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LIGHTNING ROUND: DEVIL IN THE DETAILS.
- Sarah Palin and John McCain continue to lie about being a pair of mavericks, even as every major news organization, it seems, has called them out on Palin's supposed opposition to the Bridge to Nowhere. So what happens when a lie is widely refuted, yet still lives on? I can't help but think this incident might be the incubation of a powerful narrative against McCain that the Obama campaign, if they're smart, can use to shatter, once and for all, this nonsense about a "reform" Republican ticket.
- Politico details the McCain campaign's efforts to "push biography, not issues," as the new Fall strategy. It's been clear from the beginning that McCain -- even pre-Palin -- was going to run a campaign that relied heavily on his life story, and he hasn't disappointed so far.
- Marc Ambinder reports that the Obama campaign has quietly given the nod to 527s returning fire on the McCain campaign, contrary to Obama's earlier insistence he wouldn't go there. Frankly, having these well-funded groups do the heavy lifting is probably a good thing for the campaign, despite being unofficial -- and hence, unaccountable -- campaign organs.
- This CNN story describing how Sarah Palin's former Pentecostal pastor believes the VP candidate has been playing down her religious beliefs reminds me why Article VI's denial of a "religious test" for oaths of office was, and remains, a good thing.
- Speaking of Palin, it seems that while mayor of Wasilla, she was opposed to offering state funding for rape victims. Lavishing federal pork on things like hockey stadiums, however? No big deal.
- Richard Hasen in Slate reports on the legal battles already being waged for ballot access in battleground states. Expect this story to get bigger as the ground game becomes decisive.
- Barack Obama has a new ad which observes that Senator McCain once proposed abolishing the Department of Education, among other federal agencies. This comes as the Democrat gives a big speech on public education in Ohio today. The McCain response ad can be seen here.
- A slew of state polling shows McCain catching up to Obama in several swing states, but ultimately the race for electoral votes is unchanged. Among the highlights: Survey USA has McCain over Obama in Virginia, 49-47 and Obama over McCain in Washington, 49-45, and McCain over Obama in North Carolina, 58-38; FOX and Rasmussen have McCain over Obama in Ohio, 51-44, Virgina 49-47, tied in Florida, 48-48, and Obama leading McCain in Colorado, 49-46, and Pennsylvania, 47-45; Strategic Vision has Obama narrowly leading in Michigan, 45-44; and Public Policy Polling [PDF] has McCain leading in Florida, 50-45.
- And Finally: Bob Woodward, promoting his fourth book in a series on George Bush, suggests to Larry King that "the September or the October surprise is going to be the apprehension or the death of bin Laden." A worse scenario for Obama, I think, is a repeat of an eleventh hour bin Laden tape, similar to what happened in 2004.
--Mori Dinauer
COMMENTS (7)
So if supporting funding for a hockey arena helps identify someone as a "hockey mom," what does opposing funding for rape victims make someone?
Posted by: Chris | September 9, 2008 8:44 PM
Thanks for being frank with us, but wasn't blocking 527s part of that whole "hope, change, and pony" thing?
As for the Bitch link, seriously, does TAPPED really have to reach that low? "This article doesn't mention her by name... One can only assume..." Now, that's some fine, TAPPED-level journalism right there!
Posted by: 24AheadDotCom | September 9, 2008 11:10 PM
Dr. B is twice the man you are and four times the woman, 24AheadDotCom.
"despite being unofficial -- and hence, unaccountable -- campaign organs."
How unaccountable can a 527 be? If Obama calls up the head of one and says, 'What you are doing right now is really not helping my campaign strategy, and if you continue it, you will place your and your partners' place in an Obama administration in serious jeparody,' what do they do? If he wins, he gets to reward and punish within the Democratic party more or less as he pleases. We Democrats rightly call bullshit when Bush and McCain piously shrug and say they have no control over the awful 527s they use to spread Swift Boat lies and whatnot.
Posted by: NBarnes | September 10, 2008 2:21 AM
There would have been no need for a Surge if Bush & Co. had not taken the U.S. into a Phony & Pretend War on Terrorism while the Real War on Terrorism in Afghanistan where Bin Ladin lived, was ignored! And if we do not Wise up this might happen in the future!
http://www.youtube.com/v/PdJUCU1UH2w
Posted by: Angellight | September 10, 2008 7:05 AM
At a certain point, when does the press start reporting on the huge credibility gap that has opened between these two candidates?
A president can't govern if he says things which are not credible--and from the "Alaska is next to Russia so she has foreign policy experience" to "lipstick on a pig is anti-woman" to "thanks, but no thanks on that brige to nowhere" to "Obama teaching children how to be safe from sexual predators=sex ed for kindergarteners" to "Obama will raise taxes on middle class families"...this is simply not a credible campaign.
McCain's campaign is basing their run around proven lies. When do readers begin to learn what reporters know? That there's more than "McCain says vs. Obama says", that there's a proven and deepening credibility gap here between these two candidates.
Obama is winning the credibility primary. You'd think that was a big deal.
Posted by: anonymous | September 10, 2008 9:35 AM
Credibility is only an issue in blogs and in reader comments. MSM reporters are too damn afraid of being labeled "biased" if they call a lie a lie.
You'd think, maybe, possibly, someone would wake up and realize that calling someone a bald-face liar, with footnotes/links to prove it, would garner a Pulitzer. Or at least a thank you.
Posted by: JB | September 10, 2008 10:54 AM
"the September or the October surprise is going to be the apprehension or the death of bin Laden." A worse scenario for Obama, I think, is a repeat of an eleventh hour bin Laden tape, similar to what happened in 2004.
As Prezdint Bush has stated that he doesn't really care or think about Osama bin Laden, who is going to believe that Bu$hco actually "found" him? As for an OSL tape, why should that be negative for Obama, it would just point out what useless boobs the whole GOP administration is.
Posted by: CParis | September 10, 2008 12:18 PM