This was definitely the right move, considering the story’s potential for uncomfortable questions. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign will return all of the contributions solicited by the Jordanian business partner of one of Mr. McCain’s most prolific fund-raisers. The decision caps a frenetic two days in which both the Washington Post and The New York […]
The McCain campaign is going for broke with the odd “celebrity” attack, launching its third negative ad going after Barack Obama for being widely respected and admired. For those of you who can’t watch clips online, the ad, which strikes an interesting balance between abject stupidity and breathtaking dishonesty, features a voice-over: “Life in the […]
Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers: * Freshman Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn) lost in a Republican primary yesterday, the first Tennessee rep to lose in a primary in more than four decades. Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe beat Davis […]
I guess I can’t blame a campaign for trying. Now that John McCain’s financial support from the oil industry has become increasingly controversial, the new push in Republican circles is to argue that Big Oil actually supports Barack Obama more. The RNC said yesterday that Obama “has taken the most money from Big Oil’s very […]
There’s been at least some talk in recent weeks about exactly what role the Clintons would have the Democratic National Convention. Would they get snubbed? Would they feel respected? Would those who supported Hillary in the primaries feel like the Clintons had been given their due? By all appearances, it looks like the Clintons will […]
TPM has put together quite a clip collection, showing John McCain, during the campaign, as rather “dazed and confused.” It’s definitely worth watching. Now, the clip shows a series of gaffes, mistakes, and incidents even Fox News describes as “senior moments,” and it’s pretty devastating. Age aside, McCain really does frequently come across as not […]
In recent weeks, the McCain campaign has unveiled a series of web videos that are created for the sole purpose of generating news. These videos aren’t “ads,” in any traditional sense, and won’t even be considered for television broadcast. They are, in effect, video press releases with provocative messages, made to generate media attention and […]
Following up on an item from yesterday, the Democratic primary in Tennessee’s 9th congressional district went well beyond “heated.” Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who is white and Jewish, was seeking re-election in a predominantly African-American district. Nikki Tinker, whom Cohen defeated in a 2006 primary, was seeking a rematch, and had received support from Emily’s […]
Today’s edition of quick hits. * Prosecutors wanted 30-to-life; they got 66 months: “A military jury sentenced Osama bin Laden’s former driver to 5 1/2 years in prison for aiding terrorism, making him eligible for release in six months. Salim Hamdan was acquitted of conspiracy in the first Guantanamo war crimes trial. The sentence was […]
Just yesterday, at a campaign stop in Indiana, Barack Obama said, “[I]f Sen. McCain wants to talk about why Washington is broken, that’s a debate I’m happy to have. Because Sen. McCain’s energy plan reads like an early Christmas list for oil and gas lobbyists. And it’s no wonder — because many of his top […]