President-elect Obama and the democratic congress will not get a honeymoon.  The GOP is on the ropes and is already waging attacks against a not yet formed administration.  But its beneficial to know what they intend, which is to criticize basically whoever Obama names to his cabinet.  And they will of course use Fox, CNBC and other conservative talking heads to do their dirty work.  The democrats and their allies must aggressively fight back by 1) calling republicans and their allies out as attempting to undermine the new administration; 2) label republicans as obstructionists and as putting their party above the good of the country; and 3) stand up for not only Obama but his decisions.

The republicans and their media allies need to know that progressives are not about to yield even an inch of our hard earmed ground.

David Brooks was on Charlie Rose predicting the collapse of the GOP into warring tribes.  He scoffed at being called an elitist and claimed the demise of the GOP began when they shut down the government in the 90's.  I completely agree with him that the GOP is beginning to eat its own and I think liberals and democrats should take full advantage.

One way is to woo moderate republicans into the party as Sen. Obama has done, but more aggressively.

But what I really want to attack is the right wing smear machine - Fox, Drudge, WSJ and Washington Times.  I think democrats who go on their shows or write for them should be outcasts.  No elected official should appear on Fox.  And an army of webgeeks need to take Drudge down.  I suspect Limbaugh will smoke and eat himself to death.

I am glad the McCain Hoax was exposed before it could do real damage, but I don't want to let McCain off the hook.  This was not just a crime and a hoax, but a sleazy, racist trick to stir up hatred and votes.  So it should be investigated by the police. I don't believe this woman hit herself it the face so who ever did is an accomplice and perhaps even guilty of assault.

McCain called her and Palin spoke to her family.  The media neds to ask whether McCain discerned any deception in her story and whether her family told Palin the woman had a history of mental illness.  

This is a job uniquely for PA residents.  Call and write your newspapers and tv stations.  Voters deserve the truth.

Here is why the AIP matters.

We know that Sarah Palin risked flying back to Alaska from Texas after her water broke. People joked that she didn't want her child born in Texas. But isn't it more likely she did not want her child born in what she and her husband consider a foreign country, ie, the US. If she believes Alaska is a sovereign country she would indeed have risked both their lives to return to Alaska.

Russia has expressed interest in the Alaska Independence Party. I read that Russians have called Alaska "America's Kosovo." In light of the Russian activities in Georgia where they instigated the secession of Georgian Provinces and then quickly recognized them, isn't it at least suspicious that there may be an attempt to get Alaskans to declare their independence? Russia would then quickly recognize the new nation and sign oil and gas contracts for ANWAR and elsewhere. Yes, we have military bases there, but would be kill our own citizens? I hope our intelligence community is at least watching this situation and it may be why some people are objecting to Palin getting security clearance.

Some thoughts that didn't occurr to our national media.

1.  How is it that McCain blames Obama for high gas prices but gives Bush credit for lowering them?  

2.  CNN and Fox said Obama worked out in Berlin rather than visist troops, implying that he could have taken that time to visit them.  But it apparently did not occur to either channel that Berlin and our airbase are on opposite sides of the country (hundreds of miles apart).    

3.  McCain said he cancelled his trip to the oil rig on Thurdsay because of the weather.  However, I checked the weather report and it was quite a nice day.  But there was an oil spill that is costing a quarter billion dollars a day.      

John McCain appeared on the ABC evening news and at the end of the interview he said something rather surprising.  He said, "Americans  care more what Obama says."  The anchor asked, "Do you really believe that?"  McCain sounded tired, even dejected.

I was truly puzzled by his comment.

Yesterday it was announced that an "arm" of the GOP is going to release attacks ads this weekend against Obama.  The NRA also announced intentions to spend $15 million attacking Obama.  After Obama decided not to use federal funds for his campaign to fight off the coming attack ads, the media said "there is no one out there attacking him."  Well they are now rearing their ugly heads,  giving Obama the proof he needed to justify dropping public finance.

Off topic but just a word about McCain in Colombia.  Clearly Bush knew about the hostage raid.  I think Bush told McCain it was about to happen, hoping those freed hostages would be returning home on McCain's plane.  It didn't quite work out that way, but I think this whole event was timed and staged.  Rebels just gave up?  Please.  Colombia probably had those hostages already freed and sitting in the jungle waiting for McCain.

John McCain's new strategy (I've lost count of them) is to say he always puts his country first, apparently suggesting Obama does not.  Its a rather silly strategy when you think about it because everytime McCain gets a tough question his answer is, "I put my country first, just as I did when I was a POW."  He doesn't add, of course, that to do otherwise would be treason for a soldier.  But be that as it may, its a retort that leaves voters confused.  What does being a POW have to do with mortgage foreclosures or rising gas prices?  Nothing, but McCain does not have an answer so he brings up his service to blunt any attack.

So here is how Obama needs to counter-attack:  Obama needs to proclaim that he puts God first.  And he needs to do it in a way that does not lead to a claim of excess religiosity by stating that every leader needs some moral underpinning.  For some, like Obama, its his faith.  That does not mean it isn't something else for other leaders.  And so Obama will say it is his faith and the tenets thereof that guide his decision-making - honor, respect, honesty, truth, fairness, and toughness when required.  This puts McCain in a bind because he certainly can't condemn Obama for putting God first and it makes his "Country first" line a question of where he puts God.