But as the president’s reelection team begins in earnest to attack Mitt Romney, Obama faces one of the most difficult tests of his political career: to tear down Romney without getting a single smudge of dirt on his own shirtfront — a trick he has performed deftly in previous races.

◼ HillaryIs44 has a good post on the Obama-lovin’ media and how it covers for Obama’s campaign dirty tricks. - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ The Innocent Charles Manson - Hillaryis44

In few words Smith acknowledges that Obama has always run on the politics of personal destruction but if anyone questioned Obama’s character Smith and the JournoListers closed ranks and protected Obama.

The JournoListers knew that there was a concerted effort to protect Obama among fellow JournoListers and derail any discussion about Obama ties to Jeremiah Wright because they were reading the emails sent to them but somehow we are supposed to believe that Barack Obama is a genius at murder without high laundry bills....

Ben Smith knows that the politics of personal destruction will once again be the Barack Obama strategy in 2012. The JournoListers are already in amazement mode as they watch Obama pour mud yet the crease on his pants remains sharp and the shirts stay bright white spotless.

◼ Barack Obama’s campaign style: Go negative, stay clean - Ben Smith/Politico

If the catchphrase weren’t already taken, you could call Barack Obama’s signature style of negative politics “leading from behind.”

◼ The mysterious source: who’s most afraid of Cain? - neoneocon