Campaigns get personal, McCain called 'erratic'

WASHINGTON — Democrat Barack Obama's campaign called his Republican rival "erratic" in a television commercial released Sunday as both campaigns stepped up personal attacks.

"Our financial system in turmoil," an announcer says in the ad. "And John McCain? Erratic in a crisis. Out of touch on the economy."

The ad, slated to start running Monday on national cable, seeks to capitalize on John McCain's response to the nation's financial crisis while rebutting Republican attacks on Obama's character.

As Congress worked to pass the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, McCain announced that he would suspend his campaign and skip the first presidential debate while he worked on a solution. He inevitably attended the debate even as the deal in Congress faltered.

Republicans argue that McCain's actions showed leadership while addressing a serious issue.

"In the midst of it all, I think you saw Sen. McCain, unlike Sen. Obama, come off the campaign trail, because that's John McCain in the middle of a crisis," Sen. Joseph Lieberman, a McCain supporter, said Sunday in a broadcast interview.

Democrats say McCain tried to politicize the crisis with a campaign gimmick, and they've adopted "erratic" as their buzzword to describe him.

It is a loaded term and a not-subtle suggestion that the 72-year-old senator's age and temperament might be an issue. McCain struggled to gain political traction as Congress debated the bailout package, but Republicans said his efforts helped bring about a deal.

Obama's surrogates were well-synchronized on the Sunday talk shows, with Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Dianne Feinstein of California using the word "erratic" to describe McCain's handling of the unprecedented financial rescue package.

"One day, no bailout. The next day, a bailout. One day, I'm suspending my campaign. The next day, I'm not," McCaskill said.

"I thought John McCain was very erratic in how he behaved," Feinstein said.

The ad refers to McCain advisers saying they want to shift the debate from the nation's struggling economy while attacking Obama's character.

"No wonder his campaign's announced a plan to turn a page on the financial crisis, distract with dishonest, dishonorable assaults against Barack Obama," the ad says. "Struggling families can't turn the page on this economy and we can't afford another president who's this out of touch."