Top Items:
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Dems pound McCain for new Iraq quote — The Obama campaign and Democratic leaders accused Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) of being confused and heartless after he told NBC's “Today” show Wednesday that it's “not too important” when U.S. troops return from Iraq. — Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) …
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Washington Post:
Iraqis Condemn American Demands — High-level negotiations over the future role of the U.S. military in Iraq have turned into an increasingly acrimonious public debate, with Iraqi politicians denouncing what they say are U.S. demands to maintain nearly 60 bases in their country indefinitely.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Kerry: McCain confused, ‘unbelievably out of touch’ — John Kerry, who's served in the past as Obama's heavy-hitter on national security, expressed incredulity at McCain's remark this morning that the timing of troops return is “not too important.” — “It is unbelievably out of touch …
Discussion:
Salon, TIME.com, Swampland, Political Punch, Boston Globe, Top of the Ticket and Balloon Juice
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
A Question Of Empire — That's the critical question …
A Question Of Empire — That's the critical question …
Discussion:
Political Machine
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
JOHN MCCAIN: I AM VIRAL VIDEO! — McCain: Bringing Troops Home from Iraq “Not Too Important” ... Get a good look. Within a day or so he won't have said it.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars
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Michael Goldfarb / John McCain 2008:
Not Too Important: Context — The Obama campaign has been demagoguing …
Not Too Important: Context — The Obama campaign has been demagoguing …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blogs
Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:
100 YEARS....Matt Lauer asked John McCain this morning …
100 YEARS....Matt Lauer asked John McCain this morning …
Discussion:
The Jed Report
Nick Timiraos / Wall Street Journal:
Some Buy a New Home to Bail on the Old — Fannie Plans Rules To Avoid Practice Described as Fraud — Next month, Michelle Augustine plans to walk away from her four-bedroom house in a Sacramento, Calif., subdivision and let the property fall into foreclosure.
Discussion:
Newshoggers.com, michellemalkin.com, Donklephant, The Volokh Conspiracy, Calculated Risk and AMERICAblog
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Washington Post:
Obama's Choice of Insider Draws Fire — Last month, Sen. Barack Obama turned to James A. Johnson, a former Fannie Mae chief executive and Washington insider since the Carter administration, to lead the vetting of potential running mates for the Democratic Party's presumptive presidential nominee.
Discussion:
New York Sun, New York Times, Commentary, Spin Cycle, FOX Embeds, Marc Ambinder, Runnin' Scared, Too Sense, TIME.com, MSNBC and John McCain Report blog
Mark Leibovich / New York Times:
Those Loyal to the Clintons Take Note of Who Was Not — WASHINGTON — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was gracious in her full-throated endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. But that does not mean all is forgiven by others in the Clinton universe. — For proof, look no further than Doug Band …
Discussion:
The Swamp, Power Line, The New Republic, Political Punch, Achenblog, I Am TRex, AMERICAblog, The Sundries Shack and Media Blog
Jeffrey M. Jones / Gallup:
Obama Gains Among Women After Clinton Exit — Now running as strongly vs. McCain among women as Clinton did — PRINCETON, NJ — Since Hillary Clinton decided to concede the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama last week, Obama has established a lead over Republican John McCain in general-election polling.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, The Caucus, Hotline On Call, PoliGazette, American Street and The Political Carnival
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Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Mincing Up Michelle — Hillary and Bill are busy updating their enemies lists. And Obama is racking his brain trying to figure out where to stash his erstwhile rival. — If a President Obama put her on the Supreme Court, of course, we would have the infinite fun of hearing Bill rant about how Scalia …
Discussion:
Big Brass Blog, michellemalkin.com, No More Mister Nice Blog, Too Sense, Reason Magazine and TownHall Blog
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Camille Paglia / Salon:
Obama's best veep choice — Here's a hint: She's not Hillary! Plus: Talk radio's paranoid delusions and a Brazilian diva Madonna could aspire to. — Shuddering, lurching and stumbling, the 2008 general election has finally, mercifully begun. For a year and a half …
Matt / Think Progress:
McCain On Whether Cheney Might Serve In His Administration: ‘Hell, Yeah’ — As Vice President Dick Cheney makes the rounds on “the GOP's rubber chicken circuit” these days to raise funds for conservative candidates, he always implores his audiences “to make sure that we elect John McCain the 44th President of the United States.”
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Abe Greenwald / Commentary:
Why Is Bush Apologizing? — President Bush could not have picked a worse time to decide to soften his image. As Iran barrels towards full nuclear capability and as positive developments in the War on Terror shine a favorable light on the Bush Doctrine, we find the President at his most cuddly and contrite.
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John Cole / Balloon Juice:
High Comedy at the McCain Golf Store — Via the comments section in another post, when you buy your McCain '08 Golf gear, you are asked to post a helpful review: — Some helpful customers decided to take him up on the offer, and hilarity breaks out all over:
Kate Barrett / Political Radar:
Obama Admits Smoking Cigarettes in Last Few Months — ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Senator Barack Obama told reporters in St. Louis today that he has fallen off the wagon and smoked cigarettes in the last few months. — Watch the VIDEO HERE. — The presumptive Democratic nominee …
Discussion:
Don Surber, The Sundries Shack, Gateway Pundit, The News Buckit, American Spectator and Commentary
Ben Pershing / Washington Post:
Kucinich Forces Vote On Bush's Impeachment — Having failed in efforts to impeach Vice President Cheney, Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) escalated his battle against the administration this week by introducing 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush, using a parliamentary maneuver that will probably force a vote today.
Discussion:
Capitol Briefing, Firedoglake, Democrats.com, the talking dog, DownWithTyranny! and Raw Story