Rest In Peace Toots

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!"

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Palin suggests Chronicle withheld Obama remarks

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

Colorado Goes White For Obama

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.

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

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

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...

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

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."

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McCain, Palin Intensify Swipes Against Obama

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.

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Politics of Attack

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.

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Palin Continues Hammering Obama on Policy and Character

Bailout Talks Go On Amid Presidential Scuffle

Bailout Talks Go On Amid Presidential Scuffle
Dems Rip McCain, McCain Rips Obama as Leaders Try to Revive $700B Bailout
By JAKE TAPPER, CHARLES HERMAN and Z. BYRON WOLF - Sept. 25, 2008
ABC News

Members of Congress and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson returned at the Capitol tonight to try to revive a $700 billion bailout plan that became the focus of partisan finger pointing and attacks on the presidential nominees after a meeting today at the White House.
Result of bipartisan meeting on bailout seems intensified partisan infighting.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said bipartisan negotiators at an 8 p.m. ET session at the Capitol were trying to "put this train back on the tracks." The meeting broke up after 10 p.m. with no agreement

Reid continued to cast blame on Republicans, and specifically Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Reid said McCain was "not helpful" by suspending his campaign and heading to Washington, claiming it was difficult to "understand what John McCain said at the [White House] meeting." He said McCain spoke last and only for several moments, and did not contribute anything.

"McCain only hurt this process," Reid said.

Asked if McCain expressed interest in taking part in negotiations on Capitol Hill, Reid said, "No."

Soon after Reid's attack, which followed another blast at McCain by House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., the McCain campaign suggested Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was at fault.

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Bailout Talks Go On Amid Presidential Scuffle

Barack Obama Speech at 2004 DNC Convention

Economic fears give Obama a clear lead in poll

Economic fears give Obama a clear lead in poll
Survey gives Democrat a 9-point edge over McCain among likely voters
By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen - Washington Post

Turmoil in the financial industry and growing pessimism about the economy have altered the shape of the presidential race, giving Democratic nominee Barack Obama the first clear lead of the general-election campaign over Republican John McCain, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News national poll.

Just 9 percent of those surveyed rated the economy as good or excellent, the first time that number has been in single digits since the days just before the 1992 election. Just 14 percent said the country is heading in the right direction, equaling the record low on that question in polls dating back to 1973.

More voters trust Obama to deal with the economy, and he currently has a big edge as the candidate who is more in tune with the economic problems Americans now face. He also has a double-digit advantage on handling the current problems on Wall Street, and as a result, there has been a rise in his overall support. The poll found that, among likely voters, Obama now leads McCain by 52 percent to 43 percent. Two weeks ago, in the days immediately following the Republican National Convention, the race was essentially even, with McCain at 49 percent and Obama at 47 percent.

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Economic fears give Obama a clear lead in poll

Sydney: Alaskan pit-bull turns into yesterday's moose

Alaskan pit-bull turns into yesterday's moose
Sydney Morning Herald
September 25, 2008

The emails from American friends were despairing in the days after the Republican Party convention. Some were from Democratic Party workers who felt 2008 was starting to look like 2004, when John Kerry lost an election many considered he should have won.

Sarah Palin had dramatically changed the dynamics of the presidential campaign. She was the star of the convention, a pit-bull with lipstick - her self-description - who would vanquish the corrupt culture of Washington and install small town American values.

The more the media focused on her inexperience, on the failings of her governorship of Alaska, on her ignorance of foreign policy and on her kooky "family values" and biblical literalism, the more it seemed her popularity grew, and the more likely it seemed, once again, Democrats were heading for defeat.

In Europe, where Obama enraptured tens of thousands of people in Berlin and charmed leaders in France and Britain, commentators grew hysterical at the prospect of an Obama defeat.

Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian reacted with fury and despair at the Sarah Palin phenomenon and the apparent boost she gave the McCain campaign. He warned that if Americans rejected Obama, really bad things would happen.

"If Americans choose McCain, they will be turning their back on the rest of the world, choosing to show us four more years of the Bush-Cheney finger," he wrote. "And I predict a deeply unpleasant shift."

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Alaskan pit-bull turns into yesterday's moose

5 days to first debate, Obama climbs in polls

5 days to first debate, Obama climbs in polls
His rise comes amid a $700 billion bailout plan to save the U.S. economy
Associated Press - September 20, 2008

WASHINGTON - Five days from their first presidential debate, Democrat Barack Obama has climbed in the polls as Republican John McCain fumbled his response to a looming U.S. economic cataclysm — one that threatened to match the financial catastrophe of the 1930s Great Depression.

The U.S. Congress and the administration of President George W. Bush were grappling with a proposed $700 billion bailout plan to save the U.S. economy from full collapse, feeding anxiety among voters who already were far more concerned about their financial futures than any other issue in the 2008 presidential campaign — including the intractable U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After withholding his response while the Bush administration put together its program, Obama on Sunday placed seven conditions on the rescue proposal which he said came with a "staggering price tag" but no plan to guarantee the "basic principles of transparency, fairness, and reform" to taxpayers who will pay for the huge bailout.

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5 days to first debate, Obama climbs in polls

5 days to first debate, Obama climbs in polls

5 days to first debate, Obama climbs in polls
His rise comes amid a $700 billion bailout plan to save the U.S. economy
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Five days from their first presidential debate, Democrat Barack Obama has climbed in the polls as Republican John McCain fumbled his response to a looming U.S. economic cataclysm — one that threatened to match the financial catastrophe of the 1930s Great Depression.

The U.S. Congress and the administration of President George W. Bush were grappling with a proposed $700 billion bailout plan to save the U.S. economy from full collapse, feeding anxiety among voters who already were far more concerned about their financial futures than any other issue in the 2008 presidential campaign — including the intractable U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After withholding his response while the Bush administration put together its program, Obama on Sunday placed seven conditions on the rescue proposal which he said came with a "staggering price tag" but no plan to guarantee the "basic principles of transparency, fairness, and reform" to taxpayers who will pay for the huge bailout.

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5 days to first debate, Obama climbs in polls

Poll: Racial views steer some away from Obama

Poll: Racial views steer some away from Obama
One-third of polled white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks
Chris Carlson - AP September 20, 2008

WASHINGTON - Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks — many calling them "lazy," "violent" or responsible for their own troubles.

The poll, conducted with Stanford University, suggests that the percentage of voters who may turn away from Obama because of his race could easily be larger than the final difference between the candidates in 2004 — about two and one-half percentage points.

Certainly, Republican John McCain has his own obstacles: He's an ally of an unpopular president and would be the nation's oldest first-term president. But Obama faces this: 40 percent of all white Americans hold at least a partly negative view toward blacks, and that includes many Democrats and independents.

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Poll: Racial views steer some away from Obama

Israel, Iran, and the November election

Israel, Iran, and the November election
Chad Groening OneNewsNow.com

US and Israeli flagsA Jerusalem-based journalist says the overwhelming sentiment in Israel right now is that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States, and that the Jewish state will have to take care of the Iranian nuclear problem on its own.

Aaron Klein, Jerusalem bureau chief for WorldNetDaily, covered Senator Obama's recent visit to the Holy City. Even before Obama's arrival in Israel, says Klein, the people there had already made up their minds about the inevitability of Obama becoming president. So the clock may already be ticking for a unilateral Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear program, he says.

"In Israel, there already is an assumption that Obama is going to win," the journalist states. "And then Israel knows that the window to do anything about it [Iran] would have to be before...the November elections or before the next president, which Israel does assume to be Barack Obama, is installed in January."

On the other hand, Klein does not think it would be wise for Israel to attack Iran as long as Ehud Olmert is prime minister there. "[T]he man couldn't handle a war against a few thousand guerrilla troops in Lebanon in 2006 [and] he has bungled every Israeli Defense Force operation since he's been in office," says the Middle East observer.

Klein admits he is concerned about a scenario in which Barack Obama is the U.S. president at the same time Ehud Olmert is prime minister of Israel.

Israel, Iran, and the November election

McCain Seen as Less Likely to Bring Change, Poll Finds

McCain Seen as Less Likely to Bring Change, Poll Finds
By ROBIN TONER and ADAM NAGOURNEY - NY Times
September 17, 2008

WASHINGTON — Despite an intense effort to distance himself from the way his party has done business in Washington, Senator John McCain is seen by voters as far less likely to bring change to Washington than Senator Barack Obama. He is widely viewed as a “typical Republican” who would continue or expand President Bush’s policies, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

Polls taken after the Republican convention suggested that Mr. McCain had enjoyed a surge of support — particularly among white women after his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate — but the latest poll indicates “the Palin effect” was, at least so far, a limited burst of interest. The contest appeared to be roughly where it was before the two conventions and before the vice-presidential selections: Mr. Obama had the support of 48 percent of registered voters, compared with 43 percent for Mr. McCain, a difference within the poll’s margin of sampling error, and statistically unchanged from the tally in the last New York Times/CBS News poll, in mid-August...

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McCain Seen as Less Likely to Bring Change, Poll Finds

AP Interview: Rove: Palin excitement will subside

AP Interview: Rove: Palin excitement will subside
By MATT SEDENSKY

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Republican tactician Karl Rove said Wednesday that Sen. John McCain's vice presidential pick was a political choice and that excitement over Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will subside.

"Nothing lasts for 60-some-odd days," Rove told The Associated Press after appearing at a health care conference. "Will she be the center of attention in the remaining 48 days? No, but she came on in a very powerful way and has given a sense of urgency to the McCain campaign that's pretty remarkable."

Rove said Palin was a "political pick" just as Sen. Barack Obama's choice of Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden was, and that she is not the most qualified candidate. Biden, well-versed in foreign policy issues after more than three decades in the Senate, makes up for the Illinois senator's lack of experience in that area. Palin has been governor for less than two years, and was mayor of small-town Wasilla before that.

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AP Interview: Rove: Palin excitement will subside