Top Items:
USA Today:
Clinton strategist says Obama 'can't win the general election' — Though the campaign later argued that he hadn't said it, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's chief campaign strategist told reporters this morning that Sen. Barack Obama “can't win the general election.”
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Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:
Making Obama Unelectable — Mark Penn declared today that Barack Obama “really can't win the general [election].” Of course, it's silly to say that Obama or Clinton “can't” win the general. There's not even good evidence to suggest that Obama is less likely than Clinton to win the general.
Marc Ambinder:
Obama Can't Win The General? — They let Mark Penn out to speak and... this happens. — The USA Today link includes two minutes worth of audio, so you can make up your mind about the context. — Of course Obama can win the general election; it's illogical to generalize from the vote totals alone, as I and others have pointed out.
Ben Smith / The Politico:Penn: Obama “really can't win the general”
Discussion:
TPM Election Central
ABCNEWS:
Obama's Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11 — Obama's Pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Has a History of What Even Obama's Campaign Aides Say Is ‘Inflammatory Rhetoric’ — Sen. Barack Obama's pastor says blacks should not sing “God Bless America” but “God damn America.”
Discussion:
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Lynn Sweet:
Sweet scoop: Obama, after initial refusal, releases all earmark requests. Read them here. UPDATES — WASHINGTON—After refusing since June to make public earmark requests from 2005 and 2006, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is releasing Thursday all the earmark requests he has made since he entered the Senate in 2005.
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Jeralyn / TalkLeft:
Obama's 2006 Earmarks — Update: The AP says Obama has not responded to repeated requests to release his earmark legislation for six of his eightyears in the Illinois Senate. Yet, he's criticizing Hillary on this score: … Sen. Barack Obama released his list of 2006 legislation with earmarks today.
The Campaign Spot:
One of Obama's Earmarks Went to Hospital That Employs Michelle Obama — Dan Riehl notes, via Amanda Carpenter, that in the list of earmarks he requested, $1 Million was requested for the construction of a new hospital pavilion at the University Of Chicago. The request was put in in 2006.
The Hill:
Hoyer agrees to closed FISA session — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) has agreed to a GOP request for a secret House session Thursday to discuss the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act (FISA). — House Republicans had been seeking the closed session to delay a vote …
Discussion:
Think Progress, The Swamp, The Crypt's Blogs, Capitol Briefing, Hullabaloo and Jules Crittenden
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Daniel W. Reilly / The Politico:
House to hold rare closed session on FISA — The House will go into a rare closed session Thursday night to debate a controversial electronic surveillance measure. — It is the first closed session since 1983 and only the fifth in congressional history. — House Minority Whip Roy Blunt …
The Page:
Details of a possible delegate plan under discussion: —Michigan's 156 delegates would be split 50-50 between Clinton and Obama. —Florida's existing delegates would be seated at the Denver convention—but with half a vote each. That would give Clinton a net gain of about 19 elected delegates.
Nitya / Rapid Report:
Report Shows No Link Between Saddam and al Qaeda — ABC News has requested and obtained a copy of the Pentagon study which shows Saddam Hussein had no links to Al Qaeda. — (READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.) — It's government report the White House didn't want you to read …
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Warren P. Strobel / McClatchy Washington Bureau:Pentagon cancels release of controversial Iraq report
Paul Kane / Washington Post:
NRCC Says Ex-Treasurer Diverted Up to $1 Million — The former treasurer for the National Republican Congressional Committee diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars — and possibly as much as $1 million — of the organization's funds into his personal accounts, GOP officials said yesterday …
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Ruth Henderson / Pajamas Media:
I'VE SEEN MY SHARE OF SPITZERS: THE VIEW FROM AN ESCORT SERVICE — The disgraced former NY governor is not alone, writes “Ruth Henderson,” a former booking agent for high-priced Manhattan call girls. — Support Pajamas Media; Visit Our Advertisers — So New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned …
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Debate Alert! Hillary And Obama Campaigns Accept Invite To ABC Debate In Philly — From the no-rest-for-the-weary-of-debates department comes this release just out from the Clinton camp... No word on what the Obama camp will do yet. — Late Update: The Obama campaign accepts the ABC debate …
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Rich Noyes / NewsBusters.org:
Study: Networks Always Label GOPers With Sex Scandals — My colleague Brent Baker has painstakingly documented how the big three broadcast networks have gone out of their way to avoid labeling scandal-scarred New York Governor Eliot Spitzer as a “Democrat.”
New York Magazine:
David Paterson: ‘The Only Whores I Know Are Lobbyists’ — David Paterson just gave his first public address since Eliot Spitzer's resignation yesterday. He made noises about “getting back to work” and the budget, talked about being black and blind, indicated he wasn't planning any major changes …
Discussion:
Tom Watson
Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:
Good News for Obama: Hillary's Killing Him in Pennsylvania. (Seriously.) — I'd love to see the crosstabs for this Pennsylvania poll, but, just looking at the top-line numbers, it strikes me as pretty good news for Obama. It's not so much that he's down three points in a hypothetical match …
Martin Kady II / The Politico:
GOP amendment aimed at mocking Obama — While senators gravely speak about the nation's fiscal health all day during the Senate budget debate, they're not above making purely political points aimed at embarrassing one another. — To wit: Sen. Wayne Allard, a Republican from Colorado …
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