Barack Obama just now, regarding Republican charges that the media has been unfair to Sarah Palin:

“If they wanna work the refs, they are free do so.”

Sounds an awful lot like this line in Wednesday’s Washington Post:

By contrast, Schmidt spoke on the record in denouncing as “an absolute work of fiction” a New York Times account of the process by which the McCain campaign vetted Palin. He also charged that Newsweek columnist Howard Fineman was predicting that the governor might have to step down as McCain’s vice presidential choice.

Fineman said that he has “never, ever said that,” and that he has pointed out positive aspects of Palin’s candidacy. “They decided a long time ago that they were going to work the refs,” he said.

Washington Post:

Democrats officially warned Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) on Wednesday that he could face repercussions for delivering a speech at the Republican National Convention in which he called Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama an “eloquent young man” who lacked the experience to be in the White House.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said that Lieberman’s status within the Democratic caucus is in jeopardy.

“Senator Reid was very disappointed in Senator Lieberman’s speech, especially when he appeared to go out of his way to distort Senator Obama’s record of bipartisan achievements in the Senate,” said Reid’s spokesman, Jim Manley. “The Democratic caucus will likely revisit the situation with Senator Lieberman after the elections in November.”

Even worse in the Democratic caucus, every Halloween, the trees are filled with underwear. Every spring, the toilets explode.

Forget Democratic buzzwords like Change. Get ready for something new, courtesy battleground Florida. It’s the Yiddish word for family, Mishpoche.

The JTA Election Central ‘08 blog:

For Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Joe Biden’s clinch of the vice-presidential spot on Barack Obama’s ticket is like the – what – prodigal mentor?

“He’s like mishpoche!” the Florida congresswoman enthused to JTA, contemplating the Delaware senator’s clinching of the vice presidential spot on the Democratic ticket, alongside Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

And today, right now, as seen on C-SPAN, Joe Biden is working the Jewish crowd at the Clubhouse Party Room at the Century Village in Deerfield Beach. He just spotted someone named Axelrod (no relation to David) in the audience. Biden: “We’re gonna be mishpoche before this is over.”

And just like a family, the poor retiree won’t be able to get a word in edge-wise.

Well this is an interesting turn of events:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday—the day before the Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin—shows Barack Obama ahead of John McCain by three percentage points both with and without leaners. That’s exactly the same edge Obama enjoyed a week ago on the eve of the Democratic National Convention.

No convention bump for Obama — even with Invesco Field pageantry?  If this holds, it would make a second big surprise for Obama this election season, and not in the way he might hope.

The first being, his surprising loss to Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary.

Does Obama have a glass jaw — or at least an Achilles heel?  So much for infallibility.

Before we all completely forget last night’s Obama speech, let’s consider this bit of media group think.

Peggy Noonan notes this:

“I’m actually putting a little edge on my criticism just to make up for the fact that on MSNBC last night somebody said, quote, ‘it wasn’t a speech: it was a symphony.’ I’m sorry; I won’t even name who did it. I am here to balance that bit of fatuous — fatuous suck-upping!”

Peggy may not name who said that on MSNBC.  But we’ll gladly name who said it on CNN.

David Gergen:

“As a speech, I was deeply impressed. In many ways it was less a speech than a symphony.”

Looks like the symphony talking point really got around the cable control rooms.

By the way, if you’re really keeping score, where did the symphony idea generate?

Check out the August 15, 1996 NewsHour:

WILLIAM SAFIRE: … We salivate at the construction of a good acceptance speech, which is like a symphony.

DAVID GERGEN: Sure.

And one last thought about Obama’s speech.  Actually, a last thing.

Here’s what he said last night:

I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

The last thing?  Doesn’t that put raising taxes on the list — as the last thing he’ll do?  Tax cut purists would prefer: one thing we’ll never do is raise taxes on the middle-class.

Now that’s a symphonic movement that would be music to our ears.

Instapundit:

I’VE HEARD OF KNOCKING THEIR SOCKS OFF, but their eyelashes? “Daytime talk show diva and billionaire businesswoman Oprah Winfrey, who played a crucial early primary role in raising the prominence of her fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama, was so moved by her man’s Democratic acceptance speech Thursday night that she cried off her false eyelashes.”

Funny that Oprah had that reaction when she saw Obama.  I had that reaction when I saw Tom Cruise.

… and rejects one in particular.

The crowd chants: “No he can’t!  No he can’t  No he can’t!”

What a fun item we see on Instapundit:

OOPS:

Former Texas Rep. Charlie Wilson — yes, that Charlie Wilson — was speaking at an anti-war rally when he, um, flubbed a line:

“We should be led by Osama bin Laden,” he said, then quickly corrected himself. “I mean Obama and Biden.”

We’re not fazed. We still admire Charlie Wilson.  But they poor guy may have lost a step.  Here’s Charlie in happier, more on-message times:

Hope that clears things up for the Obama folks and they give him a speaking role at the convention.  Now that’s who we mean by Democrats with foreign policy experience.

Date:  June 8, 2006

Location: Committee on Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation

Statement of R. Hunter Biden, Nominee, Member of the Amtrak Reform Board:

Mr. Chairman, members of the Committee, I am honored to appear before you today, and I am honored that President Bush has nominated me to be a member of the Amtrak Reform Board. Amtrak touches so many facets of so many Americans lives, and if confirmed, I look forward to working with the members of this Committee and the Congress to make sure that Amtrak continues to play that important role to so many people who rely on it daily. I see this appointment as a great opportunity to help turn around what can and must be a key component of our transportation system. Amtrak should be one of our success stories; right now it is one of our biggest challenges.

I believe that my experience in government, at the U.S. Department of Commerce working for both Secretary Daley and Secretary Mineta, and in the private sector, in both banking and the law has prepared me well for this position. At the same time, as a frequent commuter and Amtrak customer for over 30 years, I have literally logged thousands of miles on Amtrak. I hope that I can bring my perspective to the Board as one of the millions of customers who ride and depend upon Amtrak everyday. It has been through my experience as a customer that I have developed a deep respect for the organization and its employees, and I know how much they believe in and are committed to making Amtrak a safe and reliable service. It is also as a longtime Amtrak customer that I know first hand some of the many problems Amtrak faces as an organization.

Working together, I believe that members of the Board, members of Congress, the Administration and the employees of Amtrak can overcome many of the issues intercity rail faces today. If confirmed, I look forward to being a part of that discussion and look forward to the challenge. Amtrak is too important to our economy for it not to be in the best financial health possible. I take the fiduciary responsibility required by the members of the Board very seriously, and believe that above all else that the American people expect that it’s national rail system be run as safely, efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

I also recognize that Amtrak affects, and is affected by, many of the most important issues of the day. In an era of mounting energy concerns in which driving a car is getting more and more expensive, intercity rail must be part of the solution. A healthy national passenger rail system can provide millions of commuters with a reliable and hopefully cost-effective alternative to other forms of transportation. In addition, I believe that in the 21st Century a robust, cost efficient national passenger rail system is a necessity, and that you can not look at the energy and environmental issues facing our country today without looking at intercity rail and Amtrak as a part of the solution.

Finally, if confirmed, I particularly look forward to working with the members of this Committee and the Congress to ensure that Amtrak is an integral part of our homeland security strategy. I believe that it is imperative that Amtrak work closely with federal and local law enforcement to make sure that our commuter rail system is safe from terrorist attack.

I hope to have the opportunity to work with the members of this Committee and the Congress to solve some of these challenges facing Amtrak.

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you and I welcome any questions the Committee may have.

And then he got to wear the family crown…