Boy, the desperation in here is getting thick!

Democrats are outraged by the effectiveness of the Swift Boat ads, and they see Bush's hand in it. There is no evidence to support that claim, but when did honesty ever matter in campaigns? Now they and their allies in Old Media are vowing to get as down and dirty as the Republicans allegedly have been. The problem with that is that Kerry's campaign is in trouble not because of what others have said about him but because of what he is. The campaign has assigned a new minder to go on the plane to exercise candidate control, keeping Kerry on message and trying to get him to quit waffling.

I think it's too late for that. We've seen Bush in action as Commander in Chief, and I don't think anybody really cares about his National Guard service. Why the Democrats think that attacking him on that will help them. It was 30+ years ago! We know he was an irresponsible youth and that his life and his heart have changed. That's why Kerry's decision to make his time on the Swift Boat in Vietnam such a centerpiece of his campaign was so puzzling. It begs the question of what he's done since then, and when you answer that question, it's not impressive.

The media and the Democrats have already taken potshots at Bush's NG service, and dragging it out again now reeks of desperation and mudslinging. They can excuse this by pointing to the Swift Boat Vets, but they haven't been able to show that the Bush Campaign is behind it. Bush has denounced the ads and called for all 527 organizations to quit running attack ads, but democrat groups are outspending the Swift Boat vets many times over, so who is being hypocritical when they argue that anti-Kerry groups shut up but that anti-Bush groups are protected by freedom of speech?

The people finally had a chance to hear the Republican reply to all the months of denunciation and spin by the left, and to evaluate it. I don't think too many are going to get back on the fence.