China steps up arrests ahead of Olympics

Nothing says "Olympic spirit" quite like arresting activists. It's best that we provide a full spectacle and play along with the show or else the regime may get angry and heavens no, we could never have that. The activists are so extreme, they had the nerve to question poor construction in Sichuan where buildings collapsed during the earthquake, leading to thousands of dead school children. Obviously these are dangerous people.

When world leaders make the unusual decision to attend the Olympic opening ceremony, this is what they are condoning. Attending is anything but typical so leaders such as Bush made a specific change to stand by the leaders of China as props in their big theatrical display. What a bunch of stooges and lapdogs. Who would ever imagine a US President being a stage prop for communist China? Read the rest of this post...

Oil bounces back

That was a brief drop. Oil is back over $141 with all of the normal excuses for price increases. Read the rest of this post...

In Pittsburgh, McCain tells "a rather moving story" about himself that turns out to be wrong

From Jake Tapper:

Asked what first comes to his mind when he thinks of Pittsburgh, McCain chuckled, "the Steelers. I was a mediocre high school athlete but I loved and adored the sports but the Steelers really made a huge impression on me particularly in my early years."

And then McCain told a rather moving story about his time as a P.O.W. "When I was first interrogated and really had to give some information because of the pressures, physical pressures on me, I named the starting lineup, defensive line of the Pittsburgh Steelers as my squadron mates."

"Did you really?" asked the reporter.

"Yes," McCain said.

"In your POW camp?" asked the reporter.

"Yes," McCain said.

"Could you do it today?" asked the reporter.

"No, unfortunately," McCain said.

Here's one reason he likely couldn't do it today -- the Steelers aren't the team whose defensive line McCain named for his Vietnamese tormentors. The Green Bay Packers are. At least according to every previous time McCain has told this story. And the McCain campaign just told ABC News that the senator made a mistake -- it was, indeed, the Packers.

Hmm. Does anyone else find this incident in Pittsburgh disturbing? Before anyone rushes to defend McCain's heroism, this isn't about McCain the P.O.W. This is about McCain the candidate in 2008. McCain has every right to tell the story of his P.O.W. experience on the campaign trail. But, it's another thing when he changes the story to adapt to the particular battleground state where he's telling the story.

Hat tip Bush_Bites. Read the rest of this post...

Phil Gramm: You bunch of whiners, the video

Wow. In the post below, you can watch Obama's response to McCain's economic guru Phil Gramm. Now watch Gramm actually saying we've become "a nation of whiners." He's so smug and condescending:
Read the rest of this post...

Obama rebuts McCain/Gramm: "This economic downturn is not in your head"

This is fun to watch:

Read the rest of this post...

Got a question for John McCain? He's doing a tele-Town Hall meeting at 7:00 PM for Virginians tonight at 7 PM

I'm sure he'd love to hear from all of you.

John McCain is having a tele-townhall for VA residents at 7:00 PM . That means people can call into a toll-free number and ask him questions. It's very 80s. Keep in mind, we're told over and over and over how "Town Halls" are McCain's best venue so clearly he can handle any question. (Although, he may get a little testy.)

Here is the dial in:

Now, the McCain camp did just kick out a librarian from one of his town hall meetings, so if you don't want them to know who you are, block caller ID by dialing *67.

The call-in info:

1-877-850-4146, Passcode 84831

There are so many questions to ask McCain, here are a couple of suggestions:

1. Iraqi leaders are now "openly demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops" from their country. Why don’t you agree with them?

2. Our Senator Jim Webb recently passed improvements to the GI Bill. You did not support him -- and didn't bother to vote. How can you say you support the troops when you fail to help them get an education?

3. One of you top economic advisors Phil Gramm said yesterday the economic problems we are having are “mental recession” and that we’ve become a “nation of whiners.” Considering you in the past have said are economic problems are all psycological, do you agree with Senator Gramm? Do you think its appropriate to have someone who call our nation a “country of whiners” advising your campaign. Read the rest of this post...

Bush signs FISA law. ACLU sues to protect the U.S. Constitution.

George Bush signed the new FISA bill, which grants immunity to the telecoms, into law today. This was a big win for Bush and he dutifully thanked the Democrats like Steny Hoyer and Jay Rockefeller who made it happen.

But, because for some, the U.S. Constitution, including the Fourth Amendment, still matters, the ACLU is challenging the constitutionality of the new law in court. Hopefully, the courts will be the one branch of government that will respect the Constitution:

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a landmark lawsuit today to stop the government from conducting surveillance under a new wiretapping law that gives the Bush administration virtually unchecked power to intercept Americans’ international e-mails and telephone calls. The case was filed on behalf of a broad coalition of attorneys and human rights, labor, legal and media organizations whose ability to perform their work – which relies on confidential communications – will be greatly compromised by the new law.

This is the best quote from the release:

“A democratic system depends on the rule of law, and not even the president or Congress can authorize a law that violates core constitutional principles,” said Christopher Dunn, Associate Legal Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. “The only thing compromised in this so-called ‘compromise’ law is the Constitution.”

Democrats have an uncanny ability to compromise when it's not necessary and is actually counter-productive. For whatever reason, some in the Democratic brain trust, such as it is, finds it necessary to negotiate with George Bush, despite approval ratings hovering in the mid-20s. That may explain why the approval rating for Congress is even lower.

We need better Democrats -- and more of them. Read the rest of this post...

McCain has huge $95 million warchest available on his way to compiling a total of $400 million

As I wrote on Tuesday, the McCain campaign and the RNC are one and the same -- and they're flush with cash. As Jed wrote last month (and he was the first to figure this out), combining the McCain/RNC funds gives the Republican nominee a hugh financial advantage -- and dispels the idea that McCain is at a fundraising disadvantage. With George Bush out there raising RNC money, right now, McCain is sitting on $95 million:

The McCain campaign and Republican Party have nearly $95 million cash on hand combined for use in the presidential race, campaign manager Rick Davis said Thursday. He said the McCain camp had more than $27 million, and the Republican National Committee has more than $67 million.

And, they're planning on $400 million -- including the $85 million from the public finance system:

Davis said he hopes the campaign and party will be able to raise an additional $95 million by the end of the summer. Including the matching funds, he estimated the campaign would have a total $400 million budget through Election Day.

But, Obama is supposed to be worried about Hillary Clinton's debt so some of her supporters, who talk to the NY Times, won't be mad. Read the rest of this post...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in deep trouble - may need bailout

It's not that easy to raise capital these days thanks to the disastrous economic policies of the GOP. The only thing that is shocking at this point is that people so central to the current problems dismiss critics as "whiners" and still can't admit that they ushered in this new era. Even more shocking is that McCain is relying on one such person to be his economic brain. With more rumors about Lehman floating around today, it's hard to say where the government bailout will go next, though Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac appear to be next in line. How many Americans are going to be interested in more war spending after the next bailout?

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage lenders at the heart of the nation’s housing finances, fell to their lowest share prices in 17 years on Thursday on concern that the companies could face the possibility of a government bailout.

Provocative comments from a prominent central banker — who labeled the firms “technically insolvent” — and a harsh report about Freddie Mac from analysts at UBS led to a rapid sell-off of the companies’ shares.

Read the rest of this post...

McCain's top economic guru to America: You're a bunch of whiners

Phil Gramm, on behalf of John McCain:

"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession," he said, noting that growth has held up at about 1 percent despite all the publicity over losing jobs to India, China, illegal immigration, housing and credit problems and record oil prices. "We may have a recession; we haven't had one yet."

"We have sort of become a nation of whiners," he said. "You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline" despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy, he said.

Read the rest of this post...

Foreclosure filings jump 53% in June

Foreclosures happen, as Henry Paulson says, but only Wall Street deserves fast action and tens of billions in handouts. Phil Gramm is still trying to figure out what went wrong though he's putting those questions aside for the moment as he creates the new McCain economic plan. Hold on to your cash because he surely has a new way to send the economy down the drain.

For the first six months of the year 343,159 homes have been registered which is an increase of 136% from 2007. Read the rest of this post...

McCain keeps digging that Social Security hole

Earlier this week, McCain said Social Security was an "absolute disgrace."

Yesterday, McCain made it clear that "reforming Social Security" was part of his plan to reduce the deficit. In McCain world like Bush world, "reform" means "privatize." Jed has the video. Read the rest of this post...

Arlington Cemetery official fired for honoring the wishes of the families of deceased Iraq war soldiers. The Bush admin. wants no media coverage.

Usually, Dana Milbank's column in the Washington Post is a snarky take on Washington politics and politicians. Not today. He writes about Gina Gray, who got fired from her job at Arlington Cemetery. It's a must read about the continuing disrespect shown to the men and women who gave their lives for this country in the Iraq war.

After more than five years, the Bush administration still tries to hide the dead from Iraq -- refusing to let the families fully honor the soldiers who died. Right across the Potomac River from the White House, in a city crawling with press and t.v. cameras, the funerals of the fallen are conducted in a news blackout -- even when the families want the coverage. Gina Gray, who tried to change the procedures, got fired. If it's not the deplorable conditions at Walter Reed, which is just down 16th Street, from the White House, it's dishonoring the dead at Arlington. Yet, George Bush still claims to support the troops. It's beyond appalling:

When Gina Gray took over as the public affairs director at Arlington National Cemetery about three months ago, she discovered that cemetery officials were attempting to impose new limits on media coverage of funerals of the Iraq war dead -- even after the fallen warriors' families granted permission for the coverage. She said that the new restrictions were wrong and that Army regulations didn't call for such limitations.

Six weeks after The Washington Post reported her efforts to restore media coverage of funerals, Gray was demoted. Twelve days ago, the Army fired her.

"Had I not put my foot down, had I just gone along with it and not said regulations were being violated, I'm sure I'd still be there," said the jobless Gray, who, over lunch yesterday in Crystal City, recounted what she is certain is her retaliatory dismissal. "It's about doing the right thing."

Army Secretary Pete Geren, in an interview last night, said he couldn't comment on Gray's firing. But he said the overall policy at Arlington is correct. "It appears to me that we've struck the right balance, consistent with the wishes of the family," the secretary said.

They've struck the balance ordered by the Bush administration. Read the rest of this post...

On the disparity between Viagra v. Birth Control, the Straight Talker said "I certainly do not want to discuss that issue"

UPDATE: Think Progress posted video of this encounter last night. Watch it here. McCain is really uncomfortable and stumped on this issue -- keep in mind, it was McCain's surrogate, Carly Fiorina, who initially raised the issue.

____________________________________________

McCain and reporters usually have such fun on the Straight Talk Express -- as long as no one asks a difficult question. Someone broke the rules today and asked John McCain about a controversial issue raised by his top adviser, Carly Fiorina -- the different treatment by health insurers of Viagra, which is a benefit, and birth control, which isn't:

Maeve Reston of the Los Angeles Times, the pool reporter on the bus, asked McCain about comments advisor Carly Fiorina made earlier this week, calling it unfair that insurance companies cover Viagra but not birth control.

"I certainly do not want to discuss that issue," McCain said to nervous laughter, according to the pool report. He went on to say he did not know what he voted for on the issue.

"I'll look at my voting record on it," he said, before an extended pause. "I don't recall the vote right now. But I'll be glad to look at it and get back to you as to why."

Surely, Ms. Reston will be banned from the Straight Talk Express -- and none of the other reporters will talk to her anymore.

McCain may not know his record, but neither does Fiorina. They can, however, both read about it in the San Francisco Chronicle:

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, the nation's leading abortion and reproductive rights group, told The Chronicle that she sent Fiorina a copy of McCain's voting record on women's health issues this week after Fiorina publicly misrepresented McCain's positions.

Fiorina made the comments - reported by the Washington Post - during a speech about women and health insurance, in which she argued that "many health insurance plans cover Viagra but won't cover birth-control medication. Those women would like a choice."

Keenan said a McCain presidency would offer women no such choice. "Obviously, she doesn't know his record," she said. "He really did vote against a proposal that would have required insurance companies" to cover prescription contraception in the same way they pay for Viagra.

So, McCain doesn't know his own record and doesn't talk about this issue -- and Fiorina got McCain's record wrong. Not such Straight Talkers after all.

See, I made it through this post without any cheap jokes about McCain getting all nervous about discussing Viagra. Read the rest of this post...

Thursday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Is it me or does the McCain campaign increasingly seem like it is just out-of-control? It's not just the staff mayhem, which is bad enough. Everyone associated with the campaign seems to say whatever they want -- and a lot of it is unrelated to McCain's record or positions. I'm beginning to think this is just McCain's operating style -- but no one's paid close enough attention before to notice. Just seems like it's not exactly the best way to manage a campaign -- or the country.

Start threading the news.... Read the rest of this post...

Airline industry asking customers to lobby Congress on oil

Sure, speculation is part of the problem but what about decades of ignoring the issue? I still recall the airline industry receiving a $15 billion bailout a few years ago which was pretty healthy considering the cutbacks that targeted the employees and never the board rooms. The airline industry can go Cheney themselves if they think I would waste one second helping them out. Instead of spending so much time and money figuring out how to lobby Congress and deliver terrible service to consumers, they could have spent their money much more wisely.

If the airline industry cutbacks were across the board, maybe, but it's been a steady decline for travelers as well as the bulk of employees so they'll find no sympathy from me. Space on flights has been shrinking for years, well before the high oil prices and the service? Don't even get me started. The US carriers are consistently the nastiest I've encountered across six continents of travel. Charging for water when there is no potable water available on a flight? I don't even see how this is legal other than their previous lobbying efforts. Lobby this. Read the rest of this post...

Bush: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter"

Nice sign off by Bush to the G8 leaders. Surprising that he was so weak on making progress on climate change with this attitude though he defended his friends right until the end. The latest announcement by the G8 on climate change is as worthless as every other statement.

President George Bush signed off with a defiant farewell over his refusal to accept globahttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifl climate change targets at his last G8 summit.

As he prepared to fly out from Japan, he told his fellow leaders: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

President Bush made the private joke in the summit's closing session, senior sources said yesterday. His remarks were taken as a two-fingered salute from the President from Texas who is wedded to the oil industry. He had given some ground at the summit by saying he would "seriously consider" a 50 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2050.

Read the rest of this post...