"We don't need the same old tired answers," Obama said. "We need something new."

[Faygo Kid]

He's on the attack, and watch the polls as Obama now talks about the economy and the extraordinary need to move in a new direction.

This is the reality: The American public gets nothing from the media but the daily "game" report. The score, as it were. We do that here at DU sometimes (too often). But the voters aren't quite so stupid. Pretty bad, in most years, but not this year. Not with these stakes.

McCain can run ads with Britney Spears all day long; he's got nothing positive to say. O'Reilly can whine about NBC; Hannity can complain about Obama's "dangerous associations;" Rush can back PUMA and (naturally) celebrate himself. Kristol can question Barack's patriotism, and Dana Milbank can continue to demonstrate his blithering inside-the-Beltway idiocy (tell him goodbye, Keith).

ABC News can - just now - show how it's just back-and-forth, both doing it, picture of Dukakis in a tank, and get George Stephahannityophoulos to comment. How amusing.

These are the stakes: Families. Friends. Justice. Nation. Peace. Our lives, our values. Removing the Bush stench from the fabric of our nation, and restoring hope not just to us today, but to the nebulous but righteous goal of the "American dream." To our kids doing better than we did.

The smug and redundant got nothing. Nothing. The Obama campaign timed the trip overseas brilliantly, and handled it well.

And now he's home, and more than ready to get out there and win this thing.

Today's speech on the economy hit all the right notes. It won't get the coverage it deserves, but it reminded people of just how rightly awful they believe the economy to be, and how out-of-touch McCain and his Bush sycophant advisers are with the mood of this nation. It was about hope, effective policy and leadership. It was brilliant, effective and heartfelt. It was why you and I support our nominee.

Barack is indeed back. Let me bring up a blast-from-the-past phrase for McCain and the pundits who think it's all a game:

It's Hammer time.