GOP now on offense, says RNC political director

With the Republican National Convention wrapping up, expect Republicans to take the driver's seat against Barack Obama, said Rich Beeson, political director for the Republican National Committee.

"We are on the offense. We are no longer on our heels," Beeson told Colorado delegates to the Republican National Convention Thursday morning. "We are no longer on the defense. We are no longer explaining why we are for something or against something. We are now fully on offense. This race is about Barack Obama and what he represents."

That fits in with a column in The Hill on Thursday by A.B. Stoddard, who says that despite the enthusiasm and money Obama's campaign has generated, McCain has "made the campaign a referendum on Obama and it worked."

Beeson also rallied the Colorado delegation by saying that unlike Colorado Democrats who have scored political successes in recent years, Obama and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Mark Udall have a voting record to go after.

"Colorado's not all of a sudden a liberal state," Beeson said. "It hasn't moved to the left. It's been a few people who have dumped several million dollars in it. But what they've done is (Democrats) have run people who don't have voting records.

"Ken Salazar did not have a voting record. Bill Ritter did not have a voting record. They said, ‘We're moderates! We're moderates! We're centrist Democrats!'" Beeson said.  "Well, ladies and gentlemen, Barack Obama and Mark Udall have voting records. And they have very bad voting records."