Chicago Daily Observer

The media is having a hard time reporting good news from the War in Iraq. President Bush gave an update today which seemed to thoroughly perplex the press on how to report progress (and avoid harming the Obama campaign).

The New York Times plays it straight ”8,000 Troops to Leave Iraq Next Year”

The Trib doesn’t note the actual announcement “U.S. force in Iraq to stay steady until ‘09”

MSNBC obscures the date and the troop drawdown “Bush to maintain Iraq troop levels in Iraq till 2009”

The Times Online neglects to mention the reduction ”President Bush to maintain US troops in Iraq until almost last day in office”

The BBC Keeps it vague ”Bush reshuffles war zone troops”

The Washington Post stretches to avoid the good news ”Bush to Keep Iraq Troop Levels Steady Until After He Leaves ... Read More...

In response to numerous requests to clarify each of Sen’s Obama, Biden, and McCain’s votes on the Coburn amendment to HR 3058, here is the full text of the Coburn amendment shifting funding from Alaska bridge construction to Lousiana bridge repair.

Sen Obama and Sen Biden voted against the amendment (equivalently voting in favor of funding the Bridge to Nowhere).

Sen. McCain did not vote.

Text of Amendment SA 2165. Mr. COBURN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 3058, making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, District of Columbia, and independent agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes; as follows:

At the appropriate place, add the following: Section 144(g)(1) of title 23, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by striking “for the construction of a bridge ... Read More...

John McCain’s speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination was awful. Yes, it yanked the “change” flag out of Barack Obama’s hands and planted it on the GOP‘s ramparts, and yes, McCain admirably ripped his own party, and yes, there were touching moments of personal revelation.

But the speech was disorganized, overly vetted, sometimes banal, sometimes self-centered and devoid of forthright and realistic discussion of what bothers most voters: a sagging economy. What was needed was some straight talk, which I have provided here: “We’ve been hearing for years now that we’re in or approaching a recession. Gentlepeople, by any measure, we are not in a recession, but if we keep talking like down-in-the-mouth Democrats do, we’ll certainly sink into one.

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Barack Obama came out of his convention with a nice bounce and then John McCain got his, thanks in large part to his high-stakes gamble on Sarah Palin.

The race at the moment seems even-up, with one tracking poll actually giving McCain his first slim lead in months. But it is not yet time to obsess and hyperventilate over the polls. Wait for at least another week, maybe even two, for all the statistical noise to clear. What has gone up may come down and what has gone down could get worse, but it’s still pure speculation.

Conventions traditionally generate wild swings: Michael Dukakis was once up 16 points in 1988, and for much of 1992 Bill Clinton was running third to Ross Perot and George H. W.Bush.

What we do know is that Palin passed her first test with flying colors and began to make McCain’s impulsive selection look ... Read More...

John McCain and Sarah Palin criticized Democrat Barack Obama over the amount of money he has requested for his home state of Illinois, even though Alaska under Palin’s leadership has asked Washington for 10 times more money per citizen for pet projects.

At a rally in swing state Missouri, the Republican presidential nominee and his running mate accused Obama of requesting nearly $1 billion in earmarks for his state during his time as a senator. The new line of attack came after Obama made his first direct criticism of Palin over the weekend, using the topic of earmarks, which are special projects that lawmakers try to get for their districts and constituents.

“Just the other day our opponent brought up earmarks — and frankly I was surprised that he would even raise the subject at all,” Palin said. “I thought he wouldn’t want to go there.”

Obama hasn’t asked for ... Read More...