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Is anyone else as excited as I am that we are back to posting on the blog?

Here's whats in the news

Officials worry that our high school students are not prepared to enter college...

Claire McCaskill is lobbying the beer folks

"He didn't want to establish a precedent. ... Today it's Viagra, tomorrow it's a more expensive medication for high-blood pressure or cholesterol" -- MO GOV candidate/Rep. Kenny Hulshof's (R) spokesperson, Scott Baker, on the real reason Hulshof voted to continue federal Medicare and Medicaid coverage of Viagra (AP). Brings a whole new meaning to Breakfast Flake...

A new poll shows Barack Obama with a 5-point national lead over John McCain, and whopping leads among independents and women. [Reuters]

Cindy McCain "is up to her old tricks" -- her recipe for oatmeal-butterscotch cookies featured in the latest issue of Family Circle appears to have been lifted from Hersheys.com ("Huffington Post"). Bless her heart, her food just can't catch a break.

McCain is up with a new TV ad on nat'l cable and in "key battleground states," focusing on his "plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions" (release). This includes missouri, if you've turned on your local KC news or any news channels on cable

AFSCME and MoveOn.org are airing "a provocative new ad" in OH, MI, WI, and on nat'l cable, portraying McCain's Iraq policy "as a prolonged presence that would involve a new generation of Americans" (AP). Is this the same AFSCME that supported HRC!!? And MoveOn?! Together?! Wow... I'm amazed.

Now President Bush and Florida Governor Charlie Crist both support offshore drilling for oil, on account of high gas prices. [New York Times] Know who else supports offshore drilling? John McCain, who’s such a maverick he will piss off his environmental pals whom he befriended after pissing off all his Republican pals. [Politico]

Americans are extremely pessimistic about the economy, even though the data suggests we should be only mildly pessimistic. [Washington Post]
(thanks to Wonkett for those last few)

VA Gov. Tim Kaine (D) is teaming up with civic and social orgs. "to try to add thousands of nonviolent offenders to the voting rolls" in VA -- a move some GOPers say is "designed to help" Obama (Washington Post). Remember when such people were taken off the rolls in Florida to help George W. Bush in 2000?? Paybacks are a bitch...

The Denver '08 Host Cmte, which was charged with raising $40.6M, came up $11M short for its final deadline yesterday (Rocky Mountain News). As such everyone has to bring their own hats, balloons, confetti, and there will be no rockstars. For all of those things you have to go to the lobbyist party down the street.

At least 55% of voters this fall will be using optical-scan paper ballots -- "nearly double the percentage" that did in '00 (Boston Globe). Which means 55% of people will probably not have their votes accurately counted as cast. Am I too cynical this morning?

Al Franken (D) is up with a new TV ad in MN SEN, "calling for an end to the war" and "arguing for renewed investment" in domestic priorities (release). He's actually only losing but like 3 points. When he was asked about this, his opponent said it was due to May sweeps.

"After the last eight years, even our dogs and cats have learned that elections matter" -- Gore, citing pet food safety as a reason to vote for Obama (CNN).

Cook Has a New Look! (check out the Cook Report's new website).

Nancy Boyda has a new website

Future Majority has a new website

Obama's facebook is 1million strong... wow

Speaking of the tubes - Clinton it seems spent FAR LESS than Obama on media buys online... v.v.v. interesting me thinks... is this a reflection of things to come?

Rep. Todd Tiahrt turned 57 on Sunday - I appoligize for forgetting to send my happy birthday's to him.