Blame game: GOP forms circular firing squad

With despair rising even among many of John McCain’s own advisors, influential Republicans inside and outside his campaign are engaged in an intense round of blame-casting and rear-covering—-much of it virtually conceding that an Election Day rout is likely.

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ACLU: 2/3 of US population lives in 'Constitution-free zone'

Nine out of the top ten US cities and two thirds of the country's population lives in a "Constitution-free zone," according to a new campaign by the ACLU.

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Barbara West, Biden Interviewer: Her Husband is a GOP Flack!

Joe Biden got asked some questions from Orlando WFTV reporter Barbara West on Thursday that where completely false. Biden: "Are you joking? Is this is a joke? Or is that a real question?" Turns out that her husband, Wade West, is a media consultant for Republican politicians!

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Big Endorsement - Seattle Times endorses Obama !!!

Obama should be the next president of the United States because he is the most qualified change agent. Obama is a little young, but also brilliant. If he sometimes seems brainy and professorial, that's OK. We need the leader of the free world to think things through, carefully. We have seen the sorry results of shooting from the hip.

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Stopping At Nothing To Win

In the military culture that shaped John McCain, there is no more important responsibility than the promotion boards that select the right officers for top positions of command. It's a sacred trust in McCain's world, because people's lives are at stake.

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The Government, the media and Afghanistan

The U.S. military relied on an "independent journalist" to deny villagers' claims of large-scale civilian deaths. It turned out the "journalist" is Fox's Oliver North. Why are we talking about pigs and lipstick?

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Don't be distracted...

By the bright shiny object the Republicans trotted out last week.







The Obama-Biden ticket needs all of our help.

To find out how you can volunteer in your area, look here.

If you donate $15 to the campaign, you will get a car magnet.

No way, no how, no McCain-Palin.

19 days before HHS rule changes everything

HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt has proposed a new rule that will limit the rights of women to receive medically accurate information and treatment. The result would be limited access to birth control and abortion for women all over the country - regardless of state law.

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Government Plans Seizure of Fannie and Freddie

The government informed the two mortgage-finance companies that it is preparing a plan to seize them and place them in a conservatorship, officials and executives said.

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Three University of Kentucky Journalists Jailed at RNC

On Monday night, three journalists from the Kentucky Kernel were arrested while documenting the protests outside the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nothing indicates that any of the three were actually participating in the protests, much less violating any laws that would warrant their arrest.

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Why we were falsely arrested

I was arrested with my two colleagues, Democracy Now! producers Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Nicole Salazar, while reporting on the first day of the RNC. I have been wrongly charged with a misdemeanor. My co-workers, who were simply reporting, may be charged with felony riot.

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Don't Blow It, Netroots Bloggers

We want to be on the "right side" (pun intended) of the #1 meme of this campaign: "McCain Doesn't Get It". Everything else is a non-issue. Use your blog and blogging in the "right way" (pun intended).

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Is Minneapolis a police state this week?

There are reports from Minneapolis about activities this week that have brought to light excessive actions by the police and perhaps even the federal government to shut down any protests during the Republican National Convention.

I-Witness Video, a group that highlighted the abuses that occurred during the 2004 RNC convention has this report of their suspicious detention on Sunday.

Firedoglake also has a first hand account from a witness to a raid that occurred on Saturday.

Glenn Greenwald writes about the arrest of Democracy Now's Amy Goodman.

John McCain selects Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate

John McCain has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate for the 2008 Election. This move surprised many who expected him to make a more conventional choice such as Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty. Sarah Palin is a first term Governor whose only other political experience was as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska for 6 years and 4 years on the city council of Wasilla.

Bill Clinton: "The third time is not the charm"

Bill is still the man.

Video and Text of his speech at the DNC Convention

Hillary releases her delegates.. gives passionate speech at the convention

Hillary Clinton has released her 1,700 + pledged delegates to vote for whomever they choose during today's roll call at the DNC convention.

This comes after she gave a passionate speech last night about her support for the nominee Barack Obama. Her speech has been widely heralded as a unifying move toward moving her supporters over to Obama.

Text and video of her speech here

Planned Parenthood's gift to the DNC convention attendees

Via Daily Kos
and Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood is at the DNC Convention this week to show support, get involved, and pass out a large number of the immensely popular convention schwag — “Protect Yourself From John McCain (in this election)” condoms — and get the word out on McCain’s pathetic record on women’s health issues.

Each condom has a a series of 10 fun facts about McCain’s positions on women's health. Collect all 10!

Police investigate possible plot to kill Obama at Invesco

From Rocky Mountain News

AURORA — Authorities are investigating a possible assassination plot against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

At least three people have been arrested in connection with a possible plot to kill Obama at his Thursday night acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High, according to CBS4 News. The suspects are being held on either drug or weapons charges.

Aurora police arrested a suspected drunken at 1:30 a.m. Sunday during a routine traffic stop where the man was seen "weaving," sources said.

Aurora police seized a bullet-proof vest, two rifles, one of which was stolen and one with a hunting scope, ammunition, drugs and walkie-talkies.

Detective Marcus Dudley, a police spokesman, would not comment on reports that the men were involved in a plot to kill Obama. He told reporters gathered in a parking lot behind the police station that he could not discuss the "federal implications" of the case or whether others besides the three men had been arrested. However, he did confirm that federal authorities were involved in arresting two of the men.

"Clearly, we feel there are federal implications. Beyond that I can't elaborate," he said.

He said the U.S. Attorney for Colorado will hold a news conference Wednesday.

CBS4 reported one of the suspects told authorities they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle … sighted at 750 yards."

Law-enforcement sources told CBS4 that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."

A second source told CBS4 News that they are concerned they may have come upon a possible "assasination plot."

Dudley identied the men arrested as:

* Tharim Robert Gartrell, 28, who was carrying a Colorado identification card that listed a Centennial address. Gartrell was erratically driving a rented 2008 blue Dodge Ram truck that was not registered in his name. The cache of guns, ammo, drugs and other equipment were found in the truck.

* Nathan Johnson, 32. About three hours after Gartrell's arrest, police from Aurora, Denver and Greenwood Village, and federal agents arrested Johnson at a hotel near Interstate 25 and Belleview Avenue. He is being held on drug charges in Denver. His bond amount was not available.

* Shawn Robert Adolf, 33. Police and federal agents arrested Adolf at the Cherry Creek Hotel at 600 South Colorado Boulevard in Glendale around 5 a.m. Sunday after he jumped from a sixth-floor window. Adolf was injured when he fell four stories onto the second-floor roof of the hotel kitchen. He then jumped again onto the ground around the hotel, where police caught him a short time later. Johnson was hospitalized with unspecified injuries from his fall. He is being held on 7 outstanding warrants with bonds totaling $1 million.

The Secret Service, ATF and U.S. Attorney's Office are investigating.

AP Washington DC bureau chief brings you the Republican view of the world

Ron Fournier, Associated Press Washington DC bureau chief, has once again displayed an appalling lack of journalistic integrity with his latest piece on Obama's choice of Joe Biden to be his VP. AP Story

A little history:

He once told Karl Rove to "keep up the fight" while Pat Tillman's case was a prominent news story.

He considered joining the McCain campaign earlier this year.

The Associated Press has a credibility issue.

The time has come to speak out against this issue and ask that Fournier be removed from covering the Presidental election.

Contact the Associated Press... Kathleen Carroll (Fournier's boss) at kcarroll@ap.org or (212) 621-1500. Be POLITE, but be FIRM. Let them know that you don't want to see them serve as stenographers and amplifiers for pure spin by the McCain campaign. (thanks to Jonathan Singer of mydd.com)

Moveon.org has also joined in the fight.

Firedoglake.com also has a handy little tool for those who want to get involved.

It's Biden

Barack Obama has selected Delaware Senator Joseph Biden to be his running mate.

Gitmo on the Platte

Via DNC Disruption 08

Police plans for suppressing dissent and crushing street protests during the DNC took on an even more sinister tone on Wednesday. Rick Sallinger of CBS4 has uncovered a secret makeshift detention center that will be holding mass arrestees during the convention. This warehouse prison facility has already been dubbed ‘Gitmo On The Platte’ by protest groups.

“Inside are dozens are metal cages. They are made out of chain link fence material and topped by rolls of barbed wire,” says Sallinger. The ACLU says that they will be requesting information from the city as to how they plan to feed, house, provide medical facilities, and spaces for legal counseling for all of the protesters detained at this facility.

Groups planning to protest the DNC have expressed their outrage at this detention facility. After being shown footage, Zoe Williams of CODEPINK said the facility was “very bare bones and very reminiscent of a political prisoner camp or concentration camp”.

As in past mobilizations, police are expected to arrest hundreds of protesters without valid charges and put them into holding cages in order to keep them off the streets. Those arrested simply for exercising free speech amount to exactly what Zoe is talking about, a bunch of political prisoners.

Perhaps the most heartwarming thought of all is what they’ll be doing do all these penned up protesters once they get there. A sign within the detention facility says it all. “Warning! Electric stun devices used in this facility”

Obama: I've decided on my running mate

From CNN

Sen. Barack Obama said he has decided on his running mate, but he's not saying who it is.

Barack Obama said he has decided on his VP pick but is not ready to reveal it yet.

"I won't comment on anything else until I introduce our running mate to the world," he said Thursday. "That's all you're going to get out of me."

Obama is expected to appear at a rally with his running mate in Springfield, Illinois, Saturday. It's unclear just when the campaign will announce the vice presidential choice via text message.

The top contenders for Obama's No. 2 spot, meanwhile, are staying mum on the selection process as the vice presidential guessing game enters its final hours.

Most of this week's buzz has been around Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.

Kaine on Thursday dodged all questions, telling CNN's John Roberts he'd have to plead the Fifth on anything related to the selection process.

"You're just going to have to hear from the campaign and they'll make the announcement when they're ready," he said on CNN's "American Morning."

The first-term governor also would neither confirm nor deny reports he was being vetted, but he said he was flattered to be mentioned as a contender.

"My mom in Kansas City loves it when someone will talk about me as VP," he said.

Kaine also said he thinks that if Obama can take Virginia -- which hasn't voted for a Democratic president in 44 years -- then the senator from Illinois would win the White House.

Kaine will be back in the spotlight later Thursday as he campaigns with Obama in Virginia.

Other candidates at the heart of the VP buzz have largely gone underground: Biden has been seen driving around in his truck, but he's avoided any lengthy interviews. Bayh has also been keeping private -- as much as he can, at least, with reporters staked outside his home.

Darkhorse contender Hillary Clinton re-entered the conversation this week following a poll indicating that nearly half of her supporters have yet to embrace Obama.

The Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll out Wednesday night shows that just 52 percent of Clinton supporters say they will vote for Obama. Twenty-one percent favor Republican John McCain, while 27 percent are still undecided or say they will vote for "someone else.''

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The New York senator was considered one of the top VP contenders shortly after she ended her own White House run, but rumors of lingering tension between the former rivals and word that her name would be placed in nomination at the convention are partially to blame for kicking her out of the top tier.

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader said Clinton is the smart choice because she is the only person who would help Obama get more votes.

"And if he's going to say, 'One people, one nation,' he can raise the banner of unity with her as his vice presidential running mate," he said Thursday on "American Morning."

Nader also told Politico.com that Obama wouldn't be "that dumb" to pick Bayh or Biden to be vice president.

Other big names thought to be in the running include retired Gen. Wesley Clark, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, Texas Rep. Chet Edwards, Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

John McCain doesn't discount the idea of re instituting the draft

Via Think Progress John McCain stated that he doesn't think we can "chase Bin Laden to the gates of hell" without re instituting the draft.

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones dies after aneurysm

Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, has passed away after suffering an aneurysm last night. She was Ohio's first first African-American woman to be elected to Congress and has served Cleveland's east side for 10 years. She was also one of Hillary Clinton's most trusted supporters. She was 58 years old.

Rachel Maddow gets her own show on MSNBC

MSNBC will be announcing tomorrow that Rachel Maddow, commentator for Air America and guest host for Countdown with Keith Olbermann, will be hosting her own show on MSNBC in the 9 PM EST timeslot.