Naming dogs for presidents --2 George Bush, 20 Bush and 37 Reagan

One of the great joys of the Web -- and, we hope, of The Ticket -- is the serendipity, never knowing exactly what you'll find to read or watch as you beachcomb online.

Bet you didn't expect this item on dogs. Los Angeles County dogs. But stick with us, there is a political angle.

LATimes.com database producer Ben Welsh has done an incredible of researching L.A.'s Top Dogs registered in the county. What breeds are most common, what names, all searchable by ZIP code? How common is your dog's name or breed in the county, or your own neighborhood?

All right, it is embarrassing that the most common dog registered in the county is the Chihuahua. But a real close second are real dogs, Labradors.

Anyway, it's fun reading. There are pit bulls named Angel and poodles named Rocky. What do you think is the rarest dog in the county? (The Alaskan klee kai, which is a miniature husky. There's only one here.)

But the politics part involves all the dogs named for presidents. There are, for instance, 81 Arthurs, 20 named Bush, two named George Bush (a chow and a pug), eight Grants, a couple of Hardings, 37 Reagans and 388 Madisons, the most popular presidential moniker.

There's one miniature schnauzer named Donald Rumsfeld. There are 419 dogs named Elvis, which could go over on the pet blog, L.A. Unleashed, or maybe better yet over on Soundboard, the music blog. And 1,020 dogs named Kobe. But they no doubt belong over on the Lakers blog.

Oh, and the county has one dog named Barack. He's a Rottweiler. And he belongs right here on The Ticket.

-- Andrew Malcolm

With Obama's election sure, Illinois Dems line up for his Senate seat

Our LATimes.com colleague Johanna Neuman, who's chronicling the dwindling days of the Bush administration over on the booming Countdown to Crawford blog, was listening in today on a Democratic conference call of congressional leaders.

You won't be surprised to learn they were bashing President Bush about the economy and jobs. At one point House majority leader Steny Hoyer referred to his Democratic House colleague Rahm Emanuel as "Sen. Emanuel, I mean, Congressman Emanuel."

Hmmm.

Illinois, of course, already has two Democratic senators not named Emanuel. But one of them is Barack Obama. If he's successful in his White House bid Nov. 4, Illinois' Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be naming an interim senator. The Ticket is prepared to bet one million online electrons the interim senator will be a Democrat.

As is tradition in the Illinois -- that is to say, Chicago -- Democratic machine, several worthies are already lining up.

Emanuel is something of a rising star, having been a key component in engineering the Democrats' takeover of the House in 2006, though presently denying interest in the Senate, which is a real good idea with his House reelection bid coming in three months.

Previously, Emanuel was finance chairman for Bill Clinton's campaign and before that, way back in the 1980s, he was cadging free lunches from Chicago political reporters in exchange for gossip and info on the colorful characters and the drones in rumpled suits populating the Windy City's Democratic monolithic machine.

Our blogging buddy Mark Silva over at the Swamp notes in a recent item that the son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who is Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., has generously offered his services as a senator if invited. "I wouldn't say no if asked," says the 43-year-old House member. But he's still the junior Jackson. That appointment would keep at least one African American in the Senate.

There are several other possible candidates, however, and Mark has the full list and background here.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: U.S. House of Representatives

Ticket notice: Sunday talk shows -- Ridge, Pelosi, Lieberman

ABC "This Week": Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif./Obama supporter); former Gov. Tom Ridge (R-Pa./McCain supporter). Round table with David Gergen (Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University) and Donna Brazile, Jake Tapper and George Will of ABC News.

CBS "Face the Nation": Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin (Obama supporter), former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina (McCain supporter) and David Brooks of the New York Times.

CNN "Late Edition": Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo./Obama supporter) and Rob Portman (former White House budget director/McCain supporter); Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni; Army Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, commander, Multi-National Division-North; Nancy Pfotenhauer (McCain economic advisor) and Laura Tyson (Obama economic advisor); Jim Glassman, undersecretary of State for public diplomacy.

"Fox News Sunday": Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C./McCain supporter) and former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D./Obama supporter).

NBC "Meet the Press": Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass./Obama supporter/Democratic presidential candidate 2004) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn./McCain supporter/Democratic vice presidential candidate 2000). Round table with Andrea Mitchell and Chuck Todd of NBC News, Judy Woodruff of PBS' "NewsHour" and GOP strategist Mike Murphy.

-- Dan Morain

Photo: Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) Credit: Michelle Mcloughlin / Associated Press

In his own words: John McCain's radio address today

"To summarize the Obama agenda: Government is too big, and he wants to grow it. Taxes are too high, and he wants to raise them. Congress spends too much, and he proposes more. We need more energy, and he's against producing it. We're finally winning in Iraq, and he wants to forfeit." -- Sen. John McCain

John McCain's weekly radio address, Aug. 2, 2008:

DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO FILE HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/Downloads/aug22008_wra.mp3

DOWNLOAD THE SPANISH AUDIO FILE HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/Downloads/aug22008_wra_esp1.mp3

Good morning. This is John McCain. The differences between my opponent and me are coming into sharper focus. As the day draws closer, the choice becomes clearer.

One difference is our willingness to break ranks with our own political parties when principle and good sense demand it. When a Republican administration was making terrible mistakes in Iraq, I spoke up against it. And I spoke for the new strategy that has saved us from a catastrophic American defeat in the Middle East.

This was back when Sen. Obama was speaking as if Iraq was a lost cause, confidently declaring the surge would fail and calling for an immediate withdrawal of our troops no matter how disastrous the consequences. I have seen war up close. I know its terrible costs. And, as president, I am going to end this war -- by winning it.

When my own party turned out to be just as financially irresponsible as my opponent's party -- spending recklessly and leaving more debt for your children to pay -- I spoke up.

When America needed reform in energy policy, the current administration and like-minded Republicans in Congress served up yet another energy bill stuffed with corporate welfare -- and Sen. Obama joined them. I spoke up for real reform to lower energy prices and to gain energy security for our country.

My independence hasn't always made me friends in Washington. It hasn't always done much for ...

Ron Paul's own convention: Jesse Ventura. Goldwater Jr. And Tucker Carlson?

Well, Rep. Ron Paul, our favorite 11-term sort-of Republican congressman running unopposed in November in a district near Houston, has released a major statement on his Rally for the Republic, which is designed to compete with the second day of the regular Republican National Convention in St. Paul next month.

""I consider this event equal to, if not more important, than anything I have done over all these years," Ron Paul said in a special unrehearsed videotape message to followers. (Click on the Read More line below.)

Loyal Ticket readers already know about the impressive fundraising success of the 72-year-old former ob-gyn, who's even older than the regular Republican nominee that Ron Paul won't endorse. Paul raised about $35 million this past year, way more than more famous guys like Mike Huckabee. Depending on whose count you use, each of Paul's convention delegates cost him more than $1 million.

He got more than one million Republican primary votes, despite persistent allegations of a mainstream media plot to ignore, play down and smother his campaign with such tricks as barring him from TV debates or minimizing his photo.

Paul got considerably fewer than a million convention delegates. More like 20. Or maybe 14. Which is one reason he decided to have his own convention, where he'll likely get them all.

But Paul did get the libertarian-like message out to many across the country and sold a lot of his new books and raised the awareness of how much alike he thinks the Republican and Democratic parties have become in their commitment to way-too-big government.

Paul and his energetic, committed followers believe they are laying the groundwork for a longterm revolution from within the not-so grand old GOP. Meanwhile, they hope to embarrass the GOP in St. Paul and cost it many votes on Nov. 4.

According to Dr. Paul (see video below), he's lined up quite a guest list of luminaries for....

Advisor Axelrod admits Obama was referring to race

On Wednesday, campaigning in the state once known for the Missouri Compromise of 1820, Sen. Barack Obama, the Democrats' presumptive nominee for president, said about his Republican opponents:

"Nobody thinks that Bush and McCain have a real answer to the challenges we face. What they're going to try to do is make you scared of me. You know: 'He's not patriotic enough. He's got a funny name. You know, he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.' "

That last phrase was the spark that set off perhaps the most profound and potentially emotional and divisive disagreement of the general-election campaign so far. To many, the most obvious commonality among "those other presidents on the dollar bills" is not powdered wigs; it's their race: white.

Immediately, John McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, sharply rejected Obama's statement, saying the  Democrat had "played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck." Davis called Obama's remarks "divisive, negative, shameful and wrong."

With not much else going on in midsummer, the media pounced, and we had a full-scale flareup. On Thursday, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs denied Davis' accusation and said Obama was simply referring to the fact that he didn't come into the race with the history of others. "It is not about race," Gibbs claimed.

Obama has since called the race charge "a typical pattern" of the GOP campaign.

But now Obama's chief campaign strategist, David Axelrod, admits that the candidate was referring in part to his race when he suggested that the McCain campaign wants voters to fear Obama because he doesn't look like other presidents.

"He's not from central casting," Axelrod told a national TV audience Friday, "when it comes to candidates for president of the United States. He's new to Washington. Yes, he's African American."

Our blogging colleague Katie Fretland has more details on the ongoing controversy over here at the Swamp.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: Newsday

Blunt George W. Bush view of his legacy: 'I'll be dead'

As any president does before any foreign tour, he meets with the press of the region matching his itinerary. As he prepared for his final tour of East Asia next week, including the opening of the Olympics in Beijing, President Bush sat down in the Map Room of the White House for an interview with a reporter from the region.

"What is going to be your legacy?'' asked Suthichai Sae-Yoon, of the Nation Multimedia Group in Thailand.

"Oh, I don't know,'' Bush replied. "'ll be dead when they finally figure it out.''

But how would he like history to remember him?

"Somebody who took on tough challenges and didn't shy away from doing what he thought was right,'' said the president not known for his comfort with introspection. "And, you know, look, I'm a big believer in freedom and liberty. That's been a hallmark of my agenda.

"But... there's no such thing as short-term history, so I am very confident in telling you that I'll be long gone before somebody finally figures out the true merit and meaning of the Bush administration.''

"Is there life after the White House?'' Bush was asked near the eve of a trip that will carry him to China for the opening of the Olympic Games, to South Korea and to Thailand. "Absolutely. I'm only 62 years old,'' said Bush, who plans to settle in Dallas, write and oversee construction of his presidential library at Southern Methodist University, his wife Laura's alma mater.

The writing machine Mark Silva over at the Swamp has more on this surprising story here. To see the transcripts of the president's interviews with other Asian journalists, go here, and here and also here.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo credit: Fox News

Major Obama shift on offshore drilling; some might be O.K.

Another sudden switch and another major slide toward the center by Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.

He told a Florida newspaper today he is NOT against ALL offshore drilling for new oil resources. Switching from his previous blanket oppostion to expanded offshore drilling, Obama tells the Palm Beach Post he could get behind a compromise with Republicans and oil companies to avoid a gridlock over energy policy.

"The Republicans and the oil companies have been really beating the drums on drilling," Obama said in the Post interview. "And so we don't want gridlock. We want to get something done."

The freshman Illinois senator and presidential nominee-to-be added: "If, in order to get that passed, we have to compromise in terms of a careful, well thought-out drilling strategy that was carefully circumscribed to avoid significant environmental damage — I don't want to be so rigid that we can't get something done."

The public struggle between the two parties and their candidates has been going on for weeks. And recent polls have indicated a shift by voters toward approval of careful offshore drilling as a way to increase petroleum supplies and reduce stiff gas prices.

Republican nominee-to-be John McCain was asked for a response to Obama's latest shift. The Arizona senator said: "We need oil drilling and we need it now offshore. He has consistently opposed it. He has opposed nuclear power. He has opposed reprocessing. He has opposed storage."

As political momentum appears to build for some new offshore drilling ast least along the Eastern coast, including Florida, President Bush recently rescinded one of two bans on the operations. Congress imposed one ban in 1981 and another was signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 and renewed in 1998 by President Clinton.

The current President Bush lifted the executive ban last month. But Congress, which left Washington today for yet another recess, the one a full five weeks, has not moved to change its prohibition.

Imagine that, progress through public debate.

--Andrew Malcolm

On donor disclosure, John McCain gets a B, Barack Obama gets a C

John McCain lately has gotten huzzahs for fundraising transparency. Barack Obama? Not so much.

McCain discloses his biggest fund-raisers, the high rollers who tap friends and associates to provide green for his campaign. In addition to posting hundreds of names, McCain identifies their employers and occupations -- a move that has caused him heartburn.

But in today's sharp-edged politics, transparency has its costs.

By listing bundlers’ occupations, he allows Democratic rivals to slam him for raising money from certain segments, such as say, the D.C. lobbying corp.

Obama also lists his big bundlers. But the candidate who urges transparency in all things government doesn’t disclose bundlers’ occupations or employers.

An Obama spokesman referred the curious to the Federal Election Commission website -- a site that for the uninitiated is not particularly easy to navigate.

All this is not to say that McCain is pure. Among his oversights: ...

Wal-Mart greeters like Dems: Obama, McCaskill, Waxman

Evidently, some Wal-Mart employees didn’t get the word about the McCain-TBA ticket.

They’re still giving their cash to Democrats, even though, as the Wall Street Journal disclosed, the retailing behemoth from Bentonville, Ark., is trying to persuade its store managers and department supervisors to vote Republican.

The low-price leader has waged running battles with unions, and fears that a Democratic administration and Congress could impose laws opening the way for the greeters, clerks and others at the global empire Sam Walton built to organize unions. Of course, official Wal-Mart spokespeople deny any such push.

But a cursory review of donations at the Federal Election Commission shows that Wal-Mart and its employees show a significant amount going to Democratic candidates and political action committees.

Donors identifying their employer as Wal-Mart gave $33,877 to Democratic candidates -- including $7,337 to Barack Obama. They gave $55,761 to Republicans, including $7,250 to John McCain.

The company clearly is playing both sides, unlike in the past. Data compiled by Congressional Quarterly show that Wal-Mart’s political action committee gave 52% of its money, or $460,500, to Republicans and 48%, or $425,200, to Democrats in 2007-2008 election cycle.

A decade ago, more than 90% of its money went to Republicans.

Prominent recipients include some mentioned as Obama’s potential running mates: Sen. Claire McCaskill, Sen. Evan Bayh, and, of course, former Wal-Mart board member Hillary Clinton.

California’s Democratic congressional caucus also collects Wal-Mart bucks: Henry Waxman, Xavier Becerra, Laura Richardon, Loretta Sanchez, Ellen Tauscher, Zoe Lofgren, Mike Thompson and Dennis Cardoza.

-- Dan Morain