Obama campaign email stirs VP buzz

We still don’t know who Barack Obama will choose as a running mate, and with the senator on vacation with family this week, it’s probably safe to assume we’re not going to hear any announcements until next week. But because of the considerable interest in the looming news — the convention begins in two weeks, […]

McCain campaign manager was for McCain’s record before he was against it

Of all the various interviews on the Sunday morning shows, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis’ appearance on “Fox News Sunday” was likely to be the least interesting. The head of the Republican campaign on the Republican network? Not exactly must-see TV. But FNC’s Chris Wallace was actually at the top of his game yesterday, and […]

Two can play the ‘celebrity’ game

With Barack Obama taking the time off to spend time with his family before the convention, one might have thought we wouldn’t be hearing much from the Obama team this week. Not so — the candidate may be taking a break, but his operation has decided to start the week with a new ad that’s […]

Sunday Night Open Thread

So, what’s on your mind? Got any links you want to share? Stories that need a plug? Requests to make? The floor is yours….

‘Definitely there has to be a very clear timeline’

It’s likely that the White House and the McCain campaign will call this a transcription error, or insist that Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari didn’t really mean what he said, or perhaps even parse the meaning of the word “timeline,” but for the rest of us, we now have yet another top Iraqi official demanding […]

Civility and honesty in a presidential campaign — with or without town-hall events

Four days ago, the WaPo’s David Broder argued very awkwardly that “the tone and direction” of the presidential campaign has been needlessly hostile, and attributed it to the lack of debates between John McCain and Barack Obama. “Since the idea of joint town meetings was scrapped, the campaign has featured tough and often negative ads […]

War, schmar, there’s Edwards gossip to obsess over

Media interest in John Edwards’ adultery controversy is probably inevitable. He’s not a sitting lawmaker or candidate for anything anymore, but he’s a well-known political figure caught up in a sex scandal. News outlets are going to cover this; it’s unavoidable. But some reporters want to keep the story in perspective, and want cable news […]

Targeting Obama for his choice in vacation spots

One could, I suppose, criticize Barack Obama for wanting to take a break from the campaign trail. There are just 86 days until the election, and just 15 days until the Democratic National Convention, and one might feel tempted to tell Obama, “You can rest after November 4.” But it seems Obama isn’t being criticized […]

Russia, Georgia, and McCain’s reckless belligerence

With the conflict between Russia and Georgia moving “toward full-scale war,” even those of us who follow the news closely might pause and think, “Now, what’s that conflict about again?” The NYT’s James Traub wrote a very helpful piece today offering plenty of background and history to explain the context for the violence, and why […]

Saturday Night Open Thread

So, what’s on your mind? Got any links you want to share? Stories that need a plug? Requests to make? War in Russia Georgia? Olympics? Bernie Mac’s untimely passing? Lingering interest in the Edwards affair? The floor is yours….