The LA Times thinks Obama blew it here. I don't, I agree with him. America is not what it once was and all our children deserve better The question he was asked: Why is he running for President.

Republicans have tarnished this country's image during the past 8 years. America can do better. We have a chance to do better with Democrats back in control of the White House and Congress. Good for Obama. He spoke the truth.

Ralph Reed, pal of Jack Abramoff is holding a fundraising event for John McCain.

“John McCain believes in a strong national defense, a smaller, more accountable government, steady economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values,” wrote Reed, whose 2006 campaign for lieutenant governor sank under the weight of evidence detailing his relationship with Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff — much of it uncovered by McCain’s Indian Affairs Committee.

Giulianni and Ralph Reed were close too. Anyone remember Reed's treatment of women in his recently published novel? Publisher's Weekly described it this way: [More....]

Just in from the Los Angeles Times: Sen. Barack Obama's campaign sent emails out today indicating he's very close to announcng his Vice-Presidential candidate and he may make the announcement by text-message and e-mail:

An e-mail just sent out says Obama "is about to choose a running mate." And when word comes, it will come by text message, e-mail and on the campaign website. An interesting twist that could mean the word might be released this week even during Obama's family vacation.

More...

The City of St. Paul is installing 45 new cameras to monitor the area around the Xcel Energy Center during the Republican National Convention.

The $2 million system is funded with money from the Department of Justice to the Republican Convention. All of the cameras will stay in St. Paul after convention visitors leave, though some of them will be moved to other parts of downtown.

The good news is that feeds from the cameras will be streamed over the internet so that the public can see what Big Brother is seeing. While the cameras are supposed to help the police keep an eye on protesters, the video streams will help the public keep an eye on the police. Protesters have learned the value of video.

Protesters have trained at least 70 people to carry camcorders, too. "It's very important that we have evidence showing police misconduct if it does happen," said Rachael Bengston, a lawyer with the National Lawyers Guild. She said a group of legal observers will log the video and keep it in case of any legal action.

A McCain campaign adviser says Joe Lieberman is being vetted as the Republican vice presidential nominee. As John McCain's puppeteer loyal friend, Lieberman seems an ideal choice.

“Conservatives would be pissed as hell – I think you would have a revolt, but sometimes John does what John wants to do,” the McCain adviser said.

It's difficult to believe that Joe Lieberman is too liberal for conservatives, but Grover Norquist calls Lieberman "completely unacceptable" while evangelical leader Richard Land thinks the pro-choice senator would be a catastrophic pick (William Kristol is a notable exception). At least we know that Lieberman is experienced at losing vice presidential elections, not to mention Democratic primaries. As to his future in the Senate:

Mr Lieberman has left open the possibility that he would speak at the Republican National Convention, a move that would probably ensure that Democrats would strip him of his chairmanship of the committee on homeland security.

With tarring and feathering to follow.

Here's the problem:

Beginning with their stunning inability to defeat the most detested politician in American history, Richard Nixon, and continuing through their stunning inability to defeat the most detested politician in the world, George II, the Democrats are the masters of blowing it. And they don't just simply "blow it" - they blow it especially when the electorate seems desperate to give it to them.

In his new book, Mike's Election Guide 2008, Michael Moore explains what Barack Obama can to do to lose the presidency again. The extract published here ends with these words:

We can't take four more years of this madness. We need you to be a candidate who will fight back every time they attack you. Actually, don't even wait till you have to fight back. Fight first! Show some vision and courage and smoke them out. Take the offensive. Keep asking why these lobbyists are McCain's best friends. Let's finally have a Democrat who's got the balls to fire first.

I just watched ABC's World News Tonight. It shows the interview with John Edwards without sound, using text overlay for some of his quotes. You'll have to watch Nightline to hear him in his own voice.

The interview does provide these dates:

• Edwards says he met Rielle Hunter in 2006 -- after she was hired as a campaign videographer. The affair was in 2006.
• He told Elizabeth about the affair in 2006. She was furious.
• Edwards launched his presidential campaign in December, 2006.
• The National Enquirer reported the affair in October, 2007, and Edwards denied it.
• Edwards came in second in the Iowa caucuses in January, 2008 and dropped out a few weeks later.
• The baby was born in Feb. 2008.
• He denies being the father because the affair ended before Hunter would have conceived.
• Edwards met with Hunter last month at the hotel in Beverly Hills to convince her to stay quiet about their affair. He doubts the authenticity of the Enquirer photograph showing him holding the child.

More...

Update: John Edwards has just released this statement. It ends with:

In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up -- feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.

I don't know anyone who thinks having an affair should disqualify one from public office, even the presidency. Certainly no one in my social circles.

The problem with John Edwards is not that he had an affair in 2006, the year he decided to run for the Presidency a second time, but that in 2007 when confronted with it by the media, he denied it.

By denying it, he ensured that if discovered, he would become cast as untruthful, deceitful and someone who can't be trusted. As Jane Hamsher says, had Edwards won the nomination and then this came out, we'd be looking at a McCain presidency.

Edwards put the Democratic party's chances of taking back the White House at risk. Not because of the affair, but because of his dishonesty. [More...]

In December, 2007, Katie Couric interviewed all of the Democratic and Republican candidates about their views on infidelity and whether they thought it should disqualify a candidate from being President.

Bill Richardson:

I don't think so. I think that, you know, infidelity is ... a serious problem in any marriage. But, you know, everybody sins. And it's whether you're forgiven, whether you forgive yourself, whether you have faith in God. You know, perfection ... is something that politicians, they should not stand themselves for perfection. Nobody's perfect.

Barack Obama: [More....]

Depending on how you feel about using legislation to protect American jobs, you may agree or disagree with John McCain's opposition in 2003 to proposed amendments in a defense spending bill that would have "prohibited any money from being used to pay a foreign express cargo carrier." McCain chaired the Senate Commerce Committee, and was successful in defeating the amendments. That cleared the way for "the sale of Airborne Express cargo service to a German conglomerate that owns DHL."

The sale isn't playing well in southeast Ohio now that "DHL wants to combine operations with rival United Parcel Service and close its huge hub" in Wilmington, a move that would cost 8,000 to 10,000 jobs immediately and as many as 30,000 in the long term. Here's what's even worse for McCain:

[T]he Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, previously worked as a lobbyist for the German group, Deutsche Post World Net, and was paid $185,000 to help engineer the 2003 deal, plus another $405,000 for other work. Davis helped Deutsche Post overcome objections in the Senate when the German company was negotiating the purchase, the paper reported.

Jake Tapper reports that this isn't the only problem with letting lobbyists run a campaign. [more ...]

[Comments now closed, new post here.]

John Edwards has admitted his affair with Rielle Hunter to Charlie Gibson of ABC News but denies he's the father of her child.

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 42-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter's baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby's birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father.

Elizabeth has known since 2006. [More...]

President Bush and VP Dick Cheney will both speak at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis opening night.

So earlier reports of Cheney being snubbed were either inaccurate or there was a change of heart.

This will be their last hurrah before fading off into oblivion and historical disgrace as the worst, most abusive, intrusive Administration ever.

Good riddance to them. I hope the American people tuning in to watch them realize that by electing John McCain they will be sentencing us all to another four years of the same.

Update: In case, as someone suggested in comments, there are national block parties during the Bush-Cheney speeches where everyone goes outside their house and dances in the street to music, what would your song picks be? Mine are below.