Saturday, October 18, 2008

Palin Snubbed by the Bush Administration

This was just too funny not to post on.

Given the intense negotiations on the Iraqi agreements that are currently underway, Secretary Gates and Secretary Rice thought it appropriate to update the Presidential Candidates John McCain and Barack Obama, they also informed Joe Biden. Noticeably missing was the other VP candidate - Sarah Palin.

At a press conference at the State Department, Sean McCormack was asked by reporters regarding Palin.
Q: You called Senator Biden, you called McCain. Did you also call Governor Palin?

McCORMACK: No. If you hadn’t noticed, she’s a governor. Not a senator or a congressman.

Q: She’s a vice presidential candidate.

McCORMACK: Right.

Q: She also has extensive foreign affairs experience. (LAUGHTER)

McCORMACK: Right. I explained to you the reasoning behind the phone call.

Q: Maybe if this has to do with Russia, you would have called her.



So let's get this straight, they haven't bothered to update the VP Candidate on the Campaign Strategy about pulling out of Michigan, and they don't bother to bring her up to speed on the Iraqi War Negotiations.

A small part of me feels a little bad for Palin, and how her career is most likely ruined, as she has now been characterized as a cartoonish, pathetic politician - worse than Dan Quayle. McCain brought her up to the big leagues way too soon. But then the feeling goes away pretty quick when she opens her mouth.
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Obama Kicking A$$ in St. Louis - Saturday Open Post


Saturday, 2:15 pm

I have to say I am exhausted. I can't wait until the election is OVER and Barack Obama becomes the 44th POTUS. I am swamped at work, and this election news and blogging is not helping me.

Today, Barack Obama is in St. Louis with a crowd of approximately 100,000!!!

Of course McCain's Campaign would just say that this is clear evidence of Obama being in "Anti-American" locations vs "Pro-American" places.

Witness Nancy Pfotenhauer's big mouth (is anyone else creeped out by her constant smiling? I swear she's like one of those Austin Powers "Fembots", all of McCain's female surrogates are like that - they have these creepy smiles) saying how Northern Virginia is not part of "real Virginia".



Right... It's not enough for them to separate America into Red States vs Blue States. No they have to separate even States between Pro-America and Anti-America (or as John McCain's brother puts it Commie Country)

So would this apply to Roanoake and Virginia Beach? Home to major Virginia Military bases that is projected to go for Obama? Are they a bunch of commies too?

Saturday, 3:15 pm

Now I've got to get back to work that I am behind on darn it! I've got to earn my paycheck so I can continue to donate to the DNC.

It is my patriotic mission in life to ensure that these politicians, in particular, never attain office again:
  1. Sarah Palin (AK) - For trying to create an American "Taliban" nation
  2. Saxby Chambliss (GA) - For beating out disabled Vietnam Veteran Max Cleland, a 3 time amputee through vicious smears.
  3. Peter Roskham (IL) - For beating out Iraqi Veteran Tammy Duckworth, who is a decorated Officer who lost her limbs in service through vicious smears.
  4. Michelle Bachmann (MN) - McCarthyistic skirt wearing politician who wants to turn America into another "Taliban". She's also a Bush 43 stalking fan. Witness her intense desire to kiss him at the SOTU. Literally she wouldn't let go, until she got to kiss him. Creepy!
  5. Eric Cantor (VA) - For just being an idiot and who risked America sliding into financial meltdown by whining about Nancy Pelosi being mean.
  6. Roy Blunt (OH) - Racist Idiot who would suppress votes.
  7. George Voinovich (OH) - Racist Idiot who would suppress votes. Maybe they should just move to Zimbawe. They do a lot of that kind of thing there I hear.
  8. Lynn Westmoreland (GA) - Racist Idiot who doesn't know the 10 Commandments

This business with ACORN and the risk to stuffing ballots is PURE BS. Yes there are some minor problems with false voter registration cards being collected, BUT ACORN pulls out those false registration before submitting to the State Elections board. Further more 20 Tony Romos would not be processed because of lack of proper data. Voter caging, voting intimidation, and suppression however is un-democratic, immoral, and illegal. All of these tactics to scare the public about voter fraud is like crying fire in a crowded theater.

The Ohio GOP would have you believe that because some overworked data entry person who accidently mistyped your name as Joe Wurtzelbacher vs Joseph S. Wurtzelbacher, that it should be grounds for removing you as a voter. If you do exact comparison matches Joe vs Joseph is not the same thing.

Every vote should count, regardless of who that vote is for. If John McCain garners the most vote, fair and square, I will accept that. But I would hate to think that the GOP thinks that they can only win by cheating and scaring away voters.

Here's the thing, leaving Iraq doesn't dishonor the men and women who fought to bring democracy to Iraq. Making a mockery of our democratic process dishonors the more than 4,500 troops who have lost their lives.

Rachel Maddow (my favorite lesbian, Rhodes Scholar Political Pundit) quoted:
We need to make sure our democracy stays vibrant, law abiding and respectful. In some respects we are a beacon for the world. As much as the Constitution has done for us, the American democratic example can do for the world.
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Focusing on the Middle Class and yes "Joe the Plumber"

I've posted before on the tax policy comparison of John McCain and Barack Obama, but this chart really does provide a stark contrast between the two candidates. This information comes from the Brookings Institute Tax Policy Center:


During the debate on Wednesday, the Joe the Plumber became an overnight sensation. What's ironic is that in all this hoopla about Joe the Plumber, he would actually benefit MORE from Barack Obama than John McCain. This is what I call "cutting off one's nose to spite the face".

Unfortunately, Joe found out the hard way that 15 minutes of fame can come with it's own problems. Initially everyone was tickled by this Joe the Plumber character, until they found out that a) He was not really a licensed Plumber b) He made only $40,000 a year c) He wasn't truly an undecided voter.

The Daily Show as always has a very satiric view of the Media frenzy and the comedy surrounding Joe the Plumber.

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Comedic Candidates

At the Alfred E. Smith Dinner, a time honored tradition of 63 years, they had a comedy/charity dinner where both John McCain and Barack Obama attended. They both gave hilarious comedic speeches with self-deprecating humor, not only on themselves, but on each other.

It was really nice to see the John McCain of 2000 again. Towards the end of his speech, he gave a very gracious recognition of Senator Obama's historical candidacy, at the same time wrapping up with humor.

Here are just a few excerpts from John McCain's speech:
I don't want it getting out of this room, but my opponent is an impressive fellow in many ways. Political opponents can have a little trouble seeing the best in each other. But I've had a few glimpses of this man at his best and I admire his great skill, energy and determination. It's not for nothing that he's inspired so many folks in his own party and beyond.

Senator Obama talks about making history. And he's made quite a bit of it already. There was a time when the mere invitation of an African-American citizen to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage and an insult in many quarters. Today, it's a world away from the crude and prideful bigotry of that time. And good riddance. I can't wish my opponent luck, but I do wish him well.

Whatever the outcome next month, Senator Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country and I congratulate him.

Now, a copy of the senator's comedy routine was left on the table this evening. And I have to confess, Your Eminence, I looked at it. Now, of course, it would be unfair -- and even a little unkind -- to put my opponent on the spot before he gets up here or to throw him off his game with unreasonably high expectations. But I do need to warn you, ladies and gentlemen, you all are about to witness the funniest performance in history.

In the 63-year history of this event...let's not add to the mounting pressure he must be feeling. Just prepare yourself for nonstop hilarity...the funniest 15 minutes of your life or any other. I think he knows that anything short of that would mar the evening, insult our hosts...and perhaps even cost him several swing states.

Then it was Barack Obama's turn:

I was thrilled to get this invitation and I feel right at home here because it's often been said that I share the politics of Alfred E. Smith and the ears of Alfred E. Neumann.

But I have to say tonight's venue isn't really what I'm used to. I was originally told we'd be able to move this outdoors to Yankee Stadium, and -- can somebody tell me what happened to the Greek Columns that I requested?

Americans have a big choice to make, and if anybody feels like they don't know me by now, let me try to give you some answers. Who is Barack Obama?

Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jorel to save the Planet Earth. Many of you -- many of you know that I got my name, Barack, from my father. What you may not know is Barack is actually Swahili for "That One."

And I got my middle name from somebody who obviously didn't think I'd ever run for president.... But in the spirit of full disclosure, there are a few October surprises you'll be finding out about in the coming weeks. First of all, my middle name is not what you think. It's actually Steve. That's right. Barack Steve Obama.

Then at one of these campaign rallies, someone in the crowd started yelling, No-Bama, announcing to everyone in the room that I shouldn't be the Democratic nominee because there were far more qualified candidates.

I really wish Joe Biden hadn't done that.

But in all seriousness, I'm so glad that I could make it tonight, and I'm honored to be among such wonderful public servants. I want to especially say a word of thanks to Senator McCain. We are in the midst of a tough battle right now, and American politics at the presidential level is always tough. But I've said before, and I think it bears repeating, that there are very few of us who have served this country with the same dedication and honor and distinction as Senator McCain. And I'm glad to be sharing this space with him tonight, as I am during the course of this nomination.
Obama's Speech:



Obama's Closing remarks:


McCain's Speech:



McCain's closing remarks:
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Friday, October 17, 2008

Pandora's Box

So McCain has said that he is proud of his supporters. Really??? Check out these classy supporters at a McCain/Palin Rally from Oct 11, 2008 in Johnstown, PA.



When Karl Rove and George Bush unleashed their strategy of using divide and conquer tactics, they opened Pandora's Box. Now in the 8 years since Bush took office, Karl Rove and his minions have turned the Republican Party into a monster that they can not control. They have used the "us vs them" mentality, and they are unable to rein in the hatred even within their own party.

This thinking of either you are for America or you are against, leaves no room for any differing view points. They have brought religion into politics, resulting in a culture war, with God choosing party politics. Instead of promoting freedom, they are slowly poisoning the American Democratic process, and turning it into a American Version of the Taliban.

Recently, Conservative writers such as Christopher Buckley, whose father founded National Review a Conservative Magazine, Kathleen Parker, and Peggy Noonan, have experienced this disturbing trend, that their party no longer tolerates differences.

The intellectual conservatives have honestly written their view points regarding Sarah Palin and her deficiencies, and their candid views supporting Obama have been inundated with extreme reactions.

Kathleen Parker wrote about her concerns about Sarah Palin's qualification in the Washington Post.

She was then inundated with hate mail, which she wrote about:
Allow me to introduce myself. I am a traitor and an idiot. Also, my mother should have aborted me and left me in a dumpster, but since she didn't, I should "off" myself. Those are just a few nuggets randomly selected from thousands of e-mails written in response to my column suggesting that Sarah Palin is out of her league and should step down. Who says public discourse hasn't deteriorated? The fierce reaction to my column has been both bracing and enlightening. After 20 years of column writing, I'm familiar with angry mail. But the past few days have produced responses of a different order. Not just angry, but vicious and threatening.
Then we saw Christopher Buckley come out with his endorsement of Barack Obama,

His endorsement of Obama apparently angered and offended so many, that the the negative reaction resulted in his resignation.
"Within hours of my endorsement appearing in The Daily Beast it became clear that National Review had a serious problem on its hands,"
Kathleen Parker writes in defense of Buckley:
Christopher Buckley's endorsement of Barack Obama -- followed by his abrupt departure from the back page of the magazine his father founded, National Review -- has caused a ripple of contempt from the conservative right.

What does it mean that the right cannot politely entertain dissenting opinions within its ranks? What, if anything, does it portend that Buckley The Younger has bolted from the right, even resigning (with enthusiastic editorial approval) from the family flagship?

Peggy Noonan writes in her Op-Ed Piece in the WSJ:
But we have seen Mrs. Palin on the national stage for seven weeks now, and there is little sign that she has the tools, the equipment, the knowledge or the philosophical grounding one hopes for, and expects, in a holder of high office. She is a person of great ambition, but the question remains: What is the purpose of the ambition? She wants to rise, but what for? For seven weeks I've listened to her, trying to understand if she is Bushian or Reaganite—a spender, to speak briefly, whose political decisions seem untethered to a political philosophy, and whose foreign policy is shaped by a certain emotionalism, or a conservative whose principles are rooted in philosophy, and whose foreign policy leans more toward what might be called romantic realism, and that is speak truth, know America, be America, move diplomatically, respect public opinion, and move within an awareness and appreciation of reality.

But it's unclear whether she is Bushian or Reaganite. She doesn't think aloud. She just . . . says things.
Here are just a few sample comments that readers have left, which are quite tame compared to what Parker received, but still show how they leave little room for dissension :
----------------------------
Reply 7 - Posted by: kennowen, 10/17/2008 1:24:20 AM
Good LORD, Peg, if you cannot figure out the values and issues that Governor Palin cares about by now, maybe you aren't quite as bright as you claim!
----------------------------
Reply 8 - Posted by: losgatos, 10/17/2008 1:26:16 AM
Peg is just such a snob.
----------------------------
Reply 9 - Posted by: The Phantom, 10/17/2008 1:29:40 AM
No longer read her ramblings, she has gone to the dark side, never to be allowed to return.
----------------------------
Reply 10 - Posted by: DoktorFranken, 10/17/2008 1:29:56 AM
Noonan's Loonyin'
----------------------------
Here is a fact of life that is also a fact of politics: You have to hold open the possibility of magic.

Abracadabra! Poof! You're a toad, Peggy!

Then we have politicians like Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota, who seemingly resurrects the dark and ugly ghost of McCarthy:
"What I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or Anti-America? I think the American people would love to see an expose like that."
Seriously???? Bachmann wants to have a litmus test on Congressional leaders as to how patriotic they are?

Even more alarming, Palin continues to pound out the "You are either for or against America" meme:
Palin also made a point of mentioning that she loved to visit the "pro-America" areas of the country, of which North Carolina is one. No word on which states she views as unpatriotic.
We are fighting two wars, have a financial crisis on our hands, with more and more Americans facing economic challenges, and all the Republican Party can offer is racism, hate, and violence.

Case in point, we have Mike Lunsford of Fairfield, Ohio. Note this moron couldn't even spell "Hussein" right!


There it is, right above the "McCain-Palin" sign: a make-shift ghost, hanging from a noose. A Barack Obama sign attached upside down. Obama's middle name: "Husain" spray painted and misspelled above.

Mike Lunsford hung the ghost in his yard. He spoke to us off-camera, saying his views could hurt his employers business ... but he says make no mistake: He doesn't want an African American running the country.

Lunsford says he believes Barack Obama is not a "full blooded American." And he says the United States is a white, Christian nation - and only with white Christians should be in power.



In a time of crisis, it's so important for all Americans to come together, yet instead of taking positive action, all they want to do is spread fear about "who is Obama": that he's a terrorist, unpatriotic, a "baby killer", un-American, a lover of gays (or other such euphemism), and that he's a communist.

Has it really come to this? Truly, I wonder if Karl Rove and George W. Bush realize in their zeal to win the Presidency, if they understand the destruction and division that they have brought upon the US has been worse than anything Osama Bin Laden could have crafted.
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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Babies for Obama

After last night's debate, it does seem that there is fairly high probability for an Obama landslide. In addition, apparently the Scholastic News for Kids have projected an Obama Win!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27172326/
In a poll of a quarter of a million students who are too young to vote, Democratic nominee Barack Obama sailed to victory with 57 percent of the vote while Republican nominee John McCain received 39 percent... Since 1940, student voters have accurately chosen all but two presidents...Scholastic officials say they’re likely mirroring what they hear their parents talking about at home — to a point, at least
So we know Obama has the Youth vote locked in, but what about babies? Well have a look at this video. Just a warning, this is almost too cute for words, maybe a little too much sugar! Obviously, we have some very smart babies here!



These babies clearly love being around a genuinely warm and caring person.



http://www.slate.com/id/2181495/

Here is Darren Garnick and his daughter, Dahlia. I read his submission to Slate.com back during the Primaries, where he tried to get as many pictures of the Presidential Candidates with his daughter. It was a very funny post!

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Obama Wins Last Presidential Debate

Well the Insta-polls have come in and again it looks like an overwhelming win for Obama!


Things that the viewers who were watching didn't like - McCain's response on Education, Abortion (McCain lost female voters here), and the constant dragging conversation on Ayers.

Obama gave a very eloquent response on the topic of Abortion. I was really irritated by John McCain's patronizing "finger quotes" around the concern of the mother's health as it relates to late term abortions.

It quite frankly angers me that this hypocritical party that shouts for independence, free rights for guns, and reducing government intrusion would dare tell me what to do with my own body, and make decisions on my health. McCain cavalierly dismisses women's preferences and their health by saying to women "You have no choice, you must have this baby even if your life is in danger".




This is a right already guaranteed by the Constitution, this is NOT something that liberal politicians want to implement. It's already existing!

Viewers definitely preferred Obama's responses regarding Health Care. McCain's "deer-in-headlights" was very amusing when Obama shot back that Joe-the-plumber would pay $0 in fine. McCain was clearly caught off guard.





Biggest problem for McCain is that it is now Oct 15th, and there is less than 20 days until the Election. Early voting has already begun, with Obama picking up a majority of the early votes.


McCain has failed to make the case that Obama is a risky candidate, as he lurched from attacks on Ayer and ACORN to the economy.

McCain was definitely coming off as angry and I was really hoping for that "A Few Good Men" moment - you know what I mean "You can't handle the truth!"

He was definitely in danger of losing it. His constant interrupting and smirks were definitely starting to grate on my nerves. And from the looks of things, it was also grating to those necessary Independent Voters, who McCain just lost!
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When did "Arab" become a dirty word?

Recall that recently at a McCain Rally:

Woman at rally: I don't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's an Arab.

Sen. John McCain: No ma'am, no ma'am. He's a decent family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. That's what this campaign is all about. He's not, thank you.


Campbell Brown cuts through the "bull" on CNN, and she rightly asks the question - "So what if Barack Obama were an Arab?"

So what if Obama was Arab or Muslim? So what if John McCain was Arab or Muslim? Would it matter?

When did that become a disqualifier for higher office in our country? When did Arab and Muslim become dirty words? The equivalent of dishonorable or radical?

I feel like I am stating the obvious here, but apparently it needs to be said: There is a difference between radical Muslims who support jihad against America and Muslims who want to practice their religion freely and have normal lives like anyone else. There are more than 1.2 million Arab-Americans and about 7 million Muslim-Americans, former Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, successful business people, normal average Americans from all walks of life.

McCain's response doesn't do enough to correct the impression that Arab or muslims are decent people. Just because are some muslim terrorists, doesn't mean that ALL MUSLIMS are terrorists. That's like saying that because some white people are racists, then ALL white people are racists.

But in case it's still difficult to understand this concept, John Stewart and Aasif Mandvi helps us to see how ridiculous the "fear" and pride in ignorance that some of the right win McCain Supporters espouse over Obama being a "muslim".



Arab Americans have served our country in many areas. Here are just a few examples of Arab Americans who have served in the Military, Politics, and Journalism

You talk about courage … How about America’s and the world’s first jet ace? He was the Korean War hero, U.S. Air Force Col. James Jabara. In World War II, Army officers like Maj. Gen. Fred Safay fought alongside Gen. Patton, and Brig. Gen. Elias Stevens served on Gen. Eisenhower’s staff.

And in 1944, one of our Navy’s ships, the destroyer escort USS Naifeh, was named in honor of an Arab American hero, Navy Lt. Alfred Naifeh of Oklahoma. Retired Brigadier General James J. David served as Company Commander of the famous 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970. More recently, West Point graduate and retired four-star Gen. George Joulwan was the NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, where he commanded both European and U.S. troops. Brig. Gen. William J. Jabour is the Director of the Air Force Program Executive Office for Fighter and Bomber programs in charge of the F-22 System Program Office (SPO). General John Abizaid is head of U.S. Central Command in Iraq.


The first Arab American ever appointed to a Cabinet secretary post was Donna Shalala, the nation’s longest serving Secretary of Health and Human Services, and now president of the University of Miami. Former Governor of New Hampshire John H. Sununu became the White House Chief of Staff under Pres. George Bush, Sr., and later a political commentator on CNN. America’s longest-serving White House Chief of Protocol, serving seven-and-a-half years under President Reagan, was Ambassador Selwa Roosevelt. Thomas Nassif and Edward Gabriel both served as U.S. Ambassador to Morocco. Our Ambassador to Syria was Theodore Kattouf, and Marcelle Wahba was Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. The late ambassador Philip C. Habib served as Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Feisty Helen Thomas, who served for 57 years as a correspondent for United Press International and was dean of the White House press corps, is a Hearst newspaper syndicated columnist.
http://www.aaiusa.org/arab-americans/23/famous-arab-americans
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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Winners & Losers

A lot happened on Monday, October 13th. We have a veritable plethora of Winners and Losers!

Winners

1. Paul Krugman
Congratulations to Mr. Krugman for winning the Nobel Prize! He was awarded this prize based on his work in International trade modeling.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/14/business/economy/14econ.html?scp=4&sq=Krugman&st=cse

2. The American Tax Payer (sort of)
Why? Because instead of the "better than doing nothing" plan of the $700 Billion bailout plan that was originally proposed by Paulson and Bernanke, they finally have seen the light and have proposed a much better plan to inject capital into the banks and allow the Government to gain equity into the banks. To some die-hard Reagan conservatives out there it's almost like Halloween came early - yes we are semi-nationalizing private firms, life as we know it has ended, cats and dogs are marrying, etc.

However, this is along the same lines as what the Swedish Government did when they faced a similar situation. Both Brad Delong and Paul Krugman give their approval!

Krugman:

The United States should have been in a much stronger position. And when Mr. Paulson announced his plan for a huge bailout, there was a temporary surge of optimism. But it soon became clear that the plan suffered from a fatal lack of intellectual clarity. Mr. Paulson proposed buying $700 billion worth of “troubled assets” — toxic mortgage-related securities — from banks, but he was never able to explain why this would resolve the crisis.

What he should have proposed instead, many economists agree, was direct injection of capital into financial firms: The U.S. government would provide financial institutions with the capital they need to do business, thereby halting the downward spiral, in return for partial ownership. When Congress modified the Paulson plan, it introduced provisions that made such a capital injection possible, but not mandatory. And until two days ago, Mr. Paulson remained resolutely opposed to doing the right thing.


Brad Delong was an ardent proponent of this solution since the Lehman Crisis first started this Financial Meltdown.

Now it's time to go back to three principles. There are three options:

  • Do nothing.
  • Bailout (a la Paulson)
  • Nationalization (a la Sweden 1992)

Do nothing was last tried in 1929-1932. The result was called the Great Depression. Let's not do that again. Let's decide between bailout and nationalization.

Nationalization has the best chance of avoiding large losses and possibly even making money for the taxpayer. And it is the best way to deal with the moral hazard problem.

http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2008/09/time-not-for-a.html

However, I was in doubts whether politically this would happen, as I would have thought Republicans would have gone bonkers over this proposal. We saw already what happened when the first vote came up with regards to the bailout. I guess Paulson realized that in a serious situation, ideology needs to go out the window in favor of pragmatism?

Losers

1. William Kristol
This man is the epitome of a bloviator. There are some intellectual conservative columnists that I can respect - like David Brooks. But if there was a Nobel Prize for writing journalistic nonsense, it would be William Kristol.

Regard his latest example, in yesterday's Op-Ed Column, he had this to say:

It’s time for John McCain to fire his campaign. He has nothing to lose. His campaign is totally overmatched by Obama’s. The Obama team is well organized, flush with resources, and the candidate and the campaign are in sync. The McCain campaign, once merely problematic, is now close to being out-and-out dysfunctional. Its combination of strategic incoherence and operational incompetence has become toxic. If the race continues over the next three weeks to be a conventional one, McCain is doomed.

What McCain needs to do is junk the whole thing and start over. Shut down the rapid responses, end the frantic e-mails, bench the spinning surrogates, stop putting up new TV and Internet ads every minute. In fact, pull all the ads — they’re doing no good anyway. Use that money for televised town halls and half-hour addresses in prime time.
With friends like this, McCain & Palin do not need any enemies. I sometimes wonder in just what reality does Kristol live in? Does he not get that if McCain were to fire his campaign staff less than 20 days before an Election, that he would look even MORE erratic? Moreover, he advises them to stop advterising, when he was the one advising them last week to go full on negative with the whole Ayers and Reverand Wright bit.

I will give Kristol his due, McCain's Campaign Managers, who might be successful lobbyists, are certainly terrible as campaign managers. They should be fired, but let's face it, it starts with leadership at the top.

In his first paragraph, Kristol points out exactly why Obama will win this year's election. It is due to the fact that Obama has been able to successfully lead his campaign and provide a clear message with his team, that he was able to win against Hillary Clinton. McCain is in just as much trouble, his campaign has been poorly managed, with no clear cut strategy, and does not have a winning message that has been able to successfully connect with the American Voters.

Hillary couldn't lead her own campaign team, how could we have expected her to lead a country? The same goes for John McCain. He can't even manage his VP Candidate to help as opposed to hurt his ticket.

Normally I don't like to call people names, because it's just not nice. But with Kristol, there is just no other word to describe him, other than "douchebag". I think we can safely say that no one will be hiring Mr. Kristol as a campaign manager any time soon.


2. Sarah Palin

The sheer boldness of Sarah Palin never ceases to amaze me. The report on "Troopergate" came out on Friday, and the Independent Investigator reports:

For the reasons explained in section IV of this report, I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 2952.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Alaska Statute 2952.110(a) provides

“The legislature reaffirms that each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust.”

She then has the "chutzpah" to say she has been cleared of any wrong doing!

While Sarah Palin was boarding her campaign bus this morning, a reporter seeking comment on the new Troopergate report shouted out to her, “Governor, did you abuse your power?” She responded:

If you read the report, you’ll see that there’s nothing unlawful or unethical about replacing a cabinet member. You’ve got to read the report, sir.

In what reality is she living in?

3. John McCain

I am starting to feel bad for him. He has incompetent campaign managers, a VP from hell, and a republican base that he actually doesn't like. It's been no secret that he has always been at odds against the Religious Fundamental base such as Dobbs and the American Family Foundation. But because of Palin, that's pretty much all he has been able to excite. His negative attack ads and his selection of Palin, as a completely unqualified VP, has totally turned off Intellectual Republicans and Independents. When you've lost Peggy Noonan, it's not a good sign, if you are a Republican:
"Obama seems older in a way," said the former Ronald Reagan speechwriter. "McCain has seemed herky-jerky. Obama has seemed like the older, steadier fellow since the economic crisis began."

"Her performance from day one mattered. What the American people saw over the period of five or six weeks, it has been very up and down. From an unveiling that gave rise to questions to a very strong convention speech, to interviews that were disastrous, to a debate in which she came back very strong, to now, ten days on the campaign trail, where I think it is fair to say: that didn't work."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/13/noonan-york-toobin-and-ot_n_134263.html


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Sunday, October 12, 2008

Scientists for Obama

I don't know why, but for some reason McCain and Palin are against science. They seem to delight in not knowing anything or mocking knowledge.

Case in point, in the first Presidential Debate
McCain: Well, the first thing we have to do is get spending under control in Washington. It's completely out of control. It's gone -- we have now presided over the largest increase in the size of government since the Great Society.

You know, we spent $3 million to study the DNA of bears in Montana. I don't know if that was a criminal issue or a paternal issue, but the fact is that it was $3 million of our taxpayers' money. And it has got to be brought under control.

As president of the United States, I want to assure you, I've got a pen. This one's kind of old. I've got a pen, and I'm going to veto every single spending bill that comes across my desk. I will make them famous. You will know their names.

What I find amusing is that, even though he rails against this bill, he ended up voting for it!

Secondly, he is making fun of a funding for a scientific study, that was looking at the potential for grizzly bears to be extinct. I would say that's pretty important study, and not a frivolous expenditure as McCain would like to paint it.

In the second presidential debate, McCain went at it again:

McCain: Do you know that Sen. Obama has voted for -- is proposing $860 billion of new spending now? New spending. Do you know that he voted for every increase in spending that I saw come across the floor of the United States Senate while we were working to eliminate these pork barrel earmarks?

He voted for nearly a billion dollars in pork barrel earmark projects, including, by the way, $3 million for an overhead projector at a planetarium in Chicago, Illinois. My friends, do we need to spend that kind of money?


Again, McCain falsely conveys the idea that Obama voted for an expensive Infocus (TM) Machine or some kind of AV equipment.

McCain's idiotic attack and ignorance was highlighted by Andrey Kravtsov, a professor of Astronomy at the University of Chicago.
The way Sen. McCain has phrased it suggests that Sen. Obama approved spending $3 million on an old-fashioned piece of office equipment (overhead projector).
The 3 million is actually for an upgrade of the SkyTheater - a full dome projection system, which is probably the main attraction of the Adler Planetarium and is quite sophisticated and impressive piece of equipment.

I find it appalling that Sen. McCain would call a science education tool for public (largely children) for a historic planetarium with millions of visitors a year a wasteful earmark. The planetarium's focus, as stated on their website (http://adlerplanetarium.org) is "on inspiring young people, particularly women and minorities, to pursue careers in science." Is an investment in such public facility at the time when US competitiveness in math and sciences is a constant source of alarm a waste?
Is it no wonder that Obama received an endorsement from 61 Nobel Laureates Scientists.

An Open Letter to the American People

This year’s presidential election is among the most significant in our nation’s history. The country urgently needs a visionary leader who can ensure the future of our traditional strengths in science and technology and who can harness those strengths to address many of our greatest problems: energy, disease, climate change, security, and economic competitiveness.

We are convinced that Senator Barack Obama is such a leader, and we urge you to join us in supporting him.

During the administration of George W. Bush, vital parts of our country’s scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support. The government’s scientific advisory process has been distorted by political considerations. As a result, our once dominant position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk. We have lost time critical for the development of new ways to provide energy, treat disease, reverse climate change, strengthen our security, and improve our economy.

We have watched Senator Obama’s approach to these issues with admiration. We especially applaud his emphasis during the campaign on the power of science and technology to enhance our nation’s competitiveness. In particular, we support the measures he plans to take – through new initiatives in education and training, expanded research funding, an unbiased process for obtaining scientific advice, and an appropriate balance of basic and applied research – to meet the nation’s and the world’s most urgent needs.

Senator Obama understands that Presidential leadership and federal investments in science and technology are crucial elements in successful governance of the world’s leading country. We hope you will join us as we work together to ensure his election in November.


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