McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said this:
"What we decided to do is find the top three international celebrities in the world, and I would say from our indications, Britney and Paris came in second and third. Will people think of this as negative advertising? Look, it is the most entertaining thing I have seen on TV in a while. It is not our campaign that is trying to make him into an international celebrity. It's his campaign... I don't know Paris Hilton and Britney Spears but they are international celebrities, so, you know, apples to apples."
In response, Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor returned this:
"On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Senator McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, 'Oops! He did it again."
Good work, McCain.