Obama Hits McCain on Abramoff's Reed, Again

Yesterday, pundits took to the airwaves to say Barack Obama has faltered a bit in his campaign, was off his groove this week, and allowed John McCain to catch up.

Today, the consensus seems to be that the Democratic contender is finally fighting back against McCain and the GOP's attack dogs, not taking the hits lying down.

Take, for instance, a new ad being released by Obama's camp tomorrow.

Only to be shown in Atlanta, the TV ad draws a connection between McCain's past decision not to call Ralph Reed before his Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and Reed's involvement in an Atlanta fundraiser for the Arizona senator this week.

Here's the script:

"It was one of Washington's biggest scandals. And the Republican power broker Ralph Reed was in the middle of it. In deep with convicted felon and lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

"But when the Senate investigated, the senator in charge never even called Reed to testify....And that senator? John McCain. And who's now raising money for McCain's campaign? Ralph Reed. For 26 years in Washington, John McCain's played the same old games. We just can't afford more of the same."

McCain's Indian Affairs Committee two years ago was looking into the scandal surrounding Jack Abramoff, the conservative lobbyist who pleaded guilty in 2006 to conspiring to corrupt public officials and cheating some Indian tribes that he represented out of tens of millions of dollars.

A 2006 Senate report found that Abramoff arranged for Reed and his companies to receive $5.3-million to rally opposition among Christian groups to gambling operations competing with those of Abramoff's tribal clients. The decision not to call Reed was based on the belief that Indian tribes were not defrauded by Reed directly.

One Republican insider told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that any fraud Reed committed was against the Christian troops, for not telling them where the money was coming from for their anti-gambling operation. That wasn't the business of the Indian Affairs Committee, the insider said.