Star One Smart Blog's

An interesting insight into how political campaigns argue and dictate their campaign concoctions to the media, in this case within minutes after the 'offending' piece hit the web.

Politico ran a David Mark story Saturday at 5:30 P.M. titled "Obama support soft among Catholics." Now, you look at the story, you'll find it titled "Obama slow to gain among Catholics." Between the two versions, there were some heated conversations between Obama's campaign staffers and various editors at Politico, detailed in a separate article by Politico's senior editor John F. Harris. To say Harris was a bit miffed at the nature of the exchange is probably correct spin on my part; it seems that his story of the dirty details behind the Obama's camp's annoying pirouettes is having more carrying distance than the original article.

From Harris' Sausage Slap...

"The exchanges show the speed and ferocity with which operatives inside presidential campaigns argue even the slightest nuances of stories they believe could be damaging. They also show the hectic, on-the-fly judgments that journalists make as they try to abide by standards of fairness while pushing back against dubious spin."

Dubious spin, indeed. Obama has a finely-tuned nuance machine working for him. Confrontational as well, as evidenced by Harris' singling out of Obama's Deputy Communications Director Dan Pfieffer for a particularly special slap...

"Mahtesian [Politico’s national politics editor, who was called five minutes after David Clark's story hit the web], who has written about national politics for nearly two decades, said Sunday he was taken aback by Pfeiffer’s bellicose tone.

"Who are you? I've never heard of you. What's your background?" Pfeiffer demanded to know, Mahtesian recalled.

Pfeiffer's response to questions concerning his attitude...

"Pfeiffer said there was a logic behind his blustery response to a story he still maintains is off the mark. In today’s news media echo chamber, he said, a bad story may bounce around for weeks.

“We’re very cognizant of stories that have the potential to create a new story line, particularly when we think the original story is wrong,” he said. “If you can nip it in the bud, you do.”

Well, Mr. Pfeiffer, it seems that instead of nipping this story in the bud, you've given it soaring wings.

For much more depth on Obama's easy-button relations with the media in general, read Karl's PW essay "Dems 2008: Te media cannot investigate Obama unless he talks to them?"

The Politico article's premise, that Obama is weak among Catholic voters, is covered there as well.

Me, I have to go to work...

---