memeorandum: FIRST THOUGHTS: ROCK BOTTOM FOR GOPERS? (Mark Murray/MSNBC)

3:30 PM ET, July 30, 2008

Top Items:

Jonathan Weisman / The Trail:

Obama's Symbolic Importance — In his closed door meeting with House Democrats Tuesday night, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama delivered a real zinger, according to a witness, suggesting that he was beginning to believe his own hype. — Obama was waxing lyrical about last week's trip …

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

President Obama Continues Hectic Victory Tour — Barack Obama has long been his party's presumptive nominee. Now he's becoming its presumptuous nominee. — Fresh from his presidential-style world tour, during which foreign leaders and American generals lined up to show him affection …

Discussion: Political Punch, Little Green Footballs, Talking Points Memo, Comments from Left Field, The Carpetbagger Report, Democratic Strategist, Commentary, www.redstate.com, NewsBusters.org, The Swamp, BuzzMachine, www.redstate.com and Sister Toldjah

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

FIRST THOUGHTS: ROCK BOTTOM FOR GOPERS? — From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro — *** Rock bottom for Republicans? OK, Hill Republicans, ask yourselves — is this bottom? The indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is a BIG deal. This appears to be a case of a politician …

Discussion: The New Republic, The Daily Dish, Commentary and The Politico

Matthew Yglesias:

Ah, Journalism — So it seems that Barack Obama said something like: … One could dispute that theory, but it's not a particularly remarkable thing to say. You have a candidate who was greeted enthusiastically in Europe saying that the enthusiasm was about something larger than him …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and TPMCafe

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:
Cyclops and Cunning — In his eight days around the world, Barack Obama learned a lot.

Discussion: Maggie's Farm, Hullabaloo and Commentary

Marc Ambinder: Messiah W...ell, Actually...

Isabel Wilkinson / The Huffington Post:

A Week In John McCain's Shoes — His $520 Ferragamo Loafers, That Is — This summer John McCain is traveling in style. He has worn a pair of $520 black leather Ferragamo shoes on every recent campaign stop — from a news conference with the Dalai Lama to a supermarket visit in Bethlehem …

Discussion: The Field on the Narcosphere, The Nation, Matthew Yglesias, The Carpetbagger Report, Outside The Beltway, The Anonymous Liberal, Political Radar, Booman Tribune and The RBC

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Keeping Track — I note with interest today, John McCain's new tactic of associating Barack Obama with oversexed and/or promiscuous young white women. (See today's new ad and this from yesterday.) Presumably, a la Harold Ford 2006, this will be one of those strategies that will be a matter …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, TPM Election Central, Shakesville, PoliticalBase.com Blog, The Caucus, Balloon Juice and Don Surber

Jim Rutenberg / New York Times:

With Commercial, McCain Gets Much More Than His Money's Worth — WASHINGTON — The number of times Senator John McCain's new advertisement attacking Senator Barack Obama for canceling a visit with wounded troops in Germany last week has been shown fully or partly on local, national and cable newscasts: well into the hundreds.

Discussion: Wake up America, FiveThirtyEight.com, Hot Air, The Caucus, Gawker, Open Left, TPM Election Central and Newsweek Blogs

New York Times:

Low-Road Express — Well, that certainly didn't take long. On July 3, news reports said Senator John McCain, worried that he might lose the election before it truly started, opened his doors to disciples of Karl Rove from the 2004 campaign and the Bush White House. Less than a month later, the results are on full display.

Discussion: The Carpetbagger Report, QandO, Commentary, Political Machine, Hot Air, Martini Revolution and The Washington Independent

Ben Smith / The Politico: McCain campaign backs off ‘cameras’ charge

Michael Goldfarb / John McCain Report blog:
Eleven Different Excuses

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog

Washington Post:
McCain Charge Against Obama Lacks Evidence

The Hill:

50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill 2008 - Top 10 — Political party: Democrat. — Dating status: “Happily single” — She's striking - and accident-prone. — Three weeks ago, Tulani Elisa, a legislative assistant for Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), fell down while going up the Metro escalator that leads into Dupont Circle.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias and skippy the bush kangaroo

The Hill:
The Hill's 50 Most Beautiful 2008 — Welcome to The Hill's fifth …

Discussion: The Swamp

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Audio: This is not the Ludacris that Barack Obama thought he knew; Update: Obama spokesman condemns — It hasn't gained enough critical media mass yet to warrant the pro forma denunciatory campaign statement, but the week is still young. Lyrics are available in the YouTube sidebar …

Discussion: American Power, ATTACKERMAN, Gateway Pundit and American Spectator

Amanda Erickson / The Swamp:
Obama + Ludacris = best friends 4eva

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs

Jill Zuckman / The Swamp:
Obama ‘biggest celebrity in world’ but...

Discussion: Jonathan Martin's Blogs and Taylor Marsh

Mother Jones:

There's Something About Mary: Unmasking a Gun Lobby Mole — NEWS: Mary McFate was a prominent gun control activist. Mary Lou Sapone was a freelance spy with an NRA connection. They are the same person. A Mother Jones investigation. — This is the story of two Marys.

Discussion: MoJoBlog, Blue Girl, Red State, Washington Monthly and Matthew Yglesias

National Enquirer:

EDWARDS' HU$H MONEY TO MISTRESS — A NATIONAL ENQUIRER investigation has uncovered John Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter - the mother of his “love child” - has been secretly receiving $15,000 a month as part of an elaborate cover-up orchestrated by the former presidential contender.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, LAist, Pajamas Media, Wake up America, DBKP, Don Surber, Gawker and Political Machine

Carol Marin / Chicago Sun Times:

Women voters aren't warming to ‘cool’ Obama — The Obama campaign has a woman problem. How big? How small? It's not clear, but in a close election, small can be big. — And Michelle Obama spoke to it Monday in Chicago. — Departing from her prepared remarks …

Discussion: protein wisdom, Real Clear Politics, Daily Kos, Booman Tribune and TIME.com

David Stout / New York Times:

Democrats Call for Contempt Charges Against Rove — WASHINGTON — Democrats on both sides of the Capitol assailed the administration's handling of the Justice Department yet again on Wednesday, and a House committee recommended contempt charges against Karl Rove, who was President Bush's top political adviser.

Discussion: TPMMuckraker, Salon and The Carpetbagger Report

Andy Barr / The Hill:
House Judiciary Committee holds Rove in contempt

Discussion: michellemalkin.com

Jerusalem Post:

Olmert says he will resign after Kadima elects new leader — Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held a special press conference on Wednesday at 8 p.m. where he announced he will not run in the Kadima primary scheduled to take place in September, adding that he would resign from office upon selection of a successor …

Discussion: The New Republic

Carl / Israel Matzav:
Olmert won't run for Kadima leadership (liveblog)

Discussion: Hot Air and Commentary

Wall Street Journal:

McCain's Tax Blunder — One of the miracles of this Presidential election campaign is that John McCain still has a chance to win, notwithstanding his best attempts to kick it away. In his latest random policy improvisation, the Arizona Senator tried to give up the tax issue.

Discussion: The Caucus and TIME.com

Gallup:

Gallup Daily: Presidential Race Tightens to 4 Points — PRINCETON, NJ — After moving into a nine percentage point lead over John McCain in Gallup Poll Daily tracking of national registered voters this past weekend, Barack Obama now leads by just four points, 46% to 42%.

Discussion: www.redstate.com