Updated title--this was probably not a push pull as originally titled.

I just got off the phone with a pro Clinton push pollster. As soon as I got the call I knew it was not going to be a legitimate poll—it was from an organization I had never heard of and the questioner did not sound very professional.

My understanding is that Bush returned to MS and LA today. That's fine but now he needs to go to Houston and face the refugees. He must spend hours visiting with these people listening to them and taking any abuse they might want to offer. He must not let the secret service disrupt any ongoing relief efforts. If he makes the visit unannouced then there should be no particular security concerns. He can go in a couple of cars with a small personal security detail. There should be no need to close airspace or stop traffic. The only potential security threat should be the very real threat that some refugees might want to take a swing at him. It is time for his protective bubble to burst. He no longer has the luxury of being afraid of his own people. It is time for him to take what he has coming.

No not that L word. Kerry must make the case that George W. Bush is a liar. An NPR report I heard Monday said that historically Republican's attack character while Democrats attack policy. This is true this year as well. Bush is running on his character. The facts are that his character is sadly lacking and the best point of attack on Bush's character is trustworthiness. Perhaps Kerry cannot use the L word but he can walk right up to it and say "The president has not been truthful," or "When I am president you can count on me to tell the truth." Kerry's surrogates do not need to be so circumspect and must start associating Bush with his lies.

Republicans will react strongly but Democrats must not back down. Republicans do not back down when called on something. A mini firestorm erupts in blogland over Arnold Schwarzenegger saying "girly men" and he goes on to say it on national television at the Republican convention. It is pointed out that both Bush and Cheney have used the word "sensitive" to describe American conduct in war but Cheney goes on to attack Kerry's use of the word in his convention speech.

The American people don't like to be lied to. In the next 5 weeks we must wake them up to Bush's lies.

I think we are all in agreement. John Kerry's position on the war is clear. It was right for the president to have the authority to go to war, that doesn't mean war is necessary, and it in the end Bush screwed it up. Kerry does seem to have trouble getting his position clear in the minds of the moron swing voter. I offer this analogy to him free of charge.

"It's like this: I believe it is right that the police have the authority to carry a gun. This does not mean that I think they should shoot everyone they pull over."

The idea that the terrorists want to influence our elections is a fast-growing meme on the right. They use it as both a scare tactic and an explanation of the worsening situation in Iraq. We need to counter this by making it clear that we should never have allowed the terrorists (or the Iraqi insurgents) to be in a position where they could do anything to influence our elections. The fact that there are terrorists and insurgents in a position to take anti-U.S. action is just proof that Bush has mishandled the war on terrror and the war in Iraq. We need to make this case.

Below is a draft of a letter to the editor of my local paper that I wrote last night. I plan to send it this evening and would appreciate any help. I am particularly interested in any fact-checking help you can give me. Did I get anything wrong? Did I forget something that should be mentioned? The letter is in response to an editorial claiming that Kerry got what he deserved from the Swift boat liar because he emphasized his Vietnam service. I know it is too long. My main task tonight will be to cut several hundred words.

Sometimes I think we forget that Reagan's October surprise came while he was the challenger, not the incumbent. It seems that we are too worried about what the Bushies might do to come up with out own October surprise. I have a couple of suggestions.

Champaign, Illinois radio station WDWS is reporting that Mike Ditka will not be running for Senate. Morning personality and station manager Stevie Jay spoke with Ditka in the last hour and Ditka told him that he had too many other commitments. Ditka is a regular guest of Stevie Jay's during the football season.