] "It is hard to explain," Mr. Durbin said, "how they could
] attack John Kerry for even considering a 50-cent gas tax
] a decade ago which he didn't introduce or vote
] for, and ignore Cheney's own legislation in 1986 also a
] decade ago which would have dramatically raised the
] cost of gasoline. If every vote and every statement made
] by John Kerry is fair game, the same thing is true of
] President Bush and the vice president."

[ Bolded parts are mine. If only there was a way to erase the damage those misleading ads have already done. Is anyone else seriously sick and tired of these pot-meet-kettle incidents? Is there any recourse at all? Seems to me like TV plays too much of a role in politics these days... it amplifies the negative tactics over the positive. No wonder people are disenchanted with the political system... they only ever see the bad shit. Of course, that's because deep down, humans love the spectacle of battle, even (especially?) if they're waged unfairly. So we get sound bites and blips explaining why the other guy sucks, because that resonates better with people.

I don't think it would be a bad thing to completely eliminate message oriented political advertisement. Let candidates get their platform out through speeches and interviews and actual interaction with the citizens they wish to serve. At least there's a chance an interviewer or speech commentator will have done the research to call out these bullshit moments... some of those mystical "journalists" of legend.

Incidentally, I'm not sure it's relevant that Cheney supported a gas tax in 1986... people change their minds all the time... that's a good thing, so if that's the case, fine. It's an issue because these fuckers have used a similarly irrelevant and aged comment to distort what their opponent currently believes. That they should quit that shit is clear, but since they aren't likely to, then they shouldn't get to bitch when the same tactics are turned on them (though they will, loudly protesting the "blatant mischaracterization" and beating their breasts about how they've been wronged by those unethical, elitist, lying (REMEMBER CLINTON! HE LIED ABOUT SEX!) Democrats. -k]