President

President George W. Bush is coming to Tucson on July 18 to "honor" state Senate President and 8th Congressional District candidate Tim Bee (R-Tucson).

According to the invitation, the event will take place at the home of Jackie and William Bell, and is being hosted by auto dealership magnate Jim Click, National Rifle Association President Sandra Froman, lawyer and real estate developer Duff Hearon and former Carondelet Foundation CEO Jannie Cox.

The event is being mounted by the Tim Bee Arizona Trust, a joint fundraising venture of Tim Bee for Congress, the National Republican Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Pima County Republican Party Federal Campaign. Contributors of $10,000 or more get a VIP reception and photo op with Pres. Bush, while donations of $1,000 to $9,999 earn the donor breakfast at the event.

While I'm curious whether my colleague Andy Smith's next Granite State Poll will confirm recent Rasmussen and ARG polls, another number buried deep in the crosstabs may prove of more lasting value.

"Party ID," or the way that respondents identify themselves to pollsters, will give us an early indication of whether 2008 could be a "correction election," in which New Hampshire voters move back toward the Republicans after a big Democratic year; or whether voters simply pick up where they left off in November 2006.

While you’re drinking cheap beer, waving flags made in China and trying to keep the kids from blowing their fingers off in the name of freedom, we hope you take a moment to appreciate this great nation.

In his fourth run for president of the United States, independent candidate Ralph Nader's presidential campaign submitted a petition containing over 12,000 signatures in order to appear on the presidential ballot in Nevada.

Nader spokesman Chris Driscoll confirmed that over 12,000 signatures were submitted to the Nevada Secretary of State at 10:00 a.m, eclipsing the 5,746 signatures required to appear on the ballot. The news was first reported by Anjeanette Damon of the Reno-Gazette Journal.

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) leads Republican Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in the latest Washington state presidential poll with 47 percent of the vote to McCain's 39, the Seattle P-I is reporting.

The poll, taken by the consulting firm Strategies 360, surveyed a relatively large sample of 1200 voters on June 26. In addition to the head-to-head, it also found favorability ratings of the two major party candidates. 54 percent of respondents reacted favorably to Obama compared to 37 percent negatively, while McCain had a 44 percent favorable and 46 percent unfavorable rating.

The margin of error for the poll was 2.75 percent.

So much for our promise to liberate Iraq, not to occupy it, and not to cart off its riches.

The presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will begin airing another campaign ad on WMUR, beginning next week.

The one-minute ad is scheduled to run from July 7 through July 13 and is part of a $100,000 ad buy, according to public broadcasting forms.

Former Rep. Marty Meehan went on the record vouching for John McCain's bi-partisan credentials in David Espo's perspective piece for the AP this morning.

Meehan was discussing their work together on campaign finance reform earlier this decade, saying that the Republican presidential nominee displayed "enormous courage" by taking on his party's leadership and working out of the Democratic war room in Dick Gephardt's office.

The Fifth district Democrat was joined by Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and former Republican House Leader Dick Armey of Texas. Notably, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin declined to be interviewed for the artice.

CO-6 is all the rage in a sloooow news week, producing winners and a loser; and a general mishap with his tongue pushes a General into the losers' ranks. So check in with Wally Edge for Weekly Winners & Losers. You won't want to miss the fireworks.

So much for our promise to liberate Iraq, not to occupy it, and not to cart off its riches.