Top Items:
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Some on left target McCain's war record — The highest voltage third rail of this presidential campaign may not be race, sex, or age, but Senator John McCain's military service. — McCain's campaign Sunday issued a pair of outraged statements after retired general and Barack Obama supporter Wesley Clark …
RELATED:
CNN:
Gen. Clark challenges McCain's qualifications — (CNN) — Retired U.S. General Wesley Clark, a supporter of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, questioned Sunday whether Sen. John McCain's military experience qualified him to be commander-in-chief. — The McCain campaign called for Obama to condemn the remarks.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Swiftboating McCain — Ben Smith documents the left's gross attacks on McCain's military record: … Wesley Clark is now and always has been a Clinton-type, but this is pretty revolting. This kind of personal attack was repulsive coming against Kerry from the far right. And it's repulsive the other way round.
John Aravosis / AMERICAblog News:
Honestly, besides being tortured, what did McCain do to excel in the military? — It's not “nice” to ask the question, but it's actually a pretty good question. Yes, we all know that John McCain was captured and tortured in Vietnam (McCain won't let you forget).
Mike Allen / The Politico:
Romney tops McCain veep list — Surprising many Republican insiders, Mitt Romney is at the top of the vice-presidential prospect list for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). But lack of personal chemistry could derail the pick. — “Romney as favorite” is the hot buzz in Republican circles …
Discussion:
Top of the Ticket, The New Republic, The Swamp, Donklephant, Althouse, TIME.com, PoliBlog (TM) and Club for Growth
Steven Thomma / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Lack of funds hobbling the ‘Republican attack machine’ — WASHINGTON — Democrats and the media have used the term so much that it's almost an article of faith. But the so-called “Republican attack machine” waiting with piles of unregulated cash to chew up Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is anything but.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, michellemalkin.com, Informed Comment, QandO, American Spectator and The Other McCain
RELATED:
Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:
GOP Sharpens Attacks on Obama — Allies of McCain Casting Democratic Candidate as Unprincipled, Opportunistic — CLEVELAND — Sen. John McCain's allies have seized on a new and aggressive line of attack against Sen. Barack Obama, casting the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee …
Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Veterans Long to Reclaim the Name ‘Swift Boat’
Veterans Long to Reclaim the Name ‘Swift Boat’
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org, Hullabaloo, The Huffington Post, Democracy Project, Sweetness & Light and JammieWearingFool
Eli Saslow / Washington Post:
In Flag City USA, False Obama Rumors Are Flying — FINDLAY, Ohio — On his corner of College Street, Jim Peterman stares at the four American flags planted in his front lawn and rubs his forehead. Peterman, 74, is a retired worker at Cooper Tire, a father of two, an Air Force veteran and a self-described patriot.
George Packer / New Yorker:
OBAMA'S IRAQ PROBLEM — In February, 2007, when Barack Obama declared that he was running for President, violence in Iraq had reached apocalyptic levels, and he based his candidacy, in part, on a bold promise to begin a rapid withdrawal of American forces upon taking office.
Chris Welch / CNN:
Obama to deliver ‘major speech’ on patriotism — CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) — Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama plans to deliver what his campaign is calling a “major speech” Monday, centering around an issue he's been trying to highlight for months now: his patriotism.
RELATED:
Simon / Bloggasm:
Who's responsible for shutting down a number of anti-Obama Blogspot accounts? — When Carissa Snedeker went to log into her Blogspot account Wednesday evening at about 7:30, she had no idea what would be waiting for her. She had created her blog, Blue Lyon, three years ago and up until …
Discussion:
Outside The Beltway, NewsBusters.org, The Campaign Spot, Sister Toldjah, Stop The ACLU and The Confluence
Mark Preston / CNN:
Congressional Democrats hire Bush impersonator — WASHINGTON (CNN) — House Democrats will use a President Bush impersonator in a new radio advertising campaign that seeks to link 13 incumbent Republicans to rising gas prices as the country heads into the Fourth of July holiday.
Glenn Reynolds / Pajamas Media:
I'M WRITING A SHORT PIECE ON HELLER FOR NORTHWESTERN, and something became clear to me as soon as I started writing: What's most striking about Heller is that absolutely everybody — majority and dissents — says the Second Amendment protects an individual right.