Ezra Klein argues that John McCain actually isn't the same as George Bush:
Give the Obama campaign this: They have message consistency. John McCain is "more of the same." He voted with George W. Bush "more than 90 percent of the time." He even admits to "[sharing] a common philosophy of the Republican Party" with Bush. Obama campaign allies have taken up the call with a single-mindedness not seen since Republicans discovered the political potency of summer footwear in the 2004 election. In one of the best-received lines at the Democratic Convention in Denver, Bob Casey, Jr. said, "John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush 90 percent of the time. That's not a maverick. That's a sidekick." Paul Begala just released a book called Third Term: Why George W. Bush (Hearts) John McCain, and the Center for American Progress Action Fund partnered with Media Matters and Progressive Accountability to produce a documentary of the same name (full disclosure: I was interviewed for the health care portion of the film). It's been an impressive concentration of focus, particularly as compared to the McCain campaign, which has exhibited the attention span of a fruit fly.
Alexander Wohl looks at the next president's ability to shape appellate courts:
But often neglected in the hype surrounding the future makeup of the Supreme Court and the hot-button issues that frequent its docket, is the considerable opportunity for the next president to shape the legal landscape through appointments to the 13 federal appellate courts. The Supreme Court hears arguments in only about 75 cases a year, while the geographically representative federal appeals courts provide the final decision in more than 60,000 cases annually. For most Americans therefore, it is the so-called lower federal appellate court, rather than the justices in their fabled marble temple in Washington, that will truly be the "court of last resort." This year, the potential impact of the next president on the federal courts of appeals is especially noteworthy.
Alyssa Rosenberg wonders what will become of TV shows with characters who are dissatisfied with their jobs now that the economy is in trouble:
Earl Hickey, Pam Beesly, Liz Lemon, and Jack Donaghy have next to nothing in common. They are, respectively, a small-time crook obsessed with heavy metal and karma, a receptionist with a flair for practical jokes, a TV writer unable to resist carbs, and a General Electric executive taken with the power of the market. But as the central characters in the three comedies that form the core of NBC's Thursday-night lineup, they have one thing in common: Their jobs are driving them crazy.
And, in our races to watch series, Carolyn Petri reports on endangered Democratic Rep. Paul Kanjorski and his challenger, anti-immigration icon Lou Barletta, and Brentin Mock reports on congressional candidate Josh Segall in Alabama.
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—The Editors
