海角大神

Over the weekend, House Speaker John Boehner colorfully called his Republican caucus 鈥渇rogs in a wheelbarrow.鈥� But President Obama has his own collection of jumpy amphibians to keep on board.

Cory Booker, the charismatic Democratic mayor of Newark, N.J., and regular Obama surrogate, went off script Sunday on 鈥�Meet the Press鈥� when he called the tone of the presidential campaign 鈥渘auseating鈥� 鈥� explicitly mentioning Team Obama鈥檚 attacks on Mitt Romney鈥檚 former private equity firm, Bain Capital.

Mayor Booker 鈥� most recently famous for rescuing his neighbor from her burning house 鈥� went after Republicans, too. He disparaged the recent proposal, attributed to GOP strategists, to have an outside group attack Mr. Obama via his flame-throwing former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

But it was Booker鈥檚 defense of Bain that made headlines, reinforced by his half-hearted attempt later in the day Sunday to walk it back in a video to his social-media fan base. Still, Monday morning, the Obama campaign stuck with its anti-Bain script, launching a new line of attack via the bankruptcy tale of another Bain acquisition, the Indiana-based Ampad. In a conference call with reporters, campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt and a former Ampad employee accused Romney of聽 鈥渞un[ning] other businesses into the ground even while turning a profit for himself and his investors,鈥� as Mr. LaBolt put it.

The Obama campaign also put out a six-minute video about Ampad, highlighting workers who had lost their jobs.

The response from Team Romney and the Republican Party? Press releases 鈥� and a video (see below) 鈥� that gleefully try to fan the flames of the Democrats鈥� mini-insurrection, focusing not only on Booker鈥檚 comments but also other Obama allies sticking up for private equity. In addition, the RNC has bought ads on Twitter to publicize Booker's comments.

On MSNBC鈥檚 鈥�Morning Joe鈥� Monday, former Rep. Harold Ford (D) of Tennessee said he would not have backed away from defending Bain if he were Booker.

鈥淭he substance of his comments on 鈥楳eet the Press,鈥� I agree with the core of it,鈥� said Mr. Ford. 鈥淚 would not have backed them out.鈥� Private equity鈥檚 not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, private equity is a good thing in many, many instances.鈥�

On TV last week, former Obama administration 鈥渃ar czar鈥� Steve Rattner also stuck up for Bain and the world of venture capitalism, earning him regular space on Romney campaign missives.

But it was Booker鈥檚 first comment Sunday morning that really has legs.

Here鈥檚 what Booker said: "I have to just say from a very personal level, I'm not about to sit here and indict private equity. To me, it's just we're getting to a ridiculous point in America. Especially that I know I live in a state where pension funds, unions, and other people invest in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital's record, they've done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses."

Later on Sunday, in a YouTube video that was likened by some commentators to a hostage tape, Booker said that Romney鈥檚 business record was fair game in the campaign.

鈥淢itt Romney has聽made his business record a centerpiece of his campaign, he's talked about himself as a job creator, and therefore it is reasonable 鈥� and in fact I encourage it聽鈥� for the Obama campaign to examine that record and to discuss it. I have no problem with that,鈥� said Booker.

But Booker didn鈥檛 back away from his characterization of the campaign discourse at 鈥渘auseating.鈥�

鈥淚 used the word 'nauseating' on 鈥楳eet the Press鈥� because that鈥檚 really how I feel, when I see people in my city struggling with real issues,鈥� said Booker. 鈥淚 get very upset when I see such a level of dialogue that calls us to our lowest common denominators and not the kind of things that can unify us as a nation and move us forward as a nation.鈥�

The big question is whether any of this kerfuffle is reaching the consciousness of swing voters in key battleground states, like Ohio and Virginia. A lot of it may well be inside-the-beltway chatter in a campaign season that is still only gearing up. But for now, Obama鈥檚 anti-Bain message has some serious static.