memeorandum: Linking Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears was calculated (Melissa McEwan/Guardian)

5:00 PM ET, August 2, 2008

Top Items:

Running While Black — Gee, I wonder why, if you have a black man running for high public office — say, Barack Obama or Harold Ford — the opposition feels compelled to run low-life political ads featuring tacky, sexually provocative white women who have no connection whatsoever to the black male candidates.

Discussion: JammieWearingFool, The Strata-Sphere, The Reaction, Booman Tribune, Confederate Yankee, The Sideshow, Balloon Juice, The Mahablog and Brilliant at Breakfast

Melissa McEwan / Guardian:

Linking Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears was calculated — By linking Barack Obama with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, Republicans tap racist fears of black men and white women — This is a lesson in how dog whistles work. — If you're not familiar with the term “dog whistle …

Discussion: American Spectator, The Huffington Post and The Other McCain

Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft:

The Fairy Tale Revisited — Barack Obama is having a press conference this morning and it is being dominated by questions about the ‘race card.’ That makes it a good press conference for McCain. The big hook for McCain is the fact that Obama supporters disgracefully smeared Bill and Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primaries.

Discussion: State of the Day, NO QUARTER and Prometheus 6

Mike Allen / The Politico:

Obama calls McCain ‘cynical,’ not racist — Barack Obama told reporters in Titusville, Fla., on Saturday that he is at “peace” with a McCain campaign ad seeking to portray him as an airhead celebrity in the mold of Britney Spears or Paris Hilton. — “Let me be clear,” Obama said in response …

Discussion: Jonathan Martin's Blogs and The Carpetbagger Report

Dotcomabc / Political Punch:
Obama Concedes Racial Dimension to ‘Dollar Bill’ …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE and Political Perceptions

Alexander Marquardt / CNN:

Obama shifts on oil drilling? — ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) - Barack Obama said Friday that he would be willing to compromise on his position against offshore oil drilling if it were part of a more overarching strategy to lower energy costs. — “My interest is in making sure we've got the kind …

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, The Swamp, Balloon Juice, Donklephant and The Seminal

Michael C. Bender / Palm Beach Post:

Obama would consider off-shore drilling as part of comprehensive energy plan — ST. PETERSBURG — U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said today he would be willing to open Florida's coast for more oil drilling if it meant winning approval for broad energy changes. — “My interest is in making sure we've got …

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, Marc Ambinder, Hot Air, The Gun Toting Liberal?, OregonLive.com, Raising Kaine, Wake up America, Stop The ACLU, The Moderate Voice, Right Wing News, QandO, The Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times, Texas on the Potomac, NO QUARTER, Patterico's Pontifications, The Buzz and St. Petersburg Times

David Lightman / McClatchy Washington Bureau:

In major change, Obama says he'll support offshore drilling — WASHINGTON — Barack Obama Friday dropped his opposition to offshore oil drilling, saying he could go along with the idea if it was part of a broader energy package. — Obama made his comments in St. Petersburg during an interview with the Palm Beach Post.

Discussion: Political Radar, The News Buckit, American Spectator and www.redstate.com

Mark Silva / The Swamp:
Obama: McCain waging ‘cynical’ campaign

Discussion: TIME.com, LiberalOasis, Liberal Values, Washington Post and CNN

New York Times:

Anthrax Suspect's Death Is Dark End for a Family Man — FREDERICK, Md. — Bruce E. Ivins arrived last month for a group counseling session at a psychiatric center here in his hometown with a startling announcement: Facing the prospect of murder charges, he had bought a bulletproof vest …

Discussion: TalkLeft, Emptywheel, Althouse, Los Angeles Times and KIKO'S HOUSE

Washington Post:
A Scientist's Quiet Life Took a Darker Turn

Discussion: D-Day and The BRAD BLOG

David Willman / Los Angeles Times:
Anthrax scientist Bruce Ivins stood to benefit from a panic

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The New Republic, Gothamist, Daimnation! and Washington Post

Little Green Footballs:

A Big IE7 Problem on the Web — I've confirmed that there's some kind of problem on the Internet, that only seems to affect users of the Internet Explorer 7 web browser. Attempting to browse to many sites results in an ‘Operation Aborted’ error. No information about the problem elsewhere yet ... stay tuned.

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, Wake up America, Gateway Pundit, The American Mind, Sister Toldjah, Hot Air, Flopping Aces and Viking Pundit

Kim Zetter / Threat Level:
Web Sites Using SiteMeter Are Crashing with Internet Explorer

Discussion: Pam's House Blend, American Power, Pharyngula and Brutally Honest

Tom Maguire / JustOneMinute:

So In The Tank They Don't Know They Are In The Tank — Michael Powell of the Times probably does not even realize how laughably tilted his first two paragraphs are in his story about Obama and race. … Let's see - Barack “57 States” Obama is a man of few rhetorical stumbles?

Michael Powell / New York Times:
With Genie Out of Bottle, Obama Is Careful on Race

Discussion: Comments from Left Field, Liberal Values, Hot Air, American Power, Flopping Aces, Prometheus 6, NO QUARTER, Spin Cycle, marbury, JammieWearingFool, Commentary, Guardian, Althouse and Talking Points Memo

Dan Balz / The Trail:
Race Card Charges and Campaign Discord Mark Dog Days of Summer

Discussion: The Caucus, Hot Air, Connecting.the.Dots, Patterico's Pontifications, CNN, Taylor Marsh, Talking Points Memo, TIME.com and Blog entry

Media Matters for America:

Rather than acknowledge flaws in Obama column, Wash. Post 's Milbank mocked critics in online chat as “whiners” — In a July 31 washingtonpost.com online discussion, Dana Milbank dismissed participants' criticisms of his July 30 column — a “sketch” of Sen. Barack Obama's “premature presidency” — as “whines.”

Discussion: D-Day

Stanley Kurtz / Weekly Standard:

Barack Obama's Lost Years — The senator's tenure as a state legislator reveals him to be an old-fashioned, big government, race-conscious liberal. — Barack Obama's neighborhood newspaper, the Hyde Park Herald, has a longstanding tradition of opening its pages to elected officials …

Discussion: Eunomia

John McCormick / The Swamp:

Emanuel to be Obama's debate negotiator — Sen. Barack Obama's campaign released a letter today to the Commission on Presidential Debates that accepts their framework for three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate. — Campaign manager David Plouffe's language in the letter …

Discussion: Jonathan Martin's Blogs and www.redstate.com

Christopher Wills / Associated Press:

Obama opposes reparations for slavery — SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama opposes offering reparations to the descendants of slaves, putting him at odds with some black groups and leaders. — The man with a serious chance to become the nation's …

Discussion: Little Green Footballs, Wake up America and Gateway Pundit

Michael Cooper / The Caucus:
At Urban League, McCain Faces Skeptics

Discussion: TalkLeft, TIME.com and TPM Election Central

Zeeshan Haider / Reuters:

Pakistani Taliban deny Zawahri death report — ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A Pakistani Taliban spokesman denied on Saturday a U.S. media report that al Qaeda number two, Ayman al Zawahri, might have been killed or wounded in a U.S. missile strike in Pakistan's border region last Monday.

Discussion: The Jawa Report