The Friday Political Thread: Write It Backwards on Your Face

Unconvincing Quote of the Week
"She was upset with the media for blowing this into a political firestorm." - Pittsburgh police Assistant Chief Maurita Bryant on Ashley Todd, the McCain volunteer who admitted lying about a pro-Obama hate crime committed against her.

The Week in Brief
- Joe Biden declared pre-emptive war on Barack Obama.
- Obamacons tumbled out of the woodwork.
- Alan Greenspan was vewwy vewwy sorry.
- John McCain got on the Joe the Plumber bus.
- Ron Paul's ghost haunted the GOP.
- Bob Barr pronounced McCain's defeat.

Below the Fold
- Nate Silver explains why westerner John McCain is losing the western states. (Reagan swept them twice.)
- W. James Antle III throws a fit in Sam's Club.
- Will Wilkinson breaks a fly bottle over Jacob Weisberg's head. It leaves a mark shaped like an "L"!
- Greg Sargent has the ugliest scoop of the week. (If, as seems unlikely, McCain loses Pennsylvania in a squeaker because he underperforms in Pittsburgh, will Ashley Todd become the Steve Bartman of politics?)
- Gerard Baker predicts a wave of Palintology to come after the vote.

This week's Politics 'n' Prog is dedicated to Sarah Palin.

Comments

[joe]

"She was upset with the media for blowing this into a political firestorm."

Wow, she really was with the McCain campaign.

Why can't you bastards just respect Joe the Plumber's privacy?

[Lefiti]

Joe the Plumber can look forward to the prosperity and economic security most Americans enjoyed before the so-called Reagan revolution unleashed the marxism of the right on us. Another utopian scheme down the tube. Libertairanism is a cult for true believers. The rest of us want health care.

[Mister DNA]

Not prog, but if you haven't seen this ode to Sarah Palin, you're missing out.

Also... neither politics, nor prog: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band doing "Faith Healer" on the Old Grey Whistle Test.

[joe]

You know, at first I believed her story, but when I looked at that B, the kerning just wasn't right.

[dbcooper]

Also... neither politics, nor prog: The Sensational Alex Harvey Band doing "Faith Healer" on the Old Grey Whistle Test.

Great stuff. Thanks for the link. The Church did a good cover of that track.

[Orange Line Special]

Look for an upcoming SpecialComment on my site over the ToddAffair.

[BDB]

I think this completely takes Rev. Wright off the table for good. Can you imagine the charges of race-baiting the McCain campaign would be subjected to if they brought it up after this?

[DannyK]

Two weeks left in the Ugly Weirdness sweepstakes! Let's see if anyone can top Todd!

Also, can't Greenspan get his own thread? Poor guy gets no respect any more.

[Kolohe]

Why can't you bastards just respect Joe the Plumber's privacy?

I'd like to retract an assertion I made earlier. I had thought that all the digging into Wurzelbacher's background and personal life was indeed out of bounds. But if he's going to be such a media whore presence by personal choice, he's fair game.

[Steve Horwitz]

Phil with hair, Gabriel on the flute, Mike with that double-necked Rickenbacker.... sigh, that was music I tell ya.

[BDB]

For God's sake, the guy says he's running for Congress and getting a book deal now. Cry me a river.

[Mister DNA]

You know, at first I believed her story, but when I looked at that B, the kerning just wasn't right.

Which only proves that the "B" stood for Birth Certificate.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Can we all collectively laugh at TallDave now?

Let's take this moment.

I'll begin:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

[BDB]

Please don't summon him to this thread, MNG.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I love TallDave getting on the bike and pedaling for all he's worth:

TallDave | October 23, 2008, 4:33pm | #

Ah, there's a link now:

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/17789356/detail.html

Richard said the robber took $60 from the woman, then became angry when he saw a McCain bumper sticker on the victim's car. The attacker then punched and kicked the victim, before using the knife to scratch the letter "B" into her face, Richard said.

Looks like the felon-American community is really taking Obama's "get in their faces!" exhortations to heart.

TallDave | October 24, 2008, 2:03pm | #

http://kdka.com/local/attack.McCain.Bloomfield.2.847628.html

POlice are saying hoax now. Oh well, I always said that was possible.

[TallerDave]

Buh..buh...DAN RATHER!! DAN RATHER! RATHER!

[Mr. Nice Guy]

You can see the doubt dripping in TallDave's Oct. 23 4:33 post, eh?

[joe]

You had to go and say "collectively," didn't you, MNG?

Now no one's gonna do it!

My favorite part when when he "defended" himself by writing, "Well, I didn't know if it was true or not."

So, you blogwhored an incendiary, racially-charged story about a candidate's supporters becoming violent, in an effort to influence the discourse about an election, but it's ok, because while you were doing so, you didn't even know if it was true.

What a guy.

[BDB]

My favorite post from that thread is "TallerDave" pointing out how he probably would have believed the "aliens have landed!" Halloween hoax from the early 1930s.

Whoever posted as "TallerDave", kudos. That was funny.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

You know what would make someone trumpet such a new story? A story that Michelle Malkin herself immediately doubted?

Hope.

TallDave was so hoping it was true. And there is something sick about that.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

More of TallDave's "all along doubt":

TallDave | October 23, 2008, 7:13pm | #

I'd say it's anybody's ballgame or more likely Obama losing.

Oh, I still think the MSM can drag him across the finish lines, knife-wielding supporters and all.

TallDave | October 23, 2008, 7:20pm | #

Of course, the best part of all this is we'll soon find out whether the victim has any outstanding tax liens or questionable licensing.

The American people have a sacred right to know!

[BDB]

We should be laughing at "OrangeLineSpecial", too. He was pushing it just as hard. As evidence of the coming LiberalFascism.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Yeah MSM, don't look into that girl's story!

PLEASE!

This is why conservatives work the ref so very hard.

[Mister DNA]

We should be laughing at "OrangeLineSpecial", too.

Hell, when are we not laughing at OLS?

[Mr. Nice Guy]

"Reagan swept them twice"

Hell Bush won them last time.

The GOP just bent over for the South too much for the West to keep going with them. The South is a strange place, not a place to base your party on, unless your party is the Confederate Party.

[BDB]

They won't sweep the south this time, either.

[J sub D]

Kolohe | October 24, 2008, 6:36pm | #

I'd like to retract an assertion I made earlier. I had thought that all the digging into Wurzelbacher's background and personal life was indeed out of bounds. But if he's going to be such a media whore presence by personal choice, he's fair game.

BDB | October 24, 2008, 6:37pm | #

For God's sake, the guy says he's running for Congress and getting a book deal now. Cry me a river.

Kinda reminds you of Ashley Alexandra Dupre,* doesn't it?

I googled Spitzer's hooker to find her name. Her 15 minutes are about up. I have the same advice for Joe TP as I had for her. Strike while the iron's hot.

[joe]

I once wrote a haiku about Ms. Dupree.

Ahem.

I'd be like, look dude,
Do you really want the sex?
Ya know what I mean?

[Sparky]

"Look for an upcoming SpecialComment on my site over the ToddAffair."

HAHAHAHAHA!! That's just too cute. We're all waiting with baited breath, Lonewacko! (Except for some minions of URKOBOLD, who are waiting with batin' breath.)

Can someone just buy Lonewacko a hooker or a MichelleMalkin blow-up doll or something so he'll quit venting his pent-up frustrations here? Maybe Reason could dip into some rainy day fund? I'd re-up my subscription for another 10 years just for that.

[J sub D]

TallDave was so hoping it was true. And there is something sick about that.

We disagree about so much, MNG. Not that though.

[BDB]

TallDave will believe ANYTHING that might save John McCain. If the campaign is still in the state it is next week, look for him to even beginning blog-spamming rumors about Obama's birth certificate and the "whitey tape".

[xiexieniii]

UPSET WITH THE MEDIA HAHAHAHA

Join one of the many groups on Facebook dedicated to this girl's demise.

This girl's social life is forever ruined.

[joe]

You know what you never hear about anymore?

Only the most important story of the entire election: ACORN voter registration fraud.

Isn't it amazing how all the people who used to obsess about it decided, individually at the same time, to stop writing about it?

Which was on exactly the same day that the McCain campaign stopped talking about it?

Right after the footage started airing John McCain was found to have addressed their convention?

And right after Barack Obama's general counsel wrote a letter to the Special Prosecutor looking into US AttorneyGate?

And right after a McCain campaign contractor was arrested for defrauding people about what they were signing and registering them as Republicans? For the second time?

ZOMG, ACORN be steelin' teh election!

[BDB]

Joe, we'll be hearing a whole lot about ACORN on November 5th, especially of Obama outperforms the polls.

[J sub D]

TallDave will believe ANYTHING that might save John McCain. If the campaign is still in the state it is next week, look for him to even beginning blog-spamming rumors about Obama's birth certificate and the "whitey tape".

Jesus H. McChrist, there was some dumbtard posting as Gunther trying to sell that birth certificate shit earlier today on some other thread. I'm afraid I was less than my usual cordial self in dismissing his concerns.

[J sub D]

Joe, we'll be hearing a whole lot about ACORN on November 5th, especially of Obama outperforms the polls.

BDB, I may have been the first reasonoid to predict that ACORN would be the rapid GOPer's Diebold excuse this election. I even think I was talking to you at the time.

[Mister DNA]

When Michelle Obama's "Kill Whitey" tape comes out, it's going to be somewhat anticlimactic, seeing how Whitey died in 2003.

[BDB]

I think you may be right, J Sub. Good call.

[Orange Line Special]

For all you lurkers who don't want the ChicagoMachine to get a permanent foothold in DC and who don't want to help BHO bring back things like the FairnessDoctrine, here's what you must do now:

1. Write major bloggers and use whatever sway you have to urge them to back this plan. A video tape of BHO being asked a tough question and failing to answer it would be devastating. But, we need people to go out and try to ask him those questions. And for that we need people who get a lot of traffic to push it.

2. Contact major MSM reporters and let them know that not doing real reporting will have an impact on their careers.

Unless you've got another plan, concentrate on those two and things might work out.

[J sub D]

rabid, not rapid. !skcus aixelsyD

[Sparky]

"I'm afraid I was less than my usual cordial self in dismissing his concerns."

I was my normal cordial self. I'm an asshole (which is weird, cuz I'm a puppy).

"Only the most important story of the entire election: ACORN voter registration fraud."

There was a front page story at NYT today about ACORN and their 400,000 new registrations that were tossed out (they didn't say how many were due to apparent fraud, and how many were due to duplicate or improperly filled out registrations).

[BDB]

Didn't everyone in 1992 say the country would turn into Arkansas when Bill Clinton got power?

[ktc2]

The right wing nutjob sites are masturbating over Palin 2012 now. LOL.

I think if they get their way and the Rs run Palin for POTUS in 2012 that will be the end of the R party. They will have doomed themselves for decades.

[Obamatarian]

Am I late for the circle jerk?

[Mister DNA]

Ashley Todd has been arrested.

She's from College Station and she's wearing an orange and white hoodie? I'd say she's laying the groundwork for an insanity defense.

[BDB]

An insanity defense would plausible. I hope she gets treatment.

[BDB]

Er, "would be". Really I don't dislike her as much as the people flogging the story, wishing it were true.

[J sub D]

There was a front page story at NYT today about ACORN and their 400,000 new registrations that were tossed out (they didn't say how many were due to apparent fraud, and how many were due to duplicate or improperly filled out registrations).

These guys get paid by the registration do-gooders by the signature. Shit yeah there's fraud. Not very many of the bogus registrations get counted on election day (homelesss winos don't show up at the polls), but the drive organizers are getting defrauded. And they know it.

You want election fraud? Detroit 2005.

The fitting climax to all of this incompetence and malice was Jackie Currie got her ass kicked on election day. After losing, she sued claiming the election she supervised was incompetently run.

[GG]

The rest of us want health care.

What, there are no doctors in Trolltown?

[Elemenope]

xiexieniii | October 24, 2008, 7:13pm | #

And there was a domoarrigato just the other day. Is this like, a *thing* where people name themselves after salutations in Asian languages?

Or is it, *gasp*, the same person?!

[Art-P.O.G.]

Re: Todd. :::sigh:::, didn't The Streets do a song titled "Don't Mug Yourself"?

[Mister DNA]

BDB, there's little doubt that Ms. Todd has some serious issues. I think she'll get some community service and some mandatory psyche treatment.

Equally as disgusting as those on the right who were wishing the story was true is the schadenfreude on the left.

[sayonara]

Elemenope, what makes you ask?

[BDB]

"Equally as disgusting as those on the right who were wishing the story was true is the schadenfreude on the left."

Agreed if it's directed at Ashley Todd personally. She just has issues.

If it's directed at people flogging the story, though (including the McCain communications director in PA), it's entirely appropriate.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/mccain_aide_gave_reporters_inc.php

[zaijian]

LMNOP is nosy. That's all.

[?????? (sa?-wa?t-dee)]

And there was a domoarrigato just the other day. Is this like, a *thing* where people name themselves after salutations in Asian languages?

Or is it, *gasp*, the same person?!

???????? (ma?i mee taang)

[joe]

I'm afraid I was less than my usual cordial self in dismissing his concerns.

Yikes!

These guys get paid by the registration do-gooders by the signature.

Actually, they don't. ACORN pays by the hour. The forms were faked to make it look like they'd been working for four or six or eight hours.

The McCain campaign pays by the registration, though - but only by the Republican registration.

[EJM]

Am I late for the circle jerk?

Well, here's "Beverly Hills" and "Wasted".

[BDB]

Ha, now the charges on the righty blogs are that Obama flew to Hawaii before his grandma could "confess" the "truth" that he was born in Kenya.

[J sub D]

Actually, they don't. ACORN pays by the hour. The forms were faked to make it look like they'd been working for four or six or eight hours.

Same thing, really. B/S the boss, get more $.

The McCain campaign pays by the registration, though - but only by the Republican registration.

I'm totally and blissfully unaware about the rules, regulations and laws about collecting signatures on petitions or registering people to vote. IMHO, taking a trip to DMV to register does not place an undue burden on the citizen. I know you're a Dem and the great unwashed are far more likely to vote for your party, but do you really think we should make it easier for people so lazy or unconcerned they won't go to the DMV to register to vote?

[BDB]

J sub, you don't want to get joe started on that!

[joe]

J sub D,

I think that once you get the apathetic to participate, they're going to stop being apathetic and become better citizens.

Some of them, anyway.

[Sparky]

"Not very many of the bogus registrations get counted on election day (homelesss winos don't show up at the polls)"

Fo' shizzle. And the fraudulent votes are undoubtedly dwarfed by the number of people who lose their vote due to broad-brush voter roll purges.

All of those extra registrations certainly put a burden on state voter registration offices, and I understand some of them have complained about being swamped. But from the NYT story it sounded like the majority of the registrations turned in that weren't completely new, legit registrations were either address changes or duplicates, both of which are pretty legit/non-fraudulent in my book (I think duplicates are technically illegal in many places, but given the number of people who are falsely purged I'd want to register a second time just to be sure as well).

[BDB]

I just want to know who will be Vince Foster for the 2010s when Obama is elected.

[joe]

Similarly, J sub D, I don't think felons should be prohibited from voting, not even when they're in the clink. (Maybe they don't get to vote in local elections).

I think they should be required to not only vote, but be able to explain why they chose to support their candidates, as a rehabilitation/re-entry program.

[BDB]

I think felons should be able to vote, but only after they served their time.

I also think they should be able to buy guns after they served your time, and that they shouldn't have any restrictions on where they live, so I'm "extreme" in this. YMMV. If you want to put those kinds of restrictions on them, just keep them in prison.

[Mister DNA]

I think they should be required to not only vote, but be able to explain why they chose to support their candidates, as a rehabilitation/re-entry program.

That will make for some awesome campaign ads.

[joe]

I've got no problem with a gun ban as a condition of probation, but at an absolute minimum, there should be some system where a guy who got out and is living a legit life can get his rights back.

[joe]

C'mon, there aren't enough people in prison to make a difference in an election anyway; and no politician is going to caught dead trying to appeal to imprisoned voters.

[BDB]

Probation counts as part of "serving time". But after that they should get their Second Amendment rights back 100%.

[Rudy Giuliani]

Hi, I'm Rudy Giuliani from the RNC. And you NEED TO KNOW that BDB supports GUNS FOR FELONS!

[Just Plain Brian]

I don't think felons should be prohibited from voting, not even when they're in the clink. (Maybe they don't get to vote in local elections).

If you're going to let them vote, they should be allowed to vote in the local elections for the area for which they are counted in the census (currently they are considered part of the population of the area where the prison resides, which invariably means more tax money for that particular area)

[BDB]

I am also known to put Hollywood before America.

[joe]

Well, regardless, the point remains: citizenship and civic participation, of all sorts, operate in a virtuous circle. That's why I don't stand there and say "he's too stupid and lazy to register, what do I care?" And there are some stupid, lazy-assed people out there.

[J sub D]

Similarly, J sub D, I don't think felons should be prohibited from voting, not even when they're in the clink. (Maybe they don't get to vote in local elections).

Hell, I'm a bit different there.

In prison, No voting right or gun rights.
On probation or parole, Voting rights, no gun rights.
Off probation/parole, Voting and full gun rights.

If we can't trust them with a gun why are we letting them out of the criminal justice system?

But they still have to go the DMV to register to vote. 😉

[Just Plain Brian]

But they still have to go the DMV to register to vote. 😉

Ok, but why not reform that a bit, so that if you payed taxes that year, and haven't moved since, you're already registered to vote?

[J sub D]

C'mon, there aren't enough people in prison to make a difference in an election anyway; and no politician is going to caught dead trying to appeal to imprisoned voters.

Your joking of course.

On June 30, 2007 -

- 2,299,116 prisoners were held in federal or state prisons or in local jails - an increase of 1.8% from yearend 2006, less than the average annual growth of 2.6% from 2000-2006.
- 1,528,041 sentenced prisoners were under state or federal jurisdiction.
- there were an estimated 509 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 U.S. residents - up from 501 at yearend 2006.
- the number of women under the jurisdiction of state or federal prison authorities increased 2.5% from yearend 2006, reaching 115,308, and the number of men rose 1.5%, totaling 1,479,726.

Shameful numbers.

[shecky]

Equally as disgusting as those on the right who were wishing the story was true is the schadenfreude on the left.

Fox news jackass John Moody deserves every bit of scorn he gets for spouting off this little nugget of wisdom:

If Ms. Todd's allegations are proven accurate, some voters may revisit their support for Senator Obama, not because they are racists (with due respect to Rep. John Murtha), but because they suddenly feel they do not know enough about the Democratic nominee.

If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator McCain's quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to race-baiting.

[Marc]

I know what I like: Genesis.

Also "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey.

[Syd Henderson]

If Ashley Todd had only thought to use Obama's last initial rather than his first...

[David E. Gallaher]

"Alan Greenspan was vewwy vewwy sorry."

Are you saying Alan is Elmer Fudd?
I don't think so.
Can you picture Andrea Mitchell jumping into the sack with Elmer?

(She and Maureen Dowd can eat crackers in my bed anytime they choose.)

Ruthless

P. S. If Milton were alive this financial panic would not have happened.

[Just Plain Brian]

Are you saying Alan is Elmer Fudd?
I don't think so.

Well, he is a millionaire, and he owns a mansion und a yacht...

[TrickyVic]

"""Phil with hair, Gabriel on the flute, Mike with that double-necked Rickenbacker.... sigh, that was music I tell ya."""

Back when Phil was interested in kicking ass on drums.

[David E. Gallaher]

Just Plain Brian,
Are you confusing Elmer Fudd with Mr. McGoo?
Droopy asking...

[Mo]

Equally as disgusting as those on the right who were wishing the story was true is the schadenfreude on the left.

I see no problem with the schadenfreude. You do something like say a tall black man, sexually assaulted you, robbed you and carved a (backwards) B in your face because of who you vote for, you deserve all the scorn and verbal abuse you get. She wasted police resources and engaged in some pretty low rent race baiting.

If the Robert Downey Jr. swastika thing happened now and people engaged in schadenfreude, I'd have no problem with that either.

[Just Plain Brian]

According to wikipedia, the name of the episode was "Hare Brush":

"Yes, I am Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire. I own a mansion and a yacht."

[Mike Laursen]

Well, regardless, the point remains: citizenship and civic participation, of all sorts, operate in a virtuous circle.

I agree it can be a virtuous circle once started, but the mere act of voting is such a tiny participation that it alone isn't enough to kick start that circle into motion.

[Just Plain Brian]

They've even got it on youtube - Hare Brush

[David E. Gallaher]

I knew Elmer was "comfortable," but I had no idea!

I still love him. Wealth doesn't intimidate me.

Scrooge McDuck was my favorite.

Were all of Elmer's "investments" FDIC insured?

[Just Plain Brian]

Well, he does have a rather unfortunate run-in with a special agent over $300,000 in unpaid taxes...

[BDB]

From a local political blog:

"I'm considering ditching my normal Halloween costume and simply carving an "H" into my cheek, claiming I was attacked by rabid Hillary Clinton supporters".

[Just Plain Brian]

"I'm considering ditching my normal Halloween costume and simply carving an "H" into my cheek, claiming I was attacked by rabid Hillary Clinton supporters".

That's a great costume idea, although I'd think carving a 'C' would be better, so that it would be clear you carved it backwards.

[Mister DNA]

I'm carving a "B" on each butt cheek and then claiming to have been attacked by a Bob Barr supporter.

[joe]

Yeah? Screw you guys.

I got a pretty girl, and corvette, and I'm not lying.

h/t TallDave.

[joe]

schaden-whutta?

[tarran]

P. S. If Milton were alive this financial panic would not have happened.

Bullshit.

This panic is in the interest of a lot of people with access to mass media. Milton Friedman would have had a whelk's chance in a supernova of shortcircuiting this.

[cunnivore]

joe,

Next time WWE Smack Down! is on, you should watch and pay special attention to the behavior of the people in the audience.

Then come back here and tell me you want all those people to become active voices in the ordering of our civil society.

[cunnivore]

Oh, and even if the Todd carving story were true, who cares? If the existence of one violent rogue Obama supporter discredits the Obama campaign, doesn't Eric Rudolph discredit the pro-life movement just as much if not more?

[JB]

She is a young woman. Very likely she is an Obama supporter. She probably thought this up ages ago to discredit McCain. I read somewhere she "volunteered" (read: infiltrated) in June.

Or she is just nuts. Maybe Obama would like to go to her church and take his kids to her sermons. Though I don't think she has a million dollar house like Wright does.

Stupidity and craziness in Democrats and Republicans?! Who could imagine...

[Mr. Nice Guy]

"She is a young woman. Very likely she is an Obama supporter. She probably thought this up ages ago to discredit McCain. I read somewhere she "volunteered" (read: infiltrated) in June."

JB has displayed both some crazy incredible spin (this should blow back on Obama) and terrible logic (a lot of young women support Obama, this was a young woman, ergo this woman was an Obama supporter), well done Sherlock!

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Oh, and you gotta love the lame attempt to mark equivalence between what this woman did (a racially charged false report aimed at ruining a political campaign) with what Wright (running down the US in a sermon, you know how Jeremiah ran down his nation in the Bible) and Obama (attending the guys church) did.

JB, you should really ask yourself "what is it about my political ideologies that makes me say such stupid things?"

[joe]

Very likely she is an Obama supporter.

Oh, probably. There's absolutely no way that anyone connected with the McCain campaign would come up with a divisive, offensive, dishonest stunt intended to influence the campaign and cast a racially-tinged shadow on Barack Obama, only to have it blow up in her face and end up generating sympathy for him.

Like that would ever happen.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

It appears that Obama's lead in Fl is now gone. His VA, CO, NM, NV leads are all around 5-7. NH is now down to 4. Indiana seems no longer in play, same with WV. He does now seem to have a slight lead in OH.

I don't think this is a done deal by any stretch of the imagination. And in this year I think that is amazing.

Mark Warner is ahead in VA by 25 points. I don't think this is Gilmore's weakness. When I visited my parents a few weeks ago in VA there was certainly more hate for Obama than love for McCain. Obama was a foolishly polarizing choice. He would have been a fantastic VP pick and would have achieved largely the same thing symbolically.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

In VA Obama leads by 7, Warner by 25.
In NM Obama leads by 8, Udall by 17.
In CO Obama leads by 6, the other Udall by 9-10.
In NH Obama by 4, Shaheen by 6.

[Elizabeth Watson]

She is clearly not very smart and has some serious issues to contend with. I hope she finds the help she so obviously needs.

Liz
http://www.anonymity.pro.tc

[joe]

RCP numbers:

Colorado 51.3 44.8 Obama +6.5
Ohio 49.9 43.8 Obama +6.1
Florida 47.8 45.6 Obama +2.2
Nevada 49.3 46.0 Obama +3.3
Missouri 48.0 45.3 Obama +2.7
North Carolina 48.6 47.6 Obama +1.0
Virginia 51.5 44.5 Obama +7.0

[Mr. Nice Guy]

These are all RCP numbers btw.

[joe]

Even with the Democrat winning North Carolina, there are still people panicking.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

The Democratic Senate candidate in NC is winning too, by a larger (slightly) margin than Obama is, and over an incumbent!

Given the situation this year the story is not that the Democratic Prez candidate is ahead in places they usually are not, but that he is not ahead in more places by more points. And I think I know why...

[Mr. Nice Guy]

"She is clearly not very smart and has some serious issues to contend with"

See, I'm not sold on that narrative. Yes, she has issues, but I think those issues are likely fanaticism and racism to be honest. Zealots tend to be stupid in their pursuit of the "greater good" they think they are advancing. They don't have to think all the angles out because they are on the side of justice which just has to win and they are usually poor critical thinkers having rarely used such skills on their own mindset.

[joe]

Here, MNG, read this. It will make you feel better.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cr_20081025_9803.php

[joe]

North Carolina.

We're talking about whether the Democrat is performing poorly, because he's not winning North Carolina by enough.

[Fluffy]

I don't think Obama is "underperforming" in the way MNG does, but it would be kind of cool if he did.

It would be great to see McCain blown out and humiliated, but it would also be great to see the election turn out really close - and to have McCain lose Montana because of that weird unsolicited Ron Paul ballot line, and lose the election by exactly those puny electoral votes. That would be sweet.

[Fluffy]

BTW, joe's "kerning" post made me LOL. Very nicely played.

[ed]

Anyone catch Bill Moyers' latest sermon on PBS last night? In a truly revolting performance he used one of the oldest smear tactics in the book: the odious little worm triumphantly exposed the depredations of capitalism by impugning Alan Greenspan--not for what he said or did, but by his association with Ayn Rand. Capitalism has failed, he crowed. Men cannot be trusted with their freedoms. It's for smarter men to run things now.

If the unrepentant left has a more oily, smarmy, repellent spokesman, I'd like to know its name. Anyone?

[James Ard]

I have decided to let my hatred of lazy people overcome my own economic self interests. I now want to see 61 Democrats in the senate to go along with an Obama win. The media will lose the ability to blame everything on a GOP filabuster, and unchecked, the Democrats will most certainly wreak havok on the economy. I'll get by, but I'm looking forward to seeing the dumbass Obama supporters in the soup lines. Change indeed.

[J sub D]

Pentagon Finds Company Violated Its Contract on Electrical Work in Iraq

KBR, formerly a subsidiary of Halliburton, has had a virtual monopoly on military services contracts in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, garnering more than $24 billion from its business in the war zone.

Questions about the quality of KBR's electrical work on American bases in Iraq have plagued the company throughout 2008, leading to investigations and hearings by Congress as well as an inquiry by the Pentagon's inspector general.

Internal Pentagon documents obtained by The New York Times suggest that the electrical problems may be more widespread than had been believed. A chart compiled by Army officials and not previously made public shows that more American personnel have been electrocuted in Iraq than the Bush administration has acknowledged.

At least 18 people have died from electrocution since the March 2003 invasion, including 10 from the Army, 5 from the Marine Corps, 1 from the Navy and 2 military contractors.

Is it really cheaper than having the Seabees do it.

[BDB]

Obama will win Virginia, North Carolina, and come very close to winning in Georgia. He will also win Florida.

The Atlantic South replaces the rustbelt as the new big battleground region in 2012.

[Neu Mejican]

Obama was a foolishly polarizing choice. He would have been a fantastic VP pick and would have achieved largely the same thing symbolically.

Obama is going to win.
What's foolish about that?

[Neu Mejican]

BTW,

Obama's choice is not symbolic.

He's was chosen for, get this, qualities having nothing to do with his race.

[joe]

If the unrepentant left has a more oily, smarmy, repellent spokesman, I'd like to know its name. Anyone?

'Sup, ed?

Your mom sez hi.

[joe]

I'll get by, but I'm looking forward to seeing the dumbass Obama supporters in the soup lines.

So, Newt, you think it's gonna be like the 90s, eh?

[Sparky]

There's a story up today at Politico about how Bill Clinton has finally decided to stump with Obama some time "within the week."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Bill_Clinton_and_Obama_plan_joint_appearance.html

Now that Obama appears to have a commanding lead without Clinton having lifted a finger, this is when he decides to help out? Am I the only one who thinks this makes Clinton look even more irrelevant than if he had just kept out of it?

[BDB]

Dude, it's Clinton. He's making sure it's 100% safe, then he will campaign with him and claim he was the reason Obama got elected.

[Sparky]

But it's so obviously untrue, what sort of political points is he earning? No one with any power in the party is going to believe that he had a meaningful role - they're going to think that he sat on his hands (or even hurt Obama with some of his less than enthusiastic comments) until the race was essentially decided. If this is his idea of a smart political calculation for him (and possibly Hillary), it just makes him look like he's completely lost his touch for smart political calculations.

[J sub D]

There's a story up today at Politico about how Bill Clinton has finally decided to stump with Obama some time "within the week."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Bill_Clinton_and_Obama_plan_joint_appearance.html

Now that Obama appears to have a commanding lead without Clinton having lifted a finger, this is when he decides to help out? Am I the only one who thinks this makes Clinton look even more irrelevant than if he had just kept out of it?

My mind works in mysterious and convoluted ways. That comment made it make this connection
1945

February 2 Ecuador announces that it has been at war with Japan since Dec. 7, 1941.
February 7 Paraguay declares war on Germany and Japan.
February 12 Peru in state of belligerency with Germany and Japan.
February 15 Venezuela and Uruguay declare war on Germany and Japan.
February 23 Turkey declares war on Germany and Japan effective Mar. 1, 1945.
February 24 Egypt declares war on Germany and Japan.
February 26 Syria declares war on Germany and Japan.
February 27 Lebanon declares war on Germany and Japan.
March 1 Iran declares war on Japan retroactive to Feb. 28, 1945. Saudi Arabia declares war on Japan.

Thanks for all the help guys.

[Sparky]

That link was awesome - I didn't know about all of the late declarations of war. There were a few very helpful declarations of war against Japan after Germany's surrender as well:

July 6 Norway announces that it had declared war on Japan on December 7, 1941.
August 8 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics declares war on Japan effective Aug. 9, 1945.
August 9 Mongolia declares war on Japan.

Way to kick 'em while they're down, Mongolia.

[BDB]

What Bill Clinton (and those nations in 1945) did is called "rushing to the aid of the victors".

[Mr. Nice Guy]

J sub D
I didn't know that about those nations jumping on the bandwagon. Hilarious.

"We disagree about so much, MNG."

I bet we agree on a lot more. Like liberalizing drug policy, protecting gun rights, restricting eminent domain takings, protecting the rights of the accused, ending torture, less wars and more.

[James Ard]

Joe, there's quite a bit of difference between Clinton, Foley and Mitchell and Obama, Pelosi and Reed. Not to mention the difference between a majority and a super majority. The prospects for prudent legislation are bleak at best. The shift away from the moderate left in '94 may look tiny compared to the coming backlash to a far left government.

[J sub D]

I bet we agree on a lot more. Like liberalizing drug policy, protecting gun rights, restricting eminent domain takings, protecting the rights of the accused, ending torture, less wars and more.

Yeah, but that's not mear as fun as pointing out that you're a socialist leaning lefty who doesn't give property and freedom of association rights their due. 😉

[Elemenope]

You're a socialist leaning lefty who doesn't give property and freedom of association rights their due.

Rightists of most every stripe aren't exactly angels when it comes to Freedom of Association, whether it be banning political parties or attacking organized labor.

[BDB]

The word "Socialist" no longer has any real meaning. It simply means "those who are not Republican".

[James Ard]

Freedom of association and organized labor? Are you kidding me? Ever heard of the union shop? Not much freedom for the individual there. I'm with you on the banning of political parties, though.

[J sub D]

Rightists of most every stripe aren't exactly angels when it comes to Freedom of Association, whether it be banning political parties or attacking organized labor.

True. Fortunately I don't fit the definition of left, right, or in the middle.

I'm not in the blue/red spectrum.

BTW, what political parties are banned in the US? There was persection against members, but IIRC the party has never been outlawed nationally (states do all sorts of asinine shit).

[J sub D]

the communist party has never been...
Even preview doesn't help sometimes.

[J sub D]

The word "Socialist" no longer has any real meaning. It simply means "those who are not Republican".

Sure it does. That the GOPtards misuse it doesn't negate it's actual meaning. Proposing wealth redistribution is socialist leaning politics. The same goes with supporting AMTRAK or the fucking wall street bailout.
It doesn't make one a socialist, but I choose my words carefully.

[James Ard]

My state refused to let Barr on the ballot while my neighbor state allowed the Ds and Rs to be on the ballot despite committing the same offense. Not to mention the Presidential Debate Commission. Thanks to establishment power, right wing, left wing. what have you, alternitive parties are totally fucked in this system.

[James Ard]

I corrected alternative once, damnit. Let it slip on the rewrite.

[J sub D]

My state refused to let Barr on the ballot while my neighbor state allowed the Ds and Rs to be on the ballot despite committing the same offense. Not to mention the Presidential Debate Commission. Thanks to establishment power, right wing, left wing. what have you, alternitive parties are totally fucked in this system.

Agreed. What should the qualifications be to get listed on the ballot? 'Cause if there are none, I'm running for office any election that comes my way. And I won't be alone.

You can add the presidential debates commission, McCain-Feingold, the presidential campaign fund to your list of attempts to lock in the two party system.

[James Ard]

I did add the debate commission, but thanks for the other examples.

[joe]

If Clinton can deliver Florida, he can turn a solid win into a rout, providing Obama will a big mandate and a solid base of support from which to reach a farther.

Which would mean Obama and the party owe him, and also demonstrates that Bill Clinton is still the Big Dog.

You can't lump the USSR and Norway in with those others. They kinda sorta had their hands full until the German surrender.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

"True. Fortunately I don't fit the definition of left, right, or in the middle."

J sub D is one of the many libertarians on this site, as opposed to many conservatives that are think they are libertarians (and some out-right shills).

That kind of integrity makes me overlook his failure to recognize that some coercive government measures actually maximize liberty overall 😉

"What should the qualifications be to get listed on the ballot?" There should be some benchmark met, like through petitions, but I lean towards it being low. I voted and volunteered for the Reform Party in 96 and 00. I believe in third party options.

[Fluffy]

"What should the qualifications be to get listed on the ballot?" There should be some benchmark met, like through petitions, but I lean towards it being low.

I also would think that the requirements should apply equally to all participants, and there should be no waivers based on previous election performance.

[J sub D]

"What should the qualifications be to get listed on the ballot?" There should be some benchmark met, like through petitions, but I lean towards it being low.

Petitions with one (two?) percent of the winners total in the last election wouyld be acceptable to me. As long as the friggin' incumbent has to gather them as well. That crap in Texas was blatant bullshit. The #$&%$#* judge wouldn't even explain his reasoning.

I guess that "I think the two major parties should be above the law because they are the two major parties" doesn't make a good sound bite.

[James Ard]

I think we should at least allow the third highest polling party to participate in the debates.

[J sub D]

We here at Hit&Run could devise a fair system that keeps the lone idiots off and protects all party's rights overnight.

Yet 50 states are unnable to do just that. The incumbents will be on the ballot.

Why care about representative democracy?

[SIV]

Finally Senator Saxby Chambliss (RINO-GA) runs a decent campaign ad.An innocent looking pretty white girl about 11-13 leans against a wall while the voice over says "Jim Martin voted against making it a felony to pimp out little girls".

The SOB still isn't getting my vote but I do appreciate him trying.

[J sub D]

SIV, where in the United States is it not a felony to "pimp out little girls"?

*brushes away irritant*

[BDB]

Is Chambliss the guy who compared his opponent to Osama bin Laden in 2002?

[SIV]

JsubD,

Apparently it wasn't in GA(I assume the bill passed)!

BDB,

That is the way the nutroots played it nationally. Max Cleland lost because he insisted on sticking with the Democrats on holding up homeland security until they had all the protections of public employee unions.
That was the "infamous" ad.Osama was in it but it was about putting unions over National security.Georgia Democrats know the truth so it was never an issue in state after the election.If Saxby loses it is over the bailout and a little lingering resentment over immigration amnesty.

[BDB]

What are the chances McCain loses Georgia in your opinion? Barr today said he thinks McCain will "lose" Georgia but Obama won't "win" it. IOW Barr will cost McCain Georgia because of the bail-out.

[SIV]

I don't think McCain will lose GA. His support for the bailout is overlooked here because bigger issues are at stake, and "we" love Palin down here.FWIW, I'm still voting for Barr as I intended even before he secured the LP nomination. If McCain loses GA it will be a bigger landslide for Obama than Johnson in '64.

[BDB]

Yeah, I tend to agree. If McCain loses GA, he's also losing places like Arizona (polls suggest he's slipping there somewhat) and Mississippi (black turnout).

[Mr. Chartreuse]

Ron Paul, who else would it be, introduced a bill that would set the limit for sigs to get on the ballot for House races at 1,000.
http://www.ballot-access.org/2007/11/02/libertarian-party-endorses-ron-paul-ballot-access-bill/

So, how about this: 1,000 sigs for US House, 2,500 sigs for US Senate, and 5,000 sigs for POTUS.But, if a state has a lower requirement use those those instead. For instance, Florida's only requirement for getting on the ballot in the race for POTUS is to be a member of an organized party, so right now they have 14 candidates on the ballot.

Then you'd have to change the requirements to get into the debate to something like being on enough ballots to tie or win the EC. If you had a high number of candidates, just hold two debates and then up the requirement for the following debates to be 5-10% of the vote in an average of the national polls.

[joe]

I think it's disgraceful how the two major parties shut out everyone else.

Bad for our democracy, and I say this as proud Democrat.

[joe]

Finally Senator Saxby Chambliss (RINO-GA) runs a decent campaign ad.An innocent looking pretty white girl about 11-13 leans against a wall while the voice over says "Jim Martin voted against making it a felony to pimp out little girls"

The chair! Hit him with the chair!

[Mo]

The funny thing is if Bill sat this out, Hillary would be fine because she was actually out campaigning for Obama. Bill coming in late just tarnishes all the work Hillary did because Bill is the Clinton that gets the most press.

In fairness to Louisiana keeping Barr off the ticket, the LP had an extra week to apply due to delays and were still two days late. I understand the reason for having deadlines because of printing schedules and getting ballots out. I think Texas selectively waiving the rules is messed up and wrong. Dropping the ball in LA is the LPs fault, not LA's.

[Mike Laursen]

The media will lose the ability to blame everything on a GOP filabuster, and unchecked, the Democrats will most certainly wreak havok on the economy.

I just want to make sure I've got this straight. You're counting on the Republicans to stop the Democrats from fucking up the economy. The Republicans? Is that correct?

[James Ard]

My former Republican congressman warned us about Fanny and Freddy but neither party was interested at the time. The implicit guarantees that created the junk paper was fiercely defended by the likes of Barney Frank and Maxine Waters. Yes, the Republicans failed at stopping Democrats from screwing us, but, at least, some of them tried.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Wow, you have to be pretty conservative to think of Chamblis as a RINO. Or any GA Republican for that matter. Hell GA Democrats are too conservative to be RINOs.

[James Ard]

In 2006 I voted against Richard Baker only because I had heard one of his aids got some F&F money. At the time I didn't think Baker was doing enough leading that subcommittee, but now I realize he had no chance against that windmill.

[BDB]

MNG--

He's calling him a RINO because he's about to lose. See, he's not a TRUE conservative.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

"But here's the thing: Fannie and Freddie had nothing to do with the explosion of high-risk lending a few years ago, an explosion that dwarfed the S.& L. fiasco. In fact, Fannie and Freddie, after growing rapidly in the 1990s, largely faded from the scene during the height of the housing bubble.

Partly that's because regulators, responding to accounting scandals at the companies, placed temporary restraints on both Fannie and Freddie that curtailed their lending just as housing prices were really taking off. Also, they didn't do any subprime lending, because they can't: the definition of a subprime loan is precisely a loan that doesn't meet the requirement, imposed by law, that Fannie and Freddie buy only mortgages issued to borrowers who made substantial down payments and carefully documented their income."

[Mr. Nice Guy]

BDB
If that's the definition there's gonna be a lot of RINO's come Nov. 4th....

[BDB]

True that. We'll hear a lot about "TRUE conservatives", and how if the Republican Party had just been way further to the right they would have totally won big!

[SIV]

Wow, you have to be pretty conservative to think of Chamblis as a RINO.

Both of GA's Senators are quite moderate considering how conservative the state is.
Our governor is all for big government and higher taxes, he was a Democrat until it became obvious the state legislature was about to flip Republican.

I'd like to see Saxby lose but he will probably save his RINO ass.(Neal Boortz, the NRA, and RNC are working overtime to drag him over the finish line.)

[J sub D]

Shifting use of bailout money criticized

"Although there will be some consolidation, that's not the driver behind this program," Paulson recently told PBS talk show host Charlie Rose. "The driver is to have our healthy banks be well-capitalized so that they can play the role they need to play for our country right now."

Other planned uses of the bailout money have legislators protesting, although it is only fair to note there is nothing in the law that they just wrote to prevent those uses. [emphasis added]

Companies start competing for bailout money

The bailout is now the hottest lobbying game in town.

Insurers, automakers and American subsidiaries of foreign banks all want the Treasury Department to cut them a piece of the largest government rescue in U.S. history.

Nobody, I mean no-fucking-body, could possibly have forseen these developments.

[Daniel Reeves]

@J sub D:

Maybe you'd like this kind of bailout better. I know I do.

[Mike Laursen]

Yes, the Republicans failed at stopping Democrats from screwing us, but, at least, some of them tried.

We'll have to give the Republicans an A for effort then.

[J sub D]

Maybe you'd like this kind of bailout better. I know I do.

ANY kind of bailout for those who acted foolisly (that is all the players involve) I'm opposed. You made your bed ...

[R C Dean]

You know, at first I believed her story, but when I looked at that B, the kerning just wasn't right.

Still bitter about Dan Rather, joe?