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White House press secretary Dana Perino announced this afternoon that, “the President and Mrs. Bush look forward to welcoming President-elect and Mrs. Obama to the White House on Monday afternoon. The Bushes will greet the Obamas, and then the President will visit with the President-elect in the Oval Office. Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Obama will meet in and tour the Private Residence. We understand that the Obama children will not be accompanying them on this visit, but we very much look forward to meeting them.”

In a statement, Obama said, “Michelle and I look forward to meeting with President Bush and the First Lady on Monday to begin the process of a smooth, effective transition. I thank him for reaching out in the spirit of bipartisanship that will be required to meet the many challenges we face as a nation.”

Talk about your quick turnaround: In an interview yesterday, John McCain said he wasn't sure how many houses he owns. Now the Obama campaign is out with an ad highlighting the comment and criticizing McCain for owning seven houses.

The campaign tells CBS News the ad will air on national cable. No word on how much money the Obama team will spend to run it.

"Maybe you are struggling just to pay the mortgage on your home," an announcer says as the spot opens. "But recently, John McCain said the fundamentals of our economy are strong."

The announcer then says "hmmm" as a shot of a "foreclosure" sign appears onscreen.

"Then again, that same day, when asked how many houses he owns, McCain lost track," the announcer continues. "He couldn't remember. Well, it's seven. Seven houses."

(As we pointed out in an earlier post, many of those houses are actually owned by McCain's wife, Cindy. And it turns out the McCain family may actually own eight houses.)

Onscreen, the words "worth thirteen million dollars" appear, in reference to the total value of the houses.

Concludes the narrator, as the ad cuts to a shot of the White House: "And here's one house America can't afford to have John McCain move into."



The McCain campaign quickly emailed a response to reporters, from spokesman Brian Rogers: "Does a guy who made more than $4 million last year, just got back from vacation on a private beach in Hawaii and bought his own million-dollar mansion with the help of a convicted felon really want to get into a debate about houses? Does a guy who worries about the price of arugula and thinks regular people 'cling' to guns and religion in the face of economic hardship really want to have a debate about who’s in touch with regular Americans?"

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In an interview with Politico yesterday, John McCain said he isn't sure how many houses he owns.

"I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain said. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."

McCain's staff later said McCain owns four houses, in Arizona, California and Virginia. But the Obama campaign has said that number is seven. Consider what Obama strategist David Axelrod said to the New York Times, in reference to the notion that McCain is casting Obama as elitist and out of touch: "Obviously, his strategists met on the portico of the McCain estate in Sedona — or maybe in one of his six other houses — and decided what line of attack they were going to use."

PolitiFact examined this charge and found that the John and Cindy McCain do own seven houses – though Cindy, who chairs a beer distributorship founded by her father, owns most of them. Two of them, in a beachfront complex in Coronado, California, may be investment properties; one is a Phoenix condo that Cindy McCain apparently bought for daughter Meghan. (UPDATE: Now it appears it may be at least eight.)

As Politico notes, Democrats and labor groups have, in recent weeks, begun focusing on the McCain family's wealth in order to hit back at Republican effort to cast Obama as elitist. Estimates put Cindy McCain's worth in excess of $100 million.

Democrats have already begun pointing out the comment about houses to reporters, along with McCain's (apparently joking) suggestion that it takes an income of $5 million to be rich, as TPM notes. The Democratic National Committee has been aggressively spotlighting both comments, and the Obama campaign this morning sent the TPM report to its email list.

UPDATE: And now the Obama campaign has released an ad on this very subject. See this post for details.

Despite what was thought to be some tough competition in a few races, five House incumbents from Georgia all cruised to victory over primary challengers on Tuesday.

The most notable race was that of Rep. John Lewis of the 5th district in Atlanta, who faced his first primary challenge in 16 years. Lewis, the civil rights leader who has been in Congress since 1987, had received criticism in his district for his initial support of Sen. Hillary Clinton instead of Barack Obama in the Democratic primary. Two younger black candidates -- Rev. Markel Hutchins and state Rep. "Able" Mable Thomas -- challenged Lewis in the primary, but Lewis won with about 70 percent of the vote. He is unopposed in the general election.

The other notable Democratic race was in the 12th district in Eastern Georgia, where Rep. John Barrow defeated state Sen. Regina Thomas with about three-quarters of the vote. As we wrote about earlier in this space, this race was significant because Obama endorsed and recorded a radio ad for Barrow, a white centrist Democrat, over the more liberal black challenger, Thomas, in a district that is 42 percent black. But Barrow, who won his 2006 race by less than 1000 votes, can't rest easy now – he now faces Republican John Stone, a former congressional aide who won the GOP primary.

On the Republican side, the most notable race was that of Rep. Paul Broun in the 10th district in northeast Georgia. Broun, who first won his seat in a special election last year, easily defeated state Rep. Barry Fleming, despite the fact that the challenger had much of the party establishment behind him. Broun is favored to win over Democrat Bobby Saxon in November.

In other Georgia races, Democrats Rep. Jim Marshall and Rep. David Scott also defeated primary challengers. And no Democrats got the needed 50 percent in a Democratic primary for the right to take on incumbent Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss. So there now will be an Aug. 5 runoff election between DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Vernon Jones and former state lawmaker Jim Martin.

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Republican Rep. Chris Cannon lost his bid for a seventh term on Tuesday when he was defeated by 20 points in the GOP primary in Utah's 3rd district on Tuesday by newcomer Jason Chaffetz, a former BYU football player who served as chief of staff for Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman.

Cannon has been a staunch conservative in Congress with a 96 percent rating from the American Conservative Union, but Chaffetz was able to outflank him on the right in the central Utah district, where President Bush won with 77 percent of the vote in 2004.

Chaffetz claimed Cannon was soft on illegal immigration, pointing to his support of guest-worker programs and allowing states to charge in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrations. Chaffetz instead called for deporting all illegal immigrants and not giving citizenship to the children of non-legal residents. He also said he wanted to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.

"I think we have a mandate to help return the Republican Party to its core conservative principles," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "People were fed up and we empowered them to become involved and make the changes we need."

Chaffetz is expected to cruise to victory over in November over Democratic opponent Spencer Bennion.

Cannon is the third incumbent congressman to lose in a primary this year -- joining Republican Wayne T. Gilchrest and Democrat Albert R. Wynn, both in Maryland.

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Democrats in Kentucky and Oregon were voting for more than just their presidential pick last night. Voters also selected senate candidates to go up against Republican incumbents whom party leaders hope they can knock off in the fall.

In Oregon, House Speaker Jeff Merkley narrowly won the senate primary over activist Steve Novick, who gained attention by making light of a metal hook he has in place of his left hand due to a birth defect (you can see one of his ads here). Merkley was recruited by national party leaders to take on Republican incumbent Sen. Gordon Smith. Oregon is a state that has trended Democratic in recent cycles and is near the top of the party's targets for a takeover in November.

In Kentucky, millionaire businessman Bruce Lunsford defeated seven other Democrats for the chance to take on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The powerful four-term incumbent would seem to be safe in a state President Bush carried by 20 points in 2004, but Democrats picked up the governor's mansion last year and are hoping they can ride a Democratic wave in the fall to oust the Senate's top Republican. The race also figures to be a high spending affair as McConnell has already raised at least $12 million and Lunsford spent $14 million in two failed gubernatorial bids in 2003 and 2007 (where he failed to advance beyond the primary).

House Primaries: The most interesting House primary last night was in Oregon's 5th district, where Democratic Rep. Darlene Hooley's surprise retirement announcement in February made the district perhaps one of the most competitive in the country. In the Republican primary, Mike Erickson defeated former state Rep. Kevin Mannix, despite the fact that a week ago Mannix sent out a letter accusing Erickson of paying for a girlfriend's abortion eight years ago. Erickson denied the allegations, and the attacks appeared to have backfired. Mannix conceded the race this morning, but said he will not support Erickson, who will face Democratic state Sen. Kurt Schrader in November.

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Congressional Republicans aren't ceding "change" rhetoric to the Democrats.

In a memo released this morning, House Republican Leaders outlined their overarching message for the 2008 elections. The GOP leaders suggest that despite their promises, Democrats failed to bring real change following their 2006 takeover of Congress. Now, they write, it is up to the GOP to bring "American families the change they really deserve."

"House Democrats said they represented change in 2006," the memo says. "They promised a 'new direction for America,' a 'commonsense plan' to 'lower gas prices' and 'tax cuts for the middle class.'"

"Promises made, promises broken," the memo continues, accusing Democrats of "a betrayal of trust, a failure to learn from the mistakes both parties made in the past."

It goes on to lay out the "common-sense conservative principles" Republicans will be pressing this year. They include "affordable, high-quality health care for every American by giving families greater choice and control, not through a massive expansion of government health care controlled by bureaucrats"; economic policy that includes balancing the budget by 2012, cutting spending, and "stopping the largest tax increase in American history"; moving towards energy independence; and improving national security through securing America's borders and "giving terrorists plotting new attacks no place to hide."

Republicans have seen worrying signs already this year, with special elections resulting in Democrats willing traditionally Republican districts signaling that the GOP could suffer big losses in November. (Another special election to watch occurs tomorrow in Mississippi.) The memo sets the tone for the party's effort to at least limit losses in November, and comes two days before House Republicans unveil their “American Families Agenda,” a "blueprint [that] speaks to the specific challenges American families face in the 21st century."

More from the memo: "Washington is broken, the American people want it fixed, and Democrats in Washington have proven unable or unwilling to get the job done. Republicans will."

Full memo below:

Incumbents all came out on top in congressional primaries held in Indiana and North Carolina yesterday, though there were a few close races and some interesting match-ups were set up for the fall.

The closest primary race was in the state's central 5th district where Republican Rep. Dan Burton defeated emergency room physician John McGoff, 52 percent to 45 percent. Burton, the state's longest-serving congressman, had come under fire during the campaign for missing House votes during a trip to a charity golf tournament. He will be heavily favored in the Republican leaning district in the fall.

Also in Indiana, Democratic Rep. Andre Carson defeated seven primary challengers with 46 percent of the vote in Indianapolis' 7th district. Carson won the seat in a special election held in March to replace his grandmother, former Rep. Rep. Julia Carson, who died in December. He will now have a rematch of that special election with Republican state Rep. Jon Elrod.

The most competitive House race this fall in Indiana may come in the 9th district in the southeastern part of the state. Democratic Rep. Baron Hill will face former Republican Rep. Mike Sodrel for a fourth consecutive time. Hill defeated Sodrel in 2002 and 2006, with Sodrel winning by 1,500 votes in 2004.

In North Carolina, the most closely watched House primary involved Republican Rep. Walter Jones in the third district, home to the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune and other bases. Jones came to prominence for touting "Freedom Fries" in the run-up to the Iraq War, but has since has come to oppose the war and was among the few Republican House members to vote for timetables to withdraw U.S. troops. Jones defeated Joe McLaughlin, a former Army officer, by a comfortable 20-point margin, and he is heavily favored in the general election.

The closest House race in North Carolina this November could come in the 11th district in the Western part of the state, where freshmen Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler, the former NFL quarterback, won in 2006 with 54 percent of the vote. Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower won the Republican primary over two others with 48 percent of the vote.

North Carolina Democrats also held a primary for the chance to take on Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole in the fall. Democratic state Sen. Kay Hagan beat Chapel Hill entrepreneur Jim Neal by a big margin. Dole is favored, but Democrats in the state believe they have a chance.

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The attention last night was on Hillary Clinton's win over Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, but that was not the only contest to be decided. Voters across the state also voted in primaries for House candidates to run in the fall.

Of the state's 19 congressional districts, there were competitive primaries in four. The most competitive was the Republican primary in District 10, where businessman Chris Hackett beat businessman Dan Meuser 52 percent to 48 percent.

Hackett won in the Northeastern Pennsylvania district despite being heavily outspent by Meuser. Both candidates used their personal wealth in the campaign, totaling $2.6 million.

Hackett will face freshmen Democratic Rep. Chris Carney in November. In 2006, Carney was the first Democrat in four decades elected to Congress from the district when he beat scandal-ridden former Rep. Don Sherwood. Republicans will now be counting on Hackett to put the seat back in the Republican column.

Elsewhere in the state, Centre County GOP chairman Glenn Thompson won a nine-way race for the Republican nomination in the state's 5th district in Central Pennsylvania with 19 percent of the vote. Thompson will face off against Democratic primary winner Clearfield County Commissioner Mark McCracken. Thompson will be heavily favored in the race to succeed retiring Republican Rep. John Peterson.

Also, businessman Steve O'Donnell won the Democratic primary in the 18th district outside Pittsburgh for the chance to run against Republican Rep. Tim Murphy. And Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper, the director of the Lake Erie Arboretum, won the right to challenge Republican Rep. Phil English in the 3rd district in northwest Pennsylvania.

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The attention last night was on Hillary Clinton's win over Barack Obama in the Pennsylvania Democratic presidential primary, but that was not the only contest to be decided. Voters across the state also voted in primaries for House candidates to run in the fall.

Of the state's 19 congressional districts, there were competitive primaries in four. The most competitive was the Republican primary in District 10, where businessman Chris Hackett beat businessman Dan Meuser 52 percent to 48 percent.

Hackett won in the Northeastern Pennsylvania district despite being heavily outspent by Meuser. Both candidates used their personal wealth in the campaign, totaling $2.6 million.

Hackett will face freshmen Democratic Rep. Chris Carney in November. In 2006, Carney was the first Democrat in four decades elected to Congress from the district when he beat scandal-ridden former Rep. Don Sherwood. Republicans will now be counting on Hackett to put the seat back in the Republican column.

Elsewhere in the state, Centre County GOP chairman Glenn Thompson won a nine-way race for the Republican nomination in the state's 5th district in Central Pennsylvania with 19 percent of the vote. Thompson will face off against Democratic primary winner Clearfield County Commissioner Mark McCracken. Thompson will be heavily favored in the race to succeed retiring Republican Rep. John Peterson.

Also, businessman Steve O'Donnell won the Democratic primary in the 18th district outside Pittsburgh for the chance to run against Republican Rep. Tim Murphy. And Democrat Kathy Dahlkemper, the director of the Lake Erie Arboretum, won the right to challenge Republican Rep. Phil English in the 3rd district in northwest Pennsylvania.

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