Friday Links
* So, the big news from yesterday is Obama’s fundraising numbers. Once again proving that you can’t trust Obama’s folks when they claim anything (they noted it was “a little slow” at a dual fundraiser a few weeks back), but the numbers put the combined totals only a couple million behind McCain. There’s some interesting spin with the numbers that I don’t necessarily like, and, in reality, it’s still kind of interesting that it wasn’t higher, but it appears the fundraising juggernaut rolls on. It kind of has to with the amount of money he’s burning through.
* Who does Obama turn to for advice on mortgage and housing policy matters? On an unofficial basis, Franklin Raines, formerly of Fannie Mae, who ended up leaving that post in an accounting scandal.
* Also, the best takedown I saw of Obama’s Iraq op ed this week came from The Washington Post.
* Radley Balko asks some questions of McCain. The worst part is that we’re never likely to even see this addressed by McCain, let alone answered.
* A Fact Check on Obama’s “fast track” for energy.
* Maryland cites low union membership as a plus for businesses to come there, gets some crap for it. Fun times.
* Oh, and by the way, Obama? If you don’t want your wife to be a campaign issue, don’t have her campaign.
* And a pile of fun links to start your weekend: Athens, GA: Inside/Out is a documentary on Athens bands from the 1980s, with scenes from R.E.M. and the B-52s as well as lesser known but still awesome bands like Pylon and others. Worth your time if you’re bored, streaming at Pitchfork. Also, signed first edition of The Republic available, insuring Batman, and a great article on how sports video games can’t get things right.