When McCain ran against Obama in 2008, party hacks proposed using this same information (Obama's holy-roller pinko preacher) against him. McCain, to his credit, forbid the plan. Of course, McCain is on the GOP shit list these days, he's one of those (shudder) moderates. His decency is now probably being chalked up to weakness and cowardice.

I'll take Romney at his word for not approving it either, the last thing he wants is his Mormonism brought up to his shaky evangelical allies in retaliation for a religious attack. Besides, the people most likely to be touched by this news are those who already believe it anyway and never had any intention of voting for Obama, and the Independents might be totally turned off by it. But in this new environment of well-funded independent PACs, who knows what might happen.

Swiftboats are like fireships. No one knows who's really at the helm, and if the wind shifts they might instantly go from gamechanger to liability.