2008 US Presidential Election.

Just about a year-and-a-half ago, Sen. John McCain went to court to try to curtail the influence of a group to which A. Jerrold Perenchio gave $9 million, saying it was trying to “evade and violate” new campaign laws with voter ads ahead of the midterm elections.

As McCain launches his own presidential campaign, however, he is counting on Perenchio, the founder of the Univision Spanish-language media empire, to raise millions of dollars as co-chairman of the Arizona Republican’s national finance committee.

In his early efforts to secure the support of the Republican establishment he has frequently bucked, McCain has embraced some of the same political-money figures, forces and tactics he pilloried during a 15-year crusade to reduce the influence of big donors, fundraisers and lobbyists in elections. That includes enlisting the support of Washington lobbyists as well as key players in the fundraising machine that helped President Bush defeat McCain in the 2000 Republican primaries.

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WASHINGTON - Two bloggers hired recently by Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards were criticized Tuesday by a Catholic group for posts they had written elsewhere on the Internet.

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, demanded that Edwards fire Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan.

“John Edwards is a decent man who has had his campaign tarnished by two anti-Catholic, vulgar, trash-talking bigots,” Donohue wrote in a statement. “He has no choice but to fire them immediately.”

The Edwards campaign declined to comment. McEwan and Marcotte did not respond to e-mails requesting a response.

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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) has moved a step closer to officially enter the 2008 race for the White House, but polling in the race for the Republican Presidential nomination remains little changed. Giuliani attracts 27% of the vote, down from 29% a week ago. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that Senator John McCain (news, bio, voting record)’s (R) support has held steady at 19% among Likely GOP Primary voters.

Rasmussen Reports releases updated polling data on the Republican nominating contest every Tuesday. Results for the Democrats are updated on Mondays.

While Giuliani and McCain remain in the top two slots, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) dropped a few points and now is favored by 13%. Trailing Gingrich is former Massachusetts Mitt Romney (R) at 9% and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R) at 4%.

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Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films released John McCain Vs. John McCain today— a hard hitting short documentary, being distributed for free via the website TheRealMcCain.com and across the country via You Tube. The three minute short reveals the Senator’s flip flopping on key issues such as the Iraq War, Gay Marriage and the Religious Right. The film uses McCain’s own words to destroy the myth of the Senator as a “straight talking” politician. John McCain Vs. John McCain shows the Senator as politician prone to frequent contradictions on key issues.

“This short illustrates, that John McCain is not a ’straight talker’ but a double talker. As a filmmaker and concerned American, I felt it was important to reveal this side of John McCain since this aspect of his leadership has not been portrayed in the press” said the film’s director Robert Greenwald. The length of the video allows for it to be distributed virally for free across the Internet. Blogs and websites around the world are picking up the video and You Tube users and concerned citizens are forwarding the short to friends.

Disinfo

WASHINGTON - Arizona Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) says only Washington insiders believe his 2008 presidential campaign may be suffering because he supports President Bush’s decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq.

“Well, I think there’s that, maybe, perception inside the Beltway. But outside, a lot of Republicans are rallying to this belief that we need to have a strategy that can win, and realize the consequences of failure,” McCain said Sunday.

“Many people trust my judgment because they’ve known me for many years,” he said. “Look, it’s of secondary importance, but I think we’re doing just fine, and I think polls indicate that.”

McCain pledged to respond to any negative attacks against him during the race.

“Obviously, I would do so, but I hope we would do so in an honorable fashion,” he said. “We will run an honorable campaign. Most people believe that, and I do, too. I’m committed to it.”

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. commander in Iraq defended his record on Thursday in the face of strong criticism from Sen. John McCain, a Republican presidential contender in 2008.

“I do not believe that the current policy has failed,” Army Gen. George Casey told the U.S. Senate’s Armed Services Committee.

“The struggle in Iraq is winnable but it will … take patience and will,” Casey told the committee, meeting to consider his nomination to be U.S. Army chief of staff.

McCain, the top Republican on the committee, said he did not question Casey’s patriotism or honor but did question some of Casey’s decisions during his time in charge.

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The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone poll shows that former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) continues to hold an eight-point lead over Senator John McCain (news, bio, voting record) (R) in the race for the Republican nomination. Giuliani now earns 30% of the vote, up from 28% a week ago. John McCain (R) has support from 22% while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich remains in third at 12%.

Former Massachusetts Mitt Romney is back in double digits at 10%. Another former Governor Mike Huckabee registers just 2% as does Senator Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record). Senator Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) registers support from 1% of GOP voters.

While McCain continues to hold a solid second place in this polling, a separate survey shows he has lost ground in general election match-ups. In fact, for the first time in any Rasmussen Reports polling, McCain has fallen behind a Democratic competitor, trailing both Illinois Senator Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards. McCain may be hampered by the situation in Iraq (considered the most important issue by voters). Most Americans believe we should be reducing the number of U.S. troops fighting in that country while McCain supports the President’s call for more troops.

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