A couple of memorable snippets from conversations about Sen. Barack Obama with Republican political operatives over the last few days:

– “In his high school yearbook he was known as, ‘Barry’ – there is certainly something there to explore. There’s just something wrong with this guy and America is going to find out about it.”

– “His middle name is ‘Hussein’, no one knows about that, game over.”

Republicans are banking on a something they hold as a simple, self-evident truth – that scorched earth politics will destroy Sen. Obama because of his “lacks” – in foreign policy, in DC experience, in politics…because they are absolutely terrified about the prospect of dealing with his positive vision.