Do gay political ads have to say "gay"?

I don't really get the argument that ads about gay political issues have to necessarily say the word "gay." There's been some recent criticism of the "No on 8" campaign in California, they're the folks trying to stop the Mormons from repealing gay marriages in California. Some criticism is probably merited, simply because the No on 8 folks went from a good lead to now being behind. But, as I mentioned, we can thank for the Mormons for that one. They dumped millions in to California to bash t the gays, like they do in so many states. And the Mormon gay-bashing helped a lot. But there's another criticism: That the No on 8 people don't say the word "gay" in some of their ads, and that they aren't showing enough gay people.

Now, were the criticism based on the efficacy of the ads, I'd say it's a valid point to raise. But then you'd have to explain why you think saying "gay" more often, and showing more gay people, would necessarily translate into more votes for our side. What I don't understand, however, is the argument that we per se should say gay-gay-gay in every ad we do on our issues. Honestly, you could talk about the Easter Bunny for all I care, if it means helping us win at the ballot. When someone is running a campaign to beat a ballot initiative, their goal is to beat the initiative, not join in some cumbaya group hug that has nothing to do with winning the election.

But that's my opinion. Curious what the rest of you think? Should the No on 8 campaign mention gays, and show gay people in its ads, simply in order to be "inclusive," regardless of the impact on the campaign? And the same question, phrased a different way: Is it okay to downplay the "gay" side of a gay issue if it helps us win? Read the rest of this post...

CNN's John King: McCain insider says New Mexico, Iowa and Colorado (yes, Colorado) are "gone"

This is a very revealing bit of news from CNN Chief National Correspondent John King (we've heard repeatedly that John King is a big fan of John McCain, which heightens our interest in this news).

According to King, inside the McCain campaign, they're pretty much writing off the chances of winning not only New Mexico and Iowa, but Colorado with its nine electoral votes. Without Colorado, McCain's path to victory is becoming non-existent. Team McCain is basing all hope on the delusional idea McCain can win Pennsylvania:

The McCain campaign is looking at an Electoral College strategy heading into the final two weeks that has virtually no room for error and depends heavily on a dramatic comeback in Pennsylvania, which hasn't backed a Republican for president in 20 years.

While Iowa, New Mexico and Colorado are still officially listed as McCain target states, two top strategists and advisers tell CNN that the situation in those states looks increasingly bleak. Iowa and New Mexico always have been viewed as difficult races, but the similar assessment of Colorado reflects a dramatic shift for a campaign that had long counted on the state.

"Gone," was the word one top McCain insider used to describe those three states.

This source said while the polls in Colorado remain close, he and most others in the operation were of the opinion that the Obama campaign and its allies have a far superior ground/turnout operation and "most of us have a hard time counting on Colorado."

This begs the question of whether Chuck Todd will finally tilt Colorado to Obama. NBC's map has had Obama at 264 electoral votes for the past couple weeks. Colorado would put him over 270 electoral votes in NBC's projections. Read the rest of this post...

FOX News "hate site" bashes Obama over dying grandmother

Where is Bill O'Reilly when we need some righteous indignation over Web site comments? Oh, and I have screen captures of everything.

by joebridges[Oct 20, 2008 10:07:16 PM]
What a bunch of c*ap. Another sympathy move by Omamma to garner votes. Next there'll be a mock funeral for "grandma" a day or two before the election. The old biddy's probably been dead for years.

by danfromva8271 Virginia [Oct 20, 2008 9:11:34 PM]
Well isn't this convenient. I guess his grandmother is suddenly useful again once he starts slipping in the polls.

by bobbyutvolArkansas[Oct 20, 2008 10:24:37 PM]
MAKES ME WANT TO PUKE.POLITICAL PLOY... THIS IS THE SAME GRANDMOTHER HE SPENT LESS THAN AN HOUR WITH ON VACATION.. THE SAME ONE HIS WIFE AND KIDS DID NOT EVEN GO AND SEE. YO LIBERALS WILL STOP AT NOTHING OBAMA YOU ARE SUCH A PHONEY... I DONT BELEIVE ANYTHING YOU SAY OBAMA.. YOU HAVE LIED ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE WHY BELEIVE YOU NOW PHONEY

by evan6402 Massachusetts [Oct 20, 2008 9:12:16 PM]
I hope he has time to stop by to find his authentic birth certificate.

by obamabidenladenNew York[Oct 20, 2008 10:47:25 PM]
So much for "A President cannot put his duties on hold and must be able to multi-task as situations arise".......what a complete BAFOON!! MCCAIN/PALIN'08

by opinionMinnesota[Oct 20, 2008 9:59:26 PM]
She suffering badly and may be her last days because of her daughter had made a '666'

by oscar[Oct 20, 2008 9:53:51 PM]
Obama is such a loser it is hard to feel anything but distain for him and his. He "divorced" his mother and her parents for a long time. It has been only lately that it is to his benefit to act like his gives a s$%^&t; about any of the white family. Wonder where old Michelle is? Last I heard she was lunching on Lobster and chugging champagne while her husband was listening to poor people beg for money. Sick. just plain sick.

by vici57 [Oct 20, 2008 9:36:53 PM]
If his grandmother is sick, I pray she will recover quickly. However, I can't help but wonder if this sudden trip to Hawaii has anything to do with a lawsuit that was filed today in Honolulu, Hawaii by Andy Martin requesting his birth certificate. It does seem odd that all of a sudden he is making a trip to Hawaii.

by aynes54Texas[Oct 20, 2008 10:11:39 PM]
If Obama's grandmother is truly sick I pray for her to recover but for those who are looking down their self righteous noses in disdain at suspicion over Obama's visit to Hawaii, need to look at the facts. Take your rose colored glasses off and ask if she truly is that ill, why not get on his private jet tonight??? I would and so would you....Secondly, ask yourself why his wife Michelle is not going. Come on....Thirdly, why not take the great grandkids???? That would be the "normal"thing to do but then Obama doesn't do things normally, does he???? I am very interested in this suit in Hawaii and it seems very suspicious that he is going THIS week....You see, when you lie and cover up you always have to watch your back or as the good Book states; Be sure your sins will find you out.... Lastly, can't recall hearing anything about his grandmother since he has been on the campaign trail.If she was sick, wouldn't we have heard something??? If she is truly sick, I pray for her to recover.....But.....

by jamal [Oct 20, 2008 9:32:32 PM]
"Typical white women"...always getting sick when it's convenient.

by danfromva8271 Virginia [Oct 20, 2008 9:31:38 PM]
Hey jpaul211, call it yucky and immature if you want, I don't believe there is ANYTHING that Obama does that ISN'T politically motivated. This is the same woman he found convenient to publicly humiliate and call a racist when he deemed necessary. This is a carefully calculated ploy to soften his public image in light of recent events. I really hope I'm wrong, but there isn't anything I know about this man which would lead me to believe otherwise. I stand by my comment, I think its right on the mark.

by junglejim123 [Oct 20, 2008 9:27:24 PM]
Is this the White Grandmother that he trashed in his books ? Then he praises his dead beat Black Fathr who deserted him and knocked up 3 other women. Gotta spread that seed Barry Sr said !!! Get lost Obama - we can see right thru You !!!!!

by moonvine [Oct 20, 2008 9:25:40 PM]
And we care why?????????????/ Maybe he will stay there.

by mpniea North Carolina [Oct 20, 2008 9:23:21 PM]
Ah, so the anti-Christ has relatives still breathing...or maybe he is just renewing judicial efforts to block any and all information about his past from reaching the public.

More O'Reilly Web comment outrage here. Of course, it isn't the first time that FOX's Web site hosted some of the most vile people on the planet.

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BREAKING: Obama's grandmother gravely ill, leaving campaign trail Thursday for Hawaii

This is clearly why he canceled the upcoming event in Madison. Politico:

Barack Obama will leave the campaign trail Thursday to travel to Hawaii to see his 86-year-old grandmother, who has fallen ill, spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday.

“In the last few weeks her health has deteriorated to the point where her situation is very serious,” Gibbs told reporters aboard Obama’s campaign plane.

The change of plans means Obama will scrap scheduled rallies Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, and Madison, Wisc. He will instead head to Indianapolis, Ind., for a morning event, leave for Hawaii and return to the campaign trail Saturday.

His grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, “has always been one of the most important people in his life,” Gibbs said. “Along with his mother and his grandfather, she raised him in Hawaii from the time he was born to the moment he left for college.”

Gibbs would not disclose her medical condition, other than to say it was “very serious.” She was released from the hospital last week, Gibbs said.

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Moose against McCain/Palin

(Hat tip, First Read)

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McCain is going all out for the base, and channeling his bff Jerry Falwell

McCain is going all out for the base. Think about it, in just the past few days we've heard from the McCain campaign that:

- Obama's health care plan is "socialism."
- Sarah Palin suddenly is speaking out in favor of banning gays in the US Constitution.
- McCain thinks "the feminist left" is behind the public perception of Sarah Palin as a blithering idiot (yes, Peggy Noonan, Mike Murphy, Colin Powell, Chris Buckley, and Ken Adelman are lefty feminists).
- Obama wants to kill babies.
- Relligion is somehow being denigrated in this campaign.

Gays, God, socialists, feminists and the secularization of America are the enemy. Where have we heard this before? Why, none other than John McCain's dearly-departed best friend Jerry Falwell! You remember the time he blamed God, and all of us for, September 11:

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'"

The thing is, this race isn't going to be won by turn-out on the right. It's going to be won by turn-out on the left combined with a mass defection of woman and independents from McCain to Obama. McCain can veer as far to the right as he wants, he's never going to get to 51% by wooing the 23% of Americans who still think George Bush is doing a good job. Read the rest of this post...

Bear founds shot in head, buried under Obama signs

From the Citizen Times:

“It looked like it had been shot in the head as best we can tell. A couple of Obama campaign signs had been stapled together and stuck over its head,” [Tom] Johnson [Johnson, chief of university police] said....

“This is certainly unacceptable,” Johnson said. “Someone was wanting to draw attention to the election. If we find out who they are, we’ll make sure they’ll get some attention themselves.”

Read the rest of this post...

Massive crowd of 15 people come to see McCain today

Wow. 15. Then again, taking into account how the McCain campaign inflates figures, it was probably only 7.

Sen. John McCain stopped in Columbia on Monday afternoon....

A crowd of about 15 people assembled outside the airport's fence to see him descend from the plane....

Phillips, who also saw John F. Kennedy at the Joplin Airport in 1962, said she was upset at the small size of the crowd gathered to see McCain.

McCain campaign volunteer Jane Stuart agreed. In 2000, when then-Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush visited the airport there was a much larger crowd, Stuart said.

Yeah, even Bush is more popular than McCain. Read the rest of this post...

Palin wants to add gay-bashing language to the US Constitution

He's 72. He's had 4 bouts of serious cancer. He doesn't look terribly well for his age. If he wins, it's a pretty sure bet she's going to be president. And she's a blithering idiot. And now a bigot too. That's the entirety of Sarah Palin's complex world view, folks. Make women carry their rapist's baby to term, and ban gays in the US Constitution. Beyond that, she's a little fuzzy.

And another thing. It's interesting that Palin thinks defending marriage should be a top priority for her administration. Putting aside the fact that John McCain is an admitted adulterer (no, we're not talking about Vicky Iseman), why is Palin's pregnant child now not getting married until after the birth, if at all? If we're going to talk about the federal government intruding in our private lives to defend marriage, shouldn't some of that defense begin at home?

And, as the NYT noted, Palin has her own mathematically curious pregancy/marriage issues that seem to fit a growing pattern of the McCain/Palin ticket being not-very-marriage-friendly in their own lives:

The Palins eloped on Aug. 29, 1988, and their first son, Track, was born eight months later, a fact that Maria Comella of the McCain campaign, declined to elaborate on. “They were high school sweethearts who got married and ended up having five beautiful children together,” Ms. Comella said.

(And let's not even discuss the other rumors about Palin's marriage.) Palin should stay out of other's people private lives, or she's asking for scrutiny of her own. Then again, she won't give any interviews to any real reporters, so the media will probably continue to give her, and her hypocrisy, a pass.

Speaking of defending marriage: Show of hands, how many presidential candidates have not been married to two women at the same time? Not so fast, Senator McCain.

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Lifelong conservative Republican Ken Adelman to vote for Obama, blasts McCain and Palin

This one hurts.

Why so, since my views align a lot more with McCain’s than with Obama’s? And since I truly dread the notion of a Democratic president, Democratic House, and hugely Democratic Senate?

Primarily for two reasons, those of temperament and of judgment.

When the economic crisis broke, I found John McCain bouncing all over the place. In those first few crisis days, he was impetuous, inconsistent, and imprudent; ending up just plain weird. Having worked with Ronald Reagan for seven years, and been with him in his critical three summits with Gorbachev, I’ve concluded that that’s no way a president can act under pressure.

Second is judgment. The most important decision John McCain made in his long campaign was deciding on a running mate.

That decision showed appalling lack of judgment. Not only is Sarah Palin not close to being acceptable in high office—I would not have hired her for even a mid-level post in the arms-control agency. But that selection contradicted McCain’s main two, and best two, themes for his campaign—Country First, and experience counts. Neither can he credibly claim, post-Palin pick.

By the way, other than Her Royal Highness Lady Lynn Forester de Redneck, what other top Democrats (and honestly, who'd ever heard of Lady Lynn anyway?) have defected to McCain? Can't name any. Read the rest of this post...

Don't believe that McCain is making a comeback

It isn't true, says Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post:

Is it possible that the McCain comeback is happening right under our noses and is not being picked up due to the media's focus on the possibility of an Obama presidency?

Maybe, but a detailed look at the polling and the national playing field suggests that McCain's growth -- to the extent he has enjoyed it -- over the past week is as likely due to a natural tightening as election day approaches as any sort of major surge in support....

While the polling outlook may well have improved marginally for McCain over the past week, the structural problems revealed in the most recent Washington Post/ABC News poll remain.

The election is a referendum on the economy and which candidate is better suited to correct its problems. Due to the strong sense that the country is headed off in the wrong direction AND the huge unpopularity of Bush, Obama is far better positioned to win the economic argument than McCain.

And, never forget the continued financial advantage that Obama enjoys over McCain. It's extremely difficult for a candidate trailing in the polls to overcome being outspent three to one and, in some cases, far worse without some sort of major external event intruding.

In sum, can we buy that "Joe the Plumber" and Obama's pledge to "spread the wealth" has helped bring white men back to McCain's side? Absolutely. Is it enough to change our current analysis that Obama is the clear frontrunner to be the next president of the United States? No.

Nate Silver weighs in on this as well:

Between "Joe the Plumber", "spread the wealth", "I'm not George Bush", etc., however, McCain at least now seems to have a few somewhat more constructive talking points (in that sense, the fact that the Ayers attacks went over like a lead balloon at the debate might have done him a favor). So some of those crestfallen conservatives might have moved back into the likely voter universe.

What I don't know that McCain is doing, on the other hand, is actually persuading very many voters, and particularly not independents or registered Democrats. If that is the case, than McCain is likely to run into something of a wall very soon here, brought about the Republicans' substantial disadvantage in partisan identification. People sometimes misunderstand the nature of "momentum" in presidential campaigns. If McCain was down 8 points yesterday, and is down 6 points today, that does not mean that he is likely to be 4 points down tomorrow. On the contrary, polling in the general election seems essentially to be a random walk, with the minor stipulation that the polling has had some tendency to tighten slightly during the stretch run (as our model accounts for). That is, the polls are essentially as likely to move back toward Obama tomorrow as they are to continue to move toward McCain.

McCain's other problem is that the polls in battleground states have not really tightened at all. Obama gets good numbers today, for instance, in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Florida. Obama presently has something like a 3:1 advantage in advertising, and most of that advertising is concentrated in battleground states. As such, this may serve as a hedge against any improvements that McCain is able to make elsewhere in the country.

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How much trouble is McCain in?

An anecdote from one of our regular commenters:

A friend was telling me about calling people in Northern Fla. to ask how they're voting.

One woman had to ask her husband (first tipoff, ask her husband?)... the response was "We're voting for the ni***r"

That kinda says something about the repugnican ticket. These people still refer to Obama as 'the ni***r', but they're going to vote for him anyway.

That's fascinating. And it gels with some of the other reporting we've seen lately. Even people who say they hate Obama are voting for him over McCain. Read the rest of this post...

GOP consultant Mike Murphy: Powell endorsement of Obama will "do great damage" to McCain

From TIME:

I am not normally of the view that endorsements mean much in Presidential politics. But Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama today is a real sledgehammer blow to the already staggering McCain campaign. Not just because a Powell endorsement shores up Obama's shaky foreign policy bona fides, but even more because of the content of Powell's remarks on Meet the Press. The General showed he still knows how to launch a brutal offense. Powell's remarks were an across the board indictment of the McCain campaign. He threw a subtly delivered but perfectly targeted series of chops at each of the the major fractures of the shaky McCain campaign; the Palin choice, the dark tone of the campaign, the Helter Skelter antics at the onset of the economic crisis. As a great McCain admirer, I am sad to say it, but the truth is the video of Powell's endorsement will boil across You Tube and do great damage in these closing days of the campaign.

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Vote for a Terriost

At some point, the Republican party had better accept how base its base really is. This guy is the face of the new Republican party, and he's the reason many of us left, and more are leaving, the GOP.

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Why isn't John McCain on the stand with Ted Stevens today?

It's interesting that Senator Ted Stevens is on the stand today, and possibly going to jail, for accepting gifts from corporations under his purview, but John McCain can get special bennies from Verizon and AT&T; and he isn't being hauled into court.

You'll recall that Verizon started the process of installing special cell towers for McCain a good year ago because. After Verizon installed its tower, AT&T; followed suit, noting that McCain was a "presidential candidate." Yeah, that was a big mistake. You see, corporations can't do free favors for the people up for election. It's a crime. And goes far beyond anything Ted Stevens may have done. Verizon and AT&T; claim that the Secret Service asked them to provide the cell coverage. Not true. Verizon started the process to do the work for McCain the presidential candidate LONG before the Secret Service got involved. So the Secret Service argument is a red herring, and begs the question of what Verizon is trying to hide.

So McCain may have received not just an unethical corporate donation to his campaign, but an illegal one as well. Did McCain declare the free cell towers on his Senate ethics forms? Ted Stevens is about to go to jail for refusing to do so. But McCain isn't being hauled into to testify, while Stevens is. I just find that interesting. Read the rest of this post...

If John McCain wants to accuse someone of being a socialist, he needs to start with George Bush

John McCain's new talking point is that Obama is a socialist. It's a classic move by the GOP to accuse our side of doing what the Republicans are actually doing. Because, there is, in fact, a socialist lurking in John McCain's world. It's not Obama. It's George Bush.

Given what's happened over the past few weeks, McCain's attack rings hollow. On MSNBC earlier today, Politico's Ben Smith said, "It is a pretty strange thing, I mean, that [McCain's] calling [Obama] a socialist this week when we basically nationalized the banks last week."

From Bonddad:

The US government is now in the bank ownership business.

In fact, the US government's involvement with private enterprise has never been more pronounced than over the last month or so. We've seen unprecedented direct involvement in the capital structure of one of the world's largest insurance companies, the nine largest US banks and the auto industry.

So, who's the socialist again?

Dan Froomkin answered that question in his column on Friday titled, "Bush's Conservative Socialism." Yes, it's Bush. Dan includes this nugget:

Nevertheless, as Brad Delong writes in a Guardian opinion piece: "The Bush administration, having entered office as social conservatives, leaves office as conservative socialists, proprietors of the most sudden large expansion of the state's role in the US economy since mobilisation for the second world war."

Bush new legacy: Socialist.

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Facebook has fallen and it can't get up

(BUMPED: As Facebook can't seem to get its act together, I'm bumping this post in the hopes that someone senior at Facebook gets a clue. Some of our readers have asked if Facebook is now striking out against liberal blogs, now that their new general counsel is Alberto Gonzales' former chief of staff. It is an interesting coincidence, what with Facebook banning AMERICAblog blog content on our Facebook page just two weeks before the election. Read on.)

I was all fascinated, a while back, about Facebook and how that kid had organized 100,000 Obama supporters all by himself. I thought Facebook might be a neat place to organize our folks.

Now I'm thinking, not so much.

For some reason, Facebook decided to ban our RSS feed over nine days ago - it's how we were feeding our blog posts to our friends on Facebook. No warning, just banned it. And they won't let it back. I've asked our Facebook contact to help, and he's tried, but, well, it's been 9 12 days. The election is in 18 15 days and we're running out of time. At this point, don't count on getting our blog updates via Facebook as the company obviously can't be counted on.

As an aside, when Google/Blogger has problems, they try to fix them immediately, and are always responsive - perhaps they could teach a thing or two to Facebook.

Anyway, as Facebook doesn't seem to be doing anything to fix this, it was time to give you guys a heads up that you shouldn't count on Facebook for much of anything at this point. Use our Twitter feed instead - all of our posts go there:
https://twitter.com/americablog

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Palin won't provide health records

Today's NY Times has an extensive article, written by Reporter/Doctor Lawrence Altman, on the health histories of the presidential tickets. Well, it's not that extensive. Dr. Altman still has questions. And, here's the entire section on Sarah Palin:

Nothing is known publicly about Ms. Palin’s medical history, aside from the much-discussed circumstances surrounding the birth of her fifth child last April. Ms. Palin has said that her water broke while she was at a conference in Dallas and that she flew to Anchorage, where she gave birth to her son Trig hours after landing.

Last week Maria Comella, a spokeswoman for Ms. Palin, said the governor declined to be interviewed or provide any health records.

Odd. We keep hearing she's a great athlete, in fact, a sub-4 hour marathon runner. So, what's the deal with not releasing her records?

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As early vote starts in Florida, McCain's campaign is battling with Florida Republicans

As noted, early voting is starting today in Florida. This is when the rubber hits the road. But, all is not sunshine in the Sunshine State between the McCain campaign and the Florida Republicans, led by spurned v.p. choice Charlie Crist. In fact, the Florida GOP is holding on to its money, not spending it on McCain in this key battleground state:

In Florida, the differences between Gov. Charlie Crist's state party and the McCain campaign have for weeks been an open secret among the political class.

Now comes word, via the St. Pete Times' Adam Smith, that the Florida GOP is holding back some of its money for the next cycle.

"State party officials announced to their state executive committee Saturday that they expect to carry over at least $2 million into 2009, rather than spend all their money on this election."

The news came on the same day that Crist was explaining why he hadn't appeared in any ads for McCain in the state.

''I haven't been asked,'' Crist explained to the Miami Herald's Mary Ellen Klas.

"I haven't been asked" is Charlie Crist's theme this year. Wasn't asked to be v.p. Wasn't asked to campaign. Sounds like Crist is getting some payback.

Also, note the irony: All the pundits wondered whether Obama and Hillary would heal their differences and work together. Today, Obama and Hillary are campaigning in Florida to make sure Obama wins. She has worked hard for Obama. Meanwhile, it's the Republicans who are fighting among themselves.

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Monday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

15 days.

Quite a weekend for Obama: Crowds of 100,000 in St. Louis and 75,000 in Missouri; $150 million raised in September; and the endorsement of Colin Powell. On the other hand, NBC finally snagged Sarah Palin -- on a comedy show, not a news show.

McCain's in a rough spot with so little time left. That can only mean one thing: we'll see the full brunt of the GOP slime and smear machine in action. McCain is shredding his reputation. Whatever. That's his choice.

Early voting starts in Florida today. If you live there, go vote. If you know people there, make sure they vote. Obama and Hillary will be touring the state to kick off early voting.

15 days.

It's almost over. Read the rest of this post...

Consumer prices remain high despite oil price decline

Who ever would have guessed? Paying higher prices along with funding the Wall Street bailout is helping to liberate Americans from socialist programs that they actually use and instead, help fund corporate socialism with is as red, white and blue as apple pie. Best economic system in the world! U-S-A-#-1!

You can blame "sticky" prices.

That's what analysts call it when companies slap higher prices on products and keep them there even though the rationale for the price hikes — such as soaring oil prices — is gone.

The falling cost of oil could help companies pad their profit margins as they pay less to make and transport goods. But it won't mean a break on the average grocery bill.

The price of consumer goods typically lags behind the price of key inputs like oil and wheat, said Chris Lafakis, an economist with Moody's economy.com.

"Consumer prices don't change near as fast, because they are set by companies," Lafakis said. "Commodity prices are set every day on an open market."

Let's just call it "patriotic price padding." Read the rest of this post...

McCain consultant received $2 million from Freddie Mac

Shockingly, the $2 million was not to clean up Freddie Mac, but to lobby Congress and lessen regulation. Why is McCain so close to so many lobbyists who worked with Freddie and Fannie to avoid any and all regulation? McCain likes to say that he attempted to fix Freddie and Fannie but he consistently goes well beyond palling around with their lobbyists, he hires them. How seriously are we supposed to take McCain when he is surrounded by lobbyists who fought against regulation of Freddie and Fannie? After all, less regulation and fewer corporate taxes summarizes McCain's history in the Senate.

Freddie Mac secretly paid a Republican consulting firm $2 million to kill legislation that would have regulated and trimmed the mortgage finance giant and its sister company, Fannie Mae, three years before the government took control to prevent their collapse.

In the cross hairs of the campaign carried out by DCI of Washington were Republican senators and a regulatory overhaul bill sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. DCI's chief executive is Doug Goodyear, whom John McCain's campaign later hired to manage the GOP convention in September.

Freddie Mac's payments to DCI began shortly after the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee sent Hagel's bill to the then GOP-run Senate on July 28, 2005. All GOP members of the committee supported it; all Democrats opposed it.

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US cities cutting back due to recession

Quite frankly they should stop all of these services anyway. Don't they know that Americans hate socialism? I mean sure, taxing and spending for military invasions and expensive equipment is what any good American would want but taxing and spending for commie-loving goodies such as roads, schools, food for poor children, police, infrastructure, shuttle services for the elderly and so forth is plain old, commie pinko socialism. If you've ever sent your kids to the local soccer field or baseball park, immediately admit your failure to Sarah Palin and understand that you are an America-hating socialist. You should be ashamed of yourself, really. And granny who used that shuttle bus? Make sure you never speak with her again since she also is a commie and hates America. Just because she uses a walker, can't drive and can't afford a personal driver doesn't mean she is not a danger to society. There may even be a commie in your own household, so be cautious out there.

The palm trees in many Phoenix neighborhoods will be left shaggy this year. The city can afford to prune the trees only on major streets.

There's also no money for children's tee ball, or soccer, baseball or flag football. No money for a free shuttle service for the elderly. No money for most inner-city "fight back" programs that tackle blight.

Around the country, the mortgage crisis and the slumping economy are causing tax revenue and investment returns to plummet, forcing cities big and small to cut expenses.

What? You wanted those trees cut so they didn't knock out any wires during a storm? You pinko. Understand though that it is OK to hand out juicy tax cuts for the wealthiest and it's probably OK to give sports teams free rides on your dollar as well. You'll be a good American is you pay those taxes. Read the rest of this post...

Powell trashes McCain's robocalls, overall nastiness

From "Meet the Press," 10/19/08, where Powell endorsed Obama.

GEN. POWELL: "But Mr. McCain says that he's a washed up terrorist, but then why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have the robocalls going on around the country trying to suggest that because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow Mr. Obama is tainted. What they're trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that's inappropriate. Now, I understand what politics is all about, I know how you can go after one another and that's good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for." Read the rest of this post...

Bush-backing papers in Texas endorse Obama

It's been remarkable to see a string of traditionally conservative newspapers endorse Obama. The dissatisfaction and disaffection with the Republican brand is striking.

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