What attacks John McCain faces from the eventual Democratic Party nominee

First, expect McCain to be hit for sending birthday regards to Joseph "Joe Bananas" Bonano, one of America’s most notorious mobsters, the head of the New York Bonano crime family, who had retired to Arizona.  McCain had sent these regards when he didn’t attend Bonano’s birthday party.

Since both Clinton and Obama have had ethical questions regarding corrupt associates (Obama with Tony Rezko, and Hillary with corrupt unions, for instance), McCain’s letter sending birthday regards to Bonano could become an issue. 

When campaigns get the negative “hits” from the opposition researchers like myself, those “hits” are then given to the pollsters.  Once the pollsters determine which two or three “hits’ are most offensive to the voters, these hits become issues used in the negative attack ads and mailings.  During my years as an opposition researcher, one negative “hit” that always polls very high (meaning it scares the voters) are any ties to organized crime.  Once you go outside the big cities, just the mention of the words “Mafia” or “organized crime” scares voters to death. 

Hillary’s former association with the AFSCME union (The American Federation of State, County, Federal and Municipal Employees union, which was called a “mob-infested” union by then-Attorney General Janet Reno) while she was first lady became such a negative issue, that any Democrat that received even the smallest campaign contribution from AFSCME was hurt badly politically. 

McCain has claimed that he only sent a letter to Bonano politely declining his birthday invitation, but other news sources at the time reported that McCain sent “regards” and “regrets” that he couldn’t attend.  Either way, this could become a major issue against McCain.