Sunday, September 21, 2008
Back to Facebook
Looks like Facebook is letting me post again, at least for now, so I don't expect to be posting much on this page unless they block me again. I still might post here from time to time, if I want to write about something or post items that Facebook won't accommodate. If and when I do post anything new, I'll link to it at Facebook.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
McCain wants to use the banking industry model to "fix" health care
This is getting heavy play on the web, and you might have already seen it. But if you haven't, you need to. It seems that McCain wrote an article for the September/October '08 issue of some trade magazine for actuaries (WTF?), and, well, you just need to read it. Here's the money quote:
"Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."
In this one sentence, McCain is:
1. Advocating possibly the worst health care idea ever;
2. Asserting that deregulating the banks has proven to be a smart policy; and
3. Claiming at least partial authorship of that policy ("...as we have done over the last decade...")
Check out what Steve Benen has to say, and click through the links to see what others are saying.
I don't like to make predictions, but this one looks huge to me. It's like Gerald Ford's saying in 1976 that eastern Europe wasn't under Soviet control -- maybe worse, because that was a dumb statement made in the heat of a debate. Stay tuned.
BTW, I'm traveling today, so this is my last post until at least late tonight.
"Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."
In this one sentence, McCain is:
1. Advocating possibly the worst health care idea ever;
2. Asserting that deregulating the banks has proven to be a smart policy; and
3. Claiming at least partial authorship of that policy ("...as we have done over the last decade...")
Check out what Steve Benen has to say, and click through the links to see what others are saying.
I don't like to make predictions, but this one looks huge to me. It's like Gerald Ford's saying in 1976 that eastern Europe wasn't under Soviet control -- maybe worse, because that was a dumb statement made in the heat of a debate. Stay tuned.
BTW, I'm traveling today, so this is my last post until at least late tonight.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sarah tosses a word salad
This is the person who, according to John McCain, "knows more about energy than probably anyone else in the United States of America."
The shadow governor
"But John Bitney made the fatal employment mistake; he got on the bad side of Todd Palin."
I don't know about you, but Todd Palin scares the shit out of me. Andrew Halcro is a blogger in Alaska who's been following the story. Check out this post.
I don't know about you, but Todd Palin scares the shit out of me. Andrew Halcro is a blogger in Alaska who's been following the story. Check out this post.
Friday's Lie of the Day
On the stump, Sarah Palin likes to say that she cut her own salary as Mayor of Wasilla. Turns out not to be quite true, though like many of her lies, it does contain a grain of truth.
Greg Sargent writes:
"As I reported here yesterday, however, local Alaska press clippings seemed to show that this is only true in a very narrow sense.
The clippings indicate that while she did pass a pay-cut ordinance upon taking office, her pay actually went up during her overall tenure."
If Sarah Palin told me water is wet, I'd have to turn on the sink to make sure it still is.
Greg Sargent writes:
"As I reported here yesterday, however, local Alaska press clippings seemed to show that this is only true in a very narrow sense.
The clippings indicate that while she did pass a pay-cut ordinance upon taking office, her pay actually went up during her overall tenure."
If Sarah Palin told me water is wet, I'd have to turn on the sink to make sure it still is.
John McCain is a dick
This charming anecdote just arrived in my inbox. Make of it what you will, and spread it around if you think it has merit:
(Note from a friend: This shocking account was written by Ana Dubey, a friend of my cousin and her husband, who have known Ana for many years. Ana has a PhD in psychology and has a private practice in San Francisco. My cousin's husband went to business school with Ana's husband, who has since started and sold a number of successful companies. Ana's husband is currently a Managing Director of a private equity firm in the Bay Area. Ana and her husband are not political activists and don't have any personal ax to grind. In fact, in writing this account of her experience with John McCain, Ana is acting outside of her own economic self-interest as she and her husband are among the top 3-5% of our population who would benefit from the McCain tax/economic policies. Please pass this on to anyone you know who might vote for John McCain.. Also please post it on blogs and send it to newspapers and radio stations).
Dear Friends, I have written about my encounter with McCain and his family in 1999 -- please feel free to share my story with whomever you think might be considering voting for him.
My Holiday with McCain
It was just before John McCain's last run at the presidential nomination in 2000 that my husband and I vacationed in Turtle Island in Fiji with John McCain, Cindy, and their children, including Bridget (their adopted Bangladeshi child).
It was not our intention, but it was our misfortune to be in close quarters with John McCain for almost a week since Turtle Island has a small number of bungalows and their focus on communal meals force all vacationers who are there at the same time to get to know each other intimately.
He arrived at our first group meal and started reading quotes from a pile of William Faulkner books with a forest of Post-Its sticking out of them. As an English Literature major myself, my first thought was "if he likes this so much, why hasn't he memorized any of this yet?" I soon realized that McCain actually thought we had come on vacation to be a volunteer audience for his " readings" which then became a regular part of each meal. Out of politeness, none of the vacationers initially protested at this intrusion into their blissful holiday, but people's buttons definitely got pushed as the readings continued day after day.
Unfortunately this was not his only contribution to our mealtime entertainment. He waxed on during one meal about how Indo-Chine women had the best figures and that our American corn-fed women just couldn't meet up to this standard. He also made it a point that all of us should stop Cindy from having dessert as her weight was too high and made a few comments to Amy, the 25 year old wife of the honeymooning couple from Nebraska that she should eat less as she needed to lose weight.
McCain's appreciation of the beauty of Asian women was so great that David the American economist had to move his Thai wife to the other side of the table from McCain as McCain kept aggressively flirting with and touching her.
Needless to say I was irritated at his large ego, and his rude behavior towards his wife and other women, but decided he must have some redeeming qualities as he had adopted a handicapped child from Bangladesh. I asked him about this one day and his response was shocking –"Oh, that was Cindy's idea – I didn' t have anything to do with it. She just went and adopted this thing without even asking me. You can't imagine how people stare when I wheel this ugly, black thing around in a shopping cart in Arizona. No, it wasn't my idea at all."
I actively avoided McCain after that, but unfortunately one day he engaged me in a political discussion which soon got us on the topic of the active US bombing of Iraq at that time. I was shocked when he said "if I was in charge, I would nuke Iraq to teach them a lesson". Given McCain's personal experience with the horrors of war I had expected a more balanced point of view. I commented on the tragic consequences of the nuclear attacks on Japan during WWII – but no, he was not to be dissuaded. He went on to say that if it was up to him he would have dropped many more nuclear bombs on Japan. I rapidly extricated myself from this conversation as I could tell that his experience being tortured as a POW didn't seem to have mellowed out his perspective but rather had made him more aggressive, and vengeful towards the world.
My final encounter with McCain was on the morning that he was leaving Turtle Island. Amy and I were happily eating pancakes when McCain arrived and told Amy that she shouldn't be having pancakes because she needed to lose weight. Amy burst into tears at this abusive comment. I felt fiercely protective of Amy and immediately turned to McCain and told him to leave her alone. He became very angry and abusive towards me, and said "don't you know who I am" and I looked him in the face and said "yes, you are the biggest asshole I have ever met" and headed back to my cabin. I am happy to say that later that day when I arrived at lunch I was given a standing ovation by all the guests for having stood up to McCain's bullying.
Although I have shared my McCain story informally with friends, this is the first time I am making this public. I almost did so in 2000, when McCain first announced his bid for the Republican nomination but it soon became apparent that George Bush was the shoo-in candidate and so I did not act then. However, now that there is a very real possibility that McCain could be elected as our next president, I feel it is my duty as an American citizen to share this story. I can't imagine a more scary outcome for America than that this abusive, aggressive man should lead our nation. I have observed him in intimate surroundings as he really is, not how the media portrays him to be. If his attitudes toward women, and his treatment of his own family are even a small indicator of his real personality, then I shudder to think what will happen to America were he to be elected as our President.
(Note from a friend: This shocking account was written by Ana Dubey, a friend of my cousin and her husband, who have known Ana for many years. Ana has a PhD in psychology and has a private practice in San Francisco. My cousin's husband went to business school with Ana's husband, who has since started and sold a number of successful companies. Ana's husband is currently a Managing Director of a private equity firm in the Bay Area. Ana and her husband are not political activists and don't have any personal ax to grind. In fact, in writing this account of her experience with John McCain, Ana is acting outside of her own economic self-interest as she and her husband are among the top 3-5% of our population who would benefit from the McCain tax/economic policies. Please pass this on to anyone you know who might vote for John McCain.. Also please post it on blogs and send it to newspapers and radio stations).
Dear Friends, I have written about my encounter with McCain and his family in 1999 -- please feel free to share my story with whomever you think might be considering voting for him.
My Holiday with McCain
It was just before John McCain's last run at the presidential nomination in 2000 that my husband and I vacationed in Turtle Island in Fiji with John McCain, Cindy, and their children, including Bridget (their adopted Bangladeshi child).
It was not our intention, but it was our misfortune to be in close quarters with John McCain for almost a week since Turtle Island has a small number of bungalows and their focus on communal meals force all vacationers who are there at the same time to get to know each other intimately.
He arrived at our first group meal and started reading quotes from a pile of William Faulkner books with a forest of Post-Its sticking out of them. As an English Literature major myself, my first thought was "if he likes this so much, why hasn't he memorized any of this yet?" I soon realized that McCain actually thought we had come on vacation to be a volunteer audience for his " readings" which then became a regular part of each meal. Out of politeness, none of the vacationers initially protested at this intrusion into their blissful holiday, but people's buttons definitely got pushed as the readings continued day after day.
Unfortunately this was not his only contribution to our mealtime entertainment. He waxed on during one meal about how Indo-Chine women had the best figures and that our American corn-fed women just couldn't meet up to this standard. He also made it a point that all of us should stop Cindy from having dessert as her weight was too high and made a few comments to Amy, the 25 year old wife of the honeymooning couple from Nebraska that she should eat less as she needed to lose weight.
McCain's appreciation of the beauty of Asian women was so great that David the American economist had to move his Thai wife to the other side of the table from McCain as McCain kept aggressively flirting with and touching her.
Needless to say I was irritated at his large ego, and his rude behavior towards his wife and other women, but decided he must have some redeeming qualities as he had adopted a handicapped child from Bangladesh. I asked him about this one day and his response was shocking –"Oh, that was Cindy's idea – I didn' t have anything to do with it. She just went and adopted this thing without even asking me. You can't imagine how people stare when I wheel this ugly, black thing around in a shopping cart in Arizona. No, it wasn't my idea at all."
I actively avoided McCain after that, but unfortunately one day he engaged me in a political discussion which soon got us on the topic of the active US bombing of Iraq at that time. I was shocked when he said "if I was in charge, I would nuke Iraq to teach them a lesson". Given McCain's personal experience with the horrors of war I had expected a more balanced point of view. I commented on the tragic consequences of the nuclear attacks on Japan during WWII – but no, he was not to be dissuaded. He went on to say that if it was up to him he would have dropped many more nuclear bombs on Japan. I rapidly extricated myself from this conversation as I could tell that his experience being tortured as a POW didn't seem to have mellowed out his perspective but rather had made him more aggressive, and vengeful towards the world.
My final encounter with McCain was on the morning that he was leaving Turtle Island. Amy and I were happily eating pancakes when McCain arrived and told Amy that she shouldn't be having pancakes because she needed to lose weight. Amy burst into tears at this abusive comment. I felt fiercely protective of Amy and immediately turned to McCain and told him to leave her alone. He became very angry and abusive towards me, and said "don't you know who I am" and I looked him in the face and said "yes, you are the biggest asshole I have ever met" and headed back to my cabin. I am happy to say that later that day when I arrived at lunch I was given a standing ovation by all the guests for having stood up to McCain's bullying.
Although I have shared my McCain story informally with friends, this is the first time I am making this public. I almost did so in 2000, when McCain first announced his bid for the Republican nomination but it soon became apparent that George Bush was the shoo-in candidate and so I did not act then. However, now that there is a very real possibility that McCain could be elected as our next president, I feel it is my duty as an American citizen to share this story. I can't imagine a more scary outcome for America than that this abusive, aggressive man should lead our nation. I have observed him in intimate surroundings as he really is, not how the media portrays him to be. If his attitudes toward women, and his treatment of his own family are even a small indicator of his real personality, then I shudder to think what will happen to America were he to be elected as our President.
The most influential campaign ad to date
Outside-the-Box Ad Moves Voter Sentiment.
One of the commenters at FiveThirtyEight calls this spot "the suburban mom's Willie Horton."
One of the commenters at FiveThirtyEight calls this spot "the suburban mom's Willie Horton."
Barack up by 5
49-44 in today's Gallup Daily Tracking Poll.
I think the important thing to note here is not the numbers but the trend, and just ten days ago, it was McCain who was up by five. For those of you keeping score at home, that's a ten-point swing in as many days.
I think the important thing to note here is not the numbers but the trend, and just ten days ago, it was McCain who was up by five. For those of you keeping score at home, that's a ten-point swing in as many days.
"From McCain, an erratic response to crisis"
Unfit to lead. USA Today:
"As Wall Street's roller-coaster week unfolded, John McCain's views on the economy went through about as many gyrations as the Dow Jones industrial average. Brace your neck for a quick recap."
"As Wall Street's roller-coaster week unfolded, John McCain's views on the economy went through about as many gyrations as the Dow Jones industrial average. Brace your neck for a quick recap."
McCain campaign says McCain intended to diss Spanish PM
Once again, McCain the gambler doubles down. Joe Klein:
Seems to me that putting a chill in the relationship with one of our NATO allies simply because McCain misheard a question is going a bit far.
Seems to me that putting a chill in the relationship with one of our NATO allies simply because McCain misheard a question is going a bit far.
Video: The Palin-McCain administration
Just in case you were wondering who would really be in charge...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The best definition of the GOP ever
This is a few years old, but it's still very relevant:
"If the Goverment is a car setting out to give every one a ride to work, then for 40 years the Republicans have been puncturing the tires, pouring sand in the gas tank, stealing the distributor cap, and, whenever they can get their hands on the wheel, driving it straight into the nearest ditch and then, pointing to the wreckage as the tow truck backs up to it, saying, See, this proves that people were meant to walk."
By Lance Mannion
"If the Goverment is a car setting out to give every one a ride to work, then for 40 years the Republicans have been puncturing the tires, pouring sand in the gas tank, stealing the distributor cap, and, whenever they can get their hands on the wheel, driving it straight into the nearest ditch and then, pointing to the wreckage as the tow truck backs up to it, saying, See, this proves that people were meant to walk."
By Lance Mannion
Thursday's Lie of the Day
Today's Lie is described by TPM as a "pre-emptive" lie. Today, after McCain called for the firing of SEC chairman Christopher Cox, the McCain campaign attacked Obama for planning to distort McCain's remarks. The irony is that the remarks were indeed distorted -- by the McCain campaign, in their statement attacking Obama. TPM's headline captures the surrealism of the attack, and of the McCain campaign in general:
McCain Campaign Falsely Attacks Obama For Something He Hasn't Said Yet
They're really taking this whole lying thing to new levels of insanity, aren't they?
McCain Campaign Falsely Attacks Obama For Something He Hasn't Said Yet
They're really taking this whole lying thing to new levels of insanity, aren't they?
McCain doesn't know anything, does he?
Today, McCain said that if he's elected, he'll fire SEC chairman Christopher Cox -- probably because his campaign figures he has to say something about the train wreck that is the economy, and also because the GOP loves its scapegoats. One problem with that plan, as ABC reports, is the not insignificant fact that the president doesn't have the power to fire the chairman of the SEC. Oh well.
And that's not the only problem. Steve Benen points out that "the SEC did allow all kinds of short selling, but that's legal under the federal regulatory system that John McCain -- and his advisor, Phil Gramm -- helped put in place. After more than a quarter of a century in Congress, has McCain ever proposed changing these laws and imposing stricter regulations? No. Has he ever, before today, criticized Cox's oversight of existing trading rules? Not as far as I can tell." And besides, "I'm not an expert, but I'm fairly certain short selling is not the underlying cause of the current crisis. The sub-prime mortgage fiasco and over-leveraged banks are."
It's almost like McCain is trying to see how much bullshit he can get away with. The way I see it, it's the same kind of recklessness that caused him to crash five planes is his career as a Navy flyer.
And that's not the only problem. Steve Benen points out that "the SEC did allow all kinds of short selling, but that's legal under the federal regulatory system that John McCain -- and his advisor, Phil Gramm -- helped put in place. After more than a quarter of a century in Congress, has McCain ever proposed changing these laws and imposing stricter regulations? No. Has he ever, before today, criticized Cox's oversight of existing trading rules? Not as far as I can tell." And besides, "I'm not an expert, but I'm fairly certain short selling is not the underlying cause of the current crisis. The sub-prime mortgage fiasco and over-leveraged banks are."
It's almost like McCain is trying to see how much bullshit he can get away with. The way I see it, it's the same kind of recklessness that caused him to crash five planes is his career as a Navy flyer.
9/18 Morning Links
Steve Benen on just how spectacularly unqualified Sarah Palin is.
Josh Marshall analyzes McCain's Spain gaffe.
Salon: Karl Rove says Palin choice was political.
Joe Klein: McCain is "flailing."
Omaha World-Herald: Chuck Hagel says Palin isn't qualified.
Shorter Wall Street Journal: We're fucked.
Microsoft is dropping Seinfeld. That was fast. And yet, paradoxically, it wasn't painless. Jerry really jumped the shark.
Huffington Post: McCain adrift.
David Corn: McCain vs. McCain on regulating Wall St.
Kos: Focusing on Palin was the smart approach.
More unsettling news from the brilliant financial blog, Calculated Risk.
TAPPED: More McCain cluelessness
Digby on why the city of Wasilla charged rape victims for forensic exams when Palin was mayor. (Hint: It wasn't about the money.)
Lots of news. Busy day, busy people.
Josh Marshall analyzes McCain's Spain gaffe.
Salon: Karl Rove says Palin choice was political.
Joe Klein: McCain is "flailing."
Omaha World-Herald: Chuck Hagel says Palin isn't qualified.
Shorter Wall Street Journal: We're fucked.
Microsoft is dropping Seinfeld. That was fast. And yet, paradoxically, it wasn't painless. Jerry really jumped the shark.
Huffington Post: McCain adrift.
David Corn: McCain vs. McCain on regulating Wall St.
Kos: Focusing on Palin was the smart approach.
More unsettling news from the brilliant financial blog, Calculated Risk.
TAPPED: More McCain cluelessness
Digby on why the city of Wasilla charged rape victims for forensic exams when Palin was mayor. (Hint: It wasn't about the money.)
Lots of news. Busy day, busy people.
McCain loses another member of his base
McCain used to refer to the press as his "base." But that base is gradually eroding. The latest apostate is Elizabeth Drew of the Politico, former writer of the "Letter from Washington" column for the New Yorker and a prominent member of the DC press corps. In today's Politico, she talks about her longtime admiration for McCain, and her dismay when she first realized that "the former free-spirited, supposedly principled, maverick was morphing into just another panderer – to Bush and the Republican Party’s conservative base."
As Steve Benen notes, "McCain is certainly losing friends fast, isn't he? Drew's condemnation comes just a couple of days after Richard Cohen's. Which came a couple of days after Stephen Chapman's. Which followed Michael Kinsley, Thomas Friedman, Sebastian Mallaby, Joe Klein, E.J. Dionne, Jr., Ruth Marcus, Mark Halperin, and Bob Herbert. Even David Brooks is getting there."
As is the case with Drew's, the condemnations are almost universally accompanied by tributes to the "lost" McCain and lamentations over his passing. But Atrios thinks that the nostalgia and sorrow are misplaced. "The sad thing is that few of these people will acknowledge that they simply got played, and instead want to cast McCain as a character in a play about a man's tragic downfall. He was always an unprincipled hack, but for a very long time his political fortunes were the result of his understanding of and willingness to cater to the desires of elite Villagers. Now he has a different target."
That target is the White House. And McCain has made it plain that he intends to let nothing stop him from reaching it. Especially not principles. Or honor. Or the truth.
As Steve Benen notes, "McCain is certainly losing friends fast, isn't he? Drew's condemnation comes just a couple of days after Richard Cohen's. Which came a couple of days after Stephen Chapman's. Which followed Michael Kinsley, Thomas Friedman, Sebastian Mallaby, Joe Klein, E.J. Dionne, Jr., Ruth Marcus, Mark Halperin, and Bob Herbert. Even David Brooks is getting there."
As is the case with Drew's, the condemnations are almost universally accompanied by tributes to the "lost" McCain and lamentations over his passing. But Atrios thinks that the nostalgia and sorrow are misplaced. "The sad thing is that few of these people will acknowledge that they simply got played, and instead want to cast McCain as a character in a play about a man's tragic downfall. He was always an unprincipled hack, but for a very long time his political fortunes were the result of his understanding of and willingness to cater to the desires of elite Villagers. Now he has a different target."
That target is the White House. And McCain has made it plain that he intends to let nothing stop him from reaching it. Especially not principles. Or honor. Or the truth.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
McCain and Spain, Thursday AM edition
TPM:
"Whether he got confused about who Zapatero was or was too proud to admit he didn't understand the question, he still shot from the hip and insisted that Zapatero, the Prime Minister of a major NATO ally country, is from Latin America. He's not ready for prime time."
I still don't know what to make of this, if anything, but it's definitely weird. It would seem to call into question either his foreign policy expertise or his mental acuity. Neither alternative is a good one.
"Whether he got confused about who Zapatero was or was too proud to admit he didn't understand the question, he still shot from the hip and insisted that Zapatero, the Prime Minister of a major NATO ally country, is from Latin America. He's not ready for prime time."
I still don't know what to make of this, if anything, but it's definitely weird. It would seem to call into question either his foreign policy expertise or his mental acuity. Neither alternative is a good one.
On the day Bush took office...
...the Dow was at 10,588. Today it closed at 10,609.
That's a 21-point increase. Over nearly 8 years.
That's a 21-point increase. Over nearly 8 years.
New Obama spot: "Plan for Change"
This is a 2-minute spot in which Barack explains, in broad strokes, his plan for the economy. Contrast this with McCain's new spot, which is essentially 30 seconds of platitudes and tough talk.
Update: The McCain economy spot.
Compare and contrast.
Update: The McCain economy spot.
Compare and contrast.
More on McCain and Spain
John Aravosis at Americablog:
"This isn't funny. It's actually quite serious. We may have the first evidence, on tape, that McCain's age, or illness, or both are catching up with him and he's losing his mental faculties."
Stay tuned.
"This isn't funny. It's actually quite serious. We may have the first evidence, on tape, that McCain's age, or illness, or both are catching up with him and he's losing his mental faculties."
Stay tuned.
A thought
A McCain presidency wouldn't just be four more years of George Bush; it would be four more years of Herbert Hoover.
Foreign policy credentials
At TPM:
Looks like McCain might have stirred up a bit of diplomatic unpleasantness with -- are you ready for this one? -- Spain.
Looks like McCain might have stirred up a bit of diplomatic unpleasantness with -- are you ready for this one? -- Spain.
McCain can't shake Bush
This is a wee bit of encouraging news, from the NY Times:
Despite an intense effort to distance himself from the way his party has done business in Washington, Senator John McCain is seen by voters as far less likely to bring change to Washington than Senator Barack Obama. Mr. McCain is widely viewed as a “typical Republican” who would continue or expand President Bush’s policies, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.
Despite an intense effort to distance himself from the way his party has done business in Washington, Senator John McCain is seen by voters as far less likely to bring change to Washington than Senator Barack Obama. Mr. McCain is widely viewed as a “typical Republican” who would continue or expand President Bush’s policies, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.
More on Palin from those who know her best
From the Anchorage Daily News. Read it.
...history has proven, get in the way of Sarah Barracuda's political ambition, and you won't know what hit you.
...history has proven, get in the way of Sarah Barracuda's political ambition, and you won't know what hit you.
Wednesday's Lie of the Day
The headline of Jake Tapper's post says it all:
Despite Claims Today He Warned of this Crisis, McCain in 2007 Said He Didn't See This Crisis Coming
I'm going to try to post a Lie of the Day every day. I think the challenge will be keeping it down to one.
Despite Claims Today He Warned of this Crisis, McCain in 2007 Said He Didn't See This Crisis Coming
I'm going to try to post a Lie of the Day every day. I think the challenge will be keeping it down to one.
Eric Cantor is a numbnuts
In this clip from Hardball, Chris Matthews drills the unctuous Cantor a new one for trying to distance himself from Bush and the GOP, even though Cantor's been the most reliable of rubber-stamp Republicans from the day he began sullying the hallowed halls of Congress. Matthews can be infuriating at times, but when he's on, he's really on. Worth watching.
h/t TPM
h/t TPM
Dems vs. GOP: Economic Stewardship By The Numbers
Michael Kinsley:
Since the conventions ended, McCain has mired the presidential race in dishonest trivia because he doesn't want it to focus on what voters say is the most important issue this year: the economy.
Kinsley analyzes data from the annual Economic Report of the President, and proves the obvious: The economy does better under Democrats than under Republicans.
Since the conventions ended, McCain has mired the presidential race in dishonest trivia because he doesn't want it to focus on what voters say is the most important issue this year: the economy.
Kinsley analyzes data from the annual Economic Report of the President, and proves the obvious: The economy does better under Democrats than under Republicans.
McCain's economic gurus
From Digby:
John McCain has been out there selling this crap the whole time, vacationing with Keating, being best buds with Gramm and drooling over Alan Greenspan like a Hannah Montana fanboy. If anyone expects change from this guy they are living in a total dreamworld. He's one of them.
John McCain has been out there selling this crap the whole time, vacationing with Keating, being best buds with Gramm and drooling over Alan Greenspan like a Hannah Montana fanboy. If anyone expects change from this guy they are living in a total dreamworld. He's one of them.
McCain campaign trying to shut down Troopergate investigation
From Josh Marshall:
I'm not sure I've ever seen an instance of a president, let alone a presidential candidate, quite this nakedly doing everything in his power to shutdown an investigation.
I'm not sure I've ever seen an instance of a president, let alone a presidential candidate, quite this nakedly doing everything in his power to shutdown an investigation.
Palin's email hacked
Welcome Facebook friends
Well, it looks like I've maxed out on my posting privileges at Facebook, at least for now. So I've started this humble little blog, where I plan to continue posting links and videos from now until the election. After that, I'm hopeful that McCain and Palin's egregious lack of qualifications for the offices they seek will no longer be a relevant topic, if you catch my drift.
My current plan is to keep posting as much as possible. But it's a lot more labor-intensive to post with Blogger than with Facebook's automated posting, so I probably won't post as much or as frequently. But I'll do it as often as time permits. If and when Facebook restores my privileges, I will resume posting there, and I'll put up a notice here to let you know.
I've heard from a lot of you that you've been enjoying my posts, and I thank you for that. I just want to do what I can to help make sure that we don't have to endure another four years of this crap, and it's good to know so many of you feel the same way. All I ask is that you help spread the word. And if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
My current plan is to keep posting as much as possible. But it's a lot more labor-intensive to post with Blogger than with Facebook's automated posting, so I probably won't post as much or as frequently. But I'll do it as often as time permits. If and when Facebook restores my privileges, I will resume posting there, and I'll put up a notice here to let you know.
I've heard from a lot of you that you've been enjoying my posts, and I thank you for that. I just want to do what I can to help make sure that we don't have to endure another four years of this crap, and it's good to know so many of you feel the same way. All I ask is that you help spread the word. And if you have any suggestions, please let me know.
Barack edges ahead in daily tracking poll
Daily tracking polls are notoriously volatile, but the trend here is encouraging and seems to track with recent events. From Gallup.
9/17 Morning Links
Think Progress: Yet another McCain flip-flop
Think Progress: Another Romney flip-flop. Welcome back, Mittens! Now that Fiorina has been banished, I'm sure we'll be seeing more of you.
Steve Benen: McCain is trying to reinvent himself.
WaPo: More on the McCain reinvention
AP: McCain's two faces (Update: As Josh Marshall so aptly observes, this article might just have the worst lede ever. Worth reading for that alone.)
MoJo Blog: 83 Wall St. lobbyists work on McCain's campaign.
WaPo: Good analysis of McCain/Palin lies by Ruth Marcus
Kathy G.: What about McCain's health?
Matt Yglesias: Irony is dead. RIP.
TPM: Questions about Troopergate
Jed: The difference between Carly Fiorina and Phil Gramm
NY Times: Another worthwhile Dowd column. Two in one week -- can't remember the last time that happened.
That should hold you for a while.
Think Progress: Another Romney flip-flop. Welcome back, Mittens! Now that Fiorina has been banished, I'm sure we'll be seeing more of you.
Steve Benen: McCain is trying to reinvent himself.
WaPo: More on the McCain reinvention
AP: McCain's two faces (Update: As Josh Marshall so aptly observes, this article might just have the worst lede ever. Worth reading for that alone.)
MoJo Blog: 83 Wall St. lobbyists work on McCain's campaign.
WaPo: Good analysis of McCain/Palin lies by Ruth Marcus
Kathy G.: What about McCain's health?
Matt Yglesias: Irony is dead. RIP.
TPM: Questions about Troopergate
Jed: The difference between Carly Fiorina and Phil Gramm
NY Times: Another worthwhile Dowd column. Two in one week -- can't remember the last time that happened.
That should hold you for a while.
Video from CNN: McCain is lying
This one deserves to go viral, so email it to everyone you know. It's a bit on the long side, but it's a pretty thorough debunking of the lies of McCain and Palin. Best of all, CNN actually uses the "L" word (I'm talking about lies, of course -- what did you think I meant?).
h/t The Jed Report
h/t The Jed Report
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Palin's excuse for firing state Safety Commissioner: He was too tough on sexual assault
Here's the key graf, from the Anchorage Daily News:
"The last straw" leading up to Monegan's firing, Van Flein wrote, was Monegan's planned trip to Washington, D.C., to seek funding for a new, multimillion-dollar sexual assault initiative the governor hadn't yet approved.
Keep in mind that Alaska has one of the highest sexual assault rates in the nation. And the kicker is that Palin thinks this explanation sounds better than admitting that she fired Monegan because he wouldn't fire her ex-brother-in-law.
Update: Alaska has the highest incidence of rape in the U.S.
"The last straw" leading up to Monegan's firing, Van Flein wrote, was Monegan's planned trip to Washington, D.C., to seek funding for a new, multimillion-dollar sexual assault initiative the governor hadn't yet approved.
Keep in mind that Alaska has one of the highest sexual assault rates in the nation. And the kicker is that Palin thinks this explanation sounds better than admitting that she fired Monegan because he wouldn't fire her ex-brother-in-law.
Update: Alaska has the highest incidence of rape in the U.S.
From around the tubes...
Obama Scoffs at McCain Economic Panel (NY Times)
Senator Barack Obama scoffed at a proposal offered Tuesday by Senator John McCain to create a commission to study the turmoil in the nation’s financial markets, declaring: “We know how we got into this mess.” (read more)
McCain doesn’t know what his own committee does (Think Progress)
“I understand the economy. I was chairman of the Commerce Committee that oversights every part of our economy,” McCain told CNBC’s Squawk Box...But, as the Washington Post points out, the Commerce Committee doesn’t oversee “every part of our economy,” let alone “the very areas now in crisis“ (read more)
Fiorina: I Received Only A $21 Million Severance Package — Not $42 Million (Think Progress)
Fiorina is technically right. She didn’t get a $40 million plus “severance.” She left HP with only a $21 million severance. But she also walked away with an additional $21 million in stock options and pension benefits, as the New York Times reported in 2005. (read more)
Senator Barack Obama scoffed at a proposal offered Tuesday by Senator John McCain to create a commission to study the turmoil in the nation’s financial markets, declaring: “We know how we got into this mess.” (read more)
McCain doesn’t know what his own committee does (Think Progress)
“I understand the economy. I was chairman of the Commerce Committee that oversights every part of our economy,” McCain told CNBC’s Squawk Box...But, as the Washington Post points out, the Commerce Committee doesn’t oversee “every part of our economy,” let alone “the very areas now in crisis“ (read more)
Fiorina: I Received Only A $21 Million Severance Package — Not $42 Million (Think Progress)
Fiorina is technically right. She didn’t get a $40 million plus “severance.” She left HP with only a $21 million severance. But she also walked away with an additional $21 million in stock options and pension benefits, as the New York Times reported in 2005. (read more)
McCain Described The Economy’s Fundamentals As ‘Strong’ At Least 18 Times In 2008
From Think Progress:
"Yesterday, after two of Wall Street’s major banking institutions had just collapsed, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) declared that he “still” believes “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” As MSNBC’s First Read notes today, yesterday was only the most recent occasion that McCain has called the economy’s fundamentals “strong” as the economy worsened throughout 2008..." (read more)
"Yesterday, after two of Wall Street’s major banking institutions had just collapsed, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) declared that he “still” believes “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” As MSNBC’s First Read notes today, yesterday was only the most recent occasion that McCain has called the economy’s fundamentals “strong” as the economy worsened throughout 2008..." (read more)
Trooper-Gate: Palin's Shifting Stories
From TPM:
"There's a moment in a lot of political scandals when the contradictions and inconsistencies in the story being put out by the figure accused become so glaringly obvious that they themselves turn into an important part of the story. We may now have reached that point in Trooper-Gate -- especially as regards Sarah Palin's stated reasons for firing Walt Monegan..." (read more)
"There's a moment in a lot of political scandals when the contradictions and inconsistencies in the story being put out by the figure accused become so glaringly obvious that they themselves turn into an important part of the story. We may now have reached that point in Trooper-Gate -- especially as regards Sarah Palin's stated reasons for firing Walt Monegan..." (read more)
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