Worst of all, Americans love it. The more John McCain slimes, the better his chances of becomming president.

Of course, if Barak Obama says anything negative, it will indicate what a terrible person he is and why he should not be elected. In the case of John McCain, it indicates how much he Loves America.

It might help if the media reported on how much Republicans smear (and lie) about Democrats. But that would cost them their next infvitation to a McCain Family Barbecue.

There is one major difference.

Jimmy Carter was (is) an ethical and moral human being. There wer some actions and statements that he would not make, as a matter of personal morality.

John McCain and the 2008 Republicans have no such encumberances. There is absolutely nothing they will not do or say for power (and the money that comes with power). And this time they have a media that absolutely refuses to go beyond the sound bite and spin that is supplied to them by the White House.

That will make a huge difference, no matter what the American People really want, or need.

The discussion spoke of challenges facing the John McCain candidacy.

Actually there are none. John McCain can count on a fawningly favorable press. Had Barak Obama made the string of verbal blunders that Senator McCain has, his candidacy would be over.

However Senator McCain can even forget how many homes are in his household and still receive the automatic media Free Pass.

In return for all those McCain family barbecuse, the Press Corps is going to deliver a President McCain to America. And ther is nothing anyone can do to stop it.

Had Barak Obama made this sort of blunder, the Democrats might as well as cancelled their convention since the race would be over.

However we are talking about John McCain and his Base here. So FoxNews will ignore it, and the rest of the media has already stopped mentioning it, and will never bring it up again, ever.

The Media wants John McCain to be president: In return for all those free barbecues. Some time in 2015, as President McCain's second term is winding down, and the war in Iran has gone completely south (Afghanistan having fallen to theTaliban and Iraq being just another province of Iran), the media will begin the "How were we so fooled, AGAIN?" stories.

Just in time for one of the Bush Children (Jenna?) to become the next president, with the media swooning all over her.

The problem is that every pat embarrasment of Democrats will be brought up by the rightwing press, and repeated endlessly by the general media. Meanwhile anything from the Republican's past will be dismissed by the mainstream media as "no news" and burried, if it even reported at all.

Which is exactly what we are seeing regarding John McCain's memory of how many homes he owns.

John McCain's Base will come through for him yet.

Re: "I am a Democrat who, like Conason, has adopted the perspective of our candidates, minimizing problems and arguing for their manifest superiority. Not this time."

If you are willing to go back thirty years or so, does how John McCain treated his first wife count? Or does he get that automatic "Free Pass" from "Democrats" such as yourself?

FoxNews is going to (re) run this ad for weeks... Just in the interest of "news", of course.

Re: "Can you people look at any situation without filtering it through a political lens? Why isn't he helping his brother. I mean, ten dollars a month would make a huge difference for George."

Not punched. Just reminded that this is an "issue" that you are apparently only willing to use against Democrats. Other than that, how is life onthe Rove "daily talking points" team.

It appears that everyone in the Democratic Party is willing to throw this election away in the hopes of "winning" the next one for their candidate: and the "Perfect Party".

Meanwhile the Republicans, in lockstep unity 100% of the time, taking all their orders from Karl Rove, continue to run our government (into the ground).

This is the kind of "purity at all costs" that gave us Ralph Nader (who gave us George W. Bush).

Perhaps it is time for Demcorats to start thinking of the courntry over their candidate. We know that no Republican will ever do that ("Party Uber Alles" is the Republican motto). But I had hoped for more from the Demcorats.

If Barak Obama loses in 2008, I guarantee that Hillary will lose to John McCain's re-election bid in 2012. And whomever is left will have no chance whatsoever against whichever member of the Bush clan is selected to run in 2016.

I backed Hillary Clinton to the hilt. And I am prepared to do the same for Barak Obama. It is time to stop listenting to the Republican "PUMA" plants who supply the grist stories for FoxNewss reports, and John McCain's Base in the media who repeat them. Either we win this one, or Karl Rove achieves his Permanent Republican majority. It is as clear as that.

Nancy Pelosi (and Harry Ried) certainly deserve to be excoriated for their feckless Congressional leadership, resulting in George W. Bush only getting 99.9% of his demands from Congress.

Unfortunately the most likely result will be President John McCain, who will get 100% of HIS demands from a Republican Congress.

Re: "Why do you think that it is wrong for Democrats to criticise their representatives? In order to protect freedom of speech does it make sense to prentend that we don't have freesom of speech?

I am not part of Code Pink, but Pelosi deserved to be publicly held accountable."

You are absolutely correct.

But so was I.