Top Items:
Mikki Halpin / Glamocracy:
Barack Obama tells Glamour: “Debate me, not Michelle” — On Wednesday Senator Barack Obama talked to Glamour's editor-in-chief Cindi Leive and answered questions from our readers about his policies and about women's issues. (Thanks to the many of you who submitted those queries!)
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Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
3 Anchors to Follow Obama's Trek Abroad — The three network anchors will travel to Europe and the Middle East next week for Barack Obama's trip, adding their high-wattage spotlight to what is already shaping up as a major media extravaganza. — Lured by an offer of interviews …
Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Barack Obama's $52 million June — Sen. Barack Obama's campaign raised $52 million in June, his campaign manager said Thursday morning - not quite a record for the high-flying campaign, but close to it. The campaign had raised $55 million in February, during the Democratic primaries.
Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:
Obama raised $52 million in June, still trails McCain and GOP — WASHINGTON - Democrat Barack Obama raised $52 million last month for his presidential campaign, more than twice as much as Republican rival John McCain in a significant boost to his financial cache for the fall contest.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Obama's $52 million — The Obama campaign rolls out its June fundraising numbers today, which meet the sky-high expectations the campaign faces and surpass a recent wave of rumors of a relatively slow month. — The sum nearly equals Obama's — and the American political — record of $55 million in February.
Jaime Sneider / Weekly Standard Blog:
The Obama Campaign's Out of Control Spending
The Obama Campaign's Out of Control Spending
Discussion:
Real Clear Politics
Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:
Obama Raises $52 Million in June
Obama Raises $52 Million in June
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, TalkLeft, Democratic Strategist, Prairie Weather and Real Clear Politics
John Santucci / Political Radar:
Obama Hits the Gym, With Multiple Repetitions — ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: While Obama spent 91 minutes at a campaign event yesterday, the Illinois Senator spent a total of 188 minutes in the gym yesterday - making three separate stops to Chicago gyms over the course of one day.
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Larry Hunter / NY Daily News:
Hunter: This conservative activist is backing Obama — I'm a lifelong Republican - a supply-side conservative. I worked in the Reagan White House. I was the chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for five years. In 1994, I helped write the Republican Contract with America.
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Are the media airbrushing Obama's speeches? Update: Wouldn't ICE qualify? — World Net Daily does not have a great reputation for accuracy in its reporting, but Bob Unruh has pretty solid evidence for his report on a disappearing section of a speech given by Barack Obama.
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Ewen MacAskill / Guardian:
US plans to station first diplomats in Iran since 1979 — Washington move signals thaw in relations — The US plans to establish a diplomatic presence in Tehran for the first time in 30 years as part of a remarkable turnaround in policy by President George Bush.
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Ben Smith / The Politico:
McCain's humor often backfires — Ever hear that joke about waterboarding? How about the one about killing Iranians? And why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? — If you aren't familiar with those witty japes, then you've missed out on John McCain's lighter side.
Discussion:
The Hill, Think Progress, Taylor Marsh, First Draft, pandagon.net, TPM Election Central and Political Punch
Ron Fournier / Associated Press:
Gore sets ‘moon shot’ goal on climate change — WASHINGTON (AP) — Just as John F. Kennedy set his sights on the moon, Al Gore is challenging the nation to produce every kilowatt of electricity through wind, sun and other Earth-friendly energy sources within 10 years, an audacious goal he hopes the next president will embrace.
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US News:
Taxpayers and Private Groups Pay for Congress's Globe-trotting Over Memorial Day — One of the benefits of being a member of Congress is lavish trips, sometimes on the taxpayers' dime — While many Americans watched their wallets, several dozen members of Congress used the Memorial …
Carrie Johnson / Washington Post:
Administration Wanted Loyalist As Justice Dept. Legal Adviser — Top Officials Sought to Defend Interrogation Practices — Then-Attorney General John D. Ashcroft offered the White House a list of five candidates to lead the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel in early 2003 …
Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:
Old Flame — Why I still kinda like John McCain. — The presidential election has an oddly placid feel to it. Four years ago, the notion that George W. Bush would get another four years in office, actually ratified by a plurality of the voters, was more than any liberal could bear …
New York Times:
In Iraq, Mixed Feelings About Obama and His Troop Proposal — BAGHDAD — A tough Iraqi general, a former special operations officer with a baritone voice and a barrel chest, melted into smiles when asked about Senator Barack Obama. — “Everyone in Iraq likes him,” said the general, Nassir al-Hiti.
Discussion:
Time, Commentary, www.redstate.com, The Foundry, Hot Air, The Caucus, American Power, Macsmind, NO QUARTER, TIME.com, Upturned Earth, BizzyBlog, Booman Tribune and JustOneMinute
Ashley Seager / Guardian:
America fails on ‘human index’ — Despite spending $230m (£115m) an hour on healthcare, Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed country. And while it has the second-highest income per head in the world, the United States ranks 42nd in terms of life expectancy.
Discussion:
Big Brass Blog