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Barack Obama announced this weekend that Joe Biden was his choice of running mate. Some media are claiming that Obama’s choice of the 66 year-old means that “McCain has successfully turned [the presidential race] into an age-matters contest.” As the the Democratic National Convention opens today in Denver, Colorado, thousands of delegates, activists, press, and others are gathering inside and/or outside the convention halls. While the activists’ focus is on presumptive nominee Barack Obama and his rightward-tilt, the Republican echo chamber is in full swing, stepping up their attacks on the first-ever major party Black presidential nominee. Despite progressives’ valid critiques of Obama, many admit that an Obama presidency would be the lesser of two evils for the country and world compared to a McCain presidency. Yet, the Republican attack machine is so vicious and effective, that could it, in part, explain the narrowing of poll numbers of the two major candidates? One need only recall the fallout for the last Democratic candidate, John Kerry as a result of attacks by the right-wing group, “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.” A growing body of right-wing handiwork is emerging against Obama, including three books and a new documentary.

GUEST: Bill Berkowitz has been covering right-wing conservatives for more than 3 decades and is a contributor to MediaTransparency.org and ReligionDispatches.org.