Katharine Jose

The attorney general of California is considering whether to honor a request to investigate Chuck Schumer's role int the collapse of IndyMac.

Obama knows who his running mate is, but he's not telling.

However, it won't be Sam Nunn.

Former Bloomberg spokesman John Gallagher is going to work for Tishman Construction.

Barack Obama is up by 10 points in Minnesota, but the race in Nevada is essentially a tie. 

A Gowanus Lounge blogger makes a passionate case for preserving Admiral's Row.

John Hall's district is now officially "Solid Democratic."

The last McCarren Pool party will be an Obama fund-raiser, naturally.  read more »

Mark Halperin says everyone is talking about the possibility that Barack Obama will surprise the world and pick Hillary Clinton as a running mate. [The Page]

Obama met with Tim Kaine this morning. [CNN]

John McCain isn't sure how many houses he owns. [Politico]

Obama notes that he only has one house, and McCain gets very defensive. [The Swamp]

The Obama campaign already made an ad about the houses, which must be some sort of record. [YouTube]

Under McCain's definition, Obama actually isn't rich. [Ben Smith]

The presidential debates have been finalized. [Political Wire]

Steve Kornacki says that despite the former mayor's position on abortion and other hot-button issues, he was a natural choice to keynote the G.O.P. convention.

11 a.m. LIRR president discusses this weekend's service disruptions at LIRR Headquarters, 93-02 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica.

11 a.m. Assemblyman Jose Peralta calls on city to keep unlicensed vendors off Roosevelt Avenue at Kabab King Restaurant, 73-01 37th Road, Jackson Heights.

1 p.m. Council Member Tony Avella will hold a press conference with Community Action Against Neighborhood Construction to protest the construction of Pasta Lover’s proposed hotel-apartment building, 123-32 82nd Avenue, Kew Gardens

2 p.m. The State P.S.C. holds a public hearing on costs incurred by Con Edison in the steam pipe rupture at CUNY, Room C197, 365 Fifth Ave.  read more »

Obama wants to reduce the power of superdelegates in the next Democratic primary.

And make sure that no state holds a primary election before March, with a few exceptions in February.

John McCain does not oppose reinstating the draft.

A paid adviser for Barack Obama lobbied for the oil industry before he was getting paid.

Hillary Clinton will release her delegates to Obama next Wednesday.

Jim Tedisco is going on Glenn Beck to talk about the economy.

The National Organization for Women endorsed Steve Harrison over Mike McMahon in the Staten Island Congressional race.  read more »

Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones is still alive, but on life support after an aneurysm, reports Tim Grieve. [Politico]

Her home-state newspaper is reporting that she passed away. [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Regarding the Democrat's choice of Denver, Ray Ring writes, "They want to use the West's image as a backdrop." [High Country News]

Dan Jacoby runs the numbers for Bloomberg's wind-power plan and finds it's possible and cost-effective. [Daily Gotham]

The Willets Point redevelopment project is supposed to be the city's first "green" neighborhood, but it also might wind up underwater no matter what happens. [Gotham Gazette]

The Wall Street Journal talks to a friend of Fred Baron, the man financing Rielle Hunter's new life. [Law Blog]

Both Barack Obama and John McCain's ads on taxes are said to be misleading. [Politics on the Hudson]

The State Senate is in session and likely to approve the budget cuts the Assembly already passed, although Democrat Liz Krueger says she's doing it with a "heavy heart." [Albany Watch]

Here are striking photos of the power plant Eric Gioia and Isaac Abraham are trying to save from demolition, due to health concerns. [Nate Kensinger]

Andrew Cuomo will host a community forum with Jerry Nadler, Scott Stringer, Eric Schneiderman, Tom Duane, Linda Rosenthal and Gale Brewer at 7 p.m. tonight, 250 West 65th Street. [no link]

Joe Lieberman will reportedly speak at the Republican National Convention. [AP]

Obama's Kenyan half-brother says he tells people they aren't related. [Daily Telegraph]

It's tax policy week! Barack Obama and John McCain released dueling ads for battleground states. [Barack Obama and John McCain] 

David Paterson's convention speech will be a downer. [Albany Watch]

The National Enquirer tracked Rielle Hunter to the Virgin Islands. [National Enq]

The Wall Street Journal wonders if Democrats will put offshore drilling into the platform, now that most of them consider it an option. [W.S.J.]

The University of Illinois will not release records relating to when Obama sat on the board of a nonprofit with Bill Ayers. [The Swamp]

Dan Squadron is vocally opposing the housing component of his opponent's pet project, Brooklyn Bridge Park. [Brooklyn Paper]

7:30 a.m. Federal Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Thomas Barrett unveils fleet of hydrogen vehicles at the 77th Street ramp in Central Park.

9:15 a.m. A group of reportedly hundreds demonstrate against the Lower East rezoning plan before the start of the City Planning department hearing, in front of 40 Washington Square South.

10 a.m. City Councilman Jim Gennaro hosts a discussion for senior citizen center directors about budget cuts at Hillcrest Library, 187-05 Union Turnpike in Fresh Meadows.

10 a.m. Opponents of the Willets Point development plan hold rally and press conference prior to the City Planning department meeting in the Tishman Auditorium at NYU Law School, 40 Washington Square South.  read more »

The New Republic takes a deep look at John McCain's position on abortion, and finds him screaming in an Arizona Planned Parenthood back when he just a congressman.

Chuck Hagel will not endorse.

Speakers at the D.N.C. will include Claire McCaskill, Nancy Pelosi, and the mayor of Denver, whose last name is Hickenlooper.

The Denver Post winds up the Democratic convention rumor mill.

Barack Obama, who can't seem to get enough of glossy magazines, sits down with Marie Claire.

Lincoln Chafee, part of a group of Republicans for Obama, says  read more »

Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio is taking a prime speaking slot at the Democratic convention to talk about the economy. [PolitickerOH]

John McCain thinks Russia is looking to reclaim the territory of the Russian Empire. [CNN] 

That would include Alaska. [Wonkette]

After the big memo-dump, Wolfson adjusts his status. [Ben Smith]

John McCain's favorite song is Dancing Queen? And he admits it? [Blender via Political Wire]

Republican Representative Jim Leach of Iowa is endorsing Barack Obama and indicates more Republican support. [The Page]

Choire thinks the most amazing thing about those (amazing) leaked Clinton emails obtained by Josh Green is that they leaked at all. [Radar]

A friend of Rielle Hunter tells CBS that John Edwards isn't being totally forthcoming about their relationship; according to her, he is the father of the child, and the affair started back in 2006.  read more »

According to Azi, David Paterson's budget cuts will fail legislatively but go over well with the public--an important perk for a governor already looking at 2010. 

Kornacki says that in the shadow of the Georgia-Russia conflict, John McCain can't make any more mistakes, and Barack Obama should think carefully about his V.P. choice.

David Paterson said of the additional spending cuts he proposed, "This is how you get out of fiscal woes."

He's facing a showdown with health care and hospital workers.

Paterson did not cut school aid, avoiding a costly political fight with teachers.

Scott Stringer conditionally endorsed a large rezoning of the Lower East Side.

The "legislature's kingpins reacted cooly," writes James Madore and Melissa Mansfield.

Michael Bloomberg said cuts are "never easy, but necessary."

The New York Post editorial board warns Paterson against raising taxes, something he hasn't ruled out.

In an op-ed, James  read more »

8:45 a.m. City Councilman Joe Addabbo kicks of his State Senate campaign with Manhattan B.P. Scott Stringer, State Senator Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith, RWDSU president Stuart Applebaum, and State Senators Martin Connor, Tom Duane, Liz Krueger, Bill Perkins, Eric Schneiderman, and Jose Serrano. At Campanile, 30 East 29th Street.

10 a.m. Advocates and elected officials rally against a demolition law that could cause low and moderate income tenants to be pushed out. On the City Hall Steps.

11 a.m. Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro unveils new Staten Island tourism video at the Whitehall Ferry Terminal.

2:30 p.m. Knicks player John Starks and State Senator Kevin Parker appear at the Read to Achieve program at the Kensington Branch of Brooklyn Public Library, 410 Ditmas Ave.  read more »

Sheldon Silver released a noncommittal statement saying he will review David Paterson's proposal for additional budget cuts.

Jeremy Peters has more on Paterson's cuts.

And look out for Ken Raske's millions in advertising this year.

A Democratic victory in the Buffalo Congressional race is looking less likely, as two Democrats have come under fire.

A Rochester blogger was surprised to find a reporter from the Capitol Hill newspaper The Hill at a press conference for Congressional candidate Eric Massa.

McClatchy reports that the McCain bundler whose donations were returned is tied to questionable donations to Florida Governor Charlie Crist.  read more »

A panel is expected to approve a measure that will cap New York's greenhouse gas emissions, part of a multi-state effort. [Albany Watch]

A Barack Obama V.P. candidate, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, was on a conference call to present the themes of the convention to reporters. [The Hill]

John McCain is taking a very hard line on Russia. [Politico]

Dan Janison spends a little more time contemplating the Troopergate documents, and the use of the word "move" therein. [Spin Cycle]

Howard Wolfson says Hillary Clinton would have won the nomination if John Edwards' affair were revealed during the primary. [ABC News]

By announcing a Tuesday night convention slot for Clinton, James Pindell writes, the D.N.C. has made it “official” that she’s not going to be a V.P. candidate. [Politicker]

John Heilmann asks if Barack Obama is polling only a few points above John McCain because he's black. [New York]

Bouldin notes two incidents when Serf Maltese seems to be blending legislative work with campaigning. [Daily Gotham]

Ralph Reed is hosting a fund-raiser for McCain. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution via T.P.M.]  

Obama may have earned back some goodwill from the netroots with his V.P. text alert program. [Rochester Turning] 

Here's how the former members of the Edwards camp are feeling about him, according to FaceBook. [Ben Smith] 

Kornacki thinks he might be one of John McCain's better options for a running mate.

John Edwards supposedly came clean about his affair, saying, in an unfortunate use of metaphor, that he had been "stripped bare."

Edwards said he had been "99 percent honest" when denying that affair last October.

He also brought up John McCain's adultery.

Jonathan Martin thinks the statement is "careful, lawyerly talk and a candid confession."

Here's what Elizabeth Edwards said.

From Hawaii, Obama said he "understands" that Edwards won't want to attend the convention (although his wife has already been scheduled to speak).

Maureen Dowd writes "Even in confessing to preening, Edwards was preening. His diagnosis of narcissism was weirdly narcissistic, or was it self-narcissistic?"

Newsweek's Jonathan Darman recounts his brief friendship with the other woman, Rielle Hunter, who he met because she was traveling with the campaign, sort of making web videos.

Edwards' national finance chair helped to relocate both her and the man who claims to be the father--Edwards confidante Andrew Young--to California, and has given her additional money as well.

The editor of the National Enquirer says the magazine has been asking Edwards to take a paternity test for months, and he has refused.

Edwards said Friday he would take one, but the point is moot now because the mother won't allow a D.N.A. test to take place.

Gail Collins thinks Edwards was awfully vague on a lot of financial and logistical details surrounding the affair.

"It is an egregious failure of judgment and character to let so many people work so hard for a candidacy that Mr. Edwards knew was at high risk of destruction," writes the Wall Street Journal editorial board.

Joe Klein adopts the "politicians-personal-lives-are-personal" stance.

The New York Times public editor thinks the paper should not have more or less ignored the National Enquirer's reports.

Michael Calderone explains why Politico didn't report it further.

Michael Crowley wonders who ratted Edwards out.

Predictably, historical quotes show that Edwards was outraged over Bill Clinton's infidelities, as well as the fact that Clinton lied to protect his career.

Here are the "webisodes" Hunter was paid to make for the campaign.

And wait! Here's Bonnie Fuller on the Edwards scandal.

In other news, Obama is running an ad in Nevada highlighting McCain's stance on storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

The McCain campaign says Obama's voting record indicates he has also supported the Yucca project.

Speaking for Obama in Nevada, Hillary Clinton said, "Remember who we were fighting for in my campaign."

A self-described "obscure local blogger" reports that Clinton looks "tanned, rested and ready."

First Read cast doubts on the accuracy of an Obama ad that links McCain to lost jobs in Ohio.

In a thoughtful New York Times Magazine cover piece, Matt Bai considers what Obama's candidacy means for a generation of African-American leaders who came of age during the Civil Rights movement.

David Paul Kuhn writes, "No Democratic candidate for president has ever come so close to calling for an end to the era of identity-based affirmative action as has Barack Obama."

According to the Washington Post, the Democratic Party platform includes concessions to Clinton, but the definite mark of Obama.

Peter Applebaum applauded City Councilman Jim Genarro for drawing attention to the danger that shale drilling will pose to New York City's water supply.

Reporters were allowed to spend two hours with Michael Bloomberg's 86-page tax return Friday.

John Sabini is officially gone from the State Senate.

Phil Anderson thinks a mailer from State Senator Serf Maltese's office looks too much like a campaign flier.

Despite petition challenges, State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins will have a primary opponent.

It would appear that Daily Gotham's Bouldin is disappointed with how the left has received Dan Squadron's campaign.

The Buffalo News berates two of the candidates in a three-way Congressional primary, Jack Davis and Jon Powers, for bad behavior, writing, "Western New Yorkers don’t need either of them that badly."

Errol Louis hopes that one of the two candidates challenging Sheldon Silver unseats him, though it's a little unlikely.

The New York Times reports on building department reforms, noting, "New procedures require that inspectors be able to see what they are inspecting."

Roatti at The Albany Project posts about a new blog, "Doctors for Congestion Pricing," which, in addition to being oddly timed, goes by the URL "http://stopsheldonsilver.blogspot.com/."

Patti Solis Doyle says she doesn't feel disloyal to Hillary Clinton now that she's working for Obama, and finds an unexpected bright side in her former boss's defeat.

The Financial Times quotes a McCain adviser saying that Joe Lieberman is under consideration for V.P. partly because "he's never embarrassed anyone."

Washington Whispers tracks down a Black Panther and Yippie and asks them what they think about Obama.

The Times says McCain's leadership of his campaign bears more resemblance to Bill Clinton than to Obama or Bush.

Mike Allen previews the Atlantic article based on internal documents from the Clinton campaign, and reveals, among other details, that it was Bill who gave the final order to run the "3 a.m." ad.

And The National Review writes of FedEx chief Fred Smith, "Politicians are always tempted to promise overnight results; Smith would be one of the few men who can say he actually produced them, with a delivery guarantee."

Saturday 

7 a.m. Summer Streets program begins starting at the Centre Street in Lower Manhattan, people will be able to travel all the way to 72nd St. and then to Central Park by walking down the middle of a street.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Governors Island hosts Civil War re-enactments; ferries will depart from the Battery Maritime Building at South and Whitehall streets, next to Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

10 a.m. The NYC Community Gardens Coalition, Harlem United Gardens, the parks department and other groups host Harlem Green: The Third Annual Tour of Harlem Community Gardens, a trolley tour.  read more »

John Edwards says yes he had an affair, no the child isn't his, and, somewhat unnecessarily, that he didn't love the woman.

Ben says that which is too terrible to consider.

The Atlantic is coming out with an article based on 200 internal emails from the Clinton primary campaign, which The Plank teased by saying the piece will "make Bill-favorite Mark Penn look less than classy."

Edward Luce of the Financial Times describes the Democratic National Convention as "an exercise that gets increasingly Clintonite as it draws closer."

Robert Gibbs swears Bill Clinton has always been in the convention line-up.  read more »

Amtrak ridership is up significantly, but the old infrastructure can't take the influx of passengers. [The Real Estate]

The groups suing David Paterson over his gay marriage directive will probably not succeed. [Intelligencer]

John McCain keeps going with the Barack Obama-elitist thing in this new spot, adding a bit about "painful taxes," which sounds just awful. [YouTube]

Despite Obama's attempts to paint McCain as cozy with "big oil," the Democrat has actually received more donations from oil company employees, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. [CNN]

Disgraced former Councilman Dennis Gallagher spent his last weeks in office eating lavishly at restaurants with campaign money. [The Forum]

Here's video Azi shot of Representative Anthony Weiner, a likely mayoral candidate, speaking at a rally for 1199, one of the most powerful unions in the state.

"I want to be as comfortable as I can," Weiner said, taking the stage, pulling a union t-shirt from his back pocket, and putting it on.

"You can either be on the 1199 bandwagon, or under the 1199 bandwagon," he told the crowd.

Bill Thompson and Christine Quinn, Weiner's main rivals in the mayoral race, also spoke at the Madison Square Garden event.

UPDATE: More from Azi:

In addition to the three likely mayoral candidates, the event drew Senator Chuck Schumer, Al Sharpton and Governor David Paterson, whose unannounced visit surprised organizers.  read more »

Steve Kornacki thinks that Barack Obama's lack of progress in the polls may make him think again about the benefits of allying himself with Hillary Clinton.

In an interview with Ladies Homes Journal Barack Obama said of Hillary Clinton's "3 a.m." ad (remember!?), "If you were not occasionally jolted awake at three in the morning thinking about the magnitude of the work that has to be done, then you probably shouldn't be president." [via Lynn Sweet]

Democrats will be partying more often, if not harder, than Republicans this season. [Ambinder]

Condoleezza Rice neither endorsed nor criticized Obama. [Ben Smith]

Hillary Clinton endorsed Staten Island Congressional candidate Mike McMahon. [Liz Benjamin]

Upstate Democratic Congressional candidate Eric Massa said while outlining his energy plan, "I have always been in agreement with John McCain," although he went on to criticize the Republican.  read more »

The Willets Point land deal critical to redevelopment isn't going to fall through, but the neighborhood where the business is moving still doesn't want them. [Crain's]

Tom Daschle blames Barack Obama's stagnation in the polls on McCain's "Celeb" ad. [Financial Times]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission found radioactive strontium 90 in an Indian Point well, again. [Journal News]

New Yorkers no longer have the highest tax burden--now New Jersey does. [Politics on the Hudson]

Lawyers for property owners who have not sold to the city over Atlantic Yards think they may be able to argue that eminent domain would violate the state constitution in this case. [Brooklyn Paper]

A Brooklyn blog that has been looking into push polls on the Marty Connor-Dan Squadron race still have not heard back from Squadron's campaign. [Brooklyn Heights Blog]

A blogger does the math on New York's new energy-saving escalators, and questions if they're worth it. [Commuter Outrage]

Appearing on WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show (hosted today by Amy Eddings), Chuck Schumer praised Barack Obama and said he isn't worried about Obama's lack of progress in the general election polls because he's still an unknown figure to voters.

Schumer said the polls will swing to the Democat "as people get to know Obama--and particularly if he campaigns on issues. " Then he added, "With one caveat: they do have to hit back."

The message behind McCain's "Celeb" ad, Schumer said, was, "He's not one of us, he's a celebrity, he's an elitist".

"That's what they did with John Kerry," Schumer said, adding, "I would have been a little tougher."

Asked if he had any suggestions for Obama's V.P. pick Schumer replied, "Not publicly."

It was pretty clear back when Hillary Clinton first used the line, "I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002," that no matter who won the Democratic primary, her praise for McCain would return at some point in the general election.

Here's McCain's new Web ad.

Steve Kornacki explains why Barack Obama probably won't pick a running mate who serves in the House, but John McCain just might,

Also from the Observer. Jennifer Rubin has a few ideas about how McCain can beat Obama on the economy, although she notes it won't be easy.

Now that he's been compared to Paris Hilton, Barack Obama is on the offense, reports Jason Horowitz, who quotes Bob Shrum saying Obama's strategy this week is "to open up a new flank."

I talk to Bill de Blasio and Charles Barron about how big a role identity politics and race will play in the 2009 Brooklyn borough president's race.

Eliot Brown reports on a possible conflict of interest between the Port Authority and the development of Ground Zero.

Dana Rubinstein notes that numerous buildings are being put on the auction block by investors and owners who worry about increased capital gains tax if Obama is elected.

City Councilman Bill de Blasio, Democrat of brownstone Brooklyn, hopes to be a post-racial borough president.

In a place ruled by identity politics and the Democratic Party, an Italian-American from Cambridge, Mass., might seem to be an unlikely candidate for the honor. But de Blasio’s multicultural, social-liberal credentials are impeccable. He’s a former pro-Sandinista academic with strong ties to organized labor who made his political bones in New York working for its first black mayor. His wife, Chirlane McCray, is an African-American marketing executive who is of Caribbean descent. His children, 10 and 13, are named Dante and Chiara. (His own birth name, now legally changed, was Warren Wilhelm.  read more »

Barack Obama says of John McCain's tire-gauge trick, “[I]t is funny that they are making fun of something that is actually true."

The communications director for the Auto Alliances guest-blogs at the Wonk Room that, yes, properly inflated tires are really good for fuel efficiency.

Combing through the documents on Troopergate released today, Capitol Confidential notes an email exchange between Rich Baum and a Spitzer discussing how to make Joe Bruno seem more crazy; an email from Michael Balboni to Baum saying someone suggested he call for an investigation, to which he responds, "Yeah. Right"; and also, that Spitzer wrote in another email, "i think dicker and mcmanus are the problems.  read more »

Jason Horowitz talks to the "eerily clairvoyant" and somewhat quirky Orin Kramer, one of the most powerful bundlers in New York, who made the "difficult emotional decision" to back Barack Obama before any of his peers.

David Paterson's foreclosure bill puts restrictions on both lenders and borrowers. [Albany Watch]

Although she publicly opposes offshore drilling, Nancy Pelosi is privately telling embattled candidates to say they support lifting the ban. [Politico]

Jim Lehrer, Tom Brokaw, Bob Schieffer and Gwen Ifill will be moderating the debates this election. [Media Mob]

Politicrasher meets Christine Quinn at Junior's, hopes for cheesecake, gets only bread. [Brooklyn Paper]

Evan Thies, running for David Yassky's City Council seat, supports a new park under the Williamsburg Bridge. [N.A.G.]

Bill de Blasio is organizing a protest against Long Island Hospital's plan to close its maternity ward. [Cobble Hill Association]

It's National Night Out. [West Bronx News]

The late Democrat was much more gracious after Bill Clinton wronged him in the 1992 Democratic primary than Clinton is being now.

11 a.m. Congressional candidate Michael McMahon pumps gas and discusses energy issues; Gulf Gas Station, 1234 Forest Ave., at Jewett Avenue, Staten Island.

11 a.m. Bronx Chamber of Commerce announces annual banquet honorees; Mario's Restaurant, 2342 Arthur Ave., Bronx.

11:30 a.m. Anthony Weiner releases new education data on the soaring cost of college tuition; Baruch College, across from 151 East 25th St.

Noon. Assemblyman Michael Gianaris joins family of worker electrocuted at Con Edison site to announce lawsuit; Morelli Ratner P.C., 950 Third Ave., at 57th Street, 11th Floor.

2 p.m. Council Member Letitia James and the president of Global Soles discuss humanitarian shoe collection effort; her office, 67 Hanson Place, Brooklyn.  read more »

In The New Republic, Richard Stern writes that John McCain is "disgracing himself."

The energy plan Barack Obama announced today, which includes releasing some oil reserves, is similar to what Bill Clinton did in 2000.

Clinton, however, has still not endorsed Obama.

Steve Cohen thinks Obama "has missed an opportunity to educate the American people about the futility of increased oil drilling."

Staten Island's Republican County Leader, John Friscia, tells Tom Wrobleski, "I'm not Boss Tweed."

Robert Harding defends Chuck Schumer's fierce loyalty to a former staffer, and says, "That might be a bad thing but it also could be a good thing, depending on your viewpoint.  read more »

Hillary Clinton has introduced a Senate version of the Saving Energy Through Public Transportation bill, which is exactly what it sounds like, has already passed the House, and may face a veto from the president. [Streetsblog]

Of the red seven states Barack Obama is targeting in the general election, Tom Bevan gives him to best chance of taking Virginia, and the worst chance of taking Alaska. [R.C.P.]

At a reportedly raucous festival commemorating the Tompkins Square Park Riot's 20th anniversary, protesters burned a flag, but it was synthetic, so it melted. [Neither More Nor Less]

Gas drilling is coming to New York, it can't be stopped, and it might be bad, says this primer on the expected boom in shale drilling. [Herald Record]

Barack Obama released an ad that draws attention to donations John McCain receives from the oil industry. [Barack Obama]

The McCain campaign says it's hypocritical. [The Page]

Beth Reinhard points out there's nothing in the ad about Obama's alleged shift on offshore drilling. [Naked Politics]

In an energy policy speech, Obama called for taking some oil out of the strategic reserves to drive down prices--something Nancy Pelosi has also suggested As has Chuck Schumer, repeatedly. [AP]

T. Boone Pickens and Al Gore are reportedly talking to each other. [Bloomberg]

Park Slope residents are peeved about idling Ikea buses. [  read more »

Historically, V.P. candidates have had either important geographic or symbolic significance, argues Steve Kornacki.

Barack Obama said he may consider voting for a Senate bill that would lift the ban on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Republicans were quick to say he switched positions, but Frank James points out that John McCain switched positions on drilling, too.

"This strikes me as less of a shift and more as a gesture of sorts," writes Marc Ambinder.

Obama is giving a speech on energy policy tomorrow.

Then he is spending quite a bit of time in Indiana, for mysterious reasons.

Spin Cycle wants McCain to answer to comments he made in 2001 that linked the anthrax attacks--committed by a government scientist--to Iraq.  read more »

Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. State Senator Marty Golden leads cleanup of Brooklyn parkland along Shore Road; 83rd Street and Shore Road. 11 a.m. Council Member Tony Avella discusses the growing illegal truck traffic in New York City; intersection of Fifth Avenue and 147th Street, Whitestone. Noon State Senator Malcolm Smith and Enterprise Rent-A-Car kick off the 4th Annual Todd Smith Jump and Ball Tournament; Daniel O'Connell Park, Murdoch Avenue between 196th and 197th streets, Queens. Noon. Twentieth anniversary celebration of the Tompkins Square riots; Tompkins Square Park. 7 p.m. Grand opening of Lola Staar's Dreamland Roller Rink in Coney Island; inside the Childs Building, 3052 West 21st St.  read more »

The G.O.P. is trying to avoid the subject of the Minnesota bridge collapse as it heads into the convention, which seems tough.

Tim Kaine fought hard to get a coal plant in Virginia, which the Wall Street Journal thinks is at odds with Barack Obama's position on coal.

Alex Balk thinks the question of whether Obama is too skinny from some voters is a stupid one.

The Forward reports on McCain's decentralized Jewish outreach efforts.

Montana is, counter intuitively, still a battleground state.

McCain advertises his support from Al Sharpton, who returns with a statement asking not to be used as a political weapon.  read more »

From an e-mail sent out by Henry J. Stern about former councilman Stanley Michels, who died this morning at age 75:

Stanley E. Michels, 75, a city councilmember from upper Manhattan for 24 years, died this morning at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. He had fought cancer for two years.

 

Michels, a longtime resident of Castle Village on Cabrini Boulevard, was elected seven times to the Council, serving from 1978 until term limits ended his tenure in 2001. His district was modified by reapportionment to include parts of Central and West Harlem, but he carried the new areas as well as Washington Heights and Inwood, his traditional bases of support.

 read more »

Although it sometimes seems like 30-year incumbent State Senator Marty Connor is playing the underdog role in his race against young, Schumer-backed challenger Dan Squadron, Connor certainly has his share of establishment backing.

And here's more! On Monday, a number of members of Congress will endorse Connor at City Hall.

A release promises Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Nydia Velázquez at a press conference, as well as the possibility of Yvette Clarke, and the endorsement of Ed Towns, although he won't be able to make it. (He has to fend off Kevin Powell, after all.)

Demonstrating the potential perils of making fun of other people's speeches, John McCain has this new Web ad that criticizes Barack Obama for not mentioning any Latin American countries during his Citizen of the World address in Berlin.

The script, sent out by the campaign, includes this line:

"CHYRON: Y Donde Qued Amrica Latina?"

Which I'm pretty sure is not a phrase in any language. (Although the spelling is fine in the actual ad.) What happened, clearly, is that somewhere along the line the accented letters dropped out. A technical issue.

But there's also this:

CHYRON: Maybe He Forget About Us?

Here's the full script, from the release:

Spanish Script For "Barack Obama Olvid Amrica Latina" (WEB 1:00)

CHYRON: El Mundo De Acuerdo A Barack Obama

BARACK OBAMA: Esta noche no les hablo como un candidato para Presidente, sino como un ciudadano; un orgulloso ciudadano de los Estados Unidos y un ciudadano ms del mundo.  read more »

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