Rick Perry's 'Lazy' Ad Called 'Borderline Criminal'

The Sunday Boston Globe featured a story on the front page, titled "Deceptive campaign ads hint at year of mudslinging," with the subheading, "Perry, Romney spots take Obama out of context; 'low bar' is set, critics say."

The story focuses on a Rick Perry commercial that criticizes Obama's "lazy American" quote earlier this month:

We've been a little bit lazy I think over the last couple of decades,'' Obama said at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Hawaii on Nov. 12. "We've kind of taken for granted - 'Well, people would want to come here' - and we aren't out there hungry, selling America and trying to attract new businesses into America.

The Globe continues:

Perry's ad, titled "Lazy,'' shows Obama saying, "We've been a little bit lazy over the last couple of decades,'' and then Perry saying, "Can you believe that? That's what our president thinks is wrong with America? That Americans are lazy? That's pathetic. It's time to clean house in Washington.''

How exactly does Perry take Obama "out of context"? As far as I can see, Perry correctly represents Obama's statement. Ray Sullivan, a Perry spokesman, responds:

We certainly believe it embodies President Obama's true feelings, and his interest in blaming people outside of his administration and outside of Washington for the economic morass the country is in.

Exactly.

Democrats however are screaming foul, claiming that Obama was not calling Americans lazy; he was merely saying that our economic problems have been caused by laziness about promoting ourselves.

Linda Fowler, a Dartmouth College political scientist, comments that the Perry campaign ought to "come up with quotes to use against the president that would not be so easily shot down." Oh, really, Professor? Maybe instead of lazy, Perry should have chosen one of the dozens of other insults the Obamas have directed at the country and their "enemies"?

Glenn Totten, a "Democratic media strategist" goes further:

"The fact that you could completely undercut somebody's meaning in order to serve your own ends is, frankly, in my mind, borderline criminality,'' Totten said. "The problem is there is no one there to be the official referee. There is no umpire in the game."

Completely undercut the meaning? Borderline criminality? Does Mr. Totten envision a new federal agency in charge of prosecutions for the high crimes of mudslinging and taking quotes out of context? Perhaps Eric Holder could set something up at Justice. Strictly non-partisan, of course.

This is going to get ugly.