John McCain may have done a perfectly wretched job of explaining why Barack Obama’s associations matter but it doesn’t mean they aren’t important. This is as good a summary as any.

Perhaps Obama should start explaining why he gave $200,000 at the Woods Funds to a Mickey Mouse group like ACORN. Doe he have no political radar for sleaze?

Not every publication is willing to give John Lewis a pass on his race baiting rhetoric.

One heck of an editing error from the Gray Lady: “Because of an editing error, an article on Saturday about the changing tactics of Senator John McCain’s campaign misstated, in some editions, Mr. McCain’s reaction to a woman’s comment at his rally in Lakeville, Minn., that Senator Barack Obama was not trustworthy because he was an ‘Arab.’ Mr. McCain told the woman, ‘No Ma’am, he’s a decent family man, citizen.’ Mr. McCain did not fail to respond to the woman’s accusation.”

If you think ACORN’s only relevance is voter fraud read this. It is ironic that the candidate who is most closely tied to this group is running a campaign seeking to capitalize on the financial debacle (which that organization helped bring about). And it shouldn’t escape notice that Obama supporters’ thuggish tactics are straight out of the ACORN playbook.

Yikes — there is something about that Florida Congressional seat, isn’t there? First Mark Foley and now Tim Mahoney. We’ll see if the voters are any less disgusted this time around. And let’s see if the media is as curious this time about which Democratic leaders knew what was going on and when they knew it.

Lots of Democrats are “scared of Franken winning”? Yes, says Chuck Todd about Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken. With a figure as absurd as Franken, I’m not sure the “only positive” approach of Norm Coleman makes sense. Really, don’t the sober-minded people of Minnesota have more respect for the Senate than to send to Washington a foul-mouthed comedian who doesn’t pay his taxes or workers’ comp bills?

When you say McCain is “within striking distance” I suppose it depends on the definition of “distance.”

A novel idea emerges from the Washington Post: asking Obama tough questions about what he’s actually going to do about the economic crisis and how it affects his agenda. That would sort of be like having an independent watchdog that ferrets out information for voters. Wow.

20,000 voters in Virginia should be encouraging to the McCain camp — even better is that Sarah Palin is asking why Democrats never talk about winning in Iraq.

It should come as no surprise that Obama’s economic policy is rooted in wealth redistribution. Perhaps it is time for McCain to get the word out — the public seems confused.

So there really will be a new economic plan from the McCain plan? Gosh, if they tried they coldn’t have done a better job of turning their last shot at substance into a negative “process” story about campaign incompetence.

Time for the RNC to use the money to save some House and Senate seats? It depends on how you answer these queries: Who has a better chance: Elizabeth Dole or John McCain? Norm Coleman or McCain?

Jon Corzine for Obama’s Treasury Secretary? Somehow I think he could do better than that.

Another good debate question: “Does Obama believe the schools should advocate a leftist ‘social justice’ ideology?” That’s one of many reasons why the Bill Ayers-Annenberg connection matters.