By: Suzanne Rosenberg In today's news from newspaper campaign blogs: Race, religion and Arabs raise the temperature of the campaign; William F. Buckley's "conservative" son goes for Obama; and McCain may have to face the music on Letterman.
Atonement is good for the soulThe Fix
The Washington Post
Chris Cillizza
Cillizza kicks off his blog this morning with an apology: He had reported big GOP ad buys in Maine, suggesting that they thought Sen. Susan Collins was in trouble. Turns out they might have been simply to reach some people in the ?toss-up? state of New Hampshire. Cillizza also updates his ?electoral? map, declaring that Obama is holding firm with 311 electoral votes. He may need to make an update -- his own paper?s poll today (done with ABC) shows Obama with a whopping 10% margin.
Campaign tone heats up over raceWashington Wire
Wall Street Journal
By Laura Meckler
Over the weekend, a brief firestorm sprang up and back and forth between the Obama and McCain campaigns over its overall tone. Comments made by the legendary civil rights leader Rep. John L. Lewis, which were posted on his re-election site, made tempers rise. He wrote that he was deeply disturbed by the "negative tone" of the McCain campaign and suggested that the McCain- Palin team, like the infamous segregationist George Wallace, was "sowing the seeds of hatred ? playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all." The McCain campaign suggested that Lewis' comments were meant to stifle and "intimidate" criticism of Obama. In turn, according to Laura Meckler of the Washington Wire, Obama's spokesman responded, suggesting that while Lewis? policy criticism is in no way comparable to George Wallace and his segregationist policies, John Lewis was right to condemn some of the "hateful rhetoric" that McCain himself once personally rebuked.
Hot tempers on the campaign trailPolitical Intelligence
Boston Globe
By Sasha Issenberg
Perhaps the negativity in the McCain ad campaign is beginning to actually catch up with the Republican candidate this week. John McCain was booed at a town hall meeting when he rebuked a man who said he was "scared to bring a child up" under an Obama presidency. McCain had to tell the man that Obama is a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States." The audience audibly voiced its disapproval as McCain said this, according to Sasha Issenberg of Political Intelligence. McCain was also forced to take a microphone from the hands of a woman who called Obama "an Arab" and scolded her, saying "He's a decent family man that I happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. " Again McCain met with little approval from his audience.
McCain to face the music on Letterman?The Caucus
The New York Times
By Brian Stelter
After canceling his appearance on the Letterman show on Sept. 24, saying he was returning to Washington to help with the financial crisis -- but then turning up on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric -- John McCain will get a chance to repair his relationship with the host of "The Late Show" the day after the final presidential debate this Thursday, Oct. 16. Although McCain has appeared on Letterman?s show 13 times, I'm sure he can expect a razzing.
Buckley?s son to go for ObamaThe Swamp
Chicago Tribune
By Frank James
Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley Jr., the newspaper columnist founder of the conservative movement's leading periodical, has endorsed democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Christopher Buckley, a former Esquire editor and White House speech- writer (Bush 41), insists he has not become a liberal, according to The Swamp's Frank James. Buckley asserts that he has become so disappointed with Sen. John McCain that it has forced him to embrace Obama and his campaign. According to Buckley "this campaign has changed John McCain" making him inauthentic. As for Senator Obama, he is, ?it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."
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:
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