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Barack Obama says Charlie Black was wrong to say that a terrorist attack would help John McCain in November; that he spoke to Hillary Clinton today and is trying to reach out to her husband; and that Christian leader James Dobson distorted his words on religion in a wide ranging media availability in the back of his press plane.

Obama wandered back to speak to reporters in the middle of a flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for an informal bull session with reporters — a tactic encouraged by his campaign as a way to counter an aloof image he’s cultivated with his traveling press corps. But after asking about basketball, gambling, and the trinkets from voters he carries with him, reporters pressed him on the record on whether he’s spoken with the ex-president who so often belittled him on the campaign trail.

“I’m sure we will,” said Obama. “He’s in Europe right now which is the only reason we haven’t spoken. But were looking forward to setting up a long conversation.” Obama praised the former president as a great strategist who’s “as smart as they come.” But Clinton’s commitment to campaigning for Obama has come into question, so much so that a spokesman for the ex-president had to release a statement reaffirming his support for the Illinois Senator.

Obama also accused Focus on the Family leader James Dobson of twisting a speech on religion he gave in 2006. On his radio program today, Dobson took aim at Obama’s argument that certain Biblical passages shouldn’t be taken as guides for public policy — saying “I think he’s deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology… He is dragging biblical understanding through the gutter.”

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….Senior Adviser Charlie Black, who was in the spotlight yesterday for controversial remarks he made about a terror attack being a potential political plus for the campaign

We last saw him on the plane during yesterday’s flight to Santa Barbara. (Video of deplaning below)

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Barack Obama’s campaign held a conference call with former 9/11 commissioner Richard Ben Veniste to excoriate McCain adviser Charlie Black — accusing him of engaging in the “politics of fear” by speculating that a terrorist attack could help McCain in November.

Black, a long-time senior aid to McCain, told Fortune Magazine that a new attack “would be a big advantage to him,” saying that the assassination of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto last December helped McCain win the GOP nomination.

“His knowledge and ability to talk about it reemphasized that this is the guy who’s ready to be Commander-in-Chief,” he said. “It helped us.”

Asked about his aide’s remarks, McCain said “I strenuously disagree,” adding “I cannot imagine why he said it. It’s not true.” Black himself said he deeply regretted his comments, calling them inappropriate. “I recognize that John McCain has devoted his entire life to protecting his country,” he said.

Obama’s campaign released a statement last night calling Black’s comments a “complete disgrace.” Spokesman Bill Burton said “Barack Obama will turn the page on these failed policies and this cynical and divisive brand of politics.”

On the conference call this morning, Ben Veniste and foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough said that while McCain had been a supporter of the 9/11 commission, the Bush policies in Iraq that he supports have kept the US from going after the real threats to the United States - Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

“We’ve seen the political play that was manifest yesterday by Mr Black’s candid comments, so what we want to do is get back to what will make this country safer,” said McDonough. “That has not been the record of this administration or what Senator McCain appears ready to continue for the next four years.”

Ben Veniste, however, stopped short of calling for Black’s head — saying only that his remarks “call for some recalibration in the thinking and perhaps a greater adherence to principle here in staying away from the politics of fear.

“I would suggest it would be a good idea to caution those whose candid thoughts have created this turmoil with Senator McCain,” he said.

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SAVANNAH, GA — Facing repeated questions Monday about campaign transparency and adviser ties to lobbyists, the usually free-wheeling John McCain showed almost machine-like message discipline.

Below is a taste from the press conference this afternoon in Savannah:

Question: What was the impetus for the new lobbying policy?

McCain: “We have enacted the most comprehensive and most transparent policy concerning lobbyist activities and I challenge Senator Obama to adopt a similar policy.”

Question: Is this an inside-the-beltway issue? Do the American people care?

McCain: “It’s not so much that as we wanted to make sure there was an effective and comprehensive and transparent policy towards lobbyist, the most comprehensive and transparent of any presidential campaign in history, and I challenge Senator Obama to adopt the same policy.”

Question: Why did this policy take so long and are you confident we will see no more departures from your campaign?

McCain: “We have enacted the most comprehensive and transparent policy of any presidential campaign in history and I challenge Senator Obama to adopt the same policy.”

All told, by the end of the media availability McCain had described his new lobbyist policy as “comprehensive” seven times, “transparent” five times and challenged Obama to adopt his policy three times. The campaign is currently vetting all staff or lobbying ties after adopting a new policy last week that:

-no staffer can be a registered lobbyist or receive compensation from a lobbying firm.
-part-time volunteers must disclose ties to lobbyists
-no staffer can participate in a 527 or other independent group
-campaign staffers promise not to lobby a future McCain administration.

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NEW YORK—

Two ads were released today featuring Senator John McCain, but the candidate approved only one. The ad, “Leading” will air in Iowa and aims to play on the still-ongoing battle for the Democratic nomination:

“While Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama argue and fight with each other, John McCain leads.”

The commercial says that the presumptive Republican nominee will “fight against wasteful government spending,” advocates a gas tax holiday, and explains how he wants his health care plan to provide tax credits.

Click here to watch the ad:

The other ad is sponsored by MoveOn.org and is a scathing attack on McCain’s senior advisor, Charlie Black. Black has come under fire during the campaign for his lobbyist history, but today McCain was adamant that Black and campaign manager Rick Davis are no longer practicing lobbyists.

This week the McCain campaign instituted a new vetting procedure to find out if any employees have lobbyist histories, particularly if they have lobbied for any foreign governments. In recent days, three McCain advisors have left the campaign because of embarrassing revelations of work outside the campaign. Newsweek revealed that two aides had lobbied for the military junta in Myanmar in 2002 and just yesterday another staffer left because he was also working for a 527 group opposing the Democratic candidates.

The ad reveals Black’s lobbyist history and calls for him to resign. The commercial says Black “made millions lobbying for the world’s worst tyrants” and names some of them including Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire, and Jonas Savimbi of Angola—over very graphic images.  The ad was sent to Move On members and concludes with asking members to, “Call John McCain and tell him to fire Charlie Black,” and includes the phone number for McCain headquarters.

Click here to watch the ad: