McCain's Campaign Is One Big Joke

The Republican's presidential campaign really can't get any more pathetic. Via Drudge:

David Letterman tells audience that McCain called him today to tell him he had [to cancel tonight's appearance on the show and] rush back to DC to deal with the economy.

Then in the middle of taping [tonight's show] Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric. Dave even cut over to the live video of the interview, and said, "Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?"

Earlier in the show, Dave kept saying, "You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."

"He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"

McCain Wants Debate Postponed

From MSNBC:

Republican John McCain says he's directing his staff to work with Barack Obama's campaign and the debate commission to delay Friday's debate because of the economic crisis.

Ummm...Obama's one and only answer should be... "no."

What the fuck!?!

Apparently he is suspending his campaign in order to return to Washington and help deal with the crisis.

A week after the crisis took hold, a week after Obama started sprinting ahead in the polls, a week after he tried to blame this on everyone but his own lobbyist, FannyMae campaign staff.

This move reeks to the heavens!

Update:
Steve Benen over at Washington Monthly puts this in perspective much better than I can:

...after whining incessantly for months about the need for one-on-one debates, McCain has decided, just 48 hours before the first official debate, that everything should be postponed. And Barack Obama should go along with all of this, because McCain says so.

I've never even heard of a presidential candidate acting in such a reckless, compulsive, and ultimately haphazard fashion. McCain just decided to "suspend" campaign activities? This rivals picking Sarah Palin for the ticket on the list of desperation moves.

McCain spoke at some length yesterday about the nature of the economic crisis, and what he'd like to see happen. But at the time, it apparently never occurred to him to get actually get involved in the process. That is, until today.

The Republican nomination has apparently gone to some kind of man-child who believes stunts and gimmicks are the way to the White House. It is nothing short of breathtaking to see someone so manifestly unserious seek the highest office in the land.

The moment the winds shifted and Obama had a growing lead in the polls, it's time to suspend the campaign. Good lord, McCain really does think voters are idiots.

Mid-Week Brain Break

Jay and Jay doing a superbly choreographed routine to Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." (It doesn't hurt that these two are very easy on the eyes, YaKnowWhatImSayin'!?!)


(Thanks to Teddy for the YouTube link.)

WaPost/ABC News Poll: Obama Up By 10

I am not sure whether this is an outlier or whether the current financial meltdown has scared Americans into reality, but....

A new Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Barack Obama beating John McCain nationally by a solid ten-point margin among registered voters:

Obama 52%
McCain 42%

The sample size in this poll is relatively small and the polls we really need to watch are, of course, the state-by-state polls. But if other polls show similar leads for Obama later in the week, then we will probably see currently McCain-leaning close states like Ohio, Florida, and Nevada slide over to Obama's column, and the Obama-leaning close states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Virgnia become a more solid shade of blue.

BUT...we'll see. Let's watch the poll numbers from other organizations as the week progresses.

Holy Shit, Dude

pentecostal (pen'te·cos'tal), adj., Protestant religious movement that originated in the U.S. in the 19th century; a religious movement that seeks a postconversion religious experience evidenced by speaking in tongues, prophesying, and healing; pentecostalism emphasises biblical literalism.

Steve Clemons over at the Washington Note posts this screen shot of a YouTube clip in which Sarah Palin is being prayed over by Pentecostal preacher Thomas Muthee who, according to Clemons, claims that "he defeated a local witch [in Kenya], Mama Jane, in a great spiritual battle, thus liberating his town from sin and opening its people to the spirit of Jesus."

The video can be seen here, but be warned, it takes about seven-and-a-half minutes of gibberish before you get to the freaky Palin scene.

To add to this rather concerning clip is a little tidbit from Muthee's prayer for Palin. One more time, Steve Clemons:

I have to say I was pretty surprised when he was praying for her that Muthee said, "In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, every form of witchcraft..."

What the FUCK was McCain thinking!!?! Uhhh...I'll take the Mormon over this shit for all the money in the bank, thank you very much!

"Free Sarah Palin"

CNN's Campbell Brown has had enough! (Thanks to Ben for the heads up.)

Even Alaskans Have Had Enough

(Poster via Shannyn Moore)

And we're still waiting on that first press conference, Sarah.

Meet the Thorons

Losing vs Winning

Quote of the Day:

...in terms of judgment, of selection of a running mate, of calm in crisis, of a smooth operation, it is McCain who is revealing his total inexperience and unreadiness for the job, not Obama. In fact, there is no comparison. One campaign is chaotic, secretive, impulsive, unpredictable and losing. The other is supremely well-run, as transparent as a campaign can be, unflappable, very predictable, and winning. I know which man I'd prefer to be runing the country in a crisis. Not hotheaded, mercurial, impulsive, gambling McCain.

-Andrew Sullivan, yesterday, responding to George Will's not-so-kind-to-McCain column in yesterday's Washington Post.

Andrew is also doing a superb job of covering a story that many in the mainstream media refuse to cover... keeping track of Sarah Palin's lies.

Bicyclists and Traffic Laws

No-brainer of the week: Bicyclists in San Francisco are notorious for blowing through stop signs & red lights and for turning in front of traffic without yielding. And then, when one of their own gets clipped, they get all up in everyone's grill.

Now before you all start hounding me, I am very much for auto drivers giving cyclists a little bit of leeway. They are, after all, doing their part to keep our planet green. If it were possible for me to ride my bike to work, I would do it. (That little puddle of water between here and Alameda sort of gets in the way.)

None the less, the installation this week of "special bicycle traffic signals" at the corner of Fell and Masonic begs the rather obvious question...

Why can't the cyclists just fuckin' follow the same traffic signals, signs, and laws that we car drivers follow?

Sarah and Mahmoud

Headline from CNN.com, yesterday...


Well, that's a hell of a lot more than Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, did during her visit to the U.N. yesterday, where, when she met with the leader of Iraq, they spoke of their kids. Not the war, not the country's failure to take on security for themselves...their kids.

Gayken

Ssshhh...listen. That sound you hear? It is the entire population of America doing one big collective "DUUHHH!!!"

A Request For Advice From My Readers

Hello all. I would like a little advice from you if you don't mind. I intend to the change the name of the blog within the next week or two and I would like your input. I'm playing around with four ideas and would like your thoughts...

The United States of Wayne (Because it sounds sort of funky...and...well, let's face facts, shall we? Don't we ALL think we could run this country a bit better than the goon currently manning the helm?)

The Twelfth Floor (After the infamous dance club in Andrew Holleran's classic novel "Dancer From the Dance.")

Wayne In the City (City boy that I am...)

Wayne, Oh! (Friends called me "Wayne-o" in high school, and my little sister still does.)

Shoot me an email with your thoughts on the matter - or with other ideas. Simply click the "email me" link to the right under "correspondence." I may post a few more ideas later in the week.
Thanks everyone!

Three New Polls and a Map

Two new national polls and a poll in Virginia show Barack Obama with comfortable leads, outside the margins of error.

CNN/Opinion Research:

Obama 51%
McCain 46%

DailyKos/Research 2000:

Obama 49%
McCain 43%

In Virginia, a Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Sen. Obama moving into a sold lead over John McCain, with most of the movement in the Democrat's direction coming in the last few days:

Obama 51%
McCain 43%

I'd normally call the Virginia poll an outlier, but SurveyUSA, whose polling was absolutely stellar during the primary season, had a very similar result yesterday:

Obama 51%
McCain 45%

These two polls by no means indicate that Virginia is safe for Obama. It is, after all, a state that hasn't gone Democratic in a presidential election since 1964. But, add those two leads to that the fact that North Carolina (last Democratic in 1976) is tied, and one has to at least wonder how stupendous it would be if, on Election Night, two states of the old confederacy vote for the first African-American president.

I'm not holding my breath, and I'll pay closer attention to the polls the last week before the election, but right now it looks promising.

And so here is the updated map, as I see it, based on the current polling:


Obama 286
McCain 237
Tied 15

2 in 1: Eye Candy and Song of the Day

This morning your Song of the Day is by one mighty nice piece of eye candy. From his 2002 album "Daylight," here is a little known yet superb piece of pop-rock...

"On A High" by the devastatingly handsome Duncan Sheik

George Will: McCain Unpresidential

George Will, the true red-blooded American conservative - and the rest of the ABC This Week Roundtable - rake McCain over the coals:

It Was 1932

The map in yesterday's "Which Election Was It?" post is from 1932. The United States was bogged down in the Great Depression, with Republican President Herbert Hoover standing by his conservative principles (ie: let it work itself out) while banks closed and Americans went hungry and homeless. One-term Democratic Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt of New York (former Secretary of the Navy under President Wilson, and the 1920 candidate for vice-president on the losing Democratic ticket) won a landslide victory on his platform to bring America a "new deal."

Emmy Award Winner Sarah Silverman

Ladies and gentlemen, the Emmy Award for Original Music and Lyrics goes to...Sarah Silverman!

(I shit you not!)

The Farce

Bill Maher, Andrew Sullivan, Naomi Klein, and Will.I.Am. in a brutally honest exchange on the farce that is the vice-presidential nomination of Sarah Palin...

Changed Thinking

Quote of the Day:

As gay couples have gone to the courthouse and entered into matrimony, usually surrounded by champagne, family and friends, the worst fears of gay marriage opponents suddenly seem greatly inflated...

The long-standing institution of marriage is not in crisis. Californians have taken this change in stride.

The editorial page of the San Diego Union Tribune, who have until recently urged civil unions over marriage for gay and lesbian couples, in an essay last week urging readers to reject Proposition 8 here in California.

The proposed amendment to the state Constitution is currently failing, with 55% of state voters against it and only 38% for it, according to a new Field Poll. The key now is to make sure we keep the margin that big between now and Election Day, just in case these samples contain votes who are telling the pollsters one thing only to turn out on November 4th and do something else.

If you have a few bucks to spare, please donate against the fascist cause here.

Little Miss Chloe

Bringing me her new tug-of-war toy...

A Risk We Can't Afford

Obama hits McCain hard with this new ad...

Old Boys Network

More superb analysis from TPM's Josh Marshall:

The New York Times reports this evening that "foreign banks, which were initially excluded from the [Wall Street bailout] plan, lobbied successfully over the weekend to be able to sell the toxic American mortgage debt owned by their American units to the Treasury, getting the same treatment as United States banks.

The Times further reports that two of the biggest foreign banks in need of such relief are Barclays and UBS. In fact, my understanding is that UBS is more on the line here than any other foreign bank.

Let's add this up.

John McCain's top economics advisor, who is widely believed to be his choice for Treasury Secretary, should he win in November, is former Sen. Phil Gramm. (Indeed, just last night his spokesman refused to say Gramm wouldn't be McCain's choice for Treasury Secretary.)

Gramm is both vice chairman of UBS's US division and a lobbyist for UBS.

If UBS successfully lobbied over the weekend to get in on the bailout, what was Gramm's role in the lobbying?

Between the pick of Palin as V.P. and the potential pick of Gramm as Treasury Secretary, it is more than obvious that John McCain doesn't have the judgment to be president. Americans should reject him without question on Election Day.

Putting Out Fire With Gasoline

As I learn more and more about the government's banking bailout plan, I keep thinking to myself that this is the Bush administration (for crying out loud!), and that we should not be trusting them to handle a crisis of this magnitude. These are, after all, the guys that see a fire and try to put it out with gasoline (Iraq) or simply freeze and don't do anything (Katrina). Don't you think?

But...totally unrelated...that thought put this classic David Bowie rocker in my head. From 1983's "Let's Dance" album, the track was produced by the legendary Nile Rodgers and features Rodgers and the late Stevie Ray Vaughn doing some superb guitar work. Your Song of the Day is...

"Cat People (Putting Out Fire)"

Telling Us What We Don't Want to Hear

As always, Thomas Friedman hits the nail on the head. This time regarding last week's financial meltdown. Some key parts of yesterday's column follow:

...In this age of globalization, government matters more than ever. Smart, fiscally strong governments are the ones best able to empower their people to compete and win...

In many ways, this election is about how we get our groove back as a country. We have been living on borrowed time and borrowed dimes. President Bush has nothing to offer anymore. So that leaves us with Barack Obama and John McCain. Neither has wowed me with his reaction to the market turmoil. In fairness, though, neither man has any levers of power to pull. But what could they say that would give you confidence that they could lead us out of this rut? My test is simple: Which guy can tell people what they don’t want to hear — especially his own base.

So what would get my attention from McCain? If he said the following: “My fellow Americans, I’ve decided for now not to continue the Bush tax cuts, because the most important thing for our country today is to get the government’s balance sheet in order. We can’t go on cutting taxes and not cutting spending. For too long my party has indulged that nonsense. Second, I intend to have most U.S. troops out of Iraq in 24 months. We have done all we can to midwife democracy there. Iraqis need to take it from here. We need every dollar now for nation-building in America. We will do everything we can to wind down our presence and facilitate the Iraqi elections, but we’re not going to baby-sit Iraqi politicians who don’t have the will or the courage to reconcile their differences — unless they want to pay us for that. In America, baby sitters get paid.”

What would impress me from Obama? How about this: “The Big Three automakers and the United Auto Workers union want a Washington bailout. The only way they will get a dime out of my administration is if the automakers and unions come up with a joint plan to retool their fleets to get an average of 40 miles per gallon by 2015 — instead of the 35 m.p.g. by 2020 that they’ve reluctantly accepted. I am not going to bail out Detroit with taxpayer money, but I will invest in Detroit’s transformation with taxpayer money, provided the management and unions agree to radical change. At the same time, while I will go along with the bailout of the banking system, it will only be on the condition that the institutions that got us into this mess accept sweeping reforms — in terms of transparency and limits on the leverage they can amass — so we don’t go through something like this again. To help me figure this out, I’m going to keep Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson on the job for a while. I am impressed with his handling of this crisis.”

Those are the kind of words that would get my attention. The last president who challenged his base was Bill Clinton, when he reformed welfare and created a budget surplus with a fair and equitable tax program. George W. Bush never once — not one time — challenged Americans to do anything hard, let alone great. The next president is not going to have that luxury. He will have to ask everyone to do something hard — and I want to know now who is up to that task.

The Trouble With Henry, Part 2

Josh Marshall can't seem to find an economist who is on board with the Bush administration's financial bailout plan:

I'm having a hard time finding economists or others with related expertise -- either on the right or left -- who don't believe two things: a) that this plan gives way, way too much discretionary power to the Treasury Department with little requirement even to make reports to Congres and b) as Paul Krugman puts it, "there's no quid pro quo here -- nothing that gives taxpayers a stake in the upside, nothing that ensures that the money is used to stabilize the system rather than reward the undeserving." Whether that means equity stakes for taxpayers or simply some assurance that the USG won't be paying premium prices for worthless crap, that key component just doesn't seem to be anywhere in the proposal.

And unless I'm not being clear, this request isn't simply for effect. This is not a rhetorical question. I'm really looking for examples. I can see lots of politicians saying we need to do something now or we'll all die and lining up to vote for whatever Paulson says. But I'm curious how many economists there are (or people with relevant professional expertise) who don't agree that these two shortcomings must be rectified.

As I said below, congress needs to be very careful. They need to take the time to actually comb through the proposal before voting on it. If there is any clue whatsoever that the plan may place America's financial house in increased jeopardy, it should be rejected outright.

The Trouble With Henry

Economic professor and NY Times columnist Paul Krugman doesn't think this federal bail out is such a great idea:

I hate to say this, but looking at the plan as leaked, I have to say no deal. Not unless Treasury [Secretary Henry Paulson] explains, very clearly, why this is supposed to work, other than through having taxpayers pay premium prices for lousy assets.

As I posted earlier today, it seems all too likely that a “fair price” for mortgage-related assets will still leave much of the financial sector in trouble. And there’s nothing at all in the draft that says what happens next; although I do notice that there’s nothing in the plan requiring Treasury to pay a fair market price. So is the plan to pay premium prices to the most troubled institutions? Or is the hope that restoring liquidity will magically make the problem go away?

...And there’s no quid pro quo here — nothing that gives taxpayers a stake in the upside, nothing that ensures that the money is used to stabilize the system rather than reward the undeserving.

I hope I’m wrong about this. But let me say it again: Treasury needs to explain why this is supposed to work — not try to panic Congress into giving it a blank check. Otherwise, no deal.

As much as I think some sort of government intervention was needed, the scope of the administration's proposed plan does pose some very, very important questions. And the congress should make sure those questions are answered, and that the American people aren't being taken for a ride, before they pass the proposed bailout package.

This is, after all, the administration of George W. Bush. When it comes to handling crises, America and the rest of the globe don't trust the man one bit. He's a proven failure and, as such, the congressional leadership need to bend over backwards to make sure this proposal is solid and and that it isn't going to bury an already crumbling economy deeper into a hole.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (my congresswoman here in San Francisco) is already on my shit-list for not putting impeachment on the table and, most recently, for caving on the off-shore drilling issue. In fact, she will not receive my vote on November 4th for those two reasons. It'll be a protest vote, as she is sure to retain her seat by a wide margin, BUT...if she rolls over for a banking bill that will turn the economy on its ass, she'll need to pray to high heaven that she doesn't get a primary challenge the next time she stands for re-election.

Which Election Was It?

Following 12 years of Republican rule, the nation was reeling from a banking and economic crisis. The Democratic candidate won a landslide victory with 57.4% of the popular vote and 472 electoral votes. The Republican incumbent won just 39.6% of the national vote and 59 electoral votes.

Which election was it?

And Who's the Elitist?

From Newsweek:

After the fuss over the number of residences owned by the two presidential nominees, NEWSWEEK looked into the candidates' cars. And based on public vehicle-registration records, here's the score. John McCain: 13. Barack Obama: one.

New Poll: Obama Up By 7

This morning's DailyKos/Research 2000 poll has Barack Obama leading John McCain by seven percentage points:

Obama 49%
McCain 42%

It seems the financial meltdown of the past week has the chickens coming home to roost for the Republican-led government.

GOP Senator: Palin Pick 'Insulting'

Quote of the Day 2:

She doesn’t have any foreign policy credentials. You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don’t know what you can say. You can’t say anything.

I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, ‘I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia. That kind of thing is insulting to the American people.

-United States Senator Chuck Hagel (Republican-Nebraska), yesterday, to the Omaha World-Herald.

I have a very strong hunch that Hagel will be part of a bipartisan Obama cabinet, more than likely as Secretary of Defense. It has become plainly obvious during the course of the campaign that Hagel backs Obama's candidacy over McCain's.

And with Colin Powell admiring Obama from afar, I think it would be a tremendous boost to the Democratic ticket if both Hagel and Powell held a joint news conference announcing their endorsement of Barack Obama for president.

Perhaps around the time of the debate that is to be dedicated to foreign policy?

Just thinking out loud.

Ouch!

Via CNN:

Sarah Palin likes to tell voters around the country about how she "put the government checkbook online" in Alaska. On Thursday, Palin suggested she would take that same proposal to Washington.
"We're going to do a few new things also," she said at a rally in Cedar Rapids. "For instance, as Alaska's governor, I put the government's checkbook online so that people can see where their money's going. We'll bring that kind of transparency, that responsibility, and accountability back. We're going to bring that back to D.C."

There's just one problem with proposing to put the federal checkbook online - somebody's already done it.

His name is Barack Obama.

Republicans and the Rule of Law

Quote of the Day:

It would be to appease the McCain camp. They're doing everything they can to delay.

-Alaska State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, on Todd Palin's refusal to testify before the state legislature regarding the "trooper-gate" abuse of power case against his wife Sarah, the Republican vice-presidential candidate.

Complete and utter disregard for the law? Essentially arguing that they are above the law? Can America really afford four more years of such blatant disregard of justice?

Peter Fitzgerald For Attorney General?

Carol Marin, columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, argues that Barack Obama should start naming his potential cabinet now, as part of the presidential campaign, rather than waiting until after the election, as has long been the custom.

And with John Edwards now out of the running for Attorney General, Marin suggests a superb choice for the post: Patrick Fitzgerald, the U.S. Attorney in charge of the Valerie Plame investigation AND the Tony Rezko trial.

Talk about punching a hole in the Republicans balloon!

Needless to say...I love both ideas.

Just Pray Away the Gay

A video love-letter to Sarah Palin, from filmmaker Sandi Bachom...

elitist [eɪˈliːtɪst]

elitist (adjective): perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources;
See "de Rothschild"

Quote of the Day:

This is a hard decision for me personally because frankly I don’t like [Obama]. I feel like he is an elitist. I feel like he has not given me reason to trust him.

-Lynn Forrester de Rothschild, a member of the Democratic National Committee who supported Hillary Clinton in the presidential primaries, announcing yesterday that she will vote for John McCain in November.

So, let me see if I have this straight: A woman by the name of Forrester de Rothschild, a multi-millionaire in her own right, who is married to Sir Evelyn de Rothschild, an English Lord and the billionaire descendant of the infamous Rothschild banking family of Great Britain, and who splits her time between homes in New York and London...

...is calling Barack Obama, son of a single mother who supported her family on food stamps for a short period of time, an elitist ?!!

Hey Lynn!

Your husband's name is SIR EVELYN !!

Do us all a favor...and just shut the fuck up!

Republican Fiscal Policy

Quote of the Day #2:

Sarah Palin saw the Lehman Brothers offices from the top of a double-decker tour bus in New York.

She knows finance.

-The absolutely adorable ThisBoyElroy, taking a Tina Fey-style jab at the GOP V.P. nominee.

"Teenage hopes alive at your door...

...left you with nothing, but they want some more."

Your Song of the Day is one I hadn't heard until recently. "1, 2, 3, 4" by Feist...

Staff Meeting

Barack Obama is bringing out his "inner Reagan." And yes...that is a good thing (!) because in this election cycle, the Republicans and John McCain are Jimmy Carter.



Rolling. On. The. Floor. !!

A Third Poll

A week ago, John McCain led Barack Obama by two points (46% to 44%) in the New York Times/CBS News poll.

What a difference a week makes!

The current NYT/CBS poll:

Obama 48%
McCain 43%

The most stunning number? White women JUST LAST WEEK were with McCain by an overwhelming 53% to 34%. This week, they're with Obama, 47% to 45%!

Full poll details here.

Mid-Week Brain Break

Smarter than the average beagle...

Two New Polls and a Map

Two new polls show Barack Obama erasing John McCain's extended post-convention bounce. The horrible economic news from Monday and Tuesday, and the continuing insight into Sarah Palin's lies, distortions, and Cheney-esque escapades up in Alaska seem to have taken their toll.

Neither of these polls reflect voter sentiment follow today's sour economic report, so Obama's numbers could very well improve come the weekend.

Daily Kos/Research 2000:

Obama 48%
McCain 44%

Gallup:

Obama 47%
McCain 45%

New state-by-state polling shows the Electoral College map looking like this:



Obama: 293 electoral votes
McCain: 205 electoral votes
Undecided: 40 electoral votes
(270 needed to win)

A new CNN poll in Florida shows Obama and McCain tied, each with 48% of the vote. In Virginia, one poll shows Obama up by a couple of points, a second poll shows McCain up by a few, and a third shows the candidates tied. As such, I've painted both of those states green. But even if everything else on the map stayed as it is on Election Day and then both of the tied states fell to the Republican column, it wouldn't be enough for the McCain/Palin ticket. If Obama/Biden were to win the states in blue above, they would have 293 electoral votes, 23 more than needed for victory.

Things are still very much in flux. Last week the map showed a slight McCain lead in the Electoral College (it took about a week for those state-by-state numbers to reflect his slim national lead). But with Obama taking the offensive on issues of the economy, and McCain looking like he'd be Hoover redux, things are trending back toward the Democrats.

Complete and Utter Failure

Americans should read today's panic on Wall Street - the third in two days - for exactly what it is: A complete and utter failure of the Republican-run government. Four more years of such leadership would ruin us...



Today, Barack Obama went on the offensive, airing this 60 second ad in select markets around the country...

Is She Fuckin' Kiddin' Me !?!

What you hear out your window this afternoon is the collective sound of Americans from coast to coast slapping their foreheads in disbelief...

Fundamentals

A superb ad, out today from the Obama camp...

Stumbling From Crisis to Crisis

As I said yesterday, the current Republican government is the epitome of chronic incompetence, weakness, and failure:

It didn't take long for the finger-pointing to begin.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency came under fire Sunday as emergency workers were left undernourished and dozens of trucks of water and food had yet to be set up at distribution centers around Houston and surrounding communities [in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike].

And no sooner had the agency — widely condemned for its glacial response to suffering after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — drawn sharp criticism as its leaders and spokesmen began to say it was someone else's fault.

By the evening, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said it was the fault of state officials who handed his department the "unexpected challenge" of having to prepare distribution points in addition to delivering supplies.

And these people want four more years in power?

It Was 1912

The electoral map from yesterday's "Which Election Was It?" post is from the 1912 presidential election. After elevating to the presidency in 1901 following the assassination of President William McKinley, President Teddy Roosevelt won election in his own right in 1904. The Republican followed long-established tradition and declined to run for a third term in 1908 (the 22nd Amendment restricting presidents to two terms was not enacted until 1951 following the four elections of Franklin Roosevelt).

Roosevelt's successor in 1908 was fellow Republican William Howard Taft. During the Taft administration, a rift grew between the two men, with the liberal Roosevelt (who favored land conservation, labor unions, and restrictions on the employment of women and children) becoming extremely disenchanted with the conservative Taft (who favored big business and judicial supremacy).

After failing to take the Republican nomination away from Taft at the 1912 GOP convention, Roosevelt formed his own party - the Progressive Party. (During a question and answer session with reporters, Roosevelt was asked how he felt. "I feel as strong as a bull mooose," he replied. And thus the Progressive Party also became known as the Bull Moose Party.)

Although Roosevelt couldn't stand the Democratic Party, his extremely successful second place finish granted Roosevelt his vendetta against President Taft and the Republicans. The Taft ticket came in third place, receiving an embarrassing 23% of the national popular vote and winning only two states (Utah and Vermont) equaling 8 votes in the Electoral College. The Progressive ticket won 27.5% of the vote and 88 electoral votes, and the Democratic ticket, led by Woodrow Wilson, won the election with 42% of the vote and a whopping 435 electoral votes.

Side note: While preparing to make a speech during a 1912 campaign stop in Milwaukee, Teddy Roosevelt was shot by a saloon-keeper named John Schrank. The bullet penetrated Roosevelt's chest, but was slowed by the steel eyeglass case and the 50 page folded copy of his speech that were in his coat pocket. Roosevelt, upon realizing the wound wasn't life threatening, told the crowd:

I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose.

He proceeded to give the entire speech as blood stained his shirt. Doctors later determined that it was too dangerous to remove the bullet, and Roosevelt carried it in him until he died.

"Feel sunshine sparkle pink and blue..."

This one goes out to Gil...one of the best R&B/disco tunes of the late 70's..."Strawberry Letter 23" by the Brothers Johnson...

John, Ace, and Christian

The story has been all over TV and the web. But if you haven't seen the story of Christian the lion cub, then do yourself a favor and take the two-and-a-half minutes to watch this clip. It will make your day...

Too Dangerous To Be President

Quote of the Day:

John McCain is not somebody I would like to see with his finger near the red button.

-Phillip Butler, who served as a POW with John McCain during the Vietnam War.

This new ad hits the air today:



After eight years of incompetence and failure, is John McCain the type of guy we really want steering the ship of state?

Palin-tology

The Republican campaign is just getting whacko-bizarre. Sarah Palin, to a crowd in Canton, Ohio on Monday:

There Ohio was right out in front, right in front of me. The teleprompter got messed up, I couldn’t follow it, and I just decided I’d just talk to the people in front of me.

Uhhh...slight problem...the media people running the teleprompter that night say it was working just fine. And reporters who were given advanced copies of the speech that night confirm that she gave the speech as written, word for word. She didn't wing it.

I mean, really...this lying Fascist duo is beyond help.

Joe Takes On John

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden took on Herbert Hoover...I mean, John McCain...yesterday during a campaign stop in Michigan...



Now that is why I endorsed the guy back in December!

The Dishonor of John McCain

An ass-kicking ad from the Obama team...



I'll post ideas for ads I think should be produced over the next couple of days, but I must say I'm glad to see Team Obama going for the jugular!

Beth's Mom: An Update

As some of you may already know, our friend Beth's mom had a scare last month with an aneurysm. With the help of a dedicated hospital staff and the overwhelming love of her family, she is getting better with each passing day.

An update from Beth:

Skootching her down the bed, turning her legs to hang off, sitting her up, rocking back and forth; lots of prep for the big "step." And then we did it, mostly lifting with Janelyn (the physical therapist) on one side, me on the other, Dad supporting her knees so they didn't buckle on her. But she got vertical. Claire the Brilliant thought to get out her phone to
snap some pictures. I've included one so you can see the Team help
her make a huge leap. Be warned her scars are visible, and her hair
is about a quarter inch long, and my hair is dirty, and Dad has a
baldish spot. : )

We lifted her twice, setting her back down, and then Janelyn asked
Mom: "Do you want to go back to bed, or try one more time?" I about
cried as she responded " t r y o n e m o r e t i m e
" (they're watering again). Janelyn said she loved that answer--she
never hears it! That was her best "stand;" Janelyn said she felt real
effort, however slight, during that last one. I am of course over the
top thrilled. I wish everyone could have been there to help and
witness and be proud.

We're there with you in spirit, and are thrilled that she is making such excellent progress!

Big hugs all around.

The Fork In the Road

With my breath held and a steadfast refusal to panic, I have been keeping an eye on the presidential election polls over the past week or so. Most show the race is still tight - Barack Obama and John McCain are separated by an average of two percentage points - but unlike the pre-convention polling, which had Obama in a constant lead, it is McCain who is leading Obama by that two-point margin.

Can Americans really be ready to vote for a man who has proven time and again, beyond any reasonable doubt, that he will surrender his integrity (that one trait that was supposed to be his ace in the hole) in order to get elected? Can Americans really be ready to vote for a man who, despite calling himself a "maverick," has become the lap-dog of the current failed president? Can Americans really be ready to vote for a man who belongs to the political party that has driven America over the proverbial cliff? Are they really willing to reward eight years of failed, Fascist-style government with four more years of incompetence and failure?

Mark my words my fellow Americans, that is exactly what you'll get with John McCain.

Yes, perhaps you'd much rather have a beer with him than with Sen. Obama. Yes, I understand you respect his service in Vietnam. And yes, I am sure many working American mothers can relate to Sarah Palin.

That doesn't mean their election would be good for the country. In fact, after eight years of the worst presidency in the history of our great nation, I would argue that the election of the McCain/Palin ticket - a third Republican term - would be absolutely devastating to the United States.

Under Republican rule, the nation has been led over these last eight years by a failed administration (and for six years by an enabling Congress), who were unable to step up to the plate each time the going got rough. The amateurs running our government stumbled from crisis to crisis, eroding American will and turning Lady Liberty into the laughing stock of the globe, all the while bankrupting the American treasury, leaving the debt for your kids and grandkids to clean up.

George W. Bush may be constitutionally unable to serve a third term, but believe me when I say that electing John McCain would be tantamount to another four years of failed leadership, declined American morale, and weakened American prestige on the international stage. For while Sen. McCain may have bucked the current administration on one occasion here or another occasion there, the Republican presidential candidate has essentially been Bush's lap dog - or "Bush's Bitch," as I've called him - these last four years.

Unfair? Degrading? Insulting?

Tough.

After being beaten to a pulp by the Karl Rove campaign machine during the 2000 primaries (they sent out campaign fliers that were stunningly insulting to McCain's adopted daughter), McCain turned around four years later and practically marched with Bush to the San Francisco City Hall for a marriage license. Campaigning to re-elect a president of his Republican Party who insulted his family, McCain showed Americans for the first time that he was willing to sell his soul in order to win the White House. He proved during that campaign that he has absolutely no integrity.

And now, with his choice of the abysmally qualified Sarah Palin as his running mate, and with his campaign of lies, deceit, and bottom-feeding, Sen. McCain has proven to Americans that he is incapable of making appropriate decisions and that he cannot be trusted with the presidency.

After eight years of those qualities from the current president, can America really afford four more? Tell me, my fellow Americans, that you can look at the current record of Republican leadership and say, "Well done! Keep up the good work."??

We're at the proverbial fork in the road. Do we continue down the current path of acute and chronic incompetence, weakness, and failure? Or do we change course and head down the path that leads us toward a day when America's promise will once again be realized?

The answer, my fellow Americans, is the quintessential no-brainer.

The Fork In the Road, Continued

Quote of the Day:

My goodness. I've been in the business 35 years, and these are the most extraordinary events I've ever seen.

-Former Republican Commerce Secretary Peter G. Peterson, from an article in yesterday's New York Times that documented the downfall of two more major banks: Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers.

As I said above, Americans need to look at the record of Republican stewardship these last eight years and decide if it should be rewarded with another four.

Four million Americans losing their homes, major banks founder, the once mighty American dollar at historic lows.

Such incompetence led you to turn out the bums in 1980. Nothing short of such a move would be acceptable this November.

Fruit Philanthropy

That bounty of fruit that falls from your apple tree in the backyard...and just sits there?

Rather than letting the fruit rot, the North Berkeley Harvest would be happy to take that surplus off your hands.

Which Election Was It?

A former Republican president, who had left the White House four years earlier after turning the keys over to his Republican successor, tried to regain the presidency by challenging the incumbent for their party's nomination. Failing in that effort, the former chief executive mounted a major third party challenge which resulted in one of the most exciting elections in U.S. history.

On Election Day the third party candidacy of this former president actually came in second place in both the popular vote and in the Electoral College, causing an embarrassing third-place finish for the Republican ticket.

The Democrats won a landslide victory:

Democrat (blue states): 435 electoral votes
Third Party (yellow states): 88 electoral votes
Republican (red states): 8 electoral votes

Which election was it?


Check in tomorrow for the answer.

Tina Fey Rocks!

Her take on Sarah Palin is laugh-your-ass-off hilarious!

Eye Candy

His name is Gabriel Shams. I have no idea who he is, but DAMNS!

"This blue sphere of talented dreams...

...is heading for destruction."

A video was never produced for this 1999 single from Jamiroquai, however I found this superbly done piece on YouTube. It splices scenes from last year's acclaimed "Planet Earth" series and mixes them to audio of the track. The song is an excellent combination of vocals and keyboards, with one wicked underlying bass riff in the intro and the verses.

Enjoy "Planet Home" by Jamiroquai...

On the Job Training

McCain, during a Republican primary debate in October of last year...



DOH!

McCain Exposed

He can't win on the issues so McCain, his running mate, and the rest of his Fascist-Republican team are trying to win this election by throwing bold faced lies and distortions at the American public.

Thankfully, there's YouTube...


That any American is thinking of casting a vote for this ticket is beyond comprehension.

Josh Marshall puts it best:

John McCain is telling lie after lie. Not off the cuff remarks that can be excused as accidents or flubs but the same lies consistently and many of them. Serial liars are never trustworthy people -- that is a truism. But it also demonstrates a deeper character flaw. A normal job applicant would be disregarded out of hand after such a record became clear.

This guy shouldn't be anywhere above 40% in the polls, yet he is.

What. The. Fuck. ??

"Triple C"

Chloe - the little hussy - in bed this past weekend with Cal and Clyde...
A special shout out to Jimmy G for watching our girl last weekend. Her daddies appreciate it!

Picture of the Week

[Photo via Joe. My. God.]

Can You Say "Awkward?"

Americans better get their heads out of their asses, and quick - because God help us if the McCain/Palin ticket wins in November...


That deer-caught-in-the headlights, I-have-no-idea-what-you-just-said look must be a beauty queen thing...


Like I said...God help us.

What Was He Thinking?

A local reporter in Maine puts John McCain in quite the uncomfortable pickle. That the Republican nominee for president thinks Sarah Palin is the best candidate to fill his shoes in the White House should cause every American of every political stripe to question his judgment...

Picture of the Day

Presidential candidates Sen. John McCain (Republican-AZ), left, and Sen. Barack Obama (Democrat-IL) toss flowers into the reflecting pool at the World Trade Center site in New York City to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

[Photo: Peter Foley/AP]

Seven Years On...

My essay from last year, in full:

Rep. Porter Goss (Republican-FL), Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in 2001, to Tim Russert of NBC News at 11:37am ET on September 11, 2001:

We. Will. Respond.

The question is against whom. And we want to make absolutely sure when we're dealing with asymmetrical warfare such as this, where we're dealing with innocent people, by and large, who are victims of this, that we respond appropriately and not provoke other incidents that are unwarranted in the world, but get the people who actually caused this to happen.

Yet here we are, six years later, with Osama bin Laden still free and roaming the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan, while our men and women in uniform die fighting a war in a country that contained not one person - NOT ONE - "who actually caused this to happen" - and that has clearly provoked "unwarranted incidents" in the Middle East.

When the founding fathers wrote the impeachment clause of the Constitution, I have hunch that it was this exact scenario - or something pretty damn close to it - that they had in mind when they wrote of "high crimes and misdemeanors." Yet, the former Republican congress didn't have the cajones to stand up to the incompetent president; and the current Democratic congress doesn't want to ruffle political feathers by voting for impeachment, lest they lose their slight majorities in the 2008 elections.

To be fair, the Senate doesn't contain the 16+ additional Democratic senators it would take to get the 67 votes needed to convict Mr. Bush and remove him from office.

I say, do it anyway. Whether the Senate can convict or not, impeach the President anyway.

When endorsing Al Gore in 2000 I argued that George W. Bush was nowhere near ready for the presidency. His past failings (business and political) highlighted his inability to focus on issues and make the decisions necessary to keep America safe, secure, and solvent. (The man couldn't name the prime minister of India, for crying out loud.) And within months, President George W. Bush proved me right.

Presented in August of 2001 with a report titled "Osama bin Laden Determined to Attack Within the United States," this president did nothing. He didn't gather his national security team, he didn't meet with his terrorist chief, he didn't ask the CIA and FBI to pool their resources and figure out what the report was all about. He. Did. Nothing.

And to date he has, essentially, still done nothing. Yes, we invaded Afghanistan pretty easily, driving out the Taliban government who supported bin Laden and his cronies. But we never got bin Laden. Instead, we went to Iraq (and for his incompetent job there, I believe the President should be arrested and tried for war crimes, but that is another argument for another day).

As a result of that horrendous detour, the Taliban is growing more powerful, al-Qaeda is as strong as at was before 9/11, and bin Laden is still roaming free. In fact, the current CIA chief argued in New York last week that he believes another major attack on the homeland is coming.

Yet, Bush remains in office.

Where is the outrage, people? Why aren't Americans clamoring for this President's head. That he still has his job six years later, despite failure after failure on the terrorist front, will confound me until my last breath.

Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt he is not. And the souls of the 3,000 victims of 9/11 deserve better.

Sleight of Hand

Last night's superb 9/11 commentary from Keith Olbermann...

Mid-Week Brain Break

Special shout out to Beth for sending me this absolutely fun YouTube video...the "Ray Charles Paint Jam"...

Dome Advertising

Hmmm...a new career path for moi ?

(Hat tip: Maya)

Dump. Her. Now.

Gov. Sarah Palin (Fascist-AK), to political colleagues earlier this summer when Hillary Clinton suspended her presidential campaign:

So Sambo beat the bitch!

Say it with me: Dump. Her. Now.

New Polls

ABC News/Washington Post:

Obama 47%
McCain 46%

CBS News:

McCain 46%
Obama 44%

CNN:

Obama 48%
McCain 48%

Lies, Lies, Lies

More from Josh Marshall on the pile of McCain/Palin lies...

...we seem to be witnessing the first stirrings of a backlash and a dawning realization that the 'Sarah Palin' we've heard so much about over the last few days is a fraud of truly comical dimensions.

The McCain camp has made her signature issue shutting down the Bridge to Nowhere. But as The New Republic put it today that's just "a naked lie." And pretty much the same thing has been written today in Newsweek, the Washington Post, the AP, the Wall Street Journal. Yesterday even Fox's Chris Wallace called out Rick Davis on it...

On earmarks she's an even bigger crock. On the trail with McCain they're telling everyone that she's some kind of earmark slayer when actually, when she was mayor and governor, in both offices, she requested and got more earmarks than virtually any city or state in the country.

Think about that. On the stump, not a single word that comes out of her mouth - or not a single word that the McCain folks put in her mouth - is anything but a lie. I know that sounds like hyperbole. But just go down the list. None of them bear out.

Why...WHY!!!...is this race still even. Are Americans really...REALLY!!!...that stupid!?!

A Letter From Anne Kilkenny

Snippets from an email - posted over at Huffington Post - from Anne Kilkenny, a resident of Wasilla, Alaska who is very familiar with Sarah Palin:

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings, which had given rise to a recall campaign.

During her six years as mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same six years, the amount of taxes collected by the city increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax, which even taxed food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though. Borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? Or a new library? No.

$15 million-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex, which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the city didn't even have clear title to. That was still in litigation seven years later -- to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit.

...city hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once.

While Sarah was mayor of Wasilla, she tried to fire our highly respected city librarian because the librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the city librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys." Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the city and as governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal -- loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda.

As mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's police chief because he "intimidated" her, she told the press. As governor, her recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was that he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a state trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than two dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.

She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The city council person who personally escorted her around town, introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council, became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal city administrator; even people who didn't like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.

Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.

When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.

Claim vs. Fact

"Hockey mom:" true for a few years.

"PTA mom:" true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since.

"Experienced:" Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than city council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.

Political maverick: not at all.

Has a developed philosophy of public policy: no.

"A greenie:" no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.

Fiscal conservative: not by my definition!

Pro-tax relief: lowered taxes for businesses, but increased tax burden on residents

Pro-small government: no. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla's history.

A fiscally irresponsible, power-hungry Republican, who fires long time experienced government staffers in order to fill those positions with inexperienced cronies?

Does America really need four more years of that?

McCain Gets "RickRolled"

A superbly produced YouTube post. I was rolling on the floor laughing my ass off...

In Praise of the Sun, Part 2

In dedication to the weekend past, your song of the day is this superb 2001 summertime club classic..."In Praise of the Sun" by Espiritu.

In Praise of the Sun

Back from a quick two day trip to the Russian River Jazz Festival where I enjoyed a much needed weekend of music - plus peace, tranquility, and a good book, all beneath a small forest of redwoods and under that beautiful star of ours, the sun.

Training Wheels

Quote of the Day:

When we think it's time and when she feels comfortable doing it.

-McCain campaign manager Rick Davis, on when Americans can expect to see an interview with the woman McCain feels is ready for the presidency.

As Josh Marshall put it, we should not have to depend on "training wheels we can believe in"...

Sarah Palin could be the President of the United States in four and a half months. We tend to think of this as an abstraction; but it's true. And yet today she's so unprepared and knows so little about the challenges and tasks facing the country...

Palin is the incarnation of the Republican slurs. The darling of the hard-right... She pushes all their buttons. But she's such a lightweight, they can't risk letting her answer a few questions. Not even on Fox. They know she's not ready and probably never will be. But they think the politics might work for them.

If this ticket wins, if Americans make the tremendous mistake of electing John McCain and Sarah Palin, our destiny will be sealed. America will be no more. We'll all be so very fucked.

Fascist Faces

Now that their convention is over and the Republicans begin their trek past the infamous Larry Craig restroom at the Minneapolis Airport, I want to dedicate this Elton John classic to their 2008 presidential ticket. After eight years of the worst governance in American history, we absolutely cannot afford another four with John McCain and (god help us) Sarah Palin at the helm.

Your song of the day is "Fascist Faces"...

It Was 1976

The electoral map from yesterday's "Which Election Was It" post is from 1976. Democrat Jimmy Carter ran a reformer campaign in the wake of the Nixon Watergate scandal and won a closer-than-expected contest against President Gerald Ford, who had elevated from the vice-presidency to the presidency just two years before, following the resignation of President Nixon.

Southern whites, who had been voting Democratic since before the Civil War, abandoned the Party in 1964 following President Lyndon Johnson's signing of civil rights legislation. But in Carter they had a favorite son (he was the governor of Georgia) and a born-again christian. A combination that led to an almost solid sweep of the deep southern states in the 1976 Electoral College contest.

Four years later, on the heels of the debacle that was Carter's presidency, the region would shift back to the Republicans and that is where it has remained more or less (Clinton picked up a few southern states in 1992 and 1996) since.

(Side note: In a sign of America's future rightward tilt, a Republican elector in Washington State cast his ballot in December of 1976 for Ronald Reagan even though his name wasn't on the ballot. That explains Ford's electoral tally of 240 rather than 241.)

Beyond Vile

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the Fascists showed this "tribute" at their convention this week. Watch the video - including Keith Olbermann's commentary at the end - and then read my remarks below.


Earlier in the week Laura Bush praised her husband for keeping America safe during his presidency.

Need I remind her, that damn party she and her husband (and John McCain) belong to, and every American who supports them...

...that the attacks of 9/11 happened while George W. Bush was president.

End-of-the-Week Levity

A new emporium and taco stand opening soon near you...

Does America Really Need More ?

A hard-hitting new ad from the Democratic Party currently playing in Michigan...

Freud Appears at Republican Convention

Doh!

The McCain Speech

I couldn't watch it. I'll take a look in a few days on YouTube, but after listening to Giuliani's angry diatribe Wednesday night, Sarah Palin's amateur caterwauling, and all the negative booing and hissing in the convention hall, I just couldn't take an hour of Grandpa Bush-Bitch struggling with the teleprompter.

A few opinions from around the "inter-web"...

Bush's speech writer thought it was really bad:



Josh Marshall:

There wasn't a clear theme...Most of it was a fairly tired recital of Republican boilerplate. Did they really devote like ten minutes to charter schools? It was much, much too long for the speaker. I really think they could have given him a much better speech.

Michael Crowley:

...this is a very underwhelming speech. Familiar points explained in pedestrian terms. No overarching themes--right now it's sounding like a State of the Union laundry list. Even the crowd in the hall isn't jazzed. This is the sort of reception Tom Ridge got.

Taegan Goddard:

McCain had serious delivery problems with this speech. Starting with the awful lime green background (that later turned to blue) and continuing through McCain's difficulties reading from the teleprompter, the speech was very disjointed and hard to follow. To top it off, the crowd reaction at the end of the speech seemed forced and staged, almost like delegates were reacting to flashing "applause" signs at the side of the stage.

Andrew Sullivan:

Quite a deflation after the drama of last night with the sportscaster-governor. It made me realize . . . why this is not his moment. The specifics were very vague, and the entire presentation based on biography, nostalgia and a kind of strained, exhausted mildness.

I didn't need to see the entire speech to affirm what I already know: John McCain cannot be trusted with the stewardship of this great country. As his pick of Sarah Palin shows, he is reckless and impulsive...a combination that has got us into our current mess...and a combination we can ill afford for a third straight presidential term.

"Milk"

The first trailer for "Milk," Gus Van Sant's take on the life of Harvey Milk, has been released...

Which Election Was It?

With the Labor Day weekend past us and the presidential campaign in full swing, I thought I would start a new series regarding elections past. On occasion, between now and Election Day, I will post an electoral map from a previous presidential election. I'll list clues about each particular election, but won't list the candidates. Your job is to guess the election. I'll post the answer to each the following day.

First up...the election that marked the last gasp of the old Democratic South. No candidate of the Democratic Party has won such a large number of southern states since this contest between a sitting president and a challenger who ran as a reformer in the wake of a major government scandal.

Which election was it?

Democrat (blue states): 297 electoral votes
Republican (red states): 240 electoral votes