Classified US military briefing says Iraq sharply moving towards "chaos"

From today's New York Times, we learn that the US military is watching Iraq slide towards chaos -- and they have the visual to prove it:

The conclusions the Central Command has drawn from these trends are not encouraging, according to a copy of the slide that was obtained by The New York Times. The slide shows Iraq as moving sharply away from “peace,” an ideal on the far left side of the chart, to a point much closer to the right side of the spectrum, a red zone marked “chaos.” As depicted in the command’s chart, the needle has been moving steadily toward the far right of the chart.

An intelligence summary at the bottom of the slide reads “urban areas experiencing ‘ethnic cleansing’ campaigns to consolidate control” and “violence at all-time high, spreading geographically.” According to a Central Command official, the index on civil strife has been a staple of internal command briefings for most of this year. The analysis was prepared by the command’s intelligence directorate, which is overseen by Brig. Gen. John M. Custer.

Bush says Iraq isn't in a civil war. Bush says he listens to the military. Does chaos register with him? Chaos is the direct result of staying the course. Read More......

Oh my God. New video of George Allen supporters assaulting questioner at press opp

Go to this page and click on the video link. This guy didn't do a thing - they jumped him and threw him into a window.

This might be a direct link to the video. Read More......

Another Republican House member reportedly likes to beat up women

UPDATE: The NY Daily News has more on this, including the police report.

You really can't make this stuff up.

The wife of U.S. Rep. John Sweeney [R-NY] called police last December to complain her husband was ``knocking her around'' during a late-night argument at the couple's home, according to a document obtained last week by the Times Union.

The emergency call to a police dispatcher triggered a visit to the couple's residence by a state trooper from Clifton Park, who filed a domestic incident report after noting that the congressman had scratches on his face, the document states. No criminal charges were filed.

Gaia M. Sweeney, 36, told a trooper that her husband had grabbed her by the neck and was pushing her around the house, according to the document....

The alleged incident at the couple's home off Kinns Road took place at the end of a tumultuous year for Sweeney. Less than two weeks earlier, his son, John J. Sweeney, then 19, pleaded guilty to felony assault charges for his role in a fight that left another young man with skull factures and blurred vision. The younger Sweeney initially faced the prospect of spending up to 15 years in prison, but a plea deal gave him youthful offender status and a sentence that included four months of weekends in jail and community service.

Sweeney, 51, has blamed his political opponents for his son's prosecution on felony charges.

A skull fracture? And he thinks that isn't a felony? These men are simply out of control. More from the police:

``Complainant stated that she and husband got into verbal argument that turned a little physical by her being grabbed by the neck and pushed around the house,'' Gunsel wrote in the narrative portion of the blotter entry, according to the document. ``Suspect had scratches on face. Both parties refused medical attention. Complainant removed to friend's house for the evening ... refused any type of prosicution (sic) arrest.''

His opponent is Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand. Read More......

My "Larry King Live" appearance yesterday

Parts 1 and 2, it's 13 minutes in total, ugh.



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Wash Post: Allen supporters shove, put into a chokehold and throw against a window man who asked Allen question at press conference

Washington Post

A Democratic activist who verbally confronted U.S. Sen. George Allen (R) at a campaign rally in Charlottesville today was shoved, put into a chokehold and thrown against a window by three men wearing Allen stickers, according to a widely disseminated video of the incident.

W. Michael Stark, who identified himself in an e-mail after the incident as a law student, yelled a question at Allen about whether he had ever spit on his first wife, an unsubstantiated charge that has been circulating on liberal blogs on the Internet. Allen supporters hauled him away from the senator as television cameras rolled....

The event was caught on tape by a local television station, and was broadcast widely on CNN today. Within hours, the video was also uploaded to YouTube, a video-sharing Web site.

In the video, Stark can be seen being shoved back by several Allen supporters. A man puts a choke hold on Stark, who wiggles out and struggles. The man then wrestles Stark to the ground, knocking his head on a window.

You can see the video, and still photos of it, here. There's an even better video clip here. In this last clip, it's clear there was no provocation for the assault. Read More......

Cliff exposes the ugly side of Lieberman

Cliff Schechter takes an in-depth look at the real Joe Lieberman. Behind the sanctimonious persona lies a Senator who will do and say almost anything. It's not a pretty picture -- and Joe isn't a guy who should be Senator. Read the whole article titled, "Joe Lieberman's Endless Hypocrisy." But this excerpt gives the flavor:

It is this willingness to say or do whatever is necessary to hold on to his U.S. Senate seat, damn the consequences to what he claimed to believe last year or even last week, that makes Lieberman, a smarmy, power-hungry little yapping poodle of a politician, the perfect poster-boy for the amoral might-makes-right culture that currently animates our political system.

Ever since Lieberman defeated elder statesman Weicker in that 1988 race, largely by portraying him as weak on Communism -- along the way garnering the support of William F. Buckley and the McCarthy-loving National Review -- there hasn't been a single issue on which Lieberman has been willing to risk an unpopular position or maintain a modicum of consistency.

He would seemingly invade Cuba tomorrow, but charges forth into slave-labor trade deals with Communist China at the behest of his corporate paymasters (and at the expense of his constituents' jobs). He once marched with Martin Luther King Jr., yet now forebodingly and dishonestly refers to Al Sharpton as "one of Ned Lamont's closest advisors," hoping the mere mention of the controversial African-American preacher will summon white-suburban fears of unruly invading black hordes who crave white women and seek Rotary Club membership.

Sharpton's response? "I've given more advice to Joe Lieberman than I've given to Ned Lamont," he told Election Central's Greg Sargent.

Veterans, health care, the environment. Lieberman has dissed them all.

Worst of all, Joe has been a leader of the "Stay the Course" cheering section for his good friend, George Bush. Connecticut showed America they were willing to change the course when Joe lost in August. Now, they can change the course for sure when Joe loses in next week. Read More......

Iraqi Prime Minister al Maliki demands US call off effort to find abducted American soldier, Bush agrees

This is sickening:

Exploiting GOP vulnerability in the Nov. 7 elections, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki flexed his political muscle Tuesday and won U.S. agreement to lift military blockades on Sadr City and another Shiite enclave where an American soldier was abducted.

U.S. forces, who had set up the checkpoints in Baghdad last week as part of an unsuccessful search for the soldier, drove away in Humvees and armored personnel carriers at the 5 p.m. deadline set by al-Maliki. Iraqi troops, who had manned the checkpoints with the Americans, loaded coils of razor wire and red traffic cones onto pickup trucks.

So the Prime Minister of the country we "saved" said we can't look for our missing soldier. And, George Bush said "okay."

Seriously, could Iraq be any more of a disaster? And could George Bush be any more off course? He just left a US soldier to die. Read More......

Latest on sexual assault allegations against Nevada GOP governor candidate

Big surprise, he's a sitting Republican US congressman. Read More......

Increasing numbers of American military officers want US to set a deadline for troop withdrawal in Iraq

So much for the latest lie from George Bush and the Republicans about Iraq.

LA Times

Growing numbers of American military officers have begun to privately question a key tenet of U.S. strategy in Iraq — that setting a hard deadline for troop reductions would strengthen the insurgency and undermine efforts to create a stable state.

Had enough? Read More......

Why George Allen's supporters (staff?) attacked a man today at a press conference

Because the man, Mike Stark, a UVA law student and former US Marine, asked a question about a story that's been discussed for a while now, but the media has yet to report: Why Virginia Senator George Allen has sealed his divorce records and won't explain why there were warrants out for his arrest in the 1970s?

There have been rumors that the divorce records included details of Allen's treatment of his wife, including a rumor that Allen spit on his former wife. That is what Mike Stark's question was about - whether Allen did in fact spit on his former wife.

Do you think those divorce records and arrest warrants are news now? Read More......

BREAKING: Virginia GOP Senator George Allen staffers tackle/assault man asking Allen question at event

UPDATE: AP now has the story. CNN showed the video.

UPDATE: The man assaulted is Mike Stark, a first year law student at the University of Virginia. I have Mike's email contact info for any journalists who would like to speak with him. Email me.

And there's video. You really need to watch this video. The reporter says the man was simply asking questions that the Allen staff thought were rude. So they tackled the guy and threw him against a window. George Allen's sticker is clearly visible on the guy who grabbed the questioner in a headlock. According to NBC, when Allen was asked later about the assault he replied that stuff like this happens.

You are witnessing a multi-million dollar lawsuit, not to mention a crime.



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Happy Halloween - watch it

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Latest AMERICAblog fundraising tallies

Well, we're almost at $100,000 after 9 days or so of fundraising. That's damn good in any universe, let alone considering this is the first time we've tried to fundraise for candidates. You guys really came through, and I know the candidates appreciate it - several of them have contacted us in person. So thank you. We've intentionally picked races, for the most part, where your contributions, even a small contribution, will buy a lot of advertising and voter turnout efforts. Remember what Jill Derby (NV-02) said, she needs $50 a precinct for their "get out the vote" operation. Every little bit helps. Again, thank you.

Now, time for a little challenge. I've set some fundraising goals for each candidate (you'll find them in the chart below), some more ambitious (for candidates that I can tell you guys really like - like Duckworth, Wulsin, Paccione and Kleeb - and some less ambitious. Let's see if you can meet them. Please :-)



Use the links at the top of the blog, or in the left-hand column of the blog, to donate. And fyi, we lost the feed for the minute-by-minute updates as to fundraising totals, now you need to click on the "contribute" button to see the latest donation totals (don't worry, clicking "contribute" will not commit you to anything, it just links to the donor page). Read More......

Arizona Senate race is tightening, Pederson is on the move

The Arizona Senate race between Democrat Jim Pederson and incumbent Jon Kyl hasn't been garnering a lot of attention outside of Arizona. But the state-based media is reporting on a close race. Tight and tightening are the operative words in Arizona.

Today's headline in the Arizona Republic reads "Giuliani touts Kyl's experience in tight Senate race."

Also today, the Tuscon Citizen reported:

The U.S. Senate race has shown signs of tightening in recent weeks. Pederson spent much of the year 10 to 20 percentage points behind Kyl. Polls now show Pederson within 6 points - largely because Pima County has begun to warm to him, Merrill said.

Governor Janet Napolitano is way ahead. There are three key House races in the state, too. The Democrats in Arizona know how to do the ground game. I've heard (from someone who really knows) that the coordinated campaign is very impressive. One of the best around. They're hitting thousands of doors targeting the infrequent Democratic voters -- the people who don't vote in non-Presidential years. Those are the votes they really need to win this year.

Put the Arizona Senate race on your radar screen. Read More......

Republicans on House intel get desperate

There's a battle going on just beneath the pre-election radar that involves some of the issues you've read about recently on this blog, and it seems that Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee are trying to start a witch hunt against the Democratic staffers who have successfully fought back against some of the greatest idiocies of this past Congressional session.

After accusing a Democratic staffer of leaking the terrorism NIE that helped show the American public just how bad a strategic error Iraq continues to be, and revoking his clearance and smearing his name without a shred of evidence, House Republicans then announced a plan to investigate all Democratic intel staffers, including phone logs, email, and all other 'relevant' records. The staffer has signed a sworn affadavit that he had nothing to do with the leak, but in the face of such Republican perfidy, it's having little effect. These McCarthyist tactics -- and I don't use that description lightly, but this staffer was accused without any apparent evidence, on a political basis, and has been the target of physical threats and baseless vilification -- are yet another example of the shameful and harmful politicization of intelligence.

Republicans are afraid of the U.S. knowing just how badly they've governed, especially when it comes to Iraq, the war on terror, and the intelligence process. Their panic and retaliation in this case is a sure sign that they are willing to do ruin innocent, hard-working civil servants to cover up their failures of leadership and government.

Josh Marshall has an excellent wrap-up that includes (House Intel ranking member) Rep. Harman's response; America Abroad examines the timeline that appears to prove the innocence of the staffer. Read More......

Menendez moving ahead in New Jersey

Independent polls have Bob Menendez moving in to a solid lead in New Jersey.

CNN:

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez held a 51-44 percent edge among likely voters over his GOP challenger, state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. However, that gap was within the sampling error.

Quinnipiac:

Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez has a 49 - 44 percent likely voter lead over Republican State Sen. Tom Kean, Jr., according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Six percent remain undecided and 12 percent of those who name a candidate say they might change their mind before Election Day.

The movement is in the right direction. New Jersey is a Democratic state, but the GOP brain trust thought they had a chance with Kean, Jr. Wrong. Read More......

Key to redistricting, state legislative races show potential for Democratic pickups

Those races further down the ticket have national implications. Today's NY Times examines what's happening in the state legislative races -- and why they matter:

Most significantly, the groundwork for redrawing Congressional districts after the 2010 census will be done under the 50 capitol domes, and the party in power will set the table for those discussions in ways favorable to its interests. Gains made this year, analysts say, will help give incumbents a leg up in the final elections leading up to the redistricting.

If the Democrats take control of a majority of the legislatures, which polls indicate could happen, women could also attain leadership positions in greater numbers, since Democratic women in state capitals outnumber Republican women by nearly two to one. The next generation of national political leaders, by tradition, is nurtured in the state legislatures.

The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) will be spending around $10 million this year to help Democrats in state legislative races. But, the GOP is spending double that amount. However, the Times predicts that the Democrats could "possibly gain[ ] control of a majority of state capitols for the first time in a decade."

In addition to redistricting, state legislatures do provide future Congressional leaders -- on both sides. Some of the biggest menaces in Congress, like Marilyn Musgrave, got their start in state legislatures. Beat the evil ones in their state races so we don't have to deal with them later on.

Show some love to your state legislative candidates and the DLCC. Those candidates are on the very front lines and often serve as the backbone of get-out-the-vote efforts. Read More......

Tuesday Morning Open Thread

One week left. Tony Snow is on the Today Show smiling and spinning away. The Bush White House sure loves Michael Steele in Maryland. Steele likes to pretend he doesn't love Bush back so much. But, Snow said he will be the Bush surrogate campaigning for Steele tomorrow.

New firewall state polls from CNN. In Missouri, McCaskill and Talent are tied at 49 among likely voters. In Tennessee, Corker is ahead of Ford 52 - 44 among likely voters. In Virginia, Webb leads Allen by a margin of 50 - 46 also among likely voters.

The issue is Iraq. Turnout is the key. Read More......

Blair wants to just say "no"

...to an official inquiry into the Iraq fiasco. With all of the failures, lies and death it comes as no surprise that he wants to kill this inquiry but it looks like that might not happen.

Tony Blair faces the risk of a humiliating Commons defeat today over his refusal to allow a wide-ranging inquiry into the crisis in Iraq. The Tories, Liberal Democrats and as many as 40 Labour rebels are threatening to support a nationalist demand for a parliamentary examination of the war and its aftermath.

The suggestion of any investigation is being fiercely opposed by Downing Street, which argues that it would undermine the British forces and give succour to Iraqi insurgents.

David Cameron turned up the pressure on the Prime Minister by warning that the Tories were ready to vote against the Government unless it bowed to demands for an inquiry.

Imagine that...an opposition. I am looking forward to seeing an opposition in a matter of weeks in the US. We are in desperate need of asking questions and forcing the administration to answer. I know that the GOP doesn't believe in asking questions but sweeping it all under the rug is no answer and no way to run a great country. Read More......

More Iraqi troops? A good idea in theory, but in reality?

I'm just back from the US, despite the best efforts of United Airlines to make a mess of my flight home. What a difference a few years makes, as I struggled to hear anyone say anything positive about either Bush or Iraq. A few years ago when I questioned the intelligence of invading, I was called anti-American, as if questioning the support of an invasion with no evidence was somehow anti-American. Now, even the most loyal Republicans that I met were overflowing with negativity towards the war and unflattering words for Bush. Even as I overhead conversations on the trains, I heard lots of complaints about the failures and incompetence of the administration.

What struck me as especially interesting (though depressing) was a conversation I had with a family member of a US soldier who served in Iraq. I think that I now see where the missing $800M has gone over there, or at least a chunk of it. This person told me that on patrols in Iraq when US (and Iraqi) soldiers encountered insurgents, they would be fighting against well trained people who were all too often geared up in American uniforms and weapons that were provided to the Iraqi army. How can we ask American troops to engage an enemy that is equipped by America? What a bizarre situation and it unfortunately highlights the failures of this administration and Congress to offer any oversight.

So now when I read that the US wants more Iraqi troops, I wonder where the hell they have been so far, what has taken them so long and can we afford to equip more of them only to see them pass on everything they have to the other side? Who hasn't had enough of this rubbish? Read More......

Check out the kid, then check out the guy on the right

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Wash Post: "May take decades" for Iraqi security forces to be ready to take over for US troops

DECADES.

The top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., predicted last week that Iraqi security forces would be able to take control of the country in 12 to 18 months. But several days spent with American units training the Iraqi police illustrated why those soldiers on the ground believe it may take decades longer than Casey's assessment....

"I wouldn't let half of them feed my dog," 1st Lt. Floyd D. Estes Jr., a former head of the police transition team, said of the Iraqi police. "I just don't trust them."....

[Jon Moore, the deputy team chief] estimated it would take 30 to 40 years before the Iraqi police could function properly, perhaps longer if the militia infiltration and corruption continue to increase. His colleagues nodded.

"It's very, very slow-moving," Estes said.

"No," said Sgt. 1st Class William T. King Jr., another member of the team. "It's moving in reverse."

I'm sorry, did we say 18 months? We meant 40 years.

Had enough? Read More......

Back from CNN

I just got back from CNN, doing Larry King Live. Thanks for all the comments, I just read the thread below that Joe started. It didn't feel that great when I was there, so I appreciate hearing that it went well from your perspective. It was very strange, having 5 people on the panel, and most of us in different cities. I find that a very confusing way to have a conversation. I also was hoping to talk more about specific races, like Kleeb in Nebraska, Derby in Nevada, Paccione in Colorado - races that show how badly things are going for the Republicans even in states and regions that are/were solidly Republican. Oh well.

I did have a fun time in the Green Room (the room they have you wait in before you go on). James Carville was there, so had a long talk with him about the races. The man is just plain funny, and smart as hell. He came in laughing and asked if I'd seen him on Wolf's show a minute before, right before 8pm. I told him no, sorry, I was getting a tour of the studio. Apparently Carville told Wolf "I came on here to talk about my children's book"!

I'm working on the video of the segment, maybe will get it up later tonight or tomorrow. Read More......

Cook Report: "There is no ebb in the wave"

NOTE FROM JOHN: Cook says Paccione and Kleeb are both gaining in the polls.

The Cook Political Report released a slew of new ratings changes today. All of them are headed in the right direction -- and they are in places where the GOP usually rules. Charlie Cook provided this update:

With the election just eight days away, there are no signs that this wave is abating. Barring a dramatic event, we are looking at the prospect of GOP losses in the House of at least 20 to 35 seats, possibly more, and at least four in the Senate, with five or six most likely.

Governor's rating changes:

AK Open Lean Republican to Toss Up

ID Open Lean Republican to Toss Up

Yes, Alaska and Idaho.

Now check out the House changes. There have been positive upgrades in some of the key races we've all been supporting. This is very encouraging:

AZ-05 Hayworth [Mitchell] Lean Republican to Toss Up

CA-11 Pombo [McNerney] Lean Republican to Toss Up

CO-04 Musgrave [Paccione] Lean Republican to Toss Up

CO-05 Open [Fawcett v. Lambron] Likely Republican to Lean Republican

IA-01 Open [Braley v. Whalen] Toss Up to Lean Democratic

KS-02 Ryun [Boyda] Likely Republican to Toss Up

MN-01 Gutknecht [Walz] Lean Republican to Toss Up

NE-03 Open [Kleeb v. Smith] Likely Republican to Lean Republican

NH-02 Bass [Hodes] Lean Republican to Toss Up

OH-02 Schmidt [Wulsin] Lean Republican to Toss Up

WY-AL Cubin [Trauner] Lean Republican to Toss Up

CA-50 Bilbray [Busby] Likely Republican to Lean Republican

One week from tomorrow. Do everything you can do between now and then to make the change happen. Read More......

Open Thread

John's on Larry King Live at around 9:30 pm Eastern time tonight. He's on a panel discussing the elections.

Should be good. Read More......

Chicag Trib and Sun-Times both endorse Tammy Duckworth in suburban Chicago

Wow. That's rather amazing that she got the endorsement of the Trib. Their editorial board is decidedly conservative, and let's not forget that this is/was Henry Hyde's district. Wow.

Here is Tammy's final ad:



(Hat tip, Election Central) Read More......

Our message over the next week

Arianna says:

This election is about the fact that Republicans have made us less safe and that Congressional oversight is critical to ensure that Bush and company, with their tragically misguided decisions on Iraq and homeland security, don't make us even less secure over the two years they have left. Period. End of message.

It's a good message. I'm going to try to use it tonight when I'm on Larry King Live at around 930pm Eastern or so :-) Read More......

DCCC jumping into Nebraska 03, Scott Kleeb's race

Markos is reporting that the DCCC (the Democratic organization that helps elect Dems to the US House) will be dropping new ads, money, and other support in a number of additional races, including Scott Kleeb's race in Nebraska 03, and a number of other races that we've been pushing the past week.

Among the races we've been talking about, and fundraising for, that the DCCC is now going to be offering more help:

WA 05: Peter Goldmark
MN 01: Tim Walz
NY 25: Dan Maffei
IL 10: Dan Seals
NV 02: Jill Derby
NE 03: Scott Kleeb
KS 02: Nancy Boyda

Excellent, Smithers. Read More......

District Attorney re-opens investigation of assault charge against GOP Congressman/Candidate for Governor Jim Gibbons

AP reports some big news -- that spells big trouble for the GOP -- in Nevada:

The district attorney said Monday that authorities have reopened their investigation into a cocktail waitress' claim that a Republican congressman running for governor assaulted her in a parking garage after a night of drinking.

District Attorney David Roger said the case involving Rep. Jim Gibbons - which had been closed after the woman, Chrissy Mazzeo, dropped charges - is under investigation again.

Earlier today, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported that the victim in the incident was prepared to press charges:

Cocktail waitress Chrissy Mazzeo will press forward and formally request that authorities investigate her allegations that Rep. Jim Gibbons assaulted her, the woman's lawyer said Sunday.

"I will be going to the district attorney first thing in the morning to find out how to proceed," said Richard Wright, the attorney representing the 32-year-old single mother. Mazzeo will give "absolute total cooperation in a thorough investigation," Wright said.

This case has had many twists and turns. The latest involves the appearance of previously missing surveillance tapes. That was apparently the tipping point for Ms. Mazzeo. Read More......

New poll shows Paccione ahead of Musgrave in Colorado

Very interesting. While the poll didn't include the independent candidate, who has been polling as high as 10%, the same polling company did a survey in August that also didn't include the independent candidate. What they found is that Paccione was behind in August, and she's ahead now, which means the momentum is clearly on her side. And the local media is taking note.

This is perfect timing, one week before the election, for the public perception to be momentum in one candidate's favor.

The 4th Congressional District race has tightened considerably, according to a new independent poll, with Democrat Angie Paccione now showing a slight lead that’s within the survey’s margin of error....

A pervious poll by the same two companies – one that regularly polls for Democrats and the other for Republicans – showed Musgrave with a six-point lead in late August. That poll also didn’t include Eidsness....

[T]he National Republican Congressional Committee spent $19,000 for two polls in the 4th Congressional District in October, according to Federal Election Commission records. While the NRCC didn’t make public the results of those polls, the committee spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on anti-Paccione ads immediately following both surveys, FEC records show.

The Republicans did a private poll, then freaked out. That tells you everything you need to know. We are on the verge of a possible landslide election nationwide.

Angie Paccione (CO-04): $

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It's official, GOP is freaking out over House race in Nebraska

From the Lincoln Journal Star:

It is obvious now. The late injection of national Republican money and TV ads into Nebraska’s 3rd District congressional race is confirmation the GOP fears it may be about to lose a “safe” House seat in eight days....

No one is sharing results from the Republican poll, but it’s clear they were sufficiently alarming for the GOP to send in the cavalry with TV ads attacking Kleeb.

One recent private poll in the district showed Kleeb moving into a narrow lead....

The Sidney Sun-Telegraph, which chose Pete Ricketts over Ben Nelson in the Senate race, endorsed Kleeb with this observation: “As we watched Kleeb speak at the Sidney Community Center, we could not help notice just how many Republicans came out to meet the Democratic candidate.”

We’ve got a race to the wire out there with a week to go.

Kleeb on horseback in TV ads; Smith riding an elephant.

Scott Kleeb (NE-03) $

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Poll: Bush popularity is stalled

A wise man once said:

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again."

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One of the fathers of the 1994 Republican Revolution slams religious right

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Challenge time!

Let's see how much you can donate to the AMERICAblog-endorsed candidates above - and don't forge the 13 new candidates posted in the left-hand column - before Blogger dies again.

On that front, Colorado Republicans are increasingly freaking out - they're in full meltdown mode, and our Angie Paccione is helping fuel the meltdown. Also, I hear that the anti-farm-subsidies Club for Growth and the Republicans are probably going to be kicking in nearly a quarter of a million dollars to take down our favorite cowboy, Scott Kleeb (D-NE).

So do what you can to help, please :-) Read More......

CNN hosting blogger event election night - I'll be attending

Wouldn't it be fun for me to blast Google and Blogger on TV before millions of Americans? Read More......

Calls increase for GOP Senator George Allen to explain his multiple arrest warrants

From the DSCC:

VA STATE BAR PRESSED TO RELEASE ALLEN APPLICATION DETAILING HIS ARREST RECORDS

Stonewall: Allen Refuses To Say Why He Was Arrested, Refuses To Release Documentation Detailing Arrests

With George Allen refusing to explain why multiple warrants were issued for his arrest, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee today asked the Virginia State Bar to release Allen’s bar application. Allen would have had to explain the warrants on the application and its contents could be the only document shedding light on his arrests. A copy of the letter is below:

October 30, 2006

Virginia State Bar
Attn: Thomas A. Edmonds, Executive Director
707 East Main Street
Suite 1500
Richmond, Virginia 23219-2800

Dear Mr. Edmonds:

I am writing today to request that you make public the application Senator George Felix Allen submitted to the Virginia State Bar Association.

In the late 1970s, Mr. Allen applied to, and was subsequently admitted to, the Virginia State Bar. Mr. Allen’s Bar application was submitted less than five years after two arrest warrants were issued in his name in Albemarle County, Virginia. Since the official arrest records have been purged, your organization may be one of a handful with official documentation regarding these arrests.

Mr. Allen’s name appears in an Albemarle County court index from 1974 and a campaign aide claims Allen was arrested for unpaid parking tickets and fishing without a license. To date, though, Mr. Allen has refused to produce any written documentation verifying his explanation for why the warrants were issued and has not personally addressed the matter.

As such, we are asking that the Virginia State Bar immediately release Mr. Allen’s Bar application on which he was asked about his arrest record. The application will shed light on whether Mr. Allen was arrested for unpaid parking tickets or for something much more severe like assault or battery.

With Mr. Allen suspiciously refusing to disclose the details of his arrests to the public, releasing this information may be the only way for Virginians to learn the truth about Mr. Allen’s arrest record.

Thank you for your kind consideration and timely response.


Sincerely,
J.B. Poersch
Executive Director

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Blogger Is Basically Dead

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GOP invited known porn star to dinner with Bush, lunch with Rove, AGAIN in 2006

NOTE: Blogger has died again. We are doing all we can to launch AMERICAblog 2.0 on its own server this week.

Remember how I wrote earlier about how the Republicans gladly and openly accepted a $5000 donation from porn superstar Mary Carey last year? Well Carey donated again this year, and again the Republican party was happy to accept her donation AND to give her the reward of a dinner and lunch with George Bush and Karl Rove. Carey had the following to say on her return to Washington:

"I'm always excited to learn more about what's going on in our nation's capital, since most people in the porn industry think an Iraqi pullout is a form of safe sex."

And the best part, the Republican party invited her to come. Who exactly invited her? Why, none other than embattled Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-NY) and his Nation Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

Yep, money she earned she earned having sex with men and women on a film set, that's the money the GOP gladly accepted. Then they invited her to have dinner with George Bush. And keep in mind that Carey attended last year as well, and caused a media firestorm. So the GOP knew all about her, and had no problem inviting her again.

You can find out more about George Bush's invited dinner guest here via her video interview with, uh, Rusty Boner.

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Which races to watch closely on election night

A very interesting analysis from ContraPositive blog, looking at election night, hour by hour, as each region's polls close, noting which races are the most important to watch for the trends they may suggest for the rest of the evening. It's very interesting, check it out. Read More......

Stay the course statistics: 100 US troops killed in Oct.

When the war plan is a campaign slogan, this is what we get:

A bomb tore through food stalls and kiosks in a sprawling Shiite slum Monday, killing at least 31 people, while the U.S. military announced the death of the 100th servicemember in Iraq this month.

The 6:15 a.m. explosion in Sadr City targeted poor Shiites who gather there each morning hoping to be hired as construction workers. At least 51 people were wounded, said police Maj. Hashim al-Yasiri.

In eight days, we can change the course, finally. Read More......

Open thread

Tomorrow starts a very busy week. Read More......

Wyoming US House race, Dem almost tied with Republican now

That's how bad things have gotten for the Republicans, they're fighting to hold onto Wyoming, where Gary Trauner is fighting on behalf of the Dems. You can give Gary a little love via the link at the top of the blog. Read More......

More fall-out from Lynne Cheney losing it on Friday's CNN show

Wolf Blitzer responded today to VP wife Lynne Cheney's bizarre performance on CNN this past Friday. Cheney, who used to co-host CNN's uber-combattive show Crossfire, pretended she was just a little old southern belle on Friday and couldn't believe the big bad Wolf was asking her serious questions about the politics of the day, including questions about the lesbian sex novel she wrote called "Sisters." Oh puhleeze, Cheney is a longtime political hack and hardly some newby to national TV. Our own Joe in DC debated her on Crossfire years ago and, well, let's just say that if she weren't sitting in that chair...

ThinkProgress has Wolf's comment on l'Affaire Cheney from today's CNN show.

I'd also add, as an aside, that Cheney had the audacity to ask Wolf "do you want us to win?" the war in Iraq. A comment I find extremely troubling from a national political figure in a democracy. CNN's job isn't to help the US, or anybody else, win or lose. Their job is to report the news. Aside from reporting a story that they know, or suspect, will cause massive damage to US national security, it is not the media's job in a democracy to further some governmental agenda. Mrs. Cheney knows that, but she, like so many others now leading the Republican party, don't really believe in democracy. So it's no wonder she wants to know whose team the press is on since in her sick little world freedom is always partisan.

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Former GOP House Majority Leader Dick Armey blasts GOP

From the Washington Post:

Now spending is out of control. Rather than rolling back government, we have a new $1.2 trillion Medicare prescription drug benefit, and non-defense discretionary spending is growing twice as fast as it had in the Clinton administration. Meanwhile, Social Security is collapsing while rogue nations are going nuclear and the Middle East is more combustible than ever. Yet Republican lawmakers have taken up such issues as flag burning, Terri Schiavo and same-sex marriage.

They're fooling only themselves.

Then Armey loses his mind, and ironically pulls the same gay boogeyman out of his hat that he just criticized the GOP for pulling:

In essence, Pelosi will be forced to choose between a vocal base -- expecting immediate satisfaction on issues such as withdrawing from Iraq, legalizing same-sex marriage and the impeachment of President Bush -- or policies that are tolerable to a majority of Americans. That's quite a dilemma: appeasing a base that has been hungry for political revenge since 2000 and 2004, or alienating moderate and swing voters.

Oh puhleeze. No one, and I mean NO ONE, is calling for Congress to legalize same-sex marriage any time soon. That's just absurd. As for withdrawing from Iraq - newsflash, Mr. Armey - that would be over 60% of the country that wants us out of there. And finally, impeachment is hardly the top priority for Democrats, though it's understandable why it seems to be the top Republican fear. Breaking six years worth of laws and constitutional protections has a way of instilling fear in people who grow too proud. Read More......

GOP Rep. Barbara Cubin's slap

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Latests numbers on overall House and Senate

DailyKos has a really nice summary of many of the top pollsters and what they're currently saying about how many seats the Ds and Rs will get in the House and Senate come election day. Read More......

GOP porn scandal widens: In addition to accepting donations from gay "porn king," GOP also took money from "porn queen" Mary Carey

You'll recall that late last night Josh Marshall reported that the national Republican party has repeatedly accepted donations from one of the top gay porn producers in the country. This story is relevant since the Republicans have been hitting Democrat Harold Ford in Tennessee with ads claiming he took donations from a Hollywood porn producer.

Now, as you might imagine, the Republicans will probably say they had no idea they were taking money from a man whose living is making films such as "Fire in the Hole", "Flesh and Boners", even a "Velvet Mafia" series.

But that excuse rings hollow when you consider that the GOP had no problem tarring Harold Ford with the same charge. But far more damning is the fact that the Republican party has a history of accepting money from the porn industry. It hasn't just happened before - the GOP openly welcomed porn money.

Case in point, my girl Mary Carey, who just last year gave $5,000 to the GOP, the GOP knew who she was, and they gladly accepted her money made from screwing guys on film. (Visit Mary Carey's Web site, but be warned, this link is not work-friendly, though Lynne Cheney might disagree.)

Mary is one of the top female porn stars in America. She is the lead thespian in such movies as "Tit Happens," "Lesbian Big Boob Bangeroo" ("Eight kinky, nasty, big-titted, snatch-sucking, muff-diving, pussy-eating, horny sluts can't seem to get enough of that sweet cooch juice!"), and "Everybody Loves Big Boobies."

Mary and her boss donated $5000 last year to the National Republican Congress Committee (NRCC) - the organization that helps elect Republicans to the US House, and which is ironically headed by embattled Congressman Tom Reynolds (R-NY), who is now embroiled in the Mark Foley child sex predator scandal. Their $5k donation got them dinner with the president and a slew of top Republican congressional leaders, and even lunch with Karl Rove.

And before you say the Republicans had no idea they were taking a porn superstar's money, think again:

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Carl Forti admitted as much to the AP and said, “Their money was donated to the NRCC. The NRCC’s job is to elect Republicans. We’ll take that money and use it to elect more Republicans.”

Yes, Mr. Reynold's top staffer on the NRCC knowingly, openly, and gladly, took money from one of the top porn stars in America. And he had no qualms doing it.

Now ask yourself again if the Republican party had no knowledge that they were taking money repeatedly from the the gay porn king of America? And then ask yourself why the Republicans seem more concerned about Democrats accepting porn money than the porn-lovers in their own midst. Answer: The GOP only pretends to care about religious right values. And so long as the religious right doesn't make the GOP pay a price for taking them for granted, the GOP will continue to cavort with gay porn kings.

And they'll even continue to take the money of a porn superstar who told me last year (and I have it on tape) that she wants to have a lesbian menage-a-trois with the Bush twins:

"Oh my God, his daughters! I’d LOVE to party with his daughters. I’d love to meet them. I totally want to have sex with them. You can write it the day after I leave here."

This ain't your daddy's Republican party. Read More......

NBC: Mark Foley investigation will shortly "widen"

Watch the video on Huffington Post. Read More......

Iraqis to announce Saddam verdict 2 days before the US elections this fall

UPDATE: I'd written this hours ago, but since Blogger doesn't work anymore you're seeing it now. Anyway, there's an update - it seems the Iraqis may be getting the message that it doesn't help their image as George Bush's poodle to be seen trying to influence the US elections in favor of Bush's party.

That is simply outrageous. The Bush administration has clearly arranged this, there is no other possibility. The Iraqi government should immediately demand that the verdict be postponed 3 days until after the US elections. This is simply outrageous that the Iraqi government is conspiring with the Bush administration in order to influence the US elections. It's also rather ironic that the US puppet Prime Minister in Iraq Nouri al-Maliki spent the past week visiting his masters in Washington, DC, all the while proclaiming that he was a real boy and not a wooden toy, and now we find out that he's doing George Bush's bidding by interfering with the US elections on behalf of George Bush's party.

Is Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki his own man, or a US puppet who is more concerned with interfering with America's democracy than shoring up his own? I think we have our answer.

It's no wonder the Iraqis don't trust al-Maliki. He's nothing more than a member of the Bush administration, about as high up on the totem pole as Barney. Pathetic. Read More......

Dems ahead in Maryland Gov. and Senate races

(NOTE: Blogger is down AGAIN. We, like every other blog on Blogger, are only able to post intermittently - literally we're publishing each post a good 50 to 100 times before it shows up. We are frantically trying to launch the new blog, with a new non-Blogger server this week. And for any tech repoters out there, Blogger is lying to you. They're saying if we'd just switch to Blogger Beta everything would be fine. Well guess what - you have to be invited to join Blogger Beta, and haven't been invited, nor has anyone else I know. Not to mention, the fine print tells you that blogs of over a few thousand posts, which is every decent sized blog out there, can't use the beta yet. So basically, Blogger is melting down the week before the elections and Blogger and Google are making excuses. Nice.)

This is welcome news 10 days out. Bush is bringing down the GOP in Maryland, too:

A strong Democratic tide in Maryland threatens to swamp Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s reelection bid and bolsters the party's efforts to retain control of an important U.S. Senate seat, according to a new Washington Post poll.

Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley (D) held a 10 percentage point lead over Ehrlich, and Democratic Senate nominee Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin had a similar advantage over Republican Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele among likely voters in the Post poll, which was conducted last Sunday through Thursday. The leads were well beyond the survey's three percentage point margin of error.

Steele has been getting buzz, but it's not translating in to support. People in Maryland know he really is a Bush Republican. Read More......