Home » The Watercooler for 09/03/08 9:00 AM
The Watercooler for 09/03/08 9:00 AM
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... I was doing something more important, like putting food on the table for my family, at my second job ...
... but I did hear that they rolled out a new, futuristic car to demonstrate how forward-thinking John McCain's candidacy is and how much change and progress the RNC and the extreme of that party are capable of bringing to ALL Americans, in their quest to power us into the next decade.
The rest of the world, look out for Country First USA !:
for my fist car. A 1971. Lots of fun to drive but don't get caught in a cloudburst. The electricals would get wet and when you came to a stop, the engine would stall. Turning the key to the start postion got the starter motor going but the engine would refuse to light. Unfortunatley, even if you went as far as removing the key, the starter would not stop cranking until the battery died or the motor fried. Usually the latter.
My habit was to drive it with the pedal to the metal so when I hit a patch of ice in first gear, the tach pegged at the ridiculous upper limit of 9600RPM. I stopped, looked at the tach and was still idling, so I drove away unconcerned. Five minutes later I was billowing white "smoke" from the rear of the car. An inspection of the engine compartment revealed an overheat condition that was rectified by flipping the fan belt back over the pulley. Try that on your Expedition!
All I can say is "three cheers to John McCain's presidential bid !". Every day it's full of new surprises and is more beautiful ! The future awaits !:
http://www.nrdc.org/OnEarth/05win/images/detroit1.jpg
... is an interesting read today. He says the reason why Palin jumped out at McCain as the right choice is because she's one of the very few people in politics who approaches it just as he does, as a war between "good" and "evil" with no other larger underpinning political philosophy.
Brooks says this is why McCain's vague on issues like the economy and health care. These are issues (unlike terrorism and Putin) that can't be reduced to a good/evil duality and therefore interest neither McCain nor Palin.
Brooks then goes on to say that McCain really needs a sidekick who will help hin develop a philosophy of the role of government, something Palin, like McCain, has little interest in. Therefore, says Brooks, the #2 slot isn't actually filled yet.
One more reason to vote for people with a clear vision of the roles, responsibilities, and LIMITATIONS of government.
-- volney
David Brooks repeatedly stated last week that he was bored with the dem speakers and said Michelle and Barack's speeches were only ok.
David Brooks can kiss ...
I think by far the greatest advantage of having Palin on the Republican ticket, from the point of view of Democrats, is that the ancient artifact at the top of it, John "Wet Start" McCain, has vanished from public attention. He's become a cipher, completely enveloped in her shadow as far as voters and the media is concerned.
If all Democrats have to do is take free shots at a huge target like Palin for the rest of the campaign and ignore McCain along with everyone else, let's have it.
Both Obama and Biden have taken some rather subdued shots at her and been ripped for being "sexist" by Carly Fiorina, even though they didn't mention her gender.
Looks like a job for Spiderwoman (Hillary)
... but what is it ?
Oh Yeah ... Vavoom ! It's called traction control:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080902/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_obama_quiet_3
Obama content to stay local and low-key
By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer
Tue Sep 2, 6:54 PM ET
...
a well-received convention where 40 million TV viewers saw Obama's acceptance speech
...
Obama and ... Joe Biden, focus on battleground states ... : Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.
...
First, he does relatively small events that are ideal for local TV stations and newspapers seeking good pictures and reactions from area residents. His Monday stop at a picnic of about 300 labor activists in Monroe, Mich., generated this headline in Tuesday's Toledo Blade, just over the border in Ohio: "Obama's message of hope, change resonates in city of Monroe." The article said Obama "arrived to cheers of 'Yes we can' and 'Yes we will.'"
...worked very well for Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry.
Repugs are running a viral ad in Michigan--completely false, cynical, and hypocritical, with no Dem response.
Remember, most Americans are "low-information" (read stupid and impressionable) voters.
.. sic em. I'm not in favor of abortions but the hell will I allow anybody in the free and democratic USA to take away someone's right to choose.:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080903/pl_politico/13103_1
Obama ad slams McCain on abortion rights
Ben Smith
Tue Sep 2, 9:39 PM ET
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Barack Obama has launched a broadside against John McCain’s opposition to abortion rights and moved one of the most divisive issues in modern American politics to the airwaves on a large scale for the first time in this presidential campaign.
Obama’s new radio ad, airing widely in at least seven swing states, tells voters McCain “will make abortion illegal.” It’s airing as McCain courts female voters with the addition of the staunchly anti-abortion governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, to his ticket.
...
(continued)
...
Democrats had, until now, sought to appeal to women primarily on economic issues such as health care and workplace discrimination; abortion rights were hardly mentioned at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week. But women’s rights groups have been urging Obama to attack McCain on the issue, pointing to polling showing that some women who support McCain think he is supportive of abortion rights. In fact, the Arizona senator has long supported a ban on abortions
...
“Let me tell you: If Roe vs. Wade is overturned, the lives and health of women will be put at risk. That's why this election is so important,” says the nurse-practitioner who narrates Obama’s ad. “John McCain's out of touch with women today. McCain wants to take away our right to choose. That's what women need to understand. That's how high the stakes are.”
...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/09/03/notes090308.DTL&nl=fix
This just in: Hurricane of delicious irony slams Republican National Convention, flooding the streets of Minneapolis/St. Paul with rivers of savage hypocrisy as levees of evangelical denial and sexual confusion overflow into the streets, leaving stunned party members scrambling in vain for shaky moral high ground.
Meanwhile, clever looters smash windows of opportunity and steal valuable quips about underage sex and teen pregnancy, as everyone gets a very unsettling if not downright weird taste of warped pro-gun anti-choice elk-kabob conservative Alaskan family values. YouTube at 11.
Yes, the rumors are true. The cosmic votes have all been tallied, and I do believe we can now say, with some measure of happy certainty, that God appears to be just as sick-to-death of the Republican Party as the rest of us.
http://www.buffalonews.com/180/story/429449.html
Bush, from the White House, tells convention McCain is ready to lead
President points to McCain's experience and toughness
By Robert J. McCarthy NEWS POLITICAL REPORTER
Updated: 09/03/08 7:57 AM
ST. PAUL, Minn. — President Bush passed the Republican torch to John McCain on Tuesday,
...
Perhaps God has shifted political allegiances? Perhaps She has finally revealed her true liberal colors? Or perhaps She's simply indulging in a bit of the same cosmic Schadenfreude as the rest of us, enjoying the various miseries, scandals, humiliations, missteps, gay-outings, meth addictions and unmarried teen pregnancies of the crumbling GOP as they writhe and squirm and attempt to make this McCain/Palin ticket seem even the slightest bit palatable, as opposed to downright frightening. You think?
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Jilted-Joe-Lieberman-is-th-by-Steven-Leser-080902-964.html
Jilted lovers, spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends have a tough act to follow. Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman is the new king of vindictiveness. This guy can hold a grudge like no one before him. Joe Lieberman, denied his party's nomination for President in 2004 and his party's nomination for Senate in 2006, has been on a two year rampage against the Democratic Party. He doesn't care how obvious he is, he doesn't care how ridiculous he looks or the beliefs on which he has turned his back. He wants the Democratic Party to pay.
he doesn't care how ridiculous he looks
+++
(and this is his good side):
http://xark.typepad.com/my_weblog/images/lieberman_joe.jpg
Pretend-O-Rama in Minneapolis
What a sordid spectacle it was to watch the Republican dignitaries and delegates strain to pretend that John McCain's impulsive Vice-Presidential pick, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, was a great choice, and that the US economy was strong. But as one member of the club explained it, this election is not so much about issues as about feelings. I'll tell you what feeling is expressed overwhelmingly by the Republican script: insecurity. They know they are absolutely full of crap and that a big portion of the electorate is on to them. Hence, all the jingo-patriotism, including their scurrilous motto, "Country First," as if their Democratic opponents were foreign agents.
Good morning all!
The bar is so low for Gov. Palin - the moose-shooting Annie Oakley, that she'll get rave reviews for just showing up tonight. Eeeeee-gads.
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Barack can't stay too low-key - the media is eating up the *idea* of Gov. Palin - and I'm not talking about all her skeletons.
When will the other shoe drop?
The Revolution will not be televised
IMO, this week Barack doing low key and local is spot on and he's crashing small town events, especially border towns (Michigan/Ohio, etc.) getting local write ups.
He's getting to be "one of our own" thinking on the part of residents in small-town America.
This is a doozy. And of course Gary Bauer says *...and they (Palins) are teaching Americans about the sanctity of life...* This is where I will bring in their parenting skills and the teenager then becomes on-limits. Who do these people think they are preaching morality to the rest of us when it is their daughter who got pregnant at the tender age of 17? shameless.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122039868736392867.html?mod=sphere_ts&mod=sphere_wd
"Our objective is to be low to the ground and talking to people."
The standard Democratic recipe for losing
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=5710303&page=1
Obama Answers Your Science Questions
...
By BRANDON KEIM
America asked Barack Obama about science, and Obama answered.
"This is the first time we know of that a candidate for president has laid out his science policy before the election at this level of detail," said Shawn Otto, CEO of ScienceDebate2008.
A 38,000-member coalition of scientists, engineers and concerned citizens, ScienceDebate2008 pushed presidential candidates to attend to science -- an area that is vital to America's economy and touches on nearly every important political issue, but is generally neglected during elections.
...
On the Friday preceding Obama's answers, John McCain announced the vice presidential nomination of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- a global warming skeptic with a poor environmental record and sympathy for public creationism education. According to Otto, McCain has not yet answered.
...
I like that, Barack answering science questions. I want a *thinking* president.
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I've just been thinking about Palin and her children. I feel the religious right are using her children as pawns in this election. That is so sad to me. Where is the emphasis on getting an education for her daughter - letting her finish hs and going on to college? The only answer is: She's marrying the boyfriend. It seems that education isn't a priority in the Palin household. It just doesn't make any sense to me.
I've heard from Republican spokespeople, reduced to talking fast as a means of distracting listeners from the actual substance of their statement, say that Sarah Palin is the only candidate, of the four, with executive experience on either ticket.
1) Meaning John McCain hasn't any. Why would he, therefore, be up to the task of the presidency? Logically, for reasons other than executive experience, meaning this qualification is virtually made up out of desparation.
2) Is it apparently being explained to us that any executive experience qualifies a candidate more than any other experience, no matter how relevant, significant or impressive, given that Palin's executive experience involves a tiny city and relatively unpopulated state for less than two years. Scale is of no importance. A principal of a school is more qualified than the other three candidates? The head counselor of a camp? President of the church Altar Society?
I got executive experience.
I ran two companies when I was 4 years old.
One was named Dynomatrics, the other Tankatron:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/guttermonkey/2056374279/
...was asked this question yesterday after a speech to an older jewish crowd in florida. i watched it on cspan. he basically said that the info that has been blocked to date will go to congressional committees who will then look to see if any laws have actually been broken. he went on about it not being political or trivial and that confidence in the notion of no one being above the law must be the basis of how we function.
Please click and read upper left-hand column on *Schmidt's War*. It seems to me that there are people within the McCain campaign who are trying to sabotage Palin's nomination.
This pretty much sums up how I feel.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/3/111415/4181/237/584556
who cast stones but you know what I mean. LOL
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/212774.php
It didn't take long. We've already brought you news of the official investigation into Gov. Palin's firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. Steve Branchflower, the lead investigator, began trying to arrange a deposition of the governor days before her veep selection. And despite claiming executive privilege to shield requested emails, up until that point Palin had promised full cooperation with the probe.
Now, however, she is refusing to submit to questioning by Branchflower unless he and the legislative committee that appointed him agree to relinquish control of the investigation and turn it over to a state review board made up of three Palin appointees.
Unless that happens, and Branchflower agrees to close down his investigation, she will refuse to testify.
By Tom Bearse on Sep 3, 2008 6:23 AM PDT
I think...the greatest advantage of having Palin...from the point of view of Democrats, is that ...John "Wet Start" McCain, has vanished from public attention. He's become a cipher, completely enveloped in her shadow as far as voters and the media is concerned.
If all Democrats have to do is take free shots...let's have it.
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I don't think Reps will leave it "as it is" and let Demos "take free shots...for the rest of the campaign". You might underestimate the degree of their readiness to do "whatever it takes" (I hope Demos understand that BEFORE it's too late).
Here is from Bush's address to Convention: "...if the Hanoi Hilton could not break John McCain's resolve to do what is best for his country, you can be sure the angry left never will".
If some believe that by "Georgia war" and/or by "Palin factor" Bush&Co. exhausted their "last resort" they may want to think again.
I have no lack of faith in the evil Karl Rove to manage to win an election, even if he 'fixes' it which I suspect happened in Ohio, at least, last time. And I have no lack of faith that the 'lo info' voters based on nothing but Roe v Wade will blindly vote Repug again. But how any thinking human (well, except for the rich folks who don't want taxes raised, etc) could vote these shysters into office for four more years is totally beyond me...
Remember, he signed a false confession. How is it that truth, fact, history have no meaning whatsoever, are continually denied and distorted by the right wing?
is that the MSM seldom point out the whole truth, facts or history when it is a negative for the Repugnant Party.
For this campaign, Barack, as he has been doing during the primary and now the GE, needs to continue to stay above the fray of personal attacks and stay on the issues.
The issues is what McSame cannot win on. They will continually try to draw Obama into their dirty politics. BO needs only to briefly answer the attacks and continue on with what Americans truly want to hear about -- the issues and his politices.
Well, the Obama '08 blog is being infested with trolls and spammers the last few days. I feel like I'm playing Donkey Konk there, reporting the spamming trolls to the blog administrator.
Ah, the good ole days !
If anyone here wants to help fight the good fight (on the front line), you can take the Nestea plunge:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/bradleyportnoy/gG5shq/commentary
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/03/politics/uwire/main4409465.shtml
Column: McCains Military Experience Is His Greatest Shortcoming
Sep 2, 2008
(UWIRE.com) This story was written by Jimmy Pianka, Tufts Daily
...
Never ... heard him speak with enthusiasm about ... constructive things he would ... accomplish. He isnt fired up about health care, our languishing middle class, our planets dire condition. He seems bored, disinterested and ... irritated when asked questions about the economy or medical insurance
...
When the discussion turns to war, however, his eyes light up and he suddenly becomes a great deal more articulate. He seems to relish ... being commander-in-chief more than ... president
...
I think it is a little scary, retired Major General Paul Eaton said. I think this guys first reactions are not necessarily the best reactions. I believe that he acts on impulse.
His campaign has been fond of the old wisdom through age adage, but his behavior has demonstrated the opposite.
...
That's what the pundits (including Chuck Todd) are saying about Palin's speech tonight. You have to be kidding me.
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Good gawd. We need Keith Olbermann but he's been relegated to NY and isn't part of the commentary from Minn/St. Paul.
Where are the grown-ups?
Indeed.
An audience that's full of fiber and wearing a lot of clone (err cologne):
http://www.masslive.com/images/weblogs/election/inaug.jpg
I didn't watch the GOP infomercial, but did surf onto MSNBC at the end of their coverage just in time to see Olbermann scold his own network for not talking about McPalin. Maddow looked embarrassed to be there.
The outpouring of supportive, favorable and emotional e-mails continues and I will again limit today's callers to women who are moved by Governor Palin's nomination. This is an unprecedented reaction, and MSM's ideological blinkers are blinding them to the powerful effect of Governor Palin's life story and her appearance Friday, an effect that has been increased by the weekend smearing by Obamians with blogs and their Beltway-Manhattan media elite allies.
The MSM has blinkers but he is "limiting today's callers to women who are moved by Governor Palin's nomination." He has a series of posts on the "Palin breakout". I don't doubt that she is becoming a phenom among the Christianists. If Sarah Palin did not exist, Stephen Colbert would have to invent her.
Tonight is going to be amazing theater. She will rock the house, and there will be a tsunami of Republicans claiming she stole the night and rescued the convention. And then she will become the entire story, eclipsing McCain, as she already has. And then ... the first actual press conference. ---------
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When is the first interview - and I don't mean People Magazine??????????
The comment in the box is from Hugh Hewitt. And Sullivan's response follows.
this is an exceptional diary over at Daily Kos.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/3/122231/5056/134/584643
Defending his choice and the team that helped pick her, McCain said Tuesday that "the vetting process was completely thorough." Advisers said Palin went through a rigorous process that included a three-hour interview and a survey with some 70 questions, including: Have you ever paid for sex? Have you been faithful in your marriage? Have you ever used or purchased drugs? Have you ever downloaded pornography?
Did your daughter ever become pregnant out of wedlock after you preached the virtues of abstinence as the sole acceptable birth control measure for all teens?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26525962/
U.S. plans $1 billion aid package for Georgia
Cheney, in Azerbaijan, says U.S. has 'deep' interest in region’s stability
.............
"We don't understand what American ships are doing on the Georgian shores," Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday. "The second question is why the humanitarian aid is being delivered on naval vessels armed with the newest rocket systems."
Russia's reaction to NATO ships "will be calm, without any sort of hysteria. But of course, there will be an answer," Interfax quoted Putin as saying during a visit to Uzbekistan.
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"hysteria"....Putin got it!
It does not matter where..., in Gergia, in Iran...lol, EVERYWHERE/ANYWHERE NOW is Ok with Bush$Co. It's about time!
the Republicans have chosen politics over country, reinstituted the culture wars, ignored the issues, smeared the democrats, and garnered the attention of the country. Haven't 8 years of this been enough for the American people?
At some point, you would hope there were enough responsible citizens, enough patriots to recognize and understand how important this election is in terms of the critical issues facing us, that they would care enough to examine the issues, to discuss the possible solutions and consequences. But no, it's back to the same old polarizing, deceptive, ugly smearing tactics to retain power at all costs, which means the people and the country are only pawns to be manipulated. to be cont.
I am not a doom sayer, but I believe that if we do continue these disastrous politics, this country will sink, will be utterly destroyed as far as a democracy.
The Obama campaign has chosen transparency as a counter to the smears, and I have hopes that this will work. They must be proactive, go on the offense, but honorably, with honesty and clarity. If they don't they will become what they have fought against, dishonesty, personal attacks, smears, and the same cutthroat politics the right wing has used.
I still think Obama will win this election.
It will be one where old ideas and old personalities and old fears are littered by the wayside.
I think the rethugs are underestimating Obama and for Barack, that's a very good thing.
It's all in the traction control.
This campaign is not Kerry '04, Gore '00, Dukakis '88, Mondale '84, Carter '80, McGovern '72, Humphrey '68. In fact it's not even Clinton '96/'92, Carter '76, Johnson '64, Kennedy '60.
It's a whole another campaign.
Come 11/04/08, McCain will look up at his campaign headquarter's ceiling, with it's party balloons still suspended by a net, and not know what hit him.
Brave words *rd.
Alas, I see the Democrats not learning anything from electoral history. The Repugs will throw sister Sarah in our faces, and brazenly stonewall any investigations. And the Democrats will continue in their "positive" mode, with speeches written by Namby and Pamby.
Like Gore and Kerry, Obama will get a lot of votes, probably the majority, before the repugs move in and steal enough in Ohio and Florida (with the help of Diebold and Messrs. Namby and Pamby) to either win the EC outright or let the Supremes decide the election.
This is most decidedly what I don't want to see happen, but given the Democrats' consistent penchant for losing, I fear that on November 5th, we'll be looking at a narrow McCain victory, or a repitition of hanging chad, butterfly ballots, and determined and aggressive Republican chicanery.
What a pity.......................
I was president of three PTA's and Palin only was a member.
I own with my hubby a local Photography company that has done quite well for 20 years (Palin's was shut down by the govt).
I have traveled all over the world!!
I have two college educated kids that would kill me if I put them on the front page of the NYT!!
I am waiting for the phone call!!!
I would respectively decline mcsame as he is a putz.
- Dean is first.
By Tom Bearse on Sep 3, 2008 9:02 AM EDT