Day's End Round-Up

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

Barack Obama announced an impressive haul in July, bringing in $51 million, but some bloggers question whether it will be enough heading into the general. Liberals are not sure why the Obama campaign would tell former Gen. Wesley Clark there's "no reason" for him to come to the Democratic Convention and some conservatives are declaring political victory after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Democrats will agree to allowing some offshore drilling.

Despite raising $51 million in July, the combined total for Obama and Democratic National Committee slightly trails that of John McCain and the Republican National Committee, indicating the Democrats may be in trouble once McCain gets his $84 million in public funds, writes MyDD's Josh Orton. Marc Ambinder agrees that Obama may be in trouble, but is believes that once the general election fundraising period begins the Obama camp will be able to make up ground by going back to maxed out donors.

The Obama campaign choosing to not include Clark in the convention is a mistake given his national security credentials and support among progressives, The Huffington Post's Steve Clemons writes. Not only was he not included, he was disinvited, which begs the questions why, asks Open Left's Matt Stoeller.

And Pelosi is playing right into Republicans' hands by opening up more and more on drilling, RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh writes. The conservative blogger credits the House GOP protests for moving Pelosi's position.

FROM THE BLOGS:
What Did Clark Do? - The Huffington Post
Squeezing More Political Oil from the Rock - RedState
Obama's $51 Million - The Trail
Hillary for Veep or Obama Head Fake? - The Next Right
Candidates Prep for Faith Forum - The Caucus
Questions Rick Warren Won't Ask - Crooks & Liars
Four Star NATO Commanders Don't Grow on Trees - Open Left
Let's Drill the Gang of 10 -

John McCain calling the conflict between Russia and Georgia the first "serious crisis" in international politics since the Cold War has liberal bloggers befuddled. Despite anticipation Barack Obama

A study showing that military voters donated to Barack Obama at a rate of six-to-one over John McCain undermines the GOP presidential candidate

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili dealt a blow to John McCain's foreign credentials by saying McCain needed to move from "words to deeds" Monday, liberal bloggers say. Conservatives celebrate a new Pew Research poll showing McCain and Barack Obama in a draw and bloggers express shock and outrage over the shooting death of Arkansas Democratic Chairman Bill Gwatney.

McCain has been highly presumptuous in his freelance foreign policy actions with Georgia, and Saakashvili called him on it, Josh Marshall writes. Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher blasts McCain for trying to take owneship of an issue that "was triggered by a bunch of US neocon saber rattling."
The new Pew poll shows that McCain has closed a lot of ground on Obama indicating that the GOP presidential candidates negative ads may be working, The Swamp writes. Hot Air's Ed Morrissey takes the poll as a sign that Obama's support is eroding, pointing out that Obama's support has remained steady with core Democratic groups but slipping among swing voters.

Gwatney died at the hospital after three shots rang out inside the Arkansas Democratic headquarters, Think Progress reports. Conservative blogger Allahpundit is concerned that that some will look for political motivation behind the shooting, even though the shooter may just be "garden variety wacko."

FROM THE BLOGS:
Is This What I Paid for? - Josh Marshall, TPM
McCain Pulls into a Draw - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Georgian President to McCain: Just Words - Political Ticker
The Colbert Bump - Wonkette
Rush Limbaugh: Murderer - Erick Erickson, RedState
Club for Growth Hammers Don Young - The Next Right
Bush Bashes Congress, Takes Vacation - Think Progress
McCain and Obama Even - The Swamp

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Bush Sends Aid to Georgia - New York Times
Jesse Jackson's Convention Streak in Doubt - The Hill
Ark. Dem Party Chair Shot, Killed - AFP

John McCain foreign policy advisor Randy Scheunemann was more than simply a lobbyist for Georgia, liberal bloggers assert, he is partly responsible for the failed policy that led to war with Russia. Conservatives applaud The Washington Post for an editorial debunking some of the rhetoric surrounding expanded offshore drilling and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) says Barack Obama has not always put country first.

Scheunemann was the Bush Administration

Howard Wolfson, the former communications director to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), claiming that Clinton would have won the Iowa caucus if John Edwards