Top Items:
Washington Post:
Palin Billed State for Nights Spent at Home — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a “per diem” allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business.
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Corner, Outside The Beltway, D-Day, The Caucus, QandO, PoliBlog (TM), Spin Cycle, Commentary, Electoral-vote.com, The RBC, Brilliant at Breakfast, TalkLeft, Balloon Juice, Oliver Willis, Wonkette, DemConWatch, The Jed Report, TBogg, JammieWearingFool, Macsmind, AMERICAblog News and USS Neverdock
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David Bernstein / The Volokh Conspiracy:
NEW WASHINGTON POST “EXPOSE" ON PALIN: You have to read the article carefully to figure this out, but what the story ultimately reveals is that Palin (a) billed the state for most expenses allowed by law, including per diem when she stayed in her own home (her “duty station” was the state capitol of Juneau) …
Wall Street Journal:
Record Contradicts Palin's ‘Bridge’ Claims — The Bridge to Nowhere argument isn't going much of anywhere. — Despite significant evidence to the contrary, the McCain campaign continues to assert that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told the federal government “thanks but no thanks” to the now-famous bridge to an island in her home state.
Discussion:
The New Republic, American Street, Pacific Views, USA Today, The Gun Toting Liberal, Jules Crittenden, TBogg, Newsweek Blogs, Senate Conservatives Fund, Associated Press, RADAMISTO, FOX Embeds, Decision Virginia, Political Punch, Think Progress, Liberal Values, Comments from Left Field, Weekly Standard, Donklephant, skippy the bush kangaroo and Real Clear Politics
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Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
MEME TAKING HOLD? — We've now had a week of blaring headlines and one-liners about Sarah Palin as the mavericky, pork-busting reformer from Alaska. But we seem to be witnessing the first stirrings of a backlash and a dawning realization that the ‘Sarah Palin’ we've heard …
Discussion:
The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Washington Monthly, Media Blog, Althouse, Democrats.com and TPM Election Central
Yuval Levin / The Corner:
A Bridge Too Far — As Bill Kristol notes, Barack …
A Bridge Too Far — As Bill Kristol notes, Barack …
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
New York Post:
O PASTOR IN SEX SCANDAL — REV. WRIGHT DONE ME WRONG: CHURCH LADY — By SAMUEL GOLDSMITH in Dallas and JEANE MacINTOSH in NY — He almost wrecked Barack Obama's presidential dreams, and now firebrand pastor Jeremiah Wright has helped destroy a Dallas church worker's marriage - and her job, The Post has learned.
Discussion:
Fox News
Marc Ambinder:
Quietly, Obama Campaign Calls In The Cavalry — There's been a spurt of 527 activity on behalf of Sen. John McCain, but Barack Obama campaign has suddenly gone silent on the subject. — That's because, after of year of telling donors not to contribute to 527 groups, of encouraging strategists …
Randi Kaye / CNN:
Pastor: GOP may be downplaying Palin's religious beliefs — WASILLA, Alaska (CNN) — For more than two decades, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was a practicing Pentecostal. — She belonged to the Wasilla Assembly of God church in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska.
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Juan Cole / Salon:
What's the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists? Lipstick — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Lee's Summit, Mo., Sept. 8, 2008. — John McCain announced that he was running for president to confront the “transcendent challenge” …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, QandO, Real Clear Politics, Jihad Watch, BAGnewsNotes, Informed Comment, Pharyngula, Feministe, The New Editor and Lonewacko
Wall Street Journal:
We'll Protect Taxpayers From More Bailouts — The bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is another outrageous, but sadly necessary, step for these two institutions. Given the long-term mismanagement and flawed structure of these two companies, this was the only short-term alternative …
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New York Times:
Straining to Reach Money Goal, Obama Presses Donors — After months of record-breaking fund-raising, a new sense of urgency in Senator Barack Obama's fund-raising team is palpable as the full weight of the campaign's decision to bypass public financing for the general election is suddenly upon it.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blogs, TalkLeft, MSNBC, Salon, Ace of Spades HQ, Commentary, Don Surber, Buck Naked Politics, TIME.com and Political Punch
Lydia Saad / Gallup:
McCain Now Winning Majority of Independents — Majority of independents now prefer him over Obama, 52% to 37% — PRINCETON, NJ — John McCain's 6 percentage-point bounce in voter support spanning the Republican National Convention is largely explained by political independents shifting …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Newsweek Blogs, MyDD, Vox Popoli, The Strata-Sphere, The Next Right and CBS News
David Brooks / New York Times:
Surprise Me Most — None of us have ever lived through an election at a time when 80 percent of voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction. But now that we're in the thick of it, a few things are clear. From voters, the demand is: Surprise Me Most. For candidates, the lesson is: Weirdness Wins.
James Bennett / Telegraph:
Sarah Palin is not such a small-town girl after all — It is clear that few in America, let alone Britain, have any idea what to make of Sarah Palin. The Republicans' vice-presidential candidate confounds the commentators because they don't understand the forces that shaped her in the remote state of Alaska.
Patrick Healy / New York Times:
Clinton Stumps for Obama, but With Little Fire at Palin — In her first campaign outing since the Democratic National Convention, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton urged audiences across central Florida on Monday to oppose the Republican presidential ticket — “no McCain, no Palin” …
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John McCain / Telegraph:
Sarah Palin dolls go on sale as John McCain's running mate's popularity soars
Sarah Palin dolls go on sale as John McCain's running mate's popularity soars
Discussion:
Spin Cycle, The Mahablog, American Street, Don Surber, Stop The ACLU and Wake up America
Lisa Lerer / The Politico:
Obama camp briefs McCain press corps — Obama campaign manager David Plouffe defended the Democratic nominee's strategy on Monday, after a spate of recent polls reported John McCain with a slight lead in the race. — “In this building we don't spend a lot of time on national polls …
Mike Allen / The Politico:
McCain plans new Palin rollout — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will speak at her son's Army deployment ceremony on 9/11 and spend two days with ABC News crews later this week as part of a McCain campaign plan to increase Americans' comfort with her as a leader. — Campaign and network officials …
Discussion:
The New Republic, TIME.com, Hot Air, The Jed Report, Oliver Willis, The Political Carnival and Bob Cesca's Goddamn …
FactCheck.org:
Sliming Palin — False Internet claims and rumors fly about McCain's running mate. — We've been flooded for the past few days with queries about dubious Internet postings and mass e-mail messages making claims about McCain's running mate, Gov. Palin. We find that many are completely false, or misleading.