I am an Obama supporter so this does pain me to report, but I am afraid the McCain campaign finally did catch Senator Obama in a clear case of the flip flops:
(AP) August 6, 2008, South Dakota, by Ron Fournier.
GOP candidate John McCain, speaking today at the Sturgis Harley Davidson convention for the third consecutive day, revealed a new and seemingly accurate argument painting his opponent, Senator Barack Obama, as a "flip-flopper", reporting to the crowd at the outset of his prepared remarks, "My friends, we just learned that Senator Obama now claims to be 47 years old. Last week, last month and even all the way back to the Iowa primaries, he said he was 46 years old. That's what I call a flip-flop! Friends, how can we believe this man on anything?" The suprisingly sober crowd stared back at the Republican Senator and war hero, known for his maverickness, apparently stunned by the revelation.
I know. When I first read it, I thought, "huh". But I cannot figure any way around it either...let's go over the fold and follow the BREAKING story
Of course the Drudge Report has the story up with big bold red letters announcing "FLIP-FLOPPER IN CHIEF"...linking to a Fox News story.
We asked the Obama campaign for a response to the charge, but spokesman Bill Burnett seemed ill-prepared, answering simply, "Huh?" It's clear the campaign is scrambling for an answer to the apparent flip-flop.
Just now on the Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, at least Axelrod called in to give some pushback:
BLITZER: So to recap, Senator Obama was 46 years old as recently as Sunday night, but as of now, and we do have confirmation of this as we have seen his birth certificate on several reputable internet sites, Senator Obama is indeed 47. Let's turn to the best news team in the business for some analysis. Bill Shneider, how does this look to you?
SCHNEIDER: Clearly, this is a move on Senator Obama's part toward Senator McCain on age. What's ironic about that is that it was Senator McCain's age that democratic strategists were hoping to make an issue. Not only can the McCain people now say that at least he is the same age this week as he was last week, a robust 71, but they can also claim that Obama's shift closer to McCain's age puts that issue to rest. It's interesting and we will have to see how this plays out.
BLITZER: David Axelrod, Obama senior strategist, is on the line with us now. David Axelrod, you have been listening in to our coverage and analysis. Doesn't Senator McCain have a point. Senator Obama has been 46 years old all year, and suddenly this week he is 47. How do you respond?
AXELROD: You're serious. Was McCain serious? You are seriously carrying this as a story? This is the stupidest [bleep]ing thing I have ever heard. What kind of ignorant [bleep]ing people would listen to this?
UPDATE: After watching that on CNN just now I dropped the remote and it changed the channel to Faux News, where Sean Hannity was going off on this, saying something like (rough transcript from memory): "Our viewers know a flip-flop when they see one." He had Dick Morris on saying it was a strategic blunder for Obama to get older and saying that he never advised Bill Clinton to get older.
UPDATE2: I picked up the remote and flipped back to CNN just now and Blitzer had Rick Davis on:
BLITZER: With us on the line now is Rick Davis, McCain campaign spokesman. Its hard to keep up with the back and forth on this today. Senator McCain making the charge earlier today that Obama has flip-flopped, turning 47 this week whereas he had been 46 years old for approximately a year. That charge being apparently substantiated. And on our previous segment, David Axelrod came on and called the charge, quote, "stupid", although he did not deny it. In fact, I cannot repeat on the air the full quote, that hopefully our censors caught. He seemed to question the seriousness of Senator McCain's remarks. What do you have to say to that, particularly in response to David Axelrod's comments.
DAVIS: Wolf, this is outrageous. For the Obama people to play the race card in this way is just despicable. In no way did race have anything to do with Senator McCain's remarks in Sturgis.
UPDATE 7:30 am ET: Wow. I really did go to bed, and now I am sorry. I really appreciate the tips and recs, to the rec list even, where I have never been before, but I sure wish it had been for a pro-Obama piece rather than being the first report this development. Have to get to a day-job meeting out of town by 9am so no time to read and respond to comments. Watching CBS Early Show just now, I see the story has not abated, even Bob Shieffer came in to participate in the reporting:
CHEN: Thanks for coming in Bob. You've seen a lot of campaigns. Have you ever seen a sudden flip-flop like this by Obama this week.
SHIEFFER: It may have happened, but I don't know that its every been caught and reported like this. I must say, there is an element of Obama's getting older that seems like its mocking McCain and his age. That may play to some of Obama's young supporters, those under 65, but to the rest of us, I don't know. Plus, McCain was a war hero.
***********************************
UPDATE 12:30 ET: I removed the "ALERT" since this story is almost a day old, and those are annoying. I have now just had a chance to wade through the comments quickly -- thanks everyone for the kind comments -- I need an ego boost lately, so don't worry I won't get arrogant or presumptuous (I am not black so McCain people would not innocently refer to me as "uppity")...although some of you have fed my regrets about career choice. Thanks again for the mojo and rec list (never thought I would be in the big leagues...even if its just for a cup of coffee, I will treasure the moment -- so thanks to ...ThatSinger for the 90% screen shot (lol) of a few of my letters at the top of the list while I was sleeping).