FOURNIER IS AT IT AGAIN.... The latest piece from Ron Fournier, the AP's Washington bureau chief and the man responsible for directing the wire service's coverage of the presidential campaign, on Joe Biden joining the Democratic ticket, is drawing a fair amount of attention this morning.

RACISM IS THE ONLY REASON MCCAIN MIGHT BEAT HIM.  —  What with the Bush legacy of reckless war and economic mismanagement, 2008 is a year that favors the generic Democratic candidate over the generic Republican one.  Yet Barack Obama, with every natural and structural advantage in the presidential race …

The 3:00 AM Thing, Cont'd  —  I still think it's unlikely it was deliberate.  Why I'm giving Obama the benefit of the doubt here is something I'll have to ponder.  Anyway a tech-savvy friend writes: … You know what?  Even if it was a mistake, some grownup over there should have said “3:00 AM?

What Does This Really Tell Us?  —  Leaving aside all the necessary gaming of how this affects the election, what does the selection of Biden tell us about Obama's potential decision-making as president?  This is the second big decision of the national campaign (the first was opting out of public financing).

McCain Counters With...  Romney, of course.  The same factors in Romney's favor — pull in Michigan, Nevada, Colorado and New Hampshire, the energy brought by his organization— are still there, but the pick of Biden calls for a very experienced debater as the only thing Slow Joe …

Looks Like The Obama Campaign Laid An Egg  —  By way of the Ace we see this image hosted at the Obama website (I am not the most computer-savvy guy going, but I am satisfied this is no spoof.)  —  Coupled as it is with the Biden announcement, I can only infer that the Obamaites think they laid an egg (no dissent here).

Election 2008: Mississippi Presidential Election  —  Mississippi Still Favors McCain by Double Digits  —  John McCain continues to hold a double-digit lead over Barack Obama in Mississippi, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of voters in the state.

McCain Goes There  —  John McCain largely has avoided hot button social issues to the consternation of some in the conservative base.  He has ignored the brewing controversy over Barack Obama's Born Alive Infants legislative voting record and he hasn't made much comment on the highly successful (for him) Rick Warren forum.

No Terrorism Ties Here — Move Along  —  WNBC News in New York City reports that the NYPD, working with Suffolk Country police and the FBI, have concluded there are no terrorism ties to be concerned about in connection with their discovery that a man, described only as an Egyptian engineer …

Biden known as a blunt inquisitor  —  WASHINGTON — Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.'s best game is foreign affairs, an arena he cherishes.  —  Ask about the former Soviet Union, Bosnia, Middle East or almost any part of the globe, and he knows the history and the players.  He's visited Iraq more than seven times.