• FORMER COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND CURRENT HUFFINGTON POST BLOGGER BILL CURRY JOINS US ON SITE IN HOUR THREE.

• SEN. HILLARY CLINTON (D-NY) INTRODUCED HERSELF AS “A PROUD SUPPORTER OF BARACK OBAMA” AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION LAST NIGHT AS SHE CALLED ON HER PARTY TO RALLY BEHIND HER FORMER RIVAL.

• FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR MARK WARNER (D) TOLD THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION IN HIS KEYNOTE SPEECH LAST NIGHT THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE FACING THE COUNTRY IS THE “RACE FOR THE FUTURE… AND IT WON’T BE WON WITH A PRESIDENT WHO IS STUCK IN THE PAST.”

• JOE BIDEN WILL MAKE HIS FIRST APPEARANCE BEFORE THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION AS HIS PARTY’S VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE TONIGHT, BUT THE REAL DRAMA OF THE EVENING MAY COME FROM FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON AND WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT BARACK OBAMA.

• JOHN MCCAIN TOLD VETERANS YESTERDAY THAT BARACK OBAMA’S OPPOSITION TO THE IRAQ WAR AND PREFERENCE FOR COLLECTIVE DIPLOMACY OVER U.S. LEADERSHIP WOULD CREATE MORE TROUBLE AND AGGRESSION IN THE WORLD.

• THREE MEN WHO WERE IN DENVER WITH SNIPER RIFLES, CAMOUFLAGE CLOTHING, BULLET-PROOF VESTS AND RENTAL TRUCKS WHO HAD TALKED ABOUT KILLING BARACK OBAMA POSED “NO CREDIBLE THREAT” TO THE DEM PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE’S LIFE, A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SAID YESTERDAY. HE SAID THE SUSPECTS WERE JUST “METH-HEADS” WHOSE DRUG-ADDLED FANTASIES OF KILLING OBAMA WERE MERELY “ASPIRATIONAL.”

BULLET POINTS FOR TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2008

•PHIL ANGELIDES, FORMER CA STATE TREASURER AND GUBERNATORIAL OPPONENT OF ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, JOINS US ON SITE AT 7:45AM TO TALK ABOUT “THE APOLLO ALLIANCE,” A PROGRAM TO CREATE GREEN ENERGY AND JOBS FOR AMERICA.

•REP. LINDA SANCHEZ (D-CA) CALLS IN AT 8:35AM TO TALK ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES IN DENVER FOR THE D.N.C.

•ED SCHULTZ JOINS US ON SITE AT 9:45AM TO TALK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION.

•SEN. TED KENNEDY (D-MA) DECLARED THAT THERE WAS “NEW HOPE” FOR THE NATION IN HIS SURPRISE APPEARANCE AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION. IT WAS ONLY HIS SECOND PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE UNDERGOING SURGERY FOR A BRAIN TUMOR ON JUNE 2.

•HOPING TO FEND OFF CRITICISM THAT HER HUSBAND IS ELITIST AND OUT OF TOUCH, MICHELLE OBAMA LAST NIGHT TOUTED HER HUSBAND’S VALUES AS A HUSBAND AND FATHER, AND HIGHLIGHTED HER WORKING CLASS ROOTS AT A TIME WHEN THE CAMPAIGN IS SEEKING THE SUPPORT OF BLUE COLLAR VOTERS.

•FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARE LOOKING INTO REPORTS THAT A MAN ARRESTED WITH RIFLES, A BULLETPROOF VEST, WALKIE-TALKIES, AMMUNITION, AND DRUGS IN HIS TRUCK IN THE DENVER AREA MAY HAVE MADE THREATS AGAINST BARACK OBAMA. TWO OTHER MEN WERE ARRESTED IN THE CASE.

•HILLARY CLINTON WILL TAKE THE STAGE TONIGHT AT THE DNC, HER LAST SOLO ‘HOORAH’ OF THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. SHE IS EXPECTED TO RELEASE ALL HER DELEGATES TO OBAMA TOMORROW.

BULLET POINTS FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2008

· A NEW CNN POLL, THE FIRST NATIONAL POLL CONDUCTED AFTER BARACK OBAMA PUBLICLY NAMED JOE BIDEN AS HIS RUNNING MATE, SUGGESTS THAT THE BATTLE FOR THE PRESIDENCY BETWEEN OBAMA AND MCCAIN IS ALL TIED UP. 47% ARE BACKING OBAMA WHILE 47% SAY THEY’RE BACKING MCCAIN.

· HILLARY CLINTON LIKELY WILL RELEASE HER DELEGATES STO BARACK OBAMA, A DEMOCRATIC OFFICIAL SAID YESTERDAY, THE EVE OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION. CLINTON INSIDERS MAY BE WILLING TO ACCEPT NO ROLL-CALL VOTE, FEARING THE BLAME OF DISRUPTING THE PARTY’S EFFORTS AT UNITY.

· YESTERDAY, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY DECIDED THAT DELEGATES FROM MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA – STATES THAT HAD BEEN PENALIZED FOR MOVING THEIR 2008 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES TO JANUARY – WILL GET FULL VOTING RIGHTS AT THE EVENT.

· THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION OPENS TODAY, A CHOREOGRAPHED SHOW OF UNITY MORE IMPORTANT THIS YEAR AFTER THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE PRIMARY CONTEST THAT PUT BARACK OBAMA DAYS AWAY FROM MAKING HISTORY AS THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE OF ANY MAJOR PARTY. MICHELLE OBAMA IS SCHEDULED TO SPEAK TONIGHT, REINTRODUCING HER HUSBAND TO THE AMERICAN VOTER.

·THE OLYMPICS IN BEIJING ENDED LAST NIGHT WITH A SPECTACULAR CLOSING CEREMONY, AND THE 16-DAY EVENT BECAME THE MOST-WATCHED U.S. TELEVISION EVENT OF ALL TIME.

• RON SUSKIND CALLS IN AT 6:30AM PACIFIC TO TALK ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK, “THE WAY OF THE WORLD: A STORY OF TRUTH AND HOPE IN AN AGE OF EXTREMISM.”

• JASON ALEXANDER CALLS IN AT 8:30AM TO TALK ABOUT HIS REPRISE THEATRE COMPANY’S PRODUCTION OF “ONCE ON THIS ISLAND,” AND TO TALK POLITICS AND CONVENTIONS.

• BARACK OBAMA SAYS HIS GOP RIVAL JOHN MCCAIN IS OUT OF TOUCH AND “JUST DOESN’T GET IT.” OBAMA’S ARGUMENT SRPANG FROM COMMENTS MADE BY MCCAIN WEDNESDAY DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH “THE POLITICO” IN WHICH MCCAIN SAID HE WASN’T SURE OF HOW MANY HOUSES HE AND HIS WIFE OWN.

• BARACK OBAMA SAYS HE’S DECIDED ON A RUNNING MATE, BUT HE WON’T SAY WHO. “I’VE MADE THE SELECTION, THAT’S ALL YOU’RE GONNA GET,” OBAMA TOLD REPORTERS WHILE CAMPAIGNING IN VIRGINIA YESTERDAY. OBAMA DIDN’T SAY WHETHER HE’S INFORMED HIS PICK YET.

• SUSPICIOUS LETTERS, ONE CONTAINING WHITE POWDER, RECEIVED AT TWO OF JOHN MCCAIN’S CAMPAIGN OFFICES WERE NOT DANGEROUS, POLICE AND FIRE OFFICIALS SAID. THE TWO LETTERS WERE SENT TO A CAMPAIGN OFFICE IN SUBURBAN DENVER AND TO AN OFFICE IN MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

• TROPICAL STORM FAY CONTINUED ITS SLOW, WET TRUDGE ACROSS FLORIDA THIS MORNING, DUMPING OVER TWO FEET OF RAIN ALONG PARTS OF THE COAST AND PROMPTING COMMUNITIES FARTHER INLAND TO BRACE FOR WHAT COULD BE DRENCHING RAINS.

• JOHN PODESTA, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS AND FORMER CLINTON CHIEF OF STAFF, CALLS IN AT 9:30AM EASTERN TO TALK ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK, “THE POWER OF PROGRESS: HOW AMERICA’S PROGRESSIVES CAN (ONCE AGAIN) SAVE OUR ECONOMY, OUR CLIMATE, AND OUR COUNTRY,” WHICH IS AVAILABLE IN THE STEPHSTORE!

• BARACK OBAMA YESTERDAY LAMBASTED JOHN MCCAIN’S ECONOMIC PLAN, ARGUING THAT MCCAIN WOULD CONTINUE PRESIDENT BUSH’S POLICIES AND “WE CAN’T KEEP ON GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.”

• WITH JUST DAYS BEFORE THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS, THE POLITICAL CONVENTIONS, AND THE FINAL SPRINT TO ELECTION DAY, JOHN MCCAIN HAS CUT BARACK OBAMA’S NATIONAL LEAD IN HALF, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST NBC NEWS / WALL STREET JOURNAL POLL. OBAMA NOW HOLDS A 3-POINT LEAD OVER MCCAIN, 45-42 PERCENT.

• REP. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES (D-OH) DIED OF AN ANEURSYM LAST NIGHT. SHE SUFFERED A HEMORRHAGE CAUSED BY AN ANEURSYM WHILE DRIVING HER CAR IN OHIO. SHE HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO TRAVEL TO DENVER ON AUGUST 24, 2008 TO ATTEND THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION AS A SUPERDELEGATE.

• TROPICAL STORM FAY CHURNED OFF THE EAST COAST OF FLORIDA EARLY TODAY AS IT CONTINUED TO DUMP HEAVY RAIN ON PORTIONS OF EAST AND CENTRAL FLORIDA. THE STORM WAS EXPECTED TO MAKE ITS THIRD LANDFALL IN FLORIDA, THIS TIME POSSIBLY IN THE JACKSONVILLE-DAYTONA BEACH AREA.