SATURDAY ROUNDUP

Barack Obama switching positions on offshore drilling has conservative bloggers celebrating and liberals just plain confused. Dispatches from the “guerrilla Congress” continue to pour in and Obama pulling out the big guns by picking Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) to head his debate negotiations has conservatives wondering why the Democratic presidential candidate is so scared of debating John McCain.

Obama signaling a newfound support for offshore drilling Friday is a clear win for Republicans in Congress who have made expanded drilling a key campaign theme, The Next Right’s Soren Dayton writes. MyDD’s Jerome Armstrong thinks the move is a smart one, as it takes a key issue off the table for John McCain, but puts House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who has been holding up drilling legislation, in an odd position.

Republicans protesting on the House floor may be a turning point for a group that has not shown much fight recently, writes The Corner’s Mark Hemingway, who hopes the GOP can keep the momentum created by the move. But while many conservatives applaud the lawmakers for protesting, others wish they had gone farther. Hot Air’s Allahpundit points out that rather than leaving after Pelosi ordered Capitol Police to evict them, the protesting members could have refused, forcing either Congress to reopen or Pelosi to order their arrest.

And Obama pegged Emanuel to be his chief negotiator for the three presidential debates the campaign has agreed to, The Swamp reports. RedState’s Moe Lane is surprised by the hard line Obama is taking on debates, calling out the Illinois Democrat as “too scared to face a 72-year-old torture survivor who can’t even move his arms properly.”

FROM THE BLOGS:
How It Works – Josh Marshall, TPM
Obama’s ‘Shift’ More of a Gesture – Marc Ambinder
Obama’s Drilling Flip-Flop – Soren Dayton, The Next Right
McCain Embraces Giuliani’s ‘Tough’ Crime Stance – TalkLeft
The Guerrilla Congress – Mark Hemingway, The Corner
GOP Missed Opportunity – Allahpundit, Hot Air
Obama Opposes Reparations – Political Ticker
Veep Watch – First Read
And Obama Caves on Drilling – Matt Stoller, Open Left

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Taps Emanuel – The Hill
AIDS Infections Higher Than Thought – New York Times
Obama Switches Positions on Offshore Drilling – Palm Beach Post