First off, I have to admit that I loath Mark Halperin. That said, the insufferable twit often times gets the goods on Obama's moves a few days prior to the actual. For instance, just before Edwards endorsed Obama, a day or two prior, he had on the site a photo of John with a question about him linking him to Obama. It's clear that Halperin gets some heavy hints from inside the Obama campaign which leads to his putting up posts like today's headline
On the rec list, there is a diary concerned with election theft, and in this one, I'll present reasons why theft can't happen this year. I believe that while a close election could be stolen, you won't be able to steal a landslide...
On the front page, there is a great piece discussing the 20 offices opening all over Virginia, and the McCain camp reaction is simply classic...
Marc Ambinder also notified us today that the offices are opening in Montana too
That a Democratic presidential candidate opened six campaign offices in Montana? As of Saturday, Obama For America will have 24/7 "Campaign for Change" outposts In Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena and Missoula.
Honestly, these News Releases are very abstract, without context, visuals, and don't break into the National News. That's why I want to draw attention to the turn out of 1,200 volunteers greeting the opening of Colorado's field offices on Tuesday.
"I welcome news that the Bush Administration has shifted course and will send an envoy for direct talks as part of the P5+1 with the Iranians in Geneva this weekend. I commend our European allies and other friends on this effort. Now that the United States is involved, it should stay involved with the full strength of our diplomacy. A united front with our friends and allies directly calling on the Iranians to stand down on their illicit nuclear program will maximize the international pressure we can bring to bear and will show the Iranian people that Iran's isolation is a function of its government's unwillingness to live up to its obligations. Iran should live up to its obligations now; by waiting, it will only face greater isolation."
I think this sorta harkens back to the slinkerwink diary yesterday about pity comments and keeping it simple... I would have preferred Obama be a bit more direct...
Of course the article skews and head fakes its way to champion the horserace, highlighting every strenght of McCain while overlooking the Obama strengths.
All told, Obama leads McCain among registered voters by 8 points in this ABC/Post poll, 50-42 percent.
Turnout makes a difference: It's 51-39 percent among all adults overall, but narrows to a close 49-46 percent match among likely voters. As noted, Republicans are among those more likely to vote; young adults, less so.
And that's the key... which story is the media willing to tell and while lie are they willing to live by for ratings. Pick your byline:
It's quite sad that it took a reader to note this Gaffe to end all Gaffe's rather than our informed press.... that said, Today John McCain invoked a long non-existent country, again proving his superior grasp upon Foreign Policy.
A reader notes that John McCain today expressed concern about Russia's "reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia."
If Barrack Obama wins the presidency, the price of oil could fall by $40 per barrel. The financial markets will discount the possibility before hand, at least partially. There are three ways in which this could happen:
As was the case during the Clinton administration, Obama might be more inclined to intervene in the foreign exchange market to support the value of the dollar....
Obama will speak in a more concilatory tone toward nations in the Middle East. If he does, some of the risk premium would likely be extracted from the oil price.
Energy conservation and investment in energy infrastructure are likely to increase if Obama wins...
Last week was a relatively slow news week, which makes it all the more puzzling that this bombshell of a story wasn't covered more by either the television pundits or the blog-o-sphere... obviously, one reason is because many on the blog-o-sphere now believe the election is in the bag and we don't really have to work much anymore to make it happen (publisher of this dKos included). I disagree strongly, and I think this story is both relevant and revealing. Relevant because it should give Christian Fundies serious pause about John "McCraps" and revealing because it illustrates what sort of personal attributes John "McCraps" has.
Happy Fourth of July... wouldn't it be nice if we had two candidate who were respectful and recognize each other as Patriotic Americans? Unfortunately, we have one candidate who is honorable and secure enough to recognize his opponent's Patriotism, and conversely we have another candidite who is a petulant asshole... case in point.
John McCain is saying that Barack Obama is not patriotic. A few days ago, when asked if he questioned Obama's patriotism, McCain did not answer the question.
Patriotism is deeper than its symbolic expressions, than sentiments about place and kinship that move us to hold our hands over our hearts during the national anthem. It is putting the country first, before party or personal ambition, before anything.
This was not an easy call for me... It grants retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that may have violated the law by cooperating with the Bush Administration's program of warrantless wiretapping. This potentially weakens the deterrent effect of the law and removes an important tool for the American people to demand accountability for past abuses.That's why I support striking Title II from the bill, and will work with Chris Dodd, Jeff Bingaman and others in an effort to remove this provision in the Senate.
Bottom line is that Obama wants to cave on FISA not because of "moving to the center" concerns, but because they are afraid of television ads claiming Obama is inviting terrorists over for BBQ.
Really, did he email you that, because he did send us a message you know...
Alot changing fast in the campaign world as it seems team McCain is using his trip abroad as cover to make some significant changes...
First up, McCain has a new Day-to-Day as Rick Davis steps aside for "long term" stuff (i.e. back burner bullshit)
Steve Schmidt, a bald and barrel-chested operative known for his aggressive brand of political combat, responded by exhorting campaign aides with a speech that one staffer likened to a locker room pep talk out of the football movie "Rudy."
McCain sources say Schmidt, who ran Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reelection campaign and was a top communications aide in Bush-Cheney '04, will coordinate the campaign's daily pro-McCain and anti-Obama message.
Perhaps most important for the campaign's image is the addition of Greg Jenkins, a veteran advanceman who ran presidential advance in the Bush White House. Jenkins, also an aide on Bush's 2000 campaign, is working to ensure better stagecraft of McCain's events and to avoid a reprisal of the much-mocked green background behind McCain at a high-profile speech last month.
I don't know about you, but I don't want someone answering the phone at 3AM if they can't figure out they're on a dead line... It's not just the new fangled internet that John McCain can't use or understand, apparently his difficiencies also extend to the Telephone, invented in 1875....
This is sad because it shows a basic techonological incompetence by John McCain, just as the US faces risks internationally from Internet based terrorists as well as economic challenges from the highly connected society now creating telecommutors in dozens of industries through outsourcing.
Although John McCain was stumping in Ohio on Friday, his campaign arranged for him to talk by phone to leaders of B'nai B'rith International, a major Jewish group, who were meeting in Ottawa. Reporters were invited to dial in to the conference call at 3 p.m. to listen.
McCain soon came on the line and launched into his spiel. "Thank you for all the good you do," he began.
Dear Chicago Obama HQ: PLEASE READ AND INTERNALIZE
You don't discover this sort of gold mine every day, and really, it's all John McCain's fault when they sent out that silly memo questioning the LA Time's poll that had Barack up 12 points. How can the LA Times show Barack +12 when Gallup is Tied? Well, today, the answer is fleshed out by resident genius, Poblano. It's so simple, it's gorgeous.
First, Poblano discusses what Gallup has indicated is a possible cause for the differences in Polling
As is always the case, there are some slight differences in the way the polls are conducted. The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll asks a "right direction/wrong direction" question before the ballot. Our Gallup Poll Daily tracking asks a registered voter screen before the ballot. The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll includes the phrase "or would you vote for a candidate from some other party?" Our Gallup poll does not include this phrase. It is unclear how the order of these questions may affect the polling results.
You read that right, imagine if it were true... I'm making a point. A point that really needs to be made... in the midst of this FISA controversy, we need to take a step back and remember that on the GOP side, their candidate is completely running away from all things GOP, as fast as he can
Barack Obama's compromise on FISA is political... fault him we will, complain sure, but public divorce with your vote and/or money is entirely Foolish at this point. I'm looking at you, and you buddy...
For the first time in ages, we actually have an actual Democrat running as a Democrat.
Essentially, McCain's campaign commissioned their "Ace" polling firm, Public Opinion Strategies, to Debunk the LA Times Poll. As you can see via Poblano, McCain's polling firm is among the worst polling firms nationally. To make matters worse, the campaign tries to stop the rising tide of Party ID by arguing that the poll is improperly balanced, and then goes on to Rebalance the poll.
If party identification on the L.A. Times survey is recalculated to just down by ten (29% GOP / 39% Dem / 27% Ind / 5% Don’t Know/Refused), the ballot would be 40% McCain – 47% Obama.
One big problem with this reweighting... it essentially throws the landscape out the window to favor McCain.
Spokesman Matt McKenna in one-sentence statement: “President Clinton is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States.”
Let me be the first to welcome President Bill Clinton to Camp Obama. The Obama Campaign's statement:
"A unified Democratic Party is going to be a powerful force for change this year and we're confident President Clinton will play a big role in that," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.
Bill Clinton will not be attending the unity rally Friday between the two former rivals Friday in New Hampshire. McKenna said the former president is in Europe this week to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday, give speeches and work for the William J. Clinton Foundation.
