Friday Must-Reads: A Wonderful Country

Robert Gibbs, in an interview with the Post, discusses some of the latest hot topics in presidential communications: what’s the deal with that teleprompter, for example, and why is Obama on all these reporters that aren’t from the New York Times and what’s up with that recent late-night TV blitz. He’s dismissive:

I am absolutely amazed that anybody in America cares about who the President picks at a news conference or the mechanism by which he reads his prepared remarks. You know, I guess America is a wonderful country.

Obama’s communcations, of course, are focused on selling his budget. In a new strategy, testerday he held an online town hall meeting from the White House. Republicans, meanwhile, are now fighting their own PR battle over their alterna-budget, which members of both parties are criticizing for its 18-page brevity.Over in the campaign world, the DNC launches an ad in NY-20 in the waning days of the special election. After Tuesday, we’ll have to turn our eyes more closely to Virginia, where Republican Bob McDonnell is now formally launching his gubernatorial campaign. Of course, there will always be the unending Minnesota Senate recount, too, which does not appear likely to end soon.Individual donations to the six major campaign committees are down, thanks to the recession. For more on that—and how to deal with it—watch for your April edition of Politics magazine. You’ll also get to read some Twitter tips from some of politics’ top tech consultants, but until then get some inspiration from Ron Paul and 50 Cent and thier ghost-Twitterers.