2008 Presidential Election

Without much fanfare or public notice, Senator Barack Obama has embraced a central element of the Republican agenda: the treatment of corporate dividends.

The Republican convention, though battered, goes ahead

IT HAS been a rocky week for the Republican Party, as its convention gets under way in St Paul, Minnesota. After the focus on the Democrats last week, John McCain snatched back attention at the weekend with his choice of Sarah Palin, the young governor of Alaska, as his running mate. But little since that announcement has gone according to plan.

The first difficulty was Hurricane Gustav which crossed the Gulf of Mexico before hitting Louisiana on Monday September 1st. The storm provoked memories of Katrina, the hurricane which drowned New Orleans in 2005 and whose aftermath was mishandled by George Bush’s administration. Nearly 2m people left their homes in Louisiana this week, fleeing the storm. And as a result of the upheaval, Mr Bush and his vice-president, Dick Cheney, decided to stay away from the Republican convention, scrapping planned speeches. Mr McCain was no doubt relieved: the less he is associated with the deeply unpopular incumbent, the happier he will be. …

President George W. Bush announced today the designation of a Presidential Delegation to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Beijing, China on September 6, 2008. The Honorable James B. Peake, M.D., Secretary of Veterans Affairs, will lead the delegation. Members of the Presidential Delegation are: The Honorable Clark T. Randt, Jr., United States Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China; Mr. Kirk Bauer, Executive Director, Disabled Sports USA; Ms. Jean Driscoll, Paralympic Gold Medalist (Track); Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Gadson, United States Army; Mr. Kevin Szott, Paralympic Gold Medalist (Judo); Ms. Trischa Zorn, Paralympic Gold Medalist (Swimming).

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gov. Sarah Palin may be squaring off for working white women’s votes.

AP - John McCain and Sarah Palin got a rousing welcome Friday to the final two months of the presidential campaign, stressing themes of a strong America and concern about the sinking economy. “Tough times all over America,” McCain said.

AP - Although most Americans are focused on the presidential campaign, voters in 11 states are also choosing governors this fall in races that offer an important prelude to 2010, when most of the nation’s governors’ offices are up for grabs.

AP - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday that Republicans at their national convention are attacking him to avoid talking about the sagging economy and housing problems.

Politico - As the Republicans get their turn this week at the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn., they start out with a difficult ;— though not impossible ;— mountain to climb. Democratic nominee Barack Obama is getting his convention bump for his party confab in Denver last week. If the Republican convention this week fails, the rest of the campaign probably won’t matter much.

The daily dispatch for Monday, August 4 is posted.

In his acceptance speech, Senator John McCain is expected to say that he has consistently “worked with members of both parties to fix problems.”

CQPolitics.com - Unlike the Republican candidate for president, Arizona’s other senator is generally most comfortable working behind the scenes. But Jon Kyl has put himself close to the spotlight at both of this summer’s political conventions while working overtime to drum up enthusiasm for his home state colleague, John McCain.

Vote to pass a bill that provides grants to state and local governments for making backup paper ballots available in the November 2008 election.