Morning Road Map
by Michelle Levi and Steve Chaggaris
McCAIN will speak to the National Council of La Raza's Annual Conference in San Diego at 3:45pm ET today. Obama spoke to the conference yesterday. According to his prepared remarks, McCain is expected to defend his Senate record on immigration reform and call for Obama to visit South America. “At a moment of great difficulty in my campaign, when my critics said it would be political suicide for me to do so, I helped author with Senator Kennedy comprehensive immigration reform, and fought for its passage. I cast a lot of hard votes, as did the other Republicans and Democrats who joined our bipartisan effort," McCain will say. "I took my lumps for it without complaint. My campaign was written off as a lost cause... Senator Obama declined to cast some of those tough votes. He voted for and even sponsored amendments that were intended to kill the legislation, amendments that Senator Kennedy and I voted against. I never ask for any special privileges from anyone just for having done the right thing. Doing my duty to my country is its own reward. But I do ask for your trust that when I say, I remain committed to fair, practical and comprehensive immigration reform, I mean it. I think I have earned that trust.” Later this evening, McCain holds a closed fundraiser in Albuquerque, N.M.
OBAMA will speak at the NAACP 99th Annual Convention in Cincinnati at 8pm tonight (McCain addresses the NAACP on Wednesday). Earlier he'll fly from Chicago to Cincinnati where he will attend a fundraiser.
IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN
As he prepares for a major foreign policy speech to be delivered tomorrow, Obama lays out his Iraq argument in a NY Times op-ed this morning: "We can safely redeploy our combat brigades at a pace that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 — two years from now, and more than seven years after the war began. After this redeployment, a residual force in Iraq would perform limited missions: going after any remnants of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, protecting American service members and, so long as the Iraqis make political progress, training Iraqi security forces. That would not be a precipitous withdrawal.... I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq."
During a press conference yesterday, Obama said he “continue[s] to believe that we’re under resourced in Afghanistan and that that is the real sediment for terrorist activity that we have to deal with and deal with aggressively,” in response to the 9 U.S. casualties in Afghanistan.
Obama said he wants to end the US “occupation of Iraq” at a California fundraiser last night. “Listen, I’m skinny, but I’m tough and we are going to be giving as good as we get and we are going to be responding swiftly and forcefully but always truthfully to any attacks that are launched. But understand that the power of this election is to remake the rules of politics, it’s not simply playing the game they play, but to change the game.”
***NY Times, "Troops in Afghanistan Need Help, Obama Says"
LATINO VOTERS
“I know how powerful this community is and by the way, so does John McCain. Just think how powerful you could be on November 4th if you translate your numbers into votes,” Obama said the National Council of La Raza’s Annual Conference Sunday. “I’m not taking a single Latino vote for granted in this campaign.” He also unveiled a new plan to provide tax credit for small businesses in order to promote healthcare coverage – a plan he said which was originally proposed by Hillary Clinton. Obama also criticized McCain on immigration, accusing him of walking away from comprehensive reform for political reasons. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for a President who won’t walk away from something as important as comprehensive reform just because becomes politically unpopular. And that’s the commitment I’m making to you.”
San Francisco Chronicle, "Latinos still wait for chance to grill Obama"
Associated Press, "McCain: I've earned Hispanics' trust"
Washington Times, "Obama promises Hispanics a push for 'American dream'"
Washington Post, "Candidates Pushing Hard for the Latino Vote"
NAACP CONFERENCE
McClatchy Newspapers, "McCain making play at NAACP for votes Obama should win"
USA Today, "Scope wide at NAACP conference"
Associated Press, "NAACP head: Obama win won't solve racial injustice"
NEW YORKER MAGAZINE COVER
New Yorker, "Making It - How Chicago shaped Obama"
NY Daily News, "New Yorker mag's 'satire' cover draws Team Obama's ire"
Politico, "Obama slams Muslim portrayal"
VEEPSTAKES
Boston Globe profiles Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, D-Kansas, "Obama finds kindred soul at helm in Kansas"
JESSE JACKSON & OBAMA
Newsweek, "At Arm’s Length -- They used to be close. Kind of. Jesse and Barack's awkward past."
Washington Post, "A Leader Left Behind?"
CONVENTIONS
CQ.com, "Clinton Diehards Want Convention Vote"
NY Times, "Democrats Look to Lobbyist to Finance Convention"
Politico, "Dem convention no help to businesses"
ALSO:
Programming alert: Former wrestler/Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura will announce whether or not he'll run for U.S. Senate tonight on CNN's "Larry King Live." If he decides to run, it will set up a three-way race with GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken.
Wall Street Journal, "Not All Democrats Want To Ride Obama's Coattails": " The Illinois senator is likely to spur voter turnout among African-Americans and college students in some districts where Democrats hope to pick up House seats now held by Republicans or to fend off Republican challenges. But other Democrats facing tough re-election campaigns could see Sen. Obama's politics and his weakness among working-class whites as a liability."
Washington Post, "In Obama's Circle, Chicago Remains The Tie That Binds"
LA Times, "Obama mines a Republican stronghold"
NY Times profiles Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) , "Lieberman Finds Middle a Tricky Path"
Newsweek has a series of articles on Obama's faith:
LINK
LINK
LINK
LA Times, "McCain takes a Social Security risk"
Newsweek, "Why Vietnam loves McCain – They jailed him for five years. Now they want him in the White House."
Chicago Sun-Times writes about Barack and Michelle Obama's relationship, "2 people who love each other -- Michelle's brother once said of Barack: 'Nice guy. Too bad he won't last.' He was wrong."
Washington Times, "Girl talk wins fans for Mrs. Obama – Women relate to her story"
McCAIN will speak to the National Council of La Raza's Annual Conference in San Diego at 3:45pm ET today. Obama spoke to the conference yesterday. According to his prepared remarks, McCain is expected to defend his Senate record on immigration reform and call for Obama to visit South America. “At a moment of great difficulty in my campaign, when my critics said it would be political suicide for me to do so, I helped author with Senator Kennedy comprehensive immigration reform, and fought for its passage. I cast a lot of hard votes, as did the other Republicans and Democrats who joined our bipartisan effort," McCain will say. "I took my lumps for it without complaint. My campaign was written off as a lost cause... Senator Obama declined to cast some of those tough votes. He voted for and even sponsored amendments that were intended to kill the legislation, amendments that Senator Kennedy and I voted against. I never ask for any special privileges from anyone just for having done the right thing. Doing my duty to my country is its own reward. But I do ask for your trust that when I say, I remain committed to fair, practical and comprehensive immigration reform, I mean it. I think I have earned that trust.” Later this evening, McCain holds a closed fundraiser in Albuquerque, N.M.
OBAMA will speak at the NAACP 99th Annual Convention in Cincinnati at 8pm tonight (McCain addresses the NAACP on Wednesday). Earlier he'll fly from Chicago to Cincinnati where he will attend a fundraiser.
IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN
As he prepares for a major foreign policy speech to be delivered tomorrow, Obama lays out his Iraq argument in a NY Times op-ed this morning: "We can safely redeploy our combat brigades at a pace that would remove them in 16 months. That would be the summer of 2010 — two years from now, and more than seven years after the war began. After this redeployment, a residual force in Iraq would perform limited missions: going after any remnants of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, protecting American service members and, so long as the Iraqis make political progress, training Iraqi security forces. That would not be a precipitous withdrawal.... I would not hold our military, our resources and our foreign policy hostage to a misguided desire to maintain permanent bases in Iraq."
During a press conference yesterday, Obama said he “continue[s] to believe that we’re under resourced in Afghanistan and that that is the real sediment for terrorist activity that we have to deal with and deal with aggressively,” in response to the 9 U.S. casualties in Afghanistan.
Obama said he wants to end the US “occupation of Iraq” at a California fundraiser last night. “Listen, I’m skinny, but I’m tough and we are going to be giving as good as we get and we are going to be responding swiftly and forcefully but always truthfully to any attacks that are launched. But understand that the power of this election is to remake the rules of politics, it’s not simply playing the game they play, but to change the game.”
***NY Times, "Troops in Afghanistan Need Help, Obama Says"
LATINO VOTERS
“I know how powerful this community is and by the way, so does John McCain. Just think how powerful you could be on November 4th if you translate your numbers into votes,” Obama said the National Council of La Raza’s Annual Conference Sunday. “I’m not taking a single Latino vote for granted in this campaign.” He also unveiled a new plan to provide tax credit for small businesses in order to promote healthcare coverage – a plan he said which was originally proposed by Hillary Clinton. Obama also criticized McCain on immigration, accusing him of walking away from comprehensive reform for political reasons. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time for a President who won’t walk away from something as important as comprehensive reform just because becomes politically unpopular. And that’s the commitment I’m making to you.”
San Francisco Chronicle, "Latinos still wait for chance to grill Obama"
Associated Press, "McCain: I've earned Hispanics' trust"
Washington Times, "Obama promises Hispanics a push for 'American dream'"
Washington Post, "Candidates Pushing Hard for the Latino Vote"
NAACP CONFERENCE
McClatchy Newspapers, "McCain making play at NAACP for votes Obama should win"
USA Today, "Scope wide at NAACP conference"
Associated Press, "NAACP head: Obama win won't solve racial injustice"
NEW YORKER MAGAZINE COVER
New Yorker, "Making It - How Chicago shaped Obama"
NY Daily News, "New Yorker mag's 'satire' cover draws Team Obama's ire"
Politico, "Obama slams Muslim portrayal"
VEEPSTAKES
Boston Globe profiles Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, D-Kansas, "Obama finds kindred soul at helm in Kansas"
JESSE JACKSON & OBAMA
Newsweek, "At Arm’s Length -- They used to be close. Kind of. Jesse and Barack's awkward past."
Washington Post, "A Leader Left Behind?"
CONVENTIONS
CQ.com, "Clinton Diehards Want Convention Vote"
NY Times, "Democrats Look to Lobbyist to Finance Convention"
Politico, "Dem convention no help to businesses"
ALSO:
Programming alert: Former wrestler/Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura will announce whether or not he'll run for U.S. Senate tonight on CNN's "Larry King Live." If he decides to run, it will set up a three-way race with GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken.
Wall Street Journal, "Not All Democrats Want To Ride Obama's Coattails": " The Illinois senator is likely to spur voter turnout among African-Americans and college students in some districts where Democrats hope to pick up House seats now held by Republicans or to fend off Republican challenges. But other Democrats facing tough re-election campaigns could see Sen. Obama's politics and his weakness among working-class whites as a liability."
Washington Post, "In Obama's Circle, Chicago Remains The Tie That Binds"
LA Times, "Obama mines a Republican stronghold"
NY Times profiles Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) , "Lieberman Finds Middle a Tricky Path"
Newsweek has a series of articles on Obama's faith:
LINK
LINK
LINK
LA Times, "McCain takes a Social Security risk"
Newsweek, "Why Vietnam loves McCain – They jailed him for five years. Now they want him in the White House."
Chicago Sun-Times writes about Barack and Michelle Obama's relationship, "2 people who love each other -- Michelle's brother once said of Barack: 'Nice guy. Too bad he won't last.' He was wrong."
Washington Times, "Girl talk wins fans for Mrs. Obama – Women relate to her story"
