Obama Tells Allies He Is Ready to Hit Back

Returning from vacation, Barack Obama is greeted by a supporter at a town hall meeting at an Albuquerque high school. (By Linda Davidson -- The Washington Post)
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After Obama strategist David Axelrod took up the same cudgel, the Democratic National Committee, the Service Employees International Union and liberal filmmaker Robert Greenwald hammered the theme, with videos and statements showing off McCain's Phoenix high-rise; his beach condominiums in Coronado and La Jolla, Calif.; his ranch in Sedona, Ariz.; his apartment in Arlington; and his Ferragamo shoes.

Still, some strategists close to Obama say he needs to hit harder, be more specific in his attacks, and delve into McCain's character the way McCain has hit Obama's.

"They need to draw a clearer contrast and not be shy or flinch from doing it," said a Chicago Democrat close to the campaign, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to be candid. "He's running a commercial now that says [McCain] voted with Bush 95 percent of the time -- on what? And what about all the flip-flops?"

Writing for the online Democratic Strategist, party communications consultant James Vega outlined a character attack that Obama could pick up. He said McCain has become "a pale, diminished shadow" of his former self, so desperate to win the election that he has sacrificed "his deepest principles and his personal honor" and allowed "men he once despised . . . to manipulate him."

"McCain is actually profoundly vulnerable to a powerful, aggressive and damaging attack on his character," Vega concluded.

Other Democrats are showing deference to Obama and his campaign staff, who resisted repeated calls for a more negative approach during the drawn-out primary fight and came out on top.

"You always have a group of people in Washington whose political profession is to get nervous during elections," said Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.), an Obama adviser. "McCain has failed to put forward a positive case for a McCain presidency. He's entrenched himself in this administration, and that's going to turn into the biggest strategic blunder of this campaign."

At least publicly, Obama is showing no sign of worry, but for the first time he's acknowledging the concern of others.

"Democrats, because we've burned in the last few elections, get nervous and skittish right around this time," Obama told about 350 people who paid $28,500 for a VIP dinner in San Francisco on Sunday night. "They say, 'Oh, no, here the Republicans come -- they're so mean and they're going to be doing all these things. Obama is a funny name, and who knows what they're going to do?' "

"So keep your stress to a minimum," he instructed them.

Weisman reported from Washington.