GOP Crows About Obama's Precarious National Lead

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The Republican National Committee (RNC) released a memo on Friday celebrating what is said was the failure of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) to gain a meaningful lead against Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) despite the preferential treatment he receives from the media.

"Despite the most challenging environment for Republicans in years and an overwhelming advantage in attention paid by the media, Barack Obama remains unable to open the lead against John McCain that many pundits predicted," read the memo, which was posted on the RNC website.

"With nearly 100 days remaining until Election Day, very little separates the two candidates," the RNC added, before citing recent polls showing Obama leading by statistically insignificant margins.

Fox released a poll Thursday that had Obama ahead only by one point, 41 percent to 40 percent. Gallup's latest nationwide poll has the Democrat leading, 45 percent to 42 percent. Quinnipiac University also said McCain is gaining ground in swing states, closing a 17-point gap in Minnesota and overtaking Obama in Colorado.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) said in response that the GOP was trying to divert attention from "Another week of bad news, bad reviews and campaign chaos for the McCain campaign."

"In what has become a recurring theme, McCain's week was dominated by foreign policy gaffes, misleading attacks, terrible reviews and new polls showing him lagging far behind among key groups of voters," a memo from the DNC read, according to Time.

"Instead of addressing those challenges, the McCain campaign chose to lash out at the media and launch desperate new attacks. Despite starting his general election campaign by pledging 'to conduct a respectful campaign,'" the DNC added.

McCain came under fire early this week for accusing Obama of 'falsely depicting" events in Iraq but then misstating facts himself. The Vietnam War veteran had said the surge in the war-torn nation had began during the Anbar Awakening, an alliance among Sunni clans in Iraq's Anbar Province and U.S. troops formed in 2005 to counter the influence of al-Qaeda.

The presumptive Republican nominee also launched a video titled "Obama Love" mocking the media's "fascination" with his rival, as well as a TV ad that accused Obama of rising oil prices.