The gloves come flying off

Well, it was to be expected, but MAN did they exceed expectations!

Since polls late last week showed Barack Obama pulling away is many key swing states, reports abound in the papers and on the Sunday morning shows that the McCain campaign was going to unleash its character attacks on Obama, going to Obama's associations with Bill Ayers and Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Sarah Palin previewed that strategy in a stump speech in Omaha on Saturday, saying Obama "pals around with terrorists".

Then POW! In my inbox on Sunday night: an email from the Obama campaign playing the - you got it! - Keating 5 card. Oh yeah, they went there. The campaign is devoting an entire website to educating you on McCain's role in the Keating 5 scandal, repleat with synopsis, downloads, and "documentary".

So can we finally shake the Democrats-as-Kerry-wallflowers persona now? Here are some of my favorite headlines for today:

I'll see your Ayers, raise you a Keating

McCain, Obama go for jugular

While I think we can all agree that negative campaigning is not what we're interested in, two thoughts:

1. At least we only have 4 weeks left in the election. They could have started this garbage in earnest weeks ago.
2. Hopefully the Obama campaign's response will net out as an equal and oposite reaction to the McCain campaign efforts. If they both come out slinging mud, the story may just die as "Look at all the mud these guys are throwing!" instead of becoming a false storyline for the media to lap up.

Here's hoping.

UPDATE: Sadly, it looks like the continued plunge of worldwide markets and the DOW sinking below 10,000 will be the story. Is it telling that this is what needs to happen for us to focus on real issues in politics?