St. Pete Times eviscerates McCain and his campaign strategy of "lies and distortions" and Obama campaign fights back with a new ad

The St. Petersburg Times blasts the new Karl Rove version of John McCain. Just blasts him. This is one brutal editorial -- and it is exactly on point:

The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter. Sen. John McCain has resorted to lies and distortions in what sounds like an increasingly desperate attempt to slow down Sen. Barack Obama by raising questions about his patriotism. Instead of taking the Democrat down a few notches, these baseless attacks are raising more questions about the Republican's campaign and his ability to control his temper.

The most offensive line comes from McCain himself. The Arizona senator has repeated that Obama "would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign.'' That is one of the more outrageous statements by a major political party candidate seeking the presidency. The looming choices about the long-festering war in Iraq are not between winning and losing but about how quickly or slowly the United States can reduce its military forces without jeopardizing recent security gains. Even McCain acknowledges that, and insulting Obama in such a reckless way is not presidential.

That is only one example of the darker tone enveloping the McCain campaign since several of Karl Rove's acolytes took the wheel. A new McCain ad suggests that while Obama traveled abroad last week he "made time to go to the gym but canceled a visit with wounded troops. Seems the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras.'' That's a compelling punch line, but it's below the belt.

That's intense. McCain chose this path. He sold whatever was left of his soul to the Rove machine. It was a risky decision and it sure doesn't look like it's paying off. Instead, in the past few weeks, McCain has completely reshaped his image. He's become another puppet of Karl Rove, just like George Bush.

And, the Obama campaign decided to fight back with a new ad, "Low Road," documenting just some of independent sources criticism of McCain -- and linking McCain to the candidate he's morphed into -- George Bush: