From Obama spokesman Bill Burton:
This is a race about big challenges--a slumping economy, a broken foreign policy, and an energy crisis for everyone but the oil companies. Barack Obama in no way believes that the McCain campaign is using race as an issue, but he does believe they're using the same old low-road politics to distract voters from the real issues in this campaign, and those are the issues he'll continue to talk about.
-- Evie Stone
1:58 PM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink
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The McCain campaign just came out with a statement condemning Barack Obama's comments yesterday in Missouri that he's being painted as "risky" because he's "got a funny name" and "doesn't look like the other Presidents on the currency."
Writes the McCain press office:
Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck. It's divisive, negative, shameful and wrong.
ABC's Jake Tapper picked it up immediately, posting this last night:
While I have no doubt there will be a bunch more racist, xenophobic, and other ignorant drek coming our way courtesy of the Internet and perhaps the occasional cable news network, it's important to determine where it's coming from. Is it from a specific campaign or party? A third-party group? A third-party group with direct ties to establishment figures? This all matters. (snip) What I have not seen is it come from McCain or his campaign in such a way to merit the language Obama used today. Pretty inflammatory.
(snip)
What I have not seen is it come from McCain or his campaign in such a way to merit the language Obama used today. Pretty inflammatory.
Tapper asked the Obama camp for an explanation, and says they claimed "he was talking about his 'opponents' in general, writ large, the talk radio hosts and smear artists and such," and not about McCain himself.
The remarks themselves are pretty ambiguous, and do seem to imply race-based fearmongering from the McCain campaign. Read/watch them for yourself after the jump and let us know what you think.
Continue reading "McCain Camp Accuses Obama of Race-Baiting" »
12:30 PM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink
NPR's Martin Kaste -- currently in Alaska covering the Sen. Ted Stevens imbroglio -- reports that one of Stevens' opponents in the seven-way August 26th Republican primary didn't waste any time exploiting the incumbent's indictment on corruption charges.
Long-shot Vic Vickers moved to Alaska earlier this year from Florida, where he was a registered Democrat. In a new ad, he stands in front of Stevens' Girdwood, AK home (which allegedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars in in free renovations in return for political favors), calling for an end to political corruption. Click on the thumbnail to watch the ad.
Stevens, the longest-serving Republican Senator in history, maintains his innocence and is still favored in the primary (though the general election matchup against popular Anchorage mayor Mark Begich is another story).
He will be arraigned at 1pm today.
11:44 AM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink
Good morning.
This morning's political news can perhaps be best-characterized as a referendum on McCain's attempt to paint the election as a referendum on Obama. Yesterday's "Celeb" ad threw more fuel on that fire and has liberal op-ed writers' drawers in a twist wondering where John "Respectful Campaign" McCain disappeared to. Even (disgruntled) former McCain strategist John Weaver hopped on the bandwagon, telling Marc Ambinder that the ad is "childish" and "tomfoolery." The Obama campaign is taking a scolding line as well with this response ad that shows footage of McCain standing next to President Bush and accuses him of the "same old politics, same failed policies." (Hey, that's kind of negative too...) Obama himself told an audience in Missouri:
John McCain and the Republicans, they don't have any new ideas, that's why they're spending all their time talking about me.
Continue reading "Thursday Morning: A Referendum Within A Referendum; McCain Still Finessing Tax Issues; and HRC Will Speak Tuesday at DNC " »
10:00 AM ET | 07-31-2008 | permalink
Obama's tough primary contest against Hillary Clinton revealed he's got work to do to win over rural white voters. But if two guys standing on the side of the road in Rolla, Missouri right now are any indication, the Illinois Senator is making progress. They're holding a "REDNECKS for OBAMA" sign high and proud, with Obama ready to arrive in this town of 16,000 within the hour.
-- David Greene
3:22 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink
Rapper and Obama supporter Ludacris (aka Christopher Bridges) has released a new song called "Politics: Obama Is Here."
The lyrics champion Obama's groundbreaking campaign in a way that seems designed to create controversy:
So get off your ass, black people, it's time to get out and vote! Paint the White House black and I'm sure that's got 'em terrified
Ludacris also attacks politicians who he thinks have "hated on" Obama -- including Hillary Clinton, whom he discribes as an "irrelevant b*tch" and John McCain ("McCain don't belong in any chair unless he's paralyzed"), as well as Jesse Jackson and President Bush.
To put it mildly: heads are exploding in Chicago and the right-wing blogs are having a field day.
Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton issued this rapid-fire response:
As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn't want his daughters or any children exposed to. This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.
Ludacris and Obama have a history. They met privately in 2006 to discuss AIDS awareness, and Obama recently told Rolling Stone that he has Ludacris songs on his iPod and considers the rapper a "great talent and businessman" -- a compliment Ludacris cites in the song.
Maybe he'll be Obama's next baggage-laden friend on the RNC's BarackBook.
2:37 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink
The Republican National Convention is expected to generate a whopping $148 million in revenue for Minneapolis/St. Paul, raising almost $10 million in tax money.
So how can you rip through some cash at the RNC? Here are a few of the highlights, c/o MinnPost's Doug Grow...
1) Zubaz Pants ($30)
Don't remember Zubaz pants? This photo should jog your memory. Popularized by former MN Governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura and buffed-out weight-lifters, the pants peaked in 1991 before succumbing to the grunge era fashion police. But this spring, the official retailer of the convention asked Zubaz if they would fire up the sewing machines again and produce a line of red, white, and blue pants exclusively for the convention. Jackpot! The pants were all the rage at an official pre-convention fashion show. A pair of the patriotic pants will set you back $30.
2) Scotch ($525/shot)
No joke. If you're looking to drop some serious coin, check out the St. Paul Grill. You can buy a shot of 55-year-old Macallan scotch for -- gulp -- $525. Turns out the owner bought four of the only 400 bottles in existence just for the convention crowds. Anyone who happens to get the last shot in a bottle gets to keep the $750 vessel (and then sell it on eBay a month later). If you like what you're drinking (or you're drunk), you might also consider buying a whole bottle... for a cool $12,500. But hop to it -- Grill customers have already thrown back half the collection.
3) Bike ride with Mayor Rybak (free)
After waking up in your new Zubaz pants with a very expensive hangover, consider befriending Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. He plans to lead attendees on a bike ride to the Xcel Center every day. A thousand donated bikes will be available free of charge. Rybak's office is also organizing a "triathlon", comprised of a jaunt along the river, a frolic in a local lake, and a run around another lake. "I'm going to make those Republicans sweat,'' says Rybak, who apparently enjoys the unofficial distinction of being "America's most fit mayor.''
-- Sean Bowditch
1:45 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink
While most of our election unit colleagues are busy gearing up for the Republican and Democratic Conventions next month, we're preparing for a different kind of adventure. Come convention-time, we will pack our clothes and microphones and embark on that greatest of American traditions: the cross-country road trip.
And where will we go? Thus far, we only have a rough draft. We'll begin in Chicago, Barack Obama's hometown, and slowly make our way to Phoenix, John McCain's hometown. Our trip is premised on the idea that every hometown has a leader. So while McCain and Obama are accepting their party nominations, we want you to take us to your leader.
Who is it that makes a difference in your community? Is it your congressman, an activist, an elementary school teacher, Boy Scout headmaster, the textile magnate, pastor, rabbi, or the 6 o'clock news anchor? Is it the high school football star who was drafted into the NFL, the financial advisor who helped you avoid foreclosure, the union boss who stood up for higher wages, or the woman who saved downtown by opening that new burger joint? Or is it your brother, your aunt, or your mom?
We leave in three weeks and want to hear from you. We may not immediately respond, but believe us, we're taking notes.
--Thomas Pierce & David Greene
12:48 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink
The McCain campaign has released a new anti-Obama ad called "Celeb":
Offshore drilling has been at the center of the back-and-forth between the campaigns for weeks, but "he'll raise taxes on electricity" is new. The press release that came with the ad backs that claim with a Texas newspaper interview in which Obama said "what we ought to tax is dirty energy, like coal and, to a lesser extent, natural gas." The Obama campaign says the candidate was talking about a cap-and-trade plan.
In a conference call with reporters, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis called Celeb "the most entertaining thing I've seen on TV." (Apparently he didn't catch the "MILF Island" episode of 30 Rock.)
Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor's response:
On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Senator McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, 'Oops! He did it again.'
Hilarious Britney references aside, this is the third negative ad from McCain in the past two weeks -- and as we wrote this morning, he's being taken to task by the press for claiming the high road and then hitting low. But as the NYT's Jim Rutenberg wisely points out, these hit jobs are a great investment for the cash-strapped McCain campaign because they get so much free publicity from the media feeding frenzy. You know, the same frenzy we're contributing to right now...
12:23 PM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink
Happy hump day, gentle readers.
Oppo-emailers at the DNC and Obama HQ are having an easy day of it. Both the Washington Post and the New York Times write up McCain's recent pivot to negative camapign tactics against opponent Barack Obama. The Post focuses on the dustup over the cancelled military hospital visit in Germany, and concludes that the McCain camp's repeated accusations that the stop was cancelled because Obama couldn't bring photographers "lack evidence." The Times looks at the bigger picture of recent negative ads and McCain's new not-angry-just-disappointed tone, and says "some Republicans" think it's a risky tactic for McCain to stay in a reactive posture and allow the election to be a referendum on Obama. The NYT visits the meme on its editorial page as well, accusing McCain of taking the "low-road express." In an article titled It's All About Obama, Politico writes that "McCain's bitterness, frustration and near-obsession with Obama are on plain display." And the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page hits McCain from the right on his claim over the weekend that "nothing's off the table" with regard to Social Security reform -- including raising the payroll tax cap. Tough morning! What was that Media Matters was just saying about the press's love affair with McCain?
A hint of balance comes from the Post's Dana Milbank, who zings Obama thusly...
Barack Obama has long been his party's presumptive nominee. Now he's becoming its presumptuous nominee.
Continue reading "Wednesday Morning: McCain Under Fire, Obama's Alleged Ego, and a Ted Stevens Ripple Effect?" »
10:00 AM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink
The McCain campaign distributed this to reporters late Tuesday:
ARLINGTON, VA -- Michael Yardley, Chair of Public Affairs at the Mayo Clinic, today issued the following statement: "Senator McCain visited the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, yesterday for a routine check of his dermatological health. The biopsy that was performed did not show any evidence of skin cancer. No further treatment is necessary."
"Senator McCain visited the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, yesterday for a routine check of his dermatological health. The biopsy that was performed did not show any evidence of skin cancer. No further treatment is necessary."
8:46 AM ET | 07-30-2008 | permalink
From Will Evans of the Center for Investigative Reporting. Will is working on the Secret Money Project with NPR's Peter Overby.
According to the latest numbers, this month independent conservative groups are spending much more on TV ads criticizing Democrat Barack Obama than liberal groups are spending on anti-McCain spots. It's quite a turnaround from June, when Moveon.org and a government workers union dominated the airwaves with an estimated $500,000 in ads attacking Sen. McCain's Iraq strategy. Now there's a new ad from Citizens United, which is promoting a film critical of Obama (the group had an anti-Hillary film set to go, but had to rush out the Obama version when he bested Clinton in the primaries). And Let Freedom Ring, a religious conservative advocacy group, has unveiled new ads calling Obama "worse than a flip-flopper." Those two, combined with Vets for Freedom's ads (this one, for example), which back McCain's approach to the war in Iraq, puts conservative airtime power at about $1.4 million in July, according to estimates by the Campaign Media Analysis Group. An assortment of lefty groups, in contrast, scrambled up a comparatively paltry $243,000 in ad buys for the same period. That's a change McCain can believe in.
It's quite a turnaround from June, when Moveon.org and a government workers union dominated the airwaves with an estimated $500,000 in ads attacking Sen. McCain's Iraq strategy.
Now there's a new ad from Citizens United, which is promoting a film critical of Obama (the group had an anti-Hillary film set to go, but had to rush out the Obama version when he bested Clinton in the primaries). And Let Freedom Ring, a religious conservative advocacy group, has unveiled new ads calling Obama "worse than a flip-flopper."
Those two, combined with Vets for Freedom's ads (this one, for example), which back McCain's approach to the war in Iraq, puts conservative airtime power at about $1.4 million in July, according to estimates by the Campaign Media Analysis Group. An assortment of lefty groups, in contrast, scrambled up a comparatively paltry $243,000 in ad buys for the same period.
That's a change McCain can believe in.
5:25 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
Statement from Alaska Senator Ted Stevens I have proudly served this nation and Alaska for over 50 years. My public service began when I served in World War II. It saddens me to learn that these charges have been brought against me. I have never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. Senator. In accordance with Senate Republican Conference rules, I have temporarily relinquished my vice-chairmanship and ranking positions until I am absolved of these charges. The impact of these charges on my family disturbs me greatly. I am innocent of these charges and intend to prove that.
I have proudly served this nation and Alaska for over 50 years. My public service began when I served in World War II. It saddens me to learn that these charges have been brought against me. I have never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. Senator. In accordance with Senate Republican Conference rules, I have temporarily relinquished my vice-chairmanship and ranking positions until I am absolved of these charges. The impact of these charges on my family disturbs me greatly. I am innocent of these charges and intend to prove that.
4:53 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
Ted Stevens (R-AK) has been charged with seven counts of making false statements on his Senate financial disclosure forms from 1999 to 2006. The indictments allege he accepted $250,000 in gifts and renovations on his house in Girdwood, AK from oilfield service company VECO Corp. That house was raided by the FBI last year in an earlier phase of the investigation.
Stevens is the first Senator to be indicted since 1993. He is the longest-serving GOP Senator in U.S. history and is up for re-election this year.
You can read more here.
-- Michael Olson
2:13 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
The GOP has launched a mock-Facebook site called BarackBook, complete with faux-profile pages for Obama's controversial associates (William Ayres and Tony Rezko make the list -- though curiously there's no Jeremiah Wright page....yet). There are also links to donate to the Republican National Committee and an opportunity to create a "myGOP" account.
BarackBook is also available as an application on the real Facebook. Suffice it to say, so far it has not been a big hit. Discussion threads as of 1:15 pm included "We should blow this site up"; "Leaders lead, this just sucks"; and the pithy "This site is lame"...along with a few more topic titles that aren't appropriate for a family blog.
But perhaps the best evidence that the site isn't attracting the crowd the GOP might have hoped for? The targeted ad on the Facebook discussion page: free Obama bumper stickers, courtesy of moveon.org.
1:14 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
Having gotten good play with their JV badges last week, the McCain camp is on a roll. Today's press credentials for an event in Reno, NV feature a photo of the cast of Comedy Central's Reno 911!
Not sure how the real cops helping with security will feel about that.
-- Scott Horsley
1:06 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
NPR's Ari Shapiro confirms that Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is about to be indicted. The DOJ is holding a press conference at 1:40 PM.
Reuters reports that there are 7 criminal counts against Stevens related to his holding of office.
Stevens is up for re-election this year.
12:50 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
Pixels and LCD screens in Ohio are sizzling with images of presidential candidates. The ad-monitoring group CMAG has published the following Top 5 list of cities with the most political ads aired since McCain and Obama wrapped up their parties' nominations:
1. Cleveland, Ohio 2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 3. Columbus, Ohio 4. Detroit, Michigan 5. Youngstown, Ohio
12:49 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
Sorry for the posting delays today, folks. NPR is having a few technical difficulties.
-- Vox Politics
12:05 PM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
G'day.
In continuing Vice-Presidential speculation Politico and the WP reported late yesterday that VA Gov. (and Terry McAuliffe recommendation) Tim Kaine is on the shortest of lists to be Barack Obama's running mate. From Politico:
Kaine's circle is "under the impression that he's being looked at very, very seriously but he's not the only one," said one of the two Democrats close to Kaine.
"The third floor is definitely focused on this in a real way," said the other Virginia Democrat, referring to Kaine's Capitol offices. "They've been talking about what would happen if he had to leave; they're very keyed up on it."
Kaine has a lot going for him: popularity in a red state that has a chance of turning blue in November; fluent Spanish and cred in the Latino community; appeal to Catholic voters...and he suits the "outsider" criteria Obama outlined on Meet The Press this weekend. But as an almost-one-term Governor it's unclear that Kaine has the foreign policy resume to alleviate voters' concerns about Obama's lack of experience.
This chatter seems awfully leaky coming from Obama's usually-airtight campaign. Is someone talking way out of school?
Continue reading "Tuesday Morning: Tim Kaine in the Spotlight, Evangelicals Warn Against Romney, and Polls by M.C. Escher" »
10:00 AM ET | 07-29-2008 | permalink
For those of you fascinated by convention minutia, I give you this RNC production. Transforming the Xcel Center in St. Paul, MN:
Oddly entertaining. The Dems are taping their renovations as well. But they're waiting until just before the convention to release it -- when they will have amassed 700 hours of construction footage. You know, the element of surprise...
4:32 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink
John McCain has had a small, mole-like spot removed from his face. A campaign aide called the procedure "precautionary." McCain has a history of skin cancer. Since 1993, he's had four malignant melanomas removed -- the last from his left temple in 2000.
Speaking in front of reporters in Bakersfield, California this afternoon, McCain talked about the procedure, saying the spot would be biopsied -- just in case. He also urged Americans to have any mysterious spots and blemishes checked out. His remarks today echoed his address to a cancer summit last week sponsored by the Lance Armstrong Foundation in Columbus, OH. There, he said that his experience with skin cancer has made him very aware of the harmful effects of the hot, Arizona sun:
Because of his history, McCain has regular screenings every three months. His campaign released medical records two months ago that showed he was cancer-free.
-- Thomas Pierce
3:37 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink
Moveon.org is spending $150,000 to air this ad on MTV and Comedy Central. It's the winner of the "funniest" category from Moveon's "Obama in 30 Seconds" contest. Featured performers: Amber Benson, whom you may remember as Tara from Buffy, along with Boy Meets World's Shawn, aka Rider Strong (amazingly, that is his real birth name).
While we here at Vox Politics love a mock-PSA as much as the next blog, we are inclined to question the wisdom of an implied parallel between Barack Obama and, oh say, herpes. But we did enjoy the 80s anti-drug ad reference and the cute, fluffy chick at the end.
Just wondering, though...who is this ad supposed to attract? Will it really appeal to anyone who's not already demographically inclined to be on-board with Obama? And/or will it be distasteful to the broader audience of (somewhat older, maybe less irony-drenched) swing voters that will have to be wooed to secure an Obama victory?
1:50 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink
The Chicago Sun Times reports that columnist Robert Novak has been diagnosed with a brain Tumor.
Novak issued this statement:
"On Sunday, July 27, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I have been admitted to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where doctors will soon begin appropriate treatment. "I will be suspending my journalistic work for an indefinite but, God willing, not too lengthy period."
--Josh Figueira
1:23 PM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink
Is Florida in play? Maybe so. Analysts who not long ago gave McCain a comfortable lead in Florida now are calling the state a tossup. Pollster John Zogby has changed the state on his electoral map from red to purple. Even Karl Rove now lists Florida as a tossup.
However, an Obama victory in Florida may depend on African-American turnout. The Washington Post reports this morning that "he can win Florida if he increases black turnout by 23 percent over 2004, assuming he performs at the same levels that Democratic candidate John F. Kerry did with the other voters that year."
Getting new voters to the polls requires more volunteers -- and more staff. Every day we get a new press release from the Obama campaign listing new members of their Florida "leadership team." Look at the numbers: McCain has something like 60 paid staff members in Florida. Obama has 200. Reporters like Adam Smith of the St. Pete Times are joking there may soon be more campaign press handlers than there are press covering the race in Florida.
-- Greg Allen
11:10 AM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink
Attention campaign button collectors: An Obama for President campaign button in Idaho was supposed to feature the Illinois Senator and Democratic nominee alongside the Idaho Democratic Senate hopeful Larry LaRocco. The AP reports that the button instead features the other Larry from Idaho: the alleged-bathroom -cruising Republican Senator Larry Craig. Get your button now... and if you come across any extras, I'm sure Ken Rudin will pay handsomely for any that would come his way.
--Michael Olson
10:16 AM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink
Happy Monday morning, folks.
After struggling to gain traction with the debate over the surge last week, John McCain's campaign found what they consider to be a meatier issue to use against Barack Obama: his cancelled visit to injured troops at Landstuhl hospital in Germany last week. Over the weekend, the two campaigns filled reporters' inboxes with crossfire over the issue, much of which was back-and-forth over this McCain ad called "Troops." It's pretty snarky to accuse Obama of only wanting to visit the wounded servicemembers for a photo-op and then bailing after "the Pentagon wouldn't allow him to bring cameras." The Obama campaign's counter-claim is that the very reason he didn't go to the hospital was because the visit would be considered a photo-op and he didn't want to politicize the troops. (Irony!)
The ad is McCain's toughest hit yet on Obama's character, and the claims in it may or may not sway voters (for one thing, as many in the blogosphere have pointed out, it accuses Obama of ignoring the troops while showing footage of him playing basketball with, um...troops). But on the other hand, if everyone is writing about McCain's ad -- even if they're tearing it apart -- they're by definition NOT writing about Obama's 200,000-person crowd in Berlin, or Nouri al-Maliki's agreement with Obama on a US troop withdrawal timeline, or McCain's variety of gaffes last week. So if nothing else, the ad provides a useful distraction.
Meanwhile, the chattering classes are back to rampant veep speculation.
Continue reading "Monday Morning: McCain Stays Negative; Veepstakes Back To the Fore; and New GOP Fundraising Tactics" »
10:00 AM ET | 07-28-2008 | permalink
From French President Nicolas Sarkozy's opening statement at today's joint presser with Barack Obama (via the Federal News Service's translator):
Of course, it's not up to the French to choose the next president of the United States of America. Whomsoever that may be, we will work with him happily and gladly. But I am especially happy to be meeting with the senator I met back in 2006 when we talked in such impassioned terms about Darfur, what was happening there. And there were two of us in that office, and there were two of us in my office. (Laughter.) And one of us became president. Well, let the other do likewise. Well, I mean, that's not meddling.
NPR's Obama campaign road warrior Don Gonyea followed up:
President Sarkozy, your opening statement sounded a great deal like an endorsement. Was it that, and if so, have you conferred with your good friend President Bush about this?
Obama responded by warning Sarkozy to "be very careful" with his answer to that question.
Sarkozy's response:
Well, sir, the Americans will choose their president, you know, not I. Americans will make the choice. And I think you're old enough to have an idea or two of your own.
This awkward exchange is a reminder of Obama's delicate task on this trip, especially in France. He's trying to paint his potential administration as one that would rebuild relationships with America's allies...but he doesn't want to look too cozy with the Frogs just yet. Don't forget the RNC's attempts to tarnish John Kerry's chances in 2004 by saying he merely looked French. As the French newspaper Le Figaro put it: "his huge popularity in our country could ill serve him with a part the American centrist electorate."
2:18 PM ET | 07-25-2008 | permalink
A new episode of everyone's favorite podcast is available for your listening pleasure. NPR's Ron Elving and Ken Rudin compare the candidates' weeks. Barack Obama visited Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, and Israel before flying to Europe, where he gave a speech to 200,000 Germans in Berlin yesterday. Meanwhile, John McCain took a golf cart ride with the 41st President; canceled a trip to an oil rig because of an untimely hurricane and oil spill; and had lunch at a German restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. But despite McCain's relatively lackluster week, he hasn't sunk the polls. In fact, he's even crept ahead in a few battleground states. Ken and Ron have a few theories:
Or maybe you'd rather download the podcast.
11:51 AM ET | 07-25-2008 | permalink
Forget the cost of running -- or in the media's case, of covering -- a protracted presidential campaign.
The Associated Press is reporting that even the Secret Service needs extra money to work the campaign trail -- $9.5 million to be exact. The extra cash would offset the added costs of overseas trips such as Sen. Obama's whirlwind adventure through Europe and the Middle East this week. Sen. McCain has also taken expensive international jaunts to Colombia, Mexico and Canada this campaign season.
The money would also go toward protecting Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, where he will accept the nomination in an open-air stadium that seats roughly 76,000 people.
Obama picked up Secret Service protection in May 2007 -- earlier than any other presidential candidate in history (with the exception of Hillary Clinton, who as a former First Lady already had a detail in place when she launched her campaign). At the time, officials said it wasn't because of any threats -- although concerns remain about his safety as the first African-American presidential candidate.
This campaign season has lasted five months longer than any other in Secret Service history. In 2004, protecting the candidates cost $73.3 million. This year, they've budgeted $106.65 million...and counting.
-- Nancy Cook
10:33 AM ET | 07-25-2008 | permalink
Happy Friday, everyone!
And no one is probably happier than John McCain that this week is almost over (including us, and we are spending the weekend at the beach). The week has been a tough slog for the GOP nominee-to-be, with a string of bad-news stories, media eye-rolling, and unfortunate visual contrasts with Barack Obama's bombastic overseas swing. The NYT's Elisabeth Bumiller says it all with this description of a moment in Pennsylvania on Wenesday:
"I am again deeply disappointed that Senator Obama would not recognize the fact that the surge has succeeded," Mr. McCain said in typical, now-daily comments before the refrigerated case of cheese in Bethlehem, Pa.
That's right: the refrigerated case of cheese. That was on the day Barack Obama visited Yad Vashem and met with Israeli leaders about the peace process and Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Continue reading "Friday Morning: McCain's Rough Week; No Bounce for Barack; and McAuliffe Changes His Tune" »
10:00 AM ET | 07-25-2008 | permalink
House ethics rules are apparently about to get new teeth. Not all that sharp, but still.... Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner today unveiled names for the six-person panel to lead the new Office of Congressional Ethics.
More simply put: These are the six people who will recommend if cases should go to the House ethics committee (officially, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct) for full-blown investigations.
As watchdog group Common Cause points out, the Office of Congressional Ethics will take some decisions about ethics enforcement out of the hands of Congress itself.
This change will spare lawmakers the agony of casting the first stone -- an act they've assiduously avoided in some big cases. If you think of former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, whose payoff price list, on congressional letterhead, helped prosecutors put him in prison, or current Rep. William Jefferson, indicted on bribery charges after FBI agents found $90,000 neatly bagged in his freezer, or a variety of lawmakers and staffers linked to former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, you've got the idea. Members of Congress don't rush to judgment.
Nor did they rush into this new ethics process. The concept of an independent office has been around for years. Democrats talked it up when in the 2006 campaign, and after they took over Congress that fall, ethics reformers have been lobbying for it. The House passed it this past March. The Senate wasn't interested.
The names of the ethics panelists are after the jump.
Continue reading "Ethics, Capitol Hill Style" »
4:02 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
From McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds:
While Barack Obama took a premature victory lap today in the heart of Berlin, proclaiming himself a 'citizen of the world,' John McCain continued to make his case to the American citizens who will decide this election. Barack Obama offered eloquent praise for this country, but the contrast is clear. John McCain has dedicated his life to serving, improving and protecting America. Barack Obama spent an afternoon talking about it.
3:40 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
There is no more imported beer on the Straight Talk Express-jet.
When McCain had a chartered Jet Blue plane, it was usually stocked with Heineken (among other fine European selections).
But last night when I inquired -- for research purposes only -- I was told the new plane (several weeks old actually) stocks only Bud and Bud Light. Those are, of course, the beers Cindy McCain's company distributes. I told the flight attendant I hope they add Stella once the In Bev deal closes...but that may not happen before election day.
For a candidate who says American workers can compete with anyone, this seems like an oddly protectionist bar menu.
3:38 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
In a highly-anticipated speech in Berlin this afternoon (evening, Berlin time), Barack Obama put out a call for greater cooperation between the US and Europe, and challenged his audience to bear "the burdens of global citizenship...to protect our common security and advance our common humanity."
The speech reportedly drew a crowd of more than 200,000. That's more than double Obama's previous turnout record, an estimated 75,000 in Portland, Oregon back in May. The most notable visual: the number of Old Europeans waving American flags.
Obama invoked the 1948 Berlin air lift as a symbol of the beginnings of hope for post-war Germany, along with the dawn of the Marshall Plan and the rise of NATO (perhaps as a metaphor for the potential of a postwar Iraq?). And he echoed and broadened Ronald Reagan's famous 1987 call to tear down the Berlin wall:
[T]the greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another. The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand. The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christians and Muslims and Jews cannot stand. These now are the walls we must tear down.
Obama called on both Europeans and Americans to "help answer the call for a new dawn in the Middle East," to combat global warming, nuclear proliferation, and terrorism, and to address poverty, AIDS, and oppression worldwide. Adapting a refrain from his stump speech, he presented the crowd with a call to action: "people of Berlin, people of the world, this is our moment. This is our time."
3:10 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
At www.gop.com, the Days Since Barack Obama Visited Iraq clock has now stopped -- but it still reads "925 Days, 01 hours, 07 minutes."
Somebody at the RNC might want to push the reset button.
-- Martin Kaste
3:02 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
A few convention notes from Denver...
The Rocky Mountain News reports that, for months, the city of Denver has allowed DNC hosting committee staffers to fuel up their vehicles at city pumps, thus giving them a pass on gas taxes. The Colorado Attorney General indicated that the practice "would seem" illegal. City officials announced yesterday that the freebie would no longer be offered and that the DNC is expected to pay up.
The Denver City Council, at the urging of local law enforcement, has given its initial approval to an ordinance that would make it illegal to carry items such as chains, padlocks, weighted PVC pipes, quick-drying cement, and noxious substances including "feces bombs" during the convention. City councilors took up the measure after police began seeing a sharp increase in internet chatter from groups who hope to disrupt the DNC. The ordinance now goes to the public safety committee for a final vote.
It turns out Denver Police are not buying any high tech weapons for the convention as was speculated by the ACLU of Colorado. They are, however, spending $2 million on "personal protection equipment" and $738,000 on "crowd control equipment". No details are given.
And the qualifications of Andrea Robinson, the DNC's first-ever Director of Sustainability and Greening, have come under some scrutiny. In her official bio, the DNC touts her "more than 25 years in the environmental field". But she's only 38 years-old. When the Rocky Mountain News dug a bit more, they found that she had, in fact, started an environmental non-profit at the age of 13. But that was apparently omitted on her resume. Also omitted was her extensive acting career. From 2001 to 2004, she starred opposite Billy Ray Cyrus in the TV show "Doc". Her most recent gig: portraying a "cyber-lebrity" in a 2007 episode of "CSI: Miami".
2:43 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
Voting rights advocates filed suit today in Albuquerque to challenge a state law they call "one of the most chilling and restrictive voter registration laws in the country."
The 2005 law requires volunteers who want to participate in registration drives to pre-register and submit an affidavit to the state; register no more than 50 voters at a time (unless they get special permission to take more registration forms); and turn in completed forms within 48 hours of picking them up at local election offices. Volunteers who knowingly break the rules can be slapped with fines or jailtime.
The plaintiffs say there is little or no evidence of voter fraud in New Mexico, and that the restrictions will severely limit the registration efforts of independent groups and disproportionately reduce voter participation in the communities they focus on: minorities, low-income voters, and the disabled.
New Mexico promises to be hotly contested this November. Bush narrowly carried the state in 2004; Gore won it by a tiny margin in 2000. A few thousand more registered voters could tip the balance.
2:10 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
From the McCain campaign:
Senator McCain, tomorrow, will meet with the Dalai Lama in Aspen, Colorado.
1:18 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
While Obama is overseas getting his picture taken with respected world leaders like Netanyahu, Merkel and Maliki, the McCain campaign has put out a new web-ad that pairs a picture of Obama and a not-so-popular world leader: Fidel Castro. HuffPo has details on the ad, which includes a Castro quote praising Obama as "the most advanced candidate."
This isn't the first time the Republican party has used that particular Castro quote as political ammunition. It's also not the first time they've done a little photoshop work on images of the Illinois Senator and the former Cuban dictator. In May the Florida GOP emailed out a doctored picture of Castro holding an Obama campaign poster -- with a link to an article that used the same quote as evidence of an endorsement.
Politifact checked out the email and had this to say about the Castro interview that produced the quote in question:
In the article, Castro actually spends most of his words criticizing a speech Obama made to the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami just a few days before, on May 23. In that speech, Obama pledged that if elected, he would immediately allow unlimited family travel to Cuba and family members to send money to relatives in Cuba. Obama reiterated his position that he would meet with the leaders of enemy nations without preconditions. But the thing that really raised Castro's ire was Obama's vow to maintain the embargo as "leverage" to encourage Cuba to "take significant steps towards democracy."
So did Castro endorse Obama? Politifact's truth-o-meter gives that claim a "pants on fire" rating. Castro did not endorse Obama.
The new web-ad is being used in South Florida. And even though it's misleading, it could still be damaging among the large population of Cuban exiles there.
12:36 PM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
Fresh numbers from the Pew Hispanic Center this morning show that Latino voters are breaking for Obama in a big way. They now favor the presumptive Democratic nominee over McCain by a three-to-one margin. During the Democratic primaries, Obama's opponent Hillary Clinton enjoyed broad support from Latinos, fueling speculation that Hispanics were reluctant to vote for an African American candidate. Today's Pew data seems to debunk that theory.
32% of respondents said being black would help Obama, while only 11% said it would hurt. And 53% said it would make no difference. In contrast, when asked about the role of McCain's race, 24% said that being white would hurt him among Latino voters, while only 11% said it would help. The majority (58%) said it would have no bearing.
Obama also takes the lead on favorability: 76% rated him positively, compared to 44% for McCain. And among those Latinos who said they initially backed Clinton, three-quarters of them have now thrown their support behind Obama, while only 8% say they will now vote for McCain.
The survey also reveals a few trends about voter participation that are worth keeping an eye on in the coming months. Pew's findings, which are based on state exit polls from the Democratic primaries, indicate that Latinos made up a greater percentage of voters in several states compared to past elections -- most notably in California and Texas. And among the registered Latino voters who were polled, 17% said they were voting for the first time.
For Latinos, pocketbook and family issues are top priorities. Respondents listed education (93%), cost of living (92%), jobs (91%), and healthcare (90%) as most important. Interestingly, the Iraq War (75%) and immigration (75%) trailed the pack.
This new data bodes well for the Democrats, especially in states like Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Florida where the fight for Latino votes is likely to be fierce. And with 65% of Latino voters now identifying with the Democratic Party -- the largest number in a decade according to Pew -- Obama appears to be in the driver's seat. But, as always, the key to success in November is turnout, turnout, turnout.
10:01 AM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
Good morning, all. The nation's capital is drying out after a 2.5-inch deluge last night that also brought a much-needed break in the heat. Hallelujah!
Barack Obama departed Israel early this morning after a pre-dawn visit to the Western Wall where he was warmly greeted by a few dozen fans but loudly heckled by one man who repeatedly yelled "Jerusalem is not for sale." The Washington Post sums up the full Israel/Ramallah swing thusly:
Sen. Barack Obama stepped gingerly through the intractable politics of the Middle East on Wednesday, offering resolute support for Israel's security, warning that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons would be a "game-changing" event for the world, and pledging to make peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians one of his highest priorities if he becomes president.
Continue reading "Thursday Morning: Obama to Berlin, McCain Goes Domestic, and No Hula Hoop Photo Ops" »
10:00 AM ET | 07-24-2008 | permalink
Setting expectations is a tricky business for politicians. You want to appear confident, because it makes you look strong and intimidating...but not TOO confident because then you seem cocky and risk publicly falling short of your goals.
So at a press briefing today, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), the respective heads of the committees working to elect (and re-elect) Democrats to the Senate and the House, were endeavoring to toe that line. While they touted their party's unprecedented field operations, vastly improved early voter contact strategy, solid fundraising, and progress in the polls, Van Hollen warned against "irrational exuberance" among House candidates and Schumer cautioned that the Senate map is one of the "reddest...in a very long time" -- i.e. many of the contested seats are in majority-Republican states.
Nonetheless, Schumer's assessment of the Dems' chances were pretty darn optimistic. He repeatedly speculated that while it would be "very hard," Democrats have a chance of achieving a filibuster-proof majority of 60 Senators. (They currently hold a slim majority of 51, including two Independents who caucus with them.) It's a pie-in-the sky idea that Schumer cast as being about as likely as picking up 6 Senate seats was in 2006. Which, you'll recall, they did.
Schumer also gave a remarkably candid breakdown of where those pickups might come from (of the 35 Senate seats at stake this year, 23 are currently held by Republicans). His calls:
Likely Dem Pickups: Virginia, New Hampshire, Colorado, New Mexico, Alaska Close/Even Contests: Oregon, Minnesota, Mississippi, Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina Possible Pickups Under The Right Conditions: Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Georgia
You can compare Schumer's assessments with those of NPR's political soothsayer Ken Rudin on our interactive Senate map.
3:10 PM ET | 07-23-2008 | permalink
Columnist and talking head Robert Novak hit a pedestrian with his Corvette this morning in downtown Washington. The victim was a man in his 60s who was taken to George Washington Medical Center with minor injuries.
TMZ reports that Novak was listening to NPR's Morning Edition when he struck the pedestrian around 10 a.m. Presumably tuning to member station WAMU, Novak would have just heard the tale of a Chicago man seeking $30,000 in damages from a tattoo parlor that misspelled "tomorrow" when they inked his arm.
Call it a Drive-Off-The-Road Moment.
--Laurel Wamsley
3:03 PM ET | 07-23-2008 | permalink
When a campaign wants to gin up some attention for their latest ad, they usually e-mail a transcript to the media. But today, when the Obama camp announced its latest Spanish-language radio spot, it sent out two transcripts.
According to the campaign, the first one was sent out in error. It was, appar
