President Bush

The New Yorker cover cartoon satirizing attacks against Barack Obama is panned by Obama himself and liberal bloggers, who find it offensive. The troubles of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and IndyMac don't reflect well on Obama or Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), according to conservative bloggers.

The cartoon, which shows Obama in Muslim garb and his wife with a rifle slung over her shoulder, is "disgusting" and might be worth a subscription cancellation, writes Daily Kos's reef the dog, who wonders whether it's even a joke. All the scare tactics used against Obama are lumped into the cartoon, which should be received well by The New Yorker's sophisticated readership but will still delight Obama's critics on the right, according to The Huffington Post's Rachel Sklar. Some of those scare tactics, including the ones comparing Obama to Osama bin Laden and showing him in exotic dress, were first used by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), recalls The Corner's Seth Leibsohn. If Obama's campaign wanted to minimize the uproar over the cartoon, it should have kept quiet instead of criticizing it, suggests Isaac Chotiner at The Plank.

Obama and Democrats, who hope to use revenue generated from taxes on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, should instead be looking to privatize and wind down the government-sponsored mortgage giants, according to The Corner's Stephen Spruiell. Schumer should apologize for leaking to the press a letter that questioned the viability of IndyMac and led to its near-collapse, writes RedState's Erick Erickson. With bail outs set for IndyMac, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, taxpayers will become the ones paying for the economic crisis, writes The Huffington Post's Jared Bernstein, who knocks the Federal Reserve for not doing enough to keep bubbles from bursting.

FROM THE BLOGS:
The New Yorker Cover: OMFG, WTF? - reef the dog, Daily Kos
Yikes! Controversial New Yorker Cover - Rachel Sklar, Huffington Post
The Obama Campaign Picks The Wrong Fight - I. Chotiner, The Plank
A Little More on New Yorker Cover - Seth Leibsohn, The Corner
The Political Economy of Last Week - J. Bernstein, Huffington Post
Obama Wants Piece of Freddie/Fannie - S. Spruiell, The Corner
Chuck Schumer Owes Public An Apology - E. Erickson, RedState
Obama Calling ICE Agents Terrorists? - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall
Clarifying Thoughts on Olbermann Post - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Iraq: No Agreement w/o Timetable - Josh Marshall, TPM
Progressives Unite, Or Same-Old Story? - Theda Skocpol, TPM Cafe
Who Killed Chandra Levy? - Marin Cogin, The Plank
GOP Is Party of Freedom of Choice - The Directors, RedState

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Treasure Acts to Shore Up Fannie and Freddie - New York Times
Government as the Big Lender - New York Times
Chicago Links Obama's Circle - Washington Post
Hopes on Race Relations are High, Poll Shows - USA Today

With both Barack Obama and John McCain reaching out to Hispanic voters at the start of the week, bloggers on both sides are keeping a close eye on their statements on immigration reform. The upcoming issue of The New Yorker features a profile of Obama's rise through Chicago politics, which fascinates liberal bloggers but provides more ammo for his conservative critics. And pundits on both sides try to read the vice presidential tea leaves.

Obama, in his speech Sunday to the National Council of La Raza, stressed the grassroots nature of his campaign, said that "the system is not working" and hit McCain for wavering in his support for comprehensive immigration reform, notes MyDD's Todd Beeton. Ahead of McCain's speech to the group on Monday, his campaign held a conference call to say that he still supports comprehensive immigration reform but only after the country's borders are secured, writes Hot Air's Ed Morrissey. If Townhall's Carol Platt Liebau were Latina, she would vote for McCain because he has hewed to pro-Latino views in the face of intense criticism from his own party, she writes.

The 15,000-word profile by The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza explains how Obama got ahead by criticizing the political system he was part of, which is something that McCain has also done, writes The Plank's Isaac Chotiner. Lizza's profile also shows Obama's "adolescent grandiosity," or his belief in himself above all else, according to Obama critic Scott Johnson on Power Line.

The most likely running mate for McCain is Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R), who would draw fewer objections from the right than other swing state candidates, while the most likely choices for Obama are Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), who could help him in a red state, and Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who would reinforce Obama's midwestern appeal, according to The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini. Someone else to watch is Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who has foreign policy credentials and the respect of the military brass but may not have the necessary television skills, according to The Plank's Jonathan Cohn.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Barack Obama at La Raza - Todd Beeton, MyDD
McCain's La Raza Conference Call - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
A Choice for Latinos - Carol Platt Liebau, Townhall
Obama's Chicago Days - Isaac Chotiner, The Plank
The Resistable Rise of Obama - Scott Johnson, Power Line
VP: Pawlenty, Bayh, Sebelius on Top - P. Ruffini, Next Right
Veep Veep: Keep an Eye on Reed - J. Cohn, The Plank
Obama's Economic Double Talk - Blackhedd, RedState
NYT Noticies 'Far Left' Obama Disgust - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Hagel Officially Announces Trip W/ Obama - Kleefeld, TPM EC
Gangs of DC - SusanG, Daily Kos
FISA Loss: Recommendations for Future - emptywheel, FDL
More Notes on Third Parties - Chris Bowers, Open Left
Pro-Twitter Coalition Gets Bipartisan - P. Ruffini, Next Right

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Making It: How Chicago Shaped Obama - The New Yorker
Obama, McCain and Their Awkward Hispanic Outreach - AP
McCain's Conservative Model? Teddy Roosevelt - NYT

Former White House Press Secretary, who died Sunday after a bout with colon cancer, is being remembered by conservative bloggers as someone who was as gracious as he was talented. Barack Obama may have made a misstep by rejecting public funds, according to one blogger on the right, but it's John McCain's campaign who has been clumsy lately, according to liberal bloggers.

Snow's optimism, confidence and genuine interest in people was a breath of fresh air to a White House that needed it when he became press secretary in 2006, writes The Corner's Yuval Levin, a former White House staffer. Snow was the opposite of paranoid, as he assumed that everyone liked him, which was a rare quality for anyone in Washington, according to Contentions' John Podhoretz. The Associated Press took a "cheap shot" in its obituary of Snow by writing that he didn't always have command of the facts, writes Newsbusters' Tom Blumer.

Obama may have overestimated his fundraising capabilities and opted out of the public finance system because of his fantastic first quarter numbers, writes The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini, who suggests that McCain could have the money advantage. But McCain's campaign has stumbled by allowing its candidate and its surrogate, former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas), to blame the country's real housing market and economic woes on psychology, suggests kos.

The housing bill passed by the Senate on Friday is based on circular logic, as it seeks to insure imperiled homeowners with revenue from new taxes on embattled mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, according to The Corner's Steven Spruiell. But what lawmakers have really failed to do is watch over greedy executives, who have profited under lax housing laws and may leave taxpayers holding the bag, writes Ian Welsh at Firedoglake.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Remembering Tony Snow - Yuval Levin, The Corner
Tony - John Podhoretz, Contentions
Tony Snow, Cont. - Byron York, The Corner
AP Takes Cheap Shot at Snow - Tom Blumer, Newsbusters
Obama's Miscalculation on Financing - P. Ruffini, Next Right
Obama More Reagan than Carter - A. Sullivan, Daily Dish
Should Nat'l #s Concern Obama? - Nate Silver, The Plank
More Psychology - kos, Daily Kos
Political and Other Realities About Drilling - N. Chart, MyDD
Collapse Doesn't Indicate Execs Failed - I. Welsh, Firedoglake
Freddie, Fannie and The Housing Bill - S. Spruiell, The Corner

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Protected by Washington, Fannie and Freddie Grew - NYT
Former WH Press Sec. Tony Snow Dies at 53 - Wash. Post
Obama Revels in Contrasts With McCain - Associated Press

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has unveiled its list of targets, and it shows Democrats have some lofty goals, bloggers find. John McCain's new ad focused on immigration and Barack Obama sponsoring a car in an upcoming NASCAR race also have bloggers talking heading into the weekend.

The DCCC has already set aside $34 million for 31 congressional races in ad buys, and the list shows Democrats intend to play on a wide field, TPM's Eric Kleefeld writes. Todd Beeton at MyDD thinks the list should have included a few more GOP districts that seem vulnerable, but recognizes the list is likely to grow heading into the election.

McCain tries to reach out to Hispanics with a new ad recognizing their contributions to the U.S. military, The Caucus writes. Andrew Sullivan points out the hard right may have some problems with the ad, including Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) who has already expressed his displeasure.

And Obama plans to sponsor a car at next month's NASCAR race in Pocono, Pennsylvania, Tom Bowles notes. But while it was widely reported that Obama will be the first to sponsor a NASCAR vehicle, The Swamp points out that is not exactly true. Former Florida Senator Bob Graham (D) sponsored a NASCAR truck during his short lived 2004 presidential campaign.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama to Sponsor Cup Car - Tom Bowles, Inside NASCAR
EPA Says Value of Human Life Decreased - Matt, Think Progress
Leahy Gets Knifed - Wonkette
Conservatives Let MSM Characterize Gramm Comments - The Minority Report
McCain Ad Reaches Out to Hispanics - The Caucus
Market Drops Below 11,000 - First Read
DCCC Makes $34 Million Buy - TPM
DCCC's Targeted Races - MyDD
Cindy McCain's Diet Plan - Top of The Ticket
Find More, Use Less - Sen. Lamar Alexander, The Next Right
Obama: I Embarrass Myself - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama to Travel to Iraq with Hagel, Reed - The Hill
Rangel Defends Use of Rent-Stabilized Apartments - New York Times
Roller Coaster Day for Stock Marktet - Washington Post

News that Barack Obama is vetting Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) as a possible running mate has bloggers on both sides debating Obama's motivation, while liberals blast John McCain

It may be time for Barack Obama to dial down those lofty fundraising expectations, according to bloggers on both sides who note John McCain's strong war chest raised in June. McCain needed to distance himself from the latest comments by one of his economic advisers, former Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas), bloggers write. Democrats in the Senate and the next Democrat in the White House should go back and fix the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), suggest the Daily Kos bloggers upset at the this week's FISA overhaul.

While McCain has announced his $22 million fundraising haul for June, Obama has yet to declare his, which may portend a weak showing, according to The Next Right's Sean Oxendine. If Obama is to gain the fundraising advantage he had hoped for when he rejected public financing, he needs to raise more money quickly, suggests TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall and MyDD's Todd Beeton. McCain's campaign says it has used the new cash to triple Obama's spending on early television advertisements in swing states, notes TPM's David Kurtz.

Gramm, an economic adviser to McCain, called the United States a "nation of whiners" in a "mental recession," prompting the candidate to say that he understands American workers' struggles. McCain made the right political move, but he could still benefit from having Gramm, a former Senate Banking Committee chairman, in his corner, writes Morrissey. Gramm's gaffe was one mistake of many this week for McCain's team, which also had its candidate talk about "killing Iranians" and call Social Security a "disgrace," notes The Huffington Post's Max Bergmann.

Obama should have held his ground and opposed the FISA bill that included telecom immunity since his position ticked off supporters and left him open to "flip-flop" charges, writes smintheus at Daily Kos. If Obama becomes president, he should take up Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Russ Feingold's (D-Wis.) suggestion to reopen FISA to strengthen the oversight provisions on intelligence agencies' wiretapping, writes mcjoan, also at Daily Kos.

FROM THE BLOGS:
McCain Gets $22 Million in June - E. Morrissey, Hot Air
McCain Raises $22 Million in June - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Show Me The Money - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
McCain Outspending Obama on TV? - David Kurtz, TPM
Obama Fundraising, Ctd. - Sean Oxendine, The Next Right
McCain Rejects Gramm's 'Mental Recession' - Morrissey, Hot Air
McCain's Economic Narrative Problem - Chris Cillizza, The Fix
10 McCain Fiascoes in One Week - Max Bergmann, HuffPo
Obama's FISA Sellout - smintheus, Daily Kos
FISA: What Happens Next? - mcjoan, Daily Kos
VP Line: Romney and Kaine on Top - C. Cillizza, The Fix
Obama/DODD? - Moe Lane, RedState
N.D. Is Swing State, Wis. Isn't - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Kennedy's Prescription for Change - J. Cohn, The Plank
Pulling a Dukakis, In a Good Way - N. Silver, The Plank
GOP=Open, Dem=Closed - P. Ruffini, Next Right
Tell Dems to Stop Trying to Block Comm. - Rep. Conaway, RedSt.

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
U.S. Weighs Takeover of Mortgage Giants - NYT
Gramm Remark Adds to McCain's Difficulty Over Econ. - WaPo
McCain Pegs War Chest at $400 Million - Wall Street Journal
McCain's Broken Marriage and Fractured Reagan Friendship - LAT

Barack Obama may not have as large of a money advantage as previously thought after John McCain posted some impressive fundraising numbers for June, bloggers say Thursday. President Bush's unusual signoff to the G8 conference in Tokyo and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohi0) trying again to impeach Bush also have bloggers talking.

McCain raising $22 million in June gives him $95 million in cash on hand when combined with Republican National Committee fundraising, plenty of money to take on Obama The Next Right says. Hot Air's Ed Morrissey points out that Obama's fundraising has been decreasing since February and if that trend continues he may seriously regret forgoing public financing.

Bush saying "goodbye from the world's biggest polluter" to other world leaders at the conclusion of the G8 conference outrages Ryan at Think Progress who calls the joke "destructive" to climate change efforts. Wonkette calls the joke a "national embarrassment."

And Kucinich's new attempt to impeach Bush will likely die the same slow lonely death in committee as his previous efforts, First Read writes. Even though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) left the door open to holding a hearing on the impeachment article during her weekly press conference, Michelle Malkin calls the move nothing more than a "floor stunt."

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama Mocks McCain Over Gramm - Political Ticker
Union Vets Speak Out Against McCain - Firedoglake
Bush: 'Goodbye From The World's Biggest Polluter' - Ryan, Think Progress
The Reverend Is a Tiger - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
Denny K Launches Another Impeachment Bid - Michelle Malkin
The Nutty Confessor - Kathleen Parker, The Corner
Kucinich at It Again - First Read
McCain Raises $22 Million in June - amerpun, The Next Right
McCain Gets $22 Million in June - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
How Significant Is McCain's Haul? - Chris Bowers, Open Left
Bush Makes Annual Nation Embarrassment Joke - Wonkette

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
McCain Camp: Obama Needs $200 Million to 'Keep Pace' - The Hill
Clinton and Obama Mend Fences By Raising Funds - New York Times
A Gift From Jesse - Newsweek

Former White House adviser Karl Rove