As if it couldn't get any worse for Palin...

As if it couldn't get any worse for Sarah Palin, the embattled GOP Vice Presidential Nominee, she has sat down for another interview with Katie Couric, but this time she has her dad babysitter running mate with her, John McCain. I can't wait to hear the hackneyed cries of lib-rul media from Republicans, because in this segment (like many others from last week) she comes across as beyond pathetic. Quickly now - does any American with an ounce of gray matter want her sitting across the table from a world leader making life and death decisions? It's a real possibility if the Palin/McCain McCain/Palin ticket wins on Nov. 4. To say the least, McCain has not been forthright about his health, nor has he released his health records.

And for the record, these were hardly hard hitting questions. But, it certainly is a legit one to ask about Pakistan, since McCain was so vehement in denouncing Barack Obama's stance on Pakistan during last Friday's debate.

Again, it's a typical Republican meme - whenever you're asked something unpleasant or you're exposed for being uninformed or just plain stupid, it's all the media's fault! The scary part about it is that it largely works to an unwitting public - the vast majority of voters make critical voting decisions based on 30-second political ads and political catchphrases.

TMW's looks at GOP ticket on Parallel Earth

[Click for the image for entire cartoon]

This week's This Modern World is a pretty good one - a look at the Republican Presidential ticket on Parallel Earth. I love the representation of Sarah Palin, too.

Get your Palin lawn signs here!

This is one of my favorite things I've found on the Web so far; Like all effective political cartoons/spoofs, it says a lot with very little.

McCain "takes care of vets"?

I couldn't help but laugh and laugh last night when McCain said, with a straight face, that he "loves our vets and takes care of them." That's nice for the papers and the press, especially considering his military background, but it doesn't even pass the smell test. His record reveals otherwise. Probably the most significant legislation involving veterans' benefits in generations, the GI Bill of 2008, which gives our veterans access to higher education at next to no costs, was opposed by McCain AND the Bush administration. McCain's initial, patently absurd response was that it would have made for too much incentive for soldiers to leave the military. (Even though a Pentagon study concluded otherwise.)

Thankfully, the GI Bill passed anyway, without McSame's support, or vote. Actually, McCain never even bothered to return to Washington to cast his vote for the very important bill. After all, he had a campaign to run. I hear Repubes all the time pissing and moaning about how Obama voted "Present" during his time in the Illinois Legislature, sometimes during controversial votes. Well, McCain missed more votes than any other candidate for president in Congress this year. Sure, Hillary and Obama missed some votes, too, but I also remember both Hillary and Obama hopping planes back to Washington for important Congressional votes, which is much more than can be said for McCain.

Anyway, Veterans Groups aren't tolerating McCain's lack of support for important veterans' legislation without a fight. Above is a new ad that just began running this morning, and there's another one below that features partial-amputee Jon Kuniholm, who discusses the phony meme of "Support the Troops," when in reality, they've been getting screwed from day one in Iraq by putting their lives on the line with faulty, inadequate and in some cases missing equipment.

Here's hoping that all vets, stop-lossed soldiers, National Guard men and women who have had their tours mercilessly extended, and their families are all registered to vote and have their voices heard on election day.

Last night McCain began with... 2 falsehoods

Hat tip to Attytood, the best Philly blog, for this one.

Last night, McCain began his opening statement during the debate with two blatant falsehoods that stand up to scrutiny for about three nanoseconds.

To wit:

MCCAIN: But there's also the issue of responsibility. You've mentioned President Dwight David Eisenhower. President Eisenhower, on the night before the Normandy invasion, went into his room, and he wrote out two letters. One of them was a letter congratulating the great members of the military and Allies that had conducted and succeeded in the greatest invasion in history -- still, to this day, and forever. And he wrote out another letter, and that was a letter of resignation from the United States Army for the failure of the landings at Normandy. Somehow we've lost that accountability.

I've been heavily criticized because I called for the resignation of the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

We've got to start also holding people accountable, and we've got to reward people who succeed.

First of all, in Ike's second letter that turned out to be nothing more than a historical footnote, he didn't write that he was resigning - he was writing to take full responsibility for the failure of the invasion. I know it's a minor quibble, but as Will Bunch over at Attytood correctly wonders, isn't this stuff checked ahead of time?

Secondly, and I mentioned this last night, McCain did not call for the chairman of the SEC, Christopher Cox, to resign; he said that he would fire him, a power that the president does not have. Oops - for a candidate claiming to be so competent, "ready to lead on day one," it looks like McLame has to hit the books and do some studying, just like Sarah Palin. And his gaffes weren't limited to talking about the economy last night, either, but more on those in a bit.

Thanks for the "straight talk," McSame.

Apparently, Palin had better things to do

Last night following the presidential candidate debate between Obama and McCain, Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Joe Biden appeared on just about every network to discuss the debate. While his answers and insight were in large measure predictable, probably the most notable aspect to the post-debate coverage was the absence of Sarah Palin, the GOP veep nominee, but more on that in a minute.

Biden, via C&L:

This is a very difficult ground, in fairness to John, it’s really difficult to defend the terrain that he occupies. The terrain he occupies is he’s bought on the economic philosophy of George W. Bush and the sort of you know free market, let it run its way, let it be on its own, and now all of the sudden he’s talking about greed on Wall Street. The same way with his foreign policy. He went in and thought this was a…you know, he thought we were going to be over in a short time, that we were going to be greeted and so on and so forth. John’s judgment - here’s the point - John’s judgment has been fundamentally wrong on the basic, critical, foreign policy and domestic decisions we’ve had to make.

First off, Biden has to stop with his "in all fairness to John" crap. Why? For starters, it's a weak way to present strong points. And second, the courtesy certainly hasn't been, and will not be, reciprocated by the other side. Biden really needs to punch up his demeanor and remarks before next Thursday's vice presidential debate.

It should be blatantly obvious by now to even the most casual political observer that McCain and his cabal are keeping Palin far, far away from the national spotlight.

So, where was she last night? At a Rib BBQ, right here in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, which is not exactly a hotbed of conservatism (thankfully). Palin mingled among her supporters...

...at the Irish Pub on Walnut St. It strikes me as beyond odd that she would make a decidedly low-key appearance here in Philly, while the other three players on their respective tickets were very much in the limelight. I've never been one for conspiracy theories - in fact, I usually think they are for people with just a little bit too much time on their hands. But, not only was her selection for the ticket a curious and supremely superficial choice (LOOK! A hot hockey mom - issues be damned!), but the way she's being handled by McDrilly since her selection has been odd, yet telling. There's still plenty of time for some unpleasant and shocking surprises from the McCain camp, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see one before election day, with Palin smack dab in the middle of it all..

At right, Palin appeared at the Irish Pub last night with Flyers owner Ed Snider, another conservative rube. My only question is, where in the name of Rick Santorum was smug conservative douche bag Brian Tierney? Surly he must have been busy trying to keep the Philly Inky afloat, or he would have been there, kissing so much conservative ass, as he is often wont to do. Note to Palin - don't listen to what Snider has to say too much - his local team, the Philadelphia Flyers, have not won anything since 1975, when you were a burgeoning, young conservative religious zealot.

I took the picture at left last weekend right after the Philadelphia ING Distance Run concluded, and this one about says it all, really. (Click the picture for a larger view.)

Anyway, it's as if Palin was acting like a local celebu-tant last night, as opposed to being a candidate for the second highest office in the land. Again, this doesn't inspire a great deal of confidence, especially considering McCain's health. Much more on McLiar's health, and Sarah Palin, later in the weekend.

Paul Newman, 1925-2008

Yesterday we lost one of our greatest actors and philanthropists, Paul Newman. He's inarguably among the finest actors in Hollywood history, and his passing represents the end of an era. He will be missed, but thankfully, his movies will live on for eternity, and his food company, Newman's Own, will continue to donate millions to worthwhile causes.

Rest in peace, Hollywood lion.

Did you notice two things last night?

I'll admit that I didn't notice this during the debate (call me crazy, but I was mostly paying attention to what the candidates said), but notice who was wearing a flag pin last night, and who wasn't? (By the way, the pin was probably made in China - a little irony with your morning caffeine.)

I'm watching and listening to Morning Joe, and Joe Scarborough is talking about how Barack Obama looked "darker" than usual. Really? WTF? Who cares? It's merely the latest example of our superficial media reporting on the things that matter least.

Anyway, back to the real issues that matter...

Live Blogging the presidential debate

I'm watching the pre-debate coverage, and I'm already bored. (And I'm even watching MSNBC) I dunno - the talking heads really just get under my skin after about 15 minutes.

Anyway, to occupy our time tonight between the dodging of questions, someone in our little gathering found a debate drinking game - it's as follows...

1. Every time John McCain says, "My friends..." take one drink.

2. Drink every time McCain says something about "America First" or "Country First"

3. Each reference to McCain's years as a P.O.W. - salute the TV, then drink

4. Every time Obama says the word "Change" make someone else (who is drinking) take a drink

5. Any reference to Maverick by either a pundit, moderator, or candidate drink twice.

6. Drink when either candidate starts their answer with "That's a great question..."

7. Drink if any candidate talks about some fictional or real person and their problems. (likely something involving a choice between diabetes medication and gas for her trip to see her blind grandchildren.)

~~~

Okay, things are going to get started in a minute, so stay tuned...

By the way, I'm happy that Jim Leher is moderating - he's tough, but generally pretty fair - I anticipate more of the same tonight.

9:05: Leher is starting with a quote from Eisenhower - not a bad choice, I guess. He's a Republican I admire from history. Oh well, I can't think of anything else to say... yet.

9:06: Obama is going first, and he's addressing the financial crisis - and he's hitting the themes I was hoping he would - oversight, CEO pay, golden parachutes, and home owners. Bravo. Bonus: He's taking swipes at McCain already in his opening statement about his support of the Bush policies. Good - I want a sharp edge.

9:08: McCain's beginning seems sort of slow and unfocused. And really, I'm trying to be as objective as possible when it comes to analyzing the candidates tonight. Mac mentioned Ted Kennedy in his opening remarks - hmm, bipartisan much?

9:09: Obama is talking about how he wrote the Secretary of the Treasury a few years ago about the impending economic crisis - I hope this doesn't strike the electorate as being too opportunistic.

9:10: First whopper of the night - Mac is saying that he was criticized because he "called for the resignation of the chairman of the SEC." Um, no - he said that if he were president, he would "fire" the chairman of the SEC, a power that the president does not have over the SEC chair. I'll track down that video later - his statement wasn't taken out of context.

9:12: Obama has his elbows up tonight - he's already attacking McCain for the second time tonight by referring to the need for regulation not just when times are bad. Bonus for mentioning that McCain said 1o days ago that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong."

9:13: McCain just said that America is still "the greatest importer and exporter." Arrrnt - wrong. Right now we have an annual $800 billion trade deficit - there's nothing great about that, except the breathtaking burden to our children and grandchildren 100 years from now.

9:15: Now McCain's talking about earmarks -I can only wish that I could see a talking bubble above Obama's head - PALIN! PALIN! PALIN! Hit him where it hurts, Barack.

9:17: Okay, no mention of Palin by Obama, but he does mention that earmarks accounted for $18 billion in last year's budget - about a month and a half in Iraq and a dimple on the golf ball of our national budget. Nice. But, he should have clubbed McCain over the head about Palin.

9:18: Everyone in the room where I'm watching the debate is whooping about McCain's hypocrisy about earmarks, specifically Ted Stevens and Sarah Palin.

9:20: Wow - Leher is all but encouraging the two to slug it out in the middle of the stage, encouraging McCain to "respond to Obama." Anyway, McCain just talked about Ireland's economy. Non sequitur, anyone? Another whopper - Mac just said, "A lot of people would be interested in Senator Obama's definition of rich." HIT HIM, Barack - Mac just said last week that anyone earning $5 million and under is middle class. If only I could be so lucky.

9:23: I wish both candidates could spend some more time on their tax plans - there's a lot of misinformation out there, and a few minutes tonight aren't going to solve it.

Mac is doing his evil laugh for almost a straight minute - a pretty spirited exchange on taxes. Call it a draw. And I really do want to hear more about where Obama stands on capital gains. (I just made a mental note to come back to that over the weekend.)

9:27: Obama referring to health care and education - good, but he's short on specifics. I'm very happy to hear Barack mention infrastructure as well - I've been crying out for this for months now - but the big question - how's it all going to be paid for?

9:28: On to McCain's priorities... Here's red meat for Repubes: "Senator Obama is the most liberal member of the United States Senate. It's hard to reach acrosss the aisle from that far from the left." Somewhere, Karl Rove is masturbating. Hey, it got a laugh from Obama.

~~
Kudos to Leher for taking both candidates to task for not really answering the question about what should be cut as a result of the economic crisis. However, to be fair to both candidates, there are so many unknowns, it's a gotchya question that can just be used later to castigate the winner in November. Best to tread wisely here, candidates, and that's saying something; I'm seldom happy to hear the candidates not offer specifics.

9:33: McDrilly just threw a meatball over the plate - "I'm for a spending freeze, except for national defense and taking care of our veterans." Obama immediately retorts that "the problem with a spending freeze is that you're using a hatchet where you need a scalpel. There are some programs that are underfunded that I would like to increase." Stick that, Mac. Bonus: Obama mentions the $10 billion we are spending per month in Iraq, which is a sorely under-discussed topic - the War in Iraq is having a devastating effect on our economy. A-men to that, and Obama would do well to keep stressing this, especially during the economy themed debate.

9:36: Here's the failure of Reganomics, straight from McSame's mouth - "Keeping taxes low is the best road to recovery." Oh, really? It hasn't worked during the Bush administration, and it didn't work during the Reagan and Bush I administrations. Who's going to pay for our $10-12 trillion debt, senator?

Oooh - Obama takes McCain to task about President Bush's presiding over an "orgy of spending." So far, it's the line of the night.

9:38: McSame just called himself "the Maverick of the Senate." Is there a puke bag in the house? Now he's droning on and on about winning the war in Iraq, and how we have won, and how the surge has won. I'd give a big toe to have a microphone into Obama's ear - I'd be nearly screaming to him: "Savage him about the 'success' of the surge - it's working because we are paying our enemies not to shoot us!" An inconvenient fact that our corporate media neglects like a red-headed stepchild.

9:43: McLame is now droning on and on and on (actually, he's filibustering) about the wild success of the surge and how we have "won" in Iraq - yea, we won the war, but we are losing the occupation, and we will never win the occupation - no country has ever won an occupation, ever.
(Obama would do well to integrate this line into his campaign stump speeches.)

YES - Obama is now attacking McCain about his rhetoric in Iraq - "Senator McCain thinks the war began in Iraq in 2007 - it started in 2003." Brilliant.

9:45: McCain is now filibustering, again.

9:47: Obama is going on a counter offensive about McCain's lies regarding his voting record in regard to our troops in Iraq. Bravo - he cannot and should not let these go unanswered. McCain keeps trying to interrupt, and I have to, in all honestly, give the edge to Obama here.

9:49: McCain just dropped another whopper: "General Petraeus and Osama bin Laden have one thing in common - that the central front in the War in Terror is in Iraq." Seriously?!? Well, had we never diverted resources, troops and forces to Iraq, a country that never posed a threat to us, the central front in the War on Terror would be right where it should be - and where bin Laden allegedly is - in Afghanistan.

Obama just mentioned that Iraq was not responsible for 9-11 - even though Repubes always allude that Iraq was connected to 9-11.

9:53: Wow - McCain just veered wildly off course on foreign policy with regard to Pakistan - that "Obama announced that he would launch strikes into Pakistan." Too bad President Bush gave himself the authority through a classified executive order in July 2008, to invade and conduct covert operations inside Pakistan. (Mental note to come back on this later.)

McCain just stated another lie - that Obama "stated that he would bomb Pakistan" - PRODUCE THE FOOTAGE where Obama said just that.

Obama came right back over the top toward McCain for singing songs about "bombing Iran" and "talking about bombing North Korea into extinction."

Now McCain is talking about his foreign policy record by taking us on a tour of his 25-year record regarding Iran, Kosovo, Bosnia, etc., and I can't possibly be the only person lost and bored here - what the hell was the question again?

10:00: Bonus to Obama for coming back at McCain after his filibustering about his foreign policy experience and his military service. "You know, John, I've got a bracelet, too..." as well as mentioning that "No one of our soldiers ever dies in vain." It's unfortunate that he has to continually repeat lines like these, but due to the Karl Rovian attacks from Repubes on the right, he must.

10:04: A serious exchange on Iran. McCain is on relatively solid ground here, to be fair, but his rhetoric now doesn't match what he's been saying during the past 6-8 months. I also didn't hear the word "diplomacy" one time during McCain's response. Obama responds about "punishing people by not talking to them" is not the right policy. Yes, yes, yes - that's been the Bush MO during his entire time in office, and it's proved to be a disaster in so many ways.

10:08: More red meat for the neocons: McCain just brought up the trite GOP line about Obama's mentioning "meeting without preconditions," but Obama's ready - Henry Kissinger, an adviser to the McCain campaign, recently said that we should meet with Iran unconditionally for talks.

10:14: Now McCain is coming unglued, and dare I say it, unpresidential - "Oh please!" in response to an Obama defense of McCain's deliberate mischaracterizations on his positions regarding diplomacy.

10:18: Bonus to Obama for mentioning that he's worked with Republican Senator Dick Luger regarding legislation regarding nuclear non-proliferation. So much for the GOP line about Obama never working with a Republican about anything. (Are you listening, Jim? Sorry - it's inside baseball - one of my conservative friends. Back to our program.)

10:18: McCain's now whining and complaining about the Russia and Georgia conflict. I have no doubt that McCain is trying and the Bush administration are both trying to instigate and provoke the Russians into another conflict. I'll never forget when the Russian/Georgia conflict began, and McCain said into news cameras, with a straight face, "We are all Georgians now." Someone's reality check bounced. Oh yea - and Dick Cheney was over in Georgia during the week of the GOP convention, and we gave Georgia $1 billion in U.S. funds. That's a lot of money, especially during our economic crisis. Let me frame it another way - I wonder how many people with struggling mortgages it could help?

Obama is missing a MAJOR, MAJOR opportunity here - the Georgians provoked the conflict, not the other way around. McCain also just said, with a straight face, "We must respect boundaries of sovereign nations." The US would do well (Republicans specifically) to do just that. Hypocrisy much?

10:24: Obama is now talking about energy, and McCain is now sniffing and huffing - just wondering - will it get the same treatment in the media as Al Gore's audible sighs during the 2000 debates.

Leher is not doing a good job controlling the candidates; Obama has done it some, but McCain has been talking over Obama all night.

10:26: The last question of the night is about "Another 9-11." Really? What a crock. Hey, what's a debate without a little fear mongering? The normally spot-on Leher just threw away his last question. And now McCain is trumpeting the 9-11 Commission, which was an outright disgrace and a farce - easily the worst commission since the Warren Commission.

10:29: Obama is talking about "restoring American's standing in the world. We are less respected than we were eight years ago, and four years ago." Diplomacy! What a concept.

10:30: McCain has just mentioned Ronald Reagan... again. Seriously, enough already. As Bill Maher so famously said, "I think Republicans renamed one of the airports in D.C. after him so Republicans can coo, 'I'm coooooming into Reeeagan!'"

Obama clearly has a pretty good grasp on the issues, and he's winding up the night by connecting the dots - all of the money we are spending unnecessarily (specifically in Iraq) is tied to national security. It's about time. He would have done better to mention Iraq's economic surplus.

I really do wish that Obama would make the point that it's not about losing the war, it's about losing the occupation, which no country has ever won.

McCain is ending the night just as he began it, babbling about the surge. Mac is doing just about everything but telling us the size of his genitals - stating his entire résumé. Big deal - when you're been wrong about Iran, when you've been wrong about Iraq, your résumé is irrelevant at best.

Mac is ending the night with a POW reference - what a surprise. I can't believe it's taken him this long, actually. I've been saying it for months: POW ≠ POTUS.

That's it - much more to come later tonight and tomorrow. Now, it's off to listen to the insta-pundits and polls - it should take about 8 minutes to declare a winner from tonight's debate.

Check out McSame's Premature Jubiliation

Unbelievable - from "We should postpone the debate" to "I've already won" in less than 72 hours. I guess at his age, McSame should be happy with any sort of "-tion" that comes his way, but this is pretty ballsy - declaring victory before the fact? (The above image is not Photoshopped!) We'll see how this plays out in Middle America. Wait, I'm sure all but the blogosphere will simply ignore it - God only knows if it doesn't happen in our corporate media, then it never "really happened."

Stewart takes on Bush's demagoguery

President Bush's fear mongering has been in full force this week, and it's been sickening to watch and listen to. Thank God there are a few elements of our corporate media who are even bothering to do some cursory reporting concerning the Bush administration's outrageous demand for $700 billion in taxpayer money to bail out greedy Wall St. CEOs, without fixing the systemic problems that are plaguing our financial and banking systems.

I have to admit, I'm quite happy that there hasn't yet been an agreement on a bailout (and I'm not calling it a rescue plan, despite how the corporate conservative blowhards on Faux News want to frame it).

Yet, that hasn't stopped Bush from trying to make one of the largest money and power grabs in American history.

And I don't give a damn what conservatives say - I'm quite thankful that there are a few adequately pissed off personalities in the media who have the temerity to question Bush's motives. (The nerve! Not parroting Bush's meme! How... free press of them)

Well played, Stew.

Protect your vote now, before it's too late

There have been numerous reports about voter registration, ahem, irregularities occurring throughout the country, specifically in some Democratic Party strongholds. (More on those in a minute.)

The good news is that the National Association of Secretaries of State has set up a Website where you can quickly and easily check out your status for the upcoming election. The Website, called Can I Vote, will also let you know where your polling place is as well for all 50 states.

Please note that even if you have registered to vote, double check your status on this Website - there have been numerous reports in a number of states of voter caging and the illegal disqualification of voters by knocking them off voter rolls using blatantly unconstitutional methods, including state Republican Parties attempting to take advantage of home foreclosures by using caging tactics. (Much more on this later this weekend.)

In many states, the deadline to register is usually 30 days prior to the election, which is quickly approaching.

The bottom line is this - protect your vote, and don't simply assume that you're all set to go for the November election, even if you voted in the last election. Make sure and verify it now.

What's more, make sure you bring identification with you to the polls on election day. There are also plenty of reports that Republicans will have people deployed in battleground states around the country to challenge voters to provide identification, thanks to an outrageous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that was based on the bogus problem of voter fraud.

For example, if your name says "John Q. Public" on your voter registration, and your driver's license reads "Jonathan Q. Public," your vote could be challenged. In this case, you could cast a provisional ballot, but in most cases these end up not being counted.

It's ridiculous that in the 21st century in the United States, voters should have to bring with them proof of identification and even a back-up just in case, but that's what we need to do in order to overcome the voter suppression tactics currently in play. In any case, let's all be prepared - not only will our votes count, but we'll vote the vote suppressors right out of office.

McCain's campaign mgr tied to Freddie Mac

In a tragic sort of way, I'm simultaneously angry and amused at how the left and right are falling all over themselves, trying to score cheap political points over arguably our worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. (And most are saying that we are far from out of the woods - there's a cheerful thought as we head into the weekend!)

Anyway, there isn't a person anywhere along the political spectrum who can't point to the other side and find some political advertisements that are misleading in some way, Barack Obama included. My message to those people, especially the ones who get fired up, is to take a step back and research the facts, not the wind-blown rhetoric of a political campaign. Yes, I occasionally list and discuss some political ads, but I try and take ads from both sides at face value - just about anyone from any political persuasion can take a snowflake of truth and turn it into an avalanche of bullshit.

A few nights ago, Rachel Maddow (above video) sat down with Newsweek's Michael Isikoff to discuss revelations that John McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, was paid $15,000 a month by Freddie Mac as recently as last month, directly contradicting statements made by the McCain campaign as late as Tuesday.

The New York Times has plenty more where that came from:

One of the giant mortgage companies at the heart of the credit crisis paid $15,000 a month to a firm owned by Senator John McCain's campaign manager from the end of 2005 through last month, according to two people with direct knowledge of the arrangement. The disclosure contradicts a statement Sunday night by Mr. McCain that the campaign manager, Rick Davis, had no involvement with the company for the last several years. Mr. Davis's firm received the payments from the company, Freddie Mac, until it was taken over by the government this month along with Fannie Mae.

Wait - it gets better: (Hat tip to C&L) For the last few weeks, the McCain camp has been trying to tie Obama to disgraced former Freddie Mac CEO Franklin Raines, arguing that an alleged "relationship" (a single contact from an Obama campaign official that both parties deny amounted to anything) somehow taints Obama, despite the inconvenient truth that McSame's senior campaign official was receiving thousands from Freddie Mac as late as last month. This isn't the first time that the stench of political hypocrisy from the McCain camp has been overpowering, it's just the latest. (My personal favorite has got to be "I will veto any legislation with earmarks!" during McLame's acceptance speech, just days after selecting the queen of earmarks, Sarah Palin.)

Here's a little more, from DNC Rapid-Response Manager Jesse Lee (h/t C&L):

The two sources, who requested anonymity discussing sensitive information, told NEWSWEEK that Davis himself approached Freddie Mac in 2006 and asked for a new consulting arrangement that would allow his firm to continue to be paid. The arrangement was approved by Hollis McLoughlin, Freddie Mac's senior vice president for external relations, because 'he [Davis] was John McCain's campaign manager and it was felt you couldn't say no,' said one of the sources.

I've been highly entertained by John McCain's reaction to the financial crisis, especially when he "suspended" his campaign to rush off to Washington to "deal with our financial crisis." I can't recall a more pathetically transparent political move during a presidential election in memory, period. He's a desperate campaigner, running out of time ~ his convention bounce is a memory, as is the time when his moniker Maverick actually meant something. If McCain were so concerned with coming up with a solution to our economic crisis, why did he wait until a little over 48 hours before the first presidential debate to "suspend" his campaign? My theory will surprise no one - McCain's running scared, specifically on economic matters, because quite frankly, he's the man without a plan. But, he certainly has his PR spin skills honed to a dull edge. From McCain's presser the other day, just in case you missed it...

And it looks like McCain's wind-blown PR rhetoric was just the big sham we all knew it to be anyway; he showed up at the White House today for the big meeting with Bush, and according to Politico (another noted right-wing Website masquerading as an objective news source) he reportedly had very little to say in the meeting. Ironic, since he's been the one all over the media in the last 48 hours saying he "had to suspend his campaign" so he could go help fix the crisis. Maybe he thought that just by being in the room, his "expertise" would rub off on the rest of the attendees. You know, in the way McCain asserts that Palin "knows as much about energy as anyone else in the country because she lives in Alaska." Seriously folks - what's next? Are we going to elect the wholly unqualified and dishonorable profiteer Rudy 9iu1ian1 as president because he was mayor of New York City during 9-11? Oh wait, we weren't dumb enough to fall for that one. I guess there IS hope for America after all. *Smirk*

Letterman knocks McSame down a peg

Rare is the day that I watch the late night talk shows (or whatever they are called) any longer; I actually used to think I would watch them more as I get older, but the opposite seems to be true - most of the time, I couldn't care less. However, I fell asleep in front of the TV last night, and I woke up just in time to catch David Letterman savaging John McCain for canceling his appearance on his show at the last minute. (Thankfully, especially for Democrats and liberals the country over, a surprisingly low key Keith Olbermann filled in.)

Clearly McCain canceling on Letterman was a desperate attempt to gain ground in the polls by trying to look like he's trying to affect some sort of change to the absurd Wall Street bailout being considered in Washington (Update: It looks like it's a done deal - I shudder to think about the compromise that our politicians have come up with in Washington - it will no doubt have elements that both parties can point to leading up to the election so they can all jump up and down and say, "Hey, look what we did to rescue home owners!).

The minute I heard the reason that McCain bailed on Letterman (it was all over the news yesterday afternoon and evening), I immediately said to myself, "it's bullshit," but I was willing to perhaps give him the benefit of the doubt. However, miraculously, the noble GOP Nominee found time in his emergency travel plans to do a sit-down interview with CBS Anchorwoman Katie Couric last night. Needless to say, that didn't go well. (Footage to follow.)

What's more, McCain is now trying to weasel out of the first of three presidential debates scheduled for tomorrow evening. And, to make things more interesting, the McCain camp is now proposing pushing back the vice presidential debate instead (again, more video to follow). It's pretty clear that the McCain campaign is tanking (the poll numbers more than suggest this), & Palin is about as qualified to be president (or vice president) as the man sitting under the I-95 overpass down near the Philadelphia Naval Business Center.

Right now, it's all about buying time - for the McCain campaign as well as for the economy. It doesn't take a political scientist to see that Republicans are desperately trying to hold things together for about six more weeks. Then, all bets are off.

Lots more to come this evening - I've set aside the entire evening for blogging, as well as tomorrow evening to live blog the presidential debate, if it happens at all. Stay tuned...

McCain/Palin Halloween costumes

I found this at Zaius Nation this morning and got a laugh out of it - Halloween has come early for these two. Loads of stuff coming later this afternoon, so please check back...

The Palin Seal (& she didn't shoot it)

I found this on the Internet today, and I had to share it. Hey, it's not all seriousness here at CMB, but after this, I have plenty to rant about tonight. Anyway, enjoy - click the pic for a larger image.

23/6 on Sarah Palin & rape kits

The people over at 23/6 have done it again - another tragically funny video about a Republican with values more twisted than a South Philly pretzel. How long to you think it will take before Repubes say this story is a "distortion" and a product of "the lib-rul media"? About two nanoseconds.

I've said it before and I'll say it and write it again and again and AGAIN for the next 41 days, especially to the people who whine that "Palin isn't running for president!" My response is two-fold: first, it shows a stunning and breathtaking lack of judgment on McCain's part. In fact, the choice is so horrific I strongly feel it disqualifies both from being fit to serve; Palin for obvious reasons (many of which I plan on getting to soon in a separate post), and McCain because if elected, he will be nominating many cabinet level positions, as well as stocking the federal judiciary with a bunch of Palin clones.

Second, despite what people would have you believe, most notably McCain, his age is an issue. Obama can't raise the issue directly, but that doesn't mean that it couldn't and shouldn't be discussed amongst the electorate, and on the blogosphere.

TMW tackles Wall St. greed

[Click the image for the full cartoon]

Sorry for the relative inactivity lately - I've been very busy with both freelance photography and writing. Anyway, I'll be getting back at it with full force later on today and into the evening - God only knows there's plenty to be angry about.

In the latest This Modern World, Tom Tomorrow gives a well-placed beat down to the financial fleecing of the American taxpayer, courtesy of Wall St. greed. Plenty more on this later today.

TMW: The Politics of Resentment

[Click for a larger image]

This week's This Modern World is a spot-on assessment of where Republicans stand regarding the building resentment (and dare I say it, fear) about our rapidly crumbling economy. Things are indeed growing dire by the day with our economic system, and seeing John McCain, Sarah Palin and [GASP!] President Bush on TV saying "We are taking measures to stabilize the economy" inspires NO confidence whatsoever. In fact, it makes me more fearful than ever that the worst rube to ever occupy the White House has his hands on the controls for a little over four more months. Bush's management of the economy is akin to a crazy psychotic with a baseball bat loose in a China shop, who with a crazed look on his face, screams, "What can I possibly fuck up next?!?" while wildly swinging away. The ONLY fun part about all of this is anticipating how just about everyone with an "R" behind his or her name will try to pin this on the Democrats; it will make for some fun yet tragic listening.

Speaking of This Modern World, Tom Tomorrow's blog is always a must-read, and yesterday he offered this nugget:

Certainly would be a good time to have some of the $500 billion plus we've spent on the Iraq war.

Ya think? Great point - it makes the War in Iraq appear even more asinine, tragic and unnecessary than it already does to everyone but the most rabid Republicans.

I'll add this to TT's thought - Obama ought to put out a new ad with images of our smirking, war-criminal president in the background, with the a little music by The Police with the lyrics "I'll always be king of pain...," followed by the staggering economic numbers that are flowing from Washington to Wall Street.

Yea, I think that would work.

Lots more a bit later today - it's grading day for me - I have about 100 speeches to grade over the next few days, but I promise to find at least a few hours later on today to comment and post about so much that has been going on in the last few weeks. I've got video, pictures, and loads to say, so please stop back.

Sarah Palin Bingo!

[Click for a larger image]

This is one of the most creative things I've seen on the Internet since Sarah Palin was selected by John McCain to be his running mate. Of course, our corporate media is completely falling down and neglecting its duty to ask tough questions of Palin, but thank God for the Internet - it's the only way the truth is getting out and getting reported at all. (More to come on Palin later on this afternoon.)

In the meantime, click the image above for a larger view, print it out, annoy your conservative buddies and amuse your liberal friends.

From YouAreDumb.net:

Offered exclusively from your friends at You Are Dumb Dot Net, SARAH PALIN BINGO lets you play along with your favorite cable news broadcast. Just get some tokens, watch the reporting, and mark off every scandal or horrifying policy position that gets mentioned! Get five in a row and you win! Plus, as a special bonus, since she's his "soul mate," John McCain is giving you the center square just for playing.

If you'd like to print out the gameboard, feel free to click on it for a PDF version. Amuse your friends and annoy your enemies with SARAH PALIN BINGO.

NOTE: One game of SARAH PALIN BINGO should take one hour on MSNBC, three hours on CNN, and up to a month or more on FOX News.

Sweet! Anytime I can skewer Republicans while winning a game of Bingo, I find it impossible to resist.

Tina Fey mirrors Palin perfectly on SNL

Just in case you're one of the few who hasn't seen the pretty good footage from last weekend's Saturday Night Live, here it is. Tina Fey is a terrific actress (and a beautiful one, too), but wow, did she nail Sarah Palin - her mannerisms, voice, everything. Better yet, there's a little bit of a political commentary in here, too.

When the goin' gets tough... pull the plug?!?

Oh yea, about that corporate media? Get a load of this one (and another major h/t to C&L for the footage). A McCain toadie, Tucker Bounds, appeared on MSNBC earlier today to discuss the blatant lying on the part of the McCain campaign. Just when things started to get heated, specifically about McCain's outright lying about earmarks, the feed went dead. Draw your own conclusions about it, but I know how I feel. Of course, I can't prove it, but that won't stop me from believing.

Transcript from C&L:

O'DONNELL: "Let me as you specifically about the comments on 'The View' because John McCain was asked about Sarah Palin and earmarks. He said, 'no, she's not taken any as Governor.' The Wall Street Journal today has a story that in fact Palin's project list totals $453 million dollars. Will we hear John McCain admit that he was wrong?

BOUNDS: "Well, the first part about that Wall Street Journal piece that you should understand is that they don't use the accumulated earmarks that Barack Obama lists on his own...

[FEED GOES DEAD]

YouTube pulls video from Palin's church

Um, about that "liberal" media? Here's another example of censorship, but this time it's a Google-owned company doing the censoring. Major hat tip to Crooks & Liars for unearthing this gem.

From Talk to Action:

Sarah Palin was baptized at Wasilla Assembly of God and attended the church for over two and a half decades, and she has been publicly blessed by a number of pastors and religious leaders employed by and associated with that church.

Last Sunday our research team released a video, a ten-minute mini-documentary, focusing on the Wasilla Assemblies of God and the video seemed on the verge of a massive "viral" breakthrough when YouTube pulled it down, citing "inappropriate content."

At the point the video was censored by YouTube it had been viewed by almost 160,000 people. The short of it is that YouTube has censored a video documentary that appeared to be close to having an effect on a hard fought and contentious American presidential election.

(Read More)

Very well put, without question - it's a story that our corporate media has been slow to pick up on at best, and in most cases, flat-out ignoring. And I don't care how loudly Repubes cry about it - it IS an important story. This content is inappropriate alright, but not for the reason that YouTube gave for taking it down - it's inappropriate because it's the church that the Republican Vice Presidential Nominee of the United States enthusiastically attends, PERIOD.

When I watched the footage above, I wondered where all of the same despicable animals are now who were roasting Barack Obama over the coals for eight straight days earlier this spring about Jeremiah Wright, who's biggest "crime" was pointing out the obvious - that "America's chickens are coming home to roost," and even that was taken out of context; he was quoting what someone on Faux News had said the day before. (Another inconvenient fact that was completely ignored by the media.)

To say that this is religious radicalism at its worst would be an understatement of, ahem, Biblical proportions. The more I read about her church and what it believes in, the more troubled I am that this woman could be the president of our country.

The next thing we will hear about the story above is that "it's Sarah Palin; she's not running for president!" Another absurdity - considering McCain's medical history and age, it's more likely than not that she could possibly assume the presidency if McCain wins in November, and especially if he were to be elected twice. (Let's be honest, incumbents have many advantages and are more often than not historically elected to second terms.)

More on McCain's age in a bit.

Debunking the b.s. lie about our media

I really don't know what happened to Lou Dobbs, but he's become the biggest braying jackass on a once great network. To hear Dobbs, the most notorious walking, talking xenophobe on a network not named Faux Noise Channel say that the media is largely "liberal" is a joke of the highest order (this footage is from a week or so ago). It's also worth noting that Dobbs has a partisan history going back to his earliest days at CNN, where he hosted Moneyline, later leaving the network after refusing to interrupt his precious show to air a speech delivered by President Clinton at Colombine just days after the shootings.

Anyway, what's been most evident since John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his running mate is the Republicans' return to their dog-eared playbook of Richard Nixon, which on page one says, "Slam the media for being overly liberal whenever there is news that's unfavorable to us."

And it's been parroted by every single Republican ever since when unflattering or bad news (much less a scandal) has befallen someone with an "R" behind his or her name.

I was listening to Thom Hartmann the other day, and he brought up an excellent point about Sun Tzu's centuries-old famous tome, The Art of War. The world-famous work deals with the art of military strategies and warfare. As Hartmann mentioned, in it Tzu reasons that a principle tactic of warfare is to present your biggest strength as your biggest weakness to your enemies, and that's precisely what modern-day Republicans are doing with our mainstream media - decrying the presence of a phantom "lib-rul media" whenever there is unfavorable coverage of their party or their candidates. Not only is the presence of a "liberal media" a fallacy, but it's unarguably on of the GOP's largest strengths.

To wit, there are over 1,000 radio stations in the United States that offer predominately conservative programming. How many liberal/progressive stations are there? Less than 100; and according to Hartmann, there are 70-80 He should know, since he's arguably the premiere liberal radio voice in the United States, and he has had a very difficult time getting on terrestrial radio stations in some leading media markets primarily because there are no stations to get on. The tide is starting to turn ever so slightly, but it largely favors hate conservative radio.

Some other interesting facts:

• Every major television network in the United States is owned by a multinational corporation - CBS, NBC, Fox Network, ABC, CNN, Fox Noise Channel, Clear Channel Radio, Comcast, and on and on. These giant corporations could hardly be considered Democratic (large D) leaning companies.

• One of the most visited Websites on the Internet, and the most visited political Website is The Drudge Report. According to his Website, here are the stats from the last year: "27,151,658 IN PAST 24 HOURS, 723,014,663 IN PAST 31 DAYS & 6,455,462,513 IN PAST YEAR." (And no, I'm not linking to Drudge's GOP tip sheet Website.)

• Faux News Channel is the most watched news channel in the United States, by far, whether on cable or on regular TV.

• The top three most listened to radio talk show hosts in the United States are Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael "Savage" Wiener, in that order - hatemongers all, and most importantly, purveyors of GOP talking points, and often, lies and hate messages of their own.

• As far as newspapers go, there are plenty of them out there of all stripes, but the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall St. Journal has the second highest circulation in the United States, just behind USA Today; the WSJ's circulation is just over two million per day.

Some other newspapers...

#1 - USA Today - owned and operated by Gannett.

#2 - Wall St. Journal - see above.

#3 - The New York Times - owned and operated by the Sulzberger family - liberals by anyone's definition.

#4 - The LA Times - corporate owned and operated.

#5 - The Washington Post - also a liberal paper.

#6 - The New York Daily News, owned and published by Mort Zuckerman, whose conservatism is well known.

#7 - Chicago Tribune - a traditionally conservative paper operated by the Tribune Company.

#8 - The New York Post - a Rupert Murdoch rag - what is understood, needn't be discussed.

#9 - Long Island Newsday - is about to be purchased by Cablevision. Hmm, a newspaper that's going to be owned by a cable company. Just wondering where those loyalties lie?

#10 - Houston Chronicle - owned by The Hearst Corporation, a huge media conglomerate, and it's no mystery where that company's loyalties lie.

Other highlights...

#11 - San Francisco Chronicle owned by Hearst.

#12 - New York Newsday - See #9.

#20 - The Philadelphia Inquirer is now controlled and effectively owned by the insipid Brian Tierney, the CEO of Philadelphia Media Holdings. He is a well-known conservative "commentator" and also a failed GOP campaign manager. This same company also owns the only other major Philadelphia daily newspaper, the Philadelphia Daily News.

As you can see, it's quite obvious that you can find liberal and conservative media outlets if you look hard enough, but with the exception of newspapers (where it's relatively balanced, but a medium that's rapidly declining in circulation and reach), our media is anything but "lib-rul," despite what Repubes would have all of us believe.

As I've mentioned, Republicans just slam the media the minute some bad news hits - we are seeing it on an almost hourly basis with McCain, and especially with Sarah Palin. Their strategy is simple - just cry "liberal media," and said media outlet(s) will quickly fold under the scrutiny. If history has proven one thing in the first decade of this century, it's that virtually all outlets in the media go soft the minute they are accused of being "liberal." And when that doesn't work, just spread lies - it never takes them long to go from a conservative pundit/commentator/columnist to the mainstream media; just in the past few days, examples abound of conservatives doing just that to try and steer press coverage toward McCain.

The truth is, it's the media's duty to scrutinize all candidates, no matter what party they are from, including independents.

Funny illiterate Maverick supporter

I'm clearing some older stuff off the decks tonight as I catch up on blogging, and I found this one online last week that I wanted to share. Hey, it's still funny - McCain is talking about illiterate adults, and a moron in his audience can't even spell Maverick. It's bad enough we have to hear this absurd moniker of McCain's endlessly pimped over and over, but you would think the drones who do just that would know how to spell it. Too funny.

Woodward book blows away W war myths

On Sunday night, Bob Woodward appeared on 60 Minutes to discuss his new book, The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008, which contains some pretty stark revelations about President Bush and his handling of the War in Iraq, specifically the GOP ballyhooed Troop Surge. He sat down with CBS' Scott Pelley for a very interesting interview:

"What does General Casey, sitting in Baghdad, think of having additional troops?" Pelley asked.

"He thinks that Baghdad is a troop sump-a place you can put endless numbers of troops in. And he does not want to add force," Woodward said.

"The president, who has said in public, endless times, that he relies on his generals to tell him what they need, is actually going his own way here," Pelley remarked.

"That’s right," Woodward agreed. "The records of the joint chiefs show that the idea of five brigades came from the White House, not from anybody except the White House."

Not that I totally agree with the philosophy, but so much for the Republicans "listening to the generals on the ground," an MO that Bush and McCain have attempted to smear Obama for not advocating.

BONUS:
Here's an interesting excerpt from The War Within regarding Bush's psyche regarding Iran (and his intellectual capacity, for that matter). On page 334:

That spring, [2007] Admiral Fallon attended a White House meeting on Iran.

"I think we need to do something to get engaged with these guys," Fallon said. Iraq shared a 900-mile border with Iran, and he needed guidance and a strategy for dealing with the Iranians.

"Well," Bush said, "these are assholes."

Fallon was stunned. Declaring them "assholes" was not a strategy. Lots of words and ideas were thrown around at the meeting, especially about the Iranian leaders. They were bad, evil, out of touch with their people. But no one offered a real approach. No one wanted to touch diplomatic engagement.

What a shocker - the Bush administration not wanting to engage in diplomacy?!? It's pretty clear that Bush (and McCain, if he gets into office) would rather bomb the Iranians than talk to them to find out what they really hope to accomplish. Bush, Rove, McCain and co. have been pushing the meme that "talking" to our enemies is a weakness. Someone needs to school these rubes on history, especially their anointed saint, Ronald Reagan, who used diplomacy to help win the Cold War.

And "assholes," Mr. President? How... presidential, President Frat Boy.

I wonder if Dick Cheney will curse out Bob Woodward again for his latest book, just as he did following Woodward's release of last explosive book, State of Denial, which was very unflattering to the Bush Presidency. (See below)

Weekend Cartoons

Lots and lots of powerful, sage cartoons this week, since it was such an active political week - from the anniversary of 9-11, which topped the news, to the ever-nauseating coverage of the 2008 presidential campaign, which is now getting into full swing.

This one pretty much says it all (as do many of the ones below, in different ways). At the risk of offending a few (and quite frankly, I really don't care) - President George W. Bush is one of the best things to ever happen to Osama bin Laden. Bush has shredded Americans' civil liberties, diverted our attention with a War in Iraq, a country that is unrelated to 9-11. Despite what the official White House line is about Iraq's relation to 9-11 (and Sarah Palin's and John McCain's, for that matter), solid evidence "linking" Iraq to 9-11 doesn't exist, and likely never did. (More on White House Press Secretary Dana Perino's absurd statements about 9-11 a bit later - I've got some video you have to see.)

The ersatz bipartisanship between the McCain and Obama camps didn't strike much of a chord with me - if anything, it's hollow, because every educated American voter knows that really neither candidate means it - it's just for the cameras and media to play over and over, believing that the candidates can make nice and "rise above" the political fighting. I don't buy it, specifically when it comes out of McCain's mouth; he's already broken one big, fat promise that he and his wife made in a very public way just as the campaign got under way - that any mud slinging "would come from the other [Obama's] side.

One of the biggest outrages regarding 9-11 is that no prominent public servant, especially from American's alphabet agencies (CIA, FBI, NSA, etc.) was ever fired for arguably the biggest, most massive intelligence failure in American history. In fact, a few were even decorated - most notably George Tenet, who was given the Congressional Medal of Freedom by President Bush, infinitely devaluing the medal for all of the deserving Americans who have received it.

Anyone remember when President Bush swelled out his chest before a joint session of Congress, boastfully and forcefully declaring, "Osama bin Laden wanted - dead or alive"? Yea, I don't either. In a way, I will always believe that not catching bin Laden was more politically beneficial to Bush than catching him would have been. Since he's still out there, he's the boogeyman that Repubes can use to frighten the electorate with. It should be lost on no one (but it is) that Dubya has taken very little blame for 9-11 happening on his watch, too. Hopefully the next president will reintroduce the word credibility to our political lexicon.

Thus far, the Democrats are making a big mistake thinking that they can be victorious in November by making this election about the issues. Statistically speaking (and the polls largely back this up), the Democrats have just about every issue on their side in this election. Yet, McCain continues to surge in the polls - he's now turned this race into a statistical dead heat (and in some polls, he has a small lead). The bottom line - it's because McLame is making the race about personalities, and thus far following his convention, he's succeeded. Obama had better start hitting back, and in a profound way, by hammering McCain on some of his past statements, including his record of siding with Bush an overwhelming majority of the time, up until right before he declared his candidacy for the presidency.

We DO need more boots on the ground in Afghanistan, but the biggest question is, where are they going to come from? Obama has publicly called for more troops in Afghanistan, and some of them should come from Iraq. Repubes have tried to rake him over the coals for it, but Obama should be hitting back with this one - "Okay, if not from Iraq, then where? We have already overextended and stop-lossed the military to excruciating lengths during the past five years, so why don't you explain to me, Senator McCain, where all of the troops are going to come from?"

Change isn't easy, as both candidates are quickly finding out. However, only one candidate in this campaign represents genuine change, the kind that American so desperately needs.

This one is tragically funny - and would it really surprise anyone? Halliburton and its former CEO, Dick Cheney, have both benefited to the tune of billions in taxpayer money as a result of no-bid contracts and our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bonus: Halliburton moved its headquarters to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Its Website claims that the company is still "incorporated in the United States," but I'll be my bile duct that anything incriminating regarding the company and its involvement in Iraq has either been destroyed or moved out of the country. And if Obama wins, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if the company moves most of its operations overseas, away from prying eyes. Oh, and about Cheney? The value of his Halliburton holdings, which have been held in a blind trust since he was "elected" vice president in 2000, has swelled to over $1 billion.

Yes, the Democrats could very well blow it - who would be surprised? I know I wouldn't. I some small ways, I've already steeled myself to the fact that McCain could very well win the presidency. Heaven help us all if he does, but on the bright side, he can't possibly be any worse of a president than President Bush, even though that's not saying much. Talk about an excellent example of setting the bar low.

I'm not an economist and I'll never pretend to me, but it doesn't take an economist to observe that it's quite troubling what the Bush administration has done lately - taking over and/or bailing out failing corporations - Bear Sterns, Freddie & Fannie, Countrywide, and now the Big Three in Detroit are next. The domestic automakers have been nearly criminally mismanaged for years, and it's only a matter of time before they arrive in Washington with their hands out. Mark this one down now, especially if McCain wins - they will be pleading poverty not long after he takes office, and more corporate bailouts at taxpayer expense will continue, unabated, all couched as moves that are "in the public interest." I wonder what will happen when companies like Countrywide return to profitability - can anyone honestly believe that the taxpayers will be repaid? If you think that, you need a political reality check, at best.

This is one of the most under-reported stories relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - since those conflicts have begun, over 400 GIs have killed themselves. This tragic trend is no coincidence - certainly it's not a stretch to say that stop-loss, extension of tours of duty, and reduced time between tours have strained the military to its limits.

No word yet on how Repubes will spin the latest wrath suffered at the hands of Mother Nature, Hurricane Ike, but any suggestion that global warming could be at least connected to it will no doubt incur the wrath of the detestable Sen. Jim Inhofe, quite possibly the most vile, anti-scientist senator to ever serve in Congress. (To add insult to injury, he's going to cruise to reelection this fall. Yay.)

Two of the biggest political grenades that Bush is handing off to the next president - Iraq and Afghanistan. It must be nice to start two wars, drain the treasury of trillions, killing thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands, and then not have to see it through until the end. However, thank God for the 22nd Amendment, which at least prevents Bush from stealing a third election.

This one explains itself.

People who believe that McCain won't be in bed with the oil lobby if he wins the election are out of their minds.

This one says it all, and is one of my favorites I've seen so far in this campaign.

Dramatic and borderline offensive, but true. John McCain supports torture by our intelligence agencies and military, which the Bush administration has terms Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, so it cuts both ways, doesn't it? It's a fair question.

I've said it before and it bears repeating - Palin was a master-stroke choice by McCain - style of substance often wins with voters, without question. However, there hasn't been a more blatant choice of a running mate along this line of reasoning since Dan Quayle - another insulting choice to women, without question. I'm old enough to remember when it leaked out that H.W. Bush chose him to try and appeal to women voters. McCain has done the same thing, except that she's getting much more play than Quayle did in the summer and fall of '88 - after all, our media is much more corporate controlled now, and certainly in the bed of the big business dominated right wing.

It's little wonder that McCain has offered up Palin for very, very few interviews since he chose her as his running mate - publicly speaking, she's a complete disaster. (More on Palin's first extensive interview with Charlie Gibson in a bit - it's an understatement to say that it didn't go well.

The hilarity of Obama being accused of being a rock star is only more pronounced now that Palin is being treated with adoration by our corporate media. I find it sickening that the right has tried to castigate our media as "lib-rul" for asking her what it considers "tough questions," when in fact she has been asked very few. I can't remember any candidate in recent memory who has been asked fewer tough questions, and who has been this unavailable to the press. Clearly, the McCain camp didn't want to make her available at all, but cries and complaints from the media necessitated they make her available for at least a few. And really, Charlie Gibson was a soft choice, and even THAT was a disaster. Don't hold your breath for many more Palin interviews. And by interviews I mean no appearance on Faux News, where any appearance by McCain or Palin will be a verbal tongue bath.

Palin's religious fundamentalism is more than troubling, and her religious beliefs alone would disqualify me from voting for her. For that matter, I'm not even all that happy with the extent of Obama's involvement in his church, but he's not nearly to the level that Palin is. More on this in a bit.

Palin's executive experience is beyond pathetic, and what's more I think it's being highly overblown in the media. She was mayor of a small town of about 7,000 people, and was governor of Alaska - hardly a legislative tour de force. For instance, the legislature in Alaska meets for 60 days per year, nearly as pathetic as Bush's governorship of Texas, a state which has a legislature that meets every other year. But, I digress.

The pitbull vs. pig lipstick pseudo story this past week was beyond stupid - it's as if our election is now some sort of stupid reality show or something - the media coverage is bordering on the surreal. It's as if the candidates are part of MTV's The Real World or something. I'll have more on this totally fabricated "story" in a bit, too, complete with video. Stay tuned.

This one speaks for itself, too. She's about as qualified to lead this country based on her foreign policy experience as my house cat. "We're doing God's worth in Iraq"?!? That's as scary as it is stupid. Sure, Obama doesn't have a wealth of "experience," either, but he at least has the knowledge - he has a degree in political science, concentrated in foreign relations. Translation: Obama has more foreign policy knowledge in his big toe than Palin has. And it simultaneously enrages and amuses me that the right continually castigates him for being an intellectual. Well, considering the candidates the right is running right now, it stands to reason. McCain finished fifth from the bottom at the Naval Academy, and Palin can't even answer basic questions about foreign policy, as Charlie Gibson proved this past week. And during a Yale commencement address in 2001, President Bush very publicly took pride in his lack of academic achievement.

Whoops - introducing facts about the candidates is a no-no during this campaign.