Obama's green jobs revolution

Democrat will lead effort to curb world's dependence on oil; Plans to create five million new posts in clean energy projects

By Geoffrey Lean in San Francisco and Leonard Doyle in Washington

Barack Obama is promising a $150bn "Apollo project" to bring jobs and energy security to the US through a new alternative energy economy, if his final push for votes brings victory in the presidential election on Tuesday.

"That's going to be my number one priority when I get into office," Mr Obama has said of his "green recovery" plans. Making his arguments in a radio address yesterday, the Democratic favourite promised: "If you give me your vote on Tuesday, we won't just win this election. Together, we will change this country and change the world."

The election has come during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, but he declared: "We'll invest $15bn a year over the next decade in renewable energy, creating five million new green jobs that pay well, can't be outsourced and help end our dependence on foreign oil." The appeal of the idea that clean energy could help to kick-start the economy is such that Mr Obama's Republican opponent, John McCain, has also promised "millions" of green jobs if he wins.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/obamas-green-jobs-revolution-984631.html

voting machines are easy to fix

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ELECTION '08

ELECTION '08   by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Satyam Khanna, Matt Corley, Benjamin Armbruster, Ali Frick, and Ryan Powers A Country Calling For Change Across the country today, a record number of Americans are expected to cast ballots to elect the next president of the United States, ending what has been called "one of the most extraordinary presidential elections in this nation's 232-year history." As the nation waits to see who will succeed President Bush, Americans are yearning for a dramatic change in direction. A recent New York Times/CBS News poll found that "a record 89 percent of Americans now say the country has pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track." In a Gallup poll out today, 92 percent of of registered voters agreed with the statement that "the stakes in this presidential election are higher than in previous years." Though they offer two very different visions of where America should go in the next four years, both of the major presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL) and John McCain (R-AZ), argue that they represent the change that America needs. "Change is coming," declares McCain, while Obama talks about "the change we need." As is to be expected, Americans disagree on the exact nature of the change they believe would most benefit the country, but overwhelmingly they are looking for a dramatic departure from President Bush's America. In December 2007, Democratic pollster Peter Hart and Republican pollster Bill McInturff surveyed whether Americans were looking for "small adjustments," "to turn the page," or to start "a brand new book." Respondents preferred "a brand new book" by a margin of 17 percentage points over "turn the page," and 22 percentage points over "small adjustments." Now, that book will begin to be written. POLITICS -- ROMNEY REFUSES TO SAY THAT McCAIN HAS CONDUCTED A 'DIGNIFIED AND HONEST' CAMPAIGN: Yesterday on NBC's Today Show, host Meredith Vieira asked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) campaign surrogate Mitt Romney about a new University of Wisconsin analysis that found that more of McCain's ads have been negative than Obama's in the past week. Romney attempted to defend the McCain campaign, but when Vieira asked him -- three times -- whether he thought McCain was running a "dignified" campaign, Romney couldn't agree. "Was it dignified? It was presidential," Romney finally concluded. Last week, Romney wouldn't say whether Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) is ready to be president and also yesterday, Romney said McCain's cap and trade plan would "kill jobs" in America and that he would "endeavor to convince" McCain to change his plans. MEDIA -- CNN HIRES SADDAM-AL QAEDA 'CONNECTION' FABRICATOR: Yesterday, TimeWarner announced that "frequent CNN guest, Stephen F. Hayes, has made it official by signing on with the network as a political contributor." Sam Feist, CNN's political director, said, "As part of the 'Best Political Team on Television,' Steve will help CNN in its commitment to go beyond political spin and present viewers with the most in-depth and bipartisan insights." However, for the last eight years Hayes has done little more than spin for the Bush administration's "war on terror." Hayes was one of the foremost peddlers of the false claim that Saddam Hussein was in league with al Qaeda. Blogger Spencer Ackerman wrote in the Huffington Post that Hayes "has made a career out of pretending Saddam and al Qaeda were in league to attack the United States." Vice President Dick Cheney praised Hayes's work, telling Fox News, "I think Steve Hayes has done an effective job in his article of laying out a lot of those connections." Hayes also penned a biography of Cheney that columnist Michael Corcoran called "a wet kiss…filled with glowing praise from cover to cover."

Final Election Prediction State by State

Note: The figure following each state's name indicates its number of electoral votes.

 

First off, let's stipulate that McCain-Palin should carry Idaho (4), Kansas (6), Nebraska (5), Oklahoma (7), South Carolina (8), South Dakota (3), Tennessee (11), Utah (5), West Virginia (5) and Wyoming (3) for a total of 49 electoral votes.

 

Obama-Biden should win Delaware (3), Hawaii (4), Illinois (21), Maine (4), Maryland (10), Massachusetts (12), New Jersey (15), New York (31), Rhode Island (4), Vermont (3), Washington D.C. (3) for a total of 110 electoral votes.

 

Here's a breakdown of the remaining states:

 

Alabama (9): McCain. In the tank for McPalin, but some Congressional districts could switch to the D column.

 

Alaska (3): McCain, barely. Palin's stomping ground will probably tip to McCain, but GOP Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young will be on the outs.

 

Arizona (10): Obama by a fingertip. Amazingly, Obama is only one point behind on McCain's home turf and surging. A quarter of the state's population are people who have arrived since McCain last ran for office in 2004, and most aren't voting Republican. I'm giving this one to Obama in the upset of the night.

 

Arkansas (6): McCain. It's something in the water down there, which will soon be owned by billionaire T. Boone Pickens, if they aren't careful.

 

California (55): Obama. Gov. Musclehead notwithstanding, this is a state as deep indigo as a new pair of blue jeans; the only question is if Obama wins by more than a 20-point margin. Look for some GOP congress-critters to bite the dust, including David Dreier, Mary Bono and Satan's Apprentice Darrell Issa.

 

Colorado (9): Obama. The home of the USAF Academy and countless right-wing evangelical churches, also features a large contingent of retired celebrities, progressive libs, Rocky Mountain high guys, and Hispanics. The state's been trending cerulean; this year it will go the whole route.

 

Connecticut (7): Obama. Blue as the Atlantic Ocean and Joe Lieberman, should he decide to run again for the US Senate as an Independent, is washed up here.

 

Florida (27): Obama by a couple of points. Watch for substantial gains in the House by the Dems. (And you wondered why GOP Gov. Charlie Crist is backing away from McCain – he's planning on a future in elective politics, and that isn't with the Bush-McCain-Palin wing of the Republican Party.)

 

Georgia (15): Obama in an upset. Also watch for Dem Jim Martin to beat incumbent GOP US Sen. Saxby Chambliss in a close match.

 

Indiana (11): Obama by a hair. Also Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels is in trouble over his sale of the state highway system to a foreign firm. Look for Daniels to get his walking papers as this formerly ruby-red state slowly turns blue.

 

Iowa (7): Obama. Herbert Hoover's home state is moving solidly into the blue column. Best indicator? Dem US Sen. Tom Harkin is essentially running unopposed for the first time ever.

 

Kentucky (8): McCain by a hair. GOP US Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell will survive, but just barely. Dems will pick up a couple of House seats.

 

Louisiana (9): Obama. Ever since the devastation of Katrina and Dem Don Cazayoux pulling off an upset victory in the 6th Congressional district -- safely GOP for thirty years -- the state has been trending blue and Dem US Sen. Mary Landrieu looks like a lock for reelection. LA is one of those states that's reshuffling the Old South away from the Republican dominance of the past.

 

Michigan (17): So strongly Obama that the McCain campaign quit the state a month ago, despite the problems of Dem Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Mayor of Detroit.

 

Minnesota (10): Obama. Democrat Al Franken will also win in his race with US Sen. Norm "Bush Man" Coleman by a 2 or 3-point margin. Look for House Dem gains as well, including in McCarthyite fruit-loop Michele Bachmann's district.

 

Mississippi (6): Obama by a hair. Considering the Dems surprise victory in the white 1st District by Travis Childers after one of the nastiest GOP campaigns in memory and the record turnout of black voters, this state will edge blue in this election.

 

Missouri (11): McCain. MO has been trending blue and outgoing GOP Gov. Matt Blunt is mighty unpopular, but I think McCain will edge this one out by a point. The Dems, though, will pick up the governor's office and some House seats.

 

Montana (3): Obama. Populist Dems Gov. Brian Schweitzer and US Sen. Jon Testor are well-liked in MT and Obama will eke out a win here, courtesy of the urban population in and around Billings, Great Falls, Missoula, Helena and Butte. The GOP hasn't even bothered to campaign much here, McCain has failed to impress, and Bush is about as beloved as hoof-and-mouth disease.

 

Nevada (5): Obama, by a larger margin than the polls suggest. The GOP is in disarray here, led by Gov. Jim Gibbons, who has become a dirty-joke punchline, and there's zero enthusiasm for McPalin. Meanwhile, the Obama camp has blanketed the state with volunteers and offices.

 

New Hampshire (4): Solid Obama. 'Republican' is a curse word these days in this former red state, and watch for John Sununu to lose his US Senate seat, as well.

 

New Mexico (5). Obama. This state is also trending blue, and watch for Rep. Heather Wilson to be turned out by the voters after her involvement with retiring US Sen. Pete Domenici in the firing of those 8 Republican federal prosecutors for political reasons. Dem Tom Udall will nab Domenici's vacated Senate berth.

 

North Carolina (15): Obama. 90 percent black turnout and collegiates will put this state in the D column and GOP US Sen. Liddy Dole is a goner. Paint it blue for the near future.

 

North Dakota (3): Obama by a razor's edge. His superior organization and the GOP taking the state for granted are the difference.

 

Ohio (20): Obama. The Buckeye State has been hit hard by Bush's economy and all three of the largest cities, Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland, are going blue. Best indication: On the first day of early voting in Columbus, Obamaites were out in force; McCaniacs nowhere to be seen. The state is in Dem control in a switch from 2004, and 'Republican' is a synonym for corruption there these days.

 

Oregon (7): Obama. Not only is this state becoming reliably blue, but watch for GOP US Sen. Gordon Smith to crash and burn as well.

 

Pennsylvania (21): Obama. It's been blue and it's staying blue. Closing polls show Obama up by 10 percent and the state government is in Dem control. Dem Rep. Jack Murtha will survive by a narrow margin.

 

Texas (34): McCain, but by a margin that will make Republican knees go weak. US Sen. John Cornyn will pull out a squeaker, but he'll feel the hot breath of change down his neck, too. Dem Nick Lampson will hold onto Tom DeLay's old seat and there will be other Election Night surprises for the GOP as well.

 

Virginia (13): Obama. In the past couple of election cycles, VA has elected Dem Jim Webb to the US Senate and Dem Gov. Tim Kaine. Popular ex-Gov. Mark Warner is a shoo-in for retiring Republican John Warner's Senate seat, and the GOP and McCain's campaign are in disarray in this state.

 

Washington (11): Obama in a walk. Also look for Dem Gov. Christine Gregoire to drub GOP challenger Dino Rossi in a surprise rout.

 

Wisconsin (10): Obama. The GOP has fallen to pieces in WI and Dems will also win any office worth winning.

 

The biggest difference in this election is that 80 percent of Obama-Biden supporters are enthusiastic to vote for their choice; 60 percent of McCain-Palin voters are not, which means many may not even bother going to the polls.

 

Averaging out the national polls, it looks like Obama-Biden will win by 7 percent of the popular vote and 410 to 128 in the electoral vote.

 

Of course, this will only happen if all of Obama's voters turn out to vote on November 4th.

Copyright 2008 R.S. Janes

Why hasn't Condi endorsed Obama?

To Studs: With Love and Memories

by Roger Ebert

 

"Take it easy, but take it." -- Studs Terkel's sign-off on every WFMT radio show.

So there wasn't a World Series in Chicago, and Studs missed the 2008 Presidential election. Other than that, Louis (Studs) Terkel did everything possible in 96 years.

Was he the greatest Chicagoan? I cannot think of another. For me, he represented the joyous, scrappy, liberal, generous, wise-cracking heart of this city. If you met him, he was your friend. That happened to the hundreds and hundreds of people he interviewed for his radio show and 20 best-selling books. He wrote down the oral histories of those of his time who did not have a voice. In conversation he could draw up every single one of their names.

Studs said many times in these last years, "I'm ready to check out." He hadn't been in any hurry until a fall in late August slowed him down. At the time of his 93th birthday, we had dinner with him a few days before he was having a heart bypass. He was looking forward to it.

"The docs say the odds are 4-to-1 in my favor," he said, with the voice of a guy who studied the angles. "At age 93, those are pretty good odds. I'm gonna have a whack at it. Otherwise, I'm Dead Man Walking. If I don't have the operation, how long do I have? Six months, maybe. That's no way to live, waiting to die. I've had 93 years -- tumultuous years. That's a pretty good run."

It was a run during which his great mind never let him down. "This is ironic," he told me. "I'm not the one was has Alzheimer's. It's the country that has Alzheimer's. There was a survey the other day showing that most people think our best president was Reagan. Not Abraham Lincoln. FDR came in 10th. People don't pay attention any more. They don't read the news."

Studs read the news. He sang with Pete Seeger: "I sell the morning papers sir, my name is Jimmy Brown. Everybody knows that I'm the newsboy of the town. You can hear me yellin' Morning Star, runnin' along the street. Got no hat upon my head no shoes upon my feet."

Studs knew jazz inside out, gospel by heart, the blues as he learned them after being raised in the transient hotel run by his mother on Wells St. He wasn't the only man who had a going-away party when he left to fight in World War Two. He might have been the only one to have Billie Holiday sing at his party.

He was never a communist. He was a proud man of the Left. He was blacklisted by McCarthy, and as a result he lost one of the first national sitcoms in TV history. "I was happy to do it," he said. Every single day of his life he wore a red or red-checked shirt and bright red socks. Of course he smoked a cigar. He liked a drink, too, and loved to hang out in newspaper bars and in ethnic neighborhoods with his pals. I never saw him drunk, and believe me, I had plenty of opportunities to.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roger-ebert/to-studs-with-love-and-me_b_139999.html

A Vote For My Husband Is A Vote For Me Not Breaking Your Fucking Neck

By Cindy McCain

Normally, I don't get out front and center like this in the media, preferring instead to support my husband from the sidelines and let the pundits do the talking. But as Election Day draws ever nearer, I'd like to take this time to urge all of you to put "Country First" and cast your vote for my husband, John McCain! Because a vote for John McCain is not just a vote for experience, fortitude, and American values, it's also a vote for me, Cindy McCain, not tearing your ribcage open and spilling your steaming viscera into the street.

And that's something all Americans can agree on.

Let's take back Washington and make America great again! Barack Obama has never fought for this great country like John McCain has. That's a fact. So when you're in that election booth, ask yourself, do you want a president who believes in the strength of the American worker, or do you want me to rip off your limbs and use them to beat your skull to a bloody pile of skin and bone fragments? I think the choice is clear.

If you really think that a junior senator with no executive experience is the best person to lead us out of this economic crisis, then by all means vote for Obama. Just hope to God I never find out about it and, say, drive to your house in the dead of night, crawl through your bedroom window, and, in a calculated moment of seething rage, strangle you with my bare goddamn hands.

If you're really, really lucky, I'll just shoot you in the face.

http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/a_vote_for_my_husband_is_a_vote

Landslide? Upset? What to Watch for on Election Day

 

 

posted by John Nichols on 11/04/2008 @ 06:30am

As the longest presidential campaign in American history finally concludes, polls tell us that Americans are hugely invested in the election that will be decided -- they hope -- today. A new Gallup survey suggests that 92 percent of likely voters think this is the most important election in years.

That level of engagement means that, necessarily, we are all looking for indications of how the presidential race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain will finish. Here's one:

In the tiny New Hampshire town of Dixville Notch where voters traditionally cast their ballots at midnight, which has not supported a Democrat for president in forty years, and which favored George Bush by overwhelming margins in 2000 and 2004, Obama secured a landslide victory.

The Democrat won 15 of 21 Dixville Notch votes.

In another New Hampshire town that casts and counts all its votes before dawn, Obama had 17 votes to 10 for Mr McCain and 2 for renegade Republican Ron Paul.

If the margin holds as the next 100 million or so votes are cast, Obama's victory will not merely be historic. It will be epic in scope.

But for those who may doubt the predictive powers of the Dixville Notchers, here are a dozen indicators to watch for today, tonight and, maybe, tomorrow morning:

1. Figure out where the lines are long. Tens of millions of Americans -- perhaps 25 percent of the total turnout -- have already cast "early" votes. But most ballots will be marked today. And where the largest crowds of voters are lining up to cast them matters. Watch the college towns in battleground states – such as the aptly-named State College, Pennsylvania. Young people did not cast early votes in the numbers that the Obama camp had hoped to see. Will they crowd the polls on election day? Watch traditionally Republican suburbs, especially those with mega-churches, as well. Are the lines as long in these locations as they are at urban polling places? If so, then the McCain camp may, itself, benefit from a universal boost in turnout.

2. Keep a watch for evidence of breakdowns in the process. If people are waiting more than an hour in line, that's a problem, as it makes voting harder for working people – especially young parents. If machines are breaking down, if polling places are opening late, look to see if the courts move quickly to extend voting hours. Are there patterns of intimidation at the polls – aggressive challenging of registrations, questions about residence and citizenship status – and what is being done to address them? Follow reports at the No More Stolen Elections website. If there are going to be contested results, you'll see the crisis developing.

HOT SPOTS to watch: Missouri, where there always seem to be problems in St. Louis, as well as Pennsylvania (especially the Philadelphia area), Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado and Nevada. These are states that have seen significant patterns of complaint and concern going into Election Day.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/379947/landslide_upset_what_to_watch_for_on_election_day

 

International version of Stand By Me

The song Stand By Me performed by many artists in different countries. From Bill Moyers Journal on PBS.

 

different quotes

"Today Barack Obama campaigned in Florida and Virginia. And McCain campaigned in two states: panic and desperation." — David Letterman, CBS'"Late Show."
___
"Actually, there is a good chance that we could go to bed tomorrow night and not know who's running the country. Just like it's been for the last eight years." — Jay Leno, NBC's "Tonight Show."
___
"Right now it's a toss up between Barack and Obama." — Jimmy Kimmel on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"
___
"This is my first election, not sure what supposed do on Election Eve. Are there traditions? So you hang your `chads' over the fireplace? Leave stuff out for your favorite candidate? Maybe a sandwich for Obama. That is a thin man .... McCain, leave him some food, nice warm mug of creamed corn ... Tasty. And you don't need to chew." — Craig Ferguson, CBS'"Late Late Show."
___
"Who are the real winners in this election? Don't ask me. Ask Joe the Plumber's agent." — Stephen Colbert, Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."
___
"Congratulations to everybody who ran the New York City Marathon yesterday. Good to have you here. And a special congratulations to this year's winner, Joe the Runner." — Letterman.
___
"The Republican Party has asked President Bush to stay out of sight until after the election. Apparently Bush has agreed to this strategy and is appearing weekly on the NBC series, `Kath and Kim.'" — Conan O'Brien on NBC's "Late Night."
___
"I don't want to say that the Obamas are overly confident, but they've already agreed to let Oprah use their house in Chicago as a place to keep her dogs." — Kimmel.
___
"According to recent news reports, Bill Clinton has now become an adviser to Barack Obama. Bill Clinton is giving advice to Barack Obama. Do you know who is really upset about this? Michelle Obama." — Leno.
___
"My guest, Andrew Sullivan, says conservatives should support Obama. Well, McCain's campaign managers certainly have done their part." — Colbert.
___
"Did you get any of those annoying robo calls? You know, those phone call recorded messages from the candidates. I got them all weekend. I even got one from Ralph Nader's campaign. Turns out it wasn't recorded. It was Ralph calling personally from a pay phone." — Leno.
___
"Sarah Palin is going to celebrate the end of the campaign. She charged one last $1500 blouse to the campaign. So, got that out of the way." — Letterman.
___
"This weekend at a John McCain rally, Arnold Schwarzenegger said that Barack Obama needs to exercise more because his legs are too skinny. Then he said: `Now behold, the awesome physical specimen that is John McCain!'" — O'Brien.
___

Leaving a legacy: priceless

Elections: Fascist regimes have them too

The Top 5 Sarah Palin Moments of the 2008 Campaign

 

With the end of the 2008 Presidential election, a thorough retrospection of the most astonishing Sarah Palin moments is a necessity. Providing blogs with the kind of fodder we could only have dreamed of, it's time to recap some of the highlights of Sarah Palin's efforts in the 2008 campaign:

5. IF YOU CALL JOE BIDEN OLD, I'LL CALL JOHN MCCAIN THE UNDEAD

Now, call me crazy, but did Sarah Palin just try to make a wise crack about how old Joe Biden is? While this didn't garner much attention from the media, it was quite the ironic jab, as Sarah Palin's would-be Presidential-Overlord, John McCain, can often times be mistaken for an undead ghoul. For the record, at the tender age of 72, John McCain would be the oldest first-term President in the history of the United States.

4. THE ANSWER SO STUPID THAT TINA FEY REREAD IT WORD FOR WORD ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Under the section of "dumbest answer to a question anyone should have seen coming" is Sarah Palin's response to a simple and completely foreseeable question on why the federal bailout should be supported by those not directly benefiting from it (aka the lower and middle class). In the end, Sarah Palin would deliver one of the most moronic replies, basically meandering from one incomprehensible assortment of words to the next:

COURIC: Why isn't it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries? Allow them to spend more, and put more money into the economy, instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?

PALIN: That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, we're ill about this position that we have been put in. Where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Um, helping, oh, it's got to be about job creation, too. Shoring up our economy, and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions, and tax relief for Americans, and trade — we have got to see trade as opportunity, not as, uh, competitive, um, scary thing, but one in five jobs created in the trade sector today. We've got to look at that as more opportunity. All of those things under the umbrella of job creation.

This answer was so hilariously idiotic that Tina Fey recited it verbatim on Saturday Night Live.

3. I SPENT $150,000 ON CLOTHES BUT I COULDN'T FIND A SCARF WITH THE RIGHT ANIMAL ON IT

$150,000 Won't Buy You An Elephant Scarf

We've all heard ad nauseum about Sarah Palin's mavericky middle-class hockey-mom Christian-oriented moose-hunting six-pack Joe just-like-every-Middle-American background. But it turns out that the Republican party spent 3 times the median American income just to dress her for the 2 months of campaigning. That's right, $150,000 on clothes during one of the worst economic crises in modern history. And what could be worse than appearing as completely out of touch with your own image? How about showing up to events, decked out in your $150k clothing, only to get the animal of the Democrats on your scarf? Sounds about right, but knowing Ms. Palin, she probably thought the donkeys were miniature elephants.

2. I WILL BE THE DARK LORD OF THE SENATE

Q: Brandon Garcia wants to know, "What does the Vice President do?"

PALIN: That's something that Piper would ask me! … They're in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom.

Sadly enough, Palin had appeared on CNBC in June amid speculation of being selected to be John McCain's running mate, but deferred the appeal of the position, as she had to ask out loud, "What does a Vice President do?". So between June and October, all Sarah Palin learned about the Vice President is that it 'gets in there' with the Senate. Sounds like someone's been copying Dick Cheney's homework.

1. PUTIN ONCE INVADED MY AIRSPACE AND I SAW HIM WITH MY CREATIONIST TELESCOPE, ERGO I HAVE FOREIGN POLICY EXPERIENCE

COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.

PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our– our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia–

COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?

PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We– we do– it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where– where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is– from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to– to our state.

The answer that makes Dan Quayle seem like John Kennedy. Where to begin? First off, her statements are racked with lies. There never were any trade missions from Alaska to Russia and Russia doesn't 'come over the airspace' of Alaska. But most egregiously, how the fuck does living in a state that is in proximity to other countries give you foreign policy experience? One would typically define foreign policy experience as having been a part of diplomatic or trade related activities with other nations. Conversely, one would not define foreign policy experience as having lived near Canada and having to occasionally drive through the 51st state to attend a gun show or rodeo.

http://www.prosebeforehos.com/government_employee/10/31/the-top-5-sarah-palin-moments-of-the-2008-campaign/

A woman's right to shoes

White House seeks to relax federal rules

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The Bush administration is making a last-minute push to enact U.S. federal regulations that would ease rules designed to protect the public, observers said.

Trying to ensure the regulations -- as many as 90 are being developed -- are enacted before President George Bush leaves office, White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten in May imposed a deadline of Saturday for finishing major new regulations, "except in extraordinary circumstances," the Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) reported Friday.

Included among the proposed changes are rules that would clear roadblocks to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking water standards and lift a major restriction on mountaintop coal mining, the Post said.

"They want these rules to continue to have an impact long after they leave office," said Matthew Madia, a regulatory expert at OMB Watch, a non-profit group.

The Bush administration has tried to avoid rushing through regulations at the end of the term, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

"And yes, we'd prefer our regulations stand for a very long time -- they're well reasoned and are being considered with the best interests of the nation in mind," he added.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/10/31/White_House_seeks_to_relax_federal_rules/UPI-23351225460906/

Nobody fucks with John McCain

Water Not Weapons

http://www.peteseeger.net/

http://www.waternotweapons.org/

Social Security for the Young

 

By Scott Burns

Nearly five years ago MIT Press published "The Coming Generational Storm," a book I co-authored with economist Laurence J. Kotlikoff. We shared a deep foreboding about the implicit debt of our government and the burden it put on the young. We thought tough times were coming.

And they have.

But there is a silver lining--- if we are daring enough. Listen to this recent interview with professor Kotlikoff.

Kotlikoff: Our fears have been confirmed. The country has entered a great depression. Fortunately, the depression is mental, not economic.  So far the nation has lost its mind, not its wealth.

What do you mean, the nation hasn't lost its wealth? House prices have fallen by one-fifth. The stock market is down two-fifths since last October!

Kotlikoff: Look around. You'll see the same equipment, factories, and office buildings we had a year ago. You'll also see the same people with the same skills available to work with these tools.

But the stock market drop has wiped out the savings of millions of Americans.

Kotlikoff: Yes, and that's horrible. But the economy's real wealth hasn't changed.

If total wealth hasn't changed and tens of millions are poorer, who's richer?

Kotlikoff: Current and prospective buyers of houses and stocks can now buy up these assets at deep discounts.

But this isn't fair-- the sellers are old and the buyers are young.

Kotlikoff: Nothing is fair in love or money.

http://assetbuilder.com/blogs/scott_burns/archive/2008/10/31/social-security-for-the-young.aspx

Taxes? Sure, I'll pay my fair share!

Nowhere man: a farewell to Dubya, all-time loser in presidential history

 

by Simon Schama

"Forgotten but not gone" was the way in which the supremo of Boston politics, Billy Bulger, liked to dismiss the human irritants he had crushed beneath his trim boot. The same could now be said for the hapless 43rd President of the United States as the daylight draws mercifully in on his reign of misfortune and calamity. How is he bearing up, one wonders, as the candidate from his own party treats him as the carrier of some sort of infectious political disease? How telling was it that the most impassioned moment in John McCain's performance in the final debate was when he declared: "I am not George Bush."

Where, O where are you, Dubya, as the action passes you by like a jet skirting dirty weather? Are you roaming the lonely corridors of the White House in search of a friendly shoulder around which to clap your affable arm? Are you sweating it out on the treadmill, hurt and confused as to why the man everyone wanted to have a beer (or Coke) with, who swept to re-election four years ago, has been downgraded to all-time loser in presidential history, stuck there in the bush leagues along with the likes of James Buchanan and Warren Harding? Or are you whacking brush in Crawford, where the locals now make a point of telling visitors that George W never really was from hereabouts anyroad.

Whatever else his legacy, the man who called himself "the decider" has left some gripping history. The last eight years have been so rich in epic imperial hubris that it would take a reborn Gibbon to do justice to the fall. It should be said right away that amid the landscape of smoking craters there are one or two sprigs of decency that have been planted: record amounts of financial help given to Aids-blighted countries of Africa; immigration reform that would have offered an amnesty to illegals and given them a secure path to citizenship, had not those efforts hit the reef of intransigence in Bush's own party. And no one can argue with the fact that since 9/11 the United States has not been attacked on its home territory by jihadi terrorists; though whether or not that security is more illusory than real is, to put it mildly, open to debate.

Bet against that there is the matter of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian casualties, more than 4,000 American troops dead, many times that gravely injured, not to mention the puncture wounds and mutilations inflicted on internationally agreed standards of humane conduct for prisoners - and on the protection of domestic liberties enshrined in the American constitution. If the Statue of Liberty were alive, she would be weeping tears of blood.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/03/george-bush-legacy-dubya/print

Voters Across Nation Hit by Dirty Tricks

By DEBORAH HASTINGS

 

In the hours before Election Day, as inevitable as winter, comes an onslaught of dirty tricks — confusing e-mails, disturbing phone calls and insinuating fliers left on doorsteps during the night.

The intent, almost always, is to keep folks from voting or to confuse them, usually through intimidation or misinformation. But in this presidential race, in which a black man leads most polls, some of the deceit has a decidedly racist bent.

 

Complaints have surfaced in predominantly African-American neighborhoods of Philadelphia where fliers have circulated, warning voters they could be arrested at the polls if they had unpaid parking tickets or if they had criminal convictions.

 

Over the weekend in Virginia, bogus fliers with an authentic-looking commonwealth seal said fears of high voter turnout had prompted election officials to hold two elections — one on Tuesday for Republicans and another on Wednesday for Democrats.

 

In New Mexico, two Hispanic women filed a lawsuit last week claiming they were harassed by a private investigator working for a Republican lawyer who came to their homes and threatened to call immigration authorities, even though they are U.S. citizens.

 

"He was questioning her status, saying that he needed to see her papers and documents to show that she was a U.S. citizen and was a legitimate voter," said Guadalupe Bojorquez, speaking on behalf of her mother, Dora Escobedo, a 67-year-old Albuquerque resident who speaks only Spanish. "He totally, totally scared the heck out of her."

 

http://news.aol.com/elections/article/some-voters-hit-with-dirty-tricks/235328?icid=200100397x1212202982x1200809428

Mavericky socialism

Sarah Palin - Dumb and Dumber

Having devoted over 30 years

Submitted by mrtshw on October 22, 2008 - 11:25am.

Having devoted over 30 years of my life to the practice of psychology, I was shocked to discover the actual extent of Sarah Palin's diminished intellect, although hardly surprised she is developmentally challenged. Her 83 full scale Wechsler I.Q. reported in her Wasilla High School records was labeled Dull Normal at that time and ,in fact, 83 was just slightly above the range labeled Borderline Retarded ( 70-80 I.Q. ). Her SAT scores were also similarly deficient,thus serving to confirm her sub-normal I.Q
In fact, Sarah's resume reveals similar deficiencies in most every area of her life; 2.2 high school grade average, dropping out of college 5 times before finally receiving a degree after six years from the fifth college she attended,marrying an Alaska secessionist, supporting Kenyan witch doctors; corrupt,vindictive abuses of power during her mayorship and current governorship , erratic beliefs regarding the earth being but 6000 years old and Jesus co-existing with dinosaurs,etc.etc,etc.
The fact John McCain was so instantly captivated by her undoubtedly speaks to his having graduated 894th of 899 in his class and later having " lost " 5 aircraft he was piloting during his naval aviation career. " Birds of a feather flock together ", " it takes one to know one ", etc, etc, etc.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/cont/node/11651#comment-43385

 

UT poll shows McCain, Cornyn with comfortable margins

Poll finds 23% of Texans think Obama is Muslim

By RICHARD S. DUNHAM

WASHINGTON — A University of Texas poll to be released today shows Republican presidential candidate John McCain and GOP Sen. John Cornyn leading by comfortable margins in Texas, as expected. But the statewide survey of 550 registered voters has one very surprising finding: 23 percent of Texans are convinced that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is a Muslim.

Obama is a Christian who was embroiled in a controversy earlier this year about his two-decade membership in Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ. Yet just 45 percent of those polled identified the Illinois senator as a Protestant.

The Obama-is-a-Muslim confusion is caused by fallacious Internet rumors and radio talk-show gossip. McCain went so far at one of his town hall meetings to grab a microphone from a woman who claimed that Obama was an Arab.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6084678.html

Why didn't he just change his name?

From Crackle: Barack's Unfortunate Middle Name

Paulson's Swindle Revealed

By William Greider

The swindle of American taxpayers is proceeding more or less in broad daylight, as the unwitting voters are preoccupied with the national election. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson agreed to invest $125 billion in the nine largest banks, including $10 billion for Goldman Sachs, his old firm. But, if you look more closely at Paulson's transaction, the taxpayers were taken for a ride--a very expensive ride. They paid $125 billion for bank stock that a private investor could purchase for $62.5 billion. That means half of the public's money was a straight-out gift to Wall Street, for which taxpayers got nothing in return.

These are dynamite facts that demand immediate action to halt the bailout deal and correct its giveaway terms. Stop payment on the Treasury checks before the bankers can cash them. Open an immediate Congressional investigation into how Paulson and his staff determined such a sweetheart deal for leading players in the financial sector and for their own former employer. Paulson's bailout staff is heavily populated with Goldman Sachs veterans and individuals from other Wall Street firms. Yet we do not know whether these financiers have fully divested their own Wall Street holdings. Were they perhaps enriching themselves as they engineered this generous distribution of public wealth to embattled private banks and their shareholders?

Leo W. Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers, raised these explosive questions in a stinging letter sent to Paulson this week. The union did what any private investor would do. Its finance experts vetted the terms of the bailout investment and calculated the real value of what Treasury bought with the public's money. In the case of Goldman Sachs, the analysis could conveniently rely on a comparable sale twenty days earlier. Billionaire Warren Buffett invested $5 billion in Goldman Sachs and bought the same types of securities--preferred stock and warrants to purchase common stock in the future. Only Buffett's preferred shares pay a 10 percent dividend, while the public gets only 5 percent. Dollar for dollar, Buffett "received at least seven and perhaps up to 14 times more warrants than Treasury did and his warrants have more favorable terms," Gerard pointed out.

"I am sure that someone at Treasury saw the terms of Buffett's investment," the union president wrote. "In fact, my suspicion is that you studied it pretty closely and knew exactly what you were doing. The 50-50 deal--50 percent invested and 50 percent as a gift--is quite consistent with the Republican version of spread-the-wealth-around philosophy."

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081110/greider2/print

The Final Days

 

by Susan Estrich

It is time for this election to be over. It is time because it has been going on for what feels like a lifetime, because the final days have been full of noise and fury and very little light, and because we need to start solving problems rather than just debating them.

It is time because we all know how it should turn out and because thinking about what could happen if it doesn't is too upsetting.

Are Democrats in danger of being too confident? The short answer is no.

It's no because we've lost too many times when we were supposed to win. It's no because it's easier to convince people to go to a wedding than a funeral, to show up at a party instead of a wake. The California Democrats I've talked to, even the tired and cynical ones, are heading off to Colorado and Nevada and New Mexico, leaving nothing to chance, eager to be part of celebrations across the country.

And the truth is that no matter what the polls say — and they couldn't be much better — we're all still holding our breath. We're holding our breath because as many times as we tell each other that with the economy the way it is, with the wrong track numbers the way they are, with consumer confidence as low as it is, race shouldn't matter, it really shouldn't matter enough in enough places to make every single poll wrong.

It shouldn't. It really shouldn't. Because, let's face it, God forbid if it does.

This is the unspoken what-if, the whispered fear.

It's not just that Barack Obama should win because he's ahead and the economy stinks and he's run a disciplined and well-financed campaign while John McCain struggled for a message and chose a running mate whose inability to answer easy questions has left women embarrassed and fuming. It's what it will say if he doesn't. And what will happen if he doesn't.

There is only one reason the polls could be this wrong. There is only one reason a contest that is not even close, that is somewhere between clobbered and landslide, could wind up with the other guy on top. Every pollster in America is not incompetent. Every pollster in America is not failing in precisely the same way when it comes to pulling a sample, screening for voters and assigning weights to the various groups.

The only way all these polls could be that far off is if people are lying in numbers never before seen in American politics.

Why would they do that?

http://www.creators.com/opinion/susan-estrich/the-final-days-2008-10-31.html

 

Caribou Barbie

Pull Up Your Obamas: Political Fashion Statements — Socks, Tees, Shoes and Even Underwear for Change

Beyond Shepard Fairey's Hope tees

By Gendy Alimurung

No matter what happens on November 4, Barack Obama will leave his mark — on history, yes, but also on a million T-shirts. The Obama political-merchandise machine has grown to epic proportions. And why not? Obama is the smartest, best-dressed, best-spoken, most energetic and beloved entity to come along in politics in a long time. People would not only die for him, they would wear flip-flops with tiny plastic Obama bobble heads for him.

If you missed out on Shepard Fairey's Obama HOPE and PROGRESS tees — sorry, that ship sailed a while ago — try eBay. The campaign itself has an official Runway for Change project with a squadron of top-flight designers that includes Isaac Mizrahi, Tracy Reese and Vera Wang. But while admirable, these fashion pros mostly flub the simple T-shirt design like a bad Project Runway episode. In this fight, it's the masses who are doing the exciting work in the realm of Obama style. The ones who sew the custom Obama "change" purses on eBay.

At the Democratic National Convention, 36-year-old Chicago artist Ray Noland's irreverent, retro basketball-inspired "Go Tell Mama" Obama tees sold like hotcakes. "The red, white and blue basketball references the ABA [American Basketball Association], which was known as the 'outlaw' league during the late '60s and early '70s," Noland writes in an e-mail. "What better way to humanize Obama and position him as the new 'outlaw' in American politics?" Noland has been waging a one-man street campaign for Obama since 2006, when he started designing Obama posters and anonymously plastering them around town. His inspiration came after he was in a bicycle accident, had his jaw wired shut for six weeks and obsessively read Obama's Dreams From My Father.

Noland's shirts and posters are warm, joyful and moving, infused with a hip-hop sensibility: Obama shooting hoops; Obama as a boxer; Obama as a gunslinger, but instead of drawing a gun, he outstretches his hand to his opponent ... for a handshake. The objects are so iconic, the Smithsonian has asked for samples to include in its collection.

"If Obama does not win," Noland says, "I will be an expatriot."

In a completely other direction, Inktees makes an "I Got A Crush On Obama" T-shirt perfect for sexy single gals with their own political obsessions. It's the one that Amber Lee Ettinger wore — scandalously — with short shorts and white stilettos in her Obama Girl video. For dudes at the grill, Inktees also makes an "I Heart Obama" apron.

Care for socks? Clothing buyer Erica Easley, as pretty as the campaign trail is long, has created the world's first presidential knee socks. "There are no Nixon or JFK socks. Though Urban Outfitters is probably working on something right now as we speak," she says on the night of the first presidential debate, when Obama wipes the floor with McCain's butt. She's been selling 100 pairs of her Obama knee socks every week since June. "I wear the socks every day. I get stopped at the gas station, at Trader Joe's. They look cute with whatever you're wearing — shorts, miniskirts, a vintage dress. They're very collectible if you're into fashion that surrounds unique, oddball moments in time. That's what political clothing is. It would be fun to make an inaugural sock if he wins." Easley has shipped the socks to New York and Utah, and is ever hopeful for orders from red-state Alabama (none yet). Los Angeles is hip to the socks — lots of orders here. Easley is even in talks with people in Obama's campaign to maybe get his daughters to wear the socks.

http://www.laweekly.com/2008-10-30/la-vida/pull-up-your-obamas-political-fashion-statements-socks-tees-shoes-and-even-underwear-for-change/

Michael Moore on the Election, the Bailout, Healthcare, and 10 Proposals for the Next President

By Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman: I [recently] had a chance to sit down with Academy Award-winning filmmaker and author Michael Moore yesterday. He was in his home state of Michigan, one of the hardest hit areas of the nation, Michigan's [unemployment] now at 8.7 percent.

Michael Moore has recently published a new book called Mike's Election Guide '08 and a new online film called Slacker Uprising: A Look at the Youth Vote. Michael Moore is best known for his films Sicko, Fahrenheit 911, Bowling for Columbine and Roger and Me. He has recently been campaigning for a group of Democratic candidates in Michigan and is a backer of Barack Obama. I spoke to him from Traverse City, Michigan. ... Michigan is a very hard-hit state right now. In fact, John McCain pulled out of Michigan. Do you see a connection?

Moore: I'd like to believe it's because I'm here that he left, but I don't even know why he was here to begin with. People here have been bludgeoned during the last eight years. And, you know, the sad part about that is, is that next year or the year after, when they look back on this year, this is actually going to look like a really good year, because once General Motors merges with Chrysler, thousands and thousands of jobs, more jobs, are going to be eliminated, on top of the already thousands of more jobs that will be eliminated in the next few years because General Motors and Chrysler build twentieth century vehicles that either nobody wants or we shouldn't be building, considering the climate crisis that's in front of us.

Goodman: How did it happen that they didn't change, that you have now in Michigan the highest unemployment rate in the country?

Moore: It happened because the workers don't control the means of production. Oops, I guess I can't be president now that I said that. No, but seriously, I think that if the autoworkers, years and years ago, could have had a say in the cars that were being built, the Big Three would have built cars that people wanted to drive, instead of the kind of crappy-mobiles that they continue to build, the gas-guzzlers they continue to build. And people wanted something different, and nobody listened, because the auto companies were arrogant, and they had -- they have always had the attitude that what's good for -- you know the old saying -- General Motors is good for the country. Well, the country changed; General Motors didn't change. And so, now the people have suffered as a result of it. If we had a democratic economy, where the people, we the people, had a say in the decisions that are made, in terms of how our corporations are run, the things that they produce for our society, what we need collectively as a society, we probably wouldn't find ourselves in some of the positions that we're in right now.

http://www.alternet.org/election08/105676/michael_moore_on_the_election%2C_the_bailout%2C_healthcare%2C_and_10_proposals_for_the_next_president/?page=entire

Guillotine

Cell phone equivalencies

Hell freezes over: a Republican to vote for

A GOPer for Choice, Pot, and Gay Marriage
So why can't Marcia McCraw get the liberal establishment to support her run for lieutenant governor?

By Aimee Curl

A few things you may be surprised to hear about Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor Marcia McCraw: She's pro-choice, in favor of medical marijuana, and supports gay rights. This sets her apart on the social issues from 12-year Democratic incumbent Brad Owen, who is anti-choice, uses his rock band and his office to crusade against pot, and is lukewarm on gay rights.

http://www.seattleweekly.com/2008-10-22/news/the-upside-down-race?src=newsletter

 

Help George W. Bush write his cover letter

George will be applying for a lot of jobs in the next few months and needs your help with his cover letter. Enter the following information to lend a hand and make sure he doesn't end up on the dole!

1. Job title e.g. Project Manager or Chief Executin' Officer
2. Political issue e.g. climate change, credit crunch or Sarah's wardrobe  
3. Country or region e.g. Australia (or is that Austria?!?)
4. Skill Ending in '-ing' e.g. public speaking, ranching, paperclipping  

 

http://mycareer.com.au/consumer/features/promotions/cover-letter-generator.aspx?s_cid=596523

Best of the ’08 Campaign V: Northern exposure

By Scott Horton

Is Sarah Palin a "whack job"? Yesterday, Politico quoted an unnamed senior McCain advisor describing Palin in just those words. Yet there has been little reporting in the mainstream media that would sustain this characterization. As I reported a few days back for The Daily Beast,, one of the things that led Bill Kristol—Palin's principal advocate—to push her as McCain's vice president was the fact that she was unknown, a blank slate. She hailed from a small town in the most remote state in the Union. When the Palin nomination was announced, hundreds of journalists descended on Anchorage and its northern suburb of Wasilla. A handful of serious exposé pieces emerged in the process. But only one visitor up north came back with a bag of gold nuggets. His name is Max Blumenthal.

Over the past several years, Blumenthal's work has focused on fringe groups on the right. He has excelled in covering political activism among evangelicals. His technique is simple: he confronts the subjects and lets them speak for themselves. His videos are generally under fifteen minutes and are somewhat haphazard, but Blumenthal invariably captures images and language that go unreported in the mainstream media–which prefers to allow religious-right figures to sell their snake oil unreported and off camera. In his trek to Alaska, Blumenthal focused on three aspects of Palin's background—her relationship with two churches that played a central role in her political campaigns (first for mayor of Wasilla, then for governor of Alaska); her connections to a political separatist movement, the Alaska Independent Party; and her relations with minorities.

The materials Blumenthal harvested on his trip have had a real impact on the campaign. They include clips of services in the Wasilla Assembly of God, where Palin was baptized when she was twelve and which she attended until 2002, and the Wasilla Bible Church, which she attended after 2002. Although Palin launched her political career from a religious platform, mobilizing the religious communities with which she was affiliated, she has been quiet about her religious views throughout the campaign. The footage that Blumenthal secured and published allows an extraordinary glimpse into Palin's inner sanctum. We see in some clips Palin delivering an address in which she equates religious missionary work with her political career. A series of vital political projects—ranging from the war in Iraq to a pipeline project—are described as being divinely ordained, and thus beyond discussion. In another clip, Bishop Thomas Muthee lays hands on Palin and prays, "Bring finances her way even for the campaign in the name of Jesus… Use her to turn this nation the other way around and to keep her safe from every form of witchcraft." In another segment that Blumenthal recorded in the church, Muthee sermonizes about "the enemy," using violent language. What these clips reveal is material to understanding Palin's political and religious views. They suggest that the Wasilla congregation and Palin follow "dominionism," a conviction that society must be governed exclusively by the law of God as set forth in the Bible. Biblical texts are to be construed and applied with a right-wing twist that reveals plenty of conservative social prejudices and little sensitivity to the original texts themselves. Moreover, dominionists share a millennial vision of the Rapture, coming great upheavals and political change leading to the creation of the Kingdom of God on earth. Dominionists do not embrace the separation of church and state, and tend to approach political issues from a highly dogmatic stance, often focused on particular charismatic individuals they see as ordained to govern.

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/10/hbc-90003772

Palin accuses Obama of ties to second 'radical professor'

 

(CNN) -- Gov. Sarah Palin on Wednesday said Sen. Barack Obama has ties to a Columbia University professor who she said is "a former spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization."

The Obama campaign said on its Web site that "ugly insinuations about Barack Obama's relationship with a former neighbor and university colleague ... are completely false." The professor has denied he was a spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Palin said her assertion "is not negative campaigning to call someone out on their record."

"It seems that there is yet another radical professor from the neighborhood who spent a lot of time with Barack Obama going back several years," Palin said at an event in Bowling Green, Ohio.

"This is important because his associate, Rashid Khalidi ... in addition to being a political ally of Barack Obama, he's a former spokesperson for the Palestinian Liberation Organization." Watch Palin say the LA Times is 'kowtowing' to Obama »

Sen. John McCain's campaign repeatedly has sought to tie Obama to former 1960s radical William Ayers, who co-founded the Weather Underground. Ayers is a professor at the University of Illinois.

Khalidi is a leading scholar of Middle Eastern studies at Columbia, and he was a contemporary of Obama's while on the faculty of the University of Chicago. Read: Palin blasts Obama for ties to Palestinian professor

Khalidi has been a harsh critic of U.S. foreign policy toward Israel and has accused the country of "occupying" Palestinian territories. But he has denied acting as a PLO spokesman during a seven-year period in the 1970s and 1980s.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/29/campaign.wrap/index.html

False profit

Iceland for sale on eBay

LONDON (Reuters) - Great scenery and wildlife but financial situation in need of repair -- collect in person.

Iceland, which is going cap in hand to Russia for a 4 billion euro loan to bail out its failed banks, was offered for sale as a wholesale lot on eBay on Friday.

Bidding started at 99 pence but had reached 10 million pounds by mid-morning on Friday.

Globally renowned singer Bjork was "not included" in the sale, according to the notice, but there were nonetheless 26 anonymous bidders and 84 bids.

"Located in the mid-Atlantic ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland will provide the winning bidder with -- a habitable environment, Icelandic Horses and admittedly a somewhat sketchy financial situation," the notice read.

Bidders' questions included: "Do you offer volcano/earthquake insurance?", "Is it possible that my payment will be frozen?", and "Will you accept C.O.D. as a form of payment?"

http://uk.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUKLNE49906S20081010

Amazing: Guess who Helped a Stranded Stranger 20 Years Ago

The Ladner Report

The Norwegian newspaper VG has reported a truly amazing story about a newly-wed trying to get to Norway to be with her husband, and the stranger who helped pay an unexpected luggage surcharge. The blog "Leisha's Random Thoughts" has translated the story.

It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband when the airline representative informed her that she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a 100 surcharge:

When it was finally Mary's turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.

-You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway, the man behind the counter said.

Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway, and she had no one else to call.

-I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, says Mary.

As tears streamed down her face, she heard a "gentle and friendly voice" behind her saying, "That's okay, I'll pay for her."
Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.

-He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?

Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man.

-He was nicely dressed, fashionably dressed with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.

She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

Who was the man?

Barack Obama.

http://theladnerreportblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/amazing-obama-helped-stranded-stranger.html

Obama on the Daily Show

The Republican shipwreck

The mighty right-wing Titanic is sinking, and McCain is desperately blaming Bush. But the problem isn't the captain -- it's the ship.

By Gary Kamiya

The modern conservative movement is dying in front of our eyes, and its death throes aren't pretty. As John McCain heads for likely defeat, the GOP is eating itself. Right-wing politicians and pundits who never criticized Bush in eight years are suddenly jumping ship like rats, while bitter-end loyalists angrily accuse them of being "pathetically opportunistic." After months of veering from one tactic to the next, McCain has finally settled on one message for his campaign, but it's absurd: claiming that the party whose signature is tax cuts for the rich is really on the side of Joe the Plumber.

Meanwhile, 3.1 million real Joe the Plumbers across America are sending Barack Obama hundreds of millions of dollars, a torrent of cash that is helping to flush the GOP down the national toilet.

Right-wing hacks like Palin and Minn. Rep. Michele Bachman respond by doing the only thing they know how to do -- attack, demonize and divide. They wave the flag like a cutlass, dividing the country up into "pro-America areas" and "anti-America" ones. But this old pseudo-patriotic trick that has served the GOP so well for so long doesn't work anymore. In a development that showed just how much the political landscape has changed, the attack dogs have been forced to apologize -- something neither Bush nor his party nor conservative pundits ever did while they were trashing the country during the last eight years.

McCain's choice of the insultingly unqualified Palin to be his running mate was right out of the GOP's old culture-wars playbook, but it has backfired disastrously. The changing demographics of the country are working against the right wing. The party is lost, and it doesn't have a clue what to do next.

There's something surreal about how fast the GOP has gone from arrogant triumphalism to its death throes. Just yesterday, the GOP's mighty Titanic was cruising along, its opulent decks lined with fat-cat financiers and neoconservative warmongers, all smoking cigars, drinking champagne and extolling the deathless virtues of their fearless captain. The compliant media issued glowing dispatches. Karl Rove cackled with glee as he plotted out a permanent Republican majority.

Then the luxury liner hit an iceberg known as reality.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/10/28/gop_shipwreck/index.html

After Calling Social Security An ‘Absolute Disgrace,’ McCain Says Safety Nets Are ‘What America Is All About’

In an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity last night, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) claimed it was a "far-left liberal view that you need to take money from one group of Americans and give it to another." Yet in the same breath, McCain praised the social safety net system, in particular Social Security:

McCAIN: Now, of course we have an obligation to take care of citizens in our society who can't care for themselves. That's why we have those programs, those Safety Net Programs. But you know, the Safety Net Program, a lot of Americans pay in to Social Security, they pay in to a number of those programs. So the point is, yes, a society and government takes care of citizens who need our help. That's what America is all about.

Watch it:

McCain has claimed that Social Security is "broken" and has campaigned alongside President Bush to privatize the system. In July, he went a step further and said Social Security is an "absolute disgrace":

Americans have got to understand that we are paying present day retirees with the taxes paid by young workers…and that's a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace.

Watch it:

In August, in honor of the 73rd anniversary of the Social Security Act, the New Mexico Democratic Party attempted to sing "Happy 73rd Birthday to Social Security" outside of a McCain campaign office, "only to have the birthday cake thrown in the trash by the campaign."

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/29/mccain-social-security-hannity/

UFO alien backs Obama!

Polls suggest Palin has become a big drag on GOP ticket

 

MODERATES: Alaska governor alienates all but strict conservatives.

By DAVID LIGHTMAN

WASHINGTON -- Sarah Palin has become a drag on the Republican presidential ticket, the first time in recent political history that a running mate has made such a difference.

Among many independents and moderate Republicans, she's raised serious questions about John McCain's judgment, become too much of a national punch line and reinforced concerns about McCain's age.

"Nice lady, no experience. It's so sad. She's a gigantic drag," said Chris DePino, a Republican consultant based in New Haven, Conn.

The Alaska governor does help the ticket somewhat by energizing hard-core Republicans, but polls suggest that overall "she's hurting John McCain," said Andrew Kohut, the president of the Pew Research Center.

http://www.adn.com/front/story/569795.html

McCain Campaign: Our Health Plan Doesn't Work

by Jason Rosenbaum

 

Another admission from the McCain campaign that their health care plan is nothing more than a bunch of right-wing platitudes thrown together without any real serious thought as to how to solve the health care crisis. From CNN:

Changing the tax treatment wouldn't hurt the employer-sponsored system and would allow more of the uninsured to buy their own coverage, [the McCain campaign says]. Also, his advisers say a McCain administration would keep an eye on the credit to make sure it didn't lag behind the cost of coverage, while also working to lower the rate of medical inflation.

Younger, healthier workers likely wouldn't abandon their company-sponsored plans, said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, McCain's senior economic policy adviser.

"Why would they leave?" said Holtz-Eakin. "What they are getting from their employer is way better than what they could get with the credit."

Got that?

The entire premise of McCain's health care plan is that people can do better on the free market. That's why you get a tax credit. That's why you would be able to buy insurance across state lines. The market supposedly makes health insurance cheaper, makes your health insurance company offer better coverage, and makes buying the insurance you need easier. And things like tying health insurance to employment are anti-free market, which is why the McCain plan taxes employer health benefits to encourage people to get insurance on the individual, free-er market.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-rosenbaum/mccain-campaign-our-healt_b_138539.html

GOPacalypse Now Redux