Has Karl Rove taken over as McCain's campaign manager?

I'm a little disturbed with the latest resurgence of campaigning tactics that I saw in W's campaign. Anyone else care to join me in this one? While I'm not a supporter of McCain's plans, or really Republicanism in general, I liked McCain as a person. He's a good guy -- honest, upright citizen and such. Despite being somewhat delusional in his beliefs in how to make America more successful, he's an ok guy.

Then the campaign rolled around and my God it was like his own ability to speak was replaced with someone else's words. He opens up his mouth and all I hear is the attitude, screaming and hatred of Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin, et. al. It's interesting to me that never once did I hear ANY message delivered by McCain about how he was going to cut back government until the convention. Oh, there were little hints here and there but McCain's message has been mostly issue driven -- how are we going to solve gas prices: Give money back to the people, and all that Jazz. Now the taglines come out.... and it's all coming back to me.

Here is the word that give me chills: Earmarks. Someone please take a look at how Earmarks became McCain vocabulary. No one reads my blog so therefore I cannot shed light on this wonderful topic to millions of deciding Americans, but I would like to direct anyone to a brief description of Earmarks many meanings. To be clear, Earmarks does not have 1 meaning. It does not mean as it does in Sarah Palin and John McCain speak getting money from the government for bad things. It's primary meaning is getting money from the government for things.

So translation, because it sounds bad, you won't hear Sarah Palin or John McCain say "We believe the government shouldn't provide money to states, states should be independent and raise their own money from oil drilling so they can be completely self-sufficient," you will instead hear a whole lot more about how their opponents get hear marks for their constituents. Silly me. I thought that was their job and what I elected them for.

As an after note -- this blog as already to be posted when I saw a Fox News story about how Obama had achieved the most earmarks of any candidate in 2007. A detailed graphic was then provided. Of the 4 earmarks they listed, I remember 2 which were 700 Million for crime prevention and juvenile delinquency programs and 200 million for disease research. What would this world come to if Obama got elected. The mind reels.