughout the summer and feature some of Romney?s lowlights from the campaign. Priorities is also launching a new ad against Bain Capital.

Romney to Launch Swing-State Bus Tour NEW!
[Politico, 6/11/12] Get on to the bus! Romney is setting out on a five-day bus tour that will put him in six battleground states: Michigan, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio and New Hampshire, where the tour will kick off Friday. At the same time, the Obama camp will be highlighting the auto bailout all week in Michigan.

A New Job for Labor
[Slate, 6/8/12] Citizens United, the oft-slammed Supreme Court decision, did not just open the door to unlimited campaign spending for corporations. It also opened the door to unions. Can the AFL-CIO get the president elected, or will the ghost of Wisconsin haunt the president?

Potential VPs Are Powerful Fundraisers
[National Journal, 6/11/12] A few of the contenders on the short list for vice president are proven money magnets: John Thune of South Dakota, who raised $12.5 million during his 2010 Senate race despite being unopposed, and Marco Rubio of Florida, who brought in an impressive $22 million for his first Senate race the same year. In the House, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan has used his leadership position to become a prolific fundraiser in the past four years.

Crossroads Apologizes for Tweet Suggesting Commerce Secretary Was Driving Drunk NEW!
[The Hill, 6/11/12] The Karl Rove-founded Super PAC American Crossroads apologized for putting out a tweet Monday morning suggesting that Commerce Secretary John Bryson was driving drunk during a series of crashes over the weekend. ?Bryson experienced a seizure, according to a Commerce spokesperson.

Jeb Bush: No Place For Father, Reagan In Today's?GOP NEW!
[BuzzFeed, 6/11/12] Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a man on some short lists as a Romney running mate, had some harsh words for the GOP on Monday. With the lack of accommodation in today?s Republican Party, he said Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush would have had a hard time.

Is Anybody Boring Enough to Be Mitt Romney's Running Mate?
[The Atlantic, 6/10/12] After the CPAC event this weekend, Molly Ball has some takeaways for Veep, including the fact that frontrunner Sen. Rob Portman didn?t register with the crowd, Gov. Chris Christie?s speech was ?electrifying,? and Gov. Bobby Jindal is ?better than you think.? And Gov. Bob McDonnell may just be boring enough.

Axelrod Cedes No Ground on Obama Gaffe
[National Journal, 6/10/12] David Axelrod, President Obama?s senior advisor, fought back hard on Sunday against questions about the president?s comment last week that ?the private sector is doing fine.?

The Second Term
[New Yorker, 6/11/12] Folks in the White House don?t like talking about a second term, many fearing Obama might suffer the same fate as Jimmy Carter or George H.W. Bush, two one-term presidents with historic accomplishments. Instead, the focus remains on the campaign at hand.

Romney Camp Web Video Hammers Obama On Stagnant Job Growth
[TPM, 6/11/12] The Romney campaign has not let up on the president?s recent gaffe when he said ?the private sector is doing fine.? On Monday, it released a new Web ad that attacked Obama on his comments, citing poor jobs growth.

Obama Starting Week Hitting Mitt on Cops, Firefighters Teachers Remark
[Chicago Sun-Times, 6/11/12] The Obama campaign is trying to shift the focus of the campaign away from the recent gaffe and back to Romney. On Friday, Romney attacked the president for wanting to hire more teachers and firefighters?comments the Obama team doesn?t want voters to forget.

Obama Tests the Theory of Likability
[Politico, 6/11/12] There is no question that President Obama is a likeable guy. Will voters look beyond a struggling economy and give a president that a majority of Americans find likeable a chance for a second term?

GOP Focuses On Obama In Bid For Giffords' Seat
[Associated Press, 6/11/12] In the race to fill the seat vacated by Gabrielle Giffords, Republicans are focusing on President Obama instead of the former representative in Tuesday?s special election. The race has been tight, as the Republican Jesse Kelly win over Democratic candidate Ron Barber.

Super PACs Often Personal Campaign Fundraising Affairs
[Washington Post, 6/10/12] The advent of super PACs have allowed close friends and relatives of candidates to change a race overnight with the influx of massive cash. Take two candidates: Rep. Howard Berman in his California congressional race, and Jon Huntsman in the Republican presidential contest.

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