'Light Speed is Too Slow?'
Show Us the Money!
July 16, 2008— -- The pace on the campaign trail has been somewhere around ludicrous speed for the last 10 days, with Barack Obama and John McCain trying to talk about the economy last week, only to have their messages overtaken by surrogates gone wild and Senate votes, and with them ratcheting up the pressure on each other on foreign policy and national security.
It's Thursday and that means… a battleground state town hall meeting for McCain (where he still is flying solo). McCain sits down with local interviewers in Kansas City, MO and attends a fundraiser later in the evening in Ferrysburg, MI.
Obama has no public events.
Thursday marks a rare day where it appears like it is quiet on the campaign trail – and with the absence of a packed campaign schedule, it's only inevitable that on a hot and humid summer day the attention of politicos and journalists will turn to Veepstakes (and continuing to click on the latest Jib Jab video link).
Today Obama campaigned with potential VP candidates Sam Nunn and Evan Bayh in West Lafayette, IN and ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports that "an overzealous, on message" Bayh did most of the talking, even jumping in when a reporter asked Nunn a specific question.
But alas, the only time that Bayh held his tongue? When he was asked: "Are either of you interested in being VP?"
"Sam, I haven't let you answer any questions," Bayh responded immediately demurring, for the first time yielding the podium to Nunn, Miller reports. She also notes that Nunn said that while he is honored to be mentioned, he has "never aspired to that office," and that he has "no expectation of being offered any office."
Bayh was less candid but equally flattered: "Well, I love serving the people of Indiana, and um any questions about the vice presidential thing, I think, are understandable and it's good for my ego but I should probably let Senator Obama and his campaign address those kind of questions."
Have they received inquires from Obama's VP search team? Neither would say.
Keep an eye out for…The Obama campaign's June fundraising figures. They are due at the FEC on the 20th. If they are huge, it would seem likely the campaign releases them on Thursday to take get a storyline on a day when the candidate has no public events. If they are disappointing (and of course the standard for Obama's fundraising figures is vastly different now that he has opted out of the public finance system…) then there may not be any release until the end of the week and weekend (perhaps timed to other, larger news the campaign will have to tout).
Party like it's 1992…Former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore both hold public events tomorrow. The former president delivering what the Clinton Foundation calls a "major announcement" with leading drug manufacturers at his Harlem Office. Gore delivers remarks in Washington DC and will "outline his bold vision for the future of America's energy needs." Gore will talk about news ways of looking at energy production and consumption and pursuing energy security. The former VP sits down for several television interviews after his remarks.
On the campaign front. . .
JOHN MCCAIN
-- 12:30 pm ET: Attends town hall meeting with voters, Kansas City, MO.
-- 2:00 pm ET: Attends local interviews.
-- 6:00 pm ET: Attends fundraiser, Ferrysburg, MI.
-- Overnight in Detroit.
BARACK OBAMA
-- No public events.
MICHELLE OBAMA
-- Attends event in Bellevue, WA.
-- 12:00 pm ET: Attends fundraising event, Seattle, WA.
BILL CLINTON
-- 12:45 PM: President Clinton makes a Clinton foundation announcement in New York, NY.
AL GORE
-- 12:00 pm ET: Holds a discussion on the future of America's energy needs, Washington, DC.
At the White House. . .
PRESIDENT BUSH
-- Attends briefing on California wildfires.
-- 9:10 pm ET: Attends a private Republican party reception, Napa, CA.
COMMERCE DEPARTMENT
-- 8:30 am ET: Releases June housing starts report.
POLITICAL NEWS STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM
ABC News' Ron Claiborne: McCain Praises Obama at NAACP LINK
ABC News' Sara Just: New JibJab Video Enters 2008 Campaign LINK
ABC News' Ron Claiborne: McCain Proposes Additional Troops for Afghanistan LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper: NYT Finds Little Racial Progress Evident in Obama Run; Obama Camp Pushes Back LINK
ABC News' Sunlen Miller: Bayh and Nunn on Obama Veepstakes LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper: McCain Doesn't Want Ellen DeGeneres to Adopt Kids…Or Does He? LINK
ABC News' Sunlen Miller: Obama: New Yorker Cover Probably Fuels Misconceptions LINK
ABC News' Aaron Katersky: Congress Considers Lifting 20 Year Ban on HIV/AIDS Visas LINK
ABC News' Natalie Gewargis: Test Your Obama I.Q.: From Turkey Legs to Flip-Flops (The Kind You Wear On Your Feet) LINK
ABC News' Jennifer Duck: McCain Talks Education Reform at NAACP LINK
ABC News' Jake Tapper: The Daily Show on the New Yorker Cover LINK
ABC News' Tahman Bradley: Planned Parenthood TV Ad Knocks McCain on Birth Control LINK
ABC News' Matt Stuart: Did Romney Predict McCain Defeat to Obama? LINK
POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM
Romney: McCain No Match for Obama
Romney says McCain's experience won't "stand up" to Obama's message. LINK
Mix 'N Match
Obama and McCain must pick their potential number twos. LINK
McCain Offers Obama Praise at NAACP
Sen. McCain acknowledges Sen. Obama's historic candidacy during convention. LINK
JibJab Takes a Jab at Election
Obama rides a unicorn in the latest political satire from JibJab.Com. LINK
Kimmel: Bush Has a Magic Wand
Jimmy Kimmel makes some changes to the president's press conference. LINK
Bernanke on Capitol Hill
The Federal Reserve chief is set to testify on the economy. LINK
The Bottom Line on the Voters
George Stephanopoulos analyzes some recent polls. LINK
Kimmel: McCain's Tech Trouble
Jimmy Kimmel pokes fun at the senator's level of familiarity with technology. LINK
Economists: 'We've Got Problems'
Three of the top economic advisors weigh in on the ailing U.S. economy. LINK
Foreign Policy Is Obama's Achilles' Heel
George Stephanopoulos on poll results revealing voters' stance on the candidate. LINK