By Steve Clemons

I’ve not been all that excited about the McCain “I don’t know how many houses I’ve got” gaffe. I know others who aren’t tuned into such details and they’d make fine national leaders.

I have the privilege of moderating a book salon forum today over at FireDogLake with New Yorker Washington correspondent Jane Mayer on her best selling book, The Dark Side: The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals. This is an online forum.

A regular TWN reader, POA, just shared this gem of an egg-on-face moment at the Los Angeles Times. The LA Times apparently was not reading The Washington Note. Too bad for them. — Steve Clemons Update: OK…this is my egg on face moment.

Associated Press Washington Bureau Chief Ron Fournier has a tough critique out on Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden as his running mate. A lot of folks are upset with Fournier. Some went as far to suggest that “FireFournier.com” is available for purchase.

Joe Biden is the Vice Presidential running mate of Barack Obama. Huge congratulations Joe — this is one of the great moves of the Obama campaign, one that could have gone wrong — and they got it very right.

Check out what Marc Ambinder has dug up. . . Here is another interesting link.

I am standing by my hunch that it’s Biden, but need to note this odd news that some company in Kansas City has printed some Obama/Bayh bumper stickers. Let’s hope that this is a mistake, or misprint. . .

From my point of view, Senator Joe Biden is an inspiring, experienced, over-the-top smart, fast-running boss who is a handful. He wrestles with ideas. He wrestles with his team. They knock him back. He knocks them back. He gives great zinger speeches and occasionally zinger gaffes. And they all laugh it off and move forward….

I had the opportunity a few years ago to enjoy a rolling set of events with Senator Joe Biden, Wes Clark and other national notables. My partner was with me and normally hates these kinds of things. But he bonded with Jill Biden.

Pawlenty is down. Kaine and Bayh are falling in the Intrade prediction markets. But Joe Biden and Mitt Romney are surging.