memeorandum: How Healthy Is John McCain? (Time)

11:45 AM ET, May 15, 2008

Top Items:

The GOP Must Stand for Something — Tuesday's election results highlighted challenges for both Democrats and Republicans. — Republicans received a hard shot in Mississippi. Greg Davis (for whom I campaigned and who was a well-qualified candidate) narrowly lost a special congressional election …

Discussion: The Swamp, The Moderate Voice, GregsOpinion.com, Redstate and Outside The Beltway

The Politico:

GOP cancer: Party could lose 20 more seats — For the past 18 months, ever since the 2006 elections, congressional Republicans have been like a hospital patient trying to convince visitors that he is not really all that sick: a bit under the weather; actually feel better than I sound; should be up and about any day; thanks for asking.

Discussion: Macsmind, Donklephant, Washington Post, The Strata-Sphere, MyDD, Hot Air and Doug Ross

New York Times:

Republican Election Losses Stir Fall Fears — WASHINGTON — The Republican defeat in a special Congressional contest in Mississippi sent waves of apprehension across an already troubled party Wednesday, with some senior Republicans urging Congressional candidates to distance themselves …

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Talking Points Memo, Eschaton, TPM Election Central, TBogg, DownWithTyranny!, The Page, No More Mister Nice Blog, Progress Illinois, PoliGazette, Cotton Mouth, BAGnewsNotes, The Swamp and The Smirking Chimp

Jim Tankersley / The Swamp:

Alarm bells for House GOP — They said the first was an outlier. The second, a fluke. But after losing their third seat this year in a special election, House Republicans faced the possibility on Wednesday that if they don't repair their image with voters, they could be in for another rough November.

Discussion: Liberty Street, The Other McCain and Comments from Left Field

The Politico:

Six ways the GOP can save itself — Things are so ugly for the members of the GOP right now, it's worth pondering their political mortality: Put bluntly, can this party be saved? — We talked to some of the smartest minds in Republican politics, and their prognosis is pretty grim.

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog and Hot Air

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Agitated? Irritable? Hostile? Aggressive? Impulsive? Restless? — House Republicans may be heading off a cliff in November, but give them credit for perseverance. Even after the new slogan they floated — “The Change You Deserve” — was discovered to be trademarked ad copy …

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report and Bluestem Prairie

Gail Collins / New York Times:
A Victory Plan for Hillary

Discussion: Political Perceptions

CNN:

Bush suggests Obama wants ‘appeasement’ of terrorists — JERUSALEM (CNN) - In a particularly sharp blast from halfway around the world, President Bush suggested Thursday that Sen. Barack Obama and other Democrats are in favor of “appeasement” of terrorists in the same way U.S. leaders appeased Nazis in the run-up to World War II.

Discussion: Think Progress, The Moderate Voice, On Deadline, Hot Air, Weekly Standard Blog, Ben Smith's Blogs, The New Republic, michellemalkin.com, Group News Blog, The Strata-Sphere, The Carpetbagger Report, Donklephant, Gateway Pundit, Spin Cycle, TPM Election Central, The Page and Balloon Juice

Ed OKeefe / Political Radar:

Obama Takes Issue With Bush Foreign Policy Speech — ABC News' Ed O'Keefe Reports: The Obama campaign is taking issue with a comment President Bush made while speaking to the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel's statehood. — “Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals …

Discussion: The Corner, Confederate Yankee and Unfogged

Kate Phillips / The Caucus:
Bush's Remarks in Israel Rile Obama

Discussion: Washington Wire, Commentary, AMERICAblog and Swampland

Liz Sidoti / Associated Press: Obama says Bush falsely accuses him of appeasement

Wall Street Journal:
Prepared Text of Bush's Knesset Speech

Discussion: Redstate

Associated Press:

NH Edwards delegate announces he's supporting Obama — PORTSMOUTH, N.H.—A New Hampshire Democratic Party delegate who had supported John Edwards says he will support Barack Obama, now that Edwards has endorsed his former political rival for the party's presidential nominee.

Discussion: Reason Magazine, Daily Kos, Spin Cycle and TPM Election Central

New York Times:

John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama — At a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Wednesday evening, John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama, who was on the stage with him, to be the Democratic nominee for president. — Sounding a theme of a nation divided into parts by walls, Mr. Edwards said …

Washington Post / The Trail:

NARAL Affiliates Question Obama Endorsement — NARAL Pro-Choice America affiliates in key swing and primary states are openly distancing themselves from the decision by NARAL Pro-Choice America to endorse Illinois Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to be the Democratic nominee for president.

Discussion: TPM Election Central and Salon

Peter Slevin / Washington Post:
Edwards Throws Support to Obama

Discussion: New York Times, NY Daily News, New York Post, The Caucus, Gawker, MSNBC and Electoral-vote.com

Keith Olbermann / MSNBC:

Olbermann: Mr. President, the war isn't about you — Olbermann: Bush's claim he gave up game to honor dead GIs is ludicrous — SPECIAL COMMENT — President Bush has resorted anew to the sleaziest fear-mongering and mass manipulation of an administration and public life dedicated to realizing the lowest of our expectations.

Discussion: The Other McCain, NewsBusters.org, Liberal Values, Macsmind and The Jed Report

SilentPatriot / Crooks and Liars:
Countdown Special Comment to President Bush: “Shut the hell up.”

Discussion: American Street, Flopping Aces, Pam's House Blend, Washington Post, Associated Press, Think Progress, Swampland and AMERICAblog

New York Times:

McCain on His Hopes for His First Term — The following is the prepared text of Senator John McCain's speech at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, in Columbus, Ohio. — Thank you. The hectic but repetitive routine of presidential campaigns often seems to consist entirely …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Caucus

Andrew Malcolm / Top of the Ticket:
Breaking News: McCain sees Iraq combat over, U.S. troops home before 2013

Discussion: The American Conservative, The Other McCain and Confederate Yankee

Marc Ambinder:
McCain Hopes Majority Of US Troops Are Out Of Iraq By 2013

Discussion: race42008.com

Cinque Henderson / The New Republic:

Maybe We Can't — The black case for Obama-skepticism. — Ninety percent of black Democrats support Barack Obama. So that might leave an observer wondering: What the hell is up with that other 10 percent? Are they stupid? Do they hate their own race? Do they not understand the historical import of the moment?

Discussion: Sister Toldjah, Oliver Willis, TownHall Blog, Commentary, Stumper and neo-neocon