via yglesias:

So to be clear on the McCain campaign’s official view of Sarah Palin, she doesn’t have what it takes to do interviews with the mainstream media. They’re too mean and unfair. But she does have what it takes to negotiate an international treaty or see the country through a banking crisis. Talk to Wolf Blitzer? No can do. Help make sure that an India-Pakistan border crisis doesn’t become a nuclear war resulting in the deaths of tens of millions? Sure. She’s up to it.

https://www.voteforchange.com/

via Steve Benen

MCCAIN’S COMMERCE COMMITTEE CONFUSION…. John McCain has acknowledged, more than once, that he doesn’t understand the economy. More recently, though, as Americans began ranking the economy as the top election-year issue, McCain has been forced to backpedal, insisting that he really is some kind of economic expert.

To bolster his case, McCain has begun pointing to his work on the Senate Commerce Committee, which he used to chair (and where, apparently, he created the BlackBerry). McCain told CNBC yesterday, “I understand the economy. I was chairman of the Commerce Committee that oversights [sic] every part of our economy.”

That’s not even close to being true. Kleiman posted a list of the Commerce Committee’s jurisdictional issues, which include the Coast Guard, highway safety, canals, atmospheric activities, regulation of interstate common carriers, sports, and standards and measurement. The committee helps oversee consumer products and services — but not credit, financial services, or housing, the very areas that just happen to be driving the current crisis. [continue]

via Kevin Drum:

And speaking of screwups during the GOP convention, here’s another one. The Navy gave permission for two SEALs to attend the convention on the condition that the Republican National Committee not try to exploit them politically (active duty members of the military aren’t allowed to engage in partisan activity). So what happened? They wrote a speech exploiting them, and when they were called on it they made up a lie about it being an inadvertant ad-lib. Notice a pattern here?

washingtonpost.com — Only 36 of the 2,380 delegates seated on the convention floor are black, the lowest number since the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies began tracking diversity at political conventions 40 years ago. Each night, the overwhelmingly white audience watches a series of white politicians step to the lectern. Read more

From the Jedreport : McCain’s relationship with Washington, DC lobbyists, using clips from the past 18 years, from the Keating scandal to present. The video is about two minutes long.

YouTube link

From blitzburgh64 :

“[...] the vast majority of Americans don’t read this - or any - political website.  So, our carefully crafted arguments, biting ad hominem wit, and soaring rhetoric don’t reach that vast majority.  This would not be a problem - except that a vote from those masses counts just as much as a Kossack’s.

So, as we turn our sights to the general election, those Democrats and Obamacans among us should be asking this question:  ”What can I do to help Barack Obama win in November?”

Visit  Beyond the Keyboard for the rest of the post.

I just got some great news.

Yet another poll shows Rick Noriega just 4 points behind John Cornyn in the race for U.S. Senate.

Today, Research 2000 released a poll with Rick receiving 44% while Cornyn is at 48%. Again, John Cornyn is polling below 50% — a sign of his weakness and vulnerability this fall.

Along with the Rasmussen poll released earlier this week, this poll shows what we’re seeing across Texas: Voters are ready for a change. Rick Noriega is the candidate to deliver this change and beat Cornyn this November.

We have the momentum in this race.

Now we need the resources. We need your help to introduce Rick Noriega, define John Cornyn and get voters to the polls this November. If we can do this, we can win.

Please give us the support we need to win. Contribute today!

http://www.actblue.com/page/ricknoriega

You can have a major impact on the race for the Democratic nomination. Indiana’s primary is on Tuesday, May 6th, and we need to turn out voters for Barack on Primary Day. We especially need volunteers on Monday, May 5th, our final day to reach voters before they head to the polls on Tuesday.