Report: McCain Veep Isn't Romney Or Pawlenty -- Who Is It???
John McCain is holding his big event at 12 p.m. ET today in Dayton, Ohio, where he will announce his running mate. MSNBC is reporting this morning that it won't be either Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty, the two previous frontrunners -- with the last-minute speculation now focusing on first-term Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

The Obamas And Bidens In Pennsylvania Today
Barack Obama And Joe Biden, plus Michelle and Jill, are starting on their swing-state bus tour today, starting in Pennsylvania and then continuing over the next few days through Ohio and Michigan. They open tonight in Beaver, Pennsylvania, with a rally at 7:30 p.m. ET.

John McCain Turns 72
Today is John McCain's 72nd birthday. His best present: A whole lot of media hype today over his VP pick.

Report: Chartered Plane Leaves Alaska For Dayton
Jonathan Martin reports that a chartered airplane left Anchorage last night, with the destination being Dayton, Ohio -- the site of John McCain's vice-presidential announcement today. This has led to a lot of speculation that Palin is the pick.

GOP Considering Convention Delay
The Washington Post reports that the Republican Party is considering a delay to its national convention, in light of the expected landfall of Hurricane Gustav down in the Gulf Coast. Bear in mind that a convention has so many logistical complexities that it cannot be rescheduled, only have days and speaking slots completely chopped off -- which would seriously damage the GOP's efforts at staging a good pep rally.

Cindy McCain's Half-Sister: I'm Dead-Seat Against John And Cindy
In another soap-opera development in Cindy McCain's life, her estranged half-sister Kathleen Hensley Portalski says she's voting for Barack Obama. Here's what Portalski had to say about Cindy, who has described herself as an only child and refuses to acknowledge Portalski: "I question whether Cindy is someone I'd want to see in the White House as first lady."

There's yet another round of rumors today to the effect that Colin Powell is being seriously considered as McCain's Veep.

So we checked in with his spokesperson, Peggy Cifrino, who told us that the answer is definitely, positively, and unequivocally NO!

"There is absolutely no truth to this whatsoever," Cifrino emailed us.

When we asked if Powell had been vetted, she continued: "He is busy with his own life and has said repeatedly that he has no interest in being a vice presidential candidate. He has NOT filled out any vetting papers and there is just no truth to this."

Hmmm. That might mean that the answer is No. Unless...

Tonight: Obama's Acceptance Speech, And Good Weather
Barack Obama will give his big speech tonight at Invesco Field, ceremonially accepting the Democratic nomination before a packed football stadium on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech. And Nature seems to be on his side: The weather forecast for Denver tonight predicts mild temperatures and no precipitation that might have ruined his outdoor speech.

Obama And Biden To Embark On Bus Tour After Convention
The full Democratic ticket of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, plus their wives Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, will be heading off on a bus tour through three key swing states after the convention is over. The first stop is tomorrow in Beaver, Pennsylvania, with the tour set to also take them through Ohio and Michigan.

McCain In Ohio Tonight
John McCain will be traveling to Ohio tonight, where he's expected to kick off a pre-convention campaign swing that will include the announcement of his running mate. Press reports indicate that McCain has made his final decision of who his running mate will be, leaving us all to await the announcement.

Report: Rove Worked To Stop Potential Lieberman Veep Pick
Jonathan Martin reports that Karl Rove himself, concerned over John McCain's ability to hold on to the conservative base, approached Joe Lieberman and asked him to tell John McCain not to pick him for vie president. Lieberman reportedly turned down the request.

Connecticut Delegates Demand Lieberman Be Punished
The Hill reports that many Connecticut's delegates to the Democratic Convention are adamant that Joe Lieberman be punished by the Democratic Party for his support of John McCain. "I can't wait until we expand our majority in the Senate so he can be stripped of his committee," said Jennifer Just, a delegate from Woodbridge.

Bobby Rush: Obama Became A Better Pol After I Beat Him
Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush, who easily turned back a primary challenge in 2000 from an unknown state senator named Barack Obama, told Roll Call that the 2000 race made Obama a better candidate: "He took the loss very seriously and the it taught him a little bit about humility. And I believe that it serves him well now -- having a humble spirit."

Terry Mac: I Might Run For Governor Of Virginia
Terry McAuliffe, who made his name this campaign as one of the most vociferous and entertaining spokespeople for Hillary Clinton, is apparently considering a run for governor of Virginia in 2009. If McAuliffe runs he will likely have to face a couple candidates who are already lining up support, but nobody can say he isn't energetic on the stump.

Report: McCain Running Mate Will Be ... ???
Various reports are coming out about John McCain's veep-hunt, with Mark Halperin reporting that GOP sources say it will be Mitt Romney. On the other hand, the New York Times reports that the campaign is considering another pick: General David Petraeus.

Both Presidential Candidates Off The Trail Today
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain have any scheduled public events for today.

Obama VP Could Be Today -- Or Tomorrow?
The Associated Press reports that Barack Obama could announce his running mate as early as today. On the other hand, Obama has already said he's decided who it's going to be, so it should be either today or tomorrow -- which is to say, the AP doesn't have any more of a clue about when the announcement is coming than the rest of us do.

Report: Obama Tells Runners-Up They Didn't Get It
CNN reports that Barack Obama has called several candidates who were on his short list for VP, to tell them that they didn't get it. But as you might expect, CNN was not able to find out who actually got these calls.

Poll: Obama Ahead In Michigan
A new Selzer poll of Michigan gives Barack Obama a 46%-39% lead in this must-win state, beyond the ±3% margin of error. However, the pollster's analysis finds that one third of respondents could potentially change their minds, and the race could come down to which topics dominate the race -- if it's about the economy then Obama wins, while McCain would benefit from a focus on national security.

Ticketless Obama Supporters Heading To Denver, Anyway
Tickets to the Democratic convention have already run out, but that's not stopping some people -- the Los Angeles Times reports that hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people are heading to Denver just so they can stand outside.

Hillary Still Deep In Debt
Hillary Clinton's debt-relief efforts were only able to raise $1.2 million in the month of July, leaving her with $11 million in remaining debts to vendors. Another $13 million is owed to candidate herself, for a total of $24 million, but she has said she will not seek to have her personal loans paid back.

Oh, it's just so great to have Rudy back!

On a conference call with reporters just now set up to attack Obama over his foreign policy adviser's trip to Syria, the pro-choice Rudy basically said that as a "matter of conscience" McCain should choose his Veep not based on his views of abortion but on his national security readiness.

Even more interestingly, Rudy seemed to suggest that he was speaking for McCain on the Veep question.

Rudy said: "I know from talking to John McCain about this" that "our main criteria would be a person that would allow us to sleep at night knowing he could immediately be president."

Asked about the relevance of his pro-choice views to the Veep selection process, Rudy added that a presidential candidate is bound to pick someone as Veep who would "be able to handle" whatever "could happen in the age we live in."

Rudy also seemed to suggest that the Republican Party wouldn't really mind that much if McCain picked someone who is pro-choice.

"It would see to me that the Republican Party is not, as far as I can tell, a one-issue party," Rudy opined, adding that whatever happened, "I believe that the party will support Senator McCain's choice."

No doubt the folks in McCain campaign headquarters really appreciate Rudy's willingness to share McCain's views on these pressing questions.

Late Update: Also, Ben Smith points out that a reporter asking tough questions on the call seemed to have been cut off mid-sentence by the call's organizers.

In the latest veepstakes development, the Politico reports that John McCain is likely to announce his running-mate pick on August 29 -- the day immediately after Barack Obama officially accepts the Democratic nomination in Denver.

If this pans out, it could really cut one of two ways: McCain's pick could have to share media time with the post-game coverage of Obama's speech, and thus lose some of the bump that often comes with VP coverage. Or it could work to McCain's advantage and completely overshadow the post-Denver coverage, thus depriving Obama of his own post-convention bump.

A nice catch from Steve Benen: When top McCain surrogate Bobby Jindal, who's been discussed as a Veep possibility, was asked by NBC's David Gregory what "big idea" is at the heart of McCain's campaign, Jindal pulled a homina homina homina, citing McCain's energy policy...

In response to the "big idea" question, Jindal said: "I think there's several, but certainly when it comes to domestic issues, he understands the energy crisis is probably the biggest economic obstacle we face..." That doesn't count as a big new original idea.

When pressed again by Gregory for any "big idea," Jindal again filibustered by talking about McCain's energy policy, suggesting that McCain would battle Washington "gridlock." That doesn't count as a big new original idea, either, needless to say.

Late Update: It looks like Think Progress' Faiz Shakir was the first one to flag this. Apologies.

GOP Preparing Legal Effort To Challenge Voter Registrations
The Wall St. Journal reports that Republican lawyers are preparing an organized response to Democratic voter-registration efforts, with a training session held this past weekend on how to comb through registrations and challenge them as ineligible -- particularly in swing states like Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Obama campaign already has their own response underway, with legal counsel in all 50 states ready to oppose the challenges.

Obama Holding Hawaii Fundraiser Tonight
Barack Obama is taking some time out from his Hawaiian vacation for some political activity, with a fundraiser scheduled for tonight in Honolulu.

McCain In Pennsylvania Today
John McCain is spending today in York, Pennsylvania, where he has a town hall scheduled for 11:45 a.m. ET, and will also tape a Fox News interview set to air in the 6 p.m. time slot. He'll be accompanied by former two-term Governor Tom Ridge, as he attempts to win over a big swing state that hasn't voted Republican since 1988.

Obama Camp Announcing Republicans For Obama Group
The Obama campaign will be hosting a conference call this morning to roll out their Republicans For Obama group, featuring former GOP Congressman Jim Leach of Iowa. Leach served in the House for 30 years as a relatively liberal Republican, most notably voting against the Iraq War in 2002, before being defeated in an upset by Democrat Dave Loebsack in 2006.

Pelosi Could Allow Vote On Drilling Compromise
Nancy Pelosi has softened her opposition to offshore drilling, following Barack Obama's lead in indicating that she could accept a compromise that included it. Pelosi told Larry King last night she could potentially allow a vote on drilling, if it was coupled with Dem-favored policies such as releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Sheehan Gets On The Ballot For House Bid Against Pelosi
Cindy Sheehan has officially qualified for the ballot in her Congressional race in San Francisco, where she is running as an independent against Nancy Pelosi. Election officials confirmed yesterday that Sheehan collected enough signatures for her campaign, which has the stated goal of punishing Pelosi for not ending the Iraq War or impeaching President Bush.

Stevens Now Opposed By Former Governor Who First Appointed Him
A new voice has come out against indicted GOP Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska: Former Governor Walter Hickel, the same man who first appointed Stevens to the Senate way back in 1968. "I don't care if I appointed him," Hickel told Bloomberg. "That was a long time ago."

New Obama Ad: McCain Has "Been Washington's Biggest Celebrity"
The Obama campaign has a new national cable ad firing back at the McCain campaign's "celebrity line," pointing out that McCain has "been Washington's biggest celebrity" and has regularly appeared on shows like Jay Leno and Saturday Night Live. The ad is certainly entertaining, but it could also be a sign that the Obama camp sees McCain's efforts as effective and thus requiring a rebuttal:

McCain In Pennsylvania Today
John McCain is touring the swing state of Pennsylvania, seeking to maximize the benefit he can get from Barack Obama's vacation by having a must-win state for Dems to himself. McCain is scheduled to make a statement from Erie at 9 a.m. ET on the Georgia crisis, and will hold a town hall tomorrow in York.

McCain Meets With Tom Ridge
John McCain had dinner last night in Pennsylvania with Tom Ridge, the former two-term Pennsylvania governor and original secretary of homeland security. Expect quite a bit of VP speculation around Ridge as the two tour Pennsylvania over the next two days, but it still remains unlikely -- Ridge is pro-choice, a position that would alienate much of the GOP's base.

AFL-CIO Takes Up Obama Camp's Charge Against McCain On Ohio DHL Deal
The AFL-CIO has a new mailer in Ohio blasting John McCain and campaign manager Rick Davis for their role in the DHL deal, which the mailer says has now led to "8,000 Ohio Jobs Lost," an issue that the Obama campaign has vowed to hammer in this big swing state. The mailer then adds forcefully: "Don't Let McCain Get Away With It."

Obama Camp: VP Announcement Will Be Texted To Supporters
The Obama campaign is offering their supporters the chance to be the first to know who the vice-presidential candidate will be, with a Web page where supporters can sign up to receive the announcement by e-mail and/or text message. The big question: Will this list really be the first to know, or will somebody leak it to a media outlet first?

Dem Chances Improve For Open House Seat In New Jersey
CQ is changing its rating on New Jersey's Third Congressional District from "Leans Republican" to "No Clear Favorite," a sign of increasing Democratic chances for this open GOP-held seat. The district is currently occupied by retiring GOPer Jim Saxton, and Democratic nominee John Adler is mounting a very well-financed bid against Republican Chris Myers.

Third-Party Group Plans Pro-Obama Blitz -- But Can They Succeed?
Yet another third-party group is planning a major push for Barack Obama, with California-based PowerPAC announcing that they will launch a voter registration drive targeting black voters in the South and Hispanic voters in the West. The group intends to spend $10 million, but will face the same challenge as other third-party groups that want to help Obama: He has explicitly told his supporters not to fund such efforts.

Report: Penn Wanted To Deride Obama's Americanness
In a revelation that will lower his stock in Democratic politics even further than it already has been, a newly-released set of internal memos shows that Mark Penn aggressively pitched a xenophobic strategy for the Hillary campaign to use against Barack Obama and his "lack of American roots." Penn wrote: "I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values."

Both Candidates Off The Trail Today
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain have any public events scheduled for today. Obama is of course on his Hawaiian vacation this week, and McCain does not have any announced events, either.

Edwards' Ex-Mistress: No Paternity Test
John Edwards' former mistress Rielle Hunter has issued a statement ruling out any paternity test for her daughter. Edwards said he was willing to take a test in order to prove he is not the father, but Hunter's refusal means no such test will actually occur.

Georgian President Speaks With Both Candidates
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili spoke Saturday with both Barack Obama and John McCain about the invasion of his country by Russia. Both candidates assured Saakashvili that they want full recognition of Georgia's sovereignty, and have condemned Russia's actions in this conflict.

McCain Declining To Endorse Energy Compromise
John McCain is so far refusing to take a position on the "Gang of 10" energy compromise, which Barack Obama has already signaled he could support, which would allow a combination of offshore drilling and increased investment in alternative energy. The Hill notes that if McCain comes out against it then he'll be standing in the way of a bipartisan energy plan, but if he endorses it he'll cede a clear distinction he has with Obama.

Report: Lieberman Being Vetted For McCain's VP
The Financial Times reports that Joe Lieberman is being vetted to be John McCain's running mate. While it would certainly be interesting to have a party-switching running mate who ran on the other party's ticket just eight years earlier, this still seems unlikely -- Lieberman's socially liberal positions on issues like abortion and immigration would likely alienate many conservative activists.

Obama Web Vid: McCain's New Ad "Is A Lie"
The Obama campaign has released this Web video, in which economic adviser Brian Deese debunks the claims in John McCain's latest ad charging that Barack obama would raise taxes on the middle class. "In summary, this ad is a lie," Deese says:

Obama Arrives In Jordan
Barack Obama's foreign policy tour continues, with the candidate having arrived in Jordan after his two-day tour of Iraq. Obama is set to hold a press conference expected at around 10 a.m. ET, will meet with King Abdullah, and will later a attend a state dinner.

McCain In New Hampshire Today
John McCain will be campaigning today in Rochester, New Hampshire, a swing town in the middle of what is very much a swing state. McCain has long been popular here, but a recent University of New Hampshire poll gives Barack Obama a narrow lead.

Right-Wing Group Promoting Anti-Obama Documentary
A right-wing group called Citizens United has produced a new anti-Obama documentary, after having previously sunk a lot of capital into a similar project about Hillary Clinton. Here's their commercial that's been running on Fox News portraying Obama as an over-hyped media darling:

McCain Meeting With Potential VP Jindal Tomorrow
John McCain will be meeting tomorrow with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, in a somewhat out-of-character stop in a state that is already safely in his column. Expect a lot of VP speculation to surround the visit, on top of the report by Bob Novak that McCain could announce his pick this week.

Dem Chances Go Up For Colorado Senate Seat?
In yet another sign that Democrats are poised to expand their Senate majority this fall, CQ has changed their rating on the open GOP-held seat in Colorado from "No Clear Favorite" to "Leans Democratic." Democratic candidate Mark Udall has taken a lead in the polls, due in part to the scandals hitting Republican Bob Schaffer over his connections to Jack Abramoff, the Marianas Islands sweatshops, the Kurdish oil deal in Iraq, and other problems he's had.

Senate Candidate Has Campaign Repay His Self-Financing Loan
In a sign that he might not be too dedicated to his uphill Senate bid, former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore has used campaign donations to repay himself the $50,000 loan he initially made to the campaign. The story was first flagged by Ron Gunzburger, and then confirmed to us by Gilmore spokesperson Ana Gamonol.

Bobby Jindal, the 36-year old governor of Louisiana, is being taken seriously by the national press as a candidate on the shortlist to be John McCain's Vice President. No one doubts that he's a political prodigy -- his impressive resume includes stints as president of the state university system, a Congressman and now governor.

But one of Jindal's job titles hasn't gotten much attention -- and it just might prompt a few questions if his Veep candidacy gains steam: Exorcist.

As others noted during his 2003 and 2007 gubernatorial campaigns (see update), in an essay Jindal wrote in 1994 for the New Oxford Review, a serious right-wing Catholic journal, Jindal narrated a bizarre story of a personal encounter with a demon, in which he participated in an exorcism with a group of college friends. And not only did they cast out the supernatural spirit that had possessed his friend, Jindal wrote that he believes that their ritual may well have cured her cancer.

Reading the article leaves no doubt that Jindal -- who graduated from Brown University in 1991, was a Rhodes Scholar, and had been accepted at Yale Law School and Harvard Medical School when he wrote the essay -- was completely serious about the encounter. He even said the experience "reaffirmed" his faith.

Jindal's affection for battling demons never surfaced during Jindal's failed run for governor in 2003 or his successful one in 2007. The state Dems did make an issue in 2007 out of Jindal's extreme Catholicism and his view of Protestant tenets as heretical, but the effort provoked a backlash among voters who thought the assault was religious bigotry. So Dems didn't make an issue out of Jindal's experiment.

But Jindal's battle with the dark forces may become an issue should his Veep candidacy proceed. While it's hardly a blockbuster revelation, it could provide fodder for bloggers and late-night comics to turn his candidacy into a media sideshow.

If you're interested in the details about Jindal's spiritually experimental past, we have lots more for you after the jump. It's lively stuff.

Read more »

John McCain is taking a major step in the general election campaign, as he prepares to meet this weekend at his Sedona ranch with three individuals who have been mentioned as potential running mates: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and his former rival Mitt Romney.

McCain has reportedly taken a very hands-on approach in the selection of his running mate, so the stakes will be very high this weekend for the three men involved. Of those three, each offer pluses and minuses: Crist would bring a big state but is distrusted by some conservatives; Jindal is young and would be a non-white person on the Republican ticket, but has only been governor for less than a year; Romney became a favorite of establishment conservatives during his campaign, but the two men also came to dislike each other in the process.