Former Vice-President Al Gore has thrown down the gauntlet in the U.S. energy debate by challenging the nations lawmakers, entrepreneurs and energy policy specialists to rid the country of all fossil fuel-driven electricity within ten years.

Speaking at an energy conference in Washington yesterday, Gore told the audience renewable energy sources such as wind and solar needed to take precedence because "the survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk."

The Nobel Peace Prize recipient and noted environmentalist told the audience that he could not "...remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously" in the country but added that though the problems faced are many, they were not insurmountable.

By any standards the the New Yorker's front cover depiction of Democratic nominee Barack Obama as a Muslim in full-flowing robes fist-bumping with his wife Michelle who is shown as a Afro-wearing, gun-toting terrorist, has attracted attention.

The cartoon shows the pair celebrating an apparent takeover of the White House with an  American flag burning in the background and a picture of Osama Bin Laden hanging on the wall. Titled "The Politics of Fear", the picture by Barry Blitt is New Yorker satire at its biting, brilliant best.

Yet notwithstanding its ability to sell magazines, (I can't wait to get my copy) it is quite obvious that the cartoon's original point -- to lampoon the off-the-wall conspiracy theories about Obama -- seems to have missed its mark by a long way amongst many people, liberal and conservative alike.

The Obama camp released a statement labelling the cartoon "tasteless and offensive" and derided the magazine's defence that it was intended as a satirical message.

"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree," said the statement. [source]

In an echo of the 2004 U.S. presidential run-off, the issue of gay marriage has been placed squarely on this year's campaign agenda. Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama has stated that he strongly opposed a ballot measure which would wind back the recently-changed Californian constitution law allowing gay marriage in the state.

His opponent Republican John McCain has said he supports the November bill.

Obama said in a letter to San Francisco's Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club that he opposed "the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution" and other similar moves across the country.

McCain, though, said in a statement to the Protect Marriage Campaign he supported the bill to reverse the Californian Supreme Court's decision: "I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home state of Arizona. I do not believe judges should be making these decisions." [source]

The issue has divided political commentators between those who believe it has the potential to be used by sections of the Christian lobby to mobilise supporters in favour of Senator McCain's campaign.

A top aide to US presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama has let slip that the Democratic contender is sincere about considering former rival Senator Hillary Clinton for a spot on the ticket, saying she was on the "shortlist" for the job of running mate.

After a sometimes acrimonious Democratic primary, which saw both sides question the other's fitness to govern, a joint rally held at the appropriately-named Unity, New Hampshire last Friday, has pundits suggesting Sen. Clinton is once again in the running for the all-important vice-presidential nominee slot.

Speaking on Australian television, Sen. Obama's campaign co-chairman Tom Daschle appeared to confirm this saying Sen. Clinton would be on "anybody's short list".

"I think he needs two things, first somebody who can become president in the case of a tragedy and secondly, somebody with whom he can work closely," he said to the ABC's Insiders program.

"I think Hillary Clinton would be, as Barack Obama has said, on anyone's short list and I think that is sincere.

"I think he is looking at Hillary and a host of other possibilities for the future."

A poll of 1,125 adults conducted for the Washington Post and ABC News has shown a statistical dead heat  for the all-important independent vote between Senator Barack Obama and his rival for the presidency Senator John McCain .

The survey, taken over three days from June 12 following Democratic contender Hillary Clinton's withdrawal from the nomination, shows the tightness of the election race as both sides court voters who categorise themselves as neither Republican or Democratic.

According to a Washington Post wrap of the poll, independents see McCain as:

more credible on fighting terrorism [but] are split evenly on who is the stronger leader and better on the Iraq war. But on other key attributes and issues -- including the economy -- Obama has advantages among independents.[source]

The survey also showed Obama with a clear lead among those who wished to see change in Washington.

After sitting out the Democratic primaries, refusing to endorse either Senator Hillary Clinton or Senator Obama, former Vice President Al Gore has heartily endorsed Obama before a packed crowd at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit calling him "clearly the candidate best able to solve...problems and bring change to America."

Though seemingly unwilling to commit to either candidate during the campaign, perhaps out of respect to the former First Lady, Gore allegedly encouraged Obama in his bid for the presidency and offered some "good political advice" according to the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Former Vice President Al Gore has written to supporters saying he will endorse Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in a speech in Detroit tonight.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner's late support has rekindled talk of a possible spot as running mate on the party ticket.

Gore's email message to his supporters said in part:

"Over the next four years, we are going to face many difficult challenges -- including bringing our troops home from Iraq, fixing our economy, and solving the climate crisis. Barack Obama is clearly the candidate best able to solve these problems and bring change to America," he said.

The news has generated pressure from some Democrats on the Obama team to include the man who lost to George Bush in 2000 on the ticket, however the presumptive nominee, while agreeing Gore had provided good political advice during the Illinois senator's campaign, declined to say if he was being considered as a running mate.

More on the speech as it comes to hand.

Image: Al Gore, co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize at the ceremony in Oslo, Norway. Credit: guano/flickr

Senator Barack Obama's campaign has launched a website designed to refute lies and smear allegations spread by his opponents.

Called Fight the Smears, the site looks to neutralise rumours spread from television, the Web, radio and seemingly most pervasively, by email.

"The Obama campaign isn't going to let dishonest smears spread across the internet unanswered," said Obama campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor. "Whenever challenged with these lies we will aggressively push back with the truth and help our supporters debunk the false rumors floating around the internet."

The Washington Post said that such an internet campaign is virtually a "must have" for the black presidential nominee due to the number of untrue rumours swirling around the blogosphere and other media alleging that he is of the Muslim faith and attended a madrassa (religious school) during his time in Indonesia.

Other untrue rumours are circulating over his alleged lack of patriotism and the wrong fact that he took the oath of office on the Koran when being sworn in to the Senate.

The attempted smears are coupled with more recent attacks on his wife Michelle when right wing radio host Rush Limbaugh claimed a tape exists of Michelle Obama using the term "whitey," an allegation the Obama camp denies.

Former President Clinton strategist and CNN commentator James Carville has called on Senator Barack Obama to draft former Vice President Al Gore as running mate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

Appearing on the CNN program, "The Situation Room" hosted by Wolf Blitzer, Carville said selecting Gore would send a message that America was "really serious" about environment and energy issues.

"That would send a signal to the world, to American people, to Congress, to everybody, that America's getting serious about this horrendous problem that we face," he said.

Former Vice President Gore has not ruled out a return to politics though has always indicated he would want to return as president.

The mercurial Carville is highly respected within Democratic party circles for his role as chief  political strategist for the successful presidential campaign of then Arkansas  governor Bill Clinton.

Image: James Carville: Credit:  Office of James Carville

Democratic Rep. Dan Boren, Oklahoma's only Democratic member of the congressional delegation, has refused to endorse Sen. Barack Obama for presidential office.

However Boren has said the Illinois Senator will have his vote both at the Democratic convention in Denver in August and in November on election day.

Calling Obama "the most liberal senator in Congress", Boren criticised his record on working with Republicans saying "it does not reflect working in a bipartisan fashion" and has joined Florida Rep. Tim Mahoney in refusing to endorse the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Image: Official picture of Dan Boren. Credit: Public Domain

A recently released AP-Yahoo opinion poll has shown a large number of Republicans, conservatives and the all-important independent voters dislike Senator Hillary Clinton, suggesting the Obama camp would do well do consider carefully before adding her to the ticket as vice-presidential candidate.

The poll, the results of which were published in this AP report, involved telephone interviews with 2,124 adults conducted April 2-June 2, with most during April prior to her withdrawing from the Democratic contest.

Worringly for the Obama camp, thirty-two percent of independents strongly dislike Sen. Clinton, an area Obama must do well in if he is to challenge successfully for the presidency.

Image: Sen Clinton, Jul 2007. Credit Llima/flickr

Senator Barack Obama's communications director has confirmed the presumptive Democratic nominee did meet with Senator Hillary Clinton on Thursday.

"They did meet tonight," said Robert Gibbs in answer to reporter's questions following rumours that the two were meeting to discuss the vice presidential nominee. Gibbs said earlier reports that the two had met at Sen. Clinton's home were incorrect however refused to give details of the meeting.

Both Obama and Clinton preferred not to disclose details of the meeting, releasing a statement saying: "Senator Clinton and Senator Obama met tonight and had a productive discussion about the important work that needs to be done to succeed in November."

Image: Hillary Clinton at the National Education Association Representative Assembly in Philadelphia., July 2, 2007. Credit: Llima/flickr

U.S. media reports (1,2,3) have said Sen. Hillary Clinton will formally concede the Democratic nomination to her opponent Sen. Barack Obama by the end of the week. Clinton, who has been criticised for not conceding defeat during her speech following the final Democratic primaries earlier this week, is expected to endorse Sen. Obama.

This'll have Democrats licking their lips...

CNN is reporting Senator Hillary Clinton has declared she will do "whatever it takes" to put a Democrat in the White House in November. The Obama camp is taking this as a sign that the former First Lady would be willing to accept an offer of Sen. Obama's running mate if offered.

"In her speech tomorrow night, [after the conclusion of the last primaries] she will convey the message that first and foremost she is committed to Democrats winning in November and will do whatever she's asked to do," said a Clinton campaign source quoted by the news company.

The Obama camp has been careful not to pressure the New York senator into withdrawing from the race after it became apparent that the odds of her winning were insurmountable.

However, after a bruising campaign, the likelihood of the New York senator being offered the position is far from guaranteed with some notable Obama supporters against the idea.

Sen. Barack Obama looks to be nearing his goal of gaining enough delegates to claim the Democratic nomination as the two camps prepare for Tuesday's final two primaries in Montana and South Dakota.

Obama wont gain the pledged delegates from tomorrow's last two contests -- there aren't enough delegates on offer, however he is expected to be able to claim enough superdelegates to fall over the line, according to press reports.

With Obama needing just 41.5 delegates to win the nomination according to AP predictions, CNN has reported that most of the seventeen uncommitted Senate delegates will throw their support behind Obama following the end of the nomination process.

Image: Sen. Obama addresses a rally at the University of Maryland, Feb 2008. Credit: Thirty30 Photography/flickr