Campaigns shout it out

So much for nuance, or elevating the dialogue.

Locked in a political death match with 52 days to live, the presidential campaigns went nuclear on what looked to be a quiet Saturday, with stumping curtailed because of Hurricane Ike's catastrophic overnight hit on Houston.


Sen. Barack Obama's national press secretary, Bill Burton, accused Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) of "cynically running the sleaziest and least honorable campaign in modern presidential campaign history. His discredited ads with disgusting lies are running all over the country today. He runs a campaign not worthy of the office he is seeking."

That was prompted by a McCain campaign statement about remarks Obama (D-Ill.) made in Manchester, N.H., on Saturday morning.

McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds thundered by e-mail: "During the event, Barack Obama showed zero restraint in the ferocity of his attacks despite the wreckage in the gulf and his running mate’s cancellation in reaction to it.

"It says a lot about Barack Obama’s judgment that while his campaign canceled his appearance on 'Saturday Night Live' and his running mate stayed home, Obama went ahead and delivered a series of scathing personal attacks. Today’s attacks mark a new low from Barack Obama.”