Last week we learned about the 'pay for access' bribery scandal involving the administration and a man named Stephen Payne who was, before resigning because of the scandal, a member of the homeland security advisory council.  If you didn't catch the story, here's the nut:

A lobbyist with close ties to the White House is offering access to key figures in George W Bush’s administration in return for six-figure donations to the private library being set up to commemorate Bush’s presidency.

Well, there's a new player connected with this scandal:  Randy Scheunemann

His current responsibility is to try to spin McCain's foreign policy as somehow being an asset for the candidate.

As in:

Via e-mail, a prominent Republican strategist who occasionally provides advice to the McCain campaign said, simply, "We're fucked."

That's in response, in particular, to the news that Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki endorsed Obama's timeline for getting US troops out of Iraq.

This doesn't help their cause either:

Warrantless Surveillance.

Torture.

Iraq.

And on and on.

It's been a long 7 years.

So much damage done to the ideals that make up the nation.  

We got some significant insight this week into how it all spiraled out of control and into the abyss we find ourselves in now.  

All this mess, all the disaster that has torn the soul out of the country, came about because the big bully, little Dicky Cheney, got scared.

If John McCain's speech today is reported accurately (stop giggling...it could happen;  Oh...and speaking of giggling, the quote o' the day from McCain:  "I know how to win wars").

At any rate...here's your lede for accurately portraying this war debate:

John McCain if following Obama's lead on Afghanistan

In his speech today, McCain notes (via Hotline on Call) the need for three additional brigades in Afghanistan.

This is exactly what Obama has been saying.  Now, I'm not making this claim that McCain is adopting Obama's position just because Obama spoke in the late morning and McCain spoke this afternoon.  In fact, I have not heard or read Obama's speech today.

Something to chatter about on a Monday night/evening.  We know that Tom Brokaw is holding down the fort through the election on Meet the Press.

But late last week, Washington Whispers reported that Bob Costas' name has surfaced as a contender to succeed Tim Russert as permanent host.

As the NBC peacock spreads its wings even further to search for a new Meet the Press host to replace the late Tim Russert, the name of Olympics host and storied sportscaster Bob Costas has surfaced. TV executives, noting his steady and unbiased presentation of sports and news when he fills in for Larry King on CNN, say that he's got just the right temperament and approach for the Sunday newsmaker show. We are hearing this directly from somebody who knew Russert well and held top jobs in network TV news. Asked by our Liz Halloran whom he'd recommend to replace Russert, the exec said that he "wouldn't think twice—Bob Costas. He'd be terrific, spectacular."

The Obama campaign has released a long, detailed memo thrashing McCain on the economy.  Find the full, must read memo here.

Not only does McCain not personally understand economics, but he doesn't appear to have a team around him that does.

Consider this memo your official kickoff for the week ahead:

Over the course of the week, Senator Obama will discuss his plans to strengthen the economic security of families feeling the strain of the faltering economy.

Senator Obama will kickoff the week by hosting a discussion on economic security for American’s families in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Tuesday, he will host a town hall meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. After speaking to LULAC Wednesday in Washington D.C., Senator Obama will wrap up the week by campaigning in Virginia and Ohio.

I apologize for the brevity here, but the prospect is too juicy not to pass along:

GOP strategist Karl Rove and former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards will debate the issues of the presidential campaign Sept. 26 as part of the [University of Buffalo's]  Distinguished Speakers Series, The Buffalo News has learned.

Tickets go on sale later this month.  You can find out more details, including some ticket information, here.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

&$*#(&^#@)$*#@%*)%_)#@%(}!!!!!!!!!!

#&$#(%)#%)#&@^@^%(#@)_$)#*#$@&!!!!!!!!!!!

$#&*@#&$&#@#(*#)#@()$*()!!!!!!!!!!

In 2004, Mr. 51% of the possible vote claimed 'mandate' and chose to govern as though America looked like this





And we have all seen how that has worked out.

From The Hill:

Objections by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) will push back an overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until after lawmakers return in July, Democratic leaders said Thursday. Feingold is strongly opposed to language that would likely give telephone companies that participated in warrantless surveillance retroactive immunity from lawsuits.

"It doesn't look like it," Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said of taking up the FISA bill this week. "Sen. Feingold wants additional time and would like to postpone it until after the Fourth of July."

Time can't hurt.  It would be rather poetic to mess with your senators' 4th of July recess by giving some constituent feedback on this matter before a vote and flee.

So sez SUSA.  I'm not big into polling, but unlike the stupid daily tracking polls, state polls at least give a measure of electoral strength.  Plus I live in Indiana.

19 Weeks Out, Obama and McCain Neck And Neck In Hoosier State: In an election today in Indiana, Barack Obama takes 48% of the vote, John McCain 47% of the vote -- a statistical tie -- according to this latest SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WHAS-TV Louisville and WCPO-TV Cincinnati. Obama's 1-point lead is within the survey's 4 percentage point margin of sampling error, and these results should be reported as a tie. Among men, McCain leads by 5; among women, Obama leads by 7 -- a 12-point gender gap. Among voters age 18 to 49, Obama leads by 5; among voters 50+, McCain leads by 3. Obama leads by 22 points among voters under age 35. 16% of Republicans cross over to vote for Democrat Obama; 19% of Democrats cross over to vote for Republican McCain; Independents favor Obama by 7 points. Among those voters who say they have already made up their minds, the two candidates are tied; among the 25% who say they could still change their mind, Obama leads by 2.

A quick impression of too many in Kossack-Nation:

(Or alternatively titled: Massive Group Coronaries Hits Daily Kos)

It's time to take a breath and step back a bit.  There is absolute panic in some quarters around here that Barack Obama has not issued a statement about the FISA bill.

Yes, as presumptive nominee this is his party now.  Yes, he is the standard bearer.  Yes, he has a responsibility to lead much more publicly than ever before.  But...

He is not a reactionary.  It is a sharp contrast to the petulant pissy-pants in the White House and the hot head he's running against, but it is not a sign of weakness.

We've been down the road before.  The Jeremiah Wright tapes came out and the same Chicken Littles bemoaned his refusal to jump up and down and out-shout the idiots pushing that story.  That delay gave us a little speech called "A More Perfect Union".  That would have effectively ended the ordeal if Wright had not gone on his 'look at me!' press tour.

Barack Obama spent his kindergarten days dreaming of being the president some day.

Dick Cheney?  He got kicked out of kindergarten.

Cheney had returned to Lincoln, Nebraska, his birthplace, a couple years ago and "the candidate I was there to speak for arranged for my two Kindergarten teachers to come visit me... Of course, I was a lot older than I had been when I was in Kindergarten. But they found them both. They were both still alive, and you might ask why I had two kindergarten teachers...

"I got kicked out of one school and had to go to the other one,'' he said

Given his troubles it's probably safe to assume that his parents moved him into a school that practiced extreme social promotion just to get the poor kid through.  Let's take a look at the impact not learning the lessons of Kindergarten had on Dick.

Oversight is a good thing.  And for the George W. Bush administration it is a dangerous thing:

Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Davis issued a proposed Committee report on White House contacts with Jack Abramoff that concludes that Mr. Abramoff had personal contact with President Bush, that high-level White House officials held Mr. Abramoff and his associates in high regard and solicited recommendations from them on policy matters, that Mr. Abramoff and his associates influenced some White House actions, and that Mr. Abramoff and his associates offered White House officials expensive tickets and meals.

Bill Nelson (D-FL) has filed a major bill into the senate.  Nelson's "One Person, One Vote Initiative" (warning...pdf) attempts a comprehensive reform of presidential elections.  

The headliner in the bill is a constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college.  Abolishing the electoral college cannot come fast enough IMO.  There is no need to rehash to trauma the electoral college system has wrought on the nation due to the 2000 election.  And with speculation that 2008 could be a repeat (with a vastly bigger popular vote margin in favor of Obama), it's nice to see some moves being made toward making it happen.  The one downside here, though, is that the arduous process of passing a constitutional amendment makes it impossible to pass this year.

As significant as that is, there are other aspects of the bill that are intriguing...

We will see if Sen. Clinton really is ready from day one -- of Obama's general election campaign after securing the number of delegates to claim the nomination -- to endorse and enthusiastically support the Democratic nominee for president.

Party officials are already pushing for this:

"In order for us to be successful in November, the runner-up is going to have to go all out in support of the nominee," said Representative Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "The runner-up is going to have to be there from Day One. The support is going to have to be more than just lip service."

Hillary Clinton is not going to take this fight to the convention.

The facts/math are not on her side, so she cannot pound the facts.

The law/rules are not on her side, so she cannot pound the law.

She is left only to raise a ruckus and pound the table.  If they were confident at all about the merits of the case her campaign would not be as fully blustery as they are.

Bill and Hillary are the consummate pols.  They know 2012 is not an option if they torpedo things this year.

And for those of you so intent on smearing Clinton as no Democrat...