After Bill Clinton's impeachment hearings, we were left stunned by the vicious hypocrisy of the Far Right.

When the Supreme Court ruled against Al Gore to anoint George W. Bush president, we bitterly denounced the system.

As Karl Rove successfully orchestrated the character assassination of John Kerry, we lost confidence in the public.

And while the mainstream media focuses on frivolous labels of celebrity, the infidelity of John Edwards, Rev. Wright's latest bombshell, middle names, and race cards, we Democrats are checking the mirror every five minutes to make sure we can still see our reflection. We are obsessed with preserving Barack Obama's image. Instead, we should be determined to reveal the Dorian Gray-like portrait of John McCain.

In a year when playing offense is our best and only option, most of us have retreated to a defensive posture. Half of the Recommended Reader Posts concern rebutting charges about Obama or looking introspectively at our navels. Almost a third of the Recent Reader Posts fall into this category, as well. Another third — at the moment, of course — concern the conflict in Georgia. And almost another third confirm that TPM is open to all viewpoints, including the accusatory lies of Mctrolls and the feigned concerns of Hillary die-hards.

I'm guilty of the same misplaced energy. Too often, I've responded to the ridiculous charges against Obama, reacted to polls and danger signals trumpeted by eager naysayers. But I intend to refocus the narrative on McCain.

There is dirt galore on the war-mongering, corrupt politician the GOP intends to nominate. There are reasons beyond counting not to entrust the future of the country to the tender mercies of another Republican administration. There is no way I will stand for the power of the presidency to be delivered into the hands of John McCain.

I am challenging EVERY pro-Obama poster at TPM to go on offense for on week, starting Thursday morning. Focus your posts on John McCain, not on Barack Obama. Let's start a new narrative that looks beyond the mirror to what's wrong with McCain. Let's spread the word to other blogs that we have met the enemy and — believe it — he is NOT us.