Barack Obama started off his part of the most recent presidential debate by lying.

John McCain started off his part of the most recent presidential debate by flubbing the return.

Obama blamed the current financial crisis one-hundred percent on "eight years of failed George Bush policies." (Gag me with a spoon will you please!)

McCain could have and should have nailed Obama right between the eyes by responding that the financial crisis is the direct result of Democratic meddling with safeguards that were put in place back in the 1930s to prevent just such a meltdown. He could have and should have noted that in 1999 Bill Clinton took off the brakes on what has become an out-of-control, headlong, downhill dash into financial oblivion.

He didn't. McCain could have and should have noted that even when the GOP tried to return the controls by initiating legislation in Congress in 2003 and other times, it was stymied by cries of "racism" from the very people who had a vested interest in seeing this situation develop.

McCain could have and should have noted that the real racists in Congress are those Democrats who gave false hope to poor people, many of them minorities. They, including hypocrites like Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Henry Waxman and even Obama himself, did this by luring poor people, many of them minorities, into an impossible financial trap. They offered home ownership through mortgages that had no controls and a built in time-bomb detonator that would yank their dreams away in a heartbeat, and they knew exactly what they were doing.

Then, when it happened these Congressional hypocrites cried "Racist!" Right after that rallying cry comes "Failed George Bush policies."

Another note to McCain. Stop bashing Bush and Dick Cheney. That isn't your job. We understand your Maverick label so don't belabor the issue. Obama and his Democratic cronies are doing enough Bush bashing for everyone, you don't have to join in the chorus.

Obviously, McCain's handlers are telling him to avoid mentioning Bush at all cost, unless he is blaming something on the sitting president, which sounds petulant if not outright childish. "I didn't do it, he did it! I was just over here watching, but I didn't do it!" Enough already!

Some of us still like the president and vice president. If my history books are accurate, roughly the same number of us like George Bush and Dick Cheney as the number who liked George Washington! Do we agree with every single thing they do every single time? No. But we agree with a lot they did, and do, and McCain isn't making this any easier by offending one-third of the total electorate.

The biggest problem McCain has is that Obama may be blowing smoke up America's collective skirt, but he looks good doing it. McCain may have better ideas, and yes, certainly a better record, but he seems to be tiptoeing on eggshells, afraid to score points when he can and should.

He is trying to be everything to everyone and in the end he isn't satisfying anybody. Want to see how to win the last debate? Watch a video of Sarah Palin debating Joe Biden!

Sarah Unchained. Portrait of a Winner!