Perhaps an issue has fallen into the lap of Bob Barrthat will give his little-noticed presidential campaign some traction -- especially among libertarian-minded Ron Paul backers who have not exactly flocked to Barr's banner.
The two major-party presidential candidates, Barack Obama and John McCain, both expressed general support for the move today, while reserving the right to quibble over the yet-to-be officially unveiled details.
But Barr, not surprisingly, will have none of all this. And he made that crystal-clear in several sharply worded quotes that were part of a release his campaign has released:
Congress set up the taxpayers for big losses when it established these quasi-government agencies to subsidize the housing industry, and then earlier this year voted to approve direct federal support for them. Policymakers should learn from the latest financial disaster and say never again. ...
... First, government subsidizes an industry. Then, after the industry crashes, government bails it out! The one factor that never changes is: the taxpayers lose. ...
... It is time to say no more. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need to be privatized and sold off. And Congress must stop treating the federal government like a national soup kitchen for businesses in trouble.
Just asking: Who is the "agent of change" on this matter?
Oh-oh. Did you just feel the ground shake a little -- and not only in California's earthquake zones?
With new polls showing the presidential race still essentially tied, even after all the conventions' hoopla and doo-dah, another poll that probes deeper finds voters' concerns over national security shifting -- and not in a good direction for Democrats.
The elections of 2006, which were about congressional incompetence except when it came to Republican corruption, gave the Democrats control of both houses and showed that their party had essentially tied the GOP in terms of voter respect over national security, long a Republican strong suit.
No more. As our blogging colleague Mark Silva notes, the wimp factor about Democrats has returned to shadow voters' minds. The national security gap has reopened. Democrats are regaining their reputation with voters as wimps.
Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner has just released a survey that indicates voters perceive Republicans once again as far and away better on national security issues than Democrats.
Now this truly is news: Bipartisanship broke out in the presidential campaign trail today (briefly).
Jointly, John McCain and Barack Obama announced that on Thursday -- the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks -- they will go as a duo to the site of the World Trade Center. Here's the statement issued under their names:
On September 11, 2008, we will join together to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero.
All of us came together on 9/11 -- not as Democrats or Republicans -– but as Americans. In smoke-filled corridors and on the steps of the Capitol; at blood banks and at vigils -- we were united as one American family. On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost loved ones. We will also give thanks for the firefighters, police and emergency responders who set a heroic example of selfless service, and for the men and women who serve today in defense of the freedom and security that came under attack in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The pair already had plans to be in New York; that day, as The Ticket previously noted, they will share a stage -- though not directly debate -- at Columbia University.
Quickly praising the two candidates was MyGoodDeed.org, a nonprofit organization seeking to have Sept. 11 proclaimed a national day of service.
Last month, the group had called on McCain and Obama to observe a campaign moratorium on 9/11. Reacting to today's news, MyGoodDeed's leader, David Paine of Newport Beach, said in a statement:
It is a wonderful show of unity and support for 9/11 as a day of service that Senators McCain and Obama have agreed to appear together at Ground Zero on 9/11. American politics can at times be a contact sport and for both candidates to work together to put aside their differences for the day is remarkable, refreshing and welcome.
The jousting that Paine referred to was otherwise very much in evidence today.
Obama, campaigning in Indiana, mocked McCain's ...
CBS' "Face the Nation": John McCain, Republican presidential nominee.
CNN's "Late Edition": McCain supporters Republican Sens. Jon Kyl of Arizona and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, and Obama supporters Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Sen. Barbara Boxer of California; Obama communications director Robert Gibbs; Democratic strategist James Carville; and Republican strategist Alex Castellanos.
"Fox News Sunday": Obama chief strategist David Axelrod and McCain campaign manager Rick Davis.
NBC's "Meet the Press": Joe Biden, Democratic vice presidential nominee; Tom Friedman, New York Times columnist.
Barack Obamaand John McCainsay they disdain independent campaigns being waged for and against them. But now that the conventions are over and the general election is in full swing, both presidential candidates are benefiting from millions being spent by groups beyond their control.
Outside groups have spent $11.7 million boosting Obama's candidacy between June, when he locked up the Democratic nomination, and Sept. 4. A relative pittance, $916,000, has been spent on McCain’s behalf, Federal Election Commission filings show.
But McCain and his new running mate Sarah Palinare the beneficiaries of money being spent against Obama. Groups have spent $10.3 million to undermine Obama, compared to $696,195 to criticize McCain.
By far the biggest player so far is the Service Employees International Union, which represents tens of thousands of workers in and out of government. SEIU and its 1199 local in New York City have spent $8.1 million on Obama’s behalf, plus another $108,000 to oppose McCain.
Other trying to undermine McCain include the Sierra Club (which has spent $177,000 on that effort) and Planned Parenthood (it's spending so far -- $102,000).
The Republican National Committee is leading the charge against Obama, spending $5.75 million on polling and other efforts to oppose his election.
Using money from Texas billionaire Harold Simmons, the conservative American Issues Project has spent $2.88 million airing ads blasting Obama over his ties to former anti-Vietnam war terrorist William Ayers.
The National Rifle Assn. has spent $163,000 to oppose Obama (who had some choice words to say about the group Friday in Pennsylvania) and his running mate, Joe Biden.
As is The Ticket's custom, a post listing the entire roster of appearances on this Sunday's interview programs will pop up Saturday at noon PDT (3 p.m. EDT).
But here's an advance heads up, in part because of who WON'T be found on any of the chat shows.
Three of the four now-official candidates on the major-party presidential tickets are scheduled to sit down for questions: Democrat Barack Obama on ABC's "This Week," his running mate, Joe Biden, on NBC's "Meet the Press" and Republican John McCain on CBS' "Face the Nation."
Absent from this list, of course, is the GOP's star of the moment, the not-so-long-ago obscure governor of Alaska who is McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin.
Since she was thrust onto the national stage a week ago, her appearances on it have been tightly regulated by the McCain campaign: a few side-by-side campaign stops with him and, of course, her big speech to the GOP's convention Wednesday night.
Today, top McCain aide Rick Davis indicated the campaign isn't in any hurry to slot Palin for a Sunday show appearance -- and will do so only if he and other strategists determine it serves the ticket's purposes, not because some may view it as a required initiation for a major political player.
Appearing on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show, Davis said, "I'd never commit to anything in the future. ... Our strategy is in our hands, not the media's. We're going to do what's in our best interests to try to win the election. If we think going on TV news shows are [sic] in our best interests, we'll do it. If we don't, we won't."
Palin still will be busy this weekend. She'll campaign Saturday with McCain in two key states -- Colorado and New Mexico -- and she'll deliver his campaign's weekly radio address. That's one of those trappings of the presidency McCain has borrowed (notwithstanding the barbs his forces like to sling at Obama along these lines).
That's hardly a shock. But here was a surprise: some of the fiercest criticism had nothing to do with what he said, but concerned what he was standing in front of.
As McCain delivered his opening remarks, those watching from home saw a color flash on the screen behind him. It was green -- a vision that made politicos all over the country groan. (They remembered McCain's appearance before a green background in June, an aesthetically unfortunate incident that was ridiculed by bloggers and comedians alike.)
Many were relieved when the camera panned out and revealed that McCain was actually standing before a larger image of a stately-looking white brick building (the green, it turned out, had actually just been a close-up of the place's perfectly groomed lawn).
But then, perplexity sank in. The building in the photo, you see, was Walter Reed Middle School, located in L.A.'s North Hollywood neighborhood.
That revelation sparked a new question: Why would McCain choose that as a backdrop for the biggest speech -- so far -- of his political career.
If you listen to the speculation from bloggers, he didn't.
Many of them today suggested that McCain's campaign actually meant to stage the candidate in front of Washington's Walter Reed Medical Center. That seemed plausible -- an army hospital would be a relevant choice, given that McCain spent a lot of his speech talking about the years he spent as a badly injured captive in a Vietnamese prison camp.
Eventually, the McCain camp today issued a statement insisting that that no mistake had been made. "The changing image-screen was linked to the American thematics of the speech and the public school was simply part of it," said spokesman Tucker Bounds.
Donna Tobin, Walter Reed Middle School's principal,would rather the facility had not been included. She posted this statement Friday on the school's official blog:
It has been brought to the school’s attention that a picture of the front of our school, Walter Reed Middle School, was used as a backdrop at the Republican National Convention. Permission to use the front of our school for the Republican National Convention was not given by our school nor is the use of our school’s picture an endorsement of any political party or view.
For more on the local angle, check out another blog on LATimes.com, LA Now.
Oprah Winfrey, the billionaire TV talk-show diva who is supporting the Democratic presidential nominee, says she will not allow the Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin on her daily show, which is widely viewed by women.
The 44-year-old Palin is the first female nominee on a Republican presidential ticket in the party's 164-year history, though she is little-known outside Alaska, where she was elected a reform governor in 2006.
Palin, a former high school basketball star and beauty pageant contestant, is the mother of five, an outdoorswoman and part owner in her husband Todd's commercial fishing business.
This past year Oprah endorsed Barack Obama for president. It was the first time she became publicly involved in politics.
Oprah emceed numerous rallies for the freshman Democrat senator in key caucus and primary states, drawing large crowds, donations, media coverage and many new volunteers. She also hosted a lucrative fundraiser at one of her homes, near Santa Barbara. But she has so many we can't count 'em.
Oprah's political involvement, as noted previously by...
The rock group Heart is miffed at Republicans for playing one of its biggest hits, "Barracuda," after John McCain's speech Thursday night at the GOP's convention in St. Paul.
It was an unquestionably fitting song for the balloon-drop-and-confetti celebration: the nickname of McCain's running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, is "Barracuda."
And she, after all, turned out to be the convention's star attraction. ("Sarahcuda" buttons, bumper stickers, T-shirts, etc. are all the rage at the moment for many Republicans.)
But Heart's lead singers, sisters Ann (at right in photo)and Nancy Wilson (who also plays guitar), announced Friday that Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG have sent a "cease-and-desist" letter demanding that McCain's campaign stop playing the tune "as the congratulatory theme for Sarah Palin."
"The Republican campaign did not ask for permission to use the song, nor would they have been granted permission," Heart announced on its website. "We have asked the Republican campaign not to use our music. We hope our wishes will be honored."
In a statement posted on Entertainment Weekly’s EW.com website, the Wilson sisters said Palin’s “views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late '70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there.”
Ah, but matters are rarely straightforward in the music industry.
Reuters reports that copyright law "may not be on the Wilsons' side as the song is licensed for public performance under a blanket fee paid by the venue to ASCAP, the firm that collects royalties on behalf of composers and copyright owners."
Also according to Reuters, Roger Fisher, one of the song's co-writers and a former guitarist for the group, had no problem with the GOP's use of the tune. He termed it a "win-win" situation, saying Heart gets publicity and royalties, while Republicans benefit from "the ingenious placement of a kick-ass song."
John McCain and Sarah Palin began their post-convention tour of battleground states today in the small Wisconsin town of Cedarburg. But although Palin's biggest task in the coming months will be trying win over the lower 48, she's not about to abandon her Alaska roots.
How can we tell?
Follow the tracks. Moosetracks, that is.
That's the ice cream flavor she chose when she, McCain, and Cindy McCain made a stop at a Cedarburg sweets shop before their campaign appearance. The new vice presidential candidate ordered a large scoop of moosetracks -- vanilla ice cream with peanut butter cups and fudge -- served in a waffle cone.
Palin's affinity for all things moose is well documented. Indeed, the Republicans seem to be touting her moose-hunting skills as one of her qualifications for vice president.
During his GOP convention speech, Fred Thompson called her, "the only nominee in the history of either party who knows how to properly field dress a moose ... with the possible exception of Teddy Roosevelt."
And Cindy McCain, in her speech, said, “John has picked a reform-minded, hockey-mommin', basketball-shooting, moose-hunting, salmon-fishing, pistol-packing mother of five for vice president."
Palin, it seems, likes moose best when they're on her plate. She has said in the past that her favorite meal is moose stew. (We found a recipe here).
Her propensity for hunting has alarmed some environmental activists. "Her philosophy from our perspective is cut, kill, dig and drill," John Rosenberg, the director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, told the Associated Press.
Some Republicans would take that as a compliment.
BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Palin wasn't the only politician cooling off with ice cream in Cedarburg today. Sen. McCain also had a scoop. His order? Watermelon sorbet. We're not quite sure what that reveals, but we welcome interpretations.
After lackluster showings in viewership at the beginning of the week, the Republican National Convention bounced back on Wednesday and Thursday, making it the most-watched political convention in American history (or at least since Nielsen began recording convention viewership in 1960).
John McCain's acceptance of the Republican nomination last night drew 38.9 million viewers -- a television audience that was 41% larger than the audience for day four of the 2004 GOP convention, which drew only 27.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
This year the Republicans averaged 34.5 million viewers over three nights (Monday's program was shortened and not counted because of Hurricane Gustav) while the Democrats averaged 30.2 million viewers over four nights.
After McCain's acceptance, Sarah Palin's speech on Wednesday night gave the GOP its biggest boost in viewership numbers. McCain's VP pick drew 37 million viewers.
In comparison, Barack Obama's acceptance of the Democratic nomination drew 38.4 million viewers.
Nielsen's analysis of who is tuning in is revealing.
For example, McCain’s speech drew significantly more men than Obama’s acceptance speech (19.2 million compared with Obama's 17.9 million). And Obama’s speech drew more women (19.9 million compared with McCain 19.2 million).
White viewers flocked to their TVs for McCain’s speech (32.2 million versus 27 million for Obama). But among African Americans, the reverse was true. About 7.5 million African Americans watched Obama’s speech last week, while 3.1 million tuned in for McCain’s.
The actual numbers of those tuning in to both Obama and Palin are higher than the Nielsen figures indicate, because Nielsen does not record PBS' viewers.
Barack Obama wanted to talk about the economy today as he campaigned in Pennsylvania, especially in light of the new government report showing unemployment increasing to 6.1% in August.
But gun rights, it appears, is an issue Obama can’t avoid in the Keystone State.
And campaigning today near Scranton (this campaign's "in" city), the Democrat was asked whether -- as some foes keep insisting -- he would take guns away if elected president.
The Times' Noam Levey was on the scene at a factory in Duryea, and he reports that Obama fiercely denied any such intention, and then explained his position:
This has been peddled again and again. Here’s what I believe: that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right and it means something -- that people have a right to bear arms.
What I also believe is that there is nothing wrong with some common sense gun safety measures. For example, that we should have strong background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, to keep them out of the hands of the mentally disabled. We should have mechanisms to trace guns that are used in crimes back to the gun dealers that sold them to shut down supplies of illegal guns.
That kind of thing is common sense, and it has nothing to do with the guy who has got his rifle and wants to go hunting.”
But Obama had some choice words for the National Rifle Assn., which has been hammering him for months in its publications and plans a major ad campaign opposing him this fall:
Their general attitude is ... if you even breathe the word gun control or gun safety, then you must want to take away everybody’s guns. Well, that’s just not true.
But what we have to understand is that there are two realities about guns in this country. There’s the reality of people who are lawfully and safely using guns for hunting and skeet shooting and protecting their families. And you’ve got illegal handguns being dumped in Philadelphia, in the hands of teenage gang-bangers and drug dealers who are wreaking havoc and killing people. And surely we can come up with a system that protects lawful gun owners but at the same time tries to do something about kids getting shot.
Many have thought so in the past. But so far, as Obama well knows, that's proved a difficult challenge.
For the inside scoop on the scene at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, follow our bloggers Sept. 1-4:
http://twitter.com/latimestot
Our Bloggers
Don Frederick has served as an editor helping guide coverage of every presidential election since 1984. He is a third-generation Washingtonian, so watching the political world comes naturally to him.
A graduate of Northwestern University, he was a reporter for newspapers in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas before joining the (now-defunct) Los Angeles Herald Examiner in 1983. Hired by The Times in 1989, he has worked in its Washington bureau since 1996 — a perch providing him a close-up view of the impeachment of President Clinton, the government's response to 9/11 and the day-to-day wrangling of the two major parties.
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000.
A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
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A graduate of Northwestern University, he was a reporter for newspapers in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas before joining the (now-defunct) Los Angeles Herald Examiner in 1983. Hired by The Times in 1989, he has worked in its Washington bureau since 1996 — a perch providing him a close-up view of the impeachment of President Clinton, the government's response to 9/11 and the day-to-day wrangling of the two major parties.
A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.