With polls showing Hillary Clinton locked in a tie--or losing--to Barack Obama here in the dwindling days before the caucuses, her campaign has cycled through a series of criticisms of the junior senator from Illinois. Experience. Electability. Even courage. But those are BBs. What Clinton needs is a silver bullet--something  every Democratic caucusgoer can agree is completely unconscionable.

What she needs is the name "George W. Bush." 

Make that "needed." In an interview with ABC's Cynthia McFadden yesterday, Clinton dismissed questions about the likability gap between her and Obama by stressing her record--and reminding viewers that they once "liked" Dubya, too. "We've gone through trying to decide, who would you rather have a beer with, and look at the results," she said. Warming to the theme, Clinton dropped another Bush bomb on Obama today on the trail, this time echoing the day's theme--Iraq and foreign affairs--by questioning Obama's capacity to serve as Commander-in-Chief. "It's tempting any time things seem quieter on the international front to think that we don't need a president who's up to speed on foreign affairs and military matters," she said. "Well, that's the kind of logic that got us George Bush in the first place."

I'm not exactly sure voters are dying to drink a beer with Obama. (Or if he's dying to drink a beer with them--strikes me as a wine guy.) And characterizing him as not "up to speed on foreign affairs" seems a little unfair.  (Unlike, say, Huckabee, he was aware of the Iran NIE.) But Clinton's basic equation--personal appeal + inexperience = Bush--may add up for some voters.

The campaign, which flagged both Bush quotes for the traveling press corps, is certainly hoping it will.

Now if only Obama would go clear some brush...