Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and Congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.

Washington Post national political reporter Anne E. Kornblut was online Thursday, July 17 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest in political news.

The transcript follows.

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Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts

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Anne E. Kornblut: Greetings, all! Never a dull moment around here, so let's get started.

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Nattering Nabobs of Negativity: Today's announcement that the Obama campaign raised over $52 million dollars is yet another instance of the press (David Gregory) and pundits anxious willingness to paint the Obama campaign in a negative light. When the Wall Street Journal reported that Obama had only raised $30 million in June, the media was ready to report that this was further evidence of the waning of Obama's fundraising juggernaut. Also, the New York Times lede on its polling data was that Obama was failing to narrow the racial divide, when the numbers showed he was winning white voters by a greater percentage than Gore or Kerry. Why the negative spin on all things Obama?

Anne E. Kornblut: It's a great point -- although to be fair, this is actually a better example of the media being spun by the campaign, which was downplaying expectations for many weeks leading up to the $52 million announcement. I actually had one Obama person tell me just days ago -- on background, though, so I cannot use the name -- that they were worried about the direction things were going in. So, points to the Obama campaign for managing expectations; and another warning to the rest of us to stop predicting things we have no hard evidence of.

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Evanston, Ill.: Hey Anne, what do you think Hillary Clinton's chances of getting the vice presidential slot are? Apparently the odds in London are 3 to 1. Seems like easy money to me.

Anne E. Kornblut: I am no gambler, but I think the odds are a lot, lot longer than that.

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San Diego: Hello Ms. Kornblut, thanks for taking my question. Sen. McCain famously said that Sen. Obama's plan to talk directly with Iran demonstrated his "dangerous naivety" and lack of experience. Now that President Bush has decided to send an envoy to talk directly with Iran, does that call into question Sen. McCain's judgment on foreign policy? Can he win by "out-Bushing" Bush? What is your opinion of the value of talking directly with our adversaries as well as our friends in the world?

Anne E. Kornblut: This is a really good question -- one that political strategists on both sides are getting their heads around right now. Obviously the Obama folks are thrilled by that recent development, which they see as confirmation they were right. McCain has had a more qualified view, that preconditions are necessary. I think the outcome of this weekend's meeting also will help dictate the domestic politics of it, and how it plays out...

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OMG!: In response to a question about his possibly being Sen. Obama's vice presidential candidate, Sen. Evan Bayh said, "I think any questions about the vice presidential thing are understandable and it's good for my ego, but I should probably let Sen. Obama and his campaign address those sorts of questions." Did the notoriously boring Bayh kinda, sorta make a joke?!

Anne E. Kornblut: I know, he made a funny, right? He also -- facing similar questions back during the primary -- said that this was the first time his name had been associated with any vice. Another funny! Okay, it's sort of "dad" funny, circa 1950, but still, you're right.

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Jacksonville, Fla.: Liddy Dole wants to name an AIDS funding bill after Jessie Helms? Isn't that like naming a wing of the African-American Museum after David Duke?

Anne E. Kornblut: LOL...

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Portland, Ore.: Is there any polling evidence of the so-called Bradley-Wilder effect in the current presidential campaign? If so, is it large and will it be decisive? Thanks.

Anne E. Kornblut: This is a great question and I'm not entirely sure we know the answer yet. In order to know, we really have to compare the polling numbers, close to the election, to the election results themselves, and see if there is a disparity.

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Richmond, Va.: Is it just me? I have yet to feel an enthusiastic support for Obama from Hillary Clinton (don't expect one from Bill) or her supporters. Have you? Have I missed it?

Anne E. Kornblut: It's always dangerous to try to measure someone's emotions (who knows what's inside their heads?) so I won't speak to Clinton's actual enthusiasm, but I do think she has probably done more to help Obama than meets the eye. After all, it's in her best interest not to look like a spoiler. I think the convention should be a telling event; stay tuned.

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Alexandria, Va.: Obama raised $52 million. A lot of your fellow cocktail party devotees look awfully stupid this morning.

Anne E. Kornblut: See earlier posting. ... It's a weak defense, but again I'll say, the Obama folks were talking the number down! Excellent spin management on their part.

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St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Anne -- Thank you for taking questions today. I've been reading here and there about how some of Sen. McCain's more "off-color" (to put it mildly) jokes from the past are resurfacing, several of which the average person would find offensive to women. Are we going to see more of this stuff coming out? If so, does it have the potential to alienate those disaffected Sen. Clinton supporters who say they plan to vote for him rather than Sen. Obama? Also, are comments he may have made 10-20 years ago fair game and relevant?

Anne E. Kornblut: I fully expect that we'll see everything McCain has ever said (and Obama, too) revived in the months ahead. The challenge for McCain is staying ahead of the anticipation curve, given that he has said so much over so many years. In short, to your point, yes, I think he has to worry about some of his statements affecting the target Clinton demographic -- but they are appear to be slipping away from him increasingly anyway.

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Washington: I don't understand the tactics of the "Hillary for vice president" crowd. They threaten Obama with reprisals if he doesn't choose her. Wouldn't that make him look weak if he caved and chose her? Don't these tactics make it less likely she will be chosen?

Anne E. Kornblut: I think the Clinton folks want to make sure her strengths aren't overlooked, and many of them deeply feel she deserves the offer -- whether or not that's a smart strategy for actually getting her the job. At this point, it seems as if the bigger stumbling block for Clinton is the role her husband would or would not play if she were picked. But again, it seems like a pretty long shot, if I'm reading the tea leaves correctly, which I may not be.

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Claverack, N.Y.: If you were covering one Senate race to the exclusion of all else, which would you choose?

Anne E. Kornblut: I recently saw Kay Hagan speak in North Carolina, and that race seems interesting; I'm especially intrigued by women candidates this year, and how they fare and run their campaigns in the wake of Clinton's campaign. What race are you most interested in?

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Asheville, N.C.: When Bush launched his "surge" it was in response to an Iraq Study Group report challenging his premise on the use of military power to bring peace, and an election he had lost, big-time. Now, with a presidential election in the offing, he's quickly changed horses about diplomacy with Iran, too. How can this be the strong, steady, principled leadership he's defined for the office he holds?

Anne E. Kornblut: It sounds to me -- and I don't cover the White House anymore, but still talk to people there -- like Bush is rushing to accomplish some things in the final months of his term and is feeling the strain of not having gotten more done. He wouldn't be the first to do so. I vividly recall spending weeks outside Camp David in the summer of 2000 as Bill Clinton tried to accomplish something on the Middle East. I'd imagine Bush is under more pressure than even Clinton was then.

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Evanston, Ill.: Hey Anne, why is Obama condemned when he suggests certain segments of the country (white underclass) are bitter, but lauded when he talks about the pathologies of the black underclass?

Anne E. Kornblut: Good question. Don't you think this is a case of being able to criticize one's "own" more easily than being able to criticize others?

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Durham, N.C.: I wanted to know if you thought McCain's comments on Afghanistan on Tuesday shifted his previous positions closer to Obama's thinking on the matter. At the very least, his comments (and later clarifications) seemed confused. What is your take on the foreign policy debate this week?

Anne E. Kornblut: It did seem as though McCain was struggling to bring clarity to the issue -- I couldn't tell, at the end of the day, whether he really wanted to shift U.S. troops to Afghanistan or not. Certainly the Obama campaign was thrilled to see him shift back and forth. Not McCain's best moment.

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Washington: As far as I know Hillary has not released her delegates, and some stories suggests she wants her name placed in nomination at the convention next month. Is Hillary trying to test the waters to see if delegates are getting buyer's remorse, or hoping to blackmail Obama into making her the vice-presidential nominee?

Anne E. Kornblut: I have to say, I think it's neither -- my understanding is that she wants to be respected at the convention, her victories honored, so to speak, but that she has zero claim on the nomination. She really does seem to have moved on in my view. Her supporters are another matter.

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Washington: So let me get this straight: McCain goes on a foreign trip and it is covered appropriately by the media -- not a ton of coverage, but I think The Post and others did their job; Obama goes on a foreign trip and the media just explodes in enthusiasm, with CBS, ABC and NBC sending their nightly news anchors, the "big three." Whether there is bias in the media in favor of Obama is no longer the question; now the question is what the ramifications of such swooning will be in the future.

Anne E. Kornblut: I don't know that I'd equate news interest with approval -- just going on the trip isn't swooning, it's a reflection of interest in this candidate's first big overseas trip as a candidate. (By your measure, the media was truly swooning over Clinton, whose departure speech got more attention than some State of the Union addresses). This actually raises the stakes much higher; I suspect even the tiniest gaffe on the trip will echo around the globe in a way it wouldn't on a smaller tour. But to your exact question, I think we'll have to wait and see how the coverage goes to know exactly what the ramifications are.

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Southwest Nebraska: Can the administration do any mischief when Obama visits Iraq and Afghanistan, e.g. find only negatively responding military for him, offensive backgrounds, etc.? How about in Europe? I expect crowds will be cheering, but what about the leaders of European countries? With such a large press following, can that be spun as merely photo ops anyway? Is it merely for the photo ops that he's going?

Anne E. Kornblut: All good questions. And you're right, this is a tricky one for the Bush administration, which is still in command of U.S. forces in both Afghanistan and Iraq. My sense is that the administration would not try any "mischief" -- which would be revealed the minute Bush left office anyway -- but that troops on the ground who support the Republicans surely would know how to help Obama or not if they were in a position to. As for photo ops: Yes, of course. The point of this trip is for Obama to demonstrate his leadership, and to show he is a plausible president, and pictures will be as big a part of that as anything.

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Washington: Okay, I don't get the Bayh joke. What did he say that was funny? Also, I'm absolutely no fan of Jesse Helms, but he did do a lot of work on providing funding for AIDS relief -- seriously.

Anne E. Kornblut: Right. It wasn't that funny a joke. It was that being mentioned as a vice presidential candidate was good for his ego. Maybe more like slight sarcasm. And thanks on the Helms point. This is not my area of expertise.

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Alexandria, Va.: The question of Senator Clinton releasing her delegates has come up in these chats before, and if I remember correctly, the logical answer was that as long as she still "officially" was a candidate, she could still raise primary money, which could be applied to the campaign's debts. But there was no question that she would release her delegates for the convention.

Anne E. Kornblut: My understanding is that her delegates will be released at some point -- the question is whether that is before the convention or during. Anyone care to challenge?

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Albany, N.Y.: Anne, Obama's family roots in the white working class are deeper than in the so-called black underclass. He was raised in large part by his working class grandparents from Kansas, so it seems to me the perception that he is an outsider says more about the perceptions of those "bitter" people than of him.

Anne E. Kornblut: Which is why he is such a fascinating candidate, with so many different elements to him. (Like so many of us, right?) This is one reason his biographical ad running in so many states right now features his grandparents -- to remind people of his claim to that demographic as well.

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Boston: Anne, in 2004 I volunteered for Kerry in New Hampshire and Miami. My weekends in New Hampshire were coordinated through Kerry's Boston headquarters. In Miami, the Coral Gables precinct was run out of my mom's dining room. Meanwhile, the Bush folks had rented a Mazda dealership! Now in 2008 it seems that Obama and the Democratic National Committee finally have decided to put together a real ground game. On the flip side it seems McCain and the GOP have devolved into the traditional Democratic ground strategy. My question is, with the GOP's long history of working the ground, can McCain mount a comeback before November? Also, how much do you think the the ground game accounts for in elections?

Anne E. Kornblut: Short answer: a lot. Of course McCain can mount a comeback, but it's true that Obama has a head start organizationally, with offices in many states and a network that grew during the extended primaries. Here's a good test for you: What are McCain's Boston offices like?

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Riverdale, N.Y.: Ms. Kornblut, I'm old enough to remember the William Scranton candidacy being destroyed by one simple statement about being "brainwashed" by PR people in Vietnam. Years later, the bottom fell out of another candidate's support when he gave a legalistic, bloodless answer to a hypothetical question about how he would react to the rape and murder of his wife.

If your colleagues want to, you can blow up any inartful statement by a candidate, and pump his negatives up to intolerable levels (see Gore, Al). So why all the shyness about McCain? On a daily basis, he's having all kinds of trouble out there on the trail distinguishing Sunni from Shiite, forgetting how Social Security works, and repeatedly pledging to defend the defunct country of Czechoslovakia and generally having senior moments all over the place. Some of his "jokes" lately are downright alarming.

Not so long ago we had a president who feigned memory loss to escape prosecution for Iran-Contra, then apparently suffered real memory loss, which tended to convince some people that he wasn't feigning at all, and that he simply was not mentally alert enough to handle the job in his last few years. McCain is approximately the same age as Reagan when he began his mental decline. How can it be responsible for the media to ignore this very real campaign issue? This current squeamishness in exploring the natural effects of aging reminds me of the press's reticence many years ago to fully vet the late Paul Tsongas, who in retrospect was not physically sound enough to run for the office.

Anne E. Kornblut: It's a good point; I do think that a lot has been said and written about McCain's age, both by reporters and partisans. The Obama campaign never misses an opportunity to talk about McCain's "30 years in Washington," which is a reminder of how old he is in a more subtle fashion. Of course, the key is to be able to ask honest questions about his age and mental state without perpetrating false prejudice against older people.

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Helms and AIDS: Helms only began supporting AIDS relief in Africa late in his career and life; a life and career that routinely bashed gay people and other races. Naming an AIDS bill after him is very, very insulting to those of us on the other side of Helms' hatred.

Anne E. Kornblut: And another point of view. Thank you for this.

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Bloomington, Ind.: Hello Anne, Has anyone at the Post ever thought of having these discussions in a live video format? You could read the questions and answer accordingly. You would be great. Also, a few weeks ago, in one of Dana Milbank's discussions, Dana quoted a poem he attributed to you. It started with the words: "I think we all agree, the past is over." It was a hoot! Can you give us some background on that? And might we see some more prose in the future?

Anne E. Kornblut: Dana! I didn't know he'd done that. In 2000, I wrote a satirical Bush "acceptance" speech based on some of his past malapropisms. I'll see if I can dig it up. Assuming that's what he was referring to. Re: Video -- but then we'd have to brush our hair!

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Reston, Va.: Hi Anne. Do you think Obama's comments about Iraq being a "distraction" might come back and bite him as he visits the troops who are fighting in that mere "distraction"? Or do you think his handlers will make sure he is surrounded by people who wouldn't be critical of that statement and position on the war?

Anne E. Kornblut: If they were smart, they'd have a soldier ask him about it, and let him answer it in a way that puts the question to rest. But hey, I'm no Obama adviser. Good question.

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Wimbledon, U.K.: Any word on when Sen. Obama will be over here, and if he'll be giving a speech or some such we can attend? I couldn't find anything on his campaign Web site, although I may have been looking in the wrong places. Thanks!

Anne E. Kornblut: He'll be there soon, but I'm not sure if he'll be holding any public events. Keep an eye out for the next few days.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Gotta ask it again today because I still haven't seen the issue addressed by the parties. Why are my tax dollars being used to bail out housing, mortgage and banking industries that I responsibly did not become a part of? I'm a liberal who believes in safety nets and a managed economy but this only benefits those who were most irresponsible. If the Democrats and Republicans pass this bailout for people they failed to regulate, I'm gonna be forced to either run myself or go third-party!

Anne E. Kornblut: I have been wondering the same myself, and the answer I keep getting back, particularly from market-minded conservatives, is that it's better to bail out the banks and industries now than to suffer the long-term consequences if the entire economy collapses. The trick, though, is to do so without removing the incentives for making safe bets in the first place, as people like you and I did.

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ROTFL to Washington's Outrage: Coverage of McCain's "foreign" trip was extensive, but it wasn't "sexy" (free trade isn't the most exciting subject) -- it just got overshadowed by the hostage return in Columbia (which I think was actually designed as a media "avail" for him). But this is Obama's first trip to Iraq, where an actual war is being waged ... of course the media is gonna be all over that like a terrier on a sweat sock. Don't worry, McCain's still getting his donuts (with sprinkles) from the media ... it's just a bit harder for him to break through, when there doesn't seem to be much point (or drama) to his foreign junkets.

Anne E. Kornblut: Thanks for this.

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Alexandria Va.: Why hasn't more been made of Russia and China's veto in the U.N. Security Council of sanctions against Mugabe in Zimbabwe, especially with the Olympics coming up? I had to hear about it from the New York Times's Friedman op-ed yesterday.

washingtonpost.com: So Popular and So Spineless (New York Times, July 16)

Anne E. Kornblut: Great question, to which I have no answer, but I will post this here.

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Canton, N.Y.: Hi Anne. I know it's just politics, but who does President Bush think he's fooling when he blames congressional Democrats for blocking attempts to allow offshore drilling? Bush had a GOP Congress for much of his term, so if it was that important to him, why didn't he push this earlier than six months before he leaves office?

Anne E. Kornblut: A good point...and a familiar political question when it comes to who's really to blame in Congress...

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To Washington: Helms "did do a lot of work on providing funding for AIDS relief -- seriously." Yes, towards the end, he did some work to stop AIDS ... in Africa! But he voted time and again against AIDS funding in the U.S. In fact, he never voted for any funds for U.S. AIDS victims or research. Try again, Washington!

Anne E. Kornblut: And another...

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Arlington, Va.: I just don't understand what Obama supporters don't get about the whole Rev. Wright thing. I never will vote for Obama because of his 20 year association with the racist, anti-Semitic black separatist movement he was a part of. Not just Wright, his church also gave awards to Farrakhan, and he had no problem with it until just two years ago, when it became public.

Worse, he sent his children there? What if McCain sent Megan to a white supremacist camp? Wouldn't that basically disqualify his from the election? I know a lot of people who feel the way I do. Obama's playing up the the radical, left-wing victim/race movement -- the only goal of which is to stir up racial tension for financial gain -- has disqualified him to many ... including me.

Anne E. Kornblut: And another example of the strong feelings this has evoked. Thanks for writing in.

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Arlington, Va.:"I actually had one Obama person tell me just days ago -- on background, though, so I cannot use the name -- that they were worried about the direction things were going in." Given that this source lied to you, will you print the next tip he provides to you on background? Sources who lie to reporters deserve to be exposed and shamed.

Anne E. Kornblut: Good point! This is why we are extra careful to confirm information, with documents if possible, before printing it. And we get to know our sources over time, and keep track of their accuracy. Partisans all over the place express their "feelings" about things in an effort to shape our coverage -- without putting their names to it -- and it's our job to be skeptical of it. This story is a great reminder of that.

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Chicago: Hey Anne, what do you make of Hillary voting against Barack on the telecom immunity? For months she would wait to see how he voted so as to not allow any distance. Now she is taking the opposite tack. Does anyone doubt she would have voted for telecom immunity if she were the nominee and was moving to the center?

Anne E. Kornblut: I was wondering the same thing. No way to know for sure, but it will be fascinating to watch her now that she is unshackled this way.

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Evanston, Ill.: Thanks for answering my question; I think you are right on. It's just a little depressing that we have such a double standard. Obama is half white and was raised by white Americans, but can't criticize them because he's not one of "them."

Anne E. Kornblut: On the other hand, we're actually having a conversation about it, which means it could evolve.

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Sacramento, Calif.: Is the election Obama's to lose?

Anne E. Kornblut: I would not go that far. It's definitely a Democratic year, and Obama has all sorts of advantages. But the polls are tight, and this is a topsy-turvy year already. So I'd say... stay tuned.

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Correction:"Ms. Kornblut, I'm old enough to remember the William Scranton candidacy being destroyed by one simple statement about being "brainwashed" by PR people in Vietnam." Actually it was Mitt Romney's dad that said that and killed his campaign. I'm reading a great book right now, "Nixonland," that covers it.

Anne E. Kornblut: Wonderful, thanks for this.

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Olney, Md.: When Republicans raise a lot of money, it's usually stated in an insulting way, like "the Republican Money Machine," or people attending expensive dinners, etc. The truth always has been that no one could contribute more than $2,300, and no corporations could contribute anything. When Sen. Obama's campaign raises a lot of money, and despite there being many small-amount contributors, at least half the money has come from that same type of $2,300 contributors at expensive dinners. Why isn't there a mention of the "Democratic Money Machine"? That to me is the most obvious example of the media skewing left.

Anne E. Kornblut: Terrific observation. I will say, back during the bad old soft money days, there was plenty of talk about the Democratic money machine -- usually code for George Soros and Hollywood. But the Obama machine has yet to have a new lexicon assigned to it.

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Albany, N.Y.: I can sorta see why neither Obama nor McCain would want to say much in public about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the credit issue more generally, but will they be able to avoid it for the entire campaign? Whichever one gets elected is going to inherit this problem; wouldn't there be some political interest in how they propose to manage it?

Anne E. Kornblut: Well, I for one am interested. But you're right -- they're both due to say more.

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Dripping Springs, Texas: Anne, nice chat today. Thoughtful answers to even the mainstream-media-bashing questions. Thanks for taking the time and making it one of the best places to find diverse questions and informative answers. No question, just a thank you.

Anne E. Kornblut: This is so nice! Thank you. And you know, we love doing these (or I do, anyway).

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Olney, Md.: Someone wondered why Sen. Obama was criticized for mentioning white bitterness and clinging to guns and religion and not for criticizing people who father children and take no responsibility. The difference is the former is a distorted characterization of something that is not in itself bad (religion, protection) except to liberals, while the latter (pregnancy outside of marriage) is a fact and is in and of itself a bad thing, according to most people.

Anne E. Kornblut: Another good point. Thank you.

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Anne E. Kornblut: Okay folks, I have to run, but thanks so much for being here today. See you again next week!

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