First it is being reported by ABC News that Senator McCain will skip the expected vote today in the Senate dealing with the President’s Iraq troop escalation. McCain has been a staunch supporter of the plan and a critic of attempts by Democrats to pass a non-binding resolution. Though Democrats need to muster 60 votes (something that is not guaranteed yet) to bring the resolution to the floor McCain, who is campaigning for president instead is being criticized for not showing up to defend his plan with a vote on the record.

Second is a report from the New York Times about a number of conservative leaders in McCain’s own state that are actively trying to stop his chances at winning the Republican nomination.