Olympics aside, in the airport lounge in Amsterdam the talking point on Dutch NOS Journaal news was Obama and McCain visiting Conservative pastor Rick Warren’s Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency. Well not really.

Yes, they were there and it was a partisan Republican audience. Yes Warren asked lots of questions of both interrupting Obama several times to make points with and for his congregation. And that one-line commentary was every global news outlet?

Was it an Obama self-inflicted wound on a trap question, what do you consider your biggest failing? Obama honestly said his experimentation with alcohol and drugs as a teen. Chum in the water or brilliant strategy.

I want my President to honestly assess his failings as a person and grow from them vs. the Clinton approach, lie through our teeth and know no matter how incredulous, you will charm your way and it will go away. When Bill was asked if he ever tried drugs as a youngster, he had the ‘cojones’ to look the camera in the eye and say he tried marijuana “but I didn’t inhale.” He earned the title slick Willy and later stared into the camera saying forcefully “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”

Did Obama set up a massive morals counter-attack? Was it a self-inflicted wound or an act of political brilliance? He got the Republican’s last negative point out and dealt with it on his terms. He said yeah, I was a normal teen and experimented like others my age and somehow drug use is the talking point of the weekend? Questioning something he did as a teen is somehow indicative of his ability 30 years later?

His rambling answer to why do want you to be President, wistfully talking about his mother aside, this could be a turning point. He basically drew a line under the issue and said, OK come after me at your own risk because I’ve got the goods and this will hurt McCain more than me.

As Charley James wrote here about McCain’s various peccadilloes, somehow it’s OK for a former naval officer to screw around on his wife, drink, lose his hair-trigger temper, but if Saint Barry crosses one line in his development path, the nation should fear him?

One week before the convention Obama is ready to now dictate his terms.

In a clearly pro-McCain forum and audience, Obama held his own after being interrupted on a Supreme Court question, “who would you have not nominated on the current court?” Obama gave a thoughtful, nuanced answer about Justice Thomas, added Justice Scalia and when about to go further, was interrupted by Pastor Warren. McCain created a sound byte mentioning all four liberal members even though he has been in the Senate and voted to confirm each of them and… George Bush 1 nominated one of them who did not toe the party’s ideological line… he stuck to a line saying ideology had no place on the court?

It’s time to go to the mattresses. The double media standard in the campaign needs to to end. The media, fearing Bush-like retaliation if they do their job and losing their cushy leather seats and access, have given John McCain a free ride on mis-statements and his generally befuddled campaign to date. The Republican slime machine is gearing up to try painting Obama as the anti-Christ and… he just stays the course.

Now he dares them to attack teen drug use because he has much more up his sleeve that is far more damaging. I like it as a strategy. He’s telling the Republican 527 bully groups that he’s ready to fire back if necessary. If the campaign goes further down the swift boat path attacking Obama, McCain is in for a tough time himself. Like the moment in the early Pixar film “A Bug’s Life” where says to the grasshopper, “YOU NEED US! And you know that,” at some point the same brush he uses to tar Obama will bounce back over him. And McCain know it.

If not, then the Dems deserve their arugala sniffing, elitist title. It’s a gunfight Barry, put down the knife and bring the RPG launcher! Fight McCain and folks will believe you can hold your own with Putin and bin Laden.