Month: July 2008

The Britney Ad

By Patrick Appel
Ramesh Ponnuru agrees with Weaver that McCain’s recent ads are juvenile. Allahpundit expands:

The problem is that it follows a line of spots that were either stupid, dishonest, or borderline incoherent; that’s why some GOP analysts are worried about Maverick’s negative turn lately. It’s not that attacks are bad per se, it’s that McCain has a solid brand of his own that he’s neglecting or even devaluing by hitting Obama in such petty ways.

Maverick©

by Chris Bodenner
McCain had a made-for-TV movie based on his life, yet Obama is the "celebrity candidate"?  CarlosBulosan:

Where was John McCain to decry celebrity status when Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California as a Republican? Where was John McCain when pop icon Sonny Bono, and actors Noble Willingham, Jerry Doyle, and Fred Grandy all ran for Congress as Republicans? Where was John McCain when Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson addressed the Republican National Convention? Where was John McCain to decry celebrity when former actor and Republican idol Ronald Reagan was elected to the Presidency not once but twice? … John McCain isn’t a packaged celebrity of course, he’s a packaged war hero. There’s a difference. Right?

He forgot Fred Thompson. 

GOP ’08 Class Of One?

by Chris Bodenner
Politico ranks the top ten competitive Senate races:

There’s no escaping the fundamental reality that the outlook is bleak for Senate Republicans. The question isn’t whether Democrats will pick up seats; it’s whether the GOP can minimize its losses. In an indication of how bad the national landscape is for Republicans, our initial rankings feature just one Democratic-held seat among those most likely to change hands.

The Helms Ban Is Gone

By Patrick Appel
Cause for celebration, though the fight isn’t over yet:

Some Capitol Hill insiders have speculated that the Bush administration might decide to leave the HHS policy in place, preferring to let the next president decide whether to repeal it. That would leave the ban in place until at least late January.

A spokesperson for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said Obama opposes the ban and would take action to end it if he’s elected president.

A spokesperson for the campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, did not return a call seeking McCain’s position on the issue.