The Friday Political Thread: Best Week Ever

Me, Megan McArdle and James "Jamie" Kirchick will invade your iPod in the new edition of Inside Washington Weekly. It's cosmotarian Christmas in August! Who's got the Anarchy, State and Utopia tree ornaments?

The Week in Brief
- John McCain ran two ridiculous TV ads and three moronic web ads. Naturally it was all anyone talked about and he moved up in the polls.
- Barack Obama doesn't care about black people, it turns out.
- Bob Barr might have made the West Virginia ballot, which could give him 49-state (and D.C.) presence.
- Republicans squatted in the House to protest the lack of movement on energy bills, and Democrats turned the power off. Really, this happened.

Below the Fold
- Mark Blumenthal sweeps aside the polls and figures out when the election is. (November, if you were wondering.)
- Will Saletan stands against Food Apartheid.
- The Conservative mayor of London endorses Obama.

According to Pollster.com, Obama still leads McCain with 284 to 147 electoral votes, but McCain has improved marginally since last week. Thanks to a good Texas poll, his firewall has expanded to 112 EVs. (Obama's is 231 EVs.)

Here, enjoy Porcupine Tree.