Trading Places

Imagine that Barack Obama's past associates had, instead, been John McCain's past associates. I'm talking about Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, ACORN, and others you've probably heard of.

Hadn't thought about that? Diana West, columnist with the Washington Times, thought about it and wrote about what might be different if John McCain's adult background resembled Obama's.

Read her thought-provoking column here. Every American voter should read it before election day.

Joe the Plumber - Instant Celebrity, October Surprise?

I heard someone on the radio this morning say that Joe the Plumber may end up being the "October surprise" in this year's presidential campaign. If you don't know who or what I'm talking about, then you must have skipped last night's presidential debate and slept all day today.

Joe the Plumber was the hit of the debate last night and could end up turning the tide for John McCain, who used Barack Obama's conversation with Joe - Obama's own words - to educate the viewing public about what Obama's tax plan for small businesses really means.

Who is Joe the Plumber? What did Obama say that demonstrates his socialistic point of view? What's this about spreading around the wealth? Listen to the actual conversation between Obama and Joe, then watch the exchange about that conversation during last night's debate, all right here. And if you're a Joe the Plumber fan, grab a t-shirt while you're at it.