Day's End Round-Up

Former president Bill Clinton has openly shown resentment toward Barack Obama with a comment on candidates

A poll of Democratic delegates has some debating party unity at the Democratic convention, while musician Daddy Yankee

The newest polls show that the addition of Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) to the Democratic ticket has yet to make much of a difference for Barack Obama, bloggers note. With the veepstakes spotlight now on John McCain, bloggers don't believe the possibility that the Republican could pick former Secretary of State Colin Powell. And McCain hears it from liberal bloggers for using his prisoner of war experience in his push back against criticism over his multiple homes.

The first Gallup tracking poll taken after the announcement of Biden as Obama's running mate shows Obama tied with McCain. Perhaps Obama is losing ground because he didn't pick Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), suggests The Next Right's Sean Oxendine. With a Rasmussen poll showing that women voters are less enthralled with the pick than men, Clinton has the opportunity at the Democratic convention to shore up support for Obama and go after McCain, writes FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver.

Since Powell has made it clear he's not interested in electoral politics, McCain's campaign may be floating his name to counter reports that Powell could endorse Obama, writes Hot Air's Ed Morrissey. The more likely pick for McCain is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), who could help in his native state of Michigan and in Nevada, which has a large population of Mormons, writes Patterico.

McCain is risking "hyperinflation" by again turning to his experience as a prisoner of war in response to Biden's crack about the Republican's seven kitchen tables, writes TPM Election Central's Greg Sargent. McCain seems willing to use his POW story to deflect questions about any topic, despite media reports that he's loath to exploit it for political purposes, writes AMERICAblog's John Aravosis.

FROM THE BLOGS:
The Biden Bump - Sean Oxendine, The Next Right
Rasmussen: Biden a Lukewarm Choice - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Is There a Clinton Backlash? - Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
Why and How Obama Picked Biden - Jonathan Cohn, The Plank
The Democrats' Glass Ceiling - William Kristol, Weekly Standard
Confident in His Charm? - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall.com
The Powell Card, Redux - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
McCain Running Mate: Powell? - J. Gandelman, Moderate Voice
Colin Powell as GOP VP? - Justin Gardner, Donkelephant
Biden Makes Romney Most Beneficial Pick - Patterico's Pontifications
McCain Invokes POW Past to Deflect Criticism - G. Sargent, TPM EC
McCain Plays POW Card Again - J. Aravosis, AMERICAblog

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
McCain Ad Says Obama Snubbed Clinton - Associated Press
In Obama's Choice, a 'Very Personal Decision' - New York Times
The Year of the Political Blogger Has Arrived - New York Times

Barack Obama's selection of Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) as his running mate is the only show on the blogs on Saturday. Both conservative and liberal bloggers point out that Biden, a senator for more than three decades, won't reinforce Obama's "change message." But traditional media pundits and most of Obama's online backers hail the pick as sensible. Biden also gets backup from liberal bloggers miffed at analysis from Associated Press's Ron Fournier.

Obama has picked the ultimate insider, someone who has been a senator for 36 years and won't do much for Obama's message of "hope and change," writes The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini. His presence on the ticket could make it seem like Obama is trying to compensate for his lack of national security credibility, writes kos. And for all the talk about the seriousness Biden can provide to the ticket, Biden is someone who has plagiarized a speech and has played loose with the facts, writes Power Line's Scott Johnson.

Biden, however, will be a "fun, free-wheeling attack machine" for Obama, whose campaign's biggest emerging problem is its reluctance to get into feisty debates, writes Andrew Sullivan. With wars in Iraq and in Georgia, Obama needed to make a pick that demonstrates he realizes the intellectual seriousness of current times, and he has done so, writes Marc Ambinder. Choosing Biden shows that Obama is willing to take on Republicans when it comes to foreign policy, writes TPM Election Central's Greg Sargent.

Fournier, who wrote that Obama's pick reveals a lack of confidence, could be moonlighting for McCain, whose campaign once tried to hire Fournier, reminds MyDD's Jonathan Singer. When then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush picked veteran Washington hand Dick Cheney as his running mate in 2000, pundits praised the pick as one of sound judgment, notes Balloon Juice's John Cole, who derides the idea of a liberal media.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama Picks The Ultimate Insider - P. Ruffini, The Next Right
Happiness Is a Thing Called Joe - Scott Johnson, Power Line
On Liberal Media - John Cole, Balloon Juice
Is Fournier Moonlighting for McCain? - J. Singer, MyDD
Filled a Gap, Rather Than Reinforced - kos, Daily Kos
Weighing My Options - Jeralyn, TalkLeft
An Outside The Comfort Zone Pick - Marc Ambinder
Biden is Vital and Right Choice - Steve Clemons, HuffPo
Joe-Bama... O-Biden - Taylor Marsh
Biden: Smart and Solid - and Adult - A. Sullivan, Daily Dish
Biden Signals Foreign Policy Debate - G. Sargent, TPM EC

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Biden Pick Shows Lack of Confidence - Associated Press
Obama Picks Biden, Adds Foreign Policy Experience - NYT
Obama Opts for Experience Over Change - Washington Post

Anticipation for Barack Obama's vice presidential pick has grown to a fever pitch as everyone waits for that text message from the Illinois Democrat's campaign. Some aren't surprised that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was reportedly not being vetted by the Obama camp and liberals wonder if John McCain is going to accuse the Bush administration of advocating defeat after signing off on a troop withdrawal timetable.

The plan to deliver the vice presidential announcement via text message has heightened anticipation for the pick as reporters and bloggers check their cell phones nonstop, The Caucus writes. Marc Ambinder sums up what has been a fast a furious day of rumor and speculation by pointing out even that camps for Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) are contradicting each other.

Clinton has been plenty vetted, The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez writes, adding that entire book shelves can be filled with investigations of the New York senator's life. In addition to her massive public record, Hot Air's Ed Morrissey points out that her massive campaign debt ruled her out of what is becoming a more and more competitive money race between Obama and McCain.

And the Bush administration embracing "aspirational timetables" puts McCain in a very uncomfortable spot, Satyam at Think Progress writes. Cernig at Crooks and Liars says the issue plays right into Obama's hands as all the Illinois Democrat had to do was release a statement declaring "it's time to succeed in Iraq."

FROM THE BLOGS:
I Think It's Me - David Kurtz, TPM
Biden vs. Biden - Patrick Ruffini, The Next Right
Falsh Alarms - The Caucus
Oh God Pick Someone - Wonkette
Obama-Bayh Sticker - Erick Erickson, RedState
McCain Tries to Raise Expectations - The Trail
Rove Goes Nuts on Housing Slip - Daily Kos
New Obama Ad: Hey McCain's Old! - Hot Air

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
My Long War - New York Times Magazine
Dems Keep up Pressure on McCain Housing Gaffe - The Hill
Obama Prepares to Name Veep - AP

Barack Obama has capitalized on John McCain

The sad news that Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio) had been hospitalized late Tuesday night was made worse by conflicting news reports Wednesday stating that she had died, bloggers write. Word that Barack Obama is planning a "major event" in Indiana has focused veep speculation on Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and conservative bloggers look for clues in the announced GOP Convention speaking schedule revealing who McCain's vice presidential pick will be.

Tubbs Jones was in critical condition, Wednesday afternoon, despite several news outlets reporting earlier in the day that she had died, Karen Tumulty of Swampland writes. TPM's David Kurtz adds that as bad as the situation is for Tubbs Jones, things were certainly made worse by the conflicting information.

Reports that Obama campaign is laying the ground work for a big event in Indiana on Saturday is putting Bayh front and center in veep speculation, TalkLeft's Jeralyn writes. Taegan Goddard points out that the Obama campaign is denying the reports, and adds that a visit to Indiana as a part of Obama's upcoming tour does not necessarily reflect anything about the coming vice presidential pick.

And Republicans made some odd choices for convention speakers, Hot Air's Allahpundit writes. The conservative blogger question the pick of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) to deliver the convention's keynote speech and thinks the speaking spot Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) may tip that he is the vice presidential pick. Marc Ambinder meanwhile points out that the schedule does little to highlight current GOP leaders, especially those in the House and Senate.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Some Free Advice - Josh Marshall, TPM
Bipartisan VP Thoughts - The Next Right
Hillary Tackles Florida for Obama - The Swamp
The GOP Convention Themes - Devilstower, Daily Kos
Boehner: 'Put up or Shut up' - Robert Bluey, RedState
Stephanie Tubbs Jones - Swampland
Reid Reconsidering Lieberman's Position - The Huffington Post
The Lieberman Question - Byron York, The Corner

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Pact Calls for Troop Pullback in Iraq - New York Times
Giuliani: GOP Would Accept Pro-Choice Veep - The Hill
Obama Camp Lashes Out at 'Quick-Draw' McCain - AP

Barack Obama creates a splash by announcing a campaign event Saturday that most bloggers are interpreting as the day Obama will unveil his running mate. Reports that former vice president Al Gore will speak shortly before Obama on Thursday night at the Democratic convention have some wondering if he is Obama's pick. And John McCain's reported trial balloon sent up last week about a pro-choice candidate points right at former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), not former Gov. Tom Ridge (R-Pa.) or Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), conservative bloggers predict.

The Obama campaign has reserved the old Illinois state capitol, where the Illinois Democrat announced his campaign, for an event at noon on Saturday that many expect will be the first public appearance Obama makes with his running mate, Lynn Sweet reports. Marc Ambinder doesn't believe the announcement will come much earlier than Saturday, writing that the best hint of who the pick will be is whoever has the lowest public profile in the coming days.

Gore will join Obama and 70,000 supporters at Invesco Field on the last night of the Democratic Convention, Political Ticker reports. The Huffington Post's Sam Stein writes that this will surely put Gore in focus for the veepstakes, but points out Gore has stuck firmly to not wanting to be the second name on the ticket again.

And many conservatives are starting to think the McCain camp is leaning toward Giuliani, writes The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez. The conservative blogger points out Giuliani staffers are already installed on the undeclared veep's communications team. Hot Air's Ed Morrissey agrees that the trial balloon may have been for Giuliani, but thinks the former mayor would not add anything that valuable to the McCain campaign that the candidate himself doesn't possess.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Schooling Goldfarb - DarkSyde, Daily Kos
McCain's Website Needs Calculator - RedState
Saturday in Springfield - Marc Ambinder
Obama Echoes Biden - Big Tent Democrat, TalkLeft
Was Rudy the Trial Balloon? - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Gore - Sam Stein, The Huffington Post
VP Timing Critical - Patrick Ruffini, Red State
Gore to Speak Thursday - Political Ticker

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Responds to McCain at VFW - New York Times
Obama Returns Home to Launch Pre-Convention Tour - The Hill
Rice: Russia Isolating Itself - AFP

Vice presidential speculation is at a fever pitch as liberal bloggers expect Barack Obama

Barack Obama's answer on when life begins during Saturday night's forum on faith may come back to haunt him, conservative bloggers say. John McCain's trial balloon on a pro-choice running mate has fallen flat and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had some strong words for Russia during the Sunday talk shows.

Obama saying that the decision on when life begins is "above my pay grade" was a weak answer for a complicated question, The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez writes. Hot Air's Ed Morrissey says the statement could be "the quote of the election," pointing out that the whole abortion debate is centered on the question of when life begins.

Following the forum, the McCain camp ruled out a pro-choice candidate, effectively ending the chances of former Gov. Tom Ridge (R-Pa.) and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), DaveG at race42008 writes. But The Huffington Post points out that Ridge didn't get the memo, going on television Sunday to declare that the GOP would accept a pro-choice running mate.

And Rice blasted the Russians, saying their international reputation is in "tatters" over the incident with Georgia, The Swamp report. Firedoglake's Ian Welsh says Rice is to blame for "baiting the bear" in the first place, pointing out that Rice is supposed to be a Russia expert.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Biden Heads to Georgia - Todd Beeton, MyDD
'Above My Pay Grade' - The Corner
Rice: Russia Reputation in 'Tatters' - The Swamp
There Are a Lot of Things Above Obama's Pay Grade - Hot Air
Biden & Georgia - Marc Ambinder
McCain Defines 'Rich' - Think Progress
McCain Drops Support for Pro-Choice Veep - race42008
McCain's Foreign 'Policy' Problem - Daily Kos

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Response to 9/11 Outlines McCain Doctrine - New York Times
Faith Forum Highlights Differences Between Candidates - The Hill
Russia to Begin Troop Pullout Monday - Washington Post