New West Notes

July 8th, 2008 8:30 am

Meet Mac Again, And More

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Barack Obama hits back against the Republican National Committee ad on energy running in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

** END OF DAY. Let’s see, lots of back and forth between Obama and McCain on their respective unrealistic economic proposals. The G8 met in Hokkaido to discuss high energy and food prices, as well as climate change, but got virtually nothing done, though agreed to cut greenhouse gases in non-specific ways. And had a nifty 18-course dinner last night. I feel hungry just looking at that menu. … Crude oil dropped, in part responding to lower consumption in reaction to the obvious price signal — translation: gasoline costs too much so folks are driving less, with driving down sharply over the 4th of July weekend — but seems likely to go up again. Oh, and in California, nothing got down on the chronic state budget crisis. Per usual.

Gary Hart writes, incidentally, saying that he is a fan of McCain TV ad narrator Powers Boothe, calling him “one of the best and most underappreciated actors.” Hart, by the way, was John McCain’s groomsman at his wedding to Cindy McCain.

** IRAQ WANTS TIMETABLE FOR U.S. WITHDRAWAL. This is a fascinating wrinkle. Yesterday, Iraq’s prime minister said that the US must set a timetable for withdrawing troops. The White House said it was “a transcription error.” Today Iraq’s national security advisor said that the US must set a timetable for withdrawing troops. This all comes in the midst of an improved security situation there in the wake of the surge, ongoing negotiations for a status of forces agreement prior to the end of the UN mandate at the end of this year, and an emerging election campaign inside Iraq, where the US role is not popular. Clearly, this further undercuts the Republican position on Iraq.

In April 2004, John McCain said that if the Iraqi government wants the US to withdraw, we will have no other choice than to withdraw.

Question: “What would or should we do if, in the post-June 30th period, a so-called sovereign Iraqi government asks us to leave, even if we are unhappy about the security situation there?”

McCain: “Well, if that scenario evolves than I think it’s obvious that we would have to leave because — if it was an elected government of Iraq, and we’ve been asked to leave other places in the world. If it were an extremist government then I think we would have other challenges, but I don’t see how we could stay when our whole emphasis and policy has been based on turning the Iraqi government over to the Iraqi people.”

** MAC AND MURPH. A not inconsiderable amount of drama around Team McCain, with much of it around consultant Mike Murphy, familiar to Californians from his successful and then very unsuccessful tenure with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Bill Kristol says he’s coming back to save the day. Not so much. From my other blog.

** ANTONIO AND OBAMA. Who is introducing Barack Obama at today’s LULAC convention in Washington? LA Mayor — and former Hillary for President national chairman — Antonio Villaraigosa.

** TECH PROBLEMS. Some of you are having trouble logging on to and posting on New West Notes. There seems to be another server problem of some sort at PJ Media.

John McCain’s new TV ad starts running today.

THE MORNING COLUMN

Back to the future with John McCain?

In the wake of a campaign shuffle which has resulted in former Arnold Schwarzenegger campaign manager Steve Schmidt taking over most of the direction from campaign manager Rick Davis, John McCain has yet another new TV ad. It’s a 60-second biographical spot which reminds us that McCain is a Vietnam War hero.

Isn’t this like the first ad of the general election, which featured McCain speaking to camera in very moody lighting?

Well, no. And yes.

No, in the sense that McCain doesn’t speak in his new ad. Actor Powers Boothe (most recently the villainous vice president on 24 out to undermine the black president and start a war in the Middle East) does the narration over action shots of McCain.

But yes in the sense that this is familiar material. At least to many of us. The campaign must figure that McCain, famous as he is as a fixture in the national political firmament for many years, has a story that is not quite so well known amongst swing state voters.

What is that story?

As recounted in the ad, that while hippies frolicked during the “Summer of Love,” McCain was half a world away demonstrating a different kind of love, getting shot down over Hanoi. That he was a heroic POW who went on to continue a lifetime of service in Congress, a “maverick,” someone who’s not — in an obvious crack at Barack Obama — into delivering “beautiful words,” but someone who will deliver not just “hope” but a better life itself.

So, four-and-a-half weeks after launching his general election advertising campaign with a TV ad emphasizing his background of national service, McCain is back to a new TV ad emphasizing his background of national service. Albeit one that is more colorful and action-packed. And upbeat, as the first ad — I’d show it again but the links, oddly, no longer work — was so somber that it achieved a certain kind of stark elegance.

It feels like the campaign is still trying to get its sea legs. The ad only makes sense if you believe one of two things. Or perhaps both those things.

That the famous John McCain, who after all has been running for president this time around for a year and a half, needs an introduction to America. Or that the introductory spot of just four-and-a-half weeks ago simply didn’t work.

** WHERE THEY ARE TODAY.

Barack Obama is in Powder Springs, Georgia and Washington, DC.

John McCain is in Washington, DC and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Obama and McCain will both address the League of United Latin American Citizens convention. And both will continue their economic focus of the week, with McCain saying he will produce a balanced budget in four years despite his program of big corporate tax cuts and continuation of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy he once opposed and Obama pushing for new stimulation programs funded by ending the Bush tax cuts and closing loopholes.

** SCHWARZENEGGER LIVE WEBCAST THIS MORNING. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joins state Senate leader Don Perata this morning at the Capitol to sign a bill requiring adequate notice of any foreclosure proceedings. The event will be webcast live at 10:30 AM on www.gov.ca.gov.

** TV AD WARS: CHANGING MCCAIN V. WORKING OBAMA. It’s John McCain who is the candidate of change in the latest round of the TV ad wars, changing to his third campaign slogan in less than four weeks. Barack Obama shows more consistency, as in consistently emphasizing work over welfare in his battleground states message. From my other blog.

** 24/7 LIVE TV NEWS FEED FROM RUSSIA TODAY. Russia has re-emerged as one of the world’s great powers. Click here for a live TV news feed on your computer, bringing you English-language, jargon-free, fast-paced coverage of global and Russian news from the new Russia Today channel. You probably already know about CNN International, BBC World, and Al Jazeera. Russia Today, which also features culture, entertainment, and sports, is based in Moscow and is owned and operated by the TV Novosti division of Russia’s state news agency, RIA Novosti.

While it’s quite foolish to expect to see, say, criticism of Vladimir Putin on Russia Today, which I know as a former DemRussia advisor, the channel is very interesting nonetheless. With U.S. cable news chattering away as it does, this sort of respite can be informative. The NWN live link to RT does not constitute an endorsement of the channel’s views. It’s presented as an otherwise unavailable new media window.

** TRACK GLOBAL AND U.S. ENERGY PRICES IN NEAR REAL TIME VIA BLOOMBERG ENERGY MARKET WATCH. Crude oil has dropped, and is now trading in the $136 to $139 per barrel range.

Your posts are welcome in the Forum.

Read bullet | (93) Comments bullet

93 Comments

Jonas Blane:

This is a better McCain ad.

Jul 8, 2008 - 8:54 am Jonas Blane:

But it does sound redundant.

Jul 8, 2008 - 8:55 am Sacramento Solon:

I agree with Jonas…it’s a better ad. It will be interesting to see what the next new team comes up with in a few weeks when McCain, falling farther behind, brings them in to rekindle the flame!

Too fracking hot in Sacramento…expected to reach 108 or more this day. Bring the ’slators back…lock them in a room…turn off the air and restrict the booze and me thinks you will have a budget in no time. Either that or one hell of a fistfight!!!

Jul 8, 2008 - 9:03 am Brasky:

Well, I’m on the road for the next few days and have too little time to devote to presidential politics. Could someone just keep track of the Mighty Morphen McCain Message for me while I’m out? I feel like I’m already one or two behind.

Jul 8, 2008 - 9:39 am Capitol Boy:

What is up with your site?

Where is the name?

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:19 am Capitol Boy:

Is there some power struggle going on with McCain?

I think that is a good ad, but it looks like something you do a year ago.

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:23 am Bill Bradley:

Yes.

And yes.

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:25 am Bill Bradley:

More problems.

I see the name of my site on it. Was it missing for you?

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:26 am Bill Bradley:

Dealing with more tech problems here, but will explain all this week.

>Brasky:

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:26 am Bill Bradley:

Hah!

108 degrees. Yikes.

>Sacramento Solon:

I agree with Jonas…it’s a better ad. It will be interesting to see what the next new team comes up with in a few weeks when McCain, falling farther behind, brings them in to rekindle the flame!

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:28 am Bill Bradley:

Perhaps.

>Jonas Blane:

But it does sound redundant.
Jul 8, 2008 - 8:55 am

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:28 am Bill Bradley:

It’s a good ad.

>Jonas Blane:

This is a better McCain ad.
Jul 8, 2008 - 8:54 am

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:29 am Ann:

Where is Schwarzeneger?

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:42 am Bill Bradley:

The governor’s staff tells me the webcast is about to start.

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:51 am carole w:

Google keeps giving me “The server is to busy” message.
Sacto,
Cool off that weather!I melt when the temp goes over 80. Can you Jet Ski in the Sacramento river by downtown?

Jul 8, 2008 - 11:33 am Sacramento Solon:

Carole,

You can do a lot of things in the Sacramento river. And jet skiing may be one of them. However, there’s nothing I’m doing in the Sacramento river and that includes jet skiing!

As for our weather, the average daytime high in late July is about 95. We might get lucky and catch a day in the 80’s. However, it’s far more likely that we will recieve a visit from a little chap wearing a red jump suit and carrying a pitchfork…which means we be in the triple digits! Sorry.

Jul 8, 2008 - 11:48 am four waters:

i’m clearly not the target demographic, so i’m sure i can’t judge the simple emotional pull accurately, but i think the country knows the POW/maverick story. he’s got those votes lined up. it doesn’t address issues - how’s he’d fix some pretty damned obviously broken things. from that perspective, i agree is seems dated; something that should have run a year ago.

your site seems to be fine for me - and frankly mostly has been. hummm…. i’m on a MAC.

Jul 8, 2008 - 11:57 am Bill Bradley:

The message seems a bit stuck on default.

I’m a Mac person, too, and the site’s been on and off all morning.

Of course, I pay a bit more constant attention to it …

Jul 8, 2008 - 12:05 pm Bill Bradley:

Sounds like time to hit the air conditioned movies.

“And here comes Hancock …”

>Sacramento Solon:

Carole,

You can do a lot of things in the Sacramento river. And jet skiing may be one of them. However, there’s nothing I’m doing in the Sacramento river and that includes jet skiing!

Jul 8, 2008 - 12:06 pm Bill Bradley:

Yeah, it’s really been going well …

>carole w:

Google keeps giving me “The server is to busy” message.
Sacto,
Cool off that weather!I melt when the temp goes over 80. Can you Jet Ski in the Sacramento river by downtown?
Jul 8, 2008 - 11:33 am

Jul 8, 2008 - 12:07 pm Len:

Love the column on Murphy, McCain, and Schwarzenegger.

Jul 8, 2008 - 12:15 pm marcus waldron:

It is the super-experienced McCain having all the trouble, not the “inexperienced” Obama.

Jul 8, 2008 - 12:37 pm Hap Hazard:

Good analysis on Huffpo. Murphy is a joke, along with Stutzman and Clarey.

Agree that Schmidt can already be seen to have influence on the campaign in the new McCain bio ad. I think it is quite different from and better than his first ad, in that it has just about the right amount of edginess to do the trick as they damn Obama with faint praise. I loved the exit line, “don’t ‘hope’ for a better life, vote for one.”

Jul 8, 2008 - 1:07 pm Paul Burton:

As FISA nears toward vote, Feingold warns against immunity

“This immunity provision doesn’t just allow telephone companies off the hook. It will also make it that much harder to get at the core issue that I’ve been raising since December 2005, which is that the president broke the law and should be held accountable,” Feingold said on the Senate floor Tuesday. “When these lawsuits are dismissed, we will be that much further away from an independent judicial review of this illegal program.”

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/As_FISA_heads_toward_vote_Feingold_0708.html

Jul 8, 2008 - 1:46 pm marcos leon:

If this is how John McCain runs his campaign, what kind of mess would his White House be?

Jul 8, 2008 - 1:48 pm richard locicero:

Re that possible Obama Speech at the Brandenburg Gate. DER SPIEGEL is reporting that none other than Chancellor Andrea Markel is pushing for the candidate to give it. Seems everyone in Europe wants to get next to Obama and not just because they think he’ll win but Barack is so popular in Europe (if they could vote it would be a landslide) all the pols want a piece of him. Look for some great visuals coming out of that trip and another put down of McCain. Remember when Mike Deaqver got all the good visuals for Reagan? Guess the GOP has lost its touch.

Jul 8, 2008 - 2:02 pm Hap Hazard:

Paul - I think it is understandable that you are concerned that FISA may intercept communications between terrorists, radicals and revolutionaries, such as FARC, and their sympathizers and operatives here in the US. You no doubt are acquainted with some of these folks or at least their writings, and may follow vicariously their exploits. But I don’t equate that type of surveillance as illegal or unconstitutional — I consider it necessary to preservation of liberty for the rest of us in this country, and it appears that a majority of elected folks are coming around to that view as well.

Jul 8, 2008 - 2:15 pm Capitol Boy:

Oh, Good Lord, Mike Murphy!

Jul 8, 2008 - 2:18 pm Hap Hazard:

<DER SPIEGEL is reporting that none other than Chancellor Andrea Markel is pushing for the candidate to give it. — What Lloyd Bentsen said. I guess the Nurnberg alternative isn’t too appealing to either Obama or the Germans.

Jul 8, 2008 - 2:28 pm Len:

Maybe Merkel is tired of W groping her.

Jul 8, 2008 - 2:30 pm Pat Skipper:

Seems to me the McCain campaign is already showing signs of focus. Charging that Obama will raise “your taxes” is misleading unless you’re among the upper class, but this has been shown to be an effective strategy in the past. It requires a response that’s more than a sound bite to explain he plans to raise taxes on those over 250k. That Obama’s against dropping people’s taxes on gasoline is also specious, but it’s effective, I think. Suddenly, the whole tax holiday charade begins to come into focus. Again, it would require explaining to folks that the gas holiday is a gimmick and that McCain wanted to implement it this summer and that he doesn’t have to power to enact it because he’s just a candidate. Plus it might save each of us a buck. whoop de doo. McCain appears to have a “plan” that might entice people who are hurting over petrol costs. That he’ll have an enormous amount of trouble enacting any of it is beside the point. Forty-five nuclear reactors? FORTY-FIVE?

Golly, here’s a point for the debates.

Senator, in which states are you gonna put these bad boys? Please list all the states. Are you planning to dump all the spent fuel in Nevada? If not, where? What would happen if the states of Florida, California, Louisiana, etc. reject the offshore drilling you propose? Aren’t you for state’s rights?

I’ll shut up now. But I think his campaign is improving already.

Jul 8, 2008 - 2:50 pm Paul Burton:

Hapless,
What a bizarre comment!
My post was about a US Senator opposing granting retroactive immunity to the telecom monopolies and wanting to hold your friend GW Bush accountable for breaking the law. It is understandable that you would try to attack my leftist/egalitarian politics from the safety of your anonymous hap handle but you are way off base. I have no sympathy for terrorists, as evidenced by my many criticisms of the terrorist regimes supported by your Republican friends, including the Colombian military and its right wing death squad cohorts. That doesn’t make me a sympathizer of FARC, which is hated by many of us on the left. Have a nice vicariously following the exploits of your friends who want to preserve ‘liberty’ for corporations while denying liberty to individuals.

>>>Hap Hazard:

Jul 8, 2008 - 2:56 pm Jonas Blane:

I like Obama’s new ad. He won’t be swift-boated.

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:24 pm Bill Bradley:

I agree with Paul on this.

The FISA situation is troubling.

We have giant corporations here joining hands with the government, with no one, not even the compliant FISA court, examining what went down.

Left unchecked, we may all live in a Surveillance State.

Now it may be understandable in the wake of 9/11, when America for a time had the dynamics of London in the Blitz. But after a time, it was apparent to every one that we were not in the Blitz.

>Paul Burton:

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:31 pm Bill Bradley:

Correct.

>Jonas Blane:

I like Obama’s new ad. He won’t be swift-boated.
Jul 8, 2008 - 3:24 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:32 pm Bill Bradley:

I know Steve Schmidt very well.

He’s highly competent.

I have a piece coming on him.

>Pat Skipper:

Golly, here’s a point for the debates.

I’ll shut up now. But I think his campaign is improving already.
Jul 8, 2008 - 2:50 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:33 pm Bill Bradley:

Hah!

>Len:

Maybe Merkel is tired of W groping her.
Jul 8, 2008 - 2:30 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:34 pm Bill Bradley:

This is a tremendous opportunity for Obama.

Someone should, at last, articulate a post-Cold War foreign policy vision.

>richard locicero:

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:35 pm Sacramento Solon:

Bill,

Fine to agree with Burton, can’t say that I disagree with him either. But I don’t believe that Hap is hapless nor that he deserves to be called such for merely disagreeing with Burton. Cheap shot on someone’s part. Go figure!

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:36 pm Bill Bradley:

I’m referring to the substance, if not the tone.

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:40 pm Bill Bradley:

Hillary had big campaign problems, too.

It may be that McCain is simply in a quandary that transcends such questions.

>marcos leon:

If this is how John McCain runs his campaign, what kind of mess would his White House be?
Jul 8, 2008 - 1:48 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:41 pm Bill Bradley:

Thanks.

Definitely an improvement in the advertising, but the night is not so young as it once was …

>Hap Hazard:

Good analysis on Huffpo. Murphy is a joke, along with Stutzman and Clarey.

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:42 pm Bill Bradley:

Yet another irony.

>marcus waldron:

It is the super-experienced McCain having all the trouble, not the “inexperienced” Obama.
Jul 8, 2008 - 12:37 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:43 pm Bill Bradley:

Thanks.

>Len:

Love the column on Murphy, McCain, and Schwarzenegger.
Jul 8, 2008 - 12:15 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:44 pm Dana:

What th? Capitol Weekly just posted story that Nunez has rec’d $600,000 from the Dems voter registration drive committee and it isn’t clear what he is going to do w/it.

http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_adctlid=v%7Cjq2q43wvsl855o%7Cx8vwmst61ismww&issueId=x8ea7a5cy00vv0&xid=x8vfdy6vaf4i58

Jul 8, 2008 - 3:54 pm Sacramento Solon:

Sacramento is sitting on triple sticks…111…and it might go higher.

Just read that the state Democratic Party had kicked in $250,000 to help Don Perata’s legal bills from the FBI investigation. Nice use of the party’s money.

Jul 8, 2008 - 4:23 pm Hap Hazard:

Left unchecked, we may all live in a Surveillance State. - I don’t think that FISA is leading us toward that state. On the other hand, I have bigtime concerns with laws and regulations that seem innocuous, such as the e911 mandate that your location be tracked by police, basically at all times. This sort of thing is championed by the likes of HIllary Clinton, Anna Eshoo (both are charter members of the Congressional e911 Caucus). FISA is confined to terrorists, spies and other threats to national security. I don’t have a problem with phone companies turning over that information.

Jul 8, 2008 - 4:26 pm Sacramento Solon:

Hap,

You ‘taint hapless!!!!

Jul 8, 2008 - 4:29 pm Dana:

To end the day with a smile, a poem by Calvin Trillin:

Further Words By Bush To Michael Brown.

A qualified guy, I wish I had added. Your resume super even if padded. We wanted the best to lead FEMA’s forces and who would know more than a man who knows horses. You saw that the storm was more than some showers and sent off a memo in four or five hours. You found out the life in the Dome was not super and only a day after Anderson Cooper. A heckuva job, you know how to lead ‘em, we hope to award you the Medal of Freedom.

Jul 8, 2008 - 4:33 pm JTF:

Maybe Obama will pivot again and oppose FISA. Heh

Jul 8, 2008 - 4:41 pm Hap Hazard:

Thanks Solon. People on the far end of the political spectrum don’t really like debate and/or needling by others, no matter how delivered.

Jul 8, 2008 - 4:48 pm Capitol Boy:

Heh.

What dim bulb says that?

Jul 8, 2008 - 4:48 pm Hap Hazard:

Calvin Trillin is still alive and kicking? I used to read him in the Nation back when I was a semi-radical in the late 1970s. (I even subscribed)

Reading him now makes me wish he would have returned to being a food writer, which, I have to say, was his best stuff.

Jul 8, 2008 - 4:52 pm Hap Hazard:

IT is a good rejoinder ad by Obama. Forward looking, positive and reassuring, after the obligatory slams on his opponent. I didn’t see the republican ad, but i did read what they were saying..
But I don’t think that we should be bandying about the term “swift-boating” in this context. That applied to a specific set of circumstances not applicable here. We don’t in this instance have a group of folks who served with Obama in the Illinois state senate alleging that he is lying about stuff he did, or where he was, and, as it turns out, the accusers having been in fact factually correct.

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:01 pm Ann:

lol

* IRAQ WANTS TIMETABLE FOR U.S. WITHDRAWAL. This is a fascinating wrinkle. Yesterday, Iraq’s prime minister said that the US must set a timetable for withdrawing troops. The White House said it was “a transcription error.” Today Iraq’s national security advisor said that the US must set a timetable for withdrawing troops. This all comes in the midst of an improved security situation there in the wake of the surge, ongoing negotiations for a status of forces agreement prior to the end of the UN mandate at the end of this year, and an emerging election campaign inside Iraq, where the US role is not popular. Clearly, this further undercuts the Republican position on Iraq.

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:01 pm Hap Hazard:

Ann I think this actually validates the republican position on Iraq.

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:03 pm Sacramento Solon:

Bill scribes:

Clearly, this further undercuts the Republican position on Iraq.

—-

Ah, yes, I know that position. It’s the same one I will be assuming when I have my physical on Friday!!!

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:05 pm carole w:

I agree with Hap. Tap everything.

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:08 pm Juan Cortina:

Is the election over? Who won?

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:15 pm marcus:

That is a great new Mac ad. He can win. Go Steve Schmidt!

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:23 pm Bill Bradley:

He’s definitely got a shot.

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:34 pm Bill Bradley:

The election is, in fact, over, and I can now disclose that I am your new Vice President of the United States.

>Juan Cortina:

Is the election over? Who won?
Jul 8, 2008 - 5:15 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:35 pm Bill Bradley:

With a cane?

>carole w:

I agree with Hap. Tap everything.
Jul 8, 2008 - 5:08 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:36 pm Bill Bradley:

Quite.

>Sacramento Solon:

Bill scribes:

Clearly, this further undercuts the Republican position on Iraq.

—-

Ah, yes, I know that position. It’s the same one I will be assuming when I have my physical on Friday!!!
Jul 8, 2008 - 5:05 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:36 pm Bill Bradley:

You mean the it’s-now-time-to-withdraw part of the Republican position on Iraq?

>Hap Hazard:

Ann I think this actually validates the republican position on Iraq.
Jul 8, 2008 - 5:03 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:37 pm Bill Bradley:

Heh.

>Ann:

lol

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:37 pm Bill Bradley:

I agree with Hap’s general point, though I’m not quite following the very end.

I hate the term “swiftboating” for two reasons.

One, it’s applied way too broadly.

Two, the swift boat is a very cool naval vessel that has done yeoman service for this country.

>Hap Hazard:

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:40 pm marcos leon:

Where’d all your videos go?

Your blog is getting screwed up, man.

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:41 pm Bill Bradley:

Doubtful. His position is a reasonable compromise.

>JTF:

Maybe Obama will pivot again and oppose FISA. Heh
Jul 8, 2008 - 4:41 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:42 pm Bill Bradley:

It could. Bear in mind that the FISA court is very, let’s say, amenable to real world security concerns. The failure of the White House to follow the law is troubling, given the rubber stamp nature of the FISA court.

What are they hiding?

>Hap Hazard:

Left unchecked, we may all live in a Surveillance State. - I don’t think that FISA is leading us toward that state. On the other hand, I have bigtime concerns with laws and regulations that seem innocuous, such as the e911 mandate that your location be tracked by police, basically at all times. This sort of thing is championed by the likes of HIllary Clinton, Anna Eshoo (both are charter members of the Congressional e911 Caucus). FISA is confined to terrorists, spies and other threats to national security. I don’t have a problem with phone companies turning over that information.
Jul 8, 2008 - 4:26 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:43 pm Bill Bradley:

Ugh. Twice.

>Sacramento Solon:

Sacramento is sitting on triple sticks…111…and it might go higher.

Just read that the state Democratic Party had kicked in $250,000 to help Don Perata’s legal bills from the FBI investigation. Nice use of the party’s money.
Jul 8, 2008 - 4:23 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:44 pm Bill Bradley:

You’re right, Pat. Mac’s campaign has improved.

I’ll get into the changes, and Steve Schmidt, more in a forthcoming piece.

>Pat Skipper:

Golly, here’s a point for the debates.

I’ll shut up now. But I think his campaign is improving already.
Jul 8, 2008 - 2:50 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:46 pm Bill Bradley:

Huh?

>Dana:

What th? Capitol Weekly just posted story that Nunez has rec’d $600,000 from the Dems voter registration drive committee and it isn’t clear what he is going to do w/it.

http://www.capitolweekly.net/article.php?_adctlid=v%7Cjq2q43wvsl855o%7Cx8vwmst61ismww&issueId=x8ea7a5cy00vv0&xid=x8vfdy6vaf4i58
Jul 8, 2008 - 3:54 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:47 pm Bill Bradley:

Now, now.

>Len:

Maybe Merkel is tired of W groping her.
Jul 8, 2008 - 2:30 pm

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:48 pm Bill Bradley:

Thanks, Hap. I came to know Murphy well, and he is quite talented.

I remember when Schwarzenegger was attacked a few days before the election 2003, on the basis of being a not so closet Nazi, the bus tour was rolling into one of those little towns in the mountains north of LA for a plant tour.

On the fly, Murph got with the other characters — Sipple, White, and Gorton — and concocted a response, then took advantage of the crowds that showed up anywhere Arnold was to turn the plant tour into an impromptu town hall meeting. Which ran live on all cable nets, thus shortcircuiting the news flow and turning it to Arnold’s advantage.

>Hap Hazard:

Good analysis on Huffpo. Murphy is a joke, along with Stutzman and Clarey.

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:53 pm Bill Bradley:

This could be a huge moment in the campaign.

Someone may at last do what Gary Hart has always callled for — articulate a new post-Cold War AND post-9/11 foreign policy vision.

What better place?

>richard locicero:

Jul 8, 2008 - 5:56 pm carole w:

I just received this email invite to go see a Directors Guild screening of Mamma Mia. By the time I picked up the phone the tickets were gone. Now usually I don’t give a **** about movie premiere’s except that COLLIN FIRTH is in this movie. Because I am not going to the premiere, my next wish is that someone on this website reviews this movie for me:)

Watching Firth in a movie to me would be like you driving an Aston Martin… Way better than politics on a hot day in July.

Jul 8, 2008 - 6:05 pm Pat Skipper:

I worked with Colin years n years ago. You’ll be happy to know he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.

Jul 8, 2008 - 6:36 pm sergei:

I like Sen. McCain in his new ad. Did this Steve Schmidt ever work in Russia?

Jul 8, 2008 - 7:31 pm carole w:

Skipper,
You just made my day:)

Jul 8, 2008 - 8:36 pm Hap Hazard:

Someone may at last do what Gary Hart has always callled for — articulate a new post-Cold War AND post-9/11 foreign policy vision — that would be a great addition to the presidential debate, and is why I am ‘hope’-ful that Obama moves toward November as he is in fact capable.

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:39 pm Hap Hazard:

You mean the it’s-now-time-to-withdraw part of the Republican position on Iraq? - No, the fact that the republican-Bush-McCain position that we should ’stay the course’ is validated, even though clumsily articulated and executed for the better part of the last few years. But the Petraeus-led surge, opposed most pointedly by Obama, Clinton et al., to the point that Obama trashed the general at a hearing because he had the audacity of hope to suggest that the surge could work if given time, has turned out to have been very correct strategy. McCain et al always said that we would and should stay there for a long time if need be, but not in the active military fighting mode, which is precisely the advisor mode that we will now enter given that our military folks effectively trained and equipped the Iraqis to a point that they can do this on their own. Of course now we don’t need to be there and should begin to disengage, but it isn’t a failure of the republican position. None of this progress would have been possible had Obama been in charge of the military. We would have withdrawn then and there, and the place would have collapsed.

Jul 8, 2008 - 10:46 pm Hap Hazard:

Thanks for the insight and information about Murphy and his abilities and judgment, which obligates me to retract my uninformed name calling of him. I need to work on avoiding the temptation to go negative on people.

Jul 8, 2008 - 11:48 pm Sacramento Solon:

I like the Obama ad.

Jul 9, 2008 - 5:59 am Jonas Blane:

What new video today?

Jul 9, 2008 - 6:42 am Bill Bradley:

The rockets’ red glare …

Jul 9, 2008 - 9:08 am Bill Bradley:

It’s good.

Too bad he didn’t stick to public financing, so he could be hammered by RNC ads between now and the end of August …

>Sacramento Solon:

I like the Obama ad.
Jul 9, 2008 - 5:59 am

Jul 9, 2008 - 9:09 am Bill Bradley:

He’s a very smart and talented guy. Who, like all such, is sometimes right and sometimes wrong.

Our NWN poster Pat Skipper played Murphy in the movie about Schwarzenegger, See Arnold Run, on which I was a producer and helped write the script.

Murphy comes off very well. Maybe too well, thanks to Pat’s portrayal.

>Hap Hazard:

Jul 9, 2008 - 9:11 am Bill Bradley:

Actually, the US policy is rather different than you are supposing.

>Hap Hazard:

You mean the it’s-now-time-to-withdraw part of the Republican position on Iraq? - No, the fact that the republican-Bush-McCain position that we should ’stay the course’ is validated, even though clumsily articulated and executed for the better part of the last few years. But the Petraeus-led surge, opposed most pointedly by Obama, Clinton et al., to the point

Jul 9, 2008 - 9:12 am Bill Bradley:

I think Hart is helping Obama with this.

>Hap Hazard:

Someone may at last do what Gary Hart has always callled for — articulate a new post-Cold War AND post-9/11 foreign policy vision — that would be a great addition to the presidential debate, and is why I am ‘hope’-ful that Obama moves toward November as he is in fact capable.
Jul 8, 2008 - 10:39 pm

Jul 9, 2008 - 9:13 am Bill Bradley:

No, Schmidt has not worked in Russia. He has worked elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

>sergei:

I like Sen. McCain in his new ad. Did this Steve Schmidt ever work in Russia?
Jul 8, 2008 - 7:31 pm

Jul 9, 2008 - 9:15 am Bill Bradley:

Incidentally, NWN passed 66,000 comments sometime in the past week.

Jul 9, 2008 - 10:02 am

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