The Buzz

• Growing consternation and apprehension is wracking the social conservative wing of the Republican Party as McCain and his allies make repeated suggestions that a pro-choice running mate is not off the table with the countdown to 8/29 underway. The names Joe Lieberman and Tom Ridge have been aggressively floated by McCain as solid GOPers who are VP material. The initial harsh reaction from evangelicals to McCain’s outright admission that Ridge is on his short list temporarily kept anyone who wasn’t a staunch pro-lifer out of the chatter, but McCain is not one to be kept down by opposition of he truly likes someone. and all indications are that both Lieberman and Ridge have become close friends and trusted allies to McCain during the campaign. This is sending shockwaves through the evangelical base of the party. While most Republican strategists and conservative activists think that party doctrine and a desire to coalesce evangelicals around a ticket with a moderate like McCain at its head will win over the nominee and his campaign in the end. Most reaction to the chatter about pro-choice Veeps dismisses it as smoke screens from the McCain camp. But as the list of names shrinks to only one consistent pro-life social conservative - that would be Tim Pawlenty - no doubt there is preparation among evangelicals for the proper action to take. Could we see McCain’s August surge implode with a controversial running mate?

• Speaking of Lieberman: “Flip-flop Joe” (the unflattering nickname for him among distressed Democrats) has been given a speaking slot at the Republican Convention in St. Paul. This doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise - Lieberman has been a supporter of McCain since he launched his ‘08 bid and has become a GOP darling as he shifts ever closer to something akin to full membership in the Republican Party. But the symbolism and potential ramifications of the move are astounding. Eight years ago Lieberman was appearing at the Democratic convention as that party’s running mate with Al Gore, a full-blooded liberal with simply a trend to the hawkish side on foreign policy matters relating to Israel and his Jewish faith. He’s gone from the Dem’s Florida secret weapon to the same thing for John McCain. But does his speaking role scratch him off the Veep short list?

• McCain’s influx of steady cash that came with his win in the GOP primary this spring has potentially left him open to violation of election laws and a legal fight with the DNC. Democrats argue that a then-cash strapped McCain campaign agreed to take public financing late last year and is now bound to that agreement and tandem restrictions, despite rebuffing public cash this year when his fundraising outlook improved. The DNC thus wants McCain to revert to public financing restrictions and be penalized for breaking the law - i.e; going over fundraising limits while ostensibly in the public campaign cash system. No ramifications are expected from the legal tussle as the nuts and bolts of the case are highly complicated and no action is expected to be taken anytime soon even if there was found to be a violation.

• Obama is campaigning in Virginia today (no, not to pick up Kaine as his  Veep) in yet another swing through what is turning into a top battleground state for November. Obama’s numbers have been steadier in the commonwealth than in other states once leaning Dem and there is no indication that the numbers will dramatically shift towards McCain in the near future. The changing demographics in VA and vigorous support from Kaine, Mark Warner and Jim Webb have all helped Obama to potentially turn the South just a touch more blue than in this decade’s other two elections. Obama’s main message for the Old Dominion will be the economy; the campaign is counting on a new stump speech focused on the continuing economic crisis (and painting McCain as Bush’s hand-picked successor on that subject) to shift the polls nationwide.

• Never saw this coming: Obama may be dropping in the polls, but he can still deal the shockers when it comes to red state support. News out of GOP stronghold Utah has Obama handily out-raising McCain in campaign cash, raking in over $700,000 thus far.

• The wounds are still festering for supporters of Hillary Clinton as the general election rolls past their dashed primary dreams. Hillary’s youngest brother and his family, as well as several other local Democrats, met with McCain adviser and apparent bipartisan emissary Carly Fiorina in Scranton back on Monday in an apparent effort to organize ex-Hillary backers in support of McCain (or is that in oppo to Obama?). No reports of any serious agreements being reached during the private meeting.

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