McCain campaign on McCain:

"There was one man who was presidential tonight, that man was John McCain."

Let's see ... McCain never looked at Obama during the debate.

Not looking at your opponent is "presidential?"

This very much was the "don't talk to your enemies - don't look them in the eye" foreign policy expert practicing his "presidential" craft for a nationwide audience.

McCain campaign continues:

I confess.  I was unhappy when they said, "impeachment is off the table," but I dismissed it as a tactical dispute.  At least we knew there were "no more blank checks" and Congress would starve the beast by exercising the power of the purse.  When they capitulated, I was vexed.

When the AG told Congress he didn't recall any Constitutional guarantee of habeas corpus, I was stunned.   I didn't realize Art. I, Sec. 9 of the Constitution was a figment of my imagination.  At least that explains why no one uses it anymore.  

This week really surprised me, though.  I hear Congress just granted more unchecked powers to Gonzales.  I can't understand how that happened.  It's like no one recalls his testimony.  It was awhile before I figured out the problem: we haven't been supportive enough.

Instead of calling them Vichy Democrats who cower in front of glass-jawed bullies, we should be supporting them.  We've done it before.  We can do it again.  In 2006 we gave them a mandate.  You and I know the majority of America was behind them.  The problem was they didn't feel it.  That's our fault.  We need to show them we're behind them.

Working together, we can solve this ...

Create a powerful and attractive brand by promoting a bold vision.

Let's face it. Most people are not visionaries. Even those with vision are often beaten down by the belief that they lack the resources, power or influence to act on their vision.

Thus, they look to others to provide a vision for them. They look to leaders who can define an actionable set of principles and goals around which they can rally.

A 'vision' is something that gives hope, focus and meaning to people's lives. It gives people a feeling that there is 'something more' to life.

In politics, a well-communicated vision is something that gets people elected. It is something that excites partisans and nonpartisans alike. And it is something that ensures voter turnout.

In recent times, Republicans as a party have been far more successful than Democrats in communicating their vision -- thanks in part to the efforts of three conservative iconoclasts: Barry Goldwater, Irving Kristol and Newt Gingrich.

In particular, Gingrich's vision, "Contract for America" set the stage for a conservative 'revolution' that served as a rallying point for fiscal and social conservatives. This 'branding' of the Republican party has been critical to the party's success in marketing itself as the fiscally disciplined, morally correct, small government, national security guardian of the free world; attributions that have yet to be earned through actions. But that is the power of vision. If properly communicated, it supercedes reality for all who find favor in its promise.

These same branding efforts have somehow evaded the left-leaning political community. That is, perhaps, ...until now, thanks in large part to Howard Dean, Arianna Huffington, and Moveon.org.

The latest rat to jump the sinking ship of Iraq is Congressman Norm Dicks of Washington. He admits that he was mislead and that Bush had doctored intelligence in the leadup to the war with Iraq.

Dicks' reversal comes as the steady drumbeat of revelations continues about the extent of the Bush plan to fix facts around the case for war in Iraq. He is the congressman for Washington's Sixth District, which includes Tacoma.