Obama, Biden Tag-Team Fundraising

If money talks, then it's better to have two mouths, right? At least that must be the thinking from the Obama campaign with its latest fundraising effort. In a direct-mail approach to Whispers and millions of others, the campaign has tried something new: wrapping the standard pitch from Sen. Barack Obama in a much tougher letter from running mate Sen. Joe Biden. In his letter, Biden plays his pit-bull role of attacking Sen. John McCain, while Obama's approach is much more focused on issues, such as energy, and praise for Biden. "I can tell you that Joe Biden gets it. He's that unique public servant who is at home in a bar in Cedar Rapids and the corridors of the Capitol—in the VFW hall in Concord and at the center of fixing an international crisis," pens Obama. In his letter, Biden slaps at McCain's claim to be a "maverick," writing, "I've served with John McCain in the Senate for 22 years. I know him as a courageous patriot and an honorable man. But what he is not—not by any stretch—[is] a maverick." Biden also ties McCain to President George Bush and claims the Republican has rejected earlier promises not to launch negative attacks. He even assails McCain's choice of staffers, like Steve Schmidt to run his campaign.

"He hired a protégé of Karl Rove to help run his campaign. After condemning the Swift Boat attacks of 2004, John took tens of thousands of dollars from their architects—and, with no sense of irony, even put one of them on his Truth Squad for 2008." What is unusual about the package is that two different letters are included from the candidates, instead of just one carrying both their names. It probably didn't cost much more to do the unusual packaging, but it may explain why the Obama-Biden campaign has continued to outraise the McCain-Sarah Palin ticket.