Mark Salter, John McCain’s obstreperous senior aide, just responded to Time’s query about the New York Times’s long-simmering McCain-mixed-up-with-lobbyists story. Speaking from a parking garage in Toledo, where the campaign is overnighting, Salter vehemently denied any improper relationship between the lobbyist singled out in the piece and the senator. He also attempted to cast doubt [...]

Re: That Olbermann-Matthews exchange: Texas Senator Kirk Watson blogs about his national humiliation at the hands of Chris Matthews (now playing on Youtube): And my mind went blank. I expected to be asked about the primary that night, or the big one coming up in Texas on March 4, or just about anything else in [...]

• “If speeches could create jobs, we wouldn’t be facing a recession. But it takes more.” [Politico] • “Olbermann: In defense of Sen. Obama and also in context, can you name one accomplishment of the US Senate in the last seven years? Matthews: That’s a broader question requiring a larger preparation. Olbermann: Yeah, you don’t [...]

CQ runs the numbers (my emphasis: would like to see the crosstabs on that…): The number of Americans who disapprove of President Bush’s performance on seven major issues has grown, according to two new polls released Wednesday. A Feb.11-14 Gallup poll says that overall, 65 percent of Americans disapprove of the president’s performance compared to [...]

A lot has been made in recent days over Barack Obama’s reversal of his pledge* to stay within the federal campaign finance system in the general election. Today’s USA Today editorializes: Sen. Barack Obama sells himself as the candidate of “change,” the candidate of reform, the man who’ll shake up Washington’s business-as-usual mentality. But before [...]

A colleague makes a good point: The funny thing is, the reporters the blogosphere hates the most (exhibit A: Broder) are the ones who spend the most time talking to voters, while the ones they lionize never come out from behind their keyboards. I think another key lesson is: What happens at campaign “events” is [...]

Jeez, maybe it’s because I’ve only covered nine presidential campaigns, but I find it difficult to make sweeping generalizations about presidential campaigns or the coverage thereof. 1. While luck and quick reflexes have a lot to do with the success of campaigns, I have covered more than a few that have been brilliant tactically or [...]

I’ve learned a lot from this first go-round at covering a presidential campaign up close and personal, from the mundane (power outlets are the new pay phones) to the mildly alarming (reporters, on the whole, detest talking to actual voters). One realization that could be either heartening or disappointing, depending on your level of paranoia, [...]

A curious passage from John McCain’s victory speech last night: Or will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested invading our ally, Pakistan, and sitting down without pre-conditions or clear purpose with enemies who support terrorists and are intent on destabilizing the world by acquiring nuclear weapons? In time, I’m [...]