Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

check and mate........mr and mrs check, please.......

patsi.......thanks large sizes for the article.....send more as they appear........

there's an article you might like on nashville by marshall chapman in the latest issue of "Garden and Gun" magazine.......it's more garden than gun, dont let the gun part fool ya.........

The Pollster.com chart of Fla. -

http://www.pollster.com/polls/fl/08-fl-pres-ge-mvo.php

The last time McCain was ahead in a poll in Fla. was 10 days ago.

The New Mexico is tied line is bullshit -

http://www.pollster.com/polls/nm/08-nm-pres-ge-mvo.php

"What makes the Obama story so powerful isn't just the fact that as a half-white, half-black man, his public journey to the top visibly tied together some of the more painful frayed ends of our past. It's that he ran his race with dignity and honor against people who didn't return the favor, facing a succession of opponents who feared losing more than shame and gave in to pretty much every possible temptation to go low and appeal to the worst in us.

I didn't always see it at the time. But thinking back on it now, I realize what an extraordinary accomplishment his getting this far has been. A man who wasn't great would have blown this a hundred times along the way. So would a person who wasn't extremely lucky. The historical seas literally parted for this Obama guy, with inconceivable idiocy and villainy littering the political shores on either side of him as he ascended to the pantheon of all-time American heroes simply by walking straight ahead and not being a dick. Looking back at my campaign notebooks, here are a few of the most memorable moments that illustrate the odd journey."
---Matt Taibbi, in Rolling Stone Magazine

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23947840/my_campaign_memories

Vote flipping in Colorado.

"An electronic voting machine in Adams County repeatedly failed to accept a vote for a Democratic state Senate candidate — instead registering the vote for her Republican opponent — at an early voting site last week and has been removed from service, the Aurora Sentinel reports Wednesday. Adams County Clerk and Recorder Karen Long told the newspaper the error doesn’t reflect wider problems in the county’s voting systems, but the candidate said the incident could lead to a lawsuit. “I always just trusted the machines, and it opened my eyes,” said state Rep. Mary Hodge. “The way it works now, I’m told … is that those votes throw it to Mr. Hadfield that we’ll probably have a lawsuit and a court decision. We’ll have to wait and see.” Hodge, the Democratic nominee, faces Republican Robert John Hadfield in the race to represent state Senate District 25. ... “I have quarantined the machine,” Long told the newspaper. “It’s removed and it’s sealed up and it’s in a bag.” She said she is awaiting instructions from the secretary of state’s office."

http://www.pubrecord.org/component/content/443.html?task=view

More Colorado disenfranchisement stopped.

" Tens of thousands of Coloradans who had been removed from the state’s voter rolls will be allowed to vote in next week’s election and given extra protections so their ballots are counted, under an agreement reached late Wednesday in federal court here.

The voters’ names had been removed by Mike Coffman, the Colorado secretary of state, who said he did so because the voters had moved out of state or were listed more than once on the rolls. But Mr. Coffman was sued by a coalition of voting rights and other groups who said such purges were generally prohibited by federal law within 90 days of an election.

Under the agreement, voters removed from the rolls will be permitted to cast provisional ballots, and those ballots will be counted unless election officials can prove the voters were not eligible. To strike such ballots, county election officials must conduct an extensive records review on each one, a decision that must then be reviewed by Mr. Coffman’s office.

“This is unprecedented,” said Elizabeth Westfall, a lawyer for the Advancement Project, a civil rights group that helped file the lawsuit. “We are really thrilled that there will be this degree of unprecedented scrutiny and protection for these purged voters when they cast their provisional ballots.”

Mr. Coffman issued a statement Thursday saying he still believed that Colorado’s election practices adhered to federal law and that “our goal has always been to have a system in place where every voter, who has the legal right to cast a ballot, is allowed to do so.”

Edward B. Foley, a law professor at Ohio State University and an authority on voting litigation nationwide, said the settlement was noteworthy because many states had put the onus on voters to prove that their provisional ballots were legitimate before they could be counted. The settlement shifts this responsibility to the state, Mr. Foley said, and is more in keeping with the spirit of the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002, which calls for election officials to count a provisional ballot if they can determine the voter’s eligibility. "

http://reconstitution.us/rcnew/?p=2832#respond

Tony u might want to try to highlite, then right click, copy, get back here, then once u r in the comments, hit enter in order to leave space, then right click and paste

Posted by: SolarCrete | October 30, 2008 10:34 PM

Thanks.I finally got it.

"....Obama has 60 offices and about 500 paid staffers."

craig, just curious but how many of those do you think are converted hrc offices/staffers and how many are bho originals?

Sturge, those articles Marshall wrote for Garden & Gun are great...and that's for letting me know about the magazine. I wasn't aware of it!

Seems like old peace loving Cindy Sheehan is battling a unseen enemy. Where is Code Pink when she needed them?

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=prnw.20081030.LATH152&show_article=1

"...electronic voting machine in Adams County repeatedly failed to accept a vote for a Democratic state Senate candidate — instead registering the vote for her Republican opponent."

anon para, wonder if this was a diebold machine. also wonder how many precincts in florida still have them?

here's a recent article re worrisome machine flaws:
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/voting-groups-w.html

patsi......it's a pretty nice little mag all in all.....roy blount, pat conroy, etc......my daughter is in line to intern there in the spring........

Craig--typo, line 10--Florida

patd...

Diebold, Ess , they all are hackable and prone to vote flipping. Including optical scanners that count the votes.

Read the links as they tell about how the GEM where there counted drops thousands of votes and nobody gets told about it.

*line 13, too

"my daughter is in line to intern there in the spring........"

Very cool...especially the living in Charleston part. One of my favorite cities anywhere.....

oops---I meant 14

With so much attention being paid to the election you may have missed this article. Your 401k or similar retirement program maybe taken over by the government. This would greatly expands your chances of crossing over the magic threshold marker of being tagged as "rich".

http://tinyurl.com/say-goodbye-401k

patd...

Yep...

That's the GEM I'm talking about from your link.

There sure trying to steal another one.

Gotta run, see you all later.

Some Far Left Leaning Liberals do not sound very confident.

http://tinyurl.com/Libs-going-to-the-mattresses

``This election is cooked and done, it's in the warming tray,'' said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

McCain ``is as desperate as a candidate can be,'' said Stu Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report in Washington. ``Less than five days to go and McCain's trailing in half a dozen states of which he can't afford to lose any: Nevada, Florida, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia and North Carolina.''

Illinois Senator Obama yesterday highlighted new government figures showing the sharpest contraction of the economy since 2001, a harbinger of what could be the worst recession since 1981-82. Arizona Senator McCain, meanwhile, was mum on the latest economic news showing the gross domestic product shrank at a 0.3 percent pace from July to September.

`Final Nail'

Those latest figures, Sabato said, are ``the final nail in McCain's coffin.''

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=ag17JxMZqRw4&refer=home

As far as the Obama in Virginia story goes, we now have two offices in my small county, canvassers are going out every weekend and there have been more canvassers than ever before, people who have never gotten involved in any campaign before are now reporting for weekly phone banks and the phone banks are so busy that people are sitting and phoning from outside the office because there are so many people inside.

Sarah Palin comes to red, red, red Fredericksburg and attracts a crowd of 6000 people. Barack Obama comes to red, red, red Fredericksbug and 26,000 people wait in the rain to see him.

Anselm
This clip's for you -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3ORwO5xDUE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTI3PpyXMm0

another one

Craig,

Has 'Save our Homes' been made a general election issue in Florida? If so, which way is blame/culpability being directed?

just think.........if the gops dont steal it, pretty soon Gordo's posts will start out "President Soeter Obama......"

Hey Tony. How's it going? Hope you're doing well.
I saw your Ugly Betty post. I haven't seen it Tony, but I'll check it out next week. I could use a good laugh. Thanks.

Sturge, Is this the story you recommended to Patsi? (It's from Oct 1st, so I'm not sure).

The Sweet Sounds of Nashville
http://gardenandgun.com/stories/city_portrait/the_sweet_sounds_of_nashville-184

chloe......yes, that's the one.......

"We were in the mayors office in gary indiana, workin with a 501- are planning to put up more than 200 homes, these homes will be the solarcrete homes"

Solar, Saw you post from last night. Sounds like a big job coming up for your company. Do you have it for sure?

me liddle daughter brought me an issue, I just assumed it was the latest one.......

solar........got cabinets??

lol

Patsi

The problem with socialism is that it doesn't fit into our myths we tell ourselves. We all want to be Randolf Scott.
Free and independent taking on the world.

Jack

Patsi, I don't know if you saw my post, but I want to tell you again, just in case, how much I enjoyed your article. I wish you'd share more. Thanks.

"Free and independent taking on the world."

What a great way to describe the American psyche. That's the illusion I've always had. :)

"Free and independent taking on the world."

just like athens and rome

Patsi

Let me add a big "me too" to what Chloe said about you article. The wife enjoyed it too. She is an old graphic designer turned marketer.

Jack

Chloe, a while back I tried to buy one of her titles from Amazon--sold out. Good for her--disappointing for me.

A Message From The 'Mainstream Media'
"Hi. My name is Anonymous, and I'm a reporter in the mainstream media. Like a lot of my colleagues, I'm nervous."
http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/10/30/media-liberal-polls-oped-cx_pr_1031robinson.html

"a while back I tried to buy one of her titles from Amazon--sold out. Good for her--disappointing for me."

Flatus, I didn't know Patsi's full name until she linked that article. Now that I do, I'll try too.

mornin' all.

Any news today?

"I don't know if you saw my post,"

Thanks, Chloe -- I really did get into the profession accidentally. In fact, I know many writers who did. (The art background was valuable when I was a magazine editor...made me fight for things like "wasting" an entire page with just one poem and an illustration. Of course, the history degrees were crucial when the magazine in question was on women's issues. So my college wasn't wasted...ha.

"Any news today?"

Skies are clear, visibility unlimited, winds are calm, and temperature is 35-def F. In other words, a beautiful Air Force day. That concludes the news for today.

"Any news today?

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a2df9V.O__gc&refer=home

It's sad

Jack

Barack Obama,

"Y'know, the next thing I know, they're gonna find evidence of my communistic tendencies because I shared my toys in kindergarten--because I split my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with my friend in sixth grade."

The difference is Mr. Obama, that was your choice, your personal decision to share. It wasn't the school system or the teacher telling you, you had to share. But now you want to tell us who has to do the sharing.

"It's sad"

Yeah, Jack, they have my sympathy--and you know where that falls in the unabridged dictionary.

"The difference is Mr. Obama, that was your choice, your personal decision to share. It wasn't the school system or the teacher telling you, you had to share. But now you want to tell us who has to do the sharing."

Nicely said Anselm. I can believe all the things I believe, and still agree with that statement. Thanks.

31, clear and calm here, flatus - sounds like yours.

Jack, who'd a thunk it?

Thanks for the updates.

Anselm, I assume that's your attempted shot at Obama's plan to roll back Bush's tax cuts for the rich? If you think that's socialism, you've been listening to too much Hannity.

Hello all, it's quite cold in Belgium today !!!

Clear and calm here, too!
Three different states and all have the same weather report (although it's a little warmer here)

Unity!

Oh right, Peter Robinson is a left-winger? Since when? He sounds just like PING

"If you think that's socialism, you've been listening to too much Hannity."

I think Obama acused some of calling it Communism, Pogo.
(at least in his quote).

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166511

Pogo, maybe he didn't share HIS toys when he was in Kindergarten....

:-)

chloe, I'm patient - it's supposed to hit 65 here just in time for LP and his other rotten friends to don their disguises and go terrorize the Olde Farm neighborhood.

Obama suggested that McCain would criticize his communist tendencies. The only thing I've heard related to Marxist principles is the mischaracterization of Obama's tax plans as being socialist, that charge coming from the RWNM.

pogo,

The Bush tax cuts favored everyone. You better go back and review the following Bush tax cuts and tell me which one or ones you would like to see end?

1, 2011 (five short years away),

*
Tax rates will rise substantially in each tax bracket, some by 450 basis points;
*
Low-income taxpayers will see the 10-percent tax bracket disappear, and they will have to pay taxes at the 15-percent rate;
*
Married taxpayers will see the marriage penalty return;
*
Taxpayers with children will lose 50 percent of their child tax credits;
*
Taxes on dividends will increase beginning on January 1, 2009;
*
Taxes on capital gains will increase, also beginning on January 1, 2009; and
*
Federal death taxes will come back to life in 2011, after fading down to nothing in 2010.

Anselm apparently see's thing a little differently than you.

Being partisan is not a bad thing, but being blind is. And when others start demanding you think exactly what they think, then some rebel and go in the opposite direction. Anyone that knows much about human nature and psychology knows that's not so unusual.

Have a good one! Gotta go.

chloe, btw, the RWNM socialism charge was picked up and amplified from the McCain and Palin campaign rallies for thepast month or so - stamping around and repeating socialist and socialism wrt Obama's tax plans, which is what Obama was responding to in that comment.

I had a rich uncle, who like all these Geko Capitalists saw himself a self made man, one day I pointed out to him that he owed something to the G.I. Bill. One of those government programs to help people.
Later his company settled with the State of New York, seems they were screwing their customers.
It's like the Alaskans who hate the feds. The whole state lives off other peoples taxes, but they all think they're Audie Murphy.
Palin wants more war, but she won't tax herself to pay for it. She thinks we can just keep putting it on our Visa card.

This is what happens to you if you don't drink from the Obama Kool Aid fountain.

http://www.drudgereport.com/flashopp.htm

"chloe, btw, the RWNM socialism charge was picked up and amplified from the McCain and Palin campaign rallies for thepast month or so"

pogo, I thought you were commenting on what Anselm was commenting on, which was this ""Y'know, the next thing I know, they're gonna find evidence of my communistic tendencies because I shared my toys in kindergarten--because I split my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with my friend in sixth grade."

Then you went on to tell him he watched too much Hannity. I didn't get the connection??

A mind is a terrible thing to waste....

Obama Going Up On The Air In Georgia, North Dakota, And ... Arizona!
By Greg Sargent - October 31, 2008, 9:42AM

On a conference call with reporters just now, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said that the campaign is going up on the air in the final stretch in three states: Georgia, North Dakota, and ... McCain's home state of Arizona.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/obama_going_up_on_the_air_in_g.php

I know why this is viewed as a hate crime, but why couldn't it be argued this is nothing more than someone using their political freedom of speech in protest of Obama? Will dissenting views be seen as hate speech if Obama is elected. How is it Palin's effigy was not seen as hate speech. Is it because Palin is only a female and females are exempt from hate speech?

http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/574675.html

Hanging a woman in effigy is just good clean fun, didn't you know that, Anselm?

Anselm - and the Obama tax plan maintains those tax cuts for those who Obama considers the middle class and below. AS a general principle, it's only the tax cuts that applied to the rich (his definition, not mine) that he is proposing rolling back.

I am not advocating any particular tax plan or any particular tax items - I'm objecting to the characterization of the progressive tax structure as socialist. My simple understanding is that Obama has a tax plan that increases the marginal tax rate on households with incomes over $250,000. I also understand that he would let the inheritance tax rollback expire and allow some of the sunset provisions that Bush wrote into his tax cuts to get them through Congress and to lie about the effect of those tax plans on the deficit operate. So if you want to be honest about it, to the extent that he's willing to allow Bush's own legislation to operate, Obama would be implementing Bush's tax plan. Considering the disaster it's been, I can't imagine why he'd consider continuing it. You can say Obama plans to raise taxes, but in fact, Bush made those plans (referring specifically to the sunset provisions).

I do not know the details of which of the provisions you've listed would be affected by Obama's tax plan, but I feel fairly sure it would not be all of those. But to try and hang the sunset provisions of the tax code as it exists now on Obama is simply not honest, and the expectation that Obama and a Dem congress would continue a tax structure based on Repug principles with which they do not agree is not realistic.

chloe,

pogo doesn't pay attention to what Obama has to say, as everything Obama has to say is correct.. But this is an exact quote: ""Y'know, the next thing I know, they're gonna find evidence of my communistic tendencies because I shared my toys in kindergarten--because I split my peanut butter and jelly sandwich with my friend in sixth grade.", and Obama said this just the other day at some rally, and was aired on all the news stations. Apparently pogo also uses the mute button when Obama is speaking

chloe - my 9:45 comment provided the connection. We tend to ignore the context in which comments made by the candidates on both sides are made, and focus only on the comment. It's not fair to either side to do that.

Why can't Klein get a seat?

Time columnist Joe Klein, who’s been a forceful critic of the McCain campaign (and already said he’s unwilling to accept a post-election apology), has found himself without a seat on the McCain or Palin planes the past four months.

In June, Klein was kept from boarding the McCain plane over what they said had been a security issue. More recently, when trying to fly on the Palin plane last week, Klein told Politico over e-mail that the campaign's response was he “couldn’t be accommodated at this time.”

Et tu fruit drink ?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/1008/Why_cant_Klein_get_a_seat.html

Craig,

Enjoyed your post today. thanks for the specs on Florida! Very informative and really fills out the rest of the strategy and theory on Florida.

I want 1600 back. I really miss your weekly summaions. Are they coming back?

I heard the quote, Anselm. Apparently you hit the mute button on the Palin and McCain comments to which he was responding.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/palin-invokes-s.html

Without context, words don't mean much.

And from McCain.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081018/ap_on_el_pr/mccain

Early Voting Extended In North Carolina
By Greg Sargent - October 31, 2008, 9:26AM

More good news for Obama on the early voting front: It's been extended in North Carolina, reports the Charlotte Observer.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/early_voting_extended_in_north.php

" Obama is leading McCain in early voting in the state by 59%-33%, as of two days ago "

For those that don't know, Chef Sheila is the reason this site is F- bomb free.
In the early days she policed our darker angels.

Forgive me Anon, But do I know you?

Are you an old Crawfordslister?

Are you on facebook? ;0)

or would you like my email address?

chefstonesheila at gee mail dot com

If not good luck to you and thank you for remembering me. It a was a great time!

Wrong pogo.

Obama is going to turn back the Bush tax cuts, or the Democrat held Congress will let them expire. Find me one of his speeches where he has said he will keep this Bush tax cut or that Bush tax cut. He has never been specific, he has been very general, leaving a lot of wiggle room, in what he will do as president. This is really nothing more than a game of 3 card molly, or which cup holds the pea. When they let the Bush tax cuts expire, and they will, it will take several years for a new tax plan to be written submitted and passed. So after tax paying Americans notice they their take home pay is less, they will be rewarded by Obama's tax plan and he'll make it appear that he has given them something in the form of lower taxes. Problem with that is his tax plan is 2 years away at best, if it happens at all. Remeber Bill Clinton's tax cut for the middle class. Was promised, but never happened. The only thing I am confident on about Obama, is that he will raise taxes on the rich, who ever that is, and when that proves inadequate higher taxes will be passed onto you, the middle class. Think of it as, tickle down taxes.

Americans do not pay enough taxes....

Well, it appears that a few people (including me) have a few different things about this election cycle that are bothering them this morning, But we're in luck, since that's what this place is for. Never was there ever a better group therapy than Trail Mix (at least for me) :). Thanks.

maybe McCain fantasizes about a being a little frank with Barney....

The hangings in effigy.

Despicable as they are, I think they are both constitutionally protected speech.

Had the mannequin of the black individual portrayed black individuals in general, I think it would have been unprotected hate speech. But, in this case, absent a specific threat to the candidate, it represents opposition to the candidate in general, not to his blackness.

"Americans do not pay enough taxes..."

In making that statement, ET, are you speaking for your candidate or his platform?

F- bomb free.

LOL
No it is not. Just because someone write f**k, that is the same thing as writing the word completely out. Hell there have been some on here that have written the vulgar slur word associated with a female vagina.

Just four more days until I never have to hear Sarah Palin's gratin' voice again. We'll leave her to the people of Alaska, God love 'em.

Could someone please change the batteries in Cindy McCain? She's supposed to smile and clap every thirty seconds, and it looks like she's slowing down.

"...until I never have to hear Sarah Palin's gratin' voice again"

MrD, unless you're suffering from some terminal illness, or have a regrettable fatal accident, or lose your hearing, you are sure to hear her voice within the next four years.

It's clear to me that she is trying to carve out her niche in the right side of the Rep Party. She'll be baaaack!

"Just four more days until I never have to hear Sarah Palin's gratin' voice again."

Win or Lose, Many See Palin as Future of Party
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/politics/29palin.html?em

"The hangings in effigy.
Despicable as they are, I think they are both constitutionally protected speech."

Flatus, I believe that the guy in West Hollywood finally took the Palin one down when some fellow parked in front of his house with a "hanging" that represented the homeowner.

You are right, they are all despicable.

Hands clasped to head...

"Please, noooooooo!"

Anselm,

I am curious? Wha inspired your Blog Name?

Which St Anselm or the Arch Bishop of Canterbury or maybe one of the Painters?

Anselm, you misconstrue my meaning. Bush's tax cuts expire on their own. I don't disagree that Obama has not been specific as to which Bush tax cut he would or would not let expire. I said I'm not aware of the specifics, but I am aware of what he has said about the general principle of not increasing taxes on anyone making less than $250k. Where am I wrong about that?

I don't dispute that Obama's tax plans, when held side by side to Bush's, would look like he's rolling back at least some of Bush's tax cuts, but even if Obama submitted no tax plan and the results of the sunset provisions of the current tax legislation were held up as the new tax plan, the comparisons would be similar. You can try and characterize the operation of the sunset provisions signed into law by Bush as a tax increase by Obama or Congress, but you're casting blame in the wrong direction. What you are actually doing is saying that by failing to EXTEND Bush's tax cuts beyond what Bush signed them into law as, Obama is raising taxes. That is simply dishonest. But if it makes you sleep better, go ahead and say that.

Your assumptions about what will happen as a result of tax increases on the rich are fanciful - he could just as easily raise the taxes on the rich, whoever they are, further, increase taxes on corporations, raise gasoline taxes, increase mineral severance taxes, or any number of other means by which to raise revenues. Frankly, at this point what will or will not happen as an initial tax structure is speculative - what happens if it doesn't work as envisioned is beyond speculation.

And if you are directing that last line to me, how in the world do you think you know what my income is?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166551

flatus, you are correct, sir.

ET,

I am so glad you mention this, "Americans do not pay enough taxes....".

Since you claim to be an American residing and working for a non American company in the Netherlands, I have a few questions for you. When you, like all good Americans and submit your tax form to the IRS how much taxes do you end up paying the US government, % wise? How much of what you pay in foreign taxes do you write off on your US taxes? Before you answer that, you are an American aren't your working for a Russian gas company in the Netherlands holding down the position of gas station attendant? Reason I ask I have had a sudden interest on reading up on Americans who work abroad for foreign owned companies and their US tax obligations. Never know when I might want to join the tax benefits of living and working abroad.

I am curious? Wha inspired your Blog Name?

My parents. And yours?

Sheila, I wish you'd put together a collection of holiday hor d'oeuvres for Jamie's blog.....

"We tend to ignore the context in which comments made by the candidates on both sides are made, and focus only on the comment"

Sorry pogo. But that's how I think. I look exactly at what someone is saying and don't automatically read into it all the other things I believe (until later, and that's just for me). I listen to what they say, and take them at their word. Otherwise, I'm assuming something that may not be true. Patsi put it best a while back. Paraphrasing "Mean what you say and say what you mean".

"Hands clasped to head...

"Please, noooooooo!"

Mr. D -- will you promise that Obama will stop droppin' his "g's" after he is POTUS?

"... it is greatly perplexing and beyond troubling that a political candidate can ascend to the White House without providing sufficient documentation verifying his or her place of birth or American citizenship,"...

...a state lawmaker has authored a bill that would force presidential candidates to prove they're a United States citizen before being placed on state ballots.

When he and his staff researched the issue, Metcalfe said they were shocked to find out presidential candidates in Pennsylvania don't have to prove that they were born in the United States, or that they are a citizen.

"It would really be the greatest hoax in U.S. history if somebody did get past the scrutiny," he said."

http://www.politickerpa.com/alexroarty/2407/after-obama-mccain-rulings-state-rep-wants-presidential-candidates-prove-citizenship

Craig:

Republicans are in danger of losing the one state that could block any chances for an Electoral College victory.

How do u see the Cuban monolithic vote this time around, if they are split down the middle----is it a done deal?

Patsi---good a and bad news-------the good news is that i read you article------loved the easy flow of communication,
the bad news is that u got me into another fine mess Oli----while i was reading your piece---my wife walked by as asked me what i was looking at-----she saw all the drawings and asked since when do i look at the filthy site----it took a few minutes to show her and explain,,,thanks again for a fine mess u got me into. :-))

pogo,
And if you are directing that last line to me, how in the world do you think you know what my income is

You mean , "Think of it as, tickle down taxes."? or the line before it, "The only thing I am confident on about Obama, is that he will raise taxes on the rich, who ever that is, and when that proves inadequate higher taxes will be passed onto you, the middle class."

One is either rich, middle class, or poor, so take your pick, your taxes or the cost of goods will be raised. The really rich, not this $250,000 false rich, can absorb both, the middle class can't, and the poor are subsidized by government programs.

fuck you anslem---is that better?

thanks for the spell check, LushIsLinda -- fixed

RE; Anselm

Thanks. Nice name. ;0)

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166567

In the spirit of Popeye I say, "I Yam what I Yam"

Anslem directed his comment at me------i see that he is still smarting over a little conversation that we had----i had already forgot it

Pasti,

I'm in Palm Springs with the rich dudes.

I'll think of something if Jamie hasn't been inundated. It would be my pleasure.

In the meantime, I have come up with a wonderful Christmas Cakes and also a Christmas candy email. Very homey stuff. If anyone wants it.

He's the winner, Patsi. He can yodel if he wants and his voice will still sound beautiful.

Oh Sorry Solar Crete. ;0)

well i was going to answer your question, SolarCrete, until your f-bomb.

Early lunch today. Spending it with the rich. lol Well not really but the have build up their business over the years and wonder if Obama is going to take into consideration the times they had to rebuild their businesses from scratch? They think someone should tell Obama it takes years and sometimes a number of failures to build a successful business. Now you would think he would know and understand that? Oh that is right he never built or operated a business of his own.

hey, chloe, I don't disagree that you have to listen to what people are saying. I don't suggest Obama meant anything different than what he said, anymore than I suggest that McCain and Palin meant anything different than what they said that preceded it. But are you telling me that if a statement is made in response to another statement, both statements stand on their own without respect to the other? If so, so much for dialogue. And there is one word in Obama's statement that tells you that it is in response to what's come before - the word is "next". And in the context that word provides, his statement is a mocking and sarcastic response. (Some people have a problem with mocking, sarcastic speech. In politics, it's pretty common) Now tell me that's not likely what that statement was.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166571

See, Gordo, we don't disagree - I actually would support that measure.

Im sorry for my language----this should not be done in the am---i won' t do it again----so as to not stop the flow of the most important part of the blog day

thanks SolarCret

"How do u see the Cuban monolithic vote this time around, if they are split down the middle----is it a done deal? -- posted by SolarCrete"

numbers i've seen show Cubans splitting along generational lines, younger trending Democratic for a while now but really moving toward Obama. Older Cubans still blame Democrats for Bay of Pigs

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166553

Is there any other kind? I'm wondering......

fuck you anslem---is that better?

Tough words from someone so far away. You sound like one of those vagina monologue persons.

" He can yodel if he wants and his voice will still sound beautiful. "

ROFL...I don't think so. It won't matter because I'll do the same with him as I did Bush.

"Hanging a woman in effigy is just good clean fun, didn't you know that, Anselm?"

patsi, and hanging the real ones has been a national pasttime since 1692.

btw, happy halloween all.

pogo, have you regaled lp with tales of boyhood tricks from by-gone years which he and his allegedly questionable pals might try to replicate?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166585

I should know better than to argue with an attorney. :)

Seriously, pogo, this all started out with such a simple statement that Anselm made about preferring sharing to be free will. And Obama using the pnut butter sandwich example was an extreme example and a silly one to use. I like simple, but over simplification is ridiculous. But I realize this has been overly discussed and this is the end of it from me.

I respect what you have said, but I 'believe' what I have said.

Anslem i won't take the bait---it looks like u r one of those people that are intelligent, but not too smart----no matter what u say, this is the last moments that i waste on u.

"it isn't always me that starts trouble"

you're slipping.

Solar, Did you see my post asking about those 200 homes?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166595

Chloe, actually, it's as much the English major in me as it is the attorney part.

We respect each other's postions - always have and will continue to.

pat - I'd probably best leave those pranks untold for now. He's seen enough of them on TV as it is - after all he did watch "Disturbia" last week (and we do have a dog).

For all you real estate investors,

There is a nine year supply of condominiums in the state of Florida. It's so bad, you can't finance an investment purchase of a condo right now...

Anslem directed his comment at me------i see that he is still smarting over a little conversation that we had----i had already forgot it

I was referring to the childishness of truncated words to avoid spelling out the real slur words as a number of people do it, I wasn't specifically referring to you. But even then you spelled it wrong by adding in 2 extra --. If you had spelled it out you would not have placed an extra "u" or "c" in the word now would you?

"We respect each other's postions - always have and will continue to."

Thanks.

Chloe---i did, i want to answer it a little later to explain, how, it gets a little complicated,but is very important to people that never could get into a home before, and to the city of Gary In,,,,,and tell Sturg that they have cabinets---not a whole lot of em but, thanks for asking

Question for the group...

If the pollster.com map is to be believed, Mississippi is only leaning McCAin? Huh?

The toss up states in play will determine if Obama can get to 400?

WTF?!?

So...anybody here wearing a costume today? I mean for Halloween, mind you.

in keeping with the holiday spirit:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/louis-prima-and-keely-smith-that-old-black-magic/3420120263

538 is looking pretty good, eh?

" was referring to the childishness of truncated words "

And that was precisely what Solar was responding to with his f-bomb. Nothing more nothing less. He was saying , okay, then.

B-F-Bomb-D.

Just in case it's close & they try to cheat, again...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flblawyers1031sboct31,0,2028488.story

Happy Hallowe'en to Krazy Kat.

About to leave for downtown Des Moines to meet friends for lunch. Should be a fun trip since they started Obama-fying the streets yesterday for Barak's appearance today. Hopefully, can avoid the whole thing.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166609

okay, i get it, patsi -- i just hate seeing that stuff when scrolling down a thread and there's no context -- by the way, really like how most of you include the links or a quote from another comment you're addressing -- makes a big difference in understanding the context of your dialogue

for those who might not know, it's very east to include a link to any comment -- click the date/time stamp to the right of the poster's name and copy the address that appears at the top of your browser

blue, did i miss something? have you moved to Iowa? are you now blue-IN-desmoines?

"seeing that stuff when scrolling down a thread and there's no context "

True -- It's an easy mistake to make, but it makes some responses unfathomable.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166526

Anselm, We went over this yesterday. Short term memory loss?

The University is public property. The home with the Palin effigy was private property

Private = free speech

Public = possible hate crime

Obama or Palin effigy on private property - Free speech. Stupid but still free.

Noose, effigy etc on public property - possible hate speech particularly if directed at particular person or group (i.e. burning crosses, nooses in trees and such)

All clear now?

since i am in school principal mode, it's nice when those with typekey profiles fill them out so we can get some particulars about where u live, background, etc. tho i know some would rather keep their privacy, which is cool. but it does help to know a little something about who's commenting

Craig,

We have a lot of new folks dropping in. Might be a good idea to let them know that if they have blogs, you do have a blog roll on the left hand side of the page.

Not me, Solar. I live about 2 and a half hours east of Chicago. BTW, just a joke about usurping position. Anyway, I was told last night GM isn't working on Tuesday. Don't know if that's nationwide or just in Michigan. They always like to give their employees election day off so they can vote.

Craig....
I have visited Florida many times and really enjoy the beauty of your home state....

but..... and you knew there was a "but " coming didn't you..... :0)

the fact that Florida's Secretary of State can run the campaign for a presidential candidate is a little too banana republicish for my tastes.....

hey Bear...... are you suggesting that for those of us with money that now might be a good time to pick up one of those Florida condos?....

Corey---thats the way i took it,,,u r always in pretty good spirits,,i just thought it was u that live by garfield park,,,,it's hard to tell what GM is up to, but i wish u luck.thanks

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166621

absolutely, Jamie -- anyone with a blog you'd like included on our Blogroll (under LInks on the left sidebar of this page) send your Trail Mix screenname and address for your blog to cqtrailmix@verizon.net

Patsi

Try this one on your family. It looks gorgeous, but is actually easy to make and is just a matter of layering in a pretty bowl

http://jdurward.blogspot.com/2006/11/trifling-around.html

Here are a couple of great fruit cakes that aren't heavy on the candied fruit that so many people reject.

http://jdurward.blogspot.com/2006/11/american-version-fruit-cake.html

Renee,

Yes I am...

It's like going to a Goodwill in a posh area where you can get designer stuff for Walmart prices instead of Saks prices...

"The University is public property. The home with the Palin effigy was private property

Private = free speech

Public = possible hate crime" Jamie@12:22

Jamie, they are possible hate crimes in either place; the facts will govern whether or not they are.

So far as a university is concerned, for as long as they've existed, they've been bastions of free speech. The last thing in the world we want to do is discourage speech within the academic environment because it's "possible" that it might cross the line into constitutionally unprotected speech.

If, upon examination, it does cross the line, then it's up to the university to implement whatever policy they have covering such eventualities.

Flatus,

If this is the case I am thinking of, the noose was actually hung on a particular professors office door. That turned the "free speech" into a threat.

one more houskeeping thing -- any regulars with Facebook pages are welcome to join our Trail Mix Facebook Group where members post photos and other stuff about themselves:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17347137146

I don't know if we can prevail on Sheila for another menu. Last year she did take us all to the White House for a formal dinner with the menu below just in case any of you want to start preparing for the Innaugural or first State dinner. :-)

Celery Broth with Crispy Rock Shrimp
Newton Chardonnay "Unfiltered" 2002

Medallions of Buffalo Tenderloin
Roasted Corn
Wild Rice Pancakes
Glazed Parsnips and Young Carrots
Peter Michael Pinot Noir "Le Moulin Rouge" 2002

Mint Romaine Lettuce with Blood Orange Vinaigrette
Vermont Camembert Cheese and Spiced Walnuts

Petits Fours Cake
Chartreuse Ice Cream Red and Green Grape Sauce
Iron Horse "Wedding Cuvée" 2002

Today's 538 numbers:

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

346.5 Obama
191.5 McCain

Two Closest Trailmixers

Blond Wino 344
Euro Tom 349

and for any new folks who have not seen our video montage of Trail Mix regulars:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hQLI5nkHFI

Jamie,

Could you repost everyone's predictions please? I forgot mine.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166629

I'm not aware of any case that has made it as far as the SCOTUS that has tested where hate crimes legislation crosses the line and becomes impermissible restriction on first amendment free expressin rights. I think Wisconsin v. Mitchell was the last major case that even addressed the issue, and it was before the wave of hate crime legislation that began in the late 90s even commenced. I'm not a big advocate of laws that limit expression. The issue in my opinion is not whether the expression occurs on private or public property - the issue is whether the government can tell you that the content of your expression is unacceptable.

LOL - my boss just came in and offered me a McCain-Palin sticker. (He knows I'm a Dem)

Oh wow, Jamie -- that looks beautiful...and I even have glassware for it....I made a red, white and blue desert for a July 4rh party some years back. Also -- I decided to make a special folder for recipes....even when I don't make them I love to read them.

Here's an interesting statistic...

I finally made it to early voting, today is the last day for it in Texas, in Tarrant County (Home to Fort Worth), there are 900,000 registered voters. As of yesterday, it was estimated that half had already voted.

When I got there, the line was 30 deep and the election officials expected to beat the early voting average of 100 deep in line.

My polling location was in the local YMCA and they had 12 voting booths set up. It was an orderly location with the average time in a booth to be 5 minutes.

They use the Hart voting machines which look like laptop size Ipods btw...

"LOL - my boss just came in and offered me a McCain-Palin sticker. (He knows I'm a Dem)"

Pogo -- I can't even guess how many "Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Democratic" t-shirts I've been given over the years, from a couple of friends in this business. Especially during Gore v Bush and Kerry v Bush. So in 2004 I got a shirt that read "Nixon/Cheney 2004 and wore it around.

Speaking of Florida – I have not seen this item on the national scene, only in the local Tampa area

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/mostpop/story.aspx?storyid=93204&provider=top
Local GOP Chairman distributes racist e-mail

October 30, 2008 Temple Terrace, Florida - The long lines of early voters at the Temple Terrace Library have caused concern for the Republican Headquarters a block away. It has also caused a major storm in local politics.

The head of the Hillsborough GOP, David Storck, distributed an email from a Republican Party volunteer saying the voters are a threat.

That's because, as the volunteer says in the email, he sees "car loads of black Obama supporters coming from the inner city to cast their votes for Obama."

It goes on to say, "This is their chance to get a black president and they seem to care little the he is at minimum a socialist and probably Marxist in his core beliefs." The Republican volunteer says that is because, "After all he is black- no experience or accomplishments but he is black."

Storck says he didn't pay enough attention to the email before he sent it out. "Now I know that was a mistake. I never should have done it. I do not agree with the statement or anything else. That's not what we're all about."

To read the rest of the email, click the link below. (PDF)
http://www.tampabays10.com/images/story-specific/Election%20Email.pdf

Racism, hatred, fear mongering and denial are now the primary traits of the today’s Republican Party.

I was a registered Republican from 1967 until 2008. The current Republican Party has nothing in common with the party that I joined! While the Democrats may well be tax and spend, the Republicans are now borrow and spend. The Republican Party has changed so much since 1967 and is now intolerant of any one that does not totally and 100 percent embrace ALL of their views. The party has gone so far to the right that Barry Goldwater would today look like a centrist. I have switched to Florida’s “No Party Affiliation” or independent status.

"Storck says he didn't pay enough attention to the email before he sent it out. "Now I know that was a mistake. I never should have done it. I do not agree with the statement or anything else. That's not what we're all about."

Unbelievable -- this idiot has to know that everyone knows he's lying. He knew exactly what was in the email.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166640

PIT, you've made my day. It's the good ol' bad ol' boy (see Florence King's hilarious Southern Ladies and Gentlemen) gone political.

"the line was 30 deep and the election officials expected to beat the early voting average of 100 deep in line."

Sounds like a snap. I know some people love the "election day experience" -- my daughter, for example -- but I can't imagine why someone would wait if there was ANY chance of long lines!

in what had been a stunning oversight on my part, just added eProf2's excellent blog to our Blogroll:

www.eprof22.blogspot.com

Blogroll is under Links on the left sidebar, but here is direct address:

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/blogroll.html

anyone with blogs they'd like added, send your Trail Mix screen name and blog address to cqtrailmix@verizon.net

I had to wait behind one person once here.

Craig-I watched 'Anima', it was wonderful and now I have faces to go with names.
Jax-buy into chocolate.
And isn't there anyway that extra early voting stations can be set up to meet the demand? I've heard that people are passing out in line. It seems that some kind of emergency what-ever could be passed.

Patsi,

Of the locations I have seen in Fort Worth, you have the ability to wait indoors so you aren't exposed to heat, cold or rain. It's a nice advantage compared to stories I have heard elsewhere.

Plus the election workers and voters in line were pleasant enough. The wait when it was 100 deep was about 20-30 minutes, depending on the age of the voters in line. Some older people found the dial a bit challenging to use. I found it annoying myself.

Rosie,
Dow is up 1100 points since I piled back in...it's as sweet as chocolate. I voted last early last week.....wait was about 20 min....my wife is going today and she says its crowded....human nature I guess why do today what I can put of till tomorrow....:)

Jamie, thanks for maintaining the predictions list. i am creating a page for them so that we have a standing link to it. Will post it later today, so any others with predictions, get them in (or have you already cut it off?)

Thanks, Craig, for including me on the blog roll. And, thanks for the FL stats.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166647

glad you liked the video rosiethecat. planning to make the videos an annual tradition for our June anniversaries, and always give plenty of notice for sending your pics.

Bear -- the library where I always go to early vote has plenty of room for people to wind around if the weather is bad. I have to hand it to those people who stood in the rain for several hours last time around. Damn!

Craig

Will you post a prediction?

Byron York was so bold as to say Barr/Nader wouldn't break 2% of the vote nationally...

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166652

eProf2, sorry you weren't already on the Blogroll, don't know what happened about that

The Illinois senator said he admired a presidential candidate who said in 2000, "I will not take the low road to the highest office in this land."

"Those words were spoken eight years ago by my opponent, John McCain," Obama said. "But the high road didn't lead him to the White House then, so this time, he decided to take a different route."

But consumer confidence is down, down, down. I remember reading "somewhere" about how people tend to gain weight during hard times 'cos we tend to turn to comfort foods. Chocolate is one of the biggest, and with the holidays coming up....We don't have early voting up here in AK, but plenty of mail-in because approximaly 2/3 of out state is inaccessible except by plane.

"Craig, Will you post a prediction? -- Bear"

nope, i'm hiding behind CQ's projection:

http://innovation.cq.com/prezMap08/

eprof - since you're around - good post on tenure. That's a subject that it's easy to find folks who disagree with. (Sorry for the poor sentence structure). I never really thought of tenure as a first amendment issue before.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166659

rosie, what percentage of the population has not access to polling places other than by plane? I don't expect too many people live in ANWR or on McKinley.

Jax- if you have a road atlas. you should look up AK. There is one road and it goes up less than half-way through the state. Eveything else you see is only accessible by air and sometimes boat or train. It's a HUGH place.

Pogo-Probly about half. About half the people up here are Native, and live in small "bush" villages. They live by subsistance and make money by selling extra fish to the canneries. Or they work at mines or the Pipeline. Don't think that just because ANWR is closed off to drilling that people don't live there or that oil exploration dosen't go on in other places.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166616

That was me SolarCrete...

I lived on Hamlin and Monore one block south of Madison and directly across from Garfield Park.

Later.

Rosie,
wasn't me...I've a friend who was a small plane pilot up there...I know how remote alot of places are....:)

Craig,

I'm sure Amy Poehler, in her best Hillary Clinton, would suggest the acquisition of a pair...lol

rosie, I thought about half the population was in the 3 cities (I use the term loosely - especially for Juneau.) So the snail mail service for those folks outside the parts of the state that are actually connected by road to some other part is either by boat or air? Interesting - being as how I don't trust mail-in voting anyway. Of course teh national election is a foregone conclusion - but I'd keep a close eye on the Stevens race - he's certainly not above shenanigans. btw, don't get the wrong impression - AK is as high on my places to go list as HI.

!/2 in cities, 1/2 in the bush. There is no in between. Uncle Ted is still plugging away up here. Sad thing is, he's still got a good chance of winning. If you do make it up here. don't forget to bring your fishing pole!

Rosie,
What's the Steven's plan. Win the election, resign and let Palin name a replacement....I think the other alternative is no repub at all...that's what happened when Delay dropped out after primary here in Tex.

Huh?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/31/palin-criticism-threatens_n_139729.html

I attempted to attend the Obama rally in Des Moines this morning...It turned out to be one of the worst, if not the worst campaign event I have ever attended in all my years of Iowa Presidential politics. Having been involved in staging several bad ones myself, I can say that it was one of the worst with some authority...

The event was held in the heart of downtown Des Moines, with Obama speaking at 11:30 on a beautiful, 70-degree fall day.

Unfortunately, they had configured the stage so it was boxed in by 3 buildings. The "infield" area (the only area were you could actually see the candidate) held maybe 3,000 people.

Everyone who didn't have a ticket to get into that area, including busloads of school kids and all the downtown office workers who came during their lunch hour, had no chance of seeing Obama speak. Campaign attendance estimates were pegged at 25,000 people. As there was not more than a 1/2 block of people standing in the street, my estimate is that there were about 5-6,000 total.

The rally overflow took up about 1 block. Here's what about 10,000 people in downtown Des Moines looks like (Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure, 25,000 registered participants). You decide...

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=D2&Date=20081025&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=810250809&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=23

As the rally was held in an area surrounded by buildings, the ability to understand the speakers was minimal. Many people who weren't in the infield left before the rally begin (including many of the kids). Many people were leaving as soon as they saw they were unable to see anything. In fact, based on how far down the street people were standing, there were fewer people in the overflow area 15 minutes into Obama's talk than there were at the beginning.

I also experienced worst personal moment of this cycle while I was there. I had "preferred seating" tickets that were given to Dem. Party muckety-mucks and donors. And though I arrived at the event 30 minutes before Obama took the stage, they had already closed off the infield because it was "full."

No big deal -- this kind of thing happens -- but as I was being told I couldn't get in, the same young lady let a half-dozen or so late teens/early twenties "volunteers" pass through because they were showing their ink-jet-printed stage passes that were attached by white shoe laces around their necks.

When I asked her how come she let the "volunteers" through even though it was full, she looked at me, and in her best Sarah Palin voice said, "Guess you should have been a volunteer."

Thank you for letting me vent...I will have more on the mentality of the Obama campaign throughout this cycle in a special comment later this weekend (just as soon as the steam quits pouring from my ears)...

I'm not sure what his plan is. The man may just be running on hubris. BTW, I have a small (very small) guest house, and any of you guys (and girls) are more than welcome to crash here if you ever do make it up here.

Rosie,
Thank you for the nice offer....you never know I might just do that. As long as you don't mind having an unabashedly proud capitaist to debate with.....the one advantage is I insist that we only debate with an alcoholic beverage in hand...:)

The Republican is outwardly confident, but there's urgency in his voice as he tours North Georgia, trying to boost turnout in his predominately white base: "The other folks are voting," he bluntly tells supporters.

Chambliss: "The Other Folks Are Voting"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/31/chambliss-the-other-folks_n_139725.html

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166671

Bear, I've said it beforeand I'll say it again - she's an idiot. Problem is, the RW seems to think like she does. I think most of them missed civics class in 6th grade the day the teacher explained that the Bill of Rights is about limiting government power over individuals and the press. It's so easy to confuse the Bill of Rights with the 10 Commandments.

"Unfortunately, they had configured the stage so it was boxed in by 3 buildings."

spike, is it possible that that's what they wanted.... an obvious overflow crowd which in turn makes the extra overflow street crowd seem humongous? hyping the hype. shock and awe.

Beer....the great social equalizer.

Pogo, the flow chart for tenure would look something like this: First amendment; academic freedom, which includes freedom of speech (but not necessarily the printed word -- see debate about journalists); and, then tenure, as a protection for speech, publications, and process. Yes, lots of objections to tenure, but I for one, believe in it as there are too many McCarthyites and Palinites more than willing to shut people up and deny first amendment principles. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Craig,

I had cut it off, but just for you will open through tomorrow.

People need to give me electoral votes of Obama and McCain. As a tie breaker, what will be the percentage of popular vote for the winner ie. Obama +10 % over McCain.

eprof2,
I for one am definitely against tenure but I'm willing to be proven wrong...I missed your blog...I'd like to give it a look...

Thanks to Craig, my blog is now on the blog roll over there on the left column (naturally). Here is a direct link www.eprof22.blogspot.com.

Glad to have gone there, EProf. I guess I'm of 2 minds on tenure (as I am on most topics). I've known some pretty good instructors who never got tenure but should have IMHO and some pretty poor profs who did and who should not have. I hear ya on the McCarthyites and Palinites - and the paranoia of the Bush admin - disguised as concern over national security, hasn't helped, I'd wager.

patd -- It appeared to be set up in that configuration to 1) make the crowd shots look larger, and 2) to put the stage in the correct direction to take advantage of the sunlight. However, given the time of day, they could have turned the stage 90 degrees, blocked the risers in the same configuration, and still given everyone not in the infield a line-of-sight view of the stage. Just really poor planning...

jamie, are we stuck with our original EV projections, or are we free to change them now that we're closer to the election? :-)

If we're stuck - I'll just say Obama by 6% over McCain and leave my EV projection at 301 Obama, 237 McCain.

If we can change, I'll say 326 Obama, 202 McCain, and still Obama by 6% over McCain.

Question: Why are we provoking Pakistan? Is the current adm. trying to make sure we have three wars to worry about? Is it a last ditch effort to get McCain elected on the National Security vote, or just sour grapes so the Dem.s will have just one more mess to clean up when they get in?

Eprof2,
I don't disagree with your contention that tenure is a good defense against the state or anyone of power trying to stifle academic thought.

My issue with tenure is that i believe it promotes complaicency and is used many times by the academic establishment as a tool to stifle dissent....this is demonstrated by the substantially large liberal mindset of most college campuses when compared to the general populace.....you know...comform or tenure will be withheld

Rosie,
I doubt that pakistan is as upset as they appear.....methinks thou dost protest to loudly....I wouldn't doubt that they are fully aware of the strikes and the agreement is that we will apear to be the sole
aggressor....I think they want them taken out as badly as we do....they just can't afford to look complicit right now...

Obama, the hoax

"Never before in our history have we had a candidate with such a lack of accomplishments and a lack of transparency into his background and associates.

We can't see his records from prep school, Occidental College, Columbia University or Harvard. What was his thesis? Who paid for his education at Harvard, since there is no record of student loans? There are even questions concerning where he was born. This is a fundamental and critical question. Was he born in Hawaii or Kenya? Did he become an Indonesian citizen? If so, he would have had to give up his U.S. citizenship. Was he then naturalized as a U.S. citizen when he returned to Hawaii from Indonesia? The documentation needs to be made public now. Certainly, security clearance requirements will require that the original documents be produced."

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/29/the-hoax/

Gordo,
Here's a good conspiracy take....What if a faction of the gov't already knows that BO doesn't qualify to be president.
What if this evidence becomes public after he has won the election....can you imagine the turmoil...kind of make the martial law thing seem timely....:)

That's bound to have some appeal for A-P, jax.

Pogo,
Laughs.....Just Friday fun from me....I'm ready to call it quits and prepare for the weekend...Kids soccer and the renaisssance festival here in Houston...

EProf, Jax, Pogo...If tenure is for the protection of faculty's free speech, why isn't it granted automatically. Having gone through the process myself, I find it is the about the biggest suppressor of free speech there is...Have you ever known a non-tenured faculty member to truly speak his/her mind in front of tenured colleagues?

One can also point to the recent case of the Iowa State professor who wrote on Intelligent Design that wasn't granted tenure. The reason given was that he didn't do sufficient publishing, but those who have sat on Tenure Committees know how subjective that can be.

Another case is a colleague of mine who wasn't granted tenure because the committee didn't feel the articles she published were of the of quality generally found in the journals in which they were published! (she subsequently walked away with a nice settlement).

In the only case I know of where tenure was revoked, a colleague at a former college where I taught lost his tenure because he "didn't constructively participate with his academic cadre." The students absolutely loved him, but it seems he was too confrontational to his colleagues in regards to what he felt was in the best interest of the students, and he didn't regularly attend faculty meetings...

When you look at tenure at the macro-level, it would appear to be more of a blessing of social norm as opposed to a protection of free speech...

spike, like I said, I'm of 2 minds on the subject, but I don't have a dog in the hunt.

jax, have a good one - this is the first weekend I can remember since school began that we don't have soccer or basketball to deal with. I just have to try and get the lawn tractor started to turn leaves in to mulch after having the bright idea to wash it off for the first time in 2 years. I don't know what I was thinking - it ran fine even if it was a little dirty - now it's clean and doesn't run. WD-40 do your thing.

jaxtrader -----------------

No doubt, the TRUTH is known to many. I posted a scenario a few days ago about how I believe the Repubs could use this SoetorObama info to destroy the Dem party.

Did anyone catch that little "inside joke" SoetorObama made about where he was born?

What Campaigns Do When They Have Too Much Money...

I just talked to my neighbor who is volunteering on Election Day to do exit polling for the Obama campaign...Why in the world would a campaign be doing their own exit polling? Are they planning to ask for recounts in close states if the election doesn't turn out the way they planned?

Gordo.

I distainctly remember you saying you were a Democrat when you first came here. Then I remember centrist it think.....now what are you?

You are sounding like a terrorist. ;0)

"I also experienced worst personal moment of this cycle while I was there. I had "preferred seating" tickets that were given to Dem. Party muckety-mucks and donors. And though I arrived at the event 30 minutes before Obama took the stage, they had already closed off the infield because it was "full."" Spike@3:00

Why am I not surprised. Your description of the officious 'attendant' and the attendees reminds me of a group of uniformed Scientologists strutting up the street in Clearwater, FL outside their headquarters at the Ft Harrison Hotel.

They knew that they owned the sidewalk, the street, the block, the hotel, and the whole damned city.

Our local hip food writer has a bit on Halloween candy and where your choice ranks

http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/biteclub/2008/10/halloween-treats-no-candy-corn.html

I have Reese's and KitKat Bars...but in the tiny size...so only slightly above raisins.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/us/politics/01stevens.html?hp

I wish there were more people in AK - I could start a "Free Ted" t-shirt business and make a killing. LOL

flatus - Scientologists wear uniforms? Who knew?

I've gotten so many calls from various campaigns and groups to volunteer on election day...... if only I could be 25 different people at once.....

I retired from the election biz 2 yrs ago..... and I vowed that I'd do nothing and have no responsibly to anyone or anything on Nov. 4th except to have CNN on and observe......

hell..... I won't even play Jamie's prediction game..... I don't want to have to give a damn about the numbers.....

with the exception of getting mine and my friend who still can't drive butts to the polls to vote..... I wanna do nothing but blog a little..... watch CNN a little..... have lots of popcorn and soda on hand..... and snuggle with my cats (and Rick) while the election returns come in.....

HAPPY ALL HALLOW'S EVE!

KC, I'm definitely a Tier One guy - on both the giving and receiving end. To the chagrin of Mrs. P, LP loves to collect the stuff, then doesn 't eat it - I on the other hand take care of the Tier one and some few Tier two parts of his collection before we throw the stuff out just after Christmas.

And now speaking of collecting, I have to go collect LP and move him and Mrs. P along to Olde Farm for the annual terrorizing of the neighborhood.

BOO!!

lol KGC,

I can't stand the smell of candy corn,let alone the taste.As a little kid , I got sick to my stomach after gobbling down a pound bag of it. One of those real hungry, can't stop eating kiddy moments. lol

"flatus - Scientologists wear uniforms? Who knew?"

Pogo, here's a NY Times article that gives a really accurate description of the environment there:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E07E2DE1F3AF932A35751C1A961958260

ok we now have a standing link to Election Predictions (under Links on the left sidebar of this page)

here is the direct link:

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/election-predictions.html

jamie, just let me know when there are updates

Bear and Pogo -- she's wrong on the details but absolutely correct in the concept. It's become unacceptable to question anything Obama says or does. I wonder how long it will last. Probably the duration....

Well now that Craig has jumped in saying he is going with the CQ projection, I'll just open it up through Saturday. If anyone wants to change.

ONLY PROVISO

If you share a prediction with someone else, you must give a tie breaker percentage.

Rez

I've never understood the appeal of candy corn. It's a dumb candy.

Scientologists don't wear uniform, but a group within scientology, The Sea Organization, do.

http://www.scientology.org/news-media/faq/pg026.html

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166700

Spike, My guess given all the past voter supression and machine problems, they are probably doing exit polling to see if there is any major variance between the exit poll and the officially reported numbers.

ayers dedicated his book to sirhan sirhan

"William Ayers dedicated his 1974 book, Prairie Fire, to the man that assassinated Bobby Kennedy.

And Obama thinks it is okay to serve with, work with, and socialize with this guy, the man who dedicated his book to the man that killed Robert F. Kennedy?

Obama’s desk in the U.S. Senate used to belong to Robert Kennedy."

http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/2008/10/31/ayers-dedicated-his-book-to-sirhan-sirhan/

alright i'll think about making a prediction. what's the deadline exactly?

Here's one guy who got fired despite tenure....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5hXsNH0qf0

"You are sounding like a terrorist. ;0)"

ROFL, Sheila...I'll ask my son if the name "Gordo" has crossed his desk....

I'm a Tier One-er....I've got Kit Kats, Butterfingers, Baby Ruths and Twix, plus a few other misc candy bars....if there's any Butterfingers and Kit Kats left....

From TD Blog
-------------------
Obama’s Friend Ayers Dedicated Book to Sirhan Sirhan

"And Book’s Cover Looks Like Barack Obama’s Logo"

http://texasdarlin.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/obamas-friend-ayers-dedicated-book-to-sirhan-sirhan/
--------------------------------
Obama Logo = Weather Underground Logo?

"Another Odd Coincidence?"

http://texasdarlin.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/obama-logo-weather-underground-logo/

Katherine,

Tier one for sure. Favorites-Kit Kat, Twix, Nestle Crunch
Reese Crispy Crunchy or Stix.

Sun is just setting here in CT-- Happy Halloween.

We give boxes of Cracker Jack--the kids are overwhelmed with surprise and glee!

Patsi,

Enjoyed your article. Thanks for sharing it. Hope you might consider sharing more in the future.

It's too bad the Obama campaign didn't come up with a logo similar to the one used by Proctor & Gamble....Then the conspiracy theorists would really have something to talk about...

http://www.snopes.com/business/alliance/procter.asp

Well, now that I look at it, they both have a circle-thing going on and the guy in the P&G logo kind of looks like Obama...hmmmmm

I hope I get trick or treaters... it's been raining off and on
Otherwise I'll be eating all the candy myself. Or sneaking around leaving it on the neighbors porch. I've been trying to entice adults to come over with a trick or drink offer and then make them take the left over candy.

I saw W. People can wait for video.
It is very sympathetic to Colin Powell very.
Condi Rice comes off sounding like Urkel (the tv character)
Laura Bush is a saint.
HW and Bar are cliches of wasps and W is Hamlet or something like that.
If you already thought Cheney was a horrible person, this does nothing to change your mind --along with the other voices for war.
Rove - gag me.

It's raining and dismal in Washington. I usually plan for about 50, but I doubt we will see that many tonight.

Good to get the review, KGC. I'll take your advice and wait.

Everyone swore off polling after NH. If McCain wins this thing, I hope the pollsters go out of biz/usage until they better develop their models and methods.

mini boxes of raisins here b/c we have those on hand and few treaters, besides I end up eating the remainders.

thanks, jamie -- predictions page updated

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/election-predictions.html

Jamie,

Karl's made some adjustments. I'll be sure to give you his final on Monday. Here's his latest State of the Race:

National polls have started to show the presidential race tightening, but 66 state polls released so far this week haven’t captured any significant movement toward John McCain. In fact, since Sunday, Nevada (5 EV) has flipped from toss-up to Obama, giving him 311 electoral votes to McCain’s 157, with 70 as a toss-up. McCain still needs to pick up all of the current toss-up states—which all went for Bush in both 2000 and 2004—and peel off several large states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia from Obama.

no kids around, no candy........summer's over and la touristas are all at home......

I might walk down on the beach and throw popcorn for the seagulls.......lol

"I might walk down on the beach and throw popcorn for the seagulls.......lol"

Way to rub it in sturge....

"McCain still needs to pick up all of the current toss-up states—which all went for Bush in both 2000 and 2004—and peel off several large states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia from Obama."

Rest easy, Rez -- ain't gonna happen.

rubbin' it in...............

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

Un-frigging-believable -- Liddy Dole put out another Godless ad:

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/dole-attacks-democrat-with-second-godless-ad-2008-10-31.html

Spike, et al, tenure decisions are fickle at best. I once heard a colleague say that he didn't vote for tenure unless he thought he would enjoy lunch with the nominee for the next ten or twenty years. LOL!

Tenure systems are not perfect. To the non-tenured who are afraid to speak their mind, they probably wouldn't speak their mind after getting tenure either. Quality publications are fraught with bias and other issues. At those schools where publishing is more important than teaching, the candidates probably know that ahead of time and should make up their minds what they want to do in their careers. Publishing wasn't my thing so I chose to teach where teaching was the highest priority. Sometimes tenured faculty do get fired, but it's for cause not for their speech or publications. And, yes, some faculty do feel as though they have life-time employment once they achieve tenure. Still, on balance, I believe tenure is an important concept to help, not necessarily prevent, dictatorial administrators and politicians, McCarthy and Palin as just two examples, from stifling dissent.

I enjoyed the exchange here this afternoon, now it's time to answer the doorbell and head out to the last high school football game of the season for my grandsons. Ciao!

I just took a quick poll of the neighbor kids as to what candy they preferred and, after a slight pause, they exclaimed, "Anything not poisoned!"

"Rest easy, Rez -- ain't gonna happen."

LOL, in that case, beings it's Friday.. I better get duded up so I can check out the casino. bbl.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166750

Anything Liddy Dole does is absolutely no surprise to me. She has always impressed me as that Southern Belle type who underneath the honey is meaner than a sack of snakes.

Rez -- You and sturge are both pissing me off tonight. I love the beach and I love casinos....neither within miles of me here in Twangtown. (Hate to gamble, just love casinos.)

I must be crazy. All these pundit types keep saying that this race is tightening and I'm still sensing a tidal wave. It wouldn't be a surprise to me to see blue from one side of the map to the other with little hard core splashes of red that secretly wished they could be blue too.

Well Charlie Cook is coming up soon. Let's see what he has to say.

Jamie, speaking of mean as a snake....I just put out my huge basket of candy bars -- AFTER removing most of the butterfingers... Hope they like Heath bars, Baby Riuth and Kit Kat.

What channel is Cook on, Jamie?

This Can't be good.

http://sarah-palin-2008.blogspot.com/2008/10/second-obama-staffer-spills-guts.html

Don't know about anyone else, but I brought my Obama yard sign inside for Halloween night. Having had one already stolen, I didn't want to tempt fate on the night of tricks and treats.

MSNBC on Race t the White House

Lard,

In which bedroom are you going to display it after the election?

Ping,

I'd be more sympathetic to your position, but the fact is that the McCain-Palin campaign is an absolute national disgrace by any objective measure. So Craig's just being objective, like the rest of the press corps.

:)

Answer to Solar earlier question..

the Cubans do not trust Obama... He talks about lifting the embargo and that is a No No...

Now Obama does have time to fly down and flip flop CHANGE his answer again...

But what I have taken from my Cuban Connections here in Florida . NO OBAMA

They do not trust him

Flatus,
I'll probably have it incorporated into a quilt of some kind, and sleep with it.

LL :~) that was a great one !!!!

Here is Charlie Cook's map. He has an awful lot of states in toss up

(my idea of red states that really, really want to be blue so they can play with all the other cool kids in the school yard).

http://www.cookpolitical.com/

Ping, I thought of that today as I considered that probably 95 percent of working journalists in this country will be voting for Obama (if they vote).

Why? Because journalists are trained to think critically, and no one with critical thinking skills can be anything but repulsed by the McCain-Palin desperate tactics. Even if you set policy and positions aside, the sheer lunacy of their campaign is something to behold.

I mean, this stuff is going to be written about in the history books.

Now Patsi you know I wouldn't do or say anything to deliberately piss you off. :-)

Actually I pissed at the one tribal casino (nearest) because they're expanding the hotel part and that means the machines are tightened down, (dw plays them) so that means I have to win at blackjack since it's harder for her.Oh well, food and drinks are fine there. later.. .Give my regards to Twangtown.
Which reminds me, I read JTP's got himself a record deal. Maybe he'll need some help with his biography which I'm sure is not far down the road.

(Insert Don King quote)

Jamie...looks like Cook is being pretty cautious in both directions. He's got Georgia and the Dakotas as tossups, too. Most maps I see haven't gone that far.

Studs Terkel died today. What a great loss.

I'm being cautious as well. I didn't include SD or GA even though I thing both are possible if not probable.

All of the great old ones are passing. I love Studs Terkel and particularly "Working"

I think of Studs and that reminds me of Royko......

LL - True - the McCain voice next to the poetic rhetoric of Obama does not market very well…..
But to give the Entertainers acting as Journalist critical thinking – but what basis - Economic – NO,

Craig is moved by THE BEST MARKETING / SPIN / POSITIONING of any campaign in history. Which I am also in awe of – do not get me wrong.

The perfect storm – Hate Bush, Entertainers not Journalist, A gifted orator, People hungry for something….. Never go to the grocery store hungry – you buy something on impulse that is a mistake

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166552

I am speaking for myself and for the fact that Americans, who bitch the most about taxation, have some of the lowest tax rates in all the Western societies.

Also Obama has many millions to pay for his attacks,,
While he stays clean -

But Obama is attacking - Obama is the one that has made this a class war.

Ping,

But as a Republican, you have to be dismayed with your party's representative, too. I actually feel sorry for thoughtful Republicans who deserve better.

The guy is just nothing but negative -- A vote for McCain is not a vote FOR anything, it's just a vote AGAINST.

That's how he's run his campaign, with Palin's help. And I think the dynamic is that American's want to be FOR something this time around.

Question - what will all you Obamabites do if McCain wins?

I know you do not think about it and I hope to goodness that you do not have the extreme statements of civil war threats that some radical left are not pushing.

Why does Obama not denounce those statements?

What will you do if McCain wins?

I guess if you define a "class war" as pushing the interests of 95 percent vs. the interests of 5 percent, Obama is guilty as charged.

But what McCain and Palin are doing, particularly, is far worse. They're trying to pit 50 percent against 50 percent. And it's just totally cynical.

Like I said, a national disgrace.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166601

I bet you were a schoolyard bully when you were little

Ping,

If McCain wins, most of us will just do what most of your side will do when Obama wins -- and that's deal with it and get on with our lives.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166619

I get the feeling Jamie that what we are dealing with here is a "dittohead"

If McCain wins, I will be in a state of shock for many months.

LL - Nope McCain is for giving everyone a break - including the 10% or so that already pay 90% .

How can the 40%or so that pay nothing already pay less?

Obama has demonized corp America - and his tax plan will back fire - and global companies will not invest here.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166609

That's how I read it too, and I don't think Solar was at all out of place in responding to the ridicule of his previous statement.

If McCain wins, I begin moving to Nova Scotia.....and probably then from there to somewhere else, probably as far north as can be habitable...because if McCain wins, it's only because they steal it and the fix is truly in and Anon-Paranoid becomes a prophet.......

I don't know Ping. How can a state like Alaska justify receiving way more in federal spending than its residents pay in taxes -- when a state like our Florida is in exactly the opposite position, paying way more than we receive in spending?

Is that not "redistributive"?

Someone needs to check into whether Sarah Palin is actually a socialist. After all, she can see Russia and it might be rubbing off on her.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166671

I think she must be channeling the ghost of Reagan's brain. Actually, even Reagan was smarter than she seems to be....

Sturge. Go south. Try Rio.

Chloe:

Sorry for mot answering your question, a little late but---
These homes are only 1200 sq ft,,20 ft wide X 60 ft long, with now basement or garage, 1 1/2 bath 3 bedrooms (small) and are one story high.The are a very simple house that someone that is employed could get into one, with the help of the city and the fed gov.These homes are very attractive also cos of the way we are going to build them,,,,solarcrete homes are 80-90% efficient, very little heat or air cond.-----We have been working on this for over a year now-----should have started this tear for sure,,,there has been problems with the city itself ( lots of infighting) from people that just want to look important-----Then we have had 3 difff 501's that we have interviewed and started the negotiation process thru them----for one reason or other( greed) we did not go with them,,,,we feel that we now have the right one's, What is attractive to me is that i will be (2 of us ) one of the developers and also the general contractor. It's a winning combination of making a profit and helping someone get their first house. The city wants us to take 200 lots plus---i won't have it cos i don't want to be responsible for taxes on them----they finally are going to set aside these lots, but release them in a manner that we grow our co. i will get 20 to 50 to start, then increase the #'s as i train new teams of workers all houses and workers will be like cookie cutters, will have 4 diff models ----if they can afford 2nd floor etc,,we have a list of buyers thru the 501's and the city that needs the tax's from the houses----these will be in very dangerous neighborhoods but one of the things that i insisted on is security, and housing near the police station for my machines, trks. etc.------these are fine, but my main goal is the sewer work that it is going to take to connect these homes to the city lines,,, and the alleys(concrete) that will have to be built, there are a lot of diff preparations that goes into this ----like demolition of existing houses,,,trees a lot of diff things that make it more attractive that building homes.I hope to build solarcrete one story school buildings and other needs for the city as they come up by giving them service that they can measure,,etc,etc but first is the paper work,,,our atty will help guide us thru tons of it,,,,but once done ill make it almost impossible for other contractors to just waltz in,,,,will try to (if the city goes along with) general in charge of 3,000 lots if they go thru me i don't need to build anything--just the fast in and out stuff------man o man i bet u r sorry u asked now huh---there is more but this is the gist of it..thanks for asking once again if it goes thru like i think great,,but i learned a lesson a long time ago that nothing is a done deal until it is a done deal.---forgot the homes will even have the basic appliances also---but if you can get in your own hse for the same amount that u pay for apartment rental------in this case 700-1000 dollars why not, they will be required to live in the house for a period of 10 yrs before they can sell---but the houses them selves are what is attractive to the city cos of the energy savings in them,,,every thing is political, and someone will have bragging rites as we put them up they will get the credit---thats fine with me---let me know if i confused u by too much info.

no south for me.......I'll go where there less people as opposed to more........a lesson from long ago in TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY

ooooohhhhh...... sad news about Terkel....

just turned off my light..... and once again..... no trick or treaters.....
all the neighborhood kids are in their 20s......

now who's gonna eat all those nutrageous and heath bars........

sturg.... I've got relatives in Nova Scotia..... if McCain wins..... I'll tell em you're coming.....

Yes, just as I recalled. Alaska ranks first in per capita federal spending, with plenty of room to spare:

http://www.nemw.org/fundsrank.htm

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166695

Did Mr. Chambliss basically say that he dislikes Black people?

solar what kind of cabinets will you utilize in something like that?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166697

Hmmmmm... I doubt Gordo would be that PURDY.

First i drop that f bomb and now this long long post-----sorry to all

"Which reminds me, I read JTP's got himself a record deal. Maybe he'll need some help with his biography which I'm sure is not far down the road."

Rez -- I'm sure that deal's done.

Ping -- I think you are SO wrong. Obama has HUGE Wall Street support and he's a globalist. You should love him.

Sturgeone

Thee and me both. If you can see the neighbors coming over the hill, it's time to decamp.

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

Local high-school football team scores touchdown.
Fireworks go off.
Dog barks uncontrollably.

Such are my Friday nights in the fall.

Catch you all later.

Wall Street - the business community says keep your friends close - Keep your enemy closer.

Hedge the bet and make sure you influence the one that has no substance other then that as a liberal – He MUST CHANGE !!! His tax plan is Not good for business. Period.

Think twice when you get in the privacy of the voting booth. I think Barack is an amazing phenom - but would not vote for it.

Oh, Lard -- I can't believe you think only McCain and Palin have been the only dirt throwers. The Democrats have turned out to be every bit as evil. Welcome to the party.

LL - you going to the game in the hood - that is where I am going now..

Go Braves?

Catch up with all later

Sturg---waiting now for the prints from the solar panel co.--can't imagine more than 12-16 ft , if they qualify for a 2nd floor they will have a lot more space---but im going to push for basements-----make that living space also

solar, keep me posted.....I imagine you already have someone you rely on, or are thinking manufactured and install yourself, but if not I'd be interested in bidding.....distance is no problem and I can easily do "manufactured types".......especially to good old chicago.............

Bill Mahar will be on Campbell Brown tonight.

Sturg---it's a done deal then with u and me if this project is a go----u can even stay with me til we get u a place,,,but we might have to wrestle for the pc so we can post on tm. :-)) but i think that u are a few months older than me, so it's age before me, i aint no beuty-ha

not at all sure how exactly it would work, but since I'm imagining...... I was thinking build in my shop (materials probably cheaper down here?) and truck them up, same way the big manufacturers do it ........my wife and I install together..........since it's small units, I'd think so many units per truck.........It's entirely possible, I'd think, if it were to work out right.......

Early voting -

As a % of TOTAL 2004 vote.

New Mexico ( Bernalillo Cnty ) - 61.9%

Nevada ( Clark Cnty ) - 63.5%
( Washoe Cnty ) - 56.8%

North Carolina - 58.5%

Fla. - 44.0%

Georgia - 53.3%

Colorado - 60.1%

Montana - 40.5%

http://elections.gmu.edu/early_vote_2008.html

and if it were bigger than that or more at one time....more workers, more trucks.......lol

Ping - In my view Corp America has demonized itself
by being interested only in making money. The list of damage they have done to the social fabric of this country is ridiculous. All their ads can't cover up the effects of their greed.

Wanda Sykes was just on Ellen - costumed as Al
Sharpton (I think). She was pushing to stop Prop 8 and is so damn funny - she has a routine re ways that gays have had to deal with discrimination that blacks never had - to begin with, she notes that blacks don't have to come out of the closet.

After that, Susie Orman was advertised as being on the news to work against Prop 8 - wonder how many knew she is gay.

These kinds of public appearances are what should have been done from day one. They have had a recent turnover in the publicity group there and I hope it isn't too late.

It occurs to me that pedophiles and mass murderers can marry, but gays can't? People who have made a mockery of marriage - abused their sposes - can marry but gays can't? Where is the logic of all that?

This is obviously my bete noire (one of them) and since I'm straight it might seem funny, but it all goes back to the strangle hold religion and churches can take if they start writing our laws. We can't let any religious groups get hold of our supreme court! I just saw a bumper sticker the other day = Proud Member of the Religious Left.

Just got this email. Parts of it are sure to anger some here, but parts of it are funny. Read at your own risk.

> Dear Red States,

>
> We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form
> our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States
> with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes
> California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota,
> Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We
> believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and
> especially to the people of the new country of New
> California.
>
>
>
> To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the
> slave states. We get stem cell research and the best
> beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.
> We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get
> Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of
> America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get
> Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to
> make the red states pay their fair share.
>
>
>
> Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than
> the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy
> families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware
> that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and
> we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at
> once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals.
> They have kids they're apparently willing to send to
> their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you
> don't show pictures of their children's caskets
> coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that
> the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our
> resources in Bush's Quagmire.
>
>
>
> With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control
> of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than
> 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the
> nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's
> quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the
> high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all
> living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven
> Siste r schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the
> Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with
> 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected
> health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes,
> nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the
> hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually
> 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones
> University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get
> Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.
>
>
>
> Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states
> believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent
> believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war,
> the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution
> is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in
> 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are
> people with higher morals then we lefties.
>
>
>
>
>
> Peace out,
>
>
>
> Blue States
>

once we get signed paper work like quite deeds etc,,i will come up with a square ft. price that will be used to build----i will have a breakdown on all aspects of costs needed for each phase of individual hse (model) i will let u know that price and get u the section (prints) then u can decide if it's what u want?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166601

Anselm
I find you to be a very smart person,that said you really remind me of some of the snotty elite liberals who look down there noses at people like me who maybe aren't the most educated but still have opinions and things to say.I take offense at your comment and feel your trying to stifle free speech and opinion,unless its opinion you agree with and is well written enough to pass your phony test....

sounds mighty like a plan...........

Bethy---i liked it all,,,but this was my favorite

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states
> believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent
> believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the war,
> the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution
> is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in
> 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are
> people with higher morals then we lefties.
>
laughing out loud---i think i just scared some kids away

and the whale said to Jonah......"aint no little-bitty nothing like YOU....gonna hip ME---the king of the dip---to what the lick is....

---Lord Buckley

Yo tony---what did u get a trick or a treat.:-))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnLWoG7o6fM

mac and johnny

Today, the Prince of Taxes, threw three newspapers, who had been with the campaign from the very beginning off of his plane. Why you may ask? Well Obama, and his wife, thought they needed two black magazines to cover them, so they now have allowed Essence and Jet to join them on the plane. So now Obama, is already throwing more white people under the bus, because he wants only people of color with them. So much for Obama, being above all the racist stuff.

Nogopistan

Solar
Hey Mr.I had a some beautiful kids show up!! Snickers and Crunch bars!! My treat comes later!! HA HA. Hope you got treated!! Love your posts today!! F- Bomb too.....HA

Tony---there was a little boy today ;maybe 4-5 years old in a bear costume, a soon as i opened the door he asked me if i had a little dogie that he could have-----i told him no honey,,he said do u have a little kitti, told him no i did not,said got any candy, i gave him a whole hand ful---what a smile my wife wanted to eat his little face but, mor e kids to look at-------a cpl of my sisters think that today is the devils day---they don't think that kids should enjoy this day---go figure?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166800

Solar, No, I'm not sorry I asked. I'm fascinated by how much you've accomplished and the detail of your planning. And you're right, we do think alike. When you said "nothing is a done deal until it is a done deal" I couldn't believe it. I'm always saying something very similar to that, and always know it's best to just wait and see. It's almost a superstition I have, like it'll bring me bad luck if I take it for granted.

If you can keep the financing where you want it, and their payment is the same as rent payments, how can they (or you) lose. But how will you keep the down payments and closing costs down. They need to put something up to show they're committed to the deal, don't they?

Thanks for explaining all that. I'm fascinated by the scope of it all. I hope it all goes together as planned. Good luck!

" being objective, like the rest of the press corps."
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166767

ha ha ha ha ha! Objective press corps. Hilarious!

Lampe are you familiar with:
http://www.sugarnspice.typepad.com/

Sugar is good.

Jamie
Smartesia you win!!

Solar -- does your product have Habitat for Humanity or developing country applications?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166844

Racist? Table for one?

And 90% in the Red states thinks that kill the goose for the feast as someone will come along later to feed me.

Betty do you have any understanding of Capital stucture..... ah no need to waste my time

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166849
Solar
The boy sounds adorable! I sure enjoy seeing the little one's.I understand about your sisters.I don't get that way of thinking but have run into it my whole life...

How great tho art Obama - talks about the Fortune 500 and how the CEO's .. Bla Bla Bla.... Well that is only up to 500 People - ah da fortune 500 !!!

It was amazing how Obama made each of these to be evil.
I wonder what their charitable gifting is and the jobs... OK I will agree Walmart is evil

It's not enough to spread the hate to just those that ask too many questions anymore. Now it encompasses whole states. The United States of Obama. How's that ring?

chloe - not Us of O.
It is an ObamiNation.

If he keeps his historical point and pulls off the scam - even got Craig with a tingle up his leg..... And DOES NOT CHANGE and is really about the NEW FUNDAMENTALS for our Country based on his Biais.

And Nancy P, Harry R and Barney Fife in the Congress ... Oh My

Remember - you can think he is pretty interesting but in the privacy of the Booth..

Think hard about what Obama has really said and what he has not.... It is not to late

Chloe:

The government and the city in indiana will provide the initial $ that is required, up to 40% so they move in with equity built in the day that they move in------remember the Clinton-Gore funding is still out there, also other help, but it's there,,,this financial mess is driving me crazy,,,(or as some say for me it is just a short walk-to go nuts that is) but anyway there has to be some where for people to live,and with the rentals around 12-15 hundred average and going up all the time,,,affordable housing is what is called for, but what is going be tricky is the building mtls-----gonna see if i can get some good deals once i can show paper work and blue prints for lots and houses,,,will ask home-depot,menards, lowes,and any one that i can think about to compete for the mtls..it all comes together a piece at a time, it will be a great opportunity to test my self, for myself and my partner that i have known for a long time---he owns a mortgage co. and takes care of the financing, taxes etc,,,was not offended when i told him that i was going to a lawyer to represent me on all the paper work,,,,and that he should too----he told me that he was going to aproch me with the dame idea,,,,,we always tell each other the truth,,,,other than fighting about politics, we get along great,thanks

I think you've got something there. Always at the front of the line.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166863

Well Ping, aren't you getting testy? Election jitters? Or just the realization that your economics "fundamentals" is typical capitalist fantasy? I was going to say "lies" but that's unfair because you really believe what you say.

Ping do you have any understanding of the complexities of economic orthodoxies and structure? And further, do you understand that the USA has never been a "free enterprise" country?

"A free enterprise economy is an economic system in which businesses and consumers are "free" to engage their resources in any desired production, consumption, or exchange without government restriction, regulation, or control"

Is that REALLY the sort of system you support?

ah, no need to waste my time.... ;-)

Solar

20 X 60 ?

That is kind of long and narrow, is there a carport or garage?

The thing I am glad to see Habitat doing is larger houses. The ones they are doing in our neighborhood are around 1200 with a basement and a garage. To me that is the minimum for a modern house and as I argued to habitat at the time I was on the neighborhood association housing committee 1500 is almost the minimum. At the time 2002, Habitat was doing 1000 ft. houses on a slab no garage.
The problem in our neighborhood is we have a lot of small house we need infill with larger houses. Improve the neighborhood don't just build more of the same trash.

Thanks for the long post I read some of it to my wife who used to do community stuff(it is how we meet) she found it interesting.

Jack

Solar - sounds interesting good luck.

Construction costs are dropping.... So maybe good timing

But Wait - You are not going to ask the evil Fortune 500 for gifts.....

Better get them now

"what is going be tricky is the building mtls"

And they've gone way up. When you get those material bids, maybe they will take into consideration the overall sense of the project, and chip in a larger discount toward a good cause.

ET - is it past your bed time?

Certainly we must have some protection from ourselves as a society, and unfortunately we did not get protected from borrowers that where allowed to over extend to the delight of the likes of Dodd’s and Franks not stopped by a complacent President.

And ET you believe the giving more social entitlements creates jobs? Help me understand that one?

OH MY! WHAT WILL GORDO HAVE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT NEXT???

State declares Barack Obama's Hawaii birth certificate is genuine

Associated Press
Last update: October 31, 2008 - 5:43 PM

HONOLULU - State officials say there's no doubt Barack Obama was born in Hawaii.

Health Department Director Dr. Chiyome Fukino said Friday she and the registrar of vital statistics, Alvin Onaka, have personally verified that the health department holds Obama's original birth certificate.

Fukino says that no state official, including Republican Gov. Linda Lingle, ever instructed that Obama's certificate be handled differently.

She says state law bars release of a certified birth certificate to anyone who does not have a tangible interest.

Some Obama critics claim he was not born in the US.

Earlier Friday, a southwest Ohio magistrate rejected a challenge to Obama's citizenship. Judges in Seattle and Philadelphia recently dismissed similar suit

And you're so good at it.

Ping, entitlements circulates capital in a market economy. The more people who have money, the more they have to buy and to consume... Everyone wins...

ET - nice but only Gordo kept that lie going.... which was loved by Barack as it kept the real discussion from happening

Chloe

Lumber and sheet rock are way down.

But anything with copper, (electric and plumbing) is way up. Nothing I can do about the wiring but for plumbing I have switched to pex system plastic tubing.
I can buy 100 ft of the tubing for $25 10ft of copper cost me $13 the other day.

Jack

"Lumber and sheet rock are way down. "

Jack, I'm surprised.
I turned around to the hubby and he said yeah, they are down, just about the last month or so. I didn't know that.

Spike--hello--enjoy your political input that u provide very much.

to answer your question, no but once that it would be feasible i would want to get involved,,,,,i truly respect Pres. Carter in this sense,,,that and the fact like Anon says he was energy conscientious, he did put up those solar panels on the white house------i wonder some times how a dukakis white house would have done with the energy problem---maybe we would not be in this mess----well in 80 we voted for an attractive candidate and his panels were made into large skate boards,,,any way thanks

ET - my next trip over the pond well pound a few.

Hey if Ping can hang with Brain.... Spray Spray Spray.... Nothing is a worry

Steel is coming down also....

He said copper and electrical has been going back down too.

And Ping, you are correct. It is WAY past my bedtime. Was watching 2 episodes of Battlestar Galactica after an evening out in The Netherlands. Mauro is complaining that I am still online, so ciao for now... and wish everyone a Happy Halloween. Hope you get yummy treats. Normally I wish scary things for Halloween but I don't want the Republicans to win the election. So this time I will just say... "have fun and keep the faith."

Solar - so you are more along the lines of Bush texas house then Gores Tenn version of carbon offsetss

Now come on admit it....

Bush wins on this one

ET How far from Dusseldorf?

CRAIG
Is Hillary and Big Dog Moving to ORlando?

Another event her this weekend

140.74 miles....

" was walking my dogs yesterday and a woman I know, a russian immigrant, elderly came up to me and said "you know if Obama is elected the blacks are going to start killing all the whites".

Oh puhleeze. I'm so sure. There's enough stupid shit out there that you don't have to lie. That story smells.

Chloe

I've noticed th price of copper is down but It didn't seem to reflect in the tubing I bought the other day. But then I may not have seen it at its high. I can't tell you about wiring as I haven't rewired a house where I've had to buy wire. But last spring It was a shocker.

Jack

Jack, If you take any scrap copper, etc. to the recycling place, you'll find out it's way down.

Jack---yeah a little small,,,im trying to get 1500 sq ft.but will take what i can get---no they do not have a basement, garage ,we are working with the city to relax their prices on the permits, get us a building for housing mtls, trks etc, i will get someone to live in it.....and yes while some mtls are reasonable, copper wiring, sewer mtls are way up,,,what im going to try to do is to get some sweat equity from the home owners by them gaurding their future house at nights and weekends,, if they can afford a garage, car port, basement, that will be an extra,,,imagine a space so as u can be able to put 4 units back to back with demising footings and walls, for the elder, yard space garage etc, but if one goes away for a month or more the other 3 are there to take care of theirs while they are away-

Patsi

This evening there was a knock on the door. The neighbor lady ask my wife if she could use our phone. My wife handed her our cell. She said "Ican use that, trust me, don't you have a phone? "
my wife told her that all we have is cell phones. She then ask my wife if she had any ideas. To which my wife said no and Jan started cussing at the wife.
It seems that Jan is having an episode.
So maybe there is a Russian lady, maybe she is Jan but what the F**k does either Jan or the Russian lady have to do with reality.
Then again Jan and the Russian lady aren't the only reality challenged people we know are they?

Jack

Great cartoon:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/215/index.html

Ping---u r one creative son of a gun----u can turn any conversation into a bush positive----sorry my friend,,,reality is reality,,,,,bush would somehow manage to ruin a dog house,like he did the white house,,,i hear that he is going to sell the ponderosa, and move back in with mom. :-)))

Ping----another thing i can recognize an excellent sales man when i see one,,,,u will never go hungry-

Chloe

That is good news, It has got to where You don't put copper in these old houses for fear some one will break in and steal it. I talked to someone the other day who had a house where the renters ripped all the wireing out of the house before they were evicted.

Jack

Viv if you're out there.

Elvis, Kentucky rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAetaE-MzDs

"State officials say there's no doubt Barack Obama was born in Hawaii

She says state law bars release of a certified birth certificate to anyone who does not have a tangible interest."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iw1At-4G1xuE50oXVFRlBPfR3dqgD945OLU00

============================
This doesn't prove anything. In the past, HI officials have said that they are not allowed to comment on ANY birth certificate info -- ANY. So why now? Because questions are being raised, so a statement is put out (just before the election) that is really meaningless --- except to low- information people. Some are easily fooled because they lack details. That HI officials will lie to protect SoetorObama is no surprise.

Has SoetorObama authorized the release of all certified hardcopy BCs? NO !!!

There are also citizenship problems (Indonesia & Kenya) in addition to the birth place question. The citizenship problem would disqualify him even with a HI birth.

He should be forced to provide these documents:

1. A certified copy of Obama’s “vault” (original long version) birth certificate;

2. Certified copies of all reissued and sealed birth certificates of Obama in the names:
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA, a/k/a :
BARRY SOETORO, a/k/a :
BARRY OBAMA, a/k/a :
BARACK DUNHAM, a/k/a :
BARRY DUNHAM?

3. A certified copy of Obama’s Certification of Citizenship;

4. A certified copy of Obama’s Oath of Allegiance taken upon age of majority;

5. Certified copies of Obama’s Application and Admission forms for Occidental College, Columbia University and Harvard Law School; and

6. Certified copies of any Court Orders or legal documents changing Obama’s name from Barry Soetoro to Barack Hussein Obama.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166908

Same thing here in Houston Jack. They tear apart huge AC units outside or on top of industrial buildings, because the copper is so valuable. It was outrageously high for a while. The price drop will make it less profitable now.

nite

Solar

You take what you can get with those CDC's

I was just trying to get Habitat to change at the time and from the looks of the houses they are building in our neighborhood they listened. I will admit I was not the only one putting pressure on them. I talked to several other organisations and neighborhood activists and we all had some of the same objections.

Jack

Jack--- in chicago the average lot is 25 to 30 ft wide,,and needs by code set backs of 2 to three ft at the sides, most houses, are 2 stories high, with basement, that are also used as living space,and have a garage at the rear,now in the burbs where i live,and other places the lots are much wider--mine is 75 ft x 130ft deep, used to have 2 apple trees and 1 pear, and like a dummy itook them down--could not keep up with the cleaning--shoulda trimmed them down to manageable size,,,but,,,back to lots, in indiana the lots are much wider, but the can not build over what the people can afford

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166910

And you are the ugliest asshole in here
Dip shit

Jack

Solar

Current codes in Kansas city won't let you build in a smaller lot than 50ft wide. A lot of the old houses are on a lot smaller lots. My old house that I lived in before the wife and I got together, was smaller. 33ft. I had 8 inches on one side and 8,5 ft on the other Just enough to park my picjup between me and my neighbors house and open the door and get out.

As to what you can afford,
One of the points I always tried to make to people like you is , You really aren't a home owner unless you can sell your house. The 1000 ft house that habitat was doing at the time was not a house you could sell with any equity for a down on your next house.

Jack

There are no slackers, they all went and got a job. It is called growing up. The new generation of searching youth are called something else. , MM is behind the times, But that is no surprise.

Jack

Jack---thats correct i told chloe that, the occupant will not be able to sell for 10 years,,,i do under stand what u mean, if the house that u live in is too small to build equity(its worth) how can u get into a large house with the little money

Solar

Its been a fun discussion and I've enjoyed reading your posts tonight.

But, It is bed time my wife is home and she is an early riser. I think I've talked her into taking a week off so I can look at her once in a while and remember what she looks like. Then she will be back on the road.
Come to think of it, ai'm not sure we can live in the same house for a whole week, It has been a while.

Jack

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166910

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166916

you guys, cut it out

Hi Guys, haven't been here really for a few days. Been with my parents, my poor Da has the beginnings of Alzeimhers and my Mom is legally blind. So I've been busy. Just wanted to check in and can see that not much has changed. Jack- You were right- ground hog day! Don't let them get your goat, you're better than all that. Patsi darling- wear the tag hag proudly! Another example of their misogyny.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166922

(delete comment)

I had some thoughts but at this point what difference does it make so I deleted most of the post.
But If I hadn't made a comment would you have?

Jack

OSH

Your right lol,
Time to do what I said and go to bed

Jack

Good night Jack and have a lovely week with your wife!!

NEW THREAD

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/checkmate-in-florida.html#comment-166922

Good one Craig !!

http://www.all-gadgets.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=5112&d=1224971589