Sen. John McCain canceled a scheduled interview with CNN as his campaign explained it was in protest over media coverage that has turned sharply negative on McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. The Wall Street Journal reports McCain "abruptly canceled a scheduled appearance on CNN's 'Larry King Live' Tuesday in retaliation for an earlier interview on the network, in which an anchor raised questions about vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin's foreign policy credentials." In an apparent reference to a contentious interview of McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds by CNN's Campbell Brown on Monday, McCain spokesman Maria Comella "said the campaign canceled the interview because of 'a relentless refusal by certain on-air reporters to come to terms with...McCain's selection of Alaska's sitting governor as our party's nominee for vice president.'"
The Washington Post reports "McCain's top campaign strategist accused the news media Tuesday of being 'on a mission to destroy'" Palin "by displaying 'a level of viciousness and scurrilousness' in pursuing questions about her personal life." The Post adds that "in an extraordinary and emotional interview, Steve Schmidt said his campaign feels 'under siege' by wave after wave of news inquiries that have questioned whether Palin is really the mother of a 4-month-old baby, whether her amniotic fluid had been tested and whether she would submit to a DNA test to establish the child's parentage." The McCain campaign "has been unusually aggressive in pushing back against the media, and it seems to hope to persuade journalists to back off in their scrutiny of Palin."
Reflecting the kind of coverage that has the McCain campaign angry, ABC World News last night, "Americans awoke to new images of Governor Palin's pregnant daughter, and her boyfriend, the star hockey player. And the report that the governor touted as a maverick...and running with a famous opponent of wasteful spending had hired a lobbyist to win the small city of Wasilla almost $27 million in federal projects when she was mayor. The McCain campaign has rushed a team to Alaska, to help the boyfriend and the Palin family cope with the media." The CBS Evening News led its broadcast saying, "McCain has called Sarah Palin his soul mate." But now there are "concerns about how he found that soul mate."
In a negative piece, running across the country, the AP reports "Palin accepted at least $4,500 in campaign contributions in the same fundraising scheme at the center of a public corruption scandal that led to the indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens." The contributions were "made during Palin's failed 2002 bid to become Alaska's lieutenant governor," and "were not illegal for her to accept. But they show how Palin, a self-proclaimed reformer who has bucked Stevens and his allies, is nonetheless a product of a political system in Alaska now under the cloud of an ongoing FBI investigation."
USA Today reports "questions about how rigorously John McCain vetted Palin and fresh scrutiny of the governor's record are fueling a larger debate about McCain's shoot-from-the-hip style and Palin's qualifications, in a crisis, to be president. Can the first-term governor of a state with more caribou than people rescue the GOP in a tough election year?" The Chicago Tribune, in a story titled "McCain Judgment Called Into Question," says that "with the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate, McCain's judgment and decision-making have been called into question with each new piece of information the public learns about the Alaska governor," and now "some in both parties are asking whether McCain made a shoot-from-the-hip, last-minute decision and whether he had all the pertinent information at his disposal."
McCain Camp Accuses Media Of Sexism In addition to charges of liberal bias, The Politico notes "McCain aides have aggressively turned the tables on the media by...suggesting a sexist double-standard." Another story in The Politico notes "Sen. Lindsey Graham, a top surrogate for John McCain, Tuesday accused" Palin critics "of sexism for suggesting she could not handle her multiple roles as mother, soon-to-be grandmother, McCain's running mate and, potentially, vice president." Said Graham in an interview, "Would a man be asked this question? Probably not." The issue of whether Palin was right in combining motherhood with her role in public life was raised in yesterday's New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, as well in a WPost column by Ruth Marcus and a piece by Sally Quinn in the WPost's "On Faith,"
Others have also picked up the theme. NBC interviewed First Lady Laura Bush who wondered if "we aren't already seeing a little bit of" sexism, and added, "I think, you know, when a woman runs, women are held to some different standard, I think, than men." The Hill reports that the group WomenCount, which hosted a Hillary Clinton event at the Democratic convention defended Palin against the charges, and "cited media accounts on TV, radio and print that it claims are sexist." The Hill, in a separate story, reports that White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said, "I don't think that those questions would be asked if it was Todd Palin that was the nominee."
Stung by media reports questioning the thoroughness of its vetting process of Sarah Palin, the McCain campaign today both defended the process and hit back at the media. NBC Nightly News reported, "The combination of surprise and secrecy that propelled Governor Sarah Palin into the white hot light of national politics, today has...McCain defending the way he conducted his running mate's search." Today, "senior campaign advisers provided new details on their confidential vetting process, but repeatedly declined to provide dates or a time line." The Politico reports that "pushing back aggressively" against the charge, the McCain camp disclosed yesterday that Palin "was one of six finalists for running mate who filled out a 70-question form that included detailed personal, professional and financial probing. The campaign says the form included such detailed questions as: Have you been faithful in your marriage? Have you ever paid for sex? Have you ever downloaded pornography? Have you ever used or purchased drugs?" Fox News' Special Report reports that at a campaign stop, John McCain said, "My vetting process was completely thorough, and I'm grateful for the results."
The Washington Post reports this morning on its front page that Palin "was not subjected to a lengthy in-person background interview with the head of Sen. John McCain's vice presidential vetting team until last Wednesday in Arizona, the day before McCain asked her to be his running mate, and she did not disclose the fact that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant until that meeting, two knowledgeable McCain officials acknowledged Tuesday." The story also suggests that the decision to select Palin over Gov. Tim Pawlenty was a very close run thing, as McCain's top vetting official "was chasing down last-minute information about Pawlenty at the request of the campaign as late as last Thursday, the day McCain offered the job to Palin and she accepted."
The Washington Post reports top McCain official Steve Schmidt "spoke on the record in denouncing as 'an absolute work of fiction' a New York Times account of the process by which the McCain campaign vetted Palin." Elisabeth Bumiller, "the lead author of the Times report, said she is 'completely confident about the story.'"
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While the media targets Gov. Palin's background, coverage at the GOP convention consistently notes the GOP base is excited about Palin's selection. Roll Call reports recent revelations about Palin have "done little to quell the enthusiasm of the party's conservative base, which remains remarkably excited about her selection to be the vice presidential nominee, according to GOP leaders around the country." Roll Call adds that the reaction from GOP faithful suggests that "barring other damaging revelations, Palin will be able to ride out the storm surrounding the pregnancy, retaining in her column the voters most concerned with traditional 'family values.'" The Politico says conservatives see Palin "as a kindred spirit who lives her anti-abortion words in the most profound way: by giving birth to a child she knew would be born with Down syndrome. Gun owners see her as authentically one of them: a hunter with a passion for the outdoors and gun freedom."
NBC Nightly News reported, "Palin is enormously popular among the delegates here, especially the women. It really has energized the base. They're excited, the money is pouring in." Fox News' Special Report reports that at the Republican convention, "GOP conservatives seem not in the least fazed by the revelation. Indeed an argument can be made that the party's first-ever female ticket member has actually rallied the Republican base." Robert Novak, in a syndicated column appearing in today's Washington Post, writes, "Partisan Democrats and many members of the media consider John McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate a terrible mistake. But McCain need not worry about their criticism. His unexpected selection satisfied the people he needed to please. Republican conservatives assembling in St. Paul for the party's national convention were 'ecstatic' over the choice."
The New York Times in a front page story says, "The mood of the party's conservative base may play a pivotal role for Mr. McCain in the fall election, in part because his campaign lags far behind his Democratic opponent, Senator Barack Obama, in assembling paid staff and building get-out-the-vote operations in swing states like Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania, Republican officials in those states say."
Palin May Attract Blue-Collar Voters To GOP Ticket USA Today reports, "Much of the reaction to John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate has focused on whether the Alaska governor can peel away female Hillary Rodham Clinton voters for the Republican ticket in November. But that analysis misses a crucial Palin target: blue-collar, white men." Those voters "went to Clinton over rival Barack Obama by more than 2-1 in some swing states, like Ohio, in the Democratic primaries." In an interview, House Minority Leader John Boehner "described this target audience as union members who 'own guns, go to church.'"
The Wall Street Journal reports, "The McCain campaign scrambled to take control of the public debate over vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, canceling her public appearances and teaming her up with high-powered Republican operatives as she prepares for a prime-time speech Wednesday night that will be her first -- and perhaps most important -- chance to define herself to the American public." The Washington Post notes on its front page that "since Sunday night," Palin "has been holed up in her suite in the Hilton Minneapolis while a parade of Sen. John McCain's top advisers have briefed her on the nuances of his policy positions, national politics and, above all, how to introduce herself to the national audience she will address Wednesday night at the Republican convention." McClatchy says the speech will be "a critical moment for a newcomer to national politics who is unknown to most of the country."
In remarks delivered via satellite to GOP delegates in St. Paul, President Bush yesterday hailed Sen. John McCain, declaring him "ready to lead this nation." At the top of their prime time convention coverage, ABC and CBS ran video of the entirety of President Bush's speech, while NBC ran excerpts. A major subtext in the media coverage is the distance McCain is keeping between himself from an unpopular incumbent. For example, On ABC, Charles Gibson said Bush gave a "strong endorsement for man who has said he would separate himself from the current Administration, should he be elected president. And a man who has run ads saying we're worse off than we were four years ago." The Washington Post says in a front page story that the Bush address "complicated McCain's difficult task of convincing war-weary Americans that his administration would represent a departure from Bush at a time in which many voters say they want change in Washington."
The AP called Bush "essentially a footnote" in the 2008 Republican convention. The AP also says "it was supposed to be President Bush's glory moment in his party's spotlight, full of tributes to his eight years of leadership and cheers from grateful partisans, as he passed the mantle to his would-be successor." But he "got eight minutes via satellite hookup from a lonely White House podium 1,100 miles away." The New York Times similarly says in a front page story that "far from being the kind of unifying sendoff and baton pass engineered for Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, the evening only highlighted Mr. McCain's eagerness to get the president off the stage." The Times adds "the brief appearance made Mr. Bush the first sitting president not to attend his own party's political convention since Lyndon Johnson skipped the Democratic convention in 1968."
A major focus of Bush presentation, which The Hill notes ran just eight minutes instead of the planned 15, was McCain's readiness to lead. The Financial Times notes the President said, "We live in a dangerous world," and "we need a president who understands the lessons of September 11 2001: that to protect America, we must stay on the offence, stop attacks before they happen, and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain." USA Today says Bush "also offered some strongly partisan praise," saying, "If the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be assured the angry Left never will."
In remarks to GOP delegates in St. Paul, former Democrat and now Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman offered a strong endorsement of John McCain, describing him as the candidate best equipped to reach across the aisle. The AP reports Lieberman said Sen. Obama is "an untested candidate unwilling to challenge powerful interest groups as both...McCain and one-time Democratic President Clinton have done." USA Today reports Lieberman, a "longtime McCain ally and Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000, said Americans were tired of political infighting in Washington. McCain was the candidate most capable of ending that bickering, he said." On ABC, Charles Gibson said "it is surreal to see a man who was on the Democratic ticket, the vice presidential nominee, with Al Gore, talking to a Republican convention and urging this convention to vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin."
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The Los Angeles Times reports, "In one of the sharpest attacks so far" at the convention, Fred Thompson last night "lashed out at Democrats for offering a presidential candidate who he said failed to measure up to" John McCain. Thompson "never mentioned Sen. Barack Obama by name, but there was no doubt to whom he referred." Said Thompson, "The Democrats present a history-making nominee for president. ... History-making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for president." USA Today reports Thompson "recounted McCain's 5½ years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War and the isolation and torture he endured. 'Being a POW doesn't qualify anyone to be president,' Thompson said. 'But it does reveal...the kind of character that civilizations from the beginning of history have sought in their leaders.'"
The Gallup daily presidential tracking poll of 2,772 registered voters taken August 30-September 1 shows Barack Obama leading John McCain 50%-42%. It is the first time Obama has hit 50% in the Gallup polling series. The Rasmussen Reports automated daily presidential tracking poll for September 2 shows Obama leading McCain 48%-43%, and 51%-45% including leaners. This is also the highest level of support enjoyed by Obama during the general election. The Politico notes, "While an improvement from 49 percent to 50 percent [in the Gallup poll] is statistically insignificant, the 50 percent mark holds significance for a party seeking to win its first majority since 1976, when Jimmy Carter won with 50.1 percent."
The AP reports that combined spending for presidential campaign ads in Michigan "so far has added up to $13.6 million" over the course of the summer, "according to the nonpartisan Michigan Campaign Finance Network. The ad wars come as McCain and Obama battle fiercely for Michigan votes in a state that could prove crucial to their hopes of winning the White House." According to the MCFN, McCain has spent $6.1 million while Obama has spent $5.5 million.
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Media reports continue to offer positive assessments of the Federal Government's response to Hurricane Gustav. The AP says the President continued to keep "a hands-on profile on the aftermath of the hurricane in contrast to the government's poor response to Katrina." The Wall Street Journal reports that "officials say much of the credit for the turnaround" in FEMA's performance "goes to agency Administrator R. David Paulison." Reporting from New Orleans, another Wall Street Journal story also notes the "relatively smooth evacuation of the city," and adds "the biggest post-Gustav challenge was managing everyone's return. Many residents...were trapped at roadblocks."
As it became evident that Hurricane Gustav likely struck only a glancing blow to the Gulf Coast oil infrastructure, President Bush on Tuesday injected a political note into the storm's aftermath, suggesting that it highlighted the need for increased domestic production. The AP reports President Bush "said Tuesday that while it is too early to assess Hurricane Gustav's damage to US oil infrastructure off the Gulf Coast, the storm should prompt Congress to approve more domestic oil production." Bush said, "One thing is for certain, when Congress comes back, they've got to understand that we need more domestic energy, not less. ... One place to find it is offshore America."
In an analysis piece, the AP says "Bush pivoted back to politics on Tuesday. It was brief, but it was there. Bush turned a hurricane statement into a case for oil drilling and blasted a familiar target: the Democratic Congress, which is less popular than he is."
Jindal's Performance A "Political Success" The Washington Post reports Gov. Jindal "is asserting mastery over his state's response to the natural disaster -- just the sort that can have serious consequences for politicians." During Katrina, then Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco "sometimes seemed overwhelmed by Hurricane Katrina, nervous and frowning before the cameras. Her popularity slumped afterward, and she chose not to run for reelection. Now Jindal, a rising star in the Republican Party whose name was once bandied about as a potential running mate for Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), is at the helm as Louisiana weathers Gustav."
Oil Prices Decline Further The New York Times reports, "Crude oil futures fell to just over $105 a barrel in early trading, a five-month low, on Tuesday morning before climbing back slightly. Some investors had been concerned that Hurricane Gustav would disrupt refinery activity and oil supply chains in the Gulf Coast, but the storm passed over much of the region's energy infrastructure." The Wall Street Journal notes "it was the latest leg down for oil, which is off nearly $40 a barrel since mid-July, leading some to predict prices below $100 by year's end. Natural gas fell 68.2 cents per million BTUs from Friday, or 8.59%, to settle at $7.261."
In another positive development in Iraq, progress is being reported in the negotiations between the US and Iraqis on a security agreement. AFP reports that a draft security deal on the future of US forces in Iraq "is to be submitted to parliament within 10 days, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was quoted as saying on Tuesday." A newspaper run by the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, which is "closely allied to Maliki," quoted the prime minister as saying, "The government is waiting for an answer from the United States on the Iraqi suggestion to keep the sovereignty of Iraq and the interests of its people. The members of parliament will accept or reject the agreement."
The Justice Department has declined to file charges against former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales over his mishandling of top-secret documents. While the decision is unlikely to assuage Gonzales' Democratic critics, the DOJ report is another embarrassment for the beleaguered former official. The AP reports the Justice Department "refused to prosecute former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for improperly -- and possibly illegally -- storing in his office and home classified information about two of the Bush administration's most sensitive counterterrorism efforts." A report "says the agency decided not to press charges against Gonzales" despite concluded that the former attorney general "risked exposing at least some parts of the National Security Agency's terrorist surveillance program, as well as interrogations of terrorist detainees." But the "lack of charges...infuriated the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers, who demanded to know why."
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Jay Leno: "Well...in 1984, Sarah Palin came in second in the Miss Alaska Beauty Pageant. Now she could be vice president of the United States." So for "the first time in history, a beauty pageant contestant might actually bring about world peace."
Jay Leno: Palin "admitted she has smoked marijuana, but she did not enjoy it. Isn't that amazing? Something like 100 million Americans smoke marijuana," but the "only ones that don't seem to enjoy it are the ones running for office."
Conan O'Brien: "The Republican convention" has a theme for "each night." And "the theme" for tonight "is 'Who is John McCain?' ... Tomorrow night's theme is, 'Who forgot to check if the Vice President's daughter is pregnant?'"
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