MORNING READ

Both Republicans in Congress and the conservative bloggers who back them believe they have an issue they can win on: offshore drilling. John McCain, however, is hearing it from liberal bloggers over his shifting statements on Social Security. And while Barack Obama’s friends and family are under attack, Obama himself has a healthy lead in Ohio that should grow, a pro-Democratic blogger notes.

Senate Republicans are correct to support offshore drilling to keep up the American standard of living, writes Soren Dayton at The Next Right. While the Republicans’ call for lifting the offshore drilling ban will likely run into a partisan buzzsaw, it’s much better than Obama’s stance of wanting to lower energy costs while putting forth no plans to increase the oil supply, according to RedState’s Pejman Yousefzadeh. To apply pressure to Obama and the Democrats against drilling, Republicans, unusually united over the issue, should filibuster the issue and capture the public’s attention, suggests RedState’s Rob Bluey.

McCain is trying to trick voters into thinking he doesn’t support Social Security private investment accounts, which was the same “word game” that President Bush played, says TalkingPointsMemo’s Josh Marshall in a video. Just three months ago, McCain said he supported private accounts, while saying he never has been nor never will be for privatizing it, notes Daily Kos’s BarbinMD.

Obama has several troublesome connections to Countrywide Financial, as three of his prominent supporters, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and James Johnson, have reportedly received special loans from the company, writes Jon Henke at The Next Right. It’s a “net loss” for Republicans to go after Michelle Obama, since such attacks would allow Barack Obama to paint himself as a the “good husband,” writes Hot Air’s Allahpundit. And Obama is poised to do well in Ohio, as he’s leading McCain, 50 percent to 39 percent, in a new PPP poll that underestimates his African-American support, John B. Judis writes at The Plank.

FROM THE BLOGS:
GOP: Party of Energy – Soren Dayton, The Next Right
Drill, Drill, Drill – Pejman Yousefzadeh, RedState
How GOP Can Win Energy Debate in Congress – R. Bluey, RedState
Time for AmericOil? – Andrew Stuttaford, The Corner
McCain Social Security Bamboozle – Josh Marshall, TPM
McCain on Soc. Sec., Then and Now – BarbinMD, Daily Kos
Why Would Any Woman Consider Voting McCain? – DarkSyde, DKos
McCain Dems & Indies List is a Sham – Sargent/Kleefeld, TPM Election
Countrywide Mortgage and Barack Obama – J. Henke, Next Right
‘Net Loss’ to Go After Michelle Obama – Allahpundit, Hot Air
More on the Buckeye Poll – John B. Judis, The Plank
New U.S. Strategy in the Global Economy? – R. Borosage, HuffPo
McConnell in Trouble – Todd Beeton, MyDD
Jindal and the Creationism Bill – Allahpundit, Hot Air

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Candidates Clash On Terrorism – Washington Post
Governor Backs Florida Drilling – Wall Street Journal
Bush Will Seek to Drop a Drilling Ban – New York Times
The Subtle Art of Nancy Pelosi’s Signals – The Hill