ELIZABETH JOYCE JUST SAY NO DEAL COALITION.

"Will someone please convince me to vote for McCain?" Elizabeth Joyce, a supporter of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., implored Monday night in a bar full of proponents of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

The lifelong Democrat and editor of the political blog hireheels.com for the "Sex and the City" set, is ready and willing to cross over to the McCain camp . . . if only someone would give her a reason.

"A good little Catholic girl from Boston, I don't vote on the first date," Joyce said.

By 10 p.m., she still was not convinced, but Joyce does know she will not support Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president.

Elizabeth Joyce and a handful of Clinton faithful at a Republican National Committee happy hour in Clinton's honor in downtown Denver were feeling jilted by the party's treatment of their candidate.

"I will never be for Obama. I don't believe he has been fairly chosen," said Marnie Delano, a New York member of People United Means Action, a PAC formed in June by Democrats who oppose Obama.

Delano, Joyce and a third Clinton supporter who would only allow his first name, Patrick, to be used, all alleged voter intimidation by Obama's camp during the primaries.

The event at the Paramount Cafe drew about 100 people, many of whom appeared to be McCain supporters from the beginning.

- by Anna Edney

ENOUGH WITH THE POLITICS - THE U.S. NEEDS AN ENERGY PLAN

Read More Here:: "Congress, to its discredit, recessed last week without addressing America's energy woes in any meaningful way.

That prompted about two dozen Republicans, including Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, to hold court in Washington, hoping to coax House Speaker Nancy Pelosi into calling everyone back to deal with the issue.

'High energy prices are hurting American families,' Musgrave said. 'It is unacceptable to wait five weeks' to resume debate over energy when Congress returns Sept. 8.

We agree in spirit with Musgrave, but we also think Republicans are just as guilty as Democrats of trying to convert the pain at the pump felt by American voters into partisan political advantage.

A recent USA Today/Gallup poll showed voters, by a 2 to 1 margin, 'would be more likely to support a candidate who backs expanded offshore drilling' — as most Republicans do."

UN SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NEW SPECIAL CO-ORDINATOR FOR LEBANON AND SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR GEORGIA

Read More Here:: "United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Michael C. Williams of the United Kingdom as Special Coordinator for Lebanon and Johan Verbeke of Belgium as Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). Mr. Verbeke will replace Jean Arnault and Mr. Williams will replace Mr. Verbeke.

The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation to Mr. Arnault for his exemplary dedication and effective leadership of UNOMIG.

Mr. Williams is very familiar with the Middle East, having previously served as United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Situation in the Middle East, before his appointment as the United Kingdom Special Representative for the Middle East and Special Projects. Prior to that, he was the Director for the Asia and the Pacific Division in the Department of Political Affairs. From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Williams was the Special Adviser to two United Kingdom Foreign Secretaries, Robin Cook (1999-2001) and Jack Straw (2001-2005)."

A COWARDLY AND UNPOPULAR EU

Read More Here:: "Denmark is ditching plans to hold a popular vote on government plans to scrap its opt-outs to key European Union policies, such as the euro and security.

The opt-out arrangements date back to Europe's first referendum rejection shock of Maastricht by Denmark in 1992 and the Danish No to the euro in 2000. Denmark is no push over.

Like Britons, the Danes were denied a referendum on the Lisbon EU Treaty this year, despite previous promises on the Constitutional Treaty.

Now Denmark will not get another promised referendum this autumn - it has been postponed indefinitely - because it is clear that the Danish government, and thus the wider EU, would lose.

A moment has arrived when the political classes and establishments across Europe are unable take voters with them. This seems to be a genuine European trend."

LABOUR DOES NOT LOOK HUNGRY FOR POWER

Read More Here: "MORE often than not the important ideological tussles in politics take place within parties rather than between parties. Bill Clinton made the Democrats electable by overcoming their desire for a Roosevelt-style New Deal. Tony Blair made Labour a party of Government again by prising its fingers away from Clause Four socialism. Nostrums are challenged. Sacred cows are slain. That's how you make history.

Momentous shifts like these only happen in opposition – hunger to regain power is the only thing capable of persuading a party to surrender its ideological comfort blanket. Which is why the Scottish Labour leadership campaign is an enormous opportunity to change the face of Scottish politics – and why it's an opportunity that's likely to be squandered."

PROTECTING IRISH FARMERS WILL REAP NO REWARD

PROTECTING IRISH FARMERS WILL REAP NO REWARD: "Martin Mansergh has long been considered one of the few intellectuals of Irish politics, a man capable of seeing the bigger picture, but last week he provided evidence that even the smartest practitioners in his trade never forget that all politics is local - and most definitely not global.

The Tipperary South TD reacted to the news of the World Trade Organisation's failure to agree on a new global trade deal in Geneva by issuing a celebratory statement. This was a brilliant victory for Irish farmers, Mansergh declared, as no deal meant existing protections would not be dismantled."

Read more here: PROTECTING IRISH FARMERS WILL REAP NO REWARD