Something Clarkies learned very well in the 2004 campaign was how political smears travel faster than truth. That experience has served me well as an Obama supporter. Doing it a thousand times for General Clark means knowing the routine, how it all plays out. Take a breath. Wait for it to play out. More often than not, the truth of the matter emerges from the cloud of dirt thrown up by these stupid exercises in character assassination.

John McCain opposed legislation expanding GI benefits to veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, skipped the vote on it, then skipped voting on the supplemental budget paying for it.

June 26, 2008

General Wesley Clark sent the following message to DCCC supporters.

Dear Friend,

America is at a critical crossroads. And, your decision to act today will make a difference in which way our country is headed.

I know that you and I want true progress for our country...and together this November we will finally have a chance to drive change forward by putting a Democrat in the White House and a strong Democratic Majority in Congress. But, we must act now.

Elections can't be won today but they can be lost.

Carpetbagger Report is keeping a list:

The past couple of weeks have been especially difficult when it comes to McCain flip-flops.

* McCain supported the drilling moratorium; now he’s against it.

Today Senator Obama is giving a speech on his energy policy in Las Vegas.

Greg Sargent notices a strategy at play:

In a speech Barack Obama is set to give in Las Vegas, he really ratchets up the attacks on John McCain on energy, a battleground that will only increase in importance with new polls showing that energy policy is a paramount concern of voters.

-snip

McCain aide apologizes for terrorist-attack comment
June 24, 2008

Charlie Black has had his moment of straight talk -- and chances are he's not going to let it happen again.

Fortune magazine, in an article posted online Monday, cited the "startling candor" by the strategist for John McCain in discussing how concerns about national security could offer political dividends for the Arizona senator and presumed GOP presidential nominee.

CHICAGO — Senator Barack Obama today announced his plan to crack down on excessive energy speculation and fully close the “Enron Loophole” to ease the impact skyrocketing gas prices. The Enron Loophole was created by McCain campaign co-chair Phil Gramm at the behest of Enron — just one example of the special interest politics that put the interests of Big Oil and speculators ahead of the interests of working people.

Marc Ambinder has an interesting article in National Journal Magazine. There are a lot of them now about vetting for the running mate and will be a lot of them until one is selected. But Ambinder's look at the secretive process is more thorough than most. It is definitely worth reading the entire thing.

He starts with Kerry slipping off to meet Edwards for the final time before the announcement on July 6, 2004.

This week, President Bush signed into law the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act, providing tax relief to military families. The Act allows American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to remain eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, gives them tax breaks for buying homes, permits withdrawals from pension plans without penalty, and makes them eligible for the stimulus package.