Scorecard

The Obameter: Tracking Obama's Campaign Promises

I'm bookmarking this site so I can follow President Obama's progress.

The Obameter: Tracking Obama's Campaign Promises
Tracking Obama’s promises

* Promise Kept 5

* Compromise 1

* Promise Broken 0

* Stalled 1

* In the Works 14

* No Action 488

Franken Takes Lead in Minnesota Senate Race

Up by 266 votes as of 3:20 p.m. EST.

You can watch live streaming video of the Minnesota State Canvassing Board on the Minneapolis Star-Tribune website. Whoops, as I type this Franken's lead went to 267.

Al's a real liberal. I will celebrate when he is sworn in.

Economic Shot in the Arm

Barack Obama concentrates on a shot at Schultzie’s, a bar in South Charleston, W. Va., last May. It’s among the photos by Brooklyn photographer Scout Tufankjian in the book 'Yes We Can,' on sale Monday, Dec. 8.


NYDailyNews: On the road with Obama: An NYC photographer's exclusive

One place where the economy is not failing is Obama merchandise. Vendors in DC are doing a brisk business selling Obama t-shirts, hats, pins and other ephemera. I keep seeing TV ads for Obama plates and coins. And there will be plenty of coffee table books like this one.

It's not like anyone out there is clamoring for the George W. Bush coffee table books, anyway.

Katie Couric Discusses Sarah Palin Interviews

On David Letterman Wednesday night:



"Clearly, she was struggling with some of those answers."

Are You My Mother?

When I flew to Virginia to guard a polling place for Election Day, the woman in the seat next to me turned out to be flying to West Palm Beach to do the same thing. We chatted about our work and support for Obama, and then conversation turned to McCain and Palin. At one point she leaned in and said conspiratorially "I do not believe that is her baby." And I knew immediately what she was talking about, and I agreed with her. Once you've read the whole story, you may agree with us, too.

This post from the blog Palin's Deceptions lays out the case that Sarah Palin's child Trig is not hers. It lays out in detail the absurd story Palin told about having her water break in Texas, giving a speech, taking two four-hour flights with a two-hour layover, then driving by car to her hometown hospital. At the same time she supposedly had this baby, her 16-year-old daughter had moved in with Palin's sister and missed five months of school, supposedly because she had mono. I've had mono, and known kids who had mono. No one I've ever known with mono ever missed more than a week of school. I think that kid missed five months of school because she was pregnant and had a baby. And Palin thought she would get away with lying and saying it was her kid.

You can make up your own mind, but I'm convinced that the story is a lie.

Annals of Lame Duckitude

Bye Bye Sen. Toobz (Updated)

Mark Begich's lead over Senator Ted Stevens is now 3,724. That is a difference of 1.18% which would give Begich the seat outright. Automatic recount would only be triggered by a margin of less than .5%.

No more Ted Stevens for us! We'll have to make do with Sen. Toobz greatest hit:



UPDATE: The Anchorage Daily News has called the race for Begich, as only 2,500 votes remain to be counted.

Congratulations to Senator Mark Begich!

Hillary for State?

Politico: Hillary Clinton could be named secretary of State and Clinton is among those being strongly considered.
Photo: AP

This would be a great appointment. Hillary would have been wasted as Veep, and she should be in a powerful position. I've been hoping that she would overthrow Harry Reid to lead the Senate, but the State Department might be even more influential. Appointing her Secretary of State might even win back the hardcore PUMAs.

Politico: Hillary Clinton could be Sec. of State

Palin Press Conference

Sarah Palin did her first press conference since being named McCain's running mate. You can see why the campaign didn't allow the press to have at her. She doesn't actually know anything if it's not on notes or the teleprompter. The best-candidate-handlers-can-script can only manage her sad word salad answers. Not a whit of substance. The press conference is cut off after four questions.

Begich Lead Now 814

The next Senator from Alaska

Another 10,000 votes counted in Alaska and Mark Begich's lead over Ted Stevens has increased from 3 to 814 votes (.29%).

The rest of the votes to be counted are from Begich-friendly districts.

Bye bye Sen. Toobz.

Pure Poetry

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Sarah Palin answers a question in her own inimitable language:

Gah!

Nothing specific right now.
Sitting here in these chairs
that I’m going to be proposing

but

in working with these governors who
again on the front lines
are forced to
and it’s our privileged obligation
to find solutions
to the challenges facing our own states
every day
being held accountable,
not being just one of many
just casting votes
or voting present every once
in a while, we don’t
get away with that.

We have to balance budgets
and we’re dealing with multibillion dollar budgets
and tens of thousands of employees
in our organizations.

Just one of her blithering answers in her national media death-by-a-thousand-interviews tour. Yes, these were her exact words.

Tossed word salad, with dressing ($150,000 worth!) on the side.

We Love Lists

Telegraph (uk): Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know

Rachel Maddow, Blogger

ThinkProgress: Maddow wears pajamas on air in solidarity with bloggers, says she sees herself as ‘a blogger on TV.’

Last night, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow showed a clip of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) complaining about being criticized by “some blogger” sitting “in their parents’ basement.” Maddow — who later said she saw herself as “a blogger on TV” — did the show in her pajamas to show solidarity with bloggers.

In honor of Rachel Maddow, today I will blog wearing black jeans and black Chuck Taylor lowtops. Too bad I don't own any black-framed glasses.

Whisker Thin

After the counting of about 43,000 absentee votes in Alaska, Mark Begich leads Sen. Toobz Ted Stevens by 3 votes.

That's 3, count 'em, three votes.

Wow.

There are still more than 10,000 absentee and questioned ballots left to be counted.

Comment of the Day

From this New York Times article quoting Sarah Word Salad:

One reader's comment:

"But not me personally were those cheers for."

Who is this - Yoda in lipstick?

Unacceptable is she.

— Olivia, Rhinebeck, NY

McCain on Leno - Excerpts

McCain expects to turn his back on his deceitful campaign and be the nice guy everyone liked before. I will forgive -- but I won't forget.

Front Page News

The Anniston Star
Anniston, Alabama

See front pages from around the country and the world the day after the election:

Newseum: Today's Front Pages > Wednesday, November 05, 2008. 730 front pages from 66 countries.

She Can't Shut Up

Keith Olbermann reviews Sarah Palin's interviews since the campaign ended and her many, many stories. Word salad!

Devoured

The New Yorker: The Fall
John McCain’s choices.

John McCain sold his soul to the Republican devil. Funniest line is this, about Sarah Barracuda:

“She’s like the plant in ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ ” McCain’s friend Bob Kerrey said. “She’s devouring him.” (emphasis in original)

Strategery

The New Yorker: Battle Plans
How Obama won.