Time is loading up its masthead just in time for round 10(?) of this year’s election season. The magazine has just announced that Mike Murphy, the GOP strategist, long-time friend and adviser of John McCain, and current NBC and MSNBC contributor will be penning a regular column for the magazine. He will also be joining the Time political blog Swampland (our personal favorite) ahead of the Democratic and Republican conventions, which begin next week. His first column is up now (Obama and the working-class voter) and will run in the Sept. 1 issue of the magazine.

Gwen Ifill, the PBS senior correspondent (and our pick to take over Meet the Press) also has a piece in this week’s issue. As well, Time tells us that Prep author Curtis Sittenfeld will be reporting in Denver with Time political team. Hmm, okay! Sort of a strange addition, but one supposes there’s enough politics to go around.