Morning Read

Both featured speakers on Wednesday at the Democratic convention, Sen. Joseph Biden (Del.) and former President Bill Clinton, are getting plaudits from liberal bloggers. But bloggers' loudest praise is reserved for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who railed against John McCain in his speech. And as McCain gets set to announce his veep pick, liberal bloggers hope the Republican taps Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) while conservative bloggers oppose the former Democrat.

Clinton gave a "direct, personal and powerful endorsement" of Barack Obama and gave a "statesman-like assessment" of how the country needs change at home and abroad, writes Andrew Sullivan. Clinton made a "sophisticated case" that sounded sincere, and he stayed away from making a "touchy" defense of his own record, writes The Stump's Michael Crowley. But while Clinton spent much of his time attacking Republicans on domestic policy, Biden, in his veep nomination acceptance speech, fired away and made McCain seem weak on foreign policy, writes Arianna Huffington.

Kerry, who rattled off McCain's foreign policy goofs, gave the best speech of the convention so far, according to TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall. Kerry defined McCain by talking about about the "mile-wide gulf" between McCain's positions in 2002 and his current ones, writes The Stump's Noam Scheiber. But when Kerry calls for a more bipartisan foreign policy, he forgets that he strongly opposed President Reagan's Cold War strategy, writes The Corner's Jay Nordlinger.

If McCain picks Lieberman as his running mate, he'll shatter the GOP base, according to Scott Hopkins of Democrat Taylor Marsh's blog. One way or another, McCain is poised to disappoint conservative bloggers; Hot Air's Allahpundit has only groans for possible picks Lieberman, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman.

FROM THE BLOGS:
A Clinton Masterpiece - Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish
The Redemption of Bill Clinton - Michael Crowley, The Stump
On Nat'l Sec. Night, Biden Fires Away - A. Huffington, HuffPo
The Ex-President - Ezra Klein
Gravitas Man Confuses Military Terms - E. Morrissey, Hot Air
John Kerry - Wow! - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
Kerry and What Might Have Been - Noam Scheiber, The Stump
Revise, Revise, and Revise Again - Jay Nordlinger, The Corner
Reports: Romney Out, Rove v. Lieberman - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Hoping McCain Chooses Lieberman - YF, TalkingPointsMemo
McCain Makes His Choice - Scott Hopkins, Taylor Marsh
Hutchison for Veep - No - Lisa Schiffren, The Corner

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Democrats Nominate Obama - Washington Post
Obama Wins Nomination; Biden and Clinton Rally Party - NYT
Clinton, Thinking About Tomorrow - Washington Post
Retribution Sought for Lieberman - The Hill

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) convention speech on Tuesday has earned praise from Barack Obama's blogging backers but skepticism from his critics. Tuesday's Alaska House primary results, which are still too close to call, have bloggers hoping that voters oust Rep. Don Young (R).

Only Clinton could have united the Democrats behind Obama, and she did it with her speech, writes Taylor Marsh. The speech was "powerful" because it built upon themes as it went on, writes TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall, who doubts Clinton could have given such an address before she ran for president. Clinton's mission was straightforward -- to embrace Obama and attack John McCain -- and she made clear she would accomplish it with her first lines, writes The Plank's Jonathan Cohn.

But Clinton said little about Obama's excellence, which makes The Corner's Victor Davis Hanson think that she's looking ahead to 2012, when she herself can take on President McCain. Clinton didn't talk about Obama in personal terms and did little to back him aside from telling her supporters to do so, writes Carol Platt Liebau at Townhall.com. Judging by the Clintons' actions, particularly former President Bill Clinton's likely decision not to attend Obama's nomination acceptance speech, they still don

With the first night of the Democratic convention in the bag, bloggers are debating whether the party should have attacked John McCain more. Michelle Obama, the night's featured speaker, impressed bloggers on both sides. But the latest ads that go after Barack Obama threaten to ruin the Democrats' bash, according to conservative bloggers.

The Democrats on Monday did little to further the case for Obama as president, according to Townhall's Carol Platt Liebau, who only recalls much talk about Obama's funny name and Americans' hard luck. The Democrats have yet to force McCain to go off-message and respond to attacks, writes TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall. But the party on Monday was able to rebut the Republicans' "only real weapon," which is their ability to drag Obama into the mud and paint him and his wife as un-American, writes Andrew Sullivan.

Michelle Obama's speech was effective because she made her husband seem like "one of us," emphasized her working class roots and talked about her father and hard work, according to The Corner's Rich Lowry. She was "emotional, heartfelt and very authentic," writes Arianna Huffington. Obama was "stunningly different" during her address than she has been on the campaign trail, where she has painted a picture of her country as a "dark and ugly place," writes Byron York at The Corner.

McCain's latest attack ad, which references Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) "3 a.m." spot, is smart because it explicitly questions Barack Obama's experience, writes Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. The Obama campaign, in its "biggest goof yet," has given more oxygen to the story about its candidates' ties to former Weather Underground member Willliam Ayers by responding directly to an outside group's attack ad featuring Ayers, writes Contentions' Jennifer Rubin.

FROM THE BLOGS:
The Carville Critique - Andrew Sullivan, Daily Dish
So Far, So Good - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall.com
Attack, Attack, Attack - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
Playing Nice is OK -- For Tonight - J. Cohn, The Plank
How She Did It - Rich Lowry, The Corner
Michelle, Michelle, Michelle - A. Huffington, Huffington Post
Michelle Obama's Two Americas - Byron York, The Corner
The Urgency of Ted Kennedy's Message - J. Cohn, The Plank
McCain Ad: '3 A.M.' - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Swift-Boat Group Sinks Nearly $3M on Ad - G. Sargent, TPM EC
The Biggest Goof Yet - Jennifer Rubin, Contentions

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama's Family Night Out - Washington Post
Kennedy Tugs At Hearts, as Obama's Wife Praises Values - NYT
Barack Obama Is Lauded As Everyman at Convention - LAT
Anxiety on Clinton Speech - The Hill

The latest poll suggests trouble for Barack Obama, even though he continues to hold a small lead in other surveys, bloggers note. John McCain may be gaining ground because of the continued disillusionment among Democrats who backed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), conservative bloggers write. But all Democrats will be heartened by news that Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) plans to address the party's convention Monday.

The latest CNN survey has McCain and Obama tied at 47 percent, notes TalkLeft's Big Tent Democrat, who thinks that Clinton as a running mate would have helped Obama. While CNN reported that Obama's support among Clinton supporters has dropped, the news organization hasn't made a fair comparison between Obama's current support among Clinton backers and his past support from them, writes Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight. The poll by Gallup and USA Today, however, shows Obama leading after having McCain in the lead last month, notes DemFromCT at Daily Kos.

Trying to steal some of Clinton's old support, the McCain campaign has cut an ad featuring a former Clinton backer who now supports the Republican, notes Hot Air's Ed Morrissey. Clinton again needs to persuade her supporters to vote for Obama, which is what she did adeptly when she first conceded the Democratic presidential nomination, writes The Plank's Jonathan Cohn. For all the talk of disunity, Democrats are remarkably united when it comes to policy, notes Cohn and Kevin Drum.

Kennedy, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in May, is planning to address the Democratic convention on Monday, reports the Boston Globe's blog, Political Intelligence. That's great news, writes MyDD's Josh Orton.

FROM THE BLOGS:
CNN Poll: No Biden Bounce - Big Tent Dem, TalkLeft
CNN Poll Suggests Trouble, But Omits Context - N. Silver, 538
USA Today/Gallup: Obama By 4 w/ RV - DemFromCT, Daily Kos
CNN Poll Says Dead Even - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
New McCain Ad Targets Hillary Voters - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
More on the Clinton Controversy (Sigh) - J. Cohn, The Plank
Self-Parody Watch - Kevin Drum
Kennedy Plans to Address DNC - Milligan/Lehigh, Political Intel.
Kennedy to Address Dem Convention? - Josh Orton, MyDD

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Party Unity Tops Agenda for Democrats - Washington Post
Biden Camp Pressed Hard for a Slot on Ticket - WSJ
Poll: Most Clinton Voters Still Not Sold on Obama - USA Today
Delegates for Clinton Back Obama, But Still Show Concerns - NYT

John McCain's counterattack on Barack Obama in the debate over his multiple houses has conservative bloggers pleased. And with both candidates ready to announce running mates, bloggers on both sides contemplate two very familiar possibilities, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

Obama's criticism of McCain for not knowing how many houses he has and for his ties to Ralph Reed, the former business partner to Jack Abramoff, has opened the door to McCain's new attack on the Democrat for his connections to convicted felon Tony Rezko, who sold Obama property, writes Townhall's Carol Platt Liebau. This latest campaign dust-up helps McCain, since it will allow him to make the contest about character, which the former Vietnam War veteran should win, writes Contentions' Jennifer Rubin. But McCain is leaving himself open to questions about his role as a young senator in Keating Five scandal, which cost taxpayers billions, writes MyDD's Jonathan Singer.

Romney, whom Mark Halperin reports will be McCain's pick, would help McCain more in Nevada and Colorado, which have large Mormon populations, than other veep possibilities would help in their home states, writes The Corner's Byron York. By choosing Romney, McCain would be choosing demographics instead of shifting the debate away from homes and wealth, since Romney himself is worth up to $250 million and owns several houses, writes FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver.

Obama will pick either Clinton or Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), predicts The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini, who reminds readers that Obama likes to make bold decisions. Obama needs help in the big swing states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania where he can't rely on his organizing, and that's where Clinton can help, writes TalkLeft's Jeralyn. Republicans should root for Obama to pick Clinton, since that decision would undermine the "change" message and could be portrayed as an overreaction to current polls, suggests Townhall's Platt Liebau.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Barack's Glass House Politics - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall.com
McCain Rezko Spot - Josh Kahn, The Next Right
McCain Hits Back - Jennifer Rubin, Contentions
McCain Prepares 'Rezko' Ad, Wright 'Fair Game' - Marc Ambinder
McCain Opening Door to Keating Five - Jonathan Singer, MyDD
Romney Helps in Nevada and Colo. - Byron York, The Corner
Romney: Demographics Over Narrative - Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
Why the GOP is Freaking Out - kos, Daily Kos
It'll Be Clinton or Sebelius - Patrick Ruffini, The Next Right
Another Case for Hillary as Veep - Jeralyn, TalkLeft
Narrative Shifting for Hillary? - John Amato, Crooks and Liars
Could It Be Hillary? - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall.com

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Draft Accord With Iraq Sets 2011 Pullout - New York Times
Houses Add Up to a Snag for McCain - Washington Post
Obama and McCain Seek Common Touch - New York Times
Obama May Announce Pick Later Today - Associated Press

The latest national polls showing a tightening race between Barack Obama and John McCain worry Obama's online supporters. McCain hears it from conservative bloggers trying to warn him away from picking Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and any other pro-choice politician as his running mate. But a Washington Post story highlighting Obama's stance on abortion pleases the pro-life bloggers.

Obama's lead is just two percentage points in the latest Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg national poll, thanks to McCain's success in rallying the GOP base behind him, writes DemFromCT at Daily Kos. Obama's message, which has gone from emphasizing "change" to attacking McCain, seems muddled, writes TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall. McCain has been able to turn the race into a referendum on Obama's resume, resulting in weakening of the Democrat's support, according to Hot Air's Ed Morrissey.

A "pro-abortion" running mate would undermine every gain McCain made with his performance at the Saddleback Forum, writes RedState's Erick Erickson. The Family Research Council predicts even worse, saying in a statement that a pro-choice pick would ensure a McCain loss, notes Townhall's Matt Lewis. But choosing Lieberman, who has voiced regret over his vote against conservative Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, could give McCain "press love" and would help him stifle any Obama convention bounce, fears The Huffington Post's Jane Hamsher.

The Washington Post is the first traditional media outlet to acknowledge that Obama was less than truthful in explaining his position on an Illinois Senate bill that sought to protect born-alive infants, writes Morrissey. Obama's campaign is on its third explanation of why he voted against it even though he now says he would support it, notes Seth Leibsohn at The Corner.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Presidential Polls - DemFromCT, Daily Kos
Obama Message Seems Muddled - TalkingPointsMemo, Josh Marshall
Obama Only Up By Two - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
McCain's Attacks Working - Greg Sargent, TPM Election Central
McCain's Pro-Abortion Running Mate - Erick Erickson, RedState
The Beauty of Keeping Lieberman in Mix - C.P. Liebau, Townhall
Fearing Lieberman as VP Pick - Jane Hamsher, Huffington Post
FRC on Pro-Choice Pick - Matt Lewis, Townhall.com
Obama's Infanticide Support In MSM - E. Morrissey, Hot Air
We're Getting Closer - Seth Liebsohn, The Corner
Finally! Maddow Gets Show - kos, Daily Kos

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama and McCain in a Statistical Tie - Los Angeles Times
Candidates' Abortion Views Not So Simple - Washington Post
Obama's Ads in Key States Go on Attack - New York Times
Governments' Building Projects Shore Up Economy - USA Today

The speculation online about Barack Obama's running mate is zeroing in on Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.). A report that John McCain will announce his pick the day after the Democratic convention has conservative bloggers hoping the move will stifle an Obama bounce. And a new poll showing Sen. Saxby Chambliss's (R-Ga.) Democratic challenger within striking distance bolsters liberal bloggers' hopes of a filibuster-proof Democratic Senate majority.

"Say it is so, Joe," Mark Halperin writes at the top of The Page, hinting that the pick is Biden. But despite the long-time senator's foreign policy experience, he voted for the Iraq war and wouldn't reinforce Obama's message of change, writes kos, who disagrees with Josh Marshall's contention that Biden would be a good pick. The smart money is on Biden, but leaks of his name and other veep contenders could serve as decoys to allow Obama to surprise people by choosing Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), writes Hot Air's Allahpundit.

News that McCain will announce his pick on Aug. 29 helps keep the Republican in the news this week and next week, just as Obama is rolling out his running mate selection, writes Marc Ambinder. By announcing the pick after the Democratic convention, McCain can avoid Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) 2004 mistake of announcing too early and failing to receive a significant boost in the polls, according to The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini. While conservative bloggers are touting former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R), Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) and former Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) as strong pro-life picks, McCain is calling state Republican officials to sound out the possibility that he'll choose a pro-choice running mate, writes The Corner's Rich Lowry.

Democrat Jim Martin trails Chambliss, 43 percent to 48 percent, proving that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's strategy of backing Martin over another candidate in the primary is paying off, writes MyDD's Jonathan Singer. Chambliss has a tough race on his hands even though he's still favored due to Georgia's Republican tilt and his campaign war chest, writes Daily Kos's brownsox.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Say It Is So, Joe - Mark Halperin, The Page
Biden - kos, Daily Kos
NYT: Obama's Picked His Veep - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Pro-Choice VP Pick? - Rich Lowry, The Corner
McCain: Aug. 29 for His VP Pick - Jerome Armstrong, MyDD
McCain Pre-Announces the Announcement - Marc Ambinder
Romney or Pawlenty on Aug. 29 - Hugh Hewitt, Townhall
VP Selection Critical to Momentum - P. Ruffini, Next Right
Ohio - Larry Kudlow, The Corner
McCain Outspending in Battlegrounds - G. Sargent, TPM EC
Martin Within Five Points of Chambliss - J. Singer, MyDD
Martin Nipping at Chambliss's Heels - brownsox, Daily Kos

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Ready to Announce Running Mate This Week - NYT
Obama's VP Pick Keeps Everybody Guessing - Washington Post
The Lingering What-if Question: Clinton? - New York Times
House, Senate Sweat the Small Stuff - Wall Street Journal

The suggestion by Barack Obama's campaign that John McCain didn't play by the rules at Saturday's Saddleback Forum has tweaked conservative bloggers. The Republican may have been less than truthful in telling one of his most powerful stories, according to his liberal critics online. And McCain is gaining on the Democrat in a big swing state, Ohio, according to a new poll picked up by bloggers.

NBC's Andrea Mitchell reported that Obama aides are concerned that McCain unfairly heard questions posed by moderator Rick Warren at Saturday's event before he had to answer them. That amounts to an accusation that McCain "cheated," according to Newsbusters' D.S. Hube. There's no proof McCain knew the questions, and Mitchell should do more investigating to see whether the accusations are true, writes Townhall's Amanda Carpenter. McCain, however, was not in the designated "cone of silence" aimed at preventing him from hearing the queries, so his campaign's letter blasting NBC comes off as "defensive and prickly," writes Andrew Sullivan.

McCain's story from his time as a prisoner of war about a Vietnamese guard drawing a cross in the dirt sounds awfully similar to one written by author Alexander Solzhensityn, whom McCain has praised before, write Daily Kos's rickrocket and Sullivan. But people shouldn't be shocked that there are similarities between a novel about real-life horrors and the actual experiences of a POW, writes The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez.

A new Public Policy Polling survey shows McCain pulling even with Obama in the Buckeye State due largely to unhappiness among Democrats with their presidential candidate. Gains by McCain have erased the advantages Obama held in the Electoral College map, even though the Democrat still has a slight edge in the national popular vote, writes FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver.

FROM THE BLOGS:
NBC's Mitchell Floats Idea McCain Cheated - D.S. Hube, Newsbusters
The 'McCain Cheated!' Rumor - Amanda Carpenter, Townhall
The Moral of Saddleback - Taylor Marsh
Did McCain Just Pop Off - Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish
'Cross In The Dirt' Story Stolen - rickrocket, Daily Kos
McCain's 'Cross In the Dirt' Story - A. Sulllivan, The Daily Dish
Stolen from Solzhenitsyn? - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
McCain Pulls Even in Ohio - T. Jensen, Public Policy Polling
Buckeye Blues - Nate Silver, The Plank
Obama Is Not Underperforming - Adam C, RedState
No One Is Safe - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
The Obama Veep Position - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
Obama's Veep Week - Ed Kilgore, Democratic Strategist

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
For Convention, Obama's Image is All-American - New York Times
Voter Registration Key to Obama's Efforts in Va. - Washington Post
As Running Mate, Biden Offers F.P. Heft but Insider Image - NYT
No More Hugs as Obama Tears Into McCain - Associated Press

The Bush administration's announcement of a new missile defense deal with Poland as Russia is waging war splits bloggers, who see it as appropriate or rash. John McCain's response to the Russia-Georgia situation has also gone too far for liberal bloggers. And the Republican is taking heat from singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, who doesn't want him to use one of his songs, bloggers note.

With the missile defense deal, Poland will have expectations that the United States will provide security against Russian aggression, writes Hot Air's Allahpundit. Those expectations will force Democrats, the likely party in power for the next few years, to decide whether they're willing to stand up to the Kremlin, the blogger adds. But the announcement of the missile deal now will merely provoke Russia and won't help reduce tensions in the Caucusus, writes Jeralyn at TalkLeft.

McCain, in responding to the Georgian crisis, has gone far beyond what's appropriate for a normal presidential candidate by working against the efforts of the current president, sending his own diplomatic delegation and staying in phone contact with the crisis's key players, writes Josh Marshall at TalkingPointsMemo. But McCain's response will become his closing argument against Barack Obama, since it will highlight the Republican's experience and Obama's naivete more than any ad about celebrity would, according to The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini.

Browne is suing McCain for using "Running on Empty" in a campaign ad, even though the spot in question was produced by the Ohio Republican Party, notes Geoff Boucher at Top of the Ticket. Browne, however, is at least showing self-respect, writes Firedoglake's Attaturk, who suggests that the artist call House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to tell her what it feels like to stand up for oneself.

FROM THE BLOGS:
How Does Missile Defense Sound? - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Context: U.S. Strikes Missile Deal With Poland - Jeralyn, TalkLeft
The Difference Between U.S. and Russia - C.P. Liebau, Townhall.com
Georgia as The New Celeb - Patrick Ruffini, The Next Right
The Washington Squares - Attaturk, Firedoglake
More Like It - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
McCain Proves Dangerous to U.S. Interests - Taylor Marsh
Browne Sues McCain - G. Boucher, Top of the Ticket
Browne V. GOP and McCain - Eureka Springs, Firedoglake
Browne Sues GOP and McCain Campaign - Sam Stein, HuffPo

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Donors Pick Up Convention Tab - USA Today
Russia Enraged By Poland Deal - New York Times
GOP Loyalty Not a Given for Evangelicals - Washington Post