A piece of skin removed from John McCain

John McCain

Despite claims in the traditional media that the presidential race is a toss-up, the evidence now shows that Barack Obama has built a significant lead, according to his blogging backers. Obama and John McCain are scrutinized for past comments on the U.S. military surge as both talk about a withdrawal from Iraq. And with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) starting a fight over the measures Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has blocked, Coburn has taken to the blogs to accuse Reid of distracting the chamber.

State polls show that Obama could win the election without winning a single swing state, but political scientists are split over whether Obama is poised to win handily or if the race is too close to call, writes Thomas B. Edsall in the Huffington Post. Obama leads by nine percentage points in the latest Gallup tracking poll, making Atrios question the narrative that the Democrat isn't winning by enough. Obama has a "clear, if modest, lead" and has received a "significant, if modest" bounce from his trip abroad, writes Daily Kos's DemFromCT, who is still waiting for others to report those facts.

Though McCain has touted his decision to support the surge as evidence of his good judgment, the Republican had hedged his bets by raising questions over its execution back when it began, TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall reminds readers. But unless Obama acknowledges the positive results of the surge, he shouldn't argue that his withdrawal plan is correct, writes RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh.

Coburn writes on RedState that Reid's $10 million spending bill made up of 35 measures Coburn has blocked merely encourages a less transparent lawmaking process and is distracting the Senate from debating a comprehensive energy plan. But while Coburn may be acting on his fiscal principles, he is the one who has brought the Senate to a screeching halt, writes The New Argument's Joshua Gottesman.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama-McCain: Blowout or Trench Warfare? - T. Edsall, HuffPo
But He Should Be Up By 20! - Atrios, Eschaton
Media Narrative: Dead Heat, Damn the Facts - DemFromCT, DKos
Hug For Obama, Handshake for McCain - J. Harwood, The Caucus
Did McCain Hedge Bets on Surge? - Josh Marshall, TPM
Obama Shouldn't Use Surge for Advantage - Yousefzadeh, RedState
Obama: Just a Bit Patronizing? - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall.com
Welcome News from VP Search? - desmoinesdem, MyDD
Sen. Reid Offers Excuses Not Solutions - Sen. Tom Coburn, RedState
Harry Reid's Dr. No - Joshua Gottesman, The New Argument
GOP To Make Oil, Energy Central Message - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Democrats Try To Break Grip of Senate's Dr. No - New York Times
Record Deficit Expected in 2009 - USA Today
Iraq Clings to Rickety Calm Between War and Peace - L.A. Times
For Obama, Hurdles in Expanding Black Vote - Washington Post

Barack Obama's explanation for canceling a visit with wounded U.S. soldiers in Germany fails to satisfy conservative bloggers, while John McCain's comments on Iraq timetables and Social Security reform during an interview with George Stephanopoulos today is received poorly by liberals.

Obama essentially scrapped a visit to a military medical center in Germany because one campaign adviser couldn't go, Jim Geraghty complains at The Campaign Spot. Obama explained yesterday that the Pentagon's late warning that campaign staff couldn't attend alarmed his camp, who though the visit might be viewed as political, but Obama could have simply left his campaign staff behind, John McCormack argues at The Weekly Standard.

Stephanopoulos cornered McCain on Iraq timetables during his Sunday interview, TPM Election Central's Eric Kleefeld asserts. McCain denied he used the word "timetable" when he said Obama's withdrawal schedule looks "pretty good," which Kleefeld disputes while adding that the Arizona Republican was flustered while trying to stress the importance of security conditions. McCain also dodged Stephanopoulos's question on Social Security, Jonathan Cohn charges at The Plank. McCain has previously supported privatization, and his statement today that "everything has to be on the table" distorts his previous stance, Cohn claims.

And the housing bill, passed yesterday by the Senate, is blasted from the right. With the bill's passage, the U.S. has officially embarked on a New New Deal, Blackhedd argues at RedState. The shift toward expanded spending may pave the way for other big-government concepts, such as using tax money to buy cars for poor people, Blackhedd warns.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Fight over Adviser Scrapped Visit - Jim Geraghty, The Campaign Spot
McCain's Static Position in the Polls - Matt Stoller, Open Left
Nice Try - Josh Orton, MyDD
McCain Takes Obama to Task - Dan Spencer, RedState
Quote of the Day - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Conservative Guide to VP Picks - Matt Lewis, Open Left
Obama on "Meet the Press" - Noam Scheiber, The Stump
Trip Gives Obama Initial Bump - John Aravosis, AMERICABLOG
The Iraq Convergence - Marc Ambinder
Obama Talks about Landstuhl - John McCormack, The Weekly Standard

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Mahdi Army Sees Its Power Wane - NY Times
Embraced Overseas, but to What Effect? - Washington Post
Obama Admits Iraq Violence Dropped More Than he Anticipated - LA Times

John McCain ceded major ground to Barack Obama in the Iraq debate by saying Obama's withdrawal timetable looks "pretty good," bloggers agree, while the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) has others crying foul for banning Iraqi athletes this week from competing in the upcoming games.

McCain has admitted he's wrong on Iraq by acknowledging that Obama's timetable looks good depending on security conditions, MyDD's Josh Orton decides. Opposing a withdrawal timetable was McCain's signature stance on Iraq, and after yesterday's statement on CNN, he can no longer argue that he stands for victory while Obama stands for giving up, Orton says. And McCain has relinquished his chance to hammer Obama on the timeline in the future, as the public will eventually realize a 16-month withdrawal is not actually feasible, Hot Air's Ed Morrissey argues from the right.

The IOC has let bureaucratic squabbling interfere with a chance for Iraqis to unite behind their Olympic athletes, The Plank's Josh Patashnik writes. The IOC's decision, which stemmed from the dissolution of Iraq's Olympic committee by the Iraqi government, is hypocritical as Iraqi athletes were allowed to compete under the torture-ridden leadership of Uday Hussein, Patashnik argues. House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), who called the decision "outrageous," earns appreciation from The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez for speaking out.

And the House Judiciary Committee held a kangaroo court Friday when it heard testimony on the pros and cons of impeaching President Bush, RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh charges. The hearing showed that the committee's Democrats are out of touch with Americans' concerns, as the rest of the country doesn't agree with House Democrats demonization of Bush, Yousefzadeh claims.

FROM THE BLOGS:
The Impugnment Hearings - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
The Naivete of Barack Obama- Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall.com
Cleanup, Aisle Four... - Josh Orton, MyDD
Because Whining Is So Presidential - SusanG, Daily Kos
Pelosi's Bizarro-World of Ethics - Teddy Partridge, Firedoglake
Partners in the New McCarthyism - Big Tent Democrat, TalkLeft
Don't Let Them Fake It - John Hinderaker, Power Line
Go, Hoekstra! - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
Congress's Kangaroo Court - Pejman Yousefzadeh, RedState
For Once, GOP on Leading Edge of the Tech Curve - Marc Ambinder

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Can Paulson Defuse This Crisis? - NY Times
Obama's Popularity as Anti-Bush Is Telling - LA Times
Senate Passes Housing Bill - The Hill
Pakistan May Get U.S. Funds for Fighter Upgrade - Bloomberg

Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) touting a nonexistent award in a radio ad has both conservatives and liberal bloggers attacking the Alaska Republican. Barack Obama appears to be buddies with French President Nicholas Sarkozy and bloggers debate just how much Batman and President Bush have in common.

Young incorrectly claimed that he had received an award from Tax Payers for Common Sense, a group that has repeatedly panned him, TPM reports. The Next Right's Soren Dayton points out that Young did receive an award from Grover Norquist and Americans for Tax Reform, but Norquist won't give him another, saying the 18-term congressman is like a "rat head in a Coke bottle."

The GOP's favorite European seemingly endorsed Obama today, AMERICAblog's John Aravosis writes. The Plank's Jason Zengerle reminds readers that when Sarkozy visited the U.S. last year, Obama was one of the few American politicians he met, so there may have been a good relationship between the two before Obama become the presumptive Democratic nominee.

And a Wall Street Journal op-ed comparing Bush to Batman has the blogosphere divided on how much W shares with the Dark Night. Matthew Yglesias calls the comparison a valid interpretation of the new film, though says the Joker doesn't quite substitute for Osama bin Laden. Firedoglake's David Neiwert mocks the comparison, writing that "Batman is, you know, competent."

FROM THE BLOGS:
McCain Double Standard on Military Visits - The Huffington Post
Obama Meets Sarkozy - First Read
The Surge & Obama - The Corner
Only Making Him Stronger - Josh Orton, MyDD
Why Obama Snubbed the Troops - Hot Air
Obama's Media Affair - Scarecrow, Firedoglake
Batman and Bush - Ben Domenech, RedState
Don Young Is Like a 'Rat Head in a Coke Bottle' - TPM
Young's Campaign Nearly Bankrupt? - Erik Erikson, RedState
Obama and the Media - Michelle Malkin

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Says Pressure on Iran Is Building - New York Times
Don Young Radio Ad Cites Wrong Group - The Hill
McCain Rejects 'Audacity of Hopelessness' for Iraq - AP

A report that John McCain may pick his running mate soon has bloggers debating whether the move would be wise, while Obama

Barack Obama's speech in Berlin gets love from liberal bloggers, while conservatives see it as more evidence of his arrogance. In Congressional races, both parties have candidates competing in tough races who could serve as prototypes for others, according to a conservative and a liberal blogger.

Obama seemed presidential during his speech while John McCain looked petulant for knocking Obama's overseas trip after having traveled abroad as a candidate himself, writes Daily Kos's DemFromCT. What Rush Limbaugh, who attacked the speech for failing to convey "American exceptionalism," doesn't understand is that Obama and his supporters' disappointment over the past eight years stems from the belief that the United States is exceptional and should be doing better, writes Todd Beeton at MyDD. Democrats shouldn't be concerned by the lack of a bounce in Obama's poll numbers; the political point of the trip was to have Obama audition for the part of president - a point he could refer to in the election's final weeks, according to TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall.

But many Americans, especially key Midwestern voters, could find the speech lacking in American pride and bordering on arrogance, Hugh Hewitt writes at Townhall.com. Obama's decision to cancel a visit with U.S. troops after his speaking to thousands of Germans reflects his misplaced priorities, according to Hot Air's Ed Morrissey. And though Obama has put much stock in his message of change, voters see him as risky and could be poised to vote for the safer choice, McCain, during these times of uncertainty, suggests Townhall's Carol Platt Liebau.

Democrat Ronnie Musgrove, who is virtually tied with Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) in their Senate race, may not become the most reliable Democratic vote, but his victory would show Republicans that they no longer have a lock on seats anywhere, writes MyDD's Jonathan Singer. Republican Lou Barletta, who is running against Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.), could prove to his party that a charismatic candidate with a fiscally conservative, anti-illegal immigration message can win in a blue collar, Democratic-leaning district, writes RedState's Soren Dayton.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama Not Arrogant or Presumptuous - DemFromCT, Daily Kos
Barack, Rush and I - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Long-Term Benefit of Trip Abroad - Josh Marshall, TPM
The BBQ Media Wants Obama to Win? - Bob Cesca, Huffington Post
Obama's Pride in Berlin - Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com
Why Obama Snubbed the Troops - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Polls and Irrational Exuberance - Peter Kirsanow, The Corner
Obama: The 'Riskier' Choice - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall.com
Bush Also Addresses U.S. Role in World - S.L. Myers, The Caucus
Miss. Sen. Well Within Range for Dems - Jonathan Singer, MyDD
Seeing the Future in Lou Barletta - Soren Dayton, RedState

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama's Path to Presidency Far From Clear - L.A. Times
McCain May Act Soon on VP Pick - Washington Post
Obama, in Berlin, Calls for Renewal of Ties w/ Allies - NYT
Obama, Vague on Issues, Pleases Crowd in Europe - NYT

Reactions to Barack Obama's speech in Berlin dominate the blogosphere as liberals applaud the Democratic presidential candidate and conservatives mock him and the media for overhyping the speech. Conservatives meanwhile are celebrating good polling news for John McCain while liberal point to a new ad attacking McCain for not supporting troop withdrawal.

Two clear lines of the thought are emerging following Obama's speech. Open Left's Mimikatz summarizes the liberal view, writing that Obama's speech was a "terrific reminder" of United State's ability to "lead" in the world. Conservative blogger Allahpundit pokes fun at what he says the media are calling "the greatest speech ever" pointing out that there was not an especially memorable line.

A new Quinnipiac shows McCain is making strong gains in several key swing states, Chris Cillizza reports. Powerline's John Hinderaker thinks the polls show McCain is closing the gap and speculates the bump comes from Obama's opposition to offshore drilling.

The new ad from VoteVets cuts at McCain's position on Iraq by showing a soldier saying that he will leave if asked to do so by Iraq, Matthew Yglesias writes. Daily Kos's mcjoan says the ad makes McCain look stubborn for sticking to a plan that doesn't have a whole lot of support in Iraq.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Best. Ad. Ever. - Chris Bowers, Open Left
The Speech, First Thought - The Fix
Christ Appears in Berlin -