A new Web ad by conservative advocacy group Freedom's Watch lambastes Democrats in Congress for failing to tackle rising energy prices.
The ad, called "Son of a Beach" begins by describing the plight of the average working American who must pay a mortgage and and for fuel.
"What do the liberals in Congress have on their mind? Summer Vacation," the ad's narrator states. "They're taking the rest of the summer off."
Set to a 1960s-style surf rock tune, the ad mocks the Democrats' decision to go on recess without a vote on lifting the ban on offshore drilling. It features prominent Democratic senators and congressmen rollerblading, playing volleyball, reading on the beach and playing golf.
The ad ends with a narrator urging viewers to "Call the Do Nothing Democrats in Congress and tell them to get back to work on the important issues."
John McCain attracted virtually as much media attention last week as Democratic rival Barack Obama, the first time that has happened since the general election began in early June, according to a study performed by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ).
Obama was a significant or dominant factor in 81 percent of campaign stories versus 78 percent for McCain, a high point for the GOP candidate in the general election season, according to PEJ's Campaign Coverage Index for July 28-Aug. 3. McCain's previous record was 62 percent between June 30-July 6. It also marks the first time McCain's weekly coverage has been within 10 percentage points of Obama's total. Since the general election contest began eight weeks ago, McCain has only garnered 55 percent of the stories in which he was significantly featured, compared with 79 percent for Obama.
McCain's rise in media attention comes a week after Obama's Mideast and European tour - which commanded half of the election coverage for July 21-27 - and also a week after widespread accusations that the media was biased in favor of Obama. Underscoring the narrative was McCain's controversial ad last week comparing Obama's celebrity status to that of Hollywood starlets Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Tuesday the moderators for the 2008 general election debates.
The first will be held on Sept. 26 at the University of Missisippi and will be moderated by PBS's Jim Lehrer.
The second presidential debate, which will be in a town-hall style, is scheduled for Oct. 7 at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. It will be moderated by NBC's Tom Brokaw. The last debate is set for Oct. 15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., and will be moderated by CBS's Bob Schieffer.
The lone vice presidential debate is scheduled for Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. PBS's Gwen Ifill will be the moderator.
Each debate will begin at 9:00pm EST and will last for 90 minutes. One presidential debate will focus on domestic policy and another will focus on foreign policy. The vice presidential debate will cover both topics.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is leading a bipartisan delegation this week to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Germany. The trip will focus on progress made on global warming, development and democracy and against terrorism. Joining Reid are Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Fla), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Jeff Bingaman (D- N.M.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).
The group met with Kyrgystani President Kurmanbek Bakiyev during their first stop. Reid thanked the president for the nation's role in supporting coalition troops in Afghanistan. He also emphasized the need for the president to help the nation continue its recent political gains to enable it to become a thriving democracy. The delegation also toured the Manas Coalition Air Base located in the capital city of Bishkek, which serves as a transitioning facility for troops preparing to serve in Afghanistan. Reid had lunch with the five Nevada troops currently stationed at the base.
Reid and the delegation were briefed on development updates in Kyrgyzstan, the efforts led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The organization works toward improving the nation's economy by building and strengthening small business through loans and grants
Don't look for Sen. Ted Stevens at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota in September.
The indicted Alaska Republican won't attend the Republican Convention, planning instead to campaign ahead of his toughest reelection bid of his four-decade Senate career. His campaign says the senator hadn't planned on attending even before he was charged last week with seven felony counts of concealing $250,000 worth of gifts and home renovations from an oil-services company.
Stevens has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His appearance with politicians facing voters in November could have given Democrats ammunition for the fall campaign. It also could have created some awkward situations since Republican leaders and their standard bearer, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), all have donated to charity the money Stevens has raised for them this election cycle.
One person not facing re-election who doesn't mind being seen with Stevens is President Bush, who held a photo opportunity Monday with the senator at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Before he met with the president, Stevens held a rally with supporters at his campaign headquarters in Alaska, saying he was innocent of all charges and characterizing the day he was indicted as "one of the most difficult days of my life."
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) will stump for Barack Obama in two key swing states in coming days.
She will appear at a rally for her former rival in Las Vegas, Nev., on Friday, and in South Florida August 21, the Obama campaign said Tuesday. The campaign didn't specify whether Obama would also attend the events.
A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) may face a stiff re-election challenge in 2010 from MSNBC pundit Chris Matthews.
The poll, released Tuesday, surveyed 1,580 likely voters from July30-August 3. It shows Specter holding a 41-36 lead in a hypothetical match-up against Matthews, who hasn't declared his candidacy but hasn't ruled out a bid.
The slim margin comes in spite of the fact that 55 percent of participants confessed to not knowing enough about Matthews to form an opinion of him.
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) called on President Bush today to call Congress back into session to work on energy legislation, a recently emphasized project by congressional Republicans.
Specter blamed Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for playing politics when he dismissed the Senate over Republican objections last week without passing energy legislation.
John McCain is positioning himself as a Washington reformer in his latest television ad released Tuesday.
The ad accuses Washington of being plagued by special interest groups and touts McCain's record of taking them on. Noting his reputation as "the original maverick," the spot describes the Republican's previous tussles with the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. McCain, who has been criticized by Democrats as being too close to President Bush, also promises to "reform Wall Street, battle Big Oil and make America prosper again."
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