One thing for sure, the Sarah Palin phenomenon has shifted everyone's focus -- the media, the Republican base, even Barack Obama. What do lipstick, pigs, pitbulls, hockey moms, and dead fish have in common? Sarah Palin. And that means we are not focused on the issues that are important to winning this election.

I hope that now everyone on the Obama team has gotten the wake up call. Our opponents are not going to roll over, and they will have a lot more to throw at us before this is over. But the smoke screen won't work.

This afternoon, after McCain put his cheerleader on an airplane to Alaska, he decided to test his newfound popularity in Philadelphia. He was booed, heckled, and ultimately never got to address the assembled press. Without Palin as his new main attraction, not many wanted to hear what he had to say. That is because he really has nothing new to say.

I know the Obama campaign will find its voice again and restore the focus to the issues that matter. The Democrats win on the issues we pointed to a couple of days ago. So, we must get the issues back into focus. This is going to require the full support of the entire Democratic Party.  Obama is meeting with Bill Clinton tomorrow to discuss the strategy going forward. I am confident that they will have a productive discussion. I am looking forward to the outcome. BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS