Former Rep. Jim Leach, who served 15 terms as a Republican from Iowa, will endorse Barack Obama Tuesday.
On a conference call Tuesday morning, Leach will join former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), who was also a Republican while in Congress and has already endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate, in announcing a new Republicans for Obama group. Chafee has since become an independent.
Chafee and Leach will be joined on the call by Rita Hauser, a member of President Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board from 2001 to 2004.
Leach, who was known as a fiscal conservative, had opposed the Iraq war. He was defeated by Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) in 2006 by about 6,000 votes.
Barack Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe wrote Monday that John McCain is disparaging Obama's supporters by attacking the Democratic presidential nominee as a "celebrity" and characterizing his donors as "a bunch of mindless fans."
"While supporters like you are out knocking on doors, registering new voters, and organizing in your local communities, our opponents are not even trying to match your efforts," Plouffe wrote in a fundraising email. "Instead, they're spending millions to spread the smear that Barack is just a 'celebrity' and that our grassroots movement is just a bunch of mindless fans."
"McCain is trying to undermine your hope, and we can expect even more misleading attack ads in the weeks ahead," Plouffe added, trying to urge donations
The email is part of an increased effort on the part of the Obama campaign to pass the 2 million donor mark before the beginning of the Democratic convention in Denver.
"Two million donors is an incredible number," Plouffe wrote, "a number that was previously unimaginable for presidential campaigns. And it's a number this campaign never dreamed we could reach before the convention."
John McCain has continued his assault on Barack Obama's allegedly star-like popularity with his latest web ad, released today by the Arizona senator's campaign.
Expanding on the previously established "celebrity" theme, the latest ad begins with satire and mockery: "You too can join 'the One's' fan club right here in America," the narrator explains, then the ad cuts to a newsanchor describing her town's reaction to an Obama visit, explaining, "You'd think that Elvis or the Beatles had come to town."
Next, the ad says, "The perks are amazing...like a tax increase for everyone earning above $42,000," cutting to a clip of Obama's enthusiastic fans cheering at one of his rallies. Obama has been referred to as a rockstar before, and this ad is no exception, showing a young supporter declaring that her preferred candidate is "right up there, with Bono, for me."
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Kal Penn, of "Harold and Kumar" fame, is appearing at a rally of Asian Americans supporting Barack Obama in Northern Virginia Monday, which is the two-year anniversary of former Sen. George Allen's (R-Va.) "macaca" remark.
The Indian-American actor is scheduled to meet with activists in Arlington, Va.
The event's organizers note that Allen's remark was aimed at an Indian-American campaign worker for then-Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb, who ended up defeating Allen by less than 8,000 votes.
Rural Ohio's scenery may be getting a political paint job, thanks to Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Obama for America is encouraging rural Ohioans to paint their barns with Obama's campaign logo, the campaign announced today as it launched a new a program dubbed "Barns for Obama."
Barn-owning Ohioans can sign up through Obama's website, where they can request assistance from volunteers or choose to paint by themselves.
"Barns for Obama combines Ohio's rich history of painted barns
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Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) is urging the next president to humble, honest and contemplative, three things that Byrd believes President Bush was not, reports the Associated Press.
Byrd, in his new book, "Letter to a New President: Commonsense Lessons for Our Next Leader," slams Bush for being unable to learn from his mistakes. He noted the time when Bush couldn't come up with a response when asked for his biggest mistake in the Oval Office.
Bush "banished himself to the ignominious position of worst United States president ever," Byrd said.
Byrd, 90, plans to deliver by hand a copy to Barack Obama. Byrd's spokesman said he could also give one to McCain, but he doesn't believe the Republican will be the next president.
The 9-term senator also accused Bush of governing based on a "commitment to lying."
"We cannot continue down this path, new president," Byrd wrote. "We must rebuild a culture of intolerance to lying, and that must start close to home."
John McCain is catching some flack on the web today for purportedly ripping off Wikipedia in his speech on the Russia/Georgia conflict, delivered this morning in Erie, Pa. Taegan Goddard has a side-by-side comparison of excerpts from McCain's speech and Wikipedia's article on Georgia.
Each night of the Democratic convention later this month will stress a different theme, each of which were announced by Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) Monday.
On the first night in Denver, Monday, Aug. 25, Michelle Obama will lead a discussion on her husband's story and "commitment to change."
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) headlines Tuesday night, which will focus on economic challenges.
Wednesday night will feature the vice presidential nominee and veterans.
On the final night, Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination outdoors at the 75,000-seat Invesco Field.
The rest of the convention will be held at the indoor Pepsi Center.
The convention's overall theme is "America's Town Hall."
"It's the kind of gathering that has taken place in communities across this country," Sebelius said in a conference call. "We saw absolutely unbelievable excitement and enthusiasm during the course of the primary process, where literally millions of people participated, Republicans, independents, changed parties to be able to vote in the Democratic process."
She added that people from eight cities across the country will get to ask questions of the Democrats on the first three
President Bush said that though he addresses a "full range" of issues whenever he meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao, he can't "read his mind."
Bush made the remark when asked by NBC's Bob Costas Monday whether he talks about Americans' human rights concerns with the Chinese leader. Bush said that "it's hard to tell" whether Hu is receptive.
"All I can tell you is, is that it is best to be in the position where a leader will listen to you. I went to church here, and I'm sure the cynics say, well, you know, it was just a state-sponsored church," Bush said.
He added: "On the other hand, it gave me a chance to say to the Chinese people, religion won't hurt you, you ought to welcome religious people. And it gave me a chance to say to the government, why don't you register the underground churches and give them a chance to flourish? And he listened politely. I can't read his mind, but I do know that every time I met with him I pressed the point."
Bush said that it's better for future U.S. presidents to remain engaged with China "and understand that we can have a cooperative and constructive, yet candid relationship."
Responding to a question about the conflict between Russia and Georgia, Bush said that he has spoken to both Russian leaders who attended the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies.
"I said this violence is unacceptable -- I not only said it to [Prime Minister] Vladimir Putin, I've said it to the president of the country, Dmitriy Medvedev," Bush said. "And my administration has been engaged with both sides in this, trying to get a cease-fire, and saying that the status quo ante for all troops should be August 6th. And, look, I expressed my grave concern about the disproportionate response of Russia and that we strongly condemn bombing outside of South Ossetia."
"It was just interesting to me that here we are trying to promote peace and harmony and we're witnessing a conflict take place," Bush said.
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