McCain Campaign: No Palin Interviews Until She's Treated With "Deference"
McCain campaign manager Rick Davis told Fox News this morning that Sarah Palin won't be doing any media interviews "until the point in time when she'll be treated with respect and deference," and when Palin would be "comfortable" doing it. So far in this campaign, Palin has taken only one question, from a gushing Alaska reporter: "Governor, we feel like we're losing you -- are you still going to be there for Alaska?"

Obama And McCain Off The Trail, Biden In Montana
Barack Obama has no public events scheduled for today, but Joe Biden is hitting he trail in Montana. Biden has an event in Kalispell, scheduled to being at 4:30 p.m. ET. John McCain does not have any public events today.

Obama Mocks Palin For Earmark Flip-Flops
On Saturday, Barack Obama mocked Sarah Palin for aggressively seeking earmarks in Alaska and campaigning nationally as anti-pork, yet another sign that Palin has eclipsed John McCain as the real story on the Republican ticket. "I mean, words mean something," Obama said. "You can't just make stuff up."

Palin Sticking To The Teleprompter
Jonathan Martin reports that Sarah Palin's public appearances on the campaign trail remain scripted affairs. Palin is repeating the same applause lines she used at the Republican Convention -- and still using a teleprompter along the way.

Obama: Recession Could Delay Rescinding Of Bush Tax Cuts
In an interview on ABC's This Week, Barack Obama said that a recession could delay his plans to rescind some of the Bush tax cuts for top earners ahead of their scheduled expiration. "I think we've got to take a look and see where the economy is," Obama said.

Hillary Limits Criticism Of Palin
Hillary Clinton is thus far refraining from making any direct personal criticisms against Sarah Palin, telling reporters that it won't be a focus for her. "This election is about issues, and that's what's going to matter to people at the end of the day," said Clinton.

GOP Sen. Inhofe: Does Obama Really Love His Country?
Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma told the Tulsa World that the GOP can win this election because of questions about Barack Obama's patriotism: "Do you really want to have a guy as commander in chief of this country when you can question whether or not he really loves his country?"

Dem Convention Officials: Flag Story Is False -- GOP Stole Our Flags
Democratic Convention officials told the Huffington Post that Republican allegations are false that the Dems were throwing away miniature American flags left over from the Denver convention. Instead, they say, they were put in storage but then stolen by GOP-aligned vendors, who then turned around and used the story for their own political gains.

Tonight: McCain's Acceptance Speech
John McCain will deliver his acceptance speech to the Republican convention tonight, laying out how he can overcome Obama's current lead in the polls with a combination of his biography and the issues. Perhaps his biggest challenge will be to get more applause than Sarah Palin's red-meat speech from last night.

Democrats Campaigning In Swing States Today
Barack Obama is campaigning today in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, seeking to hold down a swing state that Dems have only won narrowly in recent elections. Joe Biden will be in Virginia Beach, talking about national security in a historically-red state that is up for grabs this time around. And Michelle Obama is in New Mexico, discussing economic issues that face military families.

Obama On O'Reilly Tonight
Fox News will be airing tonight an interview between Barack Obama and Bill O'Reilly, a sort of pre-rebuttal from the Democratic nominee against McCain's speech. This could be tricky, to have the Dem candidate going one on one against one of the biggest Republican pundits.

NYT: GOP Convention A Lot Whiter Than The Dems
The New York Times reports that 93% of the delegates to the Republican Convention are white, with five percent Hispanics and two percent blacks. By contrast, the Democratic Convention was 65% white, 23% black and 11% Hispanic.

Poll: GOP Easily Holding On To Open Missouri Seat
A new SurveyUSA poll finds that the Republicans are favored to hold on to their open House seat in Missouri, where incumbent Kenny Hulshof is running for governor. The poll has Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer with 50%, and Democrat Judy Baker at 38%, with John McCain carrying the district by a 60%-36% margin.

Reid Spokesman: He Always Stands Up In A Fight
Harry Reid spokesman Jim Manley has taken exception to a line from Sarah Palin's speech last night, in which she said Reid doesn't like John McCain because he's incapable of standing up to him. "Anyone who knows Senator Reid knows he never backs down when he's fighting for what's right and that he always stands up to John McCain when he is wrong," said Manley.

Republican Convention Reconvening Today, Minus Rudy
The Republican National Convention will be meeting again today, with prime-time programming set to go ahead after yesterday's cancellation from Hurricane Gustav. But there have been some major changes: Rudy Giuliani has been bumped from the schedule completely, and will be replaced tonight by Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman.

Both Presidential Candidates Off The Trail
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain have any public events scheduled for today.

Biden In Florida Today
Joe Biden is campaigning today in Florida, with stops in Deerfield Beach and West Palm Beach. Biden's relative age and experience could go a long way in convincing voters here that Barack Obama is a safe choice for president.

McCain Adviser Touts Palin's Virtues In Wall St. Journal
McCain Adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer has penned an entertaining column in The Wall St. Journal today, arguing that Sarah Palin has the real experience necessary to be on the national ticket and that women have a chance to break the glass ceiling. For one thing, Pfotenhauer says Palin is "chief executive of the nation's largest state," which is only true by geographic size -- Alaska is one of the smallest states by population, and Palin has been chief executive of it for a very short period.

Intrade Taking Bets On Palin Pulling An Eagleton
Intrade.com is now offering a contract on the proposition that Sarah Palin will have to withdraw her vice-presidential candidacy before this election is over. As of this writing, the price is 18.0 and climbing.

Palin's Town Secured Massive Earmarks
The Washington Post profiles Sarah Palin's history of earmarks, finding that her town of Wasilla secured about $27 million worth of earmarks during her years as mayor -- quite impressive for a town of less than 8,000 people. It's a reality that goes heavily against her professed opposition to big spending from her big speech on Friday.

Poll: GOP Way Ahead In Open House Seat
A new SurveyUSA poll shows the GOP heavily favored to hold on to their open House seat in Alabama, which Dems have been making a major play for. The numbers: Republican state Rep. Jay Love 56%, versus Dem Montgomery Bobby Bright's 39%.

Some interesting numbers in the new CNN poll:

* There was no convention bounce for Obama in this survey, which was taken Friday through Sunday; it found that the race remains dead even, with the Obama-Biden ticket at 49% versus 48% for McCain-Palin.

* And yet...Barack Obama's convention acceptance speech was a success: Sixty-four percent rated it excellent or good, higher than recent speeches. And a majority -- 51 percent -- said the convention made them more likely to pick him.

* Palin's numbers are mixed: Fifty-two percent say the Palin pick is excellent or pretty good; 46 percent rate it as fair or poor.

* But barely more than a third -- 36 percent -- of women view Sarah Palin favorably.

* And fifty percent say she's unqualified for the presidency, versus 45 percent who say she's prepared.

We'll bring you the internals when they're available.

Bush Now Unlikely To Be At GOP Convention
President Bush will probably not be attending the Republican convention anymore, a last-minute schedule change on account of the imminent landfall of Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf Coast. It's still possible that he could give a speech to the convention, though it would be via satellite rather than in person.

Dem Ticket In Ohio And Michigan
The Obamas and Bidens are continuing their Rust Belt bus tour today, visiting the swing states of Ohio and Michigan. First up is a discussion on the economy in Toledo, followed by a late-afternoon rally in Battle Creek.

GOP Ticket In Missouri Today
John McCain and Sarah Palin are campaigning today in O'Fallon, Missouri, a large suburb of St. Louis, for a rally scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET.

McCain Also Visiting Gulf Coast's Hurricane Preparations
John McCain is also set to visit Jackson, Mississippi, today in order to view the Gulf Coast's preparations for Hurricane Gustav. The hurricane is expected to hit the Gulf Coast during the Republican Convention.

Palin Booed After Praising Hillary At Campaign Event
Sarah Palin's name-dropping of Hillary Clinton, an obvious ploy to win disaffected women who supported Hillary in the primaries, didn't go over so well last night at an event in Pennsylvania. When Palin tried the line out, the right-wing crowd very loudly booed -- not the sort of visual likely to make it into a McCain ad.

Ferraro Praises Palin, Won't Say Who She's Voting For
In an interview with NPR yesterday, Geraldine Ferraro praised Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's running mate, and defended Palin against the accusation that she's not qualified to hold high office. When asked who she was voting for, Ferraro played coy: "When I go into the booth I will make my decision."

Biden Pitches Obama To Working-Class Scranton In New Ad
The Obama campaign has released this TV ad for the Northeastern Pennsylvania media market, featuring Joe Biden talking about his working-class upbringing in Scranton. Biden then says how Obama is very much the same, having been raised in humble beginnings by his single mother and grandparents:

New Obama Ad: Regardless Of VP Pick, McCain Just More Of The Same
The Obama campaign has a new ad on national cable, responding to Sarah Palin's selection as John McCain's running mate. The ad says regardless of McCain's pick for vice president, he still just promises more of George Bush's agenda:

Obamas And Bidens In Ohio Today
The Obama-Biden ticket is continuing their Rust Belt bus tour, stopping today in Ohio. Earlier this morning they attended a public memorial for the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and tonight they have a rally in Dublin scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m.

GOP Ticket In Pennsylvania Today
John McCain and Sarah Palin are campaigning today in the town of Washington, Pennsylvania, a small suburb of Pittsburgh.

Palin: Global Warming Isn't Man-Made
In an interview with the right-wing site NewsMax, Sarah Palin gave a scientific pronouncement that goes against John McCain's own stated position as well as most credible scientists. On global warming: "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made."

Palin Pick Gives McCain Financial Boost
Jonathan Martin reports that Sarah Palin's selection was able to give John McCain a boost in excitement and fundraising. A campaign aide says they took in about $4.5 million yesterday, a very impressive number.

McCain Adviser: McCain Will Live Long Enough To Teach Palin Foreign Policy
Here's what long-time McCain political aide Charlie Black told the New York Times about concerns over Sarah Palin's inexperience: "She's going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years, and most doctors think that he'll be around at least that long."

Report: McCain Veep Isn't Romney Or Pawlenty -- Who Is It???
John McCain is holding his big event at 12 p.m. ET today in Dayton, Ohio, where he will announce his running mate. MSNBC is reporting this morning that it won't be either Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty, the two previous frontrunners -- with the last-minute speculation now focusing on first-term Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

The Obamas And Bidens In Pennsylvania Today
Barack Obama And Joe Biden, plus Michelle and Jill, are starting on their swing-state bus tour today, starting in Pennsylvania and then continuing over the next few days through Ohio and Michigan. They open tonight in Beaver, Pennsylvania, with a rally at 7:30 p.m. ET.

John McCain Turns 72
Today is John McCain's 72nd birthday. His best present: A whole lot of media hype today over his VP pick.

Report: Chartered Plane Leaves Alaska For Dayton
Jonathan Martin reports that a chartered airplane left Anchorage last night, with the destination being Dayton, Ohio -- the site of John McCain's vice-presidential announcement today. This has led to a lot of speculation that Palin is the pick.

GOP Considering Convention Delay
The Washington Post reports that the Republican Party is considering a delay to its national convention, in light of the expected landfall of Hurricane Gustav down in the Gulf Coast. Bear in mind that a convention has so many logistical complexities that it cannot be rescheduled, only have days and speaking slots completely chopped off -- which would seriously damage the GOP's efforts at staging a good pep rally.

Cindy McCain's Half-Sister: I'm Dead-Seat Against John And Cindy
In another soap-opera development in Cindy McCain's life, her estranged half-sister Kathleen Hensley Portalski says she's voting for Barack Obama. Here's what Portalski had to say about Cindy, who has described herself as an only child and refuses to acknowledge Portalski: "I question whether Cindy is someone I'd want to see in the White House as first lady."

Tonight: Obama's Acceptance Speech, And Good Weather
Barack Obama will give his big speech tonight at Invesco Field, ceremonially accepting the Democratic nomination before a packed football stadium on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. And Nature seems to be on his side: The weather forecast for Denver tonight predicts mild temperatures and no precipitation that might have ruined his outdoor speech.

Obama And Biden To Embark On Bus Tour After Convention
The full Democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, plus their wives Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, will be heading off on a bus tour through three key swing states after the convention is over. The first stop is tomorrow in Beaver, Pennsylvania, with the tour set to also take them through Ohio and Michigan.

McCain In Ohio Tonight
John McCain will be traveling to Ohio tonight, where he's expected to kick off a pre-convention campaign swing that will include the announcement of his running mate. Press reports indicate that McCain has made his final decision of who his running mate will be, leaving us all to await the announcement.

Report: Rove Worked To Stop Potential Lieberman Veep Pick
Jonathan Martin reports that Karl Rove himself, concerned over John McCain's ability to hold on to the conservative base, approached Joe Lieberman and asked him to tell John McCain not to pick him for vie president. Lieberman reportedly turned down the request.

Connecticut Delegates Demand Lieberman Be Punished
The Hill reports that many Connecticut's delegates to the Democratic Convention are adamant that Joe Lieberman be punished by the Democratic Party for his support of John McCain. "I can't wait until we expand our majority in the Senate so he can be stripped of his committee," said Jennifer Just, a delegate from Woodbridge.

Bobby Rush: Obama Became A Better Pol After I Beat Him
Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush, who easily turned back a primary challenge in 2000 from an unknown state senator named Barack Obama, told Roll Call that the 2000 race made Obama a better candidate: "He took the loss very seriously and the it taught him a little bit about humility. And I believe that it serves him well now -- having a humble spirit."

Terry Mac: I Might Run For Governor Of Virginia
Terry McAuliffe, who made his name this campaign as one of the most vociferous and entertaining spokespeople for Hillary Clinton, is apparently considering a run for governor of Virginia in 2009. If McAuliffe runs he will likely have to face a couple candidates who are already lining up support, but nobody can say he isn't energetic on the stump.

(The following is an interview of Senator Joe Biden, conducted by Josh Marshall in early Summer 2004.)

Josh Marshall: There's several points I wanted to touch on, and a number of these -- if you can answer them descriptively, or prescriptively I'd be interested in both. One of the main points of the piece, a hypothetical Democratic administration 9 months from now, what the continuities and discontinuities would be with where Clinton left off in 2000. I mean obviously the chessboard has moved all around, and that's a given, but on an issue like North Korea, an issue like Iran, the Atlantic relationship and so forth, and broad kind of questions about how you mix diplomatic muscle and military force. What would you identify as the main continuities and main discontinuities? Again, either descriptively or prescriptively.

Joe Biden: I wouldn't even try. I wouldn't. I don't think you can connect those dots prescriptively or descriptively. I think it is a false -- I think the paradigm is the wrong one. I mean I think it is literally impossible to suggest how the policies of the Clinton administration would be continued, augmented, changed, morphed, discarded in the year 2005. The world has fundamentally changed since he left office and the damage done to our relationships around the world, coupled with the emergence of what was a perceived threat -- but even the Clinton administration never fully contemplated knowingly the potential consequence of a serious international terrorist organization coordinating a lethal attack against the United States. There isn't anybody who wrote about it.

I made a speech on September the 10th to the Press Club. I laid out in great detail what it was I thought we should be doing and how this administration was squandering the opportunity to deal with this threat of terror. But the truth was that I don't think that anybody contemplated -- I didn't anyway -- contemplated how not only the psyche of the country but the psyche of the world was changed by that event. And now so many pieces have been moved on the chess board, there are no straight lines -- I don't see, anyway. I could better answer the question in suggesting you ought to think how a Kerry administration would divert from or be -- or have continuity with a Bush administration

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A new CNN poll -- the first national survey since Joe Biden was picked as Barack Obama's running mate -- shows Barack Obama and John McCain tied at 47% each, compared to a 51%-44% lead for Obama from a month ago.

The poll was conducted Saturday through Sunday evening.

From the pollster's analysis: "The number of Clinton Democrats who say they would vote for McCain has gone up 11 points since June, enough to account for most although not all of the support McCain has gained in that time."

Joe Biden just wrapped up his first speech as Obama's veep candidate, and it offered a glimpse of his role on the ticket beyond offering foreign policy expertise.

Biden, who has struggled at times with adversity, will offer frequent testament to Obama's character and toughness, and will use his populist cred to sharpen up the campaign's attacks on McCain over the economy.

One thing that will certainly cheer Obama advisers was the fact that Biden appeared totally at ease on the stump and demonstrated a wide emotional range as he linked his own adversity to that of Obama's early years.

"We share a common story, an American story," Biden said, recounting Obama's upbringing at the hands of a single mom and his self-driven rise to prominence.

Biden, who has a hardscrabble Pennsylvania bio and is well respected by labor leaders, also showed that he'd be taking a lead role in voicing sharper populist attacks on McCain that Obama might be willing to venture.

In so doing, he got off the best line of the day, a reference to McCain's multiple homes, noting that McCain might have a bit of trouble sitting down to consider the kitchen table problems faced by ordinary Americans.

"He'll have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at," Biden quipped.

Biden, who used much of his speech to link McCain to Bush, also offered a glimpse of how he'll deal with the fact that he's praised McCain in the past, painting McCain as having nothing in common with the earlier McCain he admired.

He "gave in to the right wing of his political party, and gave in to the swift boat politics that he once so deplored," Biden shouted.

Interestingly, Biden also revealed that he may be taking on McCain's war service as an issue a little more frontally than Obama may be willing to do.

"These times require more than a good soldier," Biden said. "They require a wise leader." He went on to describe Obama as "a clear eyed pragmatist who will get the job done."

As Biden showed, his emotional range, experience and rhetorical pugnaciousness will allow him to play multiple roles on Obama's behalf.

Barack Obama is currently introducing his new running mate at an event in Springfield, Illinois, and he's offering strong testament to Biden's foreign policy expertise and character, which Obama notes was forged amid tragedy and a tough upbringing

"Joe Biden's many triumphs have only come after great trial," Obama says, and runs through Biden's father's hardscrabble upbringing in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the story of Biden's loss of his first wife and daughter to a car accident, and his battle to defeat a brain aneurysm.

Interestingly, Obama then moves to link Biden's character directly to his foreign policy expertise and toughness:

"That same strength of character is at the core of his rise to become one of America's leading voices on national security," Obama says. "Joe Biden is what so many others pretend to be -- a statesman with sound judgment who doesn't have to hide behind bluster to keep America strong."

The speech's heavy emphasis on Biden's character suggests that part of what motivated the choice of Biden was to shore up what might be called the ticket's character quotient at a time when the McCain campaign is aggressively working to sow doubts about Obama's character, toughness and readiness.

There's also a hint on how Obama will deal with the fact that Biden is a longtime D.C. insider. "Joe Biden is that rare mix -- for decades, he has brought change to Washington, but Washington hasn't changed him," Obama says.

Full text of the speech after the jump.

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This statement on Biden, just out from GOP Senator Chuck Hagel, won't make him any more friends on the right:

"Joe Biden is the right partner for Barack Obama. His many years of distinguished service to America, his seasoned judgment and his vast experience in foreign policy and national security will match up well with the unique challenges of the 21st Century. An Obama-Biden ticket is a very impressive and strong team. Biden's selection is good news for Obama and America."

The whole thing edges awfully close to an endorsement, and the claim that Biden's national security experience "will" match the 21st Century's challenges sounds a lot like an outright prediction of victory.

The McCain campaign is already out with a tough new spot hitting Joe Biden, Obama's new running mate, and airing quotes from the primary where Biden questioned Obama's readiness to lead:

The ad, which will run in "key states," quotes a moderator during a Dem primary debate reading Biden his own earlier quotes, including one where he opined that Obama wasn't yet ready for the presidency and added that "the presidency is not something that lends itself to on the job training."

"I stand by that statement," Biden said. Then the ad twists the knife by airing this Biden quote about McCain:

"I would be honored to run with or against John McCain because I think the country would be better off."

The quote about McCain comes from a Biden appearance on The Daily Show in August 2005. That such quotes would reappear was always a danger of choosing one of the people Obama ran against, though people mostly focused on Hillary's quotes in this regard.

To our knowledge, though, Biden was the only one of Obama's leading primary opponents who's actually said he'd be willing to run with McCain. We'll be hearing a lot of this quote, obviously.

The Associated Press and CNN are both reporting that Joe Biden is Barack Obama's running mate, capping off a week of frenzied speculation that centered on him in the final stretch.

The AP cites unnamed sources, while CNN says they got the news from two Democratic sources.

And so much for those text messages we all signed up for, promising that we'd be the first to know. I still haven't gotten mine.

Late Update: The Obama campaign's email announcing the decision is right here. Though Obama's supporters were promised with great fanfare that they'd hear about the decision first, the email went out to supporters many hours after the big news orgs broke the news of the decision.

Late Late Update: Our take on the Biden pick is right here.

Now this could be something: ABC News reports that the Secret Service has been dispatched to Joe Biden's house, seemingly a giveaway that he's been picked to be Barack Obama's running mate.

If this report is true, then it would be hard to read it any other way than that Biden has already been asked to be the running mate. After all, I've never heard of the Secret Service being sent to protect somebody because they aren't a candidate.

In another indication that the Obama camp is shifting gears into the general election campaign, Joe Biden told the Washington Times that Obama has approached him about being a campaign surrogate. Biden has not publicly endorsed either of the remaining Democratic candidates.

"He has asked me to play a more prominent role - not in an administration, in the campaign," Biden said, "meaning would I be more available, would I travel with him occasionally, and I said once he gets the nomination, if he gets the nomination, then I'll do whatever he wants."

In a sign that Democrats are now circling the wagons around Barack Obama as the party's nominee, Joe Biden has written a guest column in the Wall St. Journal rebutting an earlier piece by Joe Lieberman, which attacked Obama's credibility on national security. Biden has not formally endorsed a candidate in the race, but his public defense of Obama is telling.

"Sen. Obama is right that the U.S. should be willing to engage Iran on its nuclear program without 'preconditions' - i.e. without insisting that Iran first freeze the program, which is the very subject of any negotiations," Biden writes. "He has been clear that he would not become personally involved until the necessary preparations had been made and unless he was convinced his engagement would advance our interests."

Joe Biden is dropping out of the race, according to sources familiar with ... oh, heck, according to Joe Biden himself, who said so in a dropout speech a few minutes ago.

A spokesman for Joe Biden is denying reports that the Biden and Obama camps are in talks about a possible deal whereby Biden would shift support to Obama in certain precincts.

Via Ben Smith, The Washington Post reports the following about such conversations:

A source close to the Biden campaign described a possible arrangement, now under discussion between the two camps, that could apply to certain precincts where Biden can't meet the 15 percent viability threshold, but where he is backed by local officials with the clout to move Biden supporters to Obama. In return, Biden could capture some of Obama's overflow in precincts where the Illinois senator has more than enough support to win.

WaPo quotes an Obama source confirming that the talks are underway.

But Biden spokesperson Mark Paustenbach is denying unequivocally that there are any discussions at all taking place. He sent us this:

"No discussions have taken place. We have not made any deals or arrangements. We are strong enough on our own."

We're seeking official word from the Obama camp on this. More as we learn it.

Late Update: Obama spokesman Bill Burton also just denied to us that there are any talks underway. He sent us this:

"Iowans are independent thinkers. We hope that we're everyone's first choice but if we're not, we hope that we're they're second choice."

It's looking like Joe Biden's Iowa supporters might just go for Barack Obama as the second choice in precincts where their first candidate isn't viable. A consultant for Biden told the Huffington Post last night that the campaign will make a choice on where to direct their voters, but they expect them to naturally go for Obama.

"A decision will be made tomorrow about who we'll encourage our supporters to stand behind if we aren't viable in a precinct," the anonymous staffer said. "Right now, I'd guess Obama gets our support because we're more inline with his vision of foreign policy than any of the other candidates, and besides, we like him and how he's run his campaign."

Late Update: It turns out the Biden campaign won't give a second-choice instruction to their supporters. But this staffer's observations about the thinking among their supporters is still be a favorable sign for Obama.

With his new ad in Iowa, Bill Richardson attempts to break through the Hillary-Obama-Edwards press narrative by getting specific on just what he would do about Iraq:

Meanwhile, Joe Biden's new ad pitches him as the candidate with the experience to take on the challenges that the next president will face:

(Via Ben Smith)

Earlier today we asked whether the Senators running for President -- Hillary, Obama, Biden -- would be on hand to support Chris Dodd's planned filibuster of the Senate FISA bill containing telecom immunity. First out of the box with a statement is Obama:

"Senator Obama unequivocally opposes giving retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies and has cosponsored Senator Dodd's efforts to remove that provision from the FISA bill. Granting such immunity undermines the constitutional protections Americans trust the Congress to protect. Senator Obama supports a filibuster of this bill, and strongly urges others to do the same. It's not clear whether he can return for the vote, but under the Senate rules, the side trying to end a filibuster must produce 60 votes to cut off debate. Whether he is present for the vote for not, Senator Obama will not be among those voting to end the filibuster."

The issue here isn't just the 60 votes. Dodd is hoping that his fellow Senators will be on hand to ask questions during his filibuster, which under Senate rules would allow him to take breaks from talking and take a sip of water while keeping his filibuster alive. Obama seems to be saying he might do this. We'll see what happens, if anything.