Have a Happy Capitol Fourth!

I'm so glad Fair will get to see the wonderful fireworks show put on in Washington D.C. this year! Hopefully I'll get to a great, if not spectacular show, closer to home. Meanwhile, on the campaign trail - my fave, Howard Kurtz and Media Notes ( at www.washingtonpost.com) has this to say today:

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You may have blinked and missed it, but John McCain has been in Colombia and Mexico the last two days, not that the mainstream media much cares (at least compared to his latest staff shake-up).

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Barack Obama's upcoming trip to Europe and the Middle East will draw 100 times more coverage, and that may prove to be an understatement.
While few will admit it, most journalists just think Obama is a better story, and a story that sells in terms of circulation and ratings. And in a political sense, Obama is also the story. Much of the debate swirls around who he is, what he believes and whether he has what it takes to be president. McCain is a familiar figure who many view as a default choice for the White House, an experienced hand running a not very exciting campaign. Obama is seen as an inspiring figure who still has something to prove, with his race providing an added layer of complexity for his candidacy.

That is why the Great Flip-Flop Debate matters--for both candidates. Obama has changed his position on the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, public financing, government wiretapping and the D.C. gun ban, opening himself up to attacks that he is abandoning his principles (known, more benignly, as moving to the center). McCain has changed his positions on the Bush tax cuts, offshore oil drilling, veterans' educational benefits and other issues.

But Obama seems to be taking the greater battering on the matter, maybe because the GOP is attacking more effectively, or he's the relative newcomer, or, as I said, because he's the story.
Most voters aren't following every twist and turn of the FISA debate. But they want to get a general sense of what a candidate stands for, and whether he bends with the wind. Flip-flopping makes sense sometimes, if you can offer a convincing rationale. But the game seems to be denying that you're doing any such thing and dismissing past explanations as "inartful."
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In my own opinion, Obama may need to polish his rationalization skills a bit more, but he can bend toward the center all he wants. He's not going to bend all the way to being a Bush or McCain on the Iraq war, on Supreme Court justices, the environment, or health care. And he's going to remain more inspiring than anyone out there, by a long shot.

Sorry about your Veep preference, Fair. If Tom Daschle isn't selected for the spot, he'd make a great Chief of Staff - he sure knows his way around Congress and how Washington really works. I guess I don't have a real strong preference myself - I'd like to think, once the selection is announced - great choice, the right choice, the right fit for Obama and the ticket.

As for Detroit? It's gettin beyond dismal, isn't it.