Thursday’s campaign round-up

August 7, 2008

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:

* In light of new reports about possible convention tensions, the Obama and Clinton offices issued, for the first time, a joint press statement last night: “We are working together to make sure the fall campaign and the convention are a success. At the Democratic Convention, we will ensure that the voices of everyone who participated in this historic process are respected and our party will be fully unified heading into the November election.” Stay tuned.

* The Obama campaign had an agreement with Gas Station TV to run a campaign ad, but the company pulled back yesterday and broke off the deal. “As Gas Station TV informed the campaign this afternoon, the company will not run ads that are damaging to oil companies,” a release from the Obama campaign said. Gas Station TV later said he wouldn’t air any political advertisements, but the campaign produced materials to show that it had approved the ad buy.

* Why on earth would Joe Lieberman host a campaign event for John McCain at a Holocaust Memorial Center? Isn’t that, you know, in bad taste?

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New Jersey by eight, 48% to 40%.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New York by 20, 52% to 32%.

* Al Franken is on the offensive in Minnesota, airing a new ad challenging Sen. Norm Coleman (R) on a possible ethics violation.

* Interesting story: “A former executive who says his boss pressured him to contribute to Republican Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign has filed an employment-bias complaint that offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain of big-money corporate fund raising.”

* Tom Daschle thinks McCain’s negative ads have had the desired effect, but isn’t worried: “To a certain extent the ads are having some effect. But you can’t be thrown off your game plan by a momentary dip in polls.”

* Condoleezza Rice played a very partisan role in the 2004 campaign. She won’t have a similar role in 2008.

If our Pakistani brethren can launch impeachment proceedings against their President, then what would stand in the way of our “morally superior” society doing likewise?

En ‘n Ander Ding:

To erase any doubts about Ron Susskind’s claims about the ur-RAHOWA being brought about by deliberate forgery, how about giving the “memo” in question the CSI treatment for once?

  • Shunned by “Gas Station TV”? Seems to me that Obama can wear that like a badge of honor.

    Exxon/McCain 2008

  • What a happy day it will be for one and all when McCain and Lieberman are gone from the political scene. They are both disgusting–McCain for being willing to have an event at a Holocaust memorial, and Lieberman for hosting it there. He truly is “a shonda for the Jews,” meaning a complete embarrassment to the tribe. Please, Connecticut voters, get rid of this guy at your first opportunity!

  • Tom Daschle thinks McCain’s negative ads have had the desired effect, but isn’t worried: “To a certain extent the ads are having some effect. But you can’t be thrown off your game plan by a momentary dip in polls.

    That’s what Michael Dukakis and John Kerry used to think.

  • CJ: No. Kerry — a wooden campaigner who never attacked Bush on his policies and almost argued not that they were wrong but that he could do them better — beat himself.

    Did any of you ever think that maybe Rovian tactics were the reason why Kerry came as close as he did, that rather than beating him, they actually helped him, only not enough?

  • “behind the curtain of big-money corporate fund raising.”

    All of the things Republicans have railed against about union fundraising and campaign contributions to federal elections have been taken to a more crass level by corporations. If union activity in elections is to be restricted, as is on the ballot on some states, then corporations should be similarly restricted in their campaign contributions.

  • OMFG, The “Straight Talk Express” took an illegal right turn and crushed a minivan into the curb.

    Check it out:
    http://www.veridoo.com/channel/politics?read=257

    You can see at the 57 sec mark that the van was rammed into the curb, and at the 10 second mark you can see that the bus turned right from a left-turn only lane.

    No one was hurt, BTW.

  • Racer X said: “OMFG, The “Straight Talk Express” took an illegal right turn and crushed a minivan into the curb. You can see at the 57 sec mark that the van was rammed into the curb, and at the 10 second mark you can see that the bus turned right from a left-turn only lane.”

    Clearly they were panicked to see that they would be forced to turn left again.

    Wouldn’t want to lose that wingnut base after all.

    “Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New York by 20, 52% to 32%.”

    Now that’s a thumping! Apparently at least her home state supporters are listening to Clinton telling them to back Obama.

  • Heh, McCain’s “base” has begun to suspect he’s nothing but a cardboard cutout…

    LAFAYETTE HILL, PA — John McCain is showing unprecedented message discipline aboard his campaign plane of late. Silence.

    And while the real life McCain has not been back to speak to the press aboard his jet for more than a month, a life-size cardboard cutout of the candidate now rides in the back section of the plane. Both McCains are not taking any questions from the media today.

    The cutout, placed there by members of his traveling press corps this morning, is symbolic of the new reality of covering a candidate made famous for once spending hours daily fielding questions.

    http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/08/04/straight-talk-express-falls-silent/

  • I’m suprised you didn’t mention the supposed 18 million Hillraisers marching at the Democratic Convention. Personally, I think it is sick that Hillary supporters show up to the DNC to try and get her to become the nominee, but they won’t help her with her debt. Does that strike anyone else as odd?

  • In light of new reports about possible convention tensions, the Obama and Clinton offices issued, for the first time, a joint press statement last night

    Not surprisingly, the supposed rift with the Clintons was the dominant talk on Morning Joe when I watched earlier, but I never heard a word about this joint press statement even though they had Axelrod on as a guest. Mika and Joe (mostly Mika) spent the entire time badgering him about how bad it was that Bill Clinton is upset and trying to get him to admit this was a huge problem for the Obama campaign. It was surreal, McCain personally lies all the time the last few weeks, they know he is lying, yet his aides never seem to be subject to this kind of questioning. They basically told Axelrod to his face over and over that he was full of it.

  • What in the world is the “news reports about possible convention tensions?” Geez, you lose power for a couple of days and the whole world loses its mind.

    Anyone have any relevant links to catch me up?

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