Well thank goodness someone in the media is still holding Palin's feet to the fire over Troopergate. And guess who it is?
We also have news on McCain's supposed economic strategy and another newspaper endorsement for Obama.
The Anchorage Daily News editorial board has some harsh words for Sarah Palin and her "creative" interpretation of the Troopergate report (DIGG IT!):
Sarah Palin's reaction to the Legislature's Troopergate report is an embarrassment to Alaskans and the nation.
She claims the report "vindicates" her. She said that the investigation found "no unlawful or unethical activity on my part."
Her response is either astoundingly ignorant or downright Orwellian.
Well, this just made my morning. Also:
Is what she did indictable? No. But it wasn't appropriate, especially for someone elected as an ethical reformer. And her Orwellian claims of "vindication" make this blemish on her record look even worse.
You asked us to hold you accountable, Gov. Palin. Did you mean it?
Bottom line: Gov. Palin, read the report. It says you violated the ethics law.
Digg link.
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Conor Clarke at the Atlantic also isn't buying Palin's reaction:
Maybe mavericks don't need to give explanations, but I'm pretty sure vice presidents do.
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The Los Angeles Times reviews McCain's new strategy (which one is this? I've lost count) in For John McCain, another day, another strategy:
John McCain unveiled a feisty new campaign speech Monday, but the talk of change and promise of a fist-shaking fight to November failed to allay Republican concerns that the presidential race may be slipping beyond his grasp.
and:
"I don't want to be the first Republican out there to say it's a disaster, but it's a . . . disaster," said a GOP strategist in a key state both sides are targeting. He did not want to be identified criticizing the party's nominee. "I don't see the issue that's going to turn this race around, unless there's a scandal, a terrorist act -- almost an act of God."
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First there was going to be a new economic plan on Monday from McCain, and then no new plan. Then, we hear yes, maybe there will be a new plan from the Republican nominee. Is this amateur hour? Reuters is reporting that McCain will unveil a new economic plan today (where have we heard this before?):
McCain economic adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin told Reuters that McCain would outline an estimated $52.5 billion in new proposals.
McCain will propose that seniors pay a maximum tax rate of 10 percent on money they withdraw from IRAs and 401(k) retirement plans in 2009 and 2010, instead of paying the current higher tax rate, the adviser said. It would cost $36 billion.
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Joan Walsh has a column on Salon about how Obama has become the "safe" choice for President and how McCain has become risky:
The best thing is that on the very same day, Obama laid out his own plan to put money in the hands of homeowners, taxpayers and small businesses, not just bankers. Many readers will remember I was critical of Obama during the primary campaign; I thought he didn’t talk enough economic populism, and that’s why Hillary Clinton crushed him in some of the closing primaries in economically vulnerable states. But Obama has come into his own in the last month. He’s not Hillary, and he’s not Bill Clinton; he’s not Joe Biden, either. (I did love seeing the three of them this weekend in Scranton, I will say.) Obama is the person he always was, with more specifics in his stump speech, more heft. According to most polls, this thoughtful, ruminative, compassionate guy is very reassuring to voters facing a global economic meltdown. Obama is feeling like the right person for the job right now, right on time.
I almost feel sorry for John McCain. His statement today that "we’ve got them just where we want them," now that he’s behind in every poll, often by double digits, might go down in history as being as deluded a statement as "the fundamentals of our economy are strong."
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A headline this morning from the Springfield News-Leader (MO), Obama leading McCain in state polls. I just want to emphasize, this is in Missouri!
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The Boston Globe endorses Barack Obama this morning:
Such a leader is at hand. With great enthusiasm, the Globe endorses Senator Barack Obama for president. The charismatic Democrat from Illinois has the ability to channel Americans' hopes and rally the public together, at a time when the winds are picking up and the clouds keep on darkening.
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Someone asked the other day if any newspapers that endorsed Bush in 2004 have endorsed Obama. Well, the answer is yes:
So far, the Obama-Biden ticket leads with 28 editorial endorsements, with the McCain-Palin lagging far behind with 11. It's too early to project, but in 2004, John Kerry barely edged George W. Bush in endorsements, by about 220 to 205.
In another important measure: Obama has so far won the backing from five papers that endorsed the GOP candidate in 2004, while McCain has earned no flip-flops.
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New polling results from Gallup this morning. Check out the results on the economy:
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Politico releases new polling information on Obama's lead in 3 of 4 key Bush counties:
Barack Obama has erased traditional Republican advantages in four key bellwether counties that President George W. Bush won in 2000 and 2004, according to a new Politico/InsiderAdvantage survey. Each county is critical to the outcome in the battleground state where it is located.
In Reno, Nevada's Washoe County, Obama leads McCain by a 46-45 percent margin, with six percent undecided. Obama posts a wider 50-44 percent lead with five percent undecided in Raleigh, North Carolina's Wake County, and another 6-point lead in Hillsborough County, Fla., where Tampa is located. There, he edges McCain 47-41 percent, with 11 percent undecided.
McCain is leading - although within the margin of error - in Jefferson County, Colorado.
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So what's on your mind this morning?