Mark Halperin's three things to watch for in presidential politics for Thursday, August 14:
1) Watch John McCain out at the Aspen Institute this evening. The Arizonan will participate in a conversation with the legendary Walter Isaacson about all things. Watch to see what news comes out of that. You'll have to pay attention until late in the day East Coast time.
2) Keep an eye on the Obama camp, out with a new television commercial today. With lots of new ads coming out already, the Land of Lincolner's latest release will focus on his plan for the middle class. The spot will start airing on national cable in all 50 states during the Games Monday. The middle class is not always the focus of Obama's rhetoric, but it is apparently apart of this ad--the second straight were the middle class is featured. No one's certain what affect these ads are having on voters, but watch to see what goes into the ad and try to get a sense of what message the Obama campaign is trying to drive leading up to the convention.
3) Continue to pay attention to Georgia. The situation there remains very unstable. Earlier today, Russia's Foreign Minister told reporters the world “can forget about any talk about Georgia's territorial integrity” because it'll be ” impossible” to persuade South Ossetia to return under Georgia rule. That statement came as Russian President Medvedev was meeting in the Kremlin with leaders of Georgia's two separatist provinces. Both presidential campaigns are putting out statements regularly. Obama is doing so with written responses while on vacation but McCain himself has been commenting directly to camera. Watch to see as the events there continue to unfold and how the two campaigns deal with this key issue as a political and substantive matter.
The Political Schedule
Wednesday, December 2
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- 10:40 am
- President Obama and Vice President Biden receive the presidential daily briefing in the Oval Office
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- 12:00 pm
- Michelle Obama holds event to thank volunteers who helped ready the White House for Christmas
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- 12:35 pm
- President Obama and Vice President Biden have lunch in the Private Dining Room
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- 1:00 pm
- Robert Gibbs delivers the daily press briefing from the White House
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- 1:45 pm
- President Obama receives the economic daily briefing in the Oval Office
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- 2:45 pm
- President Obama meets with senior advisors in the Oval Office
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- 3:25 pm
- President Obama meets with Senator Bayh in the Oval Office
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- 4:10 pm
- President Obama meets with Senator Graham in the Oval Office
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- 7:30 pm
- Ed Gillespie gives speech on "Rebuilding the Republican Party" at the University of Delaware
