Mike Schaffer puzzles at the lack of attacks on Republican corruption heard at the convention. How about the total absence, thus far, of any sustained narrative about John McCain? He's been criticized for his positions, and ridiculed a bit for not knowing how many homes he owns. But there's been no attempt to take a measure of the man -- except, perhaps, Hillary Clinton's praise for his character and war record.
There is an easy story to tell about McCain that has the benefit of being completely true: Here is a man who lost his soul to attain power. He once declared his party to be the corrupt handmaiden of powerful interests, but has abandoned virtually all his dissenting stances. He seems to be willing to do or say anything to get himself elected, wildly distorting his opponents' statements on a near-daily basis. This has largely failed to penetrate the media narrative about McCain. Tom Brokaw recently said that McCain won his primary by being "the most authentic ... he wasn't trying to reinvent himself."
There are a lot of voters out there who think John McCain is the same guy, with the same basic beliefs, he was five years ago. Democrats ought to disabuse them of this misconception.
--Jonathan Chait