Today’s edition of quick hits. * Novak retires: “Robert Novak has announced his immediate retirement following the diagnosis of a brain tumor, a prognosis the Sun-Times’ political columnist describes as ‘dire.’ ‘The details are being worked out with the doctors this week, but the tentative plan is for radiation and chemotherapy,’ Novak said.” I’ve been […]
Bush rejects far-right lawmakers’ request for a special session
How do you know for sure when House Republicans have gone completely over the edge? When the Bush White House looks responsible and mature by comparison. Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) sent the president a letter on Friday, asking Bush to use his authority to convene a special […]
McCain team ‘practically giddy’ over tire gauges
After a week in which the Republican presidential campaign was panned for being “immature,” “juvenile,” and “childish,” John McCain’s team has responded this week by literally acting like children with a new toy. A practically giddy Mark Salter, the senior aide to John McCain best known for his gruffness, told the traveling press corps before […]
Obama takes the offensive on energy
Last week, it seemed Barack Obama spent just about every day on the defensive. If today’s speech in Lansing, Mich., is any indication, it’s a new week. “You won’t hear me say this too often, but I couldn’t agree more with the explanation that Senator McCain offered a few weeks ago. He said, ‘Our dangerous […]
Adopt Big Oil’s policies, enjoy Big Oil’s largess
In the new television ad from the Obama campaign, viewers learn, “Big Oil’s filling John McCain’s campaign with 2 million dollars in contributions…. After one president in the pocket of big oil, we can’t afford another.” The timing of this, therefore, couldn’t be better. Ten senior Hess Corporation executives and/or members of the Hess family […]
‘A surprisingly immature politician’
John McCain has always seemed to revel in the sycophantic adulation he’s enjoyed among the media elite, so it’s kind of fascinating to see McCain’s one-time media fans realize that he’s not the man they thought he was. The first, and probably most notable, was Time’s Joe Klein, who conceded last week that he was […]
Monday’s campaign round-up
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: * Remember the extraordinarily heated fight over Democratic convention delegates from Florida’s and Michigan’s non-binding primaries? Well, it’s been resolved: “Now Senator Barack Obama, the party’s presumptive nominee, has asked the credentials committee […]
GOP won’t let go of its new tire-gauge toy
Atrios asked this morning, “Does anyone understand why Obama suggesting that people keep their tires properly inflated is some sort of hilarious gaffe?” I’ve been trying to figure out the same thing for days. As the Obama campaign kicks off “energy week” with a new contrast ad and a policy speech in Michigan, Time’s Mark […]
Defying expectations, low-wage workers prefer Obama
For quite a while, there were certain trends that political observers were simply supposed to accept as fact: Barack Obama would struggle to win support from Latino voters. And Jewish voters. And working-class, low-income voters. These were obvious “truths” that “everyone” knew. Except none of these observations are holding up well. Obama is doing very […]
‘After one president in the pocket of big oil, we can’t afford another’
There was considerable talk in Democratic circles last week about Barack Obama’s desire to maintain an entirely positive message — and whether that was wise given the relentlessly negative McCain campaign message. More than a few Dems thought it was time to maybe throw a punch or two. It looks like the Obama campaign agrees. […]