Barack Obama last night became the first African American to be nominated for president of the United States by a major party. The story is receiving extensive media coverage, much of it reflecting on the historic nature of Obama's achievement. As the convention roll call coincided with the airing of the network newscasts, the shows offered live coverage of the moment Obama clinched the nomination. CBS devoted almost its entire broadcast to the convention, while ABC ran one single non-convention story dealing with Olympic athletes. NBC, meanwhile, spent all but 4 minutes and 45 seconds on the convention.
While there had been a great deal of hand-wringing among Democrats with how to handle the roll call vote, in the end, it went off without a hitch, with Hillary Clinton delivering the final move. ABC World News reported "just a moment ago, history was made by this party. For the first time, an African-American is the nominee of a major political party. They went through the roll call. And then, they went to New York. And it was up to Hillary Clinton to move to make the nomination unanimous." Clinton was shown saying, "Madame secretary, on behalf of the great state of New York, with appreciation for the spirit and dedication of all who are gathered here, with eyes firmly fixed on the future, in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let's declare together, in one voice, right here, right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate. And he will be our president." The CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News also broadcast the historic moment.
The New York Times describes the nomination as "a remarkable achievement in what has been a remarkable ascendance." USA Today adds, "It was a scripted scenario, the outcome never in doubt. But when history arrived on the floor of the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday afternoon, it came with the full force of emotion." Obama's nomination "was the climax of a campaign that intertwined two groups that have spent much of the past 50 years struggling for their place at the table of American politics: blacks and women. And it came at the hands of the woman who had tried so hard to wrest it from him." On its front page, the Washington Post remarked on Obama's "improbable and historic journey," and noted the "joyous scene on the convention floor, as delegates danced to the strains of 'Love Train' and then broke out in chants of 'Yes, we can! Yes, we can!' when the music finally stopped."
Black Delegates, African Immigrants Seen As Particularly Gratified The Washington Post reports "black delegates" in Denver have "described" feeling "immense pride and wonderment at the thought of Obama accepting the nomination, coupled with a keen awareness that for many of their fellow Democrats, beating Sen. John McCain is the priority. The black delegates said that they share that goal with no less intensity -- but that on this day, they could not help but pause to reflect on the history being made." The New York Times on its front page runs a similar report, surveying reactions from black delegates.
Most media commentators and political analysts are offering high praise for former President Clinton's speech before the Democratic convention last night. The Washington Post says Clinton made "the case that the senator from Illinois is ready to be commander-in-chief" and ratified "his choice of running mate, even if it was not his wife." The Post adds that "after months of distance and friction with the Obama campaign, Clinton took the stage to perhaps the longest, most sustained applause yet in the three-day-old convention." Similarly, the AP reports Clinton "forcefully endorsed" Obama, and said the Democratic candidate is "ready to lead America and restore American leadership in the world."
The Washington Times notes Clinton "directly addressed the issue on which his wife had hit Mr. Obama hardest during the primaries and on which Republicans have pounded all summer: Mr. Obama's experience." Said the former President, "Everything I learned in my eight years as president and in the work I have done since in America and across the globe has convinced me that Barack Obama is the man for this job."
CNN's Election Center said, "Whether you love Bill Clinton or are on the opposing side on the campaign, what you saw there tonight was the gift that so frustrated Republicans and made Democrats so happy." In a front-page analysis, Clinton biographer David Maraniss writes in the Washington Post, "At first, it seemed, it might be all about Bill Clinton and yesteryear," but "it is the most repetitive theme of Clinton's political life: that he always finds a path to redemption when he is down, and in many ways he proved that again with this speech." McClatchy calls Clinton's endorsement of Obama "full-throated," and the New York Times calls Clinton's remarks "an effort to fully close out the lingering animosity from the primary season."
Even some conservative commentators were impressed. Karl Rove said on Fox's Hannity and Colmes, "He gave the best argument offered thus far on the third day of the convention for Barack Obama. He gave a comprehensive view domestically and internationally. It wasn't his endorsement tonight that mattered...but what he did do is he set a theme: Restoring the American dream at home and America's leadership abroad." Peggy Noonan writes in the Wall Street Journal that "halfway through" Clinton's speech "I thought: The Master has arrived. Crazy Bill, the red-faced Rageaholic, was somewhere else. This was Deft Political Pro Bill doing what no one had been able to do up to this point at the convention, and that is make the case for Barack Obama."
The Denver Post, however, quotes McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds saying, "It is indicative of the concern among Democratic voters about Barack Obama's inexperience that after three full days of the Democratic National Convention, President Clinton was finally forced to testify that Senator Obama is ready to be President, despite his previous arguments to the contrary."
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Sen. Barack Obama, formally nominated by the Democratic convention yesterday, is set to give his big acceptance speech at Invesco Field in Denver tonight. However, the GOP is already taking shots at the venue, which features a stage surrounded by Greek-like columns. The New York Times reports that when the plan was announced for Obama to "give his nomination address in an outdoor stadium in front of 75,000 people...members of both parties...saw it as an inspired stroke of campaign image making." But as "he landed here on Wednesday and prepared to become the first presidential candidate in nearly 50 years to accept his party's nomination on such a big stage, the plan seemed as much risky as bold." The AP reports the McCain campaign "has been mocking the setting of Obama's speech -- he is delivering it on the 50-yard line at Invesco Field, home of the Denver Broncos -- as well as the stage set, which the McCain team labeled 'the temple of Obama.'" The move is part of an effort to depict Obama "as a fatuous celebrity not ready to be commander in chief." The Los Angeles Times notes the Republican's "Temple of Obama" quip comes "in the latest installment of its 'Audacity Watch' series of press releases on Obama." The Washington Post says Obama "has gambled on the historic moment by creating a stage that will magnify his performance."
Meanwhile, Democrats are expressing some apprehension as to how the speech will go. The Politico reports, "Senior Democratic officials are expressing serious concerns about the political risks posed by Barack Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium Thursday evening," worried that "the Obama campaign is engaging in a high-risk endeavor in an uncontrollable environment." The Hill reports Democratic strategists James Carville and Stan Greenberg, speaking to reporters yesterday, said the venue "could cancel out any effort to strike a chord with voters angry at Republicans but unsure whether Obama is a candidate of substance and not just, as Republicans have said, a celebrity short on experience and ability."
Aides Preview Speech The Wall Street Journal reports Obama will lay out "how he differs from John McCain and portraying his Republican rival as out of touch." According to "advisers," Obama "won't hesitate to express his views on President Bush and...McCain." The Politico quotes Obama strategist David Axelrod as saying of Obama's speech, "He is going to make a case about the choices that people face. He is going to make a respectful argument, but I don't think he will shy away from making those contrasts where they are appropriate." The AP reports Axelrod said Obama "had substantially finished the text but would probably continue to edit it right up until he delivers it Thursday night. ... 'His goal is to talk to the American people about the challenges we face and what we need to do to solve them, and the stakes of continuing to do what we are doing,' Axelrod said. 'I will leave it to others to decide the inspiration factor.'" Axelrod "said Obama had looked to past nominating speeches as models, including Bill Clinton's in 1992, Ronald Reagan's in 1980 and John F. Kennedy's in 1960."
The Rocky Mountain News reports that "when Obama speaks tonight, the words will be largely his own - a personal message to Americans about the choice they will make in November. 'It is now, and probably always will be, that he's the best speechwriter in the group,'" said Axelrod, adding, "He knows what he wants and he generally says it better than anybody could."
Obama's Demeanor May Hurt As Well As Help Him In a front-page article, the New York Times reports that "some of the same qualities that have brought" Barack Obama "just one election away from the White House -- his virtuosity, his seriousness, his ability to inspire, his seeming immunity from the strains that afflict others -- may be among his biggest obstacles to getting there." He has "little about him that feels spontaneous or unpolished, and...many Americans say they do not feel they know him." Due to his emotional control, "he betrays little hint of struggle" and "can seem far removed from the troubles of some voters."
The AP reports Sen. Joe Biden "was nominated for vice president Wednesday night and declared that the challenges America faces require 'more than a good soldier' in the White House, hailing Barack Obama as a wise leader who can deliver the change the nation needs. In a single sentence, Obama's new running mate complimented John McCain's years of military service and slapped his claim on the presidency." USA Today adds Obama "made an unannounced appearance with Biden on the convention podium after the vice presidential nominee addressed the convention. The presidential nominee said he was 'so proud' to have Biden on the ticket." The Wall Street Journal says Biden "showcased his working-class upbringing in his speech," and "offered a hint of the pit-bull role he will likely play in the fall campaign." Said Biden, "As we gather here tonight, our country is less secure and more isolated than at any time in recent history. ... The Bush-McCain foreign policy has dug us into a very deep hole, with very few friends to help us climb out."
However, stories continue to trickle out highlighting Biden's vulnerabilities. On its front page, the Los Angeles Times reports, "When...Biden's brother and son wanted to buy a hedge fund company two years ago, they turned for financing to a law firm that had lobbied the Delaware senator's office on an important piece of business in Congress -- and in fact had recently benefited from his vote. The firm promised James and Hunter Biden that it would invest $2 million, and quickly delivered half of it." The "deal eventually fell through and the money was returned. But it highlighted the close ties that Joe Biden and his family have developed with SimmonsCooper, an Illinois law firm that specializes in asbestos litigation -- a multimillion-dollar line of business that was under threat in Congress." The AP reports that despite Biden's praise for Obama at the Democratic convention Wednesday, he "has offered different messages in the past" criticizing Obama.
Furthermore, The Hill reports McCain's campaign "is highlighting positive comments" Biden "has made about the Arizona senator during the Democratic presidential primary and in previous years in an attempt to pre-emptively undermine his attacks." Republicans "are pointing out the numerous times Biden has expressed great admiration for McCain, calling him 'one of my heroes' on the Senate floor nearly a year ago and, at another point, telling Comedy Central's 'The Daily Show' that he would be honored to run for president on the same ticket as McCain."
The Politico reports Sen. John McCain "has chosen his running mate and the person will be notified on Thursday, a senior campaign official said." According to "a friend," McCain "had pretty much settled on his selection early this week, and it crystallized in the past few days. Campaign manager Rick Davis flew to McCain's cabin in Sedona, Ariz., a few days ago to confer, and another meeting about the choice was held with top aides Wednesday." The AP reports, "The two believed to be under the most serious consideration, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney used humor to dodge repeated questions" yesterday. The New York Times adds the decision "is known only to his small inner circle of advisers, no more than three or four people, who have refused all public discussion on the matter."
ABC News reported on its website that Sen. John McCain's campaign "is preparing to step up its attacks on" Sen. Barack Obama "over alleged ties to controversial figures, from Chicago developer Antoin 'Tony' Rezko to former radical William Ayers. Senior advisers to McCain say he and his surrogates will turn up the heat on Obama by raising pointed questions about the propriety of a real estate deal involving Obama and Rezko."
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The Gallup daily presidential tracking poll shows Obama retaking the lead from McCain, 45%-44%. McCain had led 46%-44% in the previous day's survey. The poll surveyed 2,724 registered voters from August 24-26. The Rasmussen Reports automated daily presidential tracking poll of 3,000 likely voters for August 27 shows Barack Obama and John McCain tied at 44%, but with McCain leading 47%-46% including leaners.
New state polls out today bring good news for Sen. Obama in the key states of Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania.
Obama Up 1 In Florida. A Mason-Dixon poll of 625 likely Florida voters shows Obama leading McCain 45%-44%.
Obama Up 5 In Nevada. A CNN/Time poll of 625 registered Nevada voters taken by Opinion Research from August 23-25 shows Obama leading McCain 49%-44%.
Obama Up 13 In New Mexico. A CNN/Time poll of 659 registered New Mexico voters taken by Opinion Research from August 23-25 shows Obama leading McCain 53%-40%.
Obama Up 5 In Pennsylvania. A CNN/Time poll of 669 registered Pennsylvania voters taken by Opinion Research from August 23-25 shows Obama leading McCain 48%-43%.
McCain Up 1 In Colorado. A CNN/Time poll of 670 registered Colorado voters taken by Opinion Research from August 23-25 shows McCain leading Obama 47%-46%.
McCain Eats Into Obama's Lead In California. A Public Policy Institute of California poll of 1,047 likely California voters taken August 12-19 shows Obama leading McCain 48%-39%, down from a 15 point lead in July.
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With the attention of the US media focused on Denver, most stories in the A section of major newspapers not devoted to the presidential campaign deal with foreign policy crises and some good news. The New York Times reports this morning that the US military "will hand over responsibility for the security of Anbar Province, once a stronghold of the Sunni insurgency and one of the most violent regions in Iraq, to the Iraqi government as early as Monday, Iraqi and American officials said Wednesday." The announced "turnover would be a milestone for American officials, who have said that reduced violence in the western province shows that a partnership there with the local forces known as Awakening Councils has been successful." AFP quotes Marine Gen. James Conway saying, "The change in the Al-Anbar province is real and perceptible," adding that it "remains a dangerous place, but the ever growing ability of the Iraqi security forces continues to move us closer to seeing Iraqi control of the province."
The AP says the "turnaround in Anbar is all the more dramatic for what it might mean for Afghanistan" as "diverging trends" in the levels of violence "make it likely that a US buildup in Afghanistan will follow a drawdown in Iraq." The Washington Post reports that Conway "made a strong pitch to send thousands of additional Marines or other US troops to Afghanistan, voicing agreement with US commanders there who have said for years that they have too small a force and have called for as many as 10,000 more troops." In addition, "Marine units in the United States are stepping up their mountain training in preparation for a possible Afghanistan mission, Conway said."
Sadr Will Stay Put...In Iran The AP reports, "Militant Shi'ite leader Muqtada al-Sadr plans to make a series of short visits to Iraq starting within weeks but has decided to make Iran his home base for years to come, a key aide says." This "aide spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to discuss the subject. He is close to the 35-year-old cleric and has accurately reported on the Sadrist movement for several years. The aide would not say how long Mr. al-Sadr would stay in Iran, where he has lived since May 2007, but said it was 'reasonable' to expect he would remain there for five or more years."
Iraq Revives Saddam-Era Oil Deal With China The Financial Times reports, "Iraq's oil minister has revived a big oil deal first negotiated between China and the government of Saddam Hussein, but has indicated that the terms of the contract will be far less generous." The Times adds that "if finalised, the deal with China National Petroleum Corp to develop al-Ahdab oilfield would mark the first important commitment to Iraq by a foreign company since the country nationalised its industry in 1972."
The New York Times reports this morning that "the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff secretly convened a highly unusual meeting of senior American and Pakistani commanders on an aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday to discuss how to combat the escalating violence along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan." Though officials from the two sides "offered few details on Wednesday about what was decided or even discussed at the meeting -- including any new strategies, tactics, weapons or troop deployments -- the star-studded list of participants and the extreme secrecy surrounding the talks underscored how gravely both nations regard the growing militant threat." The "leading actors in the daylong conference were Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of staff of the Pakistani Army," who were joined by Gen. David Petraeus, among others.
As news of the meeting leaked out, the AP reports that "Pakistani troops drove off a Taliban attack on a fort and pounded another band of militants holed up in a health center, officials said Wednesday as fighting spread to a third area of the tribal belt along the Afghan border. As many as 49 insurgents were reported killed."
The Financial Times, meanwhile, says this morning that "thanks to security measures put in place during" Pervez Musharraf's "nine-year rule...controls over the country's nuclear activity have never been firmer, according to both Pakistani and western officials." The Times adds "this may provide some reassurance to the west, but paradoxically could dent Islamabad's hopes of following the faltering path on which India has embarked to international acceptance of its own nuclear energy programme."
A new survey of the US intelligence community reveals an interesting trend. As the AP reports, "More than a quarter of the US intelligence agencies' employees are outside contractors, hired to fill in gaps in the military and civilian work force." While the actual "number of government employees at US intelligence agencies is classified," Sanders "confirmed it is more than 100,000," but noted that "contractors are not included in that total." And according to Sanders, "27 percent of the total number of intelligence employees are contractors."
The Washington Post says the intelligence community "rarely shares such fine-grained detail about national security activity usually blanketed in secrecy," but "officials said yesterday that they did so as part of an annual survey begun last year to help assuage concerns among lawmakers and others about the surging use of relatively costly contract workers in recent years, oftentimes in jobs that once were reserved for government employees."
The Washington Post is reporting that "scientists have transformed one type of fully developed adult cell directly into another inside a living animal, a startling advance that could lead to cures for a variety of illnesses and sidestep the political and ethical quagmires associated with embryonic stem cell research." The Post adds "the work was hailed as a welcome development even by critics of research involving embryonic stem cells, which can be coaxed to become any tissue in the body but are highly controversial because they are obtained by destroying embryos." Richard Doerflinger of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops tells the Post, "I see no moral problem in this basic technique. ... This is a 'win-win' situation for medicine and ethics."
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Jay Leno: "Barack Obama chose Joe Biden" as "his running mate," and a "lot of people are saying in the media that Biden was the logical choice. ... Biden got, what, 8,000 votes during the primaries? Hillary got 18 million votes. Well, that's logical, sure!"
Jay Leno: "Here's a little political fact. Dick Cheney is the first Vice President in 80 years not to run for president. Actually, Cheney did consider four more years, but his doctor only gave him 2 1/2."
Conan O'Brien: "During the Democratic convention...delegates are being warned, this year, not to drink too much. ... Yeah, when asked why, Democratic officials said, 'Last time we got drunk at our convention, we ended up nominating Walter Mondale.'"
Jimmy Kimmel: "Barack Obama's...running mate...spoke tonight" at the Democratic National Convention. And "after all the name-related problems this campaign has had, why Obama would pick a vice president with the last name Biden is beyond me. ... Obama, Biden it's like they're trying to make the ticket sound as much like Osama bin Laden as possible."
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