President Bush again sounded insulted that anyone could dare criticize him or ask him a question. Kevin Drum sums it up nicely for me. Really. He does remind me of someone who is a bit… bipolar. And Kerry does need to find a new way to say “I have a plan”. Then again, Mithras could be right in saying that Bush may have won slightly since his strategy seems to be to pursue the ‘dumb’ vote.

Bottom line, even with a better Bush effort, Kerry sounded and looked Presidential, gave substantial answers to questions, and handled the heat nicely, while Bush did not. Like Garret, I gotta wonder about those folks who want to see Bush reelected in the face of so much evidence. As he says, leadership requires effective communication. Something Bush is not capable of.

That’s Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., summarizing the long awaited report intended to be last word on WMDs and Iraq. The report lays bare that Iraq’s last secret factory was destroyed in 1996 by President Clinton. There were no WMDs in Iraq when we attacked. There haven’t been for a long, long time. Meanwhile Iran has tested a strategic missile.

Dick Cheney said he never met John Edwards, so what about this Dick:

“Congressman Wamp, Senator Edwards, friends from across America, and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world: Lynne and I are honored to be with you all this morning.” – Dick Cheney

Judging how well the candidates got their message across I would relunctantly say it was a draw. Too many of Cheney’s lies went unchallenged. As I said to many friends, this one would be close to call. Passion, eloquence, and a integrity versus an insider who has been playing the game a long, long time. Hopefully the truth will be outted and the lies exposed for the public to see.

Thanks to Eschaton for the pic and the details.

Update: The more I think about it, the more I believe that Cheney may have fought last night’s battle to a draw, but in doing so, has lost the war. He’s exposed, for the world to see, his lack of credibility and willingness to lie, in a way that can’t be denied.

More at Political Wire.

The DCCC exposes President Bush’s hypocracy. Bush wanted to influence what Kerry would say or make it sound weak. It backfired. Now, whenever I hear someone using the phrase ‘mixed-messages’, I won’t be able to help think of the person as a Bushite.

Over at Political Wire comes some great news. Register if you haven’t and if you know how someone can, help others do the same. This is not an election that we can afford to be decided by others. And then tell Andy Rooney to bite it.