memeorandum: Presidential candidate Obama to sponsor Cup car at Pocono race (Tom Bowles/Sports Illustrated)

7:00 PM ET, July 11, 2008

Top Items:

Presidential candidate Obama to sponsor Cup car at Pocono race … SI.com has learned that for the first time in history, a major presidential candidate may sponsor a race car in NASCAR's premier series. According to sources, Barack Obama's campaign is in talks to become the primary sponsor …

Discussion: The Swamp, Political Machine, Newsweek Blogs, Fox News, Spin Cycle, The Raw Story, Political Radar, StephenBainbridge.com, Media Blog, Donklephant, Top of the Ticket, Political Punch and The Corner

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

New Obama Radio Ad Hits McCain As “Shameful” For “Makin' Stuff Up” — A source sends over a copy of a sharp new radio ad the Obama campaign will release a bit later today responding to this earlier RNC ad claiming Obama will hike taxes. — The Obama ad hammers McCain for the spot …

Michelle Malkin:
Obama tries to buy the NASCAR vote

Discussion: Macsmind

Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:

FIRST THOUGHTS: THE A.D.D. ELECTION — From Chuck Todd and Domenico Montanaro — *** The A.D.D Election: It's another whiplash week. It's amazing how many Fridays we look back at the week and just shake our head... This really is turning into the A.D.D. election.

Discussion: The New Republic, Newshoggers.com, The Washington Independent, NFL Fanhouse, MyDD, Political Insider and David Corn

Jonah Goldberg / The Corner:

Phil Gramm — From a reader: … Me: Fair enough. My own excuse is that this is one of these stories that I somehow missed until late in the day, not sure why that is. Anyway, this is just another example of why I've always wanted Phil Gramm to be president of the United States and why that can never, ever, happen.

Discussion: The Jed Report

Ben / Think Progress:
Barnes Defends Gramm: Americans Are ‘Whining All The Way Through’ The Bad Economy

Discussion: BuzzFlash.org, The Caucus, HazZzMat, Pajamas Media and Wonkette

Wonk Room:
What Kind Of Economist Is Phil Gramm?

Discussion: Think Progress

Washington Wire:

Hagel to Join Obama on Iraq Trip — Susan Davis reports on the presidential race. — The buzz this week that Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is planning to join Sen. Barack Obama on an up-coming visit to Iraq is correct, two sources with knowledge of the trip confirmed Friday.

Discussion: MyDD, Comedy Central, Marc Ambinder, The Carpetbagger Report, Hotline On Call, TIME.com, VP Watch and Blue Girl, Red State

Martha Raddatz / ABCNEWS:

Obama's Iraq Withdrawal Plan May Prove Difficult — U.S. Commanders in Iraq Warn of Security Dangers, See Logistical Nightmare — Whatever nuance Barack Obama is now adding to his Iraq withdrawal strategy, the core plan on his Web site is as plain as day: Obama would “immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq.

Discussion: Wonk Room, Austin Bay Blog, Wake up America, Commentary, The Glittering Eye and The Strata-Sphere

Kevin Drum / Washington Monthly:

OBAMA vs. THE BRASS....If this Martha Raddatz piece at ABC News is any indication, the military doesn't intend to keep a low profile in this year's presidential election. In fact, they seem to be pretty loudly determined to make clear that they don't like Barack Obama's withdrawal plan one bit:

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, democracyarsenal.org and Hot Air

Jennifer Parker / Political Radar:

Como Se Dice? Obama Clarifies Comments Over Foreign Languages — ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama reiterated his belief Friday that America's children to learn a foreign language, firing back against criticism he received from some conservative groups who suggested …

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog, NewsBusters.org, The Corner, Hot Air, The Campaign Spot and TIME.com

Little Green Footballs:

More Iranian Fauxtography Discovered — (Hat tip: Fluffster.) — UPDATE at 7/11/08 1:54:59 pm: — Also see: — Attack of the Photoshopped Missiles (Updated).

Noah Shachtman / Danger Room:

Attack of the Photoshopped Missiles (Updated) — Iran's propagandists aren't only ones who can photoshop a missile launch. We know how to do that on the intertubes, too. Here's an updated sample... Are We Lumberjacks?:

Discussion: Neptunus Lex and FP Passport

John O. McGinnis / Wall Street Journal:

Who Will Be President? — An obscure government agency will soon decide whether citizens can get hold of information essential to modern democratic decision making. On Monday, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission began to analyze whether to create a safe harbor for prediction markets in the U.S. …

James L. / Swing State Project:

DCCC Reserves $35M in Air Time For 31 Races (Updated) — How timely. Just as we were discussing the cost of media buys for all of our House targets this year, the Associated Press has got its hands on a list of 31 races where the DCCC has reserved $35 million worth of advertising time set to begin airing in September and October.

Discussion: MSNBC, Daily Kos and MyDD

Josh Kraushaar / The Crypt's Blogs:
DCCC reserves ad time in 31 districts

Discussion: Naked Politics

Matthew Mosk / Washington Post:

Donors Asked To Give for Two — The fundraising machine Sen. Barack Obama is relying on to overwhelm Sen. John McCain this fall has shown signs of wear in recent weeks, as Internet contributions have slowed and efforts to recruit top donors to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign have been beset by lingering tensions.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Weekly Standard Blog, Newsweek Blogs, Political Buzz, Talking Points Memo, Firedoglake, The G Spot, TIME.com and MyDD

Michael Luo / The Caucus:
Lax on Its List of ‘Bundlers,’ the Obama Campaign Names Names

Discussion: New York Times and Comedy Central

Amanda / Think Progress:

After Voting Against Equal Pay Legislation, McCain Claims He's ‘Committed To Equal Pay For Equal Work’ — Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) participated in a town hall meeting in Wisconsin. During the discussion, he claimed that he is a strong supporter of equal pay for women and other workers:

Discussion: Fact Checker, Wonk Room, TIME.com, The Carpetbagger Report, Hullabaloo, Digg and Center for American Progress

Los Angeles Times:

McCain's broken marriage and fractured Reagan friendship — Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, walks with former first lady Nancy Reagan. Mrs. Reagan endorsed the Republican presidential candidate Tuesday, March 25, 2008 in Bel Air, Calif.

Discussion: AMERICAblog News, Spin Cycle, The Carpetbagger Report, The BRAD BLOG, Reproductive Health, Daily Kos, Bucks Right, Blue Girl, Red State, The Other McCain, The Corner, Cogitamus and Wonkette

Matthew Yglesias:

By Request: Does This Blog Suck? Do All Blogs Suck? — DeliciousPundit asks “What'd you think about David Appell's smackdown of you?” — The only thing I have to say to defend myself from those charges is that I don't think the post was really about why I suck, it was about why the punditsphere …

Discussion: Open Left, Achenblog, MoJoBlog, Donklephant and The Glittering Eye

Jonathan Chait / The New Republic:

Jonah Goldberg, Call Your Publisher — Conservative book editor Adam Bellow has a (subscriber-only) essay in World Affairs about book publishing and the cuurrent state of conservative intellectuals. I don't agree with all that much of it, but his candor is admirable.

Jonathan Darman / Newsweek:

Glow Fading? — The latest NEWSWEEK Poll shows Barack Obama leading John McCain by only 3 points. What a difference a few weeks can make. — Jae C. Hong / AP — Poll Drop: Obama is down is the latest poll, but still shows signs of strength — A month after emerging victorious …

Discussion: Hot Air, Hullabaloo, Real Clear Politics, TPM Election Central and Eunomia