MORNING READ

Paris Hilton’s response to John McCain’s use of her image in an attack ad wins her critical acclaim online. The debate over the best way to address the energy crisis continues to roil the blogosphere. And more auspicious signs for Democrats in Alaska has liberal bloggers excited.

Hilton hit back at McCain by cutting her own spot mocking the Republican as “the oldest celebrity in the world.” Then, in a swimsuit, she taped a response calling for an energy solution that would allow more domestic offshore oil drilling, which McCain has called for, and tax incentives to get car companies to build hybrids, which Barack Obama has called for. Hilton’s sense of humor, thoughtful energy policy and amount of experience when compared to Obama could make her a strong third-party candidate, jokes Hot Air’s Allahpundit. Hilton’s response showed the silliness of McCain’s ad comparing her and Britney Spears to Obama and will perhaps make McCain start acting like the elder stateman he should be, writes The Corner’s Kathleen Parker. But Hilton’s assertion that offshore drilling can help lower energy costs in the short term is wrong, since it will take at least five years for drilling to make a difference, writes Dayo Olopade at The Vine.

Obama can only help the “uber-serious” McCain by continuing to preach about tire inflation as part of the solution to high gas prices, writes Townhall’s Hugh Hewitt. But while McCain attacks Big Oil in his new ad, he’s taken millions from oil executives and has called for drilling that would do more to help their profits, writes The Huffington Post’s Robert Borosage. McCain should lay off the oil companies, who don’t have the kind of profit margins of firms in other industries, and drug companies, who need a lot of revenue to pay for medical research, according to RedState’s Pejman Yousefzadeh.

Sen. Ted Stevens (R), back in his home state of Alaska after being indicted, was accompanied by a convoy of motorcycle-riding veterans and greeted by a crowd that chanted “10 more years!” during a rally for his bid to win another 6-year Senate term, notes TalkingPointsMemo’s Kate Klonick in a video. Republicans should be worried about losing the state in the presidential election now that popular Gov. Sarah Palin (R), mentioned as a possible McCain running mate, has praised Obama’s energy plan, writes MyDD’s Jonathan Singer.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad – Funny Or Die
Fact-Checking Paris Hilton on Drilling – Dayo Olopade, The Vine
New Third-Party Ad – Allahpundit, Hot Air
Paris, And Other Sites of Interest – Kathleen Parker, The Corner
Obama, The Leaning Tower, Paris, Britney – B. York, The Corner
Obama’s Drilling Compromise Makes Sense – M. Stoller, Open Left
Party Demagoguery Knows No Party ID – P. Yousefzadeh, RedState
Let Obama Preach Tire Inflation – Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com
The Audacity of Contempt – Robert L. Borosage, Huffington Post
Sen. Stevens Rally – Kate Klonick, TalkingPointsMemo
Mitt Draws Blank on McCain Record – kos, Daily Kos
Alaska Troubles for McCain – Jonathan Singer, MyDD

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
McCain Bundler Collects From Unlikely Donors – Washington Post
In Obama Campaign, Big Donors Are Major Force – New York Times
Obama Leads McCain Nationally in AP/Ipsos Poll – Associated Press
GOP Escalates Revolt – The Hill