What Negative Campaign?

I once read that spreading a bad rumor can be compared to taking a bag full of feathers and purposefully dumping the contents on a windy day.

Regardless of how hard one tries, it is virtually impossible to re-collect every feather.

The president and his team must be very familiar with this feather comparison.  Only problem?  Their most recent campaign tactics have demonstrated that they are perfectly willing to dump false rumors, knowing full-well that it will be impossible to clean up the mess they made.

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Yesterday, President Obama held an impromptu news conference in the White House briefing room.  As of late, Obama has taken some heat for his lack of availability to the press corps---it has been 8 weeks since his last question and answering.  Then when he and Michelle recently granted an interview with the celebrity outlets like People Magazine and Entertainment Tonight, it peeved even his greatest admirers in the press.

He took a few questions and was asked to comment on the negativity of his campaign, the accusations that have been made against Romney and the Obama Super PAC ad, which carelessly alludes that Mitt Romney was somehow responsible for the death of a former steel worker's wife.

Image from Whitehouse.gov

The president tried to calm concerns and explained that he is not a running a negative campaign and that the press can rest assured that he is taking the high road.

In reference to the Super PAC ad which has been denounced by countless independent fact checkers as painting a completely inaccurate historical account of the actual events, the president said,  "I don't think that Governor Romney is somehow responsible for the death of that woman.  But keep in mind, this is an ad that I didn't approve, didn't produce and as far as I can tell, has barely run."

That's it?

The only thing he wants us to "keep in mind" is that he didn't produce it?

How about denounce it?  How about demand that an organization fighting for your cause stop this kind of smear and deception?  After all, I have no doubt that Bill Burton, the senior strategist at the Super PAC would take the president's call.  Burton served as deputy press secretary at the White House and played a key role in Obama's election when he served as the national press secretary for the 2008 campaign.

The president also commented on the allegations that Mitt Romney's character is in question.  He said, "Nobody accused Mr. Romney of being a felon."

Nobody?

Nobody except your deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter who made the baseless charge in a high-profile interview in July that Mitt Romney "could be guilty of a felony."

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The president might be trying to demonstrate that he is faithfully doing his part to clear up these rumors, but he knows full-well that his efforts are futile.  Mitt Romney's character has been unfairly compromised and his campaign is reveling in every minute of it.  After all, don't these "feathers" provide the perfect distraction from his dismal record?

Feathers in the wind---and the president's campaign distributed every single one.

Sorry Mr. President, it is a little hard to believe that you are taking the high road when your boots are covered in mud.