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Obama would offer John McCain a job
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| (Sunday, 12 October 2008) By Shahram Vahdany |
 Both presidential rivals are working behind the scenes to calm the increasingly incendiary atmosphere on the campaign trail, which erupted with lurid claims about Mr Obama's links with the former terrorist Bill Ayres and a lynch mob atmosphere at McCain rallies.
Two Democratic sources with knowledge of the thinking in the Obama camp say that forming a partnership with Mr McCain would prove that Mr Obama will reach across the aisle and also help rehabilitate Mr McCain, who many Democrats believe has been pushed by hardline advisers into making increasingly desperate attacks on his rival.
By his own admission, the Republican candidate "took the gloves off" last week , unleashing adverts and soundbites attacking Mr Obama's character and judgment as polls showed him on course for a landslide election victory.
One well-connected Democrat, who spoke to Mr Obama last week, told The Sunday Telegraph: "John McCain is a good man. There's no question about it. I think we'll see Barack Obama reach out to him and say: let's work together."
He pointed out that Bill Clinton and the first President Bush "work together on common issues" despite their testy exchanges "in the heat of battle".
And a Democratic strategist who talks regularly with Mr Obama's senior advisors added: "Obama has said all along that he will work with the best people, regardless of party affiliation. John McCain has experience and he used to have a record of bipartisanship. We're all going to need to pull together when this is over."
Mr McCain will not be offered a cabinet job, but Mr Obama may ask him to spearhead a bipartisan overhaul of veteran's affairs, an issue close to Mr McCain's heart.
The claims that Mr Obama is already planning his administration come as a friend of Mr McCain revealed that the Republican candidate is concerned that the ugly rhetoric of the last week will damage his reputation as an honest patriot if he loses on November 4.
The Republican strategist, who used to work for Mr McCain, said: "John knows that his reputation as a decent man is on the line but he's got devils on each shoulder telling him to hit harder."
That sentiment appeared to be behind Mr McCain's decision on Friday night to dial back the rhetoric, telling the crowd at one rally that they should be more "respectful" of Mr Obama and insisting that his Democratic rival is "a decent family man". He dismissed one woman's claim that Mr Obama is "an Arab" and added: "He's a person that you don't have to be scared of as President of the United States." The booing that accompanied these gestures of conciliation is a measure of the rage which has gripped many Republican voters now that polls suggest an Obama presidency is likely. READ THE REST HERE
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