Top Items:
Howard Fineman / MSNBC:
Biden the clear frontrunner for Veep — Foreign Relations Committee chairman has globe-trotting credentials — ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - I've recently spoken with two of the finalists for the role of Barack Obama's running-mate, and to two other sources who are close to the process.
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Biden '88 as McCain '08 — A classic Joe Biden ad from 1988, which begins: “The White House isn't the place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power, war and peace, and the economic future of the next generation. A President has got to know the territory, but that's not enough.”
Discussion:
The Swamp
Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Obama gives a shout out to his VP? — (CNN) — In a week where vice-presidential speculation has reached a feverish pitch, Barack Obama gave tea-leaf readers another reason to suspect he will name fellow Sen. Joe Biden his running mate later this week. — Speaking to veterans in Orlando …
Discussion:
TalkLeft, Open Left, Connecting.the.Dots, Donklephant, Moue Magazine and The Moderate Voice
Glenn Greenwald / Salon:
Rice: Military power is “not the way to deal in the 21st century” — It's hardly news that the U.S., like many countries, espouses standards that it routinely violates, but still, even in light of such routine hypocrisy, wouldn't you think that this, from Condoleezza Rice today …
Discussion:
Think Progress
Lynn Sweet:
Exclusive: Obama team reserving Old State Capitol in Springfield for Saturday to showcase running mate — The Chicago Sun-Times has learned that the Obama team, in the run-up to the Democratic convention, will showcase the new Obama ticket Saturday in Springfield at the Old State Capitol …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blogs, Marc Ambinder, Taegan Goddard's …, Pajamas Media, PoliticalBase.com Blog, Wonkette, MSNBC and TIME.com
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Rich Lowry / The Corner:
VP Alert — NR has learned that the McCain campaign has been calling key state GOP officials around the country the last couple of days and sounding them out about the consequences of a pro-choice VP pick. The campaign is asking about the reaction of conservative grass-roots activists …
Discussion:
Political Radar, michellemalkin.com, The Washington Independent, The Campaign Spot, Ace of Spades HQ, Wake up America, Riehl World View, Blogs of War, Marc Ambinder, Right Wing News, Political Punch, The Other McCain, Roger Ailes, No More Mister Nice Blog, TIME.com, Commentary, National Review, Hot Air and Macsmind
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James Pethokoukis / US News:
Tom Ridge Ruse: CEO Meg Whitman as Veep? — A conversation with a McCain adviser confirms my belief that the Tom Ridge boomlet is a clever bit of misdirection. I think John McCain is having Ridge “run a pick” for the real pick. First, look at this collection of factoids:
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Solzhenitsyn Biographer: Cross-In-Dirt Gulag Story Never Happened — There's been a ton of buzz on the web for the last day or so — beginning with this Daily Kos diary — suggesting that John McCain patterned his story about a Vietamese captor drawing a cross in the dirt before him on a similar episode …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Liberal Values, JammieWearingFool, QandO, Althouse and The Jed Report
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David Brooks / New York Times:
The Education of McCain — On Tuesdays, Senate Republicans hold a weekly policy lunch. The party leaders often hand out a Message of the Week that the senators are supposed to repeat at every opportunity. Sometimes there will be a pollster offering data that supposedly demonstrates …
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Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:
McCAIN'S CHOICE....David Brooks writes today that John McCain tried to run an honorable campaign, but it just didn't work: … The problem? Too many bloggers. A bored press. A stuffy conservative establishment. McCain tried to take on the system, and the system won.
TheFounder / Tribble Ad Agency:
Barack Obama chooses Kathleen Sebelius for Vice President — We have a credible lead that Barack Obama will be announcing Kathleen Sebelius for Vice President / VP. — Our sources work within an ad agency that is hired by the Obama campaign, and have noted that the vast majority …
Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
Inverted optics: DNCC wraps Obama in upside-down flag; A familiar look? — Maybe the DNCC has kept track of the polling this summer and figures the Democratic nominee is officially in distress. That's the only explanation for a silly gaffe by the convention committee for the graphics …
Victor Davis Hanson / The Corner:
Once Upon a Time — I was watching the old pre-9/11 Three Kings the other night — and was struck that there was a time when Hollywood, like the earlier books of many authors who later critiqued the Iraq War, was apparently furious at the United States for not removing Saddam (cf. the chants “Free Iraq!").
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias
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CNN:
Gore to speak on Democratic convention's final night — (CNN) - Former Vice President Al Gore has accepted a speaking role on the final night of the Democratic convention, appearing on the same stage that Barack Obama will officially receive the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, three sources tell CNN.
Discussion:
TIME.com
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David Gergen / CNN:
Is the tide turning? — CNN Senior Political Analyst — Heading into the candidates' appearances on Saturday night at Saddleback Church, the conventional wisdom in politics was Barack Obama should have a clear upper hand in any joint appearance with John McCain — one the young, eloquent …
Mark Halperin / TIME.com:
Obama's Remarks to the VFW — Thank you, Commander Lisicki, for your leadership. Let me also acknowledge the leadership of Virginia Carman, the president of the VFW ladies auxiliary, as well as my friend Jim Webb who will be speaking here later today. Finally, let me thank all of the members …
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Kathryn Jean Lopez / The Corner:
It's Rudy — So many e-mailers this morning are predicting that the McCain trial balloon is really about Giuliani. I'm not there, but here's one: … The McCain campaign has already hired a Giuliani staffer as the unnamed veep's communications director...
Krooney / TIME.com:
Say It Is So, Joe — Foreign Relations, Judiciary, debater, speechifier. — Beau knows...the pick. — Howard Fineman thinks it's likely Biden. — Developing...
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Don Frederick / Top of the Ticket:
New L.A. Times/Bloomberg presidential poll has some surprises later today — Which White House contender had the better summer? — A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll of registered voters across the country leaves little doubt about the answer. — We can't reveal the precise figures yet …