Primary Colors Are Showing

All the sniping and bickering that went on in the Democratic debate on Monday reminds me of the movie "Primary Colors".

"The world is getting more and more complicated. Politicians have to explain things to you in simpler terms, so that they can get their little oversimplified explanations on the evening news. And eventually, instead of even trying to explain, they give up and start slinging mud at each other. And it's all to keep you excited, keep you watching, like you watch a... a car wreck or a... wrestling match. That's just what it's like- professional westling. It's staged and it's fake and it doesn't mean anything."

The film is a satirical take on the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign. The story illustrates the use of personal attacks... the war thing, the woman thing and the drug thing are particularly effective.

Looks like Barack Obama is in the cross hairs of a barrage of no holds barred attacks by the Clinton campaign and others. This is the classic "the pot calling the kettle black" since the Clinton campaign is a virtual "parade of sleaze".

However, the Obama campaign is not taking this lying down.

Meanwhile, the swift boaters have returned to the scene. They are backing the prominent republican candidates to the tune of thousands.

Research by The Nation into Federal Election Commission records of the group’s top twenty donors reveals that they’ve been remarkably active in this cycle, contributing and bundling nearly $200,000 to presidential candidates. This does not bode well. During the last presidential campaign, the wealthy backers of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth–now rebranded as Swift Vets and POWs for Truth–didn’t do their real dirty work until the general election, where as a tax-exempt 527 group they operated outside the restraints of direct campaign contributions. We may wish we were done with the Swift Boaters, but they aren’t done with us.

Senator Kerry has accepted the challenge of a Texas oilman named T. Boone Pickens (Whoahh!!) who offered "$1 million to anyone who can disprove even a single charge of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth".

Kerry has thrown his support behind Obama and urged Obama's campaign to fight the lies.