Politics | Barack Obama McCain Was Going to Pounce On Obama Either Way His staff had two ads ready after Europe trip By Jonas Oransky Posted Jul 31, 2008 6:25 PM CDT Copied In this Feb. 5, 2008, file photo Republican presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is surrounded by staff and supporters. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File) It's common knowledge by now that a John McCain campaign ad took Barack Obama to task for not visiting wounded US troops in Germany. But David Kiley in BusinessWeek reports that the McCain camp had another ad ready, this one if Obama had visited the troops. It would have charged that Obama was using the soldiers as campaign props. In the Carpetbagger Report, Steve Benen responds: “In other words, it didn’t matter which path Obama took—smear artists were prepared either way.” Indeed, that other attack probably would have resounded just like the one that did air: kicked around in the free-publicity media for days until someone debunked it. Read These Next Rob Reiner's son has been arrested after murder of his parents. The Reiners murders and arrest have called attention to a 2015 film. More details coming out about the last party the Reiners attended. Hero who disarmed Australia shooter might lose his arm. Report an error