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McCain's mockery hits rival as 'the One'

Continues slam of celebrity; Obama calls tactic 'juvenile'

By Christina Bellantoni (Contact) | Saturday, August 2, 2008

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Sen. John McCain's campaign Friday accused his Democratic rival of having a Messiah complex in a Web video meant to solicit donations, continuing a weeklong drive to define Sen. Barack Obama as an empty pop-culture creation.

Mr. McCain told reporters his team is "having some fun with supporters" and insisted he's running a "respectful" campaign.

But Mr. Obama in his own fundraising pitch said such mockery from the Republican attempts to invalidate "the desire of millions of Americans."

"It's downright sad that on a day when we learned that 51,000 Americans lost their jobs, a candidate for the presidency is spending all of his time and the powerful platform he has on these sorts of juvenile antics," Obama spokesman Hari Sevugan said.

The McCain video weaves together quotes from Mr. Obama describing the importance of his candidacy and uses footage of Charlton Heston as Moses, parting the Red Sea in "The Ten Commandments."

"It should be known that in 2008 the world will be blessed. They will call him the One," a narrator says in the ad that was not set to air on any television stations. "He has anointed himself ready to carry the burden of the One."

The ad closes with, "Barack Obama may be the One, but is he ready to lead?"

The new spot follows a national television ad that juxtaposed Mr. Obama with lightweight celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, and a day after the McCain camp accused Mr. Obama of playing the race card when saying his opponent is trying to scare voters because he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the those dollar bills."

The Illinois Democrat denied Friday that his saying that he doesn't look like the figures on U.S. currency - all dead white men - was a reference to race.

Mr. Obama himself all week denounced Mr. McCain for offering the "same old politics" and ridiculed his rival a pushing trivial ads to distract from offering solutions to the nation's problems. He highlighted that theme in a Thursday night fundraising e-mail to supporters.