A new day is almost here, but now quite yet

CNN is reporting this morning that House Democrats have enough votes to pass the Senate bill on health care, so the big vote's probably coming this evening. It's truly an historic day for America, but there will still be a lot of work to do after this bill becomes law. This will be a major victory for Obama, but the president and his team had better go on the offensive, because the GOP noise machine will go into overdrive after this becomes law.

It just kills me that the term "socialized medicine" is "sticking" with most of the American public. Most who keep repeating this don't even know anything about what's being proposed, because if they did, they would know that this is anything but socialized medicine. In fact, it's giving the private, profiteering insurance companies 32 million new customers to gouge and overcharge.

This bill is far, FAR from perfect, but it's an important first step, and I'm happy that it looks like it's going to become law.

President Obama seems pretty confident:

(This video is pretty long, but if you catch the first few minutes, you'll get the idea - Obama thinks this one is gonna go the distance.)

Just a few more thoughts, and I'll be back tomorrow with a lot more on the health care issue.

I find it stupefying that Republicans are objecting about cost. Suddenly, deficits are an issue with Obama in the Oval Office, but let's forget the profligate spending under eight years of Bush. We are spending over $708bn on next year's Pentagon budget, and people are complaining about needed health care reforms that are projected to cost about $975bn over 10 years, along with prolonging life, giving more and more people access to affordable health care, and, according to the CBO, actually reduce the deficit. Nonsense.

Honestly, I think this all boils down to a "We" society vs. a "Me" society. Many (but certainly not all) Republicans view this as another handout, another government give away. However, they are too myopic to realize that they are paying for people without health insurance anyway, right now.

I take you back to the '08 election presidential debates when the candidates were asked, "Do you believe health care is a right of every American?" McCain's response was "I think it's a responsibility," a very clever dodge. Obama said it's a "right," and it is. You need look no further than this phrase from our Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness

It doesn't get any plainer than that. With thousands dying every year in America because of a lack of health care, the conditions described above in the Declaration of Independence hardly exist right now in America.

To wit, take a look at this Parkinson's sufferer in the video above from a recent Tea Party rally, and how he was treated by these frothing-at-the-mouth morons who don't even really seem to know what they're protesting (for starters, the fact that the health care bill passed by the Senate and being considered by the House, while being FAR from perfect, will actually benefit probably 99 percent of the people there). Anyway, take a look - I'll wait.

...

Pretty sickening, huh? It's a good thing I wasn't there, because I'd probably be blogging from jail now. Do they let you blog from jail?

I think it's pretty safe to say that a vast majority of people who are opposed to the health care bill ("Hey! I already have insurance! I don't want to pay for someone else's care!") would do a lightning-quick 180 if they lost their jobs (along with their health care), or if they had a family member get critically ill, only to be dropped by an insurance company. Millions in this country are under-insured, and they don't/won't even know it until it's too late.

Bankruptcies from medical bills are right now the single biggest cause of mortgage foreclosures in the United States. I strongly feel that there are economic links and benefits to this health care debate that the Democrats aren't discussing nearly enough. I'll have more on that later, but in the meantime, I'm crossing my fingers for the vote.

VICTORY! YES -- WE -- DID.

I couldn't be prouder to be an American than I am right now. I haven't typed for a little while, because I just wanted to soak it all in. It's been quite a day in so many respects. I'm pretty happy to say that maybe some of us (including me) were very wrong about the vote being hacked, and that's a good thing, but I certainly hope that in the wake of a non-contested presidential election that wasn't all that close vote wise, we don't lose sight of the fact that we are in desperate need of election reform. But, more on that in the coming days and months.

Here is the full footage of Obama's acceptance speech - truly inspiring words from a man who will soon be known as President Obama.

This was one of the best speeches I've heard him give; the right mix of toughness toward those who wish us harm, and even some words of bipartisanship to his opponents and to those who didn't vote for him.

Tonight's Obama victory was a clear sign that America is disgusted and tired of the politics of old - the slash and burn, conquer, divide and marginalize mentality that's been used too often in the past 30 years to win elections. I really do hope that Obama means what he says - especially when he said, in so many words, that he wants to move beyond these 20th century political clichés.

I heard someone say this tonight on MSNBC, I think it was Doris Kearns Goodwin, who stated that she hopes the Obama administration doesn't make the same mistakes that Clinton did in his first 100 days. Amen to that - I certainly hope and pray that he surrounds himself with good, decent, competent people. What's more, I hope Obama doesn't let his guard down against those who wish to destroy him, because these people will not take a break from trying to tear him down. (Getting some advice from President Clinton about how to effectively combat the right-wing noise machine wouldn't be a bad idea.)

Sen. John McCain's speech was pretty magnanimous, and good on him for that. I watched his words with more than a touch of sadness though; I really would have considered voting for that version of McCain had he run this year. Unfortunately, I never got to vote for that McCain. Many of McCain's mistakes, gaffes and missteps were self-inflicted, from his selection of Palin to the political gutter through which he crawled in trying to win the presidency.

McCain is a true American patriot who I have no doubt loves his country. Too bad that he accused Obama of otherwise during a hard-fought campaign.

As for Sarah Palin - I have no use for her, and I have very little respect for her, because quite simply, she hasn't earned any, period. She was McCain's attack dog, an ill-advised role for her, and one that will take a long time to wear off in the eyes of wary independents and Democrats, too. If she's the face of the future of the Republican Party, then that party is going to have a lot of trouble over the next decade or so. And speaking of her face, I will go to my grave convinced that if she were an average looking woman, she would still wallowing in obscurity as the Governor of Alaska.

How many days until the '12 election again? Just kidding.

Now, the real work begins.

A few voting reminders...

I know that this may be late for some of you who have already headed to the polls (you were smart to go early, & good on you for doing your civic duty), but I know that many of you will be going after work tonight. Here is my list of voting do's and don'ts for you to keep in mind before you head to the polls this afternoon and evening. And no, I'm not going to keep shouting the proverbial Get Out & Vote chat - if you need to be motivated to go out and vote at this point, I've got nothing for ya.

Anyway, here goes...

1. Be prepared to show ID! Depending on where you live and what state you live in, you may be asked to show a valid, photo ID in order to be permitted to vote. This is based on a Supreme Court decision from earlier this year. I won't get into the politics of it right now, but be prepared. Better yet, and I strongly advise this, bring a back-up photo ID just to be sure, as well as your voter registration card, and even a utility bill that proves you live at the address that your poll has on record.

Why this paranoia, you ask? Try this one - if your driver's license reads John Q. Doe, and your voter's registration reads John Quincy Doe, you may have been stricken off the voter rolls, and today might be the first day you're hearing about it. Yes, it's true - this is happening by the thousands around the country, and I hope, for once, no matter who wins this election, that our corporate media picks up on these absurd occurrences and this outrageous practice. Anyway, my point is, be prepared to defend your right to vote, and to even fight for your vote.

2. No one has the right to deny you your right to vote, if you are properly registered. If that happens, immediately call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to report a voter problem. Please, for the love of God, walk out of your polling place disenfranchised (And I don't care who you are voting for). Depending on where you are located, there are many state resources at your disposal, too. It's a good idea to have these numbers with you before you head to the poll. Pick a major newspaper near you, and visit its Website before you leave to vote, and with a little poking around, you should be able to easily locate some numbers to take with you in order to safeguard yourself.

3. If all else fails, you can cast a provisional ballot, but only do this as a very last resort. As I type these words right now, there are still 100,000 provisional ballots that were never counted in Ohio during the 2004 election. In most cases, they are never counted.

4. Be prepared for very, very long lines. I know that in Pa., the lines have been crushing, and it's only 12:30 p.m. as I type this. If you can go during off-peak hours, do it - take a long lunch, whatever. Anytime after 4-5 tonight, and you're going to be waiting, and waiting, and waiting. Do what I'll do, just in case - bring a magazine, and your cellphone. It's amazing how many games of brickbreaker I can get in while waiting on line. (And catching up on e-mail with my Blackberry is always a welcomed opportunity.)

5. Once you get inside the voting booth, be very, very careful about what happens when you begin voting. There have been dozens and dozens of votes of machines flipping votes; in other words, you hit Obama, and the McCain light glows (I haven't heard any cases of the opposite happening, but it certainly is possible). Insist that your vote be counted correctly, period. Don't be pooh-poohed by a poll worker, let alone be intimidated.

Here's some video of it happening in West Virginia:

6. MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON'T PRESS THE BUTTON THAT SAYS "STRAIGHT TICKET" - for either All Republican or All Democrat. Please, if you listen to one thing I've written, please don't do it. There have been numerous reports of this happening in West Virginia and other places. PLEASE PUNCH IN YOUR DESIRED CANDIDATES INDIVIDUALLY, ONE AT A TIME. (Yes, don't you just love our electronic voting machines?) I know I do.

7. Don't forget an umbrella. I know, this isn't a huge thing, but inclement weather is expected in certain regions of the Mid-Atlantic this evening, especially in Philadelphia, where I'm located. Don't let the weather spoil your efforts.

8. Avoid wearing campaign paraphernalia to your polling place. I think this is beyond outrageous, but in some states, including Pennsylvania, you could be turned away and not allowed to vote if you're wearing anything political. It's an blatant violation of our free speech rights, but hey, we'll fight that battle after the election. Why get denied your vote because of a campaign button or t-shirt? It's just not worth it.

9. If you live in the Western U.S., even if the media begins calling states before your polls close (which aggravates me to no end, and I live in Philly, so I can't imagine how you feel), please, go and vote anyway. Your vote is still vital and critical for so many reasons, not the least of which are the many Propositions on many state ballots, as well as the Congressional races.

10. If you are on line when the polls close, you will still be allowed to vote, so if it's 7:15, and you know the line is going to be tremendous, please, go vote! Hey, it's just one evening, and tonight's not a good TV night anyway (at least for other shows!) - it's gonna be all election, all night, so you might as well do your part. The polls close at 8 p.m. in most states, and if you are on line at 8 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. (If you're not, again, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE to let 'em know and to get the situation resolved).

Happy voting! It's a great feeling to get out there and to scream your voice from the mountaintops with the most potent weapon you have in a democracy - your vote.

As usual, I'll have much, much more tonight at my blog: www.CountMeBlue.org - stop on by - I would love to hear your comments.

GOP propaganda machine in high gear

This morning, I thought I'd drop by Drudge's Website Republican Homepage to see what sewage he's spewing in the face of a pretty dreadful day for this party. It didn't take me long to find stories & rumors that are a best wild distortions, and at worst made-up crap that plays into the GOP's PR fantasy machine. Right at the top of the page, I read the headline, "REPUBLICAN ELECTION BOARD WORKERS THROWN OUT IN PHILLY..." so I clicked on the link.

After clicking, I was taken to a site that I hadn't heard about in a long time and that I care about even less, Townhall.com, a right-wing site that is even more blatant than Drudge about everything from climate change to voter fraud to Obama's associations and Ronald Reagan's papacy.

Anyway, the story, entitled, "A Repeat of 2004 Philly Voter Chaos, Fraud," has so many holes in it, I won't try to debunk them all. But, one thing did catch my eye.

In 2004, Drudge breathlessly reported, without doing any reporting, mind you, that machines in Philadelphia had started the day with thousands of votes already rigged for John Kerry. The media in Philly was hot on this story for about 15 minutes, and it died a quick death - not a shred of truth to it, period. In the meantime, before the veracity of the story was revealed, I got a phone call that day from a very good friend of mine, indignant that Philly was rigging the vote for Kerry. It's amazing and stupefying to me that a total frickin' liar and partisan like Drudge drives the news cycle in this country. Maybe someday legit media will wake up to his partisanship, but I sincerely doubt it.

Fast forward to today, and here's how Townhall's story reads at the bottom:

The City of Brotherly Love was roiled in controversy during the 2004 election because of rigged voting machines that showed nearly 2,000 votes for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry before the polls had opened. A man also used a gun to intimidate poll workers at Ward 30, division 11 in 2004.

I know for a fact that no machines were rigged with extra votes for Kerry, so that gun accusation rings more than a bit hollow, too.

On to today's story... According to Townhall:

GOP Election Board members have been tossed out of polling stations in at least half a dozen polling stations in Philadelphia because of their party status.

A Pennsylvania judge previously ruled that court-appointed poll watchers could be NOT removed from their boards by an on-site election judge, but that is exactly what is happening, according to sources on the ground.

It is the duty of election board workers to monitor and guard the integrity of the voting process.

[...]

"Election board officials guard the legitimacy of the election process and the idea that Republicans are being intimidated and banned for partisan purposes does not allow for an honest and open election process," said McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt in a statement to Townhall.

Before we rush to judgment about what's going on in Philadelphia, perhaps a legit media outlet ought to do some actual reporting vs. partisan sites like Drudge & Townhall making wild, unsubstantiated accusations about voting conditions on the ground there. As for the '04 recap, both sites are no doubt counting on low-information voters, many of whom will witlessly read and/or hear what Townhall and Drudge "reported" and assume that all of it happened in '04.

To be clear, I abhor voter intimidation and suppression of any kind of any party, and I would more than publicly condemn it if this is indeed what's happening in Philly. But, I'm just more than skeptical because many GOP hack sites lack so much as a morsel of credibility considering all of the lies and innuendos that were spread in '04.

What's more, this is a classic play from Karl Rove's playbook. As wholesale election fraud is taking place around the country (plenty of reports are already coming in about it, and I will write about this at length later today and tonight), the right cooks up a story about poll workers being ousted in Philly, and that gets all the press. Well, it's not going work this time, at least if the Obama campaign has anything to say about it, and here's betting that it has plenty to say.

Today's the day... so Just Do It!

Today is the day we've waited 2,882 days for, since the Supreme Court effectively declared George W. Bush president on Dec. 12, 2000 in its appallingly bad decision, Bush v. Gore (Sorry for bringing it up, but I have plenty of reasons to; more on that later today). All of those frustrations we can now take out on one of Bush's biggest allies in the Senate, John S. McCain III.

In short, no more speeches, and I won't take off on a long-winded, Joe Biden-like rant (I mean that affectionately) as to why you should vote today; if you found your way to my little island on the Internet, chances are you already realize the value of not only voting, but voting for the only candidate, by far, who can take us in a truly new direction, and that's Barack Obama.

I'll be back in a bit to post my "Do's and Don'ts" about going to the polls today - there's plenty of things you need to be aware of that you may or may not know. I'll be back in a little bit, so please check back throughout the day and well into the night tonight - I will have loads and loads of information, video, pictures, etc. to share.

From a blogging standpoint, I'm pretty excited, because this is the first election that I've had a blog.

More to come...

One of McCain's last, pathetic ads

This one was predictable times 10. The only thing surprising is that the GOP (Read: McCain) decided to run this ad so late. But, desperate times call for desperate measures. I've been seeing this ad multiple times during the last few days all over Philadelphia media outlets.

My guess? It will resonate about as well as Bill Ayers, Rashid Khalidi, the Madrassa Story, countless stories about the Obamas' patriotism, etc. In the end, I don't think it will mean anything, because none of it has anything to do with Barack Obama's PATRIOTISM or his ability to lead this country. We'll know very, very soon.

Fred Barnes: early voters "poor, old"

Fred Barnes on FNC was a riot yesterday - he actually despises "early voting." Like that's such a bad thing - giving people more than 12 hours to vote - what a concept. It's little wonder that Republicans have openly and in most cases vehemently protested early voting in the 30+ states that have it. Why?

According to Barnes, "because voters might miss something." Oh really? Reading between the lines there, what they might miss are the last-minute, desperate attempts by the GOP and McCain to slime Obama with just about anything they can dig up, no matter how untimely or irrelevant it might be.

In the past week, we've seen or heard just about everything the right and McCain have been storing up for last-minute use - Bill Ayers, the "socialist" label, Jeremiah Wright (more on that in a minute), scaring people about his tax proposals, labeling him an anti-Semite, and on and on.

That, my friends (I hope we never, EVER have to hear that annoying phrase after McCain hopefully gets his butt whipped tomorrow) is why the GOP opposes early voting.

We absolutely, positively need to change how we elect our politicians after this election. It's tragic and appalling that immediately after a presidential election, we seem to forget just how broken the system is, until 3½ years later, when we all whine (myself included): "How can our election system be so screwed up?!?"

Oh, and Barnes' categorizing early voters as "poor, old people" is nothing more than breathtakingly ignorant, period.

Gallup: All signs point toward Obama

Happy Sunday morning, everyone. Here's hoping you enjoyed the extra hour of sleep; I just woke up an hour earlier. No complaints, though - it's more time to blog about one of the most important elections in recent American history - two days to go.

Anyway, despite what some GOP hacks are promoting - the idea that McCain is gaining on Obama - the polls are not bearing this out. Yesterday, Drudge pimped a one-day Zogby poll that had McCain ahead 48%-47%. One day? A pimple on the face of the electorate. Even this morning, Drudge has up a Zogby poll that puts Obama up by 6. In the national polls, Obama is up by an average of 7.8%, which is just a bit over yesterday. WaPo has a pretty revealing story about polls - in the last 159 national polls, Obama has led them all.

McCain seems to be narrowing Obama's lead slightly, including right here in Pennsylvania, but I believe it will be too little, too late. I'm not at all surprised that the race is narrowing, however - the last two presidential elections, nefarious vote counting tactics aside, have been very, very close, and I don't think this one will be any different. Of course, I would love to be wrong - I'd love to see Obama run away with it in a landslide, but I have my doubts about that.

We all have to keep fighting - e-mailing, talking to friends, donating some time on Tuesday or even donating a few dollars through Obama's Website. Remember, Obama will still need resources after Tuesday, especially if, heaven forbid, we have a replay of 2000, when the lawyers and ground efforts have to be dispatched if the election is disputed. So, even if you can spare $5, please donate.

There's some good news and bad news in the Senate races. On the bright side, Ted Stevens is going to get bounced out on his ass in his up north after being convicted on seven felony counts this past week; and Kay Hagan is leading the insipid, vapid Elizabeth Dole by five points after her despicable ads portraying Hagan as an atheist. A bit of bad news, though: Norm Coleman now has a small lead on Al Franken in Minnesota, and Saxby Chambliss is up by 5 in the latest polls over Jim Martin, BUT both races are still winnable by the Democrats, especially if Obama carries both states (he will in Minnesota, and he has an outside shot at carrying Georgia).

To that end, please support these Senate Democratic candidates (and of course, others, too) by clicking the links below giving a little bit of money. Even $5 can help to make a difference in the final days.

Jim Martin in Georgia
Al Franken in Minnesota
Kay Hagen in North Carolina

Getting 60 votes in the Senate would be a major plus to Obama if he gets in, and would obviously be useful in blocking some of McCain's more ridiculous proposals should he prevail on Tuesday.

Ad jabs @ Palin's winks, Mac's economic IQ

A new Obama political ad takes a subtle jab at Sarah Palin, for her stupid winking during the vice presidential debate. I love it.

Even more importantly, though, it features some pretty telling quotes from John McCain about his lack of knowledge on the economy.

From HuffPo:

Titled "His Choice," the spot begins with quotes from McCain admitting his lack of economic know-how. The last one has McCain declaring, "I might have to rely on a vice president that I select" for expertise on economic issues.

"His choice?" the script (no narration) asks -- before cutting to footage of Palin winking at the vice presidential debate. "On November 4th, You Get to Make Yours."

It is considered politically taboo for a presidential candidate to go after a vice presidential candidate. To be sure, much of the ad focuses on McCain's record on the economy. But the inclusion of Palin is indicative of just how large a liability the Obama folks -- indeed, the political community at large -- thinks she has become for the GOP ticket.

It might be considered taboo, but I think the underlying theme here is McCain's age. (And this is likely as close as the Obama campaign will ever get to discussing it.) I've been saying and writing this for months now - McCain's choice of Palin disqualifies both, and what's more, it offers us a glimpse of how he would select the people who surround him - his cabinet, advisers, etc.

Senator Elizabeth Dole: beyond contempt

Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) is becoming increasingly desperate in her bid for reelection in North Carolina. So desperate, in fact, that she recently released an ad accusing her opponent, State Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC), of accepting "Godless money" and consorting with "Godless" groups. Talk about desperate, pathetic and beyond the pale - Dole knows she's up against it in a year that will likely wash a wave of Democrats into Congress. Right now, polls show her trailing Hagan by anywhere from 2-4 points.

Dole's nickname is Liddy, but perhaps it should be Dip-Shiddy after approving an attack ad like this. (You'll notice that her voice appears at the very beginning of the ad, which is no coincidence, because she wouldn't want it at the end of the ad, when the pathetic "There is no God!" voice is heard, which intentionally is made to sound like Hagan's voice. Amid a sea of offensive political ads year after year, this one stands out amongst the worst of the worst.)

In fact, the ad is so offensive that even GOP operatives and pundits are speaking out against it. Alex Castellanos, a noted GOP operative and pundit, spoke out against the ad earlier today on CNN's Situation Room.

It's about time Dole gets bounced from the Senate. On a personal note, she's gotten on my nerves for years. In 2006, the Sunday before the mid-term elections, she appeared on Meet the Press and accused Democrats of being "content with losing" in Iraq. That year, Dole did a magnificently bad job as chairwoman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee; the GOP was routed and Democrats took control of the Senate.

Here's hoping that the polls bear out what will happen in six days - that Hagan will beat Dole and become one of the new Democratic senators in 2009. Click Here to donate to Hagan's campaign - even if you only have $5 to give - every bit will help in the final days of the campaign.

If you have a minute, visit Hagan's site to read her official response to Dole's "Godless" ad - it's a very well-put, appropriate response.

This ad is yet another reason why I will never run for political office - I would have an extremely hard time controlling myself in the face of such a despicable attack ad.

Helping Obama finish up strong

I love this video - I found it on Crooks & Liars this morning, and it really is very illustrative of the mindset that I hope every Obama supporter has today.

McCain smears now coming fast & furious

The Obama campaign has articulated pretty clearly lately how it feels about Fersatz News, our State TV Network. On Monday, Matt Drudge, who functions as the assignment editor for our right-wing corporate media, ran with another phony news story - this time it's about what Barack Obama allegedly said about the Supreme Court during a 2001 interview. First, what he actually said:

You know if you look at the victories and the failures of the Civil Rights movement and its litigation strategy in the Court, I think where it succeeded was to invest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples so that I would now have the right to vote, I would now be able to sit at the lunch counter and order as long as I could pay for it I would be okay.

But the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And to that extent as radical as I think people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical, it didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution, at least as its been interpreted and the Warren Court interpreted it in the same way that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties says what the states can't do to you, says what the federal government can't do to you, but it doesn't say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf and that hasn't shifted.

And one of the I think the tragedies of the Civil Rights movement was because the Civil Rights movement became so court focused I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change and in some ways we still suffer from that.

This is a far cry from how the right, led by Drudge and the McCain campaign, has been spinning what Obama said. Fortunately, the Obama campaign isn't letting the lies and smears go unanswered; they are responding swiftly and firmly, just as they should. Bill Burton, an Obama spokesman, appeared on Fox on Monday to talk about the allegations:

This is a fake news controversy drummed up by the all-too-common alliance of Fox News, the Drudge Report and John McCain, who apparently decided to close out his campaign with the same false, desperate attacks that have failed for months. In this seven-year old interview, Senator Obama did not say that the courts should get into the business of redistributing wealth at all. Americans know that the real choice in this election is between four more years of Bush-McCain policies that redistribute billions to billionaires and big corporations and Barack Obama's plan to help the middle class by giving tax relief to 95 percent of workers and companies that create new jobs here in America. That's the change we need, and no amount of eleventh-hour distractions from the McCain campaign will change that.

Very well said - this is one of the many last- gasp, pathetic attempts to distract voters from the real issues by McDrilly's dying campaign, but it certainly won't be the last; McCain's handlers no doubt have plenty more tricks, misinformation and lies up their sleeves.

Honestly, every time I hear McCain or Palin talk about "spreading the wealth around" or "wealth redistribution" or "class warfare," I can't help but hope that Obama throws this right back in his face. What he really needs to do is force McCain to defend wealth concentration, which has risen to new heights under the Bush administration. Obama should go on the attack and force both of these economical morons to defend how the top one percent of wealthy Americans control 90 percent of the wealth in this country. Good God, would I love to hear their answers.

Actually, I'm guessing we'd just hear crickets.

Absurd questions anger Biden in Orlando

I've heard and written about probably hundreds of interviews of all of the presidential candidates since the primaries began nearly two years ago, but the one in the video above has got to be one of the more outrageous ones I've heard during this election cycle. During an interview with WFTV Channel 9's Barbara West in Orlando, Florida, Biden did a pretty good job of keeping his cool - better than I could have.

Biden fielded a litany of absurd questions ranging from the Obama campaign's alleged influence over ACORN (including an inquiry asking if Biden was "embarrassed" by his campaign's alleged association with the group); whether Obama is a "socialist"; and then West wondered about Sen. Barack Obama's comment, to Joe the Plumber, about spreading the wealth. She quoted Karl Marx and asked how Obama isn't being a Marxist with his "spreading the wealth" comment. Following those queries, a clearly frustrated Biden asked, "I don't know who's writing your questions."

To be clear, I have absolutely no problem with tough questions being asked of any of the four candidates - too often, they all attempt to set up interviews with fluff, feel-good questions that inform voters of nothing. Some terrific examples of just this are Sarah Palin's interviews with Katie Couric & Charlie Gibson, which she bombed anyway. Biden answered more tough questions during the five-minute interview in the video above than Palin has since she joined the ticket.

Following the interview, the Obama campaign canceled a Jill Biden interview for the following day. Of course, the right-wingnuts decried this "censorship" of the media, but doesn't even hold up for a nanosecond.

A few weeks ago, McCain kicked New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd off his campaign plane for questions he didn't like, and there are numerous other occasions of media censorship during the Bush years justified by media treatment it wasn't thrilled with. Anyone remember Bush saying to Dick Cheney during the '00 campaign, "There's Adam Clymer, major league asshole from the New York Times"? Or how about Jeff Gannon, the conservative plant from Talon News, who Bush called on in 2005 during a press conference when the questions got tough? (He wasn't even smart enough to be low key, asking Bush a question that included a comment that the Democrats are "divorced from reality") Or how about the Bush administration signing conservative pundits to lucrative contracts using TAXPAYER MONEY to push its agenda in 2005? (Are you listening, Armstrong Williams?)

Getting back to the interview with Biden, for those of you who think that Channel 9's Barbara West is some impartial, tough journalist, watch how she handled an interview with John McCain on Oct. 14. I heard more softballs tossed at McCain during that tongue bath than I've heard tossed at Obama in the last six months.

Pretty hilarious that the very same media that McCain more than once has called "his base" is now the mortal enemy, totally in the tank for Obama.

Riiight.

A few signs of the times, & a calculated raise

I came across some pretty interesting signs of the times this week. The one above, via the Consumerist, was taken at a McDonald's drive-thru. It's not bad enough that the food puts you in the grave early if you eat enough of it, or that I feel horrible for days after eating it, but now I can't even get extra sauce to cover up the nasty taste of just about everything on the menu? Great - thanks for some recession love, ya bastards.

Of course, if McDonald's really wants to make things right, it would provide a crucifix (or, thinking cheaply, a prayer card) with each burger. And all food should be garnished with two Imodium™ tablets. Thus, short-term and long-term implications would be covered. Ahh, it never hurts to dream. Perhaps my expectations are unrealistic - after all, what can we expect for a 99¢ burger?

More seriously, I'm sure you have all noticed a welcome trend leading up to the election...

I snapped this picture with my Blackberry™ Curve™ the other day on Kelly Dr. in Philadelphia. Pretty amazing that fuel prices have been plummeting leading up to election day. Gas prices have been steadily falling since late August, and in September they reached near free-fall status. They've been falling so far, in fact, that in some parts of Pennsylvania, including Berks County, where I work. On Friday, I noticed that a gallon was going for $2.75 in Kutztown, Pa., which would have been unthinkable even three months ago.

Heck, I was pleasantly surprised to see the price at left at a service plaza along the Pennsylvania Turnpike about a week ago, so my happiness has been spiking as the prices have been falling, especially since I commute 750 miles per week to my higher education job outside the Philadelphia 'burbs.

However, my point - I don't think the timing of falling gas prices is entirely coincidental. In fact, I think it's outright manipulation. It doesn't take a political scientist or pol to realize that Big Oil has big, BIG stakes in this election, and it's also pretty obvious which candidate Big Oil wants to see in the White House.

No matter who wins, I think we're going to see fuel prices rising exponentially after the election. The proof is already there to see, too; even energy groups are predicting rising heating oil costs this winter. Funny - gas prices are falling through the floor, as is the price of a barrel of oil, yet industry experts are predicting very high fuel oil prices. Do the math.

Something happened a few days ago that, in my mind, is a total manipulation of the government for political purposes -- the Social Security Administration announced a whopping increase of SS benefits.

From the Oct. 17 New York Times:

Social Security benefits for 50 million people will go up 5.8 percent next year, the largest increase in more than a quarter century. The increase, which will start in January, was announced by the Social Security Administration. It will mean an additional $63 a month for the average retiree, whose check will grow to $1,153 from $1,090. The increase is the largest since a 7.4 percent jump in 1982 and is more than double the 2.3 percent rise in January 2008. [Emphasis Mine]

First, I don't believe for a second that the Bush administration would ever enthusiastically give such an increase to retirees, unless it had plenty to gain politically from such a move. Conveniently, the announcement was timed to be 17 days from the Nov. 4 election.

The Bush administration, and most within the Republican Party, openly despise Social Security and have shown a propensity to do all it can to weaken the program, with the goal of ultimately eliminating it. Now, 17 days before the election, the biggest increase in benefits in 26 years is announced? I'm sure it's all just a coincidence.

Don't get me wrong - I'm totally for retirees getting a much-needed increase in their monthly checks. I'm just questioning the timing. Of course, if anyone in the White House press corps even had the temerity to question the timing, Dana Perino would scoff, saying, "the timing is totally coincidental." Yea, right. If Bush felt he could have gotten away with it, the increase would have been announced the Sunday morning before the election.

Just like the announcement of the verdict of Saddam Hussein was moved up weeks earlier than planned to the week before the '06 mid-term elections. When the then-White House press secretary, the late Tony Snow, was asked about it, he looked into the camera and said, with a straight face, that the administration "would never time such an announcement to interfere with an election."

There are other ways to manipulate the Social Security Administration, too, and the Bush administration is proceeding with full force. More on that a bit later.

Speaking of robo calls...

Speaking of robo calls, listen to this piece of garbage, courtesy of Joe Amato at Crooks and Liars. Among other things, it alleges that Barack Obama and Democrats would cut off funds for the military, that they've accused American troops of "war crimes," and that they pose a threat to national security.

The worst part about this is that the McCain camp has certainly not hit bottom, yet. With 9 days to go, there's little telling how low they'll go to try and turn the tide against Obama.

Oh, and this whole pseudo controversy about "Obama getting tested?" It's claptrap - all new presidents get tested early. Going all the way back to President Kennedy, to use modern examples, every one has been tested early on in their presidencies, and that includes President Bush. Everyone mentions 9-11, but Bush was tested before that. In the spring of 2001, the Chinese clipped a U.S. spy plane that had wondered too close to Chinese airspace, and it had to make an emergency landing in Chinese territory. Sure, in hindsight it pales in comparison to 9-11, but at the time, it was an international incident. It was resolved successfully and the pilots returned home safely, but it was a very early test of Bush.

And that Biden comment, where he mentioned that Obama "would be tested" early in his presidency? It's been manipulated and cut off by the media (surprise). His entire quote also included the phrase that he feels that Obama will respond accordingly and that he'll have a spine of steel.

Giuliani leads the GOP robo call attack

Listen to the ultra-annoying and stupid robo-calls that Rudy Giuliani, America's Profiteer, is doing on behalf of the McCain campaign. I have a hard time believing that robo-calls on either side of the campaign make much of, if not any, difference in the minds of voters. The only reason I can even think of why 9iu1ian1 would partake in such dumb activity is because he's looking for a plum assignment in a would-be McCain administration.

By the way, Rudy's voice makes me want to stick my head in an oven. I wish during one of his robo calls he would say "sufferin' succotash."

However, the stupidity isn't stopping there. On the Thom Hartmann Show last week, a caller from the Carolinas called in to tell a story about how he received a robo-call at 3 a.m. with some blatantly leading, GOP-leaning questions asked by a voice that lamely sounded like Barack Obama. After about 10 minutes, the call was finally identified as coming from the Republican Party. It's not a stretch to say that after 10 minutes that was mentioned just so the party could cover itself legally.

This is just another lame attempt to hoodwink voters. I firmly believe, as long as there isn't wholesale election fraud in selected states, that the American public truly isn't going to buy it on election day and that Barack Obama will be our next president.

Having said that, I sure hope that the Obama campaign, as well as Democratic voters, aren't even remotely getting complacent about his chances, because I still believe that this is going to be a remarkably close election.

A great video: I'm a Little Confused

This is a pretty good video, and if anything, it's a little conservative on the statistics it offers, too - the Obama campaign and the Democratic Party have both successfully registered millions of voters, even though there have been a few isolated instances of "Mickey Mouse" and "Tony Romo" registrations being submitted. (I'll have much more on ACORN, porn for Republicans, a bit later.)

Other than that, this video holds up and is an effective, stinging rebuke against how the press has been covering Obama vs. how it has been covering Palin.

I'm pleased that McCain's adultery is mentioned, as well as Obama's record on sex education. A very good friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, called me up all breathless a few weeks ago, outraged that Obama would support a bill that would allow sex education for first graders, which, according to U.S. News & World Report, is a gross distortion of the truth.

From the Fact Check section of the Voter's Guide in the Oct. 27, 2008 issue of U.S. News:

THE CLAIM:
A McCain campaign ad claims Obama's sole accomplishment on education was introducing legislation as an Illinois state senator "to teach comprehensive sex education to kindergartners."

THE REALITY:
This ad has been roundly attacked as a gross distortion and singled out as perhaps the worst of this election season. The portion of the sex-ed bill geared toward youngsters was aimed at teaching them hot to protect themselves from predators.

I also think it's a very good indication of how favorable the press has treated Palin but how little press coverage has been devoted to her husband's membership in a group until 2002 that wants Alaska to secede from the United States (and also a group that Palin addressed, as governor of Alaska). Talk about putting "Country First." (Which we all know is an empty, b.s. faux patriotic statement to begin with.)

3 Senate candidates who need our support

Al Franken, the former liberal radio talk show host, comedian and author, is running for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota. His opponent is the Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. Since there's no Senate race to follow in Pennsylvania this election, I've been following this race the closest.

In short, Coleman has been nothing short of a Bush rubber stamp since he took office in 2002, and it's essential that progressives send him packing. I normally am not a big fan of sharing political ads (ad fatigue is quickly setting in with 16 days to go), but the one above is pretty damning about Coleman and his alleged "investigations" of war profiteering. Take a look at the vid, and drop by Franken's Website and make a donation. Even $5 or $10 can make a difference. The Democrats, regardless of whether Obama wins or not, need as many seats in the Senate as they can to reverse many of Bush's disastrous policies. (And the Senate needs new leadership to go along with a nice majority, too.)

Anyway, Franken, by most accounts I've read, has run a remarkably honest campaign, while Coleman has lamely attempted to use Franken's sardonic wit from his past gigs as a radio host, comedian and author to discredit him. So far, it hasn't worked - right now, Franken is up in the polls, holding a small lead. An average of polls by Quinnipiac, University of Minnesota and Rasmussen gives Franken a four-point lead, but he needs all the help he can get, because Coleman is getting plenty from the RNC and his corporate contributors.

Two other U.S. Senate races that bear watching and deserve our support...

In North Carolina, Kay Hagan is running against Republican incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole. In case you're wondering, yes, this is the same Dole who did a spectacularly bad job as chairman of the NRSC in 2006 in recruiting strong senatorial candidates to challenge weak Democratic senators. For example, She couldn't find anyone better than the detestable Katherine "Cruella de Vil" Harris to unseat mediocre Democratic incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson. Even worse, Dole said Democrats were "content with losing in Iraq" on Meet the Press just days before the '06 election. (Anyone still wondering why the GOP got its collective butt kicked in '06?)

Here's hoping that Hagan sends Dole back to North Carolina, or Kansas, or wherever she says she's living, to be with another failed GOP presidential candidate, Bob Dole. Maybe she can help him spend all the money he made off of his Viagra ads (and help him use his medicine, too - eeeewwwwwwww).

The latest Rasmussen poll has Hagan up by four points, but the race is still very, very close. Please drop by Hagan's Website to make a contribution - every dollar will make a difference in this race.

In Georgia, the thoroughly contemptible Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the incumbent Republican, is running for reelection against Jim Martin. Chambliss is the man who ran an incredibly mean-spirited campaign against Sen. Max Cleland in 2002, where his campaign ads criticized Cleland for not helping to defeat Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. (See video above) Of all of the incumbents running for reelection in the Senate, I'd like to see him bounced out more than any other.

Martin, another Vietnam vet, is running a pretty strong campaign, but he too needs our support. Two days ago, an average of three polls showed Martin running a razor-thin two points behind Chambliss. Martin is doing surprisingly well, and he's picking up plenty of support and endorsements, but he's also fighting an uphill battle against an incumbent with plenty of resources in party support and campaign cash.

Chambliss is yet another Republican on a very long list of GOP chickenhawks - a warmonger and Iraq War cheerleader who did all he could to avoid service in Vietnam in the 1960, receiving five student deferments (is he related to Dick Cheney?). Here's hoping that Chambliss' past embrace of Karl Rove tactics that helped him win his seat will come back to bite him this time around. Please drop by Martin's Website to make a contribution as well.

Please, even if it's just $5, support these three very, very important Democratic challengers - three keys to building a larger Democratic majority in the Senate.

Where are McCain's manners?

Probably the same place that his and Palin's credibility is - nowhere to be found.

I noticed the above last night, but didn't give it much thought at the time - I was busy typing about other, more important things, like the issues, etc. But, upon further reflection, it was pretty disrespectful of McCain to refer to Obama "that one" last night. Seems that McCranky can't keep his disdain for Obama to himself. It's almost as if there's a thought bubble above McCain's head that says, "I can't believe I'm losing to this rookie" or something of the such.

I'm reminded of Dole in '96, who used to actually say at campaign appearances, "Where's the outrage?" It sure wasn't at the polls, Mr. Viagra. Same thing in '92, when Bush was losing to Clinton. But, you know what? Dole and Bush at least showed respect and were deferential, and Clinton responded in kind.

There are a number of ways that McCain could have and should have referred to Obama. How about simply "my opponent" if he didn't want to say Obama by name?

And for those of you who think "that was nothing, just a slip up" and who think this may be getting over-analyzed, check the footage below. No handshake at the end of the debate? Manners, McLame, manners!

Draw your own conclusions.

Also interesting to note that McCain didn't stick around to greet members of the audience last night, too. This morning I heard Tom Brokaw on Morning Joe, and he mentioned how the Obamas stayed behind and greeted and talked with virtually everyone in the audience, but it seems that McCain didn't want any part of it - he bolted shortly after the town meeting was over.

Perhaps it's disgust at Obama's rising success? Surging poll numbers? We are left to wonder. Quite frankly, I don't really care - the poll numbers aren't lying - unless something fantastic happens, this election is Obama's to lose, at least as of today. But, there are still plenty of things to be worried about, most notably hacking the vote and voter suppression. More on that later today.

Live Blogging tonight's debate

I will keep this at the top of the blog today, so please look for new posts below this one.

I will be live blogging tonight's presidential debate between senators McCain and Obama, so please check back during the debate.

It's been a lot of fun blogging these debates, and tonight's edition should be interesting for a number of reasons: 1. It's on the economy, and 2. If either candidate decides to "take the gloves off," it could backfire. I'm also pretty curious to see if McCain can look Obama in the eyes this time at any point during the debate. I'm hoping that at some point during the debate, the two square off about the escalating negativity in the campaign. I'd love for Obama to look McCain and ask him, with hundreds of millions watching, "Senator, you've called me a liar and your running mate has said I associate with known terrorists. If there's anyone who is the liar, it's you... MAVERICK!" Okay, that will never happen, but I can dream.