New Obama smear...

Fox News' report on New Gloucester, Maine resident Robert Horr's driveway artwork, pictured here, appears to contain the usual absence of factuality. It does not correct Horr's suggestion that the picture of Barack Obama was taken in Somalia, a country that has ties to a disastrous episode in US military history, when in fact the original snap was taken in a Muslim area of Kenya in 2006, something which even the Faux News Channel gets right elsewhere on its website.

Despite Horr's protestations, and, indeed of some FNC readers who have commented on the story (please read them, they are an education as to what happens when muppets from both sides of the political spectrum have time on their hands), the selection of this image by Horr can only be considered a deliberate attempt to cast Barack Obama as some un-American 'other', not fit to hold the office of President.

Added to this, of course, is the comparison between the two candidate's military service - Obama has none, while we all know about McCain's service record. However, one hopes that American voters consider this to be a minor issue - after all, two of the most successful President's in history, both globally and domestically did not serve in the military - they would be FDR and Clinton.

Further, the Republicans would do well not to push this issue, given the contentious nature of Dubya's service record.

It will be interesting to see what emerges about Robert Horr in the coming days. Like 'Joe The Plumber', he's made himself a target for the media. And like 'Joe', there may well emerge some things he'd rather remain unknown to the public at large.