According to a news release from the station, Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina attacked Sarah Palin on South Carolina ETV Radio this morning, comparing her unfavorably to both Dan Quayle and Geraldine Ferraro:

"I do believe that McCain has to do something to reshuffle the cards, shake up the establishment, do something unexpected and Governor Palin...has all the kinds of things that McCain might see as a way to shake things up. I think (her selection) would be something similar to Dan Quayle...Dan Quayle proved to be sort of an embarrassment as a campaigner. Being thrust on a national stage like that could be very tough. Now Mondale tried to shake things up by going with Geraldine Ferraro...she proved to be a disaster as a running mate. And as a campaigner, she was absolutely awful. And so I just think that it is very risky for McCain to do this, but it may be all he has left."

Also, Democratic Senator Ken Salazar, reacting on CNN just a few minutes ago tried to portray the Palin pick as impulsive and risky. Salazar said the fact that McCain picked someone no one has ever heard of before this morning shows the "kind of judgment he'd bring to the White House."

All indications are McCain's running mate will be Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. If so, I think it is a superbly handled rollout and, politically, a brilliant pick.

Mona Charen points out this bit from Sarah Palin's bio on Wikipedia:

On September 11, 2007, the Palins' son Track joined the Army. Eighteen years old at the time, he is the eldest of Palin's five children.[10] Track now serves in an infantry brigade and will be deployed to Iraq in September. She also has three daughters: Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7.[11] On April 18, 2008, Palin gave birth to her second son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome.[12] She returned to the office three days after giving birth.[13] Palin refused to let the results of prenatal genetic testing change her decision to have the baby. "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin said. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"[13]

Via CNBC:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a self-styled "hockey mom" who has only been governor for a little over a year, is GOP Presidential candidate John McCain's choice for Vice President, CNBC has learned.

Before the stadium filled up last night, workers made sure every seat had an Americans flag at the ready.

Obama speech reactions will abound on the web today. Many loved it; others were more lukewarm. Some of the latter observations? Here's Ross Douthat:

There was a lot of liberal boilerplate (recruit an army of teachers, tax the rich, etc.) that could have fit easily into any Democratic acceptance speech of the last twenty years; there was a series of swings at John McCain that, while often effective, seemed more appropriate to a veep's speech than to an address by a Presidential nominee; and then there was a half-hearted attempt to return, in the speech's final third, to the themes of post-partisanship and national unity that defined his '04 convention speech. The whole thing felt schizophrenic - part Clintonian laundry-list, part McCain-bashing polemic, part "beyond red and blue" peroration - and watching it I was left with the impression that Obama would have been better off just sticking with the high-flown inspirational style that got him here, and waiting for the debates to recast himself as the meat-and-potatoes guy who can throw a punch and get down into the policy weeds.

And Mickey Kaus, in "Mile High Letdown":

Why the slow, angsty movie-music at the end? I thought someone in the Politburo had died.

While parts of the speech were strong--and the DNC-produced biographical video was a home run--the thing that struck me most, watching from home, was the difference between this speech and the one that catapulted Obama into the national eye in 2004. That speech was largely positive. This one was largely negative, particularly its "America is going to hell in a handbasket" opening. Is this what it takes in a hard-hitting presidential campaign? Maybe. Will it ultimately sell? The 84,000 who hit Invesco field make a case that it might.

But it will be interesting to see what themes McCain runs with next week in Minnesota--especially if the crusty war veteran throws around more rainbows and sunshine than the guy who's built his brand on "hope" and fresh political change.

It was a remarkable scene last night. The mood of the crowd, the stagecraft, the pageantry and the sheer enormity of the stadium made the evening feel like a cross between Lollapalooza, The Oscars, and the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.

Obama's speech was brilliant: well crafted and well delivered, touching on all the right notes. All that was expected, of course, and Obama delivered in spades. He got somewhat specific at times, deftly portrayed McCain as out of touch on the economy, put up his dukes on national security, and finished with an emotional flourish that drew on the history of the moment.

He made one mistake, though. His line knocking McCain for not following Osama bin Laden to his cave struck me as flippant and unnecessary. Though the crowd got a kick out of it, my sense is that that line that opened the door for Republicans and it will come back to haunt the Junior Senator from Illinois.

Whether the speech connected with the voters he needs to connect with around the country, we'll have to wait and see. This much is for certain: Obama is the muse of the liberal wing of the Democratic party. He moves them in a way no candidate has in two generations.

Yet, as the massive crowd inside the stadium testified, Obama's appeal reaches well beyond hardcore Democrats. It was no small feat to get inside Invesco field yesterday: a mile trek on foot, an hour or more wait in line in the hot afternoon sun. Yet people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages made the pilgrimage and filled the seats for the chance to see Obama accept the Democratic party's nomination for President - and he did not disappoint.

Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty and Mike Huckabee are all out of the veepstakes as of this morning. Meanwhile, Sarah Palin: Where is she? The details in the VP Watch blog.

In the Headlines

"Obama Takes Aim at Bush and McCain With a Forceful Call to Change America" (Adam Nagourney and Jeff Zeleny, New York Times) - Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party presidential nomination on Thursday, declaring that the "American promise has been threatened" by eight years under President Bush and that John McCain represented a continuation of policies that undermined the nation's economy and imperiled its standing around the world.

"McCain Moves To Seize His Target: The Momentum" (Laura Meckler and Elizabeth Holmes, Wall Street Journal) - John McCain worked to seize the momentum in the race for president with a new TV ad congratulating his Democratic rival, and a vice-presidential pick.

"GOP Considers Delaying Convention" (Dan Eggen and Michael D. Shear, Washington Post) - Republican officials said yesterday that they are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul because of Tropical Storm Gustav, which is on track to hit the Gulf Coast, and possibly New Orleans, as a full-force hurricane early next week.

"Obama: Six things he must do before Nov. 4" (Kathy Kiely, USA Today) - Barack Obama's acceptance of his party's presidential nomination here Thursday night, just four years after his national debut at the last Democratic convention, is a reflection of the political skills that brought the freshman senator to this historic moment -- and the challenges that lie ahead.

On the Morning Shows

Early Show - Dan Bartlett: "At the end of the day, [Republicans] were somewhat of a bit relieved because 85% of the week was focused on the Clintons and that's never a bad thing. It was mostly focused on a family feud and the Democratic party. We sort of feel like we dodged a bullet on that one."

(Greg Bobrinskoy contributed to the Morning Report.)

Tonight, Americans witnessed a misleading speech that was so fundamentally at odds with the meager record of Barack Obama. When the temple comes down, the fireworks end, and the words are over, the facts remain: Senator Obama still has no record of bipartisanship, still opposes offshore drilling, still voted to raise taxes on those making just $42,000 per year, and still voted against funds for American troops in harm's way. The fact remains: Barack Obama is still not ready to be President.

The campaign also has a list "misleading claims."

And this ad ran right after Obama's speech: