memeorandum: McCain has reason to smile as he visits state (Carla Marinucci/San Francisco Chronicle)

William Kristol / New York Times:

Be Afraid. Please. — Life is full of disappointments. — Early Friday, I went to the Real Clear Politics Web site, as I do every morning, for my fix of political news and commentary. I perked up when I saw the third entry on the list of that day's notable articles — “No. 44 Has Spoken.”

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Firedoglake, No More Mister Nice Blog and Commentary

Juliet Eilperin / Washington Post:

McCain Says Obama Plays Politics on Iraq — Some Fellow Republicans Question Tactics — In his most direct challenge yet of his Democratic presidential rival's Iraq policy, Sen. John McCain suggested yesterday that Sen. Barack Obama had crafted a war strategy designed to further his own political advancement.

Discussion: New York Times, MSNBC, www.redstate.com, Spin Cycle, TIME.com and Real Clear Politics

Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:

FIRST THOUGHTS: ANALYZE THIS — From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro — *** Analyze this: We've now crossed the 100-day mark before Election Day, and the chattering class is going to obsessed with two things this week: 1) over-analyzing the veepstakes and 2) over-analyzing any overseas bounce for Obama.

Discussion: RealClearPolitics

Julianna Goldman / Bloomberg:
Obama to Meet With Rubin, Volcker, Buffett on Economic Plans

Discussion: Politics Nation and TIME.com

Michelle Malkin:

McCain finally endorses campaign to end racial preferences...or does he? — Over the past year, I've blogged repeatedly about true maverick and civil rights pioneer Ward Connerly's Super Tuesday for Equality campaign to end discriminatory government race/gender preferences across the country …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, The Daily Dish, La Shawn Barber's Corner, Gazette and USA Today

Betsy Newmark / Betsy's Page:
McCain flips to support the Civil Rights Initiative

Discussion: Gun Toting Liberal Blog, American Power and I Don't Like You Either

Roger Clegg / The Corner:
McCain Does the Right Thing on Racial Preferences

Discussion: Associated Press

Washington Post / The Trail:
McCain Supports Ariz. Proposal to Ban Affirmative Action

Discussion: The Other McCain

Washington Post:

For Obama, Hurdles in Expanding Black Vote — MACON, Ga. — Amanda Bass, a volunteer for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign, had already tried once to get Wilmer Gray to register to vote. But when she glimpsed him in a black T-shirt and White Sox cap again on a recent weekday …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, MSNBC, The Caucus, Hot Air and TIME.com

Wall Street Journal:

Docking Paychecks for Politics — The mighty Service Employees International Union (SEIU) plans to spend some $150 million in this year's election, most of it to get Barack Obama and other Democrats elected. Where'd they get that much money? — That's a question the Departments of Labor …

Discussion: Hot Air, QandO and Betsy's Page

Christopher Conkey / Wall Street Journal:

Funds for Highways Plummet As Drivers Cut Gasoline Use — An unprecedented cutback in driving is slashing the funds available to rebuild the nation's aging highway system and expand mass-transit options, underscoring the economic impact of high gasoline prices.

Discussion: Eschaton and Don Surber

Nancy A. Youssef / McClatchy Washington Bureau:

Petraeus won't join bandwagon for Iraq withdrawal timetable — BAGHDAD — The top U.S. military commander in Iraq isn't buying the increasingly popular idea of a publicly stated timetable for American troop withdrawal. — Gen. David Petraeus, the Iraq commander, said in an interview …

Discussion: Buck Naked Politics, ATTACKERMAN, QandO, Gateway Pundit, A Newt One and LewRockwell.com Blog

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Senate's ‘Dr. No’ Spurs Showdown Over Spending — Instead of a keepsake photo of a political hero or his family, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has a large framed picture next to his desk that serves as a constant reminder of his political ideology. Inside the black frame and matting is a single word, in large white letters: “No.”

Discussion: The Foundry and www.redstate.com

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Democrats Try to Break Grip of the Senate's Dr. No

Discussion: The Caucus

Carla Marinucci / San Francisco Chronicle:

McCain has reason to smile as he visits state — He's been portrayed by Democrats as the grumpy old man of foreign policy and the “McSame” candidate. But even after a brutal week that put his competitor, Barack Obama, in a glowing international spotlight, Republican Sen. John McCain is coming …

Discussion: Financial Times, TPM Election Central and TIME.com

Alexander Marquardt / CNN:

Obama sees doctor for sore hip — CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) - Just back from an eight-day trip to the Middle East and Europe, Barack Obama went to see a doctor Sunday night at the University of Chicago Medical Center to examine a sore hip. — “His hip has been sore from basketball for a few weeks …

Discussion: Swampland and TIME.com

John McCormick / The Swamp: Obama visits hospital for sore hip

Peter S. Goodman / New York Times:

Worried Banks Sharply Reduce Business Loans — Banks struggling to recover from multibillion-dollar losses on real estate are curtailing loans to American businesses, depriving even healthy companies of money for expansion and hiring. — Two vital forms of credit used by companies …

Discussion: The Agonist, Washington Monthly, On Deadline and LewRockwell.com Blog

Rick Moran / Right Wing Nut House:

TOP TEN THINGS THAT CREEP ME OUT ABOUT OBAMA — I know it is not politically correct to say that Obama “creeps me out.” That's because immediately after uttering such blasphemy, our friends on the left would put me on the couch and matter of factly inform me that I am suffering from …

Discussion: Betsy's Page

Jimmy Vielkind / Albany Times Union:

Cuomo to Obama: Be specific — Former governor, at FBI fete, says he's unhappy with presidential race — COLONIE — Former Gov. Mario Cuomo expressed concern Friday night that Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is not offering specific policy positions.

Discussion: The American Mind