Art Levine: How will Obama, progressives fight McCain's wounded troops smear?

Right now, the blogosphere is abuzz about John McCain's new "unfair" ad smearing Obama for not visiting wounded troops in Germany. The McCain claim that Obama cancelled because he couldn't bring reporters with him is utterly false, but the failure of the left and the Obama campaign to immediately and aggressively shoot down the growing Pentagon-fed narrative that Obama deliberately "snubbed" wounded troops has proved to be highly damaging. But amid all the handwringing and complaints about McCain's low blow -- sadly reminiscent of the weak response to John Kerry's Swift Boating -- , there is no effective counter-punching from the Obama campaign yet targeting McCain or in TV ads, or even in presenting a clear, compelling story to the press about the Pentagon double-dealing and partisan sabogating by GOP-appointed flacks. And... [read full story]