Obama and McCain To Visit World Trade Center Site Together
The two presidential nominees have announced that they will make a joint visit to Ground Zero in New York this Thursday, the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. "All of us came together on 9/11 - not as Democrats or Republicans - but as Americans," they said in a joint statement. The statement later adds: "On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost loved ones."

Obama In Indiana Today
Barack Obama addressed the AARP's convention this morning via satellite, and is also campaigning today in Indiana, a usually deep-red state that has been put into contention this year. Obama has a campaign event in Terre Haute, Indiana, scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET.

Republican Ticket In The Southwest Today
John McCain and Sarah Palin are campaigning today in the Southwest, in two state where McCain and Barack Obama are locked in a tight race. They two held a rally at 11 a.m. ET in the religious-right bastion of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and have a rally scheduled for 8 p.m. ET in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Obama Blasts McCain On Social Security At AARP
Barack Obama used the opportunity of his speech before the AARP to go after John McCain on the issue of Social Security. "Now, John McCain said that the way Social Security works is, and I quote, 'an absolute disgrace,'" Obama said, according to the prepared remarks. "Wrong. For millions of Americans, it's the very difference between a comfortable retirement and falling into poverty."

Media Outlets Call Out Palin On eBay Story
Both the Washington Post and CNN have caught on to Sarah Palin's claim that she put a state plane on eBay, and John McCain's claim that she made a profit off of it. In fact, the plane failed to sell on eBay at the state's desired price, and it was sold at a loss through a broker.

GOP Trying To Get Lieberman To Officially Switch Over
CQ reports that Senate Republicans, especially Pennsylvania moderate Arlen Specter, are trying to get Joe Lieberman to officially switch parties soon. "He's practically there," said Specter. "That would have the consequence of giving us a Republican Senate."

GOP Congressman: Calling Obama "Uppity" Wasn't Racist
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, a Georgia Republican, released the following statement in defense of his having called Barack Obama "uppity": "I've never heard that term used in a racially derogatory sense. It is important to note that the dictionary definition of 'uppity' is 'affecting an air of inflated self-esteem --- snobbish.' That's what we meant by uppity when we used it in the mill village where I grew up."

Democratic Ticket In Pennsylvania Today
Barack Obama and Joe Biden are separately campaigning today in Pennsylvania, a big swing state that they must retain in the Dem column if they are to win the election. Obama will be talking about the economy at 10 a.m. ET in Duryea, while Biden will be Ironworkers Local Union in Philadelphia at 10:15 a.m. ET and then campaigning in Langhorne at 2 p.m. ET.

McCain And Palin In Michigan And Wisconsin
John McCain and Sarah Palin are campaigning today in Wisconsin and Michigan, courting two swing states that have voted for the Democrats by very narrow margins in the past two elections. They have a meet and greet scheduled for 12 p.m. ET in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and a rally at 6 p.m. ET in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

Palin Cramming On Foreign Policy -- With Lieberman
The Washington Post reports that Sarah Palin is taking a crash course in foreign policy in preparation for her debate with Joe Biden. In a sign of things to come, one of her top tutors is none other than Joe Lieberman.

Poll: Palin Viewed Favorably, But As Lacking Necessary Experience
A new ABC News poll has some good news and bad news for Sarah Palin. The good news is that she has a solid 50% favorable rating in the wake of her speech Wednesday night -- but she also gets 50% saying she does not have the right experience to step in as president, compared to 66% who say Joe Biden has the right experience.

Poll: McCain Way Ahead In Alaska, Thanks To Palin
A new survey from Alaska pollster Ivan Moore shows that John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin is helping him to easily retain this state for the Republicans. McCain leads Barack Obama by a 54%-35% margin, after previous polls had shown a much closer race.

Wilson Sisters Of Heart To McCain Camp: Cease And Desist
The McCain campaign's decision to play the classic rock song "Barracuda" at their convention last night, in honor of Sarah Palin's nickname in high school, has earned them a cease and desist letter from the band Heart, who strongly object to McCain's politics. The McCain campaign has previously gotten in trouble for using songs from Jackson Browne and even Congressman John Hall, a liberal Democrat and former rock musician supporting Barack Obama.

Tonight: Palin's Big Speech
Sarah Palin will be delivering her acceptance speech as the Republican vice-presidential nominee tonight, a second chance to make a good impression on the voting public after a very tumultuous last few days.

Obama In Ohio Today
Barack Obama is campaigning today in the big swing state of Ohio, where polls have shown a close race, with stops in New Philadelphia and Dillonvale.

McCain Arriving In Minnesota Today
John McCain is scheduled to arrive in the Twin Cities today at 12:45 p.m. ET.

WaPo: Palin Was Only Interviewed By Campaign This Past Wednesday
The Washington Post reports that Sarah Palin was only interviewed by John McCain's vetting team this past Wednesday, the day before John McCain asked her to be his running mate. It's hard to believe that the full ramifications of picking Palin were properly deliberated by the campaign.

Reid "Disappointed" With Lieberman
Harry Reid's spokesman told CNN that Reid is "very disappointed" with Joe Lieberman's speech last night at the Republican Convention. "As the American people have made very clear, the last thing this country needs is another four years of the same old failed Bush-McCain policies of the past."

Obama To Appear On O'Reilly
Barack Obama will reportedly be going where not too many prominent Dems like to venture: The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. Obama will be sitting down with O'Reilly for an interview set to air tomorrow night, in an attempt to counter John McCain's speech at the Republican Convention.

Poll: Dem Has Narrow Edge For Heather Wilson's House Seat
A new SurveyUSA poll shows the Democratic nominee narrowly ahead in the race for an open House seat of New Mexico's GOP Rep. Heather Wilson. Democratic Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich has 51%, while Republican Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White has 46%, in a campaign that will probably be close all the way to Election Day.

Michael Moore To Lieberman: Stop Talking About Me!
Michael Moore has responded in a blog post to Joe Lieberman's mentioning of him during last night's Republican convention speech. "What is it with you and your Republican friends always bringing me up?" Moore writes. "Can't you stop thinking about me? It's starting to sound like a fetish! Stop it!"

Tonight's the big night for Joe Lieberman: His address to the Republican convention, where the former Democrat will sing the praises of John McCain and brutally go after the party that nominated him for vice president only eight years ago. So just how much has he changed?

In a noble act of self-sacrifice, I watched many hours worth of Lieberman tapes from his presidential campaign in 2003 and 2004. On issue after issue, he strongly embraced positions that are 180 degrees opposite of McCain, who he's supporting with such ardor.

So here's our clip video of the former loyal Democrat and Bush-basher Joe Lieberman. Check it out:

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%.

Anyone wondering how Joe Lieberman would impact John McCain's chances among Jewish voters could do worse than looking at this new Mason-Dixon poll in the state -- it finds that twice as many voters are less likely to support McCain with Lieberman as Veep.

Twenty-seven percent of voters in Florida, where there's a large concentration of Jewish voters, say they're less likely to back McCain with Lieberman on the ticket. Half that -- 14% -- say they're more likely. Fifty-six percent say Lieberman's presence would make no difference.

Polls have shown that Lieberman on the ticket would even hurt McCain in his home state of Connecticut. If Lieberman hurts McCain in Connecticut and Florida, where the heck would Lieberman help him?

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.

We now have a second Democratic leader who's willing to whisper that Joe Lieberman just may -- may -- face consequences for using whatever Dem credentials he still has left to try his best to legitimize GOP smears of Obama.

Last week Nancy Pelosi said that Senate Dems wouldn't need Lieberman after the election. Now, in the wake of the news that Lieberman will speak at the GOP convention, Politico's Glenn Thrush got Rahm Emanuel to say the following:

"What you can't do anymore is just roll your eyes and say, 'Oh, that's just Joe.' Lieberman knows what he's doing and there are consequences."

We've still heard nothing remotely like this from Senate Dem leaders, of course. Prediction: The threats towards Lieberman -- public and private alike -- will continue coming exclusively from Dem leaders who have exactly zero direct influence over what actually happens to him.

Late Update: Sam Stein of The Huffington Post quotes a well-connected Hill aide saying that Senate Dem leader Harry Reid is still "non-committal" about Lieberman and will take a look at things after the election.

The McCain campaign confirms what we all have known for months would happen: Senator Joe Lieberman will speak at the GOP convention on the first night.

Maybe Lieberman will reiterate his claim that Obama has not always put his country first. It's awfully valuable to McCain and the GOP to have a so-called Democrat leading with such a smear, and there apparently is nothing Lieberman won't do for his new buds.

There's simply no chance whatsoever that Lieberman will have his plum committee slot come 2009, presuming he's still calling himself an "Independent Democrat" by then.

Late Update: Some quality snark from Chris Bowers about the Dem Congressional leadership: "I still remain skeptical that they will actually strip him of his committee chair, since it will demonstrate self-respect and a willingness to stand up to conservative Democrats."

Whoopsie! Check out this inadvertent description of Joe Lieberman in an Associated Press story on the Veepstakes...

His top contenders are said to include Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Less traditional choices mentioned include former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, an abortion-rights supporter, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential prick in 2000 who now is an independent.

A stopped clock is right twice a day and all that...

Special thanks to TPM Reader KS for spotting this one.

Late Update: Turns out Atrios was on this first.

We now have a high-ranking Democrat openly saying Joe Lieberman should pay for his betrayal of the party once this election is over.

In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Nancy Pelosi was asked about the Lieberman problem, in light of his recent comments implying that Barack Obama doesn't "put the country first."

"The Democrats in the Senate are in a tough spot. They have 51 votes. Joe Lieberman organizes with them," said Pelosi. "In 85 days or something, they will have five more Democrats -- they won't need him to make the majority. And it will be interesting to see what the leadership in the Senate, the Democratic leadership in the Senate, does at that point in terms of Joe Lieberman's chairmanship of his committee."

At a press conference just now, John McCain redoubled his efforts to thrust himself into a leadership role on the Russia-Georgia crisis front, announcing that two top campaign surrogates, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, are going on a visit to Georgia. McCain said:

"The situation in Georgia remains fluid and dangerous. As soon as possible my colleagues senators Lieberman and Graham will be traveling to Georgia. They're both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. I hope that other members of the Armed Services Committee in the Senate will go together."

Lieberman and Graham, of course, are key campaign allies of McCain. The Arizona Senator has been using Obama's absence on vacation to associate himself more directly with the Russia-Georgia war in the mind of the public.

The idea is to showcase himself as a man of action during a time of international crisis and to remind people that the world is a dangerous place that's still filled with aggressive actors, something that the McCain camp presumably thinks will play in his favor.

McCain's announcement of his key campaign allies' trip abroad also seems designed to shoulder Bush aside as the primary GOP leadership figure here.

Wow, such perfect timing! Below we noted at some length that the national media was failing to hold the McCain campaign accountable for its surrogates' pattern of questioning Obama's patriotism.

Now along comes a perfect example of this from Newsweek's Howard Fineman on MSNBC. Fineman was talking about Joe Lieberman's claim that Obama hasn't always put his country first:

Fineman said that while Lieberman's quote was clearly questionable, McCain himself wouldn't sanction it. "I still don't think if you said to McCain flat out, 'Do you approve of that kind of message,' that he would necessarily agree with it or support it," Fineman said.

But Howard, the McCain campaign itself blasted Lieberman's quote out to its press list, which constitutes an official McCain campaign endorsement of the quote. Isn't McCain responsible for his own campaign's message? And besides, if McCain doesn't agree with Lieberman, why hasn't he said so yet?

This from Fineman is really part and parcel of a larger media meme: The bizarre ability of some people to see questionable political behavior by McCain and his campaign as somehow indicative of good character on McCain's part.

For instance, when McCain pandered slavishly to the religious right, some pundits noted that McCain was uncomfortable doing this and didn't really mean it, so it didn't really matter. Similarly, when McCain constantly talks up his POW experiences, which he's perfectly entitled to do, we're always told that he's really reluctant to do this. This is a twofer for McCain, because he gets to showcase his war experiences and simultaneously be seen as modest about them at the same time.

Let's start calling this stuff for what it really is.

Late Update: TPMer Ben Craw has a sharp take on this over at his fun new TPMtv blog.

Okay, this is significant -- the McCain campaign appears to be officially endorsing Joe Lieberman's claim earlier today that Barack Obama has not always "put the country first."

Below we linked to an item on The New York Times Caucus blog which reported the comments.

In them, Lieberman said that the choice in this election is "between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put the country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate who has not."

Just moments ago, the McCain campaign emailed out the same Lieberman quote to its full press list -- putting its official stamp of approval on Lieberman's assertion.

This is effectively an abandonment of the campaign's quasi-official position, which used to be that the McCain camp saw questioning Obama's patriotism as off limits. Last month, senior McCain adviser Charlie Black said explicitly that "we don't want to talk about his patriotism and character. We concede that he's a patriot and person of good character."

That no longer appears to be operative. The full quote as emailed out by the McCain campaign after the jump.

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Another day, another unsightly smear of Obama from Joe Lieberman:

"In my opinion, the choice could not be more clear: between one candidate, John McCain, who's had experience, been tested in war and tried in peace, another candidate who has not,'' Mr. Lieberman said. "Between one candidate, John McCain, who has always put the country first, worked across party lines to get things done, and one candidate who has not. Between one candidate who's a talker, and the other candidate who's the leader America needs as our next candidate.''

Between Lieberman saying that Obama hasn't always put country first, and senior McCain aide Charlie Black saying the other day that the McCain campaign concedes that Obama is a patriot, you have to conclude that the McCain camp's message is a bit muddled on this.

Surely the McCain team, irked by this glaring lack of message discipline, will be working harder to get their surrogates a little more in line with the campaign's message that attacks on Obama's patriotism are out of bounds. Right?

Separately, here's more proof that Lieberman is all but certain to attend the GOP convention.

Late Update: The McCain campaign officially endorses Lieberman's assertion.

Report: Penn Wanted To Deride Obama's Americanness
In a revelation that will lower his stock in Democratic politics even further than it already has been, a newly-released set of internal memos shows that Mark Penn aggressively pitched a xenophobic strategy for the Hillary campaign to use against Barack Obama and his "lack of American roots." Penn wrote: "I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values."

Both Candidates Off The Trail Today
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain have any public events scheduled for today. Obama is of course on his Hawaiian vacation this week, and McCain does not have any announced events, either.

Edwards' Ex-Mistress: No Paternity Test
John Edwards' former mistress Rielle Hunter has issued a statement ruling out any paternity test for her daughter. Edwards said he was willing to take a test in order to prove he is not the father, but Hunter's refusal means no such test will actually occur.

Georgian President Speaks With Both Candidates
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili spoke Saturday with both Barack Obama and John McCain about the invasion of his country by Russia. Both candidates assured Saakashvili that they want full recognition of Georgia's sovereignty, and have condemned Russia's actions in this conflict.

McCain Declining To Endorse Energy Compromise
John McCain is so far refusing to take a position on the "Gang of 10" energy compromise, which Barack Obama has already signaled he could support, which would allow a combination of offshore drilling and increased investment in alternative energy. The Hill notes that if McCain comes out against it then he'll be standing in the way of a bipartisan energy plan, but if he endorses it he'll cede a clear distinction he has with Obama.

Report: Lieberman Being Vetted For McCain's VP
The Financial Times reports that Joe Lieberman is being vetted to be John McCain's running mate. While it would certainly be interesting to have a party-switching running mate who ran on the other party's ticket just eight years earlier, this still seems unlikely -- Lieberman's socially liberal positions on issues like abortion and immigration would likely alienate many conservative activists.

Obama Web Vid: McCain's New Ad "Is A Lie"
The Obama campaign has released this Web video, in which economic adviser Brian Deese debunks the claims in John McCain's latest ad charging that Barack obama would raise taxes on the middle class. "In summary, this ad is a lie," Deese says:

Paris Hilton's Mother Objects To McCain Ad
Paris Hilton's mother Kathy Hilton -- who has donated $2,300 to John McCain -- has responded to McCain's new ad using her daughter as a means of attacking Barack Obama. "It is a complete waste of the money John McCain's contributors have donated to his campaign," Mrs. Hilton writes for the Huffington Post.

Both Candidates Off The Trail Today
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain have any public events scheduled for today. But don't think they're taking the day off: They'll likely be spending today actively strategizing and/or raising money.

McCain: We'll Respond If Obama Accuses Us Of Racism
John McCain made it clear that his campaign will continue to fire back at Barack Obama if they are accused of race-baiting against him. "We're not gonna allow racism to come into this campaign in any form," McCain told ABC News. "And so I'm gonna respond if it comes up again."

Lieberman: Obama "A Good Young Man"
Appearing today on Meet The Press, Joe Lieberman defended the Paris/Britney ad as "cute," and said the intention to raise questions about Obama's readiness for the presidency. "This is a good young man," Lieberman said. "Is he ready to lead or as ready as John McCain? The answer is no."

Obama Defends Shift On Drilling
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Barack Obama defended his shift on offshore drilling -- from opposing it to supporting a larger energy compromise proposal that includes it: "If we can come up with a genuine bipartisan compromise, in which I have to accept some things that I don't like, or the Democrats have to accept some things that they don't like in exchange for actually moving us in the direction of actual energy independence, then that's something I'm open to."

Obama's Long Indiana Stop Has Press Wondering About Bayh For VP
Press speculation seems to be growing about Evan Bayh as Barack Obama's running mate, due to an extra-long campaign stop in Indiana this week. Obama campaign spokesman Robert Gibbs told NBC that this is simply evidence that Indiana is a competitive state this year.

Report: McCain Team Vetting Eric Cantor For VP
The Associated Press reports that the McCain campaign is actively vetting Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor for vice president. Picking the ultra-conservative and Jewish Cantor would potentially help McCain among Jewish voters as well as right-wing activists -- and set up an interesting scenario if Barack Obama were to pick Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, giving the campaign two tickets where the running mates hail from the same state.

You knew this one was coming: Joe Lieberman is defending the Britney-Obama ad.

Lieberman took a different tack, saying the ad simply compares the two candidates in a "creative" way and people should lighten up. "To some extent the appearance of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears -- people complain about it -- they should just relax and enjoy it," he said. The idea is to draw people into the ad. The point of the ad is really quite strong: Who's ready to lead America?"

"Relax and enjoy" Britney and Paris? Hmmm. Wasn't there a time when Lieberman crusaded against the sort of crass celeb imagery that supposedly threatens our morals and culture? Thought I remembered something like that. Oh, well.

It seems Joe Lieberman just can't get enough of John Hagee. Lieberman took some time tonight to stop in and speak at Hagee's Christians United For Israel conference in Washington, even after John McCain was forced to reject Hagee's support over some rather controversial remarks.

Among Hagee's greatest hits: God brought Hitler to brutalize the Jews and thus spur them back to Israel, the Catholic Church is the Great Whore of the Book of Revelation, and Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment against New Orleans for its tolerance of homosexuality. Plus his overriding fascination is the Apocalypse, and he's constantly urging military strikes against Iran.

The kicker: Lieberman admitted that a whole lot of people told him he shouldn't be speaking there. "The bond that I feel with Pastor Hagee and each and every one of you is much stronger than that, and so I am proud to stand with you tonight," he added.

The Huffington Post's Sam Stein has a terrific catch:

Among the most high-profile Jews in Congress, Lieberman is viewed far more unfavorably than the presumptive Democratic nominee, according to a new poll. Only 37 percent of Jews view the Connecticut Independent in a favorable light compared to 48 percent who have a negative perception. As for Obama, 60 percent of Jews view him favorably while 34 percent view him unfavorably.

Polling data here. Recall that Lieberman was recently asked about concerns that his attacks on Obama are creating the impression that Obama is anti-Israel. Lieberman replied: "It's my way of thinking that if I've concluded, as I have, that John McCain is best for our country, then why wouldn't I do that?"

The above numbers suggest that it's perfectly probable that Lieberman's support for McCain is actually hurting the Arizona Senator -- among Jews. Boy would we love to see polling on that.

Obama Meets With Karzai, Calls For More Troops In Afghanistan
Barack Obama met this weekend with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a leader whom he has criticized for a lack of effectiveness in fighting terrorism, and later reiterated his call for more troops to be sent to the country. "I think the situation is getting urgent enough that we have to start doing something now," Obama told CBS' Face The Nation.

It's Official: Obama To Speak At Berlin's Victory Column
The Obama campaign has officially announced that the candidate will speak in Berlin at the Victory Column, not the Brandenburg Gate. The Obama campaign had originally looked at the Brandenburg gate as a site for the speech, but was discouraged by the German government that frowned upon using the site of Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech for electioneering purposes.

Iraqi Government Walks Back On Maliki's Support Of Obama Plan
The Iraqi government is backing off of Prime MInister Nouri al-Maliki's seeming endorsement of Barack Obama's proposed withdrawal timetable, saying his remarks were "not conveyed accurately" by Der Spiegel. Nevertheless, it's hard to see where there could be room to misunderstand Maliki saying troops should leave "As soon as possible, as far a we're concerned," unless it's outright fabrication -- which the government is not contending.

McCain Campaign Now Using Up Cash Reserves
John McCain's campaign has entered a new phase of their fundraising strategy: From this point out, the campaign will be spending far more than it takes in, running out its reserves before the candidate gets his public funding for the general election and would thus be barred from using private money. "Up to this point we have been accumulating capital; now we will start spending down that capital," said campaign manager Rick Davis.

Lieberman: Obama's Iraq Visit Is Proof Of McCain Being Right
In an appearance this morning on Fox News Sunday, Joe Lieberman advanced the latest argument from the McCain campaign against Barack Obama's overseas trip: "The fact is that if Barack Obama's policy on Iraq had been implemented, Barack Obama couldn't go to Iraq today. It wouldn't be safe."

NYT: Hillary Being Vetted For VP, But Is A Long Shot
The New York Times reports that Hillary Clinton is being vetted by the Obama campaign as a possible running mate. That said, the chance of actually being picked is reportedly not very high, with sources saying her chances have actually gone down in the last month.

There are two facts about Joe Lieberman that the big news orgs simply can't bring themselves to tell their readers and viewers.

The first is that during the 2006 campaign against Ned Lamont, Lieberman and his aides vowed multiple times that he would continue caucusing with the Democrats. The second is that Lieberman also vowed to help elect a Democrat to the White House in 2008.

These facts must never be repeated. Case in point: This morning, The New York Times has a long piece by reporter Mark Leibovich on Lieberman's support for John McCain and the possibility of his eventual switch to the GOP. The piece reports:

He has not ruled out switching parties but has stopped short of saying he has moved so far from the Democratic Party -- or, in his view, the other way around -- that he is at a point of no return.

The claim that Lieberman "has not ruled out" switching parties is a rather questionable distortion of recent history -- one that's very helpful to him, as it happens.

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Oh, dear. Joe Lieberman's latest attack on Barack Obama is a real doozy:

When asked about concerns he is creating the impression that Obama would not be a friend to Israel, Lieberman responded: "It's my way of thinking that if I've concluded, as I have, that John McCain is best for our country, then why wouldn't I do that?"

That seems like a pretty straight-up admission by Lieberman that his Obama's-bad-for-Israel nonsense is pure propaganda designed to help McCain. Or maybe we're missing something?