There isn't an Open Thread on here (yet), so I thought I'd start something.

It's really pathetic to watch Dennis Kucinich deliver one of the most passionate speeches we've seen thus far, an insanely entertaining and strong speech. And the news orgs keep jabbering away about the same old crap.

Now, thanks to CNN, you can watch the goings-on at Joe Biden's and Evan Bayh's house. Well, you can watch actual people doing stuff at Joe Biden's house and watch Evan Bayh's garage door. Just like their residents, Biden's more interesting than Bayh.

One thing that a number of us have been upset at the Obama campaign about has been an inability or unwillingness to go negative when the situation would merit it. But the truth is, Obama's camp HAS gone negative on a number of occasions. Including multiple times when it was very satisfying. And yet it never seems to last. For whatever reason, the strategy of the Obama campaign has rang hollow for most of us.

And I might know why. Obama needs to follow the example of Elizabeth Edwards and confront the liars directly.

While I was driving for about eight hours today and hearing more about the awful Georgia/Russia situation and hearing John McCain's super-hawkish reaction to the whole thing, it made me realize that the time may be right for an ultimate October ad that would radically define something very scary about a John McCain presidency.

I'm sure we almost all know about the very first negative campaign ad, one that was supremely effective for Lyndon Johnson:

While the public is by no means eager to drop the ball on national security, it may be perhaps the time to remind everyone what exactly pugnacity and braggadocio can ultimately deliver. McCain's angry, volatile stance towards Russia can mean a renewed Cold War. Granted, it wouldn't take much pushing for Russia to welcome such tactics, but McCain has already made himself a great enemy of Vladimir Putin and would not necessarily have an international community behind him.

I think it is well worth considering this kind of tactic. Obama has been very steadfastly mentioning the importance of nuclear disarmament. This could drive home that point. We want to be safe, that is certain. But so far our war has been "over there". If Russia has good reason to attack us, it could come "over here" in a heartbeat. War can only keep us safe when it isn't happening here. That hasn't happened since Pearl Harbor (I refuse to call 9/11 anything but a criminal act). Let's remind people of that fact.

From Ben Smith @ Politico:

Also in Berea, Obama (defended his remark about inflating tires, a first response to the favorite Republican attack of the moment, which he'd ignored for a few days as the GOP mailed gas gauges to reporters. (One apparently reached my home in Brooklyn today, producing some puzzlement.)

"They're lying about what my energy plan is," he says. And "they're making fun of a step that every expert says would reduce our oil consumption by 3 to 4 percent. It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant."

THIS is possibly one of the most cutting remarks I've seen this cycle. Obama still appears to be the grownup, because compared to McCain's inane "celebrity" meme, this is far more civil and appropriate. It's also much, much more incisive. My only regret is that most of the people Obama will send out to defend this remark aren't as silver-tongued.

Ben Smith today wrote:

With all the usual caveats -- this was a single polling call, reported by a single source -- a Democratic activist in eastern Iowa I know fairly well got an interesting call last night.

He e-mails:

    I got polled today about my views as "An Iowa Democratic Activist." on Joe Biden ... They asked:

   Did I have a positive or negative view of Biden?

   Does he have the expereince to be VP?

   Would he make you more or less likely to vote for the "Democratic Ticket"? weird word choice.

He didn't catch the name of the pollster. Anybody else getting calls like that?

I don't put too much stock in that, but I'd like to think it's true, because Obama could use Joe Biden. We all keep talking about Obama not attacking, well, Joe Biden could attack and get away with it. He's a senior senator to McCain, has far more reformer status under his belt, and the only reason he isn't the nominee is that he's got a bit of a big mouth. Perfect.

Edwards. Clinton. Biden. Those were my choices. SLIGHTLY warming to Sebelius, but only if (as seems likely) Clinton is totally out.

This is pretty awful to do and some news we really shouldn't have. A student took Obama's note from the Wailing Wall in Israel and gave it to a paper, who then published it. That's really an invasion of privacy and borderline sacrilegious, but regardless, the note is kinda nice. I wonder if THIS will ever hit a viral email:

Lord -- Protect my family and me,' the Democratic presidential candidate wrote in the note published in the Maariv daily. 'Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will.

I know there are a lot of people on here who don't like a President who cares about religion, but speaking as someone who was a devout Baptist for the first 15 years of their life and a hopeless cynic ever since, that made me smile.

From AP:

Republican John McCain on Wednesday credited the recent $10-a-barrel drop in the price of oil to President Bush's lifting of a presidential ban on offshore drilling, an action he has been advocating in his presidential campaign.

The cost of oil and gasoline is "on everybody's mind in this room," McCain told a town-hall meeting.

He criticized Democratic rival Barack Obama for opposing drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Bush recently lifted the executive order banning offshore drilling that his father put in place in 1990. He also asked Congress to lift its own moratorium on oil exploration on the outer continental shelf which includes coastal waters as close as three miles from shore.

"The price of oil dropped $10 a barrel," said McCain, who argued that the psychology of lifting the ban has affected world markets.

Y'know, I'm starting to think McCain believes this crap. Smooth move, too, because if oil prices rise before the election, which is entirely possible, if not probable, then his whole argument about drilling is pretty much moot.

But then again, maybe this is something else. Bush gives his speech and lifts the ban on offshore drilling at the same time as Bernanke delivers a message that the economy is heading down the turlet. The oil price drops because of Bernanke's sobering statements and other fairly positive news, all of which cause oil buyers to sell some of their positions and lock in profits.  Not even FOX Business News gave Bush credit, even though it mentioned him lifting the ban. But now McCain gives credit to Bush for circumstance, and perhaps that was the idea all along.

McCain either thinks we're all stupid or he's pretty stupid about how things work, and I'd be willing to bet it's a bit of both. Can't wait till Obama gets home and can give these two the verbal hammering they need.