Barack Obame continued to use the pronoun “he” when asked about his VP pick at a town hall meeting in Raleigh, NC.  Fox News’ Major Garrett picked up on it:

It wasn’t much, but Obama said “he” when asked at a town hall here just now about his unnamed vice presidential nominee.

Obama didn’t reveal any names (of course), but when describing the characteristics of his running mate, Obama usedthe word “he” three times when discussing the running mate’s approach to governing in an Obama White House.

Or maybe it’s just a typo.

[McCain's] top contenders [for VP] are said to include Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. Less traditional choices mentioned include former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, an abortion-rights supporter, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice presidential prick in 2000 who now is an independent.

At least that’s what he told the stakeout on his lawn. 

As Delaware Sen. Joe Biden left his home a few minutes ago, golf clubs in tow, he was asked where he was going to be on Saturday.

Biden replied, “Here” and pointed down to his driveway.

As he pulled out of the driveway in the driver’s seat of his car he then said to the press gathered near his gate, “You guys have better things to do. I’m not the guy.”

• With VP speculation at a fever pitch, who will Barack Obama choose as his running mate? Obama spokesman Bill Burton takes Alan inside the selection process.
• Is McCain running a campaign based on policy differences, or personal attacks? We’ll debate it.
• A new study shows that many Americans think God is more powerful than doctors at saving lives. What do you believe?

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Cindy McCain has usually referred to herself as an only child.  As it turns out, she has a half-sister, who isn’t too pleased about that.  An NPR story last week described Mrs. McCain as the only child of Jim Hensley.  But Kathleen Hensley Portalski is also his daughter, and she says she feels like a non-person because the media continues to repeat that Cindy is an only child.

Turns out that Jim Hensley came back injured from Word War II,  and met another woman while still married to his first wife, the mother of Kathleen.  He divorced his first wife, and had Cindy with his second wife, the woman with whom he had an affair.  This sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?

When Hensley died in 2000, his will named not only Portalski but also a daughter of his wife Marguerite from her earlier marriage. So, Cindy McCain may be the only product of Jim and Marguerite’s marriage, but she is not the only child of either.

She was, however, the sole inheritor of his considerable estate.

Kathleen Portalski was left $10,000, and her children were left nothing. It’s a fact Nicholas Portalski says his sister discovered the hard way.

“What she found in town - on the day of or the day before or the day after his funeral - was that the credit card didn’t work anymore,” Nick says.

And here’s what really bothers Kathleen:

“The fact that we don’t exist,” he says. “The fact that we’ve never been recognized, and then Cindy has to put such a fine point on it by saying something that’s not true. Recently, again and again. It’s just very, very hurtful.”

Biden, thankfully, not Lieberman.

• Pastor Rick Warren gives Alan the inside scoop on his Saddleback Civil Forum with Barack Obama and John McCain.
• Political pollster Frank Luntz, author of Words That Work, sits down with Alan to dissect the latest presidential campaign rhetoric.
• Author and satirist Daniel Kurtzman says his book can teach anyone How to Win a Fight with a Liberal. Alan puts him to the test.

But did it happen to John McCain?  He told the beautiful story Saturday night about the prison guard with whom he had a religious moment:

ALL OF A SUDDEN THE DOOR OF THE CELL OPENED, THE GUARD CAME IN, A GUY WHO WAS JUST WHAT WE CALL A GUN GUARD. HE JUST WALKED AROUND THE CAMP WITH A GUN ON HIS
SHOULDER. HE WENT LIKE THIS AND THEN HE LOOSENED THE ROPES. HE CAME BACK ABOUT FOUR HOURS LATER, HE TIGHTENED THEM UP AGAIN AND LEFT. THE FOLLOWING CHRISTMAS, BECAUSE IT WAS CHRISTMAS DAY, WE WERE ALLOWED TO STAND OUTSIDE OF OUR CELL FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND THOSE DAYS WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SEE OR COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER ALTHOUGH WE CERTAINLY DID. AND I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE FOR MY FEW MINUTES, OUTSIDE MY CELL. HE CAME WALKING UP. HE STOOD THERE FOR A MINUTE AND WITH HIS HANDLE ON THE DIRT IN THE COURTYARD HE DREW A CROSS AND HE STOOD THERE AND A MINUTE AND WITH HIS HANDLE ON THE DIRT IN THE COURTYARD HE DREW A CROSS AND HE STOOD THERE AND A MINUTE. LATER, HE RUBBED IT OUT AND WALKED AWAY. FOR A MINUTE THERE, THERE WAS JUST TWO CHRISTIANS WORSHIPING TOGETHER. I’LL NEVER FORGET THAT MOMENT.

Recounting his experiences in 1973 for US News and World Report, in a 12,000 word story, McCain didn’t tell this very moving one.  And it just so happens that Alexander Solzhenitsyn told a very similar story in his 1973 book The Gulag Archipelago.  And, as it turns out, McCain has written glowingly about the work of Solzhenitsyn.

I’m just sayn’…

John McCain said “my friends” only 14 times during his appearance at Rick Warren’s church.