memeorandum: White House lifts curtain on Bush's Katrina speech, avoids stepping … (James Gerstenzang/The LA Times …)

10:15 PM ET, August 19, 2008

Top Items:

Biden on Obama's VP Pick: 'I'm Not The Guy' — ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf and Jennifer Parker report: As Delaware Sen. Joe Biden was leaving his house in Wilmington this afternoon, he slowed down and said to the gathered news reporters outside his home: “Hey guys, I'm not the guy. See ya.”

Discussion: Firedoglake, TalkLeft, The Washington Note, Christian Science Monitor, The Moderate Voice and MyDD

Howard Fineman / MSNBC:

Biden the clear frontrunner for Veep — Foreign Relations Committee chairman has globe-trotting credentials — ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - I've recently spoken with two of the finalists for the role of Barack Obama's running-mate, and to two other sources who are close to the process.

Discussion: Deadline USA, Wake up America, The Swamp, CNN, CBS News, Christian Science Monitor, The Caucus, The New Republic, Bloomberg, Achenblog, The Huffington Post, Blogs of War, Newsweek Blogs, The Moderate Voice, TIME.com and TalkLeft

TheFounder / Tribble Ad Agency:

Barack Obama chooses Kathleen Sebelius for Vice President — We have a credible lead that Barack Obama will be announcing Kathleen Sebelius for Vice President / VP. — Our sources work within an ad agency that is hired by the Obama campaign, and have noted that the vast majority …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Political Punch, Wizbang, Marc Ambinder and pandagon.net

John F. Harris / The Politico:

Nader predicts Obama to pick Clinton — Count Ralph Nader as unimpressed by the crop of supposed finalists to be Barack Obama's running mate. — “I don't think he's that dumb,” said Nader, commenting on widespread speculation that Obama's choices are down to Sens. Joe Biden, Evan Bayh, or Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine.

Discussion: The Corner and Hot Air

Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:

BIDEN: 'I'M NOT THE GUY' — From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli — As Delaware Sen. Joe Biden left his home a few minutes ago, golf clubs in tow, he was asked where he was going to be on Saturday. — Biden replied, “Here” and pointed down to his driveway. — As he pulled out of the driveway …

Discussion: Firedoglake and Hot Air

Alexander Mooney / CNN:
Obama gives a shout out to his VP?

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, Salon, The Moderate Voice and Open Left

Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft: Biden: “I'm Not The Guy”

Bill Carter / TV Decoder:

Rachel Maddow to Replace Dan Abrams on MSNBC — Rachel Maddow, shown filling in for Keith Olbermann on “Countdown” last month. Ms. Maddow will host the 9 p.m. hour beginning Sept. 8. (Ress Greenberg/ New York Times) — Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election …

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, TalkLeft, NewsBusters.org, TVNewser, Daily Kos, Oliver Willis, The Impolitic, Pensito Review and Wonkette

Keith Olbermann / Daily Kos:

Rachel Gets Her Own MSNBC Show — Happy Now? — The network will be formally announcing this tomorrow, but I am pleased to inform you in this fully authorized leak, that as of Monday, September 8, our mutual friend Ms. Maddow will become host of her own show, on MSNBC, at 9 PM Eastern Time.

Discussion: Think Progress, Political Machine, ATTACKERMAN, The Nation, TV Decoder and Majikthise

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:
Maddow Gets Her Own MSNBC Show

Discussion: Brilliant at Breakfast and Open Left

Michael Finnegan / Los Angeles Times:

Barack Obama's image suffers amid John McCain attacks, poll finds — People watch as Sen. Obama arrives at the Sheraton hotel today in Raleigh North Carolina. McCain and his allies have portrayed Obama in recent weeks as a naive celebrity who is unprepared to lead the nation in dangerous times.

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog, TalkLeft, Daily Kos, Top of the Ticket, The Corner, Boston Globe, The Other McCain, The Strata-Sphere, TPM Election Central, JammieWearingFool, Gateway Pundit, Oliver Willis and Quinnipiac University

Alexander Mooney / CNN:

CNN poll of polls: Obama lead cut in half — (CNN) — In what could be an ominous sign for Barack Obama just days before he is formally named the Democratic presidential nominee, a new CNN poll of polls out Tuesday shows the Illinois senator's lead over John McCain has been cut in half in recent days.

Gallup:

Gallup Daily: Obama at 45%, McCain at 44% — PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama has 45% of the support of registered voters and John McCain 44% in Gallup Poll Daily tracking for Aug. 16-18, as vice presidential announcements and the two conventions loom in the near future.

Discussion: Top of the Ticket and Patterico's Pontifications

Don Frederick / Top of the Ticket:
Experience a key John McCain advantage in new L.A. Times/Bloomberg poll

Discussion: The Swamp, Hot Air, Wake up America and American Power

The Politico:

McCain weighs a Lieberman surprise — John McCain is seriously considering choosing a pro-abortion-rights running mate despite vocal resistance from conservatives, with former Democratic vice presidential nominee Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) very much in the mix, close McCain advisers say.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Hot Air, Weekly Standard Blog, The Huffington Post, The Swamp, Think Progress, Political Machine, MSNBC, Taylor Marsh, www.redstate.com, Sister Toldjah, Political Punch, The Campaign Spot, PoliticalBase.com Blog and Yahoo! News

Fox News:
RNC: McCain Won't Choose Abortion-Supporting Running Mate

Discussion: The Corner, CNN, michellemalkin.com, Don Surber, Riehl World View, The Washington Independent, No More Mister Nice Blog, FiveThirtyEight.com and Blogs of War

Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:

Solzhenitsyn Biographer: Cross-In-Dirt Gulag Story Never Happened — There's been a ton of buzz on the web for the last day or so — beginning with this Daily Kos diary — suggesting that John McCain patterned his story about a Vietamese captor drawing a cross in the dirt before him on a similar episode …

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Matthew Yglesias, BlueOregon, NO QUARTER, Ace of Spades HQ, Hot Air, Neptunus Lex, Liberal Values and Talking Points Memo

Byron York / The Corner:

More Cross-In-The-Dirt News — There appears to be a growing consensus in the pro-Obama blogosphere that John McCain didn't steal the cross-in-the-dirt story from Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Instead, he stole it from Charles Colson's 1983 book, Loving God. So a few minutes ago I asked Mark Salter …

Discussion: Weekly Standard Blog

David Gergen / CNN:

Is the tide turning? — CNN Senior Political Analyst — Heading into the candidates' appearances on Saturday night at Saddleback Church, the conventional wisdom in politics was Barack Obama should have a clear upper hand in any joint appearance with John McCain — one the young, eloquent …

Discussion: QandO, Wake up America and www.redstate.com

Lynn Sweet:

Exclusive: Obama team reserving Old State Capitol in Springfield for Saturday to showcase running mate — The Chicago Sun-Times has learned that the Obama team, in the run-up to the Democratic convention, will showcase the new Obama ticket Saturday in Springfield at the Old State Capitol …

Discussion: The Palmetto Scoop, ABCNEWS, Newsweek Blogs, Pajamas Media, Ben Smith's Blogs, Marc Ambinder, TIME.com and PoliticalBase.com Blog

Anna Mulrine / US News:

Iraq and Afghanistan — Home > Nation & World > Iraq and Afghanistan — Pentagon Plans to Send More Than 12,000 Additional Troops to Afghanistan — The U.S. commander there, in an exclusive interview, calls for a further buildup to counter the Taliban

Discussion: Think Progress, Danger Room and AMERICAN DIGEST

Jack Cafferty / CNN:

Commentary: Is McCain another George W. Bush? — Editor's Note: Jack Cafferty is the author of the best-seller “It's Getting Ugly Out There: The Frauds, Bunglers, Liars, and Losers Who Are Hurting America.” He provides commentary on CNN's “The Situation Room” daily from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. You can also visit Jack's Cafferty File blog.

Discussion: Newshoggers.com and DownWithTyranny!