#OccupyWallStreet Quote of the Day

From former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani:

"I believe that Barack Obama owns the Occupy Wall Street movement," Rudy Giuliani said at the Defending the American Dream Summit. "It would not have happened, it would not have happened but for his class warfare. And remember, as it gets worse and worse because it's going to get worse and worse, where it came from. Barack Obama. He praised it. He supported it. He agrees with it. He sympathizes with it. And as it gets worse and worse, I believe this will be the millstone around Barack Obama's neck that will take his presidency down."

"How about you occupy a job. How about working? Working. I know that's tough," Giuliani also said.

One thing Rudy did during his time in office was clean the riff-raff off the street and make the city a better place to live and work. There's no way #OccupyWallStreet would have lasted more than a couple of days while he was in the Mayor's office.

I bet Rudy's wishing he'd gotten into the GOP nomination race this time. He could easily be the frontrunner right now.

The George W. Bush 9/11 Interview

You might want to set your TiVo's for this one - the George W. Bush 9/11 Interview which airs on National Geographic Channel on Sunday night, August 28, 10pm.  It's part of a "Remembering 9/11" series that NatGeo will be running all next week.  My TiVo will be busy.

On the 29th they'll be running a show about Rudy Giuliani's 9/11 experience.  I think I've seen that one before but it's very interesting.

Political Graphic of the Day

Five Thirty Eight, a NY Times Political blog, takes a look at the GOP field:

If I were doing the diagram I think I'd move Perry's marker to the left and down a bit from Pawlenty's.  I think Perry is much more electable than 538 thinks.

You can read the whole analysis here.

Rick Perry's Powerful Ally - Rudy Giuliani

I don't think Rudy Giuliani will enter the presidential race even though a recent poll showed him beating Obama.  However, he may still play a key role in the campaign by helping his buddy Rick Perry:

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani continues to mull the possibility of a 2012 presidential bid, but his true power in the race may come if he decides against running and instead throws his support to Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

The two men are good friends, and Perry was the only Republican governor in the country to endorse Giuliani’s presidential campaign in 2008. Payback could benefit Perry on a number of fronts – most notably fundraising – and would likely strengthen his status as a top-tier candidate if he decides to run.

“Rudy would be an awesome asset to any campaign,” said Perry’s longtime political svengali Dave Carney. “Of course candidates matter to voters, but folks of the mayor’s stature bring lot of value added to any effort.”

Rudy's run in 2008 centered around Florida where he thought he could win thanks to all the ex-patriot New Yorkers. Didn't happen and Rudy ended up spending something like $49 million to win one delegate. I don't think he'll make another run, but he could be an attractive choice for a key cabinet position in a Perry administration.

Another Rudy Run?

Bill Kristol thinks Rudy Giuliani is going to get in the presidential contest:

I'm told by two reliable sources that Rudy Giuliani intends to run for the GOP nomination for president in 2012. He may throw his hat in the ring soon.

Rudy's theory of the race: In the fall of 2007, he decided he couldn't compete with both Mitt Romney and John McCain in New Hampshire, and disastrously decided to try to pull back there and pitch his tent in Florida. This year, he'll commit everything to New Hampshire, where he thinks he has a good shot at beating Romney—whom he criticized there earlier this week. He then thinks he can beat whichever more socially conservative candidate(s) is left by winning what are still likely to be winner-take-all primaries in big states like California, New York, and New Jersey.

Rudy's message: I'm tough enough to put our fiscal house in order and to protect us from enemies abroad. The U.S. in 2012 is in bad shape—like New York in 1993. The budget crisis is as severe—and seemingly intractable—as the crime/welfare crisis was in New York then. Rudy dealt with that when people said it couldn't be done. He'll deal with this.

Isn't his abysmal 2008 campaign a disqualifier? Rudy's answer: Consider the New York parallel. Rudy lost to David Dinkins in 1989, making several unforced errors and running without a focused message. In 1993, as the streets of New York plunged into crisis, Rudy ran a disciplined campaign pledging to turn the city around. He won, and in a disciplined first term, he governed successfully.

It seems implausible that Rudy Giuliani could win the nomination. But it's an implausible year.

I was a fan of Rudy's in 2008 (or at least as long as he lasted) after Fred Thompson backed out. At this point, should Rudy get in he'd probably be my favorite. If Rick Perry gets in I may have to rethink that.

Anyone who watched what Rudy did in New York City both before and after 9/11 has to be impressed with his leadership skills. Yes, he's not a social conservative, but many of the issues important to social conservatives are things the president can do nothing about (gay marriage, abortion, etc.). We need a leader to restore not just the respect, but the fear the bad guys in the world used to have for America. We also need someone who can clean up the budget mess.

Just looking at one small part of New York City, when Rudy became Mayor Times Square was a festering pit of porn shops and other seedy activities. It was a scary place to be. Rudy cleaned up the area and now it's one of the safest and most tourist-friendly areas of the city (I was there four years ago and had absolutely no fear in walking around the area at 11pm on a Saturday night). He went after the small problems and in so doing cleaned up the big ones as a result.  I think he could be an attractive alternate to the GOP field in play so far.

Rudy Giuliani, Tea Party Patriot?

At least that's what he sounds like as he's apparently gearing up for another campaign:

Rudy Giuliani returned to the Granite State Friday night, acknowledging his poor performance here in the 2008 GOP primary in a speech that lambasted President Obama, jabbed Mitt Romney’s health plan and praised the tea party.

The former New York City mayor gave little hint of his own plans, but seemed relaxed during a showy speech at the Manchester GOP Lincoln Reagan Dinner that was laced with jokes and hand gestures as he skewered Obama as a “failure” and ended with the declaration, “Hillary Clinton would have been better.”

It was his first trip to New Hampshire of the 2012 cycle, and the first since he made clear he’s contemplating another run for president — one that would offer redemption for his dismal fourth-place finish in the first-in-the-nation primary last time.

Giuliani lauded the tea party movement extensively, saying it is about preserving the “freedoms” of the country.

“My view of the tea party is the tea party is one of the best things that’s happened to American democracy in a very, very long time,” he said. “People in the tea party, like me, believe that our freedom is being taken away.”

He mocked Obama’s background as a community organizer, saying it is the wrong kind of experience for a president, adding, “It’s worse than we thought, isn’t it? He really seems like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. “

Last time he ran he spent something like $17 million to win one delegate. He's got some work to do.

I have to say, though, as I look at the current GOP field we could do a lot worse than Rudy.  He's far from perfect on the social issues, but I don't think those are going to have as much impact in 2012 as they may have in 2008.

Giuliani Might Run Again...if Palin Does

Amazing how much of the political world seems to spin around Sarah Palin these days:

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said he's more likely to run for president if former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin runs.

In an interview on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight," Giuliani, who dropped out of the 2008 Republican presidential primary, said running against Palin for the 2012 GOP nomination would show him as a moderate Republican.

"The more Republicans in which I can show a contrast, probably the better chance, the better chance that I have," Giuliani told CNN's Piers Morgan in an interview set to air at 9 pm. ET Monday. Portions of the interview will air Friday (tonight) on CNN's "John King, USA" at 7 p.m. ET.

But if he does run, Giuliani says he would concentrate on winning Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, sites of the first presidential nominating contests. In 2008 Giuliani focused his resources in Florida, a strategy that that led to the demise of his run after he finished third in the state's primary.

Rudy tried to run as a moderate contrast to various other candidates in 2008 and went nowhere. Moderates don't generally determine the winners of primary elections.

I like Rudy and would have preferred him over many of the other candidates in 2008, and frankly many of the  candidates being named for 2012.  I just don't think trying to position himself as a moderate alternative will be a winning strategy.

Political Video of the Day

Rudy Giuliani, former NYC mayor, is asked about the Ground Zero Mosque:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I'm beginning to smell a rat in this whole thing. Activists in other areas of political life have often raised a ruckus about something, be it racism or whatever, to gain public attention in the hopes that some weak-kneed politician would make them a sweetheart deal to go away. Perhaps the real plan is to build an Islamic center, but not in that location. Instead, build it with your tax money somewhere less controversial a few blocks away. It wouldn't be the first time something like that was tried.

Rudy for Senate?

Rudy Giuliani has decided against a run for governor of New York (probably because the state is such a disaster it will swallow anyone who tries to run it), and hasn't announced other plans yet, but surveys indicate he could be a scary candidate for Dems if he ran for Senate:

Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand may have a serious problem on her hands if Rudy Giuliani gets in next year’s race for the U.S. Senate in New York State.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state finds Giuliani, the former Republican mayor of New York City, leading Gillibrand by 13 points – 53% to 40%. Four percent (4%) like some other candidate, and just two percent (2%) are undecided.

News reports that Giuliani has ruled out a run for governor next year and is interested In the Senate race could turn Gillibrand’s bid to fill out the rest of Hillary Clinton’s term from a close struggle to an uphill climb.

I'm not sure he wants the job, but wouldn't it be nice to have a GOP Senator in New York State again?

Rudy Rips Obama and Holder

Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had a front row seat for the 9/11 attacks in New York, doesn't think much of the decision to bring the 9/11 mastermind to New York City for a criminal trial:

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani accused the Obama administration of "repeating the mistake of history" by bringing the self-proclaimed mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks and his accomplices to New York for a civilian trial, saying the administration has definitively reverted to a "pre-9/11 approach."

The mayor who oversaw rescue and recovery efforts in the wake of the attacks on lower Manhattan told "Fox News Sunday" the president is only granting the "wish" of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad at the expense of the American people and that the conspirators should be tried in a military tribunal.

He questioned why the administration would use the tribunals for other suspects but not the Sept. 11 conspirators.

"What the Obama administration is telling us loud and clear is that both in substance and reality, the War on Terror from their point of view is over," Giuliani said. "(Mohammad) should be tried in a military tribunal. He is a war criminal. This is an act of war."

The Obama administration's decision Friday to bring the alleged conspirators to New York has triggered a backlash from those who say a civilian trial affords the defendants rights they do not deserve, treats them as ordinary criminals and could be used as a platform to spew anti-American rhetoric as well as critique the actions of the Bush administration.

Giuliani said the biggest problem is that the United States is treating terrorists as it did after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which was followed by a string of other terrorist attacks on Americans overseas and finally by the Sept. 11 massacre.

And he suggested that such a high-profile trial in New York City would burden New York City both with the added risk of an attack and the added cost of security expenses.

"Of course it's going to create more security concerns. Just wait and see how much New York City spends on this in order to protect him," Giuliani said. "This gives all the benefits to the terrorists and much less benefits to the public."

In addition to all that a criminal trial opens the door to all kinds of discovery for the defendant, much of it important information about our intelligence sources and methods. We're handing the keys to the county over to the terrorists.

Rudy Giuliani Has Some Advice for Obama's "Teachable Moment"

Gotta like Rudy's style:

Rudy Giuliani, who has returned as a leading Republican spokesman, condemned Obama's health care plan in an interview with Sean Hannity.

He also offered, in response to the president's hope that the Gates arrest would be a "teachable moment," this:

"He's actually right. It is teachable. Here's the lesson: Shut up."

You don't have to eat words you never said.

Political Photo of the Day

From Sunday's Yankees game - Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani:


In the words of Jon Lovitz: "Yeah, THAT'S the ticket!"

Obama Spends Hundreds of Millions to Gain 1.1%

Don Surber has some interesting stats on the changes in the polls over the last year:

The Real Clear Politics Average of presidential polls shows what a year of campaigning and hundreds of millions have gotten Democrat Barack Obama.

Not much.

The RCP Average averages the latest national polls.

On Oct. 20, 2007, Obama led McCain 43.0% to 39.3%.
On Oct. 20, 2008, Obama 48.8%, McCain 44.0%.

Now, Obama just has to play the string out. His numbers went up 5.8 in that time, McCain 4.7.

Winning bets losing.

But there is less efficiency than meets the eye in Camp Obama.

That even rivals the $49 million that Rudy Giulini spent for his one convention delegate.

Don't Get Mad, Get Funny

If you were to line the speeches up from the two conventions and compare styles you would notice one striking difference - anger. When the Democrats attacked McCain and the Republicans, it was with anger and rage. When the Republicans attacked Obama, the Dems and the media, for the most part it was with humor. Rudy showed a little anger when he blasted the opposition for questioning Sarah Palin's ability to manage a family and a job, but otherwise the knives were stuck in with humor, sarcasm and wit.

My advice to John McCain tonight is don't get mad, get funny. Humor is more memorable than anger and does more damage. Can anyone quote me any of the angry lines from Obama, Biden or both Clintons? Probably not, but I'll bet you can remember lots of funny lines from Thompson, Giuliani and Palin.

Go get 'em, John, but keep it funny.

My Reactions to Night 3

I'll be posting the Twitter comments from tonight's speeches by Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin on this post as quickly as I can. Last night was a frenzy for an hour or so, but whenever I get a break I'll update date. Here's the first one:

• In the immortal words of John Kerry: "I'm reporting for duty!" Expect Rudy's speech around 10ET.
• Fox is showing Bristol Palin and her fiance' Levi - good looking couple and they're suddenly media stars. That must be weird.
• Okay, here we go. Rudy's up and getting a big welcome. I could have voted for that guy pretty easily.
• "2008 is the most important election in our lifetime and we better get it right."
• "The people get to decide", not Hollywood celebrities or anyone else. Prompts chants of U-S-A!
• Rudy: Think of it as hiring someone to do a job, an important job. Two very patriotic men with different life experiences.
• Rudy - One has been tested in the service of his country, a true American hero.
• "This is a man who believes in serving a cause greater than himself, and that cause is America. America comes first!
• "Other man, gifted with Ivy League resume'. He worked as a community organizer. What?" Crowd chants "Zero, Zero, Zero!"
• He ran for state legislature. 130 times he couldn't decide whether to vote yes or no. It was too tough! He voted PRESENT!
• "I didn't know this vote 'present' when I was mayor. ..For POTUS it's not good enough to be 'present'. You have to make a decision....
• He was a "celebrity Senator". No leadership, no legislation to speak of. It's the kind of thing that can only happen in America.
• He is the least experienced candidate for president in at least the last 100 years. Not a personal attack, a statement of fact. Nothing.
• The choice comes down to substance over style...No time for on-the-job training.
• We can trust McCain to deal with anything nature can throw at us, or anything else. We will be safe in John McCain's hands.
• Rudy takes on the "change" verses "more of the same" meme put out by the Dems. Change is not a destination, hope not a strategy.
• McCain will lower taxes, reduce government, expand free trade, and will lead us toward energy independence. All of the above approach.
• Rudy's not delivering a smooth speech, but he's making his point. The house is rocking and it's hard to get his points out.
• John McCain will keep us on offense against terrorism at home and abroad. Dems were afraid to use the words Islamic terrorism.
• They're afraid to insult somebody. Who are they insulting? Terrorists! Dems are in denial and can't face the enemy.
• The crowd is really ready for Palin's speech. You can tell the place is locked and loaded.
• "On the most important issue in this election John McCain got it right and Barack got it wrong"
• Rudy is pointing out the many Obama flip-flops. Getting lots of boos from the crowd. "If I were Joe Biden, I'd get that VP thing in writing"
• Rudy is blasting the 300 foreign policy advisors, blasts Obama's plan to go to the UN on Russia. Obama forgot Russian's veto.
• "Advice for Obama: Next time call John McCain". Big roar for the crowd.
• "In choosing Gov. Palin, John McCain is choosing the future. The other guys looked back, John looked forward"
• "She's had more executive experience than the entire Dem ticket combined."
• "She's got an 80% approval rating. You never get that in NY City"
• "This is a woman who has no fear, this is a woman who stands up for what's right. She is shaking up Alaska..."
• "Can you imagine how they're going to shake up Washington!"
• "How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be VP. How dare they? When do they ask a man?"
• Rudy is pushing freedom, school choice, right to work, believing in America's success. Shining city on the hill, beacon to the world.
• Rudy wraps up - the crowd is going nuts. I hope the roof is properly secured because it's going to get crazy in a minute.
• Sarah Palin is intro'd. Crowd is berzerk. She looks great and ready to go.
• The delegates don't want to sit down. Huge standing 'O'. Family beaming. Great moment for Palin after all she's dealt with since Friday.
• Gives the standard "I accept your nomination" and pushes McCain as expected. Now launching into speech.
• I'm not expecting as many "red meat" segments in this speech. It will be part biography, part praise for candidate, with some sarcasm too.
• "As the mother of one of those troops", she wants McCain as commander-in-chief. Son 19 will deploy to Iraq on September 11th.
• My wife notes that Palin isn't wearing a pantsuit and looks much more feminine than Hillary. My note - that's not hard to do.
• Intros family - promises families of special needs kids they'll have an advocate in the White House - Nice touch.
• "Every woman can walk through every door of opportunity"
• Talking about small town America. They run our factories, fight our wars, and they're always proud of America. A little shot at Michelle.
• Here comes the "community organizer" line. Great shot at Obama.
• Crowd's eating it up. Hockey Moms for Palin signs along with many others. Gets in the "bitter clingers" comment.
• "We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco" Great line.
• "I'm not a member of the permanent political establishment" She's taking on the political media - crowd booing loudly - eating it up.
• "Relentless reform doesn't sit well with the entrenched power interests...put the government of Alaska back on the side of the people.
• Sold the state jet on eBay, got rid of the chauffer and the cook (though her kids miss the cook sometimes).
• Pushing her energy reforms - very popular with the delegates. Got new pipeline that will help towards energy independence.
• "We cannot leave ourselves at the mercy of foreign suppliers" Hits on the threats from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
• Refers to her knowledge of the North Slope - "we've got plenty of both" gas and oil.
• On Obama - "This is a man with two memoirs and not a single major law in the Senate...never uses "victory" except when talking about own
• After the "styrofoam greek colums go back to some Hollywood studio". Nice line.
• Obama is worried that "someone won't read terrorists their rights". Wants more taxes on everything.
• "How are you going to be better off if the opposition adds a massive tax burden to the economy?"
• Obama "uses change to promote his career" McCain uses his "career to promote change" Also gets a hit in on the Seal of Obama.
• "Our nominee doesn't run with the Washington herd" " A leader not looking for a fight, but not afraid of one either".
• Women in the crowd are starting to tear up. It's not idol worship like we saw in Denver, but pride in a woman Republican candidate.
• "The American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery". Ouch
• No wonder she scares the hell out of the Dems and media - she's knocking it out.
• "There's only one man in this election who has actually fought for you, in places where fighting meant surviving or death"
• Talks about the journey from a cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office. He'll have the compassion that comes from having been powerless.
• Sarah blows a kiss to a former POW in the Ohio delegation and tells his and McCain's story. Gets emotional for the first time.
• "For a season a gifted speaker can inspire with his words, but for a lifetime John McCain has inspired with his deeds"
• That's the speech - hugely popular with the crowd. Standing 'O' all around.
• Brit Hume describe her as a seasoned politician, great delivery, enjoying every moment.
• Family now on stage, and her comes John McCain to huge roar. Greets the family on stage.
• From the wife: "She made me like McCain better than anyone else. Middle age women in glasses rule!"
• Well, that's it for tonight. Palin did great, Rudy not as good but effective nonetheless. Back tomorrow night for more.

Whew - another typing frenzy. I think Palin met the challenge nobly. Even Mort Kondrake liked the speech and he's been very critical of her. If all you did was read the lefty press the last three days you wouldn't even recognize the lady you saw on stage tonight. This is going to do the GOP campaign a lot of good.

After that speech I almost think McCain could walk out on stage tomorrow night and drool for 30 minutes and still get elected. The media frenzy will continue, but I think this speech took a lot of the air out of the attacks. Anyone watching won't give the press much credence anymore.

She showed tremendous poise and character, though I'm a little surprised that during the family intros she never mentioned the coming grandbaby and its father. No big deal, just surprising.

McCain probably won't do as well tomorrow night, but I don't think he'll need to. Great job by Palin, and a great choice for the ticket.

Mike, Mitt, Rudy and Sarah Tonight

Three of John McCain's vanquished opponents will be featured at the GOP Convention tonight. Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney will speak in the 9pm (ET) hour which means you probably won't see their speeches unless you watch C-SPAN. Rudy Giuliani kicks off the 10pm hour with the keynote speech, followed by Gov Lingle of Hawaii and the most anticipated speech of this convention (and maybe the Dem convention as well), Sarah Palin. The entire campaign could literally come down to her performance tonight.

My advice - don't watch the broadcast networks. Last night NBC showed President Bush's speech WITHOUT the audience audio from the hall. Every time Bush stopped to wait for applause (that he probably couldn't hear) the scene on NBC was the President just standing there in silence. They then skipped Fred Thompson's speech altogether. That's media malpractice. Stick to Fox News if you want to see the speeches without interference.

Like last night I'll be Twittering comments during Rudy and Sarah's speech. You can follow along here (keep refreshing every couple of minutes), and if I get the chance, I'll post those comments on the blog.

Rudy to the Rescue

Former New York Mayor and 9/11 folk hero Rudy Giuliani will present the GOP Convention's keynote speech tonight, and Rudy is already fighting back at the media smears of Sarah Palin. He's asking a good question: Where are the feminist groups?

On Fox and Friends this morning, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said the media has "savaged" Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Giuliani said he was "really angry and I am really upset….Where are these feminist groups? I mean she is being asked questions like 'Can you be a vice president and a mother? But what about Barack Obama -- can you be a president and a father? Or John McCain? I was never asked that question, or George Bush or Al Gore. All these men have run, most of them had families -- some of them had young children -- none of them were ever asked 'Can you be a father and can you be president or vice president?'"

The former New York Mayor pointed out that his week's cover of US Weekly, about Palin and her 17-year-old daughter Bristol's pregnancy, is titled "Babies Lies & Scandal."

Last week's cover, Giuliani said, was about Michelle Obama, and it was titled "Why Barack Loves Her."

"Anyone that says there isn't a media bias is living on Mars," Giuliani said. "And anyone that says a woman nominated by the Republican ticket isn't treated differently is also somewhere in outer space."

Giuliani said that the attacks are because the Left is afraid.

"This is historic; they realize it is historic," Giuliani said.

The Wall Street Journal's editorial board elaborated on that notion today that "What's really going on here is that the Beltway class can see how popular the Palin pick is with Republicans outside Washington, and especially with middle-class conservatives. As Richard Land, a leader with the Southern Baptist Convention, said Monday, John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin closed the 'enthusiasm gap' between the two parties.

"There is nothing more dangerous to entrenched Washington power than a populist conservative who looks unlikely to buy into Washington's creature comforts. Take a close look at Governor Palin's record on ethics and energy in Alaska, and it becomes clear what this Beltway outburst is actually about. The irony is that while Senator Obama is running on change, his acceptance speech made explicit that he's promising only more power and money for Washington. Sarah Palin's history of taking on the career politicians of a corrupt Alaskan GOP machine -- her own party -- shows that she's the more authentic change agent."

Rudy's got a point. No woman's group would ever allow a female Dem candidate to have her ability to manage a job and family questioned. However, this episode points out the reality that the so-called "feminist" groups are little more than social clube for liberal women. They're not really interested in women's issues - they're interested in liberal issues. When it's convenient they can feign rage over some slight of a liberal woman, but let a full-fledged slander campaign be waged against a conservative woman and the liberal ladies shut-up.

And yes, that could be a blessing.

GOP Trying Not to be Ignored Next Week

The GOP is not willing to give next week to the Democrats while they hold their convention/riot in Denver. The Republicans have set-up a counterprogramming operation they hope will not be completely ignored by the media and the voters:

John McCain and the Republican Party have their own plans for next week in Denver, including a parade of high-profile surrogates, a Web site touting new attack videos, and a tagline for the Democrats' convention: A Mile High and an Inch Deep.

Two dozen staffers of the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee will head west this weekend to combat the media coverage the nomination of Barack Obama will draw. The slogan for their opponents: Not Ready '08.

The effort expands on the recent tactic of slamming Sen. Obama at every opportunity, a strategy that appears to be working. The latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows Sen. McCain has made up ground, trailing by three points.

Unlike the 2004 Democratic convention, when the GOP did little more than arrange a few interviews, this year's activities are an attempt to distract attention from the main attraction.

"This is an effort to get beyond the glitz and celebrity of Barack Obama's convention and talk about the reality of his record," said Matt McDonald, the McCain campaign's senior adviser in charge of the Denver efforts.

Former McCain opponents Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, along with Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and a host of others, will be in Denver working with the staff in a two-story office within walking distance of the convention site.

From the headquarters, complete with catering and a security detail, the surrogates will hold news conferences, make television appearances and give satellite interviews with outlets in battleground states.

The campaign also has convention-specific television ads that will run throughout the week. The hits will also come from a Web site that compiles TV clips of Democratic leaders praising Sen. McCain and questioning Sen. Obama's experience -- including Bill and Hillary Clinton and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut.

It's going to be awfully hard tearing political reporters away from the glow at the Pepsi Center, and frankly, I don't expect that the GOP will get much attention at all. If anyone shows up at their events it's likely to be some third-string intern who is only there to make it appear that their network or newspaper is covering both sides of the story.

My advice to the GOP team: If a riot breaks out, get out of town. We want that story to be all about Democrats and not about the GOP response.

$109,000 per Delegate

Hillary Clinton complained throughout the primary that she didn't have enough money, and yet she found enough to spend a whopping $109,000 per delegate that she won:

Eighteen million votes: $212 million. Some 1,926 delegates: $109,823 a pop. Blowing the biggest head start in presidential history: priceless.

From anointed to also-ran, Hillary Clinton spent more money to lose a primary election than any candidate in Democratic Party history.

Still, it's a bargain compared to the $49 million Rudy Giuliani spent for his one delegate.

The $49 Million Dollar Delegate

I can think of better ways to spend millions of dollars (from Special Report):

Inefficiency Experts

Among the numerous records that have fallen this presidential campaign season was the late John Connally's mark of having spent $11 million for just one delegate in 1980.

Rudy Giuliani spent $49 million for one — before quitting last week.

The Washington Post reports Mitt Romney is spending about $1.16 million/delegate so far — a pace that would cost him $1,330,000,000 to win the nomination.

On the other side of the scale, Mike Huckabee has been very efficient — getting 20 delegates for each $1 million spent. That's fifty grand a delegate, a bargain in this day and age.

I did the math on Rudy. I figure he could have won the 1,191 delegates needed if he had just stayed in the race and spent another $58 billion dollars. That was probably a little steep for Rudy, but a bargain compared to what Hillary or Barack's health care plans will cost.