Saturday, October 4, 2008

Warning: Likely To Activate Your Gag Relex

Word of the day: "starbusts". As in, "....a million little starbursts....."

Obama vs. McCain Experience

Factcheck.org debunks chain email stating Obama has only had 143 days of congressional experience.

477 Tax Increases

This hasn't been factcheck.org 'd yet, but this video says that using the same methodology McCain used to state that Obama voted to raise taxes 94 times, McCain has voted to raise taxes 477 times.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Palin Found Out Today About McCain Pulling Campaign From Michigan

I haven't seen a lot about this, but in an interview with Fox's Carl Cameron, she said, "when I read that this morning".


Sarah Palin Named Court Cases She Did Not Agree With

Daniel Larison also points out some Afghanistan issues...

I Told Brook That She Sounded So Fargo When I First Heard About Her. I'm Not Alone.

Two Things: Accent And Rights

Daily Dish points out a significantly less accented and folksy speaking Sarah Palin in a 2006 Governor's Debate.

Also listen to her positions on gay rights; which seems to contradict the debate. Lastly, she defines the extent of her pro-life position.


The Ultimate Flow Chart

SIXTEEN MONTHS AGO

Please take a moment to read this post from Sullivan. It's from May 24, 2007, when Andrew went to seem in in DC for the first time. I have been hoping people will read "Goodbye to All That: Why Obama Matters", the December 2007 article in The Atlantic magazine. His header to that 12/07 article was:

"Is Iraq Vietnam? Who really won in 2000? Which side are you on in the culture wars? These questions have divided the Baby Boomers and distorted our politics. One candidate could transcend them"

Both of these were written before Obama was the Democratic candidate. But the title link article, from 16 months ago, was before anyone knew if Barack Obama was truly viable. I love the insight to be read here.


Thursday, October 2, 2008

THESAURUS.COM: "Maverick"

Main Entry: maverick
Part of Speech: noun
Synonyms: bohemian, dissenter, loner, nonconformist, stray, unbranded

CNN: Did Obama Really Vote To Raise Taxes 94 Times?

Factcheck.org, a non-partisan project of the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center, pieced through records to determine just what these 94 votes were. Key findings:

-23 were against proposed tax cuts
-7 were "for measures that would have lowered taxes for many, while raising them on a relative few, either corporations or affluent individuals"
-11 were to increase taxes on people making more than $1 million a year, to help fund programs such as Head Start, school nutrition, or veterans' health care
-53 were votes on budget resolutions or amendments that "could not have resulted by themselves in raising taxes," though many "were clear statements of approval for increased taxes"
- The total includes multiple votes on the same measures

Annenberg says a close look at the record reveals that Obama has "voted consistently to restore higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers but not on middle- or low-income workers."

Verdict:
Misleading. McCain's summary ignores the fact that some of the votes were for measures to lower taxes for many Americans, while increasing them for a much smaller number of taxpayers. A nonpartisan examination also finds that the 94 total includes multiple votes on the same measures and budget votes that would not directly lead to higher taxes.

Blinkin' and Drinkin'

My biggest issue with the Charlie Gibson interview was Sarah's hair. (o.k., my biggest VISUAL issue; the auditory issues speak for themselves). AGAIN with the hair! She is blinking like a little kid; oops, now she's brushed it out of the way.

For those that missed these: our drinking rules of the night were (sent out by Amanda, modified from Huffington Post):
(watch out, you'd be drunk by now, at 8:29pm!)

(click on comments for the drinking game; I posted them as a comment).

McCain Pulls Out Of Michigan

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Mike Murphy, Republican Strategist: What the Hell was McCain even doing there in the first place?

I posted the link last night of John McCain being interviewed by the Des Moines register editorial board. McCain and Palin were here a week or two ago, now McCain comes back this week. Today, I heard McCain on NPR's morning edition; and posted on that as well; because both in Des Moines and on NPR he continued to state that the statement that Obama sponsored legislation promoting kindergartener's comprehensive sex education. And I pointed out that it was a "Pants-on-fire" lie; one that has been universally proven to be a lie. McCain mentioned both times to go to his website, he has the facts. I spent about half an hour on his website today, and could not find anything supporting his claim. Besides, it is a FACT (which I will try to post more about) that he was not a sponsor of the bill, and it did not even pass the house; and "comprehensive sex education" means a lot more than warning youngsters against sexual predators, and was sponsored by the PTA!!!

A few choice things from the column: (Re: what the Hell was he doing here....)

1.) Obama is going to win Iowa.

2.) Editorial board meetings are usually pure trouble to begin with and result only in newspaper endorsements that persuade very few voters beyond the immediate family members of the editorial board.

3.) Within the rarified category of newspaper editorial boards, the Des Moines Register is one of the most liberal in the country. I'm rather surprised that halfway through the McCain interview they failed to switch over to Esperanto, the peace-loving language of all nations.

FiveThirtyEight.com

I'm Calling This Political


GOLLY! #2 Image Comics Since I always like to follow up on my reviews on a new series like this (either to confirm my previous summation or to eat some serious crow) I'm just here to affirm that I'm still really digging this new Phil Hester joint from Image. Now, I wasn't as in love with this second outing as I was the first, but that's more to do with the execution than the book itself. I still love the premise and I still especially love the cast (which added a few more wonderful colorful members this issue) and the overall humor and quirk they bring too, I just thought this issue really tried too hard to steamroll ahead. Partly I can forgive it, because we were introduced to some of that cast I just mentioned, but there was just a metric shit-ton of exposition and the like going on here, in trying to give us that cast, and trying to explain the situation behind the existence of the first target Golly has been presented with and so on. It felt kind of like two issues plowed into one, though I can understand why Hester would want to get past as many of the introductions as he can and more into the shenanigans these characters will find themselves in. That looks to be the meat of the entertainment value here and so far it's been very savory. Keeping with the food analogies, this issue just felt a little bloated is all. Overall, though, from its sense of humor to the cast and the premise, this book is still delivering some quality entertainment and aiming real high at being my favorite new series of the year. - Humphrey Lee

For anyone that wasn't aware, Brook (my husband) Turner's 2nd issue of Golly! came out last week (his art/Phil Hester, writer) And, for those of us that are not "in the know" re: pop culture; AICN, (Ain't It Cool News) is the place to score a good review. The first issue was reviewed here; you have to scroll down a bit. Rather humorous that the reviewer starts out with how much he wants to HATE the book; but loved it.

CONGRATULATIONS, AGAIN, PHIL & BROOK! :)lt

McCain And Sex Education For Kindergartners

Last night, I posted video of an interview McCain did in Des Moines. When questioned about the ad that was run stating Obama was for "early childhood sex education", he very defensively insisted it was true.

On NPR's Morning Edition this morning; he repeated it again; saying:

"It's factually correct. It's absolutely factually correct, and you can go on my Web site and you can see the exact language of the bill that Senator Obama sponsored......I'm proud of the campaign we are running, the ads are factually correct. And if someone named factcheck.org or anybody else doesn't agree with it, I respectfully disagree with their conclusions."

Factcheck.org says this misleading statement dates back to Alan Keyes' fail race against Obama for an open Senate seat in 2004. Obama was never a sponsor, and the bill never left the state senate.

Politifact.com calls this a "Pants-On-Fire" lie, one of six that they state John McCain has told. In fact; there have only been FOUR "Pants-On-Fire" lies about John McCain and Sarah Palin, COMBINED, but there have been approximately TWENTY "Pants-On-Fire" lies told about Obama alone.

Washington Post's Fact Check: 3 pinocchio's

This is combined with the numerous times the question has come up by reporters, columnists, and in blogs.




Palin Brushing Up On Foreign Policy At Epcot

ORLANDO, FL—Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin sought to silence those who have criticized her lack of foreign affairs experience Tuesday by announcing plans for a weeklong, 10-nation tour of Walt Disney World's Epcot. According to Palin, the trip—her first past Frontierland—will include speaking engagements at Norway's famous Viking ride, sausages at Germany's Kaufhaus, and, time permitting, a fact-finding mission to Future World. "This ambitious trip should finally demonstrate that I am ready to assume the vice presidency, whether by standing in long lines at Morocco's Tangierine Café or by sitting down face-to-face with Mexico's Three Caballeros," Palin announced during a campaign stop outside a Chinese restaurant in Tulsa, OK. "All of our neighbors deserve good diplomacy, from the Universe of Energy down to the French pavilion." Palin also promised a visit to the American Adventure exhibit before returning home, adding that she hoped to learn more about her own nation and the diverse peoples within.

SWING

"It is difficult to find a modern competitive presidential race that has swung so dramatically, so quickly and so sharply this late in the campaign. In the last 20 days, Sen. Barack Obama has gone from seven points down to eight points up in Florida, while widening his leads to eight points in Ohio and 15 points in Pennsylvania," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

No one has been elected President since 1960 without winning two of the three swing states of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. See link for full article, very interesting.


Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Senator McCain was in Des Moines today.

Being questioned about alleged lies in his campaign. (P.S., he does the tongue thing again).

The Weekly Standard: "Obama Don't Know Much About History..."

David Gelernter writes:...Every candidate makes mistakes on the stump, ........(The same applies to Sarah Palin, but she hasn't said the sort of crazy things Obama has.).

The Tongue Jut


A professional poker player sums up the reptilian actions of Senator McCain.


Texas Man Acquited for Killing (Unarmed) Teen Intruder

LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A Texas jury acquitted a man accused of killing a boy who broke into his home looking for a snack — a case that sparked outrage in this border city, where many thought the man should not have even been charged.

It took the jury of eight men and four women three hours Friday to find Jose Luis Gonzalez, 63, not guilty of murdering Francisco Anguiano, who was 13 when he and three friends broke into Gonzalez's trailer to rummage for snacks and soda one night in July 2007.

Thanks to my newphew, Nathan Cook, for telling me about this story.

It Is Very Hard To Remember Things

Running mate's regulations, supreme court decisions, flags in your office, now she has to say what "all of them" means as far as newspapers?

It's Always Sunny In Florida

fivethirtyeight, 9/30:

Florida, where PPP today shows Obama ahead by 3 points, may well be on the verge of surpassing Ohio as a potential tipping point state.

Palin's Debate Style

Anchorage Daily News:


On the other side of the stage, Palin simply needs to do what she's always done best during debates: fill the room with her presence and stick to scripted sound bites. With limited interaction, thus less chance of going off message, Palin can definitely hold her own.

Andrew Sullivan Remains Convinced Clinton's Want McCain Victory

Time.com shows a new McCain ad; where Senator McCain says Bill Clinton was right, and the Democrats were wrong, and Fannie and Freddie likely fell because of that.

Monday, September 29, 2008

OH .....MY.....GOD

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/104/story/220041.html

Dead Heat In Florida

Can't wait to hear what my dad has to say about this!!!

A Bailout's Not A Bailout If It's Not Called A Bailout

Pew Research finds that almost 2/3rds of the public thinks the government is doing the right thing investing billions of dollars to keep financial institutions and markets secure.

Marc Ambinder
When described as a "bailout," the public opposes it. When the principles of the bill are described without using the word "bailout," they support it.

He goes on to say:
Speaker Pelosi gave a partisan speech at the wrong time; it's indeed possible that it cost her 15 votes. Still, if those Republicans had been of stronger backbones and more nimble minds -- and more mature than Pelosi, who, let's call it, gave a relatively tame, generic partisan speech -- the bill would have passed. Those Republicans were looking for an excuse, and Pelosi gave it to them. It shouldn't matter what Pelosi says; the future of the Republican was at stake......Pelosi's not responsible for how House Republicans vote.

Ask Sarah Palin A Question And She Will Answer It Here!!!!

This is a humorous site; here is the main info page but click on the title link to get... your... answers.

Hey, we need a laugh right now, don't we?

The Lies and Lies and Lies of Sarah Palin

Andrew Sullivan has HAD IT.

More On Sheldon Adelson

Sheldon Adelson's possible ties to McCain's campaign. And his dinner with him in August. As that Accountable America post says,

The meeting raises important questions:

1. Are groups Adelson is funding really independent from the McCain campaign?

2. Will Adelson use information provided to him by the McCain campaign in private strategy meetings to influence how Freedom's Watch and other groups he finances promote McCain and attack Obama?

And here for some of Adelson (who is very close to the current administration, as well) other "issues".

More "Obsession". There is no way this film "coincidentally" is being mass distributed to SWING states; within 6 weeks of the election.

September 13, 2008, E & P Pub:
An article at the group's site, www.radicalislam.org, all but endorsed McCain this past week, then was pulled down. The statement could have been this:

"McCain's policies seek to confront radical Islamic extremism and terrorism and roll it back while Obama's, although intending to do the same, could make it worse," said the site. This statement was later removed, says an article on TampaBay.com.

The "shadowy" Clarion Fund, behind the DVD, say they are not endorsing any candidate or party. However the website clearly points out "liberal" agendas, and the Florida Attorney General, who was also a campaign adviser to Rudy Guiliani, REQUIRED his employees to watch the film.

Apparently, this DVD was in our Des Moines Register Sunday paper two weeks ago. Now that I think about it, I vaguely remember there being a cd in the outer wrapper. Where it went, I have no idea; I truly hope it was assumed to be an ad (like the trial games in cereal boxes) and tossed with other garbage. While information can be helpful; especially to cement one's own convictions; there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this mass campaign was to revive the "Barack Obama is a Muslim" and he will take over and bring radial Islamic extremists to take us over. Or, to just instill enough misgiving in the non-thinking sector of America to make them vote for McCain or not vote at all.

WHY CAN THEY NOT WIN ELECTIONS ON THEIR OWN MERITS, IDEAS, POLICIES, AND ABILITIES?

The story is not yet broken, but there seems to be quite a few references linking the funding of this mass campaign to Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire. (google: Sheldon Adelson "Obsession").

The Clarion Fund, the official source behind the film and the one whose bulk mail permit was used for the distribution, had no money in their bulk mail account per the New York Postmaster. So with someone else behind it, and costs that are estimated in the 5-15million dollar plus range..... shares the same office address as Aish Hatorah; and if the video is being distributed as non-political related, and the organizations are not for profit, how can statements like this be made?

Tom Trento, who heads www.watchobsession.org, the group that distributed the movie at the Democratic and Republican parties’ nominating conventions, told JewsOnFirst that their goal is to awaken the country…before the election so everyone can “see the insidious nature of radical Islam.” Trento said, his group’s website then directs viewers of the video to “a scorecard that shows how elected officials have voted” on terrorism-related issues so they can decide “how they can intelligently vote” in November.

The scorecard is on the website of Act for America, a group that says it has tabulated electeds’ “votes related to national security and the threat of Islamofascism.” Its Senate scorecard consistently favors Republicans over Democrats…

Sunday, September 28, 2008

MUSLIM CHILDREN GASSED AT MOSQUE IN DAYTON, OH; COULD A VICIOUS DVD BEING WIDELY CIRCULATED IN SWING STATES BE TO BLAME?

My brother in law David lives in Dayton, OH. He alerted me tonight to a terrible incident that occurred Friday night at the Islamic Center of Greater Dayton. Apparently, a chemical irritant was sprayed in to the room where the children and babies were being kept while their mothers prayed.

This happened during Ramadan. Daily Kos, from what David and I have found, was the first and only source, other than the original news story (click the title for the link) in the Dayton Daily News.

Chris Rodda at the Huffington Post was able to communicate with someone directly affected. While the newspaper comes across as a minor incident; the more recent story, here, posted about an hour ago, describes the situation as much more incidious.

COULD THERE BE A CONNECTION TO THE "OBSESSION" DVD BEING DISTRIBUTED BY THE MILLIONS? I am appalled that our "One Nation (Under God), With Liberty And Justice For All" could be so hateful. My earlier post about "Palintology", and what makes people vote Republican, seemed to insinuate that the left's push for diversity made us feel less united. That, perhaps, the goal should be for coming together as one, and celebrating our similarities, NOT our differences. I don't know what to say. I'm going to keep looking in to this, and will have more on this DVD soon.

Liberal Websites 12 Times More Likely To Use Profanity Than Conservative Sites

No s**t?

Fox News Pulls Negative Palin AP Story

Andrew Sullivan linked to this story; which points out several examples of this "Top News Story" on FoxNews.com. Why did it mysteriously disappear?

Disappearing Racial Bias: Further Proof That The "Bradley Effect" May No Longer Exist

Princeton Election Consortium cites in Ron Fournier and Trevor Tompson's AP piece, which sparked a discussion about Obama needing to overcome the fact that, according to a study, almost 1/3 of white voters agreed with at least one negative stereotype about blacks.

But the Consortium article discusses a Harvard political science study that asserts the Bradley effect has disappeared.

Think Progress: McCain Admits Health Plan Would Increase Taxes

Middle Class Experiences Largest Tax Increase: For a couple earning $40,000 and paying $13,800 for insurance, “McCain’s new tax credit would cut their taxes by $50 in 2009, but because the credit quickly falls behind rising premiums that are the basis of the current tax break, the family would pay $1,169 more in taxes in 2013…[and] would pay $2,809 more in taxes by 2018.”

McCain has repeated that he will not raise taxes. McCain's interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos seems to prove otherwise.

Palin Paparazzi Possibilities

The Sunday Times reports that a McCain insider says that a Bristol Palin wedding before the election would be "fantastic", because it would "shut down the race for a week".

I have heard multiple comments by McCain reps that the media is glaringly liberal, and can't be trusted to be objective with the McCain campaign. Shouldn't those statements be tied to actual examples? EVERY DAY is a new ballgame in politics, and we see evidence of that, well, every day. With small things able to cause massive shifts in public opinion, why isn't the "Straight Talk Express" flooding the air and sound waves with positive talking points?

Surely, if Sarah Palin was able to get elected as Governor of Alaska, she could hand-pick media to have a press conference on something very specific; that she could truly hold her own on. And structured correctly, she could decline questions that did not relate from the agreed upon subject. And why, why why was she not out there, pimping for McCain after the debate? She could always say: "I don't recall that exact exchange, I'd have to see the transcript". Michael Crowley, on The Stump blog from The New Republic, brings this up.

Movin' On Up

And the piece of the pie is gettin' bigger.

Gallup's Newest Poll: Obama +8

FiveThirtyEight.com: Chance of Obama winning the election: 78.5%

RealClearPolitics: National Average of Polls: Obama +4.8

Pollster.com: Obama 48.2/McCain 42.1

Rasmussen: "Obama's biggest lead yet" 50%/44%

Battleground Tracking: Is the lone holdout of all the polls, coming it at +2% McCain, with data through 9/25/08.

SNL Saturday, September 27, 2008

No one, I mean no one, can do Sarah Palin like Tina Fey. Not even Sarah Palin, I believe.

Brook Turner points out: The writers at SNL are getting a big break; some of the sketch dialog was taken directly from the actual interview/transcript. But as Andrew Sullivan points out,

"There is no way Saturday Night Live could make more fun of Palin than she made of herself. How does McCain win an election with a national joke as his running-mate?"