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.
The just announced event seems to be a smaller scale gathering for TV purposes more than Geographic impact.
CHICAGO, IL— Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama announced today that they will hold a “Unite for Change” Rally this Friday in Unity, New Hampshire. Both candidates received exactly 107 votes in the western New Hampshire town in the primary.
This is all fascinating Stuff as the event occurs the days before the highly anticipated Unite for Change events happening Nation Wide, Sign up Today for an Event new you.
Something very interesting is going on at the moment... Obama's Bounce is Growing.
The Real Clear Politics Average is now moving to 7%, at 6.8% as of tonight.This is the baseline pre-advertising impact, pre-Hillary/Obama on stage event.
Obama's Bounce may be just getting started... Rasmussen Sunday showed Obama retaking a larger bounce in their polling.
In this Diary, I'm going to look at the National Poll motion then some issues driving the debate...
This week was on balance a very good week for Barack Obama, with expanding poll margins, Roger Simon's Monday prouncement of "Where is Obama's Bounce" was an answered question by Friday... It's Here and It's Growing.
National Polls: Bounce Expanding from 4% Average to 7.5% Average
Obviously, they couldn't stand being show up by the real deal...
So the two GOP standard bearers will make SEPARATE trips to Iowa, ON THE SAME DAY... Is his Scheduling Team really that inept? First it was Off-Shore Drilling, now it'll be touring Iowa, separately like some kinda divorced couple or something...
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Alaska voters finds John McCain earning 45% of the vote while Barack Obama attracts 41%. Seven percent (7%) say they’d vote for some other candidate while another 6% are not sure. This is the third straight poll showing Obama within single digits of the presumptive GOP nominee. A month ago, McCain was up by nine. Two months ago, it was McCain by nine.
AFSCME and MoveOn.org will begin airing a new ad in OH, MI, WI, and nationally on CNN and MSNBC on 6/18, attacking John McCain on Iraq. The ad, obtained from Hotline sources, will run for a week at a cost of $543K
Ben Smith points out today that in Flint, Michigan, Barack Obama took 14 shots at John McCain on the Economy. In this Diary, I outline each, with the reprint of the full speech below for your reading.
One money quote from Ben's Reporting:
Also, three mentions of Google, perhaps an attempt to draw a contrast with a rival who doesn't use a computer.
Now, the List of 14 Slams on McCain
We’ve borrowed billions from countries like China to finance needless tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and an unnecessary war, and yet Senator McCain is explicitly running to continue and expand these policies, without a realistic plan to pay for it.
So there is a clear choice in this election. Instead of reaching for new horizons, George Bush has put us in a hole, and John McCain’s policies will keep us there. I want to take us in a new and better direction.
If this story has video, this has the potential to destroy McCain's hobbling candidacy and possibly cause a revolt at the convention... I hope those hacks at PUMA video'd the whole thing and will put up the McCain/Clinton tilt propoganda online for the world to see. Hannity will implode, Rush will revolt... This is seriously GOP Civil War stuff: They've nominated a Culture War Hypocrite
Bower said he'd liked McCain's answer on judges, in which he "pointed out that he supported Bill Clinton with both Ginsberg and Breyer."
Another person who was present, but asked not to be named to avoid conflict with fellow Democrats, said he'd pressed a McCain staffer on McCain's position on same-sex marriage.
The staffer "said it was the same as [John] Kerry's position," he said.
These types of events have increasingly had hand held video tape or at least recorded materials at them. If either of these two position answers get online, the GOP will simply revolt.
