Coffin with Obama's photo displayed at early voting station

By GottaLaff

Crossing the line has become a habit with anti-Obama types. This is disgusting:

A former North Carolina County Commissioner displayed a coffin carrying the photograph of Sen. Barack Obama outside an early voting station Saturday, setting of a firestorm from the NAACP.

The National Association of Colored Persons wrote a letter today asking both political parties and its members to condemn the coffin. The NAACP's Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II says the symbol suggests a death threat as a way to demean a candidate, and possibly intimidate voters, or frighten them away from the polls.

The coffin was displayed by a former Craven County Commissioner, Bill Harper for several hours at the firestation used for early voting in Craven County.

Craven, indeed.

Election officials and polling staff were aware of the display and told Harper that he needed to stay behind the line where political supporters and political signs must stay.

[...]Harper was not fined or arrested as the coffin display did not violate any laws.

Harper said he displayed the coffin because it "symbolizes his belief that democrats will tax Americans to death if they are elected" and that he first displayed it in 1992 when Bill Clinton ran against George H. W. Bush.

What is happening to this country? Two more days.

John Boehner: Obama present votes "chicken s***"

By GottaLaff

The Boehner (pronounced phonetically) is such a classy guy, isn't he? Maybe he should try pallin' around with a brain:

House minority leader John Boehner's spokesman confirms the accuracy of this quote, from an Ohio student newspaper:

"Now, listen, I've voted 'present' two or three times in my entire 25-year political career, where there might have been a conflict of interest and I didn't feel like I should vote," Boehner said. "In Congress, we have a red button, a green button and a yellow button, alright. Green means 'yes,' red means 'no,' and yellow means you're a chicken s***.

"And the last thing we need in the White House, in the oval office, behind that big desk, is some chicken who wants to push this yellow button."

UPDATE: Boehner spokesman Don Seymour, er, clarifies: "Boehner’s point was that Barack Obama consistently avoided making tough decisions and taking tough votes, and voters need to know that. You can’t take a pass on a tough issue when you’re President of the United States."

Oh-h, that's what he meant. Thanks for the clarification, Don.

For a minute there, I thought he was a dips***. And by saying dips***, my point is that Boehner consistently avoided making acceptable comments and taking rational positions, and voters need to know that. You can't take a pass on a tough issue by making offensive comments about a future president when you're a House minority leader.

H/t: Ellen

VIDEOS-- Sweet and sour: Charles the Volunteer vs. Joe the Plumber

By GottaLaff

Tears:


At the Boulder, Colorado field office for Barack Obama.

H/t: SeattleDan

vs. Jeers:

Joe the Plumber won't explain 'death to Israel' remarks

Fox's Shepard Smith questioned Joe Wurzelbacher on why he thought that a vote for Obama is a vote for the death to Israel.

Who's more credible? Who would you rather associate with? Yeah, me too. And kudos to Shepard Smith.

H/t: One of our Anonymi

Indiana Republican election clerk distributes letter: Obama is 'young, black Adolf Hitler'

By GottaLaff

I'm happy to see that all that repudiation by Gramm-pa McCain is taking effect. See how civil his supporters have become? So docile, so kind, so inclusive:

A Republican county election clerk distributed copies of an apparent chain letter referring to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama as a ‘‘young, black Adolf Hitler’’ to two employees but later told police she intended it to be a joke.

I've seen better senses of humor at cock fights.

The employees, who had voted for Obama in Indiana’s Democratic primary, discovered the letters at their desks after returning from Labor Day weekend, Deputy Sheriff Doug Cox said in a police report made public this week.

One of the workers complained, and surveillance video showed Johnson County Clerk Jill Jackson placing an item one worker’s desk at 5:27 p.m. on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, Cox said. [...]

Jackson told police she had intended to speak with the workers upon returning to work but forgot.

"D'oh! I just exhibited the worst kind of bigotry, passed it off as a sick, demented joke, and that pesky apology slipped what's left of my vile, filthy, deranged, shriveled little mind."

The letter does not mention Obama by name but makes references to his ties to a Chicago church whose pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, adheres to black liberation theology. It is heavy with racial references, criticizing the candidate’s parentage with such comments as, ‘‘He is proud of his ’African heritage’ (a father who got a white girl pregnant and deserted her)’’ and asking, ‘‘Where is the pride in his ’White heritage?’’’

I'm sure Obama's ailing grandmother would appreciate the sentiments.

The unsigned letter urges readers to send it to everyone they know.

‘‘The U.S. citizens are just not ready to give up their country to this young, black 'Adolf Hitler’ with a smile, poor direction and absolutely no experience!’’ it said.

I can't write any more. Feel free to say anything you want-- anything-- in Comments.

VIDEO: 10 seconds that sums up Gramm-pa McCain's Campaign-O'-Hate

By GottaLaff



Gramm-pa McCain says, right out loud, that he is proud of a mailer that connects Obama with terrorists. Way to tamp down the hate speech, Grammps.

H/t: Reality Chex

Republican women's newsletter shows Obama surrounded by a watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken

By GottaLaff

More nausea-inducing racism. Get ready:

The latest newsletter by an Inland Republican women's group depicts Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama surrounded by a watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken, prompting outrage in political circles.

The October newsletter by the Chaffey Community Republican Women, Federated says if Obama is elected his image will appear on food stamps -- instead of dollar bills like other presidents. The statement is followed by an illustration of "Obama Bucks" -- a phony $10 bill featuring Obama's face on a donkey's body, labeled "United States Food Stamps."

I'm just bowled over by Republicans' sharp intellect and well-developed senses of humor.

The group's president, Diane Fedele, said she plans to send an apology letter to her members and to apologize at the club's meeting next week. She said she simply wanted to deride a comment Obama made over the summer about how as an African-American he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."

Oh, pish-posh! Think nothing of it! That's what we all do when we get annoyed by a comment: Publish vile racist tripe.

She said she doesn't think in racist terms, pointing out she once supported Republican Alan Keyes, an African-American who previously ran for president.

I can't be sure, but I bet some of her best friends are African Americans.

"I didn't see it the way that it's being taken. I never connected," she said. "It was just food to me. It didn't mean anything else."

She said she also wasn't trying to make a statement linking Obama and food stamps, although her introductory text to the illustration connects the two: "Obama talks about all those presidents that got their names on bills. If elected, what bill would he be on????? Food Stamps, what else!"

Hey Diane, you're a despicable, bigoted slimebally piece of fecal matter who is beneath contempt. But don't worry. I wasn't trying to make a statement linking you to racists or excrement. I don't see it the way it's being taken. I never connected. It's just words to me. It didn't mean anything else.

H/t: Clancy

Matt Taibbi: The Return of Rove

By GottaLaff

Read. Now. Excerpts:

One is tempted to call this brilliant tactics, except that it isn't brilliant, any more than pointing a gun at a Korean store owner is a "brilliant" way to make $135. One of the most remarkable aspects of Rove's career is the way the media consistently respond to being lied to, pissed on and manipulated by Rove: They stroke his already swollen gonads even more, hailing him as a singular political genius. [...]

Rove is not a genius, or even very clever: He's totally and completely immoral. It doesn't take genius to claim, as Rove ludicrously did last fall, that it was the Democrats in Congress and not George W. Bush who pushed the Iraq War resolution in 2002. It doesn't take brains to compare a triple-amputee war veteran to Osama bin Laden; you just have to be a mean, rotten cocksucker.

The reason Rove continues to survive is the same reason that Johnnie Cochran was called a genius for keeping a double-murderer on the golf course — because this generation of Americans has become so steeped in greed and social Darwinism that it can no longer distinguish between cheating and achieving, between enterprise and crime, and can't bring itself to criticize winners any more than it knows how to be nice to losers. He survives because an increasing number of Americans secretly agree with Rove's vision of rules, laws and "the truth" as quaint, faintly embarrassing rituals that only a sucker would let hold him back.

Rove's comeback is evidence that the attack on our civic institutions in the Bush years wasn't an isolated incident, something we can pin on a specific group of now-deposed politicians. It's a trend, a thing that grows in direct proportion to our greed and ignorance. We may be a country at war, facing one of the greatest financial meltdowns of all time. But in the end, the thing that could be our undoing is the kind of generalized boredom with legality and honor that empowers Rovian behavior. If we let it.

The truth hurts.

A Commenter wants us "left loons" to explain our support of "Barry Hussein Obama"

By GottaLaff

Maybe you'd like to help "Anonymous" understand our p.o.v. This Gramm-pa McCain advocate is asking us for clarification:

I find it hard to understand how you far left loons can ignore all the assoctiations of your messiah barry hussein obama. If one of you brainwashed turds could explain it to the normal american I think we would appreciate it. His 95% taxcut is a complete lie. Ayers, Wright, and the Chicago slumlord is enough to make anyone question something wouldn't it? But this bias liberal media is such a patsy for barry it makes me sick. Also you blame the republicans for everything, but forget that it was people like chris dodd, barney frank and the other democrats that defended fannie and freddies positions until the collapse. Apparently 49% of the people are stupid enough to vote for obama and I just don't get, please explain.

Well, gee, "Anonymous", since you asked, I'm pretty sure a few of us will be more than happy to accommodate you. After all, you did say "please"... after calling us "loons" and "turds". Who of us could ever refuse a polite, dignified, inoffensive request like that?

Your turn. Oh, and make sure you set an example by capitalizing proper names and using apostrophes when appropriate. Anonymous might learn something about being literate in future tirades.

The racist solution

By GottaLaff

I'm sorry to do this to you, but get ready:

Now imagine if Obama supporters posted the equivalent of this about IWRC* Palin or Gramm-pa McCain.

It seems like the pushback over this disturbing image made the blogger responsible for nonsense to delete his post.

...but is he remorseful?

Well, it is gone. I'll tell you why. The point of the posting was being lost and the post itself was becoming the story. Which I never wanted to happen.

The point is, I made the far left have a knee jerk reaction. I also gave them something to talk about.

Again, as I stated in the actual posting itself, I never, ever wished any harm come to Obama, at all. I was simply making a point and doing exactly what the left is doing to Sarah Palin.

This is what we're doing to IWRC? Really? Has anyone seen any Democrat anywhere post any graphic images encouraging her murder?

This is what it's come to. The Republican party has self-destructed. It's devolved into a vast stinking garbage heap of malignant bigotry.

Hypocritical Republican pretense of patriotism and flag pins is now reduced to nothing more than fomenting hate and violence. It's despicable, outrageous, and... well, if I had a functioning brain today, I'd come up with something more coherent. At this point, any other words that comes to mind are unprintable.

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

H/t: Chris

OOPS! Gramm-pa McCain aided lobbyist/developer's bargain-price purchase of Fort Ord land

By GottaLaff

It never ends (via The Monterey County Herald) (go here for enlargements of documents):

An Arizona businessman with help from Sen. John McCain's office paid the federal government a mere fraction of the market value when he bought a Fort Ord land parcel in 1999, an Army appraisal obtained by The Herald shows.

Donald R. Diamond, an 80-year-old real estate developer, lobbyist and top fundraiser for McCain's presidential campaign, bought the land for $250,000, though it was valued at $7.2 million, according to Pentagon appraisals made three years before the sale.

He held on to the parcel for a little more than two years before selling it and the buildings on it for an estimated profit of more than $18 million.

Read that again: Pentagaon appraisals. The military, Gramm-pa POW? Yes, the military, the Army, appraised the land. Are you going to call them terrorists, too?

When negotiating with the Army over the no-bid sale, Diamond had more than one advantage on other potential buyers. He held a lease on the land that would have made it difficult for the Army to find another buyer. When Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, later criticized the Army for "giving away" Fort Ord land during the 1990s, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Paul "PJ" Johnson said, "That was a very complicated realignment and closure at Fort Ord."

But it was McCain's office, as reported earlier this year by The New York Times and The Herald, that Diamond credited with helping smooth out problems he encountered. At the time, McCain served on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The appraisal documents were obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request. Diamond and McCain's Senate office declined to comment for this story.

Of course they did. They don't talk to the press, just ask IWRC* Palin. Never mind, she won't answer. It gets better:

Under oath in a taped interview as part of the Bakewell lawsuit, Diamond said McCain came to his assistance after the purchase negotiations became "bogged down."

"I asked him if he could help expedite it," Diamond said.

Although McCain's Senate office did not respond to questions from The Herald, earlier this year a McCain spokeswoman told The New York Times that the senator "had done nothing for Mr. Diamond that he would not do for any other Arizona citizen."

But Diamond is no ordinary constituent.

Besides being a leading developer in McCain's home state, he is a pro-Israel lobbyist in Washington, D.C., and is among the elite "innovators" group whose members have individually raised $500,000 or more for McCain's presidential bid, according to the candidate's campaign Web site.

Diamond served as national finance co-chairman for McCain's presidential exploratory committee, and in court documents he describes himself as a longtime friend of the Republican senator.

Farr found it more than a little unusual an Arizona senator would become involved in a land deal in California.

"This, to me, was just sort of out of the box," Farr said recently. "Senators don't usually mess around in other states."

Diamond said McCain assigned Ann Sauer, a senior aide to McCain, to the case.

Sauer was well known around the Pentagon and previously worked as a staff member for the Senate Armed Services Committee. She is a vice president in charge of Washington operations for Lockheed Martin Corp.

Who's going to pick this story up? Keith? Rachel?

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"

Palin Payback: Give to Planned Parenthood in Sarah's name

By GottaLaff

As you may have heard here and elsewhere, Sarah Palin made rape victim's pay for their own forensic rape kits. What a compassionate woman, always thinking of her fellow females. We here at TPC are a tad more accommodating than that, although it's hard to top Palin. We're spreading the word about a brand spankin' new idea that will actually benefit women and help protect their health.

First, a little backstory:

When Eric Croft, a Democrat Legislator from Anchorage, learned of Wasilla’s policy, he drafted HB 270, which Governor Tony Knowles signed into law. The new law made it illegal for any law enforcement agency to bill victims or victims’ insurance companies for the costs of examinations to collect evidence of a sexual assault or determine if a sexual assault actually occurred. Upon signing the law, Governor Knowles said, “We would never bill the victim of a burglary for the cost of gathering evidence, nor should we bill rape victims just because the crime scene happens to be their bodies.”

Wasilla Police Chief Fannon protested the new law stating it would require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams. Really? Are the true costs of sexual assault and forcible rape in a community only measured and reflected in the dollars spent on the forensic rape kit?

Now the solution:

Per an email I received last night (and also noted here):

Instead of us all sending around more emails about how horrible Sarah Palin is, let's all make a donation to Planned Parenthood.

In Sarah Palin's name.

And here's the good part: when you make a donation to PP in her name, they'll send her a card telling her that the donation has been made in her honor.

Here's the link to the Planned Parenthood website

You'll need to fill in the address to let PP know where to send the "in Sarah Palin's honor" card. I suggest you use the address for the McCain campaign headquarters, which is:

McCain for President
1235 S. Clark Street
1st Floor
Arlington , VA 22202

PS make sure you use that link above or choose the pulldown of Donate--Honorary or Memorial Donations, not the regular "Donate Online"

The minimum donation is $5 ...and did I mention that it's tax deductible?

Go. Do. Now.

What are you waiting for? Pay it forward.

Radio host suspended-- He aired phone numbers of anti-Palin protesters

By GottaLaff

Bumping up this video to unpleasantly refresh your memories:


Now there is some small degree of justice, albeit not enough:

Anchorage AM radio host Eddie Burke has been suspended for a week for broadcasting the phone number of women involved in organizing a protest against Sarah Palin.

The women later received threatening phone calls. In a statement, KBYR-AM 700 station manager Justin McDonald said broadcasting the number last week was "breaking station policy." Burke will be suspended for one week without pay, he said.

"Though I do not agree with some of the comments he made, as a licensee, we attempt to respect everyone's First Amendment rights, including Eddie Burke's, our listeners' and our nonlisteners'," McDonald's statement said. "That does not mean I condone inciting violence or harm in any way to people wanting to voice their opinions with peaceful protest."

He should have been fired.

College Republicans director resigns over racial post about Obama

By GottaLaff

Will McCain/Palin denounce and renounce this?

A Kutztown University student who once begged fellow students to forgive the campus president of the College Republicans for making racially insensitive remarks has resigned as the head of the statewide GOP group after posting comments on Facebook about Barack Obama's lips.

Adam LaDuca, 21, of Allentown said he was only trying to spark debate among friends when he wrote on his Facebook page that the Democratic presidential candidate has ''a pair of lips so large he could float half of Cuba to the shores of Miami.''

He also called the late Martin Luther King Jr. a hypocrite.

Now there's an educated university student if I ever saw one.

LaDuca, who is white, resigned last week as executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans after excerpts of his Facebook page were reposted on the PA Progressive blog, written by John Morgan, a Democratic committeeman in Berks County.

So he resigned because he was caught. We see.

''We do not accept racism,'' said [the college group's state chairman, Anthony Pugliese], a senior at West Chester University. ''The Republican party at times gets a bad rap for condoning racism, and that's 100 percent false.''

Let's give ol' LaDuca the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was drunk. Maybe he didn't mean it. I'm sure he feels some sense of remorse:

After posting the comment about Obama's lips on his Facebook page July 27, LaDuca followed up on the page with the remark ''if sayin' someone has large lips is a racial slur, then we're ALL in trouble.''

Or not. Whaddya want to bet he says some of his best friends are black:

LaDuca admits the comments Morgan reposted were his, but denies that he is racist. He says economist Thomas Sowell, who is black, is one of his heroes.

''I have eight of his books and I think he's brilliant and he's a black man,'' LaDuca said. ''If I were racist, would I be reading this stuff? If I were racist, I wouldn't idolize Colin Powell and Condeleeza Rice.''

Gosh! We must have misjudged this young man!

Earlier this year, LaDuca also posted an article about King on his Facebook page that said black people historically have lower IQ test scores than white people.

Oh, LaDuca-a-a-a.... I'm still waiting for that remorse:

LaDuca said he doesn't understand the backlash, and doesn't regret another post about King being a ''hypocrite,'' nor his comments about Obama's lips.

''I don't use racial slurs unless I'm on a rant,'' LaDuca said. ''[Obama] has puckered lips. I made fun of [Republican John] McCain's hair and no one excused me of ageism.''

I don't call racists like LaDuca pinheaded, hateful, braindead little dicks unless I'm on a rant. I have no remorse about having just ranted.

Responding to the resulting backlash:

''The [McCain] campaign doesn't need that kind of attention,'' [LaDuca] said.

Too late.

VIDEO: Obama on the Billo the Clown Show

By GottaLaff

In case you haven't seen it:




And here is some reaction:

A new RNC attack file contends Obama offered “conflicting threat assessments on Iran” based on “his interview with Bill O’Reilly.”

Some Democrats were also concerned about the Obama-O’Reilly exchange on Iraq. “Instead of presenting a clear definition of how he will realize the promise of change after eight failed years of George Bush, [Obama] blurred the distinction between himself and John McCain on Iraq,” lamented a former aide to Chris Dodd, who thrilled liberal Fox critics in a more combative exchange with O’Reilly during the Democratic primary last year.

“He gave up his greatest strength - opposition to the Iraq War - on O’Reilly’s show,” the operative continued. “If Obama’s lucky, he gained enough new Fox-watching supporters to make up for the Democrats he just alienated.” [...]

Robert Greenwald [...] emailed a new video to supporters today. In it, he criticized Fox’s unbalanced treatment of Democratic politicians:

O’Reilly needled and interrupted Obama, trying to get him to simplify many of his answers — a far cry from the softballs O’Reilly lobbed at many prominent Republicans like Rudy Giuliani in the past.

Georgia Republican calls Obama "uppity"

By GottaLaff

Republicans racist? Why would anyone get that idea? Why, the very idea! To even suggest that would be downright uppity:

Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland used the racially-tinged term "uppity" to describe Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Thursday.

Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside the House chamber and was asked to compare her with Michelle Obama.

"Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity," Westmoreland said.

Those wacky reporters. They must have misunderstood. Nobody would be so blatantly racist as to actually refer to the Obamas as "uppity". Not intentionally, anyway, right?

Asked to clarify that he used the word “uppity,” Westmoreland said, “Uppity, yeah.”

Oh. Hm. Wow. He said it. Right out loud. Twice.

Other Democrats have charged that the Republican campaign to paint the Illinois senator as an “elitist” is racially charged, and accused them of using code words for “uppity” without using the word itself.

Until now.

In August, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) told reporters, “When I hear the word ‘elitist’ linked with Barack Obama, to me, that is a code word for 'uppity.' I find it extremely offensive and John McCain should know better.”

Now that's ridiculous! John McCain? "Know better"? He doesn't even know better than to appoint an inexperienced, nasty little splat of a v.p. nominee without proper vetting.

Political consultant David Gergen, who has worked in both Republican and Democratic White Houses, said on ABC’s "This Week" that “As a native of the south, I can tell you, when you see this Charlton Heston ad, 'The One,' that's code for, 'He's uppity, he ought to stay in his place.' Everybody gets that who is from a Southern background.”

I got it, and I have an Encino background.

I bet the Obama team shot back, huh?

The Obama campaign, asked about the quote, did not note any racial context.

“Sounds like Rep. Westmoreland should be careful throwing stones from his candidate's eight glass houses,” said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor.

Damn. Wrong again. The good news is, the Republicans have been pretty well-behaved up until now:

Campaigning against the first black major-party nominee has already created some problems for Republicans.

Nobody has to tell me 12 times. I admit it. We should all admit it.The Republicans have a problem. Period:

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said that Obama's middle name – Hussein – is relevant to the public discourse surrounding his candidacy, saying in March that if Obama were elected, "Then the radical Islamists, the al Qaeda, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11 because they will declare victory in this War on Terror."

A big problem:

At an April 12 event in his district, Kentucky Rep. Geoff Davis (R) said of Obama: “I’m going to tell you something: That boy’s finger does not need to be on the button. He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country.”

This is the party of McCain/Palin. Racism you can believe in.

H/t: Clancy

Droopy Lieberman whines, er, speaks

By GottaLaff

First it's Fredhorn Leghorn, now it's Droopy. Doesn't all that whining hurt his Shar Pei* ears?

"George Washington in his farewell dress?" Did he really just say that?

And why does he continue to call himself a Democrat?

He says he's in a unique position to share something because he's a Democrat. He's sharing that "Democrats are trying to convince people that John McCain is someone else. Don't be fooled! Beware of the scary Democrats! God only made one John McCain and he is his own man!"

Were you fooled? I wasn't. I knew very well, long before the Democrats told me, that he was a partisan, right-wing, hypocritical, hostile, angry, lying, lobbyist-loving war monger.

Droopy Joe says J Sid is not partisan. Droopy Joe is whining in a very shrill way. Shrill + whining. Ba-a-ad combo.

Newsflash! Sarah Palin is a reformer!. Droopy Joe says so. McCain/Palin is the real ticket for change, not Obama. They're so mavericky! If the Republican party is so rabid about change, why haven't they done anything changey for the past 12 years?

Oh, and the surge is working.

Stop whining! Oh, please, please, stop whining.

*Apologies to Shar Peis everywhere.

Excerpts of Lieberman's speech

By GottaLaff

You may want to grab a bottle of anything alcoholic, or perhaps reach for the Prozac... or if you're in the loop, just dial up Cindy Lou McCain for, well, just about anything:

"And that brings me directly to why I am here tonight. What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this? The answer is simple. I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party. I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward. I'm here because John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important. But it is not more important than being an American."[...]

"John understands that it shouldn't take a natural disaster like Hurricane Gustav to get us to take off our partisan blinders and work together to get things done. It shouldn't take a natural disaster to teach us that the American people don't care much if you have an 'R' or a 'D' after your name. What they care about is: are we solving the problems they are up against every day?" [...]

"What you can expect from John McCain as President is precisely what he has done this week: which is to put country first. That is the code by which he has lived his entire life, and that is the code he will carry with him into the White House. I have personally seen John over and over again bring people together from both parties to tackle our toughest problems we face." [...]

"Especially at a time of war, we need a president we can count on to fight for what's right for our country - not only when it is easy, but when it is hard. When others were silent, John McCain had the judgment to sound the alarm about the mistakes we were making in Iraq. When others wanted to retreat in defeat from the field of battle, when Barack Obama was voting to cut off funding for our troops on the ground, John McCain had the courage to stand against the tide of public opinion and support the surge and because of that, today, our troops are at last beginning to come home, not in failure, but in honor!"

I'm nauseous. Nothing can numb me enough for this.

John Sidney McCain's (possible) very rude unprecedented intrusion

By GottaLaff

KUCINICH IS UP NOW!

I wouldn't put it past him:

"Perhaps hoping to turn a fresh page from the Democratic convention, advisers to Sen. John McCain are considering a Thursday night vice presidential announcement," according to Marc Ambinder, "although the unofficial word from campaign headquarters is that Friday is still more likely."
Thursday, of course, is the night Sen. Barack Obama formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination.

If McCain is seriously considering this unprecedented interruption into Obama's night, he's clearly taking advice from the same person Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez used when he announced his free agency during last year's World Series.

'Tis the season to be busted: John Sidney McLiar

By GottaLaff

You all remember that cross in the sand tale that McPOW recounted at the Fake Forum? Well guess what:

It's been noted that McCain made no mention of this incident in a detailed account of his POW years that U.S. News published in 1973, and no one, so far, has found evidence of McCain telling the story before 1999 -- when his most formidable opponent for the GOP presidential nomination was a man who was making a concerted effort to court religious voters.
I just want to point out that there's a chapter specifically devoted to three Christmases of McCain's captivity in The Nightingale's Song, Robert Timberg's critically acclaimed 1995 book, which helped put McCain on the map as a political celebrity -- and the cross story does not appear. Nor does it appear anywhere else in the book.

No kidding! Why, that would make J Sid a liar!

The chapter is titled "'Tis the Season to Be Jolly." It says that on Christmas Eve 1968, a guard tried to compel McCain to attend a church service that was being staged for the benefit of visiting photographers. McCain decided "to ruin the picture," letting out a series of curses ("'Fu-u-u-u-ck you, you son of a bitch!' shouted McCain, hoisting a one-finger salute whenever a camera pointed in his direction"). There's certainly no mention of a cross in the sand in this account.

On Christmas Eve 1969, we're then told, McCain had a civil conversation with the Cat, the one guard he's said in other accounts was considerate to him -- but again there's no mention of a cross in the sand. (Timberg tells us that McCain and the Cat discussed the Cat's tie clip and cigarette lighter, as well as McCain's decision not to accept early release.)

On Christmas 1970, Timberg writes, McCain was transferred to a cell with his friend Bud Day -- "the perfect Christmas present" because he'd just spent two and a half years in solitary. Again, no cross.
(The chapter also includes an account of the car accident in which McCain's first wife, whom he later divorced, was seriously injured. The accident took place on Christmas Eve 1969.)

Hmm, no cross-in-the-sand under here. Oh, sorry, I was looking for WMD. I didn't find those, either.

It's clear that McCain told Timberg a lot of dramatic stories. Timberg chose to construct an entire chapter around stories about the Christmases of McCain's captive years.

Want to know a secret?

Via Steve Benen, I see that the firstpeople to note the McCain/Solzhenitsyn connection were fellow right-wingers at Free Republic.

H/t: Eve for the link

More on the Cone of Not-So-Silence

Tapper finds the nut and runs with it. You're honestly going to tell me that in the time running up to McCain's arrival at the forum he wasn't being drilled? I mean, that's just the way these things run. If you want to, you can even go as far as to claim maybe JSMcIII wasn't aware that his prepping was taking place with the aid of whoever was coaching him knowing the questions, but are we supposed to extend this POW code of honor bullshit to all his staffers? /roll eyes

2) The McCain campaign's responses so far are entirely focused on McCain's geography and whether or not he himself could hear and see Obama being questioned.

To wit: McCain adviser Charlie Black told CNN, "We were in motorcade until 5:30 p.m. ET; then a holding room in another building with no TV."

Nothing that I've seen so far from the McCain campaign touches on whether or not any aides with McCain were getting reports on their Blackberries or cell phones on the questions Obama was getting and then sharing them with McCain.