Staff Picks - August 21, 2009; 8:41 AM ET

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Staff Picks

WHAT 44 EDITOR GARANCE FRANKE-RUTA IS READING TODAY »

Conservative Group Attacks Vacationing Obama ABC News: The Note | Obama may think he's getting away, but a conservative group that’s opposing his health care plan "is launching a new ad that will air on television in Boston and on Martha’s Vineyard next week, tweaking the president for taking time away from Washington in the middle of the national debate over health care." The question of offshore windfarms are sure to see some activist attention, too.

The Summer of Astroturf Politico | Ben Smith breaks out of the blog and takes a look at the health reform big picture. "The August recess may not have done much to clarify the health care debate , but it has shined a bright light on one of Washington, D.C.’s secrets: The town is paved with Astroturf," he writes.

Charlie Cook: Dem situation has 'slipped completely out of control' Politico: The Scorecard | Charlie Cook is not optimistic about Democratic prospects in 2010. "[T]he situation this summer has slipped completely out of control for President Obama and Congressional Democrats....The Cook Political Report’s Congressional election model ... is pointing toward a net Democratic loss of between six and 12 seats, but our sense, factoring in macro-political dynamics is that this is far too low," he writes.

Faith in Obama Drops As Reform Fears Rise Washington Post | And some big news from the home team: The new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows public confidence in President Obama's leadership declining sharply over the summer, with wrong-track numbers jumping to 55 percent from 48 percent in April.

By Ben Pershing | August 21, 2009; 8:41 AM ET
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