While Jerome asked yesterday why the Obama campaign hasn't had a coordinated blog campaign, let me offer one that all left-of-center bloggers can agree on ... a simple message that would be easy to stick to without any help from 233 N. Michigan.

You simply call McCain a warmonger without calling him a warmonger.

Everyday McCain gives this narrative more validity.  Today he (probably carelessly) agreed that a draft might be necessary to finish the job on Bin Laden.

He's basically created a second American state named Georgia.

He's laughed about bombing Iran ... he's said we could be in Iraq for a millennia, for all he cared.

You see, McCain can't stop himself.  This has been his m.o. since he arrived in Washington.  He makes himself available for any TV camera that asks during any military crisis, voices support for the President and then, sadly, reluctantly (in the case of GOP Presidents) or aggressively (in the case of Dem Presidents) says we're not doing enough.

Because no one ever adds it all up, McCain just sounds tough and informed.  But if you go back ... for example, to the fall of 1999 ... you'll find moments where McCain is on record supporting three large scale U.S. military operations simultaneously.  Then he wanted a land war in Kosovo (because President Clinton's air war clearly wasn't going to be enough), he wanted regime change in Iraq and he wanted an armed attack on Iran to avenge Khobar Towers (yes, three years after the fact, with no conclusive proof that they were behind it.)

McCain shoots off his mouth and orders our troops around, rhetorically, at will.  Except if he's President, it's not rhetorical anymore.  And the idea that we'd need a draft to cover all of McCain's wars isn't theoretical anymore either.

If Democrats can't exploit this issue, we deserve to lose.  McCain is hoping to be the new James K. Polk, in a far more dangerous world.  Tell the truth about McCain and war and he'll think it's hell.

Lately I have been in the doldrums. I am trying to recover from a serious injury and know it is `no politics worth mentioning August`, but I gotta say my almost total lack of interest in the race right now is serious. I haven't felt this low about politics in quite some time.

I am bummed because my favorite blog has become almost unreadable and because my candidate isn't mopping the floor with McCain. Even though Obama was not my first choice, I desperately want him to win this November. More on the former after the fold.

As to the latter, I am stunned that Obama is not doing better in the race at this time. I really have no idea how Clinton would be doing at this point, and could easily imagine that she would be struggling if she were the candidate. I actually think that Obama will come back from this to win the GE no matter who he picks as his VP. My question is by how much does he win? I saw a poll on MSNBC today that Chris Matthews called a golden little nugget. The poll said that half of the people who are currently undecided are/were for Hillary Clinton. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/ As Chuck Todd said on Hardball, the rest of the people who either candidate can get are people who love the Clinton. He went on to say that fully 10% of the electorate would vote for Clinton, but will not vote for Obama. For a truly decisive win this November, Obama needs Clinton.

Joe Biden carried faithfully out the duty of a #2 earlier today, when he dropped some fairly large logs in front of some reporters and, satisfied with what he had done, nodded and remarked, "I had a successful dump."

Not surprisingly, the media ate it all up with a spoon. News of his dump traveled far and wide. Senator Biden then asked if anyone would help him with his next dump, saying, "by the way I got a second load coming and if anyone wants to help me unload let me know" but the confused reporters, who were sick of eating Biden's BS and waiting to hear when  #2 would drop, declined to help Mr. Biden with his next dump.

Well it's happened:  For the the first time in 100 days, McCain is a slight favorite to win the election.

Obama is only favored in states with 264 EVs; he is now a decided underdog in Ohio and Virginia.

Poblano is also making a strong case for Sebelius as Obama's running mate.  Now I've cooled on Hillary after Bill's ovetures to McCain, and I don't like Kaine, Bayh or Biden.  While Sebelius won't please the die-hard PUMAs, she could be effective in appealing to women.  But does she really add anything?  I'm hoping against hope it's Gov. Schweitzer or Gen. Clark.  Any thoughts?

During the primary season AP Reporter Nedra Picler was a favorite of many Hillary haters. She made up many stories to just to humiliate Hillary.

Here is her latest headline:

Biden is Democratic favorite for Obama's No. 2

Here is the story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080820/ap_o n_el_pr/veepstakes

After reading the story tell me how she could come to the inference that Biden is Democratic favorite for Obama's No. 2

Cross posted to Clintonistas for Obama

Cross posted to Daily Kos

Today, the Democratic Party lost a true lionness. But more importantly, the world lost a champion for those not spoken for, for voters rights, for human rights, and a wonderful woman who can never be replaced.

today on a conference call the obama team of susan rice and richard clarke made many great points.

You can listen here:

http://www.taylormarsh.com/audio.php?aud io=http://www.taylormarsh.com/podcast/mp 3/stream.2008-08-20.123508.mp3

wonderful easy to understand phrases like "trigger happy" "reckless" "shoot first ask questions later"

hopefully Obama knows he must now repeat , repeat, repeat this memo.

Everyone knows "McNasty" was Mccain's nickname and his volcanic temper.

I'm praying we see an add with components of Dr. Strangelove and The Daisy Ad
with McCain in it....

Please Obama make it...

First, let's all take a page from the Maverick...sometimes you just have to laugh (in this case, to help from crying): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7acdvJeg OY