"Obama Camp Pushes Back On 'Rookie' Ad"

The Trail, WaPo political blog:

ELKO, Nevada -- The Clinton campaign unveiled a new radio ad today in South Carolina featuring former basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson suggesting that Sen. Barack Obama is a "rookie."

Ouch.

In the ad, Johnson, a longtime Clinton friend, recalls his first year in the NBA: "We won our first game on a last second shot. I was so hyped. But the captain of my team said, 'take it easy rookie, it's a long season, it's a long road to the championship.' He was right."

But the season didn't end there, as Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs gleefully pointed out.

Johnson's Lakers reached the NBA finals his rookie year. The Lakers were up 3 games to 2 over the Philadelphia 76ers, when Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sprained his ankle. Into void went Johnson, who scored 42 points, along with 15 rebounds and seven assists. The Lakers won the game and the championship, and Johnson was named NBA Finals MVP.

Barack Obama