http://www.philly.com/...

This recent article makes a great point. John McCain has used his time as a POW as an excuse for nearly everything even though in the past he had said it would be a dishonorable thing to do so. If McCain keeps using it as an excuse is it possible that Biden will say something similar to what he said in the primaries about Giuliani? A noun, a verb, a POW?

I think it could be potentially damaging to McCain considering a lot of people sway McCain's way because the POW STORIES WORK. Once people realize he is using it for political expediency when he vowed not to, they'll start to be turned off. Biden can definitely help with that.

Giuliani is at it again. After appearing on FOX News, Mr. Noun, Verb & 9/11 made his way to MSNBC spewing his Republican talking points.

So Mr Noun, A Verb and 9-11 was out shilling for Mr Noun, a Verb and POW this morning (on Fox, natch), prompting perhaps the funniest headline yet today:  Hillary's speech helps Republicans: Giuliani  The GOP is nothing if not predictable.

    In Part I of this continuing series, we introduced Rob Portman, the native Cincinnatian who, according to White House leak artist Robert Novak, is the Bush Administration pick to be John McCain's running mate. Portman is now positioned to be annointed by McCain this coming Friday, at a strategically-planned unveiling in Dayton.

    Here I will explore how the Portman pick was planned long in advance, even before John McCain became his party's presumptive nominee. But before getting to the goods on Mr. Portman, allow me to correct one error from my previous diary:

    I had thought that Rob came from "relatively modest" roots, despite having attended the Cincinnati Country Day School -- Holy of Holies of the Ohio hoity-toity (say that ten times fast) -- before becoming a young Republican storm trooper at Dartmouth College. I now discover that his father, William C. Portman II, was founder and CEO of Portman Equipment Company, sold to establish the family fortune. I apologize to the entire Portman family for my inappropriate allegation of modesty.

This week, I've spent entirely too much time on the Daily Kos, contributing naught but snarky comments and puerile digs at the campaign of a genuine war hero. I'm frankly ashamed, given all the good, serious investigative work and analysis that goes on here and I've decided, therefore, to follow the example of other diarists, and do some honest diligence for a change. Today, I quiet the voices in my head long enough to take a hard look at an emerging and important political force, and the threats they face from bifurcation and brand confusion. I thank all readers in advance for their thoughtful consideration and intelligent feedback.

... but he could have.

    John McCain's latest gaffe goes beyond not knowing the price of a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk. That hurt Rudy Giuliani back in the day when he claimed that milk sold for $1.50 per gallon when it really ranged from $3.39 to $4.19. It is worse than George H.W. Bush's supposed "amazement" at the new-fangled electronic scanners at supermarkets. It's as if Superman's super powers extended to the ability to be super out of touch ....

The Republicans have announced that Rudy Giuliani will be the keynote speaker at their convention on Tuesday, September 2nd.  

Based on the growing list of no-shows within the Grand Oil Party who fear being seen in public with the parade of has-beens, never-weres, and public disgraces who comprise this cabal, it seems increasingly likely that the protesters outside the Xcel Center will vastly outnumber attendees.

But the Traditional Media will, of course, go out of their way to obscure this reality from the American viewing public.  And breaking through their barriers in order to be seen requires some serious efforts at PR.

Follow me after the jump for a strategy that will ensure that, for at least the night of Rudy's triumphant speech, the protesters outside will garner as much or more attention than the travesty inside the hall.

Well, Rudy -- straying dangerously into non-9/11 territory -- has really stuck his foot in it this time...

Rudy Giuliani's appearance on a McCain conference call got off to a rocky start when Ron Kampeas, the Washington, D.C. of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, compared an Obama advisor's trip to Syria -- the subject of the call -- to Giuliani's and McCain adviser Randy Scheunemann's paid work on behalf of Georgia (in Scheunemann's case) and Venezuela's Citgo and the Saudi government (in the case of Giuliani's law firm).

[More below the fold...]

Yes, that is right.  Mr. 9/11 himself will be the Republican keynote speaker at the RNC convention next month.

The corporate media is clearly Rethug-biased, and not just Faux News.

As an Edwards supporter, I am so disappointed in him for cheating on his wife at a critical time.  That said, Rudy "Sex On The City" Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and Rethug presidential nominee John "McBush" McNicotine have received free passes for doing the same thing PLUS dumping their wives to be with a younger and wealthier mistress.

As a Britney Spears fan, I am disappointed about where she has been going the last few years.  

More in the flip.

Is it fair? Every single news show has been focused for hours upon hours on the Edwards affair, which was confirmed today. How much attention have all the networks given to these presidential aspirants? Presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain (affair, divorce), and past and future hopefuls, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (affair, divorce, affair, divorce), and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (divorce, affair, nasty divorce). Together, they form the most maritally challenged crop of the presidential hopeful and ex-hopefuls in American political history. Yet, I have never seen CNN, MSNBC, FOX, ABC, NBC or CBS spend one minute of precious airtime on these three adulterers.

Oh, my freakin' GAWD.  This one has me peeing myself.

Over the jump...

(This is actually a repost from some months ago, but I put so much time into hunting down the appropriate photos, I decided to repost it; besides, I'm depressed about not being able to make it to NN this year, so I wanted to post something light to cheer myself--and perhaps others--up a bit)

Several months back, Canadian Noise posted an Oscar-themed diary which speculated on the casting for a filmed version of the 2008 Presidential race.

Unfortunately, the diary didn’t get much notice, but I thought it was such a fun idea that I ran with it, and came up with the following. The only rule I made for myself is to take it seriously—no cartoon characters, no dead actors; all of the choices have to be current, professional film or TV actors. Feel free to toss your own ideas into the ring; I know that I’m way off on at least some of my choices, but what the hell...

Last night on Hannity (spit) & Colmes, Alan Colmes went after Rudy Giuliani on the Republican's plan to Save Us All with off-shore and ANWR drilling.

This interview is great for many reasons, and please take the time to pick it apart at your leisure and post about it. But I want to focus on the oil issue which Colmes takes Giuliani to task on and says the things we've all been saying and should keep on saying until the MSM picks up on it.

The latest developments on the question of whether John McCain has managed to remove his head from his ass indicate that the answer to the question is still a thundering "No."

The most recent guy promoted in an effort to revive McCain's stagnant national campaign?

Mike DuHaime, the man whose most recent claim to fame is running Rudy Giuliani's Presidential Campaign into the ground.

Rudy Giuliani is some special kind of stupid. Apparently not tired of having Joe Biden hand him his ass just about every time he speaks, he is now apparently trying to restart his campaign.

The Political Newsline took a look to see who still has debt from the presidential primary and who is free and clear.

Democrats

   * Clinton        $22,523,860
   * Kucinich       $1,177,644
   * Biden          $1,170,869
   * Dodd           $386,991
   * Edwards        $354,719
   * Richardson     $285,418
   * Gravel         $136,565

Republicans

   * Romney         $44,600,000
   * Giuliani       $3,124,113
   * Hunter         $222,447
   * Huckabee       $121,109
   * Thompson       $83,648
   * Paul           $0  
   * Tancredo       $0