David Corn

I agreed with the young woman in the crowd that Tweety talked to. The question was about mcsame not looking at Obama. She felt it was his way of not losing his temper.
I know Obama pulled alot of punches that he could've boxed mcsame's ears with. I hope 'looking presidential' by taking the high road turns out for him. Still, I'm concerned that people still want someone 'you'd want to have a beer with'. WTF? One bit I read said that Obama sometimes comes off as "wonky" and sounding like a professor instead of a regular guy. Well, that's just crazy. I WANT THE SMART GUY as my president. Go have a beer with your favorite uncle. ugh!

The question for Obama is which plays best for him in the battlegrounds.

I think "Angry Black Man" wouldn't come off as natural and would likely turn off more than a few potential voters.

He should remain his "ubercool" self, but counterpunch calmly when McCain't distorts the facts.

-T

Jonathan Alter on MSNBC:

The biggest loser? Sarah Palin. The debates set a standard she cannot live up to.

Nate Silver:

Why Voters Thought Obama Won

TPM has the internals of the CNN poll of debate-watchers, which had Obama winning overall by a margin of 51-38. The poll suggests that Obama is opening up a gap on connectedness, while closing a gap on readiness.

Specifically, by a 62-32 margin, voters thought that Obama was "more in touch with the needs and problems of people like you". This is a gap that has no doubt grown because of the financial crisis of recent days. But it also grew because Obama was actually speaking to middle class voters. Per the transcript, McCain never once mentioned the phrase "middle class" (Obama did so three times). And Obama’s eye contact was directly with the camera, i.e. the voters at home. McCain seemed to be speaking literally to the people in the room in Mississippi, but figuratively to the punditry. It is no surprise that a small majority of pundits seemed to have thought that McCain won, even when the polls indicated otherwise; the pundits were his target audience.

*****

The silver oracle has spoken!

WOW!

The CBS poll of undecideds has more confirmatory detail. Obama went from a +18 on "understanding your needs and problems" before the debate to a +56 (!) afterward. And he went from a -9 on "prepared to be president" to a +21.

fivethirtyeight.com

I'd drink a beer with Barack. but does he did foreign or domestic? But hey, even Killian's is bottled by Coors now (Cindy McCain's competitor).

Seriously, MSNBC.com in its First Read section does a fact check on Obama not holding hearings on Afghanistan, which is true but it is as he explained, Joe Biden's full committee held larger hearings. But McCain said he held hearings on Afghanistan in one committee he chairs. There have been hearings, but it says there at First Read:

"Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Services Committee -- of which McCain serves as ranking member -- has held at least seven hearings on Afghanistan in the last two years. And McCain DID NOT attend a single one of them, according to NBC News."

A missed opportunity for Obama, but it seems so far he's playing pretty well in Podunk.

Seems like time is short for McCain to turn it around.

If Barack doesn't make some huge mistake - I don't see him losing.

The Palin/Biden debate will be a hoot but I doubt it will make or break it for either top ticket candidate.

Paul Newman: RIP Cool hand Luke.

1925 - 2008

Barack seems to have a unflappable style.

That is his strength. Some think it is a weakness but I think those are the same folks that believe coming a little unglued is a normal thing.

I'm not sure they are wrong but the bluster and overreaching has been exposed as ineffective in times.

Politicians will be politicians, Barack will make mistakes and I do not agree with him on several issues but that unflappable style looks like better more "presidential" demeanor. That will buy him some slack when he errors because most people will never really know the details and wonkish minutia but will see an even tempered and measured response.

"We keep hearing how Obama and the Democrats will create change, so let's look at the past two years.

George Bush has been in office a little over 71/2 years. The first six the economy was fine.

A little over a year ago, consumer confidence stood at a 21/2 year high, regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon, unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, the Dow Jones hit a record high of 14,000-plus and Americans were buying new cars, taking vacations and living large. Then Americans wanted a change. So, in 2006 a Democratic Congress was voted in with a majority in both the Senate and House.

Well, we got a change alright. Over the past two years consumer confidence has plummeted, Gasoline was over $4 a gallon for regular, unemployment is up to 5 percent (a 10 percent increase), Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 trillion and still dropping, the Dow is floundering and big companies need government bailout as trillions of dollars have evaporated from stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Yep, Americans voted for change in 2006 and the Democratic Congress gave us change.

Remember the president has no direct control over these issues, only the Democrat-controlled Congress that has stood by and watched this happen over the past two years under its watch and done nothing. They blame the president yet the blame lies at their doorstep. Do you need more of their kind of change? Think about it when you vote in November."

Think Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid.

"Sneed hears rumbles that convicted influence peddler Tony Rezko, whose dealings have been linked to Barack Obama and Gov. Blagojevich, is singing to the feds.

"I'm told by a close friend of Rezko that he's cooperating with the feds," said a Sneed source.

"I don't know whether he's talking about Gov. Blagojevich or Barack Obama or anyone else," the source said."

Fact Check: McCain Lied About Financial Crisis Warning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsKEIAS_F0s

*****

Does McCain forget about the youtubes?

McCain came across, as others have noted, as a bit condescending. After really liking him 8 years ago I am starting to see him as a W-like gunslinger, perhaps a better spoken one - though still not great.

Obama held his own. He missed a few chances to nail McCain:

McCain said Reagan would never had agreed to talks with Breznev(sp?) but it has come out in the last couple years that Reagan had a letter writting relationship with him that eventually paved the way for better relations with the Soviets.

McCain talked about how he is against torture at one point saying we need better trained interrogators so they dont do that stuff. This is baloney on two points:

It was not untrained interrogators that led to torture - it was policy straight from Cheney and David Addington.

There was a bill last year that expressly forbid waterboarding and other specific "enhanced" methods for military and intelligence personnel. McCain felt that intelligence people should "have all tools available to them".

Joe Biden on Debate McCain is mean and Out Of Touch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qclcMcD1b8M

Your Mr. Potato Head and the Potato Free Truth.

I’ve watched half the debate by now and one thing is very clear, neither candidate seems to have the ability to tell the truth in a direct fashion. Neither candidate is willing to address the actual conditions that have led to the conditions in which America finds itself today. Neither candidate is willing to confront the real enemy of the nation and the world. Neither candidate is doing much more than jockeying for position in order to look like the new and improved potato chips that everybody wants; apparently more than they want to hear the truth. The truth as usual is unpopular.

http://smokingmirrors.blogspot.com/

Wolf and Biden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB3MVphrJRk

Brian Williams and Biden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiwLzHnGr4w

IF you're wondering where Palin was, apparently she was at a bar in Philly. I kid you not. So Biden is making the rounds on TV looking Presidential, and Palin is in a BAR in PHILLY? Seriously? Also, Palin was joined by about 300 protesters. LOL, I swear this stuff writes itself. I hope SNL does a skit about Palin in the bar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs1RMQl8wMQ

(via kos)

Election Theft for 2008 Already Underway

The campaigns are in full gear, the candidates are picked, TV ads are running, and election corruption is taking hold. Around the country, particularly in swing states, there are stories of efforts to undercut voter registration especially by poor and African American voters. In addition, this summer has seen story after story of the potential corruption and likely dysfunction of electronic voting machines.

http://tinyurl.com/4o4es7

LOL every time McCain mispronounced Ahmadinejad's name, Palin has to drink a shot of tequila!

The Debate Spinners

Did anyone notice that in the TV spin afterwards, Biden was everywhere as you would expect of a vice-presidential nominee, but Palin was nowhere to be found? They can't even rely on her to spin without tangling herself in knots and adding new layers of lies to her existing web of untruth.

http://tinyurl.com/4zufu8

"Barack Obama's original answer seemed crystal clear: last July, asked whether he would meet with the "leaders" of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea "without precondition," during his first year as president, he quickly answered yes.

"I would," Obama, D-Ill., said at the CNN/YouTube debate. "And the reason is this: that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration -- is ridiculous."

"Senator Barack Obama said he would “engage in aggressive personal diplomacy” with Iran if elected president, and would offer economic inducements and a possible promise not to seek “regime change” if Iran stopped meddling in Iraq and cooperated on terrorism and nuclear issues…

Making clear that he planned to talk to Iran without preconditions, Mr. Obama emphasized further that “changes in behavior” by Iran could possibly be rewarded with membership in the World Trade Organization, other economic benefits and security guarantees…

Mr. Obama’s willingness to conduct talks at the highest level with Iran … differs significantly from the Bush administration."

So, we know Barry lied. But WHEN did he lie, last night at the Presidential Debate, or last July, at the Dem debate?

And doesn't Barry know that Henry Kissinger is still available to the press? What a rookie gaffe that one was. And to watch him tell McCain that he would have his people "check" the facts, and then to have Kissinger prove Barry wrong within minutes of the false statement being made!!!!

Ouch.

"UNITED NATIONS - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad put Barack Obama on the spot Thursday, offering to debate with both U.S. presidential candidates when he arrives at the United Nations next week for its annual summit.

The fiery Iranian leader, who provoked a storm of controversy when he visited last year, said he would debate global issues at a public forum in UN headquarters if the candidates agreed.

Obama said early in his campaign that, as president, he would be prepared to meet the leaders of U.S. foes such as Iran and Syria."

Precisely why McCain calls Barry's eagerness to meet with terrorist states with "no preconditions" DANGEROUS !!!!

Barack Obama and the Return of Grace

[...]

Watch Barack Obama in that debate and you see a man who is confident but not arrogant -- hence the regular acknowledgment of his opponent when they agree. He is sure of himself, yet thoughtful in the way he explains his position. He is more than capable of being Commander In Chief, yet just as interested in being Diplomat In Chief. Standing on that podium next to a fading shadow of our past, Barack Obama rises as a clear signpost to our future.

McCain has reduced himself to being his own history book, more interested in listing the stamps on his passport and forcing our collective groans at every mention of his maverickness and his POW imprisonment, than he is in providing us a vision of any real future under his leadership. Never mind the new cold war John McCain promises us with our enemies, what about the one he promises to perpetuate with our fellow Americans? Ask yourself this question, can you even imagine that kind of mannerless, undiplomatic, insulting discourteousness from Barack Obama? Not a chance. Obama's unwillingness to display anger may be something that his critics see as proof of his inability to win, but it happens to be the very quality that proves he can lead.

http://tinyurl.com/48mj7d

GOP concerns about Palin grow

A growing number of Republicans are expressing concern about Sarah Palin’s uneven — and sometimes downright awkward — performances in her limited media appearances.

Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, a former Palin supporter, says the vice presidential nominee should step aside. Kathryn Jean Lopez, writing for the conservative National Review, says “that’s not a crazy suggestion” and that “something’s gotta change.”

Tony Fabrizio, a GOP strategist, says Palin’s recent CBS appearance isn’t disqualifying but is certainly alarming. “You can’t continue to have interviews like that and not take on water.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13991.html

RE: "Barack Obama and the Return of Grace", by Michael Seitzman, the apparent arbiter of "grace" as the Dem party defines it.

Here is another recent post by Seitzman, this one about Sarah Palin -

"And, three, she really is kinda hot. Basically, I want to have sex with her on my Barack Obama sheets while my wife reads aloud from the Constitution. (My wife is cool with this if I promise to “first wipe off Palin’s tranny makeup.” I married well.)"

If this is the Dems idea of "grace", I ceed the point - Barry's GOT IT !!!

"And doesn't Barry know that Henry Kissinger is still available to the press? "

lol Yep, and Obama was proven correct within minutes. Continue to make up stuff all you want, but it doesn't work here like it does with the non-thinkers. The post about all the bad changes since Dems took the majority was another example. Didja forget it takes a super majority to change what the repugs have done? Those repugs gave up oversight and let the crooks run the jailhouse, and have fought tooth and nail to keep their scam going. Until some of the repugs grow a pair and quit the lock-step crap (some already have) and do what is right, we'll continue to see our country in a tailspin.
Watch out if Dems get their super-majority outright by themselves. C'mon with the hearings and subpeonas!

McBlinky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp3xdUUWIes

If his "I have a bracelet, too" whine wasn't uncomfortable enough, the fact that Barry had to READ the name of the deceased G.I. off of the bracelet on his wrist says it all -

"You can twist perceptions, but REALITY won't budge"

And Alan, check YOUR FACTS. Kissinger NEVER SAID the US PRSIDENT should meet with rogue state leaders, ONLY BARRY DID. CHECK THE VIDEO TAPE!!!

"ABC News' Kirit Radia Reports: Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger came to the defense of longtime friend Sen. John McCain following Friday's presidential debate saying he "would not recommend the next President of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level."

"Senator McCain is right. I would not recommend the next President of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level.

My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain. We do not agree on everything, but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality," Kissinger said in statement issued by the McCain campaign."

Angry McCain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzvgmRXx5VM

Late Night Jokes Of The Week: McCain's Age & Poll Numbers, Palin's Hunting & Kids' Names

Late night jokes took center stage this week, with David Letterman going all out against John McCain and Craig Ferguson railing against McCain for suspending the democratic process.

But there was still more to enjoy. Both Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno joked about McCain — Kimmel hits him on his age, Leno on his sinking poll numbers, while Stephen Colbert, Conan O'Brien, and Jon Stewart all laughed at Sarah Palin (Colbert about hunting, Conan about Alaska's minority population, and Stewart on her New York trip and her kids' names). That, and more Great Moments in Presidential Speeches from David Letterman, below:

http://tinyurl.com/4zozav

McCain's Debate Message: How To Lose More Friends And Alienate People

[...]

It was Barack Obama who came across as the insurgent seeking change, while McCain represented the Republican establishment. Obama landed the crushing blows by pointing out the obvious: the Bush administration's, and by extension McCain's, obsession with Iraq for the past eight years has only succeeded in crippling American power and security. McCain, he noted, has been wrong, over and over again, in predicting that Iraq would be a cakewalk and that there would be no real ethnic enmities inside it. As Obama announced that he would target and kill Osama bin-Laden, McCain could only stare in mute stupefaction.

Meanwhile, McCain tried to paint Obama as a kind of naive Beverly Hills chihuahua who would be lost as soon as he traveled to a foreign country. His grandfatherly tone was supposed to provide reassurance that he would guide the American foreign policy tiller with a sure hand, while Obama would capsize. But whether it's Russia or the Middle East, McCain's unctuous tone tonight could not disguise the fact that he's even more bellicose than Bush himself. Obama, by contrast, wants to begin the overdue job of restoring America's image abroad. All McCain proved once more is that he knows full well how to continue the Bush legacy of losing friends abroad and alienating people.

http://tinyurl.com/4636mw

"""My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain. We do not agree on everything, but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality," Kissinger said""

McCain thinks war is a joke:
"bomb bomb iran!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-zoPgv_nYg

First Obama-McCain Debate: Reality Trumps Theater

there is u.s. govt/media reality and there is actual reality.

McCain Says He Is ‘Obviously’ Against Torture, Forgets His Vote To Allow Waterboarding

http://tinyurl.com/6jzzzf

oh 'obviously'.
sure thing McBomb!

COULD 2008 BE ANOTHER 2004 STOLEN ELECTION ?

It does not take too many states to hijack an election as witnessed in 2004 when four crucial GOP targeted states showed Kerry leading substantially in polls on election day ~ only to have the states flip to Bush with each state demonstrating clear election violations and fraud

http://blogs.salon.com/0002255/2008/09/27.html

To recap Barry's stance on Afghanistan, his statement from 2007 -

"We've got to get the job done there and that requires us to have enough troops so that we're not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there"

Barack Hussein Obama's DISDAIN for the U.S. Military has cost him the election !!!

Tracking Poll Update

The latest daily tracking polls all show Sen. Barack Obama moving into a clear lead over Sen. John McCain over the course of the last week.

Diageo/Hotline: Obama 48%, McCain 43%

Gallup: Obama 49%, McCain 44%

Rasmussen: Obama 50%, McCain 44%

Research 2000: Obama 49%, McCain 43%

These trackers do not include the impact of last night's presidential debate but will serve as a useful baseline.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/27/tracking_poll_update.html

Biden AGAIN -

"At a rally on Thursday in Pennsylvania, Joe Biden told his audience that John McCain, through his health care plan, is:

proposing the largest increase on middle class taxpayers in American history....It will cost the middle class over one trillion dollars in additional taxes. So ladies and gentlemen it’s almost unbelievable, you almost don’t believe what I’m telling you, because it sounds so wrong.

It is indeed unbelievable because it is in fact completely wrong. Even The Washington Post's Fact Checker column can’t find an excuse for the claim, and gives Biden the full four Pinocchios, while explaining that actually:

By most independent calculations, the McCain plan will leave most taxpayers better off in strictly financial terms, at least until 2013. After 2013, the benefits will begin to diminish. By 2018, taxpayers in the top quintile will be slightly worse off, but middle-income taxpayers will either break even or be slightly ahead.

They’ll have more affordable, portable, and reliable health coverage too. "

Will Barry launch a lawsuit for THIS LIE?

The Wars of John McCain

(from page 5)

“We know that there will never be in our lifetimes a celebration like V-J Day,” McCain said. “I don’t know of any enemy we face, or possible adversary, where there’s a clear-cut victory. In Iraq, we will withdraw with honor, and the troops will come home, and there are other conflicts—in Afghanistan, over time, we’ll grow an army—but there will be no church bells ringing all over America and prayers of thanksgiving in cathedrals.”

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200810/mccain

Palin Is Ready? Please.

McCain says that he always puts country first. In this important case, that is simply not true

[...]

Can we now admit the obvious? Sarah Palin is utterly unqualified to be vice president. She is a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska. But she has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start. The next administration is going to face a set of challenges unlike any in recent memory. There is an ongoing military operation in Iraq that still costs $10 billion a month, a war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan that is not going well and is not easily fixed. Iran, Russia and Venezuela present tough strategic challenges.

Domestically, the bailout and reform of the financial industry will take years and hundreds of billions of dollars. Health-care costs, unless curtailed, will bankrupt the federal government. Social Security, immigration, collapsing infrastructure and education are all going to get much worse if they are not handled soon.

And the American government is stretched to the limit. Between the Bush tax cuts, homeland-security needs, Iraq, Afghanistan and the bailout, the budget is looking bleak. Plus, within a few years, the retirement of the baby boomers begins with its massive and rising costs (in the trillions).

Obviously these are very serious challenges and constraints. In these times, for John McCain to have chosen this person to be his running mate is fundamentally irresponsible. McCain says that he always puts country first. In this important case, it is simply not true.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/161204/page/1

Obama Slams McCain For Not Mentioning Middle Class

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Saturday called Republican rival John McCain out of touch with middle-class Americans, telling supporters that the GOP senator never once uttered the words "middle class" during their first debate.

"Through 90 minutes of debate, John McCain had a lot to say about me, but he didn't have anything to say about you," Obama told a cheering crowd at the J. Douglas Galyon Depot in downtown Greensboro. "He didn't even say the words 'middle class.' He didn't even say the words 'working people.'"

http://tinyurl.com/4o4m7c

Obama and the Reagan Doctrine

"Barack Obama's debate strategy of portraying the Bush administration as a complete failure is running into one big problem: Bush's Iraq policy appears to be succeeding.

How embarrassing!

Well, at least the Democrats can try to make sure that no one finds out about this."

http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2008/09/27/obama-and-the-reagan-doctrine/

How embarrassing, indeed.

0: Number of banking bills McCain has introduced this Congress.

Yesterday in an interview with CBS News, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) insisted that “John McCain will reform the way Wall Street does business.” However, she was unable to name a single example of McCain pushing for more regulation in the past 26 years. Today, the Hill reports that McCain “has not introduced any banking or housing bills in the 110th Congress, while Democratic rival Barack Obama has proposed five”:

McCain is the lead sponsor of 38 pieces of legislation during the 110th Congress, none of which have been referred to the Banking panel, according to a review of Thomas, a congressional website. Obama has introduced 130 measures during this Congress. Four of Obama’s standalone bills fall within the Banking Committee’s jurisdiction.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/25/mccain-banking-bills/

Obama Is Ready? Please.

Can we now admit the obvious? Barack Hussein Obama is utterly unqualified to be president. He is a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Illinois. But he has never spent a day doing anything about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start. The next administration is going to face a set of challenges unlike any in recent memory. There is an ongoing military operation in Iraq that still costs $10 billion a month, a war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan that is not going well and is not easily fixed. Iran, Russia and Venezuela present tough strategic challenges.

Domestically, the bailout and reform of the financial industry will take years and hundreds of billions of dollars. Health-care costs, unless curtailed, will bankrupt the federal government. Social Security, immigration, collapsing infrastructure and education are all going to get much worse if they are not handled soon.

And the American government is stretched to the limit. Between the Bush tax cuts, homeland-security needs, Iraq, Afghanistan and the bailout, the budget is looking bleak. Plus, within a few years, the retirement of the baby boomers begins with its massive and rising costs (in the trillions).

Obviously these are very serious challenges and constraints. In these times, for the Democrat party to have chosen this person to their presidential nominee is fundamentally irresponsible. Obama says that he is qualified to be president. In this important case, it is simply not true.

'Nuff said !!!

"Insurgents in Iraq root for Obama win

"DAMASCUS // Iraqi insurgents have said they hope Barack Obama is elected as the next US president because he is more likely than his rival John McCain to withdraw American troops and restore peace."

http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080927/FOREIGN/680610439/1135

Oops - I guess there IS such a thing as BAD PRESS !!!!

To be serious about Palin and Couric

Gov. Palin's comments about Russia seem to have drawn more attention than any other part of her interview with Katie Couric. I think this is mainly because .. well, they just sound funny. "As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space" and so on.

But, no joke, it is worth spending a little time on what, specifically, we have learned about Palin and her limitations via her attempted answers to Katie Couric. After the jump, three specimens -- one about Israel, one about financial markets, one about domestic spending -- that, as I mentioned after the Charlie Gibson interview, indicate that Palin is disqualifyingly ignorant of the fundamentals of public policy.

After thirty years of meeting and interviewing politicians, I can think of exactly three people who sounded as uninformed and vacant as this. All are now out of office. One was a chronic drunk.

http://tinyurl.com/4c9svl

Contempt

What a shriveled tiny man John McCain turns out to be. And I don't mean physically.

I mean his soul.

Chris Matthews characterized McCain on MSNBC as a "troll" who was "angry at the world."

No kidding.

I am not the first to have noticed that in the first presidential debate, John McCain oozed contempt as he refused to as much as once even look at his opponent. And when Obama would differ with him on any issue of urgent seriousness, McCain would crack a condescending smile, a painful grimace as if someone was stuffing Freddie Mac up his arse.

http://marccooper.com/contempt/

*****

Troll angry at the world? Sounds haunting familiar.

Why Did So Many Pundits Wrongly Score the Debate 'Even'?

[...]

My feeling is that the Couric interview might have done for McCain what the first Nixon-Kennedy debate did for Nixon in 1960 -- a true watershed moment. The American voters finally "got it" about Palin and so McCain's "best moment" against Obama either fell flat with many of them, or proved laughable. This was made all the more stark with Palin AWOL during the post-debate analysis -- and Joe Biden all over the place.

But the pundits barely recognized this -- and that's why they scored the debate fairly even even as viewers seem to have rated it a landslide for Obama.

Subject for a later column: The many pundits who now have egg on their faces for their early hailing of Palin and/or predictions of how strongly she would help the ticket.

http://tinyurl.com/3tp7mj

*****

Nobody takes the so called journalists seriously these days - that would require at least a little credibility.

President of Paraguay Turns Down Meeting with Sarah Palin

I'm not kidding.

Paraguay President Fernando Lugo, while attending both the United Nations General Assembly meetings and the Clinton Global Initiative, shared with friends over dinner some of the other meetings he had been having in New York.

He met this head of state. . .and that head of state. . .and so on. . .

. . .but then the room went silent and then broke into subdued laughter when he confided that he was approached about meeting with GOP Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

President Lugo turned the meeting down.

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2008/09/president_of_pa/

After looking at posts on a number of other blogs, it's looking like the undecideds and Independents are headed Obama's way.

The subtext of the movement is that McCain is looking condescending and erratic by not willing reach across the isle and look his adversary in the eye or having to interject himself into situations. Some are finding his histrionics to be self-defeating and showing him to be the 72 year old he is. Others talk about his lack of judgment in trying to use zingers and flip comments in place of serious arguments and allowing Obama to soak up the adulation of women by contrasting with his consensus building style. Some have even suggested that his whole career, from struggling with his education, though the Navy and into the Senate was simply to please his overachieving father and implied certain character flaws that his crap shooting nature might reveal once elected... to our detriment.

I just saw him as being purely 20th Century. If I wanted a 20th Century leader, he might be my man. But after seeing McCain on stage with Obama, these differences are at least moving the independents to want a 21st Century man for president. I wonder what they are going to think after Thursday night's Palin/Biden debate?

Rest assured, John McCain will try to come up with another 30 to 1 against him roll of the dice to move the needle before November.

Anyone got any ideas what kind of rabbit he's going to pull out of his hat? Maybe he can leap off tall buildings in a single bound!

Will Palin drop out due to "family" matters to be replaced by the Rovian choice of Romney?

They'll try something...they won't just lose with grace and dignity...unless they RENT can some!

-T

Palin might have some kind of "family" problem and have to recuse herself - hello HuckaGuliRomney?

He has zero chance with her (or without her) - he might just throw the dice. Either way he is going down in flames.

His loss will be blamed on Palin, either way, setting up the GOP to say "We ran a woman in 08 and look what happened?" It will allow them to run all rich white guys for another decade or two.

As always the GOP are blind to the failure of their ideology.

HA!

Hajji - almost JINX!

Next Generation Veterans for Obama

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS1_uw_N2Wg

“What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment."

http://governor.mo.gov/cgi-bin/coranto/viewnews.cgi?id=EkkkVFulkpOzXqGMaj&style=Default+News+Style&tmpl=newsitem

I wonder if this is an Obama TACTIC or STRATEGY, or doesn't Barry know the difference?

"Obama Campaign Trying To Use Police Goon Squads To Intimidate Critics In Missouri

Not just because partisan prosecutors could use investigations and indictments to intimidate people not actually guilty of libel or slander, but because people who aren’t Barack Obama don’t get that sort of treatment"

http://www.kxmc.com/News/Nation/279948.asp

"Possible change of heart
Rezko talked with prosecutors, may aid probe, sources say

Rezko was a political supporter of Obama going back to when he was running for state Senate. Obama's ties to Rezko have become a political albatross for the presidential nominee, who has been forced to defend the convicted felon's fundraising activities for him and revelations Obama bought his South Side mansion on the same day in 2005 that Rezko purchased a vacant lot next door."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-rezko-flip28sep28,0,5691387.story

Barry's chickensssssss....have come home..... to roooooooost!!!

Just the facts, from "Down Under" -

"Who would he dare allow tell the story of Obama? Rev. Wright? William Ayers? Larry Sinclair? Who could he pull out from under the bus to tell his story? "

http://www.australia.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=416:zach-jones&catid=53:jones-zach&Itemid=122

G'day, mate.

A Freddie Mac Money Trail Catches Up With McCain

[...]

The McCain campaign told reporters the fees were irrelevant because Davis "separated from his consulting firm … in 2006," according to the campaign's Web site, and he stopped drawing a salary from it. In fact, however, when Davis joined the campaign in January 2007, he asked that his $20,000-a-month salary be paid directly to Davis Manafort, two sources who asked not to be identified discussing internal campaign business told NEWSWEEK. Federal campaign records show the McCain campaign paid Davis Manafort $90,000 through July 2007, when a cash crunch prompted Davis and other top campaign officials to forgo their salaries and work as volunteers. Separately, another entity created and partly owned by Davis—an Internet firm called 3eDC, whose address was the same office building as Davis Manafort's—received payments from the McCain campaign for Web services, collecting $971,860 through March 2008.

In an e-mail to NEWSWEEK, a senior McCain official said that when the campaign began last year, it signed a contract with Davis Manafort "in which we purchased all of [Davis's] time, and he agreed not to work for any other clients." The official also said that though Davis was an "investor" in 3eDC, Davis has received no salary from it. As to why Davis permitted the Freddie Mac payments to continue, the official referred NEWSWEEK to Davis Manafort, which did not respond to repeated phone calls. One senior McCain adviser said the entire flap could have been avoided if the campaign had resisted attacking Barack Obama for his ties to two former Fannie Mae executives, which prompted the media to take a second look at Davis. "It was stupid," the adviser said. "A serious miscalculation and an amateurish move." Still, this adviser said, McCain's faith in his campaign manager remains unswerving.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/161218/output/print

Today's Polls, 9/27
Barack Obama had another strong day in the national tracking polls, increasing his advantage in the Rasmussen Tracker to +6, and in the Gallup Tracker to +5. Indeed, four of the five tracking polls are now in agreement that Barack Obama's lead is in the 5-6 point range, with Battleground dissenting and putting the race at McCain +2.

You should bear in mind, however, that these polls reflect the pre-debate state of the race, as the overwhelming majority of the interviews for the these tracking polls took place before last night's debate was completed

Obama 317.8 McCain 220.2

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

Obama 286 McCain 252

Dem pickups (vs. 2004): CO IA NM VA
GOP pickups (vs. 2004): (None)

Sept. 27 2004: Kerry 234 Bush 280

http://electoral-vote.com/

The Most Stupidest McCain Ad Ever?

John McCain is running a new campaign ad that actually attacks Barack Obama for agreeing with John McCain. This has to be the first time in history that a candidate ever went negative on his opponent for being too agreeable.

If the ad had a lighthearted, funny tone I think it could work. But instead, it is angry and sneering, just like John McCain.

Watch the ad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec3aC8ZJZTc

Aside from the tone, the ad's problem is that it reinforces Obama's message that he is willing to work across party lines. Why in the world would a campaign put up an ad that says that the opposing candidate only cares about doing the right thing, not about winning the political battle.

Basically, McCain is accusing Obama of being a decent guy.

Moreover, everybody knows that Barack Obama has serious disagreements with John McCain, starting with Iraq -- where John McCain was unequivocally wrong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xG1aOORf8Pc

(huffpo)

John McCain plans to reign in out of control and balance the books; after shortchanging the Treasury by half a trillion in tax giveaways for the super rich; after blowing 200 billion a year or more in Iraq for the next century, after allowing Halliburton and Blackwater to run barefoot through piles of cash, after losing hundreds of billions more that could be saved by negotiating in Medicare Part D gifts to the drug industry; after handing Wall Street bankers almost a trillion dollars; after making certain Social Security is sound ... after all that, then, godddamit John McCain is going to get out his rusty old veto pen and cut out the fat! Conservative math is as perplexing as conservative science

http://tinyurl.com/3mwjtx

Barack Obama Says McCain's Debate Attacks 'Didn't Make Much Sense''

John McCain has promoted the same policies of George Bush, and people know they're not working,' Obama says in first post-debate interview.

[...]

"I don't get taken aback by that kind of stuff. The problem was, every time he said it, when he tried to follow it up with an actual statement about policy or his positions about what it was he presumably understood or did 'get,' it didn't make much sense," Obama told MTV News' Sway Calloway. "If you look at Iraq, for example, the question was asked, 'What lessons have you learned?' and his lesson was 'Well, we should just stay.' Well, that's not a policy. ... The question was 'Should we have gone?'

"He says that because he doesn't have a record to defend himself. We've become accustomed in our politics to folks just being able to make stuff up — it's one of the few areas of public life where the standards somehow are lowered in terms of what you say about other people," he continued. "For example, he suggested that I'm talking about raising everybody's taxes, when every analyst has shown I'm actually calling for a tax cut for 95 percent of [American] families."

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1595817/20080927/story.jhtml

*****

McCain doesn't have to make sense - he was a POW!

Like the attack ad against Barack for agreeing? McCain just sounds like a crazy person.

Surely Henry K. wouldn't lie. He's NEVER lied to us, right? hahaha

From Bloomberg, (3/14):
Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said the U.S. should negotiate directly with Iran over its nuclear program and other bilateral issues. "One should be prepared to negotiate, and I think we should be prepared to negotiate about Iran,'' Kissinger, who brokered the end of the 1973 Yom Kippur war and peace talks with the North Vietnamese, said yesterday in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Asked whether he meant the U.S. should hold direct talks, Kissinger, 84, responded: "Yes, I think we should.''

Obama campaign calls Palin 'a terrific debater'

Obama campaign manager David Plouffe told reporters Saturday that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, is “a terrific debater” who could give Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden (D-Del.) a run for his money when they meet Thursday.

http://tinyurl.com/3rvjcd

*****

I hope they said it more like "T-riffik" and did that silly fist motion.

lol

why did they score the debate even?

because when the neocons once again steal the election it has to look like it was even all along or it will be so obvious that someone actually has to say something about it this time.

Ok, a couple months later, Henry K said something about negotiations at the Sec. of State level. It really doesn't matter to me WHAT that lowlife says.
We all know why bush wouldn't talk with anybody. It's because he's an idiot and wouldn't know what to say. ~I know, we'll just call it my policy not to talk with people we don't agree with. Problem solved. ~

Except, look how that's turned out. Failures, everywhere you look. And that's just 'foreign policy'. Name a topic and I'll show you how neocons fk'd it up.

"Dog Ate My Debate"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDdR7YqWZ8s

~~Who would have dreamed that when socialism finally came to the U.S.A. it would be brought not by Bolsheviks in blue jeans but Wall Street bankers in Gucci loafers?~~

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/opinion/28dowd.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Today's Candidate Schedule

Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama & Jill Biden

Detroit, Michigan
Woodward Ave. in front of the Detroit Public Library
Gates open: 11:00 am (CDT)
Program begins: 1:30 pm (CDT)

John McCain

On the phone

Sarah Palin

Asking herself, "What was I thinking?"

(kos)

Bad news:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzuIHjQYW2c

McCain claims bailout credit

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/14032.html

***** THEN ******

McCain: "I won't claim a bit of credit."

http://www.politicshome.com/mobile/blog.aspx?id=3290

WHAT OBAMA SHOULD HAVE SAID

http://tinyurl.com/3w7poe

lol

HUGE Alaskans for Truth Rally: VIDEOS and PICS

http://tinyurl.com/43ug7d

******

Best sign;

"Hey Sarah, I can see the end of your career from my house"

TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads

http://tinyurl.com/3w8txy

******

Every Sunday Jason Linkins take saves me from having to watch the insanity. He cracks me up!

While All Eyes Were on the $700 billion Bailout, House Passed Trillion-Dollar Defense Bill

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/100524

Rumor has it:

Gallup – Obama +8
R2000/Kos- Obama +7
Rasmussen- Obama + 6

Debate polling:

USAToday- Obama +12
CBS- Poll- Obama +15
CNN Poll – Obama +13
Media Curves Focus Group (Independents) – Obama +21

Cross tabs and internals seem to favor Barack. Maybe Palin will kick Bidens arse and turn this thing around for McCain.

http://tinyurl.com/4okpu2

Less jobs - More War!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh-T2iGkLJY

*****

I am reminded how much the Iraq occupation has cost - the numbers are simply insane.

Saudi Arabia wants lower petroleum prices. As a country with enormous reserves, Riyadh would like to preserve their value. In contrast, countries like Algeria with relatively shallow reserves want to get top dollar for their petroleum while it lasts.

Businessweek provides the telling quote:

' Any threat to oil's leading role as a source of energy is a big worry for a country that sits on reserves of some 260 billion barrels. "We are concerned about the permanent destruction of demand," says a senior Saudi official. "Those who buy hybrid vehicles are not going back to SUVs." '

--
Posted By Juan Cole to Informed Comment at 9/28/2008 01:32:00 AM

Turtle Soup?

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Palin and her bid.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a 'Post Turtle'".

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top - that's a 'post turtle".

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, and she doesn't know what to do while she's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dummy put her up there to begin with".

(TPM)

lolololo

From the Times of London ...

In an election campaign notable for its surprises, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice- presidential candidate, may be about to spring a new one -- the wedding of her pregnant teenage daughter to her ice-hockey-playing fiancé before the November 4 election.
Inside John McCain's campaign the expectation is growing that there will be a popularity boosting pre-election wedding in Alaska between Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, her schoolmate and father of her baby. "It would be fantastic," said a McCain insider. "You would have every TV camera there. The entire country would be watching. It would shut down the race for a week."

--Josh Marshall

*****

Wow, I don't think anybody would care - everybody was forbidden to care that Bristol was pregnant so WGF?

Capt,

Uhm, it is assumed that Levi gave one!

-T

Somebody said...

"If an inner-city unwed teen gets pregnant, that's a crisis. If it happens in Alaska, it is a "blessed event"!

-T

Maybe THIS is the Rev. Wright that Barry knew -

"Barack Obama's former pastor has been cavorting with another man's wife, whom he romanced while she worked at a church in Dallas run by one of his disciples, according to a report in the New York Post.

Elizabeth Payne, 37, told the Post that she and Rev. Jeremiah Wright, 67, had a sexual relationship this year and that she was fired from her job when the affair was made public. Payne had been working at Friendship-West Baptist Church as a secretary to the Rev. Frederick Haynes III, a longtime Wright protege.

"I was involved with Rev. Wright, and that's why I lost my job and why my husband divorced me," Payne was quoted saying in Tuesday's newspaper. She said she has filed a wrongful-dismissal claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

According to Payne's estranged husband, Fred Payne, 64, Wright e-mailed Elizabeth Payne and told her he was going to leave his wife, Ramah, for her.

Wright married Ramah more than 20 years ago after he unsuccessfully provided marriage counseling for her and her former husband.

Fred Payne said members of the church, including Haynes, would not be pleased about the interracial aspect of the relationship.

"People wouldn't be happy to know that my wife was sleeping with a black man," he said."

"Obama Had Close Ties to Top Saudi Advisor at Early Age -

One of Barak Obama’s key mentors was Saudi billionaire, Dr. Khalid al-Mansour, who is also identified as an advisor to Prince Alwaleed, the nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah. Addtionally, there is proof that Tal-Mansour also mentored members of the Black Panthers.

This interesting piece of information was revealed by Manhattan Borough President Percy Sutton during an interview on New York’s Channel I. Sutton is reported as saying that he was introduced to Obama by al-Mansour who asked him to recommend Obama to Harvard University.

Timmerman describes al-Mansour as a lawyer, an orthodox Muslim, a black nationalist, an author, an international deal maker, an educator and an outspoken enemy of Israel. He says that al-Mansour’s books are filled with anti-American rhetoric similar to that of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s former pastor.

In al-Mansour’s book, The Lost Books of Africa Rediscovered, al-Mansour accuses the United States of genocide against black Americans. In addition, his speeches, which are videotaped have been widely criticized for their anti-American pro-extremist rhetoric.

Jesse Lee Peterson, founder of the Los Angeles-based Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, believes that the revelations of Obama’s ties to Saudi financiers is a wake-up call and that there is more to the story of Obama than meets the eye. He believes that if the truth about Obama is revealed before the election, there is little chance he wil go on to become the next US president."

"Barack Obama is racist. I see no difference between David Duke of the Ku Klux Klan and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the pastor of the Obamas. Anyone who sits for 20 years in the church of Duke is a racist. Anyone who sits for 20 years in the church led by Wright (or any like him) also has to be a racist. "

http://www.ldnews.com/opinion/ci_10579037

"Obama Receives Endorsment From California Felon Party

California Felon Party founder Larry Jay Levine endorses Obama for President"

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=63070&cat=5

Maybe Barry CAN get Rezko's vote after all !!! lololo

"50 years later, running mate remains close to his teammates from their undefeated season

Biden looked at him and said: "OK, I'll take it first. But you're not getting the damn ball back, Peterman."

Then he added: "I must have run 110 yards, zigzagging from sideline to sideline, but I wasn't going down until I got to the end zone."

"That was Joe," said Mike Fay, Biden's teammate at Archmere. "He always wanted the ball."

""I must have run 110 yards, zigzagging from sideline to sideline" - WOW, and all this while sufferring through a draft-deferment causing case of asthma !!!

lololololololo !!!!!!!

Via Atrios:

Though Sarah Palin depicts herself as a pit bull fighting good-old-boy politics, in her years as mayor she and her friends received special benefits more typical of small-town politics as usual, an Associated Press investigation shows. When Palin needed to sell her house during her last year as Wasilla mayor, she got the city to sign off on a special zoning exception — and did so without keeping a promise to remove a potential fire hazard. She gladly accepted gifts from merchants: A free "awesome facial" she raved about in a thank-you note to a spa. The "absolutely gorgeous flowers" she received from a welding supply store. Even fresh salmon to take home.

Awesome.

Even the "cons" get it

Kathryn Jean Lopez of the National Review:

"She just is not ready to be Commander-in-Chief" [said] Pat Buchanan on MSNBC just now, about Sarah Palin. I'm liable to agree.

Ramesh Ponnuru quickly chimed in:

Palin has been governor for about two minutes. Thanks to McCain’s decision, Palin could be commander-in-chief next year. That may strike people as a reckless choice; it strikes me that way. And McCain's age raised the stakes on this issue.

(kos)

Worth a second look:

http://tinyurl.com/4uob6u

Read the fine print at the bottom!

(laugh until you bust warning!)

"""Obama Had Close Ties to Top Saudi Advisor at Early Age""

ya right!

"i love you man! no i love you more!"

http://www.hermes-press.com/bush_kiss.jpg

http://tinyurl.com/4pkey9

as_if!,

Since you're posting photoshopped pics of Bush and McCain in various stages of embrace with another (Saudi) man, I guess it's appropriate to post this -

"I used to be co-owner and chef of a Chicago-area restaurant frequented by gays (closed in 2003), and during that time I heard from a number of different gay male sources that Obama was quite much on the down-low. This has been an open “secret” in certain sections of gay Chicagoland for quite some time, apparently. I’m sure that, with a bit of stirring, the pot would boil over, and the weight of additional “whistle”blowers’ stories would add much credence to Sinclair’s claims. I’d like to encourage those who have had encounters with Obama to come forward… this man wants to become president, and it’s high time his pattern of deception, personal and political, be exposed.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/obama-down-low-obama-gay-sex-obama-rumor-in-chicago-restaurant/

EEEEUUUUUWWWW.

Somehow McCain's head looks even MORE gay on Bush's body that his own!

HA!

-T

Rumour has it, in Chicago, Barack's ears are referred to as "Love Handles"

LOLOLOLO!

Here's the long and short of it for John McCain: Barack Obama has as large a lead in the election as he's held all year. But there is much less time left on the clock than there was during other Obama periods of strength, such as in February, mid-June or immediately following the Democratic convention. This is a very difficult combination of circumstances for him.

On the strength of a set of national tracking polls that each show Obama at or near his high-water mark all year, our model projects that he would win an election hold today by 4.2 points. It discounts this lead slightly to a projected margin of 3.3 points on November 4, as most races tend to tighten as we approach election day.

Fivethirtyeight.com

Some on the right are joining a chorus of criticism over Sarah Palin

John McCain's running mate and his sharp reactions to the nation's economic crisis have led several prominent conservative columnists to slam the senator as reckless and strident.

http://tinyurl.com/3phczu

John McCain: Raising Your Taxes for 25 Years

http://tinyurl.com/44heu4

Even some Con pundits are not conned:

Mona Charen on National Reveiw's Corner, 9/28:

Palin was atrocious not just with Katie Couric but with friendlies like Sean Hannity. She needs to devise answers for questions about foreign policy that do NOT rely on recent cramming. That will look and sound false. She may make stupid errors. And it plays to her weakness. She should never again refer to her Alaska experience as preparation for the role of commander in chief.

Fox's Bernie Goldberg, 9/28:

"It was a legitimate interview," Goldberg began. "She [Palin] doesn’t install confidence when she answers a question like that. She just doesn’t install confidence." Goldberg said part of the reason is that she’s a newbie on the national stage which is admittedly difficult. He said that although he believes the media has been too easy on gaffe-prone Joe Biden, he couldn’t give Palin a free pass. "I just want to be clear," he said. "I don’t think she is doing herself any favors with these interviews. She’s not doing all that well." As for Parker’s "she’s out of her league" comment? "I hate to say it, but she may be right," Goldberg said.

Rich Lowry on Nation Review's Corner, 9/27:

Palin on CBS: I've been swamped with other stuff, but just for the record: I thought Palin was dreadful. She obviously didn't have the reaction to the Charlie Gibson interview that I had hoped. She had better be better prepared for next week or she risks damaging her political brand forevermore.

Republican strategist Ed Rollins, 9/27:

"This was a very confident woman, the first presentation she made -- she walked in the biggest crowd she ever had," Rollins said, referring to her debut as McCain's VP. "The second was the convention. She had great confidence. She's lost her confidence."

Jim Geraghty on National Review's Campaign Spot, 9/26:

Parker puts her finger on Palin’s real problem in these interviews. It’s not a lack of smarts or analytical ability. It’s that her past jobs as mayor, chair of the state’s oil and gas commission and governor have not required her to know about a slew of fields of knowledge that are pretty much required for a president or vice president. ... The question is, how fast can Palin build on that knowledge base? What’s her learning curve? If, God forbid, she had to take office in February 2009, there would be understandable concern. A year later, she’d have a much broader range of policy knowledge. Two years later, it would be even broader, and by 2012, she would be as versed in national policy as almost anybody in Washington.

****

Seems the verdict is "Not ready"

Unless maybe all the "cons" above have been bought off or come under some evil spell?

lol

Palin Claimed Dinosaurs And People Coexisted

The LA Times reports:

Soon after Sarah Palin was elected mayor of the foothill town of Wasilla, Alaska, she startled a local music teacher by insisting in casual conversation that men and dinosaurs coexisted on an Eart