Thanks for all the help everyone who posted and read including in no particular order Benjamin Hussein Coonley, Penny Hussein Lane, Citizen Hussein Mira, Dara Hussein Greenwald, Ed Hussein Halter, Kim Hussein Soss, Bill Hussein Daniel, Kent Hussein Lambert, Catherine Hussein Mazza, Butcher Hussein Walsh, Zulma Hussein Aguiar, Jim Hussein Finn, Jesse Hussein Pearlman Karlsberg, Jesse Hussein Stiles, Astria Hussein Suparak, Tom Hussein Colley, Professor Hussein Jenny, and Arthur Hussein Jones and Paolo Hussein Milanti.

In What Respect Charlie blogspot started when Obama was three points down in the polls. Let's just hope that we won't have to thaw this blog out in 2011.

November 4th, 2008

let the cub mauling begin

From Political Wire:
...In their special election edition, Newsweek reports that Gov. Sarah Palin's "shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy."

"One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family -- clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill."

"Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent 'tens of thousands' more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide ... said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books."

obama's old grade school in indonesia

kenya declares national holiday

Kenya declared a national holiday after Barack Obama's election as the first black U.S. president, to commemorate the fact his father was born in the African country, Agence France-Presse reported.

``This is a momentous day not only in the history of the United States of America, but also for us in Kenya,'' President Mwai Kibaki said in a statement, according to AFP. ``The victory of Senator Obama is our own victory because of his roots here in Kenya. As a country, we are full of pride for his success.''

Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr., was born in Kenya and left the president-elect's mother two years after his son was born. Obama met him once after that and his father died in a car accident in 1982. Obama's first book was titled ``Dreams From My Father.''

Obama music to celebrate by (thanks to Andrea Grover for the tip)

ny post calls it for obama

Hagan Wins in North Carolina

So where is your God now, Liddy Dole?

the dark terrorist speaks

From the New Yorker:
...One night, Ayers recalled, he and Dohrn were watching Bill O’Reilly, who was going on about “discovering” Ayers’s 1974 manifesto, “Prairie Fire.” “I had to laugh,” Ayers said. “No one read it when it was first issued!” He said that he laughed, too, when he listened to Sarah Palin’s descriptions of Obama “palling around with terrorists.” In fact, Ayers said that he knew Obama only slightly: “I think my relationship with Obama was probably like that of thousands of others in Chicago and, like millions and millions of others, I wished I knew him better.”

Ayers said that while he hasn’t been bothered by the many threats—“and I’m not complaining”—the calls and e-mails he has received have been “pretty intense.” “I got two threats in one day on the Internet,” he said, referring to an incident that took place last summer when he was sitting in his office at the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he has taught education for two decades. “The first one said there was a posse coming to shoot me, and the second said they were going to kidnap me and water-board me. This friend of mine, a university cop, said, ‘Gosh, I hope the guy who’s coming to shoot you gets here first...’”

How Am I the First to Post One of These Here?

So gratifying.

2008 Election Recap Realized as Golden Girls Episode

Recommended by Ivan.

obama in virginia

My chum Zulma went to the Obama rally in Virginia yesterday. Here is her flicker page:

if he's a black man, it must be obama

les misbarack

My mom sent me a link to this:

election night stuff

From Political Wire:
7 p.m. -- Polls close in Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky. If Virginia is called quickly for Obama, it means he likely wins the presidential race and Democrats across the country will have a huge night. If it's not called early, it's could be an indication that white undecided voters are breaking to McCain. Prepare for an hour long discussion of the "Bradley effect." If Georgia or Indiana are called early for Obama, it's a leading indicator for a landslide. In Kentucky, all eyes are on the fate of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

7:30 p.m. -- Polls close in North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia.Obama victories in North Carolina or Ohio likely seal the deal for him. An Obama win in West Virginia means start looking for Obama coattails in close House and Senate races.

8:00 p.m. -- Polls close in Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. If Pennsylvania is called early for Obama, McCain cannot win. His only real path to the presidency at this point requires he win the Keystone State. An Obama win in Missouri once again means a likely landslide in the electoral college.

9:00 p.m. -- Polls close in Colorado and New Mexico. Polls indicate both of these swing states should go to Obama. Early calls in each state will have Obama racking up electoral votes quickly.

10:00 p.m. -- Polls close in Iowa, Montana, and Nevada. If Obama wins in Montana and Nevada, we're looking at a possible political realignment of the Mountain West of the United States.

11:00 p.m. -- Polls close in California and North Dakota. California is the biggest state of them all with 55 electoral votes and may put Obama over the top. If the election hasn't been decided by now, it's probably become an interesting night for the McCain campaign and Republicans. However, an Obama win in North Dakota means we're witnessing a landslide.

cunty first

My chum Sabrina Gschwandtner send the link for Lisa Anne Auerbach's blog The Little Red Blog of Revolutionary Knitting:

juche hope

From my chum Dave Serra about Shephard Fairy poster imitators:

one more palinism

Joan Walsh in Salon:
...In Reno, Nevada, Sarah Palin just told the crowd about John McCain, "Send him on his last mission!" That sounded so creepy to me, and I didn't think I'd heard her say it before. Googled it; no results, though McCain himself has made reference to a "last mission." If they're elected, trust me, McCain will need a food taster. What is she thinking? Or is it just me? Meanwhile, Joe Biden was on fire in Philadelphia, very moving.

in case you've forgotten

Election Cake

Rachel Maddow eats my girlfriend's business partner's cake on the eve of election. Yay for mainstream media!

virginiaaaaaaaaaaa

gays 4 mccain

A sad little website.

don't fuck with our vote

native alaskans are discriminated against too, you know

We know today has been video-heavy, but this one, THIS ONE is the ticket, right here. A black fellow tells Sarah Palin that he is the only minority at her rally and asks how this can be improved upon. Palin replies that she knows what racism is like, because Todd is native Alaskan and, get this, “We live it.” Oh gosh golly, do we really only have a matter of hours left with this nut? [CNN iReport via Ben Smith]

British Journo Attempts to Explain American Mood to His Countrymen Using Football Metaphor

Martin Kettle at the Guardian:

"The mood here is like a cup final where your team is ahead with a few minutes to go. Those last few minutes seem to take forever. So near and yet so far. You overreact to every little event on the pitch as the time drags on. You scream manically at the referee to blow the whistle. Right now, Democrats are in that position. They just want it to be over now. But deep down, they don't really think that they will throw this one away."

California GOP Files FEC Complaint Over Obama Visit to Grandmother

From the Washington Post:

"Perhaps the most ill-timed press release of the 2008 campaign arrived shortly after 1:30 p.m. today, sent by the Republican National Committee.

The release forwarded word that the California Republican Party filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, in part because of a visit Sen. Barack Obama made to his dying grandmother.

" 'Obama for America violated federal law by converting its campaign funds to Senator Obama's personal use," the release stated. "Senator Obama recently traveled to Hawaii to visit his sick grandmother. This was the right thing for any grandson to do -- at his own expense -- but it was not travel that his campaign may fund." [...]

Ferris Bueller Endorses Obama

nursing home residents for obama

Josh MacPhee sent me a link to this video by David Hart shot at the Bishop Henry Hucles Nursing Home in Brooklyn, NY:

mccain endorses obama

It seems like someone hacked in to some part of the McCain website:

Charles the Coolest Old Dude

My brother Kevin has been volunteering for the Obama campaign in Boulder and sent me this video of "the coolest old dude" who's also been volunteering there. I've got tears running down my face having just watched the clip a second time:



Update: it seems that Charles has been choking people up all over the interwebs--Salon's editor just posted the above clip along with this lovely video of Obama getting to know the daily work routine of a home health aide:

Something Evil's Lurking in The Dark

I'm not sure what to make of this music choice: As noted in MoDo's recent column, Sarah Palin appeared at a York PA rally last Friday to the tune of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." OK it was Halloween but still.

Sarah Palin... York!!!


Thriller lyrics

It's close To Midnight and Something Evil's Lurking in The Dark.
Under The Moonlight, You See A Sight That Almost Stops Your Heart.
You Try To Scream, But Terror Takes The Sound Before You Make It.
You Start To Freeze, As Horror Looks You Right Between The Eyes,
You're Paralyzed

You Hear The Door Slam, And Realize There's Nowhere Left To Run.
You Feel The Cold Hold, And Wonder If You'll Ever See The Sun
You Close Your Eyes, And Hope That This Is Just Imagination, girl
But All The While, You Hear The Creature Creepin' Up Behind
You're Out Of Time

They're Out to Get You, There's Demons Closing In On Every Side.
They Will Possess You, Unless You Change The Number On Your Dial.
Now Is the Time for You and I to Cuddle Close Together dear.
All Thru The Night, I'll Save You From The Terror On The Screen,
I'll Make You See

Darkness Falls Across The Land, The Midnight Hour Is Close At Hand.
Creatures Crawl In Search Of Blood To Terrorize Yours Neighborhood
And Whosoever Shall Be Found Without The Soul For Getting Down
Must Stand And Face The Hounds Of Hell, And Rot Inside A Corpse's Shell.

The Foulest Stench Is In The Air The Funk Of Forty Thousand Years
And Grizzly Ghouls From Every Tomb Are Closing In To Seal Your Doom
And Though You Fight To Stay Alive Your Body Starts To Shiver
For No Mere Mortal Can Resist The Evil Of The Thriller

'Cause this Is Thriller, Diller Night
and No-ones Gonna Save You from the Beast about Strike.
You Know its Thriller, chiller Night
You're fighting for Your Life inside a Killer, Thriller.

Thriller, Diller Night
'Cause I can thrill you More Than Any Ghoul Could ever dare try. (Thriller, Diller Night)
So Let Me Hold You Tight And Share A Killer Diller Chiller,
Thriller Here Tonight.

'Cause this Is Thriller Diller night
girl I Can Thrill You More Than Any Ghoul Could ever dare try
Any Ghoul could ever Dare Try
(Thriller, Diller Night) So Let Me Hold You Tight and Share a Killer thriller.

Good Morning from McCainey-land

If Obama loses tomorrow, this is most likely what the electoral map will look like. See more info about your worst fucking nightmares at 538.

The Original Mavericks

The descendants of Texas cattleman, Samuel Maverick, react to Sen. John McCain branding himself a 'maverick'.

The Double Maverick

While it doesn't play as well as Governor Palin's appearance, he at least seems to acknowledge that his campaign isn't going well.

sunday predictions

palin prank

Translation Notes:
- The first man on the call (introducing Sarkozy) presents himself as "Frank L'Ouvrier": Frank The Worker.

- When he talks about going hunting by helicopter, and says "like we say in French, 'On pourrait tuer des bébés phoques aussi': "We could kill some baby seals, too".

- He asks her if she has met the prime minister of Quebec, "Richard Z. Sirois" (instead of Jean Charest) : Richard Z. Sirois was one of the well-known comedians of "Rock et Belles Oreilles", a French Canadian comedy group (started in 1981, dissolved in 1995). Sirois is now co-host of the show "Les cerveaux de l'info" at that radio station.

- When he says that his wife singer Carla Bruni wrote a song for her, he says "In French it's called "Du rouge à lèvres sur une cochonne" or if you prefer in English - and he sings - "Joe The Plumber.. it's his life, Joe The Plumber": the French means "Lipstick on a pig" -- ....but "cochonne", the feminine of "cochon" - pig, is largely used for "dirty girl" (sexual connotation).

my friends, my friends

obama's arts policy

This from my chum EE Miller. Click on it to make it larger:

The John McCain iPhone Application

asshole says obama's a "marxist"

From McClatchy:
So it’s not enough for some of Barack Obama’s opponents to label him a Socialist. He’s actually a Marxist, according to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

DeLay told MSNBC’s “Hardball” Wednesday that “I tagged him as a Marxist months ago,” and explained why: the Democratic candidate’s association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Vietnam-era radical Bill Ayers.

“It’s not that Wright makes outrageous sermons, it’s that Jeremiah Wright is a black liberal theology preacher. And 20 years of association means he must agree with the Marxist theology of black liberation theology,” he said of Obama...

racists for obama

zombies and christians on wall street

Thanks to Wonkette for the finds.

obama says mccain going as bush for halloween

From the Huffpo:
...Obama used the occasion of Halloween to rib McCain in a new way, saying the Republican wore his usual costume: "Just like every year, he's going as George W. Bush..."

Goin' Rogue!

Trying to remember to laugh lately, and The Daily Show helps out a lot!

Ich Bein Ein Joe der Plummer für Halloween feiern

Palin als Gruselkostüm ist Renner in den USA


Ricky's makes the German Reuters feed!

by the time he gets to phoenix

John McCain is campaigning in Arizona on Monday. Good news.

Vote

Wake up from your nightmare, Sarah!

Scott Horton of Harper's Bizarre on Gov. Palin's nightmare "that an Obama presidency would present the specter of a socialist state in which fundamental American freedoms are undermined." She's been asleep for the last 8 years of a state

* That snatches its victims off the street, denies them all form of legal process and whisks them away to secret “blacksites” where they can be tortured using all the techniques described in Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon?

* That believes it can detain and hold its enemies forever without any charges or any evidence against them, denying them access to courts to prove their innocence?

* That constantly manipulates the population’s fear whenever its public popularity slips and elections begin to approach?

* That systematically spies on millions of its citizens in direct violation of a criminal statute which forbids such surveillance?

* That lies to its people about threats from abroad in an effort to build popular support for a series of wars and then cites the existence of those wars as a reason to suppress dissent?

* That nationalizes the debt of predatory capitalists so they suffer no punishment for their misconduct and then nationalizes major financial institutions, converting the nation’s free market system into a socialism in which crony capitalists are a privileged elite?

Of course, this blog would make us all enemies of that state.

Palinspeak

Xeni Jardin posted on Boing Boing a great piece by Anil Dash, who blogs "about how culture is made" and is interested specifically about the use of language in culture. Dash looks at Gov. Palin's dangerous assertions about Sen. Obama's 'terrorist ties'.

Sarah Palin has been unsurprising in her criticisms of Barack Obama's credentials and policies, fulfilling the traditional role of the vice presidential candidate being the most aggressive and pointed rhetorical attacker in a campaign. But a closer look at her deliberate use of vernacular and language reveals that she has gone far beyond any other candidate in vice presidential history in the dangerous and irresponsible implications of her attacks. She has phrased her attacks on Obama in a way that avoids accountability to the press while specifically addressing the subset of her audience who are most likely to advocate extreme actions against Obama.

I don't usually write about politics here; I leave the ugliness to those who seem to revel in it. But I think a lot about language, usually in a more lighthearted context like talking about yo mama jokes or lolcats. What's striking to me this election season, though, is that Sarah Palin has chosen to abuse her command of language so obviously without suffering any serious criticism for it thus far.

The crux of the issue is simple:
(1) Sarah Palin has unequivocally associated Barack Obama with the idea of terrorism and specifically with "terrorists".

(2) Republican President George Bush has defined in our National Security Strategy, and the Republican Party's platform affirms, that we may identify and strike at terrorists before they have committed any defined acts of aggression against American citizens.

(3) George Bush has made clear, by stating before a joint session of Congress that "Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."

(4) Palin has used deliberate choice of language to avoid these connections being highlighted by the media, while increasing the likelihood that the target audience for her message will be incited by her statements.

Through these arguments, it becomes clear that Sarah Palin's assertions are designed not to prove that Obama is unqualified for the office of the Presidency of the United States. Rather, she appears to be attempting to convince a substantial portion of her supporters that Obama supports terrorism against the United States and thus should be, at the very least, incarcerated as an enemy combatant (which we are doing to American citizens already) or at worst, assassinated for supporting terror. She has done this knowing full well that she can retain plausible deniability thanks to the ambiguity of her statements as they'll be interpreted by the media, by her detractors, and by her more reasonable supporters.

It really is shameful that the media doesn't do more to question her abuse of the language. Of course, we've all seen what happens when the media even hints at questioning her: 'sexism', 'elitism', 'unfair'. Isn't it just a bit moronic that the media can't even question a Vice Presidential candidate's statements or hold them accountable - no matter what sex, race, or creed - without having it turned back into a dog and pony show about how the media attacked her because they're sexist? How can her base defend her as a leader when she apparently can't be held up to the same scrutiny as her opponents or even her running mate? It's as hypocritical as the McCain Campaign now complaining that she's gone rogue! WTF?! But didn't they want 'a maverick'?

Obamanos Socialistas! Or: don't throw stones at glass white houses

After recently watching our Comrade Finn's movie, La Trinchera Luminosa del Presidente Gonzalo, I asked people if they felt Sen. Obama was even remotely socialist compared to the preachings of the Maoist prisoners quoting Marx. The answer was pretty apparent. He's about as socialist as W. is conservative. Now comes this little tidbit about Gov. Palin, from Hendrik Hertzberg's New Yorker commentary about McCain and Palin's failed attempt to convince people that Obama is a socialist (via Mark F. of Boing Boing):

The state that she governs has no income or sales tax. Instead, it imposes huge levies on the oil companies that lease its oil fields. The proceeds finance the government’s activities and enable it to issue a four-figure annual check to every man, woman, and child in the state. One of the reasons Palin has been a popular governor is that she added an extra twelve hundred dollars to this year’s check, bringing the per-person total to $3,269. A few weeks before she was nominated for Vice-President, she told a visiting journalist—Philip Gourevitch, of this magazine—that “we’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs.” Perhaps there is some meaningful distinction between spreading the wealth and sharing it (“collectively,” no less), but finding it would require the analytic skills of Karl the Marxist.

What's next up: "Joe the Arseclown Plumber turns out to trade plumbing skills for goods?

mcnasty is at it again

Rashid Khalidi is cool. I used to listen to him on WBEZ when he was a guest on Jerome McDonald's WorldView show.

1993 the onion

Thanks to Wonkette for this:

the rear view mirror ad

CNN: Palin Talks 2012, McCain Aide "Speechless"

Update: Here is Michael Tomasky from the Guardian on this point. It has been suggested after this video aired that the quote was taken out of context.

Dancing with our Politics

This is the best You Tube video I've seen, well no wonder it was made by some energy activists.

A must watch You Tube video.

found by Zulma Aguiar on You Tube

Youth Vote

Everybody In

Only Bob Barr Can Stop Obama

From Bob Barr's website:

Now that it’s guaranteed that John McCain can’t win the elections, Libertarian candidate Bob Barr has emerged as America’s last hope to prevent Barack Obama from becoming the next President of the United States of America.

If you love freedom and care about the future of our great nation, don’t waste your vote on a lost cause like John McCain! Help Bob Barr defeat Barack Obama and send a powerful message to the establishment that socialism stops here.

http://www.bobbarr.com/2008/10/22/only-bob-barr-can-stop-obama/

Cindy McCain Claims She's "Just Like Any Other Female Human"

creepy mccain rally in the sunshine state

Five Thirty Eight reports on another kooky McCain rally:

The event maybe lasted a minute, two at the most, before police competently managed to hustle the two away from the scene and out of the danger zone. Only FiveThirtyEight tracked the two men down for comment, a quarter mile down the street.

"People were screaming 'Terrorist!' 'Communist!' 'Socialist!'" Sorando said when we caught up with him. "I had a guy tell me he was gonna kill me."

Asked what had precipitated the event, "We were just chanting 'Obama!' and holding our signs. That was it. And the crowd suddenly got crazy..."

quoting fascists and whatnot

Todd Palmer sent me this about Palin's habit of quoting weird and sometimes fictitious stuff:
...It works both ways, though—be careful of context, and of who you accidentally let slip that you’ve been reading. When Palin, referring to the value of “small towns” in her nomination speech, quoted Westbrook Pegler, the nearly forgotten American nativist and pseudo-fascist, some of his “glory” rubbed off on her as well.

Palin also made up a quote to help along her bungled answer to Katie Couric about the separation of church and state: “Thomas Jefferson also said ‘never underestimate the wisdom of the people.’” Super. Except as far as anyone can tell, Jefferson never said that. And even very wise people had trouble understanding what that piece of invented Jeffersonian wisdom has to do with the First Amendment...

Real People Spots

Errol Morris, director of the Thin Blue Line, the Fog of War, and other excellent movies, as well as a prolific creator of advertisements for Miller High Life, Levis, and recent Democratic politicians has an article on the New York Times web site with analysis of "real people" advertisements for Presidential candidates going back to 1952.

The post includes links to each ad featured on the Museum of the Moving Image web site. This is phenomenally interesting. Read: People in the Middle

Getting Through the Week

From 23/6.

Cling, Baby, Cling

don't blow it

president palin

conservative panic response meeting week after election

From Politico's Jonathan Martin:
Two days after next week's election, top conservatives will gather at the Virginia weekend home of one of the movement's most prominent members to begin a conversation about their role in the GOP and how best to revive a party that may be out of power at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue next year.

The meeting will include a "who's who of conservative leaders -- economic, national security and social," said one attendee, who shared initial word of the secret session only on the basis of anonymity and with some details about the host and location redacted.

The decision to waste no time in plotting their moves in the post-Bush era reflects the widely-held view among many on the right, and elsewhere, that the GOP is heading toward major losses next week.

One of the topics of discussion will be how to fashion a "national grassroots political and policy coalition similar to the out Reagan years," said the attendee, a reference to the development of the so-called New Right apparatus following Jimmy Carter's 1976 victory and Reagan's election four years later...

sheppard smith on fox: "man... it just gets frightening sometimes"

Joe the social-security-outlawing plumber's helper agrees that Obama will be the "death of Israel." Watch Sheppard Smith on Fox call this guy out. The end is amazing:

palin-lovers eating their babies

From Ana Marie Cox's interview with the McCain aide:

There's obviously an organized campaign to lay blame for things at my feet and I’m not going to engage before the campaign ends. I have a very long relationship with Fox News and the notion that someone would call me a coward on the air and accuse me of putting $150,000 on my credit card without a single person calling and checking with me suggests that something is going on.

I think the networks have re-emerged as the arbiters of what story gets through. Of late, we’ve paid so much attention to the impact of blogs and the democratization of media—everyone can be a blogger and you can sit in your home.

It’s almost as the cycle got to such a proliferation of information that I think people returned to the morning paper, the evening news as the arbiter of what is the important story. So while I think there’s more information out there, I think that it’s almost overwhelming for, you know like my mom and dad. They know what’s on the news at the end of the day. Newscasts and the compilation of a front page, has re-emerged as a place for information to be organized and consumed...

cleveland early voting

mccain is home alone

The GOP forgot to mention old sparky on their website ONE WEEK BEFORE THE ELECTION. They must be mad that they are getting the blame for the $150,000 clothes. Let the dangerous threesome begin between the RNC, McCain and Palin.

"Real Virginia"

Catching up with Virginia-related gaffes. From FiveThirtyEight: "Suppose that instead of a relatively decisive win by Barack Obama on Election Day, we instead have a very close election. Which state might the McCain campaign really, really wish that they hadn't insulted? I'll give you a hint. It's not technically a state, but rather, a commonwealth."

the dangerous threesome

McCain called Pelosi, Reid and Obama a "dangerous threesome." What a creep.

the smear illuminati

Thanks to the Daily Kos:

Hurts So Good

A friend said to me recently that when she looked at the McCain-Palin signs "all I can see is 'pain.'"

totalitarian fist bump

obama now to install a totalitarian dictatorship

From Think Progress:
...[Rep. Steve King (R-IA)], known for provocative, partisan remarks, suggested Obama actually could be classified as even more extreme than a socialist. King also said his party is the only one with a legitimate claim on representing freedom as Americans know it. “When you take a lurch to the left you end up in a totalitarian dictatorship,” King said. “There is no freedom to the left. It’s always to our side of the aisle.”

mccain hanging on to his dignity

This and his decision not to run on the Rev. Wright stuff are proof that that the dude has not sold out completely to his Party's whackjobs. From The Hill:

GOP presidential candidate John McCain, already fighting a political environment hostile to Republicans, said Tuesday morning that Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) should resign from the Senate.

Stevens was convicted on seven felony counts of failing to disclose gifts, leading McCain to say in a statement that the longest-serving Senate Republican has “broken his trust” with his constituents and that he should step down.

“It is a sign of the health of our democracy that the people continue to hold their representatives to account for improper or illegal conduct, but this verdict is also a sign of the corruption and insider-dealing that has become so pervasive in our nation’s capital,” McCain said. “It is clear that Sen. Stevens has broken his trust with the people and that he should now step down. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will be spurred by these events to redouble their efforts to end this kind of corruption once and for all...”

catholic girls start much too late virginia

This is a federal crime. Wonder if anyone will follow up on it:

palin a "whackjob"

A McCain staffer one-ups the diva quote by calling Palin a "whack job". Here's a couple other to keep her company including the diva herself along with M. Bachmann, L. Craig and T. DeLay.

party in the jeep

From Wonkette:

Obama’s Closing Argument In Canton Ohio

Call Center Workers walk out, protesting McCain script attacking Obama

From Talking Points Memo Election Central:

Some three dozen workers at a telemarketing call center in Indiana walked off the job rather than read an incendiary McCain campaign script attacking Barack Obama, according to two workers at the center and one of their parents.
...
"We were asked to read something saying [Obama and Democrats] were against protecting children from danger," this worker said. "I wouldn't do it. A lot of people left. They thought it was disgusting."

This worker, too, confirmed sacrificing pay to walk out, saying her supervisor told her: "If you don't wanna phone it you can just go home for the day."

The article says that between 30 to 40 people walked out rather than read the script. It's refreshing to hear that people are standing up the thuggish McCain/Palin campaign.

pittsburghin'

From chums Astria and Brett listening to Obama at the Pittsburgh rally tonight: "That's how we've always grown the American economy – from the bottom-up. John McCain calls this socialism. I call it opportunity, and there is nothing more American than that.."

the n-word at a palin rally

Even though she paused and clearly heard something... she went right on with her speech.


She did hear when someone called her hot. Even though she wasn't speaking, this is just too convenient to never hear anything negative:

Wondering how long it will take Sir Douchus, our prez, to pardon Ted Stevens. November 10th? December 24th?

rockin' the mccain rally

ha ha ha ha

Wonkette quores the American Specatator reporting that a lot of the Palin prodding within the McCain campaign is coming from the former Romney aides trying to position their man to be the "leader" of the Republicans. Good luck mitty.

The Hartford Courant endorses Senator Obama

My local "conservative" paper, The Hartford Courant, has endorsed Senator Obama for President. This is noteworthy as it is the oldest continuously published paper in the US and, as they stated, in it's "244-year history, The Courant has endorsed only one Democratic candidate for president, Bill Clinton. Today we endorse a second Democrat, Sen. Barack Obama, with the hope that if elected, he governs from the middle as Mr. Clinton did. Mr. Obama must resist serving only his party's interests and instead serve the greater interests of a worried nation." The paper has had a severely checkered period over the last few decades, including being purchased and tortured by the Tribune Company. Recently it went through a god-awful redesign that has turned customers off. But at least this endorsement shows that even they know when change can be truly positive. So, yet another conservative paper endorses Obama. How many for McCain? Does it even matter?

Wassup? Change

I got this off the El Pais Home page.
This is a video that a lot of Spaniards saw today.
How embarrassing.
I really do hope Obama wins.

oh and the Airforce said at the beggining of the month that Palin has never monitored Norad and therefore zero AF experience.

AF Says Palin Has No Air Defense Role
October 02, 2008
United Press International

WASHINGTON -- The Air Force says Sarah Palin and past Alaska governors have never had any direct authority over NORAD, the radar system that watches for air attacks.

The Air Force's statement came in response to a New York Daily News inquiry following a television interview with CBS in which Palin said that Alaska was a hot spot for the monitoring of nearby Russia. The paper reported that Palin said Alaska's proximity to Russia was part of her foreign-policy portfolio.

"It's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia, as Putin rears his head and comes into the airspace of the United States of America -- where do they go? It's Alaska," Palin told CBS.

"It is from Alaska that we send those (patrols) out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation," she added.

Maj. Allen Herritage, a spokesman for the Alaska North American Aerospace Defense Command, said: "The authority to launch and respond to a Russian incursion lies with the Alaska NORAD Region commander."

The Air Force also noted that Alaska Air National Guard patrol flights along the frontier are under Air Force command.
© Copyright 2008 United Press International. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

weather undergroud planted those neiman marcus clothes

Ben Smith from Politico was talking to David Schuster this morning on MSNBC saying that the Palin people blamed the McCain people for her bad handling out of the gate (i thought she was a pitbull not a greyhound). Then McCain people called her a diva. So now she is saying that she's wearing her own jacket from Alaska. No apology, no awkwardness. She has no idea where that $150,000 of clothes came from. Not from her though. She is absolutely innocent.


Or maybe it was the sexist elite:
...“Instead of the issues, they are focused, fixated on her wardrobe,” Ms. Hasselbeck said of the news media, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. “Now, with everything going on in the world, seems a bit odd. But let me tell you, this is deliberately sexist. I know you know that.”

After taking the microphone, Ms. Palin hinted that she agreed with Ms. Hasselbeck. “The double standard here,” she said. “Gosh, we don’t even want to waste our time.”

sorry guys

McCain v. Palin

Tension between Palin's handlers in the McCain campaign and advisers loyal to her is so heated it's boiling over into the public sphere. Read about it on the Politico.

guess this sums it up

Corn-God Obama lording over bitter whitey McCain (from the LA Times):

Word Art

Ran into this bit of public art yesterday which appears in the windows of the CUNY Graduate Center at 35th and 5th in Manhattan. I assume it's meant to be topical?

performance artist or nutjob?

Who is the Sarah Palin imitator who acknowledges cheers for Palin? They are replacing freaky pentecostal racists with freaky nutters:

Fun with McCain

It's time for some serious political analysis
http://www.funwithmccain.com/

Spiritual Warfare: sounds like a sci-fi plot

Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Dish links to a recent NYTimes article about Sarah Palin's scary spiritual beliefs,

Critics say the goal of the spiritual warfare movement is to create a theocracy. Bruce Wilson, a researcher for Talk2Action, a Web site that tracks religious groups, said: “One of the imperatives of the movement is to achieve worldly power, including political control. Then you can more effectively drive out the demons. The ultimate goal is to purify the earth.”

...

Ms. Palin has had long associations with religious leaders who practice a particularly assertive and urgent brand of Pentecostalism known as “spiritual warfare.” Its adherents believe that demonic forces can colonize specific geographic areas and individuals, and that “spiritual warriors” must “battle” them to assert God’s control, using prayer and evangelism. The movement’s fixation on demons, its aggressiveness and its leaders’ claims to exalted spiritual authority have troubled even some Pentecostal Christians...

Mr. Sullivan makes the point that after all the Reverend Wright shenanigans over the summer, it's mind-boggling that the press is barely picking up on this and analyzing what it means to have a potential Vice-President with her finger near the button, who believes in needing to 'purify the earth'. Let's get Christopher Walken to shake her hand and find out what the future holds for her!

Joe Stands Up to Tough Questioning

Bryan Boyce: McCain / Palin Ad #3 (Branded Maverick)

Upper Virginia is Communist, Says Joe McCain

So if Obama is the Democratic Reagan then is Joe McCain the Republican Billy Carter? I'm just asking, because these metaphors are important.

Say It Ain't So, 'Doh

Ian Bogost made this nifty Plah-Doh Palin.

Uh, that's all, really.

really creepy las vegas rally

trouble in paradise

From CNN:
...Several McCain advisers have suggested to CNN that they have become increasingly frustrated with what one aide described as Palin "going rogue."

A Palin associate, however, said the candidate is simply trying to "bust free" of what she believes was a damaging and mismanaged roll-out.

McCain sources say Palin has gone off-message several times, and they privately wonder whether the incidents were deliberate. They cited an instance in which she labeled robocalls -- recorded messages often used to attack a candidate's opponent -- "irritating" even as the campaign defended their use. Also, they pointed to her telling reporters she disagreed with the campaign's decision to pull out of Michigan.

A second McCain source says she appears to be looking out for herself more than the McCain campaign.

"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.

"Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom..."

last chance

From Progressive Alaska:

McCain Campaign in Florida 'hires volunteers' and threatens indie press

Apparently, it's not just the McCain/Palin that avoid the press, anyone that works for them must also avoid them.

If there's one thing both the McCain and Obama campaigns agree on it's that the election will be close in Florida. The McCain campaign says it has more volunteers than the Democrats and that ultimately gives them the edge. McCain's Central Florida Campaign Manger says ACORN and the Democrats have to rely on paid workers.

However, the McCain campaign is hiring paid workers who sometimes also call themselves volunteers. The UpTake's Sam Mayfield talked to a few of them... and that's when one McCain campaign worker decided you shouldn't see what is going on and threatened to have her arrested.

More at www.theuptake.org

The Vet Who Did Not Vet

Combine Dr. Seuss with Schoolhouse Rocks and you get something smarter than the McCain/Palin Campaign. (via The Daily Dish)

John Hodgman on Senator Obama

From The Onion's A/V Club, via Andrew Sullivan's Quote of the Day:

"Do I like Obama, personally? I do. Do I think he's got good policies? Look, I'm like everyone else, I hope so. They sound good. They sound like something I believe in, so I think based on his performance and the way that he has run his campaign, I feel that it is reasonable to feel confident that he is going to take the same discipline and smarts and lack of drama and apply them to the very serious issues today and I think that makes him a good choice for President. Do I think that his candidacy is historic? Sure, that's exciting too, but what I think it's really amazing that he exists in the same world that I also inhabit and no other political candidate lives in that world right now. They live in a made-up world that is not reality. I think that that's why you see Obama surging right now. It's that the people like the fact that Obama lives in the world that they live in," - John Hodgman.

Wassup 2008

If the world could vote

http://www.iftheworldcouldvote.com/results

"Whirl of Change" defeats "Straight Talk Crunch"!

Get some delicious, peanutty HOPE at a Baskin Robbins near you.

(Personally, I think I'd prefer "Straight Talk Crunch" with its "candy red states and crunchy mixed nuts." I'm surprised the McCain campaign hasn't complained about the unfairness of "mixed nuts" being a key component of their ice cream flavor.)

Both flavors are available for a limited time...

Thirsty and fatigued? Wash down your ice cream with some coffee at 7-Election 2008 headquarters, where Obama leads by 20%. Every cup counts!

more of the same (of creepy rallies)

harry potter obama

LIEberman: "Obama prepared to be president"

Which way is the Bingo Hall, Joe?

The douche Senator from my fair state of Connecticut finally praises Senator Obama... sort of. From Capitol Watch, Mark Pazniokas writes:

"I'm saying he is less prepared than McCain," Lieberman said.

But what about Sarah Palin? Is she ready to be president on day one?

"She's not going to have to be president from day one, because McCain is going to be alive and well. I've been talking to actuaries and doctors," Lieberman said. "He can be expected to live to his mid-80s and probably longer."

When pressed about when she would be ready, Lieberman replied, "Well, let's hope she never has to be ready."

He laughed, apparently realizing how that might be interpreted. He quickly clarified, "Because we hope McCain is elected and lives out his term."

creepy bachman non-apology ad for her crazy anti-americans rant

Palin Shopping Spree Illegal under McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Law!

SEC. 313. USE OF CONTRIBUTED AMOUNTS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES.
(a) PERMITTED USES...
(b) PROHIBITED USE-
(1) IN GENERAL- A contribution or donation described in subsection (a) shall not be converted by any person to personal use.

(2) CONVERSION- For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contribution or donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate's election campaign or individual's duties as a holder of Federal office, including--

(A) a home mortgage, rent, or utility payment;
(B) a clothing purchase;
(C) a noncampaign-related automobile expense;
(D) a country club membership;
(E) a vacation or other noncampaign-related trip;
(F) a household food item;
(G) a tuition payment;
(H) admission to a sporting event, concert, theater, or other form of entertainment not associated with an election campaign; and
(I) dues, fees, and other payments to a health club or recreational facility.'

"Attacked" McCain volunteer faces charges for Hoax

Put this in the "Gee, didn't see that one coming" category:

At a news conference this afternoon, officials said they believe that Todd's injuries were self-inflicted.

Police investigating the report said Todd's story began to unravel early on and they administered a polygraph test.

Investigators asked Todd to return to the police station today for more questioning and to help them release a composite sketch of the suspect.

When she did, police say she admitted that she made the whole thing up and that it snowballed out of control.

Todd told investigators today that she "just wanted to tell the truth" – adding that she was neither robbed, nor attacked.

"She indicated that she has prior mental problems and that she does not remember how the backward letter B got on her face," Richard told reporters today.

Todd told police that while she did not remember how the backward "B" got on her face, she may have done it herself since she was the only one in the car.

Money quote from the press conference: "She doesn't know why the media blew this out of proportion," police spokesperson. Shouldn't the conservative media hacks be screaming about this to the MSM as they like to say and tell them, "See, you turn everything into politics!" Oh, wait, this was 'broken by Drudge'. Digg readers had some interesting comments. I don't buy that she didn't know what she was doing, as illustrated by her twitter feed of that night. She was clearly out to make a statement.