John McCain gave a speech at the NAACP convention today and, to publicize the event, his campaign authorized Dr. Ada Fisher, a Republican running for the House in North Carolina’s 12th district, to speak as an official surrogate to journalists covering it. That may not have been the best decision, however, as she offered some pretty inflammatory thoughts about how Barack Obama’s admitted past drug use should disqualify him from the presidency. According to Tampa’s WMNF radio — which sent Wonkette a partial transcription of its interview with Fisher, which they will air tonight — Fisher said, among other things, “We cannot have a nation high on drugs and have the President… as an example.” Thanks, Ada! Now we have to deal with this again. MORE »

Here is the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, famous controversial figure, way back in December of 1966, when he was a U.S. Navy medic and installed a black man’s heart inside Lyndon B. Johnson, which is how we got Civil Rights. Thanks to commenter RSSDude DaveBowman for posting the pic. [P. Cash Perspective]

The NAACP held a funeral yesterday for a word, which the civil-rights group murdered beforehand in an outrageous premeditated black-on-black crime that will go unpunished, because it happened in Detroit. MORE »

* “Did you ever try calling a Senator’s office, or a real representative’s office, and been told they can’t talk to you because you are not a constituent? I’ve hit upon a solution: our very own Pasquino!” [A Portable Snack]
* President of the Washington, D.C. NAACP Chapter, Lorraine C. Miller, is first African American Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. [Native Son]
* Metrobus kills two women at 7th and Penn. [WP]
* Belgian’s Blusser is only on tap in four places in the world. DC is home to two of them, Central and Citronelle. [Counter Intelligence]
* Beautiful DC dogwood tree. [The Average Blogger]
* Tickets now on sale for annual WABA Gala. Intern Lauren has attended the past two years and vouches for the open bar and totally high level of fun. [WABA]

• Bush gave speech in Salt Lake City yesterday that, “painted the war on terror as an epic struggle between good and evil.” [NYT]

• Iran’s refusal to halt nuclear program prompts Bush to call them a “grave threat” and declare “there must be consequences.” Sound familiar? [WP]
• Congressional Democrats plan to, “go for a no-confidence vote on Rumsfeld,” when they return to session next week. [WP]

• IRS concludes 2-year investigation into remarks by NAACP leader, allows them to keep “tax-emept” status. [WP]
• NASA issues Lock-Mart a 13-year, $8.1 billion contract to do some outer space stuff. [NYT, W$J]
• Many of the closely contested congressional seats are held by Republicans, including some of our favorites. [USAT]

“We live in a system so insane,” says comedian/monologuist/diet visionary Dick Gregory, tearing it up at the NAACP’s 97th annual convention, “that once you get into a position to determine public policy, they will kill you. MORE »

Dana Milbank on President Bush’s speech before the NAACP: MORE »

• The Senate renewed key provisions of the Voting Rights Act 98 to 0, yesterday. President Bush is expected to sign it. [WP]

• President Bush spoke before the NAACP, receiving applause for his commitment to the VRA, and boos and heckling over the Iraq war. [WP]
• The FEC announced that former political powerhouse Americans for a Republican Majority, Tom DeLay’s PAC, will “pay $115,000 in fines for violations of federal campaign rules” and shut down permanently. [NYT]
• “While making it plain it wants civilian casualties limited, the administration is also content to see the Israelis inflict the maximum damage possible on Hezbollah.” [WP]
• Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt “claimed millions of dollars in tax deductions through a type of charitable foundation they created that until recently paid out very little in actual charity,” kept or invested the money themselves. [WP]

• More than 70 people died yesterday in the current multi-front middle east conflict. A small number of US Marines are aiding the evacuation in Beirut. [NYT]

• Unsurprisingly, the US government’s full-fledged support of Israel in this conflict is not going over swimmingly with allies. [WP
• Republicans running for things have a two-stage message for dodging Iraq questions: Acknowledge that mistakes were made, ask if we should fight or flee. [WP]
• Corruption is hurting both parties this year. [WP]
• President Bush stopped talking about poverty after Hurricane Katrina’s worst was over. [WP]
• Bush will meet with the NAACP today for the first time. [AP]
• Joe Lieberman is in a “stastistical dead heat” with challenger Ned Lamont. [AP]

• Israel will continue to bomb Lebanon for another week or two; then the US will send in Condoleezza Rice. Meanwhile, as a debate continues over Israel’s use of possibly “disproportionate” force, hundreds of Americans were evacuated from Beirut. [NYT, NYT, WP]

• Bush’s seeming inability or unwillingness to handle North Korea and Iran with the same swagger that met foreign threats of his first term has angered conservative intellectuals and pundits. [WP]
• The USDA somehow ended up in a crooked powdered-milk racket. [WP]
• Stem cell research has slowed over the last few years, and the bill passed by the Senate yesterday would help reverse that trend — if not for Bush’s expected veto, which congress is not expected to overturn. [NYT, WP]
• In what some critics call “a politically motivated interference in Justice Department affairs,” President Bush blocked the DoJ’s own internal affairs office from investigating the NSA wiretapping program. [WP]
• The Senate unanimously passed a resolution endorsing Israel’s bombing campaign against Lebanon yesterday. [WP]
• President Bush will address the NAACP at its national convention. [WP]
• A House hearing on immigration reform devolved into sniping at the Senate and the president. [NYT]