MIDDAY ROUNDUP

John McCain is facing fierce criticism from liberal bloggers for failing to know how many houses he owns. Reports that the Bush administration and the Iraqi government are nearing a deal on a U.S. troop pullout befuddles some bloggers wondering about the political implications. And Barack Obama’s latest interview about his veep choice sets off more speculation online.

McCain’s remark that he doesn’t know how many houses he has is devastating, writes Time’s Joe Klein, who jokingly calls the Republican a “man of the people.” McCain’s staff says he has at least four, while the actual number could be 10, writes Carpetbagger Steve Benen, who adds that the remark will show that McCain is “out of touch.” Perhaps it’s hard for McCain to count because he has a huge ranch with six properties, Matthew Yglesias notes.

The reports that U.S. and Iraqi officials are set to sign off on a U.S. troop pullout is good news for Democrats and Obama, who can now say that the president has come around to their view, according to Political Animal Kevin Drum. But McCain can benefit from the deal since he’ll be able to claim that the surge made the withdrawal possible, writes Megan McArdle.

Obama seems to be leaning toward picking Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who isn’t self-aggrandizing and can complement the young senator’s strengths, writes Time’s Karen Tumulty. But Obama’s remark about avoiding “yes-men” can be perceived as throwing former Secretary of State Colin Powell under the bus, writes the Weekly Standard’s Dean Barnett.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Man of the People – Joe Klein, Swampland
The Ranch House Dilemma – Matthew Yglesias
McCain Owns So Many He’s Lost Count – S. Benen, Carpetbagger
McCain Unsure of How Many Houses – Aravosis, AMERICAblog
Shocker! A Rich Senator – R.S. McCain, The Other McCain
Coming to a Commercial Near You – John Cole, Balloon Juice
Iraq Withdrawal Thoughts – Kevin Drum, Political Animal
Iraq Deal: Good News, Bad News – Shaun Mullen, Moderate Voice
No, Really, I’ll Pull Out – Megan McArdle
The Candidate Drops Some Hints – Karen Tumulty, Swampland
Time Uncovers More Than Veep Criteria – Stephen Rose, HuffPo
Obama on Powell – Dean Barnett, Weekly Standard

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
A Housing Issue: McCain Not Sure How Many They Own – AP
U.S., Iraq Near Final Accord on Withdrawal – Wall Street Journal
Obama on His Veep Thinking – Time