CQ Politics' Web Picks

Science News: Birth of the Presidential Sound Bite

Whether for profit or prestige, the 1908 campaign was the first in which presidential candidates recorded their own voices for the mass market. "We now have Records by Mr. Bryan and Mr. Taft, so that no matter how the November election may result, we shall have Records by the next President," an advertisement in the Edison Phonograph Monthly exclaimed.

New York Times: McCain Draws Line on Attacks as Crowds Cry "Fight Back"

Senator John McCain abruptly changed his tone on Friday and told voters at a town-hall-style meeting that Mr. Obama was "a decent person" and a "family man" ... But moments later, Mr. McCain, the Republican nominee, renewed his attacks on Mr. Obama for his association with the 1960s radical William Ayers.

Slate: Ayers? Who Cares?

John McCain wants you to consider whether Barack Obama's association with unrepentant terrorist William Ayers makes him fit to be president. At the moment, this strategy appears to be working only with Republicans.

San Francisco Chronicle: McCain-Palin's Hot Rhetoric Risks GOP Backlash

Political observers say the campaign has walked the line of being risky - and even irresponsible - in aiming to fire up the GOP base by stoking fear and anger.

Weekly Standard: To Attack or Not to Attack?

Three weeks out from the 2008 election and John McCain's campaign has no discernible central theme, no succinct answer to the most basic question voters ask as they consider their choice: Why should I choose you over the other guy?

Wall Street Journal: As Economy Sputters, Working Class Women Shift to Obama

Sen. Obama trailed Sen. John McCain by 12 points among these women just two weeks ago, but has since closed the gap.

Mother Jones: Palin's Foreign Policy Experience - About 20 Meetings for About 12 Hours

The 562 pages of her daily schedules--obtained by Mother Jones under Alaska's Open Records Act - include about 20 meetings, events, or phone calls in which Palin interacted with foreign officials.

American Conservative: Street Sweeping

The amazing aptitude of Wall Street insiders to feather their own nests at the taxpayers' expense should be a crucial concern as legislators try to craft a stable and productive future for the American financial system. A key question is how Wall Street's greed can be reined in. In truth, there is no substitute for regulation