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!)
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.
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.
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 …
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Holly Bailey / Newsweek Blogs:
About That Obama Trip... With word that the three network news anchors will be joining Barack Obama on his trip overseas next week, the New York Times today raises the question of whether John McCain has been given short shrift when it comes to media coverage.
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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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:
European Tribune, Dot Earth, The Politico, Prairie Weather, Donklephant, The Carpetbagger Report and TIME.com
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Julia Hoppock / Political Radar:
Biden hits back - More on Obama's Committee — ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports: The case of the European Affairs Subcommittee hearings continues. Biden writes a passive aggressive letter to answer DeMint's passive aggressive letter. — Sen. Jim DeMint, R-SC, the ranking member on that committee …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard Blog
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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.
Discussion:
Eunomia, PoliBlog (TM), Liberal Values, American Spectator, Left in the West and Balloon Juice
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
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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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 …
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
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.
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 …
New York Times:
Judge Refuses to Postpone Trial of Bin Laden's Driver — A federal judge on Thursday refused to postpone the first military trial set for next week at the Guantánamo Bay detention center, rebuffing a last-minute plea from lawyers for Salim Hamdan, an accused member of Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden's former driver.
Discussion:
The Swamp