Newsweek: Mrs. McCain, San Diego County Would Like a Word

By GottaLaff

Cindy McMealTicket, can you ever stay out of the news? You're stealing all of John Sidney McGoldDigger's thunder:

When you're poor, it can be hard to pay the bills. When you're rich, it's hard to keep track of all the bills that need paying. It's a lesson Cindy McCain learned the hard way when NEWSWEEK raised questions about an overdue property-tax bill on a La Jolla, Calif., property owned by a trust that she oversees.

Yes, this is the story that I posted about earlier. That little trollop. She just can't stay out of trouble.

San Diego County officials, it turns out, have been sending out tax notices on the La Jolla property, an oceanfront condo, for four years without receiving a response.

Everyone knows it's impolite not to return your messages. Cindy, Cindy, Cindy, where are your manners?

[A]n elderly aunt of Mrs. McCain's lives in the condo, and the bank that manages the trust has not been receiving tax bills on the property. [...] County officials say the trust still owes an additional $1,742 for this year, an amount that is overdue and will go into default July 1.

J Sid must have been too busy not voting and not campaigning to remind his better half to get her swirly McHairStyle to the ol' United States Post Office. Or maybe he was just napping.

"We do hear an awful lot of excuses for why people don't pay," [Dan McAllister, treasurer- tax collector for San Diego County] said. "Under the law, the property owner is responsible for keeping the address current. We're only as good as the information we are given."

John McCain, January 2008: I don't "really understand economics." No, apparently he doesn't.

Breaking: John Sidney McCain defaulted on home, taxes for years

By GottaLaff

(screen shot of Google Earth)

Newsweek is reporting a J Sid story that Huffington Post is previewing:

Newsweek is set to publish a highly embarrassing report on Sen. John McCain, revealing that the McCains have failed to pay taxes on their beach-front condo in La Jolla, California, for the last four years and are currently in default, The Huffington Post has learned.

Under California law, once a residential property is in default for five years, it can be sold at a tax sale to recover the unpaid taxes for the taxpayers.

The McCains own at least seven homes through a variety of trusts and corporations controlled by Cindy McCain.

McCain campaign scrambling...

This one better explode. I mean, what does it take? Michael Isikoff, will you be so kind as to make the rounds? Or whoever is reporting?

More as we get it...

Please note: I changed the title to "Breaking..." for accuracy.

Dick Cheney "tried to block North Korea nuclear deal"

By GottaLaff

Sometimes being your own country doesn't translate into getting your own way. The Nation of Dick is off pouting somewhere in an undisclosed playpen:

Vice President Dick Cheney fought furiously to block efforts by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to strike a controversial US compromise deal with North Korea over the communist state's nuclear programme, the Telegraph has learned.

Wait... so he knows the word "compromise"?

"The exchanges between Cheney's office and Rice's people at State got very testy. But ultimately Condi had the President's ear and persuaded him that his legacy would be stronger if they reached a deal with Pyongyang," said a Pentagon adviser who was briefed on the battle.

I bet she has more than his ear... Oh, but that's just a silly rumor perpetuated by Stephanie Miller and Co. You know the rumor, about the two of them having their own "secret meetings" while Pickles was sulking at the Mayflower Hotel... that one. I'd never repeat it here. That would be wrong.

Mr Cheney's office is believed to have played a key role in the release two months ago of documents and photographs linking North Korea to a suspected nuclear site in Syria that was bombed by Israeli jets last year.

And by key role they mean he manufactured them. Oh, but I kid the Big Fat Nation of Dick.

Mr Cheney was so angry about the decision to remove North Korea from the terrorism blacklist and lift some sanctions that he abruptly curtailed a meeting with visiting US foreign experts when asked about it in the White House last week, according to the New York Times "I'm not going to be the one to announce this decision. You need to address your interest in this to the State Department," he reportedly said before leaving the room.

And then he took his plans to nuke Iran and stomped off.

SNL's first episode with George Carlin tonight!

By GottaLaff

Saturday Night Live's first episode tonight, rebroadcasting as a tribute to who else? George Carlin.

I'll be watching. And I'll be remembering.

The next step: Bush wants satellites for domestic spying

By GottaLaff

This video is from MSNBC’s News Live, broadcast June 28, 2008.

MSNBC’s Alex Witt talked to Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff about a new proposal by the Bush administration to use satellites for domestic surveillance.

First FISA, now this:

"First of all, there are strict laws about the act that limits the use of the U.S. military for law enforcement purposes. But the precision of these satellites, they can literally capture crystal clear images of your car as you leave the studio this afternoon. And capture them in computer databases — in the government computer databases. And it raises all sorts of concerns. To some degree, the administration is paying the price of what is for — what many in congress see as way over stepping — in the electronic surveillance era.”

Read Michael Isikoff’s Newsweek article here.

As Isikoff points out, this for our own good, because BushCo cares so much about our safety, and spying would come in handy "in case of emergency". Uh huh. I posted about Bush's little emergency directive here.

Check that out carefully. Bush calls all the shots. The president, and only the president, “coordinates” everything. Yes, everything. He didn’t call himself the Commander Guy for nothing.

Obama to allow press coverage for "all movements"

By GottaLaff

The press got miffed when Obama faked them out the evening he met with Hillary at Dianne's house. But since then, he's agreed to what's called "protective pool" coverage. Smart move. I've dealt with the press myself, and it makes things a lot more pleasant when you cultivate them a little:

After requests from major news outlets and wire services, the Obama campaign has agreed to allow coverage for all movements of presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Hat tip to my colleagues who have led this fight for access. This small pool at all events, called a "protective pool," is similar to one that that follows the president no matter where he goes.

Hey, if he's going to be our next president, now is as good a time as any to be hounded like one.

Where Did The Obama Smear Emails Come From?

By Paddy


A certified genius scholar looks into it, and there is a website involved. And no, it's not Daily Kos. Go read the whole thing (it's fascinating), but here's a taste.

An Attack That Came Out of the Ether
Scholar Looks for First Link in E-Mail Chain About Obama

The e-mail landed in Danielle Allen's queue one winter morning as she was studying in her office at the Institute for Advanced Study, the renowned haven for some of the nation's most brilliant minds. The missive began: "THIS DEFINITELY WARRANTS LOOKING INTO."

Laid out before Allen, a razor-sharp, 36-year-old political theorist, was what purported to be a biographical sketch of Barack Obama that has become one of the most effective -- and baseless -- Internet attacks of the 2008 presidential season. The anonymous chain e-mail makes the false claim that Obama is concealing a radical Islamic background. By the time it reached Allen on Jan. 11, 2008, it had spread with viral efficiency for more than a year.

Bill Clinton: Obama has to "kiss my ass"

By GottaLaff

This link no longer works at The Raw Story. Hmmm.

Bill Clinton says Obama must 'kiss my ass' for his suppport

But it works here:

[C]ampaign insiders say that the former president's future campaign role is a "sticking point" in peace talks with Mrs Clinton's aides.

The Telegraph has learned that the former president's rage is still so great that even loyal allies are shocked by his patronising attitude to Mr Obama, and believe that he risks damaging his own reputation by his intransigence.

A senior Democrat who worked for Mr Clinton has revealed that he recently told friends Mr Obama could "kiss my ass" in return for his support.

And this:

A second source said that the former president has kept his distance because he still does not believe Mr Obama can win the election.

Click on the good link for more. GottaRun out for awhile.

Shallow Thoughts: Obama/Hagel edition

By GottaLaff

Yes, Obama is a politician.

No, this isn't a surprise.

Yes, Chuck Hagel is a staunch conservative.

No, Obama should under no circumstances invite Chuck Hagel to be his V.P.

McCain speech disrupted by hecklers, Part 2

By GottaLaff

Here's the video of my last post:

McCain speech disrupted by hecklers

By GottaLaff

I did manage to catch it live on CNN (MSNBC didn't carry much of the speech at all). It was heckler heaven, meaning, loud, disruptive, prolonged:

[T]he Arizona senator has a busy weekend, including a speech to a Latino conference where he was heckled several times.

Several hecklers disrupted McCain's speech at separate times and were escorted from the room.

A red-headed woman in the middle of the audience, holding a camera aimed at the candidate, stood up when McCain said "I represent Arizona…"

"John you do represent Arizona! And we want a peace candidate!," the woman yelled. "We want a peace candidate! Peace takes courage!”

She was heartily booed and escorted out, but she kept yelling.

"That's a long trip out," McCain said to laughter.

Then he ad-libbed, after she left.

"I’m sure you’ve seen the polls out now about trust and confidence in our government, and the one thing the American people want us to stop doing is yelling at each other," he said. [Laffy Note: He might want to start with himself.]

Five minutes later, two more female protesters jumped up, yelling loudly.

"Your silence is consent to war crimes! War criminal!" one said. Another heckler carried a pink banner that read "McCain=Guerra" — or "McCain=War."

Bi-lingual heckling is indicative of a very smart electorate.

I'll try to dig up a video if I can.

Iraqi MPs stall deals on Bush benchmarks

Remember when it was benchmarks, benchmarks, benchmarks all the time? Guess they're not that important any more.

Three key US-backed measures on oil, provincial elections and the future of US troops are mired in the Iraqi parliament, raising doubts as to whether they can come into effect before George Bush leaves office.

Once listed as a crucial "benchmark" allowing the US president to claim success in Iraq, the provincial elections look likely to be delayed until next year. The oil law, which nationalist MPs blocked last summer over fears that foreign companies would take over Iraq's major resource, is facing the same problem again.

The pact to permit US troops to remain in Iraq is equally sensitive, and was described by the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, this month as being in stalemate. Intensive US-Iraqi talks on new drafts have resumed and, after meeting Bush in the White House this week, President Jalal Talabani tried to sound optimistic. "We have very good, important steps towards reaching to finalise this agreement," he said. Many MPs complain that it will give the US excessive rights.

Senator Chuck Hagel (R) Would Consider Post With Obama

By Paddy


I'd trade a Chuck Hagel for a Lieberman any day. Not as smarmy by half.

Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) "declined to endorse his party's likely presidential nominee, John McCain, and said he would consider serving as secretary of defense in a Barack Obama administration," according to Bloomberg.

However, Hagel did say he would remain a registered Republican -- at least for a while.

Said Hagel: "I don't know forever, but right now I'm not considering changing my registration."

Obama quietly visits wounded vets at Walter Reed

By Paddy


No fuss, no fanfare.

WASHINGTON—Barack Obama stopped by Walter Reed Army Medical Center Saturday to visit wounded war veterans, a group that he has said endures substandard care under the Bush administration.

The presumed Democratic nominee, who was in Washington to speak to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, slipped into the facility shortly after 9 a.m. without stopping to speak to the small group of reporters who follow him. The visit wasn't on his public schedule.

Obama has criticized the Bush administration for its treatment of veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and has suggested Republican rival John McCain would continue Bush policies if elected.

(snip)

Obama, who serves on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, often notes that his grandfather served in World War II.

He criticizes McCain for opposing an expansion of the GI bill that would guarantee which would guarantee full college scholarships for those who serve in the military for three years. McCain and Pentagon officials say they oppose the bill because they fear it would encourage people to leave after only one enlistment during a war.

Picture is from Obama's 2006 trip to Kuwait.

Rick Noreiga Decimates John Cornyn's Silly Ad

By Paddy



Fighting stupid with smart works every time.

AT&T Is Shameless

By Paddy



Funny stuff those civil liberties.....

Via TRex's Betsy.

Obama Going Abroad

By Paddy



I'm jealous. Well, maybe not so much the Iraq and Afghanistan part....

ABC News has learned that in mid-July, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, will travel to Iraq, Afghanistan, the UK, France and Germany.

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee visited Iraq once before, in 2006. He will be visiting Iraq and Afghanistan along with a congressional delegation.

He will follow the trip to those two war-torn countries with a separate European sojourn.

John Sidney McCain's inner hellhound

By GottaLaff

Peggy Noonan is all about letting your inner beast hang out... to win elections, that is. Get out your whips:

Let McCain be McCain. Get him in the papers being who he is, get people looking at his real nature. [Laffy Note: link] Maybe then they'll start taking him seriously when he talks policy. [...]

The most interesting thing about Mr. McCain has always been the delight he takes in a certain unblinkered candor. There is also the antic part of his nature, his natural wit, his tropism toward comedy. All this was captured wonderfully by Mark Leibovich last February in the New York Times. Mr. McCain had taken the lead in the primaries and had gone from being "one of the most disruptive forces in his party" to someone playing it safe. In an airplane interview he said things like, "There is a process in place that will formalize the methodology." Then he couldn't help it, he became McCain:

"[He] volunteered that Brooke Buchanan, his spokeswoman who was seated nearby and rolling her eyes, 'has a lot of her money hidden in the Cayman Islands' and that she earned it by 'dealing drugs.' Previously, Mr. McCain had identified Ms. Buchanan as 'Pat Buchanan's illegitimate daughter,' 'bipolar,' 'a drunk,' 'someone with a lot of boyfriends,' and 'just out of Betty Ford.'"

What an imp! So much wit, where has it all been hiding? That sly fox.

Was he talking about Brooke Buchanan or his own wife?

That's my boy. That's the McCain his friends love, McCain unplugged. The fall will be dead serious. At this point why not be himself, be human? Let him refind his inner rebel, the famous irreverent maverick, let the tiger out of the cage. It won't solve everything but it will help obscure some other problems.

Rawr!

I have to admit, it would help obscure some other problems. He'd be so overwhelmed trying to reshackle that hellhound, there would be no time left for things like bomb-bomb-bombing and drill-drill-drilling.

Unity Friday: Uniting their pocketbooks edition

By GottaLaff

(The Troggs - 1967)

First Obama gives to Hillary, and now she returns the favor. I sure do love all this unity stuff. Peace out:

Hillary spokesperson Mo Elleithee confirms to me that Bill and Hillary Clinton have now maxed out to Obama, donating $4600 to his campaign today.

It's a strong signal to the Clinton fundraising elite and donor base that the time has come to open the wallets for Obama. It comes a day after the Obamas similarly maxed out to Hillary's campaign to relieve it of debt.

Hillary Clinton Walks The Walk For Obama

By Paddy


To do a take from a friend, this is AWESOME.

Hillary Clinton wasted no time in hitting the campaign trail as a surrogate for Barack Obama after their joint appearance earlier in the day, telling an auditorium of black teenagers that Obama sends "each and every one of you his best wishes."

Speaking Friday evening at Columbia University for the first graduation of The Eagle Academy For Young Men, a school she helped start, Clinton said, "Earlier today I had the great pleasure of being in a place called Unity, New Hampshire." She added, "We declared that we would go back together to Unity, New Hampshire to pledge our commitment, together, to change this country."

(snip)

"Senator Obama has lived the American Dream. The son of a single mother, raised by his grandparents, he had the opportunity to go to a good school and then to use his God-given talents and his willingness to work hard to pursue his own dreams and today, out in that field in Unity we both spoke about how each of us, individually and together, is committed to making it possible for every young person in this great country of ours to fulfill his or her own dreams."

Dressed in the same blue pantsuit she wore earlier today at the big event, Clinton looked relaxed and laughed along with the speakers.

Trouble for Al Franken opponent Norm Coleman

By GottaLaff

Looks like Norm "The Toker" Coleman of white teeth fame, may have a few more problems:

National Journal is out today with a terrific story on the relationship between Coleman and Jeff Larson, a little-known but powerful operative in Republican fundraising circles. The story is long and worth reading in full, but here are the highlights:

* Coleman has a longstanding relationship with Larson and his St. Paul-based fundraising company, FLS Connect. The firm has raised lots of money for Coleman and has been paid quite a bit in return by his reelection campaign and his political action committee.

* Coleman rents a room in the basement of a Capitol Hill townhouse owned by Larson. He pays $600 per month for the place, which seems -- to anyone who's tried to find similarly priced digs in the area -- to be a very good deal. Coleman and Larson both say that the senator only has a small bedroom with no kitchen, and he's rarely there anyway.

* Coleman tells NJ that after the magazine's inquiries, he "discovered" he hadn't paid rent for last November or January. Coleman regularly pays his rent late, and at least one rent check wasn't cashed for several months until after NJ started asking questions. For one month last year, Coleman "paid" his rent by selling Larson some old furniture.

* Larson's wife, Dorene, has been on Coleman's Senate payroll for the past two years (under her maiden name) as a casework supervisor in his St. Paul office. Coleman says she does a great job, but she is now going to leave the payroll next month to ... wait for it ... spend more time with her family.

What does this all add up to? Coleman and Larson both strongly denied to NJ that there is anything inappropriate about their business ties or their tenant-landlord relationship. But you can bet that the Minnesota press and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee will be all over this. And you can bet the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington will file a formal complaint against Coleman with the Senate Ethics Committee, automatically triggering a preliminary investigation by the panel.

Coleman appears to have a good friend in Larson and a great place to live in D.C. Now he probably needs a good lawyer.

Smile for the mug shot, Norm. Show them big ol' expensive pearly whites.

UPDATE: The photo can be found with this text, here:

Norm Coleman’s most famous quote, “'these conservative kids don't f*** or get high like we do...”

Norm Coleman in 1971 seen at Hofstra University NY; a pot-smoking hippie freak activist leader of the Students for a Democratic Society
[SDS] that helped take over buildings protesting the Vietnam War and lambasted our American Government who even dieted until his Military Draft Board wrote he was too skinny to go Vietnam

Barr Barr Black Sheep

By GottaLaff

Which party would be most affected, hmmm?

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr said he’s receiving backing from supporters of Ron Paul’s failed White House bid.

Barr told reporters on Thursday that he’s in contact with the Republican congressman from Texas. And he added that Paul supporters are contributing to his campaign and working as volunteers.

Recall petition for Bobby Jindal

By GottaLaff

John Sidney McWaffle's possible V.P. pick is getting a headache:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a longshot Republican VP prospect for Sen. John McCain, has been hit this afternoon with a recall petition, stemming from his failure to veto a legislative pay raise. The AP is reporting that four lawmakers, including House Speaker Jim Tucker, are targets of recall efforts after voting to double legislative pay. It appears largely symbolic: A recall would require verifiable signatures from more than 900,000 registered Louisiana voters.

Mr. Pro Life, Anti-Flag-Burning, Read ID, Anti-Environment is a Rightie fave. Too bad this is symbolic.

Obama asked for ID at gym

By GottaLaff

I really don't even need to snark about this, it's already hilarious:

Washington Sports Club employee Takehia Wheeler was manning the front desk to scan members’ identification cards Friday morning when the presidential candidate walked in with his entourage. The gym opened a month ago in the Columbia Heights district.

“He came in and walked past me,” Wheeler told In The Know. “I was like, ‘Sir, you need to come back.’” Wheeler said Obama looked familiar, but she didn’t recognize him. So she asked for his ID card.

“I said, ‘What’s your last name?’ He said ‘Obama,’ ” Wheeler explained. “I said, ‘So what’s your first name?”

Um-m-m... no, wait. Don't tell me. Al? Lamont? Demitri?

Then she laughed because it was at that point that Wheeler realized who she was talking to. How did she make amends? By saying, “Sorry, Mr. Future President!”

He had an entourage, Ms. Observant! But let's be charitable. At least she assumed he was going to win. And okay, chalk it up to one measly little person in one unique situation. I mean, really, how often would that happen, right? Never again. Impossible.

She wasn’t alone in not recognizing Obama. Trainer Drew McNeil wasn’t sure either.

::rubs eyes:: Wha-a-a??

“I was training right next to him, and I was like, ‘That looks like Obama,’ ” he said.

And I was like, pshyeah, it was. And he was all, my bad. And I was like, whoah, what a burn, loser.

In Vogue? John Sidney McCain and Madonna?

By GottaLaff


Disturbingly amusing. One so out of vogue with one who still tries.

$142

By GottaLaff

World oil prices surged to fresh record highs above $142 a barrel Friday as Asian share prices plunged. A sell-off in Asia followed Thursday's steep three-percent decline in U.S. stocks. [...]

The spike in oil prices comes after the president of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said Thursday that he expected crude prices to go as high as $170 a barrel in the next few months.

GOP blocks Medicare, Conyers subpoenas Bush/Cheney transcripts and more

By GottaLaff

Congress whatnots and thingamajigs -- First, Senate Republicans are fraidy cats, says Harry Reid:

Final action came as Senate Republicans narrowly blocked passage of a separate Medicare bill, which had sailed through the House only days before but fell one vote short of the 60 needed to invoke cloture.

The stalemate means physicians with elderly patients face an automatic 10.6 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements effective July 1. Pacing the floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) angrily accused Republicans of putting the government-backed health program at risk and vowed to force a second vote on the issue as soon as the Senate returns from the Fourth of July recess.

“During the next 10 days, think how you are going to vote the next time,” Reid said, openly taunting President Bush for his weak standing in the polls.

“How in the world could anybody be afraid of him vetoing a bill?” Reid asked. “How you can go home and say, 'I voted no because this weak president, with the weakest political standing since they’ve done polling, I voted because I was afraid to override his veto.' Oh, come on.”

Next, Conyers wants interviews and so much more:

House Judiciary Committee John Conyers has issed a subpoena to the Justice Dept. for the unredacted interviews with President Bush and Vice President Cheney on former CIA operative Valerie Plame, as well as numerous other documents sought unsuccessfully by Democrats for years.

Conyers is also seeking FBI notes of interviews with some top former White House officials, including Karl Rove, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Scott McClellan, Dan Bartlett and Andrew Card.

The committee also wants unreleased memos from DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, including an Oct. 23, 2001, memo related to use of American military forces to combat terrorism within the United States.

In addition, Conyers is seeking any materials in DOJ's possession related to the 2002 New Hampshire "phone jamming" incident, the firing of a U.S. attorney in Minnesota, the department's civil rights activities, and "selective prosecution" of Democratic politicians such as former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman.

Whew! 'Atsa lotta wanna!

But you know what they say, ask not, want not.

Obama: "She rocks"

By GottaLaff

You'll have to sit through a commercial before you get to the clips:

When it was Obama's turn to pile on the plaudits, another voice in the crowd yelled, "She rocks." Obama answered, "She rocks, she rocks. That's the point I'm trying to make."

But really, none of this is important. What really matters is that they wore matching outfits.

Breaking: U.S. loses interest in anthrax "person of interest"

By GottaLaff

Per MSNBC:

Steven Hatfill, of 2001 anthrax case fame, has reached a $5.8 million dollar settlement with the U.S. government. The government accepts no fault, of course, but can no longer call Hatfill a "person of interest", and formally washes their hands of him, legally speaking.

Nobody else has been charged.

Let's recap: Our wonderful fearmongering government, who still hasn't tracked down the source of the anthrax attacks (or Osama Bin Laden, for that matter) made Hatfill's life miserable, wrongly accused him, paid him off, and walked away.

Have a nice life, Steven. Business as usual, U.S. government.

Obama hires former Clinton and Kennedy advisors

By GottaLaff

Copy and paste time:

As Obama, Clinton wrap up unity event, Obama campaign announces hiring of Clinton policy director

WASHINGTON--The Obama campaign just reached into the Clinton and Ted Kennedy camps for two top staffing positions...Neera Tanden was Policy Director for the Hillary Clinton campaign.....Melody Barnes was chief counsel to Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary committee...Tanden becomes Obama domestic policy advisor, putting her in a perch to advance a Clinton style universal health care plan over the Obama proposal...Barnes becomes a senior policy advisor....Heather Higginbottom, with the Obama campaign from the start remains the policy director.....

Again, sorry for the copy/pastes and lighter posting. Every time I try to type, I make a million errors... dilated eyes until about 4 PDT.

Poll-itics: Obama ahead in Ohio

By GottaLaff

Please excuse the light posting today. Paddy and I each have our reasons. One of my reasons: My eyes are dilated and I can't see the freakin' screen! But to tide you over:

SurveyUSA: Obama Just Ahead in Ohio

A new SurveyUSA poll in Ohio finds Sen. Barack Obama edging Sen. John McCain in a presidential match up, 48% to 46%.

Grover Norquist: Obama is "Kerry With a Tan"

Huge, humongous wanker king.

Conservative activist Grover Norquist dropped by The Los Angeles Times' Washington bureau and decided a classy and appropriate way to convey his opposition to the liberal positions of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, was to call the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee "John Kerry with a tan."

Political Games For Everyone!!!

These look interesting, but I think I'm already too immersed in politics.

In the mail: The Political Machine 2008 allows you to be the campaign manager for Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. John McCain. If you don't like those choices, you can work for Sen. Hillary Clinton, historical candidates or even design the perfect candidate from scratch.

Players then choose their campaign battlegrounds and are off on the campaign trail to face a host of challenges including fundraising, talk show appearances, hiring spin doctors and winning endorsements. Play against the computer or against real people across the Internet.

The game is won on Election Day by the player who gets the necessary 270 electoral votes to become President.

Or how about this?

Game puts you in control of federal budget- $3.3 trillion in tax money at your command

Hey there, arm-chair presidents. Think you could handle the federal budget better than our elected officials in Washington?

Give it a shot.

American Public Media, which produces public radio's daily business show "Marketplace," among other programs, produced an online game that puts your budgeting skills to the test.

(snip)

In the game, players are given a series of options under various budget categories. Bring troops home now or gradually.

Fund the federal No Child Left Behind program, or not. Repeal tax cuts promoted by President Bush or continue them indefinitely.

Double click on each option and you'll get an explanation of its pros, cons and consequences. Select an option and see how the national debt would be affected.

The entire federal budget is at your command, and you don't even have to answer to Congress (a president's dream come true).

Live Stream Of Unity Rally And Mandela 90th Birthday Concert

By Paddy


You can watch a live stream of the Unity Rally here (already started), and the Mandela Birthday concert here starting at 130p est.

The Unity is a Barack and Hillary show, the Mandela Birthday concert includes-

Robert De Niro, Will Smith, Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Josh Groban, Queen, and Leona Lewis.

GW Bush Pastor Launches Pro-Obama Web Site

By Paddy


Karma.

The Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, leader of the largest Methodist congregation in the country, launched a website yesterday titled "James Dobson Does Not Speak For Me." The site is a jab at Dobson, a stalwart of the religious right who this week called Sen. Barack Obama's interpretation of the Bible in a 2006 speech distorted "to fit [Obama's] own world view, his own confused theology."

Caldwell's site launched a day after Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program aired a harsh assessment of Obama's speech on faith and public policy and encourages readers to sign a statement declaring that Dobson does not represent them.

"I think it's a crime and a shame that Senator Obama has had to explain the fact that he's a Christian," Caldwell said in a recent interview. "Criticize his politics. Criticize his stance on whatever, but don't question his faith. Never in the history of American politics has someone said that he is a Christian and someone came back to say, 'No you're not.'"

If Rev. Caldwell's name sounds familiar, it may be because he is the same Rev. Caldwell who introduced President Bush at the 2000 Republican National Convention and last month officiated at Jenna Bush's wedding ceremony at the presidential ranch in Crawford. This election Caldwell is firmly in the Obama camp and doggedly trying to help the campaign bring other pastors and parishioners along.

Obama gains in electoral map

By GottaLaff

Two more states have shifted to Barack Obama's column in the new CNN Electoral Map that charts the candidates’ strength leading up to the November election.

"Toss-up" states Minnesota and Wisconsin were re-designated to "Lean-Obama" Friday, giving the presumptive Democratic nominee another 20 electoral votes in CNN's current estimate. The Illinois senator now has 231 electoral votes — 39 shy of winning the presidency.

CNN usually reports fewer Obama-leaning numbers than my other sources. This is good news.

Unity blue: Game, set, matching outfits

By GottaLaff

Paddy posted this down thread:

I’m on the Obama campaign plane right now. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, just got on. They match. He’s wearing a white shirt and baby blue tie, her pantsuit is the same color.

I hadn't read that yet when I was watching CNN or MSNBC (I wasn't paying attention) and heard them say the very same thing, over and over again. Yes, Corporate News, that's what's important. That's exactly how two major political figures, former rivals, have consciously decided to emphasize their unity. Not by agreeing on policy, not by highlighting mutual goals, not by playing up harmony, both personal and political, but by collaborating on their outfits. They're smart. They recognize a priority when they see it:

::ring ring::

Obama: Hello?

Hillary: Oh em gee, Barack? I am, like, so-o-o-o excited about our Unity unity!

Obama: It's gonna be awesome, Hill. No, seriously. Awesome.

Hill: What are you gonna wear?

Obama: Suit, tie, the usual. Are you wearing the blue pantsuit or the yellow one? Or the green one? Or the gray one? Or the black one? Or the mauve one? Or the taupe one?

Hill: The blue one.

Obama: The baby blue one or the royal blue one or the navy blue one or the prussian blue one?

Hill: Baby blue. Ba-RACK, you know how I love that one! You know how I love to match my eye shadow to it! Omg, did you forget?

Obama: Nononono, I totally remember! Omg, let's be twins! I'll wear a matching baby blue tie!

Hill: Rad!! Like, it'll totally show we're bffs! Omg, and let's so-o-o sit together on the plane! 'K?

Obama: 'K.

Hill: 'K?

Obama: 'K.

Hill: 'K?

Obama: That's enough, Hillary. I gave you $2,300. That came with the caveat that you'd stop doing the 'K thing.

Hill: 'K. Tsk.

Obama: Cool. Ttyl!

Hill: Byes!

Quote of the Day

By Paddy


How much more "middle America" can you get than sports metaphors?

"I understand politics as a full-contact sport, and minded neither the sharp elbows nor the occasional blind-side hit."-

- Sen. Barack Obama, quoted by Bloomberg, on his early days in Illinois politics. Though he "cultivates an image of cool" his friends and colleagues say "his unflappable demeanor masks a competitive streak that fueled his ascent."

By the way, Time has Obama leading McCain, 43% to 38%.

About That "Unity" Thing

By Paddy


I thought this was cute!! Matching tie and pantsuit? Awwwww. I'm sure we're going to be inundated with cutesy stuff today.

I’m on the Obama campaign plane right now. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, just got on. They match. He’s wearing a white shirt and baby blue tie, her pantsuit is the same color.

(snip)

We’re about to fly from Washington, DC, to Unity, NH, for the big UNITY show.

Hopefully it will be more convincing than last night.

"It was like a dentist's appointment," said one attendee of the "unity" meeting between Obama and Clinton and her top fundraisers at the Mayflower Hotel last night.

Chris Dodd On FISA Re-Write

By Paddy



Still proudly wear my "Dodd For President" t-shirt (Did you know he dated Princess Leia?). Get in touch with your Senators while they're home eating barbecue and kissing babies. Let them know we're watching. Final vote on Joly 8. Numbers here.

McCain Gambles with Awkward Joke

Seriously, in the scope of things, this really isn't a big deal, but I think it belies a bigger problem- help me with the words here. I mean, his sense of humor is bizarre at the least, (Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran) and severely dated and awkward at the most.

In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was asked by columnist Jon Ralston why he didn't choose Gov. Jim Gibbons to chair his Nevada campaign.

"I appreciate his support," McCain said. "As you know, the lieutenant governor is our chairman."

Why snub the governor? Ralston asked.

(snip)

Maybe it's the governor's approval rating and you are running from him like you are from the president? Asked Ralston in a question McCain clearly found loaded.

Said McCain, chuckling, "And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago."

(snip)

But considering the subject McCain was discussing at the time, to allude to that joke was, well, .....awkward!

Gov. Gibbons last month filed for divorce from his wife Dawn citing incompatiblity.

It's pretty scandalous. The Reno Gazette-Journal recently reported that one month Gibbons sent 860 text messages to a woman with whome Mrs. Gibbons suspects her husband of stepping out.

Gibbons you may recall started his governorship amidst accusations that he assaulted a cocktail waitress named Chrissy Mazzeo three weeks before Election Day. Mazzeo said Gibbons grabbed her in a parking garage and threatened to sexually assault her. Charges were never filed.

Mosul, quiet?

Major kudos to Jed Report for keeping on top of these. I'm sure there are enough to keep him very busy.

Friday Round Up

ByPaddy



Not much sleep, so no snarky patter yet.

Bill Gates to sign off at Microsoft

Obama dontes $4600 to Clinton debt relief

USA Today: Price of Politics: Candidates get little of ex-GOP leaders' funds Even after leaving office, former Republican Senate leaders Rick Santorum and Bill Frist continue to raise and spend big money, but little of it has gone to GOP candidates, campaign finance records show.

N. Korea Destroys Nuke Cooling Tower

North Pole could be ice-free this summer, scientists say

LA Times: McCain seeks to reassure conservatives in Ohio Participants in the private meeting say he promised to consider an anti-abortion running mate and to talk more openly about his opposition to gay marriage.

Congress hears from transgenders about job discrimination

Mars Soil 'Friendly' To Life, Tests Show

USA today: Caroline Kennedy's new profile: Politics With Barack Obama's bid for the White House, the torch has been passed to a new generation in more ways than one: For the first time, the best-known Kennedy on the presidential campaign trail is named Caroline.

John Sidney McCain: M.I.A.

By GottaLaff

In case you hadn't heard, J Sid's been ignoring his day job:

How often has John McCain been away from the Senate? Well, let's put it this way: At this point, he has missed more votes than even South Dakota Democrat Tim Johnson, who couldn't work for almost a year after suffering a brain hemorrhage in late 2006.

I guess J Sid doesn't embarrass easily.

CQ Politics says he hasn't voted since April 8.

He's the absentest Senator in all of Senateland.

According to the Washington Post, McCain has missed 367 votes during the 110th Congress, 61.4 percent of those held. Johnson has missed 311 votes, 52 percent of the total.

To be fair, the presidential candidates had the worst records because of all the requisite and very time-consuming campaigning and cat fighting and such. But from what I heard on one of the talk shows today, J Sid wasn't busy with any of that on many of the days he missed. He just didn't show.

The Very Honorable Military Guy was M.I.A.

What's Blackwater doing with all those AK-47s?

By GottaLaff

What are those scalawags up to now? Previously, we've discussed Blackwater's antics here, here, here, and here. Now those mischievous little tin soldiers are up to their old tricks again:

Federal agents raided a Blackwater armory Tuesday and seized 34 automatic rifles that the company purchased and stored on behalf of a local law enforcement agency, the Associated Press reports. [...]

The raid came after reports on a deal in which the company paid for weapons that were registered in the name of the Camden County, N.C., Sheriff's Office.

"The 2005 agreements gives the sheriff's office unlimited access to the weapons, including 17 Romanian AK-47s and 17 Bushmasters," the wire service says. "But [Sheriff Tony] Perry said his department has only used the AK-47s in shooting practice at Blackwater and that none of his 19 deputies are qualified to use them."

Federal law prohibits private companies or individuals from purchasing automatic weapons.

Stay tuned for the next installment. It's sure to end with a bang!

Obama's a hotcake

By GottaLaff

If you ever wondered what Paddy does while I'm posting, now you know. She sends me things like this:

	An eBay member wants to show you this item

Current price:	$10.50
End time:	Jun-26-08 19:41:08 PDT

Yes, $10.50 for a pancake. A Barack Obama pancake. For $10.50.

Rumor has it there's a Bill Clinton ham going for a dollar fifty, a 5-cent Joe Lieberman gefilte fish that nobody will bid on, and a bowl of John Sidney McCain oatmeal that they can't give away.

Yoo hoo! Truth and justice? Where are Yoo?

By GottaLaff

Astonishing. It takes a lot for John Conyers to blow his usual gentlemanly cool. And once again, I'm loving Rep. Steve "you're trying to stretch out 5 minutes" Cohen.

Nancy Pelosi, tell us one. more. time. Why is impeachment off the table?
H/t: Commenter Jack

FISA delayed until July

By GottaLaff

We love Russ Feingold. Let's give him a cabinet position, like, Department of Common Sense. Actually, we need him right where he is, at least for now:

Objections by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) will push back an overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) until after lawmakers return in July, Democratic leaders said Thursday. Feingold is strongly opposed to language that would likely give telephone companies that participated in warrantless surveillance retroactive immunity from lawsuits.

H/t: Commenter Chris

Truer words were never spoken: The Nation of Dick Is a "Barnacle" on the Legislative Branch

By GottaLaff

I've been trying to post this all day, but every time I'd start to copy the embed code, my computer would crash. Finally, here it is.


Watch every second.

Between David Addington failing to submit testimony, and John Yoo forgetting his words, not a whole lot was cleared up by the House Judiciary Committee's hearing on interrogation techniques at Guantanamo Bay.

But on the bright side Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), did manage to clarify a very important question. Just what branch of government is the Vice President in?

The Nation of Dick -- and yes, he's his very own branch of government, and quite possibly his very own nation -- is a barnacle. But then, we've known that for a very long time.

Apologies to barnacles everywhere.

Iraq Bombings Kill at Least 30; Three Marines Dead

By GottaLaff

While David Gregory discusses whether Obama is being nice enough to Hillary, he might think about bringing this up:

Two insurgent bomb blasts struck at pro-American Iraqi targets in Anbar province just west of Baghdad and in the northern city of Mosul on Thursday, and the police said at least 30 people were killed and 80 wounded. [...]

Both attacks on Thursday raised questions about assertions that Al Qaeda in Iraq and other Sunni extremist groups had been largely vanquished.
Over the past week there has been a stream of attacks against local leaders both in small neighborhoods such as Abu Dshir on the southern edge of Baghdad and Madaen, which lies just southeast of the city, as well as an attack Tuesday on the Sadr City neighborhood council, which killed six Iraqis and four Americans and their Iraqi—Italian translator.

Now back to whether Obama is an elitist gun-control freak who's "holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."

Nothing else matters.

House of Representatives: Ayes and Nays

By GottaLaff

Two House votes. First:

In response to record oil and gasoline prices, the House of Representatives on Thursday approved 402 to 19 legislation directing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to use its authority, including the agency's emergency powers, to "curb immediately" the role of excessive speculation in energy futures markets. [...]

"The American people should not be punished at the pump for the actions of oil speculators," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Next:

The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected legislation that would have required energy companies to develop oil and natural gas supplies on federal leases they have held for years or be denied future drilling access on government acres.

The legislation was an effort by the Democrats, who control the House, to show voters they were trying to do something to tackle record gasoline prices. Lawmakers will be on their Fourth of July holiday recess next week and will face angry constituents upset about pump costs.

Our government at work.