JTA Election Central

Gallup has new poll data out showing that “religious intensity predicts support for McCain.” Jews are no exception — except that they are.
Only 39% of U.S. Jews report that religion is important in their daily lives, well below the overall national average. Among this smaller group of religious Jews, however, Obama and McCain break even, [...]

A left-wing blogger quotes a congressional candidate as saying she’s being bullied by AIPAC types. The next day the candidate’s house burns down. Somebody call Mearsheimer & Walt (alternative punch line: Jimmy Carter has volunteered to rebuild the house).
The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue that Barack Obama’s “fraudulent” faith-based initiative will be bad for the Catholics [...]

The Miami Herald reports that some American Muslim leaders say Barack Obama’s Web site aimed at countering rumors that he is a Muslim — fightthesmears.com — sends a negative message about their religion:
Vanessa Alikhan was at a Democratic ”unity party” when she overheard another guest indignantly refute the rumor that Barack Obama is Muslim, as [...]

Jake Tapper of ABC News debunks latest right-wing claim that Obama was raised as a Muslim.
But, Tapper’s scoop was quickly overshadowed by this gem from Ben Smith of Politico: “Two Muslim women at Barack Obama’s rally in Detroit on Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women’s [...]

From Quinnipiac:

Florida: Obama edges McCain 47 - 43 percent
Ohio: Obama tops McCain 48 - 42 percent
Pennsylvania: Obama leads McCain 52 - 40 percent

Click here for more details.

Hey, you like Eric Cantory? Think he’d make a good Veep?
Well, look what just came across the transom:
News from info {at} ericcantorforvp(.)com
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Malik Obama, a Kenyan and the Muslim half-brother of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, says the Illinois will be good for the Jews.
And, following Barack Obama’s speech to AIPAC, other Arab voices are starting to agree (with regret).
Muammar Gadhafi didn’t like the speech — he says it shows “that he either ignores international politics and [...]

As Joe Lieberman campaigns for John McCain and steps up his criticisms of Barack Obama, he faces a growing wave of counterattacks from liberal commentators.
Jonathan Chait takes aim in the current issue of the New Republic:
There’s hardly any sense in which Lieberman is an independent figure. He’s become a cog in the Republican message machine. [...]

The National Jewish Democratic Council plays the Iran card against one of McCain’s top donors (and says “Guilt by Associaition” is a game that can be played by both sides):
Top McCain Adviser Traded with Iran
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator John McCain’s Chief Economic Adviser, Carly Fiorina, was CEO of Hewlett-Packard (HP) when the company surreptitiously avoided [...]

J Street says that on Monday it will announce its first slate of endorsed candidates. …
MEDIA ADVISORY
June 11, 2008 [...]