August 20

The anti-Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth continue to generate much heat in disproportion to the exposure of their message, with the release of their second television commercial.

There's an excellent deconstruction of what it all really means and in what context it should be seen in The New York Times.

It may just be a case of throw enough mud, some of it will stick; or there may be more to it. Even so, it could backfire as a strategy, since sooner or later it will force Kerry to talk about his own experiences in the context of his opponent. Up until now, the Democratic challenger has answered charges only specifically on his own service record.

As for the Bush-Cheney campaign's new TV spot pegged around the Olympics - and how athletes fom Iraq wouldn't be able to take part if it wasn't for the US - Sports Illustrated has a nice piece saying, er, hold on a minute...

And finally, off to bed with you all - you need to get up bright and early to make it to the local Ticketmaster outlet ahead of the 10am release time for the Vote For Change tour shows.

August 15

The devastation caused in Florida by Hurricane Charley over the weekend has rightly dominated the media, but has also framed the decision-making of the respective campaigns.

President Bush, who toured the affected area today with his brother, Gov Jeb Bush, must be mindful of their father's response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

John Kerry said he wouldn't campaign in the state so as not to distract from the ongoing relief efforts.

Karen Hughes, President Bush's former adviser, is back on the GOP campaign team in an official capacity.

Meanwhile, more revelations continue to emerge about NJ Governor James McGreevey and the circumstances surrounding his extraordinary resignation the other day.

The New York Times, on the day, thought the Governor's statement was "incomplete"; now there seem to be no end of people who want to fill in the gaps.