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		KEY BLOGS What they are saying today Drudge Report Drudge banners: "IOU" and links to this LA Times story on the budget crisis in California. And the U.S. says North Korea does not appear to be readying a missile launch in this Bloomberg story is also highlighed on Drudge. ... READ MORE Huffington Post The Huffington Post banners: "Obama's first major military operation underway in Afghanistan" and links to this AP story. Unemployment to hit a 9.6 percent, a 26 year high, according to this AP report, highlighted on the HuffPo. And Jesse Berney ... READ MORE HotAir The Obama administration doesn't see the contradiction between calling for free elections in Honduras and staying out of the election in Iran, writes Allahpundit. And veteran White House reporter Helen Thomas went "nuclear" on the White House for controlling the ... READ MORE DailyKos Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) wants to president but "she couldn't even get her own campaign's scheduling staff to give her enough time to run," writes Jed Lewison. And South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) recent confessions have set off ... READ MORE Townhall South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's (R) Republican enemies hope he stays in office, writes Matt Lewis. And, drawing on examples from other countries, Carol Platt Liebau writes what ObamaCare "really means." READ MORE OpenLeft Advancing the debate over torture is always going to be difficult, writes Daniel de Groot. And Mike Lux takes a look at the fight over a new Pecora commission. READ MORE RedState The press is "finally" calling out the Obama administration for controlling the press, writes Paint it Red. And Moe Lane takes a detailed look at the 2010 election and the ages of several Democratic committee chair people. READ MORE MyDD Mitt Romney appears to be urging Republicans to stand up to President Obama, writes Charles Lemos. And Lemos also writes that South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) must think the Associated Press is a "licensed therapist." READ MORE Powerline Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) appeared to open the door to the Obama administration making more demands Israel in the peace process while in the country, writes Paul. And new polling shows that support for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is ... READ MORE Matthew Yglesias The entire committee system in Congress "leaves a lot to be desired," writes Matthew Yglesias. And Yglesias also points out a general thought among the punditry right now: Congress is asserting its dominance in setting and controlling the agenda, not ... READ MORE CLICK FOR MORE SUMMARIES

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August 7, 2008

MIDDAY ROUNDUP

@ 1:23 pm by Walter Alarkon

Polls showing a tight presidential race have bloggers urging Barack Obama to hit back harder against John McCain. Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.), a white, Jewish Democrat facing a tough primary in a majority black district, gets some backup from bloggers over an attack ads they see as anti-Semitic. And the traditional press is finally focusing on reports of an affair involving former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) now the Democratic convention is approaching, their online critics note.

Obama, whose campaign is starting to concern Democrats, should try to undermine the perception of McCain as a maverick and swiftly counter Republican attacks to show that he's tough, writes AMERICAblog's John Aravosis. But if Obama buys into the narrative that he's not "tough enough," he may become distracted from addressing his policy and message problems and could harm his "New Politics" brand, writes Jennifer Rubin at Contentions. But Obama isn't the "nice guy" the media makes out to be, as he already tried to play the "race card" against McCain, according to Hot Air's Ed Morrissey.

Cohen was the target of a "race-baiting" and "Jew-baiting" ad by his Democratic primary opponent Nikki Tinker, according to TPM Election Central's Eric Kleefeld, who takes issue with the ad's reference to "our churches." The ad is just one instance in a string of anti-Semitic attacks against Cohen, who has compiled a record Democrats should respect, writes MyDD's BruinKid. Liberal blogs should blast the ad, but they shouldn't be surprised to find that nasty campaign ads can come from both parties, writes The Corner's Mark Hemingway.

The traditional media is finally asking about Edwards's personal life, the subject of National Enquirer reports, now that Democrats have to decide whether to give him a convention speaking slot, writes Gawker's Ryan Tate. The media, which reported on a sex scandal of evangelical leader Ted Haggard, showed it had a double standard by failing to cover reports about Edwards, writes RedState's Erick Erickson.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama Hits Back Too Softly - J. Aravosis, AMERICAblog
That's The Ticket - Jennifer Rubin, Contentions
Smearing McCain As Racist Isn't Hitting Hard? - E. Morrissey, Hot Air
Nat'l Polls Still Show Obama Lead - DemFromCT, Daily Kos
Nasty Ad Hits Jewish Dem Congressman - Eric Kleefeld, TPM Election
Racist and Anti-Semitic Ads From a Dem? - BruinKid, MyDD
Nasty Dem Attacks? Impossible! - M. Hemingway, The Corner
Edwards: Please Phone Denver - Shaun Mullen, The Moderate Voice
John Edwards Creates Two Americas - Erick Erickson, RedState
Exploding The Edwards Mistress Scandal - Ryan Tate, Gawker
Dems Do What MSM Won't - Don Surber

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Bush Lands in Beijing as China Bristles at Speech - Washington Post
Clinton Pledges to Unify Party for Fall Campaign - AP

Archived under: Midday Blog Roundup
Tags: Barack Obama, John Edwards, John McCain, Nikki Tinker, Steve Cohen

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August 7, 2008

MIDDAY ROUNDUP

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