President

U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) received some welcome news Thursday in the form of a new Fox News poll that shows him trailing his Democratic rival, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) by one point. However, the day brought unwelcome coverage as well - both in the form of a New York Times article highlighting McCain's vulnerabilities in his home state, and a report that Obama raised more money in Arizona during June than did the state's senior senator.

Fox News released a poll showing the gap between Obama and McCain at one percentage point, with Obama leading 41-40. With independent candidates included, Obama's lead increases marginally, giving him the edge 40 to 37.

Thursday's Gallup daily presidential tracking poll also showed Obama with a slimmer-than-average lead, besting McCain 45 to 43. However, the new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows Obama leading the race 47 to 41.

The New York Times editorial page has denied John McCain from responding to an editorial from Barack Obama that ran last week because McCain refused to use timetables in his editorial.  “It would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain that mirrors Senator Obama's piece," wrote David Shipley, the Op-Ed editor.  So much for political discussion. 

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has already revolutionized American political campaigns with a Web-based network that by latest news reports is 5 million members strong. But hefty fundraising, rapid response and the ability to generate crowds of thousands on short notice are just the forerunners of the change his network will bring about if Obama is elected president.

A new video from the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) uses video clips of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to form "a timeline of Barack Obama's political positioning on the most critical national security issue America faces today." The video, entitled "The Obama Iraq Documentary: Whatever the Politics Demand," is now up on McCain's YouTube channel.

In June John McCain had his best fundraising month to date when he took in $22 million.  While McCain and the RNC are having success in raising money, the NRCC and NRSC along with their candidates do not seem to be having the same success.  McCain’s success may be a direct correlation to the failures of the Republicans in Congress. 

Republicans who are looking to have an impact may be looking at the Congress and seeing a hopeless cause.  The only hope they might see for a Republican influence in the next government is with McCain.  The problems the NRCC and NRSC are facing may end up meaning even more money than before will shift from congressional races to the presidential race.  Republicans who fear a Democratic Congress to go along with a Democratic President may be rallying around McCain as the only hope to prevent a unified Democratic government.

PHILADELPHIA - If Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano has designs on a job in a Barack Obama White House, she isn’t advertising them.

“I don’t answer those questions,” she said when asked if she was interested in a job as United States Attorney General.

Napolitano, who is in her second term as governor, served one term as Arizona’s attorney general. Prior to that Napolitano was a U.S. Attorney for Arizona.

Napolitano was one of several governors who gathered here for last weekend’s National Governors Association conference who have been mentioned as possibilities for higher office. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty are widely seen as potential candidates for vice president.

The Arizona Republican Party is responding to an attack by the Arizona Democratic Party over comments U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Phoenix) made regarding Social Security, saying U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is not fit to handle the issue.

Speaking at a town hall in Denver on Monday, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee responded to a question regarding the solvency of Social Security by saying:

"Americans have got to understand that we are paying present-day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers in America today. And that's a disgrace - it's an absolute disgrace, and it's got to be fixed."

President George W. Bush is coming to Tucson on July 18 to "honor" state Senate President and 8th Congressional District candidate Tim Bee (R-Tucson).

According to the invitation, the event will take place at the home of Jackie and William Bell, and is being hosted by auto dealership magnate Jim Click, National Rifle Association President Sandra Froman, lawyer and real estate developer Duff Hearon and former Carondelet Foundation CEO Jannie Cox.

The event is being mounted by the Tim Bee Arizona Trust, a joint fundraising venture of Tim Bee for Congress, the National Republican Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Pima County Republican Party Federal Campaign. Contributors of $10,000 or more get a VIP reception and photo op with Pres. Bush, while donations of $1,000 to $9,999 earn the donor breakfast at the event.