AP story on the front page of the WSJ: "McCain Blasts Obama on Troop Visit"

Obama's campaign called the accusation "wildly inappropriate." His spokesman has claimed that the visit to a military hospital in Germany was scrapped after the Pentagon raised concerns about political activity on a military base. Earlier, though, the campaign had said Mr. Obama decided the visit might be seen as inappropriate politicking. However, the Pentagon said the senator was never told not to visit.

CNN is firing on all blasters with this story:
McCain camp rips Obama for cutting troop visit

Sen. John McCain's campaign Saturday lashed out at Sen. Barack Obama for canceling a visit to a U.S. military base in Germany on Thursday. Obama failed to fulfill a "responsibility to the men and women who serve this country," a McCain campaign spokesman said

Interesting pick up from Ben Smith at Politico...

Just listen to the lyrics, irony couldn't get better than this.

For a lot of us, following politics can blur between hobby and obsession. It is certainly true for me, and because of my long years at this, I have contacts in the strangest places. Today I recieved this image from a contact in McCain campaign headquarters and I thought I would share it with you all, as it gives a lot of insight into the "behind the scenes" at something like the now infamous "Crybaby" Address from McCain.

Candid pictures like this are rare unless you work for one of the big media corporations, so I hope you guys enjoy a glimpse "behind the curtain" so to speak. Check it out below the fold:

Are we only listening to the Pentagon's version of the surge?   Here's a different perspective and some alarming numbers.  

Ronald Reagan has become an icon in the Republican party, and among many independents.

This is in part because Reagan had the courage to stand against Communist totalitarianism, and to take action that bankrupted the Soviets.  Reagan famously said that, "the march of freedom and democracy which will leave Marxism-Leninism on the ash-heap of history as it has left other tyrannies which stifle the freedom and muzzle the self-expression of the people."

In 2008, I believe that the central force of totalitarianism is not "Islamofascism".  They don't have the money or the military might.  The world will stand against them, and if we keep our eye on the ball, we'll get energy independence and stop funneling tens of billions to Muslim extremists with oil wells.

Is the Media's version of the Obama-McCain horse-race correct? (Race will be very tight, nobody's ahead)

Or my friend in Georgia? (McCain supporters are everywhere - you liberals just can't see them - McCain will win)

Or my haircutter? (You never know what terrorist attack or October Surprise those Republicans will pull out to change the vote in November)

The disappointed Berkeley activist (Obama will win anyhow, so my vote for Nader won't matter, this time)

Or the optimist's view (McCain is SO awful, Obama so smart, how could Americans make another choice?)

Cross posted at my other blog "If I Ran The Zoo"

The phrase "Senator Obama you were wrong about the surge" looms in the balance of the 2008 election. It is basically the one "gotcha phrase" that the McCain camp has at its disposal that the Obama camp has not effectively neutralized.
Ultimately, the acusation will be delivered again and again throughout the campaign. Most importantly, it will be dramatically delivered during the first Presidential debate. How Obama responds will weigh heavily on the outcome of the debate. In the mean time, the Obama camp must work hard not to vacillate and sputter on thier response.

It struck me that McCain's biggest weakness is if people start to recognize that he is angry, confused, somewhat out there on the edge and is running to be the guy with his finger on the trigger. I was talking to some pals and just mentioned a smattering of McCain stories in these areas and you could see the worry it caused. In particular I like pointing out the discussion I had with a lass I knew who worked for Grover Norquist, she told me a while ago -- you know MCCain is nuts....and essentially made one ask the question -- would you want his finger on the trigger?

I would not of course. And I bet most Americans would agree if they knew these stories.

I guess this actually it isn't framing -- it is truth telling.

I remember George Bush Sr., while building a campaign on impugning Michael Dukakis' patriotism, protesting (paraphrasing here), "I'm not questioning his patriotism, just his judgment." Hypocrisy is the debt that vice pays to virtue. Bush at least recognized that openly questioning his opponent's patriotism was scurrilous.

McCain, on the other hand, has made a conscious choice to explictly base his campaign on the absurd allegation that Obama "would rather lose a war than lose a campaign." That's worse than a direct assault on patriotism - it's a denial of the Obama's integrity. Here's  
the latest:

There are some items up on News Unfiltered that may interest the community.

Apparently things CAN get worse for McCain, says the DNC:

Another week of bad news, bad reviews and campaign chaos for the McCain campaign. The only change: the campaign's increasingly desperate response. In what has become a recurring theme, McCain's week was dominated by foreign policy gaffes, misleading attacks, terrible reviews and new polls showing him lagging far behind among key groups of voters. Instead of addressing those challenges, the McCain campaign chose to lash out at the media and launch desperate new attacks. Despite starting his general election campaign by pledging "to conduct a respectful campaign" and run "the most positive kind of campaign," McCain has resorted to the kind of negative attacks that would make even Karl Rove blush -- capped off with McCain himself questioning Senator Obama's patriotism.

Read more.

John McCain gaffes have increased like the temperature on a hot day in the Mojave Desert and the press continues to ignore them. What would have happened if Senator Obama had made this many gaffes? The Drudge Report Siren would have be on it like "white on rice" and he, Obama, would have been toast - history - KIBOSH! We would currently be supporting Hillary Clinton as the Democratic Nominee - not Barack.

Why is it that John McCain can brag about how he graduated at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy, and we some how find this amusing and acceptable? As a nation we should be very concerned that the potential President of the United States and the free world has below level intelligence. Didn't we learn anything from the Bush Presidency? Did eight years of Dubya make us phlegmatic to mediocrity and stupidty?  

Hey folks, intelligence does matter.

Well, they say a picture is worth a 1000 words....this week has left me speechless. I'm sure the McCain campaign doesn't think its funny but I'm LMAO at the contrast between Obama's week and McCain's week:D

Drudge reported that an Israeli newspaper had printed the prayer that Obama had left at the Wall in Jerusalem...apparently a Jewish student snatched it after O had left and then shopped it around.  Several papers rightly refused to divulge the contents due to privacy issues.  Now the prayer is on CNN.

While giving up O's private prayer is reprehensible, the contents of the prayer provide an insight into the sort of person Obama is, and the results are good.  I hope all the Christians who doubt Obama's sincerity see this.  

McCain's latest CNN interview shows his desperation as he confronts the fact that the American people AND the Iraqi people want American combat troops out, ON A TIMELINE.  What to do?  Well, his latest rationality-challenged ploy is to insist that he would get the troops out quickly, too, because "they're winning."  And his claim that he'll withdraw troops soon is better than Obama's, because while Obama acknowledges that conditions may require a return (such as to prevent genocide), McCain's comes with a guarantee:

I guarantee you, after they withdraw under what we are doing, they'll never have to go back.

So am I missing something, or is McCain's "guarantee" no less than a stunning promise to ignore conditions on the ground?
In what fantasy world can McCain "guarantee" that nothing will ever again happen in Iraq that might require U.S. troops?  And which candidate is it who would rather play politics than tell Americans the truth?

Here's the link to the CNN interview; the "guarantee" comes at the end.

This guy never stops.