| June 1 |
- Puerto Rico goes to the polls
- Though they don’t get to vote in the general election, the island’s residents are voting in a Democratic primary today, but will enough turn out to make a difference for Hillary Clinton?
- Clinton projected to win Puerto Rico
- Just after the polls closed in the commonwealth, the networks called the Democratic primary there for Hillary Clinton, and it seems as if she’ll win by a wide margin.
- Puerto Rico turnout expected to be low
- Fewer residents of the commonwealth voted than some observers had predicted, and that’s bad news for Hillary Clinton.
- In new ad, Clinton camp pushes popular vote
- The spot is running in the two states that will hold primaries on Tuesday.
- Clinton: “The people… have chosen [their] candidate”
- Speaking to supporters after her victory in Puerto Rico’s Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton gives an assessment of the race that might surprise some people.
- Clinton math
- In the immediate aftermath of Puerto Rico’s primary, Hillary Clinton’s campaign made some counterintuitive arguments about turnout and the popular vote.
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| June 2 |
- Reading the Clinton tea leaves
- Early signs indicate that Tuesday night may be the beginning of the end for Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
- The latest delegate math
- Including the delegations from Florida and Michigan, Barack Obama’s campaign says he’s fewer than 50 delegates away from securing the nomination.
- Why not let Clinton keep the four Michigan delegates?
- Hillary Clinton’s supporters are arguing vehemently against one part of the deal reached to seat the state’s delegation.
- Clinton camp denies report of planned staff cuts
- Hillary Clinton’s campaign says a previous report is untrue, and that advance staffers are just being given an option of where to go Tuesday night.
- Politico: Obama wins the Drudge primary
- A look at the Drudge Report indicates that the influential site has been favoring Barack Obama’s campaign so far.
- Obama’s delegate roundup
- Barack Obama’s campaign has reportedly set a goal of getting enough superdelegates to endorse him Tuesday to make a victory speech possible Tuesday night.
- AIPAC conference reignites fight between McCain and Obama
- In a speech at the conference, John McCain ridicules Barack Obama’s positions on Iran and Iraq; Obama’s campaign is quick to hit back.
- Could the GOP lose another safe congressional seat?
- It’s been a rough year for Republican congressional candidates already, and now there are signs they’re facing another big loss.
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| June 3 |
- Quote of the day
- Terry McAuliffe gives a hint as to Hillary Clinton’s plans.
- Report: Clinton will admit Obama has delegates for nomination
- The AP says that, in her speech tonight, Hillary Clinton will make a big concession, though probably not the final one.
- What does the Clinton campaign’s denial mean?
- Aides to Clinton deny a report that Clinton will admit that Obama has enough delegates for the nomination, but their statements are open to interpretation.
- AP: Obama has clinched nomination
- According to a tally that includes the minimum number of pledged delegates he’ll win tonight and unannounced endorsements, Barack Obama has hit the “magic number” needed for victory.
- Fallon says Bush doesn’t want war with Iran
- In an interview, Adm. Fallon denies claims he was forced out of his job because he disagreed with the president over attacking Iran.
- Clinton says she’s open to veep slot
- Hillary Clinton reportedly tells supporters she’d consider being Barack Obama’s running mate, a shift from her earlier public position.
- Carter to endorse Obama
- Former President Jimmy Carter says he’ll make it official after the primaries end tonight.
- Leader of Florida delegate challenge endorses Clinton
- Jon Ausman has half of a vote at the convention; he’s supporting Hillary Clinton now, he says, to send a message to the Obama campaign.
- More delegates for Obama
- California Rep. Maxine Waters is switching sides and endorsing Barack Obama, and a number of delegates once pledged to John Edwards are coming over as well.
- Minnesota Gov. Pawlenty goes after Obama
- The governor, said to be on the shortlist of potential running mates for McCain, held a conference call to give Barack Obama a welcome of sorts to his state.
- McCain his “own man”
- The presumptive GOP nominee to emphasize his independence from Bush in a New Orleans “general election” speech.
- Vanity Fair piece about Bill Clinton sparks controversy
- An article about the former president, which features some harsh criticism about him and suggestions of possibly indiscreet behavior by him, inspired a negative reaction and discussion about journalistic ethics.
- One way or another, tonight is Obama’s
- No matter what happens in South Dakota and Montana, it now appears certain that the Illinois senator is ready to go over the top.
- Clinton gets one more
- Hillary Clinton has just announced her second superdelegate endorsement of the day, but her take for Tuesday is still swamped by Barack Obama’s.
- Clinton voters warm up to Obama
- Early exit polls in South Dakota and Montana show Clinton voters are more likely to support Obama in the general election.
- CNN, MSNBC declare Obama presumptive nominee
- As polls closed in South Dakota, the two networks made their calls, not for the state’s primary, but for the nomination generally.
- Clinton declared winner of South Dakota primary
- It won’t make much difference in the overall delegate count, but at least Hillary Clinton will get to take what’s likely her final bow on a high note.
- McCain goes on the attack
- Speaking on the night of the final primaries of the Democratic race, the presumptive Republican nominee welcomed the general election, and went hard after Barack Obama.
- Obama projected as winner of Montana primary
- Barack Obama has already been declared the presumptive Democratic nominee by most media outlets, and now he can celebrate one more win in his planned victory speech.
- Clinton wins!
- Instead of the sort-of concession many expected her to deliver, Hillary Clinton’s remarks to supporters on Tuesday night sounded remarkably like… a victory speech?
- Obama declares victory
- In his speech Tuesday night, Barack Obama claimed the mantle of presumptive Democratic nominee and began his general election campaign in earnest.
- Rush of superdelegates to Obama
- Just after the polls closed, Barack Obama’s campaign announced endorsements that will add up to 26.5 votes at the Democratic convention, and more are likely on the way.
- Hillary Clinton for veep — the petition
- Clinton loyalist Lanny Davis is kicking off a drive to get the Senator from New York on Barack Obama’s ticket.
- Obama to Clinton: Want to meet?
- The presumptive Democratic nominee and the runner-up chat.
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| June 4 |
- Dem leaders want race over this week
- In a statement, four top Democrats make it clear they want uncommitted superdelegates to announce their endorsements, and soon.
- Bush congratulates Obama
- The incumbent president didn’t personally call the presumptive Democratic nominee, however.
- Emanuel endorses Obama
- Rahm Emanuel, a former top aide to Bill Clinton who’s now the House’s fourth-ranking Democrat, announces his decision Wednesday.
- California Supreme Court won’t stay gay marriage ruling
- In a rebuke to opponents of gay marriage, the court won’t wait to make official its ruling that overturned the state’s ban.
- McCain wants joint town halls, Obama receptive to idea
- In a letter, McCain asks Obama to agree to 10 appearances together, at least one a week until the Democratic convention.
- Obama makes veep search team official
- The identities and work of the people helping Barack Obama pick a running mate had once been a closely guarded secret, but no more.
- Rezko rains on Obama’s parade
- The guilty verdict in the trial of former Obama fundraiser Tony Rezko interrupts what the presumptive nominee’s campaign no doubt hoped would be a uniformly positive news cycle.
- Clinton says goodbye
- Hillary Clinton visited her Virginia headquarters on Wednesday to speak with staffers.
- Report: Clinton to drop out Friday
- According to multiple outlets, Hillary Clinton will be holding an event with supporters at which she’ll announce her exit from the race for the presidency.
- Clinton makes it official, schedules event for Saturday
- Hillary Clinton’s campaign has confirmed her intent to suspend her campaign and support Barack Obama.
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| June 5 |
- Clinton writes to her supporters
- As she prepares to exit the race, Hillary Clinton sends an e-mail announcing the event at which the official announcement will be made.
- Obama camp open to helping Clinton with debt
- A senior advisor to the presumptive Democratic nominee says they haven’t yet discussed the issue with Hillary Clinton’s staff, though.
- Obama taking over DNC, but Dean will remain chairman
- Barack Obama is moving to take control of the Democratic National Committee, as the party’s nominee always does, but there’ll be a familiar face at the top.
- Reid: “Lieberman is an important vote for this caucus”
- The “independent Democrat” from Connecticut gets a talking-to from Obama, but his Senate position looks safe for now, despite his active support of McCain.
- “It’s an inquisition, not a trial”
- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, puts on quite a show at his arraignment in Guantánamo.
- Clinton camp damping down veep talk
- Some of her supporters are still making overt efforts to get Clinton on the ticket, but her campaign says it’s Obama’s choice.
- Quote of the day
- The majority of Hillary Clinton’s supporters from her state’s congressional delegation won’t be coming to her final campaign event on Saturday; Rep. Charles Rangel explains why.
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| June 6 |
- Clinton asks supporters to raise money for Obama
- Hillary Clinton has reportedly asked her finance committee to shift gears; advisors estimate she can help Obama pull in at least $50 million.
- McCain camp debuts new ad with big buy
- For its first real general election spot, John McCain’s campaign is thinking big.
- Inside the Clinton-Obama meeting
- There’s not much detail on what the two discussed when they met Thursday, but the vice presidency was apparently not on the table.
- Hamas’ “unendorsement” of Obama
- The group reacted negatively to his speech at AIPAC, and now there’s talk of Hamas’ “unendorsing” Obama, but the whole discussion rests on a faulty premise.
- Did Clinton wait too long to concede?
- A history professor points to previous examples to suggest that Hillary Clinton isn’t alone in waiting a bit before acknowledging her loss.
- “Black President”
- In a change from this campaign season’s music so far, the newest pro-Obama song is actually good.
- Mr. Obama goes to Virginia
- Barack Obama’s focusing on the state as one he can turn Democratic this fall, so it wasn’t surprising to see him there very soon after he became his party’s presumptive nominee.
- Quote of the day
- One San Francisco Chronicle columnist is really, really, really enthusiastic about Barack Obama.
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| June 7 |
- Clinton suspends campaign, endorses Obama
- On Saturday, Hillary Clinton exited the presidential race, gave enthusiastic support to Barack Obama and spoke of what she and her supporters had accomplished on behalf of the women who’ll follow.
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| June 9 |
- The return of Willie Horton
- The adman responsible for the notorious spot is raising money for negative ads aimed at Barack Obama; the first has already been shown to be inaccurate.
- Breaking news: There are crazy people on the Internet
- Conservative bloggers are in an uproar over items posted to Barack Obama’s Web site, even though it’s clear the material had nothing to do with the official campaign.
- Obama’s vetting problem
- James Johnson, one of three people charged with helping Barack Obama select a running mate, is scrutinized over his connections to a controversial mortgage executive.
- Return of the gas tax
- John McCain is pitching the idea of a gas tax holiday to voters again, despite experts’ derision of the idea.
- Why McCain’s gas tax proposal is a good idea
- Experts agree a holiday from the federal gas tax wouldn’t do consumers much good, but the idea could still be a real political boon for John McCain.
- Obama camp reacts to Johnson story
- In talking points, Barack Obama’s campaign says revelations about loans taken out by a member of its veep search team are “overblown.”
- Touché, Senator McCain
- John McCain unveils his new response to the accusation that his presidency would be like a third term for George W. Bush.
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| June 10 |
- Rep. Kucinich introduces articles of impeachment
- The maverick Ohio lawmaker took up the House floor for hours Monday reading his list of President Bush’s alleged crimes, but the effort is certain to come to naught.
- How bleak is the picture for Republicans?
- Observers suggest dozens of GOP House seats could be up for grabs this fall, and the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee has set some very low expectations for that body.
- Debate over contractor immunity hampers Iraq-U.S. deal
- The issue is apparently stalling progress as the two countries negotiate over a long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq.
- Clinton asks her delegates to support Obama
- Hillary Clinton has been calling delegates pledged to her and asking them to vote for her one-time rival, but hasn’t technically “released” them.
- Paul planning his own convention
- Texas Rep. Ron Paul has booked enough space for 11,000 of his supporters to meet while the Republican convention goes on nearby.
- Quote of the day
- Fox’s E.D. Hill says Barack and Michelle Obama’s “fist bump” wasn’t reminiscent of terrorists after all.
- Dem congressman won’t endorse Obama
- Oklahoma Rep. Dan Boren says he will vote for Barack Obama, at the polls and the party convention, but that Obama is too liberal for his constituents.
- Breaking down McCain’s speech on the economy
- Despite his reputation for “straight talk,” an address the presumptive Republican nominee gave on Tuesday has some factual issues.
- Discussion of potential Obama running mates heats up
- The people helping Barack Obama choose a vice-presidential nominee were on Capitol Hill Tuesday, but one prominent possibility took his name out of the running.
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| June 11 |
- Bush says he regrets tone on Iraq
- In an interview, the president says some of his remarks on the war “indicated to people that I was, you know, not a man of peace.”
- Horton ad maker strikes again
- In a new spot, Floyd Brown — who produced the infamous Willie Horton ad — attacks Barack Obama on religion.
- McCain: Timeline of Iraq withdrawal “not too important”
- Democrats are taking advantage of some unartful comments from John McCain, but his campaign says that his words are being twisted.
- Conservatives angry at Bush over his statement of regret
- Bloggers on the right are attacking President Bush for not sticking to his guns on previous statements he’d made about the war in Iraq.
- James Johnson resigns from Obama team
- Johnson couldn’t survive the controversy over his ties to a company involved in the subprime crisis.
- Get ready for the attacks on Michelle Obama
- Conservatives are already trying to paint Barack Obama’s wife as bitter and anti-American.
- Quote of the day
- How is the Republican Party like a cheesy ‘80’s movie?
- Fox News calls Michelle Obama “Obama’s baby mama”
- An on-screen graphic displayed the description during a segment about attacks on the wife of the presumptive Democratic nominee.
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| June 12 |
- Obama won’t be at town hall tonight
- John McCain had wanted to kick off his proposed series at New York City’s Federal Hall, but the launch will have to wait for another time.
- Supreme Court rules in favor of Guantánamo detainees
- The ruling, decided by a 5-4 vote, is the third time the court has ruled against the Bush administration in a case involving the detainees.
- Penn spreads the blame around
- The former chief strategist for Hillary Clinton’s campaign has borne the brunt of the criticism in her loss, but he’s not ready to admit his role.
- Fox News responds
- The network blames “poor judgment” for the description of Michelle Obama as “Obama’s baby mama.”
- Polling the polls
- Don’t look now, but Barack Obama leads John McCain by more than George Bush ever led John Kerry.
- A Huck-a-pundit for Fox
- Mike Huckabee finally lands the TV gig some people thought he was seeking all along.
- Louisiana schools open to creationism?
- Wednesday, the Louisiana House passed a bill that would allow teachers to promote “critical thinking.” Critics say it’s just intelligent design in a new package.
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| June 13 |
- Iraqi leader: Talks on security hit “dead end”
- The prime minister of Iraq says U.S. proposals for a security deal don’t respect Iraqi sovereignty.
- Clark: “What does John McCain really believe?”
- Appearing on MSNBC Friday, retired Gen. Wesley Clark has some harsh words for the presumptive GOP nominee.
- Quote of the day
- Breaking down Justice Antonin Scalia’s reasoning on detainees at Guantanamo.
- Debating debates
- The McCain and Obama camps are now sniping at each other over John McCain’s proposal to hold 10 joint town halls.
- Gauging the Latino vote
- Democrats had worried about Barack Obama’s appeal to the rapidly expanding demographic, but a recent poll shows he may not have much to worry about.
- Russert dead from apparent heart attack
- Tim Russert, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” was 58.
- McCains owe more than 100K in credit card debt
- The exact total, which was revealed in Senate financial disclosure records released Friday, is not yet clear.
- Tennessee Dem leader suggests Obama has terrorist connections
- With friends like these, who needs Republicans?
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| June 16 |
- John Edwards not ruling out veep slot
- In an interview, the former senator and one-time vice-presidential nominee doesn’t categorically deny interest in trying for the job again.
- Plouffe discusses Obama’s map to victory
- Barack Obama’s campaign manager lays out his strategy for an Electoral College win, and discounts the importance of two states that had been key battlegrounds.
- Lanny Davis joins Fox News
- Davis, a special counsel to the president in the Clinton White House and a dogged surrogate for Hillary Clinton, becomes a contributor to the network.
- Former Clinton campaign manager joining Obama staff
- Patti Solis Doyle, who ran Hillary Clinton’s campaign until February, will be the chief of staff to Obama’s running mate once he (or she) is chosen.
- Obama says he’ll visit Iraq, Afghanistan
- The presumptive Democratic nominee, who’s been criticized by Republicans for not visiting Iraq recently, said Monday that he wants to go to both before Election Day.
- Gore to endorse Obama Monday night
- The former vice president will make an official announcement during a joint appearance with the presumptive Democratic nominee.
- Quote of the day
- Responding to unsubtle jabs about its candidate’s age and unfamiliarity with the Internet, the McCain campaign gets a little snippy.
- More on Kucinich and impeachment
- A vote last week means that articles of impeachment the Ohio congressman introduced are almost certainly doomed.
- Gore endorses Obama
- The former vice president throws his support behind the presumptive Democratic nominee, describing him as a man who can bring needed change to the U.S. and the world.
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| June 17 |
- Senate report says Pentagon skewed timeline on interrogation
- A Senate committee finds that there are major holes in Pentagon officials’ stories about the decision to use certain interrogation tactics at Guantánamo.
- McCain’s new ad goes green
- John McCain keeps up his pitch for independent voters with a new commercial about global warming.
- DNC heads back to court over McCain
- The committee says it’ll try again to sue federal election authorities, hoping they’ll crack down on John McCain’s campaign spending.
- MoveOn, AFSCME hit McCain on Iraq
- The groups’ new ad goes for voters’ emotions, and targets John McCain’s comments about staying in Iraq for 100 years.
- The new racist, anti-Obama fashion statement
- One vendor in Texas makes no bones about pins promoting a racist attitude toward the presumptive Democratic nominee.
- Survey: Youth vote nearly doubled for 2008 primaries and caucuses
- Observers are always skeptical about turnout by young voters, but it appears to be way up this year. Will it matter?
- Clinton and Obama, together at last
- No, it’s not for a joint ticket — just a joint appearance.
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| June 18 |
- Obama: “I think families are off limits”
- Barack Obama says he’s disappointed that his opponent didn’t help come to the defense of Michelle Obama, but the McCain campaign says the same thing about him.
- The return of Larry Sinclair
- On Wednesday, the National Press Club plays host to the controversial figure, who claims to have engaged in a wild night with Barack Obama.
- Volunteers blocked Muslims from being seen with Obama
- Two Muslim women were told they could not sit behind the candidate at a recent appearance unless they removed their head scarves.
- Cindy McCain, cookie thief?
- The wife of the presumptive GOP nominee has been accused of recipe plagiarism — again — but that only provokes a larger question: Why is anyone asking a potential first lady for recipes?
- The path to 270: Keys to victory in November
- Pollsters and consultants give Salon their take on what both candidates will have to do to win the presidency.
- A “September 10th mindset”
- After Rudy Giuliani criticized Obama’s position on terrorism this morning, the DNC responded by pointing out the apparent hypocrisy of Giuliani’s statement.
- Ru-dy! Ru-dy! Ru-dy!
- The president of 9/11 is back, and attacking Barack Obama, but Democrats are having none of it.
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| June 19 |
- Obama opts out of public funding
- In a video sent out to supporters, Barack Obama presents the decision as a way to “declare … independence from a broken system.”
- McCain camp response to Obama’s decision: “Typical politician”
- Fur is already flying between the two major campaigns over Barack Obama’s announcement that he’ll opt out of the public financing system.
- McCain counsel disputes Obama camp’s account
- An Obama spokesman says comments by a lawyer for McCain’s campaign showed that McCain wasn’t interested in dealing on public financing, but the lawyer says that’s not true.
- Quote of the day
- Barack Obama’s response to Republicans’ using 9/11 as a political weapon against him? Bring it on.
- Obama camp releases first general election ad
- The spot, which introduces the senator from Illinois in his own words, will air in 18 states starting Friday.
- Rove slams Obama and McCain on economy
- Calling the candidates “economically illiterate and irresponsibly populist,” the former Bush advisor argues against restricting oil company profits.
- AFSCME endorses Obama
- The union had backed Hillary Clinton, and its head had previously expressed doubts about Barack Obama’s chances for victory.
- McCain: “We will take public financing”
- Thursday morning, Barack Obama announced his intention to opt out of the public financing system; later in the day, John McCain said he’ll opt in.
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| June 20 |
- Obama calls two Muslim women to apologize
- The women, who had been barred by campaign volunteers from sitting behind the candidate because they were wearing head scarves, accept his apology.
- Clinton, Obama to campaign together
- Barack Obama’s campaign hasn’t provided details of the joint appearance yet, but it will happen next Friday.
- The 527 monster hiding under Obama’s bed
- Barack Obama justified opting out of public financing in part by citing the specter of independent GOP attack groups, but the threat is overblown.
- MoveOn closes its 527 for good
- The liberal group’s 527 committee hadn’t been operating for a few years, though it had remained legally open.
- Bloomberg: “Let’s call those rumors what they are: Lies”
- Speaking to a Jewish group in Florida, the mayor of New York says lies about Barack Obama’s religion should be rejected.
- Obama says he supports FISA compromise
- But the presumptive Democratic nominee says he will work in the Senate to strip a retroactive immunity provision.
- Why I’m voting Republican
- A parody ad makes a funny, if unsubtle, case against supporting the GOP in the fall.
- McClellan takes the stand
- Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Friday.
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| June 23 |
- Did lobbyists influence McCain’s “straight talk” on Boeing?
- Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff updates the story of one of John McCain’s good-government efforts, which doesn’t smell so sweet anymore.
- The self-aware Bill Kristol
- In his latest column, the influential neoconservative pundit bemoans those who think only other people’s kids should serve in the military.
- Clinton, Obama go heavy on the symbolism
- Details of one of their first joint appearances have just been released; the message is unmistakable.
- Rove: Obama “coolly arrogant”
- Karl Rove used, of all things, a country club metaphor to slam the presumptive Democratic nominee at a breakfast on Monday.
- Times slams Obama on ethanol
- In an article implicitly critical of the biofuel, the paper explores Barack Obama’s position on it and his ties to the industry.
- McCain advisor sees political advantage in terror attack
- John McCain is distancing himself from comments made by one of his senior advisors, who said a terror attack would help McCain’s prospects for victory.
- McCain panders on immigration, again
- Once a moderate on the issue, John McCain needs to tack to the right to mollify his party’s base, but also needs to hold on to Latino votes — so he’s tailoring his position to his audience.
- Obama camp ditches its take on presidential seal
- Unveiled Friday, the seal was the subject of criticism — and some mirth — but Barack Obama’s campaign isn’t the only one that’s come up with its own version.
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| June 24 |
- Lobbying for polar bear hunting
- New protections for bruins threaten furry rugs.
- Barack Obama, the experience candidate?
- One longtime political hand says Obama’s time in the Illinois Legislature has more value than many think, and that “experience” is a subjective measure anyway.
- A “fitting monument” for Dubya
- San Franciscans may get a chance to vote to name their sewage treatment plant in honor of President Bush.
- Bill Clinton says he’ll help Obama
- The former president’s first statement on behalf of Barack Obama didn’t evince much enthusiasm, though.
- Is Obama moving to the center?
- Positions he has taken recently on illegal wiretapping and foreign policy are indications that Barack Obama is trying to shake the dreaded liberal label.
- Quote of the day
- Who are you calling an arrogant martini drinker, you arrogant martini drinker?
- The truth about drilling and gas prices
- Republicans are slamming Democrats for their opposition to offshore oil drilling, but new drilling wouldn’t bring relief at the pump any time soon.
- Surveying the race
- Barack Obama’s campaign manager paints a mostly rosy picture supported by recent polling, while John McCain’s media buys give some insight as to where he’ll be trying to compete.
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| June 25 |
- Obama asks top donors to help with Clinton’s debt
- As the push for unity continues, Clinton is also expected to do her part — urging her congressional supporters to back the presumptive Democratic nominee.
- DNC sues FEC over McCain
- Democrats fire their latest salvo in a fight over John McCain’s campaign spending.
- Clinton not asking for her money back
- In a letter to supporters, Hillary Clinton seeks help paying some of her campaign’s debts, but makes it clear her own loans are not included in that request.
- McCain camp pushes back against low polling numbers
- In a memo, pollsters for John McCain’s campaign don’t bother to argue that he’s leading; they just say he’s not trailing as badly as one recent survey said.
- McCain has missed the most votes of any senator
- Campaigning has kept John McCain from his day job so often that the second most absent senator is Tim Johnson, who was away for months after a brain hemorrhage.
- McCain had private meeting with head of gay group
- John McCain and Patrick Sammon of the Log Cabin Republicans met recently, but McCain’s campaign kept the event off his public schedule.
- Republicans won’t run anti-voter-fraud campaign this year
- One report says that some have decided that their traditional efforts, seen as voter suppression by Democrats and others, might cause a backlash.
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| June 26 |
- Powell for Obama?
- Speculation that Colin Powell will endorse the presumptive Democratic nominee is growing.
- Supreme Court strikes down D.C. gun ban
- The court’s decision, the first it has made on the Second Amendment since 1939, says that the amendment protects an individual right to bear arms.
- Supreme Court rules “millionaire’s amendment” unconstitutional
- In a 5-4 vote, the court struck down a provision of a campaign finance law that allowed candidates to collect larger contributions when facing self-financed opponents.
- Obama: “I bit my tongue” on Clinton
- In a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus, Barack Obama says he held back in criticizing his one-time rival, and that the party must focus on defeating John McCain.
- Jindal approves castration for sex offenders
- The Louisiana governor signs a bill mandating the castration of sex offenders convicted of a second offense, and rails against SCOTUS’s decision on his state’s death penalty laws.
- McCain advisor: Politicians “putting politics first and country second”
- In a memo that seems to presage the campaign’s message to come, Steve Schmidt positions his candidate as patriotic and Obama as interested only in himself.
- Poll shows Obama ahead in key states
- According to a poll released Thursday, Barack Obama is leading John McCain by double digits in four swing states.
- Schwarzenegger seems to hit Bush, McCain, Crist on drilling
- California’s governor, who had held his tongue before, says anyone who promises that certain policies will reduce gas prices soon “is blowing smoke.”
- Will evangelicals abandon McCain?
- The presumptive Republican nominee continues to reach out to Christian conservatives, but so far, they’re not enthused.
- Quote of the day
- A conservative radio host says he’s especially desperate to get tickets to a football game because of what might happen if Barack Obama is elected.
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| June 27 |
- Prominent evangelical group attacks Obama on abortion
- The Family Research Council is going on the air Friday with a new ad that targets Barack Obama’s position on the right to abortion.
- Top Clinton loyalist joining Obama camp
- Neera Tanden, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, will reportedly become Barack Obama’s director of domestic policy.
- Clinton and Obama appear together
- Their first joint appearance, at a fundraiser in Washington, showed that Democrats are inching toward unity, but there’s still some work to be done.
- New ad says McCain is “putting country first”
- A new spot about John McCain’s energy policy tries to reinforce his campaign’s new message.
- A place called Unity
- On Friday, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton made their first public campaign appearance together, in a place laden with symbolism.
- Clintons donate to Obama
- Bill and Hillary Clinton’s gesture followed a similar one from Barack and Michelle Obama.
- A lesson in how not to pick your co-sponsors
- The Federal Marriage Amendment has just been reintroduced to Congress, and a couple of interesting people are backing it.
- Washington state Dems agree to change “Sopranos” ad
- After a complaint from a local Italian group, the party apologized for an attack ad directed at a Republican candidate that featured the theme song from “The Sopranos.”
- Vacation, all I ever wanted
- Guest bloggers will be running War Room for a couple weeks.
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| June 30 |
- Wesley Clark boldly goes where few have gone before
- Wesley Clark draws criticism after questioning McCain’s military credentials.
- An “ominous trend” for Fox News’ ratings
- Once dominant cable news channel is finding increased competition from rivals.
- McCain’s tax troubles
- McCain runs into a little trouble over his failure to pay his property tax bill.
- Monday’s campaign roundup
- Today’s installment of campaign-related news items.
- Until recently, McCain opposed his “top priority”
- McCain vows to support an immigration bill he recently vowed to oppose.
- G.I. Bill hypocrisy reaches new depths
- After fighting the G.I. Bill expansion, both Bush and McCain take credit for its passage.
- Media mischaracterizes Clark comments, Obama backs away
- Following an uproar in the press, Obama distances himself from Clark’s questions on McCain’s qualifications.
- Of all the attack dogs McCain could have picked …
- To go after Clark and Obama, McCain campaign taps member of ‘04 Swift Boat group.
- Obama, Bill Clinton connect
- The Democratic nominee and the last Democratic president finally talk on the phone.
- Bush’s plans falter, al-Qaida establishes new base of operations
- “Operation Cannonball” can’t get off the ground as al-Qaida establishes roots in Pakistan.
- Auto-replace is not always your friend
- The American Family Association finds out why misusing auto-replace can be embarrassing.
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Blood in the water in North Carolina
Hard times at the bottom of the Bush economy
Glenn Greenwald
Joan Walsh