Why is it that the political party that claims to represent decency and Family values is also the one that is always in the forefront of lies, smears and hate?

And how is it that what passes for a Reporting media lets them get away with it?

This bad idea originated with John McCain.

When Hillary Clinton foolishly adopted it, our "independent" media pundits immediately declared how bad "Hillary's" idea was: Never mentioning Saint John McCain who originated it.

Now that John McCain is continuing this proposal, I predict the pundits of our media will fall into two camps:

1. Those who will love the idea and talk no end what a great idea John McCain has.

2. Those who will hate the idea and declare that John McCain should not have "adopted Hillary's plan" about the gas tax.

In either case the tax holidyay will not happen, but the media (John McCain's "base") can be counted on to spin it in his favor no matter what.

Then why was it such a "bad" idea when it was "Hillary's idea"?

Re: "Your argument seems implicitly based on the notion that rural people are too dumb to figure this all out. I would not be so sure of that."

We will see when the Republican Swift Boaters start circulating the "Obama wants to take your guns away" e-mails and how many rural folks beleive it 100%.

Mr. Lind makes a point early on in his article about Candidate McCain appearing more like an Eisenhauer Republican than a Reagan one.

The key word is "appears". What makes Mr. Lind believe that President McCain will not actually govern any differently that Senator McCain actually voted, 90% of the time? It is the self delusions on the part of pundits and constant Free passes that they give to John McCain that enable him to portray himself as a "Maverick", "Free from Lobbyist influence" and a "Moderate", when all three are blatantly false.

President Bush managed, through "clearing brush" and "being the guy everyone wants to have a beer with" to parlay into almost seven years of non-scrutiny. How many years will John McCain get? Since he has managed to skate through the past few decades essentially unexamined, likely at least six or seven more (enough for two terms in office anyway).

No wonder Candidate McCain refers to the Media Reporters as "His Base".

People will get the point if FoxNews runs the comment, over and over, for the next five months, with pictures of the Iranian hostages juxtaposed with pictures of Barak Obama. Which is something we can pretty well count on them doing.

It will also be helped when Chris Matthews and the other "impartial" pundits chime in with repeats of that theme.

The "low opinion" also speaks to two decades of FoxNews drumming that line into the public awareness, and the "Mainstream" media never once saying a word of disagreement, or even citing any facts.

Re: "Reid needs to go as Majority Leader. We need somebody with some real heart in that position."

I agree completely that he has rolled over and made stonewalling completly painless for Republicans.

However it is not Reid's "heart" that is missing... check a little bit lower if you want to know what he hasn't got, and why he has to go.

It is still early in the general election cycle. I predict that by Labor Day "Liberal" Chris Matthews will be back to declaring that John McCain is the man every American wants to have a beer with.

Is Dan Boren trying to edge out Joe Lieberman for the Zell Miller slot at the Republican National convention this year?

I personally do not believe that Geroge W. Bush regrets a thing.

Every statemetn he ever said, or decision he made, was prepared and cleared by the Rove team to achieve maximum domestical political advantage. And, given our spineless reporting over the past seven years, it was a brilliant political move that worked completely.

Now, Bush is casting himself as the "Great Visionary Who Was Minunderstood". With our craven Pundit Class, "The Man Everyone Want To Have A Beer With" will almost certainly succeed.

What will be necessary is for our "Reporters" to note the ads and forcefully tell their audience that this is nothgin but a lie. We know that FoxNews will never do so, but supposedly or "Mainstream Media" has that responsiblity. Unless they have all joined the Judith Miller Stenography school of journalism and just repeat the talking points of the day. In which case this will work completely.

And count on FoxNews to report on the "controversy" by repeating the charges, over and over again, through November.

Once again the litmus tests of the Religious Right are extended to every person in America. And we know that even "independent" John MCcain will, when it comes time to write all those executive orders, not stand up to the James Dobson's of this country and will, instead, give him everything domestic policy it is in "President" McCain's power to give.

Well, he should be right at home there. As I recall from his confirmation hearings, Justice Thomas is quite the accectionado for Porn as well.

They would make a fine team!

I also do not expect the lead to remain that big.

For one thing, the Republican smear machine has not gotten into high gear yet (waiting to know which one to smear). With FoxNews to publicize every story that comes out, at least soe of the mud will have an effect.

Secondly, John McCain's "Base" has not fully kicked in yet either. The McCains will just host a few more Media Barecues and John will be the guy "everyone wants to have a beer with" as he rolls into the Fall.

I guess now president Bush will have to issue a "Non-Signing Statement" exempting himself from this ruling?

Another Religious Right litmus test. let's see how Independent Mr. McCain really is.