By this time in 2004, the Kerry campaign was starting to come unwound, thanks in large part to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. By raising some ugly truths from Senator Kerry’s past, the Swift Boaters and their advertising shifted the tide of the ’04 Presidential campaign.

John McCain needs just such a shift now.

And it’s not like there’s no material. If John Kerry, a long-serving respected Senator and decorated Vietnam Veteran, could be taken down by some Veteran political backers from Texas, surely a similar group (or the same ones) could find many a skeleton in Barrack Obama’s closet. I can name three off the top of my head: Tony Rezko, William Ayers and Jeremiah Wright.

We all heard the vile, hate-filled, anti-American venom spewed by Obama’s “spiritual advisor.” Rekindling that alone should knock some of the shine off of Obama’s boots. Clips of Wright saying America got what it deserved on 9/11 should do just the trick.

Obama’s ties to the Syrian-American Rezko exhibit more than just poor judgment. They show ties – both personal and political – to a man indicted on corruption charges. Rezko was a major contributer to Obaman’s U.S. Senate campaign. Obama bought a house – after he was elected to the U.S. Senate – for $300,000 less than the asking price. The house was next door to a home Rezko’s wife bought about the same time. Rezko was widely known to be under federal investigation at the time. Obama admitted to “boneheaded” judgment. Judge for yourself.

Perhaps the most troubling skeleton in Obama’s closet is that of William Ayers. Obama served as the first chairman of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, which Ayers helped create, and he kicked off his Illinois Senate campaign at Ayers’ house. Why are these a problem? Because Bill Ayers bombed the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol and the New York City Police Headquarters, among other targets, in the 1970s. Several people died as a result of Ayers’ actions. Even 30 years later, Ayers was unapologetic, saying he “didn’t do enough,” and “would probably do it all again” when asked about the bombings.

Yes, these are Barrack Obama’s friends, business partners, neighbors, supporters and advisors. Why is this not the mantra of the McCain campaign? This is not dirty politics. It is pointing out the truth about the man who appears headed for the White House. If McCain really believes his slogan, “Country First,” he should encourage, support and fund such an advertising campaign. If he won’t, where are the Swift Boaters?

Sarah Palin has an 80% approval rating in Alaska. How hard are CNN reporters having to work to only find the 20% that disapprove and interview them? I saw a Gary Tuchman piece on tonight. He talked to two or three people in some remote village and they all responded negatively toward Palin. It really looked like Gary had traveled day and night to reach some poor eskimo who does not like the governor. This is absurd, though I’m not a bit surprised by the tactics of the “mainstream” liberal media.

They should spend more time talking to people about Obama’s connections to Rezco, Wright and Ayers.

I like Sarah Palin. Selecting her as running mate was a bold move and paid initial dividends. There could more payoff from that pick in the coming weeks – particularly after the VP debate.

Given the current economic crisis, however; a Mitt Romney pick could have turned a perceived McCain weakness into a major strength for the ticket. Romney has the proven financial expertise that no one else on either ticket possesses. With him on the ticket, McCain could have gone to the bailout bill negotiations with some real substance (provided by Romney) to inject into the discussion. He could even put forth his campaign’s own plan to resolve the crisis, and be taken much more seriously in this current debate.

Hindsight is 20/20, but there were certainly signs of pending financial doom in August and a Romney pick would have just made sense. With Romney on the economy and McCain on foreign policy, imagine the possibilities.

I don’t believe in shaking up the ticket now, but a formal announcement of Romney as chief financial advisor to the campaign would play well. Maybe drop some hints of a treasury secretary appointment in the McCain Administration. One way or another. McCain should reach out to him. What does he have to lose at this point?