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Marc Ambinder:
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 …
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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 …
Discussion:
Marc Ambinder, Crooks and Liars, Hot Air, Washington Wire, TPM Election Central, The Corner, Sister Toldjah, The Carpetbagger Report, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Brilliant at Breakfast, First Draft, Blue Girl, Red State, Alas, a blog, Scripting News, PoliticalBase.com Blog, The Caucus, American Power, Booman Tribune, Shakesville and MOMocrats™
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 …
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
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.”
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 …
Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:With Commercial, McCain Gets Much More Than His Money's Worth
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FiveThirtyEight.com, Open Left, Newsweek Blogs, The Caucus, Gawker, New York Times and Wake up America
New York Observer:Mac Attack — They Adored Him! Senator McCain Had the Press Eating …
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Wonkette
Mark Murray / MSNBC:OBAMA = BRITNEY AND PARIS?
Discussion:
Boston Globe, PoliticalBase.com Blog, The Swamp, Firedoglake, protein wisdom and American Power
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, TownHall Blog, Matthew Yglesias, The Corner, MyDD, The Sideshow, NO QUARTER, Don Surber, Democratic Strategist, Commentary, D-Day and Marc Ambinder
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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 …
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 …
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Amanda Erickson / The Swamp:Obama + Ludacris = best friends 4eva
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Jonathan Martin's Blogs
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.
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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 …
Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:
REPEATING FACT-CHECKED LINES — From NBC's Domenico Montanaro — McCain and his campaign repeated at least two lines of attack against Obama, which when first said in early July, were called “bogus,” “wrong,” “inflated” and “misleading” by independent fact checkers.
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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 and michellemalkin.com
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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.
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.
Matt / Think Progress:
Secretary Of Energy Repeats Katrina Oil Spill Lie: ‘Not One Case’ Where Oil ‘Spilled In The Environment’ — After meeting with his cabinet today, President Bush renewed his call for “Congress to lift the legislative ban that prevents offshore exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf.”
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Rose Garden / White House:President Bush Meets with Cabinet Members
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The LA Times President …
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 …
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D-Day
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