They All Agree: Obama Ad Is 'Sickening, Despicable'

“Dishonest” … “Scurrilous” … “Sickening” … “Despicable” … “Over The Edge”

Those are some of the words being used to describe the scurrilous Obama super PAC ad basically accusing Mitt Romney of causing the death of a steelworker's wife. Here's more: 

Former Representative Joe Sestak (D-PA): “Over The Edge.” “‘I thought the ad was wrong in terms of trying to tie a presidential candidate to a personal tragedy of a family,’ said former Congressman Joe Sestak, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. ‘This ad goes over the edge.’” (Peter Nicholas and Colleen McCain Nelson, “Star Of Anti-Romney Ad Explains His Stance,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/8/12)

Time’s Michael Crowley: “Dishonest ... Scurrilous.” “It is at once the most dishonest and substantive ad of the summer. Narrowly judged, the ad is scurrilous.” (Michael Crowley, “That Priorities USA Ad: Dishonest But Important,” Time, 8/8/12)

MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski: “Not Telling The Truth.” “Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe this morning, responding to the Obama campaign's claim that it had no involvement with or idea about the specifics behind a pro-Obama Super PAC's TV ad linking Mitt Romney to a woman's death from cancer. ‘There's no price to pay, because they can say 'Well, I don't know the details'. You know what, at least on this show, that's just not going to pass. They're not telling the truth.’” (Christian Heinze, “Mika Brzezinski: Obama Campaign Is Lying About Cancer Ad,” The Hill, 8/9/12)

Time’s Mark Halperin: “Lines Of Decency Are Crossed…” “There is a fair amount of outrage on the left directed at journalists who seem intent on holding the Obamans accountable for the Priorities USA TV ad that features a man explaining how Mitt Romney’s actions at Bain Capital led to his wife’s death. … But when lines of decency are crossed, more strenuous efforts are required.” (Mark Halperin, “Why the Obama Super PAC Ad Is Different,” Time Magazine, 8/8/12)

The Hill’s Brent Budowsky: “Sickening … Despicable.” “It is sickening. It is despicable. It is unworthy of a sitting president. It is unworthy of a candidate for president. It is unworthy even of the campaign from hell we are witnessing.” (Brent Budowsky, “Obama Should Demand Priorities USA Pull Its Ad Suggesting Romney And Bain Killed A Woman,” The Hill, 8/8/12)

The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler: “Stretches The Bounds Of Common Sense And Decency.” “As we noted, a case could be made that Bain’s involvement extended the life of a dying steel plant, in which case Soptic kept his insurance longer than he might have expected. … On just every level, this ad stretches the bounds of common sense and decency.” (Glenn Kessler, “New Anti-Romney Ad: Same Steelworker, Tougher Message,” The Washington Post, 8/7/12)

CNN’s Brianna Keilar: “Not Accurate.” “A new attack ad by a Super PAC backing President Obama appears to blame Mitt Romney for a woman's death from cancer after his company, Bain Capital, shut down the steel mill where the woman's husband worked. … It's a very heart-wrenching story, but it’s not accurate. Here is the actual timeline…” (Brianna Keilar, “Ad Linking Romney To Death Of The Wife Of A Laid Off Steelworker Not Accurate,” CNN, 8/7/12)

Real Clear Politics’ Scott Conroy: “Unrelentingly Negative Style Of Campaigning…” “The new Priorities USA ad marked a deadly serious turn in the unrelentingly negative style of campaigning seen so far, but the two candidates demonstrated within hours of each other that neither one is above the kind of name calling that’s more befitting a schoolyard than an election to decide who the next president will be.” (Scott Conroy, “No End in Sight For Campaigns' Negative Focus,” Real Clear Politics, 8/8/12)