A day in the life of two campaigns

By Brian C. Mooney, Globe Staff

Republican presidential candidate John McCain's relaunch of his economic platform produced a blizzard of press releases and a flurry of media events on Monday by the campaigns of McCain and Democrat Barack Obama and their parties. This 10-hour chronology provides a case study in the spin and pushback that occurs out of public view as the campaigns try to win the message battle du jour in the media.

8:08 a.m. McCain campaign: "In Case You Missed it": Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO, says on 'Good Morning America' that under McCain's economic plan "we will have lower taxes that will accelerate growth in the economy and we will get government spending under control and the budget balanced by 2013."

8:36 a.m. McCain campaign: "Economists' statement on John McCain's Jobs for America Economic Plan ... Over 300 economists sign statement in support of John McCain's economic plan."

8:37 a.m. Obama campaign: says McCain is "offering more of George Bush's failed economic policies." Obama plans speech in Charlotte, N.C., on his "success agenda for American families," including a $50-billion second stimulus package, a tax cut for middle class, a $4,000 college tuition tax credit and tax cuts for small businesses and startups.

8:45 a.m. McCain campaign advisory about 10:30 a.m. media conference call with advisers Steve Forbes and Doug Holtz-Eakin on McCain economic plan.

8:59 a.m. Obama campaign: "helpful reminder about the accuracy of the McCain campaign's past economic policy claims" pointing out factcheck.org analysis saying McCain's campaign made "inflated and misleading" claim that Obama has voted 94 times for higher taxes and a Washington Post fact-checker assessment that gave McCain "four pinocchios" for his "largely fantasy" claim that he will cut $100 billion in federal budget earmarks.

9:32 a.m. Obama campaign: "What to expect from a McCain economic agenda"citing New York Times and Politico reports that the agenda will include no significant additions from past announcements.

10:31 a.m. Republican National Committee prebuttal: "Economy: Obama says one thing and does another," with four pages of citations purporting to show Obama backtracking on tax, trade and related issues.

10:35 a.m. McCain campaign memo argues that Obama would raise taxes on people earning as little as $32,000, citing his votes this year in favor of a budget resolution (not an actual budget vote but a series of proposed targets) to increase income tax rates.

10:49 a.m. Obama campaign announces 1:15 p.m. conference call with Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, and Pennsylvania Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz "to discuss false attacks on Obama's energy plan," a reference to an RNC ad airing in their states.

10:50 a.m. Obama campaign cites Politico item noting "What the economists didn't sign" when they endorsed the McCain economic plan -- the statement omits McCain's proposed gas tax holiday and "there's literally nothing in the release that mentions the deficit or national debt."

10:55 a.m. Democratic National Committee release snipes at McCain plan ... "Jobs First? If you like George Bush's economy, hire John McCain" ... noting spike in unemployment in Colorado, where McCain was speaking and criticisms of the McCain plan.

12:05 p.m. McCain campaign release "In case you missed it" ... excerpts from Forbes/Holtz-Eakin conference call, repeating the contention that Obama's budget resolution vote means he wants to raise taxes on middle class.

1:09 p.m. McCain campaign release, eight pages, outlining his economic plan.

1:52 p.m. McCain campaign release announcing a 3:30 conference call with Holtz-Eakin and Meg Whitman "on John McCain's Jobs for America economic plan."

2:02 p.m. McCain campaign release with web link to "a detailed briefing paper of John McCain's Jobs for America economic plan."

2:27 p.m. Obama campaign releases two-page putdown of claim by McCain surrogate Carly Fiorina on MSNBC that gas tax holiday "is the best stimulus package possible right now," noting it has been panned by 150 economists.

5:25 p.m. Obama campaign release contends McCain, who's proposed big new tax cuts, would have to impose enormous cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, or non-defense budgets to balance budget by 2013.

5:39 p.m. McCain campaign release "In case you missed it" excerpts of Whitman and Holtz-Eakin conference call.