MAINdigest

It's what we call the news....

Claire is still a rockstar. One of these days other candidates will realize how important it is to go on these shows.



No members of Kansas' Republican Congressional delegation have gotten around to endorsing Sen. Nick Jordan in his quest to unseat popular incumbent Dennis Moore. They're very busy (though, not busy enough to keep them from endorsing a candidate for a county office in Johnson County, where neither of them live)

Those same busy schedules appear to be keeping Sens. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback and Reps. Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran away from today's fundraiser with President George W. Bush.

Some of you might be saying, "See, this was a bad idea to bring the President and his record-low approval ratings."

Not so says Christian Morgan. (read rest from LBK)

Next Right says the GOP is lagging behind in web-iness. . . I would argue that that's really only in a majority of the states. In states like Kansas I would argue they are right on par if not better.

Not sure if you heard, but apparently this guy who use to work for the White House has some book out about his experience... I'm not its really not important.... (ha!)

McClellan's turn against the White House continues to dominate the media narrative about the war and the press. I'm not sure why, but perhaps it's confirmation of what has been obvious to many of us for a long time, presented by a messenger the elites cannot avoid ignoring. I've been thinking about this for some time. In The Second National Risk and Culture Study, five social scientists found that people tend to believe a story that contradicts a preset narrative they hold only when it is presented by someone who looks and sounds like them. They did this study looking for an answer to political polarization and the warring tribes of America. If you look at the DC press and political party leaders as a tribal culture, it fits perfectly. Glenn Greenwald has more, pointing to Jessica Yellin's admission that she was pressured to do pro-war stories by corporate executives. (OL)

Syndicated (except in the KC Star) columnist David Sirota will be on the Colbert Report tonight with the release of his new book The Uprising. I haven't read it yet, but if its anything like his previous best seller Hostile Takeover, then I'm on it.

There's a new Hillary Clinton boosting 527 running ads for her in Montana and Puerto Rico.

McCain is hosed, evidently.

Back in Washington, the anxiety level of Republicans is rising. "The McCain camp is now acting without much rhyme or reason," says a prominent consultant. "And it all goes to the top." Another Republican campaign strategist, in a thinly veiled reference to McCain, says, "Somebody is behaving impulsively is the point."...

Insiders are worried that reporters have too many chances to throw him off his daily talking points. "That's not how you win an election!" says a McCain associate. "McCain is about the only person left who thinks we ought to keep the bus going. Obama keeps the press at a distance. Why? Because he's trying to win!"

The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow has an impressive list of high-profile global warming deniers on its Board of Advisors. Many, if not most of them, are also advisors to, or on the staff of, front groups that Exxon continues to fund (e.g. the American Enterprise Institute, the National Center for Policy Analysis, etc.) (from Kos)

Today's a busy crazy day.. I may have to post more as it becomes available. What are ya'll reading in the news today???