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 …
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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.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
DC PRESS LORDS LAY DOWN FIRE FOR MCCAIN — It's not surprising. But it is an example of the fatuous McCain worship that is the bread and butter of the Washington press corps that Wes Clark's comments this weekend on Face the Nation are being called ‘swift-boating’.
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.
John Aravosis / AMERICAblog News:
Honestly, besides being tortured, what did McCain do to excel in the military?
Honestly, besides being tortured, what did McCain do to excel in the military?
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:
MoJoBlog, The New Republic, TIME.com, Althouse, Donklephant, Balloon Juice, PoliBlog (TM) and Club for Growth
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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 …
Scott Martelle / Top of the Ticket:
John McCain's veep list said to be topped by Mitt Romney
John McCain's veep list said to be topped by Mitt Romney
Discussion:
The Swamp
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
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
McCain surrogate defends Swift Boaters
McCain surrogate defends Swift Boaters
Discussion:
TPM Election Central
Krooney / TIME.com:
Campaign to Combat Attacks on McCain's Military Record
Campaign to Combat Attacks on McCain's Military Record
Discussion:
The Carpetbagger Report
Kate Zernike / New York Times:
Veterans Long to Reclaim the Name ‘Swift Boat’
Veterans Long to Reclaim the Name ‘Swift Boat’
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Democracy Project, NewsBusters.org, Hullabaloo, 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.
Carpetbagger / The Carpetbagger Report:
Note to the religious right: auto-replace is not your friend — Auto-correct can be a very helpful feature of any word-processing program. But when conservatives use it, they run the risk of embarrassing themselves. — Some far-right sites that subscribe to the Associated Press feed …
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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.
Discussion:
Gateway Pundit
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Spencer Ackerman / The Washington Independent:
Iraq Contractor Security Assessment Differs From Bush/McCain — Whenever Bush administration or Sen. John McCain campaign officials open their mouths about Iraq, they portray the country as on a continuous path of Surge-based stabilization. “As security has improved, the environment has changed for the better,” Amb.
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:
NewsBusters.org, Outside The Beltway, 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.
Discussion:
The Crypt's Blogs, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, The Fix, The Swamp and Swing State Project
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.