The General Election

Hillary is still talking about battling all the way to the White House, but that rhetoric is about as serious and sensible as the "right wing conspiracy" claims that she's posited for years. The truth is, both Obama and McCain are now gearing up for the five month push to November and that means new battle plans for both.

In a sign of what could be an extremely unusual fall campaign, the two sides said Saturday that they would be open to holding joint forums or unmoderated debates across the country in front of voters through the summer. Mr. Obama, campaigning in Oregon, said that the proposal, floated by Mr. McCain’s advisers, was “a great idea.”

I wonder if they can keep it civil?

Even before Mr. Obama fully wraps up the Democratic presidential nomination, he and Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, are starting to assemble teams in the key battlegrounds, develop negative advertising and engage each other in earnest on the issues and a combustible mix of other topics, including age and patriotism. Hey it's over, Rasmussen says so! :-)

Age and patriotism? Hmm. Maybe somewhat civil?

Mr. McCain, of Arizona, will spend the next week delivering a series of speeches on global warming, evidence of his intention to battle Mr. Obama for independent voters, a group the two men have laid claim to. Those voters tend to recoil from hard-edged partisan politics, and presumably would be receptive to the kind of bipartisan forum that Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama seemed open to on Saturday.

While global warming is an important issue, it's certianly not in my top 5 critical issues.

Clearly concerned that questions about such things as his association with his former pastor had damaged his standing with independents, Mr. Obama, of Illinois, is likely to embark on a summertime tour intended to highlight the life story that was once central to his appeal. Preliminary plans include a stop in Hawaii, his birthplace, and a major address there at Punchbowl Cemetery, where his maternal grandfather, who fought in World War II, is buried.

At least it's refreshing to not have Hillary in the mix any more- running for president that is.

And maybe we can get Bubba off the front page as well. He deserves some time of. Take a decade! :-)