AP Photo- Danville, VA

DANVILLE, VA – While John McCain’s campaign knocks the Democrats for failing to connect with the “Real Virginia” far from the state’s liberal DC suburbs, the Biden Express swung through South Central VA to prove them wrong.

“If nine visits between the two of us, Barack and me, doesn’t demonstrate how clearly Barack Obama and I plan on competing for every single vote here in Central, Southwest, Southeast Virginia, throughout all Virginia, I don’t know what I can say, folks. We need ya,” said the Delaware lawmaker.

By comparison, a Biden spokesman points out that McCain and Sarah Palin have visited the Southern parts of the state just twice.

Speaking to one of the smaller crowds he’s seen in recent weeks, Biden lit into McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer’s “Real Virginia” remarks – calling them divisive. “Just the other day, one of John McCain’s advisers called some parts of this state, quote, ‘the real Virginia,’” he said. “Here in Virginia, you know that your commitment to this country doesn’t depend on what part of the state you live in.”

“I want to say it as plainly as I can. I’ve had enough. Our country has had enough of this brand of corrosive politics. It’s got to stop. It’s got to stop.”

He may be tired of the attacks, but that didn’t stop Biden from ripping McCain’s invigorated efforts to distance himself from George Bush.

“Johnny, Johnny, Johnny!” he said to applause. “John McCain’s now attacking George Bush for his budget and fiscal policies. Well I tell you what. Finally! Finally!”

“But John, where were you the past 8 years while this was going on? I’ll tell you where you were. You were voting with George Bush 90% of the time. And until recently, until recently John was bragging about it.”

“I never saw a guy run so far so fast from a sitting president in my whole life,” Biden continued. “And George Bush I’m told came out today, he voted early, and said he voted for John McCain. I guess that’s called returning the favor.”

AP Photo

RALEIGH, NC — Joe Biden laughed off John McCain’s attempt to compare his running mate Barack Obama to President Bush today — and made it clear that he’s no Dick Cheney, either.

In a statement on the higher-than-expected number of unemployment claims this week, the GOP nominee said only he has a plan to create new jobs. “Barack Obama’s only answer is to double-down on the Bush Administration’s legacy of out-of-control spending, raise taxes on small businesses, impose mandates on employers, and raise trade barriers — a time-proven recipe for turning tough economic times into terrible economic circumstances,” McCain said.

At a late-night outdoor rally, Biden again tried to put the campaign in terms this NASCAR-happy state would understand.

“Right now, our campaigns are trading paint. That means we’re banging into each other. But what most worries me is the McCain campaign, to use a term we’re all familiar with is getting a little loose on the road out there,” Biden said.

“Just today, John McCain tried to compare Barack Obama to George Bush.” Boos rained down from the incredulous crowd.

“No really!” Biden continued. “I mean, you know, talk about the willing suspension of disbelief! I mean, pretty soon he’s going to be calling me Dick Cheney. And that wouldn’t be good.”

“Well let me tell you, at least I know what the Vice President does,” he said.

Cheney has disputed that he’s part of either the executive or the legislative branch — but GOP VP nominee Sarah Palin has also overstated the role of the Vice President in recent days, telling a group of young students that the VP “runs the senate.”

So was Biden delivering a smack-down to his Republican rival? Maybe — but, explicitly at least, he focused on the current second-in-command.

“Vice President Cheney said he’s not a part of an either branch or something like that, I don’t know,” Biden said. “And we are not in an undisclosed location.”

ST. CLAIRSVILLE, OHIO –-

Standing in front a red farmhouse surrounded by pumpkins, Sarah Palin told the crowd of thousands that a McCain-Palin administration will be able to fight terrorism because they know who the “bad guys” are, “Help me Ohio to help put John McCain in the White House. He understands. He understands you. We understand how important it is that this team be elected. For one thing, we know who the bad guys are, OK?”

Palin continued, “We know—we know that in the war, it’s terrorists, terrorists who hate America and her allies and would seek to destroy us, and the bad guys are those who would support and sympathize with the terrorists. They do not like America because of what we stand for: Liberty, Freedom, Equal Rights. Those who sympathize and support those terrorists who would seek to destroy all it is that we value, those are the bad guys, OK?

Several supporters screamed, “Obama!” when Palin spoke about sympathizing with terrorists.

When asked to clarify the Alaska governor’s comments and if she was saying that the Democratic ticket could not accurately identify and go after terrorists a Palin spokesperson said, “She’s stating an affirmative that she and John McCain understand the threats we face.”

Palin continued with the bad guys vs. good guys explanation applying it to describe who is at fault for the current financial crisis, “Now in the economic crisis that we’re in, we know there too, who the bad guys are. In this time of economic crisis, we know it’s been those who have been greedy and corrupt and arrogant and have taken advantage of hardworking honest Americans, and just as important though, we know who the good guys are, and it is you, and we will fight for you, and we will put government on your side.”

Palin went after Barack Obama and said that he will get America “deeper” into debt comparing him to President Bush in a rare jab at the current administration, “In times like these the last thing we need is a tax increase. America just can’t afford another big spender in the White House.”

The boisterous crowd–many shaking pom poms–screamed, “I love you Sarah Palin!” and cheered the GOP Vice-Presidential nominee getting especially excited when Palin started talking about clean coal and alternative sources of energy to this coal country crowd.

Supporters erupted in chants of, “Mine Baby Mine!” like her very popular “Drill Baby Drill” chants that crowds usually greet her with, “Mine, baby, mine. Ok, I’m bringing that all across the U.S. Do you mind if I–May I plagiarize that? Thank you. That is a good one.”

FLAT ROCK, MI — If forced to choose between John McCain, George Bush, and Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin, Democrats may have the strongest distaste for the Alaska Governor, if crowd reactions on the trail are any indication.

In North Carolina yesterday, boos rained down at the mere mention of Palin’s name, as Joe Biden said she and McCain were against government backing for retraining workers who lose their jobs.

At Biden’s anti-McCain speech this morning, his one line about Palin got a bigger reaction than when he railed against George Bush’s broken promises and failed policies.

And in Flat Rock today, introductory speaker Barbara Theaker called Palin a “bucket of fluff,” as Biden stood on stage, head held in his hands in mock dismay.

“These slimy, slimy Republican ads that have the audacity to say that Barack Obama is not ready to serve as the President of the United States? Puhlease. Give me a break,” Theaker said. “I shudder to think if, God forbid, John McCain should win the presidency, and if something should tragically befall this man, and this woman would move into the presidency.”

Celebrities like Matt Damon, Pamela Anderson, and Lindsey Lohan have spoken out against McCain’s choice in recent days as well — even if the candidates themselves are doing their best to avoid attacking her, believing that a) it fuels the massive amounts of attention that are already being paid to the Palin phenomenon, and b) they’re best served to take on the man at the top of the ticket who would actually make the policies voters care about.

FT MYERS, Fla — Joe Biden ribbed RNC speakers Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman at what was billed as an economic roundtable, and pushed the Obama campaign’s new line of attack against McCain campaign manager Rick Davis — who said yesterday that the election is “not about issues,” but rather “composite view of what people take away from these candidates.”

“Not about issues?” Biden exclaimed, incredulous. “These are middle class people, busting their neck, and they don’t have enough money to top off the tank, when they pull in. That to me is an issue. It’s an issue to me and to Barack Obama.”

“You have the best personality in the world, it ain’t going to help you pick up your health care costs,” he said. “You can have the greatest character in the world, if you’re not going to give me a fighting chance to keep my job, I love you but I don’t want you as my president.”

Biden, who often prefaces attacks on Republicans by calling them his good friends, hammed it up while ripping last night’s GOP convention speeches by his buddies Fred Thompson, and Joe Lieberman, and a man he’s yet to call his pal, George Bush.

“Last night, at the Republican convention in Minnesota George Bush said, and I quote, ‘the man we need is John McCain,’” he said. “John’s earned his endorsement, he’s voted with him 90% of the time. So, it look like we have another Minnesota Twins team up there.”

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CLEVELAND –

During day two of the Democratic Party’s meeting to write their platform, average Americans told the drafting committee about the everyday struggles they face. Over the almost three-hour session, twelve people from Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania spoke about economic troubles, jobs sent overseas, health care, rising food and gas costs, poverty, education, energy independence, and “green” jobs and technology.

The committee heard from the speakers before sitting down to actually write the platform – a mission statement that expresses the most important issues to the Democratic Party. The platform will be presented before the entire committee next weekend in Pittsburgh before being voted on at the Democratic National Convention, which begins August 25th in Denver.

The current back and forth between Barack Obama and John McCain was mentioned when committee member Patricia Madrid went after John McCain for his “Celeb” ad calling it “ridiculous”, especially after hearing the daily problems of so many Americans. She added that it would be struggling Americans who determine the outcome of the election:

“This morning I heard Senator Obama on television say that is going to be people like you that are going to determine the outcome of the race, People that are angry and this morning I also heard him say why is John McCain concentrated on Paris Hilton and Britney Spears? Your testimony makes his ads all the more ridiculous,” said Madrid. “I hope this year it is going to be people like you that are not going to vote against your economic interest again because it is you who are going to determine the outcome of what we are going to do in this country about health care, job wages and things that matter to you.”

During yesterday’s meetings Senator Hillary Clinton was not mentioned—even though some of the members here were supporters of hers and spoke on her behalf during May’s testy DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting. Today former top health care advisor to President Clinton and committee member Chris Jennings mentioned her while thanking the speakers for sharing their stories, “Senator Clinton often talked about during the campaign about working Americans being invisible to the previous administration and you have given them a voice. “

Like Friday’s session, speakers took the opportunity to hit John McCain while praising Barack Obama and putting their hope in an Obama presidency to solve their struggles.

Many of the speakers lost their jobs to outsourcing and have seen factory jobs sent overseas something they see as continuing under a McCain presidency, “Our good paying and respectful job are being sent to Mexico so. . .employers can avoid paying decent wages and benefits,” said David Landrum a factory worker from Indiana, “It is crazy to me that John McCain has pledged to support every trade deal under the sun knowing how much it has hurt my family and others like this. I want to say that a visit to Bloomington would change his mind, but he keeps going to our communities like ours and saying the same thing that jobs aren’t coming back and he supports free trade at any cost.”

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At a 1,000 dollar a plate fundraiser in midtown Manhattan, Vice President Dick Cheney said there is “no doubt in my mind” that John McCain will win in November.

Addressing over 700 people at the New York State Republican Committee Dinner, Cheney spoke about the importance of electing McCain and that voters have a vital choice in front of them. He went after the Democrats saying they are not serious about fighting terrorism, “The choice is going to be very clear. On one side is the Democratic Party lead by the likes of Senator Harry Reid who said more than a year ago that the war in Iraq was lost,” Cheney said, “On the other side of this divide is the Republican Party whose leaders have supported the war on terror regardless of what the polls say or the pundits declare. A Republican party whose presidential nominee has served this country with courage.”

He went on to describe McCain as a nominee that represents “genuine American heroism.” He spent part of his speech mentioning Democrats that believe in a “strong defense” and that came to the realization the party had become “too left-wing” like Zell Miller, who spoke at the 2004 Republican convention; former New York City Mayor Ed Koch; and Connecticut senator and McCain supporter, Joe Lieberman.

Cheney urged the Republican crowd to put their “shoulder to the wheel” to help elect McCain. Despite President Bush’s high disapproval ratings and only appearing with the Republican presumptive nominee for 47 seconds in public after a joint fundraiser this week, the Vice President said they will be campaigning for Republican candidates, “President Bush and I look forward to helping our candidates up and down the ticket throughout the important election year and the stakes are very high whether the issue is the economy or energy or the federal courts or national security the right answers for our nation are not coming from Democrats but from Republicans.”

Cheney also went after the Democrats on energy policy and potentially letting the Bush tax cuts lapse, but he did not mention either of McCain’s rivals by name. However, he did open up his address with a joke referring to Hillary Clinton, “The junior senator from New York has begun calling me Darth Vader. I asked my wife recently if it didn’t bug her when people called me that. She said no it humanizes you.”

Watch part of Vice President Cheney’s speech here:

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Former New York City mayor and presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani also addressed the excited crowd. They chanted “Ruuuuuudy!” as he took the stage. Giuliani jokingly noted that this was the most Republicans he had seen in Manhattan in a long time.

Watch part of Rudy Giuliani’s speech here:

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Washington–

Political uproar boiled over when President Bush said that politicians who want to sit down and talk with terrorists to try and achieve peace are suffering from a “foolish delusion.” He said the comments while speaking to the Israeli Knesset on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel.

Senator Barack Obama reacted calling it a “false political attack” against him, but Bush denied his statements were about the Democratic frontrunner.

On Senator John McCain’s Straight Talk Express, McCain told reporters that he believed Bush when he said he was not talking about Obama. But, used the question to rail into his Democratic rival questioning his foreign policy judgment:

“I think Barack Obama needs to explain why he wants to sit down and talk with a man who is the head of a government that is a state sponsor of terror that is responsible for the killing of brave young Americans and wants to wipe Israel off the map and denies the Holocaust,” McCain said, “That is what I think Senator Obama ought to explain to the American people.”

McCain said he believes in “peace through strength” and sitting down with the Iranian president only gives prestige to the regime. 

 The Republican nominee-in-waiting accused Obama of inexperience:

“It is a serious error on the part of Senator Obama that shows naivety and inexperience and lack of judgment to say that he wants to sit down across the table from an individual who leads a country that says that Israel is a stinking corpse, that is dedicated to the extinction of the state of Israel,” McCain said. “My question is what does he want to talk about?

North Bend, WA–

Senator John McCain continued his “green” tour of the Northwest today with a stop in North Bend, Washington. He was clear that he wants to be seen as a progressive when it comes to curbing climate change, “I will be a President of the United States for the environment. I have a long record of advocacy for our environment and I’m proud of that.”

The presumptive Republican nominee stressed many of the points in his speech on global warming yesterday, such as the importance of cap and trade, the reduction of greenhouse gases, and the link between stalling climate change and protecting America’s national security.

McCain made a clean break with President Bush on the issue of the environment. He was not shy in describing his conflicts with the administration on this issue:

“The President and I have disagreed on this issue for many years. It isn’t a recent disagreement. Beginning in 2002 or 2003 I held hearings as chairman of the commerce committee and I took great exception to the testimony by administration officials on this issue,” He told reporters, “So there’s a long-standing, significant, deep, and strong differences on this issue between myself and the administration. . .”

The Arizona senator said he would be a better protector for the environment than either of his Democratic rivals because his proposal is “doable” and he has been involved in the issue for many years, “They have never, to my knowledge, been involved in legislation, or hearings, nor engagement on this issue. I have a long history,” McCain said, “I traveled around the world and seen the impacts of climate change on the world. I’ve held hearings beginning back after the 2000 presidential campaign.”

The Obama campaign was quick to respond hitting McCain with his own words, “While Barack Obama has brought Republicans and Democrats together around plans to raise our fuel standards and invest in renewable energy, John McCain’s ‘long history’ involves opposing countless measures to invest in renewable fuels and alternative energy technology.”

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Hillary Clinton took aim today at Barack Obama’s assertion that anyone would be a better president than George Bush — including John McCain. In Johnstown, PA, Clinton said McCain is just more of the same — and the Democrats should be ready to fight him, not praise him.

“Senator Obama said today that John McCain would be better for the country than George Bush,” she said. “Senator McCain is a real American patriot who has served our country with distinction. But Senator McCain would follow the same failed policies that have been so wrong for our country in the last 7 years.”

Bashing McCain for wanting to keep troops in Iraq for 100 years and failing to come up with a plan to end the home foreclosure crisis, Clinton asked “is that better than George Bush?”

“We need a nominee who will take on John McCain, not cheer on John McCain, and I will be that nominee.”

UPDATE: Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor responds, “For someone who agreed with John McCain on voting for war in Iraq, agreed with him on supporting trade agreements like NAFTA and special trade privileges for China, and agrees with him on taking money from Washington lobbyists, Hillary Clinton’s latest attack is ridiculous even for her standards, and we’re confident the people of Pennsylvania will see right through it.”