Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

me first?

Well Craig, don't spoil the party !!!

I'm baaaaaaack.....

ETom..... MM is a pimp?...... I always thought of her as a pump....
and get that tongue back in your mouth NOW mister...... :0)

champ..... it looks like the Phillies are ready to take the series..... and yes.... it is anti-climatic now...... good article about baseball and television you posted this morning......

Jack...... where did you hear that about the CSM?.... I've seen nothing about them stopping to hard print it in the paper itself..... I even ran downstairs to look at their subscription section..... they are still taking subscriptions for the actual printed newspaper.... it's been my breakfast companion for years.....

"Barack choosing my hometown for his Bill moment affects me deeply."

Craig,

Sorry I didn't make it in time to ask you this on the last thread, but can you please say what the above quote from you meant?

And why you think Bill doing "The Party" the favor of campaigning a large state like Florida (one that has a lot of electoral votes and is leaning) means he somehow needs Obama?

Are you saying Bill is doing this for selfish reasons?
I'm just very curious as to how you meant all of this. Thanks.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165644

chloe, to your first question -- i am a proud Orlando boy, what else can i say. As far as all the questions about why Clinton needs Obama: First, i find it remarkable that Obama has not needed the Clintons as expected in this campaign. Second, the Clintons now need Obama to restore Bill's image among black voters, and Hillary needs his nod to be a player for his health plan in Congress. Those are a few reasons that come to mind.

The major factor is the amount of early voting this election could keep last minute problems from changing the election. It will keep last minute surprises (real or made up) from affecting the election in the last week in a major way.

Ok Craig. That pretty much covers it all.

I'm not sure you aren't making a couple of assumptions there, but who am I to say you're not right. Thanks.

"First, i find it remarkable that Obama has not needed the Clintons as expected in this campaign."

I guarantee you that if Hillary hadn't gone the distance to bring her constituency back, things would look very different. I think he needed that effort greatly.

Obama leads among Colorado’s Hispanic voters by a “staggering” 81 percent to 19 percent, the Politico poll found. Among Colorado’s other crucial voting bloc, unaffiliated voters, Obama runs ahead of McCain 57 percent to 38 percent. Independents make up roughly one in three voters in Colorado, with the remainder split evenly between Republicans and Democrats, who have carried the state’s electoral votes only once since 1964.

http://coloradoindependent.com/13184/obama-ahead-by-8-points-in-colorado-wins-hispanics-4-to-1

if Obama is running 4 to 1 with Hispanic voters in Colorado, he could beat McCain in Arizonia.

Rallying a crowd Wednesday in North Carolina, the Democratic presidential contender said McCain will soon "be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/29/obama-sharpens-tone-again_n_138915.html

By the way -- great to hear you back on Imus this morning!

" McCain will soon "be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten."

Ha! Great line!

I agree Patsi that Hillary and Bill moved quickly to do so...

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-10-28/so-long-obama/1/

Bear -- You can't make this shit up:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Confederate_battle_flag_Obama_yard_sign.html?showall

I don't think the Clintons need Obama anymore then he needs them.

This will be especially true when the media returns to "Clinton Rules" for their reporting on the president.

I read that piece by the new McCain supporter -- sounds to me like she's now scrambling for a job and needs to expand her base of operations.

Patsi,

I saw that link on HuffPo last week...

In TX, I've seen a couple God, Guns and Obama bumper stickers in the past week...

Hate Springs eternal
"Why, then, is there so much venom out there?

I won’t try for fake evenhandedness here: most of the venom I see is coming from supporters of Mr. Obama, who want their hero or nobody. I’m not the first to point out that the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality. We’ve already had that from the Bush administration — remember Operation Flight Suit? We really don’t want to go there again.

What’s particularly saddening is the way many Obama supporters seem happy with the application of “Clinton rules” — the term a number of observers use for the way pundits and some news organizations treat any action or statement by the Clintons, no matter how innocuous, as proof of evil intent"
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/11/opinion/11krugman.html

Hey Wendy,. . Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165657

A perfect example of why McCain won't win, palin makes an energy policy address at solar energy factory and chants "drill baby, drill". Idiots!
(My first blog post via BlackBerry, cool)

Solar, So glad to see you back today.

"Bow to your master!"
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/bill-clinton-needs-barack-obam.html#comment-165383

Never! Never to any master. :)

Governor Palin addressed solar issues and talked about the success of the plant where she was speaking.

Increased technology doesn't mean better information. Just the sos faster.

Does every state have early voting now? I know for Texas we have 2 weeks of early and then the actual election day......I know I've got no sympathy for someone here who complains that they didn't have time to make it to the ballot box...

Katherine,
Thanks for linking "Hate Springs Eternal". I'm quoting another paragraph from it.

"...... Racism, misogyny and character assassination are all ways of distracting voters from the issues, and people who care about the issues have a shared interest in making the politics of hatred unacceptable."

Jax-
30 are early

NY does not have early voting.

Only 30....what the hell....its not like it takes some great
technological breakthrough....We've had it for awhile here....it does relieve alot of the unfair access arguments..

From the Ben smith piece;

"His neighbor was a postal worker. I almost missed the ceramic black lawn jockey on his porch,"

Patsi,

Back in my college days, I worked with asphalt/paving co. in the NE and there was guy (liberal prof) who had a collection of "lawn jockeys" around his place. He had a couple in his front yard but most were in the back and around the house and garage. So you never know. My guess is those older ones sell for a pretty penny nowadays.

I'm shocked that NY doesn't have it. Especially when you consider how many have to make it to the polls in NYC. The beauty of early elction is that if you have a registraion issue and are denied the vote you have 2 weeks to straighten it out before the actual voting date.

I'll tell you what will turn this election around -- if God forbid it happens -- a terrorist attack.

If it does occur, it will probably be on November 3, the reverse date of the Madrid Bombings.

I'm not sure where you all get your information from. But, HRC, has done over 60 rallies, fundraisers, and what ever else Obama, has asked her to do. As for Pres. Clinton, needing Obama, to get back in the good grace of the Black community, What For? Bill's not running for anything, he has his own thing that he does. And just as now, it was Obama, and his supporters who played the race card against The Clintons, and now McCain. I don't know how you people could even think that Obama, has bought this country together. This man has single-handly set racial problems back 50 years. First he tore apart The DNC, which I'm not sure will ever be the same, now he is tearing apart the whole country, Well this is one AA women, who will not vote, for a man like that.

That Palin speech was the poorest delivery she's given yet, it was the president of the PTA talks quantum mechanics from Cliff Notes.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165653

OMG Bear, that is hilarious !!

Lampe -

This man has single-handly set racial problems back 50 years.

Clearly you weren't around 50 years ago.

50 years ago Lampe -

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/7745/birmingham63rb9.jpg

50 years ago Lampe -

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/m_r/randall/policedogs.jpg

Well Lampe has got a good point re: Hillary working for Obama and President Bush not needing him since he isn't running for anything.

But I disagree that Barack Obama has set racial problems back 50 years. As much as I love Hillary and still wish that she was the nominee, I also admire Barack's intellect, caring and desire to make America a better place for everyone. I swore I wouldn't support him, but when it was clear that Hillary didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of still getting the nomination, I had to question my reasoning and I followed my heart which was to make sure the Dems regain control of the White House and the government. Since declaring my support for him, I've been further impressed by his debate performances and his energy going around the country. I also am impressed by the love he has for his grandmother. As hard as he is working, this must be a difficult moment for him. I hope his grandmother lives long enough to see him elected President.

I think having the first African-American President opens doors and advances racial equality and mutual understanding. Thus Lampe, while I respect your decision, I hope you at least vote for someone who shares your values, such as Cynthia McKinney or some other candidate, rather than voting for the right wing party that has put our country in the big mess we're in now.

IN solidarity...

ME

50 years ago Lampe -

http://www.binghamton.edu/ctah/birmingham/bullconnor.jpg

Some major voting issues in North Carolina if you try to vote a straight ticket...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-tucker/confusing-north-carolina_b_138073.html

The City of San Jose, California is suing Lehman Bros.

Will Charlie Crist sue Jeb Bush?

"...if Hillary hadn't gone the distance to bring her constituency back, things would look very different. I think he needed that effort greatly."

patsi, bear,
how soon they forget.

Great article in Washington Post by Meyerson

Return to Grant Park

By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, October 29, 2008; Page A17

The Democratic Party will return next Tuesday night to the place where, 40 years ago, its last governing coalition ingloriously died -- in all likelihood, to proclaim its rebirth.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102802954_pf.html

The new Cronkite/Eight poll out Tuesday evening shows Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) trailing Sen. John McCain of Arizona by two points, 44 to 46. Since the margin of error is plus or minus three points, the race is a statistical tie in Arizona.

http://www.politicker.com/latest-cronkiteeight-poll-has-obama-within-two-az

Will the RNC put up ads in Arizona ?

patd,
You have to kind of laugh....in one fell swoop a large part of the electorate will see whoever they disliked get theirs, Hillary, Bill, McCain and Bush.....all in just a few months....as I didn't care for any of them I can kind of sit back and grin......I'd really smile until I think about what we're in for instead.

Interesting view about how to deal with Iran...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/opinion/29friedman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Joe Biden under wraps

http://tinyurl.com/underwraps

Euro -

There's a book out called Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube and the Future of American Politics,

These authors were on C-Span this weekend, every 40 years our politics shifts, and they make convincing case for it . One thing they pointed out, there will be more people under 30 voting than there are over 65 voting this year.

Find out why the Millennials, America's newest civic generation, and the technology they use so well, are about to transform American politics.
http://www.millennialmakeover.com/

""His neighbor was a postal worker. I almost missed the ceramic black lawn jockey on his porch,"

Rez -- I'd like a lawn jockey of Dick Cheney....

"Thus Lampe, while I respect your decision, I hope you at least vote for someone who shares your values, such as Cynthia McKinney or some other candidate, rather than voting for the right wing party that has put our country in the big mess we're in now."

Tom's suggestion is good, Lampe. Vote for Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente. For all of Cynthia's firebrand actions, she by god tried to get Bush and Cheney impeached and hauled off to jail.

A word from Joe Case-Pack

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/5d3271b670/thomas-haden-church-vs-joe-the-plumber-from-thomas-haden-church

"Rez -- I'd like a lawn jockey of Dick Cheney...."

Patsi..... OMG!!!! ..... finally I HAVE pissed my pants....

ROFLMAO!!!!!!

Sweet Jeezus -- Liddy Dole goes medieval in her ads today:

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/n.c.-senate-race-gets-nasty-over-god-2008-10-29.html

lol@ Patsi,

If I had the extra bucks I'd love an original 6' Kawliga on my doorstep.:-)
Damn things (old ones) are expensive.

Patsi,
I forgot to mention that the guy with the collection was a black guy

sock,

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165666

She also talked about clean coal technology and said Obama doesn't think it should be OK for OH although he thinks it's OK for China. I'm sure the 200 folks at the plant were impressed with her concern for continued development of carbon based fuel technology.

Having lived in Birmingham 50 years ago and gone to HS with Bull Connor's nephew, I can say with no fear of contradiction that Birmingham was a racial mess 50 years ago.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165695

You got that right Patsi !!!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
McCain Miami Rally, Getting Ugly Down Here

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/mccain-miami-rally-getting-ugly-down.html

Oh, and the fire hoses/police dog incident was 1963 - 45 years ago, but that's a trifling distinction.

Pogo -
Amen, my first political awaking was watching Bull Conner in action in Birmingham.

David Shuster deserves a raise, he doesn't take bs from the talking point patrol .

On neil cavuto--ann coulter says that palin is the reason the race is so close----rasmussen poll has Obama only 3 pts ahead???

I've always wondered...
'

What are lawn jockeys for? Were they an excuse to have a non threatening black guy on your front lawn so you could claim one black friend, or did people actually tie up horses to them?

That woke up a lot of folks, anon. I'd have to say it drove the point home for me as well. I did not grow up in a liberal household, but my mom always showed a personal respect for the black maid who worked for us a day or two each week. I never thought much about it then, but in retrospect I always thought it was strange - while mom certainly was a daughter of the old south in the sense that she did not like black folks as a people, and shared many of the prejudices of her forebears, on a personal level I never heard her say anything negative about any black person she knew, and in fact, treated them very respectfully. One of those contradictions of the deep south that existed then (and probably now as well to a much lesser extent), I guess.

Well, off to LP's school open house - time to meet the teacher.

pogo -----------------------

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/bill-clinton-needs-barack-obam.html#comment-165634

Can't defend SoetorObama? Now attack Berg. Anything to divert attention from the cover-up.

Jax -

The go to site for early voting -

2008 Early Voting Statistics

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

GORDO -

I'd really like to see more cowbell.

Hey Gordo,

I heard a wingnut pundit on the telly yesterday say that any kind of recording (a/v) would be rather worthless in lieu of the number of days we have left. Not enough time to get ads put together and aired sufficiently to do much damage.

5/6 days until Polls open.

btw, did you see the link to the authenticated Obama Birth Certificate. let me know, I got it!

From the Previous thread

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/bill-clinton-needs-barack-obam.html#comment-165668

Lampe,

I was about as ardent an HRC supporter as there was here. I agree that as POTUS, she would have been better than Obama. However, because of her, he really seems to be growing into the strength needed for the job. He certainly embodies all the causes that she cared about.

To punish the country by inflicting four more years of a less than qualified Republican team after the destruction perpetrated on the American public by Bush strikes me as sulking in a snit fit. If I can't have Hillary, I'm going to slap her in the face, turn my back on everything she believes in and go with someone she opposes who isn't right for the job.

It looks a little slow ----and i promised Rosi a joke, here you go.

Eddie wanted desperately to have sex with this really cute, really hot girl in his office... but she was dating someone else.

One day Eddie got so frustrated that he went to her and said, 'I'll give you $100 if you let me have sex with you...'

The girl looked at him, and then said, 'NO!'

Eddie said, 'I'll be real fast. I'll throw the money on the floor, you bend down and I'll finish by the time you've picked it up'

She thought for a moment and said that she would consult with her boy friend...so she called him and explained the situation.

Her boyfriend says, 'Ask him for $200, and pick up the money really fast.. He won't even be able to get his pants down.'

She agreed and accepts the proposal.

Over half an hour goes by and the boyfriend is still waiting for his girlfriend's call. Finally, after 45 minutes the boyfriend calls and asks what happened.....?

Still breathing hard, she managed to reply, 'The bastard had all quarters!'

a construction lesson learned the hard way: Always consider a business proposition in it's entirety before agreeing to it and getting screwed.

North Carolina -
45.8% of the TOTAL 2004 vote has already voted early.
In 2004 the early vote was 30.8% of the total vote.

Georgia -
41.8% of the TOTAL 2004 vote has already voted early.
In 2004 the early vote was 20.2% of the total vote.

http://www.lvrj.com/news/33494194.html this link i got off drudge says Obama firewall voters are under performing in early voters in Nevada

Rezdog -------------

The end is the beginning.

What link are you referring to?

Solar -
Nothing like a good joke to cleanse the pallet of a GORDO post.

Anon--yes---I like that u care so much about our earth...I always tell my republican friends about pres. carter's solar panels,,,not any of them ever knew this fact,,,,

greenclouds
Click on the link I posted @ 4:31, note the Dem turnout numbers in Nev.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165693

Anon

The Millennials were first described by Stauss and Howe in their Book Generations and their progress was brought forward in "The Fourth Turning". Both are fascinating books about the cycles of the generational types.

http://www.fourthturning.com/

Solar -
He (Reagan) also let all the gains in efficiency standards we started in the late 70's lapse in the middle 80's.
Part of this whole Republican theory that we should just let the world go to hell because the market will fix it.
One thing the Republicans count on is short attention spans.

Hot Tub Tom rears his slimy head on MSNBC. What a lizard.

I know Tom Delay is nuts. Is he as stupid as he seems or is he smart like a fox pushing an agenda to others for his own wealth and power while not believing a word of it.

To bad Chris won't ask DeLay about his Russian Oil Mafia friends

Too bad he didn't know enough to tell him that the tape Delay was talking about was a college lecture and referred to slavery as structured in the Constitution.

Not exactly a Marxist manifesto.

He's the pathological wing of the right, being a lying lizard and wrapping yourself in religion. Using Joe the Plumber as props.

We don't have early voting in Washington and I can hardly wait until Tuesday. My son voted by mail since he is traveling, but I like the trip to the polls as a tradition so have to wait until Tuesday.

If Rosie is still lurking, my sister's next door neighbor made her husband go to a Promise Keeper's weekend in Grand Rapids awhile ago. I kinda felt sorry for him. It's not my thing. Especially to spend an entire weekend with a lot of men. Even more so to talk about our feelings. BTW, Promise Keepers was started by former Colorado football coach Bill McCartney.

This memo that cable news is all a Twitter about, leaked to Andrea' Michell . Narrative :
John fighting back !

Anon---Once again some,not all of my republican friends, well educated, but a little stuck on the ideas that u say,,,just get enough cash in someone's pocket,,,and all the world problems will go away.They have studied how to make money, but very little about reality, of how the earth functions----another thing that i told them that they no idea about ,or very little, is the fact that we as mammals go though the same process of photosynthesis that the plants, grass flowers,etc go through, we eat the animals that eat the plants, etc, that get their energy from the sunlight to produce carbohydrates, by eating them we go through the same process, in at diff level, so we are eating the earth that we need, so why destroy it,,,we are the earth, republicans are more religious than
most and don't accept these facts, imo. thanks

Thousands of lawyers to monitor US election
"It might be 10 years since the voting chaos in Florida, but no-one is taking any chances that similar problems will occur in the US presidential election this time around.

Thousands of lawyers are fanning out across the United States to be on hand if there is the slightest sign of voting irregularities.

Barack Obama's team has reportedly organised 6,000 lawyers to head to Florida - a sign of what might lie ahead."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/29/2404931.htm

Pogo

If you have never seen it, get a copy of "The Long Walk Home" with Whoopie Goldberg and Sissy Spasek. It is about the 1955 bus strike and the relationship between a woman and her maid

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100046/

Afternoon peeps

Okay pet peeve time. I will be so glad to get past Tuesday if only so I never have to hear Palin say "too or also" in every run on sentence.

"Palin say "too or also" in every run on sentence."

You and my wife. And Me for having to hearmy wife complain about it. :-)

Palins speaking style is appalling, you'd think at one of those 6 or 7 colleges she went to she would have picked up some better diction.

GORDO, HEY GOODO,

What is this about the tape the LA Times will not release? Have you looked into this or did I just miss it?

What about all these contributions Obama has recieved from people using prepaid credit cards that can't be traced? Who is paying for his 30 minute infomercial?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165749

*yawn*

Obama Accepting Untraceable Donations
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102803413.html

Including Mary T. Biskup, a retired insurance manager from Manchester, Mo., who turned up on Obama's FEC reports as having donated $174,800 to the campaign although she never donated to the candidate.
"That's an error," she said. Moreover, she added, her credit card was never billed for the donations, meaning someone appropriated her name and made the contributions with another card.
CASH WE CAN BELIEVE IN!

Jamie -- check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OINStsPwgQ4

She was reading a prepared speech from a teleprompter today and still managed to throw in several "too" and "also" .... sheesh!!!!

Reminds me of that poor beauty contestant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

Stoke that Bong
"Duuude..I like signed up, wasn't that my vote?
Do I like have to go somewhere now and do more work?"

http://patriotroom.com/?p=3489

I was all set to vote for Obama as opposed to voting none of the above. I am a hard core Dem and I support most everything Obama stands for. I just can't shake this uncomfortable feeling in my gut and I know it isn't anything I ate. It has lasted too long.

Last time I went against that uncomfortable feeling in my gut is when I let my banker talk me into investing most of my savings in mutual funds because my money wasn't growing in the savings account and now I am starting over.

I do tell myself that certainly the first black man that is elected president would never do anything to screw that up. Would he? I felt the same way about Hillary if she were to have become the first woman president.

Is it legal to accept untraceable contributions?

"Is it legal to accept untraceable contributions?"

CT--my guess is No it is not legal since there is a maximum limit, it follows that there must/shall be accounting to ensure the maximum is not breached.

Obama Accepting Untraceable Donations
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102803413_pf.html

McCain Campaign to LA Times: Release Video
http://www.poligazette.com/2008/10/29/mccain-campaign-to-la-times-release-video/

Republicans on this site and their enablers ...

Blah Blah Blah.

"Republicans on this site"

Oh gawd!! Is that legal?!!!

Why is this not a hate crime?

the man who placed an effigy of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin hanging from a noose in front of his house is not backing down.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2008/10/despite-a-prote.html

Hey Gordo,

Is that Khalidi you're talking about, the same Rhasi Khalidi that McCain donated $500,000 to his Palestinian research center. Damn that McCain, he better cut that shit out because some dumb ass people might get the wrong idea.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165763

No overt threat or action. Interviewed by police. Just a really poor taste "joke". for Halloween. Unfortunately, the same for the Obama effigies. Some people just don't use what few brains they possess.

It is fascinating to watch the Obama bashers spin in their FoxNews, Newsmax and Drudge Report induced frenzies.

Here's a novel idea, why don't you tell us what your beloved candidate John McCain stands for and what his views on the major issues facing this country are other than, "Obama is going to take your toys and give them to someone else." Maybe if your candidate would take more time to define himself rather than attack his opponent he might be doing a little bit better in the polls right now.

Then what about this? Why is there not the same reaction? Let me guess, the context is different.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/copycat-noose-shocks-top-new-york-university/2007/10/11/1191696078167.html

The problem with the credit cards is that there is no law against the practice because the law hasn't kept up with the development of card usage on the internet. They can screen the names and address on the back end, but up front can only check for the legality of the cards.

More than likely there are similar constributions in the McCain coffers if not as many because his web pages are rather amateurish compared to the Obama site.

Every new political development ends up creating the need for new laws, but that is always after the fact. Money is always to be made in the loopholes.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165768

There are racist a-holes all over our great country. Sadly, racism isn't confined to only one region although it seems that way.

Exactly, we need more laws. How about this. public finance of campaigns, 50 million tops nothing else allowed. Or, no holds barred whatever you gan get from any source even the devil.

To test the campaigns' practices, this author bought two pre-paid American Express gift cards worth $25 each to donate to the Obama and McCain campaigns online. As required by law, the campaigns' Web sites asked for, and National Journal provided, the donor's correct name, location and employment. The cards were purchased with cash at a Washington, D.C., drugstore, and the campaigns' Web sites were accessed through a public computer at a library in Fairfax County, Virginia.

The Obama campaign's Web site accepted the $25 donation, but the McCain campaign's Web site rejected it.

Rebecca Donatelli, president of Campaign Solutions of Alexandria, Va., which processes donations for John McCain, said her system rejected the donation because American Express could not verify that the donor lived at the address given with the online contribution.

The McCain campaign does accept normal credit card donations because staffers can easily check whether the owner of the credit card shares the same billing address as the listed donor, she said. That address-check process costs the campaign about 12 cents, she said.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njonline/no_20081024_9865.php

"That is how Pamela Geller, an advocate of limited government who runs the blog Atlas Shrugs, discovered invalid donations to the Obama campaign from such fictitious or prohibited donors as Doodad Pro, Hbkjb jkbkj, and a pair of Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip who donated $24,321 by July. Since early October, Newsweek, the New York Times and other established publications have described some of Geller's discoveries. But by ignoring these donations until last week, "the media has abdicated its role as public servant," she said."

Are we there yet?

GAK I agree about your racist remark, and not all of them are white either.

Same Story Washington Post - Obama's campaign is hiding the sources of some money.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/28/AR2008102803413.html

Mr. Fact-check I hate to get real here, but quite frankly, with all the nasty stuff Republicans have done over the years with respect to camaign finance I would say you're living in an extremly large glass house.

lol@Sturg,

Just sit back down and finish your book, we'll be there in short while.

Today I tried to convince the people at work that having Obama as their president would be in their best financial interest. Most make less than 40 grand/year. They wouldn't hear of it. I did add that their vote for boy George the last two times was why Obama will be our next president.

Even though I still do have a certain level of discomfort with Obama, too much unexplained baggage, I still can see the obvious.

Hey Karen, can I stay and play now?

Ms. GAKaren

I agree, Republicans violate the campaign finance laws all the time, however, not this time.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165768

Bowman, that was not on private property and was specifically directed at a person by placing it on his office door.

It is a matter of degree, direction, and location.

Jamie, How was the Obama show?

Bowman,

I would dearly love to have a limited campaign season, public financing, and free air time for candidates. Unfortunately, that would interfere with so much corporate income that the screams of outrage would be heard for the next four years.

Of course, I would prefer a parliamentary system with a shadow government and multiple parties, and I'm not going to get that either.

The constitution would have to be changed for a Parlimentarian system. The other changes would be easy compared to that.

I don't agree with your private property argument, if it was an Obama effigy, I would be shocked if there were no arests made.

There has been an Obama effigy, several of them. No arrests. Free speech is free speech as long as it is on private property. Just ugly and offensive, not illegal.

It has to reach beyond the private party in some way i.e. incitement to riot, approaching another home direct threat etc.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27439385/

Effigies found at U of KY and U of OR as well as private homes. Google search turns up scads of references. As I said, equal time stupidity.

I still think these "hangings" incite violence...but that's our culture now.

Obama should stop enforcing Federal marijuana laws. Congress should pass a law legalizing pot and authorizing a tax. This would both save money on enforcement etc and earn money from the taxes.

Pot should be legal and to waste money on enforcement of marijuana laws is ridiculous.

My nieces had a *mock* presidential elction at school today. They are in 5th grade and 3rd grade. My niece in 5th grade said, "Mom, I didn't know who to vote for, so I voted for McCain. Is that okay?" My niece in 3rd grade said, "I didn't know who to vote for, so I voted for McCain."

A new report from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) pegs the costs of marijuana law enforcement in the United States at $7.6 billion annually and finds that escalating marijuana arrests over the past two decades have failed to have any impact on marijuana use rates or other indicators chosen by drug enforcers to measure "success" in the war on drugs. What marijuana law enforcement has accomplished, the study found, is hundreds of thousands of arrests each year, with the burden of criminal sanctions borne disproportionately by the young and the non-white.

Same with prostitution, KGC. LOL!

OBAMA MUST STAND UP NOW OR STEP DOWN

"America is facing potentially the gravest constitutional crisis in her history. Barack Obama must either stand up in a public forum and prove, with conclusive documentary evidence, that he is “a natural born Citizen” of the United States who has not renounced his American citizenship—or he must step down as the Democratic Party’s candidate for President of the United States—preferably before the election is held, and in any event before the Electoral College meets.

... only asked to provide the public with the original copy of some official record that establishes his citizenship. The vast majority of Americans could easily do so. Why will Obama not dispel the doubts about his eligibility—unless he can not?

... the burden of proof rests squarely on his shoulders.

The underlying problem will not be obviated if Obama, his partisans in the Democratic Party, and his cheerleaders and cover-up artists in the big media simply stonewall the issue of his (non)citizenship and contrive for him to win the Presidential election."

http://www.newswithviews.com/Vieira/edwin84.htm

So has Obama said he will advocate the legalization of marijuana?

Hi everyone! I'm at a gorgeous retreat center along the James River outside of Richmond, VA for a conference on child abuse prevention. There are no televisions here, but there is WiFi. A bunch of us want to watch the Obama infomercial tonight. Does anyone on this list know if the infomercial is going to be available via webcast?

Thanks!

~Alicia Knight

GORDO,

You make it so simple. kind of like in a court of law, produce the evidence or not. What a novel concept.

Shouldn't a child abuse confrence be held in a high school Gym? Rather than in a "gorgeous retreat center along the James River outside of Richmond, VA"

Jamie, Ooops sorry, I see from Alicia's post that it hasn't aired yet. thought the show was on at 730. Not watching, but did want to hear your take on it.

Hey Corey
At least in SF, there may be legalized sex workers ..
http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_10770854?source=most_viewed

Bowmanc
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7499

It appears Obama is an advocate of decriminalization.
But legalization is the right thing to do and a money maker.

Who pays for the "gorgeous retreat center along the James River outside of Richmond, VA"?

Alicia: maybe the campaign website will link to ad AFTER it airs on TV?

Enjoy being on the James. Beautiful river.

It's on now on MSNBC I'm watching

I haven't found a webcast site yet.

Last year, my friend who is a cop, pulled over 2 guys in a car. Just a routine traffic stop. The driver happened to have a warrant out for his arrest. My friend was gonna be nice to the guy and let him call his wife to pick up his car. Meaning: They wouldn't tow it. Before the guy's wife arrived, my friend noticed how nervous he was acting. So he and his partner decided to search the car. There was a duffle bag in the trunk. My friend opened the duffle bag. It was full of cash. It turned out that either the guy was coming back from a drug buy or going to a drug buy. They ended up towing the car and arresting both men. The duffle bag had $260,000 in it. When he returned to the station my friend was told how lucky he was. Other officers said that usually when a large amount of money or drugs is being transported by car they have another car follow it for security purposes. Usually if a problems arise, cops etc...the people in the 2nd car will take care of the problem.

Marijuana isn't legal? I've heard you can smoke joints at the factory across the street from where I work.

Ann Arborm used to have a *hash bash* every year. You could smoke in public and only get a $5 fine. They stopped having it. However, I have walked near the U-M campus and seen middle-aged white guys holding signs saying "Legalize It!". They looked kinda sad to me. I also walked past a big table full of homemade bongs that were being sold by college kids. I thought, "These kids parents send them to college to get an education and they spend their free time making and selling bongs?"

Lots of people here grow a little pot for personal use. But the big commercial gardens are causing problems. In some of the northern counties neighbors have been complaining about the smell.

And these guys in Santa Rosa have started a neighborhood civil war.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20081027/NEWS/810270310

Whoa, Corey -- that may have been too close for comfort...

It was very well done. Nice personal family stories mixed in with previous speeches.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165797

Bowmac -- The retreat center is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Richmond. The land is the former country estate of a NY socialite who donated it to the church upon her death. The center is open to non-profit organizations for meetings and conferences. The conference I am attending is to train people who will then train child care providers and others in their communities on how to support parents who may be at risk for abusing or neglecting their children. (This could be any family with children.) The idea is to move beyond identification and reporting child abuse to actually preventing child abuse by helping parents cope with the challenges of child rearing. Child care providers are the child development experts that many parents see on a daily basis.

he conference is paid for with a grant from Zero to Three, which received an original grant from the Doris Duke Foundation.

The setting and surrounding environment of the retreat center is lovely with fall colors and nature's beauty. The accommodations are rather plain, but very nice compared to other religious retreat centers I've visited.

http://roslyncenter.org/index.shtml

Ah, my timing was perfect. Watched a DVR'd episode of Orange County Choppers and it just finished; Play Ball!

Well done, lots of "Americana" a great way to close a campaign, the live in florida could have been a little smoother.

Diva,

You could have used at least one tax dollar for Bowman to resent. :-)

OK, now we know. I've always admired Episcopalians, probably because I was baptised and confirmed Episcopalian and got married here:

http://www.trinityprinceton.org/

Jamie,

Those without sin cast the first stone.

Anyone else notice, McCain wasn't mentioned once?

Go Phillies!

It's a beautiful old church. As religions go, I've always admired Church of England and their American counterpart of Episcopalians.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165810

That's okay, Bowman -- I guess if I were a Christian I would be an Episcopalian -- an underrated sect these days.

I've been away from the the Mix for several days and it looks like I've missed a lot!

Just teasing. No rocks here, I'm too busy ducking the ones from those who haven't heard the rules.

.

Now calling Episcopalians a sect is asking for trouble. And underated at that. It is a good thing that Episcopalians are very slow to outrage unless it is for a liberal cause.

Palin came to Fredericksburg VA on Monday -- only 6000 people attended and many left halfway through her speech when it started raining. When Obama visited last month, over 26,000 people attended and stayed through heavy thunderstorms. This is significant considering Fredericksburg has been a GOP stronghold.

They have been know to sing "Onward Christian Soldiers" in the past. It is probably still in the Hymnal but not in the rotation for the Sunday lineup.

Patsi- Look up and Evangelical movement called the Promise Keepers. My sister and her husband are in that (ick) I KNOW you will appreciate it. This is sexism in it's most blatant form.
Fact check- can you find out if Sarah Pain and Todd belong to/attend to the philosophy of the Promise Keepers?

There is a great scene in "Mrs Minniver" where the Congregation is in the shell of their bombed out church singing "Onward Christian Soldiers"

This montage has the scene at the end, but you can't really hear the singing. One of the better WWII movies

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

One of my favorite's Jamie, I love Greer Garson, and that Minniver Rose!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2008/10/great-comebacks-in-history.html#comment-165817

Bowman -- Oops! Didn't mean to get you riled. Rest assured I have nothing but love for Episcopalians. My parents were Episcopalian.

Gotta go! Good Night everyone!

I got this email from Bruce Lunsford today :

Dear Vivian,
Twenty-four years ago, a manhunt was launched, the hounds were let loose, and Mitch McConnell used this ad to unseat incumbent Senator Dee Huddleston.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K4KOhlZR9s

Today, the hunt begins again: