McCain/Palin On Their Merits: Not The Smart Choice

From a friend:

What if the candidates lives were reversed? What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review? What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class? What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said "I do" to? What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she no longer measured up to his standards? What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to painkillers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable organization? What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard? What if Obama were a member of the Keating-5? What if McCain were a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

If the above questions reflected reality, do you really believe the election numbers would be as close as they are? This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in another when there is a color difference.

You are The Boss... which team would you hire? With America facing historic debt, 2 wars, stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time high prison population, mortgage crises, bank foreclosures, etc.

Educational Background:

Obama: Columbia University - B.A. PoliticalScience with a Specialization in International Relations. Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Biden: University of Delaware - B.A. inHistory and B.A. in Political Science.nbsp; Syracuse University College of Law - Jurist Doctor (J.D.)

versus

McCain: United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester, North Idaho College- 2 semesters - general study, University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism, Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester, University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Now, which team are you going to hire?

PS: What if Barack Obama had an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter...

McCain: Enough Already!

The debate last night was grinding to watch. McCain went into full attack mode making the predictable accusations against Obama throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him. Do you want to see how McCain's performance played with the public? Go to YouTube and do a quick search on him. It won't take you long to find many video clips showing McCain to be angry and confused, while he flailed out at Obama. Forget about concrete proposals from McCain, except for tax cuts for businesses, the same old trickle down economics that hasn't worked for the last 30 plus years. McCain is truly a sad, washed up figure at this point. If Americans elect him they'll get what they deserve: four or more years of the same old tired Republican policies. Obama isn't perfect, but just about any Democrat would be better than McCain.

Please let this be over ASAP. No one wants to watch it any more.

Jim

GOP Slime Machine

The GOP slime machine is in overdrive. The latest is that Obama is not a natural born US Citizen and thus cannot be President. Classic. There was also an allegation that rich people are pulling their money out of the US because Obama will be elected thus causing the slide in the stock market.

These are small people spewing large lies. People in the GOP, just admit it; you should have backed Romney, Huckabee or Paul and you would have been exactly 10,000 times better off. The lipstick on a pig analogy is very appropriate. McCain/Palin isn't real, it isn't even a vapor of a political campaign. Any one of your other choices would have been better/more appropriate and more up to the job of doing the right thing for the United States. It's the reason Obama and team are creaming McCain/Palin.

And by the way, you can't even vaguely claim to vote the bible for the GOP ticket. McCain left his wife in need for a rich heiress he met in a bar. Palin is leaving her kids at home (one of whom has special needs) while she pursues her national political ego. Perhaps if she or her husband was a bit less involved with shooting animals or fooling with pulling Alaska out of the United States they'd be paying better attention to their kids and her daughter wouldn't be knocked up.

I think most Americans are thinking the same thing; I don't have the cash to pay for my house this month and McCain/Palin are talking about shooting up Iran and capturing Bin Laden. Where the hell have they been for the last 8 years? I care about the next 8 years because my family will be headed off to college and I would like to think that maybe someday before I die I won't have to work a 10 hour day.

Folks, we are in a global economic meltdown. Read about it here. The truth of it is that it is a whole bunch of events put together, not just one item and certainly not due to anything Obama has done.

We can attribute this to our Republican President and Congress though. Much of the legislation specifically in the Gramm-Leach-Billey Act set the stage for the rapid chain of events that created many of our problems. President Clinton signed it into law though. Just means we gotta not get cynical and we have to watch every damned one of them!

Here's a little known item that happened in our recent $700 billion bailout (and please correct me if I have mis-interpreted this):

Market to Market valuations have been suspended. So what? Well, let's say Lehman Brothers bought a building in New York City for $10 million. Fine, who cares? Well, market to market means that the building is valued at what the market is willing to bear for the asset. Meaning that if the building is valued at $2 million because of a real estate bust than the firm must say so to their creditors.

Ok, so now Paulson and crew step in and market to market is suspended. So, if I understand this correctly, the firms that just tanked the global economy can now value assets including securities at their full purchase price on their balance sheets. Now maybe that's a rash oversimplification (and again, correct me if I am wrong) but that seems like one hell of a huge loophole to crawl through. And it is terminology that won't get picked up or acknowledged outside of the financial community. Bottom line is that it is like an invite to cook the books.

I mention this because the news media doesn't seem to want to. Stop thinking along Democrat and Republican!!! Last I checked, we are all Americans and we have to figure out how to pull together and yank our asses out of this mess. I just hope whoever is the next President has the good sense to call some of the brightest minds in our country and not try to make this stuff up as they go along!

Marc

Pundit Puke

Just listening to the pundits puke out who won in this verbal masturbation exercise (the Presidential Debate). My favorite pundit is pictured above.

I have to say, the thing I liked most after the debates was T. Boone Pickens little shpiel for energy indepence.

I don't feel like writing a long winded article tonight. My 401k has vaporized a little over $20k this week. I know, some folks are far worse. Still, I am pissed. It takes me a long time to earn that kind of money. Time I'd would rather have been spending with my family.

And I'm tired of hearing from both candidates about how they are going to go kick ass on Iran. How about you un-fuck the world economy first?

There was far too much tough talk crap about putting pressure on, kicking ass and so on. By the way, the Russians stayed in Afghanistan for 9 years. Well trained bunch of folks, dedicated their whole army to taking a dump on the Taliban and it still didn't work and broke them fiscally. Do you hear me? History says we can't win with the added bonus of us going broke in the process.

Fix healthcare.

Fix the economy.

Get energy independence.

Make education a constant and inexpensive.

Give our vets the treatment they need.

Stop wars (both Afghanistan and Iraq).

McCain reminds me of Hoover. That's what he reminded me of during the debates.

One question I have for both candidates: when are you going to stop spending money we no longer have?

One observation of something I heard from NEITHER candidate: "I don't know everything, I'm going to find the smartest guys in our country and ask them what we should do." I will donate at least $100 of my dwindling funds to the candidate that had the guts to say that.

Marc

The Second Great Depression?

The next administration’s economic team had better be ready to hit the ground
running, because from day one it will find itself dealing with the worst
financial and economic crisis since the Great Depression. - Paul Krugman in today's New York Times.

I've heard a few people in the know say that no matter what happens with the "bailout" bill, the American economy is going to get a lot worse in the next few months. It looks like it might be a bleak holiday season. If Americans elect McCain-Palin, it will be even bleaker.

Jim

Palin And Biden: Should Be Interesting

Of course, Biden should be able to "win" any debate with the soccer momish, gun toting, six pack carrying governor of Alaska, but we'll have to see how the personal dynamics play out. Palin is someone I can't even bear to watch. I hope Biden can control his contempt of her better than McCain, who clearly hates Obama.

Jim

Did Obama Win The Debate?

Much of the post-debate conventional wisdom seems to give Obama the win. This is based upon viewing Obama's kalm and kool performance against McCain as strategically smart, sort of a political "rope-a-dope" ploy that had the effect of showing McCain as an angry old man and Obama as someone voters can be comfortable voting for.

Maybe the majority of the pundits are right and I'm wrong, but Maureen Dowd and I are in agreement about Obama's debate performance:

Given the past week, the debate should have been a cinch for Obama. But, just as in the
primaries, he willfully refuses to accept what debates are about. It’s not a
lecture hall; it’s a joust. It’s not how cerebral you are. It’s how visceral you
are. You need memorable, sharp, forceful and witty lines.
Even when McCain
sneered, “I don’t need any on-the-job training, I’m ready to go at it right
now,” Obama didn’t directly respond,
but veered off into a story about his father being from Kenya and how he got his
name. (Thanks, Barack, we got that from your book. It’s great for a
memoir, but not a debate.)
McCain kept painting Obama as naïve, and dangerous,
insisting that he “doesn’t quite understand or doesn’t get it.”
Obama should have
responded “Senator, I understand perfectly, I’m just saying you’re wrong.”

So we'll see in the next debate if either candidate changes their tactics.

Jim

Funny Sarah Palin Joke

Jimmy Kimmel:

"John McCain showed up without running mate Sarah Palin, which is a shame
because she actually has a lot of experience with financial matters. You know,
she lives right next to a bank."

Nasty McCain, Cool Obama: The First Debate

McCain was nasty but came off as the more decisive, continually hitting Obama as not understanding Iraq and being inexperienced. Obama made some good points, but his demeanor was too mild. McCain scored the kind of rhetorical jabs that resonate with people, Obama did not. I would say that McCain clearly won the debate on points even though neither candidate scored a knockout. Democrats, no matter who they nominate, seem to be unable to duke it out with Republicans on the level that appeals to average voters, who are not sophisticated and tend to view debates like they are sporting events. Silly little phrases like "you don't understand" mean nothing substantive but mean everything to voters with sports fan mentalities. Republicans like McCain know how to play the rhetorical game. Obama does not. Too bad. I think Obama's chances were not helped by last night's debate.

Jim

The NY Times Asks: What About The Rest Of Us?

From today's New York Times lead editorial:

Any bailout bill must allow struggling homeowners to modify their mortgages
in bankruptcy court. Mr. Paulson should drop his opposition now. If he won’t,
Congress should insist on the bailout for homeowners.

Except that Congress is almost half Republican and Republicans oppose any plan to allow bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages to help homeowners.

Look out today for what could be a major bloodbath on Wall Street. With Bush's own Republican House members in open revolt against his bailout plan, there is no "agreement" and so we''re back to the real risk that our financial system could collapse Great Depression style. This is what we've come to with the era of Republican sponsored reliance on the market, combined with deregulation. Thank Ronald Reagan, who got the "government is the problem" ball rolling, and the two Bushes, especially Junior, whose tax giveaways to the rich and whose war of choice in Iraq has run the county's debt to record proportions. Meanwhile Americans still continue to support John McCain, according to the most recent polls. They haven't suffered enough, apparently, and want a third Bush term.

What we're seeing may be an American fall of the empire.

Jim

Bush: Dear Leader Finally Speaks

From today's New York Times lead editorial:

It took President Bush until Wednesday night to address the American people
about the nation’s financial crisis, and pretty much all he had to offer was
fear itself. There was no acknowledgement of the shocking failure of government
regulation, or that the country cannot afford more tax cuts for the very wealthy
and budget-busting wars, or that spending at least $700 billion of taxpayers’
money to bail out Wall Street and the banks should be done carefully,
transparently and with oversight by Congress and the courts.

The Times doesn' think much of either McCain's or Obama's leadership in this crisis either, although they're harsher on McCain and his ploy to postpone the debate Friday. It does look like the outrage of the American poeple has put the brakes on any blank check for Wall Street.

Jim

Yet another dump on Democracy...

From the NY Times Today:

"The Obama and McCain campaigns have agreed to an unusual free-flowing format for the three televised presidential debates, which begin Friday, but the McCain camp fought for and won a much more structured approach for the questioning at the vice-presidential debate, advisers to both campaigns said Saturday."

In the article, there seems to be some "wrangling" over debates. Please Mr. McCain, yet another pile of shit on democracy? Hell, you've been prattling on about town halls and Obama for the last 4 months. Why would you be so afraid to have you and Sarah Palin debate like the rest of your colleagues before you? Afraid of Joe Biden? Afraid of Barack Obama?

Why the fear?

Marc

Dump The Republicans - VOTE BLUE

America Blog reader "John" wrote this:

How many times do we have to hear:

We don't have ENOUGH MONEY to fix Social Security.
We don't have ENOUGH MONEY to fix Medicare.
We don't have ENOUGH MONEY to provide health care to ALL Americans.
We don't have ENOUGH MONEY to help out Americans losing their homes.
We don't have ENOUGH MONEY to help all our veterans returning from war.
We don't have ENOUGH MONEY to rescue "no child left behind".

BUT...

We DO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
We DO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY to bail out Bears Stearns.
We DO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY to bail out AIG.
We DO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY to pay for an unnecessary TRILLION DOLLAR war.

When the LITTLE GUY needs help, they scornfully say, "GET A JOB!"But when one of their BIG GUY CRONIES need a bailout, what do they say? SURE, NO PROBLEM. Where's the checkbook?"But what about the debt we're leaving on the backs of our childen and their future?""Children? WHOSE Children? OUR children won't have to pay for this. YOUR children will."The Republicans have had their hands in our pockets for well over 8 years.Now they are robbing us blind IN BROAD DAYLIGHT and smiling about it!!!!The Republicans have shown their true colors and now they expect us to vote them back into office?What's next? Should we bend over and spread 'em? Oh, I'm sorry, but we've ALREADY DONE THAT!!SEVERAL TIMES!!!Vote for REAL change this November.VOTE BLUE

McCain Sucks - Gloves Off

OK here goes. The current financial meltdown is due to the last 40 years of Republican/Conservative hate of government and hate of regulation. Let greed run rampant and get the government out of the way of corruption and greed (except call the Feds back in to bail out the worst offenders.) That was the Republican/conservative program and now the chickens are coming home to roost. It's time that boobus America wakes up - you have been ROYALLY SCREWED by Reagan/BUSHONE/ and BUSHTWO. Wake the fuck up! If you put that lying sack of shit McCain in office with the wicked witch of the North the hateful bigot Palin you WILL GET WHAT YOU FUCKING DESERVE!

Jim

Marc - Are You Going To Be OK?

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Hewlett-Packard Co. on Monday said it would
cut 24,600 jobs and take a fourth-quarter charge of almost $2 billion as part of
its recent acquisition of IT services giant Electronic Data Systems.

My friend Marc, who contributes to this blog, works for HP. I sincerely hope this does not hurt you, Marc.

I see that Ms. Fiorina (the former head of HP and now an advisor to McSame) got something like a $21 million dollar severance package when she left. PIG.

Jim

McCain-Palin Lies Exposed!

The drumbeat is increasing about the sleazy, lie-filled Republican campaign against Obama. Some observers are telling Obama to play it coll, stay on message (against McCain, not Palin) and let the avalanche of Republican sleaze bury McCain. Others are calling for Obama to fight back. It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the next couple of months.

Jim

PHOTO: Dahlias in pots on our deck at the beach.

Friedman's Lament: McCain-Palin

"Who cares how much steel John McCain has in his gut when the steel that today
holds up our bridges, railroads, nuclear reactors and other infrastructure is
rusting? McCain talks about how he would build dozens of nuclear power plants.
Oh, really? They go for $10 billion a pop. Where is the money going to come
from? From lowering taxes? From banning abortions? From borrowing more from
China? From having Sarah Palin “reform” Washington — as if she has any more clue
how to do that than the first 100 names in the D.C. phonebook?

- Tom Friedman in today's New York Times.

Yet boobus America, or half of it, is ready to elect McCain and his clueless female Alaskan put bull with the bouffant hair. Go figure.

Jim

Herbert: "Dimwitted" Americans May Elect McCain-Palin

John McCain, who is shameless about promoting himself as America’s ultimate
patriot, put the best interests of the nation aside in making his incredibly
reckless choice of a running mate. But there is a profound double standard in
this country. The likes of John McCain and George W. Bush can do the craziest,
most irresponsible things imaginable, and it only seems to help them
politically.

- New York Times columist Bob Herbert

McCain Lacks Character To Be President

McCain has demonstrated in the last two months that he does not have the
character to be president of the United States. And that is why it is more
important than ever to ensure that Barack Obama is the next president. The
alternative is now unthinkable. And McCain - no one else - has proved it.

- Andrew Sullivan

Of Fish, Pigs, and Lipstick

The Repubs are all in a tizzy this morning over Obama's comments about McSame and change. "You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig," says Obama, and you can "wrap a fish in newspaper but it still stinks." This, says McSame, is an unfair, sexist slap at Palin.

Really? I think it's a pretty good analysis of the McSame program.

Jim