Obama Smack Down

Speaking of Barack Obama and his Grammy win, he was also involved in a flap that looked poised to flare up huge but then just petered out. He and John McCain had been discussing lobbying reform, and Obama declared that he was going to ally himself with a Democratic plan. McCain wasn't pleased (to say the least). He issued a furious letter to Obama, accusing him of hypocrisy, disingenuousness, and general partisan skullduggery. And this was no simple misunderstanding--McCain released the letter as a press release. It was a hit on Obama.

To his credit, Obama did not respond in kind but did reiterate that his position on the issue had never changed. Before the news channels could go after this feud 24/7, Obama called McCain and spoke with him, and apparently the two settled their differences. Lynn Sweet wrote about the buried hatchet, and her report also includes links to stories about the various phases of the quarrel. Josh Marshall suggests what's really going on, and I have to agree. The Repubs are scared of Obama, and they're setting him up for more hits in the future.