Tough times for McCain

It's been a tough few days for Sen. John McCain. First, respected Republican and long-time friend Colin Powell announced his support for Obama.

The Obama campaign announced campaign contributions of $150 million in September.

And John Amato reports on Crooks and Liars that McCain's economic advisor Douglas Holtz-Eakin said Obama's health care plan is better for America. Yikes!

And now this!


I think Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars said it best: "It looks like someone is just putting in the motions this week, biding her time for her next chance in the spotlight. I'm sure the McCain campaign appreciates the hell out of this."

.

Obama and McCain at Al Smith Dinner

"Joe the Plumber"

The Associated Press answers the burning question: Who is 'Joe the Plumber'?

He is Joe Wurzelbacher, an Ohio man looking to buy a plumbing business who came to symbolize the notion of 'spreading the wealth' in Wednesday night's third and final presidential debate.

The Trail, a daily diary of the 2008 campaign published on WaPo reports: reports:

Joe the Plumber is not exactly a plumber, he's "not even close" to making the kind of money that would result in higher taxes from Democrat Barack Obama's proposals and has such an aversion to taxes that a lien was filed against him by the state of Ohio.

Such is the whirlwind of information that has come out about Joe Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio, since Republican John McCain made him famous in last night's debate. McCain mentioned him more than 20 times to use him as a symbol of hard-working Americans who would be hurt by Obama's tax policies. Obama and Wurzelbacher met earlier in the week in Toledo, where Wurzelbacher said Obama's plans to raise taxes on those making $250,000 a year or more would penalize him in his plans to buy the plumbing business for which he works. [...]

Wurzelbacher, 34, told the Associated Press that he was not a licensed plumber. Because he works for a small company that does residential work, he said, he doesn't need to be licensed.

Wurzelbacher, whose legal name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, owes the state of Ohio $1,182 in personal income taxes, according to tax records that show a lien for that amount filed against him in January 2007.

So what do you think about Joe?

The Winner and Still Champion …

Clearly the winner, and still champion, in this presidential contest is Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. McCain threw everything at Obama tonight (including the kitchen sink) and nothing seemed to stick. McCain clearly seemed unable to change the minds of the uncommitted voters featured on CNN’s instant dial poll.

With 19 days to go it would been dangerous for any progressive to take this election for granted — though God only knows why after 8 years of George W. Bush it hasn’t been an absolute runaway for the Democrats. In politics a week can be a lifetime.

That said, the CNN debate team outlined just how difficult it would be for John McCain to win. He literally would have to win EVERY toss-up state, and then some. Winning all the current states too close to call still has McCain short of the 270 electoral college votes needed to win.

So keep pushing! It's only 19 days until election day!

McCainiacs

To help you get ready for the debate!

How Racism Changes Things

The author of this is unknown to me, but it seemed worthy of posting.

How Racism works...

What if Michelle Obama walked 5 kids including a pregnant 17 year old on stage? Would racism change the perception?

What if a video surfaced of Michelle Obama being cleansed of witch craft by a black preacher?

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 at the age of 42 (for a 22 year old heiress) after she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, 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 was a charismatic, eloquent speaker?

If these 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.

Food for thought ...

.

BREAKING: McCain's Big News!

This just in from Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars:

McCain Media's Collective Yawn At McCain's Big "News"

Oh noes, McCrankypants! Your "base" is tuning you out, just like the rest of America. That's gotta hurt.

Last night, the McCain campaign issued an announcement, dutifully reported upon by Jonathan Martin of the Politico and elsewhere, that McCain would have "big news" in the morning.

The blogosphere was a-twitter. Would it be that Sarah Palin is stepping down? Or that McCain was finally making public his medical records? Or maybe that he would be REALLY maverick-y and declare with his mortgage bailout plan his official independence from the Republican Party? Oh, the possibilities were endless!

But sadly, the reality was far more humdrum. Jonathan Martin, this morning:

That "news" in the morning
Sure enough, it's Bill Ayers.
The McCain campaign is launching a web ad accusing Obama of trying to hide his ties to the 60s-era radical.

Back to the drawing board for you, McSame ...
.

McCain-Obama and The Bailout

I'm still not convinced the bailout was the right course of action to take, but for now that seems to be a moot point since it's a done deal. What I would like to point out, though, is how the media reported the role the two major party presidential candidates played in the process.

Sen. John McCain made a huge grandstanding effort to try and appear to be the candidate who would sweep into Washington to save the day ... but did he? Here is what the Post had to say:

Sen. Barack Obama's outspoken support for the package proved critical. The influence of the Democratic presidential nominee, who spent the week dialing no voters, was cited by five vote-switching freshmen as a key motivator. Obama was particularly successful in persuading members of the Congressional Black Caucus, which was deeply divided Monday. Yesterday, 13 black caucus members switched to vote for the measure.

"What helped me is Barack Obama, who called and said 'We really do have to do this,' " said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), adding that Obama promised to do more to help homeowners at risk of foreclosure if elected president.

On the Republican side, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) pulled in votes from allies such as Judy Biggert (Ill.) and Pat Tiberi (Ohio). The Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), also worked the phones, but none of the GOP vote switchers interviewed yesterday cited him as a major factor.

There you have it! No one cited Sen. John McCain as a major factor in their decision.

Now, depending on how all this works out Sen. Obama's role could come back to bite him in the butt ... but that's still to be seen. What we do know from this is the candidate with the most influence in getting what they want done in Congress appears to be Sen. Barack Obama.

.

BREAKING: McCain Announces New Energy Policy

As the election draws near Sen. John McCain, in a demonstration of leadership, has announced a bold new energy conservation initiative. Sen. McCain is urging all Americans to turn off their television sets between 9 and 10:30 PM tonight.

.

As Congress Bails OUT, Who Looked Presidential

"The fundamentals of our economy are strong" and "I'm suspending my campaign" to work on the economic crisis is how John McCain responded.

For his part, Barack Obama worked quietly behind the scenes on a solution, and tried to keep the public calm.

So who looked more presidential?

The New York Times reports:

It was classic John McCain and classic Barack Obama who grappled with the $700 billion bailout plan over the last week: Mr. McCain was by turns action-oriented and impulsive as he dive-bombed targets, while Mr. Obama was measured and cerebral and inclined to work the phones behind the scenes. [...]

For Republicans, Mr. McCain’s performance proved mixed, however. His quick call to fire the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, then his decision to suspend his campaign and return to Washington even though he lacked an alternative to the bailout, risked making him look impetuous in a moment of crisis. He comes out of this without an easily definable role or set of obvious results, though his top advisers said he had bought time for House Republicans to raise their own concerns.

“Obama’s approach to this has been very Obama — measured, cool and thoughtful, which I hope is what the country wants more than theatrical anger,” said Gov. Edward G. Rendell of Pennsylvania, a Democrat who had supported Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential candidacy.

So who looked more presidential?

The Washington Post reports on Obama and McCain:

Sen. Barack Obama said that "it's important for the American public and the markets to stay calm" in the wake of a failed vote on a financial sector bailout bill this afternoon and strongly advocated for its approval, adding, "One of the messages I have to Congress is, get this done, Democrats. Republicans, step up to the plate."

And this:

After bragging today about his role in shaping the economic bailout package, Sen. John McCain made no statement to the press after the defeat of the bill, in part at the hands of House Republicans.

Instead, McCain boarded his Straight Talk Air charter plane, where he sat in front, separated from reporters by a brown curtain, without making a comment on the bill's defeat.

So once again ... who looked more presidential?

.

McCain: "I'll think about the bailout tomorrow..."

McCain Abandons Drama, Will Debate

It was just announced that McCain will take part in tonight's debate. Clearly, McCain was useless in yesterday's bailout talks, so he might as well resume his campaign. The New York Times reports:

Senator John McCain had intended to ride back into Washington on Thursday as a leader who had put aside presidential politics to help broker a solution to the financial crisis. Instead he found himself in the midst of a remarkable partisan showdown, lacking a clear public message for how to bring it to an end.

At the bipartisan White House meeting that Mr. McCain had called for a day earlier, he sat silently for more than 40 minutes, more observer than leader, and then offered only a vague sense of where he stood, said people in the meeting.

Now what is that old saying??? Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way!

.

Letterman Mocks McCain Cancellation

Sen. John McCain was scheduled to appear on Latenight with David Letterman tonight ... but it seems the Senator won't be there.

David Letterman tells audience that McCain called him today to tell him he had to rush back to DC to deal with the economy.

Then in the middle of the taping Dave got word that McCain was, in fact just down the street being interviewed by Katie Couric. Dave even cut over to the live video of the interview, and said, "Hey Senator, can I give you a ride home?"

Earlier in the show, Dave kept saying, "You don't suspend your campaign. This doesn't smell right. This isn't the way a tested hero behaves." And he joked: "I think someone's putting something in his metamucil."

"He can't run the campaign because the economy is cratering? Fine, put in your second string quarterback, Sara Palin. Where is she?"

"What are you going to do if you're elected and things get tough? Suspend being president? We've got a guy like that now!"

.

McCain: You Can Run, But You Cannot Hide

Sen. John McCain just announced he is suspending his campaign to return to Washington to address the financial crisis. He would also like to delay the scheduled debate on Friday, claiming his attention needs to be on country first, and not on partisan politics.

Nice try Senator, but this voter isn't buying it.

First, you are tanking in the polls -- mostly because you have fumbled your way through the initial reporting of this crisis, claiming the economy was "fundamentally strong."

You followed that blunder by changing positions -- and talking points -- so frequently the whip lash from your flip-flopping risked setting off another hurricane!

And now, when it's most critical for Americans to know precisely where each candidate stands on solving this crisis you want to duck and run.

Well Sen. McCain ... you can RUN for president, but you cannot HIDE from the American people.

McCain Meltdown and a Conservative Response

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain

You might not be familiar with Richard Land, but he could very well be the deciding factor in this year's presidential election.

Richard Land, a leader of the 18 million-member Southern Baptist Convention, recently explained why he and other social conservatives are willing to allow McCain to move to the center politically -- at least for now. McCain demonstrated his loyalty to the religious right by choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

"Actions speak louder than words and Sarah Palin speaks not just volumes, but a whole library," said Land.

McCain's anti-abortion position and his choice of Palin give "people reason to believe it will be a pro-life administration," he said.

Land had lobbied McCain to add Palin to the Republican ticket. Now that his wish has been granted, Land is willing to overlook things like McCain's outreach to Log Cabin Republicans, a gay political group.

Land said conservatives appreciate McCain's efforts and don't expect him to make their agenda a cornerstone of his campaign, at least publicly, in the closing two months of the election.

Being able to deliver 18 million votes could make a significant difference in the outcome of this election. Gee ... if only Obama could have aligned himself with a vice presidential nominee who could deliver 18 million votes. Of all the bad luck.

McCain on Separation of Church and State

There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the separation of church and state in this country. Some will claim that it was the Founders who introduced "In God We Trust" as the national motto, and "under, God" in the pledge, but that is not the case. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were staunch separationists who advocated for a secular Constitution and Bill of Rights.

• IN GOD WE TRUST
  
  The nation’s motto was originally “E Pluribus Unum” (or, “From Many, One”), a phrase selected by a committee of Founding Fathers that included James Madison. "In God We Trust" made its first appearance on United States currency in 1864, during the Civil War. Done without public debate, it was placed on the 2 cent piece as a statement that God was on the side of the Union Army during the Civil War. The motto “In God We Trust” dates from the Civil War not the founding of the nation, and was not formally adopted as the national motto until 1956.
  
  
• THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
  
  The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister. Bellamy crafted the Pledge for a magazine called The Youth's Companion as part of a patriotic exercise to mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage to the New World. Bellamy, who was an advocate of church-state separation, did not include religious references in his Pledge. He also didn't include any reference to a specific nation because he had hoped the pledge might someday become a "world" pledge, and be used to bring people together. In 1954, Congress inserted the phrase "under God" into the Pledge after a lobbying campaign led by the Knights of Columbus. Until that time the Pledge had been a purely patriotic exercise. As is often the case, religion was injected into the public sphere during a time of crisis. In this case it was during the McCarthy era, and the change was seen as a blow against "godless communism" in the Soviet Union.

We are in a time of crisis, and we must choose as our next president a candidate who will stand up for separation of church and state. Religious liberty is one of our most precious freedoms, and we must do all that we can to protect it.

McCain's ads are LIES ... pass it on

The politics of distraction and why the "bad man" can't win

Obama has got to stop laughing off the attacks from the McCain/Palin camp as simply the "silly season" in politics. What we have right now is the politics of distraction. McCain/Palin NEED the politics of distraction so that voters won't discover just how aligned their politics are with the current administration.

And LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT ONE THING ... George W. Bush has nearly destroyed this country. Obama had it right during his acceptance speech when he said "ENOUGH."

We've had ENOUGH of an administration that caters to special interests -- like oil companies, defense contractors, and all the others who have seen their profits go through the ROOF during this administration -- while hard working Americans suffer.

We've had ENOUGH of an administration that can bail out failing corporations but turned a blind eye to families losing their homes.

We've had ENOUGH of an administration that continues to lie to the American people -- lies that have resulted in the deaths of THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

We've had ENOUGH of an administration so filled with corruption it's getting harder and harder to find even a single person with integrity in ANY department of government.

The political HAS become PERSONAL.

Crime in my neighborhood is skyrocketing. We've had dozens of break-ins, armed robberies and cars stolen in JUST THE PAST FEW MONTHS! The robbers are getting so brazen they are breaking into houses while the owners are home! It's so disconcerting that I just had an alarm system installed. I RESENT feeling afraid in my own home!

To make matters worse, I talked with one of my neighbors last night and she shared a chilling story. I will call my neighbor Bea. Bea and her husband moved next door about three years ago. They are wonderful neighbors -- quiet, their house and yard always look nice, and they are always willing to offer help to anyone who needs it. Bea works as a nanny and sometimes cleans houses for additional income, her husband is a contractor.

Bea had just picked up her daughter from daycare and was driving home. It was a sunny afternoon and she had just been paid by her employer -- in cash. Bea stopped to get gas on the way and had just started filling her tank when a man approached. He jumped into her car, started the engine, and drove off -- with little Abby still in her car seat in the back.

Bea's heart stopped. She was screaming for him to take her purse, take the car, but PLEASE GIVE HER DAUGHTER BACK. The man either didn't hear her, or didn't care. In a split second he, the car, and little Abby were GONE.

Bea started running after her car, screaming at the man. Someone at the station called the police.

I can't even begin to know the horror my dear friend must have felt as she watched her daughter being so violently taken away.

As she was telling me this story my heart stopped. Abby is a beautiful little three year old girl. When I see the two of them together it's not at all uncommon for Abby to come running toward me, with her arms outstretched, wanting me to pick her up. She is so sweet and loving. All I could see was her face.

And then fear was replace by anger. I was angry at George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for their greed -- greed that created a climate where people feel desperate. Some so desperate they will do despicable things. I wanted Bush and Cheney, and all their cronies, in prison -- for a very long time.

This story has a happy ending. The carjacker ditched the car a few miles from the scene of the crime. He took Bea's purse -- with the $300 she had earned that week -- but he left our beautiful little Abby in the back seat.

Another driver saw the car, with the gasoline hose still attached, and called the police. Abby was back in her mothers arms within the hour, and Bea understands just how incredibly lucky she is. She can replace her $300 salary, she can replace all the contents of her purse ... the one thing that could NEVER have been replaced was Abby.

Abby is still traumatized by the incident. When she sees a man who matches the description of the carjacker she begins to cry and asks her parents "is the bad man going to hurt me?"

Now it's personal ... our little Abby is safe and sound at home with her parents. We were lucky -- and I'm using the universal "we" because Abby's safety is the responsibility of ALL OF US ... and WE simply can't let the bad man win ... again.

.

Statement of Sen. Barbara Boxer on McCain Acceptance Speech

September 5, 2008

Last night at the Republican National Convention, John McCain used the word "fight" more than 40 times in his speech.

In the 16 years that we have served together in the Senate, I have seen John McCain fight.

I have seen him fight against raising the federal minimum wage 14 times.

I have seen him fight against making sure that women earn equal pay for equal work.

I have seen him fight against a women's right to choose so consistently that he received a zero percent vote rating from pro-choice organizations.

I have seen him fight against helping families gain access to birth control.

I have seen him fight against Social Security, even going so far as to call its current funding system "an absolute disgrace."

And I saw him fight against the new GI Bill of Rights until it became politically untenable for him to do so.

John McCain voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007 and 100 percent of the time in 2008 -- that's no maverick.

We do have two real fighters for change in this election -- their names are Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Go Sen. Boxer!