McCain to Campaign at Burning Man

For as long as I can remember, the NFL has set the first game of the season on the first Thursday after Labor Day. This year that also happens to be the night that John McCain is supposed to do his victory lap at the Republican National Convention as he accepts his party's nomination. Politico's J-Mart thinks this might end up as a big deal.

The superdelegate convention idea is starting to gain traction, and that link heads to a Politico piece which posits that something similar is already underway.

Despite what Harry Reid and Howard Dean have been saying, Senator Clinton asserted in a weekend interview with the Washington Post that she has no intention of getting out before the convention.

Arch Dark Nemesis Bob Novak says in a quick note that someone named Rob Portman is getting the happy eyeball as a potential running mate.

The electoral map (as well as the electorate) are changing, and Republican Party is filled out with staffers who, before 2006, never knew anything other than a Republican majority. This article from the New York Times Magazine is very long, but it is well written and well worth reading if you would like some insight as what has been happening in national politics at the levels underneath the presidential race for that last few years.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed systemic changes to America's financial systems this morning. I think we're all to the point now where we think some oversight on the mortgage industry is probably a good idea.

This is all anecdotal, but every Clinton delegate I know has gotten several phone calls (3-5 or more) this week about the convention, emails about the convention, and a few mail pieces. Every Obama delegate I know has gotten the general campaign emails and maybe a convention email or two and maybe even a call, but hasn't been squeezed with the full-on "Show up or your life is forfeit" song and dance. Thoughts? Experiences? Prognostications? Like I said, this is all anecdotal and I could be way off, but it seems like Clinton is pushing hard.

Why is that every time diplomacy breaks down these days the end result is missiles?

When national politics came to Texas, it brought along about $10 million.