Debate? Maybe, but only if...

Okay, now that the dust has settled a bit, one man’s thoughts turn to the proposed series of pre-convention debates between Obama and McCain.

On balance it seems like a pretty good idea, especially if it can truly set a positive and proactive tone for the general. But before Barak accepts McCain’s invitation to the joust I think he’ll need to level the playing field a bit.

From my perspective I’m less concerned with haggling over the format and possible venues as I am with McCain’s continuing duplicity regarding his alleged commitment to runing a clean campaign.

Thus far both sides of McCain’s mouth have been racing along completely parallel tracks. Good McCain has said he wants no part of the GOP slime machine, while bad McCain unconvincingly wrings his hands and claims to be helpless to subdue it, let alone eliminate it.

At the moment, then, McCain seems to be enjoying the best of both political worlds, especially as long as his fawning enablers in much of the mainstream media refuse to seriously call him on it.

So if I’m the Obama camp I flatly and unequivocally present McCain’s people with a firm non-negotiable demand, without which there’s no deal - period: A guarantee, signed in blood if necessary, that the entire Republican political apparatus, from the RNC down to the sleaziest 527s, either play by civilized rules or simply sit this one out.

You’d think this might be a no-brainer for McCain, as it would force his and his party’s hand and establish McCain as the true head of the GOP. As it is now, McCain is merely the placeholder du jour, who lacks neither the wherewithal nor the means to grab the party by the scruff of its mangy neck and give it a good shaking.

Personally, I’d love to see a robust and ongoing exchange of views between two talented politicians with starkly divergent views on so many issues. But unless or until McCain can figure out a way to either drag his party kicking and screaming into the light, or sit ‘em on the end of the bench for the duration, any debates between the principals, no matter how high-minded, would be but window dressing, a Potemkin facade behind which the slime continues to ooze unabated and unchecked by the standard-bearer.

So as far as I’m concerned, this one’s completely on McCain. Time to man up John-boy. We’ve seen the flop, and Obama’s all-in. Be interesting to see if McCain has the guts to call the bet...