Special Coverage: Election 2008

Standoff with Police as Iraq Vets Demand to Meet with Obama Campaign

Alex Kane, Jessica Lee, Indypendent. August 28, 2008.
With no reply from Obama to their letter asking him to endorse their goals, IVAW marched to the Pepsi Center to demand that their voices be heard.

From the blogs

Michelle Obama Rallies Women for Barack

by Adele M. Stan, The Media Consortium

Michelle: Hillary made my husband a better candidate.

Poll-Watch: Big Convention Bounce for Obama?

by Joshua Holland, AlterNet

Gallup says so.

Is the Love Affair Over? McCain Gets Combative With Reporters

by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly

What happened to the 'Straight Talk Express?'

Karl Rove is Running McCain's Campaign; Still Meets With Bush Often

by Matt, Think Progress

Rove is still very much in the thick of it.

The Best Convention Speech You Missed

by Josh Dorner, Sierra Club

Montana's Governor Schweitzer electrified the convention with his energy speech.

Columngate: The Media's Latest Alarmist Non-Story

by Jill Hussein C., Brilliant at Breakfast

Is this really the best they can come up with?

Protesters Fight for Separation of Church and Dems

by PZ Myers, Pharyngula

The Democratic Party is sliding away from the positions that actually motivate my support.

With the Dem Nomination in Hand, Time Portrays a Darker Image of Obama

by Michael Shaw, BAGnewsNotes

TIME's convention preview has Obama surrounded in shadows.

Say What You Will About Bill Clinton, He's Still a Helluva Politician

by Digby, Hullabaloo

Clinton has definitely still got it.

In Wake of Deadly U.S. Airstrike, Jeremy Scahill Questions Dems on Obama's Afghanistan Policy

by Jeremy Scahill, Democracy Now!

As Democrats rally in support of candidates who want an escalation in Afghanistan, the 7-year old war is claiming more lives than ever.

After Biden, the Economic Debate Takes Shape

Bill Scher, Campaign for America's Future. August 28, 2008.
Sen. Joe Biden shows that he gets what's going on in America, not with stats, but around middle-class kitchen tables.

Will Obama Channel MLK in His Acceptance Speech?

Drew D. Hansen, AlterNet. August 28, 2008.
Obama will accept the Democratic nomination on the 45th anniversary of "I Have A Dream."

Democrats: Don't Make Afghanistan Your War

Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation. August 28, 2008.
Biden, Obama, and the Dems are rallying to escalate the war in Afghanistan. But trading one war for another would be catastrophic.

If Obama Wins, Who Will Be in His Cabinet -- And Who Should Be?

Jim Hightower, Hightower Lowdown. August 28, 2008.
Obama's advisers will be the ones whispering in the president's ear and pulling the levers of executive power.

A Truck-Sized Loophole: Corporations, Special Interests to Spend $100 Million on Convention Parties

Michael Winship, TruthOut.org. August 28, 2008.
The parties' conventions offer plenty of opportunity to skirt the spirit of campaign finance laws without violating them.

What 15,000 Reporters Are Doing at the DNC

Justin Peters, Columbia Journalism Review. August 28, 2008.
Drinking, complaining and getting massages are just a few of reporters' preferred convention activities.

What a McCain Victory Could Mean: No Money for Health Care and the End of Our Volunteer Army

Robert Parry, Consortium News. August 28, 2008.
The price tag for John McCain's war lust would mean virtually every other national priority would be short-changed or neglected.

Dems Nominate Obama, Unify and Transform the Party

John Nichols, TheNation.com. August 28, 2008.
A hundred years ago, Dems questioned whether to take a stand against lynching. Today, Obama's nomination completes a long process of transformation.

Immigration: Too Hot for the Dems?

Roberto Lovato, New America Media. August 27, 2008.
America's brutal immigration detention network is getting little attention from Democratic reformers and their institutional allies in Denver.

Unifying Dems Is No Longer Hillary's Job -- It's Up to Delegates and Us

Kathleen Reardon, Huffington Post. August 27, 2008.
Hillary Clinton's call to support Barack Obama was unequivocal. Now everyone else needs to follow her lead.

Does McCain Really Need Another Mansion? Giving Him White House Is One Too Many

Jared Bernstein, Huffington Post. August 27, 2008.
McCain's got eight houses and a level of wealth that insulates him from the real lives of 99% of Americans. That's dangerous for a president.

Hillary Electrifies: "Nothing Less Than the Fate of Our Nation ... Hangs in the Balance"

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. August 27, 2008.
In a speech to a roaring crowd at the DNC, Hillary Clinton gave full support to Barack Obama, promising to fight for health care and the environment.

Half of Americans Believe GOP Spin on Obama's Tax Plan

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. August 26, 2008.
Even though Obama says he'll cut taxes for 95 percent of Americans, Gallup records 53 percent thinking he'll raise them.

What Should Hillary's Role Be After the Convention?

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group. August 26, 2008.
It is usually the job of the party nominee to build unity once a vanquished rival has conceded. Unless the loser happens to be a woman.

Michelle Obama Moves First Lady Role into 21st Century

Adele Stan, Huffington Post. August 26, 2008.
Michelle Obama's appearance last night conveyed an admirable unwillingness to diminish herself and her gifts to fit a sexist ideal.

10 Ways Obama Should Not Imitate the John Kerry Campaign

Drew Westen, Huffington Post. August 26, 2008.
Dems have used the same playbook to guide themselves to losing presidential campaigns for decades. Here are the techniques Obama should avoid.

The Pinched Middle Class Is Ditching Target for Wal-Mart

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group. August 26, 2008.
Money is on the mind of voters as they see their paychecks shrink from inflation, their jobs threatened and their middle-class dreams diminished.

Michelle Introduces Who the Obamas Really Are: Just Like All of Us

Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet. August 26, 2008.
Michelle Obama gives an inspiring and intimate introduction to her family's all-American success story. And: Ted Kennedy passes the torch.

The Democratic Party Platform's Missing Plank

Sam Pizzigati, Too Much: A Commentary on Excess and Inequality. August 26, 2008.
The Democrats have, once again, chosen not to challenge the incredible concentrations of wealth that sit at America's economic summit.

Jumping Jack Rachel Maddow

The Masher, AlterNet. August 25, 2008.
An exuberant Maddow called for a stronger progressive media to counter the right-wing propaganda machine.

Just What, Exactly, Is the DNC?

Christopher Hayes, The Nation. August 25, 2008.
A look at what actually goes on at the Democratic National Convention.

Unplug and Recharge: Can Arianna Huffington Really Make Politicos More Self-Aware?

Don Hazen, AlterNet. August 25, 2008.
In a stark contrast to the endless talk and politics, Arianna Huffington launches campaign for more self-awareness at the Democratic Convention.

Outrageous CEO Salaries Are a Nationwide Scandal -- Where Are the Politicians?

Sarah Anderson, AlterNet. August 25, 2008.
Obama and McCain are both taking whacks at overpaid CEOs, but their solutions fall short.

Obama and McCain: The Stakes Are Too Huge for 'Civil' Politics

Frank Rich, The New York Times. August 25, 2008.
R.I.P., 'Change We Can Believe in.' The fierce urgency of the 21st century demands Change Before It's Too Late.

Joe Biden Is a Key Fighter in Dissolving Bush's 'Terror' Myths

Andy Worthington, AlterNet. August 24, 2008.
Biden doesn't have clean hands when it comes to Iraq, but he's been a leader in re-establishing the rule-of-law in Bush's terror war.

Biden, Iraq and Obama's Betrayal

Stephen Zunes, Foreign Policy in Focus. August 24, 2008.
The choice of Biden calls into question whether Obama's offering a "change we can believe in."

Media Sees Biden Pick as Big Plus for Dem Ticket

Joshua Holland, AlterNet. August 23, 2008.
But his overall record is a mixed-bag for progressives.

For the Next 10 Weeks, Obama Should Hammer McCain on the Economy

Bob Herbert, The New York Times. August 23, 2008.
A populist message and a willingness to take the fight to his opponent is Barack Obama's ticket to the White House.

And the Winner Is: Joe Biden.

John Nichols, The Nation. August 23, 2008.
It didn't take a newfangled text message, just an old-fashioned leak, to identify Obama's running mate.

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