Election season again! Wa-hey!!

Yes, it's that time of the ... errr... four year cycle?... again! When money talks and bullshit talks even louder. Let's kick things off with a little taster of what everyone's favourite 'Maverick-who-panders-to-the-Loony-Right' has been up to.

You've heard of the Mortgage Crisis, you've heard of the Housing Crisis, but have you heard of the McCain Housing Crisis yet? No?

From CBS News' Dean Reynolds:

(CHESAPEAKE, VA.) - Barack Obama was handed a gift-wrapped package from John McCain on Thursday. Just as the Illinois senator has begun focusing on economic concerns with greater intensity, McCain made a comment that opened wide a gulf between him and the electorate he is wooing.

McCain was asked a simple question during an interview with Politico.com. Nothing tricky about it. No curevball this: How many houses do you and Mrs. McCain have?

"I think," said McCain, "uh, I'll have my staff get to you. I'll try to tell you about that."

Huh? Most Americans would certainly be able to answer that question, especially the ones facing foreclosure or mortgages that are ratcheting up. McCain's staff did get back as promised, saying the number was "at least four." Again, few Americans are in the four-house category. Even more embarrassing was the finding of an independent watchdog project, Politifact.com, that McCain and his wife, Cindy, own at least seven. Seven homes. Worth in the neighborhood of $13 million. Scattered across the country.

Now this was too good for Obama to pass up.

"If you don't know how many houses you have then it's not surprising you might think the economy is fundamentally strong," he said.

Within hours his campaign had surrogates fanning out bringing news of McCain's residential bounty to voters in every corner of the nation. A new ad was produced in record time to strike while the iron is hot. Over a shot of the White House, the ad concluded thusly, "Here's one house Americans can't afford to have John McCain move into."

And here's absolutely the best rejoinder clogging up those tubes on the Internets - superb stuff:



And did I mention that one of his key campaign slogans is going to be 'McCain The Maverick. He shoots himself in the foot. To support the troops. And for America. And because he's more patriotic than you. Not because he flip-flops on the issues. No-oh. Not at all'. Read this bit, again from CBS' Reynolds:

The McCain campaign cried foul, pointing out that Obama earned $4 million last year, which doesn't exactly make him a man of the people. But by McCain's own definition, it doesn't make Obama rich either.

Remember this from last weekend's conference with Rev. Rick Warren at the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.?

"Define rich," Warren said to McCain.

"How about $5 million?" McCain responded. The audience laughed. But nobody at the McCain campaign is laughing now.

And if you want a more sober take on the whole thing, as always, Paul Krugman continues to be on the money, as he's been for the last 8+ years!