2008 Election Weekly Roundup (June 9-13, 2008)

A roundup of 2008 election news for the week of June 9-13:

• Tim Russert suddenly passed away while at work on Friday (6/13/08).
• Tom Brokaw appropriately reminds viewers to be wary of “commentary disguised as reporting.”
• McCain’s ad-libs on the campaign trail are beginning to confound reporters; thus bringing attention to them.  Some examples are McCain’s “it’s a google” statement or his suggestion that in preparation for natural disasters “We should be able to deliver bottled hot water to dehydrated babies.”
• Ohio Governor Ted Strickland (D) rules out the vice-presidency, saying: ”Absolutely not. If drafted I will not run, nominated I will not accept and if elected I will not serve. So, I don’t know how more crystal clear I can be.”
• Republicans supporting Obama (’Obamacans’) get a spot of attention this week.  A nice rundown of some of the prominent Obamacans can be found here.  And, this story will only continue to get fuel while some major players, like Colin Powell, mull the idea of supporting Obama.
• Jonathan Chait offers his analysis on the current state of the presidential race.  It’s worth a read.
• The Supreme Court extended habeus corpus rights to detainees at Guantanamo.  An excellent roundup of news/information about these decisions can be found here.  This kind of case, especially with its closeness, will continue to remind voters of the importance that this election has for the future direction of the Supreme Court.  John McCain has already called this decision one of the “worst in the history of this country.”
• McCain continues aggressively targeting Hillary supporters and independents.  Tomorrow, McCain will hold a virtual town hall tomorrow for Democratic and Independent voters.

Think there’s something missing? Please let us know (either by email or commenting).  Also, this roundup is not exhaustive and is likely to be supplemented as I digest the rest of news from this week.