The American Issues Project goes after Obama hard:

According to Andrew Roth:

I was just told by Coburn’s office that he was invited very early on by McCain to speak at the GOP convention. He wasn’t on the tentative list because of scheduling concerns, but his office said he will probably speak Tuesday night.

Bravo team McCain.

And Erick Erickson has the transcript:

The legislation came up more than once. In 2001, Senator Obama was concerned about the legislation’s impact on abortion. But when the bill came back in 2002, the issue about the law undermining abortion had been redressed.

In 2002, Senator Obama was not concerned about Roe v. Wade. He was not concerned with undermining abortion laws in Illinois. No, what Senator Obama today claims were his concerns were not his concerns back in 2002.

In 2002, Senator Obama stood on the floor of the Illinois State Senate to oppose the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. By this time, even the abortion rights organizations like Planned Parenthood had dropped their opposition. But Obama continued to oppose the law.

He was the only person to speak out against the legislation.

In an exchange with Senator O’Malley, the legislation’s sponsor, Obama’s concern was about second guessing the abortionist.

And here’s what he said:

As I understand it, this puts the burden on the attending physician who has determined, since they were performing this procedure, that, in fact, this is a nonviable fetus; that if that fetus, or child - however way you want to describe it - is now outside the mother’s womb and the doctor continues to think that it’s nonviable but there’s, let’s say, movement or some indication that, in fact, they’re not just coming out limp and dead, that, in fact, they would then have to call a second physician to monitor and check off and make sure that this is not a live child that could be saved.

In the last two days, Barack Obama’s demeanor has completely changed, as he is now in full attack-dog mode.  Right now, Drudge is carrying posts about Harry Reid saying he “can’t stand John McCain”.  A new Obama ad tries to paint McCain as evil because he owns 7 homes (irony anyone?).  This all comes as the polls are shifting rapidly toward McCain, and as Barry tries to defend his radical abortion position.  A Rasmussen poll out today has Obama up by only 3 in Pennsylvania (my “Alamo” state for Barry).

The Democrats are losing control.  No longer are they banking on the convention to put Barry solidly into the White House.  Instead, as the Dems fall back, look for their convention to be particularly nasty.

With the Republican Party’s brand in shambles, it is important for the Party to showcase those leaders who are currently in office fighting to preserve the limited-government, free-market principles the GOP used to stand for.

In the Senate, Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint have waged a two-man war on wasteful spending. In the House of Representatives, conservative leaders like Jeff Flake (AZ-06), John Shadegg (AZ-03), Jeb Hensarling (TX-05), Mike Pence (IN-06), and Paul Ryan (WI-01) have never wavered in their commitment to free-market principles and have been major players in the Republican Study Committee. And of all the Republican governors in the country, Mark Sanford of South Carolina has the strongest record of fighting for limited government and economic freedom.

So why are these Republican leaders absent from the GOP’s convention lineup?

Can’t say I disagree with them. Link here.

I was really surprised to see Tom Coburn didn’t make the list. He and McCain are close, and he endorsed McCain at a key moment before the South Carolina primary. And both Flake and Shadegg were with McCain from the very beginning.

UPDATE: Tom Coburn will speak at the convention. Awesome. Still want Flake up there though.