For once, Tapper’s search for secret subtext has led him to solid ground. Lest you doubt that this is actually a thinly veiled attack on McCain (the Matthew 25 Network is part of Obama’s Christian outreach effort), see the comments here from Kirbyjon Caldwell — a friend of Dubya turned Obama supporter who appears in the ad — and Rick Warren making it abundantly clear that character should count at the ballot box. I agree, but note well the reply in the updates to that last link:

McCain spokesman Brian Rogers has responded to Caldwell’s criticism by saying: “These people are Obama campaign surrogates. These kinds of personal attacks are disgraceful. This absolutely exposes the hypocrisy of Obama’s claim to represent a ‘new kind of politics.'”

A Republican strategist speaking on the condition of anonymity reacted to the Caldwell comments by telling ABC News: “My advice to the Obama people: ‘proceed with extreme caution.’ They don’t want to get into a discussion of character and background. They are opening a door that they will not be able to close. They are putting on the table issues and personalities that they do not want to discuss.”

Have there been any ads yet, aside from one or two of the state parties, about Wright or Bill Ayers? Ah well. We’re already long overdue for a commercial about The One’s soft spot for infanticide so they’re better off countering with that first. A choice for Christian voters: McCain the cheater versus Obama the guy who worries more about limitations on Roe than about doctors providing medical assistance to live-born infants. Remember, character counts.

Exit question: Which opportunistic reversal is more shameless? Democrats suddenly deciding that infidelity is a serious electoral issue or Democrats suddenly deciding that no, on second thought, military experience isn’t essential in a commander-in-chief?