Monday’s tie: Candy cane

Segue music: The Sonics - You’ve Got Your Head on Backwards

Worst Person in the World: Stuart Shepard of Focus on the Family wants us all to pray for it to rain on Obama’s parade in Denver.  How droll.

5.  With the conflict between Russia and Georgia ongoing, both McCain and Obama provided statements today.   Obama (speaking from his vacation in Hawaii) called for mediation and legitimate peacekeeping measures, while offering criticism to both the Russian and Georgian governments.  McCain spoke blandly and carried a big stick, telling Russia they better stand down… or else… and stuff.  Unfortunately for McCain, there are a couple of sticking points with his speech.  First, it’s being alleged that he lifted parts of it from Wikipedia.  Also, he pretty much admitted that the conflict is important to us because of oil.  Meanwhile, GWB (who also had to answer questions about the conflict with Bob Costas over the weekend) and Dick Cheney are also talking tough, urging Russia to back off, man.

But what exactly do McCain, Bush, et. al., mean to do about Russia?  Flynt Leverett of the New America Foundation isn’t too impressed thus far.   It doesn’t help that one of McCain’s top foreign policy advisers was a lobbyist for Georgia, but it also isn’t clear what exactly we can hope to gain by piling criticism on Russia.  Like it or not, the conflict is probably at least indirectly a result of the poor US/Russian relations during the Bush administration (like, if we hadn’t ignored Russia for years, the conflict might have been able to be contained or mediated).    Leverett thinks Obama’s more nuanced approach, urging negotiation to avoid the use of force, is interesting but the outcry from the neo-cons ought to drown any of that out.  Rachel Maddow also weighs in, accusing McCain’s mouth of writing checks his ass can’t cash.  She thinks he’s being overly confrontational with regards to Russia, because it’s not like he can back up any of his comments.  What are we going to do?  Send troops in to make them behave?

4.  With Obama on vacation this week, McCain should have the news cycle all to himself.  So, rather than talk about the important issues, McCain’s campaign manager naturally went on FOX News to be coy about the convention.  Namely whether McCain will make a pledge to serve only one term.   Despite the fact that McCain has already pledged to do no such thing.  (McCain’s campaign manager also said that his candidate won’t have any politics in the White House.)  Eugene Robinson thinks the one term pledge idea is a non-starter and people are just floating the idea to make the public believe that there will be some sort of drama at the convention (and this will apparently make them want to watch it).  He and Keith also discuss a report from the NYT that claims McCain’s staff is trying to limit his cell phone usage to keep him on message (Gene says it won’t work; being off-message seems to be a hallmark of the McCain campaign), and then they chuckle over the news that the GOP had a $10m shortfall in their convention funds.  Don’t worry - they’ve got all their money now.

Bushed: Tort reform advocate files “frivolous” lawsuit, continuing doubts on the guilt of anthrax terror suspect Bruce Ivins and the Iraqi government is not interested in a “time horizon,” they want a very clear timetable on US withdrawal set by the end of the month.

Oddball:  This lady really wanted a Slushie.  And your Creepy Ass Robot of the Day.

Best Persons: The Welsh have an issue with Cher, man tries to rob video store with an empty box and George Bush hates America.

3.  At some point, being a political celebrity became a bad thing.  As a response to McCain’s “Vacuous Blondes” ad, the Obama campaign released their own ad, accusing McCain of being a celebrity in his own right.   Jon Alter says the only advantage the ad has is that it shows more clips of McCain embracing Bush than of him cavorting with celebs (and helpfully points out that Obama was not a military general).  Alter contends that the new method of attacking somebody for being a celebrity comes from the taunt of “Hollywood Liberal,” which the GOP used forcefully during the Clinton administration (and we see how well it worked).  Keith is also a little confused by the ads that the candidates are choosing to run during the Olympics - Obama’s are happy and hopeful while McCain’s are dour and… McCain-esque.  And he and Jon are both confused by Howard Wolfson’s contention that if the Edwards affair had come out before the Iowa Caucuses (which would have forced Edwards to drop out then), Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic nominee right now.  Because (Monday morning quarterbacking aside), it’s not true.

2.   Sean Hannity has never brought up Obama’s race - and neither has anybody else.  And FOX News anchor Greg Jarrett somehow thinks John Edwards’ affair affects the situation in Georgia.

1.  With the election looming, McCain and Obama are still angling for one important endorsement: that of Angelina Jolie.  OHMYGODWHOCARES?!?!?!?!   Paul F. Tompkins doesn’t care.  And I really don’t care.  I get it.  She’s better than me.  She cares more… about the world… and children… and things.  But the future of the free world and indeed, this election, do not depend on the thoughts of Angelina Jolie.  (And besides, she strikes me as a Ron Paul supporter - and I’m  over half serious about that).  Paul and Keith also discuss the Bush/Costas interview and whether George Clooney and Barack Obama are BFF.  (What the hell does Angelina Jolie need a political adviser for?)