The Democrats bring their convention today to Denver, the Mile High City. A place Merle Haggard once said about during an open air concert, “yes the air’s beautiful here, problem is you just can’t get any of it into your damned lungs!”

Tonight the convention will feature a retrospective look at The Kennedy family on the 40th anniversary of Bobby Kennedy’s tragic run for President. Rumour has it that Ted Kennedy will make a surprise visit. Too, the nation will learn more about Barack Obama and hear from his wife Michelle.

The high altitude in and around Denver does funny things to people’s bodies and… their minds. The Repugs (my abbreviation for the increasingly desperate Republican Party’s repugnant attacks) arrived yesterday in town in time to do, what, sight-see? Nooo, strategist Mark Halperin appeared on ABC’s This Week and said, that presumed Republican nominee John McCain’s not knowing how many houses he has is “bad news for Obama.” George Stephanopolous was stunned into silence as Halperin continued, “Obama has now opened the door with his attack on McCain for charges by the Party.” So their 527 groups and their war room already spinning out lies trying to steal the convention limelight are just a prelude to a kiss?

So… their questioning of his patriotism, calling him not American for being born in Hawaii (I remember how upset residents of the 50th state get when one says they are headed back to the states instead of the mainland, so the Repugs can be easily confused), that living abroad is somehow bad and the 527 Swift Boat gang and party pump out Britney and Paris adverts are not already repugnant attacks? Even Donna Brazile, invited on the show to present the Democratic view, was stunned into silence by the sheer audacity of the statement.

That seems to be the Repug way. “I am rubber, you are glue.” Deny not only the premise, speak only to our base where everything goes, no matter how repugnant. Last week after the 7 (or is it houses gaffe, many now call this McCain’s “price-scanner moment.” This was similar to George Bush the elder being so out of touch with consumers over prices, he did not know the cost of a gallon of milk. McCain’s handlers then rolled out their kitchen sink strategy and suddenly McCain looked like Rudy Guiliani – a noun, a verb and 9-11 now substituted by POW. An elderly fundamentalist Christian when asked about McCain’s philandering shocked this reporter said, “so what? He spent five years as a POW, he can do what he wants!” This woman was ready to have Bill Clinton lynched for hid non-Christian peccadilloes.

All this including the media’s reluctance to ask tough questions about his past and despite McCain publicly saying he does not want to bring his POW period into the campaign. Down is up double standards are the way of life. It’s all just straight from the Karl Rove playbook and America is tired of it.

The US misery index is the highest it has been since Bush 1 came into office. People are losing their homes to bank foreclosure, jobs to downsizing, are afraid a serious illness will wipe out everything because of being un- or under-insured, petrol cost $4 a gallon, basic foodstuff prices have risen between 30% and 50% and McCain says the economy is robust and doing well.

The Dems will leave the convention united, America will see Barack Obama as a serious, sober and safe choice to counter Republican bluff and bluster. Hillary understands that if Obama loses the election and she and Bill are seen not doing their absolute 100% best to help him win, she will be blamed and her chances in ‘12 or ‘16 will be dealt a devastating blow.

So the ballgame begins in earnest today, in the thin air of Denver. The Colorado Rockies baseball team has difficulty keeping good pitchers because hitters can hit the ball much farther in the thin air. Expect Joe and Barack to hit the Repugs long and far.

Bring an oxygen mask and be ready for Thursday. That just happens to be the day Obama gives his acceptance speech before 75,000 plus people at Invesco Field, on the same day 45 years earlier The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his seminal “I Have a Dream” speech.

The last convention Senator Obama spoke at he delivered the 17-minute speech that made today possible.