Morning Read

Barack Obama and Democrats shouldn't worry about appearing soft on terrorism by opposing the overhaul of the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), according to liberal bloggers, but conservative bloggers disagree. In fact, Democrats are playing with fire when they go after John McCain's military record and his supposed lack of knowledge about gas prices, according to bloggers on right who find the critiques less than accurate.

Some of Obama's own supporters are adopting his grassroots methods to urge the Illinois Democrat to vote against the FISA bill that includes telecom immunity, writes MyDD's Jerome Armstrong. That approach is more effective than Keith Olbermann's loud support of Obama's decision to back the bill, Armstrong notes. But liberal blogger Glenn Greenwald gets it wrong in suggesting that the 2006 elections are evidence that Obama and Democrats can win the national security debate, since many of those congressional Democrats beat Republicans by highlighting GOP ties to Jack Abramoff and other Republican scandals, writes Sean Oxendine at The Next Right.

While Gen. Wesley Clark (D-Ark.) is questioning McCain's military record by pointing out that the Republican never commanded a squadron or ordered bombings, the same critique can be made of Obama, who never served in the military, notes RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh. Matthew Yglesias calls McCain "out of touch" for failing to know how to use a computer or the price of gas. But the criticism over the gas prices gaffe is based on an inaccurate quote, according to Patterico, who digs up a recent McCain remark in which the Republican talked about gas costing more than $4 a gallon.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama's FISA - Jerome Armstrong, MyDD
Beating Battle-Tested Republicans - brownsox, Daily Kos
Greenwald Wrong on 2006 Lesson - Sean Oxendine, The Next Right
Clark's McCain Attacks Apply to Obama - P. Yousefzadeh, RedState
Lies About McCain - Patterico's Pontifications
McCain Out of Touch - Matthew Yglesias
Baiting McCain on Immigration - Mark Krikorian, The Corner
Why Can't the Networks Read Polls? - DarkSyde, Daily Kos
Obama Opposes Calif. Gay Marriage Ban - J. Armstrong, MyDD
McCain Coverage is Predictable - Atrios, Eschaton
The New DLC World - Matthew Yglesias
End the Judgeocracy - Mark Krikorian, The Corner
Jim Webb Pulls a Pelosi - Erick Erickson, RedState

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Amid Policy Disputes, Qaeda Grows in Pakistan - NYT
Pentagon Fights EPA on Pollution Cleanup - Washington Post
Obama and McCain Search for Running Mates - Los Angeles Times
Veterans Long to Reclaim the Name 'Swift Boat' - New York Times

Publicly, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) first day as a surrogate for Barack Obama went well, but, privately, fissures remain within the party, bloggers write. Obama's campaign and his supporters are optimistic about his chances in several formerly Republican states in November, according to liberal bloggers. But conservative bloggers can claim victories this week in Supreme Court cases.

In her first appearance as an Obama backer, Clinton made the case Thursday to elect him before a Latino American group, which approved of both Clinton and and the idea of an Obama presidency, writes Sam Stein at the Huffington Post. At an event for Democratic donors, Obama wisely wrote a personal check to help pay off Clinton's campaign debt and Clinton wisely said that she herself would pay off the $12 million of her personal money she loaned to her campaign, according to MyDD's Todd Beeton. But once the press was ushered out of the room, the questions from Clinton donors became edgier, with one Clinton supporter directly asking Obama if he would put her on the ticket, reports Marc Ambinder.

From the looks of poll numbers, Obama is poised to become the first Democrat since Jimmy Carter to win a majority of the popular vote, notes kos. Even Alaska has become a battleground, as Obama's campaign is talking about investing resources that McCain won't be able to match, writes MyDD's Beeton. If John McCain is smart, he won't cede Wisconsin and Minnesota, two states where Obama has double digit leads, since that would free up Obama to contest Virginia and other states that have gone Republican in the past, suggests Noam Scheiber at The Stump. The silver lining for conservatives in recent polls is that majorities in four swing states want U.S. troops to remain in Iraq until the country is stable, writes Hot Air's Allahpundit.

Conservatives have more to like in the Supreme Court's decisions this week to strike down the District of Columbia handgun ban and the "millionaire's amendment" in campaign finance law. Conservatives should applaud the ruling on the ban, as it affirms their right to bear arms and also reminds voters of how important the next election is, writes former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) at The Next Right. The high court's opinion against the campaign finance law provision weakens legislation that conservatives had seen as restricting free speech, notes Hot Air's Ed Morrissey.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Clinton's First Appearance as Obama Surrogate - Sam Stein, HuffPo
Obama Reaches Out to Clinton Donors - Todd Beeton, MyDD
After the Press Leaves, Some Edgy Questions - Marc Ambinder
A Cautionary Tale for Obama - Michael Crowley, The Stump
Popular Vote Landslide - kos, Daily Kos
Those Midwestern Poll Numbers - Noam Scheiber, The Stump
Four States Want Troops in Iraq Until Stable - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Sorting Out the Pres. Playing Field - C. Cillizza, The Fix
Obama Camp: Alaska is a Battleground - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Supreme Court Deals Blow to BCRA - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Stand Up and Applaud Sup. Court - Mike Huckabee, Next Right
Prospects for Holding Fossella's Seat Worsen - Kleefeld, TPM EC
Coburn Omnibus - Kagro X, Daily Kos
Senate Fails to Block Cut in Medicare Fees - Herszenhorn, Caucus
Sadr's Army Dissolving? - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
The Fool's Cap - Andrew Stuttaford, The Corner
Sally Quinn's Communion - Ramesh Ponnuru, The Corner
AEY, on State Watchlist, Signed Contracts - Tilghman, TPMMuck

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Justices Reject D.C. Ban on Handgun Ownership - WaPo
After Ruling, Expect Court Fights on Guns in Cities - New York Times
Bush Rebuffs Hard Liners to Ease N. Korean Curbs - NYT
Obama, Clinton in Show of Unity - Washington Post

Barack Obama

A report that the Department of Justice had a bias for hiring young conservative lawyers for a non-partisan program gives liberal bloggers another opportunity to pounce on the Bush administration for playing politics. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) turns to Barack Obama for help in his re-election race, while Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah) falls to an illegal immigration hawk, bloggers on both sides note.

The report, by the Justice Department's inspector general, reveals that hiring committees tried to make sure more conservatives and fewer liberals were hired for the department's honors program. It's evidence that the department tries to politicize everything, writes smintheus at Daily Kos. A player in another Justice Department controversy, fired U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, had appealed the exclusion of one candidate with Democratic credentials, notes Kate Klonick at TPMMuckraker. But the real injustice over the hiring program is that conservatives were only favored during two of the Bush administration's seven years, according to The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez.

Smith's new television ad highlights his work with Obama to achieve better car gas mileage rates and a cleaner environment. The ad makes the Republican look desperate and reinforces the idea that Obama, a supporter of Smith's opponent, is a consensus builder, writes MyDD's Todd Beeton. But the ad isn't that surprising since Smith is an anti-war senator in a blue state, writes Hot Air's Allahpundit, who adds that the Republicans need every Senate vote they can get.

"Pro-amnesty" Cannon, who had survived two close primaries in the past two cycles, lost Tuesday in a GOP primary against hard-line illegal immigration opponent Jason Chaffetz even though Cannon raised more money and got President Bush's endorsement, notes Mark Krikorian at The Corner. Cannon's loss, however, merely shows that that the United States is "no country for GOP incumbents" in 2008, writes TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Bush Justice Dept. Politicizes Everything - smintheus, Daily Kos
Fired U.S. Atty. Appealed DOJ's Hiring - K. Klonick, TPMMuck
Time for Inquest into Bush's Crimes - R. Borosage, HuffPo
Department of Injustice - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
Gordon Smith Clings to Obama - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Sen. Smith: I've Worked W/ Obama - Allahpundit, Hot Air
No Country for GOP Incumbents - Josh Marshall, TPM
Third Time's the Charm Against Cannon - M. Krikorian, The Corner
Obama Says Donors Should Help Clinton w/ Debt - M. Ambinder
McCain Camp Calls Obama 'Dr. No' - Michael Falcone, The Caucus
The Case for Hillary Clinton - Chris Cillizza, The Fix
Rep. Shadegg Says Everyone Has Healthcare - kos, Daily Kos
Second Poll Puts Mark Udall Up by 9 - Jonathan Singer, MyDD
McCain's Luck on Abortion Issue - Isaac Chotiner, The Plank
Virtues of Being a Midwest Dem - Nate Silver, The Plank
Commander in Chief, Not Cmdr. of Clicks - D. Glover, Next Right
Speculating About Speculators - P. Yousefzadeh, RedState

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Inquiry Shows Hiring Based on Ideology - Wall Street Journal
Approval is Near For Bill to Help U.S. Homeowners - New York Times
Obama Holds a 12-Point Lead Over McCain - Los Angeles Times
GOP Going for Green - The Hill

A top adviser for John McCain is taking heat from liberal bloggers for suggesting that McCain would benefit politically from a terror attack, while conservative bloggers say the aide is telling the truth. Catholics are trending toward Democrats, according to a new poll picked up by pundits online. And two more Republican Senate candidates remain in trouble, pro-Democratic bloggers note.

Charlie Black said in Fortune magazine that McCain would gain a "big advantage" if terrorists struck in the United States. Barack Obama's campaign called the remark a "complete disgrace," and its response shows that Democrats won't cede the national security debate this year, writes Greg Sargent at TPM Election Central. But "everyone" knows that Black is right, including Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who said during the primaries that she was the only Democratic presidential candidate who could keep Republicans from winning an advantage on the issue, according to RedState's Erick Erickson. Debating terrorism may be the Republicans' best bet this year, but it won't be as effective as it has been in past years, writes The Fix's Chris Cillizza.

According to a new Georgetown University survey, more Catholics now see themselves as Democrats just four years after they helped George W. Bush win a second White House term, notes Jonathan Singer at MyDD. But Republicans may eventually have an opening with black churchgoers, as many of them are pro-life and are conservative when it comes to homosexuality, notes Townhall's Amanda Carpenter who looks at a Pew Research survey.

Liberal bloggers continue to claim the advantage in Senate races. Voters will see through Sen. Gordon Smith's (R-Ore.) opposition to the Iraq war, according to Daily Kos's mcjoan, who suggests that Smith turned against the war for political reasons. Republicans have failed to find a strong candidate in Montana, where their candidate, Bob Kelleher, is a Democrat and Green Party member who wasn't even allowed to speak at the GOP state convention, notes Daily Kos's brownsox.

FROM THE BLOGS:
McCain Adviser's Claim "Complete Disgrace" - G. Sargent, TPM EC
Black Just Said What Everyone Knows - E. Erickson, RedState
Charlie Black and the Terror Card - Chris Cillizza, The Fix
Charlie Black's Kinsleyian Gaffe - Marc Ambinder
Catholics For Democrats - Marc Ambinder
Catholic Voters Swing Away from GOP - Jonathan Singer, MyDD
Pew Research on Black Church - A. Carpenter, Townhall.com
Sen. Smith Still Trying to Run As Dem - mcjoan, Daily Kos
Mont. Sen.: More Stellar GOP Recruitment - brownsox, Daily Kos
Obama's 'Get Over It' Moment W/ Women - K. Phillips, Caucus
Obama Women Comments 'Patronizing' - A. Carpenter, Townhall
Campaigning in Unity Doesn't Make Unified - Yousefzadeh, RedState
Symbolic Overkill - Christopher Orr, The Plank
The Real Problem With Telecom Immunity - Josh Orton, MyDD
Obama Campaign Blocks and Tackles Well - Dayton, Next Right
Why McCain Camp Needs Kristol - Rich Lowry, The Corner
Dems Giving McCain a Big Pass - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
McCain Campaign Fundraising Hypocrisy - A. Huffington, HuffPo

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Internal Docs: Capitol Ill-Prepared for Bomb Attack - The Hill
GAO Report Faults Post-Surge Planning - Washington Post
Muslim Voters Detect a Snub from Obama - New York Times
McCain Disavows Aide's Comment About Terrorism - Associated Press

The presidential election at this stage is all about Barack Obama, according to bloggers. The Democrat should block passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) rewrite, liberal bloggers suggest. He'll have a tough time winning over supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), conservative bloggers write. And Obama, not John McCain, is the one on the defensive early in the general election campaign, his online critics note.

Obama and other Democratic senators should heed MoveOn.org's call and block the FISA overhaul, since it includes retroactive immunity for telecom companies that they have opposed before, writes Daily Kos's mcjoan and MyDD's Todd Beeton. But some liberal activists are taking it too far in suggesting that Democrats who support the bill are "dismantling the Constitution" and thus deserve to lose their seats, according to The Plank's Josh Patashnik. It wouldn't be a bad thing for Republicans if Obama filibusters the FISA bill, since that would hurt Democratic unity, Moe Lane writes at RedState.

Obama will have a problem winning over female Democrats who backed Clinton if he keeps telling them to get over it, writes The Corner's Ramesh Ponnuru. Bill Clinton has yet to endorse Obama and was less than effusive in his praise of Obama's climate change proposals, notes Hot Air's Ed Morrissey. But McCain may have trouble capturing the Clinton vote, as he failed to condemn a supporter who called the New York senator a "b****" while campaign during the primaries, suggests TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall.

Obama is now hearing it from the press for failing to keep his pledge to take general election public funds, notes Carol Platt Liebau at Townhall.com. He also has failed to practice the "new politics" he talks about by taking a liberal stand on terror detainee rights and by backpedaling on his call for talks with rogue leaders, notes RedState's Mark I. And he has yet to face the kind of "Swiftboating" that hurt Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004, as those kinds of attacks came from critics who knew the candidate personally, The Corner's Byron York points out.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Amnesty, Obama and The Good Fight - mcjoan, Daily Kos
The Imperial Senate - smintheus, Daily Kos
MoveOn: Tell Obama to Filibuster FISA - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Keeping FISA in Perspective - Josh Patashnik, The Plank
MoveOn Calls for Obama to Filibuster FISA - Moe Lane, RedState
Obama Courts the Clintonites - Ramesh Ponnuru, The Corner
Can You Feel Unity Yet? Neither Can Bill - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
McCain: 'That's an Excellent Question' - Josh Marshall, TPM
'Swiftboating' - Byron York, The Corner
Obama Might Just Blow It - Mark I, RedState
Trading Free Good Press for Paid? - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall
Obama: 'And Did I Mention He's Black?' - H. Hewitt, Townhall
Special Prosecutor for Chris Dodd - Ironman, The Next Right
Al-Hurra Struggles 'Shocking' - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
Congress Wrapping Up FISA, War Bills - D. Herszenhorn, Caucus
Flip Flops Looking Like Hot Summer Trend - J. Harwood, Caucus

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Camp Closely Linked With Ethanol - New York Times
Karl Rove: Old Rampart, New Battles - Washington Post
Obama Plans a Reintroduction - Washington Post
Reporters Say Networks Put Wars on Back Burner - NYT

Before John McCain again attacks Barack Obama for opting out of the general election public financing system, he may want to examine his own actions, according to Obama's online defenders. Obama is already putting his privately funded war chest to work, airing an ad that has liberal bloggers dreaming of victories in red states and conservative bloggers crying foul. In Congress, Republicans have secured legislative victories over Iraq war funding and wiretaps, their blogging supporters eagerly note.

While McCain is attacking Obama for going back on his pledge to take public funding, the Republican is the one who has broken campaign finance law by unilaterally opting out of the primary public funding system, writes Josh Marshall at TalkingPointsMemo. McCain once praised the private, small-donor fundraising model that Obama will rely on, back when former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D-Vt.) pioneered it in 2004, notes Daily Kos's DHinMI.

Obama's first general election ad is airing in a slew of red states, including Georgia, Montana and North Dakota, showing that the Democrats will be on the offensive this year, writes kos. By contesting Georgia, where McCain barely leads Obama, 44 percent to 43 percent in the latest poll, Obama will force the Republican to defend a state he must win and thereby increase his chances of winning overall, writes MyDD's Jonathan Singer. But Obama, in his ad, "exaggerates" his accomplishments on welfare reform, middle-class tax cuts and healthcare for troops, according to Townhall's Matt Lewis.

The Democrat-led House approved on Thursday the emergency war-spending bill that President Bush called for, something that should frustrate Code Pink and other liberal activists, notes Jeff Emanuel at RedState. The House compromise over the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act rewrite makes it too easy for telecom companies who participated in domestic wiretapping to get immunity from lawsuits, writes Matthew Yglesias. And now that two Florida freshmen in the House, Reps. Tim Mahoney and Ron Klein, have stated support for more offshore oil drilling restrictions, Republicans should go after them hard in November, according to RedState's pilgrim.

FROM THE BLOGS:
McCain Breaking the Law in Plain Sight - Josh Marshall, TPM
McCain Backs Obama's on Private Funds - DHinMI, Daily Kos
Bauer v. Potter: The Lawyers Spar - Marc Ambinder
McCain 'Never Loved' Country Before Capture - J. Marshall, TPM
The Early Obama Map - kos, Daily Kos
Georgia on My Mind - Jonathan Singer, MyDD
Obama Ad Exaggerates Accomplishments - Matt Lewis, Townhall
House Passes Bush Iraq War Funds Bill - J. Emanuel, RedState
Two Florida House Dems Ripe for Defeat - pilgrim, RedState
FISA Followup - Matthew Yglesias
Burned Again by Oil Companies - Texas Nate, MyDD
Debating Cap-and-Trade - Jim Manzi, The Corner
The 11 Moral Senators - Amanda Carpenter, Townhall
Generic Ballot Distress for House GOP - C. Cillizza, The Fix
McCain Reiterates ANWR Drilling Opposition - The Caucus
McCain Campaign Chief's Ukraine Ties - S.C. Walls, HuffPo
Oppose Bush's Lies: Send Money to Franken - P. Begala, HuffPo

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Surveillance Bill Offers Protection to Telecom Firms - WaPo
Obama, in Shift, Says He'll Reject Public Financing - NYT
Obama's Decision is Biggest Threat to Pub. Financing - NYT
Cheney Gets Last Laugh - The Hill

Congressional Democrats' proposal to nationalize oil refineries has free-market conservative bloggers in a tizzy. Republicans in Congress, however, have the same bloggers excited for more offshore oil drilling. And the return of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) has conservative bloggers thinking of him for a new office and liberal bloggers remembering the Republican primaries.

In response to Republicans' call for lifting the ban on offshore oil and gas drilling, House Democrats called for nationalizing oil refineries to better control the domestic oil supply. They're "freaking insane," according to RedState's haystack, who points out that the Democrats had blocked a measure creating more oil refineries just a few days ago. Democrats want a "socialist solution" to gas prices, writes Hot Air's Allahpundit, who prefers John McCain's call for more nuclear reactors.

It's "pathetic" to have to go to the Saudis for more oil when the United States could instead heed the Republicans' call and drill for its own oil, writes Victor Davis Hanson at The Corner. Maybe if the United States had been drilling decades ago, the country wouldn't endure such high gas prices, suggests RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh.

Giuliani has resurfaced to do what he does best: attack Democrats over national security. That the McCain campaign has put Giuliani out front in its offensive against Obama shows that it believes it can win the debate over terror detainees' habeas corpus rights, according to Contentions' Jennifer Rubin. Giuliani, who has shown interest in running for New York governor, could win if he goes back to being the "combative, happy warrior" he was known for as mayor and stays away from his "Mr. Congeniality" personality seen during the presidential primaries, writes Patrick Ruffini at The Next Right. Giuliani's attacks gives TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall cause to rehash his unwavering focus on 9/11, which didn't work against his rivals for the GOP presidential nomination.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Democrats Skip Right Over Socialism - haystack, RedState
Dem Calls for Nationalizing Oil Industry - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Drilling and Our Collective Madness - V. D. Hanson, The Corner
Drill: White House Gets Involved - P. Yousefzadeh, RedState
Rudy Joins The Fray - Jennifer Rubin, Contentions
N.Y. Gov.: Rudy Do Over? - Patrick Ruffini, The Next Right
Giuliani's Tanned, He's Rested, He's 9/11 - Josh Marshall, TPM
Rumsfeld Holds a Grudge - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Boeing: McCain Should Get Out in Front - Rich Lowry, The Corner
Majority of The Majority Opposes Immunity - mcjoan, Daily Kos
McCain Has The Abramoff Problem - Kagro X, Daily Kos
Obama Hits Back - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Don Young's Lobbyist A-Team - Kate Klonick, TPM Muckraker
Change That Juneau Can Believe In? - Nate Silver, The Plank
Obama Psyched for Nuremberg-bin Laden Trial - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Gen. Jones On Stage W/ McCain - E. Bumiller, The Caucus
Case for Tim Pawlenty - Chris Cillizza, The Fix
Obama's Rightward Drift - Matt Stoller, Open Left

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Tightens Control of Image and Access - New York Times
Dearth of Ships Delays Drilling of Offshore Oil - New York Times
Huge Win For Boeing - The Hill
Maybe It's Not The Best Place - Los Angeles Times

Both Republicans in Congress and the conservative bloggers who back them believe they have an issue they can win on: offshore drilling. John McCain, however, is hearing it from liberal bloggers over his shifting statements on Social Security. And while Barack Obama's friends and family are under attack, Obama himself has a healthy lead in Ohio that should grow, a pro-Democratic blogger notes.

Senate Republicans are correct to support offshore drilling to keep up the American standard of living, writes Soren Dayton at The Next Right. While the Republicans' call for lifting the offshore drilling ban will likely run into a partisan buzzsaw, it's much better than Obama's stance of wanting to lower energy costs while putting forth no plans to increase the oil supply, according to RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh. To apply pressure to Obama and the Democrats against drilling, Republicans, unusually united over the issue, should filibuster the issue and capture the public's attention, suggests RedState's Rob Bluey.

McCain is trying to trick voters into thinking he doesn't support Social Security private investment accounts, which was the same "word game" that President Bush played, says TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall in a video. Just three months ago, McCain said he supported private accounts, while saying he never has been nor never will be for privatizing it, notes Daily Kos's BarbinMD.

Obama has several troublesome connections to Countrywide Financial, as three of his prominent supporters, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and James Johnson, have reportedly received special loans from the company, writes Jon Henke at The Next Right. It's a "net loss" for Republicans to go after Michelle Obama, since such attacks would allow Barack Obama to paint himself as a the "good husband," writes Hot Air's Allahpundit. And Obama is poised to do well in Ohio, as he's leading McCain, 50 percent to 39 percent, in a new PPP poll that underestimates his African-American support, John B. Judis writes at The Plank.

FROM THE BLOGS:
GOP: Party of Energy - Soren Dayton, The Next Right
Drill, Drill, Drill - Pejman Yousefzadeh, RedState
How GOP Can Win Energy Debate in Congress - R. Bluey, RedState
Time for AmericOil? - Andrew Stuttaford, The Corner
McCain Social Security Bamboozle - Josh Marshall, TPM
McCain on Soc. Sec., Then and Now - BarbinMD, Daily Kos
Why Would Any Woman Consider Voting McCain? - DarkSyde, DKos
McCain Dems & Indies List is a Sham - Sargent/Kleefeld, TPM Election
Countrywide Mortgage and Barack Obama - J. Henke, Next Right
'Net Loss' to Go After Michelle Obama - Allahpundit, Hot Air
More on the Buckeye Poll - John B. Judis, The Plank
New U.S. Strategy in the Global Economy? - R. Borosage, HuffPo
McConnell in Trouble - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Jindal and the Creationism Bill - Allahpundit, Hot Air

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Candidates Clash On Terrorism - Washington Post
Governor Backs Florida Drilling - Wall Street Journal
Bush Will Seek to Drop a Drilling Ban - New York Times
The Subtle Art of Nancy Pelosi's Signals - The Hill

Barack Obama has a good chance to flip Virginia from red to blue this fall and a new poll proves it, liberals proclaim, while Obama is wrong to support the Supreme Court