Ben Stein: Time for Mac to Call Rove

Criticism of Obama not '100%' true, he says

(NEWSER) - The Democrats have found an unusual ally in attacking the veracity of McCain campaign ads: Karl Rove. The GOP mastermind criticized McCain’s advertising, saying he had gone “too far” and that criticism of Barack Obama didn’t pass the “100% truth test,” CNN reports. Speaking of both campaigns on Fox News, Rove said, “There ought to be an adult who says, ‘Do we really need to go that far in this ad?'” More»

McCain team wrote 'palling around with terrorists' line: book

(NEWSER) - Sarah Palin was actually on message when she attacked Barack Obama’s relationship with former Weatherman Bill Ayers during last year's campaign, the Atlantic reports. A new book, The Battle for America, reveals that Palin received an email from top McCain staff suggesting she use the Ayers attack. It even specified the approved language. Strategists also planned to run a similar TV ad. More»

Some get an extra month's pay, can keep BlackBerrys and laptops

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama’s campaign is redistributing the wealth to the staff, the New York Daily News reports. The loaded campaign will give its troops a bonus equivalent to a month’s pay and allow employees to keep campaign-issued phones and computers, provided they pay the taxes. “It's a very nice gesture for people who slaved away and sacrificed for the past year,” one said. More»

Democratic wave was aberration caused by unusual factors

(NEWSER) - Voters didn’t so much choose liberalism or the Democratic Party as they did Barack Obama, writes Karl Rove in the Wall Street Journal. And that’s potentially good news for the GOP in the 2010 midterm elections, Rove says: “In politics, good years follow bad years. Republicans and Democrats have experienced both during the past 15 years.” If the GOP plays it right, it could be ripe for a comeback. More»

The '08 version redrew the political map and ruptured the financing system, and more

(NEWSER) - We can't be sure what kind of change the next president will bring, but we do know that presidential campaigns themselves will never be the same, writes Gerald F. Seib in the Wall Street Journal. Among this year’s innovations:

• The campaigns have redrawn the political map, making previously locked states competitive, like Virginia, and placing increasing emphasis on the Mountain West.