Following up on an earlier item, John McCain’s decision to use a photo of Gen. David Petraeus, in uniform, without his permission, in a fundraising appeal is starting to generate some attention. Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reminded those in uniform this week to steer clear of the political […]
Friday’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: * On the superdelegate front, Barack Obama picked up three new superdelegates over the last 24 hours — Rep. Alan Mollohan of West Virginia, and Boyd Richie and Betty Richie of Texas. Hillary […]
Obama could see ‘the rooftops of a lot of Iraqi houses’
The issue of whether Barack Obama should spend more time in Iraq seems to be gaining quite a bit of media traction. John McCain and the Republican National Committee are pushing the matter pretty aggressively, and media outlets seem to perceive this as a new issue that didn’t play a role in the Democratic nominating […]
The U.S. military ‘must remain apolitical at all times’ — but McCain didn’t get the memo
Update: There have been additional developments on this story. In the coming issue of Joint Force Quarterly, an official military journal widely distributed among officers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff writes a welcome but unusual open letter to everyone who wears an Armed Forces uniform: stay out of the political arena during […]
Huckabee takes on the ‘heartless, callous, soulless’ libertarians
Rumor has it that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee hopes to be seriously considered for the VP slot on John McCain’s ticket. The reasoning, the conventional wisdom suggests, is that Huckabee is very strong with the GOP’s religious right base, which McCain a) is unpopular with; and b) will need in several competitive states. But […]
It depends on what he means by ‘quiet’ in Iraq
War supporters often find it tricky to praise events on the ground in Iraq. Invariably, they seem to praise war conditions in such a way that ends up embarrassing them, and undermining their point, in ways reminiscent of Baghdad Bob insisting that the U.S. “invaders” are nowhere near Baghdad. Take John McCain, for example, speaking […]
Thursday’s Mini-Report
Today’s edition of quick hits. * A new Michigan/Florida compromise seems to be gaining traction in Democratic circles. Under the scenario, the DNC would halve the votes for all of the Florida delegates, giving Clinton a net gain of 19, and the popular vote from the state would count. Michigan, meanwhile, would be split 50-50. […]
Pelosi willing to ‘step in’ to end Democratic nominating process
Yesterday, Democratic Party lawyers explained that the party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, poised to meet on Saturday to consider whether to seat some delegates from Michigan and Florida, does not have the authority to do what the Clinton campaign wants the committee to do — reverse last year’s punishment and honor the results of the […]
McCain takes the lead on climate change — by not showing up for work
When John McCain is asked how he’s substantively different from George W. Bush, the senator has a programmed response he repeats without hesitation. At the top of the list: “climate change.” Indeed, McCain, at least recently, has made his “green” credentials a key part of this early stage of his campaign. Two weeks ago, he […]
What McClellan’s revelations tells us about John McCain’s judgment
At first blush, Scott McClellan’s criticism of the Bush White House wouldn’t necessarily have anything to do with the 2008 presidential race. McClellan hasn’t had anything to do with John McCain, and most of the people McClellan calls out are not part of McCain’s campaign. But perhaps that’s an unimaginative approach. McClellan’s book apparently has […]