Top Items:
Jaime Sneider / Weekly Standard Blog:
The Obama Campaign's Out of Control Spending — The $52 million figure may not be a disaster for the Obama campaign, but it is hardly a success. Not just because it's far below what the Obama campaign projected in June. It's a disappointment because it includes general election contributions from those who had previously maxed out.
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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!)
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.
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Obama's $52 million — The Obama campaign rolls out its June …
Obama's $52 million — The Obama campaign rolls out its June …
Discussion:
Reason Magazine
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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Associated Press:
Political Play of the Day: Obama becomes a gym rat — CHICAGO (AP) - Sometimes it's hard to tell if Barack Obama is running for president of the United States or Mr. Universe. — The Democratic presidential contender exercises regularly, but over a 24-hour span this week, he took it to a new extreme.
David Stout / New York Times:
Gore Calls for Carbon-Free Electric Power — WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Al Gore said on Thursday that Americans must abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within a decade and rely on the sun, the winds and other environmentally friendly sources of power …
Discussion:
Dot Earth, The Politico, European Tribune, Prairie Weather, Donklephant, The Carpetbagger Report, TIME.com and Climate Progress
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Murphy / puma pac:
GOD WILL GUIDE THE HAND OF JUDGMENT THAT WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN! — A note to maniacs who make death threats: They don't work. They harden the opposition to your cause because they expose your true nature as a homicidal bully. They also rally the support of the vast majority of decent people who are outraged by the tactic.
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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.
Sean Tevis for Kansas State Representative:
Running for Office: It's Like A Flamewar with a Forum Troll, but with an Eventual Winner — My name is Sean Tevis [photo]. I'm an Information Architect in Kansas running for State Representative. I've decided to “retire” my current State Representative. I'm going to win.
Discussion:
The Other McCain
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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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.
Discussion:
Silent Running
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Natalie Gewargis / Political Punch:
Thanks for Nothin', Joe! — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his allies have been hitting Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, for not holding any hearings to examine the role of NATO in Afghanistan in his perch as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs.
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Noam Scheiber / The New Republic:
Biden Watch — Via First Read, this is about as impressive …
Biden Watch — Via First Read, this is about as impressive …
Discussion:
Political Radar
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, First Draft, pandagon.net, Taylor Marsh, Donklephant, TPM Election Central, Think Progress and Political Punch
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 …
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 …
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 …
Larry Kudlow / The Corner:
Is Failure No Longer an Option? — Why does it seem to me that all Washington ever seems to talk about these days is bailouts? Bailout Freddie Mac. Bailout Fannie Mae. Bailout Wall Street. Bailout homeowners. Is it possible in America today that no one is allowed to fail?