memeorandum: New McCain Ad Attacks Obama As A “Celebrity” (Greg Sargent/TPM Election Central)

9:45 PM ET, July 30, 2008

Top Items:

Weaver, McCain's Former Strategist, Calls “Celeb” Ad “Childish” — John Weaver, for years one of John McCain's closest friends and confidants, has been in exile since his resignation from McCain's presidential campaign last year. With the exception of an occasional interview, he has …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The New Republic, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Politico, TIME.com, Tom Watson, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Pajamas Media, Campaign Diaries, Hot Air, Political Punch, The Nation and Salon

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Keeping Track — I note with interest today, John McCain's new tactic of associating Barack Obama with oversexed and/or promiscuous young white women. (See today's new ad and this from yesterday.) Presumably, a la Harold Ford 2006, this will be one of those strategies that will be a matter …

Isabel Wilkinson / The Huffington Post:

A Week In John McCain's Shoes — His $520 Ferragamo Loafers, That Is — This summer John McCain is traveling in style. He has worn a pair of $520 black leather Ferragamo shoes on every recent campaign stop — from a news conference with the Dalai Lama to a supermarket visit in Bethlehem …

Discussion: Spin Cycle, The Nation, Newsweek Blogs, D-Day, Political Radar, Oliver Willis, Pam's House Blend, Outside The Beltway, The Carpetbagger Report and The Anonymous Liberal

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

McCain's Risky Ad Strategy — UPDATE, 6:30 pm: Barack Obama's campaign has quickly turned around a response ad that bashes John McCain for practicing the “politics of the past.” — The key image? McCain and President Bush standing side by side while the words “John McCain: Same Old Politics, Same Failed Policies” appear on screen.

Discussion: The Trail

David Weigel / Reason Magazine:

I Used to Love Her, But I Had to Kill Her — Ben Smith analyzes the blowback from John McCain's new-ish, two-pronged strategy of negative (embellished) attacks on Obama and media-bashing. … Robert Stacy McCain (no relation) has data on the effects: according to Gallup …

Discussion: The Crossed Pond

Massie Ritsch / OpenSecrets.org:

Watchdogs Compare McCain, Obama on Donor Disclosure — If you follow this blog closely, you know that the Center for Responsive Politics and seven other watchdog groups asked John McCain and Barack Obama to disclose more information to the public about two segments of their fundraising bases …

Discussion: protein wisdom, Salon and Ben Smith's Blogs

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

AXELROD RESPONDS TO MCCAIN TV AD — From NBC's Andrea Mitchell — Obama senior strategist David Axelrod called into the 1:00 pm MSNBC hour to respond to McCain's latest TV ad. Having watched McCain campaign policy adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer defend it, Axelrod called in and said the latest ad is both “sophomoric” and “negative.”

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
New McCain Ad Attacks Obama As A “Celebrity”

Discussion: Hullabaloo and No More Mister Nice Blog

Tom Bevan / Real Clear Politics:
McCain Memo Slams Obama's Celebrity

Discussion: Get Drunk And Vote 4 McCain

New York Observer:
Mac Attack — They Adored Him! Senator McCain Had the Press Eating …

Discussion: Wonkette

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:
With Commercial, McCain Gets Much More Than His Money's Worth

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight.com, Open Left, Newsweek Blogs, The Caucus, Gawker and Wake up America

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
OBAMA = BRITNEY AND PARIS?

Discussion: Firedoglake, Boston Globe, PoliticalBase.com Blog, The Swamp, protein wisdom and American Power

Ben Smith / The Politico:

Obama camp condemns song: Ludacris ‘should be ashamed’ — Barack Obama's campaign is condemning a song by the rapper Ludacris that praises Obama and bitterly attacks Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain. — “As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today …

Discussion: ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Wake up America, Top of the Ticket, Gawker, NewsBusters.org, Weekly Standard Blog, Political Machine, Blogs of War, Political Punch and Fox News

Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Audio: This is not the Ludacris that Barack Obama thought he knew …

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Gateway Pundit, macsmind.com, American Power and ATTACKERMAN

Amanda Erickson / The Swamp:
Obama + Ludacris = best friends 4eva

Discussion: Jonathan Martin's Blogs

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

President Obama Continues Hectic Victory Tour — Barack Obama has long been his party's presumptive nominee. Now he's becoming its presumptuous nominee. — Fresh from his presidential-style world tour, during which foreign leaders and American generals lined up to show him affection …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Sideshow, NO QUARTER, MyDD, Matthew Yglesias, The Corner, Don Surber, Democratic Strategist, D-Day, Commentary and TownHall Blog

Jonathan Weisman / The Trail:

Obama's Symbolic Importance — In his closed door meeting with House Democrats Tuesday night, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama delivered a real zinger, according to a witness, suggesting that he was beginning to believe his own hype. — Obama was waxing lyrical about last week's trip …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Weekly Standard Blog, New York Times, The Daily Dish, Robert's Stochastic thoughts, Crunchy Con, Grasping Reality …, www.redstate.com, The Next Right, Open Left, NO QUARTER, Commentary and The Carpetbagger Report

Mark Murray / MSNBC:
FIRST THOUGHTS: ROCK BOTTOM FOR GOPERS?

Discussion: The New Republic

The Onion:

Al Gore Places Infant Son In Rocket To Escape Dying Planet — EARTH—Former vice president Al Gore—who for the past three decades has unsuccessfully attempted to warn humanity of the coming destruction of our planet, only to be mocked and derided by the very people he has tried to save …

Discussion: Don Surber

Alexander Mooney / CNN:

Poll shows Obama's trip didn't change race — (CNN) — It was a weeklong trip that drew blanket media coverage and sharp criticism from Republicans, but Barack Obama's recent tour abroad did little to alter the standing of the presidential race, a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows.

Discussion: TPM Election Central and Taegan Goddard's …

Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Poll: Most Americans want offshore drilling

Discussion: Commentary and TIME.com

The Hill:

50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill 2008 - Top 10 — Political party: Democrat. — Dating status: “Happily single” — She's striking - and accident-prone. — Three weeks ago, Tulani Elisa, a legislative assistant for Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), fell down while going up the Metro escalator that leads into Dupont Circle.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and skippy the bush kangaroo

David Stout / New York Times:

Democrats Call for Contempt Charges Against Rove — WASHINGTON — Democrats on both sides of the Capitol assailed the administration's handling of the Justice Department yet again on Wednesday, and a House committee recommended contempt charges against Karl Rove, who was President Bush's top political adviser.

Discussion: TPMMuckraker, The Swamp, Salon, Buck Naked Politics, The New Republic, The Hill, michellemalkin.com and The Carpetbagger Report

Charlie Savage / New York Times:
For White House, Hiring Is Political

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Think Progress, TPMMuckraker and The Swamp

Mother Jones:

There's Something About Mary: Unmasking a Gun Lobby Mole — NEWS: Mary McFate was a prominent gun control activist. Mary Lou Sapone was a freelance spy with an NRA connection. They are the same person. A Mother Jones investigation. — This is the story of two Marys.

Discussion: Brady Campaign Blog, MoJoBlog and Blue Girl, Red State

Ari / ProgressiveAccountability.org:

John McCain and Britney — McCain Defended Bush Administration Strategy In Iraq … - John McCain [ABC, The View, 4/10/08] — McCain Agreed With Bush's Strategy For Victory In Iraq — McCain Said I Have “No Qualms About Our Strategic Plans.” Just prior to the invasion of Iraq John McCain said …

Discussion: D-Day