Because having Sarah Palin’s crowds call Obama a terrorist isn’t enough, the McCain campaign will be launching a new ad today on Bill Ayers, Obama, and scary scary boogah boogah terra terra. But it’s a web ad, so they are hoping to scam the cable networks into giving a non-story air time so they don’t have to expend any campaign cash on it. Via Jonathon Martin:

The idea here is to keep Ayers in the mix without spending precious dollars to put real points behind it on TV. Republicans know that cable TV stations will play the spot for free, regardless of it being a web ad.

Here’s a thought: No. It’s a lame, hail mary, pathetic attempt to change the subject from the economy and the fact that McCain’s campaign wears worse than a bad rug on a sweaty politician under stage lights. Frankly, I’m beginning to wonder if McCain found his campaign advisors in the back of a clown car.

Networks should call his bluff and just ignore the ad — no free air time, clown boy. Try talking about something substantive instead of trying to get the media to stir the dog whistle pot as a freebie for you. Or, if they must, then give Richard Trumka some equal time on the subject of dog whistles…