Obama flack: “No candidate in this race has undergone more investigations and examinations than Barack Obama has.”

TPMCafe’s live discussion forum on bankruptcy and foreclosures, which I mentioned earlier this morning, is now underway.

Head on over and take part.

I really hope the Obama camp is kidding when they say Barack is the most scrutinized candidate in the race. If they’re not, they’re living in a fantasy world that makes me question whether they’re up to the rigors of a national campaign.

Let me be clear: there’s legitimate scrutiny of legislative records, policy positions, personal finances, history of decisions made in tough, pressure-filled situations (the only really legitimate meaning of character), etc. There’s been some of that and should probably be more.

Then there’s the collective assault that constitutes modern press ‘scrutiny’, especially for a Democrat who generally has to deal with the tag team of the national political press and the regrettably much more able and ruthless GOP oppo research cadre, which has an established feeding operation mainlined to most national political reporters.

It ain’t fair; it ain’t right; but it’s the reality. And if he thinks he’s already gotten that, well … what’s he been smoking?

From the AP:

Thick black smoke billowed from a fire Wednesday on the White House compound in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

The blaze appeared to be located in Vice President Dick Cheney’s suite of ceremonial offices on the second floor of the building.

Overheated shredders? Addington burning files?

Take your whack at it.

Late Update: Joking aside, as a former veep staffer points out in an email, the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office is a national treasure and fire damage to it would be a sad loss.

Has the NYT agreed to run a correction on its CIA torture tapes story? That’s what Dana Perino is saying at the White House press briefing: “I have heard now from the New York Times that they will retract that headline and they are going to run a correction tomorrow.”

Late Update: Apparently the NYT is backing off the subhed to the story, “White House Role Was Wider Than It Said.” From The Hill:

Catherine Mathis, senior vice president of corporate communications for the newspaper, stated that the sub-headline has been changed, adding that a correction would be printed. However, Mathis also pointed out that the White House did not challenge the contents of the article.

Today’s the day. We’re announcing the official nominees for this year’s Golden Dukes Awards (aka the “Dukeys”).

If your nomination was one of the winners (i.e., was accepted as a finalist nominee), we’ll be contacting you shortly and giving you details about the exciting TPM merchandize you’ve won.

Did the New York Times really agree to a White House demand to issue a correction about today’s Gonzales Torture tapes article? That’s what Dana Perino said in today’s White House briefing. Check it out …

Update: Now the Times says that they’ll correct the sub-headline to their piece, but not the substance.

With the Senate still deadlocked over the nomination of vote-suppression guru Hans von Spakovsky to the FEC, two former Justice Department officials writing at TPMCafe urge the Dems to hold firm.

Their op-ed, by the way, was rejected by the Washington Post – after the paper ran an editorial urging the Senate to approve von Spakovsky (“a flawed FEC is better than no FEC at all”) and a George Will column that, beyond urging von Spakovsky’s confirmation, attacked the former Department officials who’d opposed it. They respond to Will here as well.

Greg Sargent has an advance look at a new heavy-on-attitude memo from the John Edwards campaign, attacking the press for its general coverage of his campaign.

Okay, the big moment has arrived. Or at least the biggest moment till December 31st. As you know, TPM is running the First Annual Golden Duke awards, named in honor or iconic political crook Randy “Duke” Cunningham and awarded to the biggest political crooks, scoundrels and bamboozlers in six separate categories. TPM Readers sent in dozens of great nominations measuring the comparative muckliness and bamboozlism of TPM favorites like Larry Craig, Alberto Gonzales, Bradley Schlozman and many, many others. And now we’ve chosen the official nominees.

So who are the nominees for Best Testimonial Trainwreck? Best Scandal — Sex and Generalized Carnality? You know you want to know. So find out in today’s episode of TPMtv! Winners will be announced right here on December 31st.

Watch this episode on Blip.