A must read: McCainBlogette.com Meghan McCain and two pals write a blog that is light, thoughtful and chock full of great photos.

Meghan writes:

The first political convention I ever attended was when my mom was pregnant with me in 1984 and the Republican Party nominated Ronald Reagan for a second term as President. I have been on political stages and in campaigns since before I could walk or talk. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that it is difficult to establish your identity and independence as the son or daughter of a politician. When I was 14 years old, a reporter questioned my father about me having a hypothetical abortion, had I been pregnant at 14. This reporter’s question single-handedly changed my life. This story comes up in almost every profile written about me and in almost every interview. It’s a rough go being the son or daughter of a politician. I have not known Bristol Palin very long, but there is a certain kinship I feel to her as I do other political daughters such as Chelsea Clinton, Jenna and Barbara Bush and Mary Cheney. You can’t fully understand it unless you have lived it. So I just wanted to let it be known that I support Bristol and the entire Palin family.

Sarah Palin for Vice President.

Everything we could want in a candidate.

That questions was asked of both candidates at the Saddleback Faith Forum tonight. Obama would ask his wife and grandmother.

Mom was smart. She kept her light under the traditional basket but she was smart.

But I would not put her in the top ten people I’d go to for advice if I were President.

My darling wife is very smart. But the same follows.

For advice you go to experts, to people with experience and skills and education concerning the issue you need advice for.

Michelle Obama may be a bright woman but I’m fairly certain she knows jack-shit about deploying the military or providing aid rapidly to a nation devastated by a tsunami.

Barry Obama’s grandmother is probably a sweet lady. He’s already pronounced her a racist, but, hey, she’ll always love him no matter how much of a putz he is.

Do I think the President ought to be getting advice from Barry Obama’s grandmother? Hell, no! I suspect she knows very little about agricultural subsidies and about the G8. I’m guessing but I think I’m right about that.

Barry also mentioned a number of Senators. Doesn’t he know anyone else in government, or private industry? No congressmen?

Just who does Barry Obama know and trust well enough to get advice from? Other than his wife and grandmother?

Power Line does another analysis of the potential VP candidates that McCain has to select from. Gov. Palin is not mentioned.

Also not mentioned is the elephant in the room.

McCain is old enough that we MUST make the assumption that he may die before the end of his term. His selection of a running mate should not only be based on what states the candidate can deliver but his or her preparedness to become President if necessary.

That should be a criteria for any such selection but almost never is. In McCain’s case, picking someone who won’t hurt the ticket or who could deliver a given state ought to be second to the pick’s qualifications to be President. Edwards did not deliver for Al Gore. Hopes and wishes should be set aside for a solid ticket where we can rely on both McCain and his VP pick to do the job.

Wes Clark is not alone in maligning the service record of John McCain. Now a former Kerry Campaign adviser and Obama supporter takes his shot.

ABC

Rand Beers, an Obama supporter who served as the top national security adviser to the 2004 Kerry campaign, said that because McCain was in an unfortunate state of “isolation” during much of the Vietnam War, he missed the domestic turmoil which took place in the United States and his national security experience is “sadly limited” as a result.

Beers said the McCain limitations are reflected in “some of the ways he thinks about the ways in which US forces might be committed to conflicts around the world.”

McCain spent five years in captivity as a POW in North Vietnam.

This is just vile. It has been a great many years since we had a Presidential candidate from either party with the military credentials of John McCain and the Obama attack dogs should respect that and work on other topics. Neither Wes Clark nor John Kerry can claim the props McCain can with their military service. Rand Beers can’t either, having only been a company commander in Vietnam.

If the Obama camp continue these sorts of attacks, they will discover just how little ordinary American voters appreciate them.