So what IS the best way for a candidate to respond to lies told by the opposition? A candidate could wind up letting the opposition dictate the agenda and spending all available resources chasing about and stomping out "swiftboat" fires. I'm not being contrary here: I'd really like to know. What is the best response?

"The jerk store called..."

I wonder why, in blatant cases such as the Swift Boat one, the candidate doesn't just file a slander suit. Are the political ad laws so vague that they permit out-and-out fabrications? Probably so, because God forbid the networks should lose a dime.

Barring that--or, in addition to it--the Kerry campaign should have done deep attacks on the key Swift Boat guy and a few others. Outrageous indignation and an accusation of anti-patriotism were in order. All Kerry could offer was, well...nothing. But hey--the DLC got what it wanted. They couldn't have kicked Howard Dean around like that.

Until the Democrat stop acting like pussies, the fascist males will push them around. When the Democrats were owned by the unions - WAY back - they had no trouble acting like real males (meaning stupid assholes). But, now that they’re mostly coastal limousine liberals, well – you know, we must work out our differences the girly-man way. Yet another reason the mean people rule the world.