The GOP is desperate. Expect the worst of the worst to start hitting here soon. Jeremiah Wright is overdue for his second act, as well as Ayers, the Muslim crap, and anything else desperate Republicans can fabricate. At this point, they literally have nothing to lose.We've seen the McCain campaign lie repeatedly. They've got no shame and McCain has no honor. McCain and his fellow Republicans will say anything to win. In fact, Republicans are clamoring for McCain to get even uglier:
John McCain’s fade in recent polls, combined with a barrage of negative news coverage during the financial crisis, has leading Republican activists around the country worrying about his prospects and urging his campaign to become much more aggressive against Barack Obama in the remaining month before Election Day.The Politico published that article last night. And, today, Jonathan Martin reported that it's actually started. Read More......
A flurry of new polls shows Barack Obama gaining in several battleground states – most notably Florida, Pennsylvania and swing states throughout the West. Officials worry early voting, which is under way in important states such as Ohio, is likely to favor Obama in this toxic political climate.
Several state GOP chairmen in interviews urged the McCain campaign to be more aggressive in hitting Obama’s vulnerabilities, such as his past relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and other problematic associations from Chicago.
Let the record reflect that Barack Obama made the approach to John McCain tonight.Not very presidential. Or mature. Read More......
As the two shared the Senate floor tonight for the first time since they won their party nominations, Obama stood chatting with Democrats on his side of the aisle, and McCain stood on the Republican side of the aisle.
So Obama crossed over into enemy territory.
He walked over to where McCain was chatting with Republican Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida and Independent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut. And he stretched out his arm and offered his hand to McCain.
McCain shook it, but with a "go away" look that no one could miss. He tried his best not to even look at Obama.
Finally, with a tight smile, McCain managed a greeting: "Good to see you."
Obama got the message. He shook hands with Martinez and Lieberman — both of whom greeted him more warmly — and quickly beat a retreat back to the Democratic side.
Treasury’s $700 billion rescue plan for the financial markets passed the Senate Wednesday night, giving the White House new confidence it has turned the corner and can win final approval from Congress by Friday.Read More......
The 74-25 roll call endorsing the package featured a rare joint-return appearance by the two major presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, both of whom supported the measure.
The Senate galleries, usually empty at night, were packed with visitors on the left and right, and senators voted from their desks as if to underscore the seriousness of the legislation. Shortly before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tried to capture the moment for posterity, calling this breakthrough “one of the finest moments in the history of the Senate. This is the kind of vote we are sent by our people to cast.”
Majority Leader Harry Reid added that “each United States senator this evening is facing a critical test of leadership.”
A second vote was needed immediately after to complete final passage, but that is not in doubt. The first vote Wednesday night was the bigger test and the administration is betting that with this bipartisan showing, it can marginalize the remaining opposition in the House, due to vote Friday....
[T]he revised Senate package blends in more than $100 billion in popular tax breaks as well as aid to rural schools important to House Republicans. And to build support among small town community banks, the bill raises the cap on insured deposits from $100,000 to $250,000.
From Gov. Sarah Palin:She's a blithering idiot. This was an Alaska case. And, at its core, the case is about energy, which is her supposed expertise - remember, John McCain said she knows more about energy than anyone in America.
"I am extremely disappointed with today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court," Palin said. "While the decision brings some degree of closure to Alaskans suffering from 19 years of litigation and delay, the court gutted the jury's decision on punitive damages."
[T]he right to privacy, as Couric says in the interview, is one of the cornerstones of Roe. And in the public debate yes or no on the right to privacy is something pretty close to a proxy for your position on abortion rights.Read More......
The bottom line is that among conservatives opposition to a constitutional 'right to privacy' is a straight-up litmus test issue. Palin not only didn't have the right answer on the right to privacy. It was pretty clear she'd never even heard of it before.
I would like to say something about the facial tics and twitching before I approach your video today. His left eye seems to have a significant tic or twitch much of the time. It is on the same side as his surgery to remove a melanoma - as you can see by the scar. Senator McCain may also have had radiation to the area during his treatment. There are two critical facial nerves that go right through that area - Cranial Nerve V and Cranial Nerve VII. Either one of those could have been damaged by the surgery and or radiation - and cause what we see today. Looking at his face and his scars - it appears that he had rather extensive exculpation - and this would not be an uncommon outcome. It would be interesting to actually examine him to see if there were any other deficits - because just looking at videos is complete educated guesswork.Read More......
Now - about the events of the day. I actually viewed the bumbling around the stage episode on TV while I was leaning over a patient today - and was somewhat concerned. In light of the fact that this occurred just seconds after the facial issues that you documented in the other video is very very disturbing. Let me put it like this. If I had seen a 70-75 year old man do that in front of me in the emergency room - that gentleman would be immediately admitted for what is known as a TIA. This is a mini-stroke that often comes before a big huge one. It is likely that if this occurred - Senator McCain may have realized something was wrong - and immediately began looking for an exit. This bumbling lost behavior followed by the initial onset of the symptoms is very commonly described by family members witnessing such events. Regardless, he should be admitted to the hospital for observation - ruled out for strokes with tests - and possibly be immediately begun on certain meds to attempt to abort any other such attacks. I have not been able to find video of his speech patterns around the time of the facial problems today - it would be interesting to note if there were any changes. If it does turn out to be a TIA - the patient would need further evaluation to note if his carotid arteries are blocked.
I showed this video to 3 colleagues today - AND a neurologist - all of us agreed - this is concerning and should be immediately evaluated. It is, however, impossible to make medical diagnosis via a video - unless you are Bill Frist or Tom Coburn. I would caution you to be careful about making any insinuations about his medical condition based on just that alone. However, I am concerned enough about what I saw of Senator McCain today that he should be seeing a doctor immediately.
Just talked to two more buddies - again - they totally agree - one of whom is ardent McCain supporter.
COURIC: What other Supreme Court decisions [than Roe v. Wade] do you disagree with?Read More......
PALIN: Well, let's see. There's --of course --in the great history of America rulings there have been rulings, that's never going to be absolute consensus by every American. And there are--those issues, again, like Roe v Wade where I believe are best held on a state level and addressed there. So you know--going through the history of America, there would be others but--
COURIC: Can you think of any?
PALIN: Well, I could think of--of any again, that could be best dealt with on a more local level. Maybe I would take issue with. But you know, as mayor, and then as governor and even as a Vice President, if I'm so privileged to serve, wouldn't be in a position of changing those things but in supporting the law of the land as it reads today.
• Florida: Obama 51%, McCain 47%, with a ±3.5% margin of error.Quinnipiac (Nate Silver has an excellent (as always) analysis of these polls, in which he notes "The McCain camp is going a little crazy over these polls."):
• Minnesota: Obama 54%, McCain 43%, with a ±3.5% margin of error.
• Missouri: Obama 49%, McCain 48%, with a ±3.5% margin of error.
• Nevada: Obama 51%, McCain 47%, with a ±4% margin of error.
• Virginia: Obama 53%, McCain 44%, with a ±4% margin of error.
Read More......
The overall survival rate for Stage IIA melanoma, not considering thickness of the tumor or other characteristics, was approximately 80 percent at five years after surgery and approximately 60 percent at ten years after surgery...I'd like a doctor to walk us through this. McCain's most dangerous melanoma was diagnosed in August 2000. Does this survival rate data mean that McCain had, and STILL HAS, only a 60% chance of surviving until the year 2010? Do his chances get any better now that he's survived 8 years after the surgery and diagnosis?
Is McCain's strange behavior related to the mysterious physical malady we reported on earlier today (many thought it looked like a mini-stroke, but others have suggested it could be a reaction to Alzheimer's medicine) - and don't forget, AP reported yesterday (see article at bottom right of page) that there is a one-in-four chance that McCain, who is 72 years old and has had 4 serious bouts of melanoma skin cancer, will die during his second term. Or is it simply John McCain makes a desperate move to shut down the debate now that his rash choice for vice president has proven herself to be a blithering idiot?
Yesterday, the annualized rate for those overnight loans spiked by more than four percentage points, to 6.9 percent, its highest level ever. Normally, Libor on dollar loans is not much higher than what it costs the U.S. government to borrow short-term money, which yesterday was nearly zero.Read More......
That tells experts that banks around the world are basically unwilling to lend to each other at any price. It means that cash is not flowing to places that need it. And, if sustained, would ultimately lead to higher borrowing costs for ordinary U.S. households and businesses.
"The interbank markets are a fundamental part of the plumbing of the financial world," Dennis Lockhart, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said in a speech yesterday. Many variable-rate mortgages, corporate loans, and other forms of debt adjust relative to Libor.
"This contraction in availability and rise of the cost of credit have worsened . . . for corporate and business borrowers," Lockhart said. "We've heard anecdotes confirming this from contacts throughout the Southeast. In short, Main Street is being affected."
NPR: Given what you've said Senator, is there an occasion where you could imagine turning to Governor Palin for advice in a foreign policy crisis.Yeah, right, Joe Biden doesn't hold a candle to the woman who's read most of the newspapers and magazines in the world. And McCain has turned to her for sage foreign policy advice "many times in the past"? He's known her a month. Please do tell, what areas, plural, of foreign policy expertise did John McCain get schooling in the past month from Sarah Palin? McCain said it's happened "many times" - so give us two examples please. And he turns to her for advice on her world view on radical Islamic extremism? Oh please, her expertise in the Middle East is limited to taking a taxi in Anchorage from a guy named Ahmed. And her expertise in particular areas of the world? She just got her passport last year - what areas of the world is she an expert on, and more of an expert than John McCain? The great threat from radical Canadian extremism?
MCCAIN: I've turned to her advice many times in the past, I can't imagine turning to Senator Obama or Senator Biden cuz they've been wrong, they were wrong about Iraq, wrong about Russia...
NPR: But would you turn to Governor Palin?
MCCAIN: I certainly wouldn't turn to them, and I've already turned to Governor Palin particularly on energy issues and I've appreciated her background and knowledge on that and many other issues.
NPR: Does her energy qualification extend to the international energy market?
MCCAIN: Of course. Of course. That's what it's all about. It extends to a broad variety of issues from her worldview to threats that we face, to radical Islamic extremism, to specific areas of the world. I'm very proud of her, and proud of the knowledge and background that she has.
But as time went on, Palin increasingly managed to zero in on the policy issues set before her during debate preparations, and her comfort level rose dramatically. During two final debates broadcast by Alaska public television and an Anchorage news station, Palin appeared to ace her performances, deftly crystallizing her talking points for voters.Wall Street Journal:
There are two things people here remember about Sarah Palin's debating style during her race for governor two years ago.Politico:
One is the stack of color-coded cue cards she took to the podium for help whenever she was asked a policy question. The other is how quickly she was able to shuck those props, master the thrust-and-parry of jousting with her opponents and inquisitors, and project confidence to an audience of television viewers watching from home.
"That's the Sarah Palin I remember from the 2006 debates: positive, confident and upbeat," recalls Libby Casey, an Alaska public-radio reporter who served as a debate moderator on two occasions that year.
In 2006, with no experience as a statewide officeholder, Palin ran what amounted to a debate gauntlet, beginning in the Republican primary against incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski and former state Sen. John Binkley, and then in the general election, against former Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles and former state Rep. Andrew Halcro, an independent.See for yourself in this compilation prepared by Jed Lewison (from his new perch at Huffington Post):
Against that experienced opposition, Palin proved herself to be a comfortable and confident debater, not exactly deeply versed in the issues but unusually adept at dodging controversy and quick to take advantage of opponents' missteps. Not one to throw an unnecessary punch, Palin took a patient approach, waiting for her rivals to expose their weak points - and then striking fast.
Q: During your tenure as mayor in 2000, then police chief Charlie Fannon commented in a May 23, 2000 Frontiersman article about legislation Gov. Tony Knowles signed protecting victims of sexual assault from being billed for rape kits collected by police as part of their investigations. Fannon revealed then that Knowles’ decision would cost Wasilla $5,000 to $14,000 a year, insinuating that the department’s policy was to bill victims for this testing. During your tenure as Mayor, what was the police department and city’s standard operating procedure in recovering costs of rape kits? Were any sexual assault victims ever charged for this testing while you were mayor?Read More......
A: The entire notion of making a victim of a crime pay for anything is crazy. I do not believe, nor have I ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test. As governor, I worked in a variety of ways to tackle the problem of sexual assault and rape, including making domestic violence a priority of my administration.
An emphatic, combative and at times surly John McCain today tangled with the Des Moines Register editorial board over his running mate, the nature of his campaign and whether he can appreciate the health care needs of Americans.This is the real John McCain. He looks like he's ready to blow his top. This guy does not have the temperament to lead America. Following the negative reaction to his angry behavior at the debate, you'd think McCain would be on his best behavior. (You'd have thought he'd have been on his best behavior at the debate, too.) The guy can't control his temper.
The paper posted a series of clips from the session on their website.
It's a hard-edged McCain that is rarely seen on film
Facing questions from liberal-leaning editors -- though ones that endorsed his candidacy before the caucuses -- McCain offered a robust defense of Sarah Palin.
"So, with due respect, I strongly disagree with your premise that she doesn't have experience and knowledge and background," McCain said after listing Palin's qualifications. "I fundamentaly disagree and I'm proud of her record."
Billings, Mont., is struggling to come up with $70 million more for a new emergency room. And Maine has been unable to raise $50 million for highway repairs.Read More......
“We really are in terra incognita here,” said Robert O. Lenna, executive director of the Maine Municipal Bond Bank, which helps that state’s towns and school districts raise money. He said he had worked in public finance for 34 years and had never seen credit evaporate so completely.
Maine had already begun some of its road work when the bond markets stopped functioning, so now it is scrambling for bank loans to keep the dump trucks rolling. If money does not start flowing soon, Mr. Lenna said, Maine will have to cancel some of its road and bridge projects.
The only alternative would be what New York City did on Monday: Go into the locked-up markets and whip up demand by offering to pay investors a very high return.
Funds managers around the world said they are sitting on record levels of cash to meet an expected flood of "I want my money back" notices on Sept. 30 -- the end of another month of horrible industry performance and the deadline for most funds offering monthly and quarterly redemptions.Read More......
"This is not like flicking a light switch," said Timothy Mungovan, a partner who advises hedge funds at law firm Nixon Peabody LLP. "It is more like a bowling ball careening down an alley where we don't know if it will go down the gutter or be a strike and take out several big funds."
When the $700 billion Wall Street rescue plan went up in smoke on Monday, House Republicans who opposed it immediately got a threatening e-mail — from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.Read More......
“KEY VOTE ALERT!” the headline read in GREAT BIG PRINT.
“Make no mistake: When the aftermath of congressional inaction becomes clear, Americans will not tolerate those who stood by and let the calamity happen,” it continued.
“The Chamber will score votes on, or in relation to, this issue in our annual How They Voted scorecard,” read its closing, underlined and bold-printed final sentence.
The implicit threat: A bad rating on that scorecard could mean a loss of campaign cash, direct mail and any other help the deep-pocketed Chamber can deliver to lawmakers in tight races.
To be fair, the alert was delivered to all lawmakers. But it carried its biggest sting in the Republican caucus, which has long relied on the Chamber for political support.
Much has been made of the so-called culture wars here in America. The McCain-Palin ticket represents one culture and Obama-Biden another. But this clash is not about culture per se -- otherwise, how could the mother of an unwed pregnant teenager be the conservative while her opponents, as conventional as Saturday night at the VFW, are the liberals? No, it's really about outlook. Barack Obama's people feel they have control over their lives. Sarah Palin's people do not have a similar confidence.Read More......
This is why the Republican National Convention made war on the media. This is why Palin frequently has referred to "the pollsters and the pundits." These were the hidden manipulators of the culture and the economy, part of the often-invisible elitists who made it so bad for everyone else. They controlled the culture, the smut that came into one's home on the TV set and what was playing at the multiplex. They owned the banks and the newspapers and the TV networks -- and it didn't matter that their name could be Rupert Murdoch and they could be deeply conservative. As Don Quixote knew, "facts are the enemy of truth." Hard times are hard on truth.
The Great Depression was not just a period of wholesale unemployment and incredible poverty -- of bread lines and apple-peddlers and women selling brief intimacy for 10 cents a dance. It was also the period of Hitler and Mussolini and, in this country, of Huey Long and Father Charles Coughlin, and the belief among otherwise sane people that communism was the remedy for what ailed us. An economic crisis is like war. It's impossible to contain. It affects everything it touches.
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