Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

From Pigs & Frogs to nuts & bolts of winning, what a difference a day makes.

As we get into the nuts and bolts, there remains such issues as how the candidates will handle civil rights in this country. The issue is far from over, and if Governor Sarah Palin's record in Alaska is any indication, citizens may continue to see an erosion of basic rights.

And if you are Alaskan Native, Native American, or a member of any other identified indigenous group, you may want to check out Palin's efforts to roll back rights protected by law in Alaska. There is a summary and pdf downloads at:

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/130953

"Palin and tribes"

written by longtime Native-rights attorney Lloyd Miller of Anchorage

1. Palin has attacked Alaska Native Subsistence Fishing

"...The goal of Palin's law suit is to invalidate all the subsistence fishing regulations the federal government has issued to date to protect Native fishing, and to force the courts instead to take over the roll of setting subsistence regulations. Palin's law suit seeks to diminish subsistence fishing rights in order to expand sport and commercial fishing...."

2. Palin has attacked Alaska Native Subsistence Hunting

"...In both hunting and fishing matters, Palin has continued uninterrupted the policies initiated by the former Governor Frank Murkowski Administration, challenging hunting and fishing protections that Native people depend upon for their subsistence way of life in order to enhance sport fishing and hunting opportunities. Palin's lawsuits are a direct attack on the core way of life of Native Tribes in rural Alaska."

3. Palin has attacked Alaska Tribal Sovereignty

"...Given past court rulings affirming the federally recognized tribal status of Alaska Native villages, Palin does not technically challenge that status. But Palin argues that Alaska Tribes have no authority to act as sovereigns, despite their recognition.

"So extreme is Palin on tribal sovereignty issues that she has sought to block tribes from exercising any authority whatsoever even over the welfare of Native children, adhering to a 2004 legal opinion issued by the former Murkowski Administration that no such jurisdiction exists (except when a state court transfers a matter to a tribal court)...."

4. Palin has attacked Alaska Native Languages

"Palin has refused to accord proper respect to Alaska Native languages and voters by refusing to provide language assistance to Yup'ik speaking Alaska Native voters. As a result, Palin was just ordered by a special three-judge panel of federal judges to provide various forms of voter assistance to Yup'ik voters residing in southwest Alaska...."

209 Electoral Votes from just 7 states:
State Population July 2007 Electoral Votes
CA 36,553,215 55
TX 23,904,380 34
IL 12,852,548 21
OH 11,466,917 20
PA 12,432,792 21
FL 18,251,243 27
NY 19,297,729 31

270 is the magic number.

Well that didn't come as I had thought. Last 2 numbers are the
Electoral Votes.

Yes I know this not the formula to Electoral Votes, but it seems that NY has maybe 2 more votesthan it should have.
PA and IL difference in population is a million, same for NY and FL. But NY receives 4 more Electoral Votes than FL, and IL only receives 1 more Electoral Votes than PA.

I figured that Obama will win Colorado and New Mexico, while keeping his own Blue states Blue.

Wahidiyya Kosmotikos, are you the same Wahidiyya Kosmotikos who write comic book reviews?

NYT article regarding Ad on Obama's Support for Sex Education for Kindergarten Kids:
While potentially more damaging than most political ads, does it distort or tell half-truths any other negative political ads? All opposition ads are negative, intended to put the other side in a bad light. Do any tell the whole story? From the review in your article, the charges and claims are perfectly legitimate as a political ad in so far as these ads never tell the whole truth. You cite Barack's convenient recall of the discussion, spirit and noble intent of the committee's proposal, but while all this may be reflected in the proposal, is the noble intent to protect Kindergarten kids from predators is not specified in the language of the proposal itself, or just expected as a consequence? The Ad passes the politics stink test. If you can't stand the heat . . . .

...and since Mr. Scary is a commericial fisherman, that would be a conflict of interest. See, this is what needs to happen & the media needs to pick up on it.

Obama & Biden don't need to do an expose on the GOP veep nom; Team Obama needs to focus on the future, on their plan and on how they will counter-act the failures, failures, failures of the last 8 years...of which McCain was a part.

MoJo - Joe had one part wrong about Obama calling out McCain as a sexist. Um, Joe, the phrase "don't hide behind a woman," could be perceived a as a sexist comment. Just FYI.

Does it seem like 7 years? Think of all of those families have been through without thier mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children.

A bit bad that PA is that close. He needs Ed Rendell I guess...........
Is it ok for him to lose PA and NM. I really do not see him winning NM

School me guys...Am not to familiar with the electoral college. Why don´t they just do it by popular vote....dang it..

Words of confidence?

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/biden-hillary-a.html

7 years ago today....

Good morning! Odd record for Palin as I believe, I could be wrong, that her husband is part Inuit.

"...and since Mr. Scary is a commercial fisherman, that would be a conflict of interest. See, this is what needs to happen & the media needs to pick up on it." Blue@7:24

I suspect this is a really emotional issue for all concerned--something like grazing or water rights out West. Being a total outsider, I wouldn't even begin to harbor an opinion.

If I had to rule, I wouldn't call this a conflict of interest.

If I had to rule, I wouldn't call this a conflict of interest.

5 yard penalty. Encroaching on the passer. Same down.

This will only remind people that they haven't gone away. Such events help who, BHO or JM? I would believe JM.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a38YykndLG0c&refer=worldwide

Leonard "hallelujah"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf36v0epfmI

The clueless global world. But we know who was responsible for 9-11, and that is all that really matters.

http://www.newsmeat.com/news/meat.php?articleId=32140442&channelId=2951&buyerId=newsmeatcom&buid=3281

7 years ago today....

Posted by: FryDaddy | September 11, 2008 7:30 AM

...The world took aim at our once, proud nation!
But we came together in Unity
from North to West
South to East
and
Displayed the true colours of the United States.
We stood together as a nation
But more
as human beings that belonged together...
That was 7 years ago

Today
We hate, lie, murder, and steal elections....yet again...from the same people we pledged our love to 7 years ago....
USA, Quo Vadis?

RIP Mike!

OK, if not a conflict of interest then she is supporting the commercial fishing industry at the expense of the little guy. They can have all the fish they want to eat as long as they pay the commercial fishing industry to do most of the catching. Shouldn't this outrage the "Field & Stream" crowd? I'm not being sarcastic; no flaming tildes. She is marginalizing regular folks. (Yes, she did mention her hubby was one-billionth "native Alaskan" to prove there was a teensy bit of cultural diversity in the convention hall.)

*********************************************************

The next debacle. (Wasn't the stability of Lehman Brothers in question about a day ago?)

"U.S. financial institutions are using stock swaps and intricate loan transactions to help foreign investors avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes on dividends paid by U.S. companies, according to a Senate report to be released on Thursday."
"Representatives of Lehman Brothers, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank are due to testify on Thursday. "

http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSN1050690820080911
*******************************************************
"Much of the movie's action takes place with prominent national symbols – Washington, D.C.; monuments; American flags – in the background, though I'm sure the Coens, if pressed, would concede that the "league of morons'' referred to in the film isn't confined by borders or boundaries, but is an innate part of the human condition."

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/coen-burn-movie-2152528-review-pitt

the day after.......I was in an office seeking a new permit which I'd neglected to get on the 11th.......on a tv behind the disgruntled old Security Guard type guy handling the permit was some kind of memorial service and they were playing "Mine Eyes have seen the Glory of the coming of the Lord" (whatever the title is) and I was watching while waitiing for the guy to stamp my ticket.......the guy suddenly reaches up and slaps the TV off and says, "I HATE that song!".

mornin' all.

Jason, the Electoral college is a now antiquated part of our electoral process, reflecting the concept of representative government upon which our system of governance is based - mandated by the constitution - that was put in place by the founding fathers in part to ensure that the ignorant voters didn't do something stupid and elect a populist as president. It was done in part also as a matter of convenience since they didn't have electronic voting machines of any sort or any way to tabulate votes other than by hand count in the late 18th century, which considering the distances and means of transportation, could cause a considerable delay between the time the votes for pres were cast and counted and a winner and his VP were named. Each state has the same number of electors as it has senators and congressmen, and they are free to vote for whomever they choose, regardless of the popular vote in their state. In practice, they vote as the folks in their state voted, more or less. The font of all knowledge - Wiki - actually has a pretty good article on the EC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_College_%28United_States%29

I still say the key to this election will be Ohio.

sturg - that would be "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". I agee with that guy.

Sturge...I remember talking with you about that moment before, because I very distinctly remember it too. It was the service at the National Cathedral, attended by multiple former presidents, Supreme Court Justices and all the leading dignitaries, a day or two after the attack. I remember when I heard the Battle Hymn, I shot up out of my chair like a lightning bolt had hit me. But it was for the exact opposite reason as your security guard. I was riveted by the moment.

Craig...this is a very interesting post today, and kind of a bummer.

I guess I never really was a believer in the 50-state strategy, but now it looks like things are headed to the same old math the Dems have dealt with for the past many cycles.

I'd like to hear some of the early-adopters for Obama on this board discuss this today. Many of you often touted his ability to broaden the Dem base in the electoral college as one of the major reasons to support him over Hillary. How does today's post affect that view of things? Or do you think he can come back and actually pick off a couple more states besides Iowa?

Inquiring minds...

Remembrance, Never Forget, Can't Forget.

http://sarah-palin-2008.blogspot.com/2008/09/death-of-innocence-on-september-morning.html

"5 yard penalty. Encroaching on the passer. Same down."

I thought the OP had handed it off. I would double check, but I wouldn't even try to spell his name. Need an instant replay.

Jason, I hope you don't mind that I'm bringing over your post of a few hours ago. I know it's slightly wicked of me, but there was so much discussion on this yesterday, I found it interesting that it was being discussed over your way too. I thought it was a really big deal, most others thought it was just a little joke. The voters will decide, I guess.

One last time..

This making heads turn this morning here. This blog by ducth RNW newsreporter...

Conclusion: "Lipstickgate. even if he didn´t mean it, BO will go down in history as calling a female state mayor a pig with lipstick"

http://blogs.fd.nl/white_house_for_sale/2008/09/lipstickgate.html#more

This one will haunt him..... Which is very sad.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/pigs-dogs-fish-and-frogs-oh-my.html#comment-143117

never paid much attention to the song except it's something you have to play now and then for something or other.......most times down here it's used to balance "dixie"......if you play "dixie" then you have to also play the "Battle Hymn" to balance it (cf Elvis' "Trilogy")....it's seen around here as a song of the north.....but it's a nice piece of music with powerful chords.......in the category of "O holy night"

Im searching now for the Ramones' version.........

A quick 7 years, with all the pain still there, with approximately 4100 more Americans killed in the name of 9/11 - thousands injured for life -USA reputation destroyed-thousands of Iraqis killed - other troops from other countries dead.

Meanwhile Bin Laden - in a cave sipping coffee - and John McCain says he knows how to get him, but isn’t telling anyone? Disgusting bs.

Today would be a good day to donate to any organization that helps people anywhere. Time to show our humanity in a form that reflects our feelings not our fear. War is not the answer. It wasn’t the answer then and it isn’t the answer still.

peace~

Jack, Thanks for the post on the last thread. We're a couple hours north of the coast and rarely get much bad weather.

Palin Obliterates the Template
Palin pick corrects America’s perception of the ‘quintessential woman’

Every now and then, in walks a man or woman who turns the world inside out and upside down.

Barack Obama was such a man.
And now, Sarah Palin is such a woman.

Just as the first African American on a presidential ticket revealed to us how little we have come to terms with race in this country, the first woman in the Republican vice presidential slot has revealed how far we still have to go in our gender reckoning.
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/09/feminist-templa.html

paul begala on imus......wabc nyc

9-11 Timeline

http://www.911timeline.net/#846

You just can't make this stuff up. Lovin' Joe Biden

NASHUA, New Hampshire (CNN) — Joe Biden told supporters at a town hall Wednesday afternoon that Barack Obama might have been better off choosing Hillary Clinton as his running mate.

“Make no mistake about this, Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Let’s get that straight,” Biden said testily when a voter told Biden he was glad the Delaware senator had been chosen and not Clinton.

Surge- you are absolutely right in comparing OHN to BH. They both (unless you're a rebel?) are so powerful, dignified. I love both songs, I'm fortunate enough to hear the Pops here once a year and always love their short patriotic set. It's A Grand Ole Flag is my all time favorite- it seems to instantly evoke a happy lightness, a party in a song!

Great soaring music, but it's a tad too, umm, Old Testament - for me.The Battle Hymn - in power chords - interesting concept.

UB, exactly. Of course we have no idea that he's in any cave - he could be in a mansion or the Kabul Hilton for all we know. Of course, McCain could just tell us, but he's so .... mysterious.

Bow, I was just getting ready to post that story. Here's the link.

Biden: Hillary a Better Pick Than Me
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/biden-hillary-a.html

born and raised in the briarpatch, but havent been a "rebel" since before i hit puberty......I came to learn early on that all that north/south stuff was just a loada crap....it was what it was and now it's gone with the wind, to use a phrase.......

lol from the Heart of Dixie. (And having never owned a rebel flag).

pogo......right about that......I split a lot of time between my home in charleston (first state to secede, firing on ft sumter, etc) and Birmingham.......the Heart of Dixie......all the while traveling back and forth thru pre-interstate highway jawja....

"Gods, guns and lipstick", you gatta love it.
A really beautiful picture on this article!

Obamania makes way for Palinmania - US Election 2008
"They held home-made signs with slogans like "God, guns, lipstick" and "Read my lipstick - Palin."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/sarahpalin/2779256/Barack-Obamania-makes-way-for-Sarah-Palinmania---US-Election-2008.html

Jason, I hope you don't mind that I'm bringing over your post of a few hours ago. I know it's slightly wicked of me, but there was so much discussion on this yesterday, I found it interesting that it was being discussed over your way too.

chloe

Help me Cloe, Did I miss a discussion on this topic when I was gone yesterday?

Sturge-Sorry if I wasn't clear, I didn't mean to imply that you are a rebel, I was referring to the reaction of the guard.

More from the "How to Incompetently Wage a War on Terror Handbook", authored by George W. Bush and published by the USGPO.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/washington/11policy.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp

If you haven't read this article, you owe it to yourself to do so. It has some fairly staggering statements and implications in it if you take a breath, sit back and consider it for more than the minute or four it takes to let your initial outrage subside.

Bow, I was just getting ready to post that story. Here's the link.

Biden: Hillary a Better Pick Than Me
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/biden-hillary-a.html

Posted by: chloe | September 11, 2008 8:47 AM

I hope you didn´t expect him to say somethig differently... LOL. I think he will be asked this question a thousand times the coming two months. The what-if-shoulda-coulda-woulda- will be fired at him. Poor man...

On the other hand. Palin stole the limelight just from under him. However I distinctly feel that the media is neglecting him too much. Here in Holland there is not one news item of Biden to be found from the last week.

Good morning Jason,

Lets just say that there was a lot of disagreement on what Obama meant by it.

As for me, I had no doubt what he meant. Others thought it was a little joke, and thought we should have more of a sense of humor about it. I, for one, lost my sense of humor about such things 6 or 7 months ago.

O sea......no problem at all.....i knew what you meant.....

"I hope you didn´t expect him to say somethig differently"

Yeah Jason, but he was so sincere about it.

I finished the article admiring Biden even more than I did when I started it. He puts a lot of weight into friendship and loyalty (and apparently honesty).

Never again should a President you want to have a beer with be allowed to lie the American public into a False & Phony war and ignore the real war as George W. Bush was able too! National Security strength, I don't think so, after all 911 happened on the Republicans' watch, but they distorted that message too and you would think that Democrats are weak on national security! Politicans who lie to the public are engaged in a betrayal of the public trust and such distortion should be deemed unethical and in some cases, criminal!

And, it is an outrage or should be that the government can give millions of dollars to CEO’s from the failed Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac and yet, cannot give a second stimulus check to American citizens in these hard economic times?

Republicans say No to a second stimulus while the Democrats say Yes to a second stimulus!

Is the Republican Congress working for CEO’s or are they working for you, the people?

Sturge-cool. By the way, they often play those songs in tandem way up here too.

9/11 assumes monumental proportion because so many people died so suddenly as an act of malice by a few men. Unfortunately, this act was used as an excuse by the administration for actions that had no relation to the initial event at a cost of thousands upon thousands of more lives and injuries.

The next time some power that exists wants to use fear to stampede the nation to action remember than seven years ago 3000 people died in two buildings. In the seven years since 5000 plus people died from being struck by lightning.

This does not minimize any of those lives. It only argues that fear, panic, and pride can lead to irrational behavior that is more destructive than the original event.

sturg, back then you probably drove into B'ham on US 78 & 411 - about 5 miles from my old home and about 1 mile from the Oporto Armory - where I first saw the Allman Joys, then the Hour Glass.

Happy to see the cows back on RFD, somehow I got to liking the auctions for background noise

Well, the dems are still talking about Palin....and McCain succeeded in shifting the news away from the issues (deficit) of the day. And thank you Pogo, sitting on my hands may be a lot more fun than all of this political nonesense. Flusteramaobama.

One last item, Obama will not win New Mexico. He didn't win the caucus here (yes, we finally quit counting) and Richardson is not as popular in the southern part of the state. The bearded one could never pass the vetting process....SoS? By the way, we bought the bearded one a plane when he took over the office of governor. I am sure if one looked into the governor's affairs in each of the 50 (not 57) states, they would find a bit pampering for the jeffe of the state.

Well Biden was in Nashua yesterday. My sons friend had volunteered and worked the event. She spent four hours showing people where the bathroom was. Still she has had fun. You have to start somewhere.

So my son wants to volunteer for Obama. I've suggested he call the local campaign HQ and see what they want him to do. I think that it is great for a 14 YO to be interested in politics.

Pogo

Outraged about what?
That we are crossing the Pakistani border to attack the enemy and we are doin so without permission.

Or that GWB has so screwed things up that Pakistan is lawless and we have no choice but to take the war to Pakistan.

Jack

Jamie- well put!

But jamie, weren't Saddam and his murderous sons bad guys who raped and murdered their own people and the world is better as a result of their deaths? Oops, sorry, I've heard that bull$hit so many times I almost forgot that it has nothing to do with 9/11 or the War on Terra.

pogo......we went a number of different ways and back then the old folks would bore all the young folks for hours on end talking about highways and routes and which way to go......by-pass atlanta, go thru atlanta, here there and everywhere......lol

Jack

The outrage about Pakistan is that we are fighting another phony war using the wrong type of troops, tactics, etc. Whoops...dropped another bomb on innocents.

When the government shifted from the cold war to the war on drugs to finally the war on terrorism, they forgot it is like killing cockroaches in the desert. You have better luck with a roach motel instead of bombing, burning and killing like we have done in past wars.

Bowmanc

Cool.
Hope he has a good experience with his volunteering.

Jack

Jack, those are good beginning points. And how about Mullen's comments about his opinion that we aren't winning in Afghanistan, but we can? Incompetent neocon approach to foreign affairs conducted by our military. Sears got sued successfully for its bait and switch advertising tactics.

Actually the Pakistan is far more complex and dangerous issue than just a "phony war "......but I don't have to tell you that.

OSH

What's a good solid mouth,settled, cow going for?

Jack

I remember those days all too well, sturg, but unless you went through Chattanooga - a bit out of the way from SC - you came into B'ham from the east on 78/411.

Don't know- got the heifers on now!

Right UB, the international implications of attacking citizens of a friendly country are pretty deep and wide.

Feeder calves or bred heifers ?

Jack

UB....I know that, but we keep doing the same thing and ending up with the same results....sort of an insanity. Or perhaps, I am naive and all wars are the same.

Feeder steers, feeder heifers- 107.50- 5 dollars back (don't know what that means )

Pogo

I think this leak effectively moves Pakistan out of the friendly column into the neutral/supporting the enemy column.
They have always been there but we have been politely ignoring it.

Kinda bad when we get more cooperation on the war on terror from our enemy Iran, then from our friend Pakistan.

Jack

Who said the Iraq war was all about oil?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/world/middleeast/11iraq.html?hp

Not for oil for us at least. (btw, what makes Shumer think he can direct where profits from Iraqi oil deals go? I see what he's trying to do, but...)

Yeah, jack, I don't get it even a little bit. I think you are right.

Gilani's comments came as the New York Times reported that George Bush has secretly approved orders allowing US special forces to carry ground assaults inside Pakistan without prior Pakistani government approval.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/11/pakistan.usa

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/world/asia/11pstan.html?ref=asia

OSH

It means I'm glad I sold my cattle 20 years ago. I got $0.20 more a pound then folks are getting today.

The price is given in per hundred pounds. the off $5 means the price has dropped a nickle a pound.

Jack

good morning gang....

if Craig's list holds true for the rest of the election, that would make the land of Ricky Santorum and Chrissy Matthews the pivotal state...... gonna be interesting to see how Obama tries to woo the lunch bucket crowd there.....

pogo...... am I in heaven... or am I in Ohio..... Ohio io io I love youuuuuuu....

My dog alerted me to my yard turtles....they are not eating as much and I think they are getting ready for hibernation. I believe we are going to have an early winter here. Three weeks ago, when we drove from back from Phoenix on I-10, the caterpillars were so thick along the road it looked like the yellow brick road. The dead caterpillars on the side of the highway, fluttered when we drove past...huge infestation this year. Temps are lower than normal, too. Fuel costs will be a concern.

Jack- good move! How many cattle did you have? Do you still have the farm?

Nothing will change with McSame in office. Nothing. He's a warmonger, and dang proud of it.

Why I love this crazy place. Who knew the difference between feeder steers and heifers and why the steers are more valuable. Quite honestly, until today I wouldn't have known enough to even ask the question.

http://www.ads.uga.edu/extension/beefteam/pdf/Mpregnanteedlotheifers.pdf

Pogo

I didn't read the second page, just did and caught this toward the end of the article

"Analysts at the C.I.A. and other American spy and security agencies believe not only that the bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, in July by militants was aided by ISI operatives, but also that the highest levels of Pakistan’s security apparatus — including the army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani — had knowledge of the plot."

Jack

UB...I agree about McCain, but Obama is not an anti-war candidate, either. And what about the dems in congress? War is their way, also. Or why are they supporting every war du jour that comes their way?

We better be ready to go into Pakistan in a hurry to grab their nukes, if the country has a meltdown. Otherwise India might just decide that the time has come to deal with their Paki problem.

Blonde wino....
that's interesting..... leaves in the swamp areas starting turning color here in NH at the end of August.... some maples in my yard are turning now..... we will obviously have an early fall here in the northeast....

I'm very concerned about heating bills this winter..... not my own.... but I have no doubt that many here will not be able to afford to fill their oil tanks for the upcoming season.....

When we had domestic terrorism, we did not bomb, burn or kill to find the offenders. I believe the tylenol scare of the 1980s was the first chemical terroism.

http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/11-01/11-17-01/a02wn024.htm

For the Oklahoma City bombing, we found the dudes and executed one. For the DC shootings, we found the dudes and imprisoned them. And tipsters seem to solve crimes, not the labor of great detective work. Or military intelligence. We could have given Saddam the money he requested in 2002 and saved a bundle. I just think the way we fight should be questioned. A little money upfront could save so much on the back end. The cost of Iraq is obviously not worth the result.

For once Zbig impressed me this morning when he was talking about Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
Some administration type was on mouthing about "American values being the light of the world leading those nations to freedom (you can gag here)".

Zbig put him down hard with the facts that they are old cultures with their own beliefs and don't like foreigners in their country. He then went on about how Russia thought they had friends in government, but went to defeat against the tribal leaders and the same would happen to the US if it believed it had a different set of friends in high places.

Unfortunately, the chances that Cowboy George would pay attention are slim and none and we still have to survive until January.

Jamie- saw your picture someplace here once and I guess you're a falconer? Could you tell us about that sometime? would love to hear about it!

RR

Yep, by the time the cold settles in, we should know who are next prez will be. I keep thinking of the SNL skit with BHO calling HRC about the White House heating....may be more realistic than we realize. Next prez is going to have to figure out how to keep Americans warm...and those lousy tax cuts will do little to fuel the warmth. I can't help but feel we are going to be so screwed this winter and I live in the sunbelt.

Jamie

Our problem in Afganistan is(imo) we don't know why we are there and we don't know what victory is.

Why are we involved in a civil war? The Taliban are't our enemy Al queda is. Talk about mission creep.

Jack

OSH

Not a falconer. I was on vacation in Scotland and found an exhibit of birds of prey. They were birds that had been injured and couldn't be returned to the wild. The wildlife rehab owner of the exhibt was kind enough to let me hold some of the owls.

Renee - that's early even for NH. How far from Manchester are you?

Jack - quagmire.

Well, I see Wall street had gotten over its ridiculous giddiness over the F/F bailout and has waked up to the implications of the Lehman problem - Dow is down 115 already.

...Street has ... damned typos

Pogo,

Cold in Nashua last night too.

OSH

I had a cow/calf operation, meaning I raised feeder calves to sell to feed lots.

About 100 cows + calves and yearlings.

We are selling parts of the farm as my mother needs money for her nursing home expenses. Some regrets but that is what it is for.

Jack

Work to do.
I've been dealing with my fatherin laws business all week, Now I need to take care of my own.

Jack

Bowman, maybe the crazy old coots are right. Our weather isn't that different from southern NH's; it was cool here this mornin' too - 55. Kinda far south to be cold this soon, eh?

Good luck, Jack. Good luck everyone, today especially. Must work for fuel...

Jamie- Was I ever off the mark! Another agreement blown- don't make assumptions.

Not good news for the ladder futures market.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/us/11fence.html

The fence won't likely be done by the end of the year.

Back to the campaign map: As a Floridian, I ask will Florida ever go Democratic again? Crist seems to be a well received governor from both parties and he definitely helped McCain win his nomination. Does Obama have a chance to take Florida his year? Doesn't seem like he is counting on it to me.

Lehman Brothers $4.25. Time to consider buying. When the physical components of a company are worth more than the stock, when everyone is selling into fear, that is a buy signal.

theresa - IMO not this time. Obama doesn't have the draw down there among the elderly and the Hispanic groups. Ever? Possibly.

Florida is lost, he knows.

Buts a s Craig reported, I am wonering about Pennsylvania and the impact a loss in that state will have.
Why doens´t he ask Ed Rendell for help. He is struttung around with Bill Clinton. Leave them alone. Use the people who ARE in office now.
But on the other hand I could care less.. he has shown throughout the primary that he follows his own path, well the path of the bobo´s....:-)

Jack- sorry to hear that, hope you can hang on to the majority of it.

BTW, Anyone out there wondering how to heat your house, do yourself a favor and look into wood pellet stoves. I got one and it saved my ass, and my house! They're green too.

Theresa, as a Floridian, you know that there are at least 3 distinct "Floridas", not 2. Miami-Dade is certainly one, the rest of Florida is not "one". Ping, if you're lurking, what say ye?

Well, it´s time to go..

stay civil all...well... most of U.

Goeden middag (dutch for Good afternoon)

Blonde wino,

"and those lousy tax cuts will do little to fuel the warmth."

BHO has said as recently as yesterday, he will give tax breaks to 95% of all Americans. 40% of that 95% don't pay federal income tax. What they will be receiving is a check anywhere from $500 and $1000. So if you don't pay federal income tax, why are they going to receive a check to reduce their federal income tax which they are not paying in the first place?

Don't forget Scarface's area the Redneck Riviera

Before I leave, more bad news...chile crop is hurting this year. Late rains have almost ruined the crop....and more rain from Lowell. No heat from the chile this year to keep us warm in the winter. Another loss.

Jason, O needs Clinton's help wherever he can get it, but IMHO he most needs to have Clinton go and try to drum up stronger support in Ohio (my campaign cycle obsession). You're right about him getting Rendell's help to solidify PA - and I suspect Ed would give it if asked, especially if it was Hillary or Bill doing the asking.

Milquetoast,

As a strong Hillary supporter, I respect your 10:35 a.m. post. It was very thoughtful and well-articulated. I feel as you do about the media and the DNC. I won't be voting for Obama, either.
But, I just can't quite muster up the enthusiasm to vote for McCain.

Blonde wino,

That is what I like about fossil flues, they don't need rain, fertilizer, sun.

OSH, I've had 2 houses with pellet stoves and loved them. The only real problem with them for me has been that pellets have gotten scarce and expensive down here from time to time, despite a vigorous forest industry and a few by product producers.

Fry, they also don't grow back next year or taste very good in chili.

Fry...it is almost a joke, if anything is funny about taxes. And no talk of the deficit.

Blond wino,

I haven't been on TM as much as I'd like lately, but I wanted to let
you know I very much liked your post on 9/8 at 12:00 pm.

Hi chloe,
I always say hello to you, so I thought I would do that now.

Renee, (wherever you are)
A belated thank you for recommending "Deer Hunting With Jesus," about
why so many "average" people vote Republican. I love that title. Maybe
the DNC should read the book.

Here's less than good news about gas prices - as the price of crude continues to sink.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Oil-Prices.html

prof marcia

"But, I just can't quite muster up the enthusiasm to vote for McCain."

Well then take advantage of one America's greatest gifts and write in HRC. If the HRC supporters were really serious they would show their true dissatisfaction with the DNC and write in HRC, instead of crawling off into the corner to lick their wounds, receive a pat on the head, and then get kicked to the curb again sometime down the road. The D party has been doing this to the Black community for years. promise them anything, and when the election is over, "Promises what promises? Who are you and why are you bothering us"

Obama and McCain stopped their campaign ads today in a nod
to the anniversary of 9/11.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080911/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_sept11

Good morning Marcia,
I always appreciate the hello too.

Did you by any chance read that USA today article linked earlier? It is such a fun read, from a woman's point of view.
It doesn't matter much what you think of Sarah (or Republicans), there is plenty to admire about a woman being that successful. I'm having so much fun watching this whole thing play out.

Obama needs to beat Kerry 2004 total by at least 18 electoral votes. Looking at polls listed by the realclearpolitics, I see that while mccain is not leading in any states that Kerry won, Obama leads in 4 states that Kerry lost:
Ohio 20, Colorado 9, Nevada 5, and Iowa 7.

If these leads continue, Obama's electoral haul would be 293.

"Deer Hunting With Jesus,"

Marcia, I'm so glad you mentioned Renee's recommending that book.

Renee, I downloaded it and started reading it last night (didn't get very far, before I fell asleep) but am enjoying it.

Fry,

I appreciate your suggestion. I had planned to write in Hillary, actually.
I do protest my dissatisfaction with the DNC and the media in my own little
way. I write a lot of letters. Some I send to newspapers, some to the DNC,
some to media outlets.

You make a lot of sense when you wrote that the DNC seems to use African Americans. I hadn't really thought about it. But, it's worth considering.
Have Dems done more for AAs than the Republicans?

Do you think OPEC's recent decision to cut oil production has anything to do with our hurricane season? LMAO

One day the know-all, do nothing Congress might listen to the advice of TBoone Pickens when he says, drill, drill, drill, until your other alternative energy sources have been put into production.

oldseahag - the four agreements take continual practice, and reminders

...(don't be hard on yourself ) : )

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143228

Toast, We will simply have to agree to disagree about this one. While I totally supported Hillary as the single best qualified person for the office, thought Obama unprepared, and found the media coverage blatently slanted and misogynistic, there are issues that rank higher for me than "security". If you read my post above, you will see that I think the whole precipitous invasion of Afghanistan and later Iraq were totally unwarrented and even more important downright stupid. It was actually the one area where I disagreed with Hillary but understood her position as the Senator from New York based upon information as known at the time as provided by the current idiot and his cohorts.

To put a President in office whose principal focus is still outward toward an assinine, phony war on terror rather than inward toward Americans as a whole where the need is greatest and to have that person backed up by a religious idealogue with equally gung ho jingoistic attitudes strikes me as the height of incomprehensibility.

FryDaddy,

mccain's tax plan does nothing for those people either.

The mccain tax cut plan is weighted heavily in favor of those who have seen 15 years of both extraordinary income growth and extraordinary tax cuts.

"However I distinctly feel that the media is neglecting him too much."

Jason,

As is always the way, the mass media is going overboard. With all the charges of playing favorites with Obama and misogynistic towards Hillary, the mass media is going overboard to prove they are "fair" by covering McCain and Palin to the point of nausea.

What is so wrong with real time? If something is happening, report it and give equal time to the events of all candidates. The Uh Duh school of programming.

Terrorism Fades as Issue in 2008 Campaign
But Both Obama and McCain Use National Security to Frame Larger Themes

"The joint appearance at Ground Zero today by Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama will not only commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks but also will mark a rare moment in the campaign when both candidates focus on terrorism, an issue that has lost prominence for American voters as the deadly attacks recede in the public memory."

"The key variable that could scramble the equation is a terrorist attack in the next two months."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091003393.html

chloe,

I know exactly how you feel! Ever since Sara Palin was nominated it's
brought excitement to the election. No matter how one feels about
the woman, she does have chutzpah (and a very attractive family).

I will read the article link you mentioned above. Thanks for telling me.

Now that I'm not totally invested in either candidate like I was Hillary,
I can be more objective. I check everything people accuse any of
the candidates of and I find different sources then decide if the accusation
is true.

One thing that surprised me is that Diane Finestein said today that
Palin wasn't a good governor because Alaska had the highest high school dropout rate in the nation. I checked that and it isn't true. Many states have
equally high drop out rates. Not that I'm a Palin cheerleader, it's just that I like to know the truth.

State polls show a dramatic shift to McCain
Pa thought to be safe now considered possible for McCain
NM and Col now are McCain leaners
and even Michigan is considered a possibility for McCain along with WIsconsin. And of course Ohio gets farther away for Obama.

September 11, 2008, 8:25 am
Electoral college comfort?

One thing one hears all the time is that Democrats shouldn’t be worried by the national polls, because it’s the electoral college that matters, and Obama is solidly ahead there.

Um, no.

First of all, electoral college counts based on the most recent polls are close. Real Clear Politics currently shows Obama 217, McCain 189, 132 tossups. That’s essentially a dead heat.

Second, to the extent that state polls look better, that’s largely because they’re older. State polls don’t happen as frequently as national polls, so the data that go into electoral college counts don’t fully reflect Obama’s national slump.

Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight has a model that, as I understand it, uses both state and national polls to calculate probabilities of an electoral college win. He currently shows Obama 48%, McCain 52%.

There are reasons for Democrats to think that the current panic is overdone — but the electoral college isn’t one of them.

Fry, of course not. It's just an unfortunate irony. I understand market forces (in this case as a result of supply and production interruption) as well as the next guy. OPEC supplies about 30% of our oil if I understand it correctly, but for the most part controls the price of oil in world markets. If the 30% of oil we get from OPEC were coming from our Gulf instead of theirs (an unlikely possibility in the near term), the hurricane season effect would be amplified when an Ike raised its head. Of course the drill, drill, drill answer has a production and supply time frame of about the same as Pickens' windfarm venture, so pick your poison.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/electoral-college-comfort/

link for above post

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143238

Jason, Don't you think Ed Rendell is already helping him in his state? I can't imagine otherwise. Obama is still ahead in Pennsylvania.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/latestpolls/index.html

The taliban is al queda in Afghanistan. The administration continues to press the pentagon to use the tactics that lost the Viet Nam War. The next admin had better start listening to Greg Mortenson, or we will get a beating like the russians did, & possibly with putin's help.

prof marcia,

Just go back and look at the record. They, D party, would tell you we need to help the less fortunate among us, and I agree totally. But where they came off the tracks, they didn't put in place any incentives to guide them off government subsistence. If you keep giving someone something they didn't work for, they will come to believe they deserve it, and why should I work when I can get it for free. The term Welfare Families was a reality, it could be found both in Black & White communities. It was not a figment of the R party. Affirmative Action did what? Pissed off a lot of people and put a number of unqualified people into position over more qualifies individuals. Instead of working them in, they shoved them to the front of the line. Well the argument is they have been discriminated for years they deserve a chance. OK, then give them a chance, but not at the sake of quality. No Doc mortgages are not a new invention of the Bush administration they have been around since the 60's. They were originally established so poorer families could buy into the American dream and become a homeowner.

You can be kind, and generous to people, you don't have to be kind, generous and stupid, and I think that is where the D party is heading with BHO tax give away, plus all the other things on his laundry list.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143263

Jamie, BRAVO!! My sentiments exactly.

FryDaddy asked, "Wahidiyya Kosmotikos, are you the same Wahidiyya Kosmotikos who write comic book reviews?"

Why, yes I am, if you consider those reflections on old comics "reviews." Anyway, who else would have a name like this?

I am a reformed comic book addict, in that I do not spend money on comics and do not go out of my way to acquire or read them. I do not even crave them anymore (does this sound too Twelve-Step for you?).

I just occasionally post here regarding politics; usually Craig Crawford has so many people posting, I do not post. I more often post at davidcorn.com. David Corn has fewer people posting, although he generally writes some compelling work.

Thanks for asking. There are lessons that can be learned from all sorts of popular media; I hope the readers here have access to it all.

"I like to know the truth. "

Wouldn't that be nice.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143242

FD

You may not approve, but it is the same principle that gives payments to families below the poverty line to assist with expenses. In a climate where the predatory actions of corporations have caused expenses to skyrocket beyond the cost of living and the ability of wages to increase at the same ratio, it is a direct payback to those who work but cannot keep up.

You can pay for them to heat their homes or you can pay for the hospital and funeral expenses. Take your pick.

"Ebenezer: Why? Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?
Portly Gentleman: Many can't go there; and many would rather die.
Ebenezer: If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. "

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143254

FD

Many states do not allow write in votes at all or only if the candidate has filed intent or petitions with the state.

http://www.writehillaryin.com/Write_In_Facts_by_State.html

The 2008 Presidential election again promises to be close, and a look at the latest Electoral College predictions data suggests the race is more wide open than some people may think.

The Presidential Futures Market data suggests up to 15 states are still too close to call. I've posted a map with predicted Electoral College votes on my blog:

http://worldsofspike.blogspot.com/

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143268

Prof, The most recent figures I could find put Alaska at number 11 for drop outs. Of course, it is also in the top five for rape and incest per capita.

Thanks Jamie, for posting that write in site.

"it is also in the top five for rape and incest per capita. "

I think that's their living conditions.

Fry,

You've given me much to consider this morning. Again, you make sense,
although far left Dems would disagree with you. I turned in my uber lib card
a couple of years ago, even though I certainly don't consider myself conservative.

Here's what I believe--that we have to have some sort of balance between Ebenezer Scrooge and complete socialism. I work at a college where I see abuses and waste everyday. Education is another area where common sense seems to have gone out the window and so far neither Dems nor Repubs have halted the crumbling educational system in this country.

I agree with posts of toast (10:35 )and prof. marcia. I was really upset with the DNC and their treatment of Hillary, especially with Florida (and Michigan). I think Obama should have picked Hillary as his running mate (Biden agrees) and that, my friends, (as McCain loves to use and drives me crazy) may be Obama's downfall. However, I will put all that aside and vote for Obama, because the thought of 4 more years of republicanism is horrid and I believe will not help our country pull out of our misery of woes -- which are many.

Jamie,

I always like references to Dickens!

jamie,

Of course, it is also in the top five for rape and incest per capita.

That is interesting but shouldn't you broken down the information. Meaning there 683,478 people residing in AK, so where do the most rapes and incest take place among which group?
Also if AK is in the top 5 what are the other states?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143289

And just what "living conditions" would contribute to rape and incest?

OSH.... we've been heating with a mixture of pellets and wood for 5 years....
before that we heated exclusively with wood..... also my house is passive solar..... we've never bought heating oil since building this place 30 yrs ago.... and yes.... pellets and a cord of wood have gone up significantly in the last couple of years.....

prof Marcia..... you're welcome.... :0)

Chloe..... although I want the Dems to win, I'm starting to have fun watching what's happening too..... I won't be pleased if McCain wins..... but I also don't think the sky will fall if he does either......

Jamie.... I agree somewhat with you viewpoint..... I don't think Milquetoast has been trying to convince you (or anyone else) to vote for McCain..... I take him as simply expressing his views..... which I respect, as I do your's and anyone else's on this blog..... what I find incomprehensible is how some people don't understand that others' can and do think differently......

CQ most livable state index
New Hampshire Number 1.
Alaska 29

http://os.cqpress.com/StateRank2008_Rankings.pdf

Sorry Jamie.
I've heard some weird stories from someone who lived there.
They can't leave their house for weeks on end (because of weather).
They can't socialize as much as normal societies.
The person I'm speaking of felt like she was in prison much of the time. And her husband molested her daughter.

I shouldn't have said anything.

http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/ipems/injury_prevention/akfvpp/bkgnd.htm

Alaska is also in top five for domestic violence per capita.

"..... but I also don't think the sky will fall if he does either......"

Maybe Champ is right. He said it doesn't matter who wins, the same people will be running the country.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143296

Renee, I do agree with you and have no problem with others positions, other than to try to understand what enters in to their decision. As long as it doesn't sink to name calling and insults, that's fine with me.

I think this suggestion from Ron Paul would help McCain.

"He urged the three third-party candidates to bring all their supporters together to vote against the "establishment candidates."

http://news.aol.com/elections/article/paul-declines-to-endorse-mccain/168806?icid=100214839x1209004481x1200553198

WHY IS WORD VERIFIER BLINKING & CHANGING EVERY 3 SECONDS???

Well, that was new.

When are the trailer trash family values of this republican ticket going to become an issue ?

1. mccain's adulteries aren't sexist ?
2. The daughter of a shotgun marriage is knocked up while still a minor ?
3. The republicans object to educating kids that there are perverts out to get them, and ways to avoid being a victim ?
4. republican fox and abc are 2 the biggest distributors of porn on the planet, and the leaders in programming soft core smut in prime time.
5. Attorney General mukasey opposes prosecuting under the Mann Act.
6. DoJ failure to prosecute mark foley for grooming minors.
7. Trafficking women and children for sex has become an epidemic. The State Department (under)estimating that 20,000 sex SLAVES are trafficked in the US ANNUALLY !
8. DoJ's refusal to improve the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, that would make convicting traffickers easier.
9. The updated University of PA study shows that 300,000 teens are prostituted every year in the US.
10. Studies show that on average, prostituted women live only half as long as other women, so opposition to Commercial Sex Abuse ought to be a Pro-Life issue.

Good Grief ! When is Obama going to use this material to rip mccain a new pooper ???

"...what I find incomprehensible is how some people don't understand that others' can and do think differently......"

Hallelujah!

Chloe, Jamie

In the extreme northern latitudes seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a real problem. It may be part of the equation in many stress related problems where people act out violently.

"when everyone is selling into fear, that is a buy signal."

Fry that is not buying that is laying down a bet, and should be treated so.

Jack

Renee,

I second chloe's hallelujah for your "incomprehensible is how some people
don't understand others' think differently. . ." I really like learning about how
everyone on this blog thinks.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143291

Marcia & FD

People do not respond well to free stuff. It usually follows a pattern. The first time charity is given, they are grateful. The second time, it is expected. The third time it is demanded.

All welfare has to be tied to performance in some way, so that the people receiving assistance do not feel as if they are demeaned and disrespected. That was one of the main reasons the old Depression era WPA was tied to a job, even a "make work" one, because there was such a resistence at the time for going "on the dole".

That resistence no longer exists to that degree, but goals of education, work, parenting classes, drug or alcohol rehab etc. have to be part of a comprehensive welfare program so that the goal is always away from needing assistance in the future.

Unfortunately, most welfare programs don't take into consideration the barriers that can exist (transportation, housing security, child care, literacy etc.) that can stand between the recipient and the goals they need to achieve. Instead of diminishing welfare rolls you have generational poverty and jobs for a whole slew of college educated workers.

To add to my post from this morning...it's a house of cards and wind is picking up.

"Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc's survival was called into question on Thursday as the company scrambled to sell assets to cover losses from toxic real estate investments, sending its shares down as much as 46 percent."

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSN0927996520080911

Jamie,

As far as drop out stats, they are really hard to believe since most districts
fudge the real truth. And the districts that are honest about student retention wind up looking worse than the others.

My point is that Alaska's rate is high, but it isn't necessarily the highest in the country which is what Diane Feinstein said. California rates, for instance, are published to be close to 25%, yet many researchers claim it's more like 33%. L.A. is like 35 or 40% and some cities in the desert area in Calif have an over 50% dropout rate.

Dropout rates over most of the U.S. are climbing at an alarming rate.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143307

Thanks for pointing that out Flatus.
I know I could never live there.
I hate cold weather.

Fry,

You'd be better off going to the craps table than betting on Lehman...yes there is value there but with their losses growing, the only way they can generate cash it to sell off their best performing assets before they are contractually allowed to walk in a months time...

On a different note...here's a nice story...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26656982/

Jamie,

Thanks for your very insightful post about "free stuff" and how people respond
to welfare and giveaways. It's a touchy, thorny problem. Welfare reform
like education reform is complex and cannot be solved with one silver
bullet or even by one political party.

" As long as it doesn't sink to name calling and insults, that's fine with me."

ah Jamie..... I agree with that statement 100%...... I don't read the posts from those that regularly use insults and I don't read the posts that others write to them either.....

Bear.... I read this in yesterday's Christian Science Monitor and thought of you...
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0911/p17s01-lifo.html

What I find funny is people dolling out statistic who have never lived anywhere other than the place where they were borne.

Sorry jamie got distracted there for a moment.

"In a climate where the predatory actions of corporations have caused expenses to skyrocket beyond the cost of living and the ability of wages to increase at the same ratio, it is a direct payback to those who work but cannot keep up."

Why then do Asian families tend to do better? How is it they can find work, make work, work at multiple jobs, and have all family contribute to the family?

Now most people can and have worked a full time job and a part time job at the same time. If you are so incline to believe that the government owes you a living for doing nothing, then why even bother looking for a employment? Government, at least not this government, is not suppose to be your nanny. Some day just like when you left home, you did didn't you, to go out on your own there were no guarantees you become successful, and there isn't any guarantees that if you open a business, poured your heart and soul into it you would become successful the first time around. But individuals who I have met over the years, I can not recall any individual who started a business and they became successful the first go-around. Some of these same people have tried 3,4 5 or more times before they got it right. So the idea that because I have wealth, because I put a lot of my own money, time, and money into my business, and have provided employment for others, that somehow a portion of my wealth and should redirected at the governments whim through higher taxes to someone who could work but won't work is insulting to say the least. It is just another form of government welfare. Here is something else to keep in mind, you start implementing higher taxes on corporations, they will do several things. That tax cost will be consumed by the customer, and if the customers stop buying, the corporations will lay off workers. Laid off workers will then have to look for another job, collect unemployment, could lose their home or car. A family who loses it's car is pretty much SOL. So be careful for your envy of big corporation and people who have wealth, because without them, there be no jobs but government jobs. There are plenty of examples of countries where the biggest employer is the government, and they are failing economies. Just remember, when everyone is equal, everyone is equally miserable.

http://alaskablawg.typepad.com/alaskablawg/2006/09/alaska_sex_crim.html

The author is an Alaska public defender.

"On a different note...here's a nice story..."

Bear
all I can say is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnRqYMTpXHc

Jack

Has anyone discussed the story about John McCain spending his birthday a couple years ago with the boyfriend of Anne Hathaway, the guy who just plead guilty to all those fraud charges?

The story is at the bottom of this link...very curious that John McCain and Rick Davis are hanging with a con man...

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/09/10/ad-hawk-mccain-s-fact-free-fact-check.aspx

What is this, a treasure hunt, Bear? Just give the link to the story; I couldn't find it. Please.

Sorry,

Wrong link...its the bottom of this page...

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2008/09/hotline_after_d_445.html

Re: Rafiello Blahblahchetti

Con-men, lobbyists, and power-brokers socializing? Say it ain't so!

Gotta give it to Rapheal, he sure is a pro...

xrepublican

"Good Grief ! When is Obama going to use this material to rip mccain a new pooper ???'

I'm wishing he would, then the uppity Community Organizer would really go into the tank.

Damn I am getting good at this racist stuff. I was able to put, uppity and Community Organizer, all in the same sentence. Give me 5 David Duke points. Whoaaa!!!

Oh but I lost to xrepublican's 12:31 PM remarks. He got an additional 8 more Rev Wright points.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/pigs-dogs-fish-and-frogs-oh-my.html#comment-143113

Champ, I have to say... I think this is one of the best posts you've made in your time here and one of the best posts all around !!

Posted by: EuroTom | September 11, 2008 1:19 PM

"because without them, there be no jobs"

Fry your as bad as the liberal types posting anticorporate screeds. You are both stuck in a twentieth century model. The world has changed in the last 20 years. You both need to adjust.

Jack

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Judy Garland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Xz7WV_qJs

She was distraught when her good friend John F. Kennedy was assassinated and did not want to do her show that week but CBS forced her to. In response she sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" in honor of President Kennedy. Right before she started to sing she said "This one's for YOU Jack," but by adding insult to injury, CBS censored the comment. Interestingly enough when she told CBS that she couldn't go on and asked how they could just go on with business as usual, a CBS exec said something to the effect "a month from now no one will even remember him"....

Kudos to Judy for her strength in singing this song when her heart and the hearts of America were breaking...

Jack,,
Maybe I am not understanding you, but who will make the jobs? You left that part off.

Well gee; thanks, Tom. I disagree, though; I've made much better posts. There have actually been a lot of good discussions going on here lately during the day; so good, in fact, that I don't feel the need to interject. So 3 cheers for the TM day-shift! Hip hip...

Wahidiyya Kosmotikos

Well I never saw you post here before and since you have a somewhat unusual name I thought I look you up on Google. We don't agree politically but that is neither here nor there, I do like your writing.

I disagree with Jack, Fry. Diction aside, your 12:55 is pretty accurate from my perspective.

"Now most people can and have worked a full time job and a part time job at the same time. If you are so incline to believe that the government owes you a living for doing nothing, then why even bother looking for a employment? "

FD,

Only 50 years ago a single man working one job (not even a professional one) could support a family of four and with frugality purchase a home and have savings for the future. At the time all of the tax system was directed towards the benefit of the middle class, college was virtually free, we were paying off the last of the costs of WWII and building an infrastructure that was the envy of the world.

JFK was lauded as a tax reformer for taking the highest rate down from 90% to 60%. The Middle class, small business, and manufacturing were at their healthiest.

Now a lot has changed in population, recovery of western countries, and the growth of the third world nations, but the biggest difference is that government started catering to Big Business and War instead of to the commonwealth for the greatest number of workers.
As a result we have broken our economy. Without a healthy middle class you eventually sink to the level of a third world country and we are on the big slide now unless economic focus changes.

Renee,

Thanks for the link...

Difference now, Jamie, is that credit has inflated the price of everything.

Quietly, Obama Campaign Calls In The Cavalry

09 Sep 2008 07:41 am
There's been a spurt of 527 activity on behalf of Sen. John McCain, but Barack Obama campaign has suddenly gone silent on the subject.

That's because, after a year of telling donors not to contribute to 527 groups, of encouraging strategists not to form them and of suggesting that outside messaging efforts would not be welcome in Obama's Democratic Party, Obama's strategists have changed their approach.

An Obama adviser privy to the campaign's internal thinking on the matter says that,with less than two months before the election and with the realization that Republicans have achieved financial parity with Democrats, they hope that Democratic allies -- what another campaign aide termed "the cavalry" -- will come to Obama's aid.

The Obama campaign can't ask donors to form outside groups; it can only communicate, through the public and the media, with body language, tells and hints.

The upshot: Obama's campaign will no longer object to independent efforts that hammer John McCain, just as, in their mind, the McCain campaign has not objected to those efforts targeted at Obama. "I assume with their 527s stirring, some [Democratic] ones will as well," another senior campaign official said.
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/quietly_obama_campaign_flashes.php

Oh geez, the Dems better not get involved with the 527 game. They are really bad at it, this past labor day weekend being a prime example.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143341

And Greed opened the way for excessive credit and now lax laws allow exhorbitant fees and excessive usury rates so that debtors don't even have a hope of getting out from under.

It is all a balancing act.

champ,

"Diction aside, your 12:55 is pretty accurate from my perspective."

Come on Champ give me a brake, I barely made it through the 8th grade. lol

Thanks ;-)

Hey Toast and all u democrats for mccain,

remember the old saying "what goes around comes around?" if obama loses, imo he won't, in 2012 u will need and try to bring a lot of the obama folks in ur camp to go up against Palin. i for one and a lot of folks i know will show our protest of hilliary the same way u are showing ur protest of obama by voting for Palin. we will become democrats4Palin. after Palin spends four years in office under mccain she will be groomed in a positive way to become the first female prez of the usa! i can assure that hilliary won't have a chance in 2012 running against palin, especially if Palin has served as VP for 4 years. so have ur fun right now but the future is coming and like the old white elephant there are many of us that will never forget how u treated our candidate in 2008. we wont get mad we will get even.....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143346

Thank goodness he is wrong. I like living here.

Nah, that's not what I meant, Fry. You touched on some important points, regardless of how you chose to phrase them.

jamie,

"so that debtors don't even have a hope of getting out from under."

That is because some can not exercise the handling of credit with even a glimmer of responsibility. Case in point my 2 daughters. Daughter #1 spends money like a drunken sailor, has nothing to show for it, repels the idea of full time work, is in debt up to her eye balls, has zero savings, and rents an apartment, plus her credit she shot to hell. Daughter #2 has been working since she was 18, worked her way through college and graduate school, owns her own home, drives a 5 year old car, paid off the loan 2 years ahead of time, has no debt, great credit and has a nice bank account.

But daughter #1 is smarter, IQ wise, than daughter #2. Daughter #1 problem is she is just lazy. Instead of going out looking for the brass ring, she is waiting for the brass ring to be personally delivered. She is going to wait a very long time.

Champ,

I knew what you meant I was just playing around.

FD

Your big corporations aren't engines of job growth. Nor are they centers of inovation and creativity. They are conservers of their wealth and defenders of their turf. Both of these stifle job growth and lead to a stagnant economy. Job growth and creativity come from below and the large corporations feed upon these creative companies, aquiring them and milking them until they are used up.

Jack

Maybe she'll get lucky and marry a beer distributor.

JohnR,
"after Palin spends four years in office under mccain she will be groomed in a positive way to become the first female prez of the usa!"

EXACTLY!!!!!!! JM is going to be a 1 term president. The R's will be the first party to have a female serve as POTUS. TY BHO for making such a wise executive decision by selecting Washington DC Insider Joe Biden as your VP.

Brilliant thinking!

FryDaddy,

It shows.

Well, the enthusiasm sure has been sapped out of the Dems, if this blog is any indicator.

So FD

Instead of feeding the big fish in the pond, like the McCain plan. We need to stock the pond with many little fish and watch them grow.

Jack

Jack,

Job growth and creativity come from below.

OK and who would these jobs feed to if not the big corporation.

You know there are hundreds, maybe thousands of software companies. If there software is written to operate on Windows, MAC, or to a much lesser extent Linux, they are losing vast amount of market share and they will disappear. So it is because of Windows or MAC they exist, and not the other way around.

I see the head bigot has re-entered the room/

FD

You want to protect Microsoft. they don't need help. If left to their own they would gladly sell windows 3.1 forever. and use their wealth to drive out the competion.

The McCain plan believes that by helping Microsoft then the whole software industry benifits.

As I said It aint so. It is all the little fish around MS thaqt keeps it going.

Jack

Fox has a poll that asked "did obama pick the wrong VP - should he have picked Hillary instead of Biden.
42% said yes.. Biden has gotten zilch in media coverage.
Obama has another book out now - the criteria for which msnbc/cnn can tout his (insert what you wish - I won't be snarky today).. instead of the vetting he should get and what they are actually doing to Palin.

julie

We need to stock the pond with many little fish and watch them grow.

Jack,

That's has always been the American way. But many of these start-up companies will be taxed out of business before they ever become profitable under BHO. What America needs are companies that actually produce goods, not like the dot com of the 90's where a number of them were companies in name only and never produced a thing. The dot com made people a lot of money, but those who were unfortunate to stay in and not see the fast approaching train, lost it all.

Champ

That is the effect of the big frog attack. It has made Obama look ineffective.
The whole defense of Obama on this website has been just wait till the general and he is going to roll over the Republicans. They had themselves so convinced that it is hard on them when they face reality. We are exactly where I thought we would be at this point. In a tie with the fundamentals pointing toward the Democrats.

But there is nobody walking on water and that is what is hard on the faithful.

Jack

FD

Most developed countries protect their start up businesses or those essential to their particular economy with tarriffs. Global markets are all well and good but only if the playing field is even and core industries are protected.

As it is we have outsourced virtually all of our production for the sake of cheap goods, but people who have lost jobs can't buy even the cheapest items as the retail industry demonstrates in the current set of conditions.

MSNBC had the original coverage of 9/11 on at the exact time it happened.

It was like I was seeing it for the first, creepy time again only knowing the outcome of the commentators' guesses as to what exactly happened, who did it, etc.

It's good that the flags are at half staff today.

tt

Hypothetical Future Economic News:
Several "major" US-based corporations will let it be known that they would be willing to move their World Corporate Headquarters -- jobs, profits, local community and charitable interests, etc. -- outside the US if the US adopts tax policies and rates that put them at a global competitive disadvantage.

You want to protect Microsoft. they don't need help. If left to their own they would gladly sell windows 3.1 forever. and use their wealth to drive out the competition.

Not really. It is MS who keeps coming out with new OS, it is the smaller software companies who have to play catch up. MS doesn't have any competition other than MAC, and most software is built to run on MS platform and not the MAC. Same for Intel, sure AMD gives it a run, but it is the Intel processor that everyone wants to be compared with. Same for computer companies, there are 5 majors, Dell, HP, Toshiba, Apple, IBM, everything else is nothing more than just a copy.

All I want to know is what happened to Gordo. I think the BHO hit squad may finally gotten a hold of him, right before we were to lear about SoeterObama's "hidden" past...

Cue creepy music.

MSNBC had the original coverage of 9/11 on at the exact time it happened

And they fired the ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, who just about lost her life reporting on the collapse of one of the buildings.

"MSNBC had the original coverage of 9/11 on at the exact time it happened"

Yet another wonderful reason to kill your TV.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143379

The checks bounced from whomver was paying him to "plant" linked items to build traffic to their sites.

Champ,

He is laying low! Last cigarette, putting on the war paint, hunkering down just before they drop the hammer on Obama. We should know soon.

A friend of mine, and my former manager, was a passenger on United 175. His name is Shawn Nassaney. He was a truly remarkable person who seemed wise beyond his years. I didn't get the chance to work with him for very long but I just know he was destined for great things...

http://www.legacy.com/Sept11/Story.aspx?PersonID=91704

I noticed that a new Emergency Response Center was dedicated in his honor today...

http://www.abc6.com/news/28242989.html

Talking to one of my former co-workers, she told me a heart warming story...

"There's a girl from the Midwest who was doing some soul searching and trying to find herself, when she came upon Lynn and Shawn's story.

She saw that he was a runner and they were traveling to Hawaii when they were killed on United 175. She was very inspired by them and decided that she would go to Hawaii. Then she decided that she would run a marathon in Hawaii, although she had never run before.

She trained, then went to Hawaii and ran in a marathon. While she was there she wrote their names in the sand and took a picture and sent it to Shawn's dad. She is going to the race on Sunday."

The race is a 5K run in Shawn's memory every year at Bryant university. shawnmnassaney.org has the race info if you happen to me in that area...

It's amazing how people can be touched by the story of a complete stranger but that was the power of 9/11/01 and I will always be bitter that this president didn't get it...

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143375

Hypothetical response:

Don't let Lady Liberty slap you on the ass on your way out. We are keeping all the people who know how to do what you do and will create immediate competition while refusing your products entry.

Yes, one thing left to know about Obama. Who is his controller?

"But many of these start-up companies will be taxed out of business before they ever become profitable under BHO."

Or they will be stifled and smothered if we follow the Republican plan.

"What America needs are companies that actually produce goods,"

So should I start investing in buggy whips?:-)

What America needs is good jobs be they from producing goods or services. But It makes no difference what you produce if it is believed to be a shoddy product. Our brand is suffering because of lack of proper oversite by the government. One of our major service industries(banking) is on the ropes. We can't let our instituions look like they are being run by a thirdworld country.

IMO nobody is addressing the issues that need to be addressed. They, like you and Jamie seem to be stuck in the 20th century.

Jack

Champ,
If I was betting, I'd pick the Secret Service, FBI or NSA as the body snatchers.:-)

tarriffs?

Lets place a higher tariffs on imported steel. Don't we want to protect our steel industry? All that sounds good until you look at the bottom line, the cost of steel made in Japan, compared to the same steel made here. Same steel same quality, deciding factor cost. So if you are in the building/construction trade you'll go with the lower cost. Plus there is this one little thing the Greens will have problem with. Steel factory emit vast amount of pollution. You ever live around a steel factory? You wouldn't want to.

LOL, Bow. Good visuals.

Bowmanc

I think that is obvious at this point. Nobody is controling him, not even himself.

Jack

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/09/campaign-map-back-to-the-futur.html#comment-143390

Actually people who can make good buggy whips can make a fair living. Of course they did have to expand into other leather working goods, but are doing just fine thank you.

Back to Adam Smith my boy. If you make cheddar cheese and another country makes cheddar cheese, protect your cheddar cheese from those imports while both of you compete on the open market for countries that don't have cheddar cheese.

Now if they make Brie and you have a good wine, sell them the wine to go with their brie while they sell you the brie to go with your wine. Everybody happy.

It is always a game of balance. But the country that doesn't support its labor force and raw materials in some fashion is going to crash. That labor force is also your customer. They no work, they no buy.

This is another reason why I would vote for Lincoln Chaffee...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26661483/

Former GOP senator calls Palin a 'cocky wacko'
Chafee says the governor has revived a 'lackluster McCain candidacy'

FryDaddy,

Is G. Gordon Libby trying to reclaim his glory in Kenya?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26656654/

...spent the morning and early afternoon duct taping all the windows and sealing the doors with sheets of plastic. Old habits die hard.
Seriously, I agree with Paul Begala...OBLaden needs to die and die quickly. Is anyone going to do the deed? It is a crime in itself that he has been let off the hook. I want him dead.

Tech is not about big or small companies, but about making communication more effective, and information more handy. Microsoft buys small companies to keep competitive, because it ceased to innovate long ago. Historically, much of MSFT's competitive advantage was gained by stealing from other (smaller) folks' patented teachings, and only paying the rightful owner upon court order, and then only after many years of expensive litigation, using time-inflated $$. 'Patented teaching' is a technical word, FryDaddy, meaning theory and application that belongs to a particular entity, and no one else, for a set period of time.

Iow, MSFT has only survived through piracy and corporate trial lawyers.

These folks used to be our friends, sort of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6yibQF_uAM&feature=user

Flatus,

It's funny how W. is so far into Chavez head...I bet he's routing for a McCain win so he can challenge him to a dog fight.

Yeah, like OBL had anything to do with 911. Anytime you find yourself agreeing with Begala, you need to take a step back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hZUZCoMKxA&feature=related

Goeden middag (dutch for Good afternoon)

Posted by: Jason | September 11, 2008 11:02 AM

Among friends you can also say more informally "goeiemiddag"

Fry, I for one, not only lived near a steel mill, I worked in one for a half dozen years and my father was in the industry his entire adult life. Sure, blast furnaces and other furnaces that produce steel from iron ore using coke to melt it produce huge amounts of pollution - but that's not the US steel market of today, which is driven by scrap melted in electric furnaces, which do produce some pollution, but only a small fraction of the pollution created by the furnaces of old. The mining operations that provide the manganese and other metallurgical additives pollute, as do the coal fired power plants that provide the electricity for the furnaces, but no country is going to return to large scale productionof steel from the ore state. This is a biased site, likely produced by the steel industry to market its image as a recycler, but the numbers are probably pretty accurate.

http://www.sustainable-steel.com/

That's the million dollar question...

Jack,

I know you like to promote your "no dog in the hunt" stance. And you tout the ineffectiveness/of our current two party system. I actually think you're pretty fair in your assessments of the candidates and also balanced in your criticisms.

However, given our system(only 2 viables), at the end of the day in November what do you get? The ability to say "that's what I predicted" or "I told you so". Will you feel better off having been neutral and played fair? Is it important for a sense of pride and integrity to stand on the fence and not choose sides?

Sorry for all the questions, but I know and have friends around these parts that voted for Nadar, twice, to make a point or something(??), and they aren't doing so good financially; maybe spiritually but BushCo hasn't been very good for them in the 'normal" sense. Not that I 'm suggesting theirs and other's Nadar vote put him in office, but for my money it's important to use your voice plus vote to try and make a difference.

Not trying to put you on the spot or anything, just an inquiring mind as to your intent. Kind of like., "what's the G Man's goal." Maybe I missed it over the course of our discussions.

Tell me to jump in the lake if you like. Or, save your reply for a better time, another day :-)

FD when did you become a republican? Was it in your family? I am curious.

Also you seem to hate Europe and Europeans. I assume you have no ethnic roots going to Europe? What is your background then? It would be nice to get a fuller picture of you...

Also, what is your educational background and are you a self-employed business person? I have been reading your comments re: corporations and I just want to know more from the angle of your life experience that provides you with these perspectives.

Jamie

Mercantilism work well until those pesky colonist revolted.

I think 1929 tossed all those protectionist ideas in the trash bin.

I liked the ninties and the wheeling dealing world economy. I like being hooked into world economy.
A lot of the money in this household is the result of high dollar services being sold over seas.

Let me give the example of a company my wife did consulting with a couple of years ago. They are a archetect firm that employs less than 100 people yet they are doing business world wide.
from stadiums in Ireland and Australia to casinos in Nevada. All that money for those services is coming right here and being spent here in Kansas City. I got some of it because I helped frame a house one of the project managers bought.

Jack

Has anyone seen Wendy around? I miss her clever retorts and commentaries.

Sorry for all the questions, but I know and have friends around these parts that voted for Nadar, twice, to make a point or something(??), and they aren't doing so good financially; maybe spiritually but BushCo hasn't been very good for them in the 'normal" sense. Not that I 'm suggesting theirs and other's Nadar vote put him in office, but for my money it's important to use your voice plus vote to try and make a difference.

Posted by: Rezdog | September 11, 2008 3:47 PM

Excellent point. However if leftists or "liberals" (which are basically centrist left -as opposed to "conservatives" - which are basically centrist right) have true disdain for the Dem candidate and want to make a statement vis-a-vis the ballot box, then it makes more sense to vote a 3rd party that shares your values rather than a pissed off vote for someone who doesn't share your values but serves as a surrogate punisher because you are angry at your party's candidate(s).

ET

I haven't seen Wendy in a long time. She left sometime back in june with all the garbage that was going on then.

Jack

that's too bad because she was a lot of fun... I think she's a friend on my MySpace profile... I'll ask her to phone home :)

I left a message on her profile... we'll see if she gets it.

EuroTom

Judy Garland's Battle Hymn of the Reublic tribute to President Kennedy is perhaps the single greatest television performance of all time. I remember my family watching it..an electric moment.

Lately, I've been watching youtube performances from the variety shows of the 60's..such wonderful talents without all the technical assistance that makes lesser talents zillionaires today.

ET

Good, I miss several of the people from that time. It was more than a little rough.

Jack

Just for grins, here's a chart of the top individual (non corporate) income tax rates and thresholds for the same.

http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php

Bottom line - the economy has experienced growth regardless of the highest tax rates being higher, and economic growth periods have followed both tax increases and decreases in the hghest marginal rate.

And here's a chart showing corporate income tax receipts as a percentage of GDP plotted with corporate tax rates (courtesy of that crazy liberal institution - the Heritage Foundation).

http://www.heritage.org/research/features/BudgetChartBook/fed-rev-spend-2008-boc-T2-Corporate-Income-Tax-Receipts.html?CFID=33120924&CFTOKEN=45676359

Bottom line - over the past almost 50 years corporate tax receipts have stayed pretty much level as a percentage of GDP, independent of the tax rate, but were at their highest when the tax rate was highest.

I am a Judy fan for sure...

I have also been buying DVD's of old television shows from the 60s and 70s that I enjoyed... Bewitched, That Girl, THe Mary Tyler Moore Show, Charlie's Angels... etal.. I just love watching them again.

The Dow has overcome its Lehman jitters and is now up 160 points.

I wonder if I should put my rollover fund back into the mutual funds again. I was losing money so I moved it to a money market account temporarily. Anyone have advice?

I'd put it all into Sealy-Postur-pedic

And oil has dropped to about $100/bbl (although gas prices here went up 10% - $.30) per gallon today (likely as a result of OPEC production cutbacks and fears of a global economic slowdown).

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/business/worldbusiness/12oil.html?hp

Apparently concerns about Ike on the supply of oil on the world market are minimal.

Rez-
The presidency is going to take care of itself. As individuals, we'll be happy, unhappy or ambivalent.

This I know for sure, the more someone tells me that I have to love a particular candidate because of that candidate's support for one very important issue--the implication being, if the candidate isn't elected, the country will go to hell in a handbasket--the more I dig in my heels.

We can control what happens in 'our' world if we control the legislature. We absolutely have to gain a veto proof majority in each house.

And we have to install congressional leadership that will actually lead. The current leadership is beyond pathetic--it ignores the expressed will of the people by wrapping itself around vapid issues that mean nothing to the long term interests of our country.

You don't want my advise Tom. If you look at any trading I ever did you would think my motto was buy high, sell low.
Mine is setting in an s&p riding the storm out. I'm just pretending it doesn't exist.

Jack

EuroTom

I recently, as suggested, did a google search listed as judy garland vic damone west side story

The first thing listed was a mid-60's Hollywood Palace duet by Judy and Vic..two magnificent performers..just an orchestra and two great singers.

I am off to bed... goodnight all...

"And we have to install congressional leadership that will actually lead. The current leadership is beyond pathetic--it ignores the expressed will of the people by wrapping itself around vapid issues that mean nothing to the long term interests of our country."

The problem Flatus is there is no we with the Congressional leadership. It is all they. And they don't look like they want the job, they just want the perks and all the dancing boys and girls they can find. If congress was a corporation they would be in receivership.

Jack

flatus, I agree with most of what you wrote - no surprise there - but because of the omission of the role of the Court in our government disagree with one thing, that we can control what happens in our world if we control the legislature. There are agenda driven groups on both ends of the political spectrum who are waiting with bated breath to bring cases before the court that depending upon how they are decided will affect many if not all of us, depending upon the Court's makeup. Which groups will bring what cases up - or at least attempt to bring them up the system, will also depend on the Court's makeup. The next president will effectively gain control of the Court. For that reason, I would be reluctant to advocae taking the atttude that the presidency will take care of itself and a veto proof legislature wiill control our world. It can only do so to the extent the Court upholds its decisions when challenged on constitutional grounds - and the commerce clause provides a pretty broad gate into the Court.

Jack, I wasn't in favor of her being majority leader before, but now, I think Mrs Clinton would absolutely take no prisoners if she managed the Senate.

I have no idea who would be a good speaker. I would leave the country (not really) if it was any of the toads we have in South Carolina.

Imagine - a campaign ad from the McLiar camp that misstates Obama's position.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/us/politics/11checkpoint.html

ttfn

100 reasons to vote against McCain/Cheney/Bush and all the republican do-nothing Congressmen:

1. rising unemployment, 2. they cooked intelligence, 3. ENRON, 4. runaway inflation, 5. G-men reading your mail, 6. the missing WMDs, 7. jack abramov, 8. record foreclosures, 9. preventing the troops from getting body armor, 10. World Com, 11. G-men reading your email, the defeat in Iraq, 12. alberto gonzales, 13. the yellowcake fraud 14. $4/gallon gas, 15. failure to prosecute wolfowitz's corruption(s), 16. preventing the troops from getting properly armored vehicles, 17. the attempt to ENRONize Social Security, 18. Chelabi infiltrating the White House 19. our impending defeat in Afghanistan, 20. the destruction of New Orleans, 21. warcrimes, 22. they want Creation taught as science, 23. appeasement of north korea, 24. growing class division, 25. global warming, 26. the outing of our most important international spy and her informants, 27. Halliburton, 28. growing poverty, 29. the Secret Service preventing Sheriff deputies from giving cheney a breathalyzer test following the shooting, 30. larry craig, 31. Supreme Court Justices who vote on cases presented by their sons and get away with it, 32. torture, 33. trashy sexualized programming from republican abc and fox, 34. Appeasement of russia 35. billions of $$ missing in Iraq, 36. the libby pardon, 37. 13 million illegal aliens, 38. scooter libby's Defective Brain defense, 39. the weakening dollar, 40. ralph reed cheating Indian reservations, 41. randy cunningham's graft, 42. the 7 fired US attorneys, 43. paul bremer, 44. indiscriminate 'disappearences', 45. the bullying of scientists, 46 Iranian spy influenced our Iraq policy, 47 imprisonment without trial, 48 cronyism, 49. disruptions of airline traffic over tweezers, 50. Freddie Mac, 51. failure to prosecute saboteur, bob novak, 52. bridges and highways to nowhere, 53. record trade imbalance, 54. the failure to go after human traffickers, 55. "Mission Accomplished", 56. the defunding of our public schools, 57. global dimming, 58. the 140,000 missing weapons in Iraq, 59. 60. mark foley grooming boys for 'the business', 61. airline bankruptcies, 62. failure to prosecute the Mann Act, 63. giving aid to a Palestinian terrorist organization, 64. less job security, 65. the veterans hospital scandals, 66. $100 billion in contractor fraud in Iraq, 67. appeasement of red China, 68. attempt to sell US ports to Arabs, 69. appeasement of Sudan, 70. the drug company bailout, 71. mccain's sex life is a bad role model for boys and girls, 72. failure to prosecute on cheney's false depositions to the SEC, 73. bush/cheney/mccain subsidies for gashogs increased dependence on terrorist oil. 74. republican opposition to improving the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), 75.American families' lower standard of living, 76. the secret gulag, 77. failure to act on Clinton's warnings about al queda before 9/11 78. record deficits, 79. loss of respect around the world, 80. absentee ballots taken from the election commission office to republican headquarters for 'correction', 81. rumsfeld, 82. republican indifference to 300,000 American kids protituted annually, 83. dependence on oil, 84. charles keating's $100,000 bribe of mccain, 85. Sex-for-contracts scandal, 86. shrinking the middle class, 87. ted stevens, 88. lies about abu ghraib, 89. recurrent scandals at the Air Force Academy, 90. G-men listening to your phone conversations, 91. failure to deliver on any of their promises from abortion and gay marriage to shrinking government and making America safe, 92. Palin's lies about opposing earmarks, 93. unguarded US ports, 94. don young's road to nowhere, 95. Italy indicted 26 US agents for kidnapping, 96. Palin collects per diem while actually living at home, 97. lower military preparedness, 98. Fannie Mae, 99. blowing the chance to get osama bin laden, 100. looming republican recession.

Vote Your Country First, Throw These Bums Out !

No Michele Obama!!! This doesn't look good for her....especially after the "First time she is Proud of her country statement". After all she can find time to be on Ellen show and show us that she can DANCE pretty good!! I feel disappointed she didn't pay her respects today to the families, victims, and first responders.

Flatus,

I've never thought or suggested the country is going to hell in a hand basket if McCain is or Obama is not elected.
I do beg to differ that who's elected President makes a damn big deal as to what happens with this country. As Pogo points out, the SC is a one good example.
So I am more than a little curious as to why those who either choose to not vote, if eligible, or elect to stand on the side and throw stones in both directions while at the same time voting for Pat Paulsen or equivalent.

Tan,

This week is her children's first week back to school. If she wasn't home taking care of them, some rabid right winger would be slapping her down for not taking care of the kids.

Tan,
Why do think if she would showed up you would have criticized her for the identical reason you're are for her not showing up.

Maybe it has to do with your comments about her dancing or appearing on the Ellen Show three days ago. lol

Also you seem to hate Europe and Europeans

No I don't hate Europeans, as I have spent much time in Europe. I do marvel at the gutless European leadership when confronted with a real enemy. Either they are fools or cowards but Europe is more likely for attack than the US.

Maybe if we just don't bother them and they'll go away mentality will get them killed. Europe has some serious problems.

Craig

Matthews just started talking about the "Bradley Effect". You need to send him a copy of you notes about it being a non existent urban legend.

Reason 101: US landmines still killing men, women, and children across Africa and Asia. This is a pro-life issue.

Throw the bums out.

Now Matthews is in love with Sarah ... she is like the "average" family. She's super woman. She has charisma. She's bubbly, and hopeful ... blah blah blah
She can learn anything ... Who needs ability, expertise, and experience when you can have Gidget toting an infant seat.

All followed of course by the obligatory Clinton put down. blech!

Tan,

I had a friend die on United 175, the second plane to hit a tower. Since that day, I've been to NYC a few times but I can't bring my self to go there.

I have been leading an introspective day, fighting the urge to cry every now and then. Since I haven't been to the still unrepaired hole in the ground, am I not showing proper respect?

I'd be more worried that John McCain seems unable to do anything on his own. He needs either his wife, Palin, Lieberman or Graham at his side at any public appearence and that leaves me wondering.

"Congress has extended the 1992 legislative moratorium on export of antipersonnel mines several times, most recently until 23 October 2008. US antipersonnel mines stockpiled in Italy, Norway, and Spain were removed to comply with their Mine Ban Treaty obligations. The US cleared its protective minefields at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba in 1999, and now claims not to maintain minefields anywhere in the world."

http://www.icbl.org/lm/2004/usa

First Look: Gibson Interviews Palin

ABC News has released excerpts and video of Charlie Gibson's interview with Sarah Palin, the first interview the Alaska Governor has given since being announced as McCain's running mate.
http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2008/09/first_look_gibson_interviews_p.html

Jack,

Since Heather the Golddigger Mills is pushing the landmine cause, I fully support a land mine in everyone's pot.

I would especially like one magnetically attracted to the fake leg too...

NEW THREAD

"not to maintain minefields anywhere in the world"

"Not to maintain" and "failed to pick up" everything it left laying around are two different things.

Chloe

I only trust original sources

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5782924&page=1

Pttttttttttt

gotta be fast to be first these days.
Could just pretend I didn't see it. yeah , thats the ticket.

Jack

102. ketchup (sugar, vinegar, gum [for thickening], rehydrated tomato powder, red dye #2, carageenan, sodium nitrate [preservative]) is a vegetable.

103. republicans haven't won a war since 1898 - 110 years of futility.

104. republican US Rep. bill janklow gets 30 days and community service from a republican judge he appointed when he was governor, for speeding, running a stop sign, and killing a Minnesota man.

So, you don't care about your landmines in Angola, Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam, etc. You still have 103 other good reasons to throw the bums out.

NEW THREAD