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.”
RELATED:
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.
Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Obama, Clinton Equally Matched vs. McCain — Democratic race: Obama 48%, Clinton 46% — PRINCETON, NJ — Although the November presidential election is still eight months away, the results of Gallup Poll Daily tracking shows that if that election were held today …
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Penn: Obama “really can't win the general”
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:
The Campaign Spot, protein wisdom, Gateway Pundit, Right Wing Nut House, Power Line, Sister Toldjah, NewsBusters.org, Commentary, Donklephant, Slate, PrezVid, Hot Air, Fausta's blog, Political Byline, Outside The Beltway, The Carpetbagger Report, The Confluence, Instapundit.com, Talking Points Memo, The Newshoggers, Confederate Yankee, michellemalkin.com, Taylor Marsh, StephenBainbridge.com, Don Surber, Blue Crab Boulevard, Stop The ACLU, NO QUARTER, The Jawa Report, Oliver Willis, The Other McCain, Sweetness & Light, The Moderate Voice, Once Upon a Time, Pat Dollard, No More Mister Nice Blog, PunditGuy, Riehl World View, Little Green Footballs, The Colossus of Rhodey, USS Neverdock, American Spectator, Cold Fury and Balloon Juice
RELATED:
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.
RELATED:
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.
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 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, Capitol Briefing, Hullabaloo, The Crypt's Blogs and Jules Crittenden
RELATED:
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 …
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 …
RELATED:
Warren P. Strobel / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Pentagon cancels release of controversial Iraq report
Pentagon cancels release of controversial Iraq report
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.
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 …
RELATED:
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.”
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 …
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
Stephen Labaton / New York Times:
White House Offers Plan to Ward Off Credit Crises — WASHINGTON — After months of watching a growing credit crisis made worse by steadily eroding home prices, the Bush administration responded on Thursday with the outlines of a plan that officials emphasized is meant more to prevent future crises than to address the current one.
Discussion:
THE CUNNING REALIST