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Open thread if you need one. If you see anything interesting overnight, leave a link in the comments and I'll check them out when I get in. Behave!!
Bonus Happy Biden Pic-
Pics via Reuters.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Happy Obama Picture Of The Day
IWRC* Palin answers questions during cheesesteak run
By GottaLaff
I told you what happened outside the Philly restaurant where IWRC* got heckled. Here's what happened inside, which was like, awesome:
While waiting in line with her daughter Willow to place her order, a reporter asked Palin if she watched Friday's debate, and what her impressions were.
"I did, I did," she said. "McCain did awesome. He was great. He was absolutely on his game."
He did awesome. That's awesome. She did awesome when she answered that awesome question.
Awesome. She says we have to stop the guys and cross the border. You know, the very thing Gramm-pa McCain chastised Obama for daring to suggest "out loud".Palin added that she is ready to debate Joe Biden next Thursday in St. Louis.
"I am," she said. "Look forward to it. Look forward to getting to speak to Americans through that debate, absolutely."
The governor got a more serious interrogation moments later when Temple graduate student Michael Rovito approached her to inquire about Pakistan.
"How about the Pakistan situation?," Rovito asked her. "What's your thoughts about that?"
"In Pakistan?," she asked, looking surprised.
"What's going on over there, like Waziristan?"
"It's working with [Pakistani president] Zardari to make sure that we're all working together to stop the guys from coming in over the border," she told him. "And we'll go from there."
Rovito wasn't finished. "Waziristan is blowing up!," he said.
"Yeah it is," Palin said, "and the economy there is blowing up too."
"So we do cross border, like from Afghanistan to Pakistan you think?," Rovito asked.
"If that's what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should," Palin responded, before moving on to greet other voters.
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
Anti-IWRC* Palin Rally: Photo edition
By GottaLaff
Photos via. Click on any Anti-IWRC* rally photo to enlarge.
The woman sitting in the chair is Walt Monegan's mother. Read her sign. From my earlier post: Walt Monegan’s mother Betty was there! She thanked everyone for supporting her son - through her tears. It was very touching.
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
Anti-IWRC* Palin Rally: "I can see the end of your career from my house"
By GottaLaff
(click on images to enlarge)
Here's an account of what happened at the anti-IWRC* rally by an Alaskan blogger:
Okay, so I'm just guessing, but I'd say at least 1,000 people lined the sidewalks of I street between 9th and 10th Avenues today and spilled over into the area of the Park Strip near the memorial to rally in support of holding our corrupt and despicable governor accountable. [...]This one is from a commenter at Mudflats:
I'm not really sure who organized today's rally. I thank them, no matter who they are. Someone told me it's a group called "Alaskans for Truth". [Laffy Note: It is.] I'm happy to know anyone who actually prefers the truth to the crap we're served up by the Palins' surrogate family (a/k/a the scumbags named Ed O'Callaghan and Meghan Stapleton..... okay, I'll just say "people who look and sound like those two dudes" just to avoid any possibility that either of those two wretched bastards might think "scumbag" is defamatory). [...]
Still, today's rally was one of those moments - like the rally earlier this month by the "Women Rejecting Palin" - that reassures anyone who feels isolated in their contempt for the ethical, moral and political cesspit of Alaska's executive branch of government. [...]
They all have one further opportunity, of course: The statewide Obama rally set for October 4, from 1-4 p.m. at the Park Strip. [...] Perhaps by then our favorite governor will be back amongst us, having been tossed off...er... reluctantly forced to choose to depart the McCain freefalling Maverick Express to Hell.
Walt Monegan’s mother Betty was there! She thanked everyone for supporting her son - through her tears. It was very touching.Some photos via. I have a lot more photos, which I'll post later.I am not a good estimate of crowd size but there were a ton of folks there. Lots of Obama supporters - but I didn’t see a single Palin/McCain sign.
The posters were incredible - one of my favs: “I can see the end of your career from my house.” The other one that was priceless - it was a photograph of Sarah with an EMPTY thought balloon! LOL! [...]
Great speakers - we even sang! [...] An Alaskan Native woman spoke about how SP has totally dissed the natives in this State.
A woman who has voted Rethuglican for 24 years got up and explained why she is supporting Obama and working to recall SP.
Lots of chanting to recall SP. [...]
Today is my birthday and I can say it was the best birthday I have ever had!
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
Gramm-pa McCain senior advisor Rick Davis Busted
By GottaLaff
Hear that "thud"? That's Gramm-pa hitting the ground in a dead faint. He may get up in time for the wedding, but other than that, he's down for the count:
Newsweek is reporting that Rick Davis took deferred compensation, funneled into his lobbying firm shop, and was racking up huge fees for a related business run out of the same address.
The McCain campaign told reporters the fees were irrelevant because Davis "separated from his consulting firm ... in 2006," according to the campaign's Web site, and he stopped drawing a salary from it. In fact, however, when Davis joined the campaign in January 2007, he asked that his $20,000-a-month salary be paid directly to Davis Manafort, two sources who asked not to be identified discussing internal campaign business told NEWSWEEK. Federal campaign records show the McCain campaign paid Davis Manafort $90,000 through July 2007, when a cash crunch prompted Davis and other top campaign officials to forgo their salaries and work as volunteers. Separately, another entity created and partly owned by Davis—an Internet firm called 3eDC, whose address was the same office building as Davis Manafort's—received payments from the McCain campaign for Web services, collecting $971,860 through March 2008.
In an e-mail to NEWSWEEK, a senior McCain official said that when the campaign began last year, it signed a contract with Davis Manafort "in which we purchased all of [Davis's] time, and he agreed not to work for any other clients." The official also said that though Davis was an "investor" in 3eDC, Davis has received no salary from it. As to why Davis permitted the Freddie Mac payments to continue, the official referred NEWSWEEK to Davis Manafort, which did not respond to repeated phone calls. One senior McCain adviser said the entire flap could have been avoided if the campaign had resisted attacking Barack Obama for his ties to two former Fannie Mae executives, which prompted the media to take a second look at Davis. "It was stupid," the adviser said. "A serious miscalculation and an amateurish move." Still, this adviser said, McCain's faith in his campaign manager remains unswerving.
While Davis left his lobbying firm, the firm continued to take Freddie Mac money. Davis is of course a major shareholder and all these monies are going to end up with him once this campaign is over and he "puts his lobbying hat back on".
What a fine campaign run by that heroic P.O.W. Gramm-pa John Sidney McCain this is. His "unswerving faith" in Davis is as admirable as his unswerving inability to look Obama in the eye.
I'm sure Soon-to-be-Gramm-ma IWRC* Palin's new Gramm-baby will look up to Gramm-pa Sid as a role model, as all children should. Family values abound: Honesty, transparency, adherance to morals, straight talk... oh, we could go on, couldn't we?
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
More razzle-dazzle? McCain camp prays for Palin wedding
By GottaLaff
How perverse is it that Gramm-pa McCain's camp is hoping that a pregnant, unmarried 17-year-old will save their pathetic campaign? And would even think of using her in that way? They accuse Democrats of exploitation? Razzle-dazzle attempt #5710975:
IN an election campaign notable for its surprises, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice- presidential candidate, may be about to spring a new one — the wedding of her pregnant teenage daughter to her ice-hockey-playing fiancé before the November 4 election.
Inside John McCain’s campaign the expectation is growing that there will be a popularity boosting pre-election wedding in Alaska between Bristol Palin, 17, and Levi Johnston, 18, her schoolmate and father of her baby. “It would be fantastic,” said a McCain insider. “You would have every TV camera there. The entire country would be watching. It would shut down the race for a week.” [...]
[Palin] could benefit from a fresh injection of homespun authenticity, the hallmark of her style, provided by her daughter’s wedding after appearing out of depth away from her home state. [...]
McCain is expected to have a front-row seat at Bristol’s wedding and to benefit from the outpouring of goodwill that it could bring. “What’s the downside?” a source inside the McCain campaign said. “It would be wonderful. I don’t know that there has ever been a pre-election wedding before.” [...]
The ice-hockey player [Levi Johnston] wrote on his MySpace page he was a “f****** redneck” and stated, “I don’t want kids.” But a McCain insider predicted he would marry Bristol whenever his future mother-in-law wanted. “It’s a shotgun wedding. She kills things,” the source joked.
As for the Biden/Palin debate:
McCain officials believe that Palin’s underdog status gives her a chance to shine. “Joe Biden is going to have to destroy her for it to be perceived as a victory for him,” said an aide.Hence, my hesitance to assume she'll bomb.
Hundreds attend anti-IWRC* Palin rally... BUT, she's a good debater
By GottaLaff
Sorry, no photos yet:
Hundreds of people turned out for an anti-Sarah Palin rally today.I'm searching for photos. Meanwhile, here is pretty much what I've been saying (I'm the cautious type) about IWRC's Big Impending Debate:People waved signs at honking cars headed downtown and listened to speakers in a rally organized by a group called Alaskans for Truth.
They were protesting that Sen. John McCain's GOP running mate has stopped participating in the state Legislature's investigation into her firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.(Laffy Note: See latest post on that here) [...]
One demonstrator, Anchorage resident Vonda Roark-Martinez, carried a sign that said "Hey Sarah Can you see reality from Alaska?"
Roark-Martinez says Palin should go back to her hometown of Wasilla because she doesn't have the experience to be vice president.
She'll be likable and just knowledgeable enough to get good reviews. Think Bush.On a Saturday conference call with reporters, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe called Gov. Sarah Palin "a terrific debater" who has "performed very, very well" in previous debates with opponents in her state.
Politico's Mike Allen writes:
"We've looked at tapes of Gov. Palin's debates, and she's a terrific debater," Plouffe told reporters on a conference call. "She has performed very, very well. She's obviously a skilled speaker. We expect she'll give a great performance next Thursday." [...]
Privately, Democratic campaign officials have sent video clips of Palin's previous debates to the Huffington Post, noting her strong performances against more experienced Alaskan pols.There is a legitimate sense of unease that the bar has been set so low for Palin that even a modest performance will be seen as a major success -- and that Palin may be capable of much more.
Bush III.
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
Wisconsin "vote fraud" claims, brought to you by... Republicans!
By GottaLaff
Election fraud is a huge problem, as I've said over and over and over and over and over again. It has me worried. Obama needs to get a huge turnout just to compensate. Voter fraud is not a huge problem, but the Republicans want to make it one.
Here we go again:
Remember, there's a difference between voter fraud and election fraud. Voter fraud is extremely rare:From the history of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, we know vote fraud has been a very successful issue for the Republican Party. The more vote fraud they commit, the more successful they are.
That's why it was no surprise when Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, co-chairman of the John McCain campaign in Wisconsin, filed a lawsuit to try to prevent thousands of state voters from casting their ballots.
Republicans used similar tactics in Florida in 2000 and in Ohio in 2004 to remove thousands of voters from the rolls based on confusion over names, addresses and clerical records.
The cover story this time is that Van Hollen claims to be concerned because the names or addresses of many new voters who have registered since 2006 don't match state driver license records or other bureaucratic sources.
There are many innocent explanations for such discrepancies. Sometimes numbers are transposed by clerical error or names are recorded differently because of nicknames or middle initials.
Differences in addresses are particularly common among low-income voters who move frequently.
Republicans have made exaggerated claims in recent years about vote fraud to try to justify requiring photo IDs for voting, a roadblock that disproportionately affects low-income, minority and elderly voters, who are less likely to have a driver's license and more likely to vote Democratic.
Common sense tells you why. Anyone convicted of vote fraud goes to federal prison. Risking incarceration to cast an illegal vote that would make an infinitesimal difference in the outcome of an election is senseless. [...]In fact, one of the few groups with any incentive to put phony voters on the rolls is the Republican Party. That could then be used to justify all of the obstacles they are eager to put in the way of likely Democratic voters.
Investigate away, Mr. District Attorney. It would be wrong to prejudge the investigation, but if the Republican Party turns out to be involved in any way, hang 'em high. [...]
Republicans want to make voters jump through more and more hoops so many of them will become discouraged and fall away. That is especially true of low-income voters who lack transportation and have other difficulties in their lives to distract them from voting. [...]
By forcing thousands of legitimate voters to re-register at their polling places or to go through additional paperwork to cast provisional ballots, Republicans hope to create even more delays at urban polling places.
"After reversing on debate, John McCain looks like John McCan't"
By GottaLaff
...With economic jitters playing to traditional Democratic dogma, McCain's Big Mo suddenly reverted to his challenger.
"This is the attention-deficit-disorder campaign," said a bewildered senior Republican operative. "They've had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week."
In the process, McCain invited questions about his judgment and ability to work his will in Washington if elected.
"This raises the fundamental issue of how a guy who is hated by his own party can govern," fretted a GOP mandarin who worked for several Presidents. "If he can't control the Republicans, how can he run a country?"
Then there was that Big Faux Campaign Suspension:
But McCain ignored the first rule of high-stakes summitry: before committing precious credibility, make sure a deal's in hand, or at least in sight. In this case McCain, who probably has more Democratic friends on Capitol Hill than Republicans, couldn't even deliver his own side.DeFrank goes on in more detail. What a not terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day this is turning out to be for our side!
Philly to IWRC* Palin: "Hey Hockey Mom -- Keep the Puck out of PA"
By GottaLaff
Someone had the bright idea of sending Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to the Irish Pub on Walnut Street in downtown Philly before the debate yesterday.Inside, people were much more welcoming. However...
More than 400 McCain-Palin supporters were in the bar waiting for her; more than 300 McCain-Palin opponents were outside the bar, heckling her on as Philadelphians know how to do.
Sporting a red Phillies jacket, over a white t-shirt that read "Sarahcuda," Palin entered the bar to the protestors chanting "Obama! Obama!"
Some set off flares.
They held up signs: "McSame/Failin';" "Hey Hockey Mom -- keep the puck out of PA;" "Just like Bush in lipstick."
Her exit from the Irish Pub was met with a harsh wave of boos from the protesters standing on Walnut Street.Does a few minutes in that pub give IWRC* her Ireland creds now? Or was her stopover enough?
As she eased into her motorcade one man yelled, "I can see Alaska from Walnut Street!"
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
VIDEO-- Chris Matthews: "Is McCain too Troll like?...Like a codger?"
By GottaLaff
Quote-O'-The-Day: Un-spinning Gramm-pa McCain edition
By GottaLaff
When asked by the Washington Post whether McCain "will be able to spin the idea that he swooped in and saved the bailout bill," House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) replied:
It depends on whether you guys get fooled or not and write that [bleep]. ... Before McCain came in, we thought we were working. McCain comes in, it gets screwed up, now McCain leaves -- I dunno, it's like Jimmy Piersall.
VIDEO-- Gramm-pa McCain: "Osama bin Laden and General Petraeus have one thing in common..."
By GottaLaff
Ooooops!
The fun starts at about :50.
I heard him say this last night, and my jaw dropped. Yet I haven't seen one mention of it anywhere. In fact, the pundits have all been saying how there were no major gaffes. Well, here's one now!
TrooperGate: "Good soldier" Monegan says his e-mails show he was no 'rogue'
By GottaLaff
And now another episode of As the Stomach Turns:
Gov. Sarah Palin's ex-public safety commissioner says he'll provide e-mails to a state investigator to refute his former boss's claim he had a "rogue mentality" on budgeting and was planning an unauthorized trip to Washington, D.C., to lobby for money.Just like IWRC* Palin's head, these accusations are full of holes.Walt Monegan said his e-mails will counter a batch the governor's lawyer released last week purporting to show he was out of sync with Palin and that the planned trip was "the last straw" that got him fired.
In interviews this week, Monegan said the governor's e-mails are far from the last word on the last straw.
He said his e-mails will show a broader view of conversations within the administration and of his plans to visit U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski in late July to talk about a bold plan to crack down on sexual assaults in Alaska, a state long plagued with one of the nation's highest rates of such crimes.
"No one ever told me -- no one -- that you're running amok," Monegan said.
Monegan never made the D.C. trip, as Palin fired him as public safety commissioner on July 11 "following eight months of insubordination" on budget and other issues, according to an account the governor's lawyer filed with the state Personnel Board on Sept. 15. [...]
In one e-mail, he said, a top Palin aide wrote that the governor didn't want the state to pick up the full tab for a sex crimes team of troopers, lawyers and judges -- that some federal money would be needed.
The leadership within the governor's office was well aware of the idea for the sex crimes unit, Monegan said, citing a meeting on the subject with Palin's budget director, Karen Rehfeld, and another aide, Randy Ruaro, last December.
"This was not done in the dark," Monegan said.
He also asserted top people in the governor's office knew why he planned to visit Murkowski, with Palin's chief of staff, Mike Nizich, having signed a travel authorization on June 18 stating the purpose of the trip was to attend a meeting with the senator. The form doesn't mention the sexual assault unit.
Monegan said Murkowski had expressed interest in the sex crime unit. He said he planned to discuss it and ask about potential sources of funding.
He said if he got a commitment on funding, he could give Palin a full funding picture.
"Then I would get a green light or a red light," he said. "Basically, she'd say yes or no."
Monegan added the governor's characterization of him as a rogue cabinet member just isn't accurate.
"That's never been the case," he said. "I'm a good soldier." [...]
In fact, the e-mails the governor's office released indicate Ruaro knew the nature of the trip as soon as eight days later -- June 26.
And Monegan contends top Palin aides knew what the trip was about at the time the travel authorization was signed.
"If I was the investigator, I'd say, 'Wait a minute. You said he was a rogue and yet you would routinely, without asking him, approve a trip to D.C.,' " Monegan said. "How much water does that hold?"
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
Satirzing a satire: IWRC* Palin on SNL tonight?
By GottaLaff
! Magazine is reporting that IWRC* Palin may appear with Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live tonight:The whispers bouncing around the halls of NBC today say Palin is currently considering doing a surprise pop-in on the long-running late-night sketch comedy show. Additionally, OK! is hearing that Emmy-winner Fey might reprise her now-infamous impersonation.
The discussions have gotten to the point that security for the "hockey mom" did a thorough walk-through of the Rockefeller Center studio on Wednesday in preparation for the possible SNL guest shot.
Stay tuned to OK! as this story develops.
OKAY! Although I still can't figure out how one spoofs a spoof.
This little cameo couldn't possibly be due to a much-needed boost in her poll numbers, could it?
Nah.
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
Gramm-pa McCain Skips Vote on Spending Bill
By GottaLaff
Gramm-pa McCain sure has a funny way of showing how much he cares about his country:
One of the Senate's longest-running streaks hit 115 today.Ooo! Ooo! I know! Call on me! Ahem: The streak is about the 115 times that Gramm-pa said, "You don't understand!"
No? That's not it?
After returning to Washington early this morning, ostensibly to help with congressional negotiations on bailout legislation, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) missed a pair of votes on a massive spending bill that keeps the federal government running for the next five months.
Gramm-pa doesn't understand.
In missing today's votes, McCain passed up the opportunity to critique a bill that -- as he said in last night's debate -- has more than 2,200 special spending provisions known as earmarks, most of which have never seen the light of day until the legislation was released late this week.
So that makes him a-- D'oh, what's that word again? Oh yeah-- hypocrite?
McCain, who has not voted since April 8, has now missed five-and-a-half months of roll calls in the Senate, during which 115 votes have been held.
According to a database created by washingtonpost.com, McCain has missed more than 64 percent of his votes in the 110th Congress, more than any other senator.
Obama's attendance record hasn't exactly been stellar either. But Grammps takes the cake.
Focus Groups: Obama Won the Debate
By GottaLaff
During and after the debate, Democracy Corps conducted focus groups among 45 undecided voters in St. Louis, Missouri.Two things will happen in the next debate: Gramm-pa will force himself to look at Obama, and Obama will not utter the words, "You're right."
Though these voters "had an unmistakably Republican tilt," McCain "could only manage a draw among this group. Of our 45 initial undecided voters, a quarter moved to Obama and a quarter to McCain after the debate with the rest remaining undecided. Moreover, by a 38 to 27 percent margin these voters said that Obama won this debate." [...]
Meanwhile, Marc Ambinder notes a finding from a Democratic strategist running another focus group: "Whenever Sen. McCain leaned on Obama for being naive and repeated the phrase 'Sen. Obama doesn't understand,' the tracking lines nosedived."
"Time" Grades the Debates-- Gramm-pa McCain: B-, Barack Obama: A-
By GottaLaff
Gramm-pa (excerpts):
Substance: His arguments were hard to follow at the beginning, but he found his voice as the debate progressed, although he never seemed fully in control of his message. Grade: B-
Style: Cluttered, jumpy, and often muddled. Frequent coughing early on helped neither his arguments nor his image. Jokes about being deaf and anecdotes about Normandy and George Shultz seemed ill-advised - even his pen was old. [...] Keenly aware of the grand, grave occasion, McCain wavered between respectful and domineering, and ended up awkward and edgy. Grade: C-
Offense: But while mocking his opponent on a few occasions, which reflected his acute disrespect for Obama, he did so in an insufficiently sharp and detailed manner - and unevenly worked elements of his rival's record into his attacks. [...] The main problem: Obama's obvious preparation and sharp answers contradicted McCain's frequent claims that the Democrat was uninformed and "didn't understand" key issues. Grade: C+
Defense: Was visibly riled when clashing with Obama over a variety of issues, including Iraq, sanctions, and spending. He also chose to boast about Sarah Palin (although not by name) as his maverick partner, who, after her shaky week, may no longer be his ace in the hole. Grade: B-Overall: McCain was McCain - evocative, intense, and at times emotional, but also vague, elliptical, and atonal. Failed to deliver his "country first versus Obama first" message cleanly, even when offered several opportunities. Surprisingly, did not talk much about "change," virtually ceding the dominant issue of the race. Overall grade: B-
Barack Obama (excerpts):
Substance: Quite manifestly immersed in the past, present, and future details of policy, and eager to express his views, which have been expanded, honed, and solidified during the last 18 months of hard campaigning. Grade: B+
Style: Polished, confident, focused. Fully prepared, and able to convey a real depth of knowledge on nearly every issue. He was unhurried, and rarely lost his train of thought even when the debate wended and winded - and uttered far fewer of his trademark, distracting, "ums." Grade: A
Defense: Had a reasonable answer for every charge that came his way - with little anger, bluster, or anxiety. [...] Fearless, without condescension, he attempted the gracious move of agreeing with or complimenting a McCain position, occasionally to his own detriment. Grade: A-Overall: Went for a solid, consistent performance to introduce himself to the country. He did not seem nervous, tentative, or intimidated by the event, and avoided mistakes from his weak debate performances during nomination season (a professorial tone and long winded answers). Standing comfortably on the stage with his rival, he showed he belonged - evocative of Reagan, circa 1980. He was so confident by the end that he reminded his biggest audience yet that his father was from Kenya. Two more performances like that and he will be very tough to beat on Election Day. Overall grade: A-
H/t: Ellen
Poll-itics: Obama ahead in most polls edition
By GottaLaff
Gallup Daily: Obama Holds 5-Point Lead
PRINCETON, NJ -- Barack Obama leads John McCain, 49% to 44%, when registered voters are asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, according to the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update.
These results, from Sept. 24-26, are almost entirely based on interviewing conducted before Friday night's first presidential debate. This suggests Obama was moving into a slightly better positioning as the two met in Mississippi to debate foreign policy matters and the economic crisis. The five percentage point lead for Obama in today's update is one of his best in recent weeks, just short of the six-point advantage he had in Sept. 17-19 polling.And then there's this:
General Election: McCain vs. Obama
| Poll | Date | Sample | Obama (D) | McCain (R) | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCP Average | 09/21 - 09/26 | -- | 47.9 | 43.6 | Obama +4.3 |
| Gallup Tracking | 09/24 - 09/26 | 2759 RV | 49 | 44 | Obama +5 |
| Rasmussen Tracking | 09/24 - 09/26 | 3000 LV | 50 | 44 | Obama +6 |
| Hotline/FD Tracking | 09/24 - 09/26 | 914 RV | 48 | 43 | Obama +5 |
| GW/Battleground Tracking | 09/21 - 09/25 | 1000 LV | 46 | 48 | McCain +2 |
| CBS News/NY Times | 09/21 - 09/24 | LV | 48 | 43 | Obama +5 |
| FOX News | 09/22 - 09/23 | 900 RV | 45 | 39 | Obama +6 |
| Marist | 09/22 - 09/23 | 689 LV | 49 | 44 | Obama +5 |
And this:
Barack Obama on Face the Nation Sunday
By GottaLaff
Per the L.A. Times, Obama is scheduled to appear on Face the Nation at 8:30 a.m. Pacific.
Air Force Instructor Details Harsh Interrogations
By GottaLaff
Lest we forget:
Colonel Tells Senate Panel How U.S. Training Program Was Adapted for Use Against Iraqi Detainees 26 Sep 2008 The techniques themselves -- forced nudity, sleep deprivation, painful shackling -- had been used for years to prepare U.S. fighter pilots for possible capture by an enemy. But Col. Steven Kleinman, an Air Force instructor, said he was shocked in 2003 to see the same harsh methods used haphazardly on Iraqis in a U.S. prison camp. In dramatic testimony before a Senate panel yesterday, he gave a rare account of how the Pentagon adapted an Air Force training program to squeeze information from captured Iraqis. What Kleinman witnessed in Baghdad in September 2003 prompted him to order a stop to three interrogations, and to warn his superiors that the military's interrogation practices were abusive and, in his opinion, illegal. "I told the task force commander that the methods were unlawful and were in violation of the Geneva Conventions," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee.H/t: CLG
Quote-O'-The-Day: Where's IWRC* Sarah? edition
By GottaLaff
Andrew Sullivan: "Did anyone notice that in the TV spin afterwards, Biden was everywhere as you would expect of a vice-presidential nominee, but Palin was nowhere to be found? They can't even rely on her to spin without tangling herself in knots and adding new layers of lies to her existing web of untruth."IWRC* Palin is "clueless". Just ask the McCain campaign. They wouldn't trust her alone, without a script, in front of a camera for two minutes. Katie Couric can attest to that.
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
R.I.P. Paul Newman
By GottaLaff
Paul Newman, a sublime actor and a good man, is dead at 83. The movie legend died Friday at his home in Connecticut, a family spokeswoman said. The cause of death was lung cancer. Newman reportedly told his family he chose to die at home.One of the good guys.
He lived a long and active life, encompassing acting and directing for stage and screen, philanthropy, political activism, auto racing, and the "Newman's Own" line of foods. [...]
He made some 60 films. He was nominated for nine Academy Awards, and won for "The Color of Money" (1986). He also won the Academy's Honorary Award in 1986 and its Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1994. His Oscar came for playing the character Fast Eddie Felson, a pool hustler. He was also nominated for the film that introduced the character, "The Hustler" (1961). He made five films as a director, including four starring his wife of 50 years, Joanne Woodward. One of them, "Rachel, Rachel" (1968) won Woodward a nomination for best actress and her husband one for best director. [...]
An outspoken liberal, Newman placed 19th on Richard Nixon's "enemies list," and cited that as one of his proudest achievements.
VIDEO: Gramm-pa McCain unplugged: "Horse s***"
By GottaLaff
Gramm-pa, you just "don't understand" what sounds presidential and what doesn't, now do you?
At 4:30 in this video clip of last night's debate you can clearly hear Sen. John McCain mutter "horse shit" two times while Sen. Barack Obama is talking.Know what, Grammps? You're full of horses***.
New Obama Ad- "Zero"
Still selling the yard.
Text via-
Anncr: Number of minutes in debate: 90.
Number of times John McCain mentioned the middle class: Zero
McCain doesn’t get it.
Barack Obama does.
Barack Sync: The fundamentals of the economy have to be measured by whether or not the middle class is getting a fair shake...
And when you look at your tax policies...
you are neglecting people who are really struggling right now. I think that is a continuation of the last eight years, and we can’t afford another four.
Barack VO: I’m Barack Obama and I approve this message.
Saturday Linkage
Light posting this am since I'm performing the Great American PIA* today (again). I'll try and pop in but until Gotta drags herself out of her silk sheeted, perfumed bed you'll just have to deal.
Law puts thousands of Florida voter IDs in question
Pakistan Tells U.S. To Keep Out
Fifteen Safest 2009 Cars
Cancer alert over talc: Women using powder every day 'are at risk'
Rocket man completes first one-man jetpack flight across Channel
U.S. Mint Suspends Sale Of 24-Karat Gold Coins Because Of Demand
Hospital tells grandfather, 71, that he's pregnant
China's first spacewalk succeeds
* yard sale
Paddy's Take On The Debate
I didn't watch the debate as it was happening, (partially because I get crazy nervous, partially an experiment) so I'm just wading into the spin and meme's going on this morning.
Substantially it looks like a draw, but in the one and only debate on Foreign Policy if Obama gets a draw, that's a win. There seems to be some consensus that Obama missed a few opportunities to wham McCain on the economy and that at times he seemed a bit "bloodless". (they really are breaking out their thesauruses on this election aren't they?)
Now, the surface stuff and optics? Obama won by a landslide. McCain looked old and pissed ("cranky grandpa" according to Mike Barnicle), he wouldn't look Obama in the eye, and McCain umm'd more than Obama. Obama seemed collected and smoother than usual. Add in he's taller, younger and better looking? Slam.
Obama made the case that he was "presidential" and as someone wrote (can't remember who, I'll credit it as soon as I can), Obama looked more Will Smith than Wesley Snipes, and middle america can deal with that as president.
Luntz panel on Fox News: very pro Obama
What the hell was up with McCain not looking at Obama? Alpha monkey politics?
Friday, September 26, 2008
WATCH DEBATE LIVE HERE: Streaming CSPAN
Watch the debate on line live on CSPAN
By GottaLaff
We'll have an open thread for the debate soon. I won't be liveblogging (at least not like I usually do), so that I can give it my full attention.
If you would like to see it streamed live on CSPAN, go here. They're already showing the arrival of the audience.
If you want to fact check the candidates, you can go here.
There will be an audience of 100 million people.
KKK to attend Mississippi debate
By GottaLaff
Obama fans they are not, so I'm pretty darned sure they'll be cheering for Gramm-pa:
The Mississippi White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan plan to appear at the University of Mississippi for tonight’s debate, the university’s student newspaper reports. The emperor confirmed to the Daily Mississippian that KKK members and officers would be on site, but would not demonstrate publicly:
The Mississippi White Knights will have officers and Klansmen on hand for the presidential debate on September 26, 2008. Our people will be in Oxford and on the campus ‘invisible.’ That means our people won’t be in regalia or demonstrating. So, I guess you’ll just have to guess which of the people present are Klansmen.
Rather than being "invisible", I wish they'd just disappear. This news sickens me.
H/t: Paddy
Zogby just called me
By GottaLaff
They asked who I would vote for if the election were held today. I didn't say Gramm-pa McCain, honest.
Ted Kennedy taken to hospital
By GottaLaff Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy has been transported to a Cape Cod Hospital, FOX News has learned. His condition was not immediately known. The ailing Democratic senator has been undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumor, after he was hospitalized for a seizure in May. A captain in the Hyannais Port Fire Department confirmed that Kennedy was taken to the hospital Friday evening.
MSNBC just reported.
UPDATE: MSNBC is reporting it's "not serious." We can breathe a sigh of relief! It was a mild seizure and he's on his way home to watch the debate.
Not good news:
Gramm-pa McCain Camp insiders say IWRC* Palin "clueless"
By GottaLaff
Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people are more than concerned about Palin. The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."Of course, Gramm-pa Sid's Big Important Faux Campaign Suspension was all about helping the taxpayers. IWRC* had nothing to do with it. That's just a conspiracy theory.
H/t: Mudflats
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
Paraguay President turned down IWRC* Palin photo op
By GottaLaff
IWRC* has been rejected:
Apparently not everyone wants to have their photograph taken with Sarah Palin.Why, he must be a terrorist! Who would be so bold as to decline a face-to-face with that paragon of foreign policy, Lady IWRC Louise Palin?
Paraguay President Fernando Lugo, while attending both the UN General Assembly meetings and the Clinton Global Initiative, shared with friends over dinner some of the other meetings he had been having in New York.
After enumerating the various heads of state he'd met with, the room went silent and then laughed a bit when he confided that he was approached about meeting with GOP Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.
President Lugo said he turned the meeting down.
The 57-year-old left-leaning former Catholic bishop known locally as "bishop of the poor," was elected to office in April. His swearing in marked the first time in Paraguay's history since the country gained independence that an opposition party turned over power peacefully to a candidate elected from the other party.I'm sure if she stands close enough to a map of Paraguay, she can claim expertise.
Lugo has also refused his presidential salary, saying it "belongs to more humble people." He joined the priesthood in 1977 and was ordained a bishop in 1994 before resigning in 2006 to run for office.
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
IWRC* Palin praised Wooten before she didn't
By GottaLaff
Years before "Troopergate" and accusations that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin tried to kick her former brother-in-law out of the state police force, she was praising him as "a fine example" of "high-caliber personnel." In a letter dated July 8, 1999, Sarah Palin commended her future brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, for his hard work at Wasilla's July 4th parade."SRA Wooten worked hard to locate and deliver appropriate supplies to use in our parade," the then-mayor of Wasilla wrote to Wooten's Air Force commander. "I believe Mike is a fine example of the high-caliber personnel we are blessed to have in the United States Air Force. He was extremely helpful to our community and I thank you for allowing his assistance," Palin wrote.
The documents also substantiate Palin's sustained use of federal earmarks to fund local projects (she now opposes earmarks on the campaign trail), her personnel moves as mayor and her opposition to environmentalists' efforts to protect Alaska's Steller sea lions.
The unsigned letter is one of hundreds of documents released today to NBC News by the Wasilla city government, dating back to Palin's six-year term as mayor.
More Here.
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"VIDEO: CNN's Jack Cafferty - Palin is a JOKE
By GottaLaff
"If John McCain this woman will be one 72-year-old's heartbeat away from being President of the United States. And if that doesn't scare the hell out of you, it should.... I'm 65, and I've been covering politics... for a long time. That is one of the most pathetic pieces of tape I have ever seen for someone aspiring for one of the highest offices..."Via.
World Leaders Who Met With IWRC* Palin Praise Joe Biden
By GottaLaff
Remember all those photo ops IWRC* Palin had with Big World Leaders who praised her good looks? Well, they also praised Joe Biden's good judgment:
But they also sought to show they weren't taking sides in the American election contest, going out of their way to tell reporters how much they think of Sen. Joseph Biden.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili showered praise on Biden, saying he played a little known role in advising the government on how it should respond to Russian intervention last month. [...]
Saakashvili said Biden called him two days after Russian troops entered Georgia and proposed a series of "very concrete things we should do."
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari praised IWRC, but...
At that stage, a senior aide interrupted the Pakistani leader. "The president also spoke to Joseph Biden," he said. Zardari said that Biden has been instrumental in steering hundred of millions of US dollars to Pakistan to shore up democracy. "He has been a great friend of democracy from the first day," Zardari added.Joe Biden is a friend of democracy. IWRC is a friend of Karl Rove's.
*"In What Respect, Charlie?"
The current state of the U.S. Senate races: The details
By GottaLaff
We got an email from Mark over at 3 Blue Dudes, and he delves a little deeper into the Senate elections:
Let’s explain a little about our Methodology of how we move races. We take the polling average of the 4 MOST RECENT polls and average them together to come out with our real number of where the race is at, statistically. That prevent outliers and simple bad polls from effecting our numbers too much and shifting races around when there is no real reason to.
Ok, on to the current state of the US Senate Races.
We have listed TWO GUARANTEED DEM Pickups: Virginia and New Mexico.
Next:
TOSS UPS: We are now back to 5 Toss Ups. Each toss up is a incumbent GOP seat.
They are: Alaska, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Oregon.
More:
Finally:Other DEM Pick Ups
In Colorado, Mark Udall is looking to take the seat of retiring GOP Senator Wayne Allard. The polls here are tightening. Udall once had a commanding lead. That lead is now down to 45.25% to 38% over GOP Bob Schaffer. We moved this seat from Guaranteed Pickup to Lean DEM. 3BD Guess: Udall wins along with Obama. (+7)
RACES WE ARE WATCHING
Kentucky, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
RACES YOU CAN IGNORE NOW
Races you can ignore now: New Jersey, Louisiana, Kansas, Maine, and Texas.
Many thanks, Mark!
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