Today, August 28, 2008, is the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention and I am high above Invesco Field in the press box as Stevie Wonder practices his performance for later tonight.

To be honest with you, the convention stage reminds me some of the stage George W. Bush used to accept his Party's nomination at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

Remember this:

That's what the stage at field level resembles...columns and all.

As McCain's VP selection nears, Joe Lieberman has been consistently floated as a one of the top potential picks along with Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Robert Novak even came out of retirement to write a column urging McCain not to pick Lieberman. Last night we were treated to a Politico story about some supposed backstage intrigue regarding McCain's pick.

This diary will have to be brief, but it looks like thezzyzx's hopes are coming to fruition. Obama has received, so far, a very healthy bounce, thereby burrying the main stream media meme of a party divided

Russian Prime Minister Putin blasted Bush and his band of criminals in a press release moments ago accusing him of a "Wag the Dog" scheme in order to distract the laughable American MSM from reporting further on the decay of the American economy,
record foreclosures, unemployment,the banking calamity, the failed Bush foreign policy in Iraq, the forgotten Afghanistan War, Corruption hearings indicting even more corrupt republicans,etc, etc, etc... according to Russian intelligence reports.

Bush's spokesperson, Miss Perino, immediately denied the allegations in a news conference.  

Conspiracy? Maybe not.
An American passport belonging to a Texas resident was found in a war torn region where some of the heaviest casualties occured.
Putin went on to say that American advisors so to speak were
in the area participating in actual combat. He went on to say the obvious; If they were there in the region participating in a combat role that they received their marching orders from the top. Only Bush could have authorized such actions. If he did,
he has not only violated International but American law. Anyone familiar with the term black-ops???

Just as concern is growing over FDA's approval of new drugs and therapies that later prove to harm patients, we find the international pharma industry has found a way to lower the cost of drug development.

They're outsourcing human clinical trials, in countries like India, where costs are low, and regulations lax to non-existent. Not only are patient's losing informed consent rights, the results of the trials have little scientific peer review or oversight and, like the Vioxx trial, may hide data on negative side effects of drugs.

If you think US consumers are protected, you're only barely right. Regulations for having clinical trials research published in professional journals is voluntary only. No doubt pressure on the FDA will grow to approve more drugs based on results of these international clinical trials.

MSM stop protecting McCain. He is a flip-flopper who would say anything to get elected.

There is a real difference between candidate McCain and the McCain of the past, and nothing emphasizes it more than this interview with Time magazine:

There's a theme that recurs in your books and your speeches, both about putting country first but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us? Read it in my books.

I've read your books. No, I'm not going to define it.

But honor in politics? I defined it in five books. Read my books.

[Your] campaign today is more disciplined, more traditional, more aggressive. From your point of view, why the change?
I will do as much as we possibly can do to provide as much access to the press as possible.

But beyond the press, sir, just in terms of ...
I think we're running a fine campaign, and this is where we are.

Do you miss the old way of doing it?
I don't know what you're talking about.

Really? Come on, Senator.
I'll provide as much access as possible ...

In 2000, after the primaries, you went back to South Carolina to talk about what you felt was a mistake you had made on the Confederate flag. Is there anything so far about this campaign that you wish you could take back or you might revisit when it's over?
[Does not answer.]

Do I know you? [Says with a laugh.]
[Long pause.] I'm very happy with the way our campaign has been conducted, and I am very pleased and humbled to have the nomination of the Republican Party.

You do acknowledge there was a change in the campaign, in the way you had run the campaign?
[Shakes his head.]

You don't acknowledge that? O.K., when your aides came to you and you decided, having been attacked by Barack Obama, to run some of those ads, was there a debate?
The campaign responded as planned.

It's sad, really. At one point John McCain was his own man. And now's he just another politician, a puppet of the kill-or-be-kill political operatives he has hired to win this race for him, reduced to shaking his head silently at questions he once would have had the nerve to answer forthrightly.

So, McCain is totally going to try and step on Obama's speech today by leaking the GOP VP pick tonight. I'm going to guess he does it during the speech -- something nice and classy.

There's been a lot of talk about who he could pick, and all have their faults.

Lieberman -- would enrage Rove and the GOP base, which is good. But he's pro-choice and makes McCain look charismatic. Nah-guh-happen.

Ridge -- Pro-choice, scummy business practices post DHS.

Graham -- File under "Loafers, Light in the."

Crist -- See Graham.

Hutchinson -- Pro Choice. Politico reported she wasn't vetted and doesn't want the job.

Huckabee -- Hates McCain. Is crazy. Busy planning for FOX News show and 2012.

Romney -- Religious nuts hate him. Too many houses owned.

Jindal -- THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELLS MCCAIN not to pick an exorcist running mate. Plus, if Nawlins gets flooded again, he's toast.

Giuliani -- The POW/9/11 ticket would be fun, but Giuli likes the ladies a bit too much. Can't dodge that baggage.

So that leaves only one person.

PAWLENTY!!! Now, my understanding of Pawlenty is that he's a middiling Governor with some support in his home state, little experience in hardball politics, and has exactly zero national exposure. He's okay on the GOP religious tests AND is likely not sleeping with teenage boys or anything. Which makes him an oddity.

I don't know how formidable he'd be. I've seen him advocate for McCain on news shows, but never face real questions.

Whatever.

The reason why I want -- nay DREAM -- that McCain picks Pawlenty is this:

Yes, if you look a bit closer you get this:

The dream of seeing this on cars throughout the country is just too great to be denied.

So please John Sidney -- please "trot" out Tim Pawlenty as your "number 2." Life is filled with so much sadness, please bring Team Diarrhea to life.

I was wondering how the Republicans are going to match the star power of the Democratic convention. Not matter what you think of Hillary and Bill Clinton, you have to admit that they draw viewers and give pundits something to talk about. The Republicans? It's a bunch of no names after the first night. Let's see if you can guess the names of the speakers if I give you their titles. Challenge your friends!