10.31.2008
Apology Not Accepted. Again.
Have you ever noticed how most racist assholes don't seem to have any idea that they are racist assholes? Is that a southern thing? What's up with that?
Calling the Secret Service...
Hello....? Can I get on a list somewhere?
In a conservative radio interview that aired in Washington, D.C. Friday morning, Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin said she fears her First Amendment rights may be threatened by "attacks" from reporters who suggest she is engaging in a negative campaign against Barack Obama. Palin told WMAL-AM that her criticism of Obama's associations, like those with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, should not be considered negative attacks. Rather, for reporters or columnists to suggest that it is going negative may constitute an attack that threatens a candidate's free speech rights under the Constitution, Palin said.
I've got a US Postal Service uniform hanging in the closet that hasn't been used in...well...let's just say a while. Signed -- Travis Bickle
Don't Be a Jerk
I don't want to be presumptuous, but this is clearly good news for me...
We used to consider it the outward sign of Catholic guilt, but I'm looking at it as the key to immortailty.
Things to do: Call your mother.
Most of the factors related to longevity are physical: the presence of disease, body weight, smoking or drinking habits, and on and on. But having a personality trait known as conscientiousness seems to matter, too, according to a new study.
We used to consider it the outward sign of Catholic guilt, but I'm looking at it as the key to immortailty.
Things to do: Call your mother.
Stop [Prop.] Hate
This is another gentle reminder to California voters that, while you may love your neighbors, unless you get out and cast your ballot against Proposition Hate, some of them are likely to deny your fellow citizens their chance at eternal bliss [or misery, who's to say?].
Don't be mean. Vote No on Proposition h8ate.
ADDING: Commercial featuring Samuel L. Jackson...
Get Off My Lawn!!!
From Wonkette -- "This video is magical: “Shawn Turschak of Chapel Hill was tired of someone stealing McCain-Palin campaign signs from his yard. Turschak, with a degree in electrical engineering, hooked up a third sign to a power source for an electric pet fence Monday and also put up a surveillance camera.” Look at the little Obama kid get ZAPPED like a ho and then run home to his father, Joe Biden. Ha ha! DAMN KIDS."
So Stoopid
After Bill Kristol criticizes Jon Stewart for "reading the New York Times" too much, watch Jon Stewart remind Bill Kristol of one very important thing...
Morning Spit Take
Russia's proximity to Alaska may make Sarah Palin an expert on foreign policy affairs, but her other geographical deficiencies aren't helping with baseball...
ERIE, PA -- It was a throwaway line meant to be a crowd-pleaser. But it fell flat.
On Thursday at a rally in Erie, Pa., Sarah Palin touted the victors in the World Series to thousands of supporters. "I am thrilled to be here in the home state of the world-champion Philadelphia Phillies," Palin said.
The crowd booed.
Philadelphia is a seven-hour drive from Erie, which is in the state's far west. Erie's baseball devotions are split between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cleveland Indians. (Pittsburgh and Cleveland are about two hours away.)
NO on Hate
Be careful what you vote for...
This is one of the biggest problems with legislation by ballot initiative. The measures are almost always crafted in such a way as to confuse the voters, who are usually low on good information and high on :30-second TV commercial consumption.
Fat, lazy and stupid is no way to run a democracy.
LAT -- Speaking out recently against Proposition 8, the proposed constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown made an appeal for the importance of protecting the rights of same-sex couples. And then he urged his audience to vote yes on the proposition.
Brown misspoke. He intended to advocate a no vote. But he isn't alone in confusing which side is which. As election day nears, both supporters and opponents of Proposition 8 worry that voters will be confused by a choice that can seem counterintuitive: Voting no on the initiative means voting yes on gay marriage, while voting yes means gay marriage would be disallowed.
This is one of the biggest problems with legislation by ballot initiative. The measures are almost always crafted in such a way as to confuse the voters, who are usually low on good information and high on :30-second TV commercial consumption.
Fat, lazy and stupid is no way to run a democracy.
Pitfall of Pedophilia
Maryland sex offenders are dressing up in shame...
WASHINGTON -- The most disturbing Halloween accessory this year may not be the spider webs hanging off the shrubbery or the door sensor that emits ghostly screams, but a lone jack-o'-lantern displaying the words: "No candy at this residence."
About 1,200 violent or child sex offenders on probation or parole in Maryland have been ordered to hang these orange pumpkin signs -- or plain ones reading, "No candy" -- at their residences today. If they don't, the knock at the door will be from an officer of the law.
10.30.2008
Hadta Happen
It appears Phillie fans know the drill... ....Mayor sez "don't be a jackass" at the parade.
And here's one fan who showed some real initiative.
No on Prop Hate
It's a pitched battle on the streets of San Luis Obispo tonight. The city is hosting its weekly Farmers Market and the "No on 8" and "Yes on 8" people are out in force.
Here's what I saw:
Little kids with no idea what the hell was going on walking around with big yella (appropriate color, natch) "Yes on 8" balloons tied to their wrists, while a group of four fresh-faced skate-rat hellions came over to the "No" booth, grabbed "No" placards and headed off into the fray to create some turmoil.
It may not win many votes, but I'm down with the punks.
Here's what I saw:
Little kids with no idea what the hell was going on walking around with big yella (appropriate color, natch) "Yes on 8" balloons tied to their wrists, while a group of four fresh-faced skate-rat hellions came over to the "No" booth, grabbed "No" placards and headed off into the fray to create some turmoil.
It may not win many votes, but I'm down with the punks.
D'oh! SNAAAAP!
I don't agree that one's "Christianity" should be some kind of litmus test for public office, but you've got to admit, this is one helluva smack down of this ad by the now-struggling-for-reelection Elizabeth Dole. You approved that message, Liddy beyotch?!?
Political Observation
If you're campaigning for president of the United States, and "Joe the Plumber" is your ace-in-the-hole, you are officially f#cked.
SLO Hate
And here we have a lovely story of wingnut hatred right here in my own hometown...
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Cal Poly University officials say they’ve spoken to residents after racist symbols and words were found adorning the Crops House, a university-owned house where agriculture students are given subsidized lodging in exchange for work on the school’s farms.
Responding to inquiries from New Times, school officials said they’d confirmed that a racist sign was posted at the house during a recent party. It read: “No n***ers,” along with a similar slur against gays.
In a more recent visit, reporters saw a Confederate flag tacked above the entrance to the house, draped near a hangman’s noose. Another large Confederate flag was painted on a table in front of the house.
Well, it is cowboy country after all. But I find the idea that no punitive action has been taken against these racist assholes (aside from a stern talking to) to be reprehensible and unacceptable. The university is a public institution, supported by taxpayer dollars. Those kids live in housing paid for with public monies and, as such, I would say such a display is grounds for immediate eviction, if not expulsion.
Claims of ignorance as to the offensiveness of the images -- particlualrly the noose -- are complete and utter bullshit.
Carved-B Hoax
The funniest thing about the bizarre "carved-B" hoax is that you just know the poor girl was looking in the mirror when she carved the "B" (for "Barack") into her cheek. That's why the damn thing came out backwards. A "carved-O" (for "Obama") makes a whole lot more sense now, doesn't it?
Cosmic Dissonance
We've come to expect so little of Texas, but I still find this a bit stunning...
Yep, he's a black Mulsim who goes to a Christian church with an un-American preacher.
WASHINGTON — A University of Texas poll to be released today shows Republican presidential candidate John McCain and GOP Sen. John Cornyn leading by comfortable margins in Texas, as expected. But the statewide survey of 550 registered voters has one very surprising finding: 23 percent of Texans are convinced that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is a Muslim.
Obama is a Christian who was embroiled in a controversy earlier this year about his two-decade membership in Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Yet just 45 percent of those polled identified the Illinois senator as a Protestant.
Yep, he's a black Mulsim who goes to a Christian church with an un-American preacher.
McCain Gets Pwn'd By Joe
"Jiltin' Joe has left and gone away..."
Five days out, you almost feel sorry for him.
Five days out, you almost feel sorry for him.
Democrat Landslide?
Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but last night we were kicking around the following question: When was the last time a Democratic presidential candidate won the office in a landslide?
The answer is 1964.
The answer is 1964.
The election was held on November 3, 1964. [Lyndon] Johnson crushed [Barry] Goldwater in the general election, winning over 61 percent of the popular vote [to Goldwater's 38.5%], the largest percentage since the popular vote first became widespread in 1824. In the end, Goldwater won only his native state of Arizona and five Deep South states that had been increasingly alienated by Democratic civil rights policies.
Johnson won 486 votes in the Electoral College. Goldwater just 52.
As LBJ might say, "That's an ass-whoopin'."
So It Goes
Because we should never forget....
Our nation has lost 4189 of our bravest young people in the Bush/McCain folly.
Let's end this stinkin' war next Tuesday.
Our nation has lost 4189 of our bravest young people in the Bush/McCain folly.
Let's end this stinkin' war next Tuesday.
Deep Thought from TPM
From TPM Reader BM ...
Obama can go on TV for 30 minutes and not mention John McCain even once. No way would the reverse be true.
Playing a Different Game
I get the feeling that Barack Obama is simply playing a different game than John Dubya McCain. It's almost comical how far the Democratic candidate outclasses his Republican opponent. For one thing, here we are with 5 days to go and he is actively campaigning in once crimson red states. But even more so, in consistently deep blue states, Obama is working on victories of epic proportions.
Barack Obama appears destined for the largest California victory of any presidential candidate since World War II, potentially boosting prospects for Democratic candidates statewide.
In a new state Field Poll, the presidential ticket of Obama and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden leads Republican John McCain and running mate Sarah Palin by 55 percent to 33 percent.
If the margin stands on Nov. 4, Obama will rack up a California landslide more lopsided than that of Democrat Lyndon Johnson in 1964 or Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984.
Obama's Primetime Message
I believe we are on the cusp of historic times....
"In one week, we can choose an economy that rewards work and creates new jobs and fuels prosperity from the bottom-up.
"In one week, we can choose to invest in health care for our families, and education for our kids, and renewable energy for our future.
"In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo.
"In one week, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.
"That’s what’s at stake. That’s what we’re fighting for. And if in this last week, you will knock on some doors for me, and make some calls for me, and talk to your neighbors, and convince your friends; if you will stand with me, and fight with me, and give me your vote, then I promise you this – we will not just win Florida, we will not just win this election, but together, we will change this country and we will change the world."
It's a breathtaking, moving, absolutely inspirational story. Please, make sure you get out and vote, because 50 years from now, you're going to want to be able to tell your grandchildren that you cast a ballot for Barack Obama.
"In one week, we can choose an economy that rewards work and creates new jobs and fuels prosperity from the bottom-up.
"In one week, we can choose to invest in health care for our families, and education for our kids, and renewable energy for our future.
"In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo.
"In one week, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.
"That’s what’s at stake. That’s what we’re fighting for. And if in this last week, you will knock on some doors for me, and make some calls for me, and talk to your neighbors, and convince your friends; if you will stand with me, and fight with me, and give me your vote, then I promise you this – we will not just win Florida, we will not just win this election, but together, we will change this country and we will change the world."
It's a breathtaking, moving, absolutely inspirational story. Please, make sure you get out and vote, because 50 years from now, you're going to want to be able to tell your grandchildren that you cast a ballot for Barack Obama.
Another Curse Ended
The Curse of Billy Penn is no more.
The curse officially ended with the Phillies' victory last night, but there are those who believe city ironworkers had a hand in change the city's fortunes when they attached a small William Penn statue to the top of the Comcast building completed in 2007.
10.29.2008
Words to Live By
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely and in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming 'Wow, What a Ride!'"
[--h/t The Ghost]
[--h/t The Ghost]
Here's to skidding in broadside!
Frankford and Cottman, Philadelphia, PA
The intersection of Frankford Avenue and Cottman Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia. My family's neighborhood growing up. It's where the celebrations go off the chart.
THEY WAITED 25 long years, and then they waited three more soggy, windswept, frigid nights for a sports-crazed city to finally end a losing streak that had been the stuff of legend.
And when lights-out reliever Brad Lidge registered the last out at 9:58, Philadelphia erupted with the full fury of repressed joy as fireworks exploded over South Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Phillies are world champions.
Strange Days Indeed
About to go watch Barack TV, followed immediately by the strangest World Series game ever anyone's ever seen. It'll begin in the bottom of the 6th inning with a pinch hitter for the starting pitcher....and go from there.
Fingers crossed. I just received a live report from inside the stadium: It's already packed and there is "a lot of nervous energy." I'll bet.
Obama on Offense in AZ
Arizona Republic reports a statistical tie in the Grand Canyon State...
Must. not. get. overconfident. Been. burned. too. many. times. before.
Sen. John McCain's once-comfortable lead in Arizona has all but evaporated, according to a new poll that has the underdog Republican presidential candidate struggling in his own backyard.
With less than a week until Election Day, McCain is leading his Democratic rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, by 2 points, 46 to 44, down from a 7-point lead a month ago and a double-digit lead this summer, according to a poll from Arizona State University.
Factor in the 3-percentage point margin of error, and a race that was once a nearly sure thing for McCain is now a toss-up, pollsters say.
Must. not. get. overconfident. Been. burned. too. many. times. before.
Wingnuts Ready to Take Flight
We've got them on the run now...
[Quote from a "professional" chat forum I occasionally frequent. The wingnuts over there are in a full, apoplectic, foaming-at-the-mouth, hysterical meltdown over the possibility of an Obama presidency. I used to post there more, but the sane people are outnumbered by the insane by about 100-1. It's not worth the aggravation.]
Here's another example:
Free Republic has nothing on these people.
It's time to seriously consider an exit strategy (from the country). And I don't mean in a huffy, Alec Baldwin threat kind of way. I mean seriously. The future does not bode well. I hear Ireland is beautiful and is pro-business and pro-capitalism.
Time to stock up on guns and ammo. Lock and load, brothers and sisters. Be prepared and may the memory of living in a free representative republic comfort you in the years to come.
[Quote from a "professional" chat forum I occasionally frequent. The wingnuts over there are in a full, apoplectic, foaming-at-the-mouth, hysterical meltdown over the possibility of an Obama presidency. I used to post there more, but the sane people are outnumbered by the insane by about 100-1. It's not worth the aggravation.]
Here's another example:
It also looks like Obama's real father may be Frank Davis. Frank Marshall Davis was an admitted pedophile and may have had sex with Obama's mother when she was 14.....although getting her pregnant at a later date. In fact, nude photos of Obama's mother, allegedly taken by Davis have been circulating on the internet. Davis was a left wing radical and activist and was considered a mentor by B.O. If you consider this along with Obama's other radical left wing associations, you can only assume that anyone voting for him favors the destruction of the United States.
Free Republic has nothing on these people.
It would be funny, if it weren't so sad (and scary). Liberals say they're going to move to Canada and then instead move on with their lives; conservative whackos say they're going to move to Ireland and then instead stock up on guns and ammo. No really.
Must See TV
Obama gets his half hour on the tube tonight, then 2-and-a-half-innings of baseball (we hope), then the riots.
UPDATE: Forgot to mention, Obama will also be on The Daily Show during the riots.
UPDATE: Forgot to mention, Obama will also be on The Daily Show during the riots.
On Their Turf
I think the really good news in the polls these days is that Barack Obama is fighting for the job of the presidency on the Republicans' home turf... in places like Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio and even Indiana.
Virginia hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since 1964.
Lots more number crunching right here.
Virginia hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since 1964.
Lots more number crunching right here.
10.28.2008
Equal Time
Let me just say that I'm opposed to this sort of thing....
That, of course, doesn't negate the import of this insanity....
There are psychos everywhere.
WEST HOLLYWOOD -- Officials from the Secret Service, West Hollywood city code enforcement and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are scrutinizing a West Hollywood Halloween display showing a likeness of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin hanging by a noose.
That, of course, doesn't negate the import of this insanity....
Two white supremacist skinheads have been charged over a bizarre plot to kill 88 African Americans including presidential candidate Barack Obama on a state-to-state killing spree.
Described by the authorities as neo-Nazis, Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman allegedly planned a deadly rampage through southern states, beheading 14 of their victims in a brutal homage to skinhead culture before ultimately gunning down the man who hopes to become America’s first black president.
There are psychos everywhere.
Game 5 Called
There's no snowing in baseball....Game 5 will not resume tonight, due to inclement weather, according to Major League Baseball. Instead, the final innings have been scheduled to begin at 8:37 tomorrow night, weather permitting.
Fans who attended last night's game will need their tickets to gain admittance.
[photo courtesy Brian McG., Philadelphia, PA, approx. 2:23pm EST]
Denver Loves Obama
I see Barack didn't lose any game while I was gone...
Portion of speech before 100,000 people in Denver, CO.
Portion of speech before 100,000 people in Denver, CO.
Battle Cry
One of the angles Phillie fans were working was that the team should defeat the Rays in order to exact revenge "for Steve Irwin."
Ted Stevens Convicted
I'll bet the Internet in jail is like a big truck...
Washington -- In a stunning verdict that imperils the tenure of the Senate's longest-serving Republican, a federal jury Monday found Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska guilty of concealing tens of thousands of dollars in gifts and improvements to his home.
Stevens, 84, reacted pugnaciously, attacking the Justice Department and vowing to continue campaigning for reelection to his seventh term next Tuesday.
10.27.2008
What'd I Miss?
Just back in from the World Series, Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia. Also snuck in an Eagles game yesterday. Epic!
Back to a full slate of blogging first thing tomorrow.
10.26.2008
10.25.2008
Well-Connected
From the Inquirer:
Just so every one knows, we paid face value for our tickets, because my brother and his buddy Tom are a couple of well-connected fellas.
Bell said standing-room tickets, the bottom of the heap, were going for about $650 yesterday afternoon, up 20 percent from prices in the $500s a day earlier. Reserved seats in the outfield were selling for $750 to $850, he said, and premium lower-level seats were going for $1,200 or more - sometimes much more.
[...]
On Wednesday, StubHub said the average resale price actually paid for a ticket to Game 3, 4 or 5 at Citizens Bank Park stood at $854 - highest for tomorrow's Game 3, at $871, and lowest for Monday's Game 5, at $824.
[...]
StubHub said the average price paid to date for standing-room tickets at Citizens Bank Park was $507; for upper-level Pavilion Deck seats, $620; for lower-level baseline seats, $962; and for behind-home-plate Diamond Club seats, $2,136.
Just so every one knows, we paid face value for our tickets, because my brother and his buddy Tom are a couple of well-connected fellas.
10.24.2008
Home Stretch
Obama over 50, McCain under 40. That's what we like to see.
No let up.
With just twelve days left until Election Day, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama holds a 13-point lead over Republican rival John McCain, a new CBS News/New York Times poll shows.
Obama now leads McCain 52 percent to 39 percent among likely voters nationwide, roughly the same lead he held last week. Just five percent are undecided, and more than 9 in 10 of each candidate’s supporters say their mind is made up.
No let up.
Emergency Services
Saw the aftermath of a minor traffic accident last night. A couple of police cars were on the scene tending to a fender bender. A big fire truck drove up, one of the guys jumped out of the rig...and ran into the Taco Bell across the street.
Anemic
Fans around the country are probably wondering how the Phillies ever managed even to get into the World Series, let alone steal Game 1 in Tampa. The job they are doing at the plate is worse than anemic.
The Phillies were 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position in Game 1 Wednesday, which set a single-game World Series record for futility. They were hitless in their first six at-bats with runners in scoring position in Game 2 to make them 0 for 19.
The Elias Sports Bureau reported that it was the second-longest hitless streak with runners in scoring position in World Series history. The Los Angeles Dodgers went 0 for 22 in the entire 1966 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles. It's no surprise the Orioles swept the Dodgers.
It's not fair to pick on him, what with Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard both stinking up the joint, but Greg Dobbs's second inning at bat summed up the Phillies' fortunes at the plate: He saw four pitches, three of them were called strikes. The man never took the bat off his shoulder.
The Phillies have lost more than 10,000 games. Last night's was one that can take the heart out of the fans.
Now we head East, Pat and Tom and I, fully inve$ted and praying for
Cross your fingers.
10.23.2008
World Series
Believe it or not, I'm heading 3000 miles across the country to watch Games 3 and 4 of the World Series, live and in person in Philadelphia, PA. Blogging likely to be sporadic over the next few days.
PS -- If the games in Philly are anything like the one tonight, it's going to be a looooooong trip.
PS -- If the games in Philly are anything like the one tonight, it's going to be a looooooong trip.
Yes. We Can
I've been thinking a lot about the Get Out the Vote effort and the argument some make that the main reason to vote for Barack Obama is because John McCain is an atrocious candidate and would be a terrible president. While I'll grant that a McCain administration would be a total disaster and an uninterrupted continuation of the train wreck that is the George W. Bush presidency, I would argue that there are far better reasons -- more noble reasons -- to support Barack Obama's candidacy with pride and enthusiasm.
The real reasons to vote for Barack Obama are all about the positives. Who doesn't want -- finally -- to have the opportunity to cast a ballot for a candidate who makes us feel proud of our country again? Who doesn't want -- at long last -- to have a president who radiates gravitas and dignity, who can speak intelligently and with reason and empathy? Who doesn't want to pull the lever for a candidate as likeable and decent as Barack Obama?
Who doesn't want -- historically -- to be able to say that they cast a vote for the first black president of the United States of America?
So when you find yourself talking to people about the election, talk to them about the positives. Don't ask them to cast a vote against Bush/McCain, encourage them to cast a vote for Barack Obama.
Random Observation
California congressman Henry Waxman does good work as chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform -- as today when he called former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan on the carpet -- but he sure is a peculiar looking man.
Negative Intensity
I'd hate to be a fly on the wall inside the McCain war room these days, if somebody spotted you, you'd likely get smacked upside the head by one angry pol with a rolled up New York Times.
After NBC's Brian Williams and Chuck Todd conducted a joint interview with the War Hero and the Hottie, Todd had this to say about the current state of things
Well, Chris, and this something that I -- I wouldn't blame Brian for not wanting to say this, but -- there was a tenseness between -- first of all, between the two -- there's no chemistry. I couldn't see chemistry between John McCain and Sarah Palin. It was -- I felt as if we grabbed two people and said, 'Here, sit next to each other, we're going to conduct an interview.'
There wasn't -- they're not -- you know, they're not just ... comfortable with each other, uh, yet. The other thing about it is that you can tell they know that they're losing. They just have -- there's an intensity there, they're drained, the entire campaign staff is drained. The two candidates are guarded, they seem on edge. It's not as if they were rude or anything, it's not as if they weren't trying to be forthcoming, it's just, they seemed -- it's a negative intensity. I don't know how else to describe it.
But you'll see, when you see the two of them together, the chemistry's not all there. You do wonder, is John McCain starting to blame her for things, blaming himself? Is she blaming him? You just wonder what's going on inside their heads. Are they upset with how the other has treated them, and is that why her numbers are low? But whatever it is, it's a negative vibe that you get in that room.
Public Service Announcement
It's polling data like this that leads me to exhort you to GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!! It's not over til all the ballots are counted.
If those numbers sound odd, given what you've heard elsewhere, well, they are. The Daily Kos daily poll tracking data has Obama beating McCain by a wider margin in nearly every other national survey, but still, you don't wanna end up like this loser, do you?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The presidential race tightened after the final debate, with John McCain gaining among whites and people earning less than $50,000, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll that shows McCain and Barack Obama essentially running even among likely voters in the election homestretch.
The poll...found Obama at 44 percent and McCain at 43 percent.
If those numbers sound odd, given what you've heard elsewhere, well, they are. The Daily Kos daily poll tracking data has Obama beating McCain by a wider margin in nearly every other national survey, but still, you don't wanna end up like this loser, do you?
With Friends Like These....
John Dubya McCain sews up the coveted al Qaeda endorsement...
Al-Qaida supporters suggested in a Web site message this week they would welcome a pre-election terror attack on the U.S. as a way to usher in a McCain presidency.
The message, posted Monday on the password-protected al-Hesbah Web site, said if al-Qaida wants to exhaust the United States militarily and economically, "impetuous" Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain is the better choice because he is more likely to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"This requires presence of an impetuous American leader such as McCain, who pledged to continue the war till the last American soldier," the message said. "Then, al-Qaida will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush."
10.22.2008
Fashion Plate
Remember the outrage and ridicule over John Edwards' $400 haircut? Turns out IOKIYAR. Talking Points Memo has a valid follow-up question:
Did Levi get some Saks Bling too?
Keep the Pedal to the Metal
Now is no time for complacency....
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barack Obama has opened up a double-digit lead in the presidential race, with a growing number of voters saying they're now comfortable with the Democratic nominee's values, background and ability to serve as commander in chief, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
WTF?
Watch John Dubya McCain wander through this sentence...
Agree? Disagree? "Why all this carrying on about who killed who?"
Agree? Disagree? "Why all this carrying on about who killed who?"
10.21.2008
RIP Rudy Ray Moore, aka "Dolemite"
Before there was Chris Rock, before there was Eddie Murhpy, before there was Richard Pryor....there was Dolemite. I got to see Rudy Ray Moore in Vegas a few years back. I must confess I had no idea what I was in for:
"What you call dirty words," he often said, "I call ghetto expression."
Rudy Ray Moore, the self-proclaimed "Godfather of Rap" who influenced generations of rappers and comedians with his rhyming style, braggadocio and profanity-laced routines, has died. He was 81.
[...]
The way Moore told it, his introduction to Dolemite came from an old wino named Rico, who frequented a record shop Moore managed in Los Angeles. Rico told foul-mouthed stories about Dolemite, a tough-talking, super-bad brother, whose exploits had customers at the record shop falling down with laughter.
One day Moore recorded Rico telling his stories. Later Moore assumed the role of Dolemite, a character who became the cornerstone of his decades-long career as a raunchy comedian, filmmaker and blues singer.
[Not Safe for Work.]
The Only Poll That Really Matters
Obama up over McCain 60%-40% in the latest 7-Election 2008 poll.
Inside the numbers (Obama leading):
California: 64-36
Nevada: 65-35
Utah!: 59-41
Arizona!!: 57-43
Texas 61-39
Battleground states (Obama leading):
Florida: 57-43
Virginia: 61-39
Pennsylvania: 61-39
Ohio!: 70-30
Missouri: 65-35
McCain leads only in New Hampshire: 51-49
Inside the numbers (Obama leading):
California: 64-36
Nevada: 65-35
Utah!: 59-41
Arizona!!: 57-43
Texas 61-39
Battleground states (Obama leading):
Florida: 57-43
Virginia: 61-39
Pennsylvania: 61-39
Ohio!: 70-30
Missouri: 65-35
McCain leads only in New Hampshire: 51-49
Which is It?
Barack Obama is a half-white Mulsim who attended a black Christian church whose preacher inveighed against America.
Well, which is it?
10.20.2008
I Want My Let's Steal Our Country Back
It's clear to me that I could put up posts all day long revealing McCain supporters in particular (and conservatives in general) to be the ignorant angry racist hypocrites we all know them to be. [Like here, for example, or here or here or here or here.]
Suffice to say that we all know where those fools are coming from...and we're not going to take it any more. I'm tired of my country being run by fearful, ignorant religious bigots. So join me this Election Day, won't you? We're not going to let them get away with it any more. Make sure you vote November 4, because you're going to want to be able to say you were a part of the new revolution!
This country's been stolen by liars, hypocrites and thieves.
We're stealin' it back.
They [try to] Write Letters
Yet another peek inside the deranged mind of the McCain/Palin supporter...
Reprinted verbatim, errors included, from the comments section of the Letters to the Editor, SLO Tribune.
posted by bret: anybody who would vote for Barrack Hussein Obama is as clueless as he is.There are other ways of going out on a limb to prove that you are not rascist.Any presidential candidate who plays the race card simply because you dont tell him what he wants to here could only spell disaster for this country,which is pretty much what he and the other terrorist supporting democrats want.Two fast ways to really make a change (for the better)1.secure the border 2.vote for Mccaine.
Reprinted verbatim, errors included, from the comments section of the Letters to the Editor, SLO Tribune.
Streetcorner Debate
Over the weekend on a mid-morning drive, I got stuck at a red light at one of the busier intersections in my little California town. Standing on the corner, just outside my passenger side window, was a guy of about 60 holding up a political sign. “Yes on 8,” the sign read, “Protect religious freedom.”
I decided this was as good a time as any for a little street-corner-stopped-at-the-red-light political discussion, so I rolled down my window and asked him:
“Hey, why you gotta hate on people?”
“I don’t hate anyone,” he said, “This issue is about religious freedom.”
“No,” I said (truck idling as I waited for the light), “It’s about you imposing your religious beliefs on other people, regardless of what they believe. Where’s the freedom in that?”
“This bill would force all churches to accept same-sex marriage,” he said. [Credit for nice use of the talking-points, but that's an untrue statement, by the way.]
“Well, why can't you just let people try to be happy?” I replied. “What difference does it really make to you? Why are you so threatened by it?” At that point I was drowned out by the folks in the car to my left, who had noticed our little debate and began chanting: “No on 8! No on 8!”
Suddenly, from the car behind me, a group of college girls, who must have noticed my bumpersticker, started chanting “O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!”
Next thing you know horns are honking all around us and everyone's having a grand old time.
I leaned over and offered Mr. Yes on 8 one last word: “Hey, I just hope when you get to the afterlife God forgives you.”
The light turned to green. A girl on a scooter in the bike lane turned and flashed me a smile and a peace sign.
And then I drove on.
I decided this was as good a time as any for a little street-corner-stopped-at-the-red-light political discussion, so I rolled down my window and asked him:
“Hey, why you gotta hate on people?”
“I don’t hate anyone,” he said, “This issue is about religious freedom.”
“No,” I said (truck idling as I waited for the light), “It’s about you imposing your religious beliefs on other people, regardless of what they believe. Where’s the freedom in that?”
“This bill would force all churches to accept same-sex marriage,” he said. [Credit for nice use of the talking-points, but that's an untrue statement, by the way.]
“Well, why can't you just let people try to be happy?” I replied. “What difference does it really make to you? Why are you so threatened by it?” At that point I was drowned out by the folks in the car to my left, who had noticed our little debate and began chanting: “No on 8! No on 8!”
Suddenly, from the car behind me, a group of college girls, who must have noticed my bumpersticker, started chanting “O-ba-ma! O-ba-ma!”
Next thing you know horns are honking all around us and everyone's having a grand old time.
I leaned over and offered Mr. Yes on 8 one last word: “Hey, I just hope when you get to the afterlife God forgives you.”
The light turned to green. A girl on a scooter in the bike lane turned and flashed me a smile and a peace sign.
And then I drove on.
10.19.2008
Sarah Palin on SNL
I'd swear at the :30-second mark she calls Lorne Michaels "Loren," but why quibble? It wasn't funny.
Arrest Made in Voter Registration Fraud Case
Funny thing is...it's a Republican dirty-trickster who got arrested.
I thought it was ACORN that was bringing down the democracy.
SACRAMENTO -- The owner of a firm that the California Republican Party hired to register tens of thousands of voters this year was arrested in Ontario late last night on suspicion of voter registration fraud.
I thought it was ACORN that was bringing down the democracy.
Big Endorsement
Colin Powell's credibility certainly was shot to pieces in the wake of his disastrous pre-war appearance before the United Nations, but he still carries some gravitas and, as a former solder, his endorsement of Barack Obama is sure to carry some weight with independents and disaffected Republicans.
UPDATE: Here's the video...
10.18.2008
Taken Seriously
Why does liberal media iconoclast Robert Greenwald insist on wearing his eyeglasses perched on top of his head like that? I've never once seen him wear them to read anything or use them for any vision related purpose.
Trickle Down Economics
At the same time sky high fuel prices and the generally dismal economic climate are forcing more Los Angeles commuters into making the tough decision [for Angelenos] to ride public transportation, the LA MTA may be forced to cut back on commuter service because their investments went to shit in the stock market crash....
Obama at the Gateway Arch
Barack Obama and Joe Biden appeared together today under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. 100,000 people showed up to hear what they had to say...We need new priorities in Washington. I think it’s time to give a tax cut to the teachers and janitors who work in our schools; to the cops and firefighters who keep us safe; to the waitresses working double shifts, the nurses in the ER, and the plumbers fighting for their American Dream. These workers are the backbone of our country. They are the ones that Washington has forgotten. They’re the ones I’ll fight for. And while Senator McCain ignores the payroll taxes you pay to score a few political points, I’ll put a tax cut into the pockets of working people so you can pay the bills, put away some savings, and pass on a brighter future to your children.
So Senator McCain can keep trying to attack me and distract you – but it’s not going to work. Not this time – not now. Because while my opponent thinks this campaign is all about me – the truth is, this campaign is about you. Your jobs. Your health care. Your retirement. Your children’s future. That’s what this election is about. That’s what I’m fighting for. Because I can take two more weeks of these attacks from John McCain, but the American people can’t take four more years of the same failed policies and the same divisive politics. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States.
Why Didn't ACORN Think of This?
Apparently, vote fraud is a two-way street...
Looks like the ol' acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.
SACRAMENTO -- Dozens of newly minted Republican voters say they were duped into joining the party by a GOP contractor with a trail of fraud complaints stretching across the country.
Voters contacted by The Times said they were tricked into switching parties while signing what they believed were petitions for tougher penalties against child molesters. Some said they were told that they had to become Republicans to sign the petition, contrary to California initiative law. Others had no idea their registration was being changed.
Looks like the ol' acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.
10.17.2008
Only Logical Choice
The Los Angeles Times endorses Barack Obama for president...
It is inherent in the American character to aspire to greatness, so it can be disorienting when the nation stumbles or loses confidence in bedrock principles or institutions. That's where the United States is as it prepares to select a new president: We have seen the government take a stake in venerable private financial houses; we have witnessed eight years of executive branch power grabs and erosion of civil liberties; we are still recovering from a murderous attack by terrorists on our own soil and still struggling with how best to prevent a recurrence.
We need a leader who demonstrates thoughtful calm and grace under pressure, one not prone to volatile gesture or capricious pronouncement. We need a leader well-grounded in the intellectual and legal foundations of American freedom. Yet we ask that the same person also possess the spark and passion to inspire the best within us: creativity, generosity and a fierce defense of justice and liberty.
The Times without hesitation endorses Barack Obama for president.
eejit!
Who you callin' un-American?
Four minutes of complete and unadulterated paranoid horse-shit.
CM: "So you believe that Barack Obama may have anti-American views?"
MB: "Absolutely. I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views."
These people have no shame.
Four minutes of complete and unadulterated paranoid horse-shit.
CM: "So you believe that Barack Obama may have anti-American views?"
MB: "Absolutely. I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views."
These people have no shame.
Tough Contest
Watching that last video from June 2008, I notice that Barack Obama has grayed noticeably in just the past few months. Running for president is one tough gig.
The Liberator
George W. Bush's ultimate legacy....BAGHDAD -- Come to Sadr City and follow the children, the one hauling flour on his donkey, the one collecting garbage on his tractor, the two brothers with bowl haircuts and greasy hands hoisting mufflers and car batteries in the late morning heat.
A lot of kids here can't tell you what 6 x 3 is. They can't read. They have no time to play. They work from dawn until after the moon is high. They are children in size only.
A nation of broken children.
Airport Security
Oxymoron. Emphasis on the "moron."
It getsbetter worse from there.
[h/t Baughb]
As we stood at an airport Starbucks, Schneier spread before me a batch of fabricated boarding passes for Northwest Airlines flight 1714, scheduled to depart at 2:20 p.m. and arrive at Reagan National at 5:47 p.m. He had taken the liberty of upgrading us to first class, and had even granted me “Platinum/Elite Plus” status, which was gracious of him. This status would allow us to skip the ranks of hoi-polloi flyers and join the expedited line, which is my preference, because those knotty, teeming security lines are the most dangerous places in airports: terrorists could paralyze U.S. aviation merely by detonating a bomb at any security checkpoint, all of which are, of course, entirely unsecured.
It gets
[h/t Baughb]
RIP Levi Stubbs
DETROIT (Reuters) - Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the Four Tops and one of the most recognizable voices of Motown soul in hits such as "Reach Out I'll Be There," has died in Detroit after a long illness.
[...]
Born in Detroit, Stubbs and the other members of the Four Tops began touring together after graduating from high school in 1954.
Calling themselves the "Four Aims," Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo "Obie" Benson recorded with three other record labels before arriving at Berry Gordy's Motown label in Detroit in 1963.
At Motown, the group changed their name and teamed up with the pop-hit songwriting powerhouse of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland.
The result was a string of two-dozen hits starting in 1964 with "Baby I Need Your Loving."
Other Four Tops hits included "It's the Same Old Song" and "Ain't No Woman Like the One I Got."
Cribbin'
Hah! Watch this cheesey Colorado Republican candidate for Senate weasel his way into bringing "notes" along for his debate with his Democratic opponent. I love the way his Democratic opponent, Tom Strickland, sez, "Whatever."
Not to be forgotten, Bob Schaffer is the same lying fool who used a picture of Alaska's Mount McKinley to remind voters of his lifelong love of Colorado:
That's Alaska's Mt. McKinley in that commercial about how much Bob Schaffer loves Colorado. Bob Schaffer approved that message.
Not to be forgotten, Bob Schaffer is the same lying fool who used a picture of Alaska's Mount McKinley to remind voters of his lifelong love of Colorado:
That's Alaska's Mt. McKinley in that commercial about how much Bob Schaffer loves Colorado. Bob Schaffer approved that message.
What's So Funny?
I don't really care to see my presidential candidates making funny 18 days before the election -- particularly when Dubya McCain looked like his head was ready to explode less than a week ago -- but here you go...
The McCain Tire Swing
The tire-swinging metaphor explained in detail...
Last March, the McCains threw an afternoon barbecue at their Sedona estate for the DC Press Corps. Forty-five reporters were there. As Dana Bash put it: "He [McCain had a gas grill going and he was barbecuing baby back ribs. And he was sharing with everybody his recipe for the best, from his perspective, the best baby back ribs. And actually, we'll pull it on our Web site if anybody is going to want that." Or, in Megan McCain's words, "The guys from The Politico brought her [mom] flowers." See Megan's blogette video of the event here. Now, if you take a look at that video, you'll note at second 37, one Holly Bailey, champagne glass in hand, taking a swirl on the McCain family tire swing.
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures
Jeezuz, could the vote pandering get any more desperate? Megan McCain offers to "get one for the team."
Joe's Life Laid Bare
I'm guessing that at this point being the famous Joe the Plumber is not all it was initially cracked up to be....
A couple of things about Joe the Plumber, the icon of the authentic working-class voter who was declared the "winner" of the final presidential debate.
His first name isn't really Joe. It's Samuel.
He's not really a plumber - at least, not a licensed one.
He's concerned about increased taxes - but hasn't paid his own income taxes.
And he's not exactly just a guy from Ohio.
[...]
"Joe the Plumber's story sprang a few leaks Thursday," said an Associated Press story.
Workplace Drug Testing: We Pass
If sales in the office snack bar are any indication, Nacho Cheese Doritos are the least popular
Pep Talk
I think the best "pep talk" George Bush could give to the nation will come on November 5, 2008, when he congratulates President-elect Barack Obama.
The Horserace
Because the media is always more interested in the contest than the country, I won't be a bit surprised to see a bunch of completely counter-intuitive "the race is tightening" stories as we head down the home stretch toward the November 4 election.
10.16.2008
"W."
My favorite movie reviewer, Kenneth Turan of the LA Times, sez Oliver Stone's "W." might actually be worth seeing.
"W." MAY sound like the story of the initial that rocked the world, but it turns out to be the tale of a mouse that roared. Director Oliver Stone and writer Stanley Weiser's unexpected take on the life and times of our 43rd president will surprise a lot of people, especially those not used to seeing the words "Oliver Stone" and "carefully modulated" in the same sentence.
Yes, "W." is definitely satiric in intent and execution, and it has no love for the actions and policies of the man who has led, as the film's advertising puts it, "a life misunderestimated." But those yearning for a red meat entree, a kind of "Natural Born Killers" meets "JFK," will be disappointed. There is a restraint about "W." that is both pleasing and effective. There are reasons to smile in this film, but not nearly as many as you'd think. Instead the message is that what has happened to this country is no laughing matter.
Blowback
In a strange way, it's like deja vu all over again....
Any familiar names in there?
BEIRUT -- A new report based on previously classified documents suggests that the Nixon and Ford administrations created conditions that helped destabilize Iran in the late 1970s and contributed to the country's Islamic Revolution.
A trove of transcripts, memos and other correspondence show sharp differences over rising oil prices developing between the Republican administrations and Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi in the mid-1970s, says a report to be published today in the fall issue of Middle East Journal, an academic journal published by the Washington-based Middle East Institute, a think tank.
The report, after two years of research by scholar Andrew Scott Cooper, zeros in on the role of White House policymakers -- including Donald H. Rumsfeld, then a top aide to President Ford -- hoping to roll back oil prices and curb the shah's ambitions, despite warnings by then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger that such a move might precipitate the rise of a "radical regime" in Iran.
Any familiar names in there?
Factoid of the Day
Courtesy of Andrew Sullivan...
"Joe the Plumber has now had more press conferences than Sarah Palin."
Joe the Plumber Doesn't Like Taxes, Joe the Plumber Doesn't Pay Taxes
I don't think many regular Americans really think ahead about what's in store for them when they decide to inject themselves into national politics. Just ask Joe the Plumber...
Somebody did some digging; Joe owes nearly $1200 in back taxes to Lucas County, Ohio.
Somebody did some digging; Joe owes nearly $1200 in back taxes to Lucas County, Ohio.
Al Jazeera Goes to a Palin Rally
Shocking, disturbing, revolting. I cann't begin to think of the appropriate words to describe it. These people live among us....
AlJazeera?!?!? At a Palin rally?!?!?
Props to reporter Casey Kaufman, it took some extra large huevos for him to walk into the lion's den and compile this story.
AlJazeera?!?!? At a Palin rally?!?!?
Props to reporter Casey Kaufman, it took some extra large huevos for him to walk into the lion's den and compile this story.
Epitaph for a Maverick
Joe Klien pens taps out the epitaph for John Dubya McCain's presidential campaign....
The Democrats who got themselves elected President during most of my career were those most successful at playing defense... And so the first reaction of more than a few talking heads last night was that McCain had done better, maybe even won, because he had made those arguments [against liberalism] more successfully than he had in the first two debates. I disagreed, even before the focus groups and snap polls rendered their verdict: I thought McCain was near-incomprehensible when talking about policy, locked in the coffin of conservative thinking and punditry. He spoke in Reagan-era shorthand. He thought that merely invoking the magic words "spread the wealth" and "class warfare" he could neutralize Obama.
[...]
The point is, this is a very good year to be Senator Government. Ronald Reagan used to say that the most frightening nine words in the English language were "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." That is no longer true. This year, the most frightening eight words are "I'm John McCain and I approved this message."
Memo to Closet Out-and-Out Racists
Just because you "once voted for Alan Keyes" does not mean you are not a racist a-hole. See despicable example here.
UPDATE: Story picks up steam in the LA Times....
California,It We Takes All Kinds.
UPDATE: Story picks up steam in the LA Times....
A Republican women's club in San Bernardino County sent out a recent newsletter with a photo of Barack Obama surrounded by fried chicken, watermelon and ribs, sparking widespread outrage and rebuke from GOP leaders and Democrats.
The illustration shows the Democratic presidential candidate's head atop a donkey's body on a bogus $10 bill referred to as "Obama Bucks." Inscribed on the money are the words "United States Food Stamps" surrounded by stereotypical African American food.
California,
Champs
Woke up this morning to learn that the Philadelphia Phillies are still the National League Champions. Phans celebrated in the usual way.
In Mayfair, the crowds shut down traffic, blasted music, shouted and scaled streetlights, and police made scattered arrests while tolerating most of the exuberance. And from Spruce Street to City Hall, Broad Street burst into a parade, with drivers hanging out of their cars to high-five each other. Some women flashed the crowd amid the break-dancing and horn-honking. Indulgent police were even high-fiving the fans.
Little Big Man Shane Victorino:
McCain:"Health of the Mother Provision My Ass"
Reason #1 why John Dubya McCain is unelectable: No empathy.
Rats Leaving Sinking Ship
Rosa Brooks at the LAT is enjoying the GOP implosion.
...[As] enjoyable as it's been to watch conservatives flee from the GOP, something about all this leaves me feeling a little down. Because as the more respectable, literate conservatives distance themselves from the GOP, increasingly, the only ones left on the right are paranoid, rage-driven, xenophobic nuts. Bitter? You betcha! Twisted too!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
