Top Items:
Time:
McCain's Prickly TIME Interview — For years, John McCain's marathon bull sessions with reporters were more than a means of delivering a message; they were the message. McCain proudly, flagrantly refused direction from handlers, rarely dodged tough questions and considered those who did wimps and frauds.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, Think Progress, The Swamp, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Political Byline, MoJoBlog, NewsBusters.org, Outside The Beltway, Open Left, MyDD, TPM Election Central, Swampland, Matthew Yglesias, AMERICAblog News, The New Republic, Guardian, Alas, a blog, Don Surber, Althouse, Riehl World View, Wonkette and Brilliant at Breakfast
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Jonathan Martin / The Politico:
Obama camp: McCain would be committing “political malpractice” with veep leak tonight — Annoyed by all the mind-games and leaks meant to divert attention from their candidate's long-anticipated acceptance speech tonight, Barack Obama's campaign is hitting back this afternoon and accusing their counterparts of playing poltiical games.
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Most exciting McCain ad ever — This better be good. — McCain aide Brian Rogers sends out an expectations-raising email on an ad McCain is releasing today:, which he calls “exciting and unprecedented.” — Communications director Jill Hazelbaker teased it on Morning Joe this morning:
John Byrne / The Raw Story:
McCain ad questioned as word ‘HANG’ appears over image of Barack Obama
McCain ad questioned as word ‘HANG’ appears over image of Barack Obama
Discussion:
News Hounds
Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Obama Moves Ahead, 48% to 42% — Democratic candidate gains in Monday through Wednesday interviewing — PRINCETON, NJ — Democratic candidate Barack Obama has gained ground in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking average from Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday …
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Marc Ambinder, The Huffington Post, TalkLeft, Open Left, The Moderate Voice, Grasping Reality …, TownHall Blog, American Power, American Spectator, New York Post, No More Mister Nice Blog, Outside The Beltway, Comments from Left Field, Wake up America, FiveThirtyEight.com, TPM Election Central, Hot Air, The Strata-Sphere, www.redstate.com and The Volokh Conspiracy
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Johanna Neuman / The LA Times President Bush Blog:
The Bush-McCain administration ... Did we miss something? — It was almost as if Vice President Cheney had already left the scene, riding off into the sunset like some cowboy to the Wyoming plains. — At last night's Democratic National Convention, Cheney was replaced by Republican nominee …
Discussion:
The Swamp
Hindrocket / Power Line:
A MINI-BOUNCE, PERHAPS — Consistent with Paul's evaluation …
A MINI-BOUNCE, PERHAPS — Consistent with Paul's evaluation …
Discussion:
Hot Air
David M. Drucker / Roll Call:
Romney Family Gets Security Sweep — If security sweeps are the giveaway, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney may be on the brink of being selected as Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) vice presidential running mate. — According to sources with strong Michigan ties, the Secret Service …
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Mike Allen / The Politico:
McCain ad to rebut Obama's DNC speech — Tonight, John McCain will talk directly to his opponent in a television ad his campaign is airing in battleground states, around the time Barack Obama accepts the presidential nomination, McCain's campaign said. — Aides would give few details beyond …
Marc Ambinder:
Pawlenty Clues — Sked Cleared — CBS affiliate WCCO in Minneapolis is reporting that Gov. Tim Pawlenty's schedule has been cleared for today and tomorrow... Now — McCain's campaign could have made similar requests of other candidates. But Pawlenty's is the first we know about.
New York Post:
TEMPLE OF DEM ON MT. O-LYMPUS — GOP MOCKS GRAND STAGE FOR BAM AS GREEK HUBRIS — DENVER - Democrats will kneel before the “Temple of Obama” tonight. — As if a Rocky Mountain coronation were not lofty enough, Barack Obama will aim for Mount Olympus when he accepts his party's nomination atop …
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Charles Mahtesian / The Politico:
Dems nervous over Invesco risks — DENVER - Senior Democratic officials are expressing serious concerns about the political risks posed by Barack Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium Thursday evening. — From the elaborate stagecraft to the teeming crowd …
Discussion:
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Matt / Think Progress:
Fox: Bush might not speak at RNC on Monday because of Gustav. — President Bush is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on Monday, but with Tropical Storm Gustav expected to hit Gulf coast, the White House is beginning to hint that President Bush might not speak that day.
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Henry Seltzer / Us Weekly:
Cindy McCain's Half Sister: “I'm Voting for Barack Obama” — Cindy McCain's half sister is planning on voting for Barack Obama, she tells Usmagazine.com. — “I'm not voting for McCain,” Kathleen Hensley Portalski tells Us. “I have a different political standpoint.
Michael Goldfarb / John McCain Report blog:
Flashback: 40 Years Ago Today, Bill Ayers Arrested at DNC — For those Democrats who are too young to have a proper appreciation of their party's history, which likely includes most of Senator Obama's supporters, we direct your attention to a memorable moment in DNC history that shows …
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Rebecca Dana / Wall Street Journal:
MSNBC Anchors' Fights Go Live — Since the start of the Democratic National Convention, ratings have exploded for the cable news channel MSNBC. — So have tensions among the network's top anchors. — The convention was supposed to be the network's coming-out party as a hub for politics.
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Lynn Hulsey / Dayton Daily News:
McCain rally tickets still available — DAYTON — Tickets are still available for Sen. John McCain's Friday, Aug. 29, rally at Wright State University's Nutter Center in Fairborn. — McCain and his wife Cindy will appear at the event, dubbed the “Road to the Convention Rally.”
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Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
McCain Campaign Plays Dumb on Health Adviser — The saga of John McCain and his official views on health care just keeps getting more interesting. — As you may recall, the Dallas Morning News recently quoted John Goodman suggesting that the problems of the uninsured were wildly exaggerated …
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Alexander Bolton / The Hill:
Retribution sought for Lieberman — DENVER — Connecticut delegates are demanding that party leaders punish Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democrat-turned-Independent, because of his support of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the Republican nominee. — For many of them, Lieberman's plan to speak …
Discussion:
Firedoglake
Ben Smith / The Politico:
Schweitzer's audible — Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer said his show-stealing speech Tuesday night, which brought the crowd in Denver to its feet and made him the talk of the convention, was a last-minute improvisation that departed from the prepared remarks he'd agreed on with the Obama campaign.
Joe Klein / Time:
What Bush Taught McCain — The woman, a venture capitalist from the Denver area, looked a bit like Cindy McCain, and so it was disconcerting when she announced, in a focus group of undecided voters conducted by the Republican pollster Frank Luntz, that she had decided she just couldn't vote for John McCain this year.