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With Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) busy fighting one another for their party’s nomination, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has ramped up its role as attack dog against the presumptive GOP rival, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).
The DNC’s stepped-up effort to go after McCain is natural for the party, officials say, particularly given the nature of this year’s contest.
Despite former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s continued campaigning, the GOP field has cleared, while Obama and Clinton remain locked in a tight competition for their party’s nod with no end in sight.
This can be a plus for the DNC.
“It’s nice because there’s a clear target,” said Stacie Paxton, a DNC spokeswoman. “John McCain will not be getting a free ride.”
DNC officials on Tuesday arranged a conference call with reporters in which Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, criticized McCain’s record on the economy and how it will play in the Buckeye State.
DNC officials said this is just the start of an increasingly intense effort to define the presumptive Republican nominee as advocating the same policies as President Bush on issues from Iraq and immigration to earmarks even as the McCain campaign shifts from primary to general election mode. Democrats also hope to portray a McCain presidency as bad for the economy, which polls show is an issue increasingly important to voters.
By mid-afternoon Tuesday, the DNC had sent out three press releases to reporters criticizing McCain, not including the one advertising the morning conference call.
A quick visit to the DNC’s website reveals the central theme of the early attempts to define the Arizona senator: “McCain wins nomination — fights for a third Bush term.”
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