Bright Hall has evolved, has a new home and a new name. We are now part of Politics Daily, "a political news magazine for the general reader updated every day, throughout the day...offering a thoughtful take on events." We're honored to be a part of this adventurous and forward-thinking site launch.

Henceforth, we will be know as The Cram, but our purpose remains consistent:

"The Cram is opinion and analysis from accomplished student writers at higher learning institutions across America, where the future of politics is taking shape every day over collegial debate and caffeinated study. Join us as we break down the news cycle with an eye on campus issues and enough energy to conquer any syllabus."

You will find your favorite writers and new faces on The Cram, as well as a beat on the topics that interest you most. This week we've covered the continued controversy over Notre Dame's selection of President Obama as this year's commencement speaker, how the New York State budget is aversely effecting the state's student population, the continued towering tuition increases at our nation's universities, an exclusive speech made by the Bush Administration official who deemed waterboarding legal, and, right now, we're tweeting live from Obama's "100th Day" town hall in St. Louis.

We hope you'll continue to follow us in our new form. We promise to deliver the same brand of insightful campus coverage that you came back for.


The Editors

Bright Hall contributors BakeMoney (nee Megan Baker) and brighthall (Tony Romm) are on the ground in DC. Refresh this page for their latest Tweets.

Click play on the widget below for our exhaustive live coverage, and send us your comments to join in the fun!

Click the play button below for our up-to-the-minute coverage of tonight's debate! Feel free to send us your comments in the widget box, we'll publish as many as we can!

On Friday, John McCain will try to quell Obama's convention momentum with the announcement of his running mate. Who will he pick? Bright Hall bloggers offer their predictions. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.



Megan Baker: Mitt Romney. He knows his stuff when it comes to the economy. He is popular among the moderate GOP. He probably won't die mid-term. And if you're asking me, he's pretty good looking. If the Republicans want to win and set up another era of Republican presidents, this would probably do the trick. With Romney on the bill, McCain should be able to pick up Colorado and Michigan. And to be honest, I don't think Romney dropped out of the running because he wanted to give up the presidency. I think there was something else in the works...and it would be a good choice for McCain.

Matt Negrin: Charlie Crist. This election, like every stupid election, is about swing states. This year, they are Virginia, New Hampshire, Michigan and -- big surprise -- Florida, whose charming governor is perfect for the GOP ticket for no big reason other than his territory. He's more popular in the Sunshine State than early-bird specials at the diner, and has championed a few causes -- like environmental sustainability -- for his constituency. McCain might not win Virginia's 13 electoral votes, or New Hampshire's four. But Florida has 27, and that number is bigger than both of those.

Joshua Sharp: Meg Whitman. Formerly the CEO of eBay, Whitman turned a simple auction site into an international success story. The Princeton graduate (in economics!) brings both economic expertise and executive experience, and her presence on the ticket could entice some Hillary voters -- who have long decided they want Experience on both parts of the ticket -- to vote for the first female vice-president in history. More than anything, though, selecting Whitman would shake up the race and highlight McCain's unconventional style. He started a furious buzz about Whitman just by mentioning her at the Saddleback Joint Forum.

The text message has been sent! Obiden '08 is the Democratic ticket! Our Bright Hall staffers weigh in on the decision. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.



Megan Baker: Biden's scathing remarks about Obama back in the good 'ol primary days are going to come back and bite Obama's campaign in the, well, you know...In fact, McCain's camp has already released an ad campaign featuring Biden saying he does not think Obama is "ready" to be president and that he would be "honored to run with or against McCain." Ouch. Biden has the foreign policy experience to help out Obama, but he is also more of the same, which will kind of hurt Obama's message of change. I still think Bayh would have been a better choice with his experience in economics, but Biden isn't too bad of a choice in the end. At least he didn't pick Hillary, right?

Joshua Sharp: Biden is a gift that keeps on giving -- for Republicans. His track record of insensitive, stupid, and counter-productive comments is well-known. More importantly, though, this pick shows that even Obama wants "Experience" over "Change." No matter who is president, the next Administration will have to fill positions in the White House, and Obama has shown he's willing to pick the ultimate "Washington insider" -- a Senator spanning four decades -- over any agent of change. Obama likes to allege that John McCain has been in Washington too long. Joe Biden has been there a decade longer.

Matt Negrin: The folly of the Biden selection lies only in who Obama passed over as his running mate. It is admirable in choosing someone from a non-battleground state, enforcing the idea that the Delaware senator's policies count more than his territory and political convenience. However, Biden's ideas are moot if the pair lose sin November, especially if states like Virginia (Kaine), Indiana (Bayh) and New Mexico (Richardson) and other western states don't vote Democrat.

I wouldn't be so concerned about Biden's previous and so-called gaffes in which he said Obama isn't ready to lead, or that he's the first clean and articulate black presidential candidate. I'd be more worried about his arrogance alienating the working-class voters Obama so badly needs.

Finally, Obama could have done worse. He could have gone with Clinton.

Newsrooms are buzzing that Barack Obama will announce his vice-presidential choice in the coming days. Who will he pick? Bright Hall bloggers offer their predictions. Click here for our Veepstakes archive.



Joshua Sharp: Bill Richardson. Richardson has experience in key areas: energy, foreign policy, and executive leadership, to name a few. He's been a member of Congress, Secretary of Energy, ambassador to the U.N. and Governor of New Mexico. Richardson is widely respected across party lines, and can help the ticket in the West and among Hispanics. He only has to shave that beard.

Megan Baker: Evan Bayh. Bayh has that white middle class appeal that some say Obama simply does not have. He is currently a senator in Indiana, which could swing Democrat for the first time since 1964 if Bayh is in the VP spot. He also has expansive experience in economics, as he is a member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. He is moderate enough for those skeptical voters, but is someone that most Obama supporters should be happy with, if they can forgive him for supporting Senator Clinton in the primary.

Matt Negrin: Bill Richardson -- As if there's any other choice. The New Mexico governor fits with Obama's theme of changing Washington politics. During the early presidential debates, Richardson portrayed himself as the perfect outsider with unmatched diplomacy, total knowledge of the world and a resume to match it. But that's all meaningless compared to his territory; big wins in the West are a sure win for the Obama campaign.

JJ Colao: Tim Kaine -- Alright, if I was a betting man I might not put the keys to the Ferrari on the line for this guy, but he's still a damn good pick and I'm hoping he gets the call. He supported Obama before it was cool and enjoys substantial popularity as the governor of Virginia, that traditionally conservative swing state with a lot more votes than New Mexico. He's Harvard Law with a working class background, worked with Jesuits in Honduras, and might help Obama in neighboring North Carolina too - that's twenty-eight electoral votes right there which effectively nullify a potential McCain win in Florida. The math is just too beautiful. Kaine Train for Veep, no doubt.