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McAuliffe Backs Kaine for Veep more similar news »
Terry McAuliffe, who chaired Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, told
Democratic activists in Virginia that Gov.
Tim Kaine "would be his party's best choice as Barack Obama's vice
presidential running mate," according to the Falls Church News-Press.
"McAuliffe was adamant in his recommendation of Kaine... the fact that he proposed Kaine over his own candidate and
long-time friend, Hillary Clinton, suggested that he knows the Clinton
option is off the table."
Thu Jul 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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Quinnipiac: McCain Gains in Key Battleground States more similar news »
Sen. John McCain has inched ahead of Sen. Barack Obama in Colorado; come
within inches in Minnesota and narrowed the gap in Michigan and Wisconsin, according to four
simultaneous Quinnipiac polls of likely voters in these battleground states.
In Colorado, McCain leads 46% to 44%.In Michigan, Obama leads 46% to 42%.In Minnesota, Obama leads 46% to 44%. In Wisconsin, Obama leads 50% to 39%.
Most interesting finding: "Voters in each state say energy policy is more important than the war in Iraq. And by
margins of 22 to 31 percentage points, voters in each state support offshore oil drilling, and by
seven to 12-point margins, drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge."
Thu Jul 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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Not a Toss Up more similar news »
The Crystal Ball: "While no election outcome is guaranteed and McCain's prospects could improve over the next three and a half months, virtually all of the evidence that we have reviewed -- historical patterns, structural features of this election cycle, and national and state polls conducted over the last several months -- point to a comfortable Obama/Democratic party victory in November. Trumpeting this race as a toss-up, almost certain to produce another nail-biter finish, distorts the evidence and does a disservice to readers and viewers who rely upon such punditry. Again, maybe conditions will change in McCain's favor, and if they do, they should also be accurately described by the media. But current data do not justify calling this election a toss-up."
Thu Jul 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Begins to Plan Transition more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama has directed his aides to begin planning for the transition, reports Marc Ambinder. It's standard procedure for all presidential campaigns to begin this process early since there are less than three months between the election in November and the inauguration in Janurary.
An aide confirms that former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Podesta "will probably be asked to head the transition team, which would take over from the campaign if Obama wins in November, and would be tasked with ensuring a smooth handover of power."
Paul Light: "The arguments for detailed and publicly acknowledged pre-convention
transition planning are overwhelming. This is a situation in which the
plane cannot be built while flying it."
I hope someone sends them a copy of my book, You Won - Now What?
Thu Jul 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Raising Big Money in McCain's Home State more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama "quietly raised more money in Arizona last month for his
presidential campaign than" Sen. John McCain did, according to analysis by the Arizona Republic.
Obama reported $432,000 in donations from Arizonans in June, compared with McCain's $313,000... Since last year, McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee, has raised at
least $4.7 million from his fellow Arizonans, double what Obama reports
from the state. But donations this year are nearly even: McCain's
Arizona donors have given him $2 million. Obama's Arizona donors have
given him just $66,000 less."
Meanwhile, the New York Times notes that "a variety of factors have made Mr. McCain's chances in Arizona less assured than they ordinarily would seem."
Thu Jul 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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Republicans Losing New Media War more similar news »
Politico notes that as the 2008 campaign progresses, "it's becoming increasingly clear that
the absence of any websites on the right devoted to reporting -- as
opposed to just commenting on the news -- is proving politically costly to
Republicans."
"While conservatives are devoting much of their Internet energy to
analysis, their counterparts on the left are taking advantage of the
rise of new media to create new institutions devoted to unearthing
stories, putting new information into circulation and generally
crowding the space traditionally taken by traditional media. And it
almost always comes at the expense of GOP politicians.
Thu Jul 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Will Run Ads During Olympics more similar news »
We noted it a month ago and now it's confirmed by Advertising Age:
"Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will be among the TV sponsors of NBC
Universal's Olympics coverage. In the first significant network-TV buy
of any presidential candidate in at least 16 years, the Obama campaign
has taken a $5 million package of Olympics spots that includes network
TV as well as cable ads."
Thu Jul 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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WSJ/NBC Poll: Obama Maintains National Lead more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama remains ahead of rival Sen. John McCain in the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll with a six-point advantage, 47% to 41%.
Obama's lead is exactly the same as it was a month ago in the June poll.
"As for the electorate, the outlook is overwhelmingly pessimistic. More Americans believe the country is on the wrong track that at any other point in the nearly 20-year history of the poll, with just 13% saying the country is headed in the right direction, while 74% said the country is on the wrong track. The previous low point was a 14% right-track rating in July 1992."
Thu Jul 24, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain Plans Trip to Oil Rig more similar news »
We now know why Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal doesn't know anything about Sen. John McCain's visit to his state tomorrow. According to Jonathan Martin, McCain is planning to visit an off-shore oil rig, not to see Jindal about being his running mate.
"Weather permitting, McCain will helicopter from Louisiana to an oil rig
in the Gulf Coast to make the case for expanded off-shore drilling... The GOP nominee will be joined by a small press pool of reporters and
photographers on a trek sure to offer memorable images. Because of
space constraints, Louisiana Gov. and veep prospect Bobby Jindal will
not make the trip."
Aides hope the trip will steal some attention away from Sen. Barack Obama's big speech in Berlin on Thursday.
Update: McCain can't catch a break this week. The event has been canceled due to the weather.
Wed Jul 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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Granite State Poll: New Hampshire Senate Race Tight more similar news »
Even though some see Jeanne Shaheen (D) with the edge in New Hampshire's U.S. Senate race, a new Granite State Poll shows "her once comfortable lead over incumbent Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) shrink in recent months."
Shaheen currently leads 46% to 42% with 10% undecided. Sununu was behind 17% in February and 12% in April.
Key finding: "This race is very much up in the air as 22% of likely voters say they have definitely decided who they will vote for, 6% are leaning toward one of the candidates, and 72% are still trying to decide who to support."
Wed Jul 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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PPP Poll: Virginia Remains Very Competitive more similar news »
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Virginia finds Sen. Barack Obama inching ahead of Sen. John McCain, 46% to 44%.
Key findings: "The contest in Virginia breaks out pretty much as one would expect.
Obama has large leads among black voters (77-16) and other non-white
voters (50-31) while leading in three out of four age categories.
McCain's strength comes from white voters (53-36) and those over 65
(49-38)."
Wed Jul 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Backed By Many British Conservatives more similar news »
The Telegraph has more good news for Sen. Barack Obama before he gets to London: "Almost a third of Tory MPs willing to publicly express their preferences in the US presidential election are prepared to jettison their party's historic links with the Republicans and back Obama."
Political Insider: Important poll coming later today.
Wed Jul 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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Inside Obama's Online War Room more similar news »
"By almost any measure, the Obama campaign's online activities have been a roaring success," says the New York Observer.
"The campaign has taken the Internet technology pioneered by Howard Dean in 2004, expanded on it and built what is in essence a multimedia company capable of competing with the traditional press in communicating with potential supporters. And that audience, in turn, has responded with hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions, thousands and thousands of volunteer hours, and instant, on-demand outrage directed at media outlets whose coverage is deemed unfair to the candidate."
Wed Jul 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain Drops Hints About Pawlenty more similar news »
A Republican source who attended a small private meeting with John McCain yesterday in New Hampshire tells CNN that "the GOP candidate dropped a serious hint about Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty" becoming his running mate.
The source said "out of the blue" McCain told the gathering that he thinks they are "really going to like" Pawlenty.
"This GOP source noted that McCain also said nice things about Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani, but those appeared to be standard lines he says about former rivals."
CQ Politics: Four principles for picking a vice president.
Wed Jul 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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Shaheen Has Edge in New Hampshire more similar news »
Sen. John Sununu's (R-NH) "re-election strategy of having a not-so-public campaign, sitting tight and stockpiling significant funds is not working -- at least at the moment," reports CQ Politics. "Polls show his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, with a consistent double-digit advantage."
As a results, CQ is changing its rating of the race from No Clear Favorite to Leans Democrat to reflect Sununu's current position as he seeks a second term.
One caveat: Sununu is sitting on a campaign war chest of more than $5 million and has yet to run any advertising.
Wed Jul 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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Mixed Signals on McCain Trip to Lousiana more similar news »
"Mystery continues to surround" Sen. John McCain's "plans to interrupt a tour of battleground states today for a visit to New Orleans and a meeting with Gov. Bobby Jindal," the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
"Campaign officials confirm that McCain will fly to New Orleans tonight but declined to give any more details about the visit. The trip attracted even more attention after a nationally syndicated columnist reported that McCain planned to name his running mate this week, sparking speculation that Jindal is a finalist."
Meanwhile, on morning television, Jindal said he didn't even know if McCain was coming to his state. He also said he wasn't going to be chosen as McCain's running mate.
Wed Jul 23, 2008 more from this source»»
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Novak Says He May Have Been Used more similar news »
Robert Novak told Fox News that his report yesterday about Sen. John McCain naming his running mate this week may have been "a dodge" by the campaign to steal some attention from Sen. Barack Obama.
Novak said he got the tip from a "very senior McCain aide" and that the campaign "suggested I put it out." Now he feels he's been used and that it's "pretty reprehensible."
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Does Targeting Age Groups in Swing States Make Sense? more similar news »
Michael Barone has some interesting analysis on whether Sen. Barack Obama should target swing states with large under 30 year old populations. He concludes "the pickings are a little slim for the Obama campaign: among the states
with unusually high percentages of under-30s, only North Dakota (3
electoral votes) and New Mexico (5 electoral votes) are likely to be
target states."
As for a strategy of Sen. John McCain focusing on states with large numbers of over 60 years old voters, Barone concludes there are many more targets: Florida (27
electoral votes), Pennsylvania (21 electoral votes), Iowa (7 electoral
votes), South Dakota (3 electoral votes), Montana (3 electoral votes),
and North Dakota (3 electoral votes). The caveat, of course, is that over-60 voters already turn out to vote in decent numbers, so there's not likely as much to gain.
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Another Gift for Obama more similar news »
Just days in advance of Sen. Barack Obama's stop in London, the Guardian reports that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown "today paved the way for the withdrawal of British troops
from Iraq, promising a 'fundamental change' of mission in the first
half of 2009."
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Is it Really a Close Race? more similar news »
Michael Grunwald: "The media will try to preserve the illusion of a toss-up; you'll keep seeing 'Obama Leads, But Voters Have Concerns' headlines. But when Democrats are winning blood-red congressional districts in Mississippi and Louisiana, when the Republican president is down to 28 percent, when the economy is tanking and world affairs keep breaking Obama's way, it shouldn't be heresy to recognize that McCain needs an improbable series of breaks. Analysts get paid to analyze, and cable news has airtime to fill, so
pundits have an incentive to make politics seem complicated. In the
end, though, it's usually pretty simple."
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Romney's $45 Million Gamble more similar news »
Mitt Romney wrote off the $45 million he loaned his failed presidential campaign, according to the Boston Globe.
"Romney's decision to formally reclassify his loans as contributions -- a
seemingly small bureaucratic gesture -- removes a deceptively large
obstacle to his vice presidential nomination. Had he become McCain's
veep without giving up hope of retrieving the cash, Romney might have
wasted a lot of time at fund-raisers trying to retire his personal
debt. McCain, obviously, would prefer a vice president who's free to do
other things and willing to use his fund-raising time to help the
party. So Romney is signaling to McCain that he's willing to join the
ticket free and clear."
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Battleground Stretches West more similar news »
"Western Republican states that mostly were ignored by Democrats until Sen. Barack Obama 'showed up' are turning into political battlegrounds in the 2008 election," according to the Washington Times.
Obama "is aggressively challenging Sen. John McCain in at least six of them, including Republican strongholds New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Montana and North and South Dakota, where polls show the race between the two rivals is close or in a dead heat."
His strategy has two parts: "First and foremost, these states have been trending Democratic in the past decade and are ripe for the taking. Second, the closeness of the presidential race demands picking up additional electoral votes in Republican territory to offset potential losses in major tossup states like Florida and Ohio."
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports Obama "is using his fundraising advantage over McCain
to build a network of campaign workers in states Republicans have
dominated for decades."
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Winning Over Clinton Donors more similar news »
The Washington Post "has now conducted its own analysis of how Clinton supporters directed their money in June. More than 2,200 Clinton donors became first-time Obama donors, giving him $1.8 million of the $52 million he raised last month. Of those, 355 contributed at least $2,000, for a total of $1 million."
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain Fuels Veep Rumors more similar news »
With rumors swirling that Sen. John McCain might name his running mate this week, his campaign seems intent on keeping the intrigue going.
According to the Wall Street Journal, a reporter asked McCain "outright if he would be announcing his
running mate in New Hampshire on Tuesday. McCain responded with a
mischievous grin and silently backed away."
Aide Mark Salter added, "I'm not denying, I'm not confirming."
Meanwhile, the McCain campaign said they will hold a previously undisclosed event in Louisiana on Thursday designed to "capture some of the attention" from Obama on the day he will make a big speech in Berlin. Could it be the unveiling of his running mate?
The Washington Post confirms McCain will meet with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, widely believed to be on McCain's short list.
First Read: "Are the McCain folks throwing shiny metal objects into the air as the political world fixates on Obama?"
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama's Trip a Success more similar news »
The early reviews of Sen. Barack Obama's foreign trip conclude he's executed it flawlessly and has been helped out by a bit of good luck as well.
"After a day spent meeting Iraqi leaders and American military commanders," the New York Times notes Obama "seemed to have navigated one of the riskiest parts of a weeklong international trip without a noticeable hitch and to have gained a new opportunity to blunt attacks on his national security credentials by his Republican rival in the presidential race, Senator John McCain."
The Washington Post focuses on the news that the Iraqi leader backs Obama's withdrawal plan for U.S. troops saying "the curious turn of events made for an unexpected opening act...demonstrating anew the combination of agility and good fortune that has marked his campaign."
The trip has also been a public relations bonanza for Obama with him dominating all news coverage for the week. All three television news anchors traveled abroad to interview him and he'll be on Meet the Press with Tom Brokaw on Sunday.
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Udall Has Edge in Colorado more similar news »
"With a hefty war chest and a lead in the polls," CQ Politics notes that Rep. Mark Udall's (D-CO) "prospects of taking over the Senate seat of retiring Republican Sen. Wayne Allard appear to be brightening."
As a result, CQ is changing its rating of the high-profile Colorado Senate race to reflect a slight edge for Udall, who is facing Republican former Rep. Bob Schaffer. The race is now rated Leans Democratic.
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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Detroit News Poll: Michigan Will Be Close more similar news »
A new Detroit News poll shows a tight race in Michigan with Sen. Barack Obama edging Sen. John McCain, 43% to 41% with 12% undecided. Another 5% support either Bob Barr or Ralph Nader.
The survey's 4 point margin of error makes the race a statistical tie.
Key findings: "Obama, buoyed by near-universal support from African-Americans, is
well ahead in Detroit. He holds a big lead with young voters, and a
smaller edge among those who name the economy as their primary concern,
and gets better marks as the candidate most likely to bring change. McCain leads among white voters, but not by a large enough margin to counter Obama's lead with African-Americans."
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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McCain May Announce Veep This Week more similar news »
Robert Novak: "Sources close to Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign are
suggesting he will reveal the name of his vice presidential selection
this week while Sen. Barack Obama is getting the headlines on his
foreign trip. The name of McCain's running mate has not been disclosed,
but Mitt Romney has led the speculation recently."
According to CQ Politics, "it would be the earliest before a convention that a No. 2 would have
been revealed... The existing record: John Kerry announced John Edwards 20 days before the 2004 Democratic National Convention."
Tue Jul 22, 2008 more from this source»»
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UNH Poll: New Hampshire is Statistically Tied more similar news »
The latest Granite State Poll from the University of New Hampshire shows Sen. Barack Obama edging Sen. John McCain, 46% to 43%, but still within the survey's 4.5 point margin of error.
Three months ago, McCain held a six point lead over Obama in the same poll.
Said pollster Andrew Smith: "Neither Obama nor McCain can claim to have a hold on the New Hampshire electorate. The state will be a swing state in November. Both candidates have real opportunities to sway independent voters to their sides between now and the election."
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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Virginia Demographic Shifts Favor Obama more similar news »
The Virginian-Pilot pinpoints the reason many political analysts expect Virginia to be competitive in this year's presidential election.
"The pool of 18- to 25-year-olds signing up to vote in this year's
presidential election is growing at twice the rate of all Virginia
voters... Of those who registered to vote in Virginia during the first six months
of 2008, nearly half were under the age of 25, and the majority of them
were teens who had just reached voting age - 18-year-olds, along with
17-year-olds who will turn 18 before Election Day. The majority also
were women."
Though Virginia typically votes for Republicans in presidential election, nearly every poll shows that this demographic group overwhelmingly favors Sen. Barack Obama.
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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PPP Poll: Obama Still Leads in Ohio more similar news »
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Ohio shows Sen. Barack Obama ahead of Sen. John McCain by eight points, 48% to 40%.
"His 91-6 lead among black voters in the state is not a big surprise,
but he is also keeping it surprisingly competitive among white voters
with whom he trails John McCain only 46-42. Whether he is able to keep
the white vote this close will determine if he pulls off the victory in
Ohio this fall or not."
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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Democrats Make Gains in Voter Registration more similar news »
Rhodes Cook analyzes new voter registration data in the 29 states where party affiliation is on record and finds that since 2004 the number of
registered Democrats has grown by nearly
700,000 while the total of registered Republicans has fallen by nearly 1
million.
In addition, the "overall trend -- Democrats up, Republicans down -- is also mirrored in many
of the states that already have been identified as battlegrounds for
2008. And with only a comparative handful of votes needed to swing key
states such as Iowa and Nevada the Democrats' way, the latest
registration numbers can only fuel the party's considerable optimism."
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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Bush Approval Just 21% more similar news »
A new American Research Group poll finds that just 21% of Americans approve of the way President Bush is handling his job and 72% disapprove.
When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 17% approve and 77% disapprove.
Furthermore, 76% say the national economy is getting worse, 61% say their household financial situations are getting worse, and 68% say the national economy is in a recession.
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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Obama Fundraising Surges more similar news »
"After locking up his party's presidential nomination, Barack Obama's fundraising operation came roaring back to life in June, generating more than a million dollars on five days, including a whopping $25 million that came in on the last day of the month," according to Politico.
"His one-day haul represents nearly half of his monthly total and more than Republican rival John McCain generated for the entire month. During the month, McCain did not have a single day in which he raised a million dollars."
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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How McCain Learned to Use the Levers of Power more similar news »
The New York Times runs an excellent article on Sen. John McCain's political reinvention after his unsuccessful presidential bid in 2000.
"Over the next eight years, he mastered the art of political
triangulation -- variously teaming up with Mr. Lott against the
president or the new Republican leaders, with Democrats against
Republicans, and with the president against the Democrats -- to become
perhaps the chamber's most influential member."
Said former Sen. Tom Daschle: "I can't think of many senators more influential."
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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Huge Number Expected for Obama in Germany more similar news »
Sen. Barack Obama's speech in Berlin on Thursday is expected to draw up to one million German spectators, according to Spiegel.
"Obama's stop in Berlin is part of a week-long trip which took him to
Afghanistan on Saturday and Sunday. He is expected to travel to Iraq
next before heading to Jordan, Israel, Germany and Great Britain."
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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Franken Stumbles in Minnesota Senate Race more similar news »
According to CQ Politics, poll trends in the past several weeks indicate that Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has increased his lead over challenger Al Franken. Although the numbers have fluctuated, four of the last five polls now show Coleman ahead of Franken -- three by more than 10 points.
As a result, CQ is changing the rating on the race to Leans Republican from No Clear Favorite.
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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Pat the Politician more similar news »
Apparently, Goodnight Bush is not the only political parody of a children's book. A Political Wire reader sends along a tip about Pat the Politician which is modeled after the classic Pat the Bunny.
From the book description: "Pull Hillary's purse strings. Fluff John Edwards hair. Scratch John McCain's war rhetoric. And don't forget to wave bye-bye to George Bush."
Mon Jul 21, 2008 more from this source»»
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