Obama Exposes McCain's Hidden Agenda, Despite Claims of Change

Barack Obama's latest ad highlights the ideological and philosophical approach of a John McCain administration. A Washington Post fact check follows:

Analysis: The key facts in this Barack Obama counterattack ad are accurate.

Fiorina, who has been one of McCain's closest and most visible advisers, was forced to resign as chief executive of Hewlett-Packard over its sinking fortunes and received a severance package estimated at $42 million (popularly, if somewhat pejoratively, called a "golden parachute").

Gramm was another close adviser until he told the Washington Times that America had become "a nation of whiners" complaining about a "mental recession," after which he relinquished his formal campaign role. Gramm was a Senate champion of deregulation, and sponsored a 1999 law, supported by McCain, that loosened barriers between banks and insurance companies and which some analysts say contributed to the current Wall Street meltdown.

McCain has been a frequent supporter of President Bush, but whether Bush's economic policies have been "disastrous" is, of course, a matter of debate. (YEA, RIGHT!)

In a duel over advisers, the Obama ad is stronger in aiming at two McCain confidants than the Arizona senator's spot attempting to tie the Democrat to former Fannie Mae chairman Franklin Raines. But voters may be more interested in the words and policies of the candidates themselves than those who surround them.