However, now that John McCain is going for a "Full-Rove-Press" (to mangle a basketball analogy), we can expect a rapid acceleration of smears and personal attacks.

The "Barak is a Muslim" e-mails will now go to two-a-day, instead of one.

John McCain will pledge allegience to the flag at every campaign stop (with his hand over his heart) Prominently displayed on daily network news. (And expect the false picture of Barak Obama during the National Anthem, not the Pledge, used beside it to be everywhere).

It wiil get worse.

What is most evident, to me, about what John McCain has learned is what words are required to be said by Republicans in order to be a Republican Candidate.

In order to be a Republican Candiate, one must say:

The fewer taxes a government collects, the more balanced the federal budget will be.

The Vietnamexe War was on the verge of victory, but Liberals lost it (pick any date).

Weapons of Mass Destruction have been found in Iraq since the US invasion.

Democrats Hate America

God is a Republican.

Unless he publicly states these position, John McCain would not be elligable for the Republican nomination.

That is what John McCain has learned.

Re: "In a devastating global climate of our own making, how will humans survive?"

Has it occurred to anyone that, over the next 75 years, likely they won't?

Whomever Karl Rove and George W. Bush want him to be. John McCain has given over all of whatever used to pass for "independence" to the Bush Administration in return for the Republican Presidential nomination. Just like everything else, the Bushies will not tolerate any independence on this decision either.

Jeb Bush might make a friendly choice... Or one of the next generation of Bush's.

The Republican spinners will have no problem whatsoever "distancing" John McCain from George W. Bush while simultaneously joining him at the hip with President Bush for the Republican base.

All they will have to do is repeat, over and over, that John McCain is a "Loyal American", supports President Bush, and is a "Maverick" time after time, and allow Americans to hear it over and over, until they believe it.

The only way this will not work is if our political reporters actually analyze what John McCain has said and done, and how he has actually backed Geroge W. Bush 95+ percent of the time. And not just be their usual stenographic selves.

And, what are the odds of that happening? (Hint: Think of snowballs and Hell).

I'm certainly glad we elected a Democratic congress in 2006. All my fellow Liberals warned me that, were the Republicans to retain control of Congress:

The Bush Administration would continue without even a token oversight fro Congress.

The war in Iraq would continue, without even the slightest pressure on the president to change course.

Warrentless wiretaps would be legalized by a rubberstamp Congress.

Time and time again I was told, and told others, that, if only we could elect a Democratic Coongress, all these things could be reversed.

Sure am glad I voted for a Democrat!

Fox News does not care one bit whether or not airing off-the-air comments (wonder what Sean annity would say if some of HIS off-air comments were sent out without his permission? Liekly FoxNews would declare it a major crime) influences African American Men (or women).

FoxNews' goal is to smear Barak Obama as much as possible in order to help elect their candidate: John McCain. Nothing else matters to Roger Ailes' network now. Nothing.

Almost every sleezy act that has been perpetrated by the Bush Administration has been done, if only least once, by someone else.

But, up until now, we have not seen an administration that takes every misdeed done at least once by someone else, and turned it into a daily occurrence on their part.

What I can't unederstand is the continued 100% loyalty by Convervatives to George w. Bush, the man. There is not one single act that they will be able to complain about in a future Democratic President that they have not defended in George W. Bush.

How is Bill Kristol going to complain about any "bad deed" on the part of Barak Obama when we will be able to play back tapes of him on FoxNews declaring that it was OK when George W. Bush did it?

Well.... the answer is, of course, that he is absolutely shameless, as are all other Conservatives. And they are counting on a sombnamulent press to give them a Free Pass on it. And, given the Media's past and current performance, that is likely a smart poloitical decision to make.

Sure it was calculated. Senator Obama does not want to be portrayed as "soft on terrorism".

Of course John McCain's claiming credit for a GI bill that he never voted for and politically opposed is even more calculated.

The only difference is that, come October, all of our media reporters will still be talking about Mr. Obama's calculation while "Maverick" McCain will get another free pass from his "base".

It is less a case of who pays for it in terms of salaries. We all "pay for it" when a president subverts 100% of the Federal Government to his personal gain, and a political party (Republicans) makes the protection of the President their sole reason for existence.

Why aren't "Conservatives" who declare their hatred for this sort of thing outraged?

The answer is, of course, that Conservatives worship power. And, in return for unquestioned loyalty and protection of George w. Bush, the person, Conservatives have been showered with personal power and wealth.

All they had to do was have their consciences surgically removed.