David Corn

1. I'm wondering what you think of Suskind's new book, David. I seen a clip where other similiar books were shown, like Fiasco, and Hubris was one of them. YAY!
2. Paris Hilton's response video is great, calling mcfossil the wrinkled white-haired dude. haha
3. Thanks Capt, for proving Denmac completely wrong with his wingnut bullet points (at the end of the last thread).

Here's just one of the points related by Charles Territo, Director of Communications for the Auto Alliance (BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Mazda, Mercedez Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen)...

• The Department of Energy estimates that 1.2 BILLION gallons of fuel were wasted in 2005 as a result of driving on under-inflated tires.
========================
Hmm, I wonder how many barrels of oil that converts to.
I had read that drilling offshore will save us 6-cents a gallon in about 10 years or so.
Proper tire inflation can save us 12-cents a gallon RIGHT NOW.

"It's like they take pride in being IGNORANT." lol

my bad, I forgot the link for the 12-cents a gallon quote

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtml

did you know…

• The Department of Energy estimates that 1.2 billion gallons of fuel were wasted in 2005 as a result of driving on under-inflated tires.

• Fuel efficiency is reduced by 1% for every 3 PSI that tires are under-inflated.

• Proper tire inflation can save the equivalent of about 1 tank of gas per year.

• Proper tire inflation also reduces CO2 emissions.

• Experts estimate that 25% of automobiles are running on tires with lower than recommended pressure, because people don’t know how to check their tires or don’t realize that tires naturally lose air over time.

Maintaining proper tire pressure may not solve our dependence on foreign oil, but it will help. Consumers can get a few more miles to gallon, and when combined other driving and maintenance tips, those small steps can help to make a serious improvement in vehicle fuel economy.

(Thinkprogress)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHN9bLCgF7k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U5KZzgaB2k

"polls indicate such and such"
doesn't it occur to anyone that these so-called polls might be phony? or if authentic, might not be accurate representations of actual demographics?
how many poor black voters have the means to even notice a poll much less respond to one?
anyway, how many poor black voters will be interfered with this time around on election day?
probably even more than the last 2.
go team brown shirts!

""The three presidential debates will be devastating for McCain: Pericles vs. Donald Duck.""

right. we saw how devastating the debates were for bush didn't we.
neither diebold nor the fla. supreme court give a rat's ass about "debates" or "polls".

Looks like

61,538,461,5 barrels of oil to produce 1.2-billion gallons of gas... if I did it right. (about 19.5 gallons of gas per 42-gallon barrel of oil)

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question417.htm

"... you find that a barrel of oil (which contains 42 gallons or 159 liters) will yield something like 19 or 20 gallons (75 liters) of gasoline, depending on the refinery."

your obamacon pal has some good ideas but my guess is that the DNC will not rise to the challenge.

"... or if authentic, might not be accurate representations of actual demographics? "

I read something somewhere (probably here) that made alotta sense. That summer polls aren't accurate because alot of people are on vacation and not at home to answer the call/participate in polls. And now of course, add all the folks that've gone completely wireless (no more landline at home). Those folks would show up as a nice bounce at the voting booth instead of a poll.

It's true that the polls this time around have some challenges. Responses are weighted demographically based on past election turnout patterns. But this year the turnout of young voters and African-Americans could likely break the mold this year. The smartest pollsters are trying to taking those factors into account, but there's certainly a lot of guesswork. But then the race issue is a wild card in the other direction.

I keep harking back to the motivation differential between Democrats and Republicans. Republicans are definitely in a an "all politics sucks" mood... Their turnouts in the primary...back when it was competitive on their side, were less than half the turnout the Democrats were pulling...

My gut tells me it should be a blowout... But then I look at those stubborn narrow national polls... And the 1% margins Obama's electoral lead is based on...

Re: the debates.... It sure looked like Kerry and Gore creamed Whistleass every time to me... But that didn't make a difference at in fact...

Obama's going bring to the debates an entirely different style... A more folksy, down-to-earth, almost Reaganesque "there you go again" style.... Like the youtube video on the tire gauges... He's going to bring a chatting-over-the-back-fence kind of "Can you believe these guys?" approach. And it could very well annihilate McCain...

Why Misgovernment Was No Accident in George W. Bush's Washington

http://www.truthout.org/article/follow-this-dime

McCain Offers His Wife Up to Topless Biker Babe Beauty Contest

McCain felt so comfortable at the [Sturgis Motorcycle Rally] event that he even volunteered his wife for the rally’s traditional beauty pageant, an infamously debauched event that’s been known to feature topless women.

“I encouraged Cindy to compete,” McCain said to cheers. “I told her with a little luck she could be the only woman ever to serve as first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip.”

http://tinyurl.com/6xja3k

*****

I wonder what the fundagelicals think of McCain?

Harold Meyerson, wishing Obama were the candidate we've been waiting for...

http://tinyurl.com/6brg37

Pericles v. Donald Duck? More like JFK v. Mr. Magoo

McCain disses Midwestern farmers

Republican presidential candidate John McCain opposes the $300 billion farm bill and subsidies for ethanol, positions that both supporters and opponents say might cost him votes he needs in the upper Midwest this November.

[...]

"He's essentially reverting to standard Republican supply-side economics," said Goldford. "That's where he's got a problem. He's got to find his own voice and so far he hasn't had a voice."

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/10123

SEVEN YEARS AGO TODAY, BUSH RECEIVED 'BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO STRIKE IN U.S.' MEMO:

Today marks the seventh anniversary of the day President Bush received a President's Daily Brief entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S."

A day that will live in infamy.

I wonder if Bush thought the AUG 6th PDB was just a GD piece of paper like the constitution?

Has McCain Walked Into An Energy Trap?

[...]

McCain is stuck in a conundrum: express support for the Gang of Ten and incur the wrath of anti-tax crusaders or continue rolling the dice against public opinion and risk being painted as a stooge of the oil lobby. His $1.3 million in oil and gas donations in June only furthers the frame.

"I think the problem with McCain's position is that he keeps saying I'm in support for all of the above. But when it comes down to specifics in what he will really support, the only thing that comes through loud and clear is more drilling. And I think that is the big vulnerability on his part," said Bob Sussman, an energy expert for the liberal Center for American Progress. "The 'tax the oil company' issue is really difficult for Republicans, but the polling data indicates that the public thinks the oil companies have big role to play... I don't know what is really going on here or if McCain is thinking this through carefully. But I think this is undermining his credibility and to some degree is his hallmark approach: looking for bipartisan solutions to problems."

http://tinyurl.com/66kyar

Certainly true since the primary that Obama clearly staked out as his own all the territory of "I'll keep-the-ethanol-pork-barrel-corporate-welfare-gravy-train-flowing..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRwDELGps48

The only way McCain will win is if the racists come out in droves to vote against Obama.

There is an American saying that I hear much too often. "You are so smart you're stupid." I have never heard a smart person say it I've heard it far too often.

I think it means that smart people should never be allowed to run anything because they are sure to make changes and that would be bad.

Clinton was smart and forced through some changes before the 1994 election. Those changes were the basis for the $5 trillion surplus GW Bush discarded in his effort to bankrupt this country.

McCain understood that the rich are not in need of more money. They are need of more investment opportunities which come into existence during Democratic administrations.

During the past 8 years the only way to make real money was to handle other people's money. America managed to avoid any innovations that create wealth for the masses during the reign of the GOP monsters.

I assume that you will agree that profit made in Iraq and Afghanistan does not count since we borrowed it from the Chinese and a few others and it represents no advance for the country.

How is it that Republicans insist they are fiscally rsponsible yet tend to spend like drunken sailors after a year on board ship?

At the RNC's homepage, http://www.gop.com:

You will see . . .

- 5 photos of Senator Obama

- 9 mentions of Senator Obama by name

- 2 photos of House Speaker Pelosi

- 2 Mentions of House Speaker Pelosi by name

The only other name mentioned anywhere on the front page is that of RNC chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan.

Anybody else noticing a glaring omission?

There are ZERO mentions of John McCain. ZERO photographs of John McCain. Even their "Donate" button has the generic wording "Help elect a Republican President..."

I can't believe that this is an accident. I wouldn't have believed it without seeing the website today, but I am now almost certain that highly-placed officials in the Republican party are hoping that, between now and the Convention, their presidential candidate somehow changes to someone other than John McCain.

I don't know how it would happen (coup at the convention? unspecified medical issues? who knows) but it seems like the RNC does not want to get too invested in their candidate at the moment.

(Kos)

The New Dirty Politics McCain

[...]

By the very way the new Dirty Politics McCain is fighting his losing election he has disqualified himself from the presidency. Simply put: Republican strategists who think that business-as-usual -- i.e., the slanderous politics of the past 30 years -- will take care of matters this time around, are deluded.

A few more lies about Obama, silly comparisons to celebrities, lies about him "not visiting" our troops, B.S. about Obama "introducing the race card" and the Republicans won't recover. That is too bad, because we need a two-party system.

[snip]

In a McCain presidency the United States faces disaster. The new Dirty Politics McCain, as opposed to the old "straight talker" McCain, will turn eight years of Bush/Cheney into twelve to sixteen years. This is something our country might not survive economically, politically or in terms of our standing in the world. If he wins by lies and deceit he'll govern that way. McCain will make Nixon look sweet. When it suits him McCain will do to us what he did to his first wife, just as he has abandoned his promise of taking the high road in this election.

http://tinyurl.com/5txe5h

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Woxu5dwCSX0

"I don't know if you know this," said the Massachusetts Democrat. "John McCain is looking for someone for vice president who has more economic expertise than he does. So congratulations to all of you, you're on the short list."

(huffpo)

What to do? McCain should attack (and run TV spots):

1. Obama opposed a hugely successful surge sold by Generals on the ground. Be specific.

2. Obama likes high gas prices, just doesn't like how fast they rose. Obama wants to make high gas prices permanent. Hood Robin increases take from everyone.

3. McCain would oppose Judges "like Roberts and Alito." There stays Roe. Unborn Alert.

4. Obama would oppose Bush's attempt to attach Social Security to the stock market. The stock market was up over 200 points yesterday.

5. Obama has a national plan for medical care. Of course your government knows more about your health than your doctor.

6. Play clips of Jeremiah Wright saying "GD America", and that America deserved 9/11. That was a "gaffe," defined as when a politician tells you what he really thinks. Wright was Obama's pastor for over 20 years, until he became "not the Reverend Wright" that Obama knew.

7. Play TV clips of Obama hugging and kissing Pelosi. That absurdity sez it all. It may be that McCain is too nice. But to win he must go on the attack, but with comic touches.

8. The three presidential debates will be devastating for Obama: unless his campaign demands the questions in advance, and their own photographer.

Cheers

Here are some current electoral college projections from a few different websites:

Five Thirty Eight:
Obama 297.8; McCain 240.2

Real Clear Politics:
Obama 238; McCain 163; Toss Ups 137
W/O Toss Ups:
Obama 322; McCain 216

Pollster:
Obama 284; McCain 157; Toss Ups 97

CNN:
Obama 221; McCain 189; Toss Ups 128

One thing seems clear in those projections: Obama has a strong lead. In terms of Electoral Votes, safe Obama states outnumber safe McCain states by anyone's count. Furthermore, there aren't many states in the Obama column that have potential to flip to McCain. On the other hand, Obama does have an outside shot at a few states (North Carolina, Montana, Georgia) that McCain should have no worries about.

(kos)

Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday taunted Republican presidential rival John McCain for first mocking the idea of keeping tires inflated for energy conservation and then agreeing the practice works.

''It will be interesting to watch this debate between John McCain and John McCain,'' Obama said as he campaigned in Indiana with Sen. Evan Bayh, widely considered a top-tier candidate for running mate.

(kos)

Latest from BHO -

"The Muslim-outreach coordinator to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama has resigned amid questions about his involvement in an Islamic investment fund and various Islamic groups.

Chicago lawyer Mazen Asbahi, who was appointed volunteer national coordinator for Muslim American affairs by the Obama campaign on July 26, stepped down Monday after an Internet newsletter wrote about his brief stint on the fund’s board, which also included a fundamentalist imam.

A corporate lawyer at the firm of Schiff Hardin LLP, Mr. Asbahi tendered his resignation after he and the Obama campaign received emailed inquiries about his background from The Wall Street Journal. He did not respond to the email or a message left at his law office; the campaign released a letter in which Mr. Asbahi said he did not want to be a distraction."

Then there's George Clooney (who lives in Italy) raising money for BHO - in Switzerland!!! Obama's people claim only U.S. citizens will be allowed to contribute. It's a shame Barack doesn't think an American city is good enough to host this type of function - it would be good for the city's local economy!

Cheers.

John McCain, Paris Hilton, and the Politics of Nothing

[...]

And here's another question: what's next for John McCain? Where does he and his campaign go from here? If this is where they have taken the political discourse in early August, what have they got for us come October? Here is a preview -- our best guess -- of what the McCain has in store for us:

"Too Tall." An ad claiming that proof of Obama's arrogance is his refusal to be as short as McCain (5' 6").

"Sex Tape." An ad comparing Obama to Paris Hilton's sex tape to make the point that, well, no point, just that Paris had a sex tape and Obama is, you know, like it.

"Sex Tape II." An ad with Obama digitally inserted into Paris Hilton's sex tape.

"Rhymes with Iraq." An ad pointing out that Obama's first name almost rhymes with Iraq. The ad is pulled after it's pointed out that it comes close to mentioning an issue.

"Michelle Obama: a man?" An ad that's not making any claims, "just asking a question." The ad succeeds in getting the typical media treatment: "As many have noted, the ad uses hyperbole. Still, however, it raises the question, is Michelle Obama a woman?"

"Barack Obama: gay?" Hard to say, but, per the last ad, if Michelle is indeed a man, then that makes Obama gay.

"Barack Obama: black gay man." Previous ad forgot to mention Obama's race.

"akludfilkakmeitceks." An ad with random letters coming up on the screen. The media declares it "a home run."

http://tinyurl.com/5h56mf

Too funny!

More pollstrology:

(CBS) Barack Obama leads John McCain 45 percent to 39 percent in the latest CBS News poll. Despite Obama's highly-publicized foreign trip and McCain's recent high-profile advertisements, the findings are unchanged since a CBS News/New York Times poll released last month. The percentage of undecided voters - 13 percent - also remains steady.

OLBERMANN: Also, maybe a somewhat serious point contained in all this malarkey; on stage at Sturgis, he referred to the—preferring the roar of the 50,000 Harleys to 200,000 Germans cheering in Berlin. But in doing that, did he not underscore the fact that those 200,000 Germans in Berlin actually showed up to hear Barack Obama speak, but the 50,000 bikers on the roar of their Harleys, they had shown up at Sturgis not to see John McCain, but to see Kid Rock, Kelly Pickler and a bunch of female wrestlers and other women not wearing tops?

MADDOW: This is a critical and basic difference between the John McCain campaign for president and the Barack Obama campaign. Barack Obama creates large crowds when he gives speeches. John McCain‘s campaign has just figured out to find out where there‘s going to be a large crowd for another reason and to hope to slip their candidate in between other acts.

lololololololo

""hope to slip their candidate in between other acts""

too funny!

Check this out ev1
Does this sound familiar

This will be considered off-topic — but it isn’t. I thought I’d share this letter which was sent to the Editor of the Times-Dispatch by a gentlemen who escaped Cuba in the 1960’s. His words come from the experience of believing in someone, without taking the time to know who they really are, and the consequences that followed:

Subject: Celebration

From Richmond Times-Dispatch, Monday, July 7, 2008

Dear Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice. On June 30 I celebrate my independence day, and on July 4, I celebrate America ’s. This year is special, because it marks the 40th anniversary of my independence.

On June 30, 1968, I escaped Communist Cuba, and a few months later, I was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive in Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I digress.

I’ve thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The election-year rhetoric has made me think a lot about Cuba and what transpired there. In the late 1950s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change, so when a young leader came along, every Cuban was at least receptive.

When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced the old system, the press fell in love with him. They never questioned who his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he would help the farmers and the poor and bring free medical care and education to all, everyone followed. When he said he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said, ‘Praise the Lord.’ And when the young leader said, ‘I will be for change and I’ ll bring you change,’ everone yelled, ‘Viva Fidel!’

But nobody asked about the change, so by the time the executioner’s guns went silent, the people’s guns had been taken away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By the time everyone received their free education, it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now working for him. By the time the change was finally implemented, Cuba had been knocked down a couple of notches to Third-World status. By the time the change was over, more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts, and inner tubes. You can call those who made it ashore anywhere else in the world the most fortunate Cubans. And now I’m back to the beginning of my story.

Luckily, we in America would never fall for a young leader who promised change without asking, what change? How will you carry it out? What will it cost America ?

Would we?

Manuel Alvarez, JR.
posted by
Kathleen | 08.06.08 - 2:48 pm | #

Check this out ev1
Does this sound familiar

This will be considered off-topic — but it isn’t. I thought I’d share this letter which was sent to the Editor of the Times-Dispatch by a gentlemen who escaped Cuba in the 1960’s. His words come from the experience of believing in someone, without taking the time to know who they really are, and the consequences that followed:

Subject: Celebration

From Richmond Times-Dispatch, Monday, July 7, 2008

Dear Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice. On June 30 I celebrate my independence day, and on July 4, I celebrate America ’s. This year is special, because it marks the 40th anniversary of my independence.

On June 30, 1968, I escaped Communist Cuba, and a few months later, I was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive in Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I digress.

I’ve thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The election-year rhetoric has made me think a lot about Cuba and what transpired there. In the late 1950s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change, so when a young leader came along, every Cuban was at least receptive.

When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced the old system, the press fell in love with him. They never questioned who his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he would help the farmers and the poor and bring free medical care and education to all, everyone followed. When he said he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said, ‘Praise the Lord.’ And when the young leader said, ‘I will be for change and I’ ll bring you change,’ everone yelled, ‘Viva Fidel!’

But nobody asked about the change, so by the time the executioner’s guns went silent, the people’s guns had been taken away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By the time everyone received their free education, it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now working for him. By the time the change was finally implemented, Cuba had been knocked down a couple of notches to Third-World status. By the time the change was over, more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts, and inner tubes. You can call those who made it ashore anywhere else in the world the most fortunate Cubans. And now I’m back to the beginning of my story.

Luckily, we in America would never fall for a young leader who promised change without asking, what change? How will you carry it out? What will it cost America ?

Would we?

Manuel Alvarez, JR.
posted by
Kathleen | 08.06.08 - 2:48 pm | #

"""Luckily, we in America would never fall for a young leader who promised change without asking, what change? How will you carry it out? What will it cost America ?
Would we?
Manuel Alvarez, JR.
posted by
Kathleen""" |

"8. The three presidential debates will be devastating for McCain: Pericles vs. Donald Duck."

I am SO stealing this line! :-)

on well done manuel via kathleen via marie!
much better to stay the course, of course!

Yeah, it sounds familiar because of the way bush claimed unitary powers. With his rubber-stamp repug Congress, there wasn't a balance of powers any more, so it does kinda resemble Cuba. That's terrible, isn't it? Actually bringing our Country down to third world level, with torture and warrantless spying to boot!
The Dems will soon have filibuster-proof majorities in both Houses so we can start on the loooong repair list.

Here we go again. First it was "24" that our policies were based on, and now "Batman" as well.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/06/beck-batman-vindicates-bushs-conservative-values-on-the-war-on-terror/

Beck: Batman vindicates Bush’s ‘conservative values on the war on terror.’

Last month, author Andrew Klavan wrote that the new Batman film is a “paean of praise to the fortitude and moral courage that has been shown by George W. Bush in this time of terror and war.” CNN’s Glenn Beck agreed today, listing off controversial Bush policies he claims were vindicated by the film’s showcase of “conservative values on the war on terror”:

Dumya is a comic book hero!

Too bad he can only fight comic book bad guys!

lolololol

John McCain is the comic hero "Mr. Gramps"

lololol

Go ahead and make fun. ....and Glenn Beck...Jeez....what a bozo...

Ever looked at his book? It's practically a comic book of reactionary reaction...

But the Batman point is actually pretty scary...

Want to know why a majority of Americans aren't the slightest bit outraged over torture? Just watch TV. Every single TV detective since Mannix has to smack around the punks at one time or another... in order for good to triumph over evil by the end of the hour...

Abusing bad guys and "bending the law" are absolue staples in American pop culture...

And why is the Second Ammendment sacred, when the Fourth is so optional?

Violence, guns and militarism are cornerstones of American "patriotism."

"It's like they take pride in being IGNORANT."

Too true - but still funny.

lololo

Pakistan coalition moves to impeach Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's usually fractious coalition government moved decisively for the first time on Thursday to impeach President Pervez Musharraf, who has been an important American ally in the campaign against terror but who has largely been pushed to the sidelines since his party lost elections in February.

"It has become imperative to move for impeachment against General Musharraf," said Asif Ali Zardari, the head of the Pakistan Peoples' Party, standing beside Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, at a noisy press conference.

http://tinyurl.com/6zyr3f

the mccain energy plan - homer simpson without the donut

http://rense.com/general82/simp.htm

Spread John McCain's official talking points around the Web -- and you could win valuable prizes!

That, in essence, is the McCain campaign's pitch to supporters to join its new online effort...

People who sign up for McCain's program receive reward points each time they place a favorable comment on one of the listed Web sites (subject to verification by McCain's webmasters). The points can be traded for prizes, such as books autographed by McCain, preferred seating at campaign events, even a ride with the candidate on his bus, known as the Straight Talk Express, according to campaign spokesman Brian Rogers.

(WaPo via TPM)

"homer simpson without the donut"

Cracks me UP!

Kinda reminds me of Bush being the hole they built the donut around. (something like that)

lolololo

Howard Dean

"John McCain a maverick? The John McCain of 2000 wouldn't even consider voting for the John McCain of 2008. The American people are learning that the John McCain of 2008 represents more of the same failed policies we've gotten from George Bush for the past eight years. Senator McCain is clearly in the tank for Exxon and big oil, for keeping our troops stuck in Iraq for decades to come, and for an economic policy that puts tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations above relief for hardworking families. John McCain has changed: he's taken the low road, leveling false, negative and misleading attacks against Barack Obama. John McCain is no more a maverick within the Republican Party than Dick Cheney is. He's just more of the same."

(huffpo)

As of 2004, the US electorate stood as -

Dems - 72 million
Reps - 55 million

So, if BHO is not elected President, that proves that the Democrat party is a party of racists!!!

And Sen. John Kerry offers this spicy riposte:

"The McCain campaign is determined to give their Paris Hilton ad a run for its money in the desperation department, and they've succeeded only in shining a light on the fact that the John McCain of today is unrecognizable from the John McCain of just a couple years ago. The real question is what happened to the John McCain we used to know and why he changed overnight into a George Bush nominee with a Karl Rove campaign. The new John McCain supports the Bush tax giveaways for the wealthy he once denounced, opposes his own immigration bill, flip-flopped on torture, and runs negative ads after calling for an honorable campaign. Frankly, it tells you everything about this election that the McCain campaign spins its wheels recycling what we said about John McCain way back when while scrambling and sputtering to explain away Governor Pawlenty's praise of Barack Obama today."

*****

Nothing wrong with praising McCain for things he said or did in the past. That also doesn't dismiss his currrent position nor garner any praise today.

There was a time . . .

McCain pick his VP - himself. He has brought Exxon in for the top slot!

DNC launches 'Exxon-McCain ’08'

[...]

“The oil industry was so generous with its campaign largesse,” a party official says, “John McCain has not only put Exxon on the ticket — but he has graciously stepped aside and is allowing Exxon ... to run at the top of the ticket."

If the governor needs to check his tires, he can stop off at the RNC, a couple of blocks away.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12337.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_I6GXfDUSM

Popular Vote v. Electoral College (Why The Media Badly Needs A History Lesson)

Despite Barack Obama's (D) amazingly consistent lead throughout the general election over John McCain (R), the talking heads on cable television returned to their incessant bloviating over whether Obama should be leading by more than just five points over McCain. It's really painful to watch these fools who don't bother to pay attention to history to understand how a five-point popular vote victory almost always translates when it comes to the only metric that matters -- the Electoral College. (Hint: landslide)

http://tinyurl.com/5lds5u

Throw 'em under the bus!

WRONG. . .WRONG. . .WRONG: Obama Lets Muslim Advisor Resign
by Steve Clemons

http://tinyurl.com/63kgoy

**

(Did I read correctly above that Greg Palast couldn't think of any reason to vote for Obama over McCain other than Obama is clearly more intelligent? That their differences in energy policy are now insubstantial? Essentially a wash like their policies on Iraq and Afghanistan?)

nukes create alot of energy.

The McCain campaign metaphor?

McCain's Bus Crash - The Straight Talk Express barrels through miami, literally

In yet another seemingly bad news day for John McCain, his straight talk express seems to have derailed and hit a florida driver this afternoon.

It all happened at the intersection of Biscayne Blvd & NE 54th Street in Miami around 4:00 pm. The Straight talk express appeared to be heading south on the main Biscayne Blvd corridor and somehow ended up hitting a blue Ford Windstar Minivan.

From our point of view it doesnt look like anyone was seriously injured in the Minivan though the drivers side was badly damaged.

http://www.veridoo.com/channel/politics?read=257

(Video and still pictures at the link)

(As long as we're playing the guilt by association game, we should note that Karen Hughes, back when she worked for the State Department, spoke before an ISNA conference and was honored with an ISNA dinner, and both former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have met with ISNA leadership.)

(ABC)

Top Ten Crooked Things About McCain From This Phoenix Alt-Weekly Article

1. Back in 1994 when this reporter was doing a feature on McCain, she went to his house before dawn, for some reason, and Cindy was doing a whole fake routine of cooking eggs for the kids, even though it was still nighttime.

2. Sometimes John McCain would be a guest host on talk radio, and he’d be polite to the callers but then say terrible stuff about them, off the air.

3. Before that whole campaign-finance reform stunt, McCain was totally against any changes to the campaign-finance system, and in fact repeatedly voted against reforms in the 1980s.

4. This is because he got all his money from lobbyists and corporations, especially the crooked Savings & Loan run by McCain’s best friend, Charles Keating, who would also take McCain on sexy free vacations to the Bahamas, which Keating owned.

5. Ha, nobody even remembers the Keating Five scandal anymore, even though the GOP candidate for president was one of the Five senators deeply involved in the crooked Savings & Loan scandal, which almost destroyed America forever and wound up costing taxpayers $125 billion dollars.

6. Cindy’s dad the Budweiser Brewery kingpin also has special dealings with Keating.

7. When Rose Mofford, a nice old Democrat lady who was Arizona’s secretary of state, wound up serving out Ev Mecham’s term as governor — the whackjob Mecham was forced out of office in 1988 — McCain conspired to shame Mofford during a brief appearance before Congress. Asked why, he cackled and said, “I’ll embarrass a Democrat any time I get the chance.” Minutes later, he swears to reporters that he’d “never do anything like that.”

8. McCain is always mentioning Arizona’s political greats, as if he’s one of them, too. But Arizonans say McCain shouldn’t even be allowed to talk about Barry Goldwater, beloved conservative senator, and Mo Udall, beloved liberal congressman. “It drives some people here nuts. Particularly those who know, or knew, all three men.”

9. Goldwater distanced himself from McCain once it became clear that Arizona’s new senator was a conniving little crook. After being scammed into attending a McCain fundraiser disguised as a “tribute” to Reagan, Goldwater insisted that McCain give half the take to the state GOP party, but of course it didn’t happen. “You will recall during my speech at the dinner for the president in Phoenix, I announced that you were going to give half of the funds you raised to the State Republican Party,” Goldwater wrote to McCain. “I am told by the Party, that you still owe them $35,000, and unless you pay all of it, or most of it, they cannot meet their payroll next Wednesday.”

10. The guy who worked for Cindy’s charity and caught her stealing a million pills wrote this in his journal, at the time: “During my short tenure at AVMT, I have been surrounded by what on the surface appears to be the ultimate all-American family. In reality, I am working for a very sad, lonely woman whose marriage of convenience to a U.S. Senator has driven her to: distance herself from friends; cover feelings of despair with drugs; and replace lonely moments with self-indulgences.”

Baker’s Dozen Bonus No. 11. And now RNC private investigators are chasing that guy, Tom Gosinski, even though he long ago moved to another state and started a totally different career and has had nothing to say about the McCains since the pill-addict scandal, which he only told the DEA about because he was scared of going to prison if he covered up Cindy’s opiate scandal.

http://tinyurl.com/5e4myo

***

Fancy that a lying cheating scumbag politician. Is there any other kind?

lololololo

Without McCain it would have been the Keating four?

Hmmmmm.

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=120280

Citing Stability in Iraq, Bush Sees Troop Cuts
By STEVEN LEE MYERS and SABRINA TAVERNISE
Published: August 1, 2008

President George W. Bush on Thursday suggested the possibility of further troop reductions in Iraq as the security situation con­tinues to show marked improvement.

Mr Bush said July had been a "month of encouraging news", with violence declining to its lowest level since early 2004. He added that General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, had said that while progress was still "reversible" there was now a "degree of durability" to the security gains

http://tinyurl.com/5wfzvy

One year ago:

US may reduce forces in Iraq by spring

By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jun 22, 6:52 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The U.S. may be able to reduce combat forces in Iraq by next spring if Iraq's own security forces continue to grow and improve, a senior American commander said Friday. He denied reports the U.S. is arming Sunni insurgent groups to help in the fight against al-Qaida.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the top day-to-day commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, did not predict any reductions in U.S. forces but said such redeployments may be feasible by spring. There are currently 156,000 U.S. troops in Iraq.

http://tinyurl.com/5gmxfc

Two years ago:

U.S. general in Iraq outlines troop cuts
Michael R. Gordon The New York Times

Published: June 25, 2006

WASHINGTON The top American commander in Iraq has drafted a plan that projects sharp reductions in the United States military presence there by the end of 2007, with the first cuts coming this September, American officials say.

[...]

American officials emphasized that any withdrawals would depend on continued progress, including the development of competent Iraqi security forces, a reduction in Sunni Arab hostility toward the new Iraqi government and the assumption that the insurgency will not expand beyond Iraq's six central provinces. Even so, the projected troop withdrawals in 2007 are more significant than many experts had expected.

http://tinyurl.com/22o9n6

(hmmm seeing a pattern here?)

Three years ago:

U.S. Signals Spring Start for Pullout
General Restates Position, Noting Contingencies, During Rumsfeld Visit to Baghdad

By Ann Scott Tyson and Ellen Knickmeyer
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, July 28, 2005; Page A18

BAGHDAD, July 27 -- The top U.S. military leader in Iraq said Wednesday there could be substantial withdrawals of some of the 135,000 U.S. troops in the country as early as next spring.

[...]

"If the political process continues to go positively, and if the development of the security forces continues to go as it is going, I do believe we'll still be able to take some fairly substantial reductions after these elections in the spring and summer," Casey said before meeting with Jafari.

http://tinyurl.com/bplgp

Four years ago:

Building Iraqi Security Forces Must Continue, Sanchez Says
By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2004 – The commander of coalition forces in Iraq said today that continuing to build Iraqi security forces is key to a successful transfer of sovereignty.

[...]

Handing over security to the Iraqi people will depend upon the coalition's ability to quickly stand up Iraqi security forces, especially the police, the army and the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

[...]

This involves building the security forces in small units and police stations to provide the law and order in the cities, he said, and also giving Iraq the external security capacity it will need over the next couple of years. "I think it's going to take us awhile," he said, "but we're committed to it, and we'll be here until that's done."

Sanchez said the 129,000 U.S. service members currently in Iraq are an adequate number, "and we'll manage their redeployment as the operational and tactical situation dictates."

http://tinyurl.com/625xm3

*****

I think Led Zepplin said it best:

The song remains the same. . .

"Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us,” Obama said."

"Obama seemed to brush off concerns about Iran’s threats while campaigning in Oregon. “Iran, they spend 1/100th of what we spend on the military. If Iran ever tried to pose a serious threat to us, they wouldn't stand a chance,” Obama said."

"Draining the [Strategic Petroleum Reserve] would drop consumer fuel costs for the short run, as would any sudden increase in supply. But then what? Once the reserves are gone, prices would go back up, and perhaps even higher because the reserves ultimately would have to be replaced.

Oddly, although Obama’s proposal shows he recognizes the impact of supply on prices, he remains hesitant about lifting the congressional ban on off-shore drilling. Credit Obama for moving slightly away from the hard-line no drilling position of the Democratic congressional leadership by saying he’d consider “limited” coastal drilling if it were packaged with big increases in government subsidies for alternative energy development.

But at the same time, he proposed taking away any incentive oil companies would have to expand drilling and increase supplies by pushing a windfall tax on Big Oil’s profits to fund the $1,000 rebate checks.

Perhaps the senator is hoping the checks will make Americans forget, as he apparently has, about what happened when Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter played the price and profit limiting game the 1970s."

You do not know what Obama needs to do.

All your blog experience doesn't give you insight.

Volunteering for a local alderman race doesn't give you national election experience which you can then turn into sage advice for Obama.

Grasping at polls then rejecting polls that don't fit your narrative just makes you look like a petty and unstable ass.

OK, so let me break this down for you. Here is the man you are trying to give advice to:

He's a Harvard educated lawyer.

He's been a community organizer, a successful state Senator and constitutional law professor.

He has reformed ethics in the Illinois Senate and in the U.S. Senate.

He has been on the correct side of nearly every debate, long before most of his peers find their senses.

He entered the race for Democratic Nominee as a widely-held long shot, and then went on to defeat the Clinton machine.

He is running a 50-state strategy which has put numerous states in play, affecting down-ticket races all over the country.

He has rejected the usual "politics of smearing" attitude towards campaigning, which has not only put him ahead of McCain in pretty much every measurable demographic but has also begun to elevate the level of discourse in the country.

And, if I may be blunt, he's black.

And his middle name is Hussein.

And, right now, he is in the lead for President of the United States.

Now, after reading ALL OF THAT, how in the blue-fucking-hell can any of you SERIOUSLY think that you know precisely what Obama needs to do to win?

Unreal.

(kos)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBsRbMimtlA

"Let's take a look at the latest "Obamaism's"!

1 - "I have been in oh, 57 states so far and have a few more to go".

2 - "As Commander OF Chief......."

3 - "My uncle freed prisoners from Auschwitz or Buchenwald err one of those places".

4 - (At a Memorial Day speech) "We are here to honor those who have fallen in wars for this country and some of them I see standing here today".

5 - (To a news reporter, female) "Hey Sweetie, can you hang on a minute"."

"By his own admission, Senator Obama's greatest weakness is being disorganized. He jokingly replied that he does not ask his staff to hand him papers until two seconds before he needs it during the Nevada debate. Sadly, the joke was on disadvantaged children in Chicago's West Side when he "goofed" and voted to stip millions in funding from a child welfare office.

According to the LA Times, Obama said, "I was not aware that I had voted no," in June 2002, requesting that the Senate record be fixed to reflect that he "intended to vote yes." His habit of voting 'present' on contentious issues was less than stellar, but the fact that he did not not knowing what he was voting for raises red flags.

Obama's 'goof' was not an isolated incident. The Times learned that Obama cast a vote and then said he hit the wrong button at least five times during his term in State office. Some examples Obama's fiduciary fumbles are:

"On March 19, 1997, he announced that he had bungled an election-reform vote from the day before, a measure that passed 51 to 6. "I should have -- I was trying to vote yes on this, and I was recorded as a no," he said," according to the Times.

The Times also reported that: "He stood on March 11, 1999, to take back his vote against legislation to end good-behavior credits for certain felons in county jails. "I pressed the wrong button on that," he said."

He "pushed the wrong button" AGAIN on a human cloning ban. On Nov. 14, 1997, he voted 'yes' on a bill to expand riverboat gambling, and was one of two votes that helped pass the bill. Obama changed his vote to be recorded as a 'no' votes moments after the legislation passed.

The paper noted that the measure was opposed by church groups, groups that Obama was lobbying to support him for his reelection the following year."

(kos)

So much for "He's a Harvard educated lawyer."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aEURwsrUSQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWX5u69hmzY

More of those GOP family values?

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri state Rep. Scott Muschany, R-Frontenac, was indicted today in connection with a reported sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl on May 17, the day after this year’s Legislative session ended.

The alleged victim is the daughter of a state employee. The girl’s mother and Muschany -– who is married and has two children -- were romantically involved, the woman said.

A Cole County grand jury returned an indictment today charging Muschany with the Class C felony of "deviate sexual assault." The indictment identifies the victim only by initials. It says that on May 17, Muschany "had deviate sexual intercourse" with the girl, "knowing that he did so without" her consent.

http://tinyurl.com/643urx

*****

What is with these slugs?

If Sen. Obama's "inexperience" is Mr. McCain's ace in the hole, why not trump that by asking, "Does Sen. McCain know his own mind?"

In this sports-crazed country, everyone has learned a lot about what it takes to win. They've heard and seen it proven repeatedly that to achieve greatness, to win the big one, an athlete has to be ready to "put in the work." John McCain isn't doing that, yet. He's competing as if he expects the other side to lose it for him. Sen. McCain is a famously undisciplined politician. Someone in the McCain circle had better do some straight talking to the candidate. He's not some 19-year-old tennis player who's going to win the U.S. presidential Open on raw talent and the other guy's errors. He's not that good.

There is a reason the American people the past 100 years elevated only two sitting senators into the White House -- JFK and Warren Harding. It's because they believe most senators, adept at compulsive compromise, have no political compass and will sell them out. Now voters have to do what they prefer not to. Yes, Sen. McCain has honor and country. Another month of illogical, impolitic remarks and Sen. McCain will erase even that. Absent a coherent message for voters, he will be one-on-one with Barack Obama in the fall. He will lose.

http://tinyurl.com/696om3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHN9bLCgF7k

Birthday cake hurled onto Lieberman

A little more to that Miami traffic accident yesterday involving Joe Lieberman aboard the Straight Talk Express: Turns out the impact sent a staffer's chocolate birthday cake with thick white frosting smack into the Connecticut senator

"At the moment of impact I was sitting in a booth ... right in front of counter right where the cake was. The cake went all over me. That was the end of my suit,'' he said, apologizing for the lack of suit for a taping of "Political Connections" on Bay News 9. "I always wondered whether sometime a political protester would hit me with a pie in the face. I never thought a friendly birthday cake would attack me from the rear."

http://tinyurl.com/6z2aq8

*****

Insert late night comedy joke here________

lolololo

so. this upcoming presidential election would indeed seem to boil down to voting for "the lesser of two evils".

"the lesser of two evils"

Um, we are talking about politicians here?

Is there such a thing as a politician that isn't evil?

All these "world leaders" can send brave warriors to their deaths then eat breakfast. So-called "leaders" of nuclear countries are serious when they say they could push the button.

They are all evil and scary SOB's. The system - such as it is - ends with some kind of compromise between politicians - that is worse than just evil.

Embedded reporters or Republican activists?

Members of Vets for Freedom have campaigned for John McCain and made anti-Obama ads, but while they're in Iraq, you're paying for their gas, food and lodging.

http://tinyurl.com/5kcqep

Credit goes to Howard Dean but here is the best one liner of the entire campaign.

The John McCain of 2000 Wouldn't Even Consider Voting For the John McCain of 2008.

(kos)

The Politics You'll See As You Watch 100M Hurdles

http://tinyurl.com/6facvs

****

New ads from both camps.

Get Your War On: You Are Loved

http://tinyurl.com/5fzqgm

lololololo

A Catharsis in Denver?

Don't kid yourself. With Hillary planning a 'Greek drama,' the Clinton-Obama rivalry will go on.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/151388

****

Someone throw a bucket of water on HRC?

Cheesus - could she be more pathetic and weak?

Good thing Obama ran, HRCwould have been a huge mistake.

Suskind Revisited

My source also notes that Dick Cheney, who was behind the forgery, hated and mistrusted the Agency and would not have used it for such a sensitive assignment. Instead, he went to Doug Feith’s Office of Special Plans and asked them to do the job. The Pentagon has its own false documents center, primarily used to produce fake papers for Delta Force and other special ops officers traveling under cover as businessmen. It was Feith’s office that produced the letter and then surfaced it to the media in Iraq. Unlike the Agency, the Pentagon had no restrictions on it regarding the production of false information to mislead the public. Indeed, one might argue that Doug Feith’s office specialized in such activity.

http://tinyurl.com/6nk4hw

From the American Consercvative Magazine?

Those looney lefties!

Atlantic Scores Internal Clinton Campaign Emails

By Anne E. Kornblut

Just when you thought everyone had moved on... former advisers to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton are in a tizzy over an upcoming piece in the Atlantic Monthly that chronicles the inner workings of the now-defunct campaign. Of particular concern are nearly 200 internal memos that the author, Josh Green, obtained -- 130 or so of which he plans to scan in and post online. When the piece is published sometime next week, readers will be able to scroll through the memos, from senior strategists such as Mark Penn, Harold Ickes and Geoff Garin, and see what exactly was going on inside the infamously fractured Clinton organization. That has some former team members in a panic. And we thought the Abramoff e-mails were fun....

*****

Roh oh! There is going to be blood . . .

lololololololo

McCain the Antichrist?

Biblical scholars in Colorado Springs have uncovered startling evidence that Senator John McCain may be the Antichrist. Their conclusions, while highly controversial, may have a dramatic impact on the 2008 elections, since many Bible-believing Christians have already expressed doubts about McCain’s fealty to Christianity.

The analysis was conducted by the respected True Bible Society, and it will be published next month in the End Times Journal.

http://tinyurl.com/5g3m2m

*****

Poor little Johnny - just can't get a break with the Fundagelicals - they eat this sttuff up!

"End Times Journal" has to be an oxymoron? Or close to it.

Just Asking...

If there were a group of questionable donations all with the name Abdullah that were funneled through a guy in Jordan who is a Jordanian national who is under investigation for war profiteering and it were Barack Obama instead of John McCain would this be a bigger deal?

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/27105

****

Naw, nobody should ask about anything his maverickityness does or doesn't do - legal or otherwise - he was in the military so STFU!

Now if it was Obama and Abdullah - obviously a very scary terrorist connection.

McCain: The Maverick Has Been Gelded

[...]

You can't spout a slogan like "Country First" while at the same time selling out your country to the Bush-Cheney Big Oil interests who've pumped $2 million into your campaign.

That's Big Oil first, country second.

You can't call yourself, "The American President Americans have been waiting for," without implying that I and the other tens of millions of descendants of immigrants are any less American than you are.

You promised to run an honorable campaign and so far, Senator McCain, your campaign has been anything but.

I will not stand for your Bush-Rove henchmen to cheapen one of the most noble and uplifting events in world history -- the election of an American president. And neither should you.

I'm running for president so that together we Americans can fix the corrosive culture of insider politics and the next generation of mavericks can come to Washington and keep the courage that got them there in the first place."

http://tinyurl.com/5r6asq

"You could argue that no one's ready to be president," Bill Clinton said.

That's actually a very intelligent and insightful thing to say. Backed up, in fact, by about two centuries of Presidential memoirs.

Only a pathetically thin-skinned Obaman like capt cackle would take offense at that. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

Apparently it's not only unacceptable to make jokes at his expense, but to never question the perfection of Mr. Cool in any way...

My favorite quote today is from Paul Krugman, exasperated with the outrageousness of McCain's oil-drilling flip-flop and rampage, and his recent campaign in general:

"In any case, remember this the next time someone calls for an end to partisanship, for working together to solve the country’s problems. It’s not going to happen — not as long as one of America’s two great parties believes that when it comes to politics, stupidity is the best policy."

This "split-the-difference" garbage has just got to stop. 2008 cries out for a decisive PARTISAN victory!

Seem any polls where Obama cracks 50%?

Here's why not:

'Since the primaries, Obama has made a tactical decision: He refuses to be painted as a liberal...

'But since Obama's short public career has been conventionally -- in some cases, extremely -- liberal, his tactical shift to the center has been startlingly obvious, on issues from guns to terror surveillance to Iraq, and now to oil drilling. Says Peter Wehner of the Ethics and Public Policy Center: "Obama's political calculation may be correct, but it still involves a price. It has shattered his claim to be different. It calls into question his political character and leaves the impression he is consumed and defined by ambition."

'"Since Obama's short public career has been conventionally -- in some cases, extremely -- liberal, his tactical shift to the center has been startlingly obvious, on issues from guns to terror surveillance to Iraq, and now (reluctantly) to oil drilling. Says Peter Wehner of the Ethics and Public Policy Center: "Obama's political calculation may be correct, but it still involves a price. It has shattered his claim to be different. It calls into question his political character and leaves the impression he is consumed and defined by ambition."' (Michael Gerson, Washington Post)

""You could argue that no one's ready to be president,""

certainly reinforces my position that the upcoming election is a decision based on the lesser of two evils.

Popular Vote v. Electoral College (Why The Media Badly Needs A History Lesson)

Despite Barack Obama's (D) amazingly consistent lead throughout the general election over John McCain (R), the talking heads on cable television returned to their incessant bloviating over whether Obama should be leading by more than just five points over McCain. It's really painful to watch these fools who don't bother to pay attention to history to understand how a five-point popular vote victory almost always translates when it comes to the only metric that matters -- the Electoral College. (Hint: landslide)

So, rather than expect that someone will take a peek at historical data, I figured I'd go ahead and do it myself.

Below are the results from the last 20 presidential elections, listing the Electoral Vote margin by the winner over the loser (or second place finisher), as well as the popular vote margin.

[snip]

Take note of just how large of an electoral landslide results from a five-point popular vote victory. It's pretty massive and usually results in an Electoral Vote margin of about 200. The elections that most closely mirror the margin in the current contest are:

1992: Clinton won the popular vote by 5.6 points, winning the Electoral College by a 370 to 168 margin (a difference of 202);

1948: Truman won the popular vote by 4.5 points, winning the Electoral College by a 303 to 189 margin (a difference of 114).
Also, keep in mind that Obama's current five-plus point lead is with undecideds added to the mix. If you simply allocate undecideds by the percentage each candidate is getting, Obama's lead jumps to close to seven points (w/o undecideds in parentheses):

CBS News: Obama 45-39 (Obama 53.6-46.4, +7.2)
AP/IPSOS: Obama 47-41 (Obama 53.4-46.6, +6.8)
Time: Obama 46-41 (Obama 52.9-47.1, +5.8)

http://tinyurl.com/5lds5u

*****

A pretty convincing case for EV's versus popular vote polls. Charts and all that at the link.

No poll has Barack losing by the only measure that counts electoral votes.

It is like the primary delegates - the EV's is the only number that matters. Still RCP 322- for Barack, over 303 at pollster.com 294 at 538.com.

It only takes 271 to win. You can do the math on that one, eh?

FWIW

The classic difference isn't between good and evil, or evil and less evil...

It's between those who've sold out to the Devil (Democrats), or the Devil themselves (Republicans).

I guess I don't actually see McCain or Obama as evil men... The reality of politics is that everyone gets compromised... not by some bad system... but by humanity itself...the tension between individual self-interest and the greater good... Politics is the "art of the possible..."

The qualities one must weigh are what are their core beliefs? As a former Arizonan, I actually like McCain, but could never vote for him because at his center, he just hews to certain right-wing beliefs I could never endorse...

I believe that Obama's core beliefs are (like the Clintons) much more progressive and liberal and communitarian... more in alignment with the Progressive Era from Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt to FDR...

The question is which candidate will show the spine to stand up and take a risk... To be a bulwark against the gale force winds of political compromise and dilution of purpose.... Bill Clinton was a disappointment. I, perhaps foolishly, have far more faith in his steely wife...

But Obama's practically given away half the store in advance...

Despite the theatrics, the actually policy differences between him and McCain on Iraq, Afghanistan and energy are now down to the fine print...

Just wait till he and McCain are counting the angels on the head of a pin regarding their various "free market" solutions to health care... That's surely next on the agenda...

McCain will accuse Obama of being for socialized medicine and Obama will dutifully respond with his insurance-friendly private sector non-reform reform...

Speaking as a progressive, a narrow Electoral College win by a business-friendly "split-the-difference" centrist doesn't seem to me like much of a victory at all.

What we need is a solid electoral repudiation of militarism, anti-government know-nothingism, carbon-based economics, and a clear-as-a-bell commitment to universal health care reform...

"Only a pathetically thin-skinned Obaman like capt cackle would take offense at that."

I have no clue what you are on about.

Why the personal attack? I have not posted anything to you, about you or in reference to you.

Are you in need of a personal target? That is not the reason the blog is here.

You really need to just quit it. Post on the issues not about me.

Thanks!

August 7, 2008 8:36 PM

lolololololo

Plouffe: McCain's DHL Deal A Critical Moment Of Campaign

Barack Obama's presidential campaign claimed that the general election had reached a critical turning point this past week after it was revealed that John McCain and his campaign manager had helped facilitate a merger that could result in the loss of thousands of jobs in Ohio.

On a conference call with reporters, Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe said news of McCain and Rick Davis' involvement in the DHL deal was "the most important development of the entire campaign this week" and would convince voters in the critical swing state that the Arizona Republican was far from his maverick image.

http://tinyurl.com/6c8pg3

His being a "maverick" is getting a bit maverickity!

I don't know if it is a turning point for the election but nearly 10,000 more votes for Obama in OH could hurt!

Um, couldN'T hurt!

Old Wrinkly's Roverian cancer

NEW YORK - How mud-wallowingly deep may a multi-millionaire US presidential campaign go? Way deep - deeper and deeper. And this is only early August.

Republican Senator John McCain's presidential campaign's strategic decision is now all too obvious. Swift-boating Democratic Senator Barack Obama is the only way to go.

The McCain-painted Obama is emerging as a US-hating, terrorist-friendly, deeply suspicious, radical, vapid black celeb - Puff Daddy with a Harvard degree. This "new bogeyman" picture travels well in those vast swathes of flyover US territory where urban hipness not only evokes envy and contempt but is regarded as a mortal sin.

The McCain campaign knows that is the only chance in heaven and hell for their candidate in November.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JH08Aa01.html

Does Obama's flip-flop on offshore drilling correspond more to following the polls like a weather vane, or the fact that HE'S, in fact, received more oil money than McCain? (Open Secrets)

re: thin-skinned

Ironic being senstive about "personal attacks," when your limitless posts deal almost exclusively with character attacks... either on McCain or the Clintons...

And your interest in the Electoral College all of a sudden is interesting, since you weren't much interested in it a few months ago when all those EV matchups showed Hillary a far stronger candidate in the Electoral College than Obama.

Obama's EV numbers (VERY narrow lead) are, incidentally, virtually unchanged from his numbers back in May.

The point? Obama is barely riding the