Planned Parenthood Ad Hits McCain On Birth Control
Planned Parenthood Action Fund is launching this new ad against John McCain in the swing states of Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin, plus the D.C. media market. The ad bluntly tells women voters that they can't trust John McCain on the issue of birth control, playing back the video from when McCain couldn't answer a question about requiring insurance companies to cover it:

Obama Discussing National Security In Deep-Red Indiana
Barack Obama is spending today in Indiana, a state that hasn't voted Democratic since 1964 but where a recent SurveyUSA poll gave him an improbable one-point lead. He will be joined at Purdue University by Senator Evan Bayh and former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn, both viewed in the press as potential running mates, for a "Summit on Confronting 21st Century Threats."

McCain Pitching School Vouchers To The NAACP
John McCain will be speaking today to the NAACP, a venue where Republicans haven't done well and where Barack Obama was already very well received with his own speech. McCain will use this as an opportunity to reach out to African-American voters on education reform: "If I am elected president, school choice for all who want it, an expansion of Opportunity Scholarships, and alternative certification for teachers will all be part of a serious agenda of education reform."

Poll: Obama Ahead, Both Candidates Are Flip-Floppers
The new CBS/New York Times poll gives Barack Obama a 45%-39% lead over John McCain among registered voters, a margin unchanged from the 48%-42% lead he had a month ago. Meanwhile, both candidates have come to be viewed as flip-floppers: Barack Obama is seen as having changed his views in order to get elected by 56% of voters, and 51% say the same thing about John McCain.

McCain Cites "Czechoslovakia" Again
For the second time in two days, John McCain yesterday discussed his foreign policy concerns by referring to Czechoslovakia -- a country that hasn't existed for 15 years. On the bright side, he did at least refer to Russia's interactions with Czechoslovakia, and not the Soviet Union.

Pro-War Group Getting Involved In Senate Races
Freedom's Watch, the right-wing 501(c)(4) group that has set out to further a pro-Iraq War agenda, is now targeting Senate races under the direction of longtime GOP operative Tony Feather. On the one hand, their intervention into Senate races will be a welcome assist to the under-funded NRSC -- but on the other hand, their record in special elections this past cycle was hardly a success, with the GOP losing two deep-red seats in the South.

Al Franken Gets Long-shot Primary Challenger
Trial lawyer Priscilla Lord Faris, scion of a prominent Minnesota Democratic family, has announced that she will run in the September primary for Senate against Al Franken, telling Election Central that his campaign is "floundering" and something must be done. A Minnesota Dem source was highly skeptical that Faris has the time to build up any sufficient organization or name recognition that would pose a serious threat.