Rachel Maddown simple explanation of the bailout

She started her show last night with a very simple explanation of what happened to cause the financial meltdown and what the bailout really is! It is so simple that the uneducated or illiterate person can easily understand!

She said and I quote:

"What is this Wall street bailout and how is it being managed? Still taking shape, still hard to understand, lets try a metaphor. Money is Halloween candy and those Wall street bankers are metaphorically speaking are our six year old that went out and got more candy that we'd ever seen or imagined. And with all of that candy sitting there, we parents, the taxpayers, hired a baby sitter to supervise our child only instead of hiring a grown up that fears what happens when six yeas do what six year old's do best eat all of the candy all at once, we instead hired a a seven year old baby sitter, the Federal Government.

So what happened? The six year old ate more candy than it should have on the seven year old watch and got sick all over the carpet. And instead of paying and sending home the babysitter we get her take on this disgusting huge mess of a crisis we are now in the seven year old baby sitter now turns to us and says, well the problem is you are now out of candy. You're gonna need more candy."

She is exactly right and she went on to say the baby sitter we hired to watch over our six year old child, we should have known better than to hire her! She told us a a few years back what she thought of supervision! Now they want so much more candy that it is highly unlikely that much money exists. Seven hundred billion dollars worth with no questions asked!

Jonathon Alter brings up Keating five.

"[Y]ou remember the Keating Five scandal that he was a part of, which, by the way, it's crazy but there's been very little about it in the press in the last few weeks. And McCain thinks he's getting a hard time, he's really getting a free ride on the fact that he was in the middle of the last great financial scandal in our country. But his reaction to that, you would have thought, would have been more regulation of the financial services industry. Instead he moved forward on campaign finance reform after being caught in that scandal, but did nothing – nothing – to try to prevent another savings and loan crisis from happening down the road. He was missing in action when it came to even learning the basic lessons of a scandal that he said taught him all kinds of things that he would never forget."

Finally someone has the balls to bring that up!

Austan Goolsbee Defeats McCain's Economic

GOP takes brunt of blame for economy

CNNPolitics.com:

A new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll suggests that by a 2-to-1 margin, Americans blame Republicans over Democrats for the financial crisis that has swept across the country the past few weeks — one factor that may have contributed to an apparent increase in Barack Obama’s edge over John McCain in the race for the White House.

In the new survey, released Monday afternoon, 47 percent of registered voters questioned say Republicans are more responsible for the problems currently facing financial institutions and the stock market, with 24 percent saying Democrats are more responsible. One in five of those polled blame both parties equally, and 8 percent say neither party is to blame.

Rick Davis paid to lobby for five years on behalf of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Washington Post:

Senator John McCain’s campaign manager was paid more than $30,000 a month for five years as president of an advocacy group set up by the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to defend them against stricter regulations, current and former officials say.

Mr. McCain, the Republican candidate for president, has recently begun campaigning as a critic of the two companies and the lobbying army that helped them evade greater regulation as they began buying riskier mortgages with implicit federal backing. He and his Democratic rival, Senator Barack Obama, have donors and advisers who are tied to the companies.

Incensed by the advertisements, several current and former executives of the companies came forward to discuss the role that Rick Davis, Mr. McCain’s campaign manager and longtime adviser, played in helping Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac beat back regulatory challenges when he served as president of their advocacy group, the Homeownership Alliance, formed in the summer of 2000. Some who came forward were Democrats, but Republicans, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed their descriptions.

Colin Powell Disses McCain on Georgia Russia Conflict

POWELL: And I think it was foolhardy on the part of President Saakashvili and the Georgian government to kick over this can, to light a match in a roomful of gas fumes.

SESNO: So you’re saying the Georgians provoked this?

POWELL: They did. I mean, there was a lot of reasons to have provocations in the area, but the match that started the conflagration was from the Georgian side.

AMANPOUR: And yet…

POWELL: And that’s a given.

AMANPOUR: And some debate in the presidential elections has basically been, “We are all Georgians now.” What does that mean? It’s the same as was said after 9/11.

POWELL: One candidate said that, and I’ll let the candidate explain it for himself. […] You have to be very careful in a situation like this not just to leap to one side or the other until you’ve taken a good analysis of the whole situation.

McCain Spokesman Refuses To Say Gramm Won’t Be Treasury Secretary

Palin Claims "Obama-Biden Democrats" Are Regularly Attacking Her Family

Greg Sargent of Talking Points Memeo Election Central tells us how these "Obama Democrats" are.

Here, according to a McCain campaign aide, are the attacks on Palin's family from "Obama-Biden Democrats" that the email refers to:

1) Obama finance committee member Howard Gutman questioning Palin's parenting and her willingness to take on the Veep candidate role when her family is so consuming -- a comment he subsequently apologized for.

2) Andrew Sullivan's demand that the McCain campaign release medical records putting to rest rumors about the birth of Trig Palin.

3) A user diary on DailyKos, which is of course the site of leading Obama supporter Markos Moulitsas, raising questions about that pregnancy.

So lets see, one Democrat apologized, Andrew Sullivan is a Conservative that is supporting Obama for President, and last but not least a person from Daily Kos! It was not actually Markos Moulitsas that raised the question.

McCains Camp Tells Press: Stop It Right Now!

Ben Smith from Politico.com:

Sen. John McCain’s top campaign aides convened a conference call today to complain of being called “liars.” They pressed the media to scrutinize specific elements of Sen. Barack Obama’s record.

But the call was so rife with simple, often inexplicable misstatements of fact that it may have had the opposite effect: to deepen the perception, dangerous to McCain, that he and his aides have little regard for factual accuracy.

Hillary campaigning in Ohio

Greg Sargent reports:

Hillary just held a private conference call with Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and dozens of donors to her campaign and to Ohio Dems, urging them to plow funds into the coffers of the Ohio state party so it can help execute the ground game on Barack Obama's behalf, a Hillary aide confirms to me.

"There isn't any doubt that Ohio once again will be the pivotal state in this election and I know that it's extremely close in the state," Hillary told the donors, according to excerpts of the call sent our way by her office.

Hillary also promised extensive future visits to the state on Obama's behalf. "I will be back campaigning up and down the state to make the case that the failed leadership of the last eight years should not be rewarded with another four," she told the donors.

What Republicans really want to do about the meltdown

Josh Marshall, Kos, Digby, Kilgore, and myself all agree that Republicans plan is to get the Democrats to bail out the GOP's Wall Street friends and then run against them for doing it.

Obama Statement on Treasury Proposal

Principles for the Treasury proposal:

"The era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and in Washington has led to a financial crisis as profound as any we have faced since the Great Depression.

"But regardless of how we got here, the circumstances we face require decisive action because the jobs, savings, and economic security of millions of Americans are now at risk.

"We must work quickly in a bipartisan fashion to resolve this crisis and restore our financial sector so capital is flowing again and we can avert an even broader economic catastrophe. We also should recognize that economic recovery requires that we act, not just to address the crisis on Wall Street, but also the crisis on Main Street and around kitchen tables across America.

"But thus far, the Administration has only offered a concept with a staggering price tag, not a plan.

"Even if the Treasury recovers some or most of its investment over time, this initial outlay of up to $700 billion is sobering. And in return for their support, the American people must be assured that the deal reflects some basic principles.

* No blank check. If we grant the Treasury broad authority to address the immediate crisis, we must insist on independent accountability and oversight. Given the breach of trust we have seen and the magnitude of the taxpayer money involved, there can be no blank check.

* Rescue requires mutual responsibility. As taxpayers are asked to take extraordinary steps to protect our financial system, it is only appropriate to expect those institutions that benefit to help protect American homeowners and the American economy. We cannot underwrite continued irresponsibility, where CEOs cash in and our regulators look the other way. We cannot abet and reward the unconscionable practices that triggered this crisis. We have to end them.

* Taxpayers should be protected. This should not be a handout to Wall Street. It should be structured in a way that maximizes the ability of taxpayers to recoup their investment. Going forward, we need to make sure that the institutions that benefit from financial insurance also bear the cost of that insurance.

* Help homeowners stay in their homes. This crisis started with homeowners and they bear the brunt of the nearly unprecedented collapse in housing prices. We cannot have a plan for Wall Street banks that does not help homeowners stay in their homes and help distressed communities.

* A global response. As I said on Friday, this is a global financial crisis and it requires a global solution. The United States must lead, but we must also insist that other nations, who have a huge stake in the outcome, join us in helping to secure the financial markets.

* Main Street, not just Wall Street. The American people need to know that we feel as great a sense of urgency about the emergency on Main Street as we do the emergency on Wall Street. That is why I call on Senator McCain, President Bush, Republicans and Democrats to join me in supporting an emergency economic plan for working families - a plan that would help folks cope with rising gas and food prices, save one million jobs through rebuilding our schools and roads, help states and cities avoid painful budget cuts and tax increases, help homeowners stay in their homes, and provide retooling assistance to help ensure that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built in America.

* Build a regulatory structure for the 21st Century. While there is not time in a week to remake our regulatory structure to prevent abuses in the future, we should commit ourselves to the kind of reforms I have been advocating for several years. We need new rules of the road for the 21st Century economy, together with the means and willingness to enforce them.

"The bottom line is that we must change the economic policies that led us down this dangerous path in the first place. For the last eight years, we've had an "on your own-anything goes" philosophy in Washington and on Wall Street that lavished tax cuts on the wealthy and big corporations; that viewed even common-sense regulation and oversight as unwise and unnecessary; and that shredded consumer protections and loosened the rules of the road. Ordinary Americans are now paying the price. The events of this week have rendered a final verdict on that failed philosophy, and it is a philosophy I will end as President of the United States," said Senator Barack Obama.

Another lie. This time about Palin

John McCain, "She knows more about energy than anyone in the United States of America."

CNN was not impressed with her answer. Wolf Blitzer called it, "a very clumsy answer."

ABC panel discuss who looked Presidential

Palins preacher problem

McCain owns 13 cars

Yet they try to pain Obama as the elitist! Obama owns one car a green machine, a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid. He bought it last year to replace the family's Chrysler 300C, a Hemi-powered sedan.

Must be election time! A Conservative brings back Iran issue.

Caroline Glick, deputy editor at Murdoch’s Jerusalem Post and fellow of the neoconservative Center For Security Policy, is back on Iran. It must be time to scare the hell out of the Amercian people. Of course we all should feel safe with a president in power that things Spain is an enemy and is in Latin America.

She says ts time to act.

Last Friday the Daily Telegraph reported Teheran has surreptitiously removed a sufficient amount of uranium from its nuclear production facility in Isfahan to produce six nuclear bombs. Given Iran’s already acknowledged uranium enrichment capabilities, the Telegraph’s report indicates that the Islamic Republic is now in the late stages of assembling nuclear bombs.

She wrote that article despite the fact that the IAEA has already told the Telegraph that it’s report, written by another neoconservative, Con Coughlin, is in error

“The article, entitled ‘Iran renews nuclear weapons development’ published in [Friday’s] Daily Telegraph by Con Coughlin and Tim Butcher is fictitious,” IAEA Spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said in a statement.

“IAEA inspectors have no indication that any nuclear material is missing from the plant,” reads the statement.

No uranium has been diverted to non-civilian programs? If that is the case then, what is Caroline Glick trying to do? She wants to start yet another war and before the election. That way the nation will need John McCain to fight that war. Something else she is trying to do is change the subject.


.

The New McCain vs. the Old McCain

Joe Klein wrote:

One of the big differences between the old John McCain and the current edition is that the old one (1) would admit error and (2) would admit there were things he didn't know. That was a good part of his charm. The current edition--a parody of the worst sort of political flim-flam artist--not only lies about his own positions, but attempts to camouflage those lies by mischaracterizing his opponent's positions. It is appropriate, then, that the American Association Academy of Actuaries--a group devoted to the precise calculation of death rates--has exposed McCain's extravagant fraudulence of the past week for what it was.

SNL How John McCain makes his ads

Rachel Maddow: McCains bad week.

Naomi Klein on Real Time tells us what is really going on

Klein: The disaster is far from over. They’ve actually just relocated. The disaster was on Wall Street and they have moved the disaster to Main Street by accepting those debts and you said they didn’t have to bomb, the bomb has yet to detonate. The bomb is the debt that has now been transferred to the taxpayers so it detonates when, if John McCain becomes president in the midst of an economic crisis and says look we’re in trouble, we have a disaster on our hands, we have to privatize social security, we can’t afford health care, we can’t afford food stamps, we need more deregulation, more privatization. The thesis of the Shock Doctrine is you need a disaster to rationalize these very unpopular policies so the real disaster has yet to come.The real disaster is the debt that is going to explode on the American taxpayers. And then they do economic shock therapy.

They had to step in, but I don’t think they had to step in in the way they did. The reason why the stock market went up on Wall Street today is because it’s Christmas morning. Imagine waking up and being told your credit card debits have been wiped out, your mortgage has been erased. There’s a fairy godmother that has taken care of you. A guardian angel. But actually that’s the tax payers.

With a smirk, Andrew gets pissed and chimes in

Sullivan: You’re favoring nationalizing the other companies.and most industries?

Klein: No, I’m just saying. This is socialism for the rich.

Maher: Why are you so hostile towards this?

Sullivan: Because I think the fundamental thesis that she is proposing is wrong. I think the reason why we’re in this situation is not demonizing a few individual companies, it’s systemic. And part of the reason we have this is the American People. The American people since the 70’s have had stagnating income, so they decided to get something for nothing. And the government never told them they couldn’t. So we have the stock bubble of the 90’s and now we have the real estate bubble in the 2000’s.

Klein: That’s not why we have this.

Sullivan: And the government never told them they couldn’t. Wall Street is to blame for giving these people these loans, but no one is ever forced to take out a bad load they cannot pay.

Klein: The reason why this bubble was allowed to inflate was not that the American people demanded it, it was spectacularly profitable for Wall Street. Just in bonuses last year, they handed out 33 billion dollars in bonuses… The problem is we have crybaby capitalism where when the times are good they are preaching deregulation and when the times are bad they want the bail-outs. The problem I have with your argument is where is this ideal capitalism of which you speak?

McCain Confused Guard and Army

It's not a simple gaffe. He does this all of the time.

John Aravosis of Amerciablog has more.

Obama unloads on McCain in Daytona Beach

The Democratic presidential nominee used McCain's own words to attack him as an opponent of federal regulation of the banking industry, said his rival's support for partial privatization of Social Security could jeopardize retirement security for many Americans and fought back on the question of which candidate has closer ties to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Speaking at Bethune-Cookman University at an event highlighting his campaign's efforts to appeal to women voters, Obama invoked the current financial crisis by taking aim at an article carrying McCain's name in the current issue of Contingencies magazine, published by the American Academy of Actuaries.

In it, McCain wrote, "Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."

"So let me get this straight -- he wants to run health care like they've been running Wall Street," Obama told the audience. "Well, Senator, I know some folks on Main Street who aren't going to think that's such a good idea."

McCain has attacked Obama this past week for ties to former executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, including in two television ads. But he said it's McCain whose campaign is replete with current or former lobbyists for the mortgage giants. He cited comments by the former head of Fannie Mae's government relations office, who was quoted in Politico as saying, "When I see photographs of Sen. McCain's staff, it looks to me like the team of lobbyists who used to report to me."

"Folks," Obama said, "you can't make this stuff up."

On Social Security, Obama said, McCain's support for privatization would leave senior citizens at risk at a time when the stock market has plummeted. "I know Senator McCain is talking about a 'casino culture' on Wall Street -- but the fact is, he's the one who wants to gamble with your life savings and that is not going to happen when I'm president of the United States."

He said that if McCain had his way, "the millions of Floridians who rely on it would've had their Social Security tied up in the stock market this week," although McCain has not called for full privatization of the system.

The "John McCain as Bob Dole" theme takes hold

AP: McCain lied again

A real finanicial crisis is going on. So what does John McCain do? He lies according to yesterdays AP:

Obama has said he would raise taxes on people making over $250,000 a year and would cut taxes on the middle class. McCain restated his claim that Obama had voted to raise taxes on people who make just $42,000 a year — a claim that has been widely debunked by nonpartisan fact check organizations.

McCain admits he deregulated banks.

Daily Kos made a good find!

John's own words:

Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.

Funphil in the previous thread makes an excellent point;

"as we have done"

This is the money part of the quote. "as we have done over the last decade in banking."

How can he keep blaming Obama for the "last decade" of deregulation in banking?

Remember he now blames Obama for the banking crisis, yet for the past year, has he not said Obama has done nothing?

"Senator Obama may be taking their advice and he may be taking their money, but in a McCain-Palin administration, there will be no seat for these people at the policy-making table," McCain said of his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

"This is the problem with Washington, people like Senator Obama have been too busy gaming the system and haven't ever done a thing to actually challenge the system," he said in the battleground state of Wisconsin [...]

"This is a guy who's spent nearly three decades in Washington. After spending the entire campaign saying I haven't been in Washington long enough, he apparently now is willing to assign me responsibility for all of Washington's failings," [Obama] said.

"I think it's pretty clear that Senator McCain is a little panicked right now. At this point he seems to be willing to say anything, or do anything, or change any position, or violate any principle to try and win this election."

We have a real crisis. One leader is leading. He is calm and level headed and is not trying to score political points when addressing the press and the American people. Then we have another candidate that has panicked and is blaming everyone in site for something he actually played a part in causing! Which one do you want for president?

McCain wants our health care system to be like our banking system

Paul Krugman:

Here’s what McCain has to say about the wonders of market-based health reform

Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.

John McCain doesn't care about you! He has his Government paid health care, yet he does not want you to have it as well!

McCain’s health care plan is a sham. But he wouldn't understand that because he doesn’t have to navigate the independent, unregulated, bureaucratic insurance market.

See, Senator McCain enjoys the government health care he keeps attacking. He has coverage through the Veterans Administration, which is government run, socialized medicine. He’s covered under the Federal Employees Health Benefit System, which is government paid for, regulated private insurance. And as a senior citizen, Senator McCain is eligible for Medicare which is government health insurance. All these allow McCain to “see [his] doctor fairly frequently” as he told reporters in March.

And yet he believes none of these solutions are right for the rest of America, many of whom can’t afford to see their doctor at all.

McCain Campaign Refuses To Appear On The Rachel Maddow Show

Discussing the lack of impact Gov. Sarah Palin’s (R-AK) inclusion on the McCain ticket has had with women voters (according to the latest CBS-New York Times poll), Maddow last night noted that McCain surrogates have repeatedly declined invitations to appear on the show:

MADDOW: Might it be that women care less about a candidate’s gender and more about a candidate’s position on the issues, like reproductive health, equal pay for equal work?

One note - we hope to have someone from the McCain campaign or another Republican guest on the show tonight to talk about this issue as we have contacted them about other issues on other nights. But no matter the topics, thus far at least, they have repeatedly said no one is available.

If John McCain or anyone important from his campaign cannot stand up to Rachel Maddown, how can anyone expect him to stand up to world leaders?

Clinton recruiting her backers to help Obama

The New York senator was inviting her primary-season partisans Friday to get involved directly in Obama's campaign and donate to it. As part of that, she was urging them to travel to a specific battleground state each weekend, beginning with New Hampshire on Sept. 27, when she will be campaigning for Obama in Michigan.

"Today I am asking all of you to stand up, hit the road and spread the word that we must elect Barack Obama president and we must send a filibuster-proof majority to Congress," Clinton was telling supporters in a conference call Friday, according to remarks provided to The Associated Press in advance.

"This is a call to action. This is a must-do. We all have a role. And there is not a moment to lose."

Former RNC chair sought to put Senate race at bottom of ballot

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the special election to replace Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) – who resigned last December – will appear near the top of the November ballot.

The court ruled 8 to 1 that the ballot layout approved by Republican Governor Haley Barbour violated state election law by listing the race at the very bottom of the ballot. Barbour was chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1993 to 1997.

The ruling is a victory for Trudy Berger, the Pike County election commissioner who filed suit on September 9 to stop the Barbour ballot.

Barbour’s ballot design was widely criticized as an attempt to disenfranchise voters, particularly African Americans.

The governor’s preferred design appeared to exploit what political scientists call ballot drop-off: The lower a race appears on the ballot, the fewer people will cast a vote.


I thought the Republican Party was the party of ethics?

McCain blames Obama for crisis, Obama calls that "sad"

McCain I regret the netative ads

He then goes on to say there will be more. So by being "offended" and "regretting" using the negative ads, that makes them all alright? That clears the way for more negative ads and lies?

Barack Obama vs. John McCain 9/19 speeches

Which one is reaching across the isle in a real crisis? Which one has solutions? Which one is showing leadership? Which one is not using this occasion to score political points with their base at the expense of the American people and the American economy?

Jon Strewart Nails the Palin/Hannity interview

Biden: “I am so sick and tired of this phoniness”

Taken from CBC news last night:

Katie: “Your vice presidential rival, Governor Palin, said “To the rest of America, that’s not patriotism. Raising taxes is about killing jobs and hurting small businesses and making things worse.”

Biden: “How many small businessmen are making one million, four hundred thousand–average in the top 1 percent. Give me a break. I remind my friend, John McCain, what he said–when Bush called for war and tax cuts–he said, it was immoral, immoral, to take a nation to war and not have anybody pay for it. I am so sick and tired of this phoniness. The truth of the matter is that we are in trouble. And the people who do not need a new tax cut should be willing, as patriotic Americans, to understand the way to get this economy back up on their feet is to give middle class taxpayers a break. We take the tax cut they’re getting and we give it to the middle class.”

Obama showing real leadership in crisis, McCain attacks Obama during crisis

Obama has just finished his remarks about the crisis to the press. He said and I am paraphrasing that this is not the time to gain political points, but a time to come together to solve the problem once and for all.

McCain said Obama is to blame for the problem. He used this issue, the same way he uses the war, to gain political points! That is what he will do as president. EXACTLY the way President Bush has done the last 8 years!

What does the media say about McCains attacks?

NY Times:

Senator John McCain gave a few new details of his economic proposals at a speech here Friday morning, but the address seemed as much a political shot at Senator Barack Obama as a policy prescription.

Washington Post:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain offered few new details this morning on how he would respond to the crisis in the nation's financial markets, instead renewing his criticism of Democratic rival Barack Obama's ties to former heads of mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae.

The campaign yesterday had promised more information about McCain's economic plan. But McCain, in a speech to a hastily assembled meeting of the local chamber of commerce, mostly repeated his call for a new government trust that would identify and help rescue failing financial institutions and a set of principles to guide future regulation and legislation.

New Obama ad on McCain's Economic Advisers

How many times?

John Aravosis of Americablog brought up some good points tonight! How many times have we been told by the administration and the Republican party that we do not have the money for things?

I recommend you go read his short blog! It is worth reading.

Gramm Asks Ron Paul To Endorse McCain, But Paul Says No

Chris Matthews berates Rep. Cantor (R-VA)

I saw this entire segment live yesterday.

Video from Crooks and Liars

O’Reilly on Michelle Obama: “She looks like an angry woman”

Video from Crooks and Liars

O’REILLY: Now, I have a lot of people who call me on the radio and say she looks angry. And I have to say there’s some validity to that. She looks like an angry woman. Did you ask her about that?

JOHNSON: Don’t they say that about you, too?

O’REILLY: Yeah, but I’m not running for — I’m not going to be the first lady.

JOHNSON: But she’s –

O’REILLY: I hope not, anyway. The perception is that she’s angry in some quarters. Valid?

Cafferty Mocks McCain: Is privatizing Social Security really a good idea?

Video from Crooks and Liars

“Luckily we have the safety net of Social Security to fall back on…for now.

You may remember just four years ago President Bush made a big push to partially privatize Social Security… You know so we could individually invest our future with the great minds on Wall Street. It failed back then, but that concept could still become a reality. See John McCain also supports supplementing Social Security with private investment accounts. His opponent Barack Obama does not.”

I made a similar comment a couple of days ago!

Article

Obama stump speech

Video from Crooks and Liars

“On Monday, he said the economy was fundamentally sound, and he was fundamentally wrong.

On Tuesday, he said the government should stand by and allow one of the nation’s largest insurers to collapse, putting the well-being of millions of Americans at risk. But by Wednesday, he changed his mind.

He said he would take on the ol’ boy network, but he seemed to forget that he took seven of the biggest lobbyists in Washington from that network and put them in charge of your campaign.

John McCain can’t decide whether he’s Barry Goldwater or Dennis Kucinich.”

Larry Kudlow blames Congress and low income families for housing crisis

You knew this was coming. I was surprised it took until today! Always someone elses fault when it comes to Republicans.

From Perrspectives.com

Kudlow: It’s time for the Congress, Republicans and Democrats to stop encouraging—exhorting and forcing banks to make low income loans with no documentation. Stop that—literally pushed these lenders to make low income loans

Scarborough: Hold on a second. You cannot blame this on low income people that are getting a house.

Kudlow: I’m not blaming them. Kudlow: Sub prime, sub standard loans were a creature of the US Congress in the 90’s and the 2000’s.

Scarborough: Are you saying that poor people have caused this crisis?

Kudlow: Not poor people. Members of Congress who were rich people. But their Liberal guilt consciences forced banks and lenders to make lousy sub-standard loans and that has to be repealed…not everybody can afford a home, Joe. Some people have to rent.”

CNN and AP weigh in on McCain thinking Spain is in Latin America

AP said McCain believes Spain is in Latin America and ran by a dictator.

Jose Luis Rodriguez Who? John McCain either doesn't want to meet Spain's prime minister any time soon or isn't quite sure who he is.

In a radio interview broadcast in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries Thursday, the Republican presidential candidate repeatedly dodged questions as to whether he would invite Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House if McCain wins in November.

"All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not," he said. "And that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region."

He had been asked, however, about a leader outside the hemisphere.

McCain added, when that was pointed out: "I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom and I will stand up to those that do not."

Responding to the first of four questions on whether he would confer with Zapatero, McCain said he'd talk with leaders who are cooperative with the United States. Then he discussed Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his work in fighting drug cartels.

CNN:

McCain Thinks Spain is in Central or Latin America

Audio

QUESTION: Senator, finally, let's talk about Spain. If you're elected president, would you be willing to invite President Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House to meet with you?

MCCAIN: I would be willing meet, uh, with those leaders who our friends [sic] and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion, and by the way, President Calderon of Mexico is fighting a very very tough fight against the drug cartels. I'm glad we are now working in cooperation with the Mexican government on the Merida plan. I intend to move forward with relations, and invite as many of them as I can, those leaders, to the White House.

QUESTION: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government, to the president itself?

MCCAIN: I don't, you know, honestly I have to look at relations and the situations and the priorities, but I can assure you I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America.

QUESTION: So you have to wait and see if he's willing to meet with you, or you'll be able to do it in the White House?

MCCAIN: Well again I don't, all I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us, and standing up to those who are not, and that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America, and the entire region.

QUESTION: Okay... what about [either "you" or "Europe"], I'm talking about the President of Spain?

MCCAIN: What about me what?

QUESTION: Okay... are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?

MCCAIN: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those that do not.

Palin/McCain Ticket

She actually said it!

New Obama Ad on economy

Lost in all of this Wall street disaster is Social Security

Keep in mind, if George Bush and John McCain had their way in tying social security to the now failed financial institutions, then Social Security would have been in real turmoil at this time!

We can't let John McCain be elected and do away with Social Security.

McCain Campaign throws Fiorina Under The Bus

From CNN.com:

A top McCain official contacted by CNN said, on condition on anonymity, "No big deal, but not how you get on the surrogate all-star team. Very Biden-like."

“This campaign source said Fiorina would be discouraged from additional media interviews.

Another top campaign adviser was far less diplomatic.

"Carly will now disappear," this source said. "Senator McCain was furious." Asked to define "disappear," this source said, adding that she would be off TV for a while – but remain at the Republican National Committee and keep her role as head of the party’s joint fundraising committee with the McCain campaign.

Fiorina was booked for several TV interviews over the next few days, including one on CNN. Those interviews have been canceled.

Why are they keeping a loyal pundit off of the TV at such a critical time?

Asked by a St. Louis radio station whether she thought Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin could run a company like Hewlett-Packard, Fiorina responded: "No, I don't.

“But that's not what she's running for. Running a corporation is a different set of things."

Asked about that remark on MSNBC, she made the same unprompted assessment of the GOP presidential nominee. "I don't think John McCain could run a major corporation."

She also said she did not believe Democrats Barack Obama or Joe Biden had the right business background either.

It was reported from several blogs that the comment she made about him and his running mate infuriated John McCain! She was supposed to lie when it comes to them! It is kind of refreshing to see an honest pundit for once speak the truth when it comes to their own candidate, yet look where it got her.

McCain Surrogate Repeats False Claim About Alaskan Oil

CNN Fact Checks McCain: Concludes He's Not Telling Truth

New Obama ad on McCain 'Fundamentally Strong?'

Obama calls out McCain on 'Commission' idea

He says it's a way to pass the buck.

Fox News Calls Out McCain on Lies

GOP lawmakers sue to stop ethics investigation of Palin

From the Associated Press:

Alaska's investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power, a potentially damaging distraction for John McCain's presidential campaign, ran into intensified resistance Tuesday from state Republican lawmakers who want to end it or delay it past the election.

Alaska's House speaker, a Republican who supported the "Troopergate" investigation two months ago, openly questioned its impartiality and raised the possibility of delaying the findings.

So much for cooperating.

Pakistan to the its troops: Open fire if US raids

From the Associated Press:

Pakistan's military has ordered its forces to open fire if U.S. troops launch another air or ground raid across the Afghan border, an army spokesman said Tuesday.

The orders, which come in response to a highly unusual Sept. 3 ground attack by U.S. commandos, are certain to heighten tensions between Washington and a key ally against terrorism. Although the ground attack was rare, there have been repeated reports of U.S. drone aircraft striking militant targets, most recently on Sept. 12.

Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas told The Associated Press:

After U.S. helicopters ferried troops into a militant stronghold in the South Waziristan tribal region, the military told field commanders to prevent any similar raids.

"The orders are clear," Abbas said in an interview. "In case it happens again in this form, that there is a very significant detection, which is very definite, no ambiguity, across the border, on ground or in the air: open fire."

Besides a free falling economy, looks like we have a threat of yet another war brewing. Want four more years?

Obama ad on McCain and equal pay for equal work

It also hints McCains views are sexists.

John McCain doesn't understand the economy is broken

McCain Calls for '9/11 Commission' for Economic Crisis

ABC News:

Under attack over his approach to the economy, Sen. John McCain on Tuesday called for a "9/11 Commission"-style probe of the current financial crisis, and blamed "the old-boy network and the corruption in Washington" for the strains facing American families.

Many bloggers including myself gave him the benefit of the doubt when he said 9/11 commission. They are not experts on the economy. I mean look at all of the gaffes he has said down through the month and time and time again commentators and pundits would say, 'oh he meant this...," I was willing to do that this time, but not only said it on ABC he also repeated it on he said it on CNN and FOX.

He can't be serious, But then again, I wish I had a dollar for each time I have said that to myself for each outrageous statement he has made in the past few months.

McCain: 'Many Americans Are Not Paying Taxes At All'

Talk about being out of touch, this man is dangerously incompetent!

If he had been a democrat saying the things he has said the last year or so, the Republicans would have had a field day with him.

His statement is not true! For one thing we have sales tax and gas tax in some states, not to mention Social Security tax! I am sure there are other taxes as well!

McCain disrespects Mika Brzezinksi

Joe sides with her! So much for the love affair the press had with John for many years.

Richard Cohen The Ugly New McCain

He is a beat writer from the Washignton Post. In this editorial he admits to have being on the McCain bandwagon at one time and he goes on to write why. He is not anymore. A must read for all who have not made up their mind!

A good read for those of us that have always supported the Democratic candidate.

Richard Cohen's Editorial.

Obama Ad on women's pay

Chris Matthews plays Hardball

Sometimes Chris does his job. He did yesterday. Watch the entire 12 minutes. Notice the cynical grin by the Republican when Chris silences her so he can get his point across.

Asian Markets take hit

From CNBC.com:

Markets bleed red all over the region Tuesday, with Japan's Nikkei losing 5 percent and South Korea's KOSPI shedding 6 percent, as upheaval on Wall Street fueled investor uncertainty about a spillover into Asia.

Government debt was in heavy demand for a second day with increased speculation about an aggressive U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate cut later, and shares outside Japan hit a 2-year low after one of the most explosive 48-hour periods in the finance world.

Look what then Bush/McCain policies are doing to the world. Want 4 more years of the same or do you want real change?

Palin says no to troopergate investigation

Associated Press:

Gov. Sarah Palin is unlikely to speak with an independent counsel hired by Alaska lawmakers to review the firing of her public safety commissioner, a spokesman for Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Monday.

Spokesman Ed O'Callaghan initially said Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, would not testify as part of the probe "as long as it remains tainted." He later clarified his statement to say Palin is "unlikely to cooperate" with the inquiry.

So much for being a reformer. Seems like more of the same from the Republican party.

Are you better off today than 8 years ago

In yesterdays Hardball Chris Matthews mentioned something to the Republican pundit that was trying to spin everything about the economy. She also tried to scare(his words as well) voters into voting for McCain, and when cornered she would say basically it is the Democrats fault.

Anyway he gave out some economic indicators in this segment that is sobering! So sobering that we need to look at them closely, then ask ourselves, are we better than we were 8 years ago?

Unemployment Rate inauguration day 2001.- 4.2%

Unemployment Rate Now 6.1% Chris noted that .2% higher than when Kennedy and Nixon were running for President.

Budget inauguration day 2001 281 Billion Surplus

Budget now 357 Billion Deficit and rising.

Debt inauguration day 2001 5,7 Trillion.

Debt now 9.7 Trillion.

Are you better off? Where will this country be 4 years from now with yet another McCain/Bush, lobbyists control, Republican President?

Instead of letting the Republicans scare people into voting for McCain over terrorism, Democrats need to scare voters into voting for them, or there won't be a country left to defend!

New Ad Hitting Hard On McCain’s Lobbyist Ties

Remember he is pushing that he is the canidate for change. The lobbyists are not going to help to elect him just to have him turn against them! He is lying yet again!

McCain Furiously Backpedals On 'Strong Economy'

First off, he is using American workers for a reason. Similar to when someone criticizes the war in Iraq, you criticize the troops. All McCain is doing, is insinuating that if anyone questions the economy he or she is questioning the American workers.

Notice, he stole Obama's "enough is enough" phrase.

Obama: McCain Doesn't Get It

Biden On McCain's 'Strong Economy' Comment

McCain said this morning, 'Economy is strong'

Biden On Bush-McCain: 'The Sequel Is Always Worse'

Excerpts of the Remarks of Senator Joe Biden

St. Clair Shores, MI - Monday, September 15, 2008



As prepared for delivery

We've seen this movie before, folks. But as everyone knows, the sequel is always worse than the original.

If we forget this history, we're going to be doomed to repeat it -- with four more just like the last eight, or worse.

If you're ready for four more years of George Bush, John McCain is your man. Just as George Herbert Walker Bush was nicknamed "Bush 41" and his son is known as "Bush 43," John McCain could easily become known as "Bush 44."

The campaign a person runs says everything about the way they'll govern. John McCain has decided to bet the house on the politics perfected by Karl Rove.

Those tactics may be good at squeaking by in an election but they are bad if you want to lead one nation, indivisible.

--------------------------------------------------

America needs more than a great solider, America needs a wise leader.

Take a hard look at the positions John has taken for the past 26 years, on the economy, on health care, on foreign policy... and you'll see why I say that John McCain is just four more years of George Bush.

On the issues that you talk about around the kitchen table, Mary's tuition, the cost of the MRI, heating the home this winter -- John McCain is profoundly out of touch.

-------------------------------------------

John McCain stands with George Bush firmly in the corner of the wealthy and well-connected.

He stands with the oil company CEOs who swore to me, under penalty of perjury, that they didn't need tax breaks to explore for oil.

John McCain is so firmly in their corner he'd hand the Exxon-Mobils of the world another $4 billion dollars a year.

He stands in the corner of the wealthiest Americans by extending tax cuts for people making over a quarter million dollars a year, and then adding more than $300 billion on top of that for corporations and the wealthy.

There is simply no daylight - at least none I can see -- between John McCain and George Bush. On every major challenge we face, from the economy, to health care, to education and Iraq, you can barely tell them apart.

----------------------------------------

Whatever happened to the guy, who once denounced tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans in a time of war, as "immoral."

Whatever happened to the guy who wanted to do something about climate change. Not anymore. Senator McCain says he'd vote against a bill he helped to write.

When someone running for election changes his views to satisfy the base of the party, that's not change, that's just more of the same Washington game.

-----------------------------------------

When Senator McCain was subjected to unconscionable, scurrilous attacks in his 2000 campaign, I called him on the phone to ask what I could do.

And now, some of the very same people and the tactics he once deplored his campaign now employs.

The same campaign that once called for a town hall a week is now launching a low blow a day.

McCain: Bush Deserves Our Support And Admiration

In the 2004 campaign.

Floridians receiving phone calls insinuating Obama has ties with PLO

Coming to you from the same people that said Obama wants to teach kindergartners about sex. Hey, it's working for them so far, so why not make something else up? The MSM doesn't care.

From the blog "No Blood for Hubris:

Key West resident Joelna Marcus received a phone call today. She was asked if she is Jewish, and she replied in the affirmative.

She was asked if she was religious.

She was then asked if her opinion of Barack Obama would change if she knew that Obama had given lots and lots of money to the PLO.

McCainPedia.org

From the Washington Post:

"Count the Lies," will go live Monday, targeting what the Democratic National Committee says are falsehoods coming from Sen. John McCain and the Republican Party.

The total so far, according to the Democrats: 51 since McCain wrapped up the GOP presidential nomination in February.

How many lies is too many?

Fellow McCain POW Suggesting He's Unfit To Be President

So much for attacking McCain because he was a POW. Here is a fellow McCain POW suggesting he's unfit to be President.

"John McCain is not somebody that I would like to see with his finger near the red button," Butler says in the spot.

I wonder if the MSM will pick up on this. Get ready for the fake uproar from the Republicans. Remember it was their party that swift-boated a war hero in John Kerry. They don't care about VOW, only about their party.

New hard hitting Obama Ad on McCain

McCain, "I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land."

Yet another lie! Although it was said in the past, it is indeed a lie.

Another lie. This time from Palin's camp

Alaska's Lt. Governor defends his boss on FOX News Sunday:

She's the governor of a state that supplies 20% of America's oil.

Um. Let's let FactCheck.org says otherwise:

Alaskan production accounts for only 4.8 percent of all the crude oil and petroleum products supplied to the U.S. in 2007.

Twenty percent sounds impressive, too bad it's a lie.

Greenspan: This Is The Worst Economy I've Ever Seen

Sam Stein from the Huffington Post wrote a nice blog based on Alan Greenspan's take on the current and future economy.

Below are some things of interest he quoted!

There's no question that this is in the process of outstripping anything I've seen and it still is not resolved and still has a way to go and, indeed, it will continue to be a corrosive force until the price of homes in the United States stabilizes. That will induce a series of events around the globe which will stabilize the system."

"I'm not in favor of financing tax cuts with borrowed money," he said. "I always have tied tax cuts to spending."

So much for making tax cuts for the wealthy permanent.

You be the judge, new McCain ad on Obama, is it racists?

Has the campaign crossed the line?





Disrespectful? In what sense? That he should 'know his place?'

She has lied several times. That to me is being disrespectful to the masses!

The Bad Economy Line

Seems that Phil Gramm is not the only one that thinks the economy is great.

Donald Luskin of the Washington Post wants the bad economy line to stop being used!

The writer claims just because the phrase is used doesn't make it true. He does admit that,

There are trouble spots in the economy, as the government takeover of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and jitters about Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers, amply demonstrate. And unemployment figures are up a bit, too. None of this, however, is cause for depression -- or exaggerated Depression comparisons.

In the last reported quarter, the U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 3.3 percent, adjusted for inflation. That's virtually the same as the 3.4 percent average growth rate since the Great Depression.

Donald Luskin, the "problem" is purely political and of course, it's Obama's fault. If this McCain economic adviser thinks the US economy is so strong, why isn't McCain making this point on the campaign trail?

So, my point is if the democrats are wrong and things are not as bad as they seem. Then McCain should preach it to high heaven that we are not on the brink of a depression. He doesn't do that.

Palin continues with her Bridge to Nowhere lie today!

Despite the information that has been proved time and time again by the media, Sarah Palin went back her, “thanks but no thanks,” refusing an earmark for a bridge to a sparsely inhabited island in her home state at the Pony Express Pavilion Saturday September 13, 2008.

“I told Congress thanks but no thanks to that Bridge to Nowhere -- that if our state wanted to build that bridge, we would build it ourselves," she said.

It is interesting to note that her people claimed there were 10,000 enthusiastic people in the crowd; however, the Pavilion can hold only 3500.

Lowry: Palin’s Not Ready

National Review editor Rich Lowry:

The fact still remains that she very likely didn’t know any of the possible definitions of the Bush doctrine. I can’t imagine if Obama had picked Gov. Tim Kaine and he had had a similar moment, conservatives would have rushed to say that the Bush doctrine is just too amorphous and complicated for him to know anything about it. Palin seemed weak on economic and budgetary policy too, talking in the vaguest generalities. She was much better, and positively good, on the social issues—which are dear to her and she’s thought about—and anything having to do with her personally or with her record in Alaska. She was magnificent on the Iraq-prayer question. This tends to suggest she’ll be as strong on the national issues, once she’s truly conversant with them. I hope she got up from the foreign policy session and said to her aides, “Dammit. That wasn’t good enough and I’m not letting it happen again. I’m not going to allow myself to be so under-prepared for another high-profile interview again.” Of course, she has a tremendous amount of material to master in a short period of time.

This is from a conservative.

Barack Obama today in Manchester, NH

Think he has had enough? Video is over 30 minutes long.

Daily Kos Tracking Poll September 13

Obama 47% McCain 47% Barr 2% Nader 2%

Obama camp: 'Disgusting lies,' 'not worthy'

Ben Smith's Blog:

From the Obama campaign:

"We will take no lectures from John McCain who is cynically running the sleaziest and least honorable campaign in modern Presidential campaign history. His discredited ads with disgusting lies are running all over the country today. He runs a campaign not worthy of the office he is seeking."

About damn time.

New Obama ad on McCain lobbyists

Can't get any clearer than that.

Yet another McCain campaign lie!

From the Washington Post:

Aides to Gov. Sarah Palin are scrambling to explain details of her only trip outside North America -- which, according to a new report, did not include Iraq, as the McCain-Palin campaign had initially claimed.

Remember, he supposedly vetted her! So either he didn't vet her or he is ok with the all of the lies!

Palin made an official visit to see Alaskan troops in Kuwait in July of 2007. There, she made a stop at a border crossing with Iraq, but did not actually visit the country, according to a new report in the Boston Globe.

Earlier, McCain aides had said that Palin visited Iraq, and expressed indignation at questions about her slim foreign travel.

The campaign also said she had been to Ireland; that turned out to have been a refueling stop.

The View Grills McCain on False Ads

Video is being passed around. In case you havent seen it, here it is.

Real Change

Barack Obama in Concord, New Hampshire, September 12, 2008. Video is about 10 minutes long.

Joe Biden speaks to staff

McCain lies continue

McCain aide Kimmie Lipscomb told reporters on Sept. 10 that an outdoor rally in Fairfax City, Virginia, drew 23,000 people, attributing the crowd estimate to a fire marshal.

Fairfax City Fire Marshal Andrew Wilson said his office did not supply that number to the campaign and could not confirm it.

Washington Post reporter Marc Fisher estimated the crowd to be 8,000

The McCain camp stand by their statement and went on to say it was their biggest crowd to date! I have no doubt that 8000 was his biggest crowd so far.

Hurricane Ike in Texas, why isn't McCain there?

MSM is not asking that question. We saw where McCain cancelled the first day of the Republican convention because he went south where Gustav was doing it's damage.

It was political. An attention getter, nothing more.

Hurricane Ike is much larger and is going to do much more damage than Gustav, yet it is the weekend. He has nothing to cancel and nothing to gain politically. Of course if he really cared about the people he would have done what he did with Gustav.

I am not advocating him going down there. I was against it the first time! My point is he does one thing for political gain and attention, then does nothing for a larger and more devastating storm.

Barack Obama is doing it right! He is not going to travel to the area in order to avoid interfering with relief efforts, just as he did with Gustav.

GOP Congressman Lies On The Air About Palin And The Bridge -- And Is Called On It

The press finally getting some spine?

McCain "Would Rather Lose His Integrity Than Lose An Election"

From Obama's camp, spokeperson Hari Sevugan responded to what John McCain said:

Today on "The View," John McCain defended his campaign's latest ad campaign, which has been debunked repeatedly as both false and sleazy. In running the sleaziest campaign since South Carolina in 2000 and standing by completely debunked lies on national television, it's clear that John McCain would rather lose his integrity than lose an election.

It's about freaking time!

Who wants to bet me that McCain will come back with the words, 'I dare you say that about a former prisoner of war?' Any takers saying he won't say that?

McCain lies about reformer credentials on 'The View'

Bill O'Reilly and Obama on taxes.

John McCain "Whitest President"

McCain lies about Palin on 'The View'

He said that Sarah Palin has never requested an earmark for her state.

Josh Marshall begs to differ!

Her state gets more earmarks than any other state in the country.

To give you some perspective, Palin herself requested at least ten times the dollar value of earmarks as most states get total every year.

The AP added "When pressed about Palin's record of requesting and accepting such money for Alaska, McCain ignored the record and said: "Not as governor she didn't."

How much did she request?

From ADN.com:

Palin requested $197 million this year and $256 million last year. Per capital, that's $288 this year and $376 last year.

The news debunks what McCain said. So, why does John McCain lie the way he does? Why does George Bush lie? It is simple really. They are talking to the religious people of their party. They are followers. The clergy tells them what they want to know about politics and religion and they never question anything! Why should they? The clergy are suppose to speak to them from God. Surely God would never lie to them about anything John McCain says! It is faith based. They are too trusting! Sadly there are a large portion of people that will believe Johns lies!

On the other hand, what if John isn't lying? What do I mean by that question? What if he believes what he said on the view? Then that should make you even more concerned! When he believes the spin given to him, without question, he is either not in control of his own campaign or even worse he is incompetent and will say anything to get elected.

Alaska under Sarah Palin has the highest rape rate of any state

What does this have to do with her being being our next Vice President? Nothing. But then again what does all of the silly things McCain has to say about Obama have to do with what kind of president Barack Obama would be? McCain has said such things as:

• He wants to teach sex in kindergarden.
  
• Less patriotic.
  
• Called Palin a pig.
  
• Wants defeat in Iraq.
  

Am I saying if Palin were to be our next president that all of sudden rape will go up nation wide? Of course not! But, then again, that doesn't stop the McCain campaign from saying things that insinuate many meanings!

Is Obama going to step it up?

According to the NY Times he is:

Senator Barack Obama will intensify his assault against Senator John McCain, with new television advertisements and more forceful attacks by the candidate and surrogates beginning Friday morning, as he confronts an invigorated Republican presidential ticket and increasing nervousness in the Democratic ranks.

Beyond that, Mr. Obama’s aides said they had been taken aback by the newfound aggressiveness of the McCain campaign under Steve Schmidt, who has played an increasingly powerful role since last summer. Even as the aides have denounced the tactics as unsavory, they acknowledge that Mr. McCain is running a more effective campaign than he was a month ago.

I hope this is true. I am tired with Obama being thrown off message for a couple days at a time. We have serious issues. The Republicans want to play games and distract.

What people are saying about the Bush Doctrine gaffe

Richard Starr of The Weekly Standard suggests it wasn't a big deal because the Bush Doctrine has no universally acknowledged single meaning.

Joe Klein counters that it shows that "this woman clearly doesn't know what she's talking about."

Matthew Yglesias wonders whether John McCain even bothered talking to Palin about her foreign policy views before picking her as back-up commander-in-chief.

James Fallows points out that it betrays a minimal to non-existent interest in world affairs.

Greg Sargent adds his thoughts:

The issue here isn't just that Palin didn't know what the Bush Doctrine was. It's that she didn't appear to comprehend the notion that there's such a thing as foreign policy doctrine at all.

The key exchange occurred when Charlie Gibson asked her what she interpreted the Bush Doctrine to be, and she replied, "his world view, you mean?"

Clearly, Palin didn't grasp what Gibson meant by the word "doctrine" as used in a foreign policy context.

Are you ready to have her as commander and chief?

Al Franken Iraq ad: Invest here

Watch it closely. Imagine what we could do here?

For those that think leaving Iraq now is accepting defeat? I thought we won? Remember "Mission Accomplished?" So how can it be defeat if we leave a war we already won?

Real Change more than a slogan!

Pass it around! This is a man that will bring about real change!

Liars

From The Jed Report

FactCheck.org sounds off on John McCain's most recent lie:

• "misleading"
  
• "this ad is particularly egregious"
  
• "goes down new paths of deception"
  
• "carefully added language to alter the meaning"
  
• "no one said anything close to that"
  
• "takes words out of context"
  
• "distorts"
  

MSM is still reluctant to call these lies what they are, lies.

The Jed Report is one of my favorite blogs! I recommend it to anyone!

Palin Links Iraq to Sept. 11 In Talk to Troops in Alaska

Accoring to todays Washington Post article by Anne E. Kornblut,

Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."

The idea that the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaeda plan the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a view once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself. But it is widely agreed that militants allied with al-Qaeda have taken root in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion.

For someone that wasn't paying attention to the Iraq war until now, it is amazing what a cram course can do for a candidate!

Of course, Iraq had nothing to do withn 9/11. Saddam Hussein hated al-Qaeda.

McCain: Palin can't handle National Security

Ok he didn't say that about Sarah Palin, but he has made a broad statement in the past that includes Sarah Palin in the group!

Back in October 2007, when McCain's candidacy still appeared dead and buried, the Senator berated the two Republican front runners for lacking the necessary political experience to handle commander in chief responsibilities.





Just yesterday Sarah Palin said when asked if she was qualified to be comander and chief of this great nation her reply was:

"I have had a strong and a long relationship on national security, I've been involved in every national crisis that this nation has faced since Beirut, I understand the issues, I understand and appreciate the enormity of the challenge we face from radical Islamic extremism," the Senator declared. "I am prepared. I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time."

If you do any research at all, you will see Rudy Giuliani was mayor longer than Sarah Palin was. And please note he was mayor of a larger populated than was the area she was over. And her gubernatorial stint in Alaska is shorter than that of Mitt Romney's in Massachusetts.

So according to John McCains standards she is less qualified than the two people he was speaking about last October!

What does that tell you about John McCain and his decision making?

2 Russian strategic bombers land in Venezuela

According to the Associated Press,

Two Russian strategic bombers landed in Venezuela on Wednesday as part of military maneuvers, the government said, announcing an unprecendented deployment to the territory of a new ally at a time of increasingly tense relations with the U.S.

Earlier this week, Russia said it will send a naval squadron and long-range patrol planes to Venezuela in November for a joint military exercise in the Caribbean.

The deployment of planes will be certain to anger Washington. Relations between the U.S. and Russia have been badly strained by the short war last month between Russia and U.S.-allied Georgia.

This is Russia sending a message to Washington saying 'you are not the only power in the world that can manuever it's military force anywhere they wish! We can too.'

Obama's new ad calls McCain old?

You be the judge.

Hannity has a meltdown

I love it!

David Mixner Ten Reasons To Take a Deep Breath and Chill And Fight

Very nice blog at The Huffington Post. He lists ten reasons why we should take a deep breath, and chill, and fight!

I recommend it to any Democrat!

Cindy McCain's drug addiction

The story was killed earlier this morning in the Washington Pot, but it appears to have resurfaced tonight at a forum called Herald.net.

I am not going to judge her. What happened to her can happen to anyone. However, it is a story we need to know. After all she may be first lady if her husband is elected.

Here is the story.

Rendell: If I Was Palin You'd Be Calling For My Impeachment

Gov. Ed Rendell decried a double standard in the treatment of Sarah Palin on Monday, saying that if it was he who was at the center of the "troopergate" investigation, the press would be calling for his head.

"She [claims to be] a reformer," said the Pennsylvania Democrat. "And yet she is being investigated on the charge that she used her power as governor to fire someone who was going through a messy divorce with a relative of hers. Could you imagine if I was doing the same thing in Pennsylvania? You would be calling for my impeachment."

"[The McCain camp] has tried to again obscure the facts about Gov. Palin. 'She is a reformer and against earmarks.' No she isn't, when she was mayor of that town she hired a lobbyist to get earmarks... 'She was against the bridge to nowhere.' No she wasn't. She was for the bridge to nowhere first... She is a budget balancer. But she left the town in greater debt then when she became mayor, so she is not a budget balancer."

"I like her," Rendell concluded. "She is a good person, she has tremendous potential but in no way shape or form is she ready to be president of the United States."

Can't argue with that!