Via Marc Ambinder:

"Sen. John McCain's campaign is finishing a hard-hitting television ad highlighting Barack Obama's ties to shady Chicago land dealer Tony Rezko, the one-time Obama patron who was convicted earlier this summer of fraud.

A campaign official said that the decision to Go Rezko was Obama's.  'He's opened the door to this,' the official said."

"I think all these trial balloons are just a distraction.  He doesn't need to vet her (very much) because its already been done. She already has a Wed. speaking spot which is normally the day for the VP, so it's convenient while also being suspicious. I'm sick of hearing that he won't do it because of Bill. If Obama is smart enough to be president then he should be smart enough to figure out what to do with Bill. He's going to be dealing with leaders tougher than that. All of the VP names that are being tossed around have their downsides. She's the only one that could really give him the boost he needs. There are still nearly 25% of Clinton supporters pledging not to vote for him. I'd say the campaign is in panic mode right now. But it could be someone that hasn't even been mentioned. Either way, I think we are being set up for a surprise."

"With the Republican Party’s brand in shambles, it is important for the Party to showcase those leaders who are currently in office fighting to preserve the limited-government, free-market principles the GOP used to stand for. 

In the Senate, Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint have waged a two-man war on wasteful spending.  In the House of Representatives, conservative leaders like Jeff Flake (AZ-06), John Shadegg (AZ-03), Jeb Hensarling (TX-05), Mike Pence (IN-06), and Paul Ryan (WI-01) have never wavered in their commitment to free-market principles and have been major players in the Republican Study Committee.  And of all the Republican governors in the country, Mark Sanford of South Carolina has the strongest record of fighting for limited government and economic freedom."

From Arnold to Cheney to Rudy -- it's hard to tell the difference between much of the '08 lineup and the '04 lineup.  Of course, the goal is to present a diverse party to the public -- but this strategy does little to reinforce the message that this is a new up-and-coming GOP.  

Conservatives, no doubt, will appreciate the inclusion of new leaders like Palin and Jindal -- but it does seem the Club has a point.  ... Granted, the convention shouldn't become an RSC meeting, but a Flake, Pence, or Sanford might have been nice ...

The Club's press release closes with a quote from Club president Pat Toomey, who says:  "We hope Senator McCain will broaden the list of speakers and demonstrate his commitment to reclaiming the mantle of fiscal conservatism for the GOP.” 

The presidential campaigns issued a joint statement this morning, outlining the presidential debates:

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, the McCain and Obama campaigns released the following statement on the Presidential debates:

"The Barack Obama and John McCain campaigns have agreed to hold three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate in September and October sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The campaigns have come to the earliest agreement on presidential debates reached in any general election in recent history. This announcement reflects the presidential campaigns' agreement on dates, locations, and the formats for the fall debates. Campaign-appointed debate negotiators House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said they were pleased to have reached an early agreement to provide the American people with the opportunity to see and hear the candidates debate the critical issues facing the country. The two campaigns have accepted sponsorship of the debates by the Commission on Presidential Debates, subject to the debates being conducted under the terms of their agreement."

Summary Of McCain-Obama Debate Agreement:

The two campaigns agreed today on a framework for four General Election debates, to be sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Key elements of the agreement are:

1. First Presidential Debate:

 - Date: September 26
 - Site: University of Mississippi
 - Topic: Foreign Policy & National Security
 - Moderator: Jim Lehrer
 - Staging: Podium debate
 - Answer Format: The debate will be broken into nine, 9-minute segments. The moderator will introduce a topic and allow each candidate 2 minutes to comment. After these initial answers, the moderator will facilitate an open discussion of the topic for the remaining 5 minutes, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment

2. Vice Presidential Debate

 - Date: October 2nd
 - Site: Washington University (St. Louis)
 - Moderator: Gwen Ifill
 - Staging/Answer Format: To be resolved after both parties' Vice Presidential nominees are selected.
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Dan Flynn thinks it's a mistake to give Rudy Giuliani the keynote address spot at the GOP convention:

"Shouldn't a convention keynote address be delivered by someone representing the future of a party? Democrats get this. Ann Richards gave a fiery keynote speech in 1988. Two years later, she was governor of Texas. Barack Obama delivered the keynote in 2004. Four years later....

Rather than elevate fresh talent, Republicans awarded the coveted keynote slot to Rudy Giuliani, a sixtysomething cancer and combover survivor who last held elective office more than six years ago. He balked at taking on Hillary. He bombed in this year's Republican primaries. And now he's the keynote speaker?"