K-Lo, what a lame set of questions these are. What a set of liberal media establishment talking points — starting with the sympathetic “this month has been brutal for you” line. And then: “What do you need to do to make this race about what you want it to be about?” Kelly Ripa could ask a tougher question than this. Oh, and then there’s the softball question from the right: “Is the President being as aggressive as he should be in dealing with insurgent strongholds in Iraq?” This is a funny question for a guy who wants to start withdrawing troops by next summer. Oh, and this rough one: “Do you think President Bush shirked his duties during the Vietnam era?”

Earth to TIME: a tough question would be something like “In your 1971 Senate testimony, you said American soldiers committed atrocities daily with the full knowledge of their commanders. Will you apologize for that?”