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Five Things John McCain Needs to Do to Get Elected President

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:00:21 -0700

Though John McCain has just pulled ahead among that all important demographic — pet owners — when it comes down to the whole shebang, November's enchilada, it's neck-and-neck. According to Gallup, Obama is polling at 46 percent, and McCain at 44 percent.

One Republican columnist over at Politico has figured out what McCain needs to do to tip the scales toward victory this fall. Though Santa he ain't, here are the five things McCain has to make a list of and check twice in order to beat Barack Obama:

He should take a page from the Republican party’s founder: Abraham Lincoln. He believed that less government worked best and if McCain presses this point, the delineation between Obama and himself will give Americans a clear choice.
McCain must talk to our enemies. As another great Republican, Teddy Roosevelt said, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” McCain must explain to Americans that he is willing to talk to Iran, North Korea or Cuba.
House cleaning. (Isn't this on everyone's to-do list?) McCain needs to rid the GOP of age-old party hacks who are still fighting the battles of the 80s. Juice up some new blood with new ideas.

To see what else McCain should jot into his Day Planner,

Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:30:03 -0700

Denver: A rock-star move? Obama will ditch convention hall and deliver acceptance speech at 76,000-person Mile High stadium. — Politico

China: The power of the Chinese text message? From personal commentary to political criticism. —Shanghaiist
Bush: Sex crimes in the White House? The sexualization of torture. — Huffington Post
Iraq: A company run by a 21-year-old president got $300 million contract to supply ammunition to Afghan forces? Boy wonder "war profiteer" back in court. — The Lede

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:30:52 -0700

Healthcare: Competing with the NRA? Elizabeth Edwards headlines $40 million healthcare campaign. — Politico
Zimbabwe: Who will print all the zeros? German company stops printing Mugabe's cash. — newsblog
China: Ultimate language combo? Muslim children in China learn Arabic along with regular Chinese curriculum. — Shanghaiist
BBQ Politics: The new beer question? More Americans would rather barbecue with Barack Obama than John McCain. — donklephant

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:30:07 -0700

North Korea: Let them eat? US sends tons of food aid to North Korea. — Huffington Post

Military: No return address? Anonymous letter writer takes responsibility for murder of pregnant soldier. —Jezbel
McCain: A trend? McCain's war record becoming target. —Politico
Iran: Credible? Mixed reactions to report about US stepping up efforts against Iran. — The Lede
Guns: Will gun shops open in DC? Might need more legal battles to decide. — DCist

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:30:19 -0700

Natural Disasters: What role should the government take in the rebuilding effort? The Libertarian disaster recovery fallacy. — Huffington Post

Cuba: Him again? Elian Gonzalez saga could haunt Barack Obama. — Politico
GOP: What platform ideas should the Republican Party advocate? A few suggestions include the right to direct your life. — Redstate
Energy: Does Japan have the bright idea? Incentives to reduce energy consumption should be put in the hands of consumers, not the manufacturers. — donklephant

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:30:05 -0700

Mars: Next stop life? Mars Phoenix Lander finds ice on Mars!! — SFist
Muslims: Apology accepted? Obama asks Muslim women pushed out of photo for forgiveness. — Politico
Middle East: Will Israel bomb Iran? Reports refuse to go away, but nothing has happened for years. — newsblog
Media: Too soon? The battle to succeed Tim Russert begins. — Redstate

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:30:23 -0700

Spying: Democrats cave? Lawmakers reach deal over government-surveillance powers. — Talking Points Memo
Obama: Does he have enough money to do an autobiography via commercials? Barack Obama releases a positive campaign ad, first of general election. — Politico

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Vacation: Relaxing guilt free? Five eco-friendly vacations. — Forecast Earth
Zimbabwe: Will it help? Pre-election violence being e-mapped by bloggers — newsblog
Same-Sex Marriage: Tolerance vs. Religion? Gay New Jersey couple wants to get married on a pavilion owned by Methodist organization. — Redstate
Global Warming: How do you talk to a global-warming skeptic? Buy the book to find out. — Huffington Post

Muslims Barred from Picture at Obama Event

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:55:37 -0700

Muslims Barred From Picture at Obama Event Two Muslim women at Barack Obama's rally in Detroit on Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women's headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate. The campaign has apologized to the women, both Obama supporters who said they felt betrayed by their treatment at the rally.

Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:30:29 -0700

VP: What would Karl do? Karl Rove anoints Joe Biden and Mitt Romney as his vice-presidential choices. — donkelphant
Obama: Grandma and Grandma for change? How Obama can win over seniors. — Huffington Post
Housing: GOP's big break? House Republican calls for hearings to determine which lawmakers received discount mortgage deals from Countrywide. — Politico
China: But how do you really feel? Survey shows approval down, respect up for China. — Shanghaiist

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Many Historians See Little Chance for McCain

CitizenSugar — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:55:39 -0700

Many Historians See Little Chance for McCain Historians belonging to both parties saw Barack Obama’s prospects as the most promising for a Democrat since Roosevelt trounced Hoover in 1932. Only twice in the 20th century has a party won a third consecutive term in the White House, most recently in 1988. But the biggest obstacle in McCain’s path may be running in the same party as the most unpopular president America has had since at least the advent of modern polling. Only Harry Truman and Nixon have been nearly as unpopular in their last year in office, and both men’s parties lost the presidency in the following election.

Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:15:00 -0700

Tim Russert: Tim Russert, 1950-2008: An Appreciation. A touching story of a remarkable life. — Radar
McCain and Cribs: What does he have in his fridge? McCain Cribs tours the Straight Talk Express. — Wonkette

Obama and Hip Hop: Mashup of Wu Tang Clan and Yes We Can? Obama inspiration finally finds it way into hip-hop. — 23/6
Europe and China: A good deal? Unlimited trips from Europe to Hong Kong for $6,888 a month. — Shanghaiist
Huckabee: Giving up on vice-president hopes? Huckabee signs one-year deal with Fox News — Politico

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 13:30:00 -0700

Sports: Is hiking a disease? Center For Disease Control and Prevention releases list of most dangerous outdoor sports. — The Lede
Clinton Payback: Who makes the Clinton media payback list? Matt Drudge, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews . . . — Huffington Post
Obama: Political housing crisis? D'OH-bama's mortgage industry mess. — Michelle Malkin
Congress: Are legislators BlackBerry addicts? Addiction might give few well-connected constituents too much power, while exacerbating partisan polarization. — Politico
Polygamy: Will she look good in those dresses? Carolyn Jessop's memoir Escape coming to big screen, with Katherine Heigl attached to star and produce. — BuzzSugar

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:30:00 -0700

Bush: All thanks to a man crush? Apparently Karl Rove formed a man crush on George W. Bush, who in turn nursed a mutual man crush on Tony Blair. — Jezebel

McCain: Are you a McCANIAC? McCain girls are back with a must-see video!! — Politico
Cars: Discouraging carpools? Central London parking lot will charge 20p when the car is near empty, and rise to £2 when full. — londonist
Afghanistan: What's next for Afghanistan. Reflections as British war dead reaches 100. — newsblog

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:30:51 -0700

McCain: Forgetting or falsifying? McCain tells Newsweek he didn't deliver a speech chiding the media, but video shows otherwise. — Politico

Media: Obamedia? Poll shows some voters think media is backing Obama. — Michelle Malkin
Intelligence: Is Google making us stupid? Study shows it could somehow rewire the way we read, process, and understand things. — Radar
The Nice Movement: Superficial or nice? Subconscious code makes us say good morning to some people, and ignore others. — londonist

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Hillary's Staff Told Tuesday Is Last Day?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:55:40 -0700

Hillary's Staff Told Tuesday is Last Day? Politico reports: "Members of Hillary Clinton's advance staff received calls and emails this evening from headquarters summoning them to New York City Tuesday night, and telling them their roles on the campaign are ending, two Clinton staffers tell my colleague Amie Parnes. The advance staffers — most of them now in Puerto Rico, South Dakota, and Montana — are being given the options of going to New York for a final day Tuesday, or going home, the aides said. The move is a sign that the campaign is beginning to shed — at least — some of its staff. " Is this just a normal function of the campaign or an omen?

Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:30:43 -0700

Iraq and Media: Expected or surprising? Network execs allegedly killed critical White House stories in build up to Iraq. — Politico

China: Hundreds of pictures worth hundreds of words? A powerful, evocative, and sombre collection of photos from earthquake aftermath. —Shanghaiist
Campaign: Gotcha politics? Using the Holocaust to smear Obama. — Huffington Post
Books: Bathroom diaries? Outgoing Senator Larry Craig to write tell-all. — Radar
Crime: Distraction tactic? Baltimore bans cheap cigars. — Michelle Malkin

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Briefing Book! Knowing Is Half the Battle . . .

LibertySugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:30:51 -0700

Austrian Cellar: Over the top? Media hound rape victim Elisabeth into interview agreement. —Jezebel

McCain: YouTube Problem? McCain clips you will see 1 million times before November. — Wonkette
Democrats: Are we there yet? Don't expect an Obama victory declaration tomorrow. —Politico
Natural Disasters: Lessons to be learned? Similarities between Hurricane Katrina and cyclone in Myanmar. — Forecast Earth
GOP: Grand new party? Arnold Schwarzenegger says it's time to rebrand the Republican Party. — donklephant

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