Barack Obama's promise to meet with Iran without preconditions has had some unintended consequences.

Whether you believe Bush really intended to put diplomats into Iran or you believe the entire issue is manufactured to embarrass Obama, it's clear that Obama's refusal to unequivocally retract his offer of a summit without preconditions is a mistake.

Although Obama has tried to spin his offer to bring it into line with the position Clinton took in the debate, a review of the video of Obama's answer to a YouTube question makes it clear that he was looking at a picture of Ahmadinejad as he listened to the question.  He knew exactly which leader of Iran he was being asked about, and he knew that the question was about a Presidential summit meeting without preconditions.

Obama's failure to explicitly admit that he misspoke and his failure to take an unconditional summit with Iran off the table, has allowed the McCain campaign to use our relations with Iran as a political football.  And it has put Joe Biden in the position of having to lie about Obama's record.

Obama needs to put this behind him.

He should assure McCain that he will not meet with Iran at the Presidential level without preconditions and ask McCain to join him in urging President Bush to put direct diplomacy with Iran and an Iranian mission back on the table.

If Obama and McCain can join in a bipartisan effort to bailout the financial system, they can join in a bipartisan effort to avoid a war with Iran.

My daughter's elementary school held Student Council elections yesterday.  She ran for Third Grade Representative.

One boy and one girl represent each class.  Her friend Rick had a lock on the boy rep slot.  He was the only boy in the race.

My daughter was facing real competition.  The classroom is divided into four tables, and three of them had a female candidate.  Every candidate got to put up two posters for one day and to make a three-minute speech. 

My daughter and my wife worked on her campaign strategy while I worked on what I would say when I picked her up from school yesterday.  Something like "congratulations" or maybe "Well, now you know how Hillary felt."

Driving my candidate to school yesterday morning, I was cautiously optimistic.  She has been watching politicians perform since she was a kid for Kerry in 2004.  She knows the ropes.

She cut a deal with Rick for his vote and went after the table without a candidate.  She rehearsed her campaign speech.  I got to play the part of one of her friends.  She promised to listen to me.

When she got out of the car yesterday morning, I was feeling pretty good.  One of her signs used a slogan I suggested.  "You'll Be Glad You Did." 

And she was wearing her Hannah Montana T-shirt.

John McCain and Sarah Palin have one arrow left in their quiver.  I wonder if Palin will use it tonight.

American voters are often reluctant to turn over too much power to one political party.  The preferred situation is a Congress or President checked by the opposing Party, either a Democratic President balanced by a Republican Congress or vice versa.

Karl Rove has been floating the idea that voters may not be willing to elect Obama if they believe he will rubber stamp the agenda of the Democratic Congress.

With McCain down in the polls, it will be interesting to see if Sarah Palin attacks the Democratic Congress tonight, signalling a shift in the McCain campaign strategy from running against Obama to running against the Democratic majority in the Congress.

Since Obama and Biden are both members of that majority, the Republicans may be able to mount an attack on them and on the Congress at the same time tonight.

If the strategy is changing, expect attacks on Reid and Pelosi over the war and the financial crisis tonight.

Michigan Obamanauts are seeking two Naderites in Colorado or Virginia.  If you will cast your votes for Obama, we'll vote for Nader in Michigan.

No cheating please.

With Michigan sewed up again, we can afford to vote for Nader now, if you'll vote for Obama.

Nader will get the same popular vote total, and Obama may pick up some red state electoral votes.