A recommendation for those still undecided about the flag pin issue.

SEE! It is important.

Mike Lux has a very fine post at Open Left about the necessity for Democrats to begin the process of defining John McCain.

This is an absolutely critical period of time in the Presidential - the spring of a Presidential election year, when a nominee is already picked, is always the moment when the dynamics of voters feelings about the candidate get defined, and the frame of the race is cast in - if not in stone, then a highly solid metal. We need to pound away at McCain's vulnerabilities, and he has many.

If we are to end the era of torture, unnecessary war, abrogation of the 4th Amendment, rampant disregard for basic constitutional oversight responsibilities, and an Imperial Presidency, it is imperative that the grassroots take the bull by the horns to begin defining McCain as he is, and not allow the established media elites to continue to publicly fellate him, thereby reaffirming the false notion that he is a centrist. Anyone who believes McCain is a centrist please leave your contact information in the comments -- some well meaning Nigerian diplomats want to make you rich.

The likely Republican presidential nominee is much more conservative than voters appear to realize. McCain leans to the right on issue after issue, not just on the Iraq war but also on abortion, gay rights, gun control and other issues that matter to his party's social conservatives.

A coordinated effort from the blogosphere, diarists at your favorite blogs, and other grassroots organizations will be required in order for the real McCain portrait to make it into the mainstream perception.

"People see him as a centrist. They don't see him as a conservative," said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

"In fact, they put him pretty close to themselves, in terms of ideology, and put President Bush way to the right of themselves," Kohut said.

In a national Pew survey earlier this year, voters placed McCain in the middle, where they placed themselves, when asked to judge the ideology of Bush and the presidential candidates. They placed Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama far to the left.

McCain strays from the conservative farm infrequently, but enough to convince a large number of Independents  that he's a centrist. Bullshit!

This is the real John McCain:

1. 100 more years in Iraq

2. Anti-choice

3. Opposes  marriage equality (He actively supported efforts in Arizona to deny marriage equality for all Arizonans.)

4. Arch-conservative and former Senator Phil Gramm is part of his economic policy group.

5. Supports making permanent the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% of Americans

With every sign pointing toward a Democratic victory for the White House and expanding control over the Congress now is the time to shape the narrative for the General Election.

Spread the word. McCombover ain't no stinkin' centrist. He's a conservative true believer. Had enough?

I've spent the last few days quite humored by the Massively Huge Kerfluffle that will forever be know as Bittergate. My one hope is that Barack doesn't become Mr. Bitterness. But he doesn't strike me as the type to sweat the small shit. He's an effective counterpuncher and the Clinton boondoogle continues to staggers around pretending that Hillary is one of us. Ha! She's in the Realty Business.  (You really do have to see the video to truly appreciate The Realty Business. Quite touching actually.)

While the Clinton campaign was proclaiming victimhood for rural voters in Pennsylvania the campaign took its eye off the ball. Again. Senator Clinton's campaign  marred by moves so stupid it made MY HAIR hurt, shot itself in the foot again.

Sir Elton John’s recent performance at a fund-raising event for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has drawn a formal complaint from Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group.

Mr. John, a foreign national, cannot under federal law make any contribution to a federal, state or local election campaign. The group, in a letter from its president, Tom Fitton, described Mr. John’s appearance at the fund-raiser as an “in-kind contribution from a foreign national.”

She has two problem as a result of this fundraiser. First, Elton John, as a foreign national cannot donate to a campaign. Second, he must be compensated at the going market value for his services. Any guesses on how much Sir Elton gets paid for a performance?

Had she taken more target practice with that six shooter Dear Ol' Dad taught wee little Hillary to shoot behind grandads cabin, Senator Clinton might have hit something other than her foot. Clinton probably told the truth about the duck hunting experience. Fortunately, no ducks were injured in the making of that laughable episode of  Annie "the Tuzla Tigress" Oakley" so it won't be necessary to call PETA.

Jesus "3 in the Morning Phone Call" Christ! Ready on day one? Crossed the threshold? Senator Clinton and her buddy John McCain can't quite get that Campaign Finance stuff right. I guess they have more in common than we thought.  They've both crossed the Fundraising threshold.