No Bush Bashing—Why?

Just watched Dem convention chairman Bill Richardson lie through his teeth to Fox News. At least I think so, or else Richardson is a crypto-'publican, gone deep undercover to re-elect George Bush.

Richardson cannot be serious that Democrats intend to build up John Kerry and not tear down Bush. They cannot possibly plan to spend entire days talking about John Kerry's war record. Kerry has already spent $150 million talking about his war record. I'm pretty sure zygotes and salamanders know about the "swift boat" and the Purple Hearts by now, although there is some confusion about the Bronze and Silver Stars among protozoa.

The Kerry brain-trust cannot truly think their task is to convince "swing voters" that Kerry can be commander-in-chief. He has been in the frickin' Senate for decades. What do these "swing voters" need, a recommendation letter from Yankee Doodle, co-signed by Jesus Christ?

Besides, there are precious few swing votes out there; fully 80 percent of electorate says they've made up their minds. Where are all the voters who are going to watch a Kerry love-fest and say, "Oh, he is nice. I'll vote for him!"

The Democrats just cannot expect, as Richardson claimed, a mild Kerry bump coming out of the convention, not with the GOP on deck with a NYC panegyric for 9/11 culminating in the A Vote for Kerry is a Vote for Terror extravaganza. And then Bush can cut loose with his TV ads from Labor Day to election eve. Insert epic Kerry flop comparison here.

No, I gotta believe the Democrats are going to be selective and precise in their anti-Bush rhetoric, but still vicious. More like an ice pick than an axe handle. The Dem goal is to leave the Bush campaign wounded and in a ditch, all denials be damned.