Top Items:
Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
McCain Manager: ‘This Election is Not About Issues’ — Rick Davis, campaign manager for John McCain's presidential bid, insisted that the presidential race will be decided more over personalities than issues during an interview with Post editors this morning. — “This election is not about issues,” said Davis.
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Bob Cusack / The Hill:
Fred Thompson rips NYT on Palin coverage — ST. PAUL - Former Sen. Fred Thompson lambasted The New York Times for its coverage of Sarah Palin on Tuesday, claiming the newspaper is “trying their best to drag her down.” — Thompson told Fox News that the Times has focused on Palin's children, saying, “I don't think they get it.”
Discussion:
Don Surber
Byron York / National Review:
Why the Palin Baby Story Matters — St. Paul — At 6:30 Monday morning, at a hotel here in St. Paul, a team of senior McCain staffers got word from even more senior staffers that there was news about vice-presidential pick Sarah Palin. Everybody had heard the rumors, spread on The Atlantic …
Discussion:
Nashville Post, The Moderate Voice, bustardblog, MyDD, Clayton Cramer's BLOG, The Other McCain and Sadly, No!
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Laura McGann / The Washington Independent:
Palin: The Iron-Fist Mayor? — WASILLA, Alaska — Earlier today, First Lady Laura Bush urged us to remember Gov. Sarah Palin's record as mayor of her hometown from 1996-2002 when assessing her experience. I agree. — Driving around this city today, I decided it looks more or less …
William Kristol / Weekly Standard Blog:
Kristol on Sarah Palin, Hockey Mom — McCain aides whose judgment I trust are impressed by Sarah Palin. One was particularly amused by this exchange: A nervous young McCain staffer took it upon himself to explain to Palin the facts of life in a national campaign, the intense scrutiny she'd …
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Palins' Privacy — Here's a post that reads like it was …
The Palins' Privacy — Here's a post that reads like it was …
Discussion:
Upturned Earth
Kate Klonick / TPMMuckraker:
Todd Palin Was Registered Member of Alaska Independence Party Until 2002 — The McCain camp today disputed rumors that presumptive vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was ever registered with the secessionist Alaska Independence Party by releasing years of voter registration history …
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Natalie Gewargis / Political Punch:
Another AIP Official Says Palin Was at 1994 Convention* — An intense “she said"/"she said" has emerged over whether Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was ever a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, the third-largest political party in the 49th state. The AIP wants Alaskans to get an opportunity …
Arnab Datta / Political Radar:
Schlafly Chides McCain Camp for Palin Cancellation — ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: Conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly is taking the McCain campaign to task for notifying her at the last-minute that Sarah Palin will be a no-show on Tuesday when the Republican National Coalition for Life holds an event honoring the Alaska governor.
Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Obama Hits 50% for First Time — Leads McCain by eight percentage points, 50% to 42% — PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, finds Barack Obama leading the race for president with his highest share of support to date.
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The Huffington Post:
Palin's Church May Have Shaped Controversial Worldview — Three months before she was thrust into the national political spotlight, Gov. Sarah Palin was asked to handle a much smaller task: addressing the graduating class of commission students at her one-time church, Wasilla Assembly of God.
Richard Cohen / Washington Post:
Republicans Rush In — One of the great sights of American political life — a YouTube moment if ever there was one — was to see the doughboy face of Newt Gingrich as he extolled the virtues of Sarah Palin, a sitcom of a vice presidential choice and a disaster movie if she moves up to the presidency …
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The Huffington Post:
McCain Spokesman Stumped Trying To Explain Why Palin Is Ready To Be Commander-In-Chief (VIDEO) — So, I know that one of the reasons John McCain hastily chose Sarah Palin as his running-and-soul mate was because he thought that Palin would exude some general appeal to female voters …
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Byron York / The Corner:
She Is a Small-Town Mayor. She Is Not — Repeat, Not — the Governor of Alaska. — In an interview of Barack Obama last night, CNN's Anderson Cooper mentioned Sarah Palin's experience as a small-town mayor and as governor of Alaska. Obama, hewing to his campaign's talking points, ignored the governor part:
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Ed Hornick / CNN:
Obama defends natural disaster experience
Obama defends natural disaster experience
Discussion:
TownHall Blog, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Ben Smith's Blogs, Pajamas Media and Riehl World View
Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:
Gramm Reiterates “Whiners” Argument — Phil Gramm, who fake stepped down as a McCain adviser while continuing to advise McCain after it became embarrassing for the candidate to be associated with a man who thinks America is a “nation of whiners,” is back at it:
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David Brooks / New York Times:
What the Palin Pick Says — John McCain is not a normal conservative. He has instincts, but few abstract convictions about the proper size of government. He's a traditionalist, but is not energized by the social conservative agenda. As Rush Limbaugh understands, but the Democrats apparently do not …
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Paul Kane / Washington Post:
Palin's Small Alaska Town Secured Big Federal Funds
Palin's Small Alaska Town Secured Big Federal Funds
Discussion:
Time, Anchorage Daily News, Hot Air, New York Times, TPMCafe, The New Republic, Salon, Christian Science Monitor, unbossed.com, Wonk Room, Ace of Spades HQ, DownWithTyranny!, PoliBlog (TM), Guardian, The Huffington Post, The Washington Independent, Flopping Aces, QandO, Bring It On!, Boston Globe, TPM Election Central, Booman Tribune, The Caucus, Hullabaloo, MSNBC, Achenblog, TIME.com, Cogitamus and Comments from Left Field
Wall Street Journal:
John McCain Has a Tax Plan To Create Jobs — John McCain's tax policies are designed to create jobs, increase wages and allow all Americans — especially those in the hard-pressed middle class — to keep more of what they earn. His plan achieves these goals in three important ways.
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The Politico:
Documents detail Palin's political life — Sarah Palin may be new to most Americans, but she's not entirely new to the national Democratic Party. — Democrat Tony Knowles, her opponent in the 2006 Alaska gubernatorial race, put together a detailed, 63-page research document …
Laura McGann / The Washington Independent:
Vetting? — ANCHORAGE — I just got off the phone with the very helpful city clerk at the Wasilla City Clerk's office, Kristie Smithers, who is pulling some documents for me from when Gov. Sarah Palin was mayor. — I told her I appreciated her help, since I'm sure she's been bombarded with requests these last few weeks.
Ali / Think Progress:
Scarborough rips Bush for using Gustav to demand more offshore drilling: ‘Just stop!’ — This morning, President Bush discussed Hurricane Gustav, using the occasion to push for more offshore drilling: … Reacting to Bush's statement on MSNBC's Morning Joe, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman …