The Democrats' Glass Ceiling  —  So Hillary Clinton gets about 18 million votes in 2008, and isn't even considered for—she apparently isn't even given the courtesy of being consulted—the vice presidential pick.  Joe Biden manages to persuade a few thousand (if that) Iowans to support him.

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 …

A Democratic Leader on Foreign Policy, in Iraq and, Earlier, the Balkans  —  WASHINGTON — As the Bush administration was fine-tuning its plan to invade Iraq, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. helped draft a proposed resolution that emphasized the need for diplomatic efforts to dismantle Saddam …

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?

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 …

The Veep's Pipeline Push  —  From the magazine issue dated Sep 1, 2008  —  A two-year-old letter by Vice President Dick Cheney that pushed a controversial Alaska natural-gas pipeline bill is getting renewed scrutiny because of recently disclosed evidence in the Justice Department's corruption case against Sen. Ted Stevens.

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).

Some Comic Relief And A Real Problem  —  Share This: Digg!  —  Provided by Frank Rich: … Of course, Rich is so for Obama, that he hurts him like this: … Relatedly, Todd Beeton provides an interesting anecdote from Denver: … It is this arrogance that could sink Obama's campaign.

Obama-Biden 2008  —  I have now watched and read Senator Biden's speech in Springfield earlier today.  From the perspective of the craft of speechwriting, it was quite a thing to behold.  —  In a speech of just over 16 minutes, Biden used, by my count, the phrase “ladies and gentlemen” 18 times.