By: Suzanne Rosenberg In today's edition covering newspapers' campaign blogs, crowd estimates vary wildly for McCain/Palin in Virginia, new National Service Bill to be introduced, Chafee calls Palin a "cocky wacko" again, Udall smokin' in Colorado, and Palin action figure update
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Crowd estimates can vary wildlyTop of the Ticket
The Los Angeles Times
By Don Frederick
Predicting crowd size is a constant puzzle for local as well as press authorities. The crowds were undeniably large for McCain and Palin at the farewell rally which McCain and Palin held on Wednesday in the largely Democratic Virginia suburbs near Washington, D.C. notes L.A. Times Top of the Ticket blogger Don Frederick. The question is, how large were they? CNN went with a police estimate of 23,000, a number eagerly embraced by the GOP ticket, The NYT went with the fire marshals who estimated the crowds at 15,000. Meanwhile, Marc Fisher of the local Washington Post section counted 8000, although he did note the police estimate of 23,000 as well. Fisher does note that whatever the count, "there wasn't much question who the star of the show was."
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The only "smokin'" election is not presidentialPolitics West
Denver Post
By Michael Riley
Michael Riley of Politics West discusses the acrimonious Colorado Senate race in which a new anti-Udall ad has appeared which shows a hippie standing next to a VW Van talking about Udall's support for a Department of Peace. In the ad another hippie emerges from the side door while smoke billows out. Pot smoke? Engine overheating?
Freedom's Watch a conservative group, has close ties to a major Bush fundraiser Mel Sembler according to FCC records, paid for the state wide ad, and has tried to portray Udall as a "Boulder County liberal" or crazy liberal. The group has been talking about Udall's 35 year old marijuana bust without getting too much attention. The aggressive tactics of "plausible deniability" used by independent groups such as Freedom's Watch in particular, might make people laugh and to those already disinclined to vote for Udall it will add fodder to their fury and perhaps influence those on the fence.
Update on Palin Action figuresThe Caucus
New York Times
By Mary Ann Giordano
We have already noted the production of three distinctive Sarah Palin action figures. They are muscular figures of Palin as businesswoman, superhero and schoolgirl which cost between $27.95 and 29.95. According to Emil Vicale of Herobuilders.com., not since Baghdad Bob, Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf, the former Iraqi information minister, has the company seen such sales reports Giordano. The Palin figures have been on sale for less than a week and Vicale says his phone has not stopped ringing. Vicale also insists that he never votes and that he is "not too political, even thought my web site is very political." The company has dozens of political action figures from Senators Obama and Clinton to Tony Blair and Vladimir V. Putin.
Kennedy to introduce sweeping national service bill todayPolitical Intelligence
Boston Globe
By Susan Milligan/Globe staff
While speaking at the Service Nation event at Columbia University last night with rival Senator John McCain, Senator Obama clued the public in to the fact that Senator Edward M. Kennedy will introduce a sweeping national service bill into legislation today. According to Ms. Milligan, this will be the first piece of legislation to be introduced by Senator Kennedy since being diagnosed with malignant brain cancer and returning to the Senate. The bill attempts to boost creation of a new national service organization to recruit at least 175,000 Americans of all ages to work in health, education, environmental protection, and poverty programs and will necessitate raising five billion dollars over five years.
Trail Mix's Featured Blogs:Chicago Tribune:
The SwampLos Angeles Times:
Top of the TicketThe Boston Globe:
Political IntelligenceThe Denver Post:
Politics WestThe New York Times:
The CaucusThe Wall Street Journal:
The Washington WireThe Washington Post:
The Trail and
The FixUSA Today:
On Politics
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