Top Items:
The Board:
Say What? John McCain, Barack Obama, and the “Race Card” — We know that operatives in modern-day presidential campaigns are supposed to say things that everyone knows are ridiculous — and to do it with a straight face. — Still, there was something surreal, and offensive …
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Hugh Hewitt / TownHall Blog:
The New York Times Demonstrates Why It Is Bleeding Money — The McCain ad smacking Obama for his “all hat, no cattle” resume has generated a lot of controversy, but the New York Times' assertion that the ad is “racially tinged” tells you everything about the Times and nothing about John McCain.
Discussion:
protein wisdom
Ben Smith / The Politico:Times ed board: McCain move ‘racially tinged’
Discussion:
Patterico's Pontifications, www.redstate.com, The Crypt's Blogs and Jonathan Martin's Blogs
Allahpundit / Hot Air:Unbelievable: NYT recycles nutroots charge that McCain's Britney ad is racist
Ryan J. Rusak / TRAIL BLAZERS:New McCain ad: Barack Obama = Paris Hilton and Britney Spears
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice
David Willman / Los Angeles Times:
Apparent suicide in anthrax case — Bruce E. Ivins, a scientist who helped the FBI investigate the 2001 mail attacks, was about to face charges. — A top government scientist who helped the FBI analyze samples from the 2001 anthrax attacks has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide …
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David Willman / Los Angeles Times:
Anthrax suspect dies in apparent suicide — The Justice Department was preparing to file criminal charges against Bruce E. Ivins in the anthrax mailing assaults of 2001 that killed five. — One of the nation's top biodefense researchers has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide …
Associated Press:
Anthrax scientist commits suicide as FBI closes in — WASHINGTON - A top U.S. biodefense researcher whose brother says was being aggressively pursued by the FBI in connection with a series of anthrax mailings after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks apparently committed suicide.
New York Times:
Pakistanis Aided Attack in Kabul, U.S. Officials Say — WASHINGTON — American intelligence agencies have concluded that members of Pakistan's powerful spy service helped plan the deadly July 7 bombing of India's embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to United States government officials.
Discussion:
Guardian, Hot Air, Informed Comment, Outside The Beltway, The Moderate Voice, Eunomia, JONATHAN TURLEY and On Deadline
RELATED:
Joby Warrick / Washington Post:U.S. Officials: Pakistani Agents Helped Plan Kabul Bombing
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Billmon / Daily Kos:
The Great White Hope — The media's moment of disillusionment with John McCain appears to be at hand. Even Joe Klein has finally noticed that McCain's profile is beginning to resemble the endomorphic shadow of his backstage advisor, Karl Rove, not one of the faces on Mt. Rushmore.
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Joe Klein / Swampland:
Hope Dashed (Again) — A few months ago, I wrote that John McCain was an honorable man and he would run an honorable campaign. I was wrong. I used to think, as David Ignatius does, that McCain's true voice was humble and moderate, but now I'm beginning to think his Senate colleagues may be right about his temperament.
Discussion:
Time, RADAMISTO, Brilliant at Breakfast, Real Clear Politics, Liberal Values and The Moderate Voice
Digby / Hullabaloo:
Obama Clark — I was disheartened when the village succeeded in chasing Wes Clark out of the campaign. He's a good guy who brings a necessary combination of military credibility and progressive values into the political arena at a time when we have a chance to change the prevailing paradigm …
RELATED:
Paul Krugman / New York Times:
Can This Planet Be Saved? — Recently the Web site The Politico asked Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, why she was blocking attempts to tack offshore drilling amendments onto appropriations bills. “I'm trying to save the planet; I'm trying to save the planet,” she replied. — I'm glad to hear it.
Wall Street Journal:
Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies — including Wal-Mart.
NASA:
NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended — TUCSON, Ariz. — Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified water in a soil sample. The lander's robotic arm delivered the sample Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the heating of samples.
Robert G. Kaiser / Washington Post:
The Curious Mind of John McCain — Ambition and Emotion Color the Complex Intellect of the Candidate — In his 2002 book, “Worth the Fighting For,” John McCain offered this confession — an acknowledgment of a restless mind: “Although I seem to tolerate introspection better the older I am …
Discussion:
TIME.com
Peter Nicholas / Los Angeles Times:
For Clinton supporters, it's a gender issue — Some Clinton backers want the Democratic Party's platform to recognize what they see as the pervasive bias she suffered in the primaries. — WASHINGTON — As her chances of becoming vice president recede, some of Hillary Rodham Clinton's supporters …
Rasmussen Reports:
30% of Conservative Democrats Say They'll Vote for McCain — Thirty percent (30%) of conservative Democrats say they're voting for John McCain. Rasmussen Reports data also shows the Republican hopeful picking up support from 19% of White Democrats and 15% of Democrats over the age of 50.
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Nate / FiveThirtyEight.com:
My Least Favorite Argument — Obviously, I have a lot of nits to pick when it comes to campaign coverage, but my single least favorite brand of analysis is what I term “Match Game Arguments”: No candidate has ever [blank]. Given various intersections of geography, demography and history …
Discussion:
The Opinionator
RELATED:
Steven Stark / thephoenix.com:It ain't over yet — The press has already started inaugurating …
Discussion:
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