Vote 2008

The selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as Republican John McCain’s running mate has had the Republican Party defending the relatively unknown governor of Alaska. Last night Palin spoke at the GOP Convention in St. Paul (video below) and used the opportunity to defend herself and assail her critics.

Overall the speech seemed to be well received; however, an Associated Press fact-check of Palin’s speech found that, “In some cases, the reproach and the praise stretched the truth.”

The McCain campaign released an ad touting Palin’s credentials and attacking Obama (video below), but multiple fact-checkers are reporting the ad is “misleading” and “barely true”.

The New York Times also weighed in on the ad saying: “In addition, the McCain ad repeats one of its oft-used complaints about Mr. Obama’s support for an energy bill that provided tax breaks to oil companies. The problem is, the claim has been fairly debunked by fact-checkers across the board.”

Obama is expected to travel to Lancaster Thursday to begin a two-day tour of the state. Joe Biden, Democratic vice presidential candidate, will be appearing in Langhorn, Pa. on Friday with his wife, Jill. Republican John McCain is expected to visit Pa. Tuesday Sept. 9.

Both candidates are still fighting hard for Pa.’s 21 electoral votes. The latest Gallup poll shows Barack Obama with a six point lead over John McCain 49 to 43 percent.

Following the first major speeches of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night, Democrat Barack Obama responded Wednesday in New Philadelphia, Ohio (video below).

Sen. John McCain will be in Philadelphia until noon today making a local stop, according to a campaign spokesman. He could not say where McCain would be stopping.

The Daily News blog clout reported the stop will probably be in Northeast Philadelphia.

McCain arrived yesterday at 12:25 p.m., but his schedule was not public. However, he did meet with Cardinal Justin Rigali for about 25 minutes around 4 p.m., The Daily News blog clout reported.

Later he had dinner at Devon Seafood Grill and spent the night at the Westin Philadelphia hotel, according to The Daily News blog clout.

Photo Source: WHYY It’s Our City

17-year-old Bristol Palin (right) is 5-months pregnant.

The 17-year-old daughter of McCain running mate Sarah Palin, is 5 months pregnant, according to news reports.

Palin’s daughter, Bristol, will keep the baby and marry the father, CNN and The New York Times reported.

Sen. John McCain’s campaign announced that McCain knew about the pregnancy before he chose her as his running mate.

The aide said it was decided the campaign would reveal this information now because of rampant Internet rumors that Sarah Palin’s 4-month-old baby, who has Down syndrome, was actually Bristol’s, CNN reported.

VP candidate Sarah Palin

According to NYTimes.com, the Palin family made a statement saying “Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media, respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates.”

Photo Source: Daily Mirror

John McCain announced Friday that he had chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate (video below). Palin has served Alaska’s governor for two years, and is the Republican Party’s first female candidate for vice president.

The New York Times is reporting that, “[John McCain's] campaign has been trying to attract women, especially disaffected supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.”

In choosing Palin, McCain surprised many, with the discussion for weeks surrounding former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pa. Gov. Tom Ridge.

Longtime Democratic political consultant Larry Ceisler said picking Palin, “does not help [John McCain] one bit in Pennsylvania.” However pollster G. Terry Madonna said that Palin could help McCain court women in Philadelphia suburbs.

McCain announcement comes on his 72nd birthday, and a day after Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. McCain is attempting to take back the news coverage that has been dominated by the Democrats, and given Obama a convention bump. Gallup is reporting that Obama is now leading McCain nationally by eight points - 49 to 41 percent.

Photo Media Credit: Akira Suwa - Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT

Democrat Barack Obama’s supporters are hosting a watch party in Philadelphia at Independence Hall. A press release from the campaign said, “supporters will gather to watch Sen. Barack Obama accept the Democratic Party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.”

Pennsylvania will be seeing a lot more of the candidates this election year. Pennsylvania is considered a key “battleground state” and Obama’s running mate Joe Biden recently said, “We cannot win without Pennsylvania.” The latest poll from CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation released Aug. 27 shows Obama with a five point lead over McCain at 48 to 43 percent.

Obama will tour Western Pa. after the Democratic National Convention is over, and McCain is expected to tour here as well after his VP announcement Friday.

Photo Media Credit: Brian Baer - Sacramento Bee/MCT

Sen. John McCain will announce his choice for a running mate Thursday and appear with his VP on Friday, according to a report on FOXNews.com.

Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are at the top of the list sources told FOX.

Former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating is also said to be a late addition to McCain’s list however Keating told reporters he has not been vetted by the McCain campaign and does not plan to attend the Republican National Convention due to a scheduling conflict.

Photo: Jared Lazarus/Miami Herald/MCT

Following Democrat Barack Obama’s announcement that he had chosen Joe Biden as his running mate, Republican candidate John McCain released an ad attacking Obama for not choosing former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (video below). The ad uses Sen. Clinton’s own words to attack Sen. Obama. McCain is attempting to attract former Clinton supporters unhappy with the outcome of the Democratic primaries. Many Clinton supporters are worried that Obama lacks the experience necessary to be president, even holding an opposition event in Denver to unite McCain and Clinton supporters against Obama.

Hillary Clinton spoke last night at the Democratic National Convention (video below). She addressed the crowd calling for party unity behind Democrat Barack Obama saying, “Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose.”

Gallup is reporting that Clinton has a high approval rating among Democrats at 80 percent. “While some Clinton supporters have yet to fall in line and support Obama for president, for the most part they have a positive opinion of Obama (as well as a largely negative view of McCain). So it is still not out of the question that they will come home by Election Day. But it is important to note that unifying the party is not a challenge unique to the Democratic Party, as many Republican supporters who are not enthusiastic about McCain have yet to return to the GOP fold.”

College professors and other educators gave over 2.3 million in June and July to the Obama campaign, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

“Nine of Obama’s top 25 contributors—based on contributions from employees and their families—are universities: University of California, Harvard, Columbia, Stanford, University of Michigan, Georgetown, University of Chicago, University of Washington and University of Pennsylvania” read OpenSecrets.org, the CRP web site.

Educators have donated $9,904,359 to Obama in the 2008 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission data released Aug 20. For a full chart of donations click here.

The McCain campaign has raised $1,166,684 from educators, according to FEC data presented on OpenSecrets.org

The Obama campaign sent a press release this morning saying that Sen. Barack Obama and running mate Sen. Joe Biden would visit Pennsylvania after the DNC.

The full release:

*** MEDIA ADVISORY***

OBAMA/BIDEN CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCES “ON THE ROAD TO CHANGE” BATTLEGROUND
STATE BUS TOUR

Tour Through PA, OH, and MI will be First Joint Bus Tour For Democratic
Nominees

Chicago, IL - Today, the Obama campaign announced that United States
Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden will kick off a battleground state
tour dubbed “On the Road to Change” following the Democratic National
Convention. Senator Obama, Senator Joe Biden, Michelle Obama and Dr.
Jill Biden will depart Denver Friday for Pennsylvania, the first stop on
the bus tour. The “On the Road to Change” tour will make stops in
Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, and will mark Obama and Biden’s first
campaign tour as the Democratic nominees.  Obama and Biden will meet
with voters to discuss America’s economic challenges and the Obama/Biden
blueprint for change.

Additional details will be announced as soon as they become available.

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