July 2008

A few odds and ends to cover this fine Thursday evening:

-- NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Rick Davis have words about the implications of John McCain's "Celeb" ad:

-- Barack Obama's campaign launched a new site today to fact check McCain's charges against him: Low Road Express. The site's catch phrase? "The Straight Talk Express has taken a nasty turn into the gutter."

-- And ICYMI, McCain said during a WI town hall today that he is "proud" of the "Celeb" spot: "So, all I can say is that we are proud of that commercial. We think Americans need to know that I believe that we should base this campaign on what we can do for Americans here at home and how we can make America safe and prosperous and that is the theme of our campaign."

And readers ... Is the McCain attack strategy effective? Backlash imminent? Will it work?

Apparently Kid Rock, American Idol also ran Kelly Pickler and John McCain will appear 8/4 at the Buffalo Chip’s tribute to American veterans and active duty servicemen during the annual Sturgis (SD) Motorcycle Rally. So will this celebrity trio, who aren't scheduled to rock out together, hit the Miss Miller Lite contest?

Or perhaps the related footage will be used in a rival's television ads ...

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA - Barack Obama condemned John McCain's "Celeb" ad today as the latest of his rival's "predictable political attacks," and the presumptive Democratic nominee portrayed his opponent as looking out for profitable big oil contributors instead of the working class.

"While big oil is making record profits, you're paying record prices at the pump, and our economy is leaving working people behind," Obama told residents of this flood-ravaged city, hours after Exxon-Mobil announced a record $12B quarterly profit.

He defended his opposition to expanded offshore oil drilling, saying it wouldn't provide "short-term relief or medium-term relief or, in fact, long-term relief."

"Now although it won't save you dollars at the pump, I have to say that it has helped raise campaign dollars," he added. "Because last month, Senator McCain raised more than a million dollars from -- guess who? -- oil and gas company executives and employees - most of whom, most of these campaign contributions came after he went to Houston to meet with a bunch of oil executives and announce that he was in favor of offshore drilling. That's not a strategy designed to end our energy crisis, it's a strategy designed to get politicians through an election."

Obama also said that McCain is resorting to negative attacks instead of offering solutions for the nation's economic woes.

"Given the magnitude of our challenges when it comes to energy and health care and jobs and our foreign policy, you'd think that we'd be having a serious debate," he said. "But so far, all we've been hearing about is Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. I do have to ask my opponent, is that the best you can come up with? Is that really what this election's about? Is that what is worthy of the American people?"

Indicted AK Sen. Ted Stevens pleads not guilty to seven felony charges, MSNBC is reporting. More to come ...

Barack Obama's campaign is using John McCain's "Celeb" ad to raise coin before the midnight fundraising deadline. In a cyber appeal, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe calls the spot, which compares Obama's celebrity to that of Brittany Spears and Paris Hilton, "the latest and lowest in a series of misleading attack ads" and a "Karl Rove-style ploy."

Plouffe asks for $5 donations to get Obama's response ad -- called "Low Road" -- on the air and to "show the McCain campaign that there is a cost to this kind of negative politics."

Plouffe's full appeal is available after the jump.

With eight new state polls out since last week's 7/25 update, Barack Obama's Electoral College lead has increased while his margins in key battleground states have decreased. The Hotline estimates Obama now has 319 EVs to John McCain's 207 -- a 27 EV swing from Obama's 292-234 EV lead on 7/25.

But Obama interestingly now has 207 solid EVs and 61 lean EVs; last week he had 227 solid EVs and only 14 lean EVs. McCain meanwhile has 142 solid EVs and 23 lean EVs; one week ago, he had only 134 solid EVs but 50 lean EVs. Twelve EVs remain toss-ups.

The 27 EV switch was the result of a Quinnipiac Univ. poll released this a.m. showing Obama with a statistically insignificant 46-44% lead in FL. Previously, two GOP pollsters had shown FL as lean and solid McCain, respectively; in Quinnipiac's previous FL survey, completed 6/16, Obama had a statistically significant 47-43% lead.

In addition to the new FL numbers, Quinnipiac shows Obama leading 46-44% in OH and 49-42% in PA -- down from his leads of 6% in OH and 12% in PA on 6/16. While the narrow margin in OH moves its 20 EVs from solid Obama to lean Obama, PA's 21 EVs remain solid Obama. Likewise, a new Strategic Vision (R) poll shows Obama with a solid (9%) lead in PA.

Meanwhile a new Research 2000 survey in SC -- the first poll taken in the state -- shows McCain leading Obama 53-40% and moves SC from the Bush/Bush projection to solid McCain. Finally, new polls out in CA, ME and WA all confirm these states as Obama strongholds.

As always, the chart includes all WH '08 state polling data published in The Hotline since 5/23. The most recent poll, the one used to identify each state's winner, is listed on the same line as the state symbol with older surveys below. In addition, only the most recent poll from a pollster is retained for each state. For the 15 states (including DC) without current polling data available, the winner has been estimated based on WH '00 and WH '04 results. For a full explanation of the symbols in the far right column see the key below the chart.

(Hotline's MATTHEW GOTTLIEB and CARRIE DINDINO)

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and a roundtable with NBC's Andrea Mitchell, NBC's Chuck Todd and PBS' Judy Woodruff.

Face the Nation hosts McCain Victory Chair Carly Fiorina and ex-Treasury Sec. Robert Rubin.

This Week hosts Speaker Nancy Pelosi and ex-PA Gov. Tom Ridge (R), and a roundtable with George Will, Dem strategist Donna Brazile and ex-WH adviser David Gergen.

Fox News Sunday hosts Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The "Power Player" is Ashley Judd.

Late Edition hosts Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Undersec. of State for Public Diplomacy Jim Glassman, Obama economic adviser Laura Tyson, McCain economic adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer, Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, and a roundtable with CNN's Bill Schneider, Joe Johns and Gloria Borger.

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

RICHMOND, VA -- During an hour-long program on Richmond talk radio station, Gov. Tim Kaine said he has not been approached to speak at the Democratic convention.

"I haven't been contacted about that," he said when asked if he'd be speaking in Denver. "If they want me to, I'd be glad to."

Kaine was introduced by the station's producers with a tongue-in-cheek promo: "Ask the future possible Vice President." But Kaine told his interviewers on WRVA that he does not publicly discuss his conversations with Obama's team.

"I'm not going to make a case for myself for VP, because I haven't ever asked to be considered," he told a call-in questioner who asked about his foreign policy qualifications as a veep. But he quickly added, "You're right. I'm an economy and education guy. That's what governors do."

The governor also touted the news this morning that, for the third time, Forbes magazine has named Virginia as the nation's most business-friendly state. Kaine also voiced his support for exploratory efforts to investigate oil reserves off of the Virginia coast, a position that's at odds with Obama's opposition to offshore drilling.

"I do favor an exploration to determine the size of the reserve," he said, adding that he would only support drilling if the reserve was sizeable and environmental consequences were negligable.

Later in the morning, the governor visited a Richmond child development center, where he was serenaded by elementary school-age kids from disadvantaged backgrounds. After a week of feverish speculation and the resulting criticism from opponents, it may have been a relief to him that the only attack he faced there was one from a rambunctious 3-year old, who surprised him with a hearty splash of water from a play pool.

Democrats might say... at least he's getting his feet wet.

(NBC/NJ's CARRIE DANN)

Remember the barrage of attacks Barack Obama endured during the primary after he asserted that he would meet with leaders of rogue nations? Well, it seems Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) is gung-ho about speaking with Cuban President Raul Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during a trip to Latin America next month, the AP is reporting today.

"I'm a firm believer in dialogue," Specter said.

Hey readers ... If you see Barack Obama's new spot -- "Low Road" -- airing in your state, let us know. Campaign officials haven't said in which states the the television ad, a response to John McCain's much-maligned "Celeb" spot, is running.

"Vote Both" -- an effort to push the ticket pairing of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- is closing its cyber shop. Word of the group's decision comes with reports that Clinton will address the Democratic convention in Denver Tuesday evening, not Wednesday, when the veep nom traditionally speaks.

A message from "Vote Both" co-founders is available after the jump.

A new Quinnipiac survey of voters in three battlegrounds -- FL, OH and PA -- shows Barack Obama leading John McCain, but the Dem's edge in each of the three states is narrower than in last month's poll.

FL
Obama leads 46%-44%, compared to 47%-43% in mid June

OH
Obama leads 46%-44%, compared to 48%-42% last month

PA
Obama leads 49%-42%, compared to 52%-40% last month

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

John McCain will indeed give the money he received from indicted AK Sen. Ted Stevens' political action committee to charity, a campaign spokesman told NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy. The campaign will donate $5K from Stevens' Northern Lights PAC to the Flight 93 Memorial Fund, created in honor of those who perished on United Flight 93, which crashed 9/11 outside of Shanksville, PA.

John McCain's new ad comparing Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton received a lot of attention last night.

CNN's Bash: "The McCain camp says their ad was a buzz-generating attempt at satire, but some McCain allies tell us they worry that it's coming across as snark, instead of substance, and that McCain should be more forceful about talking up his own assets, instead of talking down Obama's" ("AC 360," 7/30).

Karl Rove: "It's sort of, I think, an odd ad. ... But, on the other hand, at the heart of it is a very sharp distinction between the two. Senator Obama is against drilling on offshore on the outer continental shelf. Senator McCain is in favor of it" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 7/30).

Pat Buchanan: "Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, where was Lindsay Lohan, for heaven's sake?" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 7/30).

After the jump, Obama's rapper problem and Kaine talks Veepstakes.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Barack Obama's campaign issued this ad this evening in answer to John McCain's "Celeb" spot:

The rapper/actor Ludacris has a new song out -- "Politics: Obama Is Back" -- that includes some pretty harsh lyrics about Hillary Clinton, John McCain and President Bush.

"Paint the White House black, and I'm sure that's got them terrified," Ludacris sings.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton issued a statement saying that Ludacris, who met with Obama in 2006, should be "ashamed" of the tune:

“As Barack Obama has said many, many times in the past, rap lyrics today too often perpetuate misogyny, materialism, and degrading images that he doesn’t want his daughters or any children exposed to. This song is not only outrageously offensive to Senator Clinton, Reverend Jackson, Senator McCain, and President Bush, it is offensive to all of us who are trying to raise our children with the values we hold dear. While Ludacris is a talented individual he should be ashamed of these lyrics.”

Hillary Clinton delivers remarks tomorrow morning to the AFSCME 38th Annual International Convention in San Francisco.

On Call Aside:

As the MSM and others process John McCain's new television spot, which bashes Barack Obama for being "the biggest celebrity in the world" (read: all flash, no substance), it's worth noting that McCain's campaign manager -- Steve Schmidt -- ran the gube campaign of arguably the biggest actual celebrity in American politics:

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Barack Obama, boarding his bus after a stop at The Bell Restaurant in Lebanon, MO, answers a reporter's question about John McCain's new TV ad, "Celeb":

"You know, I don't pay attention to John McCain's ads. Although I do notice that he doesn't seem to have anything to say very positive about himself. He seems to only be talking about me. You need to ask John McCai what he's for, not just what he's against."

That's how long it took John McCain to respond to the seven-count indictment against Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), one of McCain's favorite GOP punching bags on pork-barrel spending. Even then, McCain's response came through campaign spokeswoman Nicole Wallace:

"Like every American, Senator Stevens is entitled to a presumption of innocence. Senator McCain and Senator Stevens have clashed famously over the appropriations process, which Senator McCain views as broken and subject to the type of corruption that has caused voters to lose faith with Washington, and as Senator McCain mentions on the campaign trail nearly daily, has resulted in former members of congress residing in prison. Senator McCain has fought loudly and often alone against corruption and wasteful spending, and this is a sad reminder that the next president will have his work cut out for him in rebuilding public trust by ending once and for all pork barrel spending and by reforming the federal government from top to bottom."

John McCain and Barack Obama are featured in eponymous comic books debuting this fall. The books are biographical and, according to IDW Publishing, "take advantage of one of the true American art forms, the comic book, to explore the histories of both presumptive nominees."

The AP is reporting today that the books will be released Oct. 8 in comic book shops and will also be available for purchase online and for reading on cell phones.

"We're not doing anything that is sensational here," IDW special projects editor Scott Dunbier told the AP, adding that neither campaign was involved in the development of the books. "We're sticking to the facts."

Television ad spending has exceeded $50M in the first two months of the general election campaign, according to a report issued today by the University of Wisconsin Advertising Project.

Barack Obama and John McCain have aired more TV spots in more markets than their counterparts did during the 2004 campaign. From June 3, the end of the primary contest, to July 26, Obama and McCain have aired more than 100K ads on broadcast TV, compared with 77K aired over the same period in 2004.

McCain's camp has spent more than $21M on TV ads since June 3, while his Dem rival has sunk more than $27M into spots. The Republican National Committee has bolstered McCain's advertising effort, spending $3.6M to air 6,005 spots over the last two months. The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, has yet to air a single presidential election ad.

Obama aired 9K more spots than the presumptive GOP nom, 55,312 to 46,563. But add the RNC's buy to the mix and the margin between the candidates drops to 2,744 ads.

Other interesting items in the report:

-- Obama is airing ads in 37 markets where McCain has not aired a single spot;

-- Although FL was the pivotal state in the 2000 contest and remains a critical battleground for both candidates, McCain has not aired an ad there since June 3, while Obama has aired more than 7K ads in the Sunshine State;

-- In addition to FL, Obama is airing ads exclusively in GA, NC, IN, MT and AK, states that neither Al Gore in 2000 nor John Kerry in 2004 won;

-- With all the talk about the candidates' potential abilities to expand their electoral playing fields, the noms are making their greatest investment in traditional Midwest/Rust Belt battlegrounds: OH, MI and PA;

-- PA leads the pack with $10.3M in total campaign ad spending, followed by OH ($6.4M), MI ($6M), FL ($5M), VA ($4.4) and WI ($3.2M); and

-- The top 20 media markets in order are Philly, Detroit, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, Cincinnati, Harrisburg, La Crosse, Milwaukee, Las Vegas, Denver, Madison, Columbus (OH), Lansing, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, Albuquerque, Toledo, Youngstown, Reno and Wilkes Barre.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

SPRINGFIELD, MO - Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail today, guns blazing.

Responding to a barrage of attacks in recent weeks, and a new ad from his GOP rival linking his celebrity to that of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Obama tagged John McCain to the President Bush's economic policies, claiming that it is the Republican nominee who is the "risky" choice in November.

"Nobody thinks that Bush or McCain have a real answer for the challenges we face, so what they are going to try to do is make you scared of me," he told more than a thousand at a high school here. "He's risky, that's the argument. ... It's like, well we don't have very much to offer, but he's risky. And let me just say, it's true that change, change is hard. Change isn't easy. And the question you have to ask yourself is, ' What's more risky'?"

It is, Obama said, "too risky not to change."

Obama focused almost exclusively on the economy -- high energy costs, in particular -- during his half-hour opening remarks. He challenged the notion that offshore drilling is the answer to the crisis, saying the effort may not have an impact for 10 years, if at all.

"I know gas prices have gone down, it's (a) grand bargain now, $3.95" a gallon, he said. "Earlier George Bush was on TV talking about his energy plan. Now think about it -- where has Bush been over the last eight years? Where was John McCain over the last 25?"

CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. -- Virginia governor Tim Kaine tells NBC/National Journal that he is not aware of how far along Barack Obama is in his vice presidential selection process and that he has not spoken with the IL senator "for a number of weeks."

Kaine, widely rumored to be at the top of Obama's veep short list, attended the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim this morning with his 13-year old daughter. During an interview, Kaine downplayed chatter about his vice presidential nom potential. "I have no idea how serious it is or anything," he said, "but it's been kind of fun."

Asked if he's spoken with the Illinois senator recently, Kaine responded, "No, not for, gosh, for a number of weeks. Since before his trip. And I really don't have any idea about where the process is."

Kaine insisted that he has "no hints about timing" for the veep rollout. But he doesn't seem to mind the spotlight in the meantime. "It's nice to be speculated about," he said with a smile.

Kaine, who called the hype "kind of weird" and "surreal," was clad in a t-shirt celebrating the Virginia town's annual Pony Swim, during which Chincoteague's trademark breed of ponies are herded across a channel from a nearby island for penning and auctioning.

Square on the back of Kaine's screen-printed tee: the calendar year "08."

(NBC/NJ's CARRIE DANN)

Released last night by the Mayo Clinic:

"Senator McCain visited the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, yesterday (Monday) for a routine check of his dermatological health. The biopsy that was performed did not show any evidence of skin cancer. No further treatment is necessary."

Another negative TV spot from John McCain's camp. This one notes that Barack Obama is "the biggest celebrity in the world," and features footage from Obama's Berlin speech and shots Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears. But a female narrator asks, "Is he ready to lead?" The spot accuses Obama of opposing offshore drilling and promising to raise taxes on electricity.

Narrator: "Higher taxes, more foreign oil, that's the real Obama."

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

The indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) was the talk of the TV last night.

CBS' Axelrod: "Stevens says he's not guilty, but if prosecutors prevail then Ted Stevens, who was a player in Alaska politics before Alaska was a state, may very well have thrown away 40 years of Senate service for a first floor addition and a finished basement" ("Evening News," 7/29).

Washingtonpost.com's Cillizza, on AK SEN: "Ted Stevens can't take his name off the ballot. He would have had to do that 48 days before the primary. The primary's August 26. ... The best case scenario for Republicans, Stevens runs and wins the primary. He then steps aside. ... The Republican State Central Committee ... would then be able to replace him with a candidate of their choosing. That's a lot of ifs, and it includes the fact that Ted Stevens, who has shown absolutely no willingness to step aside, despite this ongoing investigation, that he wants to say, 'You know what? I'm done. I'll do what you want me to do.' ... I'm not sure it's going to happen" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 7/29).

FNC's Barnes: "Republicans have always said that even though Ted Stevens has a tough race for reelection this year at age 84, he will win unless he's indicted. He has been indicted now" ("Special Report," 7/29).

NBC's P. Williams: "Prosecutors say they brought the charges when the case was ready and that the Alaska election was not a factor" ("Nightly News," 7/29).

CNN's Toobin, asked how serious the charges are: "Just ask Martha Stewart. She went to jail for the same kind of thing. ... You know, it's not the crime. It's the cover-up" ("AC 360," 7/29).

After the jump, more Stevens and CBS visits McCain HQ.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

With all the buzz today around Gov. Tim Kaine as Barack Obama's potential veep selection, we thought readers would enjoy Kaine's rowdy VA Jefferson Jackson speech (2/9/08) in which he introduced the IL Sen and noted that he was the first official outside IL to endorse Obama for president.

WASHINGTON -- A group of women leaders spoke at length this morning with Barack Obama about a number of key concerns, including health care and pay equity. But no conversation with any group these days could go without some discussion of running mates, and one participant said Obama was encouraged to put Hillary Clinton on the ticket.

"It was mentioned very briefly," said Ellen Malcolm, founder of EMILY's List and one of about 30 women participating in the discussion. "I think everybody realizes this will be his personal decision."

Obama told the group that he had met with Clinton earlier as part of a conversation with women senators. A Clinton spokesman confirmed that the two former rivals were together this morning, but was unaware if there was one-on-one time.

"He actually told us who it's going to be," Malcolm joked, quickly adding that she like others has no indication of the Illinois senator's thinking.

Also in attendance: Marcia Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, and Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)

NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli reports that upon leaving a meeting with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Barack Obama headed directly for veep vetter Eric Holder's Washington office ... He's there now.

WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama discussed his own multi-ethnic family today as he spoke today at a fundraiser for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

"Being here is especially meaningful to me because I consider myself to be an honorary AAPI member, and I think I've got some pretty good credentials," Obama told donors at the Mayflower today.

His remarks focused heavily on immigration and Asian-American issues, according to a pool report of the event this afternoon. That report described the crowd as heavy with South Asian, Southeast Asian and East Asian Americans, and Obama played up his connection to the community, noting that he was born in Hawaii and raised for a time in Indonesia. He also said he had college roommates who were Indian and Pakistani (today he met with the Pakistani prime minister).

"Most importantly," he said, "I have a sister who is half Indonesian, who is married to a Chinese Canadian. I don't know what that makes my niece."

Obama also discussed immigration, saying there should be consequences for those who break laws.

"But I also believe that one of the things that sets this country apart is that there is no one who looks like a typical American," he added. "You can have a Honda who is a congressman. You can have an Obama who is a presidential candidate."

Attendees donated up to $500, and some committed to raise as much as $33,100. Several members of Congress also participated, including Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA).

Obama is currently meeting at the Federal Reserve with chairman Ben Bernanke. He also plans to speak with House Democrats later this afternoon before departing for Missouri.

(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)

Another low-dollar fundraising request from the Barack Obama camp. This time, the plea comes from Michelle Obama:

Jennifer --

Michelle

Another tête-à-tête between Barack Obama and a U.S. Treasury Sec. The presumptive Dem nom, who met yesterday with former Treasury Secs. Robert Rubin, Larry Summers and Paul O'Neill, spoke this morning with the current Cabinet Sec, Henry Paulson. A statement from Obama Senate spokesman Michael Ortiz:

“This morning, Senator Obama and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson discussed the serious challenges facing our economy and our financial markets and talked about the steps being taken to help Americans who are struggling in these difficult times. Senator Obama asked how the Treasury Department plans to use its new authority with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and whether the government has the tools it needs to address the challenges in the banking industry. Senator Obama believes that the new housing legislation should be used as a way to protect homeowners and not bail out shareholders or managers. The two men agreed that Washington must restore confidence in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a way that protects the taxpayer and our financial system, and that we must reform and modernize our regulatory structure to avoid these problems in the future and protect average Americans. They also agreed to stay in contact as important economic events unfold in the months ahead."

Here's the latest John McCain press pass, courtesy of NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy. The presumptive GOP nom is in Sparks, NV, today for a town hall meeting at Reed High School.

Anchorage Daily News reports, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) "has been indicted on federal corruption charges by a federal grand jury" in DC. This comes with less than a month to go before AK's 8/26 primary. Among Stevens' six primary opponents, the strongest challenge is likely to come from '96 candidate/developer/ex-state Rep. Dave Cuddy (R), although Roll Call's Toeplitz reported today that atty Vic Vickers (R) is up with a significant TV ad buy.

Even before today's news, Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich (D) was polling strongly against Stevens, with the latest poll showing a statistical dead heat, as Begich leads 47%-45%.

(QUINN MCCORD)

WASHINGTON – VA Gov. Tim Kaine is officially in Washington today to talk traffic and see his daughter.

But asked by a local radio host if he'll be meeting with Barack Obama, who is also in town, Kaine said: "My daughter and I are spending family time together today, and that's the only secret meeting that's going to happen."

The governor, whose status as a "seriously considered" candidate for the Democratic veep nom is getting front-page treatment this morning, appeared on WTOP's "Hands Across the Potomac" radio show to talk with local leaders about congestion and housing prices, among other issues.

But less than a third of the way through the hour-long program, Kaine faced questions about his rumored veep vetting by Barack Obama's team.

"It's flattering to be mentioned," Kaine joked. "My mom loves it."

But Kaine emphasized that as governor of a state widely-viewed as in play this year he can also help Obama win the White House. "That's my focus in helping him in any way I can, and the place I think I can be most helpful in my current capacity as Governor is helping him out in Virginia," Kaine said.

Barack Obama's National Hispanic Leadership Council Chairman Frank Sanchez and DNC Vice-Chair Linda Chavez Thompson will hold a conference call later today to discuss a $20M effort to mobilize Hispanic voters ... More to come ...

John McCain was on "LKL" last night, where he discussed his mole-like growth that was removed earlier in the day.

McCain: "It was just a little spot on my face. I go to a routine check-up every three months. ... And that's the thing about melanoma, as opposed to sometimes other forms of cancer. ... If you just have a discoloration, if you have anything, go ahead and see your dermatologist and let the dermatologist check it out."

McCain, asked if it's fair that voters should be concerned about his health: "I don't think so. ... Melanoma is something if you look at it, and you be careful, it's fine. I had one serious bout with it and that was, frankly, due to my own neglect because I let it go and go and go. In fact, I was running for president at the time. I'm not making that mistake again."

More from the interview:

CNN's Larry King: "We have a history on this program that whenever the vice presidential nominee is announced, he or she appears on this show the next night. It's been going on for quite a while. We hope that Senator McCain follows that tradition since I have a hunch he will not announce tonight who that candidate is."

McCain: "I want to say that that vice presidential candidate will be on your show. I will not risk the wrath of Larry King. I want to assure you."

After the jump, more McCain and lots on Landstuhl.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

The AFL-CIO begins a ramped-up campaign to define Sen. Barack Obama with union members and their families in battleground states, focusing heavily on working-class, swing union voters in OH, MI, PA and WI. The goal, per union officials, is to dispel the many rumors circulating about Obama via two new mailers, dropped today, that ask and answer still-looming questions about the candidate. The union will send the pieces to 600K swing voters living in the four critical battleground states.

"Sen. Obama has proven time and again that he's a champion for working families who will deliver the economic change we so desperately need," said AFL-CIO Political Director Karen Ackerman. "Working people are focused on issues that matter like good jobs, fair trade, health care reform and retirement security. They aren't about to let the right-wing attack machine distort Sen. Obama's record or defame his reputation in a desperate attempt to maintain the disastrous economic status quo."

One of the mailers aims directly to dispel myths and rumors about the IL senator. The other features worker testimonials on Obama's record on jobs, health care reform and workers' rights.

Union officials tell On Call that the mailers mark the launch of a massive August campaign to clearly define Obama for millions of union voters, and to contrast the Democrat's' policies and plans with those of his GOP rival, John McCain.

Here are other elements of the AFL-CIO's effort for Obama:

-- The group's focus is on mobilizing working people in 24 states, targeting about 13M union voters, including members, householders, retirees and those involved with the group's community affiliate, Working America. Union voters make up between 25-35 percent of the vote on Election Day in OH, MI, PA and WI.

-- In August, AFL-CIO volunteers will deliver 1M flyers about Obama's record and background to worksites across the country. Overall, more than 4M flyers have already been distributed to worksites, including flyers about McCain's "anti-worker" record, sources said.

-- Every weekend in August union volunteers will canvass neighborhoods across the country, providing voters with information about Obama's record and contrasting it with McCain's. Again, swing voters will be targeted. AFL-CIO volunteers will also be phone banking all month to swing union voters in key states.

-- Members of Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO for those without a union, are canvassing nightly to discuss the issues that matter to working-class voters. In OH alone, more than 160 canvassers are going out every day. Working America currently has nearly 2.5M members, including 800K in Ohio.

One note: The AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council, launched last month in five states, is expected to create new state councils expected in August. The Veterans Council will play an integral role in mobilizing 2.1M union veterans, according to union officials. Meanwhile, the TV ad about McCain's economic priorities, featuring union veteran Jim Wasser, continues to run in media markets in six states: MI, MN, OH, PA, VA and WI. Also since February, AFL-CIO volunteers have now protested at more than 100 McCain campaign events from coast to coast.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

BAKERSFIELD, CA – Speaking via webcast to donors gathered at a fundraiser on his behalf in Bermuda, John McCain spoke about his criteria for selecting his running mate, but he stopped short of naming any names.

"I just want to assure you that we're going through the process," McCain said. "There are so many highly-qualified people in our party ranging – and I won't mention names – but ranging from people who have been stalwarts in our party for a long time, and great governors and senators and business people. It's a very tough decision."

He said he wants his vice presidential nominee to share his values.

"You want to make sure you have a candidate that's not going to hurt the ticket," McCain said. "The second thing is, and I think it's the key criteria, is it someone who shares your principles, your values, your philosophy and your priorities. The hardest thing for the president is to establish priorities, and I think we're blessed with having a wealth of candidates. But I haven't – we really aren't mentioning names."

(NBC/NJ's ADAM AIGNER-TREWORGY)

Michael Yardley, chair of public affairs at the Mayo Clinic, today issued the following statement about John McCain's biopsy:

"This morning, as part of his commitment to monitor his dermatological health on a regular basis, Senator John McCain visited the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a routine examination. As a precaution, a biopsy was ordered of a very small area on Senator McCain's right cheek. This is a routine minor procedure."

WASHINGTON -- Former Bush Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said there's a simple reason he participated today in an economic discussion with the Democratic nominee for president ... he was asked.

O'Neill, a well-respected former chairman and CEO of Alcoa who after leaving the Treasury Dept. wrote a tell-all book about the inner-workings of the Bush White House, spoke briefly with reporters as he attempted to leave the Omni Shoreham, site of today's roundtable with Barack Obama.

"I get asked by a presidential candidate to give advice, I'm of the business of telling the truth, so I did," he said as he worked his way to the elevator.

Asked about the participation today by former Bush administration officials, O'Neill said: "What's wrong with that?"

"I think it's a good thing that presidential candidates reach out to people independent of what might be presumed to be their party affiliation," he said.

Per the protective pool with the candidate, Obama is once again at the law firm of Eric Holder, head of his vice presidential search committee ...

(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)

John McCain today in Bakersfield, CA, at San Joaquin Facilities Management:

On drilling:

"I'm here with the members of the California Independent Petroleum Association and the producers and the people who are for 80 years have been providing much needed oil for the people of the United States and the world. We know that hard-working Americans today are suffering from high gas prices, and that's one of the reasons why I've supported a gas tax holiday. And also, it's very – we need a comprehensive solution. We all know that comprehensive solution is wind, tide, solar – all of the things that all of us believe in. But it also means offshore drilling, and it also means nuclear power, and it also means clean coal technology. In the meantime, as we develop all of these alternate sources of energy, it will be vital that we continue oil production at a high level, including offshore drilling.

"Now the briefings that I've had with the oil producers, there are some instances within a matter of months they could be getting additional oil. In some cases it would be a matter of a year. It some cases it could take longer than that, depending on the location and whether you use existing rigs or you have to install new rigs, but there's abundant resources in the view of the people who are in the business that could be exploited within a period of months.

"So offshore drilling is something we have to do. I'm sorry that Senator Obama opposes it. Nuclear power is not only vital, I think, to clean energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions but nuclear power also is a way to employ hundreds of thousands of Americans. We can build 45 new nuclear power plants by the year 2030. It would employ some 700,000 people. So Senator Obama opposes offshore drilling. He opposes reprocessing of spend nuclear fuel. He opposes storage of spent nuclear fuel, and so he is the Dr. No of the America's energy future. And he also opposes a gas tax holiday as a gimmick. So I'm very pleased to be here. Again we'll be talking about energy and the economy and continue to do so."

And on his health:

"And, by the way, as I do every three months, visited my dermatologist this morning. She said that I was doing fine, took out a small little nick from my cheek as she does regularly and that will be – and will be biopsied just to make sure that everything is fine. But I want to again urge all Americans to wear sunscreen, particularly this summer, stay out of the sun as much as possible, wear sunscreen, and if you ever have any slight discoloration please go to your dermatologist or your doctor and get it checked up on.

"Melanoma is a preventable occurrence. It really is. It's one of the most preventable occurrences, but remember a lot of the damage that people receive from the sun when they're young sometimes comes back later in life, and that's the end of my lecture from the American Dermatology Association today. Thank you all."

Reporter: Your doctor was confident that there was nothing major?

McCain: Sure. Yeah. Sure. Absolutely.

(NBC/NJ's ADAM AIGNER-TREWORGY)

Courtesy of Concord Monitor Managing Editor Ari Richter, who sees a Granite State electorate that's largely undecided in the state's Senate rematch between GOP Sen. John Sununu and Jeanne Shaheen, a discussion of the latest UNH Survey Center poll.

Richter remarks that instead of viewing the race as tightened, Shaheen had a four-point advantage in the most recent survey, one could conclude that the race is very much in flux because most voters are focused on the presidential.

Per Richter:

UNH poll: Sununu 14, Shaheen 14 (and Undecided 72); That's an alternative headline on the U.S. Senate portion (pdf) of the latest UNH Survey Center poll. As in:

* Definite Sununu 12%
* Lean Sununu 2%
* Undecided 72%
* Lean Shaheen 4%
* Definite Shaheen 10%

WASHINGTON -- After a week spent shoring up his foreign policy credentials with a trip overseas, Barack Obama turned his focus to the domestic matters with a meeting today of his economic advisers. Saying that the there is an "economic emergency" that is "growing more severe," Obama called for bipartisan solutions while pinning some of the blame on Wall Street.

"It was not an accident or history nor a normal part of the business cycle that led us to this situation," he said. "There were some irresponsible decisions that were made on Wall Street and in Washington. In the past few years, I think we learned an essential truth that in the long run we can't have a thriving Wall Street if we don't have a thriving Main Street."

He said the economic stimulus package enacted earlier this year has provided some relief, but said more action is necessary.

"I'm glad to see we have a broad representation of people here," Obama said of the group joining him, which included former Republican and Democratic administration officials and business and labor leaders. "It's a group that I will be convening periodically over the next few months because of the dynamic situation and one that the next president will need to be prepared to deal with the moment he takes office."

After his opening remarks, the press pool reprentatives were ushered out of the room so the group could continue to meet in private.

(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)

This button was supposed to feature the Dem nom and Larry LaRocco, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in ID. Instead, Barack Obama is paired with Larry Craig, the state's outgoing GOP senator. Craig, of course, was arrested in a MN airport bathroom sex sting. Craig is not running for re-election.

Gallup daily tracking poll:

Barack Obama, 48%

John McCain, 40%

Click here for more about the numbers.

During John McCain's regular three-month check up this morning in Phoenix, his doctor decided to remove a mole-like growth from the left side of his face near the temple, according to a spokesperson for the campaign. The removal was precautionary, and the doctor was not concerned about a recurrence of the skin cancer that has left a scar along his left cheek, the spokesperson told NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy.

The campaign's spokesperson was vague about whether the senator was awaiting further tests, but repeatedly reassured the press corps that there was nothing to worry about and the procedure was purely a precaution, Aigner-Treworgy added.

UPDATE: Mole was actually on his right cheek, Aigner-Treworgy reports. There is a band aid on his face. And note that this is not the same side of his face he had surgery on previously.

It's worth noting that David Plouffe, Barack Obama's campaign manager, is traveling with the candidate today (which I understand happened only a handful of times), reports NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli. He's joining Obama advisers David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs for the DC trip.

Caroline Kennedy is also in Washington for a DNC victory fund event. And Eric Holder, the other VP search team leader, is based in DC.

The convergence of all the senior staff here with that search committee only further signals that the process is at a critical stage. The campaign, of course, is not commenting on it. ...

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Bob Novak has been diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Brian Williams, host of NBC's "Nightly News," previews his exclusive interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who vows a "positive" response if the U.S. changes its policies.

Here's a snippet:

And here's another snippet, in which Ahmadinejad says Iran is not working to create a nuclear weapon:

An offer for 10 lucky donors to meet Barack Obama backstage before he addresses the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Bizarre.

Dear Jennifer --

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

(Bloomberg News)

Barack Obama is in Washington today for a meeting with top economic advisors. The official agenda: America’s economic challenges, namely job loss, the downturn in the financial markets and the rising costs of fuel and food. But the event promises to be as masterfully-staged as Obama's overseas journey, perhaps more so as he will be joined by several heavy-hitters in business and labor, including Warren Buffett, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, SEIU Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger and Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt, among other economic leaders.

It's hard to beat a photo op with the Oracle of Omaha, but this collection of big brains, meeting to leverage their knowledge on the candidate's behalf, conveys a faith in the Dem's economic policies that could prove more critical to an Obama victory in November than Nicolas Sarkozy's embrace. With pocketbook issues dominating voters' concerns this cycle, it no doubt helps the first-term senator from IL to have such wise and reliable voices for fiscal prudence on his extended team.

Berlin, with its 200K American flag-waving Germans, served a purpose in adding to Obama's storyline as a bridge builder. But the senator was criticized for his Disney-like tour abroad, all good feelings and platitudes, no substance. But who doesn't trust and admire Buffet? Wouldn't candidates from either party stand happily with Buffet?

Only Obama’s opening remarks will be open to the press.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Two Barack Obama interviews and one John McCain interview made for the biggest Sunday in a while.

LONDON CALLING

NBC's Brokaw sat down with Obama in London 7/26.

Brokaw: "When you get home and Michelle says to you, 'Barack, what did you learn that surprised you? And did you change your mind about anything based on this entire trip?'"

Obama: "I didn't see a huge shift in the strategic policies that I've laid out throughout this campaign. It was clear to me that Afghanistan is the central front on terror, that the Taliban and al-Qaeda have reconstituted themselves. They have safe havens along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Our troops are doing an outstanding job, and many coalition troops are doing an outstanding job. But frankly, we need a more serious effort on the part of the Afghan government and President Karzai to get out of Kabul, to start the development process. We're going to need two additional brigades in Afghanistan and we've got to work with Pakistan to get serious about these terrorist safe havens. So that's got to be a priority. I was pleased to see the reductions in violence in Iraq."

After the jump, more from the interviews, Veepstakes and Obama's trip abroad is fully reviewed.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

John McCain goes hard negative in a new TV spot running in CO, PA and Northern Virginia, criticizing Barack Obama for failing to hold a "single Senate hearing on Afghanistan," not traveling to Iraq for years, frequenting the gym and canceling scheduled visits to wounded troops at Ramstein and Landstuhl.

Obama camp spokesman Tommy Vietor issued this statement: "As Senator Obama said today, the last thing he wanted was to have injured soldiers get pulled into the back-and-forth of a political campaign. That's why we imagine Senator McCain would be surprised that his campaign released this wildly inappropriate accusation that politicizes the issue. Senator Obama and Senator McCain share the belief that we must do everything we can to honor and support our troops, which is why Senator Obama has met with our men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan this week and visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed numerous times."

Courtesy of The Washington Post's talented Bob Barnes, here's the pool report from John McCain's Aspen visit with the Dalai Lama. But note that a spokesman said the Dalai Lama was "concerned" the meeting not be interpreted as an endorsement:

McCain Pool Report #1
7/25/08

Those statements TK

Per Barack Obama's campaign, a statement from former NE Sen. Bob Kerrey, a Medal of Honor winner, former vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and member of the 9/11 Commission:

"As is often the case in politics, the most important questions do not get debated while the most trivial ones are pushed front and center. Such is the case with the current attacks by Senator McCain's supporters purporting that Senator Obama's failure to support the surge demonstrates he has been wrong on this important foreign policy question.

“Assessing all facts available to us today, Senator Obama's judgment six years ago looks a whole lot better today than either Senator McCain's or mine was back then.

“Barack Obama understands that moving from the U.S. being an occupying force to strong ally is an urgent necessity both for Iraq and the United States. He also sees that the growing consensus in the United States and Iraq for a timeline that will allow the responsible redeployment of our combat brigades out of Iraq while preserving our commitment to remain a strong ally of the Iraqi people is an opportunity that we must seize. Finally, Barack Obama is right in his judgment that this redeployment will accelerate the political progress Iraq so desperately needs to lock in the security gains delivered by our military forces.

“Let's not re-fight the past. From what I've seen of the two candidates, Senator Obama has the better strategic vision and judgment to meet our challenges moving forward."

PARIS -- Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy greeted one another in front of a crush of reporters at the Elysee Palace today before meeting for about an hour to discuss issues ranging from Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran to climate change and peace in the Middle East.

The visit marked the fourth day of a five-country swing through the Middle East and Europe meant to burnish Obama's foreign policy credentials.

In the press conference after their meeting, the two men appeared comfortable, cracking jokes before making statements about the importance of a strong relationship between the United States and France and its other European allies.

Obama spent several minutes talking about Iran, an issue he stressed throughout a press conference in Sderot, Israel earlier in the week. He spoke of the need for the United States and Europe to be partners in negotiating with the country about its nuclear program, saying a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a grave threat and could embolden terrorists and spark a dangerous arms race in the Middle East.

"I applaud France's current role in the E.U. 3-plus-3 efforts to use strong diplomacy to end this threat," he said. "It's important as we move forward for the United States and our European allies to remain full partners in this effort."

Obama hailed the decision to send Undersecretary of State William Burns -- whom he called "an outstanding diplomat" -- to participate in talks with Iran.

As he did in Jordan on Tuesday, the senator said there was nothing that he had seen over the course of his travels these past several days that has caused him to change his "basic strategic assessment" of America's security and foreign policy challenges, mentioning Afghanistan and Iraq specifically. He has called for more troops in the former and a phased redeployment of troops from the latter.

Addressing the 2008 American GI Forum of the United States National Convention in Denver today, John McCain again pushed the notion that Barack Obama, in opposing the surge, proved he would rather win a campaign than the Iraq war:

"We both knew the politically safe choice was to support some form of retreat. All the polls said the 'surge' was unpopular. Many pundits, experts and policymakers opposed it and advocated withdrawing our troops and accepting the consequences. I chose to support the new counterinsurgency strategy backed by additional troops -- which I had advocated since 2003, after my first trip to Iraq. Many observers said my position would end my hopes of becoming president. I said I would rather lose a campaign than see America lose a war."

Obama spokesman Bill Burton issued a sharp response: “The American people are looking for a serious debate about the way forward in Iraq and Afghanistan, and angry, false accusations will do nothing to accomplish that goal. Barack Obama and John McCain may differ over our strategy in Iraq, but they are united in their support for our brave troops and their desire to protect this nation. Senator McCain's constant suggestion otherwise is not worthy of the campaign he claimed he would run or the magnitude of the challenges this nation faces."

McCain's full speech is available after the jump.

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts Barack Obama.

Face the Nation hosts Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Jack Reed (D-RI).

This Week hosts John McCain and a roundtable with ex-Bush strategist Matt Dowd, ABC's Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts and George Will.

Fox News Sunday hosts Sens. John Thune (R-SD) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), and Karl Rove. The "Power Player" is economist Ben Stein.

Late Edition hosts McCain and a forum with Obama, and a roundtable with CNN's John King, Candy Crowley and Joe Johns.

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

From the AP:

"Lord — Protect my family and me," reads the note, first published in the Israeli newspaper Maariv daily. "Forgive me my sins, and help me guard against pride and despair. Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will."

The past week saw a steady flow of new WH '08 state polling data with 15 new surveys in 11 states, including 10 battleground state releases. Despite the flurry of new polls, Barack Obama continues to lead John McCain 292 EVs to 234 EVs (with 12 EVs up for grabs) in The Hotline's Electoral College estimation -- identical to the total in our 7/17 update.

Within each candidate's electoral total, however, some movement has occurred. MN and NH -- swing states previously classified as solid Obama because of his statistically significant leads -- shifted to lean Obama this week. Two new NH polls by ARG (R) and UNH, as well as the latest Quinnipiac Univ. survey in MN, all saw Obama's lead move within the margin of error. These updates gave Obama a solid EV total of 227 compared with 241 on 7/17; accordingly, he now has 14 lean EVs compared with his previous total of zero.

State polls this week showed a similar trend for McCain. FL and its crucial 27 EVs -- which Strategic Vision (R) showed 6/29 as solid McCain -- became lean McCain as the result of a new ARG (R) poll. Meanwhile new Research 2000 polls moved AK from lean McCain to solid McCain and moved ND out of the Bush/Bush projection to lean McCain. McCain now has 134 solid EVs compared with 158 on 7/17; he also has 50 lean EVs compared with 23 on 7/17.

Interestingly, a Quinnipiac Univ. poll released this week saw CO move from solid Obama to lean McCain; a subsequent sample by Frederick Polls (D), however, reversed it to solid Obama. Similarly, a new poll by EPIC-MRA saw MI move from solid Obama to lean Obama, but was superseded later in the week by a Quinnipiac Univ. poll which moved it back to solid Obama.

Finally, new polls in NC by Tel Opinion Research (R) and MS by Research 2000 confirmed these states as lean McCain and solid McCain, respectively; two new NJ polls, as well as a Quinnipiac Univ. survey in WI, all reaffirmed solid Obama classifications.

As always, the chart includes all WH '08 state polling data published in The Hotline since 5/23. The most recent poll, the one used to identify each state's winner, is listed on the same line as the state symbol with older surveys below. In addition, only the most recent poll from a pollster is retained for each state. For the 16 states (including DC) without current polling data available, the winner has been estimated based on WH '00 and WH '04 results.

(Hotline's MATTHEW GOTTLIEB and CARRIE DINDINO)

For this week's Congressional Insiders survey, NJ's Rich Cohen and Peter Bell ask how many seats the Democrats will pick up in the House and Senate in November.

The averages:

Dems
16.5 in the House
5.8 in the Senate

Republicans
6.6 in the House
3.9 in the Senate

Click above for more.

The Washington Post is reporting this morning that John McCain's camp will likely announce a veep pick after Barack Obama returns from his journeying abroad but before the Olympics commence 8/8.

"He's in a position to make [the decision] on short notice if he wanted to," said Charles R. Black Jr., one of McCain's top political advisers told the paper.

An RNC memo:

To: RNC National Committee Members
Fr: RNC Strategy
Re: Nearly 100 Days To Go
Date: July 25, 2008

-- In the all-important battleground of Ohio, the latest Rasmussen survey in Ohio shows John McCain opening a 10-point lead.

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

NBC's Williams spoke with Barack Obama before and after his speech in Berlin.

Obama, on the view from the stage: "It was a nice view."

Williams: "When an American politician comes to Berlin, we've had some iconic utterances in the past. We've had 'Ich bin ein,' we had, 'Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall.'"

Obama: "I don't rate that high."

Williams: "Is the phraseology that you would like remembered is 'People of Berlin, people of the world, this is our moment, this is our time'?"

Obama: "You know, I think if that captures what I was trying to communicate, which is that here in Berlin where, essentially, the west was forged out of World War II, we have now the opportunity to join not only with Germany but with all of Europe and countries of good will to try to reach out and do for the world what we did for Berlin."

After the jump, reax to Obama's speech and McCain also speaks to NBC.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

BERLIN, Germany – In the most anticipated public event of his five-country swing through Europe and the Middle East, Barack Obama addressed a crowd of more than 200,000 people at Tiergarten Park here Thursday evening, calling upon Americans and Europeans to work together to fight terrorism, poverty, genocide, climate change and to work toward a world without nuclear weapons.

He also touched on the need for peace in the Middle East, a strong European Union and a free and fair trade system.

The presumptive Democratic nominee, who was greeted with several chants of “Yes we Can” and was frequently interrupted by cheers and applause, returned to his common campaign themes of unity, hope and the need to seize the moment, repeating a favorite phrase -- “This is our moment” -- several times throughout a roughly half hour speech that included no attack lines against his Republican rival. But Obama did acknowledge the need to repair the relationship between America and its allies.

“In Europe, the view that America is part of what has gone wrong in our world, rather than a force to help make it right, has become all too common,” he told a crowd that stretched about a mile from his stage in front of the Victory Column to the Brandenburg Gate. “In America, there are voices that deride and deny the importance of Europe’s role in our security and our future. Both views miss the truth.”

Former OH congressman and Bush OMB Dir. Rob Portman will visit with John McCain today, a senior campaign advisor has confirmed for NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy. Portman is a rumored GOP VP option - although somewhat of a darkhorse pick - and has been a long-time supporter of the presumptive Republican nominee. But the advisor reiterated that people shouldn't "read too much into" today's visit.

Portman, wonky and understated, respected by many members from both sides of the aisle, will ride with McCain on his Straight Talk Express bus from the senator's hotel to a late-afternoon fundraiser.

A Hillary Clinton fundraiser is scheduled for 8/10 at the East Hampton home of Liz Robbins (a lobbyist) and Doug Johnson (a TV journo). Light refreshments will be served.

The invite:

A reliable Democratic media buyer provided On Call today with the latest information about John McCain's ad buys:

-- For the week of 7/15-7/21, McCain's team spent the most money in OH ($805,978), MI ($601,439.71), MO ($471,967.56) and PA ($470,113.43). The GOPer also bought airtime in CO ($395,254.28), WI ($368,645.14), NV ($257,635.71) and IA ($237,166.57), and, in smaller amounts in NH, ND, OR and NM .

-- OH again leads the pack for the week of 7/22-7/28, with the McCain camp investing ($489,836.72) in the critical battleground state. Other state buys for the last full week in July: MO ($299,196.43), MI ($290,889.28), WI ($259,630.72), CO ($253,495.72) and PA ($239,797.14).

A full chart, with targeted markets, can be viewed here.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

John McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds issued the following statement on Barack Obama's speech in Germany today:

"While Barack Obama took a premature victory lap today in the heart of Berlin, proclaiming himself a 'citizen of the world,' John McCain continued to make his case to the American citizens who will decide this election. Barack Obama offered eloquent praise for this country, but the contrast is clear. John McCain has dedicated his life to serving, improving and protecting America. Barack Obama spent an afternoon talking about it."

The number of people who turned out for Barack Obama's Berlin speech. According to NBC/NJ's Athena Jones the crowd stretched from Victory Column to the Brandenburg Gate.

NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy reports that John McCain will meet tomorrow with the Dalai Lama in Aspen, Colorado.

Barack Obama's Berlin speech begins now. Available in full after the jump.

"I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Although tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world. I know that I don’t look like the Americans who’ve previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable."

In just 15 minutes, Barack Obama will speak to Europe, and the world, in front of Victory Column in Berlin. He won't be introduced by anyone, reports NBC/NJ's Athena Jones. The address marks the only speech of his trip to the Middle East and Europe.

The Washington Post/WSJ/Quinnipiac U have a new survey out this morning showing that John McCain has tightened the margin against Barack Obama in four critical battleground states: CO, MN, MI and WI.

The Wash Post's Cillizza writes: "The first in the series of polls, conducted in the four states in mid-June, showed Obama comfortably ahead of McCain in Wisconsin and Minnesota while the races in Michigan and Colorado were closer although Obama still held the lead. The latest polling, showing a much tighter race, was conducted July 14 to 22, during Obama's high-profile trip to the Middle East."

CO
McCain 46%
Obama 44%

MN
Obama 46%
McCain 44%

MI
Obama 46%
McCain 42%

WI
Obama 50%
McCain 39%

Barack Obama's trip to Germany, a pool report, courtesy of Jeff Zeleny, New York Times:

Senator Barack Obama met with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at his office, located a few blocks from the hotel.

Barack Obama, 24 July 2008

Democrats hoping to watch Barack Obama accept his party's nomination at Invesco Field in Denver will need to register through their local Democratic Party office, an Obama campaign official told the Denver Post.

Obama deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand said each person seeking a ticket for the Aug. 28 speech will need to have a "conversation" with party officials, in part to show they have plans to get to Denver.

"Give us a sense of whether or not you're really serious about this," Hildebrand told the newspaper. "If you're not, we're going to provide someone else with this."

Hildebrand said the campaign expects 60,000 members of the general public will receive tickets, with CO and neighboring states receiving a larger segment. He said the ticket distribution could be used as a recruitment tool for volunteers in all 50 states. There are questions though about how that many out-of-state residents will be able to find accommodations, given that most hotels are filled with official convention-goers.

Officials are still finalizing formulas for ticket distribution. Details about credential distribution are expected next week.

(NBC/NJ's MATTHEW BERGER)

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

Barack Obama and John McCain continued to make the TV rounds last night.

ABC's Wright spoke with McCain.

Wright, on McCain saying Obama would rather lose a war to win a political campaign: "That's pretty strong language. Do you really think he's that craven?"

McCain: "I think that it's very clear that Senator Obama has refused to recognize that the strategy in Iraq called the surge has succeeded. ... I do not believe that any objective observer can conclude that the surge did not work. And he should know better if he wants to be commander in chief, and certainly behave differently, as far as our presence and our strategy in Iraq."

Wright: "Shouldn't this debate really be about the future and where we go from here?"

McCain: "Oh, you're exactly right. It's all about the future. And the future, in my view, we have succeeded. But it's still fragile. But the point is that we are responsible for our records. I was right. Senator Obama was wrong. So, therefore, I think that I have more credibility on what the future should be as opposed to Senator Obama."

More after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

In the new Vote Vets spot running nationally, Brandon Woods, an Iraq War veteran, says: "Sen. McCain would occupy Iraq indefinitely, against their wishes. That's not what freedom means. That's not what we fought for."

And the RNC's react, per spokesman Alex Conant:

“Barack Obama voted against funding for the very troops this ad claims to represent. By continuing to oppose the surge strategy and rejecting the advice of General David Petraeus, Obama is putting political expedience ahead of victory. Rather than attacking John McCain for listening to General Petraeus, this group should ask why Obama lacked the strength to stand up for our troops during a time of war.”

John McCain travels tomorrow to Columbus, OH, for a town hall about cancer with the mighty Lance Armstrong, who hosts his LIVESTRONG Summit in the Midwestern city. The event, replacement for a scheduled trip to NOLA, will be held at Ohio State University's Mershon Auditorium.

OH, as you know, is home to one potential GOP veep: Rob Portman.

McCain's camp canceled the journey to NOLA due to weather. But note that there was likely another reason for the late-breaking change: an oil spill) along the coast that caused a 12-mile slick. Not exactly the best photo-op situation.

NOTE: Lauren Pfeifle of Edelman Public Relations, which does work for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, writes to say that McCain's participation in the LIVESTRONG event is not a replacement for the senator's cancelled event in New Orleans. She said in an email that the LAF event has been scheduled since April.

The RNC is airing a new radio ad that accuses Barack Obama of voting against increased funding for the military. It will run in Berlin, PA (Johnstown-Altoona DMA); Berlin, WI (Green Bay – Appleton DMA); and Berlin, NH (Portland-Auburn DMA). Obama is, of course, scheduled to visit Berlin, Germany, tomorrow to speak near Brandenburg Gate and meet with top German officials.

Script:

“Obama Chooses Washington Over Our Military” -- 60 (Secs)

John McCain is ready to lead. Barack Obama is not.

UPDATE

The Obama camp response ... from spokesman Hari Sevugan:

“There are honest differences between Senator Obama’s position on Iraq and Senator McCain’s, but there’s no question that both support our troops," Sevugan said in a statement. "Under the RNC’s definition, John McCain would have also chosen politics over our military when he urged George Bush to veto funding for the troops, and we know that’s not the case. This is the sort of distasteful and misleading attack from the Rove playbook that the American people are tired of, that does nothing to give our troops the equipment they need, and distracts from the honest debate we should be having about how we can keep the country secure."

Photos courtesy of Emily Summers, a Washington resident who witnessed the aftermath of the Bob Novak accident:

More after the jump:

President Bush will speak at the Republican National Convention on the evening of Labor Day, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Wednesday.

"It looks like Monday night, Sept. 1, which is traditionally when the incumbent speaks," Perino said at the White House briefing.

Some questions have been raised as to how John McCain campaign would utilize Bush, given his low approval numbers. They have strictly limited the amount of joint appearances with McCain and the current president.

Most presidential candidates do not attend the convention until the day they formally accept the nomination, so having Bush speak on Monday night could mean they will not meet each other in the Twin Cities.

A spokesman for the Republican National Convention was not immediately available for comment.

(NBC/NJ's MATTHEW BERGER)

The Politico first reported this morning that conservative columnist Robert Novak was cited by police after hitting a pedestrian at the corner of 18th and K.

A Politico reporter saw Novak in the front of a police car with a citation in his hand; a WJLA-TV crew and reporter saw Novak as well. The pedestrian, a male in his 60s, was hospitalized at George Washington University Hospital with minor injuries according to the Metro Fire Department. Novak was later released by police and drove away from the scene.

“I didn’t know I hit him,” Novak told Politico. Novak said he was a block away from 18th and K St., NW, where the accident happened, when a bicyclist stopped him and said, "You hit someone." He said he was cited for failing to yield the right of way.

David Bono, a partner at Harkins Cunningham, was biking to work this morning when he witnessed the accident. Bono told On Call that he saw a black Corvette, top up, strike a pedestriant at the corner of 18th and K. He said the pedestrian, a man, had been in the crosswalk as he traversed the street and that the "walk" signal was displayed when he was hit.

Bono said that after being hit the pedestrian was "splayed up onto the windshield and hood." The driver then turned right onto the K Street service lane, and the body rolled left. Bono took off after the vehicle, yelling out his DC license plate -- BY9430 -- to other witnesses as he attempted to catch the car. Bono said he overtook the car just before 17th Street, on K Street. Bono said he pulled his bike in front of the car. The driver, still seated in the vehicle, asked: "What happened?"

"I said, Sir, you can't hit a pedestrian and drive away,'" Bono said he responded.

Bono said he phoned the police at 10:06 a.m. He said he recognized the driver as "a news personality" but didn't know his name.

On Call has learned that the Metro police received a call at 10:08 a.m. reporting that a pedestrian was struck by a black vehicle at 18th and K Streets, NW. Officer Helen Andrews said she's "not sure" if anyone was arrested. "We haven't received the update yet," she said.

Meanwhile, another On Call source who witnessed the aftermath forwarded these photos:

(According to witnesses, Novak is seated in the back of the police cruiser.)

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
Press Avail
Sderot, Israel
July 23, 2008

As prepared

Today, I’ve had the honor of visiting with the brave citizens of Sderot. For seven years, they have endured constant threats to their security, and demonstrated uncommon courage simply by carrying on with their daily lives. I am here as an American – and as a friend of Israel – to say that we stand with the people of Sderot, and with all of the people of Israel.

The Qassam rockets fired by Hamas deliberately and indiscriminately target civilians. This terror is intolerable. Israelis should not have to be endangered in their homes and schools. I am hopeful that the recent understanding to end the attacks will provide some relief. But America must always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself against those who threaten its people.

To achieve true security, I am deeply committed to helping Israel achieve a lasting peace with Palestinians who are prepared to accept the State of Israel, renounce violence and terrorism, and abide by agreements. Israelis desire a secure peace in which both they and the Palestinians can fulfill their legitimate aspirations – a strong, secure state of Israel living alongside a viable, peaceful Palestinian state. We must support Palestinian leaders who share this vision, including the leaders I met with in Ramallah today.

The threats to Israel’s security begin in Sderot, but they don’t end here. They include outrageous acts of terror like the attack we saw just yesterday in Jerusalem; a rearming Hezbollah in Lebanon; and an Iranian regime that sponsors terrorism, pursues nuclear weapons, and threatens Israel’s existence. A nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat – the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Today, I have had a series of productive discussions with Israel’s leaders about how to address the broad range of security threats that Israel faces. I look forward to continuing these consultations with Prime Minister Olmert this evening, and I also look forward to consulting closely with our European allies about Iran and other challenges in the days ahead.

Let me just close by saying that I bring to Sderot an unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security. The State of Israel faces determined enemies who seek its destruction. It also has a friend and ally in the United States that will always stand with the Israeli people. That is why I am proud to be here today, and that is why I will work for the moment when I can return to Sderot to find these good people living in a future filled with peace, security, and hope.

Playing at the Wilkes-Barre, PA, opera house where John McCain held his a.m. town hall:

And this decorated donkey inside the hall. Both photos are brought to you by NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy:

New Barack Obama Spanish-language radio spot to air in CO, FL, NM and NV.

“Nuestro Propio Camino” ("Our Own Way")

PAID FOR BY OBAMA FOR AMERICA.

Pawlenty?

Or Romney?

A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll out today shows the Granite State's Senate race tightening, with former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen leading GOP Sen. John Sununu, 46% to 42%. Shaheen was up 12 points in the Survey Center's May poll.

The race is still very much in flux as 22% of likely voters say they have definitely decided who they will vote for, 6% say they are leaning toward one of the candidates, and 72% are still trying to decide who to support. Interestingly the candidates' favorables are in sync: 53% had a favorable view of Shaheen, compared with 52% for Sununu.

The state is a critical battleground in the presidential contest. A Survey Center poll released yesterday showed Barack Obama leading John McCain by three points. McCain was up six points in May.

In as much as one race could impact the other, it's worth noting that Shaheen leads Sununu among moderates (56%-34%) and liberals (79%-11%), while Sununu is up with conservatives (77%-11%). Obama, meanwhile, also had the advantage with moderates (51%-35%) in this politically independent-minded state.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

John McCain's campaign mocked reporters traveling with the candidate yesterday in NH and MD, strapping tags to their luggage featuring the Statue of Liberty and reading: "McCain Press Corps; JV Squad; Left behind to report in America." NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy reports that McCain folks attached a French version of the tag as well: "Le groupe de presse de McCain; L'équipe junior; Laissé en arriere pour faire un rapport en Amérique." ... Ouch.

Clearly the GOPer's team is unhappy with the blitz of positive international media coverage of Barack Obama's trip abroad. Also yesterday, McCain's campaign released a video lambasting the media for its "Obama love." Sometimes intense media criticism works to temper glowing coverage of a rival. But sometimes it seems like whining.

The version en français is available après l'interruption.

CBS' Couric talked separately with Barack Obama and John McCain last night.

Couric sat down with Obama in Jordan:

Couric: "You raised a lot of eyebrows on this trip saying even knowing what you know now, you still would not have supported the surge. People may be scratching their heads and saying, 'Why?'"

Obama: "What I was referring to, and I've consistently referred to, is the need for a strategy that actually concludes our involvement in Iraq and moves Iraqis to take responsibility for the country. ... What happens is that if we continue to put $10 billion to $12 billion a month into Iraq, if we are willing to send as many troops as we can muster continually into Iraq? There's no doubt that that's gonna have an impact. But it doesn't meet our long-term strategic goal, which is to make the American people safer over the long term."

Couric: "But do you not give the surge any credit for reducing violence in Iraq?"

Obama: "No, no ... of course I have. There is no doubt that the extraordinary work of our U.S. forces has contributed to a lessening of the violence. ... So this, in no way, detracts from the great efforts of our young men and women in uniform. In fact, that's one of the most striking things about visiting Iraq is to see how dedicated they are, what a great job they do."

After the jump, more from the interviews and Novak talks Veepstakes.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

The University of New Hampshire Survey Center is expected to release it's latest poll tomorrow of the state's hot Senate contest between GOP Sen. John Sununu and former Dem Gov. Jeanne Shaheen. The center's last survey in May showed Shaheen ahead 52%-40%. At the time, the poll also showed John McCain leading Barack Obama by six points. But the presidential results released earlier this week indicate that Obama now has a three-point edge. Do they suggest that Shaheen has increased her lead? And could Obama actually be riding the former governor's coattails?

(JS)

Conservative columnist Robert Novak is backing off his Monday report that John McCain would announce his veep pick this week. Analysts posited today that McCain's camp was looking to distract from Barack Obama's well-covered and well-received trip to the Middle East and Europe. Now Novak is telling FOX News that the episode might've been "a dodge" by the McCain campaign to make headlines.

So was Novak used? Did Team McCain reassess? Or did a general GOP consensus emerge that McCain's announcement would get lost in the Obama coverage?

Former President Clinton will make his annual trip to Africa at the end of this month. He is expected to travel to Ethiopia, Rwanda, Liberia, and Senegal, among other nations, to explore the impact of his foundation's projects to treat HIV/AIDS, eliminate malaria and create sustainable development across the continent. The trip will wrap in Mexico City, where Clinton will deliver remarks at the International AIDS Conference. Full release is available after the jump.

Pool report from USA Today's Kiely upon Barack Obama's arrival today in Israel:

A group of nine men, including Israel's Ambassador to the United States waited to greet Obama on the tarmac. Your pool was told that one of them was Sallai Meridor, Israel's ambassador to the USA. At about 10:50 p.m. local, the senator emerged from the plane and, after greeting the group at the foot of the stairs, walked straight over to a pair of microphones stationed by waiting reporters and delivered a brief (just under 2 minute) statement.

As Obama pulled into the King David Hotel, there was a group of about a dozen people standing on across the street holding McCain signs. A couple read "Ohio Democrats for Israel: John McCain." We also saw some "Florida Democrats for Israel" in the group.

Doesn't this new John McCain vid ...

... remind you of this?

Can John McCain get a humor bump off of his campaign's newest vid? Much as Hillary Clinton did when SNL ran the Tina Fey weekend update commentary and two sympathetic sketches about the Dem debates ...

Vanity Fair debuted a faux cover today mocking the New Yorker illustration of the Obamas that recently caused such a stir. The VF version spoofs John and Cindy McCain. The candidate leans on a walker, while his wife clutches several vials of pills.

Here's VF on the stunt:

We here at Vanity Fair maintain a kind of affectionate rivalry with our downstairs neighbors at The New Yorker. We play softball every year, compete for some of the same stories, and share an elevator bank. (You can tell the ones who are headed to the 20th floor by their Brooklyn pallor and dog-eared paperbacks.)

We had our own presidential campaign cover in the works, which explored a different facet of the Politics of Fear, but we shelved it when The New Yorker’s became the “It Girl” of the blogosphere. Now, however, in a selfless act of solidarity with our downstairs neighbors here at the Condé Nast building, we’d like to share it with you. Confidentially, of course.

AMMAN, Jordan -- Jordan's King Abdullah gave Barack Obama a ride to the airport today after their one-on-one meeting and a dinner with several American and Jordanian officials at the royal palace.

The king, who drove the Mercedes himself, walked the senator to the edge of the stairs, and they chatted briefly, out of earshot of cameras, before Obama boarded his plane.

Obama heads to Israel for a day packed with meetings.

(NBC/NJ's ATHENA JONES)

ROCHESTER, NH – During a visit today to the state that resuscitated his presidential campaign, John McCain cautioned the Granite State's independent-minded voters gathered for a town hall meeting that Democratic rival Barack Obama is politicizing the Iraq war.

"I had the courage and the judgment to say that I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war," McCain said, referencing a tag line he used to defend his support for the troop surge in Iraq. "It seems to me that Senator Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign."

Just prior to the start of today's town hall, McCain's top foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemann, told reporters on a conference call that Obama's "judgment on the most important national security questions facing our country in 2007 was wrong, and it demonstrates both his inexperience and his ideological rigidity."

McCain's perspective was not embraced by everyone in the crowd of 800 gathered at the local Opera House, and at least one audience member, an older woman, said she prefers Obama's view of the situation in Iraq. Speaking to McCain during the event, the woman expressed strong opposition to the U.S. involvement in Iraq, saying that "we are in Iraq against international law," and all of the deaths that have occurred in that country verge on "criminal."

"Now the idea that we might someday have a stable democratic government there is not ours to impose on that country," the questioner said. "We should not be there in my opinion. We need to leave the country. The people of that country are asking us to leave. The prime minister of that country is asking us to leave."

McCain allowed the woman to speak and follow up several times, but each time he was unmoved by her impassioned plea against the war, reiterating that the U.S. has "succeeded."

"The fact is that everybody recognizes, including Prime Minister Maliki, that we have to have conditions-based withdrawal, and we all – we are gonna withdraw," McCain said. "We will withdraw. The fact is, is whether we withdraw in victory or whether we withdraw in defeat. And again, you and I have different versions. We have succeeded. The Sadr City is safe. Mosul is safe. Basra is safe. The people of Iraq, and I've been there, are now leading normal lives."

(NBC/NJ's ADAM AIGNER-TREWORGY)

AMMAN, Jordan – Barack Obama begins his five-country swing through the Middle East and Europe today with what his advisors expect will be a wide-ranging one-on-one talk with Jordan’s King Abdullah here at Beit al Urdan, the king’s residence.

The tour is an audition of sorts on the world stage for the presumptive Democratic nominee and is also intended to show American voters that Obama has a full grasp of world issues. Obama leads his rival John McCain in polls overall but trails him in the area of foreign policy.

During the half-hour meeting, which will be attended by an American “notetaker”, Obama and the king will discuss matters of regional stability and the Israeli-Palestinian issue among others, advisors said. Adbullah, who requested the one-on-one meeting, the first between the two men, is returning early from a trip to the U.S. to meet with the Illinois senator.

Jordan is a key ally in the region and an important ally in the war on terror, and the country would likely play a role in helping maintain stability after the eventual withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. There are hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees in Jordan.

Statement of Sens. Barack Obama, Jack Reed and Chuck Hagel on their trip to Iraq:

BAGHDAD, IRAQ – U.S. Senators Barack Obama, Jack Reed and Chuck Hagel traveled today to Iraq, first to Basra, then to Baghdad. In Basra, they met with U.S., British and Iraqi troops; Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, Commander Multinational Corps – Iraq; Major General Barney White-Spunner (UK), Commander, Multinational Division Southeast; and Major General Abdul Aziz, Commander, 14th Iraqi Army Division. In Baghdad, the Senators met with U.S. troops; Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki; President Jalal Talabani; Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi; and Vice President Adil Abdulmahdi. They received a detailed briefing from and consulted extensively with U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus, Commander, MNF Iraq. They visited with doctors, nurses and patients at the 86th Combat Support Hospital and took part in a helicopter over flight of Baghdad conducted by General Petraeus.

“America has a strategic opportunity to build a new kind of partnership with Iraq and to refocus our foreign policy on the many other pressing challenges around the world – starting with the resurgence of Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

ABC's Moran sat down with Barack Obama in Baghdad 7/21. The interview aired last night on "Nightline." Some highlights:

Obama, on what he first asked Gen. David Petraeus: "The question for me was, does he consider the games reversible when it comes to al Qaeda and Iraq, or some of the Shia militias? And if so, what kinds of resources are required to make sure that we reach a tipping point where they can't reconstitute themselves. And, you know, I think that what came out of the conversation was a sense that this is not a science. It's an art. And he and I occupy different roles."

Moran: "Did Prime Minister Maliki say to you what he said to the European press, that he likes your plan for a 16-month timetable for withdrawal?"

Obama: "What Prime Minister Maliki stated was that he very much believes that there has to be a time frame built into whatever agreements are set up between the United States and Iraq. But, again, I think his view is that he wants some flexibility in terms of how that's carried out."

After the jump, more Obama and NYT rejects McCain's op-ed.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

Conservative columnist Robert Novak is reporting that John McCain will announce his veep nom this week.

Novak: "The name of McCain's running mate has not been disclosed, but Mitt Romney has led the speculation recently."

Speculation to date has turned on the possibility that McCain wouldn't debut his veep pick until the end of the Dem convention -- an attempt to squash Barack Obama's expected post-Denver bounce. But the week has started poorly for McCain. While Obama meets with foreign leaders in Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel, Jordan and Europe, McCain is in Maine raising money with former President George H.W. Bush. The visuals beg a striking past/present comparison between the GOP and Dem noms.

A McCain veep announcement could distract from an overseas Obama trip that's garnering plenty of positive coverage at home and abroad.

The Huffington Post was first today to determine if Hillary Clinton's bundlers -- known as 'Hillraisers' -- have given to Barack Obama in the month since their candidate withdrew from the race. The answer? Not so much. The Huff Post discovered that HRC donors who bundled in excess of $100K for the NY senator's WH campaign gave less than $20K total in June to Obama, the presumptive Dem nom. Only eight of 311 Hillraisers wrote checks to the IL senator's campaign last month.

The Washington Times reports that in a cable sent on the even of Barack Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice "instructed U.S. overseas missions to provide only minimal support to foreign visits by the two main presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, forbidding diplomats to hold events or arrange meetings for them."

More: "Provide de minimis assistance to the candidate with logistical arrangements," said the cable, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times. "If the campaign staff wants to rent a bus for press, tell them where they can rent a bus."

Earlier, On Call noted three prior examples of Bush administration meddling in Obama's trip. This revelation makes No. 4.

A new University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll shows Barack Obama leading John McCain in the Granite State, 46% to 43%. An April UNH poll showed McCain ahead, 49% to 43%.

Andy Smith, director of the UNH Survey Center, notes in the poll release that the electorate is still in flux. Only 51% of likely voters say they have definitely decided who they will vote for, 21% are leaning toward a candidate, and 28% say they are still trying to decide. Among voters who say they have definitely decided who they will support, Obama holds a 54% to 44% lead.

“Neither Obama nor McCain can claim to have a hold on the New Hampshire electorate," Smith said in a statement. "The state will be a swing state in November. Both candidates have real opportunities to sway independent voters to their sides between now and the election.”

The telephone survey of 519 randomly-selected adults was conducted from 7/11-7/20. The margin of error is 4.3 percentage points.

McCain won the NH presidential primary in 2000 and again this year. He remains popular in the first-in-the-nation primary state, but there might be a factor beyond his control that has contributed to his weakening numbers: U.S. Sen. John Sununu, a first-term GOPer up for re-election this year, is trailing former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen in their much-antipated rematch by as much as a dozen points, depending on the poll. Sununu could be dragging McCain down. Likewise, Shaheen's strength could be benefitting Obama, who lost the state's primary in January to Hillary Clinton.

McCain is scheduled to appear in Rochester, NH, tomorrow.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Drudge is reporting that the New York Times has rejected an editorial submission from John McCain's campaign that seeks to counter a piece written by Barack Obama that ran last week in the paper.

NYT Op-Ed editor David Shipley told the McCain campaign that the GOPer's item didn't address the issues presented by Obama in 'My Plan for Iraq.'

"It would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain that mirrors Senator Obama's piece," Shipley explained in an email late Friday to McCain's staff. "I'm not going to be able to accept this piece as currently written."

The McCain camp is incensed. NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy has this statement from McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds: "John McCain believes that victory in Iraq must be based on conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables. Unlike Barack Obama, that position will not change based on politics or the demands of the New York Times."

Per Drudge, the submitted McCain editorial is available in full after the jump.

One dynamic has become apparent as Barack Obama embarked this weekend on his overseas tour to Iraq and Afghanistan, Jordan, Israel, Berlin, Paris and London: the White House's fingerprints appear to be all over the GOP's defense, an effort to bolster John McCain's efforts to counter Obama's message.

As Obama works to boost his foreign policy credentials and capture the visuals vital to selling him as a capable commander in chief, key Bush administration allies -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- have at turns contributed to the GOP's pushback.

Merkel voiced skepticism earlier this month about the appropriateness of the Bradenburg Gate for a planned Obama speech. President Reagan used the site as a backdrop in 1987 when he urged Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall." Of course, President Kennedy in 1963 also gave his historic "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech at the gate. When news of Obama's speech first broke, Thomas Steg, a Merkel spokesman, said: “No German candidate for high office would think to use the National Mall or Red Square in Moscow for a rally, because it would be seen as inappropriate.” (Obama's campaign has since relocated the planned event to a site near the gate.)

Mullen, meanwhile, appearing yesterday on FOX cautioned against Obama's plan to bring all U.S. troops in Iraq home by 2010. "I think the consequences could be very dangerous," Mullen, the nation's top military officer, said on "Fox News Sunday." "I'm convinced at this point in time that ... making reductions based on conditions on the ground are very important."

Note also that The Washington Post reported yesterday that officials with the U.S. embassy in Iraq contacted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asking that he revise remarks that appeared supportive of Obama's call to draw down troops. In response, Maliki's team issued word that his comment to a German publication had been misinterpreted. But he didn't walk it back, and a spokesman for the prime minister said today that they can't provide a timetable for withdrawal but that 2010 is "appropriate."

Readers: Doesn't this peripheral WH assistance reinforce the relationship between McCain and the administration even as the GOP nom works to fight relentless Dem assertions that he'd provide Americans with a third Bush term?

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

Barack Obama and John McCain have agreed to back-to-back appearances 8/16 at the Rev. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, in Lake Forest, Calif. The event would mark the candidates' only semi-jointish show before the party conventions -- despite McCain's repeated urging for Obama to join him in a series of town hall meetings throughout the summer.

Instead, Obama and McCain -- at Warren's request -- will visit Saddleback for a forum about a series of issues of interest to the spiritual leader and author of the best-selling book, "The Purpose-Driven Life": AIDS, poverty and the environment.

“I just got to thinking, you know what? These guys have never been together on the same stage, it would be a neat way to cap the primary season before they both go to the conventions and things go dark for a couple of weeks,” Warren told the NYT. “I’ve known both the guys for a long time, they’re both friends of mine, and I knew them before they ran for office, so I just called them up.”

Warren's church draws 22K worshippers a week, according to his Web site. The presidential candidates have both openly courted evangelical voters, and leaders, throughout the contest. For Obama, whose Christian faith has been challenged via Internet e-mail smears suggesting he's a Muslim, the outreach aims to clarify questions about his faith. Meanwhile, McCain's support from evangelical leaders has been tepid to date, and he urgently needs Christian conservatives, who twice helped carry George W. Bush to the White House, to win the presidential election.

Reports are circulating today, too, that Focus On The Family's James Dobson, who has vigorously resisted a McCain endorsement, is weighing whether to officially back the GOP nom. Dobson would be a critical get for McCain, who, as a supporter of stem cell research and an opponent of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, has struggled to spark enthusiasm for his bid among evangelicals.

(JS)

New John McCain television spot running on national cable and in unspecified "key states." A female narrator notes that with gas prices hitting as much as $5 a gallon, "some in Washington are still saying no to drilling in America. No to independence from foreign oil. Who can you thank for rising prices at the pump? Obama, Obama."

Script available after the jump.

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

"There's a really huge misconception in the traditional media about who we are as a voting group. And I say 'traditional media,' not 'mainstream media,' because we are the mainstream…On issue after issue, we are where the American people reside.”
-- Markos Moulitsas (aka "Kos")

“I’m even more confident than the money markets that [Barack] Obama will be the next President.”
-- New York Times columnist Paul Krugman

“There used to be an old-timey remedy for hangovers called ‘the hair of the dog that bit you.’ They’d recommend going in and just having another drink in the morning if you had a hangover. Well, that’s sort of what this reminds me of. ‘Oh, we have a fossil fuel crisis? Well, let’s just go back for more.’ When you’re in a hole, stop digging!”
-- Al Gore

AUSTIN -- Al Gore made a surprise visit to the Netroots Nation convention this morning, delighting the crowd of 2000 bloggers and progressive activists. The event organizers had worked hard to keep Gore’s visit under wraps, and although rumors began circulating the night before, most of the audience members appeared genuinely surprised and thrilled when Gore walked onstage.

Gore made his appearance during the much anticipated “Ask The Speaker” session featuring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. After Pelosi was asked a question about Gore’s bold proposal to shift 100% of the nation's electricity production to carbon-free sources within 10 years, she said that she had recently received an email on the subject. As Pelosi pretended to check her BlackBerry, Gore’s voice was heard intoning over the loudspeaker: “Dear Nancy, Thursday I issued a challenge to reset our energy commitment…” A grinning Gore then strode onto the stage to gasps, cheers, and thunderous applause.

Gore joked, “We oughta take that act on the road, Nancy,” to which Pelosi responded, “We are on the road!” Gore replied, “We are on the road, but I feel right at home, I’ll tell you.”

AUSTIN -- One of the most anticipated events from Day 2 of Netroots Nation was the discussion between Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas and DLC Chairman Harold Ford. The event was essentially a reprise of their 2007 duel on Meet the Press, only this time the battle was fought on Moulitsas' turf. For about an hour, Moulitsas and Ford had a polite discussion in which they agreed on many topics and respectfully disagreed on others. The audience treated Ford politely, although several audience members blasted the centrist ex-congressman during the Q&A that followed. One male questioner accused him of "smearing Democrats on TV and using right-wing attacks."

Early in the discussion, Moulitsas addressed the netroots' anger at Barack Obama over his FISA vote: "The one issue where we had a little disagreement was FISA, and it wasn't because Obama was moving to the center, it was because he was not moving to the center. There was no popular support for this bill...People don't really like being spied on by the government."

That said, Moulitsas said that Obama's FISA vote isn't a deal-breaker for the netroots: "We're gonna get over it, because we have much more in common. He is incredibly talented and inspirational, and he is going to be a good President because we're going to have a Democratic Congress to keep him honest. And we're going to keep them all honest."

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts Al Gore, NBC's David Gregory and NBC pol. dir. Chuck Todd.

Face the Nation hosts Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson.

This Week is pre-empted due to the British Open.

Fox News Sunday hosts JCS Chair/Adm. Mike Mullen and Sens. Evan Bayh (D-IN ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT). The "Power Player" is Honor Flight founder Earl Morse.

Late Edition hosts Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Min. Whip Roy Blunt, Paulson, and a roundtable with CNN's Bill Schneider, CNN's Candy Crowley and CNN's Gloria Borger.

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

CBS' Couric sat down with Al Gore to talk about his 7/17 energy speech and WH '08.

Couric: "Senator [Barack] Obama said during the primaries season, there would be a place at the table for Al Gore, in an Obama administration."

Gore: "Well, that's a very nice thing for anybody to say ... and I appreciate it. I would not take a formal position in any administration."

Couric: "So you can't see yourself being, say, an environmental czar, helping to shape environmental policy or energy policy in a new administration?"

Gore: "Well, it's a really nice idea. I don't think that's the best way for me to serve my country. I think the real solutions to this climate crisis must involve a sea change in public opinion. So that when the American people demand solutions, the elected officials and politicians in all parties will then respond. That's what I'm trying to do."

Couric: "What about the VP slot?"

Gore: "No. ... I have many times said, you know, I have a personal term limit. Only two terms as VP.

After the jump, more Gore, Pelosi has tough words for Bush and Hannity vs. the Obamas.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Yesterday, we made the case against Michael Steele, who accompanied John McCain to the NAACP convention in Cincinnati, as the GOP's veep nom. Today, we'll offer the possible reasons for it:

Steele is thought by many to be great on television and a good retail campaigner. At 49, he would bring youth to the GOP ticket – and he would also, perhaps most importantly, help the GOP present a more diverse front. The Republican Party, which has struggled to elevate people of color to federal office, faces the prospect of running against a Democratic ticket that could be history-making on two fronts – the first African American nominee for president, and, potentially, a woman or Hispanic in the number two spot. Steele, the first African American lieutenant governor of MD, would help counter either powerful combination.

He is a long shot, of course. Steele – much like former WH hopeful Mike Huckabee – is better suited in many ways for a media career, a move that would allow him to put his charm and humor to good use. As head of GOPAC, he's a regular on FOX, an able advocate for the Republican cause.

(JS)

The NYT's Healy is reporting that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will host an event for Hillary Clinton:

At a private meeting today, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York offered to host a “welcome back” event for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, which she “gladly accepted,” a Clinton aide said.

But the event – intended to welcome her back to her full-time gig after the 16-month campaign – could serve as one more way to remind New Yorkers about the debt carried by their junior senator, and prompt some of them to write checks.

Dick Heller will register his handgun tomorrow morning, 9 a.m. at 300 Indiana Ave., NW, Washington. Heller, the Capitol Hill resident whose lawsuit prompted the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the city's handgun ban, attempted to register his firearm today but was turned away because he didn't bring it with him. Handguns must be test fired as part of the registration process.

WASHINGTON -- Former Vice President Al Gore challenged the American people today to "commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly carbon-free sources within 10 years."

“This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative,” Gore said during a speech hosted by the “We” campaign, the non profit founded by Gore to halt global warming. “It represents a challenge to all Americans – in every walk of life: to our political leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, engineers, and to every citizen.”

Speaking in a packed D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Gore cited rising gas and oil prices as a catalyst for driving Americans to change their consumption habits.

“A few years ago, it would not have been possible to issue such a challenge," he said. "The sharp cost reductions now beginning to take place in solar, wind, and geothermal power – coupled with the recent dramatic price increases for oil and coal – have radically changed the economics of energy.”

Gore also suggested that the United States must act first in addressing the global climate crisis.

“It is a great error to say that the United States must wait for others to join us in this matter," he added. "In fact, we must move first, because that is the key to getting others to follow, and because moving first is in our own national interest.”

Gore ended his speech by invoking memories of America's 1969 moon landing, calling the climate change crisis “a generational moment.”

“We must now lift our nation to reach another goal that will change history," he said. "Our entire civilization depends upon us now embarking on a new journey of exploration and discovery. Our success depends on our willingness as a people to undertake this journey and to complete it within 10 years. Once again, we have an opportunity to take a giant leap for humankind.”

Constitution Hall, which holds about 3,700 people, was filled to capacity for Gore's 25-minute talk. Matt Howes, a spokesman for the "We" campaign, said in an email that 4,000 people signed up for the event's wait list. The former vice president did not take questions.

(Hotline's RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

Barack Obama tells Glamour magazine's editor during a sit-down interview (?!) that he resents the conservative media's criticism of his wife, Michelle Obama:

GLAMOUR: An AP poll shows that while the positive ratings on Michelle are higher than those of Cindy McCain, her negative ratings are higher as well. I'm curious about how as a husband that makes you feel. Does it mystify you? And what do you want to say to those Americans who don't know the woman that you know?

SENATOR OBAMA: I wouldn't say the McCain campaign itself, but I would say that the apparatus of conservative columnists, blogs and the like. Talk shows, talk radio....When you see in the span of two or three or four weeks essentially the same talking points being used on a whole variety of shows or a whole variety of columns, over and over again....Hillary Clinton was subject to this, others have been subject to this in the past...It is part of our political environment that I'd like to change.

Crosby, Stills and Nash have debuted an updated version of their song -- "Chicago" -- about the 1968 riots at the Democratic convention in the Windy City. The newer tune is called ... "Denver."

Jill Hazelbaker, John McCain's communications director, offers a few choice words to describe Barack Obama's overseas trip to Iraq and other nations.

Seven major nat'l surveys released in the past week all showed Barack Obama continuing his lead over John McCain, and The Hotline's latest state-by-state polling analysis concurs, estimating that Obama has 292 EVs to McCain's 234. That's an 11 EV swing from last week's 7/10 update in which Obama held a 281-245 edge over McCain. Although there were five new state polls out this week, the 11 EV fluctuation is attributable to the first post-5/23 poll in MO.

Research 2000, on behalf of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and KMOV-TV, conducted a survey 7/7-10 that showed Obama leading McCain, 48-43%. As a result, MO -- previously McCain territory based on the '00/'04 election results -- has become a solid Obama state. Each of the other four polls out this week -- one in CA, one in NY and two in WA -- also showed significant Obama leads, although the Dem already maintained solid leads in all three states.

In CA, the latest Field Poll shows Obama up, 54-30%, a bump from his 17% lead in their previous survey completed 5/26. Meanwhile in NY, a new Siena College survey shows Obama leading 50-37% -- still a statistically significant margin, but down from his 18% lead in their 6/11 poll. And finally, in WA, new surveys by partisan pollsters Moore Information (R) and Strategies 360 (D) show Obama leading McCain by 10% and 8%, respectively.

As always, the electoral distribution chart (available after the jump) includes all WH '08 state polling data published in The Hotline since 5/23. The most recent poll, the one used to identify each state's winner, is listed on the same line as the state symbol with older surveys below. In addition, only the most recent poll from a pollster is retained for each state. For the 17 states (including DC) without current polling data available, the winner has been estimated based on WH '00 and WH '04 results.

(Hotline's MATTHEW GOTTLIEB and CARRIE DINDINO)

The AP is reporting that President Clinton's foundation has signed pricing agreements with several cos. involved in making a pricey malaria-fighting drug.

"Today's announcement is an important step forward in global efforts to increase access to affordable and effective malaria treatment," Clinton said in a statement to the AP, "and I applaud the commitments of these companies to lower volatility in this market and offer low and sustainable prices that will save more lives."

Full story is available after the jump.

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

A lot of last night's TV coverage focused on John McCain's 7/16 appearance before the NAACP nat'l convo in Cincinnati, OH.

Ex-NAACP official/RNC's Shannon Reeves: "The goal not necessarily was in one speech to change someone's vote, but first to say that I'm a leader, and that I'm worthy of being president of the United States, and I'm seeking your consideration" ("NewsHour," PBS, 7/16).

FNC's Cameron: "He showed he doesn't have horns on his head, and he got a standing ovation at the end of it" ("Special Report," 7/16).

DNCer Robert Zimmerman: "I don't want to be cynical about it. Obviously, it was very important that John McCain went to the NAACP and showed respect for them. But it also was a very strategic move, because that appearance there was a message that showed how he was separate from George Bush. And it was the beginning of trying to regain a maverick image, trying to show that he was independent from traditional Republican dogma, from the Bush administration ... despite the fact that, ultimately, he's backing George Bush on all the critical issues" ("AC 360," CNN, 7/16).

Chicago Tribune's Page: "The audience was very cordial. Black folks are delighted if you show up, number one. They will treat you like nice and neighborly. But his biggest applause line was when he complimented his opponent. You know that this is not a crowd you have much chance of winning. But, it was important for John McCain to speak past the camera, past this crowd to the folks watching at home, especially in Ohio, which is where the NAACP was having their convention, a very important swing state ... for both these candidates" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 7/16).

After the jump, more McCain and the return of the Jesse Jackson controversy.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

In an email to supporters this morning, Obama mgr David Plouffe announced that the campaign raised a total of $52M in the month of June with an average donation of just $68. Combined, the Obama camp and the DNC have a total of nearly $72M CoH. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported Obama's campaign brought in around $30M in June, calling the number “underwhelming.”

In his email today, Plouffe said the $52M figure, “is a healthy number. But McCain and the RNC together still have a huge cash advantage, and we need your help to close the gap." Plouffe notes "we're facing a Republican machine with unprecedented resources at its disposal. The McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee finished June with nearly $100 million in the bank.”

McCain raised more than $22M in Jun. -- his best fundraising performance of the campaign -- and ended the month with nearly $27M CoH. McCain mgr. Rick Davis said 7/10 that McCain and the RNC together entered July with about $95M CoH.

John McCain at the NAACP convention today assured a questioner that he will indeed fill out the group's civil rights survey, a comment that prompted a smattering of applause.

"I'll look forward to filling it out," McCain said. "We fill out literally every survey, so I'll be more than happy to do that."

Every survey? Well ... not quite. Rewind to April 10, 2008, when Mother Jones reported that McCain was booted from the Project Vote Smart board for not completing the organization's Political Courage Test. Mother Jones: "PVS contacted the McCain campaign 25 times from June 2007 to February 2008 in the hopes of avoiding the embarrassment this move entails for both the organization and one of its long-time board members." Here's PVS' statement on the matter.

Just a quick survey of surveys. ...

(JS)

John McCain will participate Friday in an employee town hall meeting at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, MI.

Lots of buzz in the political ether today noting that former MD Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, a 2006 candidate for U.S. Senate, accompanied John McCain to the NAACP convention in Cincinnati. Is it a sign, some are asking, that Steele's being considered for the veep spot?

While it's always dangerous to handicap the vice presidential search, I covered the 2006 Senate race in MD for The Baltimore Sun, and I can say with little hesitation that it's unlikely that Steele, now head of GOPAC, will wind up on the GOP ticket. Steele served one term as the state's LG. He's never won a race on his own, and his career has had several iterations.

Among Steele's professional twists and turns:

-- He entered the seminary, but left after 18 months.

-- After attending law school, he passed the PA bar and later sat for the MD bar, but failed.

-- Post law school, he was hired by the Washington office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, but failed to make partner after six years and left the firm.

-- He later worked for the Mills Corp., the developer of the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, and left the company 18 months.

-- In 1998, Steele attempted to win the Republican nomination for MD comptroller. He finished third in the GOP primary.

-- He subsequently founded a business and consulting group that struggled financially. In 2001, two banks filed notices of intent to place liens on Steele's Largo townhouse. He later cleared his debts.

-- Steele ultimately took over the MD GOP. In 2002, while running for LG with gube candidate Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., the party paid Steele, whose business was struggling, $5,000 per month -- money stipulated as a fee for strategic consulting services.

-- Steele's 2006 Senate bid was crafted largely around the LG's affable personality and is most remembered for a series of TV ads noting that the Democrats would criticize the GOPer -- they'd even say he doesn't like puppies. He was defeated by then Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin.

That's just the chronology. Steele was also caught during the 2002 campaign noting inaccurately that his stepfather was Robert Kennedy's driver, a point corrected by Kennedy's daughter, former MD Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

There's more, of course, including Steele's relationships with his onetime brother-in-law, the boxer Mike Tyson, and Don King, the boxing promoter who appeared on the campaign trail with Steele in 2006. But, for now, that seems enough to make the broader point. Opposition researchers would have a field day with a Steele pick.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN -- IN Sen. Evan Bayh and former GA Sen. Sam Nunn declined today to say if they are being vetted by Barack Obama’s vice presidential search team.

Bayh, who fielded reporters questions with Nunn by his side, dominated the roughly 18-minute press conference, but quickly tossed the veep question to the former Georgia senator, joking: “Sam, I haven’t let you answer any questions.”

“I’ve never aspired to that office," Nunn said. "It’s always nice to have your name mentioned. It’s an honor, but I have no expectations of being offered any office, and I’m not in any way sitting on the edge of a chair ready to go back into government. If anyone offered me any high office in the U.S. government, I’d be greatly honored, and I would talk to them.

"Certainly I would talk to Sen. Obama if he wanted to talk about it, but I think the chances of an offer are pretty slim and that I would have to do a lot of thinking and talk to my family and do a lot of reflecting about what was really the best role for me," Nunn added. "Right now, I’m doing a lot of work in (the) national security arena, with the foundation I chair, and we’re making some progress in some difficult areas so I’m not pining to go back into public office.”

Reporters pressed Bayh, too, about his willingness to serve as Obama's vice president.

“Well, I love serving the people of Indiana,” he began. “And I think any questions about the vice presidential thing are understandable, and it’s good for my ego, but I should probably let Sen. Obama and his campaign address those kind of questions."

The IN senator offered a quick quip when asked if he would take himself out of the running to be Obama’s running mate. “I’ve got a plane to catch; Gen. Sherman was from Ohio," he said, referencing American Civil War Gen. Willliam Tecumseh Sherman, who is famous for refusing to become a candidate for president. “If nominated, I will not accept; if drafted, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve,” Sherman said.

John McCain offered some uncharacteristically flattering words (read: well-played, consider the audience) for his Democratic rival this morning at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati:

"Let me begin, if I may with a few words about my opponent. Don't tell him I said this, but he is an impressive fellow in many ways. He has inspired a great many Americans, some of whom had wrongly believed that a political campaign could hold no purpose or meaning for them. His success should make Americans, all Americans, proud. Of course, I would prefer his success not continue quite as long as he hopes. But it does make you and me proud to know the country I've loved and served all my life, still a work in progress, and always improving. Senator Obama talks about making history, and he's made quite a bit of it already. And the way was prepared by this venerable organization and others like it."

The Planned Parenthood Action Fund is airing a new TV spot aimed at educating women voters, in particular, about John McCain's opposition to abortion access and health insurance coverage for birth control.

"John McCain is out of touch when it comes to women's health care," Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fun, said in a statement. "Birth control is basic health care for women. But, John McCain ducked a straightforward question about whether he thinks insurance companies should cover birth control, like they do Viagra.”

The spot will air on the season premiere of Project Runway, Lifetime’s Army Wives and The Oprah Winfrey Show (in select markets). It will also run in key battleground states, including CO, IA, MN, NM, OH and WI, as well as Washington, DC.

UPDATE:

Republican National Committee Dep. Press Sec. Amber Wilkerson sent On Call this statement ... “These types of misleading partisan attacks won’t help women who are desperately in need of quality healthcare. John McCain’s plan will provide all Americans with choice and competition in health insurance, putting patients in charge of their own care instead of Washington bureaucrats.”

Since last p.m., three news agencies have released nat'l surveys, and all three show Barack Obama leading John McCain by a statistically significant margin.

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, which surveyed 1,119 adults from 7/10-13, shows Obama leading McCain 51-39% -- double the 6% lead he had on 6/15. ABC/WaPo also shows Obama up 8% among RVs and 3% among LVs. Obama's 12-point lead is his largest margin in the survey since 3/2.

Meanwhile a new CBS News/New York Times survey shows Obama leading McCain 45-39%, similar to his 48-42% lead in their 6/3 poll. The poll, which surveyed 1,534 RVs from 7/7-14, shows twice as many undecided voters now as in the survey completed 6/3 (jump from 6% to 12%). CBS/NYT also shows Obama leading 62-23% among Hispanics and 38-35% among Inds.

Finally, the second release of the Reuters/Zogby nat'l survey shows Obama holding steady and McCain dropping slightly. Obama now leads the poll, conducted 7/9-13 among 1,039 LVs, 47-40%; he had led 47-42% in the survey released on 6/18.

Margins of error: ABC/WaPo +/- 2.9%; CBS/NYT +/- 2.5%; Reuters/Zogby +/- 3.0%.

(Hotline's MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

New Barack Obama ad running on national cable seizes on the national security theme du jour ...

The Dem nom is speaking now in IN ... with Sen. Evan Bayh and former GA Sen. Sam Nunn in attendance. Barack Obama will propose a $5B 'Shared Security Partnership' that will over three years forge an international intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure "to take down terrorist networks."

Also, Obama on his 9/11 whereabouts:

"I remember hearing the news on my car radio in downtown in Chicago: a plane had hit the World Trade Center. By the time I got to my meeting, the second plane had hit, and we were told to evacuate. People gathered in the streets and looked up at the sky and the Sears Tower. We feared for our families and our country. We mourned the terrible loss suffered by our fellow citizens in those two office towers, at the Pentagon, and in a simple field in Pennsylvania. Back at my office, I watched the images from New York: a plane vanishing into glass and steel; men and women clinging to windowsills, then letting go; tall towers crumbling to dust. It seemed all of the misery and all of the evil in the world were in that rolling black cloud, blocking out the September sun."

Full speech available after the jump.

John McCain speaks today to the NAACP annual convention in Cincinnati. It would be a grand understatement to say the GOPer faces an uphill climb in courting black voters, who turned out in force for Barack Obama during the primaries. National surveys indicate that Obama is garnering strong support from the African-American community against McCain, with at least nine of 10 black voters saying they'll back the Democrat.

McCain skipped last year's NAACP convention, a point he is expected to attribute in today's remarks to the "implosion in my campaign" at the time. Still, Democrats have released research to reporters noting that the NAACP has given McCain a grade of 'F' for his record on civil rights matters during the 106th, 107th, 108th and 109th Congresses. More recently, he received an 'incomplete' rating.

Excerpts from McCain's speech are available after the jump.

(JS)

President Bill Clinton and leading drug manufacturers will deliver a "major" announcement tomorrow, 12:45 PM at the Clinton Foundation's Harlem Office.

The former POTUS' group works in over 44 countries on six continents to combat global challenges such as HIV/AIDS, climate change and childhood obesity.

MoveOn.org has produced a new TV ad highlighting, what they call, John McCain's "intransigence on timelines for redeployment of troops from Iraq, even in the face of calls from" Iraqi PM Nouri al-Maliki "to do just that."

MoveOn will spend $100K to run the ad on nat'l cable.

MoveOn.org campaign dir. Nita Chaudhary: "This week, even the Prime Minister of Iraq joined the chorus calling for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, yet John McCain continues to promote an indefinite American occupation there. ... He and President Bush seem happy to take potshots at MoveOn and Congress instead of providing the leadership Americans and Iraqis want to find an end to this war."

The RNC responded with a statement. Spokesperson Alex Conant: "MoveOn.org is repaying Barack Obama for his ideological position on Iraq by running ads that ignore the improving situation in Iraq. Obama and MoveOn were wrong to oppose the surge, and they're wrong to demand immediate withdrawal now."

Barack Obama made the TV rounds last night, appearing on PBS' "NewsHour" and CNN's "LKL." Some highlights:

PBS' Ifill: "I would like to talk to you about Iraq. You gave a big speech on that subject today. A new poll out shows Americans are kind of split about whether there should be a withdrawal timetable or not. So is John McCain right or are you?"

Obama: "Well, you won't be surprised to learn that I'm right."

Ifill: "Oh, I'm surprised."

Obama: "My opposition to the war in Iraq from the start was never premised on the day-to-day tactics that we employ once we are in Iraq. I've never had any doubt that the U.S. military would defeat Saddam Hussein's army. There was never any doubt that if we poured enough resources in there, that we could lock down Iraq. The problem has always been a broader strategic question, and that is was it wise for us to go in there in the first place and once we were in there, you know, was it wise for us to continue a long-term occupation in Iraq. That remains the question."

After the jump, more Obama and reaction to his Iraq speech.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

DSCC chair Chuck Schumer and nat'l Dems can take heart that their (presumed) favored candidate in the GA SEN race, '06 LG nominee/ex-state Rep. Jim Martin (D) is heading towards an 8/5 runoff, although he currently trails DeKalb Co. CEO Vernon Jones (D) 40%-35%. Three other Dems split the remaining 25% of the vote, and while it seems likely that most of their support will gravitate towards Martin, it's worth pointing out that voter turnout today was quite low... and will almost certainly plummet further in three weeks when even fewer races are contested. With such a small universe of voters, anything could happen.

What's more certain is Sen. Saxby Chambliss' (R) cash lead over either Dem. As of 6/25, Chambliss had over $4M CoH to Martin's $330K and Jones' $150K.

All of the primaried GA incumbents came out of their races unscathed tonight, despite the fact that some of the races had a few twists and turns.

The White House race has played a big role in two primaries involving Dem Reps. John Lewis (D-05) and John Barrow (D-12).

Lewis faced minister Markel Hutchins (D) and state Rep. Mable Thomas (D), and defeated them handily. Hutchins and Thomas’ bids were fueled by Lewis' early support of Hillary Clinton. Both challengers also echoed Barack Obama's apparent call for a change in the leadership in the African-American community. They argued that while Lewis played a key role in the civil rights movement, it's time for new leaders to take the stage. But Lewis far outraised his challengers, and despite some lingering bad feelings over his early HRC endorsement, he coasted today.

Meanwhile, in the Savannah-based 12th District, Barrow fought off a feisty, yet underfunded, challenge to his left by African-American state Sen. Regina Thomas (D), 76-24%. On the surface, Thomas had a big base -- the District is 41% African-American; it's even higher in the universe of Democratic primary voters. But Obama came out and surprisingly endorsed the white moderate Barrow. That appeared to take the life out of Thomas' campaign. She raised just a fraction of what Barrow has spent on the contest, and couldn’t seem to get any traction.

Barrow will face ex-Rep. Burns (R) aide John Stone (R) in the general, and despite previous Barrow challengers, his candidacy doesn’t excite too many GOPers. Stone hasn’t been able to raise much – he had just $8K CoH at the end of Jul. -- and considering the expected huge African-American turnout for Obama in this CD, any hopes for a GOP win here are muted.

They had to wait six weeks, but House GOPers finally got their candidates in AL's two open seat races. State Rep. Jay Love (AL-02) and ‘94/’96 nominee Wayne Parker (AL-05) emerged from today’s runoffs with relatively comfortable victories, and will face socially conservative Dems in the fall.

Love defeated the runner up in the 6/3 primary, state Sen. Harri Anne Smith (R) 58-42% in a campaign that got so nasty that retiring Rep. Terry Everett (R) called on both sides to cease their negative TV ads.

Smith lobbed the first grenade in the race when she aired a TV ad accusing Love of giving tax breaks to “big oil.” Love responded by saying Smith “sold out” her position on gambling for campaign contributions from a bingo hall developer. Smith and developer Ronnie Gilley vehemently denied the accusations. And Gilley paid for radio ads featuring country music singer George Jones that praised Smith and condemned Love, calling him a “plain old liar.”

Barack Obama returns to IN tomorrow for a national security conversation with Sen. Evan Bayh and former GA Sen. Sam Nunn. The discussion -- held at Purdue University in West Lafayette -- will focus on nuclear non-proliferation, bioterrorism, cyber security and emerging national security threats. The event is dubbed a 'Summit on Confronting 21st Century Threats' ...

(AP photo)

Charlie Black, senior adviser to John McCain's campaign, is back on the campaign trail just three weeks after his comments to Fortune Magazine about the beneficial effects a possible terrorist attack would have on McCain's White House bid, reports NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy.

Speaking a few moments ago in Albuquerque, NM, John McCain issued a call to increase troop levels in Afghanistan, noting that the situation in Iraq is much improved.

NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy, who has been traveling with the McCain campaign, notes that the candidate has until today danced around questions about increasing the troop commitment in Afghanistan. During yesterday's press avail, McCain stepped up to the line, but backed off: "I think we need to do whatever is necessary, and that could entail more troops. We need to do a lot of things in Afghanistan. A lot of this has to do with Pakistan and the safe haven areas that I have visited in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. But the major point here is that Senator Obama refuses to acknowledge that he was wrong. He said that the surge couldn't succeed. He said he opposed the increase in troops. The surge has succeeded. We were losing when we put the 30,000 additional troops in with a new strategy. He said it would fail and he still refuses to acknowledge that it is succeeding."

McCain today introduced his "Comprehensive Strategy for Victory in Afghanistan," which includes sending more troops - at least three additional brigades - and creating an Afghanistan Czar to oversee all operations there.

Aigner-Treworgy writes: This isn't a shift in position, but it is a change from the way he has been speaking about the situation in Afghanistan, which usually included a call for increased NATO support and the need for political accords with Pakistan.

McCain's full speech is available after the jump.

Barack Obama working out today at the The Washington Sports Club on Connecticut Ave. between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Our source said two bodyguards stood watch as the Dem presidential nom pumped some iron pre Iraq/Afghanistan speech. Apparently, the IL senator bends his back while performing tricep exercises with free weights (ouch).

This a.m. Quinnipiac Univ. released its first nat'l survey in two months. The poll, taken 7/8-13 among 1,725 LVs, shows Barack Obama leading John McCain 50-41%. Obama led the previous Quinnipiac survey, taken 5/8-12 among 1,745 RVs, 47-40%. The polls have margins error +/- 2.4% (July) and +/- 2.3% (May).

Obama now leads by 93% among blacks, up from his 83% lead in the previous poll; McCain meanwhile maintains his 7% lead among whites. Even more interesting, however, is the breakdown of voting by age.

Obama, as expected, holds a substantial (63-31%) lead among voters 34 and under; he also holds a slight 48-44% edge among voters 35-54 years old. But McCain and Obama are virtually tied among voters 55 and over, with McCain holding a statistically insignificant 1% lead.

(Hotline's MATTHEW GOTTLIEB)

Barack Obama's full Iraq speech is available after the jump.

Here's a snippet countering the GOP nom's assertion that a troop draw down in Iraq would spell failure and surrender to terrorists:

"Iraq is not going to be a perfect place, and we don’t have unlimited resources to try to make it one. We are not going to kill every al Qaeda sympathizer, eliminate every trace of Iranian influence, or stand up a flawless democracy before we leave – General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker acknowledged this to me when they testified last April. That is why the accusation of surrender is false rhetoric used to justify a failed policy. In fact, true success in Iraq – victory in Iraq – will not take place in a surrender ceremony where an enemy lays down their arms. True success will take place when we leave Iraq to a government that is taking responsibility for its future – a government that prevents sectarian conflict, and ensures that the al Qaeda threat which has been beaten back by our troops does not reemerge."

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

The State's Chapman wonders today if SC Gov. Mark Sanford's gaffe-packed, cringe-inducing appearance on CNN Sunday has taken him out of the running for GOP veep.

Barack Obama speaks in a few minutes about his foreign policy gameplan for Iraq and Afghanistan. Excerpts from his talk, given at The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, are available after the jump.

Here, per the campaign, are his topline priorities:

-- ending the war in Iraq responsibly;
-- finishing the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban;
-- securing all nuclear weapons and materials from terrorists and rogue states;
-- achieving true energy security; and
-- rebuilding our alliances to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Barack Obama's campaign is up in 18 battleground states with a spot that touts his work with Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) on legislation to expand U.S. cooperation to destroy conventional weapons. It also expanded the State Department's ability to detect and interdict weapons and materials of mass destruction. President Bush signed the bill in January 2007.

Andy Fisher, Lugar's press secretary, said that the GOPer was featured in an Obama ad during the primaries. Lugar's office did not sign off on the first Obama ad or the one that debuted today, but Fisher noted: "The information in the past ads has been factual."

And of the most recent spot, he added: "There's nothing inaccurate about it."

Fisher said that when Lugar ran for president during the 1996 cycle, he ran spots highlighting his work with then-Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn on the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program, the legislative precursor to Lugar's collaboration with Obama.

Obama and Lugar traveled to Russia together in 2005 to visit nuclear and biological weapons destruction sites.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

The New Yorker cover of Barack and Michelle Obama was the talk of the TV last night.

New Yorker ed. David Remnick was in the "Situation Room" last night to discuss the cover.

Remnick, asked if he would the cover again, knowing the uproar it has caused: "Yes. And I would like to explain, quite concisely, what our intention was. The idea is to attack lies and misconceptions and distortions about the Obamas, and their background and their politics. We have heard all of this nonsense about how they're supposedly insufficiently patriotic or soft on terrorism, that, somehow, the fist bump is something that it's not. And we tried to put all of these images in one cover, and to satirize and shine a really harsh light on something that's incredibly damaging."

More Remnick: "If there's no possibility for satire, if you always have to look for the joke that absolutely everyone will get, you won't have Jon Stewart, you won't have Stephen Colbert. Stephen Colbert goes on and mocks right-wing commentary by pretending to be a right-wing commentator. In a way, this is Colbert in print."

After the jump, more New Yorker reaction, McCain goes "On the Record" and Ventura rules out MN SEN run.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

Surprising no one, ex-MN Gov. Jesse Ventura (I) just told CNN's Larry King that he won't join the MN SEN race now dominated by Sen. Norm Coleman (R) and entertainer Al Franken (D).

Squinting into the camera, with his dyed-black hair apparently pulled back in a ponytail, Ventura told King that he's so disgusted with both parties that he doesn't plan to vote for either Barack Obama or John McCain.

That's all we're going to report tonight on the Ventura bombshell. Because between Ventura's face/hair, and King's bright red satin shirt, their split-screen is seriously making our eyes hurt.

New swag available on Straight Talk Airways. The photo was filed by NBC/NJ's Adam Aigner-Treworgy, who notes wisely that in this case, flip flops is a noun, not a verb.

Al Gore will speak in Washington Thursday about his vision for addressing America's energy needs. The talk, held at D.A.R. Constitution Hall, will be hosted by the "We" Campaign, an organization devoted to solving the climate crisis.

From the event announcement:

"The speech will offer a new way of thinking about our energy production and consumption and a new sense of what is possible when we choose to work together. It will propose a means of tapping America's innovative
skills to build a more secure energy future."

Scheduled for high noon.

The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza, author of this week's cover story, on his mag's much-discussed cover:

"There are two ways that you can deal with lies and information, one way is through a lot of careful reporting ... another way ... is through political satire, and that's what this cover was about. It was trying to show the absurd view of this guy."

"The standard is not, 'Will everyone get it?'" Lizza added.

Barack Obama gives his Iraq speech tomorrow in Washington, 10:45 ET. Invitation-only crowd.

President Bush's statement on lifting the executive ban on offshore drilling is available after the jump ...

Barack Obama's campaign has finalized its communications team for the general election.

Here's the line-up:

Robert Gibbs -- senior strategist for communications and message taking on a broader strategic portfolio for the Fall campaign while continuing to serve as senior communications aide travelling with Sen. Obama

Anita Dunn -- senior advisor overseeing the campaign’s communications, research and policy departments

Dan Pfeiffer -- communications director

Linda Douglass -- travelling spokesperson for the campaign

Bill Burton -- national spokesperson out of the Chicago headquarters

Josh Earnest -- deputy communications director

Christina Reynolds (fmr res. dir. for John Edwards in 2004 and 2008) -- director of rapid response

Wendy Morigi -- national security spokesperson

Dag Vega (former DNCer) -- director of surrogate communications

Joelle Terry -- deputy director of surrogate press, chief booker for interviews for the senator

Tommy Vietor and Hari Sevugan -- rapid response

Moira Mack and Nick Shapiro -- deputy national press secretaries working for Burton

President Bush is expected to lift an executive ban on offshore drilling today that was signed by his father in 1990. Bush will make a statement in the Rose Garden later this afternoon outlining his plans.

Here's react from Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton:

"If offshore drilling would provide short-term relief at the pump or a long-term strategy for energy independence, it would be worthy of our consideration, regardless of the risks. But most experts, even within the Bush Administration, concede it would do neither. It would merely prolong the failed energy policies we have seen from Washington for thirty years. Senator Obama believes Americans need real short-term relief, which is why he has proposed a second round of stimulus with energy rebates for working families. And over the long-term, Senator Obama understands that our national security and the survival of the planet demand a real strategy to break our dependence on foreign oil by developing clean, new sources of energy and by vastly improving the energy efficiency of our cars, trucks and our economy. He is ready to lead such a transformation."

In prepared remarks to the National Council of La Raza today in San Diego, John McCain will push anew for a Colombian Free Trade Agreement. Fresh off trips to Colombia and Mexico, the GOP nom will also suggest that his Democratic rival "soon visits some of the other countries of the Americas for the first time."

McCain: "I recently traveled to Colombia and Mexico because I understand how vitally important it is to the prosperity and security of our country to strengthen our trade, investment and diplomatic ties to other countries in our hemisphere. I have often traveled over the years to Central and South America, and I have learned our relationships there are as important, if not more important, as any relationships we have in the world. It is the reason why I'm an unapologetic supporter of NAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and the Colombian Free Trade Agreement, and why I believe a hemispheric free trade agreement is a worthy and necessary goal whose time has come.

"And while it is surely not my intention to become my opponent's scheduler, I hope Senator Obama soon visits some of the other countries of the Americas for the first time. Were he to do so, I think he, too, would see that stronger economic bonds with our neighbors and the closer friendships they encourage, are a great benefit in many ways to our country."

Additional snippets of McCain's speech available after the jump.

Barack Obama offered his "Plan for Iraq" in an op-ed in today's New York Times, affirming that he would begin a "phased redeployment of combat troops" that would remove them in 16 months, by summer of 2010. (Read the piece in full after the jump.) Sources say Obama is also expected to give a speech in Washington tomorrow about his Iraq policy.

John McCain's campaign pushed back in a conference call a few moments ago with Sen. Lindsey Graham and Randy Scheunemann, a senior foreign policy adviser.

Graham said Obama's NYT piece marked a "brazen effort by a politician to rewrite history." "Iraq has been a central battleground in the war on terror," he said.

"It is clear that Al Qaeda in Iraq has been helped and organized by al Qaeda International," he added. "For Sen. Obama to suggest that it never has been a key battle in the war on terror, I think, misunderstands what would have happened if we had lost."

Obama and his Democratic colleagues, Graham said, erroneously opposed the surge. "If we had followed his rhetoric, Iraq would have crumbled, Al Qaeda would have declared victory," he said. Graham said that the troop redeployment Obama advocates, "would result in a fractured, broken Iraq, a country in chaos."

Scheunemann said Obama's position on Iraq is refined daily. "Sen. Obama continues to search for a political position that will protect his flank," he said. "... Sen. Obama seems to think that losing a war will help him win an election."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

This provactive New Yorker cartoon debuted over the weekend and immediately sparked a fury of discussion in the political world. It, of course, parodies all the stereotypes, bunk and rumors dogging the Obamas, but does it go too far in making the point? Barack Obama's campaign was none too pleased. Per CNN: "The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Sen. Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create," Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. "But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

Readers ... your thoughts?

(JS)

Singer, songwriter extraordinaire Carole King will be in New Hampshire over the next three days campaigning for Barack Obama. She visits Gibson's Bookstore on Main Street in Concord tomorrow afternoon.

In past presidential cycles King has stumped for Gary Hart, George McGovern and John Kerry, among others ... After the jump, a CK bonus -- the Concord Monitor piece I wrote about her visit to NH in 2004 for Kerry.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

"Fox News Sunday" dedicated its full hour to remembering ex-host/ex-WH press sec. Tony Snow, who died of colon cancer 7/12 at the age of 53.

In a taped interview with Fox's Chris Wallace, VP Cheney talked about Snow's influence on the conservative movement.

Cheney: "He was a major player in the conservative movement. And the way I think of Tony is he's unique in terms of the extent to which he knew the news side of the business, then as a commentator, but also somebody who worked as part of the White House staff as a speech writer and, of course, as press secretary. And there are very, very few people that have had as much experience on both sides of the divide."

Cheney, on Snow's brand of conservatism: "I frankly agreed with him on nearly everything, and I'm generally viewed as pretty conservative. I'm not sure that that's saying something nice about Tony in some circles, but I always thought of him as a guy who understood very well the purposes of government, and that they were limited, and that there were some things government shouldn't do, that we are best able to do for ourselves."

After the jump, more Snow, Schwarzenegger on serving in an Obama admin. and Veepstakes.

(KATHERINE LEHR)

John McCain got a little tongue-tied earlier this week when asked by a reporter why he believes Viagra, but not birth control, should be covered by health insurance.

Today, the AZ senator held an event in Hudson, WI, at a company called ... drumroll, please ... J&L Steel Erectors.

We're just saying.

(JS)

This week's National Journal Congressional Insiders Poll asks members whom they'd like to see as their veep nom:

Dems
Hillary Clinton 35%

OH Gov. Ted Strickland 10%

VA Gov. Tim Kaine 8%

NM Gov. Bill Richardson 8%

Sen. Joe Biden 6%

Sen. Christopher Dodd 5%

Rep. Chet Edwards 5%

Fmr Veep Al Gore 5%

GOP
Fmr MA Gov. Mitt Romney 25%

Rep. Eric Cantor 14%

LA Gov. Bobby Jindal 11%

An outsider 8%

Fmr OMB Dir. Rob Portman 6%

Fmr Homeland Security Sec. Tom Ridge 6%

The poll was compiled this week by NJ's Richard E. Cohen and Peter Bell. Click the link above to find out which members were surveyed.

A release that's bound to give John McCain's camp heartburn ... Richard Viguerie, who has been dubbed the pioneer of direct mail and raised billions for the conservative movement, said GOPers are preparing themselves for defeat in the fall.

LAS VEGAS, July 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Conservatives are so depressed over the state of the McCain campaign -- particularly its failure to include and enthuse the Republican base -- that they are preparing themselves for a monumental GOP defeat in November, Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, said in a speech to FreedomFest.

Source: ConservativeHQ.com

Republican Party officials are seeking your input in crafting the GOP's platform. To weigh in, click here.

(AP photo)

The WSJ is reporting that Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) will join Barack Obama on an upcoming trip to Iraq.

The pairing is sure to fuel additional speculation that Hagel, an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, could make Obama's veep shortlist. A Vietnam vet who pondered a 2008 White House bid, Hagel has not endorsed in the presidential race.

Hagel's decision to accompany Obama to Iraq is sure to irritate John McCain's camp. Much as news last week of Colin Powell's private meeting with the Dem nom must have. When high-profile Rs with much-balleyhooed foreign policy credentials flirt with an Obama endorsement they convey to the IL senator a credibility on national security matters that he needs to win over moderate voters.

Polls show that voters give McCain higher marks on foreign affairs/national security issues, while Obama wins out on who can bring change to Washington. McCain's chief strength, however, appears vulnerable when several respected party colleagues, vets to boot, express an interest in his Dem rival.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

HUDSON, WI – Just a day after Barack Obama held a town hall focusing on women's issues in NY, John McCain followed suit with a female-focused town hall of his own here this morning, and he used the venue to draw distinctions between the candidates on the issues that matter to women.

"When you cut through all the smooth rhetoric, Senator Obama's policies would make it harder for women to start new businesses, harder for women to create or find new jobs, harder for women to manage the family budget, and harder for women and their families to meet their tax burden," McCain said. "That's what the difference is all about between myself and Senator Obama."

Obama senior adviser Anita Dunn fired back in a statement: “Senator Obama understands that the challenges facing women and families in the 21st century are very different than the challenges of the past, but John McCain seems stuck in an outdated view of American families.

"Senator Obama believes every woman deserves equal pay for equal work," Dunn added. "He has a plan to help working women by guaranteeing seven paid sick days to the 22 million who currently have none, and by providing child tax credits, additional after-school programs, and a tax cut for 71 million working women and eliminating capital gains taxes for 8.7 million women who own small businesses or start-ups. Senator McCain thinks the Supreme Court was right to make it harder for women to challenge pay discrimination at work, and he opposed legislation that Obama co-sponsored to reverse that decision. Senator McCain has suggested that the reason women don’t have equal pay isn’t discrimination on the job—it’s because they need more education and training. Senator Obama couldn’t disagree more."

Democrats leapt quickly today on another McCain claim -- that his record shows continued support for equal pay for women: "I'm committed to making sure that there's equal pay for equal work, that there's an equal opportunity in every aspect of our society and our economy and that is my record and you can count on it."

But Progressive Accountability, a liberal watchdog group, blitzed a memo to reporters highlighting McCain's opposition to various equal pay bills throughout his Senate career, including an equal rights bill that would have expanded the window in which plaintiffs could file discriminatory pay complaints. McCain did not show for the April vote. Meanwhile, during a speech in early May, McCain said that the bill would ultimately prompt frivolous lawsuits.

(NBC/NJ's ADAM AIGNER-TREWORGY)

John McCain's campaign just announced that Cindy McCain will ride in a pace car in the Firestone 200 Indycar Race tomorrow in Lebanon, Tennessee. 4:30 p.m. CT.

Barack Obama's campaign has been cautious in its response to market concerns that government-sponsored mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could requre a federal bailout.

The companies' shares are falling, and some investors are concerned the two giants could default on their debt, which would send ripples through the economy since their securities are held by financial institutions and investors all over the world.

Here's the statement the Obama campaign released a short time ago:

"Senator Obama has long believed we should take all necessary steps to ensure affordable homeownership for millions of American families, and that includes an essential role for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. "Nearly a year ago, Senator Obama called for a major response to the housing crisis and significant relief for struggling homeowners. It took Senator McCain three different tries to figure out a real response to the housing crisis, and his current plan does nothing to help more than two million homeowners who are facing foreclosure."

The statement does not address whether the government should intervene to help Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac or if the Treasury should back these loans, in order to avert the kind of crisis of confidence that sank Bear Stearns.

The Associated Press reports that John McCain has said the government cannot let Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac go under.

When pressed for more, Burton sent this response: "In a rapidly evolving situation it does not make sense to comment on each and every one of the many specific actions that could potentially be taken to this end."

Obama has not publicly addressed the matter. He is OH today where he just finished a town hall in Dayton about America's energy security.

(NBC/NJ's ATHENA JONES)

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Barack Obama's campaign raised about $30M in June, but Obama's team disputes the numbers ...

"The Wall Street Journal report of our fundraising numbers is way off the mark," Obama spokesman Bill Burton writes in an e-mail. "It appears that after 18 months, some in the press still haven’t realized that anyone who is talking about numbers doesn’t know what our numbers are."

Expect an announcement from Obama's campaign sometime around 7/20.

(JS)

Here are the scheduled guests for the Sunday public affairs shows and other weekend programs:

SUNDAY:

Meet the Press hosts McCain adviser Carly Fiorina, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), DLC chair/ex-Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN), GOP strategist Mike Mitchell and NBC's Andrea Mitchell.

Face the Nation hosts Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Israeli Amb. to the U.S. Sallai Meridor.

This Week hosts CA Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), and a roundtable with Time's Richard Stengel, Dem strategist Donna Brazile, ABC's Cokie Roberts and Washington Post's George Will.

Fox News Sunday hosts T. Boone Pickens, and a panel discussion with Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol, Fortune's Nina Easton, Washington Post's Charles Krauthammer, and NPR's Juan Williams.

Late Edition hosts Sen. Jon Kyle (R-AZ), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-AZ), McCain econ. adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer, Obama econ. adviser Jason Furman, Iraqi Nat'l Security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie, State of Public Diplomacy Undersec. Jim Glassman, and a roundtable with CNN's Bill Schneider, CNN's Jessica Yellin and CNN's Gloria Borger.

See other weekend shows after the jump.

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

John McCain's campaign released its newest television -- "God's Children" -- which features the GOPer's remarks at a June 2007 debate in NH honoring the service of Hispanics in our Armed Forces. The ad will air in CO, NV and NM. Recent polls have shown that nearly seven of 10 Latino voters are backing Obama.

Updates from our Hotline Political Network Affiliates

Senator Phil Gramm's comments about the U.S. being a "nation of whiners" dominated last night's coverage.

Ex-WH adviser David Gergen, on whether Gramm's comments undermine McCain's efforts: "If you look at the campaigns overall, yesterday, Jesse Jackson made a major contribution to the Barack Obama campaign. And today it was the McCain campaign's turn to make a couple of contributions. This was one of them. ... Of course, John McCain didn't say this, and he didn't mean to have him say it. But it's one of those kind of things that Barack Obama has faced this problem, too. Your surrogates can get you more trouble sometimes than the candidate itself. Does it go away soon? Yes."

More Gergen: "But what it also did today for Senator Obama, it covered up a couple of things on his own campaign that he didn't want to be leading the program tonight, Michelle Obama out today talking about these rebates don't amount to much, $600. Well, you just go out there and spend that on a pair of earrings. Well, you know, a lot of people don't buy $600 earrings. So, this story smothered those kinds of things. And I think this was a real gift to Barack Obama" ("AC 360," CNN, 7/10).

New York Daily News' Errol Louis, on the damage this does to McCain: "I think it would do a lot of damage to him. Among the places that McCain used him as a surrogate was when he went to the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal to try and talk about economic issues. He has attached to this man, and this is somebody who not just made a gaffe today but is deeply implicated in some of these most serious problems in the economy today. I mean, he was chair of the Senate Banking Committee throughout the 1990s. He passed much of the deregulation ... that people believe led to the housing crisis that we have today" ("Election Center," CNN, 7/10).

DNCer Robert Zimmerman, on the problem the comment poses for McCain: "It shows that he's not connecting. And it's not just his surrogates that are the problem. It's the fact that he's demonstrating personally that he's not connecting" ("AC 360," CNN, 7/10).

After the jump, more reaction to Gramm, as well as continued talk on Jesse Jackson's comments on Barack Obama

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

The Pew Research Center For The People & The Press has a survey out today that's chock full of interesting tidbits; most notable, perhaps, is the revelation that John McCain's supporters believe Barack Obama is the candidate with new ideas (58% to McCain's 24%). McCain voters also say Obama is more likable (45% to 34%).

Pew's numbers show, too, that McCain's support is tepid among GOPers who backed another Republican during the party's primary contest. Just a quarter of this group supports McCain strongly, compared with 57% who support him only moderately. Herein lies the chief quandary for McCain. How does he generate enthusiasm from his base and court the precious swing voters he needs to win?

In non candidate specific news, the Pew poll indicates that voters are intensely focused on the 2008 presidential contest, more so than recent elections: 72% said they have given a lot of thought to the election, compared with 58% in June 2004 and 46% in June 2000.

Pew's poll was conducted June 18-29 among 2,004 Americans. Give it a read.

(JENNIFER SKALKA)

In my recent prior professional life, I was an ink-stained wretch. And proud of it. So it is with a measure of glee that I link to this Raleigh News & Observer story about a reader who is suing the paper for cutting its staff.

"I wanted to get the newspaper's attention and the news industry's attention," said Keith Hempstead, a Durham lawyer. "I hate to see what companies that run newspapers are doing to the product," Hempstead said. "The idea that taking the most important product and reducing the amount of news and getting rid of staff to me seems pointless to how you should run a newspaper business."

(JS)

The Chicago Tribune's Pearson reports that Hillary Clinton is looking to retire her $20M in debt at least in part by selling a $50 "limited edition" t-shirt. HRC's camp launched the t-shirt contest when she was still a candidate.

"While the primary race may be over, I think the winning t-shirt -- and it won by a landslide -- still makes a wonderful statement about everything you and I accomplished in this historic race and our determination to keep fighting for what we believe in," Clinton wrote supporters in an e-mail today.

"If you contribute $50 today you'll get a t-shirt with the winning design and continue to help me pay down our campaign debt," she wrote, thanking "Denitza of Weehawken, New Jersey" for submitting the best of 125,000 entries.

On the black shirts, a white profile of the pants-suited Clinton appears along with words echoing a favorite HRC refrain:

"For everyone who's ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out and for everyone who works hard and never gives up, this one is for you!"

John McCain's campaign and Republican Party had nearly $95M cash on hand combined for use in the presidential race at the end of June, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said in a conference call this afternoon with reporters. Davis said the McCain camp had more than $27M, and the Republican National Committee had more than $67M.

He noted that the campaign raised $22M in June, an increase from $21M a month before, reports NBC/NJ's Matthew Berger.

KANSAS CITY, MO – Appearing this morning at her second women's issues roundtable in as many days, Michelle Obama remarked on her husband's urging that fathers step up to the plate to take a more active role in their children's lives.

"There's government responsibility and accountability, and then there's individual responsibility and accountability," she said in response to a young woman's reference to Barack Obama's emphasis on fatherhood. "One never cancels out the other."

Her remarks came in response to a question from 25-year-old audience member Ibbaanika Bond, whose boyfriend has been trying to regain custody of their child after she, an unwed mother, gave up her son Noah for adoption – an action she now says she regrets. Craig Lentz, the son's biological father, took the case against Noah's adoptive parents to the Missouri Supreme Court on the grounds that he never agreed to the adoption.

Referencing Obama's efforts to put fathers' responsibility into the spotlight, Bond insisted, "There is a system in this country that, even in court, they're keeping people from doing that. People want to take care of their children."

After listening to the young mother's passionate appeal for legal justice, Obama agreed that the family court system within the country is flawed, but added that her husband's directive to parents is aimed at those who fail to take an active role in children's lives despite available resources.

"I want to make sure that people understand that as Barack talks about his personal experiences growing up without a father, that in no way doesn't recognize that there are serious problems in the system," she said. "As we are talking about that fight we also have to recognize that there are some people who do have complete ability and access to do what they need to do."

Since the last edition of The Hotline's "Battle for the Electoral College" poll update on 6/27, the only significant change in polling has been FL, which swung from Barack Obama to John McCain.

A late June poll by Strategic Vision (R) showed McCain up 8%; previously, an American Research Group (R) survey had Obama up 5%. As a result of this 27 electoral vote (EV) shift, Obama now has an estimated 281 EVs to McCain's 245, down from Obama's estimated 308-218 lead on 6/27; 12 EVs remain toss-ups.

The chart below also includes a new GOP poll in KS, which -- like the Dem poll previously published -- shows McCain with a statistically significant lead. Additionally, the latest AL Ed. Assoc. poll shows McCain maintaining a solid lead among AL LVs, although his advantage has dropped from 23% to 13% since 6/2. The first post-5/23 polls in GA and LA show solid McCain leads, moving these states out of the Bush/Bush projection. Meanwhile, surveys in ME and RI, as well as two CT polls, all confirm these previously unpolled Gore/Kerry states as Obama strongholds.

As always, the chart includes all WH '08 state polling data published in The Hotline since 5/23. The most recent poll, the one used to identify each state's winner, is listed on the same line as the state symbol with older surveys below. In addition, only the most recent poll from a pollster is retained for each state. For the 18 states (including DC) without current polling data available, the winner has been estimated based on WH '00 and WH '04 results.

(Hotline's MATTHEW GOTTLIEB and CARRIE DINDINO)

Jesse Jackson's comments about Barack Obama dominated news coverage.

Rev. Al Sharpton, on his initial reaction: "I think it's very unfortunate. I think that I'm glad Reverend Jackson apologized, I'm glad Senator Barack Obama accepted. I happen to think that talking about parenting is not talking down to black people. In fact, I think that when Bill Cosby did it or Barack Obama did it, it's the right thing to do, and I think the substance of the issue is more important with how they deal with these statements that it clearly were something that I would not say, and I don't think Reverend Jackson is saying is justifiable."

Chicago Tribune's Page, on how he interpreted Jackson's "talking down" point: "as he put it to me, he feels there are people out there who feel that all black people need to do is just work hard and have faith, and all these problems will be solved, and that's too simplistic. And he also doesn't want to see Barack Obama play into that kind of thinking. But, as he says, his support for Obama is unequivocal" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 7/9).

GOPAC chair Michael Steele: "I feel really bad for Jesse Jackson. ... I think, for me, irrespective of the nuances or lack thereof in this case, the real question is why did he think that? Why does he think and say that to reflect something else beneath the surface? And I think, whether it's on a hot mic or he intentionally says it on air, it's the intent behind the words" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 7/9).

Radio talk show host Warren Ballentine: "I don't think it's that big of a deal. I'm going to tell you why. I mean, I think this would have been more damaging coming from Reverend Sharpton than Reverend Jackson. To be honest with you, I think we're at a point in black America where, when you look at civil rights leadership, I think the torch has been passed to Reverend Sharpton. Also, I honestly, as far as talking down, I spoke with Reverend Jackson as well. And what he was saying was that, look, we need to be talking about jobs and education, not just faith-based organizations and faith-based church initiatives. So I don't know that Reverend Jackson meant any harm by it" ("O'Reilly Factor," FNC, 7/9).

(RACHELLE DOUILLARD-PROULX)

A statement from Barack Obama spokesman Bill Burton:

“As someone who grew up without a father in the home, Senator Obama has spoken and written for many years about the issue of parental responsibility, including the importance of fathers participating in their children’s lives. He also discusses our responsibility as a society to provide jobs, justice, and opportunity for all. He will continue to speak out about our responsibilities to ourselves and each other, and he of course accepts Reverend Jackson’s apology."

A statement from Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr., about his father's remarks:

"I'm deeply outraged and disappointed in Reverend Jackson's reckless statements about Senator Barack Obama. His divisive and demeaning comments about the presumptive Democratic nominee -- and I believe the next president of the United States -- contradict his inspiring and courageous career.

"Instead of tearing others down, Barack Obama wants to build the country up and bring people together so that we can move forward, together -- as one nation. The remarks like those uttered on Fox by Revered Jackson do not advance the campaign's cause of building a more perfect Union.

"Revered Jackson is my dad and I'll always love him. He should know how hard that I've worked for the last year and a half as a national co-chair of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. So, I thoroughly reject and repudiate his ugly rhetoric. He should keep hope alive and any personal attacks and insults to himself."