Has the campaign officially entered the Twilight Zone? On the same day that he continued his attacks on Obama’s “lying” about his relationship with Bill Ayers and his campaign issued two statements attacking Obama for “assaulting” McCain supporters by lamenting those who called him a “terrorist” and want him dead, John McCain took time late this afternoon to push back against those overzealous supporters.

McCain was at an event in Minnesota when the antics that have become the standard recently at McCain-Palin rallies commenced. The fine crowd of truly independent voters at another McCain town hall peppered the GOP nominee with tough questions, like asking McCain when he would “tell the TRUTH” about Obama ’s record (meaning slime him on Ayers and Wright and those pesky “Islamofascist” connections, recounting that they would “be scared to bring up my child in a world where Barack Obama is president…,” and flat-out describing Obama as an “Arab terrorist.”

This was even too much for McCain., who may also be beginning to feel the heat from moderates and swing voters about the downright scary tone of McCain-Palin events lately. You know it’s serious when the Secret Service investigates the folks in the crowd for the insults they’re shouting (i.e.; “kill” Obama).

This was the day that McCain tried to take the high road and prepare the conservatives in the country for the possibility that he might actually lose this election.

“I respect Sen. Obama and his accomplishments.” People booed at the mention of his name. McCain, visibly angry, stopped them: “I want EVERYONE to be respectful, and lets make sure we are.”

The crowd reacted poorly to this statement, forcing McCain to “assault” his own crowd and upbraid them for insults hurled at Obama that aren’t “respectful.”

The very next questioner tried to push back on this request, noting that he needed to “tell the American the TRUTH about Barack Obama” — a not very subtle way, I think, to ask John McCain to NOT tell the truth about Barack Obama. McCain told her there’s a “difference between record and rhetoric, and I plan to talk about his record, respectfully… I don’t mean that has to reduce your ferocity, I just mean it has to be respectful.”

And then later, again, someone dangled a great big piece of low-hanging fruit in front of McCain: “I’m scared to bring up my child in a world where Barack Obama is president.”

McCain replies, “Well, I don’t want him to be president, either. I wouldn’t be running if I did. But,” and he pauses for emphasis, “you don’t have to be scared to have him be President of the United States.” A round of boos.

And he snaps back: “Well, obviously I think I’d be better. “

In the end, McCain took one final shot at Obama’s anger at the McCain event crowd control and noted that most of the attendees of his town halls were “respectful.”

“Ninety-nine and 44/100ths of every person who has come to my town-hall meetings has been respectful,” McCain said.

This is an exchange with his base that was sorely needed in a campaign that had started to get fearfully ugly very fast. The boorish behavior of some in the McCain-Palin crowds - pushing members of the media, calling African-Americans present “n*****s,” calling for the “terrorist” Obama to be killed - was startlingly hostile and was beginning to harm McCain’s image and the image of his campaign.

Not even acknowledging that there may be a problem with his crowds - other than to have the campaign criticize Obama for crying foul - would have been the end of talk that McCain was a “maverick” who wanted to fight Obama “respectfully.”

There still may be those arguing that McCain’s attacks on Ayers and ACORN are beyond the pal, but he has at the very least done the honorable thing - the only thing to do - in this situation.

And he just started writing his concession speech…