S.A. Miller

Candidates attack political associations

Throughout this historic presidential race, the politics of association has been the preferred tool of attack, for the campaigns themselves, news outlets, pressure groups, and partisan magazines and Web sites.

October 31, 2008

Obama to debut TV infomercial

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama will showcase his campaign war chest Wednesday night in a 30-minute commercial to air before the World Series, spending about $1 million per spot to communicate directly with viewers across several networks at the same time.

October 29, 2008

Obama debuts ‘closing’ speech

Sen. Barack Obama chose this critical swing state to introduce Monday his "closing argument" for the final week of the campaign - a 30-minute populist stump speech promising economic deliverance for middle-class America - before heading to Pennsylvania to block a push by Republican Sen. John McCain to turn the tide of the election.

October 28, 2008

Obama sets out ‘closing argument’

UPDATE: Sen. Barack Obama plans Monday to make a "closing argument" for the change he promises to bring to the White House and the country, hammering home a populist message of economic deliverance for middle-class families that he says contrast with the favor-the-wealth policies of his Republican rival.

October 27, 2008

Obama jumps on McCain remark about Bush

Sen. John McCain, who has been trying to distance himself from President Bush, acknowledged Sunday they "share a common philosophy" - a remark immediately pounced on by Sen. Barack Obama as underscoring what a McCain administration would be like.

October 27, 2008

Obama: McCain, Bush ‘have a whole lot in common’

Sen. Barack Obama, who made tying Sen. John McCain to President Bush a centerpiece of his campaign for the White House, jumped on Mr. McCain's comment Sunday that he and the president "share a common philosophy."

October 26, 2008

Obama: McCain criticism of Bush too little, too late

Sen. Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail Saturday promising to pull the country out of an economic tailspin and accusing Sen. John McCain of resorting to smear tactics and feigning differences with President Bush.

October 25, 2008

McCain portrays Obama as a sequel to Bush

Sen. John McCain on Thursday continued to distance himself from President Bush and even tried to turn the tables on his Democratic rival, arguing that Sen. Barack Obama will provide the sequel to the Bush administration's reckless, runaway spending.

October 24, 2008

Obama ties job losses to Bush

Sen. Barack Obama jumped on a report Thursday that jobless claims increased last week as further evidence of President Bush's failed economic polices, despite most of the job losses resulting from Hurricane Ike.

October 23, 2008

Obama: McCain’s tax plan favors rich

Sen. Barack Obama beat back criticism Wednesday that his tax plan is socialism and bad for aspiring small-business owners such "Joe the Plumber" by accusing Sen. John McCain of lavishing tax cuts on the rich.

October 23, 2008

Obama: McCain’s for ‘Joe the CEO’

RICHMOND | Sen. Barack Obama beat back criticism that his tax plan is socialism and bad for small business owners such "Joe the Plumber" by accusing Sen. John McCain of lavishing tax cuts on the rich.

October 22, 2008

McCain cites Biden on Obama’s inexperience

Sen. John McCain revisited criticism Monday that Sen. Barack Obama's lack of experience would risk national security, following a prediction by the Democrat's running mate that an international crisis will test Mr. Obama within six months if he is elected president.

October 21, 2008

McCain strategy warns of socialism

With two weeks left until Election Day, Sen. John McCain and conservative leaders have a last-ditch warning for the nation's mostly moderate voters:

October 21, 2008

House raps Bush office’s political activity

The Bush administration's political affairs office orchestrated an aggressive strategy to use taxpayer-funded trips to help elect Republican candidates, says a draft House report that recommends eliminating the office in future administrations or revamping laws to prevent such activity.

October 16, 2008

Lame-duck session eyed to OK stimulus

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed Wednesday to hold a lame-duck session to pass a $200 billion economic-stimulus package likely to include rebates to middle-class taxpayers, despite recent failure to enact less ambitious plans and Republican charges it is a "spending hike to exploit the nation's economic troubles."

October 16, 2008

ACORN scandal elicits vote-theft charge

Republicans are depicting Sen. Obama as trying to "steal" the election by linking him to a growing voter fraud scandal, deploying language typically used by Democrats when they have been on the losing end of a tight race.

October 15, 2008

McCain, GOP ads rip Obama over Ayers

Sen. John McCain's campaign intensified attacks Friday on his rival's ties to shady Chicago characters such as 1970s bomber William Ayers, but Sen. Barack Obama vowed not to let it distract voters.

October 11, 2008

Obama camp downplays ACORN payments

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign distanced itself from its $800,000 payment linked to the liberal ACORN organization, which is under investigation in several states where it is suspected of filing fraudulent voter registrations.

October 10, 2008

Voter-fraud task force raids office backing Obama

A Nevada task force Tuesday raided the headquarters of a Democrat-allied group that helps low-income people vote, setting off a skirmish over efforts to expand the electorate on behalf of Barack Obama.

October 8, 2008

In debates, candidates differ little

A defining exchange in the first presidential debate opened with Republican Sen. John McCain's incredulous condemnation of the threat by Democrat Sen. Barack Obama to launch unilateral military strikes against terrorist outposts in Pakistan, a U.S. ally.

October 7, 2008