Top Items:
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
DID HE REALLY JUST DO THAT? — This is the lead on a story just out over the Reuters wire ... The Reuters piece hints at it. But if Obama is going to be in Iraq this weekend, this is a major breach on McCain's part. As a knowledgeable insider notes ...
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
McCain breaks embargo on Obama's schedule — Obama, you may have noticed, doesn't have a public schedule today. The press generally respects campaigns' and officials' security concerns, when voiced. — So Josh Marshall is probably right to raise an eyebrow that John McCain …
Reuters:
McCain says Obama trip to Iraq may be soon — DETROIT (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain commented on Friday on the unannounced timing of a high-security trip by Barack Obama to Iraq, saying he believed his Democratic rival was going this weekend.
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
Gramm stands down — Former Sen. Phil Gramm is stepping down from his post as national co-chair for John McCain a week after creating headaches for the campaign by calling Americans “whiners” and saying the country was only experiencing a “mental recession.”
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Washington Wire:
Sen. Gramm Leaves McCain Camp — Laura Meckler reports from New York City on the presidential campaign: — Former Sen. Phil Gramm stepped down today as co-chairman of his friend John McCain's campaign, eight days after he went seriously off message to say that the nation is in a “mental recession.”
Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Harold Ford Heckled Over Fox Comment At Netroots Nation — Former congressman Harold Ford was billed as a sheep amidst the wolves when he was booked for an appearance at the Netroots Nation conference here in Austin. And while for the most part the DLC head and self-described ‘centrist’ Democrat received …
Discussion:
American Power, Real Clear Politics, Booman Tribune, The Trail, TalkLeft and michellemalkin.com
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Washington Wire:
Democratic Party Unity Proves Elusive at Netroots Gathering — Susan Davis reports from Austin, Texas, on Netroots Nation. — Can Democrats bridge the ideological divides within the party? A lunch keynote session at the Netroots Nation annual convention here in Austin tried to address …
Peter Hamby / CNN:
McCain: 'I don't know' if Obama is socialist — WARREN, Michigan (CNN) - John McCain on Thursday described Barack Obama's Senate record as “more to the left” than Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont — an independent who caucuses with Democrats but has described himself as an “independent Democratic socialist.”
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Kansas City Star:
McCain renews call for gas-tax holiday at Union Station campaign stop — Sen. John McCain on Thursday renewed his call for a “brief” gas tax holiday — and quickly ran into a political fender-bender with his new Missouri campaign chairman, Sen. Kit Bond. — The Republican told …
Steven Lee Myers / New York Times:
Bush, in Shift, Accepts Idea of Iraq Timeline — HOUSTON — President Bush agreed to “a general time horizon” for withdrawing American troops in Iraq, the White House announced Friday, in a concession that reflected both progress in stabilizing Iraq and the depth of political opposition …
Discussion:
Commentary, www.redstate.com, TIME.com, Truthdig, Wonkette, Macsmind and Buck Naked Politics
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Kirk Tofte / NO QUARTER:
New Yorker Cover Cartoon NOT a Satire? — It is being reported today that Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times has in his possession a tape recording of an interview he once had with Barack Obama that may be very damaging to the latter's campaign for the presidency.
Fox News:
Elisabeth Hasselbeck in Tears After ‘View’ Discussion on N-Word — “View” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck was in tears Thursday after a discussion about the use of the n-word, in which fellow co-host Whoopi Goldberg told her the two “don't live in the same world.”
Discussion:
The Dish Rag, Right Wing News, Tennessee Guerilla Women, Macsmind, Don Surber and American Power
Beth Reinhard / Naked Politics:
McCain POW bud: Muslims ‘going to kill us’ — One of John McCain's fellow POW's in Vietnam defended the war in Iraq, saying, “The Muslims have said either we kneel or they're going to kill us.” — In a phone call with reporters arranged by Republican Party of Florida, Colonel Bud Day added …
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Marc Ambinder:
McCain Campaign's Parting Gift To Obama Traveling Press Corps — It's a 17-page briefing book on Obama's Iraq and Afghanistan policy complete with Obama's one-event-only presidential seal. Download it here.
Discussion:
www.redstate.com
Jim Christie / Reuters:
California opposes move to ban gay marriage: poll — SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Californians are likely to uphold the right to gay marriage in the state by voting against a ballot measure that seeks to override a court ruling allowing same-sex unions, poll results showed on Friday.
Discussion:
Reason Magazine
Benny Morris / New York Times:
Using Bombs to Stave Off War — ISRAEL will almost surely attack Iran's nuclear sites in the next four to seven months — and the leaders in Washington and even Tehran should hope that the attack will be successful enough to cause at least a significant delay in the Iranian production schedule …
Discussion:
Harry's Place, FP Passport, Swampland, Booman Tribune, www.redstate.com and The Glittering Eye
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Ahmad Shuja / Fox News:
Photographer Detained After Filming Taliban Execution of Two Women in Afghanistan — The Afghan journalist who filmed and photographed the July 12 execution of two women by the Taliban says he was detained and held for two days by authorities in Afghanistan for suspected ties to terrorists.
Washington Post:
Acceptance of Gay People in Military Grows Dramatically — Public attitudes about gays in the military have shifted dramatically since President Bill Clinton unveiled what became his administration's “don't ask, don't tell” policy 15 years ago today. — Seventy-five percent of Americans …
Discussion:
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