Barack Obama met yesterday with a bipartisan group of high-level economic advisors.
** 13 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MAC’S 3RD STRAIGHT ATTACK AD. From my other blog.
** AN ECHO CHAMBER FOR MAC? Is John McCain in an echo chamber in which his not surprising sense of pique about this whippersnapper who never wore the uniform, i.e., Barack Obama, is souring his persona? (Something you may have picked up from me from my May day around McCain.) That’s, cutting to the quick of it, the question posed by the Atlantic’s very knowledgeable insider reporter, Marc Ambinder.
UPDATE: The earthquake has been downgraded to 5.4 on the Richter scale.
** SCHWARZENEGGGER LIVE WEBCAST THIS AFTERNOON ON EARTHQUAKE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will hold a press conference on today’sm earthquake in Southern California. The seismic event was rated 5.8 on the Richter scale and took place about 30 miles east of Los Angeles in the Chino Hills.
The event will be webcast live at 2:15 PM on www.gov.ca.gov.
** WESTERN REPUBLICAN SENATOR INDICTED FOR CORRUPTION. Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, age 84, has been indicted on seven counts of political corruption. He was already trailing his Democratic opponent by nine points in recent polling. Stevens is a pork barrel Republican despised by John McCain. But Stevens’s woes add to those of the Republican brand. McCain has only a narrow lead over Barack Obama, despite the fact that this is a perenially Republican state in presidential elections. It is almost certain that McCain will have to spend at least a day making the trek to Alaska if he hopes to hold on to the state.
** NORTH CAROLINA POLL: SLIGHT EDGE FOR MCCAIN. The new Public Policy Polling survey of North Carolina shows John McCain with a slight lead over Barack Obama, 47% to 44%. Obama is keeping this traditionally big red state in play. In fact, he has a big edge on the economy over McCain, 53-38. It’s only when people are focused on social issues such as family values or immigration that McCain has an edge.
** WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.
Barack Obama is in Washington, DC. He has a variety of meetings today, mostly on the economy, including the chairman of the Federal Reserve, the House Democratic Caucus, and the prime minister of Pakistan.
John McCain is in Nevada and Colorado today. He has a town hall in Sparks and a fundraiser in Incline Village. Then he goes to Colorado for a fundraiser in Englewood.
** FROM THE ARNOLD FILE. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s move to cut state employee compensation to the minimum wage level and terminate contingent employees may be paying off as California’s chronic budget crisis drags on.
State Senate leader Don Perata cancelled his scheduled floor session and vote on his version of the budget today. He is negotiating with the governor and other leaders. For his part, the former action superstar postponed his executive order until Thursday.
** SCHWARZENEGGER LIVE WEBCAST THIS MORNING ON OCEAN PROTECTION. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, acting from the state Capitol, will join Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire via satellite to launch a new plan addressing ocean and coastal management issues along the West Coast.
The event will be webcast live at 10:30 AM at www.gov.ca.gov.
** DEMS AND OBAMA LAUNCH LARGEST EVER LATINO VOTER MOBILIZATION. The Democratic Party and Barack Obama are launching the largest ever mobilization program for Latino voters. In the 2004, the party and the John Kerry campaign spent $8.7 million to identify, register, and turn out Latino voters. This year, the party and the Obama campaign will spend $20 million on the task. The drive will be run out of Chicago, now the location for most national Democratic Party efforts following Obama’s victory in the Democratic presidential nomination fight against Hillary Clinton. This may have its largest impact in the new battleground region of the Mountain West.
** SIX REASONS MCCAIN’S LUCKY HE DIDN’T MAKE IT ON THAT OIL RIG. From my other blog.
** MCCAIN TRIES TO COUNTER-PROGRAM A WAVE. You know, Obama’s new flood of foreign policy cred. Resulting in a somewhat confusing, rather sulky, kitchen sink approach. With full analysis of the two new anti-Obama attack ads, first of the general election. One is arguable. The other is preposterous. From my other blog.
Russia is unhappy with John McCain’s effort to kick it out of the G8 group of top industrial nations.
** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.
While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.
** TRACK GLOBAL AND U.S. ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. After crashing over $147 for yet another record on July 11th, crude oil is trading in the $123 to $124 per barrel range. The drop of over $20 per barrel came amidst multiple signs that the weak US economy will cut future demand and fresh signs of a detente between the US and Iran.
Your posts are welcome in the Forum.
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| Comments (88) |
Hap,
..I will be back up north soon. I need a few Vegas trips before my next vacation, to recover from flying through the thunderstorm we hit on the way home.
Next trip, we will stay in Tahoe and do some boating. Tahoe is absolutely amazing. Maybe next time,we can get the families together and have a skiing/boating/fishing party.
McCain, and your buddy Steve Schmidt, ought to be ashamed of themselves to produce such a totally dishonest ad.
lol
marcos leon:
McCain, and your buddy Steve Schmidt, ought to be ashamed of themselves to produce such a totally dishonest ad.
Jul 29, 2008 – 6:23 pm
Thanks.
Thanks!
>Capitol Boy:
Way to deconstruct McCain’s ad!
Jul 29, 2008 – 6:13 pm
I would say the word is … disdain.
>Brasky:
“13 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MAC’S 3RD STRAIGHT ATTACK AD”
You’re contempt for political bullshit is in full effect. Wow!
Jul 29, 2008 – 6:11 pm
Hap, really, the press is also in the tank for McCain.
Has been for a very long time.
Any other candidate who makes the kind of gaffes he makes on a regular basis would be run out of the race.
This is a race between two prima donnas …
>Hap Hazard:
I think Bill is spot on with McCain being put out by Obama’s lack of military experience, but I think he is also irritated by the fact that Obama has rose to the frontrunner status after only serving mere months in the US Senate, and a few short years in the Illinois Legislature before that. Hell, McCain nearly served more time in the Hanoi Hilton than Obama has in public life.
But I also think that McCain mistakenly believed that he was going to get good, or at least even-handed treatment from the press, and is pissed off now that it has become pretty clear that the press is in the tank for Obama.
Jul 29, 2008 – 5:14 pm
But actually, much of the press does do what McCain wants.
>Brasky:
“AN ECHO CHAMBER FOR MAC?”
Interesting piece. Sounds like Mac is in a feedback loop: attack Obama — take heat from press — criticize press for bad coverage — attack Obama because press “won’t” — rinse lather and repeat.
Jul 29, 2008 – 5:04 pm
My observation is that girls drive their mothers nuts.
That’s where the rivalry is.
>carole w:
Congrats to The Skipper and Hap!
Girls are born with the soul intention of driving their father(s) insane… (mixed with a little unconditonal love):)
Jul 29, 2008 – 4:23 pm
Kids also tend to be a giant pain in the ass.
>Hap Hazard:
Pat — Children are a blessing to be sure. I have only one (son), but he has been on my mind every hour since he was born 18 years ago. Enjoy your kids during these wonder years. They (and you) will remember the experiences of their childhood
Jul 29, 2008 – 2:57 pm
How so?
>Brasky:
should be “echos of Team Clinton” chamber
Jul 29, 2008 – 5:15 pm
Oh, I think your subconscious meant to say “it.”
>Pat Skipper:
whoa. iPhone craziness. A boy and a girl is what I intended to write.
Jul 29, 2008 – 2:42 pm
I’ve seen her. She’s not all that.
>Hap Hazard:
McCain will have to spend at least a day making the trek to Alaska if he hopes to hold on to the state. — Unless he chooses Gov. Palin as his running mate, which would also help McCain with the middle-aged men voting block…:)
Jul 29, 2008 – 2:12 pm
“First thing we do, let’s open up the books and end all this crazy deficit spending.”
Okay then …
>Hap Hazard:
Where’s Schwarzeneger? — Probably “opening up the books” and auditing state finances
Jul 29, 2008 – 2:34 pm
There is that.
>Brasky:
“Stevens’s woes add to those of the Republican brand”
Don’t forget both senators’ connections to the oil lobby.
Jul 29, 2008 – 1:40 pm
re: yesterday’s column re: the sick murderer who hated Liberals and attacked a Unitarian Church congregation, BB wrote: “If the likes of Hannity, Limbaugh, and Savage played any role in pushing this poor soul over the edge into acts which cannot be countenanced, much less forgiven, they had better take a real look at their own provocative acts.”
Yes, these fools are hatemongers who poison political discourse and spread lies and a lunatic fringe philosophy that does result in murder and mayhem. Why does anyone listen to them or take them seriously? And who benefits from spreading fear and stupidity? The right wing gabfest sponsors? The book publishers (part of the same mega-media monopolies who own Clear Channel or CBS) who sell their hate speech? Spawn Vanity, Bush Limpbow, Michael Savage Winer, and Bill O’Really are accessories to a crime but will never ‘look at their own provocative acts’ because they are sociopaths who hate America, which after all was founded on liberal values. How much more damage will they be allowed to do before they are driven from the public airwaves and retired to a rehab center for unrepentant hypocrites?
Whoa, McCain’s campaign should have ringing ears from that Huffington Post column on his new ad.
“How so?”
Both McCain and Hillary fell into a trap of spending most of their time alternating between bagging on their opponent and the media.
A very wise sports figure always said that complaining about the refs only got players one thing – more bad calls.
McCain has always enjoyed a good relationship with the press. If he’s being as surly in private as he is in public, he can expect more “calls” to go Obama’s way.
One of the thing about “your other blog” is that I read HuffPo a lot more than I used to (which was almost never).
They pointed to pollster.com, which has a pretty amazing map on the front page: http://www.pollster.com/
Bill,
…” girls drive their mother’s nuts”. My mom would say I am both guilty of driving her nuts and being a pain in the ass. That is what makes me so desirable.
“crazy deficit spending”…It would be a wise decision by all to adopt a budget and focus on helping people who have lost their homes in the recent fires. It is going to be a long difficult summer.
Hap, really,…This is a race between two prima donnas — Stripped down explanation of quite a bit about this race over the last few weeks…
Braksy – I went there yesterday to look at the state-by-state polling map after being scolded by the professor for paying attention to poll averages. It clearly does show a nearly overwhelming advantage for Obama, given the closeness in states like MOntana, NC, etc…
Given that it is an open presidential race, I still cling to history, and believe that it will ultimately become a close race down to the bitter end.
I’ve seen her. She’s not all that. — I shouldn’t be surprised. I bet she is a little too wholesome-looking
That’s certainly true in this house.
>Bill Bradley:
My observation is that girls drive their mothers nuts.
That’s where the rivalry is.
“and believe that it will ultimately become a close race down to the bitter end.”
Not if McCain keeps bringing his “B” game.
This is not the same guy I was rooting for in 2000 against GWB.
What new video today?
It could break like Reagan in ’80.
… I was replying to Brasky.
>Brasky:
“and believe that it will ultimately become a close race down to the bitter end.”
Not if McCain keeps bringing his “B” game.
This is not the same guy I was rooting for in 2000 against GWB.
Jul 29, 2008 – 11:11 pm
Birthday Boy Arnold, and dueling attack ads.
>Jonas Blane:
What new video today?
Jul 30, 2008 – 6:10 am
I’m observing this now.
>Chris M:
That’s certainly true in this house.
>Bill Bradley:
My observation is that girls drive their mothers nuts.
That’s where the rivalry is.
Jul 29, 2008 – 10:07 pm
Well, things can change, but you have to like Obama’s chances.
>Hap Hazard:
Braksy – I went there yesterday to look at the state-by-state polling map after being scolded by the professor for paying attention to poll averages. It clearly does show a nearly overwhelming advantage for Obama, given the closeness in states like MOntana, NC, etc…
Given that it is an open presidential race, I still cling to history, and believe that it will ultimately become a close race down to the bitter end.
Jul 29, 2008 – 8:46 pm
Neither camp likes that idea. So I’ll use it in a column tomorrow!
>Hap Hazard:
Hap, really,…This is a race between two prima donnas — Stripped down explanation of quite a bit about this race over the last few weeks…
Jul 29, 2008 – 8:42 pm
Okay then.
>carole w:
Bill,
…” girls drive their mother’s nuts”. My mom would say I am both guilty of driving her nuts and being a pain in the ass. That is what makes me so desirable.
You were probably too busy reading PJM to go to HuffPo.
>Brasky:
One of the thing about “your other blog” is that I read HuffPo a lot more than I used to (which was almost never).
They pointed to pollster.com, which has a pretty amazing map on the front page: http://www.pollster.com/
Jul 29, 2008 – 8:32 pm
Oh, working the refs can work with the press.
It helped Hillary at times, no question I think.
>Brasky:
“How so?”
Both McCain and Hillary fell into a trap of spending most of their time alternating between bagging on their opponent and the media.
A very wise sports figure always said that complaining about the refs only got players one thing – more bad calls.
McCain has always enjoyed a good relationship with the press. If he’s being as surly in private as he is in public, he can expect more “calls” to go Obama’s way.
Jul 29, 2008 – 8:23 pm
Well, there are a lot of angry people who like to have their preconceptions reinforced.
>Paul Burton:
re: yesterday’s column re: the sick murderer who hated Liberals and attacked a Unitarian Church congregation, BB wrote: “If the likes of Hannity, Limbaugh, and Savage played any role in pushing this poor soul over the edge into acts which cannot be countenanced, much less forgiven, they had better take a real look at their own provocative acts.”
Yes, these fools are hatemongers who poison political discourse and spread lies and a lunatic fringe philosophy that does result in murder and mayhem. Why does anyone listen to them or take them seriously? And who benefits from spreading fear and stupidity? The
Incidentally, NWN passed 68,000 comments sometime in the past week.
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