Wonky Muse

"The Bush Diplomatic Hall of Glory"

2009-01-31T01:57:00.000-08:00

The smell of fresh paint wafting last week through the hall heading to the State Department cafeteria signaled the demise of the Bush Diplomatic Hall of Glory -- that series of lovely photographs that touted the 43rd president's world leadership and diplomatic victories.

Loop Fans will recall that the exhibit of about 20 large color photos caused a bit of a stir back in 2003 when it replaced the long-standing array of black-and-white shots of historic moments. That included an original political cartoon from the Jefferson era and Woodrow Wilson at Versailles and Roosevelt and Churchill signing the Atlantic Charter and so forth.

The George W. Bush exhibit, the old-timers complained, was hardly more than a family travel album, showing him and Laura Bush traveling about the world, hanging out with foreigners, not exactly making history. There were also a few pics of the secretary of state, first Colin L. Powell and then Condoleezza Rice, usually with the president in the picture.

Word.

But wait a minute, does the photo exhibit include this leadership victory in China?

How about this diplomatic victory in Iraq?

It wasn't a complete "hall of glory" without these moments of victory, no?

Photos: The Sydney Morning Herald, Washington Times

Republican Gregg for Commerce?

2009-01-31T00:04:00.000-08:00

The White House remains mum, but if Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) accepts the nomination for Commerce Secretary, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch could give the Democrats a 60 seat-strong majority in the Senate by appointing a fellow Democrat to replace Gregg.

Gregg will be under pressure from the GOP to say no, although given his age, 16 years in the Senate and a possible tough fight for re-election in 2010, he might say yes. The possibility becomes more likely if we consider that Gregg praised Obama publicly and that among Republicans he was second only to Olympia Snowe in voting with the Obama Administration.

Politico reports the GOP may demand that Governor Lynch appoint another Republican to replace Gregg before they agree to let him go, but that's not their call now, is it? If Gregg thinks his re-election prospects in 2010 are dim or if he's just more interested in serving in Obama's cabinet rather than retaining his Senate seat, then the Democrats don't have to concede a thing to get both him and their filibuster-proof majority.

Obama Signs Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act

2009-01-30T03:28:00.000-08:00

[Transcript of the President's remarks here.]

For his first piece of major legislation, President Obama signs into law an Act that corrects a gross miscarriage of justice:

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act effectively nullifies a 2007 Supreme Court decision that denied Ledbetter an opportunity for redress.

Ledbetter, 70, has said she did not learn about the sizable discrepancy in pay between her and her male co-workers until near the end of her 19-year career at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Gadsden, Ala. She sued, but the high court said in a 5-4 decision that she missed her chance to bring the action.

The court said a person must file a discrimination claim within 180 days of a company's initial decision to pay a worker less than another doing the same job.

Under the new law, each new discriminatory paycheck would extend the statute of limitations for an additional 180 days. That was the interpretation before the Supreme Court was asked to step in.

Since her case can't be retried, Lilly Ledbetter will not receive a single cent more because of this new law, but thanks to her and all the other women before her who fought for what's right, those of us who come after won't have to suffer the indignity and gross unfairness of less pay for being a woman.

Incidentally, the Bush White House and the Republicans blocked this bill in the last session of Congress. True to form, they were against what is essentially a law for equality and fairness because all lawsuits by employees against employers is baaad, didn't ya know. Lest we forget, McCain and Palin also campaigned against it, being the true party ~~mavericks~~ sidekicks that they are. This time, only five Republicans, including the only four female Republican Senators, voted for this bill. Color me not surprised.

Next stop: the much broader Paycheck Fairness Act. Perhaps the current Grand Obstructionist Party will surprise me this time? Not freakin' likely.

Blagojevich Out

2009-01-28T23:49:00.000-08:00

Impeached and barred from political office in Illinois:

The vote, 59 to 0, ended nearly two months of political spectacle in which Mr. Blagojevich, a second-term Democrat who rose from the ranks of Chicago ward politics on the strength of his charisma and the connections of his wife’s family, sought to salvage his career and reputation.

The conviction followed a four-day trial, Mr. Blagojevich’s dramatic address of some 45 minutes to the senators Thursday in which he declared his innocence, and then about two hours of deliberation.

After the first vote, the Senate held a second, deciding again by 59 to 0 to bar Mr. Blagojevich from ever holding public office again in Illinois.

Lt. Governor Pat Quinn was sworn in as the new Governor an hour later.

I caught Blagojevich on Rachel Maddow's show, part of the media blitz he chose to do instead of attending his three-day impeachment trial, and the arrogant defiance was cringe-worthy. He insisted that everything he did, he did out of love for the people of Illinois. He also insisted the hearings were rigged because he can't call in witnesses to prove he didn't do anything illegal, even though an impeachment hearing isn't like a criminal trial and the State Legislature only need prove his actions were unethical.

The same arrogant defiance showed up in his 45-minute final plea to the State Senate (transcript) when he insisted he did "a lot of things that were mostly right" and that he did it all for the children. And the vulnerable senior citizens. Ugh.

It shouldn't have taken the Illinois Senate two months to get this joker impeached, but I'm glad it's over; President Obama feels the same way, it looks like.

Of course, there's still his possible criminal prosecution, but at least Blagojevich can no longer use the bully pulpit of his governorship to save his hide.

Final Sendoff

2009-01-20T18:05:00.000-08:00

Bush booed at the Inaugural:

The commentators loudly tsk tsked, though only a decided minority of the nearly 2 million-strong crowd expressed their understandable displeasure and disapproval. Well, at least no one threw shoes.

I'm just as disgusted with what this man did to our country and our Constitution, but I wouldn't have bothered. This day is not about him. There's a time for accountability, but today is ours.

Meanwhile, the foreign press took their final swipe at Dubya:

"A weak leader, Bush was just overwhelmed in the job," said Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung under a headline: "The Failure." "He confused stubbornness with principles. America has become intolerant and it will take a long time to repair that damage..."

"Goodbye to the worst president ever," [Canada's Toronto Star] declared. "Bush was an unmitigated disaster, failing on the big issues from the invasion of Iraq to global warming, Hurricane Katrina and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression..."

The Scottish Daily Record observed: "America is now hated in many parts of the world. Bush leaves a legacy of wars and the world economy in meltdown. He has been dismissed as a buffoon and a war-monger, a man who made the world a more dangerous place while sending it to the brink of economic collapse..."

The British Daily Mail and French Le Monde gave him credit for no terrorist attacks since 9/11, but that's like crediting the crowing of the rooster for the sun rising at dawn. Besides, how about the anthrax attacks? Hello? Yet Bush defenders and apologists will always insist on this fantasy, because in their own make believe world he never fails, even when he does.

A Truth Self-Evident

2009-01-20T17:47:00.000-08:00

Cartoon by Tom Toles via the Washington Post.

It's Inauguration Day!

2009-01-20T03:30:00.000-08:00

You can watch MSNBC's live streaming coverage here:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

MSNBC is also hosting live screenings at select movie theatres and Starbucks locations across the country.

Of course, all the major networks and news channels will carry live coverage during the day. Online livestreams will also be available at C-Span, Hulu, Current TV (which will also Twitterstream its coverage), Ustream.tv (with live chat) and Joost.

The Huffington Post will liveblog the event, and Twitter (just click on search word "Inauguration") is a great source of real time reax from people who are experiencing the historic occasion in person. Other great sources are the NPR Inauguration Report which will collect dispatches from several platforms (Twitter, Flickr, Youtube and text messages) and CNN/Microsoft Photosynth which will transform spectators' uploaded photos into 3D images.

Here's the official schedule of events (via ABC News):

8:45 a.m. ET: Obamas attend a private service at St. John's Episcopal Church.
10:00 a.m. ET: Obama meets with President Bush at the White House for coffee, together they travel to the Capitol for inauguration ceremony.
11:30 a.m. ET: Official inaugural ceremony begins.
12:00 p.m. ET: Obama is sworn in as president and delivers inaugural address.
1:00 p.m. ET: President Obama and Vice President Biden attend luncheon at the Capitol.
1:30 p.m. ET: President Bush Depart Washington DC.
2:30 p.m. ET: Inaugural parade begins, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama join inaugural motorcade.
8:00 p.m. ET: Neighborhood Ball at the Convention Center (first of ten official balls), featuring the POTUS and First Lady's first dance of the evening and the POTUS' first inaugural ball speech (will be covered exclusively by ABC News).

More information are available at the Joint Congressional Committees on Inaugural Ceremonies as well as at the Presidential Inaugural Committee web sites.

The theme of the Inauguration is "A New Birth of Freedom" in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. This theme is incorporated into the Inaugural Program, Luncheon menu (pdf) and decor. Of course Obama will carry this one step further by being sworn in on Lincoln's Bible.

Lastly, here's a fun video showing 23 facts about the Inauguration:

Let the celebrations begin!

Pre-Inaugural Concert At Lincoln Memorial

2009-01-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

Highlights of the We Are One Concert that kicked off this historic Inauguration Week:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The near-freezing temperature didn't stop the enthusiastic crowd estimated at 400,000 which stretched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument.

Big names from the worlds of music and movies performed: Bruce Springsteen, U2, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington just to name a few.

It was a rockin' good time; the crowd jumped and did the wave to Garth Brooks singing Shout while the Obamas were on their feet singing along with Stevie Wonder, Usher and Shakira to Higher Ground. All the performances were great, but I especially liked Renee Fleming's rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone with the U.S. Naval Academy Glee Club and for sheer significance, Bruce Springsteen singing Woody Guthrie's This Land is Your Land with folk legend Pete Seeger. Yes wingnuts, we're taking our country back. Get used to it.

At the same time, there was the pomp and circumstance of flags and military colors and choirs and the grandeur of the setting itself: the imposing statue of the sitting Lincoln in the background, the same setting in which Martin Luther King, Jr., whose memory we are honoring today, gave his "I Have A Dream" speech.

As usual, the Obamas and Bidens looked great and were positively beaming. I thought Michelle Obama's black and tan suit and coat ensemble looked elegant and becoming.

The full concert was covered on HBO -- which authorized its service providers to show it to their viewers for free -- and will probably be replayed the rest of the week. You can also watch the entire event online for free here. USA Today also liveblogged the event here.

He Had A Dream

2009-01-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

Our work is not done, but tomorrow's historic Inauguration is an important milestone, and shows the whole world why we are the United States of America.

I'd like to think the MLK, Jr. will be looking on, smiling and bursting with pride.

Worst. President. Ever.

2008-11-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

The people have spoken:

Only 16 percent of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday say things are going well in the country today. That's an all-time low. Eighty-three percent say things are going badly, which is an all-time high...

The all-time low on the public's mood may have something to do with the poll's finding that President Bush is the most unpopular president since approval ratings were first sought more than six decades ago. Seventy-six percent of those questioned in the poll disapprove of how he is handling his job.

That's an all-time high in CNN polling and in Gallup polling dating back to World War II.

"No other president's disapproval rating has gone higher than 70 percent. Bush has managed to do that three times so far this year," Holland said. "That means that Bush is now more unpopular than Richard Nixon was when he resigned from office during Watergate with a 66 percent disapproval rating."

Meanwhile, the same poll shows Obama has majority support of the electorate:

So far, Obama seems to be meeting the public's high expectations. Two-thirds of all Americans have a positive view of what he has done since he was elected president, and three-quarters think he will do a good job as president.

"Obama has the support of virtually every African-American in the poll, but he also gets high marks from a solid majority of whites," Holland said.

Gallup shows he has a 68% approval rating, which interestingly is the mirror opposite of Bush's disapproval ratings.

I'm with David Letterman on this:

"I think I speak for most Americans when I say, anybody mind if he [Obama] starts a little early? Would that be a problem?"

Howard Dean Steps Down As DNC Chair

2008-11-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

The Huffington Post reports:

After four years at the helm of the Democratic National Committee, Howard Dean is preparing to relinquish his chairmanship.

Dean, who has been serving in the post since 2005, has said in the past that he would serve only one term, though his successful work with the Obama campaign had led some Democrats to wonder whether he would stay on into the next administration. This won't be the case, officials at the DNC confirm. He will serve as chair until his term ends in January. The party will settle on a new head when it hosts a meeting during the week of Obama's inauguration.

Howard Dean was a netroots candidate and favorite in 2004, and his 50-state strategy deserves major credit for the party's congressional wins in 2006 and last week's presidential landslide win in which red states like Indiana, North Carolina, Indiana and the seat of the confederacy itself, Virginia, turned Democratic Blue.

Does Dean's departure signal the end of the 50-state strategy? Chris Bowers thinks so, given that the paid, locally-based organizers who formed its core have been fired.

I tend to disagree, simply because there's no reason to abandon it. The strategy was a resounding success and in perfect sync with Obama's own campaign strategy of going on the offensive instead of accepting the traditional delineation of "red states" and "blue states". Besides, why stop now? The Dems came close to turning even more states like Georgia, Nebraska, Montana and Arizona blue; with the changing demographics that increasingly favor the party, they could turn in a few more election cycles. Heck, even Texas is ripe for the picking.

Also, I see the firings as pro forma, the same way that a previous president's administration all have to tender their resignation when a new president assumes office. There's nothing to stop Obama and his aides to re-hire the same people or at the very least, deploy the same strategy and continue finetuning it.

As for Dean's replacement, Senator Clair McCaskill (D-MO) and Obama's Deputy Campaign Manager Steve Hildebrand's names come up as co-chairs of the DNC going forward.

No word yet on Dean's future plans. One thing is sure, though: because of the groundwork he laid, the Democratic Party is strong and its future bright.

New World Order

2008-11-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Yes, he's gonna come and swoop down from a big, black helicopter to get you, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA):

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism." ...

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado about building a new civil service corps. Among other things, he called for expanding the nation's foreign service and doubling the size of the Peace Corps "to renew our diplomacy."

2008-11-05T00:09:00.001-08:00

PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!!

* All the networks just called it for Barack Hussein Obama, the next President of the United States.

* Fox News showed Jesse Jackson quietly crying.

* Electoral vote totals so far: Obama 334, McCain 144, with 54 electoral votes still too close to call, including Arizona and North Carolina.

* McCain just conceded, very graciously. Too bad the crowd couldn't be as gracious, but the campaign he and Palin ran had a lot to do with that.

* On to Grant Park, waiting for our President-Elect to make his speech, woohoo!

Update: 11-05-08 12:27 a.m. EST

* Obama speaks. It's a bittersweet moment, Toot not being here to witness this.

* Obama: WE ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

* Now the work of rebuilding our nation begins.

McCain's Celebrity Political Fluffer

2008-10-31T17:57:00.000-07:00

Shorter Ahnold speech: McCain is a POW POW POW!

The McCain crowd, desperate for red meat, any red meat in their increasingly depressing and desperate remaining hours, ate up his schtick.

The Ohio crowd, that is, because even Ahnold can't powerlift McCain's prospects in his home state of California.

Yes We Carve

2008-10-31T17:19:00.000-07:00

More Glowbama here. Happy Halloween!

Sarah Palin's Horrible Day

2008-10-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

Talk about the unkindest cut of all:

Lawrence Eagleburger, who served as Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush and whose endorsement is often trumpeted by McCain, said on Thursday that the Alaska governor is not only unprepared to take over the job on a moment's notice but, even after some time in office, would only amount to an "adequate" commander in chief.

"And I devoutly hope that [she] would never be tested," he added for good measure -- referring both to Palin's policy dexterity and the idea of McCain not making it through his time in office. (Listen to audio below.)

The remarks took place during an interview on National Public Radio that was, ironically, billed as "making the case" for a McCain presidency. Asked by the host whether Palin could step in during a time of crisis, Eagleburger reverted to sarcasm before leveling the harsh blow.

"It is a very good question," he said, pausing a few seconds, then adding with a chuckle: "I'm being facetious here. Look, of course not."

Oof, that's gotta hurt.

Eagleburger made the remarks on the NPR show Talk of the Nation, which can be heard in its entirety here. HuffPost also has the relevant excerpts here.

Take note that Eagleburger is one of the five former secretaries of state that Johnah McPalin proudly boasted to be supporters of their ticket, after the scathing critique they received from Colin Powell when the latter endorsed Obama for President.

Ironically, Eagleburger was invited to the program for a segment called "Make The Case" to articulate, based on foreign and domestic policy credentials, why McCain is the right choice. He made the case alright, on why NO one in his right mind should vote for McCain.

Expect Eagleburger to be "Carly Fiorina-ed" in 3, 2, 1...

It was really a dies horribilis for Palin. First, the New York Times reported this:

All told, 59 percent of voters surveyed said Ms. Palin was not prepared for the job, up nine percentage points since the beginning of the month. Nearly a third of voters polled said the vice-presidential selection would be a major factor influencing their vote for president, and those voters broadly favor Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee.

And in a possible indication that the choice of Ms. Palin has hurt Mr. McCain’s image, voters said they had much more confidence in Mr. Obama to pick qualified people for his administration than they did in Mr. McCain.

In addition the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Obama might win in a record-breaking landslide in California, my home state, in large part because of Palin:

The choice of Palin as McCain's vice president has been viewed through an "extremely partisan" lens, said DiCamillo.

While Republicans view Palin positively by 74-19 percent, Democrats and nonpartisans have a very negative image of her; Democrats hold a 75-15 percent unfavorable-favorable rating of Palin, and nonpartisans also have a 65-20 percent negative assessment of her, the poll showed.

The Palin pick "really did nothing to broaden the McCain support levels among his own base," said DiCamillo, who said that Democratic and independent voters tended to see it as a choice that "reflected poorly on his judgment."

No question, Palin is now officially a drag on the GOP ticket.

Of course, McCain's ambition and total disregard for the country that he hypocritically vowed to put first is responsible for this catastrofrak of a pick. It doesn't matter that his operatives Steve Schmidt and Rick Davis pushed him to choose Palin at the urging of hacks like Bill Kristol and Fred Barnes, who reacted to Palin like squealing fanboys after they met her on one of those conservative cruises to Alaska. It was McCain's decision to make and what a farce of a decision it was.

I almost felt sorry for Palin until I remembered that she is equally to blame for this. She could have said no. She's profoundly out of her depth and she knows it, but like her running mate, ambition and arrogance took precedence over what's best for the country.

I would love for us to have more than two parties to choose from every four years, but the reality is we only have two viable ones. That Johnah McPalin ended up being one of them is an obscenity for which the GOP deserves our eternal scorn and our total repudiation on Tuesday.

He Shared His Peanut Butter Sandwich

2008-10-30T03:29:00.000-07:00

The outrageous lies are now approaching the ridiculous, and what better way to respond than with good natured mockery. Barack Obama shows us how it's done (is there anything at all that throws off this guy?):

"Because he knows his economic theories don't work, he's been spending these last few days calling me every name in the book," Obama said. "Lately, he's called me a 'socialist' for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. I don't know what's next. By the end of the week, he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich."

The McCain-Khalidi Connection

2008-10-30T02:16:00.000-07:00

The Khalidi tape that Johnah McPalin and most of wingnuttia are frothing at the mouth about is such utter nonsense I didn't want to blog about it, but Ben Smith e-mailing Rashid Khalidi about "McCain's suggestion that going to his going-away party was like attending a neo-Nazi event" got my attention. I was curious about the man's reaction to all the insanity being spewed against him and Barack Obama.

Khalidi, an American academic and scholar who specializes in Middle Eastern studies, replied that he isn't talking to the press, but pointed to Scott Horton's article at Harper's magazine -- aptly entitled The New McCarthyism -- which rebutted "a few of the stupider and more outrageous things" being said about him.

Bottom line: Khalidi is not a scary radical, unless you believe that advocating human rights and nonviolence in the Middle East are radical. Yet the National Review guys like Andrew McCarthy, whose rantings McCain/Palin parrot for some reason, practically call the guy a terrorist even though there's this:

Of course, Khalidi has been involved in Palestinian causes. McCarthy ought to ask John McCain about that, because McCain and Khalidi appear to have some joint interests, and that fact speaks very well of both of them. Indeed, the McCain–Khalidi connections are more substantial than the phony Obama–Khalidi connections McCarthy gussies up for his article. The Republican party’s congressionally funded international-networking organization, the International Republican Institute–long and ably chaired by John McCain and headed by McCain’s close friend, the capable Lorne Craner–has taken an interest in West Bank matters. IRI funded an ambitious project, called the Palestine Center, that Khalidi helped to support. Khalidi served on the Center’s board of directors. The goal of that project, shared by Khalidi and McCain, was the promotion of civic consciousness and engagement and the development of democratic values in the West Bank. Of course, McCarthy is not interested in looking too closely into the facts, because they would not serve his shrill partisan objectives.

Newsweek's Andrew Romano adds:

So to claim Khalidi somehow taints Obama without tainting McCain is disingenuous. The truth is, he taints neither of them.

Strip away all the baseless innuendo--the PLO stuff, the "Neo-Nazism," etc.--and you're left with a pretty unremarkable kernal of information: Obama once enjoyed discussing Middle Eastern issues with a professor whose pro-Palestine perspective often clashed with his more pro-Israel worldview. (As Obama told a Boca synagogue in May, "one of the raps on me when I first ran for Congress in [Chicago's] African American community was that 'he was too close to the Jewish community.'")

As for who actually had a strong influence on Obama's views, Scott Horton clued in the rabid horde on where to look:

I have a suggestion for Andy McCarthy and his Hyde Park project. If he really digs down deep enough, he will come up with a Hyde Park figure who stood in constant close contact with Barack Obama and who, unlike Ayers and Khalidi, really did influence Obama’s thinking about law, government, and policy. He is to my way of thinking a genuine radical. His name is Richard Posner, and he appears to be the most frequently and positively cited judge and legal academic in… National Review.

Elizabeth Dole "Crossed the Line, Should Be Ashamed"

2008-10-29T19:38:00.001-07:00

It's official: the GOP is now the party of despicable fearmongering crazymakers. Following the examples of McCain/Palin, Michele Bachmann and Robin Hayes, Elizabeth Dole sheds all decency and wallows in slimy stench, claiming that her opponent Kay Hagan is literally a godless heathen.

Take note that Hagan is a Sunday school teacher and elder in the church that the Hagan family has attended for 100 years.

Even former Republican operatives Alex Castellanos and Ed Rollins were appalled, calling the ad "crossing the line" and "so despicable... Dole should be ashamed of herself".

Watch:

Hagan has issued a formal statement demanding a retraction and plans to file charges in court.

She also put out this ad:

Elizabeth Dole is an embarrassment to the senatorial position she holds and to the state of North Carolina, where she is now trailing Hagan by almost five points. It's time the people of her state throw this shameless, do-nothing career politician out of office.

More at Memeorandum.

More Republicans Throw McCain Under The Bus

2008-10-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT):

Republican unity behind presidential nominee John McCain is fracturing and the infighting likely presages a battle for the GOP's soul should he lose the general election next week.

"He has lost his brand as a maverick," Rep. Chris Shays, a Connecticut Republican and co-chairman of the McCain campaign in that state, told the Yale Daily News in the latest criticism. "He did not live up to his pledge to fight a clean campaign."

One might argue that Shays was motivated by being in a tight re-election race himself, but the guy is McCain's campaign co-chair in Connecticut, for pete's sake. If someone like him is breaking message discipline, then things must really look bad, for Shays, McCain and for the GOP.

Shays joins the likes of beleaguered Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) who called an Obama win "a real possibility" and Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) who said Obama "has a pretty good advantage" in his state.

This comes at the heels of an exodus of GOP bigwigs deserting McCain's Low Road Express: from Colin Powell to William Weld to Charles Mathias and a host of other disgusted and disillusioned conservatives.

Obama: We Are One Nation

2008-10-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

Obama coming full circle in his closing argument speech in Canton, Ohio yesterday:

An excerpt:

But I also knew this. I knew that the size of our challenges had outgrown the smallness of our politics. I believed that Democrats and Republicans and Americans of every political stripe were hungry for new ideas, new leadership, and a new kind of politics – one that favors common sense over ideology; one that focuses on those values and ideals we hold in common as Americans...

Look – we've tried it John McCain's way. We've tried it George Bush's way. Deep down, Senator McCain knows that, which is why his campaign said that "if we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." That's why he's spending these last weeks calling me every name in the book. Because that's how you play the game in Washington. If you can't beat your opponent's ideas, you distort those ideas and maybe make some up. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run away from. You make a big election about small things.

Ohio, we are here to say "Not this time. Not this year. Not when so much is at stake." Senator McCain might be worried about losing an election, but I'm worried about Americans who are losing their homes, and their jobs, and their life savings. I can take one more week of John McCain's attacks, but this country can't take four more years of the same old politics and the same failed policies. It's time for something new.

The question in this election is not "Are you better off than you were four years ago?" We know the answer to that. The real question is, "Will this country be better off four years from now?"

Full transcript here.

McCain Losing Ground... In Arizona?!

2008-10-28T01:53:00.000-07:00

Now y'all are just teasing me:

A new survey of Arizona likely voters suggests that Senator Barrack Obama (D) is edging closer to Senator John McCain (R) as their presidential campaigns draw to a close. The survey, conducted by Marketing Intelligence and Zimmerman & Associates, shows McCain with the support of 43.5% of voters, while Obama draws a preference from 41.5%.

Two recent statewide surveys, one by Rasmussen Reports and the other by Arizona State University, were in agreement about Obama's portion of the vote, but varied considerably on McCain's strength. Rasmussen said McCain enjoyed a commanding 59% to 38% advantage, while ASU said McCain's lead was only 45% to 38%.

Jonathan Singer has been writing about McCain's weak support in his home state that could create difficulties for him in this election. The way things are looking right now, Obama doesn't need to win Arizona, but as Singer also pointed out, winning there would confirm his mandate like no other state would. Besides, Obama taking Arizona is really just rubbing the GOP's face in it, which I wouldn't mind one bit.

In the end McCain would likely carry his home state, but as the New York Times pointed out, Arizona is trending blue regardless, which bodes well for the Democrats winning the majority of the state's congressional seats. I wouldn't mind that, either.

Everyday Patriots

2008-10-28T01:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, John McCain, there are Americans who refuse to work when it's at the expense of their own decency and self respect:

Some three dozen workers at a telemarketing call center in Indiana walked off the job rather than read an incendiary McCain campaign script attacking Barack Obama, according to two workers at the center and one of their parents.

Nina Williams, a stay-at-home mom in Lake County, Indiana, tells us that her daughter recently called her from her job at the center, upset that she had been asked to read a script attacking Obama for being "dangerously weak on crime," "coddling criminals," and for voting against "protecting children from danger."

Williams' daughter told her that up to 40 of her co-workers had refused to read the script, and had left the call center after supervisors told them that they would have to either read the call or leave, Williams says. The call center is called Americall, and it's located in Hobart, IN.

"They walked out," Williams says of her daughter and her co-workers, adding that they weren't fired but willingly sacrificed pay rather than read the lines. "They were told [by supervisors], `If you all leave, you're not gonna get paid for the rest of the day."

Breaking: Feds Foil Obama Assassination Plot

2008-10-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

ABC News reporting:

The ATF has arrested two reputed neo-Nazi skinheads for an alleged plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

The alleged plotters were also planning to kill 88 individuals by gunfire and 14 African-Americans by decapitation, federal law enforcement sources tell ABC News...

According to law enforcement sources, the suspected plotters admitted to investigators that they were planning to rob a gun shop to steal weapons for their killing spree. Their final act was to be a plan to kill Obama.

This is one of my biggest worries. With him being most likely the first African American President of the United States coupled with the toxic political environment being fomented by the GOP to delegitimize his win even before it happens, how many crazed racists like this will come out of the woodwork?

I almost wish Obama would ride a bulletproof popemobile every time he appears in public.

UPDATE:

George Stephanopoulos also reports that according to a Senior Obama aide, they weren't given a heads up by the ATF on the assassination plot.

Why not?! Aren't they supposed to take all threats seriously?

I don't like this. It seems there's a tendency for the authorities to dismiss these threats to Obama's life simply because the plotters look like amateur wackos.

A similar dismissive attitude was on display with the last reported assassination plot against Obama, when Colorado's U.S. Attorney Troy Eid, a Rove appointee, declined to press conspiracy charges against the plotters, dismissing their plan as more "aspirational" than "operational", even though to their credit, the FBI wanted charges filed. In contrast, Eid pressed charges against a black man in prison who sent a threatening letter to John McCain.

Not. good.

Technorati Tags: obama assassination news breaking news election politics skinheads

Breaking: GOP Senator Ted Stevens Guilty On All Counts

2008-10-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

Guilty on all counts, each carrying a maximum five years in prison and/or $150,000 fine.

So the 84-year old Stevens will now have to drop out of the race for the senate seat he's held for 40 years or continue to run as a felon.

Either way, good news for his opponent Mark Begich who will likely win this senate seat for the Democrats.

Update:

The Hill notes that Ted "Intertubes" Stevens is the longest serving Republican Senator in history. The GOP Senate mascot, if you will.

He's currently in a virtual tie with Democrat Mark Begich for his senate seat in blood red Alaska. Guess it won't be much of a tie now. Kiss this senate seat goodbye, GOP.

Oh, and here's Stevens with a special BFF:

and this:

More reactions at Memeorandum.

Technorati Tags: ted stevens sarah palin alaska corruption senate gop republicans elections mark begich democrats video youtube