memeorandum: Wedding thrashers — The wedding was on a Michigan beach … (Shamus Toomey/Chicago Sun Times)

9:15 AM ET, August 19, 2008

Top Items:

Exclusive: McCain to name VP on Aug. 29 — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) plans to celebrate his 72nd birthday on Aug. 29 by naming his running mate at a huge rally in the battleground state of Ohio, Republican sources said. — That's a week from this Friday, and the day after Sen. Barack Obama …

Discussion: Washington Wire, www.redstate.com, Political Perceptions, Shakesville, The Next Right, Real Clear Politics, Tales from the Trail, TownHall Blog, Philly.com, Hot Air, Wake up America, TRAIL BLAZERS, TIME.com, TPM Election Central, MyDD, DemConWatch, PolitickerOH and PoliticalBase.com Blog

New York Times:

Obama Appears Ready to Announce His Running Mate — WASHINGTON — Senator Barack Obama has all but finalized his choice for a running mate and set an elaborate roll-out plan for his decision, beginning with an early morning alert to supporters, perhaps as soon as Wednesday …

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: Commentary, Roger Ailes and National Review

Drudge Report:

PAPER: OBAMA READY TO ANNOUNCE HIS VP — The NYT newsroom was buzzing late Monday afternoon after Obama-beat reporter Jeff Zeleny learned how the Dem hopeful has now finalized his choice for a running-mate. — Obama has set an elaborate roll-out to announce his decision that will begin …

Discussion: Ace of Spades HQ, The Next Right, Top of the Ticket, TIME.com, FOX Embeds, The Other McCain, TRAIL BLAZERS and TPM Election Central

CNN:
McCain planning big rally in Ohio day after Dem convention

Discussion: PoliticalBase.com Blog and Hot Air

Dan / Riehl World View:

I Honestly Can't Believe I'm Reading This — Regardless of what any one American's politics or personal election preference might be, is it lost on people what they are reading if they click into Andrew Sullivan's blog from Memeorandum? … What is quite well known beyond ANY shadow …

Discussion: The Corner and Obsidian Wings

John Cole / Balloon Juice:

Increasingly Bizarre- Michael Goldfarb's +7 Rapier of Jackassery — I really don't care to spend the next few weeks arguing whether or not McCain is lying about his Christ/Cross/guard moment and will let others chase after things that can not be proven one way or another …

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics, Unqualified Offerings, TBogg, Alas, a blog and First Draft

Byron York / The Corner:
Mark Salter: McCain Told Me the “Cross in the Dirt” Story

Discussion: JustOneMinute, The Daily Dish, Gateway Pundit and The Jed Report

Michael Goldfarb / John McCain 2008:
Smears the Left Can Fight For

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Macsmind, Daily Kos, The Volokh Conspiracy, Political Machine, The Jed Report, Commentary, The Political Carnival, Stop The ACLU and Political Insider

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
McCain Responds — Michael Goldfarb calls any questions …

Discussion: The Politico, Ace of Spades HQ, The Jed Report, Sister Toldjah and Jonathan Martin's Blogs

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Bob Woodward to reveal ‘The War Within’ — Bob Woodward's new book is shrouded in such mystery that even the title was a secret until now. — Publishing sources say the book, completed just three weeks ago and out Sept. 8, is titled “The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008.”

Discussion: Think Progress, The Political Carnival and Prairie Weather

Hillel Italie / Associated Press:
AP: Title, print run on Woodward book announced

Discussion: TIME.com

Nedra Pickler / Associated Press:

Obama veep announcement expected in coming days — CHICAGO (AP) — Barack Obama will publicly disclose his vice presidential choice in the coming days, though the Democrat is keeping most aides who are preparing for the announcement in the dark and is giving away nothing to voters as he campaigns.

Dan Balz / Washington Post: Who's No. 2? Obama Keeps Everybody Guessing.

CNN:
Countdown on for Obama's VP announcement

Discussion: American Spectator, Left in the West and The Washington Note

Perry Bacon Jr / Washington Post:

Reed Doesn't Show at McCain Benefit He'd Help Publicize — ATLANTA — Ralph Reed, once one of the leading strategists in the Republican Party, found himself Monday night persona non grata at a fundraiser hosted by his party's presumptive presidential nominee.

Discussion: NY Daily News Blogs and Sunlight Foundation

Aaron Gould Sheinen / Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Protesters mark McCain's visit to Atlanta for fund-raiser

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Wire, Think Progress and NY Daily News Blogs

Jennifer Parker / Political Radar:
Obama Camp: Ralph Reed Uninvited to McCain's Fundraiser

Discussion: Political Machine

Justin Higgins / Shots on the House:

Breaking: Bayh to Be Obama's VP? Probably a Hoax — Update: The longer this story sits without confirmation or updates from CNN, the more it appears that the answer to “Could it be a hoax?” is a solid YES. — Could it be a hoax? Could CNN have dropped the story from their website …

Discussion: Wizbang, The Jed Report and American Spectator

Logan Murphy / Crooks and Liars:

Countdown Special Comment to McCain: Senator, grow up! — Keith Olbermann takes on John McCain and his campaign managers with another powerful Special Comment on Monday's Countdown. McCain has consistently voted against our troops, but he and his campaign continue to spread lies and distortions …

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics

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 …

Discussion: Commentary

MSNBC:

Roseanne rips Jolie, Pitt, Voight over politics — Comedienne blasts actors for failure to get behind Obama for president — LOS ANGELES - Roseanne Barr is using her personal Web site to slam Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Jolie's father, Jon Voight. — Calling Jolie Voight's “evil spawn” …

Discussion: Betsy's Page, The Jawa Report, Tabloid Edition and Reason Magazine

Patrick Healy / New York Times:

The Lingering What-If Question: Clinton? — No power brokers in the Democratic Party are openly campaigning for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as their vice-presidential nominee this year, and even Mrs. Clinton's closest aides have stopped talking her up. Yet privately, some Democrats continue …

Discussion: PolitickerPA, Prometheus 6, CBS News and TIME.com

Shamus Toomey / Chicago Sun Times:

Wedding thrashers — The wedding was on a Michigan beach, the reception was in an art gallery — but a former Chicago couple's wedding night was spent in separate jail cells after both bride and groom got shocked by a police Taser and arrested at their raucous reception.

Discussion: Media Blog

Rasmussen Reports:

Election 2008: Georgia Senate — Georgia Senate: Chambliss Leads Martin by Six — Jim Martin, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate after defeating Vernon Jones in a run-off primary election earlier this month, is now trailing incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss by just six percentage points.

Discussion: Daily Kos, MyDD and Swing State Project

Rasmussen Reports:
Election 2008: Illinois Presidential Election

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight.com and The New Republic

Justin Pope / Associated Press:

College Presidents Want Lower Drinking Age — College presidents from about 100 of the nation's best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth, and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age to 18 from 21, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.

Discussion: The Huffington Post