Two statements from Markos Moulitsas, made minutes apart on MSNBC: 

I'm not going to carry water for Barack Obama…I'm not going to be like the Republicans who excused George Bush time and time again.

He's not tacking to the center...We're squarely behind him...At the end of the day, he's our nominee, and we're behind him 100 percent.

Via the National Review:

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YjVmNTkzMGEyYTRiYTA1OGY4ZTRmMDI2Y2Q0ZjQwNzk=

Back in 1998, Barack Obama voted against the Kyoto protocol that Al Gore fought so hard to negotiate. He wanted to please her buddies in the Illinois' coal industry.
Now he appears very excited about and supportive of Al Gore's new call for reduction in emissions.

The USA Today has an article today titled, "Obama shifts stance on environmental issues."

Analysts from both Greenpeace and the non-partisan Clean Air Watch expressed their distrust for Obama when it comes to his willingness to fight against the coal industry.

"He's definitely trying to straddle two politically irreconcilable objectives: taking decisive action against global warming while keeping a healthy coal industry," said Frank O'Donnell, president of the non-partisan Clean Air Watch. "Obama's record certainly suggests that environmentalists aren't going to be calling the shots in his administration without input from industry."


http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-07-17-obama-coal_N.htm

All the elements of the typical portayal of Barack Obama in the media are blended into this satirical piece titled, "'Time' Publishes Definitive Obama Puff Piece":

Excerpt:

"According to political analysts, the Time piece features the most lack-of-depth reporting on Obama ever published, and for the first time reveals a number of inconsequential truths about the candidate, including how he keeps in shape on the campaign trail, and which historical figures the presidential hopeful would choose to have dinner with.

"The sheer breadth of fluff in this story is something to be marveled at," New York Times Washington bureau chief Dean Baquet said. "It's all here. Favorite books, movies, meals, and seasons of the year ranked one through four. Sure, we asked Obama what his favorite ice cream was, but Time did us one better and asked, 'What's your favorite ice cream, really?'"

-Snip-

Readers have so far responded favorably to the piece, with sales of the latest issue of Time nearly tripling that of an issue last month featuring a 36-page exposé that tore apart and vilified former candidate Hillary Clinton's health-care plan.

Read it here:
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/time_publishes_definitive_obama?utm_source=onion_rss_daily

Media critic Zachary Roth of Columbia Journalism Review has some words today for New York Times' columnist Maureen Dowd, in reference to her "shockingly dumb" column last week in which, besides ripping what she saw as Obama's lacking sense of humor, she warned the senator that he is “in danger of seeming too prissy about food.”

Roth compiles other recent quips by Dowd in reference to Obama's eating habits:

•  In April, she noted that, after Obama “force-fed” himself waffles, pancakes, sausage, and a Philly cheese steak, he was “clearly a man who can’t wait to get back to his organic scrambled egg whites.”

•  The previous week, she had described him as “resisting as the natives tried to fatten him up like a foie-gras goose.”

•  And two weeks before that, she had revealed to readers that, at a Pennsylvania chocolate shop, Obama “spent most of his time skittering away from chocolate goodies, as though he were a starlet obsessing on a svelte waistline,” and that he declined a chocolate cake with frosting, saying “that’s too decadent for me.”

Contact Dowd and give her a piece of your mind.

We already know Obama's agenda, and we like it. We also know Cynthia McKinney will not be our next president. With this said, I ask you to inspect Cynthia McKinney's vote record and positions on some of the most important issues, and decide how strongly she shares a connection with you when it comes to these positions, and whether she or Obama better matches your views:

On war:

• Declares independence from Democratic Party and its war. (Mar 2008)
• Cut funding for wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (Feb 2008)
• Immediate withdrawal from Iraq & from rest of world. (Jan 2008)
• Introduced articles of impeachment at end of 2006 session. (Dec 2007)
• Voted NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date. (Jun 2006)
• Voted YES on disallowing the invasion of Kosovo. (May 1999)
• Condemns anti-Muslim bigotry in name of anti-terrorism. (Oct 2001)

On the economy:

• Keep affirmative action in college admissions. (Feb 2008)
• Supports gay adoptions. (Feb 2008)
• Repeal the Patriot Act and end Islamophobia. (Jan 2008)
• Reparations for former slaves, as promised & never delivered. (Jan 2008)
• Introduced MLK Records Act, to unseal assassination files. (Dec 2007)
• Voted NO on making the PATRIOT Act permanent. (Dec 2005)
• Voted NO on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)
• Voted NO on ending preferential treatment by race in college admissions. (May 1998)
• Supports reparations for slavery. (Aug 2001)
• Ending racial profiling is part of fight for justice. (Jan 2001)
• Constitutional Amendment for equal rights by gender. (Mar 2001)
• Require "Privacy Impact Statement" on new federal rules. (Apr 2002)
• Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks. (Dec 2005)
• Rated 80% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
• Rated 97% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)
• Supported legislation on violence against women & safety. (Jul 1999)
• Supported funding for women's and disadvantaged businesses. (Jul 1999)

On Gun control:

• Voted NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers. (Oct 2005)
• Voted NO on decreasing gun waiting period from 3 days to 1. (Jun 1999)

To view her position on other issues, visit http://www.ontheissues.org/GA/Cynthia_McKinney.htm

When George W. Bush beat John Kerry, pundits said the American people had given Bush a "mandate," because of his decisive 3% victory margin. Remember that?

But if Obama jumps to a 8% lead over his opponent, the race is said to be "close." At least that's the way the Washington Post today interpreted its own new poll, via writers Dan Balz and Jon Cohen:

"Democrat Barack Obama holds his biggest advantage of the campaign as the candidate best prepared to fix the nation's ailing economy, but lingering concerns about his readiness to handle international crises are keeping the race close, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Overall Obama holds an 8-point advantage among registered voters across the nation, lifted by a big advantage among women voters, and he has also regained an edge among political independents. But it is Obama's lead on the economy that has become a particularly steep challenge for McCain."

Get real, Balz and Cohen. What your numbers show is that Obama is kicking McCain's ass because voters are fed up with the current state of the nation.

Go back to journalism school, or be unbiased.

Update: I composed this diary this afternoon. Now the term "close" has been replaced with "competitive" to describe the race.

A recession is officially define as negative GDP growth in 2 quarters or more.

Since we have had no such scenario this year, we are not in a recession. But Barack Obama seems to have his own definition. If so, I hereby ask him to give us the details.

AP reports today:

Barack Obama said Saturday there is “little doubt we've moved into recession,” underscoring the country's need for a second economic stimulus package, swift steps to shore up the housing market and a long-term energy policy to reduce reliance on foreign oil imports.