HAPPY HALLOWEEN, OR NOT...

Last year's pumpkin carving winners:
http://www.zombiepumpkins.com/gallery.php?gal=2007

McCAIN BUSES IN SCHOOL KIDS TO FILL 'CROWD', CALLS ON JOE THE PLUMBER, GETS AWKWARD SILENCE, AS JOE NOWHERE AROUND

The most cringe-worthy political moment of the day, so far, came when Sen. John McCain called out for his new buddy Joe the Plumber to stand up at a rally in Ohio, only to be greeted with confused silence. Joe the Plumber wasn't there! Here's a short YouTube video of the extremely awkward moment:



But that rally featured another embarrassing moment, one that illustrates a far more troubling dynamic for the Republican ticket. The McCain campaign actually had to bus in school kids from the surrounding area in order to fill the event. As reported by MSNBC:

"A local school district official confirmed after the event that of the 6,000 people estimated by the fire marshal to be in attendance this morning, more than 4,000 were bused in from schools in the area. The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses."
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/30/1616435.aspx

This happened -- as if a reminder were needed -- less than a week out from the election, when the heat of the campaign should be drawing record crowds. At least they do show up for Obama rallies by the hundreds of thousands, or watch his 30 minute program by the millions (26.3 million viewers, with millions more watching on cable channels that also aired the ad, and millions more since on YouTube) :)

FOR MANY EVANGELICALS, IT WILL BE THE END OF THE WORLD IF OBAMA WINS

In an unusual piece published in the Irish Times today, which I look at every now and then because I'm half Irish, evangelical voters in Colorado Springs expressed their belief that the increasingly likely election of Barack Obama "brings to mind the prophecies that the Bible tells us about." Here's a link to the article:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/1028/1225061111621.html?via=mr

Daniel Lopez told the Times says "it is exciting for us as conservatives because we can actually see what God prophesied coming about; but on the other hand it is frustrating to see somebody become president who is a blatant liar."

Lopez made no mention of the Bush presidential lies on record at countless outlets around the world on weapons of mass destruction, Valerie Plame, or waterboarding, just to name a few.

Mark Hennessy, writing for the Irish Times, however, did remark upon American evangelicals' distrust of the media. After requesting an interview with leaders of Focus on the Family, he was told by an employee:

"No sir, I'm afraid there is no one you can talk to. They are attending a meeting on homosexuality and I cannot disturb them. It's quite a sensitive subject, you know."

Hmm... so sensitive, in fact -- so gay, really -- that discussion of it even must be restricted to the closet.

Commenting on the Irish Times website, Irelander Sudhakar Rao said, "This election will go a long way to improving the rest of the world's opinion of the U.S. The Democrats have long been a party of progress and real ideals. FDR, JFK to Clinton and now Obama. It's not an easy task, but look at who he's replacing. A lot of fences need mending thanks to W."

Hennessy's reporting on Colorado evangelicals and the comments of the paper's readers are especially significant as they underscore the kind of comic disbelief that has distinguished foreign coverage and reception of the American presidential campaign this year. Obama, already extraordinarily popular in Europe, gained support abroad particularly as Sarah Palin hit the trail, with international readers expressing shock at her incompetence and joy at Tina Fey's uncanny impersonations.

In recent weeks, European opinion of John McCain appears to have sunken to new depths as the Arizona senator's tactics clearly betrayed his early promise of running a clean campaign. Republicans' continued efforts to smear Obama as a friend of terrorists, as well as the more covert effort to inject race and incite Islamophobia into the campaign have tarnished McCain's image abroad. Also commenting on the wesbite was Irelander Dominic McGinley:

"It seems to me that Sen. McCain's campaign rests on arguments of little substance: that Sen. Obama's middle name (Hussein) automatically links him, in the minds of some, with the deposed and executed Saddam, and with radical Islamists. Perhaps a similarly absurd analogy could be drawn with Senator John's surname. In the Bible, Cain killed his brother Abel. Since McCain means 'son of Cain' Q.E.D. the senator must be related to the first known murderer!"

Hmm, it's tempting, but more than likely not enough to convince evangelicals to abandon McCain. 'Palling around with' the first known murderer isn't horrifying enough, I guess. With this crowd, I guess, you've just gotta be gay.

HEY JOE THE PLUMBER - HAVE I GOT A GIRL FOR YOU!

Hey Joe the Plumber, have I got a girl for you! She's young, a republican, desperately seeks the limelight and lies, so you two should have a lot in common! Her name is Ashley Todd. She enjoys long walks at night, applying makeup, carving initials into her cheeks and Guitar Hero. She's also interested in current events and looooves John McCain, so the two of you will have a lot to talk about while you study for your plumber's license. (That is, if you're still interested in being a plumber.)

I know there's going to be an empty void in your life after Election Day when everybody forgets about you and you slink back into your world of tax dodging anonymity. Why not have someone to share it with? And if things go well, I think there is going to be a certain governor up in Alaska who would love to perform the wedding ceremony for a couple like you who I'm sure share her family values.

So c'mon, Joe! Give her a call. I'll betcha you can reach someone who knows her through the McCain Western Pennsylvania campaign headquarters or the Women's House of Detention in Pittsburgh. A girl like this comes along once in a lifetime. Since you've lost your credibility, dignity and your name has become the punch line for a national joke, what have you got to lose?

PALIN ASSOCIATES WITH CONVICTED FELON

The amazing thing about Alaskan republican Senator Ted Stevens isn't that he was convicted of seven counts of fraud. It's how trivial his infractions were in the first place, ranging from accepting a free massage chair to a dog sled. But even if Stevens is going down for fairly minor crimes, his conviction offers a potent reminder of over a decade of GOP larceny that reached its apogee with the looting of the federal government on behalf of corporations and George W. Bush and Dick Cheney's cronies.

What really worries Republicans about an Obama presidency, then, isn't simply the prospect that he will have a veto-proof majority in the Senate, one that has become even more likely with the Stevens imbroglio. It's also that the Justice Department would no longer be in the hands of pliable functionaries who have shielded the administration from the kind of scrutiny it deserves. While Obama will be preoccupied with mending a wrecked economy, more revelations of Bush administration misdeeds are sure to surface in coming months. In that sense, the downfall of the Alaska Senator could well be the tip of the iceberg.

HERE IS YOUR NIGHTMARE SCENARIO.... PICK ONE,,,GO AHEAD... IT'S OKAY... YOU CAN DO IT...

Ok… now that everyone and their 4th cousin is going to get out to vote in a few days to ensure an Obama/Biden victory - ensuring blue skies every day of the year, delicious food on every table and world peace restored forever - let’s take a moment to consider the unthinkable.

Let’s just say the world got inverted on its axis… god no longer blessed America, the Taliban won, our financial security was in the shitter, the world hated us and every day was 9/11®™. The only fitting election to match all that evil would be an R vs. R fight to the finish.

In order to test your intestinal and cognitive fortitude - I ask you to contemplate the following:

If you were forced to choose between the lesser of two absolute evils in an election, which of these two would get your vote? Those are your only choices.

See how good we actually have it? WE WILL NEVER HAVE TO MAKE SUCH A HORRID CHOICE! (And by ‘never’ I mean at least not for 4 more years.)

MORE FUN WITH CARIBOU BARBIE

Saw these pics and just had to put Rocky and Bullwinkle in this blog. Apologies again for pics being cut off on the right (or maybe BY the Right. Heh). Palin's voice is a dead give away that she is actually a role enacted by June Foray (the voice of Rocky) Just imagine Rocky shouting, "holy smokes Bullwinkle!" same voice!

OK, Commenters - If Palin had her own TV show, what would it be named?

RETAIL SECTOR SOARS ON NEWS THAT PALIN SEEKS NEW OUTFIT

(For some reason the cartoons get cut off on the right side, but you get the picture. Get the picture. Heh)

Offering a sharp contrast to the general gloom on Wall Street today, retail stocks soared on the news that Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) plans to buy a new outfit for Election Night.

Major retailers had been plummeting all day but staged a stunning comeback when Gov. Palin told a reporter in Ohio, "Election Night is just eleven days away and I have nothing to wear."

Gov. Palin said that a new dress for Election Night could cost as much as $20,000, "and that's before you accessorize."

Major department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue rebounded dramatically on the news of Gov. Palin's plans, with some industry analysts predicting that Gov. Palin's shopping could bail out the entire retail sector in the fourth quarter.

"Right now, the only part of the economy that's strong is Sarah Palin's shopping," said Tracy Klugian of Morgan Stanley. "She is a one-woman stimulus package."

Elsewhere, former Fed Chief Alan Greenspan gave this testimony to Congress today: "To those millions of Americans who have lost their jobs, their homes, and their life savings, let me offer a heartfelt 'oopsy.' "

SARAH PALIN DISPLAYS THE LATEST IN VOTE DEMOCRATIC FASHION (ONLY $12,000 !)

SARAH PALIN'S $150 MILLION PERSONAL SHOPPER IS ALSO KARL ROVE'S FORMER PROTEGE AND McCAIN'S DIRTY ROBOCALLER

As news of Sarah Palin's $150 million dollar shopping spree unfolds, http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14805.html The Atlantic reveals that Sarah Palin's personal shopper, Jeff Larson, has an interesting resumé. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200810u/palin-clothes
Does the name Jeff Larson sound familiar? It should. Larson is the Karl Rove protégé who's a principal in the robocalling firm of FLS Connect (the "FLS" stands for Tony Feather, Jeff Larson, and Tom Syndhorst, all veteran Republican political operatives).
http://www.flsconnect.com/
Larson's firm is the same one that launched the scurrilous robocalls against John McCain in 2000, and that McCain has now hired to make robocalls connecting Barack Obama to Bill Ayers. He's also well known in Minnesota for leasing his basement apartment at a steeply discounted rate to embattled Republican Senator Norm Coleman.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080628_2254.php
Evidently, Larson also has quite the eye for women's fashion.

COUNTERING McCAIN AND PALINS LIES ABOUT OBAMA'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

As we all know, Barack Obama hasn't passed any major legislation. He's inexperienced, never done anything. We know this. We know it because John McCain and Sarah Palin, bless her accomplished heart, have said so. And so, we know.

Far be it from me not to take their word for it, but I decided to check things out. And shockingly... it doesn't turn out to be true! Really. So, take a guess on how much legislation Barack Obama has sponsored in the United States Senate, which has become law.

C'mon, take a guess.

Nope, sorry, take another guess.

Barack Obama has authored or co-sponsored 579 bills in Washington. And as a state senator, he sponsored 820 laws for Illinois.

That's 1,399 bills in all. Not bad for someone who apparently had done zero -- okay, according to his opponents.

I know, I know. Those 820 are just for a "state," so they don't really count. Except... well, wait, a "state" is what Sarah Palin is governor of. (At least for 21 months.) So if sponsoring pesky "state" laws doesn't count, what in the world does she have on her resume then? Other than ethics violations.

Besides, y'know, Illinois is an awfully big state. If someone passes a law there, it does affect the lives of 13 million people.

And, yipes, it turns out that there is a wide-ranging record of bipartisan laws he's co-sponsored, as well, working across the aisles with Republicans. Go figure, who knew?!

Okay, first, let's look at Barack Obama's 579 Senate bills. (To be fair, some of these are pending -- the U.S. Senate works slooowly...)

But here are just a few highlights of the ones that have passed.

With Russ Feingold, Sen. Obama helped put together and co-sponsor the Obama/Feingold 2007 Ethics Reform Law, which curbed lobbying abuses. The bill was perhaps the most sweeping ethics reform since Watergate.

Mr. Obama joined forces with Republican Richard Lugar as original co-sponsors of the landmark bill that improved the government's ability to detect and destroy Weapons of Mass Destruction, keeping them from terrorists.

Working across the aisle again, this time, with Republican Chuck Hagel, Barack Obama authored a provision to secure vulnerable nuclear weapons and nuclear material around the world, protecting them from terrorists.

Sen. Obama also wrote the legislation for his Homes for Heroes Act and SAVE Act, that increased services for homeless veterans.

Shockingly, it turns out that John McCain is also wrong about Barack Obama not being willing to go against his party. You see, Mr. Obama sponsored an amendment that required lobbyist disclosures. And as the NY Times wrote, "The disclosure idea's lead sponsor, Senator Barack Obama... 'has not been the most popular person in our caucus in the last couple of weeks,' said a Democratic aide involved in deliberations over the bill."

Gee. Apparently, it seems, Barack Obama has been willing to buck his own party. And work across the aisle. And sponsor and pass important legislation. And there are 574 other bills -- some large, some smaller, but all can be found on State Surge:

http://www.statesurge.com/members/923-barack-obama-federal

Meanwhile, his record as a senator in Illinois has an impressive 820 bills that impacted the lives of countless millions, as well. By the way, for fact buffs: the 13th District he represented was alone comprised of 653,457 people -- the same as the entire state of Alaska.

In Illinois, with its 13 million citizens, Barack Obama co-sponsored bipartisan campaign finance reforms, that the Chicago Tribune referred to as "the most sweeping good-government legislation in decades." He co-sponsored a bipartisan, groundbreaking ethics reform law and was the main sponsor of the Health Care Justice Act. As co-chairman of a bipartisan committee, Sen. Obama also helped pass predatory mortgage lending reforms, which prevent foreclosures. (Hmm, that was forward thinking. Ya think? But, tosh, it was just a "state" law...) He sponsored laws that raised tax credits for low-income workers, that improved childcare subsidies for the KidCare Program (bringing health care to 70,000 uncovered children), and that reformed welfare. And he co-sponsored the Equal Pay Act for women.

Further, Mr. Obama sponsored bipartisan legislation that made Illinois the first state to require videotaping of capital cases, and bipartisan laws for monitoring racial profiling.

This list goes endlessly on. A total of 820 laws in all.

None of this is to place a value judgment on the 579 federal laws Barack Obama authored or co-sponsored. Nor is it to equate state laws with federal. It's merely to address the false impression that the McCain campaign has tried to put forth that Sen. Obama has sponsored no important legislation in the U.S. Senate, never been able to work across the aisle and largely sat in the Illinois Senate voting "present."

Put whatever value you wish on the 1,399 laws Barack Obama has helped sponsor. Decide for yourself what is a "major" law. From ethics reform to safeguarding WMD to child health care to home foreclosure protection, and much more, you have a great many laws to choose from.

It's up to you to decide if passing laws in a state of 13 million people shows a person's interests, initiative and abilities and helps set precedents. In truth, Illinois state laws do not cover a nation - they just cover 4% of the nation's population.

In the end, there is only one simple point to this. Honesty. That anyone who suggests that Barack Obama has been ineffectual in his 12-year career as an elected representative, sponsoring no important legislation, unable to work across party lines, unwilling to go against his party, and avoiding taking stances by voting "present" -- then that person doesn't know what they are talking about. Or is lying.

IN YESTERDAY'S STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR OBAMA, COLIN POWELL SPOKE OF THE DEATH OF A MUSLIM-AMERICAN SOLDIER. HERE'S WHO HE REFERENCED:

Elsheba Khan at the grave of her son, Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/09/29/slideshow_080929_platon?slide=16




Colin Powell ended his endorsement of Obama by referring to the death of a Muslim soldier, Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan of Manahawkin, N.J., who was killed in Iraq on Aug. 6, 2007, and whose remains were buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/krkhan.htm

He and three other soldiers, including a corporal from Washington Heights, were killed in Baquba after a bomb detonated while they were checking abandoned houses for explosives. They served in the Stryker Brigade combat team of the Army's 2nd Infantry Division, based in Ft. Lewis, Washington.

Mr. Khan graduated from Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin in 2005, and enlisted in the Army a few months later, spurred by his memories of the 9/11 terror attacks. "His Muslim faith did not make him not want to go. It never stopped him," his father, Feroze Khan, told the Gannett News Service in a story printed shortly after his death. "He looked at it that he's American and he has a job to do."

Powell framed the entire "Obama is a Muslim" debate in striking terms with his reference to this fallen American soldier.

"Is there something wrong with being Muslim in America? No, that's not America," he said.

"He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he could go serve his country, and he gave his life," Mr. Powell said. "Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way."

The highly charged rhetoric used by McCain and Palin to tie Obama to terrorism and Islam is once again an affront to all Muslim Americans. We saw this type of fear and backlash just after 9/11. We see it also in the McCarthy-like invocations of Sarah Palin. I challenge Sarah Palin to tell this grieving mother that her son is anti-American because of his faith.

The answer to who is evil is NEVER as neat, clean, and easy as a label. Thank you, Colin Powell, for reminding America that those who serve in our military represent the awesome diversity of faithful and patriotic Americans.

Thank you, Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, for your service and your ultimate sacrifice. I am humbled to honor you and your fallen comrades.

Kareem's Legacy Page:

http://www.legacy.com/WashingtonPost/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=92538277

COLIN POWELL ENDORSES OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT

SEE POWELL ENDORSE OBAMA ON MEET THE PRESS 10/19/08
(7 min. YouTube video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efv3Vr8T9MA

Ok, I was working on this post for over an hour, and then the site crashed and I lost everything. Before it crashed I meticulously put links on all of McCain's glowing statements about Powell for you (doubtful if there'll be any more after this slap in the face), but I'm not gonna go thru it all again, so you can just Google the quotes to get the sources for yourselves if you want. Point is, McCain admires Powell, but Powell feels he must turn his back on McCain and his own party.

McCain said, "Colin Powell, a man who I admire as much as any man in the world, person in the world..." [NY Times interview with John McCain, 7/13/08]

McCain considered Powell for a running mate. "Retired Gen. Colin Powell is among the potential running mates who have been considered by John McCain, campaign advisers told Politico. Powell was among the possible vice presidential choices the Arizona Republican senator was thinking of when he said he would not rule out a supporter of abortion rights, a key adviser said." [Politico, 8/23/08]

McCain said President Bush was "blessed" to have Powell working for him. McCain said, "I think the president is blessed to have two extremely talented people (Powell and Rumsfeld), experienced people, working for him, and others, but particularly those two." [MSNBC Hardball, 4/23/03]

McCain called Powell one of the most "credible" and "respected men in America. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) praised Powell as one of the "most credible" and "most respected" men in America. [LA Times, 2/26/03]

McCain said he admired and respected Powell, said he was one of most "honest" men he had "ever known." "Sen. McCain: Well, Colin Powell's one of the most honest men that I've ever known and I admire and respect him enormously, and so obviously I'd take his word for it." [CNBC 4/20/04]

McCain was "exuberant" over Powell's selection as Secretary of State. After it was announced that Powell had been nominated by Bush for Secretary of State, McCain said, "I'm exuberant over the prospect of his [Colin Powell] stewardship of American foreign policy. There's a lot of very dangerous places in the world due to the fecklessness of the Clinton administration." [NBC Nightly News, 12/15/00]

McCain lauds Powell's selection as Secretary of State. Senator John McCain "I think his credentials and his charisma will have a significant effect, a beneficial effect, on the conduct of American foreign policy." [NBC Nightly News, 12/16/00]

McCain said if elected in 2000 he would have appointed Powell to his cabinet. On Larry King in 2001, McCain was asked whether he would have named Mr. Rumsfeld and Colin L. Powell to a McCain cabinet. 'Oh, yes." [CNN Larry King, 11/28/01]

As leader of the International Republican Institute, John McCain gave Colin Powell the Freedom Award. "As Senator John McCain waited to speak at the annual awards dinner of the International Republican Institute, a democracy-building group he has led for 15 years," "Mr. McCain could use the chairman's [of the institute] perch to score points with important Republican figures -- he presented Freedom Awards to President Bush, former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and, in 2003, the incoming Senate majority leader, Bill Frist." [NY Times, 7/28/08]

OBAMA RALLY DRAWS 100,000 IN MISSOURI

Barack Obama attracted 100,000 people at a Saturday rally here, his biggest crowd ever at a U.S. event.

The crowd assembled under the Gateway Arch on a sunny Saturday afternoon to hear Obama speak about taxes and slam the Republicans on economic issues.

Lt. Samuel Dotson of the St. Louis Police Department confirmed the number of attendees piled into the grassy lawn by the Mississippi River.

To be sure, big crowds don’t always signal a big turnout on Election Day. But Obama’s ability to draw his largest audience yet in a typically red state that just weeks ago looked out of reach, could signal a changing electoral map.

For months Missouri polls put Obama as much as ten percentage points behind Republican John McCain. It was widely believed that McCain’s pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate would have won over the state’s conservatives and boosted his chances there. So far, that hasn’t happened.

A Rasmussen poll released on Friday shows Obama leading in Missouri 52% to 46% for McCain.

Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill had harsh words for Palin when she introduced Obama on Saturday. Referring to comments Palin made earlier this week in North Carolina about “pro-America” states, McCaskill said “We have reached a new low in America politics when a candidate dares to say that one part of America is pro-America and another part is anti-America.”

She also took a dig at McCain for selecting a vice presidential nominee with limited experience. “One [candidate] picked one of the strongest candidates for vice president he could’ve picked in the United States and well, the other didn’t.”

Recognizing that big rallies don’t always result in cast ballots, the Obama campaign has dispatched thousands of field organizers and volunteers to Missouri to knock on doors in a statewide get out the vote effort. (Photo: Associated Press)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3550659

Senator Obama's speech (transcript)
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGg2xq

27 Pic Slideshow
http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=20860259&event=617178&CategoryID=38932&picnum=16&move=F#Image

WHADDYA MEAN I'M NEGATIVE?!?!

"Do I really look like a guy with a plan? You know what I am? I'm a dog chasing cars. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it. You know, I just do things."
—the Joker in The Dark Knight

John McCain and his staff cannot even get a simple gimmick right. How incompetent do you have to be to choose "Joe the Plumber", rave on about him throughout a national debate and then find out the next day that his name isn't Joe, he isn't a plumber, and he hasn't paid his taxes? I mean, if you can't even get something like that right, how in heck should any voter let you run the country? It's that simple. It looks like Joe was subjected to about the same vetting process that selected Sarah Palin.

McCAIN MORPHS INTO HIS TRUE SELF: NOSFERATU

UPDATE ON "JOE, THE PLUMBER"

The average "Joe, the plumber" that McCain kept referring to in Thursday night's debate has sprung a few leaks.

• He makes a quarter of a million dollars - hardly your average plumber. Maybe he works on all eight of McCain's houses for a living.
  

• His name, it turns out, isn't "Joe". It's Samuel J. Wurzelbacher.
  

• And McCain's pick for a typical, hard-working American taxpayer isn't really a licensed plumber.

• And court documents show he owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes.

CAN YOU SAY, "OOPS"? I KNEW YOU COULD. LOL

JOE THE PLUMBER WINS THE 3RD PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE. ALSO, OBAMA LOOKING HIS USUAL PRESIDENTIAL SELF; McCAIN TURNS INTO GOLLUM AFTER THE DEBATE.

RACIST MORONS ARE EVERYWHERE - AND THEY VOTE!!!

SELF-EXPLANATORY

THE DIFFERENCE

DAMN IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A BANKSTA!

QUITE A FEW THINGS HAPPENED FRIDAY -- HERE'S A FEW OF THEM:

--- The government will buy an ownership stake in a broad array of American banks for the first time since the Great Depression.

--- Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday.

--- Woman in audience at McCain rally: "I don't trust Obama. I have read about him. He's an Arab."
McCain: "No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues."

--- The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that gay couples have the right to get married.

--- On Friday, the Dow lost 138 points, ending its worst week ever.

SO HERE ARE ACTUAL PICS OF A LION RIDING A HORSE TAKEN AT A CIRCUS IN CHINA ON TUESDAY:

COMMENTERS feel free to discuss these or any other issues: It's Free-For-All Friday!

McCAIN SAYS OBAMA'S ACTUAL FIRST NAME IS 'THAT'

In his latest attempt to raise questions about his Democratic rival for president, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told a crowd in Ohio today that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) has been lying about his name being "Barack" and that his actual first name is "That."

"The Senator from Illinois should stop calling himself 'Barack Obama' when his real name is 'That One,'" Sen. McCain said. "My friends, let's take a deep breath and ask ourselves: what kind of first name is 'That'?"

The Arizona senator made his latest allegation about Sen. Obama in the hopes of fueling doubts among undecided voters who may be uncomfortable voting for a candidate with a foreign-sounding name like "That."

"Where on earth do people name their children 'That'?" Sen. McCain asked, prompting a member of the audience to shout back, "Terrorist places!"

A GOP strategist said that Sen. McCain was "not fear-baiting" by raising the issue of Senator One's unusual first name.

"This is about honesty, not about someone having a weird name," said the strategist.

A CNN/Time poll of likely voters taken today appeared to indicate that Sen. McCain's latest tactic could be working, at least by injecting some confusion into the presidential race.

When asked if they would vote for a presidential candidate named "That," 97% of respondents answered, "What?"

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS AS TRAINS

A STATISTICAL FACT: HALF THE PEOPLE ARE BELOW AVERAGE IN INTELLIGENCE -- THIS EXPLAINS THE 2004 VOTE, AND MAY BE WHAT'S IN STORE FOR 2008. VOTE OBAMA

So, tonight was the second Presidential Debate. Here are just a few selected highlights:

--- I was listening, and McCain made no mention of the "Middle Class" at all.

--- He suggested a spending freeze for the government -- oh, but the government somehow in this freeze is supposed to do as he suggested and buy up mortgages (quite a thaw! As Obama said, "It's using a hatchet when a scalpel is required"). Is "a government-bought house on every lot" the 21st century equivalent of "a chicken in every pot"?

--- McCain suggested Ex-eBay CEO Meg Whitman for Treasury chief...eBay fired 10% of its workforce on Monday, by the way. Way to help the middle class & the economy.

---In the first debate, McCain wouldn't look at Obama. In this one, as well as not looking him in the eye McCain referred to Obama as "THAT ONE." I'll bet we'll be hearing a lot about that in days ahead, along with McCain's flat out refusal to shake Senator Obama's hand!! At one point, an African American woman was asking him about green jobs and he turned his back on her! This disrespectful gesture was on the heels of McCain correcting an African American audience member on "bailout" versus "rescue." Draw your own conclusions.

--- McCain also told us he knows how to fix the economy, knows how to win wars, and knows how to capture bin Laden. Is there a reason he's keeping all these a secret?

--- McCain may have lost both debates (ask any source but Fox). And he may even lose the next one and the election. But that won't spare us from 30 days of straight bile-filled hatred spewing from the right. It's going to be an agonizing month, as the Red States pull out all the plugs to keep their statistically below average voters from wising up and turning Blue.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE (BUT THE LIES ARE WAAAAY OUT THERE)

It’s pretty clear what the Rove-Bush-McCain spin machine is setting out to do in these last few weeks before the election: sling as much mud (lies and distorted facts) at Obama as possible to put the Obama campaign on the defensive, the goal being to throw so many lies out there that the average voter doesn’t know what to think.

The scary thing is that this tactic is frighteningly successful. The average voter doesn’t have the time or the resources to track down the veracity of every single accusation about Senator Obama and is left wondering - “is he friends with a terrorist?” or “does he support raising taxes on my family?” or “is he the most left-wing liberal in the Senate?” The answer to all of these is NO.

But not every voter can see through such obvious lies, and an uninformed voter is still a voter. It is a generally held belief that it is the responsibility of the media to separate truth from lies for us, but few voters realize that the media is controlled by only 5 wealthy conservative (read: Republican) corporations who take their lead from Rupert Murdoch & his Fox news.



There are moreover only a few politically neutral websites where computer-savvy voters can check fact vs fiction (such as http://www.factcheck.org/ and http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/ ), but the general public seems all too satisfied to accept verbatim what the conservative media tell them to believe.

So let Dr. B. save you some time by summarizing the Palin/McCain LIES of the moment, contrasted with the truth. Set your uninformed electorate friends straight:

LIE 1. Obama voted against funding the troops: Actually Obama voted to fund troops 10 times. Both voted against funding when attached to larger bills they opposed.

LIE 2. McCain invented the Blackberry: a lie by McCain policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin. McCain has acknowledged that he doesn't know how to use a computer and can't send e-mail.

LIE 3. Obama opposes all free trade: Obama supports it with significant protections for workers and environment.

LIE 4. Biden supported McCain on Iraq until this election: Actually Biden did agree until 2004 at which time he stopped. (talkingpointsmemo.com, TPM for short)

LIE 5. US corporations pay the world's highest corporate taxes: Actually over 160 countries have higher corporate taxes.(liecount.com)

LIE 6. Obama will raise your taxes: Yep - if you make more than $250,000 A YEAR. If you make less your taxes would go down under his plan (factcheck.org)

LIE 7. McCain tried to reform Fannie Mae: Actually McCain only supported a report on Freddie/Fannie corruption. Otherwise his campaign staff lobbied for more deregulation of both.

LIE 8. Palin vetoed millions in earmarks: Actually governors can't veto earmarks. This year alone, Palin pushed for 197 million in earmarks. (MSNBC; WA Post; TPM)

LIE 9. Obama called Palin a pig: There is plenty of refutation to this wacky allegation in the media (or for anyone who's got a least bit of sense).

LIE 10. Obama pals around with terrorists: He was 8 years old when Ayers was doing his radical bomb placement. When Obama met they served on same charitable board. Do you background check everyone you work with?

LIE 11. McCain suspended his campaign to save the economy: He actually had ads running, campaign offices working, gave interviews, and worked to raise money. Meanwhile he was 'phoning it in' just sitting silently at the meeting - to seem to play a part in the bailout formulation (while participating in fine dining).

LIE 12. Offshore drilling will reduce fuel prices: Actually if started today it would make no difference until 2030, and then only by a few cents. (politifact.com; doe.gov)

LIE 13. Obama voted to increase taxes 94 times: Actually Obama has voted consistently to reduce middle class taxes while supporting taxes on the very wealthy such as McCain.

LIE 14. Obama said Iran doesn't pose a serious threat to US: In fact Obama said that Iran is less of a threat than the Soviet Union. NOT that it posed NO serious threat.

There will be more lies in the days ahead. You'll have to sort them all out as I did. Watch for McCain to throw so many at Obama in tonight's debate that Barack won't have time to refute them all. I hope Barack stays off the defensive and sticks with the issues. That's where McCain comes up empty. The Republicans have been on the wrong side of the issues for the last 38 years.

To paraphrase the classic Hughes Mearns' poem:

As I was walking up the stair
I met a maverick who wasn't there
He wasn't there again today
I wish, I wish he'd go away.

AFTER YOU VIEW PALIN'S FLOW CHART, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY, WHICH IS SO BAD THAT TODAY DICK CHENEY WAS WATERBOARDING HIS STOCKBROKER

KISSINGER/PALIN TRANSCRIPT

"Dr. Henry Kissinger especially. I had a good conversation with him recently. And he shared with me his passion for diplomacy." -- Sarah Palin, during the Vice-Presidential Debate.

Although Sarah Palin's September 23 conversation with Henry Kissinger was off-limits to reporters, this blog gained exclusive access to a microphone hidden in Dr. Kissinger's office. A transcript of their conversation follows:

Henry Kissinger: Governor Palin, it's a pleasure to finally meet you.

Sarah Palin: And it is so nice to meet you, Mr. Kissinger!

HK: Actually it's Dr. Kissinger.

SP: No kidding! What sort of doctor are you? Like for something specific like feet, or just general tummy aches?

HK: (laughter) No, I'm not that kind of doctor...

(silence)

...Never mind.

SP: Well, Henry... can I call you Henry?

HK: If you must.

SP: I can tell you for certain, we Americans are darn tired of having all these so-called intellectuals telling us about how complicated all these problems are going on in the world. All you have to do is walk on down to any pee-wee soccer game and talk to those hockey moms and Joe six-pack dads on the sidelines, and they can tell you their feelings about what's right and what's wrong with the world.

HK: Well, I suppose I should preface this by saying I'd have to call myself one of those intellectuals, given that I went to Harvard as an undergrad and for my PhD...

SP: PH...

HK: Again, never mind. But Governor Palin, if I may... don't you think that perhaps, while those soccer moms and dads are doing an admirable job raising their children --

SP: You're darn right they are!

HK: (clears throat)... That those solving the complex crises facing our nation ought to go beyond their immediate feelings on a subject? That they might instead seek to solve these problems rationally and methodically?

SP: I'm listening.

HK: For example, we may feel that the leaders of certain regimes hate America and her values, and thereby impulsively want to respond with military action. But, if we take a step back, we might first question those leaders' ability to actually implement such hatred in any tangible way, and secondly whether they or those surrounding them could be brought to understand the futility of such hatred in contrast to the mutual benefits of Realpolitik.

SP: You betcha I'm talking about real politics! We need to get rid of corruption on Wall Street and in Washington real quickly!

HK: I mean Realpolitik as defined by the notion that practical diplomacy can outweigh ideological fervor. In other words, why spend billions of unnecessary dollars on unwinnable wars against madmen, when we can instead work our way toward restoring trade relations with that country, either under the present or new leadership, then spread our ideals of democracy and freedom peacefully?

(silence)

You look confused. I've got this Play-Doh here if you'd like to visualize it...

SP: Okay. You know what, I think I follow!

HK: You do? Honestly, that's.... Congratulations, I'm not shocked easily, and you have just shocked Henry Kissinger.

SP: You're darn right I follow. What you're saying is...

HK: Yes?

SP: You'd raise the white flag of surrender against our enemies? Well frankly, Mr. Kissinger, I'm disappointed in you. And I'm not gonna sit here a second longer and listen to you badmouth America!

(Governor Palin rises, leaves).

(Dr. Kissinger sighs).

END

ESSAY, BY SARAH PALIN (IN HER DEBATE/SPEECH STYLE) -- thanx Nostradamus

First and foremost, I feel in respect to the underline fundamentals of the American people, in which I understand it to be the point of contrast with other countries, it is also that which will help in our endeavors to put forth that change that so many could gained by and not just gained but also to be taught with Maverick aspects of who McCain and I are as reformers to this country and also this ticket if I am so fortunate to be but again it will ultimately be the decision of the people that I am so privileged to speak to on this very issue of reform but also it needs to be about the education of upmost importance that which will propel us into that Energy dependence against the foreign oil in which and of the aspect of reform and I might add Maverick abilities Of McCain and I.

With regards to foreign policy and by the way I must add the policy in which it has been I think it must be said to carry what might be thought and this is important also. Joe Sixpack will understand that what could be and ultimately what should be in that respect of America. So in conclusion I the Maverick and McCain the Maverick and also reformer which is what by the way I was as the Governor Of Alaska and to what all is the essence of America.

To all the gosh-darn hockey moms and doggone Joe SixPack’s of this country I have just one thing to say - You betcha I feel your pain and as a moose hunting maverick I feel that the gosh-darn de-regulation of Wall Street is just the kind of maverick-y gosh-darn regulation and accountability that John McCain has been known for in his years as a de-regulator and a maverick in the senate and I am the maverick governor of the energy capital of the world.

No, I won’t answer your question, I’m talking right to Joe SixPack and the hard working people of this gosh-darn country who know that maverick-y goodness is what we will bring to Washington in the form of regulation, accountability, and more de-regulation. You betcha the American people know that when Putin rears his head, we won’t negotiate without any pre-conditions and they know that “the Maverick” John McCain is just the kind of maverick reformer to win the wars against Iraq and Pakistan and we will not wave the white flag of universal socialized health care while Wall Street is trying to contain Iran and address the problems of non-proliferation.

You betcha I’ve had executive experience in the PTA where I learned that Barack Obama voted against sending food to our troops and said that he would raise taxes on 150% of American workers. John McCain is a maverick. You betcha. (wink wink)

IF YOU WERE THE BOSS, WHO WOULD YOU HIRE?

OBAMA: Harvard law professor, Juris Doctor of law degree, constitutional law expert; Senate committees: foreign affairs, homeland security, veterans affairs, family, education, health.

BIDEN: Juris Doctor of law degree; Senate committees: Foreign affairs (chair), economy, health, crime, women's affairs, education, technology, environment.

McCAIN: graduated from the naval academy in the bottom 5% of his class; Senate committees: economy, environment, official conduct (arguably the 3 biggest Republican failures).

PALIN: went to 6 different universities before finally getting a BA degree in journalism, no domestic or foreign policy experience (but can see Russia from her house).

OK, my astute commenters -- what did you think of the VP debate? Comment away!

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