LACrimAtty's Blog

True & Terrific Obama Story - A "Must Read"

LACrimAtty — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 11:56:48 EST

<< Oct 05, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who was the man?

Barack Obama.

Twenty years later, she is thrilled that the friendly stranger at the airport may be the next President and has voted for him already and donated 100 dollars to his campaign:

-He was my knight in shining armor, says Mary, smiling.

She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker* in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.

Mary even convinced her parents to vote for him:

In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.

And Obama replied:

In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped 'United States Senate, Washington DC', Barack Obama writes:

'I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States Senator'.

The parents sent the letter on to Mary.

Mary says that when her friends and associates talk about the election, especially when race relations is the heated subject, she relates the story of the k ind man who helped out a stranger-in-need over twenty years ago, years before he had even thought about running for high office.

Truly a wonderful story, and something that needs to be passed along in the maelstorm of fear-and-smear politics we are being subjected to right now.

UPDATE: Thanks for the recommends, folks! Also, remember this was 1988, when 100 dollars was quite a bit of money, compared to today's value.

By the way, this would be the perfect antidote to the Smear E-mails going around. If anyone has a good long email chain list, shoot it out, and let it be passed along. >>

(note: the original email of this had a photo attached of the parents holding the original letter Obama sent their daughter on Senate stationery).

McCain Advisor Endorses Obama

LACrimAtty — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:36:56 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/24/mccain-adviser-endorses-o_n_137590.html

Goldwater Rejects McCain, Endorses Obama

LACrimAtty — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:45:34 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cc-goldwater/why-mccain-has-lost-our-v_b_137150.html

Swing states swinging to Obama

LACrimAtty — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:24:32 EDT

Most of the national polls -- including our NBC/WSJ survey -- are now showing Obama with a double-digit national lead. And here come a slew of brand-new state polls that also suggest Obama is in command of this presidential contest. The University of Wisconsin’s Big Ten Battleground polls have Obama up 10 points in Indiana (51%-41%), 13 points in Iowa (52%-39%), 22 in Michigan (58%-36%), 19 in Minnesota (57%-38%), 12 in Ohio (53%-41%), 11 in Pennsylvania (52%-41%), 13 in Wisconsin (53%-40%), and nearly 30 in Obama’s home state of Illinois (61%-32%). Meanwhile, there are new Quinnipiac surveys that show Obama up five points in Florida (49%-44%), 14 in Ohio (52%-38%), and 13 in Pennsylvania (53%-40%). And finally, new CNN/Time surveys find Obama ahead by five points among likely voters in Nevada (51%-46%), four points in North Carolina (51%-47%), four in Ohio (50%-46%), and 10 points in Virginia (54%-44%). The lone state survey that shows McCain ahead: CNN/Time’s West Virginia poll, where McCain’s nine (53%-44%).

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/23/1583632.aspx

McCain's Non-Support for Troops and Veterans: The Master List

LACrimAtty — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:59:18 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brandon-friedman/mccains-non-support-for-t_b_131046.html

John McCain: A True Punk ("McCain Defends His Rabid Crowds")

LACrimAtty — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:41:14 EDT

<< The McCain campaign is defending crowd members at its recent rallies who have called Obama a terrorist, accused him of treason and even screamed "kill him" when his association with former Weather Underground member Bill Ayers has been broached. >>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/10/mccain-defends-his-rabid_n_133710.html

I know Obama would hope to see a more measured response from a supporter, but this latest McCain outrage is so off the chart that even calling him a punk, as I do in the caption, seems mild, restrained. Anyone who's seen the videos in the last couple days of these rabid wingnuts spewing hate at Obama knows why even a conservative guy like David Gergen's been moved to warn of the real possibility of imminent violence.

<< "One of the most striking things we've seen in the last few days, we have seen it at the Palin rallies and we saw it at the McCain rally today," said David Gergen, appearing on Anderson Cooper 360 Thursday evening. "And we saw it to a considerable degree during the rescue package legislation. There is a free-floating sort of whipping-around anger that could really lead to some violence. And I think we're not far from that." >>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/10/former-mccain-strategist_n_133523.html

Not to mention the additional, unnecessary burden Wreckless John's acquiescence in and tacit encouragement of this hate speech and rage directed at Obama must be placing on the Secret Service.

Calling McCain a punk let's him off easy; a lesser man might be calling him a punk-ass motherfu**er.

How to Market Obama to Republicans

LACrimAtty — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:27:17 EDT

<< You may not agree with the following policy conclusions which led me to cross over for the first time in my life, and vote for Sen. Obama in Virginia's open primary, but THEY DID. And these same issues will resonate with other Republicans in voting booths across the country this fall...>>

http://baracklikeme.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-market-obama-to-your-republican.html

I Voted Today

LACrimAtty — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:00:13 EDT

#8 on the California ballot, baby.

Dem strategists see landslide in the making

LACrimAtty — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:15:18 EDT

>

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14413.html

Experts: Palin Owes $25,000 In Back Taxes

LACrimAtty — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:20:43 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/07/experts-palin-owes-25000_n_132538.html

Tax Experts: The Palin's Tax Returns Are False

LACrimAtty — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:33:09 EDT

http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2008/10/tax-profs-agree.html

McCain Strategist: "If We Keep Talking About The Economic Crisis, We're Going To Lose"

LACrimAtty — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:17:32 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/06/mccain-strategist-if-we-k_n_132179.html

John McCain: Plane Crashes & Lies

LACrimAtty — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:19:43 EDT

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-aviator6-2008oct06,0,7633315.story?page=1

Whoa Daddy: We'll Be Hearing About This in Tomorrow's Debate

LACrimAtty — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:05:24 EDT

McCain Plans Federal Health Cuts: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122315505846605217.html

Absolutely Essential Reading

LACrimAtty — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:00:45 EDT

This is who McCain really is, and confirms what I've always thought about him: he's not a maverick, he's an insubbordinate anger case.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain

Re: "Any Guesses:" We Now Have the Answer

LACrimAtty — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:31:29 EDT

William Ayers, Rev. Wright, with AP reporting racist undertones mixed in by McCain. Beautiful.

McCain now is running 100% attack ads. His only hope is to dirty up Obama. Fortunately, the O-Bomb has done a terrific job defining himself and what he proposes to do for the country. There may be a few who are swayed, but I think McCain's sleaze will see negative reactions from far more voters.

And Obama is ready, releasing today (noon, EST) a 13 minute video laying out McCain's role in the Keating 5 scandal, the savings and loan meltdown of the late '80s that cost taxpayers $2.3B and resulted in McCain's tight buddy, big-time contributor, and all-around go-to guy Charles Keating being convicted of fraud-releated felonies and doing serious time in prison.

In the meantime, the average of the national polls has Obama up 8 points, and leading in all the battleground states except Missouri.

Of course all Obama supporters must continue to work 25 hours a day for the next 29 days, as though our man were 5 points behind. But I think we'll look back on this campaign on two levels: as the time when the Democrat ran the tightest and smartest campaign in American history, and the time when the Republican, in a "change" election year, embarrassed himself by making a "base" VP pick because even the hard-core party faithful weren't buying his act.

And all the cutesy-pie cocktail waitress winking and the Romper Room-level oration will be seen as what it is: the low-point thrashings of a dying party overwhelmingly rejected by a majority of Americans.

Any Guesses?

LACrimAtty — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:30:56 EDT

McCain Pulling Out Of Michigan

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/02/mccain-pulling-out-of-mic_n_131287.html

Great news, of course, but given the recent polling jumps Obama's seen in virtually all the battleground states--and given the sense in the media that McCain's going down in flames, and the private, high level Republican freak out in Florida a couple days ago ("Florida GOP meets in secret as Obama passes McCain in polls" http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/state/article835288.ece )--my only question is this: what kind of desperate, game-changing, horror show / outrage will McCain pull in the next few days to try to gain back momentum?

Since there are no FACTS he can look to to turn around voters, and since his style is to lie through his teeth about Obama, no matter the patent absurdity of the lie, I'm looking for an off the chart whopper or two. Or three. Make Obama deny whatever crap McCain's accused him of. But what exactly those lies might be is an open question.

Any guesses?

Obama Registers Massive Gains in Three Critical States

LACrimAtty — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:31:30 EDT

Pennsylvania Quinnipiac Obama 54, McCain 39 Obama +15

Ohio Quinnipiac Obama 50, McCain 42 Obama +8

Florida Quinnipiac Obama 51, McCain 43 Obama +8

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/latestpolls/index.html

McCain: Now Is Not The Time For Blame, But I Blame Obama

LACrimAtty — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 19:30:08 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/29/mccains-mixed-messages_n_130376.html

MSNBC Poll: Obama Won Debate 80% - 13%

LACrimAtty — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:58:20 EDT

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032553/

Video - McCain's Keating Five Scandal Problem in 97 seconds

LACrimAtty — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:53:41 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAzDEbVFcg8&eurl

Obama's current 50% rating matches his record high - Gallup

LACrimAtty — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:59:28 EDT

http://www.gallup.com/poll/110551/Gallup-Daily-Obama-50-McCain-44.aspx

An Objective Chronology of the Facts Re the Bridge & Road to Nowhere - NEWSWEEK

LACrimAtty — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:29:03 EDT

http://www.newsweek.com/id/159421

The Drilla from Wasilla Blows it Again

LACrimAtty — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:18:31 EDT

<< Ouch ... (from CNN) ...

Sarah Palin likes to tell voters around the country about how she "put the government checkbook online" in Alaska. On Thursday, Palin suggested she would take that same proposal to Washington.
"We're going to do a few new things also," she said at a rally in Cedar Rapids. "For instance, as Alaska's governor, I put the government's checkbook online so that people can see where their money's going. We'll bring that kind of transparency, that responsibility, and accountability back. We're going to bring that back to D.C."

There's just one problem with proposing to put the federal checkbook online - somebody's already done it. His name is Barack Obama. >>

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/217971.php

Obama Expanding His Lead In The Tracking Polls

LACrimAtty — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:19:12 EDT

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/obama_expanding_his_lead_in_th.php

THE KEATING FIVE: FOR THOSE TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER IT...

LACrimAtty — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:32:43 EDT

<< The Keating Five were five United States Senators accused of corruption in 1989, igniting a major political scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The five senators, Alan Cranston (D-CA), Dennis DeConcini (D-AZ), John Glenn (D-OH), John McCain (R-AZ), and Donald W. Riegle (D-MI), were accused of improperly aiding Charles H. Keating, Jr., chairman of the failed Lincoln Savings and Loan Association, which was the target of an investigation by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB). >>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five

Senate Dem Raises Keating Five, Rips McCain On Economy, Palin

LACrimAtty — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:30:31 EDT

<< "It is not so much his economic proposals but his economic record," Brown said of McCain. "His main adviser is Phil Gramm -- he was his mentor in the Senate -- and you just tie it all together. Of course John McCain supported the oil industry, he has oil lobbyists working for him. Of course John McCain supported these trade agreements, he has got Wall Street people working for him... It is all wrapped up together. John McCain is a creature of these interest groups in Washington. He is no maverick and, from the Keating Five on, his ethics have been questionable. He's not a maverick and Barack has got to just keep hammering on that." >>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/17/senate-dem-raises-keating_n_127088.html

Colin Powell: Obama win would be 'electrifying'

LACrimAtty — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:34:01 EDT

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/15/powell-still-undecided-says-obama-win-would-be-electrifying/

Republicans for obama Ad Wails on Palin

LACrimAtty — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:08:09 EDT

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

Fired Official: Palin Lied to ABC

LACrimAtty — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:54:11 EDT

<< "She's not telling the truth when she told ABC neither she nor her husband pressured me to fire Trooper Wooten," said Walt Monegan, the Alaskan official whose dismissal by Sarah Palin is the focus of a state investigation known as "Troopergate". "And she's not telling the truth to the media about her reasons for firing me." >>

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5804703&page=1

Whoa Daddy: Even Fox is Grilling McCain's Campaign for Lying

LACrimAtty — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:49:14 EDT

Fox's Megyn Kelly Grills Tucker Bounds On False Tax Claims

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

Helpful Suggestion for Obama - #1: Equal Focus on Renters

LACrimAtty — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 11:29:29 EDT

There must be millions of potential supporters/voters who rent and haven't ever been close to being able to buy a home. Why is your emphasis exclusively and consistently on the people who're having trouble making their mortgage payments? Why not also mention those who're having trouble paying their rent?

This group would include people of all ages, from recent graduates (HS or college), to middle-aged singles and parents, to retirees.

Not empathisizing with renters, from their perspective, is in the nature of conscious exclusion. Why alienate them, albeit unintentionally? Why not let them know you know what they're oing through and what you're going to do to help them?

(I'm LACrim and I approve this suggestion).

Alaskan Women's Groups Rally Against Palin

LACrimAtty — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:44:14 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/11/abc-on-troopergate-womens_n_125670.html

Gutter Politics: McCain Campaign Called Out For Half-Truths

LACrimAtty — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:53:16 EDT

The New Republic... Mark Halperin... EJ Dionne... McClatchy Papers... Joe Klein... CBS... ABC's Jake Tapper... Andrew Sullivan... MSNBC... Paul Begala... AP... David Corn... Atlanta Journal Constitution... Glenn Greenwald... Taylor Marsh... Chicago Tribune... Slate... Politico's Jonathan Martin... Ruth Marcus...
The American Prospect... Ari Melber... weight in against McCain's sleazy tactics.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/10/gutter-politics-mccain-ca_n_125291.html

McCain's Latest Bullshit (video): OK Senator, Here's Your Chance to TCB

LACrimAtty — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:37:00 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK4oWay1VbE

Here's the truth:

<< DNC's Chief Researcher: We Sent "Zero" Oppo-Guys To Alaska
By Greg Sargent - September 10, 2008, 1:50PM
As noted below, the McCain campaign has a new ad out designed to portray Obama as a predator and Sarah Palin as prey by pointing to 30 opposition researchers that the Obama team allegedly sent to Alaska to savage her.

Of course, the article that the ad references doesn't say Obama sent them -- it actually says Democrats sent them.

But the Democratic National Committee's chief of research, Mike Gehrke, tells me that the DNC hasn't sent a single researcher to Alaska. "Zero," Gehrke says.

Gehrke also offered this little gem:

"If I had 30 researchers, they'd be busy trying to keep track of McCain's houses."

The ad, as usual, is full of distortions and falsehoods. The narrator's claim of "completely false" attacks on Palin comes from a FactCheck.org examination of Internet rumors about Palin, having absolutely nothing to do with Obama. And the Wall St. Journal report of opposition researches headed to Alaska -- as if researching your opponent were wrong -- was a reference to Democratic operatives, not the Obama campaign specifically.

Separately, those with extremely long memories will recall that four years ago, the Bush-Cheney campaign -- including current McCain adviser Steve Schmidt -- also used images of wolves in an ad sliming John Kerry. In that case, the wolves represented terrorists.

This time, however, the goal is not to portray Obama as weak a la Kerry, but as threatening. So the wolves are Obama's oppo-folks, out to savage Palin. >>

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/

DEAR SENATOR OBAMA

LACrimAtty — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:54:59 EDT

Dear Senator Obama,

Yes, you kicked a little ass today, but not as forcefully as I'd like to see you do it.

My observation, Senator, you get cheap-shotted, kicked in the crotch, people expect immediate focused anger and a confrontation. You don't act that way, people think you're a wimp. Especially blue collar people, the voters you need to win this thing.

Blue collar guys, someone f__ks with them, their people, Boom, you got a bar fight. Anything less, you're a panty waist. And a panty waist is the last kind of guy people want fighting for them on any level, better wages, health insurance, you name it. Not to mention in charge of the military dealing with two wars.

There are times when the provocation is such that you're excused from being gentlemanly, where your usual thoughtfulness and restraint must give way to fighting fire with fire. All you have to do is explain the exceptional circumstances to the people then lay into McCain and his amoral lobbyist/advisers with both fists.

McCain 'opened the door' on the issue of sexism. You aren't generally, and weren't specifically--with the pig/lipstick comment--being sexist. McCain, on the other hand, has called his wife a c_nt in public and laughed during the primaries when a questioner asked (about Hillary), "how are you gonna beat the bitch?"

The video's out there; use it. People don't like hypocrites.

But only if they KNOW about the hypocrisy. Which many don't. People with two or three jobs, or mortgage or rent problems, or 'where am I gonna get food money today' anxiety may or may not get five minutes of news a day. Some overhear what's going on. The media, for the most part, repeats McCain's lies like stenographers, at least for the first couple news cycles, and by that point, you're trying to unscramble an egg; working people, your people, already are thinking the 'elitist' is acting elite again.

It's time to JUMP on this guy and his toilet politics immediately after he lies. You do that, you can turn turds into boomerangs.

And be specific. Use facts. Use analogies. For example, IMO, what McCain's doing with these lies is a form of fraud. He's feeding people false information for the purpose of cheating them out of their votes. In any other context--business, banking, sales--he'd be liable for damages, if not arrest. I mean, what's the difference between what McCain's doing and what the predatory lenders did to facilitate profits at the expense of poor people?

Make the case man. You have fabulous facts. This is an argument that can only be lost if you appear to have wimped out. And doing it right could well be a permanent game changer.

Which type headline would you rather see tomorrow? MCCAIN CALLS OBAMA SEXIST or OBAMA TAKES NO CRAP FROM ANYONE.

Chris Matthews Calls Palin's 'Bridge to Nowhere' Lie a Lie -- Video

LACrimAtty — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:03:27 EDT

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

Obama Kicks Ass Today (Finally) -- Video

LACrimAtty — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:01:56 EDT

Not as forcefully as I'd like to see him do it, but not bad.

My observation, Senator, you get cheap-shotted, kicked in the crotch, people expect immediate focused anger and a confrontation. You don't act that way, people think you're a wimp. Especially blue collar people, the voters you need to win this thing.

Blue collar guys, someone f__ks with them, Boom, you got a bar fight. Anything less, they think you're a panty waist. And a panty waist is the last kind of guy these people want fighting for them on any level, better wages, health insurance, you name it. Not to mention in charge of the military dealing with two wars.

There are times when the provocation is such that you're excused from being gentlemanly, where your usual thoughtfulness and restraint must give way to fighting fire with fire. All you have to do is explain that to the people then lay into McCain and his amoral lobbyist/advisers with both fists.

McCain 'opened the door' on the issue of sexism. You aren't and weren't--with the pig/lipstick comment--being sexist. McCain, on the other hand, has called his wife a c_nt in public and laughed during the primaries when a questioner asked (about Hillary), "how are you gonna beat the bitch?"

The video's out there; use it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLgm1I8bVVE

World wants Obama as president: poll

LACrimAtty — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:31:00 EDT

<< All 22 countries covered in the poll would prefer to see Senator Obama elected US president ahead of Republican John McCain. >>

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/09/2360240.htm?section=world

Unbelievable: Sampling Manipulation Has Caused the "Jump" in McCain "Support"

LACrimAtty — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:01:51 EDT

<< Despite a raft of advantages in the electorate for Democrats, in September's first Gallup Tracking poll, an equal number of Republicans and Democrats were surveyed (including "leaners") from Sept. 3-5, compared to a 10-point Democratic identification advantage two weeks ago. That partisan makeup of the polling pool resulted in a 5-point lead for McCain in Sept. 5 tracking poll. Meanwhile, the new CBS poll features a 6-point swing in partisan composition toward Republicans, which plays some role in the poll's two-point lead for McCain. Finally, the latest USA Today poll, which claims a four-point edge for McCain, was arrived at after a 10-point swing in partisan makeup toward GOP respondents.

Some polling experts say the changing state of party affiliation in the field is slow to be reflected in polls themselves. Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg told the Huffington Post that "when it comes to registration and turnout, the polls often do a very bad job of taking those [factors] into account," because newly registered voters aren't in the voter files used by firms that survey public opinion. "You could make the argument they are under-representing new registrants," she said, which would mean that the Democrats new edge would not be taken into account. >>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/09/poll-madness-mccain-takes_n_125158.html

When's the Funeral?

LACrimAtty — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:29:28 EDT

Apparently, this blog has died. No feedback, no comments, no nothing. For weeks now. If this is an index into the level of enthusiasm for the campaign at this point, we're in deep trouble. Anemic is maybe the best word to describe it, but dead is another option.

Rumors are floating around about lackluster fundraising, too, which if true would be consistent with the mood I'm seeing here.

The true test of commitment and character is how you handle adversity, especially extreme adversity. It's easy to be gung-ho when you're winning. It remains to be seen whether we'll suck it up and redouble our efforts, or whether the "yes we can" crowd was 'all hat and no cowboy.'

This is crunch time. My advice, get off your ass and do what's right.

Lies to Nowhere

LACrimAtty — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:03:03 EDT

http://thinkprogress.org/lies-nowhere/

Palin Makes First Major Gaffe

LACrimAtty — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:45:16 EDT

<< "You would like to think that someone who is going to be vice president and conceivable president would know what Fannie and Freddie do," said Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. "These are huge institutions and they are absolutely central to our country's mortgage debt. To not have a clue what they do doesn't speak well for her, I'd say." >>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/08/palin-makes-her-first-gaf_n_124792.html

Joe Klein (TIME) Nails McCain on Slime Tactics

LACrimAtty — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:31:57 EDT

<< There is a tendency in the media to kick ourselves, cringe and withdraw, when we are criticized. But I hope my colleagues stand strong in this case: it is important for the public to know that Palin raised taxes as governor, supported the Bridge to Nowhere before she opposed it, pursued pork-barrel projects as mayor, tried to ban books at the local library and thinks the war in Iraq is "a task from God." The attempts by the McCain campaign to bully us into not reporting such things are not only stupidly aggressive, but unprofessional in the extreme. >>

http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/angry_amateurs.html#comments

Prominent Republicans, 'Off-Mike:' Palin is Bull__it

LACrimAtty — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:43:53 EDT

<< Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan and former John McCain adviser, Time columnist, and MSNBC contributor Mike Murphy were caught on tape disparaging John McCain's selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate.

"It's over," Noonan said.

When Chuck Todd asked her if this was the most qualified woman the Republicans could nominate, Noonan responded, "The most qualified? No. I think they went for this, excuse me, political bullshit about narratives. Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and that's not what they're good at, they blow it."

Murphy characterized the choices as "cynical" and "gimmicky."

Watch (the dialogue in question starts 38 seconds in) >>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrG8w4bb3kg

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/03/peggy-noonan-mike-murphy_n_123647.html

Palin Was a Director of Indicted (Corruption) Sen. Stevens's 527 Group

LACrimAtty — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:39:42 EDT

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html

New Polls Show Significant Obama Bounce

LACrimAtty — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:10:04 EDT

<< A new USA Today/Gallup poll shows Obama with a 50%-43% lead “among registered voters. In the USA TODAY Poll taken Aug. 21-23, the Illinois senator held a 4-percentage-point lead.” More: “Obama eliminated McCain's advantage as ‘a strong and decisive leader.’ By 46%-44%, those surveyed says that characteristic applies more to Obama than McCain. Before the convention, McCain held an 8-point advantage. Obama has a 13-point advantage as someone who ‘shares your values,’ almost double the edge he held before. He has an 8-point advantage as someone who is ‘honest and trustworthy’; pre-convention, they were equal.”

Also: “McCain's favorable-unfavorable rating was 54%-38%, a healthy mark but his highest unfavorable this year. Obama's rating was 61%-32%.”

Meanwhile, a new CBS poll has Obama up eight points, 48%-40%. >>

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/02/1325048.aspx

And the Real Clear Politics national average has Obama up by 6 points.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html

Obama To Mobilize Email List For Hurricane Relief

LACrimAtty — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:32:03 EDT

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/31/obama-to-enlists-supporters-for-gustav-aid/

Palin Was FOR the Bridge to Nowhere

LACrimAtty — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:12:22 EDT

<< The Times also notes that Palin was for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it. I told Congress “thanks but no thanks” on that Bridge to Nowhere,’ she said in a speech on Friday after being introduced by Mr. McCain as his vice presidential pick. But Ms. Palin’s history with the infamous bridge - and earmarks, which many critics call pork - is more complicated.”

“As the new mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska, in 2000, Ms. Palin initiated a tradition of making annual trips to Washington to ask for more earmarks from the state’s Congressional delegation, mainly Representative Don Young and Senator Ted Stevens, both Republicans… And she expressed support for the Bridge to Nowhere earmark as well. ‘I do support the infrastructure projects that are on tap here in the State of Alaska that our Congressional delegations worked hard for,’ Ms. Palin said when asked about that bridge and another in an October 2006 television debate while campaigning for governor.”

The Washington Post runs a similar story. “‘She campaigned here, she knew what the project entailed, and she was very affirmative, unqualified: “We've got to get the bridge done,”
basically,’ Ketchikan Mayor Bob Weinstein, who supported [Democrat Tony] Knowles, said Sunday.” >>

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/09/01/1317980.aspx

Troopergate: Palin Nailed Lying - Video

LACrimAtty — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:45:54 EDT

Now there's a report that Monegan has emails from Palin telling him to fire her ex-brother-in-law or else. And Monegan also says no one from McCain's campaign ever spoke to him.

Great judgment John; apparently you've learned nothing from Bush about the dangers of shooting from the hip.

Once this video (and the emails) hit the mainstream media, Sarah Palin will be all but toast. She's about to start looking a whole lot more like Richard Nixon than some supposed maverick reformer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UojMnCgqVA

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/palins-trouble.html

Palin Laughs As Opponent Is Called "Bitch," "Cancer"

LACrimAtty — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:31:27 EDT

During the primaries, McCain laughed and didn't object when a supporter, referring to Hillary, asked how he would defeat "the bitch." Now we have Palin on tape laughing (giggling like a school kid, actually), when an opponent of hers, and a cancer survivor, is described as a bitch and a cancer. And these two hope to appeal to women, to former Hillary supporters?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/31/palin-laughs-as-opponent_n_122776.html

PALIN'S MOTHER-IN-LAW MIGHT GO FOR OBAMA

LACrimAtty — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:21:54 EDT

<< "I'm not sure what she brings to the ticket other than she's a woman and a conservative. Well, she's a better speaker than McCain," Faye Palin said with a laugh. >>

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/republican_race/2008/08/30/2008-08-30_sarah_palins_motherinlaw_uncertain_about.html

Top McCain Adviser: Palin Will Learn National Security From McCain Before He Keels Over

LACrimAtty — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 13:05:26 EDT

<< We already noted this in today's roundup, but if anything deserves its own thread, this one does.

Check out how a top McCain adviser is now defending the decision to put Sarah Palin within reach of controlling the most powerful military in human history, despite McCain's own frequent claim that national security experience is essential in our next commander-in-chief...

Mr. McCain's advisers said Friday that Mr. McCain was well aware that Ms. Palin would be criticized for her lack of foreign policy experience, but that he viewed her as exceptionally talented and intelligent and that he felt she would be able to be educated quickly.
"She's going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years, and most doctors think that he'll be around at least that long," said Charlie Black, one of Mr. McCain's top advisers, making light of concerns about Mr. McCain's health, which Mr. McCain's doctors reported as excellent in May.

Um, how reassuring. Better start cramming quick, Ms. Palin, the master's wisdom may not be accessible for much longer, and tragically, no one has yet thought to write it down for posterity...>>

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/

Palin's Brewing "Troopergate" Scandal: Investigators to Release Report 4 Days Before Election

LACrimAtty — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:52:43 EDT

<< The Attorney General's investigation quickly turned up evidence that Palin's initial denials were false. >>

<< The available evidence now suggests that she 1) tried to have an ex-relative fired from his job for personal reasons, something that was clearly inappropriate, and perhaps illegal, though possibly understandable in human terms, 2) fired a state official for not himself acting inappropriately by firing the relative, 3) lied to the public about what happened and 4) continues to lie about what happened. >>

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/211769.php

The Backlash Cometh: MSM Op-Eds Make The Anti-Palin Argument For Obama

LACrimAtty — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:33:42 EDT

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/08/the-backlash-cometh-msm-opeds.php

Biden's First Ad - Scranton Roots, "Bringing Home a Friend"

LACrimAtty — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 12:18:44 EDT

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185304443/bctid1761990933

New Yorker: Palin Was Excited That Obama Was Edging Ahead Of McCain In Alaska

LACrimAtty — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:05:53 EDT

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/09/08/080908ta_talk_gourevitch

Scholars: Palin Least Experienced Person On Major-Party Ticket In Modern Era

LACrimAtty — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:03:33 EDT

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/13001.html

Palin Repeatedly Professed Desire To Renew Federal Funding For ‘Bridge To Nowhere’»

LACrimAtty — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:58:21 EDT

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/30/palin-wanted-nowhere-bridges/

Thank You John McCain

LACrimAtty — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:11:09 EDT

Thanks to John McCain. In time, we'll come to see he couldn't have hurt himself more if he'd showed up in Dayton yesterday in drag and imitated Judy Garland.

Obama and Biden are reacting smartly about the Palin pick. Be nice and stand back.

Believe me, the media will turn Palin inside out in short order; who she is in fact will be seen soon enough without our guys or their people lifting a finger.

Already, only 24 hours into this, we know Palin believes creationism should be taught in public schools, that global warming is a "hoax" (which even McCain doesn't believe), that America should drill in ANWR (which, again, even McCain has said goes too far), that she opposed solar and wind power bills in her state, and that the right response to a teenage girl who gets raped and impregnated by, for example, a psychopathic homicidal escapee, is "screw you, have the baby."

What a slap in the face it is to America's women to think that simply because Palin is a woman, disaffected Hillary voters will flock to her. Ipso facto. Unbelievable. I mean, Hillary's supporters are progressive. They tend to be pro-choice. They tend to want to move on green technologies. And they sure as hell don't want dark ages religious instruction to be part of the public school curriculum.

Insubbordinate and reckless John McCain panicked on this one. He threw under the bus his argument that Obama isn't experienced enough to be commander in chief, his main theme all summer long. Which tells me his internal polling must paint a much direr picture of where he's at than what we're seeing in the public polls.

What other conclusions can be drawn from the fact of the Palin pick? Check out:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12997.html

How Obama Outsmarted Clinton and Won the Nomination (Roger Simon, Politico.com)

LACrimAtty — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:08:03 EDT

This article is the absolute best.

http://www.politico.com/relentless/

17 Minutes That Changed History (Washington Post)

LACrimAtty — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:21:54 EDT

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/24/AR2008082401671_pf.html

Obama-Bayh Bumper Sticker Head Fake

LACrimAtty — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:27:54 EDT

Ambinder at The Atlantic.com says this:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0808/As_the_political_world_awaits_the_news_a_Kansas_City_news_outlet_discovers.html

is a fake. Why would someone do this?

To throw the odds a bit and maybe clean up at:

http://www.intrade.com/index.jsp?request_operation=trade&request_type=action&selConID=607634

would be one good reason.

To counter-balance the Bayh speculation, we have Ambinder again, this time pointing out that a private jet that took off from Midway aiport in Chicago will touch down in Delaware in a few minutes.

<< A flight from Midway to New Castle, DE... to pick someone up? Who knows? No other flights from anywhere in and around Chicago to anywhere in and around Delaware... or vice versa. Just this charter. >>

Hmmm...

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/EJA863

Rep. Chet Edwards, Baby

LACrimAtty — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:04:51 EDT

That's my guess.

Check the man's background:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/22/chet-edwards-obamas-vice_n_120635.html

Time for A 'Keating Five' Ad

LACrimAtty — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:34:43 EDT

Obama runs with McCain's elitist admission he doesn't know how many homes he has, and McCain responds with an Obama-Rezko ad. Obama to this day remains wholly unconnected to the crimes of Tony Rezko, but why bother with facts when a Rove-style smear job's the only point?

My thought, up the ante: why not run a Keating Five ad, show McCain's involvement with fraud specialist Charles Keating, a man who makes Tony Rezko look like a misdemeanant? "McCain would write in 2002 that attending the two April 1987 meetings was "the worst mistake of my life".[24]

From Wikipedia (footnoted to, inter alia, the NYT): McCain and Keating had become personal friends following their initial contacts in 1981.[8] Between 1982 and 1987, McCain had received $112,000 in lawful[14] political contributions from Keating and his associates.[15] In addition, McCain's wife Cindy McCain and her father Jim Hensley had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators. McCain, his family, and their baby-sitter had made nine trips at Keating's expense, sometimes aboard Keating's jet. Three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating's opulent Bahamas retreat at Cat Cay. McCain did not pay Keating (in the amount of $13,433) for some of the trips until years after they were taken, when he learned that Keating was in trouble over Lincoln.

McCain Wants to Reinstate the Draft (video)

LACrimAtty — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:57:30 EDT

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/20/mccain-support-draft/

If this doesn't motivate independent voters with kids, nothing will.

Howard Fineman (Newsweek) Says It's Joe Biden

LACrimAtty — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:24:33 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/28/joe-biden-obamas-vice-pre_n_115457.html

Ex-Fellow P.O.W. - Why I Will Not Vote for John McCain

LACrimAtty — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:22:27 EDT

<< John McCain is a long-time acquaintance of mine that goes way back to our time together at the U.S. Naval Academy and as Prisoners of War in Vietnam. He is a man I respect and admire in some ways. But there are a number of reasons why I will not vote for him for President of the United States. >>

http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,164859_1,00.html

Exclusive: Obama team reserving Old State Capitol in Springfield for Saturday to showcase running mate

LACrimAtty — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:47:08 EDT

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/08/exclusive_obama_team_reserving.html

New Poll May Shed Light On Likely VP Pick

LACrimAtty — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:16:42 EDT

<< Obama leads McCain 49 - 41 percent among those who list the economy, 61 - 30 percent among those who cite the war and 66 - 24 percent among those worried about health care. McCain leads 76 - 19 percent among those who worry most about terrorism. >>

That last issue, plus the conflict in Georgia, may take Bayh out of the race and elevate Biden to the "no-brainer" category. Bayh has been a governor (executive experience), is a senator (and has served on the foreign relations committee), and most important--as a person who's always won in red state Indiana by at least 24%--most probably would deliver his state in November, and help in neighboring Ohio and with blue collar whites everywhere, including Pennsylvania and Michigan. A not insignificant bonus is the fact that he supported Hillary (thus is a "fence mending" choice) and has a terrific looking wife and young twins. The group photos of the Obama/Bayh families would be priceless.

But Bayh's seen almost universally as boring and a lightweight on the stump, and not sufficiently commanding in terms of foreign affairs.

Obama's said he intends to pick someone he trusts, above all else, and maybe he will. My hope, that that person also brings with him/her powerful foreign policy credentials, and an instinct for the jugular.

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=56921&cat=11

Massive McCain Hypocrisy: He Voted TO CONFIRM 3 of the 4 Justices He Told Warren Weren't Fit To Be On The Supreme Court

LACrimAtty — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:51:04 EDT

And the fourth was on the bench already when he got to the Senate.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/08/18/just_asking.html

Frank Rich, NYT: The Candidate We Still Don’t Know

LACrimAtty — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:58:17 EDT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/opinion/17rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Poll: Obama Faring Poorly Among Racists

LACrimAtty — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:40:39 EDT

<< "We wanted to know, why isn't Barack Obama closing the deal among racists?" said Charles Plugh, editor-in-chief of Duh. "The answer seems to be, because he's black."
Asked under what conditions they would conceivably vote for a black presidential candidate, 95% of racists responded, "Only if he was running against someone from a group I hated even more, such as Arabs." >>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/poll-obama-faring-poorly_b_119511.html

Obama Raised $51M in July

LACrimAtty — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 12:12:03 EDT

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/27049604.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUJ

Terrific Independent Pro-Obama Ad / Video

LACrimAtty — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:56:15 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBfngOsvmA0

Troops Deployed Abroad Give 6:1 to Obama

LACrimAtty — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:02:54 EDT

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/troops-deployed-abroad-give-61.html

Colin Powell to Endorse Obama

LACrimAtty — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:20:09 EDT

Brzezinksi: I Expect Powell To Endorse Obama

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/13/brzezinksi-i-expect-powel_n_118775.html

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/08/13/kristol-colin-powell-to-endorse-barack-obama/

Most Faith Voters Prefer Obama

LACrimAtty — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:10:59 EDT

<< For the most part, the various faith communities of the U.S. currently support Sen. Obama for the presidency. Among the 19 faith segments that The Barna Group tracks, evangelicals were the only segment to throw its support to Sen. McCain. Among the larger faith niches to support Sen. Obama are non-evangelical born again Christians (43% to 31%); notional Christians (44% to 28%); people aligned with faiths other than Christianity (56% to 24%); atheists and agnostics (55% to 17%); Catholics (39% vs. 29%); and Protestants (43% to 34%). In fact, if the current preferences stand pat, this would mark the first time in more than two decades that the born again vote has swung toward the Democratic candidate. >>

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrowPreview&BarnaUpdateID=314

Who Won the 10 Tix to Obama's Denver Speech?

LACrimAtty — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:44:42 EDT

Or has that not been announced yet?

TIA.

Obama Camp Video: McCain's Attack Ad Re Obama's Tax Plan "Is A Lie"

LACrimAtty — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 13:41:05 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGIqGaWZOo0

Obama's Quote of the Week

LACrimAtty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:39:18 EDT

"It's like these guys take pride in being ignorant."

On the McCain camp's sarcastic dismissal of Obama's truthful statement that properly inflated tires result in better gas mileage and lower consumption.

WSJ Publishes Pro-Obama Editorial

LACrimAtty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:43:41 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/08/wsj-publishes-pro-obama-e_n_117736.html

Plouffe: McCain's DHL Deal A Critical Moment Of Campaign

LACrimAtty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:31:06 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/08/plouffe-mccains-dhl-deal_n_117790.html

Sadr to disarm if U.S. withdraws on timetable

LACrimAtty — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:44:41 EDT

Had there been no surge, but implementation of the Obama proposal, this might have begun over a year ago. That is the point behind what even learned pundits mischaracterize as Obama's purported "refusal" to acknowledge that "the surge worked."

In fact, Obama's not denied that conditions have improved via the surge, but rather has maintained that had we, in its stead, put in place a careful, phased withdrawal plan events like the one linked up below, as well as spurring the Iraqi government to become responsive, responsible, and far less dependent on America, would have ensued. Without the loss of life and infrastructure damage and all the rest of destruction occasioned by the surge.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080808/ts_nm/iraq_dc;_ylt=AiLRWfJqwUSPa0AFQtOxhM6s0NUE

Terrific Video--Senior Moments: The Best (Worst) of John McCain

LACrimAtty — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:51:25 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWX5u69hmzY&eurl

McCain's Paid Hess Oil Lobbyists/Advisors

LACrimAtty — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:03:21 EDT

TIGHTER

Remember the roughly $300,000 that Hess oil execs dumped into the RNC-McCain campaign coffers around the time of his flip on offshore drilling?

Turns out two high-ranking McCain campaign officials were paid lobbyists for Hess oil for years, and one still may be.

--Greg Sargent / Talking Points Memo

Condoleeza Rice: US would be safe under Obama

LACrimAtty — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:05:38 EDT

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080807130345.ny0gyxd5&show_article=1

Video: Obama Nails McCain & GOP Today

LACrimAtty — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:53:55 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akjXqfvLu28

* Arizona CBS Affiliate Airs Piece Saying McCain Might Lose Arizona (Video) *

LACrimAtty — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:11:19 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M05BK-9tTI

McCain Planned To Attack Obama If He Visited Troops Abroad

LACrimAtty — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:31:03 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/31/mccain-planned-to-attack_n_116091.html

Evangelicals To McCain: Do Not Pick Romney

LACrimAtty — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:14:48 EDT

Excellent. If this means anything to McCain, then he won't pick pro-choice Ridge either. Leaving him with unknown lightweight Pawlenty. Beautiful.

Not that the O-Team couldn't take on any Repub. combo, but IMO, the lamer the better.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/29/mitt-romney-mccains-vice_n_115647.html

The A Team: Check Out Who's At Obama's Economic Meeting Today

LACrimAtty — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:54:01 EDT

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/28/1228458.aspx

The Point the Pundits Are Missing

LACrimAtty — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:43:34 EDT

Today's NBC/WSJ poll has Obama up 47%-41%, and the talk on the MSNBC political shows centered on why Obama isn't up more in light of the Republican brand being in the toilet and people wanting change more than anything.

Putting aside all the substance-based responses that spring to mind, the overarching point seems to me to be this: Even if Obama only maintains a 6% lead through November, that puts him about 6,000,000 votes ahead of McCain. You apportion that margin out giving Obama a 1/2 million vote bump in a dozen states, including a few swing or key states, and we're looking at a 350-190 electoral vote landslide.

I do think Obama's lead will increase as the election approaches, but for now I'm thrilled with 6 points.

Any thoughts?

New Poll: Americans Want Iraq Timetable 2 to 1

LACrimAtty — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:16:56 EDT

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/23/1217484.aspx

NEWSWEEK: On Foreign Policy, Obama's the True Realist

LACrimAtty — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:09:45 EDT

http://www.newsweek.com/id/147763

* Photos And Video From Barack's Foreign Tour *

LACrimAtty — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:29:53 EDT

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/19/photos-and-video-from-bar_n_113843.html

McCain's Wild Desperation Reveals His Sense of An Imminent Ass-Kicking

LACrimAtty — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:28:53 EDT

Within the last few days McCain and his people have revealed, albeit inadvertantly, how clearly they can see what's coming, an ass-kicking of major proportions. I say this not from wishful thinking, or hubris--far from it. I say it based on the desperate lengths to which McCain's camp has gone to smear Obama.

First, they argued Obama in fact is much more like Bush than McCain. What? Next, we saw them likening Obama to Rumsfeld, arguing that Obama's Iraq withdrawal strategy somehow proves that point. You stand back and ask yourself, Do they really think any voter will come away believing that if they elect Obama they'll be getting 4 years of Bush/Rumsfeld? How wacked out is that?

Then today we see this, McCain himself suggesting directly that Obama is a socialist, is at a point on the political spectrum at the opposite end from the Bush/Rumsfeld nonsense.

IMO, only a directionless, wildly desperate campaign would float all these turds in one week, especially when each, per se, is patently absurd. Clearly, the strategy seems to be throw as much garbage as possible at Obama and see if any sticks. At the same time though, they're not complete idiots. They know informed voters will see through what they're doing.

The fact that they're doing it anyway is the tip off, the main telltale sign of desperation, which itself is a sign of their belief that Obama is in the process of kicking their asses.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/18/mccain-obama-socialist-i_n_113524.html

The New Yorker--Much Worse Than Fox News

LACrimAtty — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:56:40 EDT

Unbelievable. Here we've been through almost 8 years of the dumbest, least people-friendly brand of politics in memory, now facing horror stories domestic and foreign, and in John McCain have the personification of more of the same, and just as the first truly galvanizing force in rational, progressive politics begins to introduce himself to most of America a supposed leader of the responsible press unleashes this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/13/yikes-controversial-emnew_n_112429.html

They can call it satire all they want but no one will convince me that the powers that be at the New Yorker didn't cynically forsee and in fact hope for across the spectrum press coverage based mostly on outrage and disbelief. What happened here, the people at that magazine, hurting for revenue as all magazines are, decided the justifiable heat they'll take would be outweighed by increased sales and free publicity.

Welcome to the dark side. Profits over people is the subtext of the right wing. So what if this cover will foment or reinforce prejudices among millions, as long as magazine sales are up?

How low can you go?

What's next, page 3 girls?

Republican Senator Chuck Hagel to Join Obama on Iraq Trip

LACrimAtty — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:48:46 EDT

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/07/11/hagel-to-join-obama-on-iraq-trip/

Obama Now Beating McCain in Arizona

LACrimAtty — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:03:27 EDT

http://washingtonindependent.com/view/mccains-arizona-woes