Did I say 100,000? Make that 175,000 of Obama's closest friends

By GottaLaff

My bad. I hadn't realized he'd invited the "real Virginians" and the "pro-Americans" too:

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AFP) — Democrat Barack Obama said Saturday the winds of change were blowing across America as he roused monster crowds totalling more than 175,000 in the Republican "red" state of Missouri. [...]

The gigantic attendance numbers were testimony to Obama's oratorical pulling power and boded well for his flipping a state, Missouri, from red to Democratic "blue." [...]

But Obama, 47, reiterated his message of recent days that supporters should not get "cocky."

"Democrats have a way of snatching defeat from the jaws from victory. You can't let up. You can't pay too much attention to the polls. We've got to keep running through that finish line," he said.

Smart as well as big-hearted. Wowzers. All that and 175,000 friends. And he still manages to stay level-headed.

Gramm-pa McCain’s S.W. Ohio campaign chair tries to suppress votes

By GottaLaff

Gramm-pa McCain's thugs are increasing their voter suppression efforts in Ohio:

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters, who serves as John McCain’s Southwest Ohio campaign chairman, has requested personal information for some individuals who registered and immediately cast a ballot during a weeklong period that ended earlier this month.

Deters issued a subpoena on Friday for complete registration records for roughly 40 percent of the 671 voters who registered and cast a ballot between Sept. 30, when early voting began, and Oct. 6, the deadline for voter registration.

The subpoena, obtained by The Associated Press, is part of a grand jury investigation initiated by Deters in the county. [...]

The fraud allegations that led to the Hamilton County grand jury investigation did not come from local election officials, said county elections board Deputy Director John Williams.

[Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer] Brunner has ordered counties to immediately investigate any claims of fraud, and report the findings to county prosecutors and to her office.

“This office is unaware of any specific allegations of illegal voting out of that county,” said Brunner spokesman Jeff Ortega. [...]

Ohio State University law professor Dan Tokaji, an elections expert, said Deters’ action is troubling.

“This is extremely worrisome when a partisan official engages in conduct that could reasonably be interpreted as voter intimidation and voter suppression,” Tokaji said. “This appears to be part of a concerted strategy on the part of some elements of the Republican Party to exaggerate voting fraud in an effort to suppress participation.”

Sorry Anonymous, I'm still trying to get a grip, but it's not working.

Bonus post-ette, something Ambinder titles "A Coda?", snerk!

For Immediate Release

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Sunday, October 19, 2008

ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO

Event: Governor Sarah Palin Participates in Road to Victory Rally

I couldn't resist a little IWRC* Palin coda of my own for some comic relief from the first part of my post.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

Today Obama Quietly Bought Food for a Widow and a Disabled Roofer in Need

By GottaLaff

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., makes a call to a voter during a stop at the Obama Kansas City campaign office in Kansas City, Mo. Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

How many ways can I say "I love Obama"? Bestest, sweetest, most caring candidate ever! TPC and family must marry him. Now.

BrotherJonah was a roofer who became disabled, with injured feet. He was out scrounging for scrap metal today (against his doctor's orders), to get enough food money to last him and his landlady through the weekend.

BrotherJonah shares a house in Colorado Springs, Colorado with a widow who he calls Miss Johnnie. He came home and found the woman was crying and showing him a table full of Chinese food. He thought one of our friends or my relatives had come over and bought for them. But the real story was much more interesting.

Obama volunteers were canvasing in the area and knocked on the door of Miss Johnnie. She is a registered Republican, but told them she was supporting Obama. She then started to tell them her troubles, including how her husband was a Vietnam Vet who died of Agent Orange. One of the volunteers was a Marine and a Vietnam Vet. The volunteer then started making calls on his cell phone. Soon, he handed the phone to Miss Johnnie. It was Barack Obama.

The woman told Barack about her daughter Michelle, a Marine who had been deployed to Iraq twice, and whose scheduled discharge may be delayed because of the Stop Loss rules. She talked about her continous troubles with the VA concerning her husband's medical bills. She talked about the difficulty of getting the VA to cover medical expenses that she had paid out of pocket, and the nitpicky paperwork errors by the VA. She told him about her difficulty affording food.

About 20 minutes later a very large order of Chinese food came to the door.

The delivery man was a recent immigrant and didn't speak English, so he called his boss, who told them that Obama had called and put the order on his personal credit card.

Brotherjonah came home and had only been able to buy a half gallon of milk, enough food for one meal and some cat food. Instead, they had enough food to last until Monday.

Brotherjonah wrote:

"He was there in a way that really counts. McCain has a fake falsified made-up "Joe the Plumber" who turns out to be a white-collar person named Sam and not even a plumber...

Obama now has Miss Johnnie the Viet-Nam Widow and a Real Joe the Ex-Roofer with Busted Feet. That's why Obama wins. He's Real, his concern for the people is Real, and the people who supporting him, WE'RE real too."

I know BrotherJonah as a person who regularly posts on the www.alfrankenweb.com website. This account did not come from the campaign office or a reporter - it came directly from the disabled ex-roofer.

I hope it was okay to copy this entire post and put it up here. I didn't want to change a word of it. Besides, everyone should be aware of this story. Everyone.

Tears.

VIDEO: Obama and 100,000 of his closest friends in St Louis

By GottaLaff



H/t: One of our Anonymi

The unexpurgated Cindy McCain

By GottaLaff

Rumor has it that Mrs. Gramm-pa wasn't thrilled with today's New York Times piece. Can't imagine why. These excerpts also reveal Gramm-pa's cold, removed, unfeeling side. I highlighted that part in red, to set it apart.

Sorry this is so long, but when it comes to Her Royal McTongueyness, it's hard to know where to stop:

Mrs. McCain, 54, describes herself as her husband’s best friend, though for the last two decades they have mostly lived apart, she in Arizona, he in Washington. She initially seemed like an ideal political partner, giving Mr. McCain a home state, money and contacts that jump-started his career. But as the years passed, she also became a liability at times. She played a role in the Keating Five savings-and-loan scandal, and just as her husband was rehabilitating his reputation, she was caught stealing drugs from her nonprofit organization to feed her addiction to painkillers. She has a fortune that sets the McCains apart from most other Americans, a problem in a presidential race that hinges on economic anxieties. She can be imprecise: she has repeatedly called herself an only child, for instance, even though she has two half-siblings, and has provided varying details about a 1994 mercy mission to Rwanda. [...]

Carol McCain was still a presence on the social scene, working in the Reagan White House and as an events planner. Everyone knew her story: she had stood by her husband during his captivity in North Vietnam, never passing word of a debilitating car accident, only to discover, a few years after their reunion, that he was leaving her for a younger, richer woman. [...]

Recently, Mrs. McCain has called the separations painful, volunteering that she endured several miscarriages alone. She spent subsequent pregnancies mostly confined to home, Ms. Ross said, sitting in a favorite stuffed chair, watching videos. But she rarely complained. “Her attitude was as a good soldier,” Mr. Gullet said. [...]

Her husband was accused of improperly intervening on behalf of a donor, Charles Keating, whose failed savings and loan had cost taxpayers billions. Four other senators were implicated, and one Senate spouse: Mrs. McCain. [...]

When Mrs. McCain visited Bangladesh after a cyclone, she stopped at an orphanage founded by Mother Teresa, who was not, as the campaign has said, present for the visit. Mrs. McCain returned with two baby girls; Mr. Gullet later adopted one, and Mrs. McCain informed her husband on landing that they would adopt the other. [...]

She had used the drugs, first given for back pain, to numb herself during the Keating Five investigation, she confessed to Newsweek magazine. “The newspaper articles didn’t hurt as much, and I didn’t hurt as much,“ she wrote in an essay. “The pills made me feel euphoric and free.” [...]

In interviews, some of Mrs. McCain’s statements seem questionable. She often tells of how she moved to California, leaving her children behind, for four months in 2004 to recover from a stroke that left her unable to walk or speak. But news reports from the time indicate she had few discernible impediments. She gave interviews four days afterward, attended a baseball game with her husband and a reporter several weeks later, and spoke at a Tempe, Ariz., Chamber of Commerce event. “One month out, I feel wonderful,” she told the audience. The McCain campaign declined to resolve the discrepancy. [...]

Rick Davis, a contentious figure in the McCain camp because of his lobbying ties, emerged as campaign manager, in part because Mrs. McCain, with whom he spent months traveling and fund-raising, backed him.

The ideal First Family.

Racist 'N-Word' Calls Reported In Pennsylvania

By GottaLaff

Once again, an utterly vile racist robocall.

Pennsylvanians have complained about a call that impersonates Barack Obama and includes racial epithets:

"Over in Indiana, PA and Northern Cambria, PA, volunteers fielded complaints of a massive wave of ugly robocalls both paid for by John McCain's campaign and those paid for by third parties. The third party call was interactive, and purported to be from Barack Obama himself. The call starts out reasonably, and then "Obama" asks what the listener thinks is the most important issue. Whatever the response, "Obama" then launches into a profane and crazed tirade using "n***er" and other shock language."

I'm running out of synonyms for "racist" and "horrific".

Obama + Hillary + Florida = BFCE

By GottaLaff

I wanna go!

Barack Obama is scheduled to appear with U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., at 6 p.m. Monday at Orlando's Amway Arena. It will be an outdoor event, with the crowd gathered on the plaza on the arena's north and west side. [...]

How big a push is Obama making in Florida? Not only will he be in Orlando on Monday with Clinton to kick off early voting in the state, now the campaign has added an event in Miami on Tuesday to rally the troops. He'll make that trip with his wife, Michelle. [...]

Obama sees Florida as a knockout state. If he can win here -- where voters traditionally favor Republican presidential candidates -- it's all but guaranteed he wins the election. His campaign has more than 300 staff members on the ground and recently brought in two of his most senior operatives.

BFCE. E. E.

Campaign sends aide to court Jewish voters:

The Obama campaign is sending Dennis Ross -- who was Bill Clinton's point man in the Middle East and also worked for George H.W. Bush -- to synagogues in Orlando, Tampa and South Florida to talk about Obama's "long-standing support for Israel, Middle East policy and other issues of interest to the Jewish community in this election."

Gramm-pa McCain will be attending an early bird dinner at a nearby deli. He borrowed a yarmulke from a Jewish family he met at a stopover in New York, but is having trouble keeping it from sliding off his comb-over.

Cindy learned the word "shalom" just for the occasion, although she insists on using it as a verb instead of a greeting: "John, did you remember to shalom your face today?" Despite her intense distaste for gefilte fish and dill pickles, she agreed to accompany her husband, provided she can order a turkey club on white bread, extra mayo, and a side of bacon.

Gramm-pa hopes to gather a crowd of 15.

GOP turnout lagging in heavy N. Carolina early voting

By GottaLaff

Wouldn't winning North Carolina be stupendously stupendous? Thursday's turnout was 40% larger than in 2004:

Thursday's first day of early voting drew record numbers across North Carolina, election officials said, as more than 100,000 people turned out. [...]

Across the state, Democrats showed the most first-day enthusiasm. Of the nearly 114,000 first-day voters, 64 percent were Democrats, 21 percent Republicans and 15 percent unaffiliateds.

African American turnout was up significantly. Black voters, who make up about 22 percent of registered voters, were 36 percent of Thursday's early voters.

In 2004, blacks made up 18.6 percent of voters.

Experts estimate that Barack Obama needs a black turnout in North Carolina of between 22 percent to 23 percent to carry the state.

I'm going to be a wreck on election night. An absolute wreck.

Salt Lake City Tribune endorses Obama

By GottaLaff

100,000 very smart people

The Salt Lake City Tribune..."A Simple Choice":

Then, out of nowhere, and without proper vetting, the impetuous McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. She quickly proved grievously underequipped to step into the presidency should McCain, at 72 and with a history of health problems, die in office. More than any single factor, McCain's bad judgment in choosing the inarticulate, insular and ethically challenged Palin disqualifies him for the presidency.

Still, we have compelling reasons for endorsing Obama on his merits alone. Under the most intense scrutiny and attacks from both parties, Obama has shown the temperament, judgment, intellect and political acumen that are essential in a president that would lead the United States out of the crises created by President Bush, a complicit Congress and our own apathy. [...]

The country desperately needs a new and well-defined road map for the 21st century and leadership that can unite the country behind it.

We believe that Barack Obama can give us both.

The Kansas City Star also endorsed him:

A vote for the future

Years of Washington blunders have left the United States struggling both at home and abroad. Both presidential candidates promise change, but Barack Obama is most likely to deliver:

•A stronger economy: Obama is best suited to lead the drive to reinvigorate the economy, repair gaps in financial regulations, make tax policies more equitable and provide help for Americans in need.

•A safer world: Obama realizes the need to shift more military resources from Iraq to Afghanistan, home of the 9/11 terrorists. He is also committed to closing dangerous gaps in homeland security.

•A healthier America: Obama believes access to health care is a right. He would make coverage more affordable to more citizens and stop insurers from penalizing people for getting sick.

•A new energy outlook: Obama wants to boost renewable energy and encourage more efficient vehicles, buildings and appliances. He doesn’t back excessive offshore oil drilling or a rush to build nuclear plants.

•U.S. leadership abroad: An Obama presidency offers hope for the U.S. to rebuild frayed alliances and gain respect in places like Germany (seen in photo). VP nominee Joe Biden brings strong foreign-policy credentials.

•A safeguard for liberties: Obama wants judges who won’t favor the strong at the expense of the weak. He offers hope for a Supreme Court that would reject excessive executive power and protect precious freedoms.

Take that, Gramm-pa.

VIDEO-- Frank Luntz: Obama will be next president

By GottaLaff

From last night's Real Time with Bill Maher, we see Republican tool pollster Frank Luntz call it for Obama at about 2:54:



To emphasize the point:

Obama Draws Record Crowd, McCain On Defense

"There was the feel of a political world turned upside down on Saturday as Sen. John McCain found himself defending North Carolina and Virginia, while Sen. Barack Obama was greeted by huge crowds in Missouri, which Republicans had also considered safe just months ago," the New York Times reports.

And:

Research 2000: Obama Holds Small Lead in North Carolina

A new Research 2000 poll in North Carolina shows Sen. Barack Obama edging Sen. John McCain, 46% to 44%.

GObama!

VIDEO: Grandmother sues Gramm-pa McCain for hate speech

By GottaLaff

I love this woman. She truly gets it:

This video is from MSNBC.com, broadcast October 17, 2008.

A Kansas City grandmother is suing John McCain and Sarah Palin for promoting hate speech. Mary Kay Green told KSHB that some statements at McCain campaign rallies terrify her as much as the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

"I know the secret service is on this case, but John McCain and Sarah Palin can stop some of this by a statement that they abhor these death threats and will not tolerate them," said Green.

The 66-year-old civil attorney, a lifelong Democrat, claims in the suit that the McCain campaign has intentionally and recklessly portrayed Barack Obama as a terrorist.

Green said, "You have to take these things seriously."

She'd fit right in at TPC, wouldn't she? I wish there was a way to thank her right up close and personal.

KSHB has more details here.

VIDEO: "Proud to offend" gun shop owner has 'Pre-Osama bin Biden' sale

By GottaLaff

This video is from ABCNews.com, broadcast October 17, 2008.

The bigotry continues:

A New Mexico gun shop owner says that he is "proud to offend" supporters of Barack Obama with its sign outside the store which reads "Pre-Osama bin Biden sale! Today, 7 PM - MIDNITE."

And even while the sale is over, the sign remains.

"If this sign offended people, I am damn proud of it," said shop owner Cope Reynolds in an interview with The Daily Times. Reynolds explained that "a lot of it is because of his Muslim upbringing."

Watch the video, if you can.

CNN's Ed Henry Hit with Gum at Gramm-pa McCain Rally

By GottaLaff

Ed Henry is one of the more visible members of CNN's TBPNTOTV!!! in my Sunday posts. I snark at them relentlessly, but I don't think any one of them deserves this:

As Republican congressional candidate Keith Fimian warmed up the crowd at an afternoon rally with Sen. John McCain, CNN's Ed Henry was co-anchoring his network's weekend political coverage live from the press risers. Fimian was speaking about his personal accomplishments as Henry quizzed Bill Schneider, who was standing at another camera position at the rally.

A woman towards the back of the crowd angrily turned back and started yelling at Henry, asking him to stop talking during Fimian's speech. The woman grew so angry that she threw a pack of Dentyne Ice gum at Henry, which hit his back as he wrapped up his conversation with Schneider.

Henry finished his live shot and turned in the direction of the woman, who gave him the cut sign across her throat. Henry turned back, bent over to pick up the pack of gum, shrugged and shook his head as he tossed it to his producer.

Her anger might have had something to do with another unfortunate bit of timing -- an earlier live shot of Henry's had started just as the crowd of thousands began reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

It's way, way past time for Gramm-pa McCain to rein in his reptilian little gangsters. Between the hate speech and the violence, he and his Merry Band-O'-Thugs are well on their way to leaving a legacy of nothing but offensive behavior and brutality.

Grammps' reputation has already suffered immensely. He should have publicly put an end to these reprehensible acts, and has been called on to do so.

But he hasn't, and he won't. The P.O.W. powerhouse he so incessantly forces on us and so lovingly crafted is disintegrating. He's stuck with a quickly-(d)evolving loathsome image of his own making.

Maine Republican party leader asks Collins to resign for challenging robocalls

By GottaLaff

It's simple: If you disapprove of Gramm-pa McCain's smear campaign, then you should resign:

Earlier today, the Maine Democratic Party called on U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Bangor) to call on Republican Presidential candidate John McCain to halt robocalls that tie Democratic candidate Barack Obama to 60’s radical activist Bill Ayers. Collins agreed.

“They don’t serve John McCain well,” Collins said in a follow-up interview. “This kind of campaign call does not reflect the kind of leader that he is.”

She said she disapproves of the negativity being used in both presidential campaigns.

In response, the party countered. Spokeswoman Rebecca Pollard issued a statement saying that if Collins is truly concerned about the calls, then she should resign from her position as co-chair of McCain’s campaign in the state.

What a mess.

H/t: Palin's No Hillary

VIDEO: Obama effigy in Ohio front yard

By GottaLaff

More ugliness, this time in Ohio:

We have some sick citizens in this country. You know what to do. [D]onate, volunteer, phone bank. We, Americans are better than this.

I couldn't agree more. The best way to fight back is to win. And to continue to treat each other with respect.

H/t: Amy C.

Obama responds to Gramm-pa McCain's "welfare" comments

By GottaLaff

Oh, suh-nap! And in front of 100,000 people, too:

Standing beneath the Gateway Arch in downtown St Louis, Senator Obama responded to claims from the McCain campaign that his tax plan is a "welfare" program because it gives tax credits for people who don't pay federal income taxes.

"I'm not giving tax cuts to folks who don't work, I'm giving tax cuts to people who do work. John McCain is so out of touch with the struggles you are facing that he must be the first politician in history to call a tax cut for working people 'welfare.'"

Whaddya want from a guy who married a zillionaire, owns eleventeen houses and twelvety-two cars?

"The only 'welfare' in this campaign is John McCain's plan to give another $200 billion in tax cuts to the wealthiest corporations in America – including $4 billion in tax breaks to big oil companies that ran up record profits under George Bush," Obama continued, "That's who John McCain is fighting for."

Gramm-pa's take on "pro-America" and "real Virginia" is defined by his own skewed un-"real"-ity. Not exactly someone we'd call Joe the Plumber or Mr. Everyman, more like Grammps the Fat Cat or Mr. Out of Touch.

VIDEO-- Gramm-pa McCain advisor: ‘Real Virginia’ doesn't include Northern Virginia

By GottaLaff

Just keep digging yourself into that hole, Nance:

On MSNBC this morning, McCain adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer asserted that “real Virginia” does not include Northern Virginia:

I certainly agree that Northern Virginia has gone more Democratic. … But the rest of the state — real Virginia if you will — I think will be very responsive to Senator McCain’s message.

So, if Grammps isn't winning over a certain segment of the population, they don't exist. Way to win voters, Nance.

The MSNBC anchor tries to give her some rope, but she just uses it to hang herself. As he said, "Hey Nancy, I'm gonna give you a chance to climb back off that ledge." Hole, rope, ledge, it doesn't matter which method she used. She blew it. FYI:

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports:

An early October Times-Dispatch poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. showed voters in Southwest Virginia preferred McCain to Obama, 54 percent to 39 percent, with 7 percent undecided. Statewide, recent polls have shown Obama running anywhere from statistically even with McCain to 10 points ahead.

By the way, "real voters" won't vote for Gramm-pa.

Gramm-pa McCain: Middle class tax cut is "welfare", uses "S-Word"

By GottaLaff

Middle class tax cuts are equivalent to welfare? Really, Gramm-pa? Hmm. Not so much. Actually, that word more likely describes what we'll all need if you manage to become--gulp--president:

John McCain stepped up his rhetoric against Barack Obama on taxes in his weekly radio address, comparing his plan to 'socialist' programs that would “convert the IRS into a giant welfare agency, redistributing massive amounts of wealth.”

[H]is most recent comments were the first time he directly invoked the word 'socialist.'

In the radio address that aired Saturday morning, McCain didn't directly call Obama a socialist, but he let the now-famous Joe 'the Plumber' Wurzelbacher nearly do it for him.

That must be the same Joe the Plumber who he apologized to on the Letterman show for, you know, all that needless, imposing media attention. It's good to see he's keeping shy, retiring Fake Plumber Joe out of the spotlight. Way to be consistent.

“You see, [Obama] believes in redistributing wealth, not in policies that help us all make more of it. Joe in his plainspoken way, said this sounded a lot like socialism,” McCain said.

Clearly, Gramm-pa uses Fake Joe the way he uses women... speaking or which:

Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin has used the word in speeches the last two days as well.

I have an S-word I'd like to use right now, but apparently, I have more self-control than Grammps and IWRC* Palin do.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

Dep't. of What Else is New: Thousands Face Mix-Ups In Voter Registrations

By GottaLaff

These stories never stop pouring in:

Thousands Erroneously Tagged Ineligible to Vote --In New Databases, Many Are Wrongly Flagged as Ineligible Thousands of voters across the country must reestablish their eligibility in the next three weeks in order for their votes to count on Nov. 4, a result of new state registration systems that are incorrectly rejecting them.

In Alabama, scores of voters are being labeled as convicted felons on the basis of incorrect lists. Michigan must restore thousands of names it illegally removed from voter rolls over residency questions, a judge ruled this week. Tens of thousands of voters could be affected in Wisconsin. Officials there admit that their database is wrong one out of five times when it flags voters, sometimes for data discrepancies as small as a middle initial or a typo in a birth date.

Here's an excerpt that struck me:

Tens of thousands of voters could be affected in Wisconsin. Officials there admit that their database is wrong one out of five times when it flags voters, sometimes for data discrepancies as small as a middle initial or a typo in a birth date. When the six members of the state elections board -- all retired judges -- ran their registrations through the system, four were incorrectly rejected because of mismatches.

You'd think they'd have this whole voting thing down by now, wouldn't you?

H/t: CLG

VIDEO-- Ugly, and getting uglier: "License"

By GottaLaff


Wrong. Ugly. Abhorrent:

A new ad released by a third-party group should be making waves, soon. The National Republican Trust PAC, who I was told not long ago would be “the group to watch” in the next few weeks, just released a brutal ad in Ohio attacking Sen. Barack Obama on his support for Eliot Spitzer’s plan to give licenses to illegal immigrants.

Ben Smith writes:

The issue has scarcely surfaced as Obama faced the relatively pro-immigrant McCain and tussled over Hispanic voters, but the National Republican Trust PAC is airing it in the most cutting, over-the-top, way available: It accuses Obama of supporting the policies that issued drivers licenses to the 9/11 terrorists.

Some notes:

The license number is fake.

The address displayed on the license belongs to the Carver Ranches Branch of the Broward County Library. Weird.

When Obama’s picture is featured, the expiration date is on Election Day.

17 days to go.

Obama draws record crowd in St. Louis

By GottaLaff

GObama!

Standing under the Gateway Arch, Sen. Barack Obama spoke this afternoon before a crowd his campaign said totaled 100,000, a new U.S. record for his presidential bid.

"All I can say is wow," Obama said as he took the stage, his home state behind his back across the Mississippi River.

That's what the voters are saying about you, too, Barack: Wow.

H/t: Tim Weiss

Videopalooza!

By GottaLaff

Some good videos out there:

(H/t: Bucky)


(H/t: Chris or Eve, can't remember...? One or both of you? One video each? You tell me.)

And finally, all that Breathless Bachmann Bile? Well, her disgusting breathy breath is finally taken away... by W:

Miami Herald endorses Obama

By GottaLaff

GObama!

A turning point came during the Republican convention, when he chose a long-shot for a running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, out of an apparent need to appease the right wing of the party. For all of her rhetorical skills on the campaign trail -- particularly in the attack mode -- Gov. Palin appears to know little about the issues and simply is not qualified to be commander in chief.

Much has been made of Sen. Obama's relative inexperience, particularly in foreign policy. His résumé is thin, but he surrounds himself with experienced advisors -- as evidenced in his choice of Sen. Joe Biden to be vice president -- and with people who offer differing points of view. His style is to build consensus and seek workable, pragmatic solutions -- a refreshing change from the last eight years. [...]

Closer to home, Sen. McCain strongly supports Bush administration policies on Cuba. Sen. Obama also supports the embargo, but would be more likely to dissolve recently imposed restraints on travel and remittances to Cuba. [...]

Indeed, the way the two candidates responded to the economic meltdown offers a lesson in contrasting styles of leadership. Both have put forth a series of worthwhile policy options, but where Sen. Obama was calm, Sen. McCain was frantic. He first put his campaign ''on hold'' and suggested he would cancel the first debate, and then suddenly decided to take part even as the first bailout deal cratered. He said the fundamentals of the economy were strong, then a few days later vowed to ''name the names'' of those responsible for the financial crisis.

In other elections, voters have complained of having to make a choice between two bad candidates. That is not the case this time. The nation is fortunate to have good candidates and a clear choice. Sen. Obama represents the best chance for America to make a clean break with the culture wars and failed policies of the past, and begin to restore the hope and promise of America as the world's greatest democracy.

Racists for Obama?

By GottaLaff

Via Ben Smith:

New polling and a trickle of stories from the battleground states suggest that Sen. Barack Obama's coalition includes one unlikely group: white voters with negative views of African-Americans. [...]

Anecdotes from across the battlegrounds suggest that there’s a significant minority of prejudiced white voters who will swallow hard and vote for the black man.

It's a crime that these voters even have to think about it, but at least there's a sliver of a silver lining. Bigotry never ceases to astound me. The more I observe the racism in this country, the more baffled I am at how one's epidermal hue (and learned connotations) can generate such hatred.

The notion that there might be “racists for Obama,” as one Democrat called them, comes against the backdrop of a country whose white voters largely accept the notion of a black president.

“The economy is trumping racism,” said Kurt Schmoke, the dean of Howard University Law School and a former Baltimore mayor. “A lot of people who we might think wouldn’t vote their pocketbook because of race — now they are.” [...]

And some argue that elements of Obama’s story and persona make him specifically acceptable to voters who hold broadly negative views of African-Americans.

Does that last sentence bother you the way it bothers me? Obama is the exception. Fine, if it gets him votes, I'm thrilled. But his half-whiteness makes him more qualified than his half-blackness how again? His background and charisma set him apart from the "bad" African Americans why?

“Obama’s personality — his speech, his look — he provides [white voters] with a non-threatening way to move forward on this issue, and that’s a very positive development,” said David Waymire, who led the unsuccessful opposition to the anti-affirmative action initiative. “He is not Kwame Kilpatrick,” he said, referring to the Detroit mayor who resigned last month after pleading guilty in a sex and misconduct scandal.

For black observers of American politics in particular, Obama’s ability to win over voters who harbor negative views of African-Americans at large is a complex, but hopeful, sign.

It is hopeful. Glass half full. But I'm still frustrated and disappointed that so many still can't shake off their fear of anyone who's "different" from them, whether it's people of color, sexual orientation, gender, size, you name it.

But.... if Barack Obama can open the eyes of even a few people, then his election will be more than a victory for Democrats. It will be a victory for progress, brotherhood, and genuine unity.

Voters duped into registering as Republicans

By GottaLaff

You know how we keep talking about psychological projection? And how we should be alert to the fact that nearly every time the Republicans accuse the Democrats of something, the accusation should really be directed at themselves?

How ironic that the Republicans are crying foul over ACORN, which has done nothing wrong, while this is going on:

Dozens of newly minted Republican voters say they were duped into joining the party by a GOP contractor with a trail of fraud complaints stretching across the country.

Voters contacted by The Times said they were tricked into switching parties while signing what they believed were petitions for tougher penalties against child molesters. Some said they were told that they had to become Republicans to sign the petition, contrary to California initiative law. Others had no idea their registration was being changed. [...]

It is a bait-and-switch scheme familiar to election experts. The firm hired by the California Republican Party -- a small company called Young Political Majors, or YPM, which operates in several states -- has been accused of using the tactic across the country.

Why, wouldn't that be “tearing at the very fabric of democracy”? Yes. Yes, I believe it would be.

Election officials and lawmakers have launched investigations into the activities of YPM workers in Florida and Massachusetts. In Arizona, the firm was recently a defendant in a civil rights lawsuit. Prosecutors in Los Angeles and Ventura counties say they are investigating complaints about the company. [...]

The Times randomly interviewed 46 of the hundreds of voters whose election records show they were recently re-registered as Republicans by YPM, and 37 of them -- more than 80% -- said that they were misled into making the change or that it was done without their knowledge.

Lydia Laws, a Palm Springs retiree, said she was angry to find recently that her registration had been switched from Democrat to Republican.

Laws said the YPM staffer who instructed her to identify herself on a petition as a Republican assured her that it was a formality, and that her registration would not be changed. Later, a card showed up in the mail saying she had joined the GOP.

In Florida's Alachua County:

About 200 voters -- mostly college students -- were unwittingly registered as Republicans there in 2004 by YPM staffers using the same tactic [...]

That's pretty unAmerican if you ask me. But don't ask me. Ask Gramm-pa McCain and the Republican party.

About that "evil Obama" video last night...

By GottaLaff

If you followed the link to the site where the video was originally posted, it's perfectly fine. I viewed the entire thing before I put it up.

Something must have happened when it was uploaded (I didn't re-watch it). So, no, it wasn't sabotaged to make Obama look like a demon, it was a tech issue. I never would have posted it had I thought otherwise.

Now you can all breathe a sigh of relief and should you still like to view it, you can follow the link from my post or go directly to the site.

Joe Biden: "I think other parts of the bathroom are coming."

By GottaLaff

Joe Biden yesterday:

“We cannot be complacent about this, man. You know what these guys are going to do,” Biden said to a crowd of several thousand outside of Las Vegas.

“You know, as that old saying goes, I thought they already threw the kitchen sink, but I think more is to come. I think other parts of the bathroom are coming. I don’t know, man, they’re going up and getting the bathroom sink. So look, we have a lot of reason to be encouraged but it is far, far from over.”

I think that what's inside one part of the bathroom has already hit the fan. Gramm-pa McCain and IWRC* Palin are desperate. Their smear tactics and lies are all they have left:

Sun-Times endorses Barack Obama for president

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

The Onion- Obama as elitist great step forward

Portrayal Of Obama As Elitist Hailed As Step Forward For African Americans

Colin Powell Endorsement Gossip

Better than the Madonna/Guy Ritchie divorce!! Via the always on top of it Taegan-

Sources close to former Secretary of State Colin Powell cautioned that his support for Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain "might stop short of a formal endorsement when he's interviewed on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday," according to the New York Daily News.

"Given Powell's cautious nature, he might decide to make his endorsement of Obama implied, rather than explicit. Even so, a well-informed source told the Daily News: 'After Sunday people aren't going to have any doubt who he's voting for.'"

Thousands rally against U.S.-Iraqi pact

Sigh, can't we talk about the commies amongst us instead? War is sooo messy and hate so easy.

BAGHDAD — Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday called on Iraq's parliament to reject a U.S.-Iraqi security pact as tens of thousands of his followers rallied in Baghdad against the deal.

The mass public show of opposition came as U.S. and Iraqi leaders face a Dec. 31 deadline to reach agreement on the deal, which would replace an expiring United Nations mandate authorizing the U.S.-led forces in Iraq.

Bay Buchanan Defends Michelle Bachman's "Red Baiting"

Starting to see a pattern? This from Bay's bro Pat-

One question remains: Will a President Obama, with his party in absolute control of both Houses, revert to the politics and policies of the Left that brought him the nomination, or resist his ex-comrades' demands that he seize the hour and impose the agenda ACORN, Ayers, Jesse, and Wright have long dreamed of?

Whichever way he decides, he will be at war with them, or at war with us. If Barack wins, a backlash is coming

They want to party like it's 1948.

Joe Biden On Palin And The "Pro-America" Statement

Oh that Joe!!

The McCain Camp Is Grasping At Straws

Really, if they weren't so damn evil they'd be pathetic. Via Ben-

Cindy McCain's lawyer, John Dowd, in a letter complaining of the Times's coverage of Cindy McCian, complained that the Times hasn't spent enough time covering Obama's youthful drug use and other issues:

It is worth noting that you have not employed your investigative assets looking into Michelle Obama. You have not tried to find Barack Obama's drug dealer that he wrote about in his book, Dreams of My Father. Nor have you interviewed his poor relatives in Kenya and determined why Barack Obama has not rescued them. Thus, there is a terrific lack of balance here.

In fact, the Times, like other outfits, has chased this, and one of the strangest investigative pieces of the cycle reported something that many readers of Dreams for my Father suspected: Obama had, if anything, overstated the drug use in his book.

I'm feeling particularly mean this morning, so go gawk at the effect all that drug use did to old Cindy Lou right here. I'd steal the pic, but I might scare away our readers.

New Obama Ad- 'Golden Years'

After Michelle Bachman's HUAC Wannabee Performance Last Night On Hardball

The Netroots raised $100,271 as of 8:38 AM EST for her challenger El Tinklenberg. His Act Blue Page here.

Just f'ng wow. Bet Michelle is regretting letting her freak flag fly now!!

HUAC explained.

Overnight Thread

The latest effort from the stop-motion animation maestro who goes by moniker PES : ‘Western Spaghetti’ — a magical kitchen in which pieces of candy corn become flames on a stove and bubble wrap turns into boiling water. Plenty more eye-popping wonders can be found on the PES website.

On a housekeeping note, we have a new ad so please consider clicking on it and checking out what they're trying to tell you. You can always make a donation thru the PayPal button to the right. Also, if you are thinking of buying anything from Amazon, if you use the links over to the right (for all the books we know you've already bought), just using one of our links to buy anything gets us a couple pennies a transaction. Time to stock up for Christmas!!!

Obligatory Happy Obama Pic.

VIDEO: Interview with Barack Obama on Fox, Tampa Bay

By GottaLaff

VIDEO REMOVED PER REQUEST

With the election just a few weeks away, the Democratic candidate for president sat down to talk with FOX 13's Craig Patrick. In a wide-ranging interview, Sen. Barack Obama talked about everything from Ronald Reagan to the Tampa Bay Rays' World Series chances. Here's the entire interview.

Poll-itics: 538 edition

By GottaLaff

FiveThirtyEight's latest:

All in the family: Gramm-pa McCain Using Same Robocall Firm That Helped Smear Him In 2000

By GottaLaff

Stockholm Syndrome? (if you 're unfamiliar with that term, read this) Or desperation? Or both:

In his efforts to attack Barack Obama, John McCain appears to have turned to the same political consulting firm that was responsible for spreading vicious smears about the Senator during the 2000 South Carolina GOP primary.

Once again, it's all about the robocalls:

On Friday, a recipient of one of those calls, Chris Shoff of Minnesota, said that he had tied the origins of the campaign to the St. Paul-based firm FLS-Connect, run by prominent GOP figure Jeff Larson.

This past week, Shoff, a Freeborn, Minnesota Democratic County Commissioner, received the Hollywood call while at work. Because state law dictates that any such calls be made by an actual human, Shoff demanded that he be connected to the supervisor. That official, who worked at the robocall shop King TeleServices in Brooklyn, New York, said that they had been contracted out by FLS-Connect.

Officials with King TeleServices did not respond to messages seeking comment. [...]

Any tie between the McCain campaign and FLS represents an ironic twist of fate and a reflection of just how far the Arizona Republican has moved politically in the last eight years. During the 2000 election, FLS and Larson helped then-presidential candidate George W. Bush smear McCain during the now-infamous South Carolina primary.

Nice move, Gramm-pa.

Coolness on a stick! Obama: The gas station

By GottaLaff

UPDATE: Apparently, I'm a week late on this one. Did Paddy already post it? [Update: Yes, and I didn't realize it was the same place.] Bucky linked me to the video.

We heart Detroit! The photos are via a message board that linked to us. Click on each to enlarge:

Happened across this place early this morning. Took pictures. If you are in the Detroit area and want Obama Gas, it's at Plymouth and Wyoming:

L.A. Times endorses Obama

By GottaLaff

My home paper was leading up to this all week: [UPDATE: Per MSNBC, this is the first L.A. Times endorsement of a presidential candidate since 1972].

We need a leader who demonstrates thoughtful calm and grace under pressure, one not prone to volatile gesture or capricious pronouncement. We need a leader well-grounded in the intellectual and legal foundations of American freedom. Yet we ask that the same person also possess the spark and passion to inspire the best within us: creativity, generosity and a fierce defense of justice and liberty.

The Times without hesitation endorses Barack Obama for president.

Our nation has never before had a candidate like Obama, a man born in the 1960s, of black African and white heritage, raised and educated abroad as well as in the United States, and bringing with him a personal narrative that encompasses much of the American story but that, until now, has been reflected in little of its elected leadership. The excitement of Obama's early campaign was amplified by that newness. But as the presidential race draws to its conclusion, it is Obama's character and temperament that come to the fore. It is his steadiness. His maturity.
[...]

In George W. Bush, the executive branch turned its back on an adult role in the nation and the world and retreated into self-absorbed unilateralism. [...]

Indeed, the presidential campaign has rendered McCain nearly unrecognizable. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate was, as a short-term political tactic, brilliant. It was also irresponsible, as Palin is the most unqualified vice presidential nominee of a major party in living memory. The decision calls into question just what kind of thinking -- if that's the appropriate word -- would drive the White House in a McCain presidency. Fortunately, the public has shown more discernment, and the early enthusiasm for Palin has given way to national ridicule of her candidacy and McCain's judgment.

Obama's selection also was telling. He might have scored a steeper bump in the polls by making a more dramatic choice than the capable and experienced Joe Biden. But for all the excitement of his own candidacy, Obama has offered more competence than drama.

He is no lone rider. He is a consensus builder, a leader. As a constitutional scholar, he has articulated a respect for the rule of law and the limited power of the executive that make him the best hope of restoring balance and process to the Justice Department. He is a Democrat, leaning further left than right, and that should be reflected in his nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is a good thing; the court operates best when it is ideologically balanced. [...]

He has won the backing of some on Wall Street not because he's one of them, but because they recognize his talent for extracting from a broad range of proposals a coherent and workable program.

On paper, McCain presents the type of economic program The Times has repeatedly backed [...] But he has been disturbingly unfocused in his response to the current financial situation, rushing to "suspend" his campaign and take action (although just what action never became clear). Having little to contribute, he instead chose to exploit the crisis.

We may one day look back on this presidential campaign in wonder. We may marvel that Obama's critics called him an elitist, as if an Ivy League education were a source of embarrassment, and belittled his eloquence, as if a gift with words were suddenly a defect. In fact, Obama is educated and eloquent, sober and exciting, steady and mature. He represents the nation as it is, and as it aspires to be.

Tears.

Poll-itics: Obama leads among white independents

By GottaLaff

GObama!

Barack Obama has taken a slight lead with white independent voters for the first time in the presidential race, positioning him to capture a key demographic group that has eluded recent Democratic nominees, according to a Politico analysis of independent voting patterns.

According to Gallup’s weekly average of some 6,400 registered voters, Obama now holds a 45 percent-43 percent edge over Republican John McCain with white independents. About eight in 10 independents are white.

Should Obama’s support hold, he is positioned to become the first Democrat to win white independents in a two-man race since the advent of exit polling.

Of course, that assumes that the exit polling coincides with his victory. As we know from the last two presidential elections, whoever wins the exit polls loses the election.

Friday dump alert! Cindy McCain's taxes

By GottaLaff

Via First Read:

Here's your latest Friday campaign dump -- the McCain has campaign released Cindy McCain's tax returns for 2007 and 2006. [...]

Cindy McCain made $4.2 million in 2007; about $6.1 million in 2006. She applied for and was granted an extension on her 2007 filing. Most of the money comes from real estate, partnerships and trusts ($2.9 million in 2007 and $4.6 million in 2006).

There are no schedules, just income and taxes paid.

The campaign reason? "There is no new information on this tax return beyond the actual amount of Mrs. McCain’s income and taxes paid, because all other details of her personal and family sources of income and assets are already public," per the campaign's release.

I'm off to check out the link. I wanted to get this up asap for you.

Why Colin Powell's endorsement could matter

By GottaLaff

Everyone in the media is all abuzz about the impending endorsement of Barack Obama by Colin Powell. The talk is, he wouldn't be going on Meet the Press unless he had something important to say, and an endorsement of someone he's already been admiring publicly would qualify as a pretty important thing.

Washington Post's Chris Cillizza tells us why he thinks Powell could make a difference:

1. Turnabout is Fair Play. Powell is best known for his most recent job in government -- as the secretary of State for President George W. Bush. The idea that a high-ranking cabinet official in a Republican administration would come out for the Democrat is simply too juicy a story for the media to ignore.

2. The Most Popular Man in America? Powell, unlike almost no other official with ties to the Bush Administration, has retained remarkable popularity ratings. [...] A large part of Powell's appeal is his perceived bipartisanship [...] For a certain (not insubstantial) portion of the electorate, when Powell speaks, they listen. The Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll reinforces that fact; more than one in three voters said a Powell endorsement of Obama would make them more likely to vote for the Democrat.

3. Iraq, All Wrong. Powell has ... called [making the case for invading Iraq] a "blot" on his record [...] An endorsement of Obama, who built his candidacy on his early opposition to the conflict, would mark a clean break with the Bush Administration on the war and would add significant heft to Obama's argument that he alone possesses the judgment to lead the U.S. in a dangerous world.

4. The Final Straw. [O]ne of McCain's last hopes is that the the election turns back somehow to a foreign policy focus... [I]t would be hard for McCain to slam Obama's approach on the war if the Democrat had a Powell endorsement sitting in his back pocket.