Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service for Death Threats on Obama

Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama
By Tim Shipman in Washington
08 Nov 2008 - Telegraph

Sarah Palin's attacks on Barack Obama's patriotism provoked a spike in death threats against the future president, Secret Service agents revealed during the final weeks of the campaign.


Sarah Palin's attacks on Barack Obama's patriotism provoked a spike in death threats against the future president, Secret Service agents revealed during the final weeks of the campaign.
Palin's tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists Photo: Reuters

The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.

The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.

But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.

The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks...

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Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Sarah Palin Shopping Spree Even Larger Than We Thought

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
Sarah Palin Shopping Spree Even Larger Than We Thought

The election might be over, but the bills still have to be paid. Remember that $150,000 shopping spree for Sarah Palin that was being pinned on overzealous aides? According to Newsweek, the Palin clan may have spent more—and held more responsibility—than was originally let on. Here are some of their juicier accusations.



“Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family—clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.”

“Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards.”

“One aide estimated that she spent ‘tens of thousands’ more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost.”

They also suggest that John McCain was kept from the truth, out of fears that it might enrage him. According to a Palin spokesperson, “nasty and false accusations following a defeat say more about the person who made them than they do about Governor Palin.” If they’re true, though—it would go a long way to explaining why the campaign wouldn’t let her speak last night. “Get thee to an igloo!”

Read the whole story:
Sarah Palin Shopping Spree Even Larger Than We Thought

McCain votes....blue?


Monday, November 3, 2008

Rest In Peace Toots


Sarah Palin in Coal Country

Sarah Palin in Coal Country
Newsweek - By Suzanne Smalley (David Kohl / AP)

To hear Sarah Palin tell it, this race is far from over.

There's the theme song to the classic underdog film "Rudy" -about a pint-sized factory worker turned football player at Notre Dame whose faith leads him to save the team against all odds-that accompanies her onto the stage at most rallies. There's the joke in her stump speech that Tina Fey better hold onto "that Sarah outfit 'cause she's gonna need it." And at a rally last night in Batavia, Ohio, a working class town about 40 minutes east of downtown Cincinnati, there was the way Palin launched her speech, with congratulations for the Cincinnati Bengals for winning their first game of the season, before she promised, "There's gonna be another underdog win here Tuesday night!"

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Sarah Palin in Coal Country

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Palin suggests Chronicle withheld Obama remarks

Palin suggests Chronicle withheld Obama remarks
Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer

(11-02) 20:33 PST -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, in a campaign appearance Sunday, criticized comments about coal technology that Sen. Barack Obama made to The Chronicle editorial board in January, and suggested that the newspaper withheld the information from the public - even though the interview has been posted on the newspaper's Web site since it was given.

At a rally in Ohio, Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, used the taped remarks to attack Obama's energy policy.

"Barack Obama explained his plan to The San Francisco Chronicle this year," she said. "And he said that, sure, if the industry wants to build coal-fired power plants, then they can go ahead and try, he says. But they can do it only in a way that will bankrupt the coal industry.

"You gotta listen to the tape," she continued. "Why is this audio tape just now surfacing?"

Voices in the crowd could be heard shouting, "Liberal media!"

Read the rest of the story:
Palin suggests Chronicle withheld Obama remarks

Saturday, November 1, 2008

What if the presidential candidates exchanged places?

What if the presidential candidates exchanged places?

Think about it. Would the country's collective point of view be different?

Ponder the following:

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, including a three month old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if Barack Obama had finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was divorced?

What if Obama was the candidate who left his first wife after she was severely disfigured in a car accident?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five? (The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.)

What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to display publicly, on many occasions, a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

What if the Obamas had adopted a white child?

Educational Backgrounds:

Barack Obama:

Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.

Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:

University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.

Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

John McCain:

United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:

Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester

North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study

University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism

Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester

University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in JournalismThis is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizespositive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

If the tables were turned, do you think this election would be as close as it is now?

No Candy for Kids of Obama Supporters

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Obama: McCain just making 'stuff' up

Obama: McCain just making 'stuff' up
Agence France-Presse newsinfo.com
10/22/2008

MIAMI – White House frontrunner Barack Obama lashed his Republican rival John McCain on Tuesday, accusing him of just making "stuff" up as time runs out before election day in two weeks.

Obama unveiled a fierce counter-attack after McCain's camp accused him of embracing socialist tax policies and mocked Republican running mate Sarah Palin's implicit comment that liberals did not live in "real America."

The Democrat, riding high in national polls and battleground states, hammered McCain over the Republican's claims that he attacked "Joe the plumber," an Ohio voter who has become an emblem of the middle class tax debate.

"It was really amazing, he’s decided to fabricate this notion that I’ve been attacking Joe the plumber," Obama said, after noting he had watched a speech by McCain earlier in the day on television.

"I have got nothing but love for Joe the plumber" that's why I want to give him a tax cut, Obama said.

"John McCain is still out there, just saying this stuff, just making it up."

Pushing back at the "socialist" charge, Obama said it was tough to believe that his high power supporters like billionaire financier Warren Buffett and former Republican secretary of state Colin Powell would embrace such a person.

"Apparently Senator McCain’s decided that if he can’t beat our ideas, he’s just gonna make up some ideas and run against those," Obama said.

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Obama: McCain just making 'stuff' up

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

New York Post Retraction Michelle Obama

New York Post Retraction
October 21, 2008

"THE source who told us last week about Michelle Obama getting lobster and caviar delivered to her room at the Waldorf-Astoria must have been under the influence of a mind-altering drug. She was not even staying at the Waldorf. We regret the mistake, and our former source is going to regret it, too. Bread and water would be too good for such disinformation."

Read the retraction here:
New York Post


Palin says Obama's policies could lead to crises

Palin says Obama's policies could lead to crises
Associate Press
By SANDRA CHEREB – October 21, 2008

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Tuesday that Democrat Barack Obama's own foreign policy proposals could create crises that would test him as president.

The Alaska governor raised the idea of a "looming crisis" in response to Democratic rival Joe Biden's remark at weekend fundraisers that Obama would face a "generated crisis" within six months of becoming president because he would be tested by adversaries of the United States. On the campaign trail, Republican presidential candidate John McCain also was using Biden's remarks to question Obama's readiness.

"I guess we gotta say, 'Well, thanks for the warning, Joe,'" Palin said to cheers from about 2,500 supporters at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. "But I guess the looming crisis ... is Joe Biden's next speaking engagement."

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Palin says Obama's policies could lead to crises

Sarah Mania! Sarah Palin's Greatest Hits

Palin to Give Deposition Friday

Palin to Give Deposition Friday
WSJ Blog - Susan Davis
October 21, 2008, 6:23 pm

Republican vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin will take a three-hour break from the campaign trail Friday to give a deposition on her role in the firing of an Alaska public safety official, the Associated Press reported today.

The Alaska Personnel Board is conducting the investigation, led by an independent counsel.

It will be the first deposition of the Alaska governor, but the second inquiry into the matter. The first investigation by the Alaska state legislature found that Palin abused her power in her efforts to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired.

Palin was not subpoenaed in the first probe, although her husband, Todd, gave an affidavit. Todd Palin is also expected to give a deposition Friday.

The Palins’ attorney told the AP that the couple will offer depositions Friday afternoon, outside of Alaska, but at an undisclosed site. Palin’s Friday schedule has not been released by the campaign.

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Palin to Give Deposition Friday

Palin Hits Obama For Stance On Pakistan She Recently Seemed To Support

Palin Hits Obama For Stance On Pakistan She Recently Seemed To Support
From CBS News' Scott Conroy
October 21st, 2008

(RENO, NEV.) - Shifting gears from the economy to foreign policy, Sarah Palin began her rally here with a series of scathing attacks, centered around Joe Biden’s recent comment at a fundraiser that a President Obama would face an international crisis within his first six months in office.

"Our opponent wants to sit down with the world’s worst dictators,” Palin said. “With no preconditions, he proposes to meet with a regime in Tehran that vows to 'wipe Israel off the map.'”

The Alaska governor criticized Obama for advocating cross-border attacks into Pakistan without that nation’s approval, disparaging him for suggesting that the U.S. should engage in “invading the sovereign territory of a troubled partner in the war against terrorism.”

But it was less than a month ago that Palin herself advocated invading the sovereignty of Pakistan, though she did not specify that the attacks would be without Pakistan’s approval.

“So we do cross-border, like from Afghanistan to Pakistan, you think?” Temple University graduate student Michael Rovito asked Palin at a Philadelphia restaurant on Aug. 27.

“If that’s what we have to do stop the terrorists from coming any further in, absolutely, we should,” Palin said.

When it was noted that Palin’s comments to Rovito seemed to echo Obama’s position on Pakistan while contradicting McCain’s, Palin accused the media of engaging in “gotcha journalism.”

But Palin has a different standard of what constitutes “gotcha journalism” when it comes to her opponents’ interactions with voters...

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Palin Hits Obama For Stance On Pakistan She Recently Seemed To Support

Friday, October 17, 2008

Loathing Sarah Palin

Loathing Sarah Palin
The Two Months Hate of feminists.
Joseph Epstein - Weekly Standard
10/27/2008, Volume 014, Issue 07

The liberal women I know--and most of the women I seem to know are liberal--loathe Sarah Palin. They don't merely dislike her, the way one tends to dislike politicians whose views are not one's own, they actively detest her. When her name comes up--and it is they who tend to bring it up--their complexions take on a slightly purplish tinge, their eyes cross in rage. "Moron" is their most frequently used noun, though "idiot" comes up a fair number of times; "that woman" is yet another choice. A wide variety of adjectives, differing only slightly in their violence, usually precede these epithets.

Liberal men don't show the same fervent distaste for Governor Palin. They are more likely to say she doesn't come close to being qualified for the job of vice president and is frightening to contemplate as president. They might add that his choice of Sarah Palin is a serious sign of John McCain's flawed judgment, or of his political opportunism. The standard phrase "a heartbeat away" may come up. But then they let it go. They don't take Sarah Palin so personally, so passionately, as their liberal female counterparts do; the element of anger isn't there.

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Loathing Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin: Fiscal Conservative?

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Chicago Tribune Editorial: Empathy for the Palin's

Empathy for the Palin's
ChicagoTribune.com
October 16, 2008

My 21-year-old son has Asperger's disorder (diagnosed, finally, in his senior year in high school) and has had serious behavioral and psychological issues as well. He endured merciless bullying from middle school forward. He is in his third year of pursuing an Associates degree and has struggled bravely and doggedly to master skills for his education and impending independence. I am enormously proud of him. Since he entered kindergarten, I have attended more school staffings, therapy sessions and psychological evaluations than I can count, and I have done so gladly, but it has been exhausting and at times heartbreaking.

For John McCain to claim that Sarah Palin knows better than anyone the challenges of special needs families is condescending, offensive and frightening. I have enormous empathy for the road ahead for Trig and his parents - both the challenges and rewards are real - but Trig is an infant and Sarah and Todd cannot have fully engaged with the school or health systems yet regarding his needs. Palin does not, cannot, understand the road that lies ahead for her personally, and she sets out on that road with a head start of privilege that most "special needs families" do not enjoy. If she really believes she has some "special" knowledge of the needs of families like mine, she is frighteningly naive. And McCain is shamelessly exploiting Trig to paint Palin as a patron saint of families of special needs kids.

For the first time, after tonight's debate, I truly believe that being a woman was not the only qualification the GOP considered in nominating Palin - the Rovian analysis of niche appeal revealed "special needs families" as a potential untapped microcosm ripe for the picking. How incredibly insulting and venal!

-Janet Takehara

Read the whole story here:
Empathy for the Palin's

Sarah Palin - Choice?

McCain Rates His Debate Performance


Saturday, October 11, 2008

Colorado Goes White For Obama


McCain calls comments by Georgia Democrat 'shocking'

McCain calls comments by Georgia Democrat 'shocking'
From Rebecca Sinderbrand - CNN Associate Political Editor
October 11, 2008

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain called a statement by a Georgia congressman Saturday, which compared the feeling at recent Republican rallies to those of segregationist George Wallace, "a brazen and baseless attack."
Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, and Sen. John McCain traded tough statements Saturday.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, and Sen. John McCain traded tough statements Saturday.

Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, who has been praised by McCain in the past, issued his statement after several days of headline-grabbing anger aimed at Democratic nominee Barack Obama from some attendees at campaign rallies of McCain and running mate Gov. Sarah Palin.

"What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse," Lewis said in a statement.

"George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed on Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama," wrote the Democrat. Video Watch more on the rising rage at McCain-Palin rallies »

McCain has written about Lewis, praising his actions in Selma, Alabama, during the civil rights movement. The Republican nominee even said during a summer faith forum that Lewis was one of three men he would turn to for counsel as president.

But the Arizona senator blasted Lewis' remarks, and called on Obama to repudiate them.

"Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Gov. Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale," he said in a Saturday afternoon statement released by his campaign.

Read the rest of the story:
McCain calls comments by Georgia Democrat 'shocking'

Sarah Palin: Maverick to Nowhere

Sarah Palin Interview

Obama Sign CCTV Ustream on CNN News To Me

Friday, October 10, 2008

Legislative panel: Palin abused authority

Legislative panel: Palin abused authority
AP - October 11, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A legislative committee investigating Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has found she unlawfully abused her authority in firing the state's public safety commissioner.

The investigative report concludes that a family grudge wasn't the sole reason for firing Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan but says it likely was a contributing factor.

The Republican vice presidential nominee has been accused of firing a commissioner to settle a family dispute. Palin supporters have called the investigation politically motivated.

Monegan says he was dismissed as retribution for resisting pressure to fire a state trooper involved in a bitter divorce with the governor's sister. Palin says Monegan was fired as part of a legitimate budget dispute.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers have emerged from a private session in Anchorage where they spent more than six hours discussing a politically charged ethics report into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her state public safety commissioner.

The legislative panel began its public session by discussing whether to release the report's findings. The investigation was examining whether Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, fired a state commissioner to settle a family dispute. The report was also expected to touch on whether Palin's husband meddled in state affairs and whether her administration inappropriately accessed employee medical records.

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Legislative panel: Palin abused authority

Palin Violated Ethics Laws in Trooper Case, Report Concludes

Palin Violated Ethics Laws in Trooper Case, Report Concludes
By JIM CARLTON

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin violated ethics rules by trying to remove her former brother in law from his job as a state trooper, a highly-anticipated legislative report into the matter has concluded. But she didn't break any laws in firing her public safety commissioner, who said he had been pressured to fire the trooper, the report found.
[Photo] Associated Press

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, signed autographs after a rally in Allentown, Pa., Wednesday.

The inquiry, approved by a legislative committee's bipartisan vote, began The report by investigator Stephen Branchflower was released late today in Anchorage by the state legislative panel that commissioned it. The bi-partisan panel voted 12-0 to release the findings to the public. Legislators said they would have to consider later what, if anything, to do now.

The so-called "Troopergate" inquiry was launched in July after Gov. Palin -- now on the Republican presidential ticket -- removed her public safety commissioner, and he later said he had been pressured by the governor, her husband and her staff to fire the trooper, Mike Wooten.

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Palin Violated Ethics Laws in Trooper Case, Report Concludes

McCain Campaign Now Attacks Michelle Obama Over Ayers

McCain Campaign Now Attacks Michelle Obama Over Ayers
By Greg Sargent and Eric Kleefeld - October 10, 2008

The McCain campaign is now broadening their attack on Obama's past association with William Ayers to include Michelle Obama -- even though McCain has repeatedly said spouses should be off limits during the campaign.

The attack? Bernardine Dohrn, Ayers' wife and fellow former Weatherman, went to work in 1984 for the major Chicago-based national law firm of Sidley & Austin, and three years later, Michelle joined the mega-firm as well.

That's the entire attack. We wish we were joking. But we aren't.

In launching this latest, McCain is ditching yet another formerly-claimed principle as he faces the growing likelihood of defeat. In a statement back in June, the McCain campaign said: "Senator McCain agrees with Senator Obama that spouses should not be an issue in this campaign, and he has stated that position frequently."

The attack on Michelle came on a McCain conference call with reporters this afternoon featuring John Murtagh, who has been hitting Obama over the Weather Underground's attack on his family's home back in 1970. Murtagh noted that Dohrn and Michelle Obama had both worked at the firm starting in the late 1980s.

Read the rest of the story
McCain Campaign Now Attacks Michelle Obama Over Ayers

Kerry Condemns "Hate-Filled" Language At McCain-Palin Rallies

Kerry Condemns "Hate-Filled" Language At McCain-Palin Rallies
Posted by Brian Montopoli| October 10, 2008

The Obama campaign has thus far largely stayed away from reports about the increasingly angry rhetoric coming from some attendees of McCain-Palin rallies. (The candidate did make an indirect reference to the rallies this morning, saying, "it's not hard to rile up a crowd by stoking anger and division.") 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry, however, directly addresses the issue in a fundraising appeal today.

"The reports are piling up of ugliness at the campaign rallies of John McCain and Sarah Palin," Kerry writes. "Audience members hurl insults and racial epithets, call out 'Kill Him!' and 'Off With His Head,' and yell 'treason' when Senator Obama's name is mentioned. I strongly condemn language like this which can only be described as hate-filled."

Kerry also put the comments on his "anti-"smear" site. And he added in the fundraising appeal: "According to reports, every ad paid for by the John McCain campaign is now a negative ad - every single one! McCain allows his running mate to make outrageous charges that only a few years ago would have disqualified someone from serious consideration for national office."

The Obama campaign is in a somewhat difficult position when it comes to handling reports of offensive behavior at McCain-Palin events. On the one hand, it's in Obama's best interest to spotlight extreme rhetoric that surfaces at GOP rallies. On the other, the Obama campaign has accused the McCain camp of trying to distract the American people instead of addressing real issues. And that's a tough case to make if they start talking about these sorts of ugly sideshows.

Read the rest of the story:
Kerry Condemns "Hate-Filled" Language At McCain-Palin Rallies

Four Days in Denver: Behind the Scenes at the 2008 DNC

Sarah Palin: Her Stupidity Flows

Betty White calls Sarah Palin a "Crazy Bitch" on Craig Ferguson

Woman Calls Obama A Traitor At McCain rally

McCain and Palin's lynch-mob tactics

McCain and Palin's lynch-mob tactics
Oct 10, 2008 - Tod Robberson
Dallas Morning View

It's increasingly worrying that John McCain and Sarah Palin are embracing the acceptability of campaign tactics that play to the most racist and intolerant tendencies among their supporters. John McCain knows that Barack Obama has no links whatsoever to terrorism, and yet he's doing everything he can to create that linkage. And he's unleashing Sarah Palin to do his dirty work while McCain claims to be above this condemnable form of negative campaigning.



This is unconscionable, and it shows how desperate John McCain has become. He promised repeatedly that he wouldn't campaign this way. And he said that when politicians campaign that way, it shows how little vision they have of the future. But most dangerous in this form of campaigning is that he and Sarah Palin are standing by, with smiles on their faces, while their supporters yell things like, "Kill him!" in reference to Obama. They have done nothing to calm down this lynch-mob mentality. Instead, they are doing everything they can to promote it. John McCain must make a full-court, public push to stop this "kill him" mentality now.

I'm not the only one who's worried. David Gergen told CNN's Anderson Cooper earlier this week: "The issue has been what's been going on at Sarah Palin's rallies. That's where the real trouble is because it's...it's the combination of her rhetoric -- which is whipping up these crowds -- and these ugly scenes that have occurred at these rallies. When Obama's name came up, has been used it not only brought these boos but, you know we have reports now of somebody yelling out "terrorist!" about Obama. At another rally, someone yelling out "kill him, kill him". And at another rally the...you have people shouting racial epithets.

Read the rest of the story:
McCain and Palin's lynch-mob tactics

Sarah Palin's Alaskan Wasteland

Sarah Palin's Alaskan Wasteland
The New Republic: A Look At Governor Palin's Environmental Record
Oct. 10, 2008 - Sheila Kaplan and Marilyn Berlin Snell.

There's no reason to doubt Sarah Palin's sincerity when she talks about her commitment to family and--more specifically--special-needs kids. When she introduced her son, who has Down syndrome, to the audience at the Republican convention, the family tableau drew cheers. And she issued a promise. "To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message for you," she told the crowd. "For years, you've sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters, and I pledge to you that, if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House."

Unfortunately, as governor of a state with a birth-defect rate that's twice the national average, and which has the gloomy status as repository of toxic chemicals from around the world, Palin has pursued environmental policies that seem perfectly crafted to swell the ranks of special-needs kids. It's true that Alaska's top leaders have placed industry wishes over environmental protection for years. But, instead of correcting this problem, she's compounded it. Peer into her environmental record, and Palin ends up looking a lot like George W. Bush.

Read the rest of the story:
Sarah Palin's Alaskan Wasteland

Hope or Hate...You Decide

12 New Stomach-Turning Revelations About Sarah Palin

12 New Stomach-Turning Revelations About Sarah Palin
By AlterNet Staff, AlterNet. Posted October 10, 2008.

Palin has taken to smearing Obama. But it's her own record that continues to yield alarming information, undermining her skills and credibility.

Sarah Palin has had a lot of ups and downs in her time in the national spotlight. When she was first nominated, the Alaska governor exceeded expectations by successfully reading from a teleprompter at the Republican National Convention. Then, she sat down with CBS's Katie Couric to disastrous results -- disastrous, hilarious or downright frightening, given your point of view. Any way you look at it, Palin's awful interview with Couric set the bar so low that her embarrassing performance at the vice presidential debate, where she refused to answer the questions and flirtatiously winked at the camera, was deemed a success by many commentators in the corporate media. At least she didn't vomit on stage, seemed to be the general consensus.

Since the debate, though, Sarah Palin has dropped to new lows. She has maliciously gone after Barack Obama, using hate speech, dog whistles and every inexcusable attack in the book.

But no matter how ridiculous or sensational Palin's attacks on Obama are, her venomous words cannot hide all the skeletons that keep pouring out of her unvetted closet. And these are the things that should give the American public cause for concern.

Read the rest of the story:
12 New Stomach-Turning Revelations About Sarah Palin

ACORN Rallies Its Troops

ACORN Rallies Its Troops
The Atlantic - 09 Oct 2008
Marc Ambinder

Republicans v ACORN has become a perennial early October antagonism, and tensions this year are particularly acute, with Republicans from the McCain campaign all the way down to House Republicans accusing the left-leaning community organizing group of a national conspiracy to flood secretaries of state with fraudulent voter registrations.

It's true, as Ben Smith notes, that Bugs Bunny and other imaginary voters can't imaginably show up at polling precincts and vote, but Republican complaints, to the extent that they are legitimate, are different. It's the rush of voter registrations at the end of the cycle, a rush which leaves election supervisors in the untenable position of having to very quickly decide whether applications are valid or not. Often, bad applications get through. Critics of ACORN wonder: why are fraudulent applications submitted in the first place? It's the system; you pay people to turn in as many voter registration cards as possible, you invite people who want more money to submit false forms. Critics also wonder: why aren't more people -- read the media -- covering this? After all, incidences of fraud are rampant, with official investigations launched in 12 states. Now -- "rampant" might not be the best adjective. Voter registration cards aren't the property of ACORN or any other group, and ACORN is required by law to turn in every completed form -- even if they're obviously fraudulent. ACORN insists it has procedures in place to flag these forms, but you can't blame supervisors of elections from throwing up their hands when they come in.

Read the rest of the story:
ACORN Rallies Its Troops

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Chop Wood, Carry Water


States' purges of voter rolls appear illegal

States' purges of voter rolls appear illegal
Actions apparently the result of mistakes in complying with 2002 law
By Ian Urbina - Wed., Oct. 8, 2008

Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law, according to a review of state records and Social Security data by The New York Times.

The actions do not seem to be coordinated by one party or the other, nor do they appear to be the result of election officials intentionally breaking rules, but are apparently the result of mistakes in the handling of the registrations and voter files as the states tried to comply with a 2002 federal law, intended to overhaul the way elections are run.

Read the rest of the story:
States' purges of voter rolls appear illegal

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Palin’s ascension shows GOP’s lack of interest in governing

Palin’s ascension shows GOP’s lack of interest in governing
Jay Bookman - Thursday, October 09, 2008

The Republican Party has held the White House for the last eight years and has controlled both chambers of Congress for 12 of the last 14 years. But if trends continue as they have, that run is about to come to an end.

With less than four weeks to Election Day, polls today suggest that Democrat Barack Obama will sit in the White House come January, enjoying enhanced majorities in both the House and Senate. And if that’s how things play out, John McCain is doomed to be cast as the scapegoat by his fellow Republicans, in part because they never really liked him much in the first place.

Sarah Palin, by contrast, will reign as the party’s crown princess.

You can already see the mythology beginning to take shape. Palin is being positioned by conservative media outlets as the stalwart defender of the faith, the true believer who is fighting the infidel with all her power but lacks a committed partner in McCain.

Palin’s the one making the arguments that conservatives most want to hear, such as accusing Obama of “palling around with terrorists.” When the McCain campaign decided to pull out of Michigan, it was Palin who repeatedly and publicly disagreed, insisting that the cause was not yet lost and that she could turn things around.

Palin’s star will shine even brighter in defeat than in victory, and that would not bode well for her party.

The GOP’s political problems have many causes, but distilled to its essence, it can be stated in one sentence: The Republican Party hasn’t taken seriously the responsibilities of governing.

In fact, if the Republicans could govern as expertly and as diligently as they campaign — if they simply cared as much about governing as campaigning — the country might today be reaping the benefits of great prosperity and global respect, and the Democrats would have gone the way of the Whigs.

But look around: That’s not exactly how things are.

The foundations of Republican success on the campaign trail have been appeals to tribal politics — “they” aren’t like “us” — and the easy answers of ideology. But once in power, tribal politics, fixed ideology and a disdain for the hard work of governance have proved disastrous.

Unfortunately, Palin epitomizes that mindset. Tribal politics, easy ideology and disdain for governance define her as a candidate...

Read the rest of the story:
Palin’s ascension shows GOP’s lack of interest in governing

Cindy McCain Warms Up the Crowd at McCain-Palin Anti-Obama Rally

Cindy McCain Warms Up the Crowd at McCain-Palin Anti-Obama Rally
By Perry Bacon Jr. - Washington Post

BETHLEHEM, Penn. -- The gloves were off, and that was well before Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin even walked on stage.

"The day that Senator Obama decided to cast a vote to not fund my son when he was serving sent a cold chill through my body," Cindy McCain told a crowd of several thousand here, speaking in advance of Palin and her husband."I would suggest Senator Obama change shoes with me for just one day and see what it means to have a loved one serving in the armed services."

At the first joint rally held by Palin and Sen. John McCain in several days, it was Cindy McCain and others who introduced them who delivered the sharpest attacks. The remarks of the Arizona senator's wife lasted less than five minutes, and she used them to focus on her two sons -- as well as Palin's one -- serving in the military, saying Obama should take time to "watch our young men and women deploy."

It was the most pointed attack of the campaign cycle by Mrs. McCain.

Obama voted against a war-funding bill in 2007 that didn't include a timeline for troops. McCain has advocated members of Congress voting against similar bills that do include timelines, which he opposes.

But while Cindy McCain's remarks were pointed, even before Palin and McCain arrived, a series of other speakers at the packed event at the basketball arena at Lehigh University had rallied the crowd by harshly attacking the senator from Illinois.

The chairman of the Lehigh County Republican Party, William Platt, implored the crowd to work hard to elect McCain or wake up November 5 to see "Barack Obama, Barack Hussein Obama," as the president.

He invoked the Democratic candidate's middle name again a few minutes later. (A McCain spokesman, Paul Lindsay, later e-mailed reporters to say the campaign does not "condone the inappropriate rhetoric" that took place in the rally pre-program.)

Read the rest of the story:
Cindy McCain Warms Up the Crowd at McCain-Palin Anti-Obama Rally

Palin galvanizes Democratic Party base

Palin galvanizes Democratic Party base
Wed Oct 8, 2008
By Ed Stoddard - Analysis

DALLAS (Reuters) - Republican evangelicals are not the only political base vice presidential pick Sarah Palin is energizing.

Democratic foot soldiers have sprung into action in response to John McCain's running-mate's personal attacks on their candidate, Barack Obama, her opposition to abortion rights and her endorsement from religious conservatives.

"When Palin's radical and extremist views are combined with her inexperience and questionable record, it makes for an energizing brew more potent than Red Bull," said Colorado Democratic leader Pat Waak, referring to the caffeinated energy drink.

Palin's impact on the left was seen almost immediately after her rousing speech last month at the Republican National Convention, when Obama's campaign reported the next day that over $8 million had poured into it from over 130,000 donors.

More recently, Palin drew the ire of Democrats when she accused Obama of "palling around" with terrorists because he served on a community board in Chicago with former 1960s radical William Ayers.

"Her attacks will make liberals see red," added political scientist Cal Jillson of Southern Methodist University.

Read the rest of the story:
Palin galvanizes Democratic Party base

McCain, Palin Intensify Swipes Against Obama

McCain, Palin Intensify Swipes Against Obama
By ELIZABETH HOLMES - WSJ Blog

ESTERO, Fla. -- John McCain and Sarah Palin, facing declining poll results four weeks before the election, intensified their attacks against Democratic rival Barack Obama by raising questions about his character and his ties to controversial figures.

"Who is the real Barack Obama?" Sen. McCain asked at a rally in Albuquerque, N.M., on Monday. "But, my friends, you ask such questions and all you get in response is another barrage of angry insults."

All eyes turn to Nashville for the second of three presidential debates. There are high hopes that John McCain and Barack Obama can put aside mudslinging long enough to outline their plans to fix the rocky economy. Courtesy Fox News. (Oct. 7)

The Arizona Republican attacked Sen. Obama's economic plans, while Gov. Palin criticized Sen. Obama's connections to William Ayers, co-founder of the Weather Underground, a radical group that bombed government buildings in the 1970s. The campaign released a television advertisement proclaiming Sen. Obama "dishonorable" on Afghanistan and describing him as one of the "dangerous" liberals in Congress.

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor called Sen. McCain "the one truly angry candidate" and called his remarks "another frustrated tirade."

Read the rest of the story:
McCain, Palin Intensify Swipes Against Obama

Palin camp limits media from her own supporters

Palin camp limits media from her own supporters
Posted by: Jason Szep Reuters Blog
October 7th, 2008

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Political rallies are usually ideal for reporters to chat with party activists, but the campaign of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin took an unusual step by appearing to limit access to her supporters.

clearwater-rally.jpgAt Monday’s rally in the battleground state of Florida, reporters were barred from wandering around the area where the Alaska governor’s supporters had gathered.

About 20 seconds into an interview I attempted with Brent McDonald, 52, I was stopped by a Palin campaign worker in mid-sentence. “The press is not allowed out here,” she said.

I asked why. “I”m just telling you what they are telling me,” she replied.

Read the rest of the story:
Palin camp limits media from her own supporters

Sarah Palin should be censured

Sarah Palin should be censured
Mary Mitchell - Sun Times
on October 7, 2008

Sarah Palin should apologize to the Obama campaign and the American people for her role in bringing out the worst in her supporters.

During a campaign rally yesterday in Clearwater, Florida supporters turned on the media after Palin again blamed mainstream media for her shortcomings.

According to a published report in the Washington Post, Palin reporters turned on the press after she blamed the media for her inarticulate interviews. Some supporters used racial slurs, and at one point someone in the audience yelled: "Kill him."

Palin's pit-bull mentality has not only set a negative tone, but a dangerous one. She should be censured.

Read the whole story here:
Sarah Palin should be censured

New York Times Editorial: Politics of Attack

Politics of Attack
New York Times Editorial
Published: October 7, 2008

It is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember.

They have gone far beyond the usual fare of quotes taken out of context and distortions of an opponent’s record — into the dark territory of race-baiting and xenophobia. Senator Barack Obama has taken some cheap shots at Mr. McCain, but there is no comparison.

Despite the occasional slip (referring to Mr. Obama’s “cronies” and calling him “that one”), Mr. McCain tried to take a higher road in Tuesday night’s presidential debate. It was hard to keep track of the number of times he referred to his audience as “my friends.” But apart from promising to buy up troubled mortgages as president, he offered no real answers for how he plans to solve the country’s deep economic crisis. He is unable or unwilling to admit that the Republican assault on regulation was to blame.

Read the rest of the story:
Politics of Attack

Palin’s Popularity Among Alaskans Continues to Fall

Palin’s Popularity Among Alaskans Continues to Fall
October 7, 2008 - Blogs WSJ.com
Jim Carlton reports on the presidential race.

Sarah Palin remains a big draw on the campaign trail, but the Alaska governor’s popularity back home continues to drop since she joined the Republican ticket as John McCain’s running mate.

Palin’s positive rating dropped to 65% as of Monday from 68% on Sept. 22, according to a survey of likely Alaska voters by Anchorage pollster Ivan Moore. On Sept. 2, her positive rating was a stratospheric 82%, according to Moore’s poll then. The governor’s negative rating in Alaska, meanwhile, has shot up to 30% — the highest since she took office in 2005, according to Moore. On Sept. 2, it was just 13%.

Moore said a big reason Palin’s popularity has taken a hit is that she has taken on partisan attacks against Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden. Many Democratic Alaskans who once supported her have been turned off by the attacks, he said.

Other factors that could be at play: The governor’s role in Troopergate, the scandal involving her alleged attempts to get a former brother-in-law fired from his job as a state trooper. Many Alaskans have also groused about the presence of many McCain operatives in Alaska since she was named to the ticket.

It’s not all bad news for Palin: The Moore poll still shows the McCain-Palin ticket trouncing Obama-Biden, by 55% to 38%. Before she was named to the ticket, Alaska was in contention. “Alaska is still a strong McCain,” Moore said.

Read the whole story here:
Palin’s Popularity Among Alaskans Continues to Fall

Alaska to review per diem payments to Palin

Alaska to review per diem payments to Palin
By BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE
September 7, 2008

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's top finance officer will review payments made to Gov. Sarah Palin for nights she charged the state for staying in her own home.

Finance Director Kim Garnero said she must determine whether the payments made to Palin in the future should be considered income.

Garnero said, "That's something we need to confer with the governor's office on."

Palin has received more than $17,000 in per diem payments since taking office in December 2006 for 312 nights she stayed in her Wasilla home about an hour's drive from Anchorage. The state provides a home for the governor in Juneau.

Garnero said her review would look at future payments, not those already made.

Palin is the Republican vice presidential nominee.

Read the whole story here:
Alaska to review per diem payments to Palin

"A Steady Hand at the Tiller"

"A Steady Hand at the Tiller"

Both candidates used the cryptic final question in the second debate tonight to essentially make closing statements. McCain got the last statement of the debate and closed in the worst way possible. His last line was about America needing "a steady hand at the tiller" in these tough times.

There are 5 key problems with this closing:

1) By closing with a blatant attack, knowing that he got the final word, McCain came across as the angry, bitter man that he is.

2) What's a tiller? OK, I know what a tiller is, but the phrase is antiquated in the computer age. Using that phrase made McCain seem old and out of touch.

3) Speaking of old, when I hear the phrase "steady hand", the image that pops into my mind is NOT of a septuagenarian.

4) A "steady hand" has never been McCain's trademark anyway. He is known to be something of a hothead, so selling himself as the "steady hand" is a hard sell.

5) After watching Obama give a steady, calm, and presidential performance for the previous 90 minutes, the line of attack was not going to work anyway.

"That one" may be the phrase that gets the most attention in the next few days, especially if McCain is forced to deny that it was in any way racist. It was the low point in the debate to be sure. The "steady hand" line wasn't as bad as referring to Obama as "that one" but it more clearly illustrates for me just how out of touch McCain really is. For me, "steady hand" trumps "that one" simply because his angry reference to Obama clearly illustrated that McCain does not have a "steady hand".

Read the original post:
"A Steady Hand at the Tiller"

Sarah Palin: Palling Around With Secessionists

Palin Continues Hammering Obama on Policy and Character

Palin Continues Hammering Obama on Policy and Character
October 7, 2008, 12:34 pm

Elizabeth Holmes reports from Jacksonville, Fla., on the presidential race.

Sarah Palin continued her routine of attacks-with-a-smile Tuesday, hitting Barack Obama repeatedly at the first of her three rallies.

Unlike recent days, the Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate mixed her shots at character with hits on policy. She drew ample contrasts between him and her running mate, John McCain.

“I think that the phoniest claim yet in a campaign that’s been full of ‘em has been Barack Obama’s going to cut your taxes,” she said.

To a rowdy crowd of thousands at Jacksonville’s The Landing, Palin boasted that McCain was the best equipped to handle the current economic crisis. She promised to cut taxes, balance the federal budget and eliminate wasteful spending. And Palin also outlined her own accomplishments as a small town mayor and then as governor of Alaska.

“I eliminated personal property taxes and eliminated small business inventory taxes and annoying little things like business license renewal fees,” she said.

There was also plenty on the McCain-Palin energy policies, providing multiple opportunities for the crowd to chant “Drill Baby Drill!”—the most common refrain of late.

Read the rest of the story:
Palin Continues Hammering Obama on Policy and Character

DAVID BROOKS SEES SARAH PALIN AS A 'CANCER'

DAVID BROOKS SEES SARAH PALIN AS A 'CANCER'

The New York Times' David Brooks appeared at an event this afternoon, alongside The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, and had a few provocative things to say about the presidential race. Specifically, the columnist described Sarah Palin as a "fatal cancer to the Republican Party," and compared Palin's anti-intellectualism to the president's.

"[Palin] represents a fatal cancer to the republican party. When I first started in journalism, I worked at the National Review for Bill Buckley. And Buckley famously said he'd rather be ruled by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the Harvard faculty. But he didn't think those were the only two options. He thought it was important to have people on the conservative side who celebrated ideas, who celebrated learning. And his whole life was based on that, and that was also true for a lot of the other conservatives in the Reagan era. Reagan had an immense faith in the power of ideas. But there has been a counter, more populist tradition, which is not only to scorn liberal ideas but to scorn ideas entirely. And I'm afraid that Sarah Palin has those prejudices. I think President Bush has those prejudices."

Brooks added that Palin is "absolutely not" ready for national office.

Read the rest of the story:
DAVID BROOKS SEES SARAH PALIN AS A 'CANCER'

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Aftermath of Debate #2

This is what happens when you pick "My Friends" as the drinking word for a McCain/Obama debate.


Finally got my Obama Yard Sign


Monday, October 6, 2008

401-Keg

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today. If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today. But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you will have received $214.00. Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle.

It is called the 401-Keg.

A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year. That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!

Makes you proud to be an American!

Friday, October 3, 2008

From Joe Biden

If you saw tonight's debate, you saw Governor Sarah Palin give a spirited defense of the same disastrous policies that have failed us for the past eight years.

She couldn't identify a single area where she or John McCain would change George W. Bush's economic or foreign policy positions.

If you want something different, Barack and I need your help.

Make a donation of $5 or more right now to bring about the change we need.

The change we need is fixing this broken economy from the bottom up -- not tax breaks for the wealthy and huge corporations that ship U.S. jobs overseas. We need to focus on defeating al Qaeda and the Taliban and restoring America's standing in the world -- not an unending commitment in Iraq.

Let's be clear: Governor Palin and Senator McCain are offering nothing but more of the same failed Bush policies at home and abroad, trying to disguise them in the rhetoric of change.

Americans need real solutions and real change.

We're in this together and there's a lot to do before Election Day. Please make a donation of $5 or more right now to support this campaign for change:

https://donate.barackobama.com/changeweneed

This is the most important presidential election you'll be part of in your life.

Thank you for all that you're doing.

Now let's get to work and change this country,

Joe

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Friday: Last Chance to Stop Paulson's Plunder

Friday: Last Chance to Stop Paulson's Plunder

(1) Call your Representative at 800-473-6711 or 800-828-0498 or 202-224-3121 and say "No Bailout!"
(2) Find or Organize a "No Bailout" protest near you:
http://bailoutmainstreet.com/
(3) Visit your Representative's local office

The Senate's 74-25 vote for Paulson's Plunder came as no surprise, since the Senate is run by and for millionaires. So now it's back to the House of Representatives, where we shocked those millionaires on Monday by defeating their bailout bill by 228-205.

A terrified army of corporate lobbyists is working around the clock to switch 13 votes, but only 7 have switched so far - Jim Ramstad (R-MN), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Zach Wamp (R-TN), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Shelley Berkley (D-NV), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and John Lewis (D- GA). Other possible switches include Pat Tiberi (R-OH), Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), John Yarmouth (D-KY), Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Steve Rothman (D-NJ), Lee Terry (R-NE), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Tim Murphy (R-PA), Jason Altmire (D-PA), and Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). But others may switch from Yes to No, including Ed Markey (D-MA), Charlie Melancon (D-LA), and Spencer Bachus (R-AL).

Bush's first Treasury Secretary, Paul O'Neill, called Paulson's plan "crazy" and "lunacy" with potentially "awful" consequences for the world's largest economy. Many of the best economists agree with O'Neill. Paulson's strongest supporters - including panicked CNBC hosts - now admit it will not raise stock prices or boost the economy as it falls into recession. Then why on earth should we give $700 $850 billion of our tax dollars to Wall Street??? Joe Lieberman gave away the real game when he told FOX " it will be good for John McCain."

With so much at stake, Congress should stay in session for another week (or two) to pass a much better (and cheaper!) plan proposed by Pete DeFazio (D-OR). But Congress desperately wants to go home so Friday may be our last chance to stop this $850 billion disaster .

(1) Call your Representative today!
First check how your Representative voted on Monday (and note switches above):
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll674.xml
If (s)he voted NO, say "Thank you for helping stop the Bailout on Monday. Don't betray us now by voting YES on Friday, or I will vote NO against you on Election Day."
If (s)he voted YES, say "I'm outraged that you supported the Bailout on Monday, and I will remember on Election Day. If you want my vote on Election Day, you must vote NO on Friday."

(2) Join or organize a street protest against the bailout:
http://bailoutmainstreet.com/

(3) We're also partnering with Progressive Democrats of America and USAction/TrueMajority to schedule local meetings with our Representatives to demand a Fair Deal for Main St . If you'd like to help,

For inspiration, watch this great video from Agit-Pop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTkcLvm4ZYE

Find more information and comment here:
http://www.democrats.com/friday-last-chance-to-stop-paulsons-plunder

Thanks for all you do!

________________

Republicans Blame OBAMA for Wall Street Meltdown - Help Us Fight Back!

Even before the House voted on Monday, the Republican National Committee broadcast an outrageous TV ad blaming Barack Obama for the Wall Street Meltdown:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9j_epTmr2c

Our friends at Agit-Pop produced a rapid response 30-second ad that places blame for the meltdown exactly where it belongs, namely Bush-McCain economics :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6uS0Eb2JDY

We don't have Wall Street millions to put this ad on the air, but we have you so please forward this 30-second ad to everyone you know!

Find more info and comment here:
http://www.democrats.com/gop-blames-obama-for-paulson-plunder

________________

Election Day Countdown: 39 Days

If you want a real scare, watch this video nightmare about Election Night 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzuIHjQYW2c

If you don't want that nightmare to come true, visit:
http://www.voteforchange.com/

1. Register to vote
2. Request to vote absentee
3. Find your polling location

Republicans are working quietly to steal another election by disenfranchising Democratic voters, just as they did in 2000 and 2004. So please make sure your vote counts!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

An 8 Year Old's Take on the Michelle Obama Rally



My Report on Michelle Obama

Today I went to see Michelle Obama, Barack Obama's wife. She was at the University of Colorado, speaking to thousands of people about voter registration. She wanted to get people to sign up because she wanted people to vote for a great president.

Not everyone is registered to vote yet and she wanted everyone to get registered in time because the deadline is on Monday.

My favorite part of Michelle Obama's speech was when she was talking about college students getting in debt because they take money from loans to stay in college, and when they get out they're still in debt and they can't become teachers or stay in the community.

I thought she was amazing! She was strong and powerful and a great speaker!

Running for vice president is nothing new.

Posted October 1, 2008 6:30 AM
The Swamp - Mark Silva

Running for vice president is nothing new.

Sarah Palin runs every day

""I get to go running every day, which is my sanity," the Republican nominee told CBS' Katie Couric on the campaign trail in Ohio. "Sweat is my sanity."

And, for the record, Palin, who opposes abortion in all instances, including for rape victims, yet stops short of saying anyone should be jailed for their abortion, considers herself a feminist.

"I do," Palin told Couric in an interview for the CBS Evening News. "I'm a feminist who, uh, believes in equal rights and I believe that women certainly today have every opportunity that a man has to succeed, and to try to do it all, anyway. And I'm very, very thankful that I've been brought up in a family where gender hasn't been an issue.

"You know, I've been expected to do everything growing up that the boys were doing. We were out chopping wood and you're out hunting and fishing and filling our freezer with good wild Alaskan game to feed our family. So it kinda started with that."

Also, for the record, Palin believes that evolution should be taught as "accepted principle.... I say that also as the daughter of a school teacher, a science teacher, who has really instilled in me a respect for science.''

But Palin isn't so ready with an answer about where she has gotten her information from all these years.

Read the rest of the story:
Running for vice president is nothing new.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Monday: Call to Stop Paulson's Plunder

Monday: Call to Stop Paulson's Plunder

(1) Call your Representatives and Senators at 800-473-6711 or 202-224-3121 and say No Bailout!

(2) Email them too and tell your friends:
http://democrats.com/stop-paulsons-plunder

After a week of high-drama negotiations, Congress and Hank Paulson issued Bailout version 1.1, which is just the original Paulson pig with a lot of lipstick.

Republicans say the deal will be profitable for taxpayers, but they are lying - just as they did about the invasion of Iraq producing lower gas prices. It's a lie because Paulson has full power to pay too much for the securities and he will because his real goal is a bailout of bank executives and shareholders with our money - a massive ($2,333 per person!) transfer of wealth from the poor and middle class to the rich.

Democrats say they got oversight, accountability, and limits on executive compensation but each of these provisions is so full of Republican-written loopholes that they are meaningless - just like all other restrictions imposed on the Bush Administration, from Iraq to wiretapping. And that's before Bush simply negates any restrictions he doesn't like with one of his unconstitutional (and hence impeachable) signing statements.

So our answer remains ABSOLUTELY NOT.

The House will vote on Monday and the Senate will vote on Wednesday.

So call your Senators and Representative right now to say "No $700 Billion Bailout for Wall Street" - dial the Capitol switchboard at 800-473-6711 or 202-224-3121 or dial direct using the instant phone lookup on the right side of http://usalone.com

And if you have not e mailed your Senators and Representative , please do it now:
http://www.democrats.com/stop-paulsons-plunder

Find more information and comment here:
http://www.democrats.com/still-no-bailout

Thanks for all you do!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

The disappearing article: Conservatives Begin Questioning Palin's Heft

Note: The original article was at this FOX address, but is no more. I am posting this article in full, as it has all but disappeared from the Internet:

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/28/conservatives-begin-questioning-palins-heft/

------------------------------------------------------------

Conservatives Begin Questioning Palin's Heft

America's Election HQ Fox News - Sep 28, 2008 9:11:42 AM

A growing number of Republicans are expressing concern about Sarah Palin's uneven - and sometimes downright awkward - performances in her limited media appearances.

Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, a former Palin supporter, says the vice presidential nominee should step aside. Kathryn Jean Lopez, writing for the conservative National Review, says "that's not a crazy suggestion" and that "something's gotta change."

Tony Fabrizio, a GOP strategist, says Palin's recent CBS appearance isn't disqualifying but is certainly alarming. "You can't continue to have interviews like that and not take on water."

"I have not been blown away by the interviews from her, but at the same time, I haven't come away from them thinking she doesn't know s-t," said Chris Lacivita, a GOP strategist. "But she ain't Dick Cheney, nor Joe Biden and definitely not Hillary Clinton."

There is no doubt that Palin retains a tremendous amount of support among rank-and-file Republicans. She draws huge crowds, continues to raise a lot of money for the McCain campaign, and state parties report she has sparked an uptick in the number of volunteers.

Asked about Palin's performance in the CBS interview, a McCain official briefing reporters on condition of anonymity said: "She did fine. She's a tremendous asset and a fantastic candidate."

But there is also no doubt many Republican insiders are worried she could blow next week's debate, based on her unexpectedly weak and unsteady media appearances, and hurt the Republican ticket if she does.

What follows is a viewer's guide to some of Palin's toughest moments on camera so far.

Speaking this week with CBS's Katie Couric, Palin seemed caught off-guard by a very predictable question about the status of McCain adviser Rick Davis' relationship with mortgage lender Freddie Mac. Davis was accused by several news outlets of retaining ties - and profiting from - the companies despite his denials.

Where a more experienced politician might have been able to brush off Couric's follow-up question, Palin seemed genuinely stumped, repeating the same answer twice and resorting to boilerplate language about the "undue influence of lobbyists."

These missteps could be attributed to inadequate preparation and don't necessarily reflect more deeply on Palin's ability to perform as vice president. But when reporters have tried to probe Palin's thinking on subjects such as foreign policy, she's been similarly opaque.

In an interview with ABC's Charlie Gibson, Palin gave a muddled answer to a question about her opinion of the Bush Doctrine.

And given the chance to describe her foreign policy credentials more fully, Palin recited familiar talking points, telling Gibson that her experience with energy policy was sufficient preparation for dealing with national security issues.

In the same interview, Palin let Gibson lead her into saying it might be necessary to wage war on Russia - a suggestion that most candidates would have avoided making explicitly and that signaled her discomfort in discussing global affairs.

Then, asked this week by Couric to discuss her knowledge of foreign relations - in particular, her assertion that Alaska's proximity to Russia gave her international experience - Palin tripped herself up explaining her interactions with Alaska's neighbor to the west.
Watch CBS Videos Online

On the economy, too, Palin has avoided taking clear stances. In a largely friendly interview with Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity, Palin spoke in tangled generalities in response to a question about a possible Wall Street bailout - and even preempted her campaign by coming out against it.

On Thursday, Palin finally took questions from her traveling press - but shut things down quickly after Politico's Kenneth P. Vogel asked her whether she would support Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, who has been indicted for corruption, and Rep. Don Young, who is under federal investigation, for reelection.

Unlike her other interviews, at least this time Palin had the option to walk away.

Read the original article here:
Conservatives Begin Questioning Palin's Heft

The article was tracked down at this URL:

http://election.swiftmob.com/content.html?page=1040&content=3655824&pageNum=-1

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Anti-Palin rally draws about 1,000 protesters

Anti-Palin rally draws about 1,000 protesters
By KYLE HOPKINS - Anchorage Daily News
Published: September 27th, 2008 05:35 PM

A protest rally blasting Gov. Sarah Palin's handling of the state's so-called Troopergate investigation -- and calling for the attorney general to resign -- drew 1,000 or more people to the Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage on Saturday.



Protesters chanted "recall Palin!" as organizers told the crowd to push state legislators to keep after their investigation into the governor's firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

The investigator hired by the Legislature is scheduled to present his report on Oct. 10.

"This report needs to be released. Not just for us ... it needs to be released for all those people in the Lower 48 who are going to make a decision on Nov. 4," Democratic blogger Linda Kellen Biegel told hundreds of protesters gathered on the Park Strip grass.

Earlier, hundreds of people lined I Street, waving signs that said "Steady on her heels, wobbly on her words" and "Tina Fey would do a better job" at passing cars. A group calling itself Alaskans for Truth organized the event, which at times resembled a Barack Obama campaign rally.

Read the rest of the story:
Anti-Palin rally draws about 1,000 protesters

Please check out the new Mudflats blog for a first hand account of the rally:
http://www.themudflats.net


The New Mudflats Blog

To check out the new mudflats, please go here:

http://www.themudflats.net

NYT: McCain and Team Have Many Ties to Gambling Industry

McCain and Team Have Many Ties to Gambling Industry
By JO BECKER and DON VAN NATTA Jr. - NYTimes
Published: September 27, 2008

Senator John McCain was on a roll. In a room reserved for high-stakes gamblers at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, he tossed $100 chips around a hot craps table. When the marathon session ended around 2:30 a.m., the Arizona senator and his entourage emerged with thousands of dollars in winnings.

A lifelong gambler, Mr. McCain takes risks, both on and off the craps table. He was throwing dice that night not long after his failed 2000 presidential bid, in which he was skewered by the Republican Party’s evangelical base, opponents of gambling. Mr. McCain was betting at a casino he oversaw as a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and he was doing so with the lobbyist who represents that casino, according to three associates of Mr. McCain.

The visit had been arranged by the lobbyist, Scott Reed, who works for the Mashantucket Pequot, a tribe that has contributed heavily to Mr. McCain’s campaigns and built Foxwoods into the world’s second-largest casino. Joining them was Rick Davis, Mr. McCain’s current campaign manager. Their night of good fortune epitomized not just Mr. McCain’s affection for gambling, but also the close relationship he has built with the gambling industry and its lobbyists during his 25-year career in Congress.

Read the rest of the story:
McCain and Team Have Many Ties to Gambling Industry

Palin's Endorsement of Mine Leaves Many Feeling Burned

Palin's Endorsement of Mine Leaves Many Feeling Burned
By Alec MacGillis - Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 28, 2008

For months, the confrontation mounted, a face-off that arguably held in the balance the fate of two of Alaska's biggest industries. On one side were companies hoping to open Pebble Mine at a huge gold and copper reserve adjacent to one of the world's largest salmon runs, Bristol Bay. On the other side were fishermen and environmentalists pushing a referendum that would make it harder for the mine to open.

The two sides spent more than $10 million -- unprecedented for such efforts in Alaska -- and throughout it all, the state's highly popular first-term governor, Sarah Palin, held back. Alaska law forbids state officials from using state resources to advocate on ballot initiatives.

Then, six days before the Aug. 26 vote, with the race looking close, Palin broke her silence. Asked about the initiative at a news conference, she invoked "personal privilege" to give an opinion. "Let me take my governor's hat off for just a minute here and tell you, personally, Prop. 4 -- I vote no on that," she said. "I have all the confidence in the world that [the Department of Environmental Conservation] and our [Department of Natural Resources] have great, very stringent regulations and policies already in place. We're going to make sure that mines operate only safely, soundly."

Palin's comments rocked the contest. Within a day, the pro-mining coalition fighting the referendum had placed full-page ads with a picture of Palin and the word "NO." The initiative went down to defeat, with 57 percent of voters rejecting it.

Three days later, Palin was named Republican Sen. John McCain's running mate, throwing Alaska into a media frenzy. But the fallout has lingered from an episode that may stand as one of the most consequential in Palin's 21-month tenure. The state ethics panel is examining whether Palin's comments violated the law against state advocacy on ballot measures, after having already ruled that a state Web site was improperly slanted toward mining interests.

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Palin's Endorsement of Mine Leaves Many Feeling Burned