Organizing for America | Beth's 'Bama Blog: MSNBC First Read with Chuck Todd

MSNBC First Read with Chuck Todd

By Beth from ColoradObama - Jul 31st, 2008 at 12:14 am EDT

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Tags: campaign, Chuck Todd, McCain, MSNBC, NBC, Obama, tim russert

More from Chuck Todd with NBC/MSNBC. No one can ever fill Tim Russert's shoes, but many say Chuck has the same approach to dissecting politics much like Tim.

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First Read: The day in politics by NBC News for NBC News
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FIRST THOUGHTS.

*** Rock Bottom For Republicans? OK, Hill Republicans, ask yourselves -- is this bottom? The indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) is a BIG deal. This appears to be a case of a politician who just didn't think he could get touched. And also, he probably believed the favors he was receiving were favors he deserved (that's usually how these longtime lawmakers talk themselves into taking these favors). As for his re-election bid, realize that Stevens was in trouble BEFORE the indictment, and his seat was one of the Democrats top pick-up opportunities this cycle. This isn't a case where he was coasting to re-election, and NOW this indictment makes him vulnerable. By the way, the Stevens indictment is actually a potential opportunity for McCain, who has never been a fan of the pork-barrel senator and has had his share of clashes with the man. But so far, we haven't heard a peep on this from McCain... And the indictment certainly doesn't hurt Obama's quest to put this ruby-red state into play. But Stevens represents everything McCain's been running against inside the GOP for a decade. He ought to embrace his downfall before the GOP's tarnished brand stains him with this. Meanwhile, NBC's Pete Williams and Tony Capra report that Stevens will appear in federal court in Washington on Thursday at 1:00 pm ET for his initial appearance on the federal charges of filing misleading financial disclosure statements.

*** Dueling Narratives: When you scroll through the newspapers today -- or our summaries of them below -- you'll discover developing narratives about Obama and McCain that have the ability to dent the images of both men. For Obama, it's that he has become too arrogant and too confident. The Washington Post has him telling House Democrats yesterday: "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions." But Politico is reporting that that wasn't the entire quote. Per a Democratic source, "[The Post] left out the important first half of the sentence, which was along the lines of: 'It has become increasingly clear in my travel, the campaign, that the crowds, the enthusiasm, 200,000 people in Berlin, is not about me at all. It's about America. I have just become a symbol." Regardless of the context now, this narrative has been ready to explode at some point and even a misreported quote was enough to spark this arrogance watch. Some see him violating the cardinal sin of politics, acting as if this campaign is about him. He needs to remember that he's latching on to the anti-Bush coattails; any Democrat would be up right now. By the way, where are Michelle Obama's comments about her stinky and snorey husband? He could use the self-deprecation. http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/07/29/obamas_symbolic_importance.html

*** The Angry Warrior: For McCain, the potentially damaging narrative is that he has become the angry warrior -- lashing out harsh and lately unsubstantiated attacks against Obama. The danger for him: This could turn off independents (who happen to be McCain's lucky shield in this tough political climate for Republicans), and it could make it nearly impossible for McCain to seem like a change candidate in this change election. Unlike Clinton, McCain does have a reservoir of favorable ratings to throw the kitchen sink at Obama. But it does seem lately that he's on the verge of mumbling one of Bob Dole's quotes of '96, when he would constantly complain about the lack of caring the public had for Clinton's character issues.

First Read with NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd, every weekday on MSNBC-TV at 9 a.m. ET.

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