http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/07/17/politics/p165005D96.DTL

DNC sets up independent operation to help Obama

By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer

Thursday, July 17, 2008

(07-17) 21:35 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) –

EXCERPT

The Democratic National Committee plans to target Republican John McCain and help Democrat Barack Obama with an independent ad campaign run by veteran Democratic strategist Jonathan Prince, Democrats familiar with the decision said Thursday.

By law, the effort would be prohibited from coordinating with either Obama’s presidential campaign or with the DNC. The ads would be financed with party money, however.

The Democrats asked for anonymity because the decision had not yet been formally announced.
Prince was deputy campaign manager for John Edward’s presidential campaigns this year and in 2004, and has experience running independent advertising efforts for Democrats. In 2004, he headed Citizens for a Strong Senate, which spent $10 million airing ads that supported Democratic Senate candidates. The group’s ad maker was David Axelrod, now a senior adviser to Obama.

The decision by the DNC puts to rest doubts about whether the party had any intention of helping Obama through independent expenditures.

The bottom of the barrel is where you belong in my humble opinion.. that is shared by many many others who think you are a total kook!

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Appeals judges at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal upheld the conviction Thursday of a Yugoslav army general for overseeing the deadly 1991 shelling of the historic coastal city of Dubrovnik.

The five-judge appeals panel also added two more counts to Gen. Pavle Strugar’s original 2005 conviction.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080717/ap_on_re_eu/war_crimes_croatia;_ylt=AqppbLJkZV9Sdc28kQ692sdNYhAF

Maybe Gen.Petraeus should lawyer up?

Obama finally appears motivated to visit the EU as well. Timing is everything?

Once Obama’s mentor, Alice Palmer now campaigns for ClintonOne bonus for Barack Obama as he campaigns in Indiana is that so many friends from his home state can just drive across the state line to help him out.

Then again, it’s also a short trip for the occasional hometown pol who has been doublecrossed by Obama, such as one featured guest doing the Hoosier tour today for Obama’s opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Joining Chelsea Clinton and other women to campaign for Hillary Clinton today is Alice Palmer. She’s the former state senator who picked Obama to be her successor back in the mid-90s.

When she tried to reclaim her spot, Obama got her booted from the ballot.

The day of campaigning culminates tonight with a “Women for Hillary” rally in New Albany. The women plan to talk about Clinton’s plans for the economy, job creation and the middle class.

Palmer’s story is more familiar in Chicago than it is in Indiana, even in the northwest section of Hoosierland that consumes so much of the Chicago news media. Still, the national press has shown an interest in the early account of Obama playing hardball, and Palmer’s presence may remind some of them of the story.

We’ll likely hear more about her — and them.

– Christi Parsons

http://www.johnmccain.com/videolanding/documentary.htm