What's happening to Barack Obama? That's the "buzz" question circulating both in cyberspace and across the nation. An admitted fact that the former Chicago South side Community organizer was skinny from the outset...he does look thinner these days, a bit frayed of late, and his hair appears to be getting a tad more gray each day.

Even though he touts himself as being "tough"... Obama's countenance looks tired and he seems gaunt and in need of rest. Truth be told... this should come as no surprise to anyone, as he has been getting 'whacked' pretty hard from all his recent flip-flops since being declared the Democratic nominee just over a month ago.

Not only has Obama had to rebutt, re-explain and re-define his position over-and-over again on every flip-flopping charge the media mirrors back at him daily, but he also has to bat-down each and every attack and counterattack lobbed at him by Senator John McCain and his camp...24/7.

It stands to reason why rumors are swirling that Obama has resorted to smoking cigarettes. Just in the past 30-days, Obama has had to deal with: the Women-in-scarves-fiasco (angering the Muslims); him calling that White female reporter "sweetie" (angering the women); General Wesley Clark's dissing of McCain's POW record (angering the Vets); the "it's not-my-job-to-vet-the- vetters" debacle (angering the Super Ds); and now, today... alienating his base with his blatant U-turn on FISA.

In addition to reneging on his campaign finance reform pledge, openly agreeing to expand Bush's Faith-based Initiatives, watering down his Gun control stance, opposing the recent Supreme Court's 'rape' decision, his reversal and re-reversal on his signature Iraq troop withdrawal in 16-months (all of which angered the Move.on crowd and the rest of the left-wing Netroots), the mounting chorus of "why-won't-he-show-his-authentic-birth-certificate" charges (angering the Patriots); and...not to mention Hillary's rich, white, money folks closing their pocketbooks to him -- all while the PUMAs (Party Unity My Ass) group blowing up the internet to recruit those 18 MILLION Clinton Women/Men voters to support McCain in November. What???

And that does not include "whacks" from Momar Khadafi, alleging that Obama was "less-than-a-man-of-African-descent" in his recent (flip-flop over the top) kowtowing to the Israeli audience; Independent Presidential nominee Ralph Nader all-but calling him an "Uncle Tom" for not addressing Black issues in his campaign; Green party presidential hopeful Cynthia McKinney coming out-of-the-gate referring to Obama as a "spineless" fake and fraud; and even Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr piled on...challenging Obama's leadership skills and referring to him as either "Tweedle dee or Tweedle dum"...

"When it comes to protecting the people's fundamental liberties, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum," observes Barr. "If Sen. Obama will not confront the Bush administration over years of lawless conduct, why is he running for president?"

All of this... and he hasn't even stepped foot in Iraq and Afghanistan yet. There is no telling what gaffes and 'switcheroos' await the world when he arrives there.

Odds makers continue to predict Obama, and his camp, will implode -- similar to the likes of racing's wonder horse "Big Brown."  Well, one thing is for sure, the General Election climate will be far more gruesome and way nastier than it has ever been in presidential political history. And by then, today's 'whacks' will look like 'love-taps' before it's over!