Since the Democratic campaign has, inevitably, descended into a dreary verbal assault by the two campaigns, jazzed up by a bleary media's sporadic attention to unlucky hanger-ons who have gotten hung up on a phrase or two, it behooves we rational blog-friendly folks to list the Clinton assertions that seem to need some real vetting, because after all we want the election to be based on facts and reasonable discourse.

I will let someone else do the same for Obama's assertions.

Here goes:

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Are now two sides of the same counterfeit coin of bad political analysis, constant spin for their favorites (McCain and Clinton), faux analysis, and poor advice for voters and candidates. Just my view.

If we could all just for a second avert our gaze from the never-ending election, it does appear that our government has so far failed to calm the financial markets. In fact, it appears that the government is not even thinking of acting with the scale and scope necessary to bring order to the business of lending and borrowing and investing and saving.

It should be no surprise to discover that our current government is not up to the task of managing complex events, sad and alarming as that may be.

And Hoover wasn't up to the job of dealing with 1929.

1. Michigan and Florida are going to have delegates sitted in convention and voting. Somehow that is going to happen.
2. Obama will be able to run a much broader campaign than Clinton in the fall; he really is the instigator of the 50-state future for the D's; she is the do-over of Gore and Kerry.
3. The battle for the Democratic nomination is the most drawn-out, vigorous, compelling story of a nomination in the history of America. Anybody who thinks this is bad for America or Democrats is missing the big picture. It is however a enormous test of composure, character, and resolve for the two candidates. I admire both of them for their sheer ability to soldier on with courage, wisdom, and even wit and good cheer.
4. If either of the two candidates wins all or virtually all of the remaining voting, on a state by state basis, he or she will get nominated. But if the battle swings back and forth, then see point one above.
5. Obama won Iowa; Clinton NH; Superduper Tuesday was a draw; the next stretch went to Obama; last round to Clinton --- this in the finals at Wimbledon; this is one of the really great Super Bowls; this is the Lakers and the Celtics in the 80s. If you love contests, if you love life, you gotta love this. The candidate who loves it the most will probably win.
6. There are no dirty tricks at this stage; in other words, fight fiercely folks.

Obama aides stressed that the campaign will not be drawn into a fight for Pennsylvania on Clinton's terms: an expensive, all-out battle focused on her. Instead, the campaign's main target will be McCain -- a point underscored by Obama when he declared himself "ready to start a great debate about the future of the country with a man who loves his country and served it bravely."

Maybe such aides don't want that "battle focused on her" but that's the battle they must fight.

It's understandable that every Democrat wants to engage with McCain. But the nomination turns on whether Clinton continues to build the momentum she captured in the last few days. She did it by attack -- allegations of unpreparedness for crises and doubletalk on Nafta. These allegations foreshadow what McCain and his cohorts will do this fall, so meeting them now is a useful and necessary test for Obama.

Even more important, going on the offense against Clinton is not only Obama's only way to win the nomination, it also is the only way for either Democrat to win this fall.