We have been listening to stories about a liberal bias in the MSM for years now. All the while we have been witnessing an MSM that has become  so afraid to be labeled as liberal, that they no longer can do their job. The Iraq war itself is the worst consequence of this situation. And I believe the coverage of the McCain campaign is the culmination of this phenomenon. While it is hard to get traction complaining about the MSM giving a pass to McCain on his plethora of gaffes, the recent CBS attempt to cover up one of McCain's more spectacular rewrites of history, rises to a new level. It's time to turn the tables and start doing some very loud intimidating of our own. The evidence now exists and it is incontrovertible. I would like to see KO start a new countdown, number of days since CBS and Katie Couric joined the McCain campaign.

Recently this phrase has been appearing more and more frequently in the news. Without debating what is meant by a War on Terror, where exactly the Central Front lies really should not be in question. The Central Front for our current endeavor is and always has been Afghanistan. And this is a fact with which the McCain campaign is having more and more difficulty coming to grips. The McCain campaign spokespeople are very uncomfortable having to answer the question when asked whether Iraq or Afghanistan is the Central Front. Now they usually try to say both or the two are inseparable. Or my favorite response that the central front is Iraq, because Al Queda or Osama bin Laden says it is. This is a subject we need to hammer, because it not only displays McCains lack of understanding of the situation, it also undercuts the argument that the surge has been successful.

The last few media creations are far more troubling than those of which I am previously aware. This is because I consider them to be wholly fabricated. Where misinterpretation, deliberate misinterpretation, exaggeration, ignorance and misunderstanding have been the modus operandi of the press, we have moved into new territory. And it is the ease with which it has been done that is frightening. And I am not talking about the blogosphere or the realm of think tanks or the unrepentently biased wing of the media. Some may say it has been this way all along, but I perceive quite a shift. The most recent stirs have been the refine my policies flap, the nonexistent mortgage story, the Wesley Clark remarks and the campaign financing issue. The way the MSM has addressed these stories is beyond disturbing.

I was recently enjoying a diary which was doing a very good job of explaining polling methods and proper interpretation of poll results. This was a non partisan, non political diary which would have benefitted anyone who simply wanted to know more about polling. I was reading and participating in the comments, when out of the blue up pops a total non sequitor of a comment, a breathtaking screed about both the inadequacies and the evil nature of Obama. My reaction was, huh? So I looked up the author. The author was new to Daily Kos and had posted one other comment, very similar, but in a diary where it was at least relevant to the discussion. When I went back to the original diary and refreshed it the comment had disappeared. This got me thinking.

The domain of foreign policy credentials and qualifications is purported to be a strength of John McCain. I doubt there are too many members of this site who see it that way. Obviously, what needs to be addressed is how to effectively communicate our misgivings. The weaknesses in the McCain portfolio would probably require a book to list, yet we saw this weekend how difficult it is to even raise the question of McCain's experience. In that light, I want to examine those issues which can and cannot be addressed profitably in this regard.  

Before I talk about my very good day in Obama World, I want to preface it with why I appreciate the day so much. Being in the horse racing business, although standardbred (trotters and pacers) not thoroughbred, yesterday was a horrible day. Watching that gallant filly break down was agonizing, and not something I, and a great many others, will soon get over. Thoroughbred breeders need to take a long look at their practices. So I needed something to pick me up. So off to Indiana to canvas for Obama I went. I just got home.

While I would love to see a campaign that was contested at level commensurate with the quality of the candidate I support, it ain't gonna happen. This isn't going to be resolved by a clean knockout, it's going to be a unanimous decision and our opponent is going to whine about the scoring to anyone who will listen. But make no mistake, this is our fight to win or lose. Our hard work in the middle rounds, while our opponent took time off, has given us an insurmountable lead. Now is the time for toughness and determination. There is absolutely nothing anyone can say that we should allow to discourage us. Our attitude at this time must be positive and our work ethic should be at its peak. This is a test of character. There may not be much good news, but it shouldn't make any difference. In other words, no more complaints, no more gloom, just hard work.

I received an email from the Obama campaign last week saying they needed volunteers to canvas in Indiana this weekend. I live in Illinois and Terre Haute is the nearest office. So I called Terre Haute and asked if I could just show up since my schedule is never predictable. They said fine. The email said the canvassing hours were 12 to 6. So this morning I headed off to Terre Haute. It's about a two hour drive. I arrived just a few minutes before noon.

The coverage this weekend due to bittergate was somewhat depressing. Some of the talking heads immediately called it for what it was, absurd. But the concensus seemed to be that this would hurt Obama. While these opinions are not worth much to me, I am always concerned that they will somehow infect the perceptions of the electorate. However, there has been a noticeable change in tone in the past twenty four to forty eight hours. Not only do I no longer think this will hurt Senator Obama, I now feel it is beginning to hurt Senator Clinton. In short, as predicted by some, she has overplayed her hand. I wanted to discuss this with respect to debate strategy.

The AP story on the Sunday evening Faith Forum begins with the declaration of Senator Clinton that potential for life begins at conception. Is this new ground? Obama's response, essentially he had not come to any firm conclusion on when life begins, was also discussed in the article. It seems to me this must be examined.

Two weeks ago Michael Kinsley was a guest on Charlie Rose. He was asked his opinion of the Democratic primary. And here I paraphrase. He responded that he thought Obama would win the primary. He said that this was because, sooner or later, the Democratic party would realize what a gift they had been given in Barack Obama. This is right on so many levels.