McCain's Private Visit With Chilean Dictator Pinochet Revealed For First Time

John Dinges:

"John McCain, who has harshly criticized the idea of sitting down with dictators without pre-conditions, appears to have done just that."

Continue reading.

McCain Featured In Iran-Contra Group's Newsletter

McCain Featured In Iran-Contra Group's Newsletter:

"A newsletter from 1984 provides more embarrassing evidence of John McCain's relationship with the U.S. Council on World Freedom, a group that was involved in funding militant anti-communists and espoused some anti-Semitic views...."

Police: McCain Volunteer's "Mutilation" Story Made Up

A Pittsburgh police commander says a volunteer for the McCain campaign who reported being robbed and attacked near a bank ATM in Bloomfield has confessed to making up the story. Police say charges will be filed. More details to follow.

read more | digg story

Technorati tags: Ashley Toddy, Fake, Mutilation, volunteer, McCain, Barack Obama, Swift boat, lie

How Did This Happen?

Don't Let Conservatives Rewrite History:

"Conservatives are desperately trying to shift the blame for the financial crisis away from its true cause — a bankrupt governing philosophy. Get the facts, so you can challenge the myths about the core causes of the meltdown and share the truth with others."

Educate Yourself and Take Action Here.

Technorati tags: U.S. Economy, collapse, meltdown, financial crisis, Republicans, Conservatives, Election, 2008

Ron Howard's Call For Obama With Andy Griffith And Henry Winkler

Ron Howard is the latest star to voice his support for Obama, and he did it alongside his old costars Andy Griffith and Henry Winkler in a video for Funny or Die. Watch him strip down, trim his nose hair and don an Opie wig for a black and white call to action before fast-forwarding to "Happy Days."

ENJOY:

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Technorati tags: Ron Howard, Andy Griffith, Celebrities, Endorsements, Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Barack Obama, Video, humor

Eric Hirshberg: Republicans Voting for Obama: In Their Own Words

Eric Hirshberg: Republicans Voting for Obama: In Their Own Words

"There are a number of people in my life -- some family, some friends, some colleagues -- with whom I have never agreed upon anything political. Ever. These are my political opposites. My bizarre-o twins. And they have been my adversaries in countless debates; the kind nobody ever wins, but nobody ever seems to tire of, either.

Sadly, politics have become sort of a new sports league in modern culture. We don't really listen to each other's points of view so much as we pick a side and root for it. And just as with our favorite sports teams, our faith in our parties can become blind. I have had about as much success convincing my Republican father-in-law of my liberal points of view as I have had convincing my father, an Ohio State alumnus, to root for Michigan.

But over the last few months, something unprecedented has happened. Almost all these folks have told me that, for the first time ever, they are voting for the same candidate I am: Barack Obama.

Now, these are not casual conservatives...." Continue Reading

"...I thought we were making an ad campaign about Obama. But I think we ended up making an ad campaign about the essential ingredient that makes democracy work: an open mind. We don't belong to our political parties. Our political parties belong to us."

Technorati tags: Ed Hirshberg, Republicans, Conservatives, Endorsement, Barack Obama, Politics, John McCain, President, Election, 2008

McCain's Radical Health Plan, Once Ignored, Now Hotly Debated

Roger Hickey (Huffington Post):

"Growing voter concerns over the financial crisis are closely connected to worries about health care. The latest Institute for America's Future Op Ed ad in Tuesday's NY Times links the two issues directly, with the headline: WILL WE LET CONSERVATIVES DO TO HEALTH CARE WHAT THEY DID TO BANKING? As voters feel the economy go into a tailspin, they join the millions of Americans already fearful they will lose their jobs and their health coverage.

Conservatives generally ignore health care, but now all politicians are forced to say something. In just the last few several weeks, the national media have finally started to cover the stark differences between John McCain and Barack Obama on health care. And it took some active education to get them to report the story...."

Continue reading.

Related:

• Coalition of Liberal, Rights Groups Attacks McCain Health Care Plan | The Trail | washingtonpost.com


• Health Care -- Fact-checking FactCheck.org


• Countdown: The Dangers of McCain's Free Market Healthcare Plan | Crooks and Liars (VIDEO)

ACT NOW! Tell John McCain and Sarah Palin to Reject the Politics of Division

ColorOfChange.org:



The Republican nominees are increasingly relying on a strategy of race-baiting and fear-mongering to win this election. It's completely unacceptable and it has to stop.

— Click here to see the email we sent to our members. —

Watch the video from Brave New Films showing the McCain/Palin campaign and its supporters in action. Then, please sign the open letter demanding that they reject the politics of division and fear. We'll publicize the letter and make the sure the McCain campaign has to respond.

When you're done, please pass the video and the letter on to your friends and family and ask them to do the same.

Add your voice, now!

This is the open letter we're publishing and sending to to the McCain/Palin campaign.

Dear Senator McCain and Governor Palin,

Time and again in America, people of all races and backgrounds have overcome division and fear, and come together to uplift the country and create a more equal and just society. It's part of what makes this country great.

With an African-American nominee running on a major party ticket and a woman on the Republican ticket for the first time in history, this campaign has seen Americans--men and women of all races--inspired to continue that great tradition, coming together to bridge the gaps that history has set between us in service of our national progress.

But let us be clear: while we have made great strides in this country when it comes to racial equality, we are not finished. Now, more than ever, we need leadership that understands that we live in complex times where too many are quick to judge another by the complexion of their skin or the sound of their name.

In the last few weeks, Senator McCain and Governor Palin, rhetoric at your campaign events has taken an increasingly dangerous tone that seems to ignore the precarious state of our progress when it comes to race and ethnicity.

Supporters at your rallies and other events have used hateful language and called for violence against Sen. Obama yelling "kill him!" "off with his head!" and "bomb Obama."

For the most part, you have stood by in silence. In addition, you have also repeatedly made statements that somehow connect Senator Obama with terrorism. Your surrogates have emphasized his middle name. This is problematic and dangerous, and we believe helps create the conditions that have given rise to these incidents of violent rhetoric from some of your supporters.

Today, we're standing together as Americans of all political persuasions to express our deep concern that the decisions of your campaign are contributing to a dangerous atmosphere of paranoia, division, and hate that, as we have already seen, has the potential to seriously harm our country and its progress.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

In these trying times, candidates seeking the highest offices in the land must call on the best in each of us, and call off the worst.

We urge you to join people of conscience from all races and backgrounds to reject the politics of division and fear, and come together to uplift the country and create a more equal and just society.

-- The undersigned --

Technorati tags: media, John McCain, Sarah Palin, activism, hate mongering, hate speech, robo calls, smear campaign

Demand McCain-Palin End Hate Mongering Robo Calls!

The robo calls from the McCain campaign are very, very ugly. They are using these calls to encourage fear and hate. They call Obama everything from a terrorist to a baby killer.

202-863-8500 is the number of the Republican National Committee. Other GOP contact numbers are here. Please call and express your disgust. Also, call all your local and national politicians.

Call your local media and express your disgust. We do not have to tolerate this fear and hate mongering. It is time for Americans to stand up and say "Enough!"

Thank you!

Colin Powell Endorses Obama

Colin Powell Endorses Obama

"Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Sunday that he will break with his party and vote for Sen. Barack Obama. "He has both style and substance. I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said on NBC's Meet the Press...." Continue reading.

Related:

• Brzezinski: Powell's Obama Endorsement A "Comprehensive Indictment" Of McCain-Palin Ticket

  ..."I was impressed by the comprehensive indictment of the current Republican ticket that was implicit in Powell's statement. It was not just about foreign affairs, it was a comprehensive statement that conveys the message that the more traditionally centrist Republicans are coming to view the McCain-Palin ticket as some sort of deviation -- some sort of break -- with the genuine traditions of the Republican Party."...

Technorati tags: Colin Powell, endorsement, Barack Obama, 2008 Presidential Campaign, Election, Powell endorses Obama, Politics, news, Meet the Press, Brzezinski

He Just Can’t Quit W

Frank Rich | New York Times :

"McCain isn't, as he and his defenders keep protesting, a passive martyr to a catastrophic administration. He could have made separating himself from Bush the brave, central and even conservative focus of his campaign. Far from doing that, he embraced the Bush ethos - if not the incredible shrinking man himself - more tightly than ever...."

Technorati tags: Frank Rich, The New York Times, McCain, 2008, President, George Bush

Can You Imagine It? We Can.

Take a Look:

Palin as President

Click on the link, wait to load, and then move your cursor to the various parts of the oval office. Don't forget to look out the windows, under the couch cushions, and into desk cabinets, too. And don't forget the red phone!

Enjoy. Then vote for Obama.

McCain/Palin Strategy: All Lies. All Attacks. All the Time.

Cartoon Credit: Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Related:

• Racist 'N-Word' Calls Reported In Pennsylvania

  "According to the election analysis site FiveThirtyEight.com, some Pennsylvanians have complained about a call that impersonates Barack Obama and includes racial epithets..."

Technorati tags: Personal attacks, John McCain, Barack Obama, Smears, Swift-boat, attacks, Robo calls, racial slurs, epithets, dirty politics, 2008 Presidential Election

The Truth About Barack Obama and William Ayers

Smear groups and now a desperate McCain campaign are trying to connect Barack to William Ayers using age-old guilt by association techniques. Here’s the truth: the smear associating Barack to Ayers is “phony,” “tenuous,” – even “exaggerated at best if not outright false.”

William Ayers is a professor of education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with whom Barack served on the board of an education-reform organization in the mid-1990’s. According to the Associated Press, they are not close: “No evidence shows they were “pals” or even close when they worked on community boards years ago …”

Smear groups and the McCain campaign are trying to connect Obama to acts Ayers committed 40 years ago – when Barack was just eight years old. Here’s what the New York Times reported on the connection:

But the two men do not appear to have been close. Nor has Mr. Obama ever expressed sympathy for the radical views and actions of Mr. Ayers, whom he has called “somebody who engaged in detestable acts 40 years ago, when I was 8.”

Barack has publicly denounced Ayers’ radical actions from the 1960’s:

Senator Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence. But he was an eight-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost forty years ago is ridiculous.

Fight back with the truth: make sure anyone who has seen this smear also sees this page.

Technorati tags: Smears, Barack Obama, William Ayers, McCain, Palin, Truth about Barack Obama, activism, fight smears

� Surveillance Gone Amok

The Bush Cabal continues their abuse of powers--largely unreported-- while the media obsesses over the McCain/Palin campaign's never-ending, ever more outrageous, distorted character attacks on Senator Barack Obama.

Wake up, people.

ACLU Blog:

In pushing for ever-expanding and unaccountable surveillance authority, the Bush Administration has assured the public that it aims its spying capabilities at serious security threats. But as two government whistleblowers recently revealed to ABC News, surveillance programs touted as critical to protect national security have in fact been used to monitor the private communications of innocent Americans abroad, including humanitarian workers and U.S. service-members. While disturbing, ABC’s report confirms a core contention of the ACLU’s lawsuit challenging Congress’s recent expansion of governmental spying powers: unchecked surveillance authority invades the privacy of innocent Americans, and in doing so, fundamentally undermines the efforts of human rights workers, journalists, and attorneys doing important work around the globe.

Two former military intercept operators — the people who actually intercept, monitor, and collect international telephone and email communications — told ABC News that "hundreds of US citizens overseas have been eavesdropped on as they called friends and family back home." The operators worked for the National Security Agency ("NSA"), the spy agency chiefly responsible for international surveillance. They report that NSA routinely listened in on the innocent, and sometimes intimate, conversations of Americans abroad. There were apparently no effective procedures in place to filter out these kinds of communications.

The NSA program went beyond invading the personal privacy of Americans abroad (and their friends and family on the other end of the line). NSA also directed its surveillance powers at well-established humanitarian organizations, like the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. As one whistleblower told ABC News: "We knew they were working for these aid organizations. . . . And yet, instead of blocking these phone numbers we continued to collect on them."...

Illustration credit: seattlepi.nwsource.com/.../Cartoon20060214.gif

Technorati tags: Military, ACLU, domestic surveillance, ABC News, NSA, abuse of power, Bush administration

Let’s Get Fiscal

Paul Krugman | NYTimes.com:

"It’s now clear that rescuing the banks is just the beginning: the nonfinancial economy is also in desperate need of help.

And to provide that help, we’re going to have to put some prejudices aside. It’s politically fashionable to rant against government spending and demand fiscal responsibility. But right now, increased government spending is just what the doctor ordered, and concerns about the budget deficit should be put on hold...." Continue Reading.

Technorati tags: Paul Krugman, New York Times, Economy, 2008 Presidential Election, Recession, Depression, United States, Layoffs, Job loss, op ed

The Terrorist Barack Hussein Obama

Frank Rich | NYTimes.com:

"IF you think way back to the start of this marathon campaign, back when it seemed preposterous that any black man could be a serious presidential contender, then you remember the biggest fear about Barack Obama: a crazy person might take a shot at him.

Some voters told reporters that they didn’t want Obama to run, let alone win, should his very presence unleash the demons who have stalked America from Lincoln to King. After consultation with Congress, Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, gave Obama a Secret Service detail earlier than any presidential candidate in our history — in May 2007, some eight months before the first Democratic primaries.

“I’ve got the best protection in the world, so stop worrying,” Obama reassured his supporters. Eventually the country got conditioned to his appearing in large arenas without incident (though I confess that the first loud burst of fireworks at the end of his convention stadium speech gave me a start). In America, nothing does succeed like success. The fear receded.

Until now. At McCain-Palin rallies, the raucous and insistent cries of “Treason!” and “Terrorist!” and “Kill him!” and “Off with his head!” as well as the uninhibited slinging of racial epithets, are actually something new in a campaign that has seen almost every conceivable twist. They are alarms. Doing nothing is not an option...." Continue reading.

Photo Credit: http://politigal1.blogspot.com

Technorati tags: Frank Rich, New York Times, Barack Obama, John McCain, terrorist, politics of fear, smear tactics, dirty politics, swift-boat, election 2008

More Obama Endorsements

• LA Times: Obama For President


• Ali Velshi Speaks About CNN's Business Coverage, The American Job Market, And Why Barack Obama Is Stronger On The Economy Than John McCain


• The Choice: The New Yorker

  "...What most distinguishes the candidates, however, is character—and here, contrary to conventional wisdom, Obama is clearly the stronger of the two...."

• Barack Obama for President | washingtonpost.com

  "THE NOMINATING process this year produced two unusually talented and qualified presidential candidates. There are few public figures we have respected more over the years than Sen. John McCain. Yet it is without ambivalence that we endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president...."

• Bush-Supporter Dennis Hopper Switches His Vote: "I Pray" Obama Wins


• Lawrence O'Donnell: Colin Powell Is Ready To Endorse

  Will it be Obama?

• Conservative Talk Radio Host Endorses Obama

  "On Friday, two dependable conservative organs backed Democrat Barack Obama for president...."

• CHICAGO TRIBUNE ENDORSEMENT: Chicago Tribune endorses Barack Obama for president

  "...On Nov. 4 we're going to elect a president to lead us through a perilous time and restore in us a common sense of national purpose.
  
  The strongest candidate to do that is Sen. Barack Obama. The Tribune is proud to endorse him today for president of the United States...."

• Obama is the choice | ajc.com:

  "The 44th president of the United States will take office in an uncertain and dangerous time for this country. The challenges we face both overseas and here at home are complex and unfamiliar, and the road ahead is likely to be very different from the road we have traveled to get here.
  
  Leading the country in such a time will require someone of intellect, creativity, honesty and passion for those traits that have made America great. That person is U.S. Sen. Barack Obama."

• THE CHRONICLE RECOMMENDS: Barack Obama for president:

  "The Illinois senator has shown beyond a doubt that he is the one to lead the nation in troubled times."

• South Florida Times: Some of McCain's black relatives support Obama

  “We simply need to look at the economy, and McCain’s campaign does not take us there,” said Joyce McCain, Lillie’s sister, a retired engineering manager with General Motors who lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan. “He is my cousin, but we are in dire times right now and people are hurting. Sen. Obama is clearly the best choice to be president.’’

• Miami Herald endorses Obama for president:

  "... A clear choice
  
  Indeed, the way the two candidates responded to the economic meltdown offers a lesson in contrasting styles of leadership. Both have put forth a series of worthwhile policy options, but where Sen. Obama was calm, Sen. McCain was frantic. He first put his campaign ''on hold'' and suggested he would cancel the first debate, and then suddenly decided to take part even as the first bailout deal cratered. He said the fundamentals of the economy were strong, then a few days later vowed to ''name the names'' of those responsible for the financial crisis.
  
  In other elections, voters have complained of having to make a choice between two bad candidates. That is not the case this time. The nation is fortunate to have good candidates and a clear choice. Sen. Obama represents the best chance for America to make a clean break with the culture wars and failed policies of the past, and begin to restore the hope and promise of America as the world's greatest democracy."

• OpEdNews | � 5 Obama Endorsements: Cleveland, Austin, St.Pete, Gainesville,Tuscaloosa, Orlando

Photo Credit: Barack Obama. (obamarama.org)

Technorati tags: Obama, Endorsements, 2008 Presidential Election, Michael Smerconish, Talk Radio, host, Politics, Chicago Tribune

McCain: Not Presidential Material

NEW: Leonard Pitts, Jr. (Detroit Free Press) writes:

"My 401(k) is down $21,000 since the end of September. And John McCain thinks I should be worried about William Ayers.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but these are strange days. And it's difficult not to empathize with the Arizona senator, who has spent these last weeks flailing like a man trying to hit a fastball in the dark. His campaign has lurched about looking for ways to connect; the attempt to tie Barack Obama to Ayers, a onetime '60s radical, is among the most desperate and disappointing.

It is worth remembering there were once two compelling arguments for a McCain presidency. The first, he was a man of long experience, and experience matters. The second, he was a man of honor, of such fierce moral courage that he would never put that which was political above that which was right.

McCain took the first argument off the table when he chose as his running mate the former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a woman of such meager substance that even conservatives have been lining up to denounce her. He is now in the process of taking a sledgehammer to the second argument. It's not a pretty sight...."

• Bob Shrum: Time to Ask McCain: "Have You No Sense of Decency Left?":

  "The McCain campaign crossed the line today from negative character attacks to the kind of character assassination that plays to the basest impulses and incites the most dangerous reaction."

• McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam In Lobbying Effort

  "William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.
  
  The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government...."

• McCain's Dirty Domestic Terrorism Associations | Election 2008 | AlterNet

  MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has a very interesting report on McCain's own 'character' and 'judgment.'

• t r u t h o u t | Politics of Attack:

  "�It is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember."

• A List of McCain's Nastiest Moments | Election 2008 | AlterNet

  "Think there's no way that John's actually that bad? You haven't seen this list...."

• McCain Defends His Own Association With Unrepentant Criminal: It's Ok, He Went To Jail

  "After weeks of hammering Barack Obama for having an association with a former Weather Undergound member, John McCain was asked Thursday afternoon about his own connections to a past felon: G. Gordon Liddy...."

• McCain/Palin supporters let their racist roots show | Crooks and Liars (VIDEO)

  "It was kind of strange, dintcha think, that John McCain came to the defense of his supporters last night after Barack Obama pointed out that people at McCain/Palin rallies were shouting out "terrorist" and "kill him!" in reference to Obama.
  
  Now an Al Jazeera camera crew caught the honest sentiments of McCain/Palin supporters at an Ohio rally..."

• Chuck Lasker: No Excuse For Dirty Politics

  "I am tired of hearing that the McCain campaign must go negative, that they "have no choice." The assumption is that a campaign MUST do whatever it takes, no matter how dirty and nasty, to win. They're wrong. There is another choice.
  
  The latest dirty, baseless accusations that Obama "pals around" with a terrorist are the worst yet. It has incited violent threats, and implies that a good patriot would do anything to keep Obama from becoming president. Shouts of "kill him" and "terrorist" are examples of how far the rhetoric has come, and John McCain seems to be fine with this kind of hate...."

• RNC Mailer: What Does Obama Want From Islamic Terrorists?

  More vicious, dishonest fear tactics directed at Barack Obama from the self-proclaimed American Hero McCain....

• MUST READ: ACORN Fires Back, Claims McCain Ignored Impending Crisis

  ...[I]n last night's debate, McCain accused ACORN of "maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy."
  
  Today, the group fired back by releasing a report, 'ACORN vs. McCain: The Real Story of the Financial Crisis 1999 to 2008,' attacking McCain for his lack of warnings about the impending subprime mortgage crisis last year.
  
  Austin King, the director of the ACORN Financial Justice Center, writes..."

• ACORN: McCain And GOP Used To Be Supporters


• Wave Of McCain Robocalls Reported, Some May Violate State Law


• Diane Tucker: Cindy McCain's Attack On Obama's Record Offends Military Spouses


• Amy Zalman: Improving America's Reputation -- McCain Would Lecture, Obama Would Listen:

  "Since 2003, international polls have consistently revealed worldwide distaste for American foreign policy in the Middle East; the Bush Administration's 'war on terror'; the Iraq war; and the American disregard for international conventions regarding detainee treatment. In combination with recent concern among foreign publics that the United States adversely affects their own national economies, these views amount to the collapse of America's reputation around the world...."

• Times Exposes Anti-Semitic Obama Slanderer, Finally

  "...By any measure, it would appear that Barack Obama has had the worst of it this election season, but John McCain is no stranger to those sorts of attacks, either. Nor is he a stranger to those sorts of attackers, having hired them to work on his campaign...."

Technorati tags: John McCain, politics, personal destruction, character assassination, smears, lies, swift-boat, dirty politics, William Timmons, lobbyist, Saddam Hussein, attack, racist, Palin

Palin: Hypocrisy in Heels

As the "Pit Bull in Lipstick" continues to hawk her lies, smears, and self-adulation across the the country, the mainstream media continues to give short shrift to Ms. Palin's remarkably ethically-challenged history:

• Palin has checkered history on ethics issues

  "ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose reformer image took a hit in a report concluding she abused her powers to settle a family score, has skirted state ethics rules before for personal benefit and used her office to help friends and supporters, according to an Associated Press review of records...."

• Secret Service Blocking Reporters At Palin Rallies: Milbank

  "Via Romenesko, the Washington Post's Dana Milbank reveals in an online chat that the Secret Service is stopping people reporters from interviewing people at Palin rallies...." Find out why.

• Palin Used Exxon, Oil Industry-Funded Scientists for Global Warming Study | PEEK | AlterNet:

  "No wonder her science is a little fuzzy."

• Palin Blurs Line Between Church And State As Governor

  "An Associated Press review of the Republican vice presidential candidate's record as mayor and governor reveals her use of elected office to promote religious causes, sometimes at taxpayer expense and in ways that blur the line between church and state...."

• Frank Naif: Todd Palin's Past Political Associations A Likely Security Clearance Disqualifier:

  "Although Sarah Palin smack talks Barack Obama for 'palling around with terrorists,' it turns out that the Palin family has its own history of palling around with Alaska's own unique brand of America-haters. Palin's husband Todd was once an actual member of the secessionist Alaskan Independence Party (AIP). Palin herself was not a member of AIP -- but many AIP luminaries claim her as a kindred spirit and 'one of their own.'
  
  A charitable characterization of AIP might be 'quirky down-home Alaska politics.' However, the security processes that govern access to our defense and national security institutions might not look so kindly on Todd Palin's past political associations. Indeed, if Todd Palin were applying for a job in the US government or at a contractor that required access to sensitive classified information -- a security clearance -- he would very likely be ineligible."

• Campaign AdWatch: Rape Victim Assails Palin On Choice (VIDEO)


• 12 New Stomach-Turning Revelations About Sarah Palin | Election 2008 | AlterNet:

  "Palin has taken to smearing Obama. But it's her own record that continues to yield alarming information, undermining her skills and credibility...."

Technorati tags: Sarah Palin, Religion, Ethics, reporters, media, oil, global warming, church, state, 2008, vice president, election

Olbermann "Special Comment" On Violent Rhetoric At McCain-Palin Rallies

Once again, Keith Olbermann takes the thoughts out of my head and crafts them into words with impact:

(For transcript: Click Here.)

Frank Schaeffer: An Open Letter to John McCain

Frank Schaeffer: An Open Letter to John McCain:

"Senator John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as 'not one of us,' I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence...." Continue Reading

This post first ran in the Baltimore Sun as an op-ed on Oct 10, 2008. Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back. Now in paperback.

Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: "Steal Back Your Vote!"

t r u t h o u t | Greg Palast and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.:

Investigative journalist Greg Palast and voting rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have partnered up to create the "Steal Back Your Vote!" guide. In an interview with Truthout, Palast describes the ways votes are being stolen ahead of the 2008 election and gives suggestions on how Americans can ensure that their vote gets counted.

For full story, see this page.

Christopher Buckley Resigns From National Review After Obama Endorsement

Jason Linkins (Huffington Post):

"Within hours of my endorsement appearing in The Daily Beast it became clear that National Review had a serious problem on its hands. So the next morning, I thought the only decent thing to do would be to offer to resign my column there. This offer was accepted--rather briskly!--by Rich Lowry, NR's editor, and its publisher, the superb and able and fine Jack Fowler. I retain the fondest feelings for the magazine that my father founded, but I will admit to a certain sadness that an act of publishing a reasoned argument for the opposition should result in acrimony and disavowal...." Continue Reading.

Christopher Hitchens Endorses Obama

Vote Obama. McCain lacks the character and temperament to be president. And Palin is simply a disgrace.

By Christopher Hitchens
Slate Magazine:

"MCCAIN LACKS THE CHARACTER AND TEMPERAMENT TO BE PRESIDENT. AND PALIN IS SIMPLY A DISGRACE.

...Last week's so-called town-hall event showed Sen. John McCain to be someone suffering from an increasingly obvious and embarrassing deficit, both cognitive and physical. And the only public events that have so far featured his absurd choice of running mate have shown her to be a deceiving and unscrupulous woman utterly unversed in any of the needful political discourses but easily trained to utter preposterous lies and to appeal to the basest element of her audience. McCain occasionally remembers to stress matters like honor and to disown innuendoes and slanders, but this only makes him look both more senile and more cynical, since it cannot (can it?) be other than his wish and design that he has engaged a deputy who does the innuendoes and slanders for him.

I suppose it could be said, as Michael Gerson has alleged, that the Obama campaign's choice of the word erratic to describe McCain is also an insinuation. But really, it's only a euphemism. Anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear had to feel sorry for the old lion on his last outing and wish that he could be taken somewhere soothing and restful before the night was out. The train-wreck sentences, the whistlings in the pipes, the alarming and bewildered handhold phrases—"My friends"—to get him through the next 10 seconds. I haven't felt such pity for anyone since the late Adm. James Stockdale humiliated himself as Ross Perot's running mate. And I am sorry to have to say it, but Stockdale had also distinguished himself in America's most disastrous and shameful war, and it didn't qualify him then and it doesn't qualify McCain now.

The most insulting thing that a politician can do is to compel you to ask yourself: "What does he take me for?" Precisely this question is provoked by the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin. I wrote not long ago that it was not right to condescend to her just because of her provincial roots or her piety, let alone her slight flirtatiousness, but really her conduct since then has been a national disgrace. It turns out that none of her early claims to political courage was founded in fact, and it further turns out that some of the untested rumors about her—her vindictiveness in local quarrels, her bizarre religious and political affiliations—were very well-founded, indeed. Moreover, given the nasty and lowly task of stirring up the whack-job fringe of the party's right wing and of recycling patent falsehoods about Obama's position on Afghanistan, she has drawn upon the only talent that she apparently possesses...."

Photo Credit: Barack Obama. (Slate)

Republicans on McCain:

• Noonan, York, Toobin And Others Take Aim At McCain


• Lashing Out: McCain Flack Turns On Bill Kristol:

  "The state of the McCain campaign is drawing fire from its own ostensible allies. At the head of the line of Republicans looking to be the first to flick dirt on McCain's grave is Bill Kristol, who says in today's New York Times, that if 'the race continues over the next three weeks to be a conventional one, McCain is doomed.' Since that's coming from a guy who, through his own bad advice, has contributed mightily to the grave McCain is measuring, it makes sense that he be given the first shovel of dirt."

Martial Law Imminent: U.S. Army is Deployed in the U.S. to "Keep the Peace"

MUST SEE

Warning: Bush Coup

Bush Declares Military Rule and Can Overthrow U.S. Government

"George W. Bush has the power to suspend the elections and declare nationwide martial law once this economic crisis worsens. Research the federal reserve and the real reasons behind this economic collapse. Research PDD51 and George Bush's new dictatorial powers...."

Part 1 of 2



Part 2 of 2

Links to Martial Law docs:

• http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_homeland_090708w/


• http://www.apfn.org/apfn/flag.htm

Early Warnings:

• RBS issues global stock and credit crash alert - Telegraph

  Note the date this warning was issued, the lack of action by our government, and the ensuing crisis.

Also See:

• Is Posse Comitatus Dead? | War on Iraq | AlterNet:

  "Why are there active duty soldiers stationed on U.S. streets?"

• Thousands of Troops Are Deployed on U.S. Streets Ready to Carry Out "Crowd Control"�

Zeitgeist The Movie : Addendum -- NOW RELEASED: CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Technorati tags: Marshall Law, Fall of America, Coup, Zeitgeist, movie, Addendum, Bush, U.S. Army, Bailout, Economy, Collapse, 2008, Election

Who is the More Green Candidate? Compare.

Know the facts before you vote. Compare the Candidates Policy Proposals:

Click on the Chart for Larger View.

For more information see: See at a glance where the presidential candidates stand on climate and energy issues | Grist

Technorati tags: Energy, Climate, Climate Change, Green, Energy Policy, Global Warming, Environment, Energy Policy, Barack Obama, John McCain, 2008, Election, Presidential

GOP Strategy: If You Can't Win It, Steal It

• Voter Purges Could Cause Florida-like Presidential Recounts | Democracy and Elections | AlterNet:

  "If the November vote is close, key swing states that have been illegally rejecting voters could become recount battlegrounds like Florida...."

• t r u t h o u t | GOP Attacks on American Voters Turn Desperate, Ugly and Dangerous:

  "The GOP assault on American voters has hit full stride as the economy and John McCain tank in synch."

• Why the GOP Is Nuts About ACORN | Democracy and Elections | AlterNet:

  "Attacks on ACORN appear to be part of a broader GOP strategy to shrink the number of Dem voters and sow doubts if the election turns out to be close...."

• Memo to GOP: Minority Homeowners Did Not Cause Wall St. Meltdown | Democracy and Elections | AlterNet:

  "ACORN has decidedly moved past the stage of being ignored and even the stage of being laughed at. ACORN is now being attacked. Next comes victory."

• Justice Watch: Justice Department Outsources Voting Rights Hotline

  "...[I]t appears the Department of Justice (DOJ) has contracted its Voting Rights Section’s 2008 U.S. Election Hotline to none other than defense contractor Lockheed Martin. For those of you not familiar with this service, the hotline was created for callers to determine registration status, report voter
  intimidation and suppression, and to ask general questions about voting procedures and eligibility.
  
  Should Lockheed Martin, which spends roughly $10 million dollars per year lobbying the federal government, and which currently lists as one of its vice-presidents a nominee for a hotly contested congressional race in New Jersey, have the final say over who can and cannot provide guidance to distressed voters on Election Day?
  
  With campaign contributions to over 50 candidates in this election cycle alone from Lockheed Martin, the question remains—where’s the justice in the DOJ?"

Technorati tags: GOP, ACORN, Vote fraud, voter registration, voter purge, blackbox voting, Democrats, Republicans

Truth Fights Back!

Stop the Smears

"This site empowers you to fight against the rightwing smear machine. That machine is bigger than any one campaign and doesn't end after any one election. So get involved and fight back with the truth."

Technorati tags: Barack Obama, Presidential, John McCain, Politics, Smears, Democrat, Republican, activism

Who Is Barack Obama?

John McCain and Sarah Palin keep asking: "Who is Barack Obama?"

Here's a behind-the-scenes look:



Music by Greg Kuehn for Peligro Music and Sound Design.

Technorati tags: Barack Obama, Who is Barack Obama?, Michelle, Obama, Joe Biden, 2008 campaign

Who is the REAL Sarah Palin?

Someone You Can't Trust

Panel Finds Palin Abused Authority in Firing State Official | NYTimes.com:

"A legislative committee investigating Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, the Republican vice presidential candidate, issued a report Friday night that found she unlawfully abused her authority by firing the state’s public safety commissioner...."

Also See:

• Palin E-Mails: Judge Orders State To Preserve


• Monegan responds to Todd Palin’s statement in Troopergate investigation

Technorati tags: Sarah Palin, Troopergate, Alaska, Governor, Vice President, 2008 campaign, investigation, abuse of power

Who Is Cindy McCain?

Someone lacking ethics and honesty.

Cindy McCain Kept Keating Partnership After Scandal:

"Sen. John McCain's wife and father-in-law continued a lucrative business partnership with disgraced financier Charles H. Keating Jr. for 11 years after the GOP presidential nominee said he ended his close friendship with Keating in March 1987.

Cindy McCain's business partnership with Keating in a real-estate development between 1986 and 1998 netted her a tidy profit, in addition to years of significant tax benefits. Her father, who died in 2000, earned similar returns...."

Every day, it becomes more apparent that John McCain is part of the problem, not the solution to our current economic crisis. Every day, he continues to try to bring down Barack Obama with lies and distortions directed at both his policies and his character. Every day it becomes apparent that John McCain's attempts to divide us in a time of crisis is the exact opposite of what this country needs.

Photo credit: Cindy McCain. (Huffington Post)

Who is John McCain?

An angry, bitter hypocrite who lies, incites hatred, divides the country, and offers no positive vision for America

• Who You Callin’ a Maverick? | NYTimes.com


• Campbell Brown Blasts McCain Campaign For "Race Baiting"


• Obama Called "Traitor" Again At McCain Rally


• GOP Former Gov: "He Is Not The McCain I Endorsed"


• Former McCain Strategist Warns Against "Angry Mob"


• McCain Defends His Rabid Crowds


• "Keep The N*gger Out Of Office" | TheSmokingGun.com

"OCTOBER 8--Angered by a delay in the receipt of his voter registration card, a Louisiana man today threatened election officials, claiming that he urgently needed to cast a ballot to "keep the nigger out of office," according to police. Wade Williams, 75, was arrested this morning on a felony terrorizing charge...."

• Report: McCain Exploded With Rage During Gambling Outing


• Is the McCain Campaign Behind the Hate Speech at Rallies? | AlterNet: "

  'It is obviously with tacit approval; and quite probably on the campaign's specific instructions.'"

• McCain's Last Stand : Rolling Stone:

  "When it comes to Iraq, the Arizona senator remains a prisoner of Vietnam, bravely taking a bullet for a commander in chief who betrayed him"

• The GOP Peddles Economic Snake Oil | WSJ.com:

  "OK, let me get this straight: The central axiom of conservative Republicanism is that government is inherently corrupt and can't do anything right.
  
  Over many years of ascendancy, conservative Republicans have filled government agencies with conservative Republicans and proceeded to enact the conservative Republican policy wish list -- tax cuts, deregulation, privatization, outsourcing federal work, and so on.
  
  And as a consequence of these policies our conservative Republican government has bungled most of the big tasks that have fallen to it. The rescue and recovery of the Gulf Coast was a disaster. The reconstruction of Iraq was a disaster. The regulatory agencies became so dumb they didn't even see the disasters they were set up to prevent. And each disaster was attributable to the conservative philosophy of government.
  
  Yet now we are supposed to vote for more conservative Republicans because we learned from the last bunch of conservative Republicans that government just doesn't work...."

• It's Judgment Day for McCain - WSJ.com:

  "Last week, Republican presidential candidate John McCain called for a commission to 'find out what went wrong' on Wall Street. It was an excellent suggestion: Public inquiries into Wall Street practices served the country well in the 1930s.
  
  And Mr. McCain has a special advantage to bring to any such investigation -- many of the relevant witnesses are friends or colleagues of his. In fact, he can probably get to the bottom of the whole mess just by cross-examining the people riding on his campaign bus...."

• How Scary the Economy Would Be in McCain's Hands | Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace | AlterNet:

  "McCain's economic plan contradicts his recently held fundamental views and is far out of touch with the needs of the country."

• McCain's Dirty Domestic Terrorism Associations | AlterNet:

  "MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has a very interesting report on McCain's own 'character' and 'judgment.'"

• John McCain's Pastors are Worse Than Obama's - News Bloggers

  "While Senator Obama's pastor has been ripped to shreds in the media, John McCain's have gotten a complete free ride...."

• McCain Backer Hagee Said Hitler Was Fulfilling God's Will (AUDIO)


• McCain's Pastor Problem: The Video:

  "In a taped sermon, the preacher McCain calls a 'spiritual guide' calls on America to see the 'false religion' of Islam 'destroyed.' Still, the candidate won't reject Rod Parsley's endorsement."

• YouTube - McCain's Spiritual Guide


• YouTube - McCain EMBRACES wacko NEOCON PASTOR Hagee


• Think Progress | McCain ‘Very Honored’ By Support Of Pastor Preaching ‘End-Time Confrontation With Iran’


• The Young Turks: Different Standards for Black and White Preachers:

  "Rudy Giuliani's priest has been accused in grand jury proceedings of molesting several children and covering up the molestation of others. Giuliani would not disavow him on the campaign trail and still works with him.
  Mitt Romney was part of a church that did not view black Americans as equals and actively discriminated against them. He stayed with that church all the way into his early thirties, until they were finally forced to change their policies to come into compliance with civil rights legislation. Romney never disavowed his church back then or now. He said he was proud of the faith of his fathers.
  
  Jerry Falwell said America had 9/11 coming because we tolerated gays, feminists and liberals. It was our fault. Our chickens had come home to roost, if you will. John McCain proudly received his support and even spoke at his university's commencement.
  
  Reverend John Hagee has called the Catholic Church the "Great Whore." He has said that the Anti-Christ will rise out of the European Union (of course, the Anti-Christ will also be Jewish). He has said all Muslims are trained to kill and will be part of the devil's army when Armageddon comes (which he hopes is soon). John McCain continues to say he is proud of Reverend Hagee's endorsement.
  Reverend Rod Parsley believes America was founded to destroy Islam. Since this is such an outlandish claim, I have to add for the record, that he is not kidding. Reverend Parsley says Islam is an "anti-Christ religion" brought down from a "demon spirit." Of course, we are in a war against all Muslims, including presumably Muslim-Americans. Buts since Parsley believes this is a Christian nation and that it should be run as a theocracy, he is not very concerned what Muslim-Americans think.
  
  John McCain says Reverend Rod Parsley is his "spiritual guide."
  
  What separates all of these outrageous preachers from Barack Obama's? You guessed it. They're white and Reverend Jeremiah Wright is not. If it's not racism that's causing the disparity in media treatment of these preachers, then what is it? [...]"

Technorati tags: John McCain, 2008, Campaign, Smear tactics, Who is John McCain, Maverick

McCain-Palin: Pure Hutzpah

Palin pre-empts state report, clears self in probe:

"ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Trying to head off a potentially embarrassing state ethics report on GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, campaign officials released their own report Thursday that clears her of any wrongdoing...."

Photo credit: A protester holds a sign outside of a fundraiser for Republican vice presidential Nominee Alaska Governor Sarah Palin in Dallas, Texas October 3, 2008. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi (UNITED STATES) Yahoo! News Photos

Sarah Palin: Palling Around With Secessionists

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Alaskan Independence Party: The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel:

...[I]f McCarthy-era guilt-by-association is once again a valid political consideration, Palin, it would seem, has more to lose than Obama. Palin, it could be argued, following her own logic, thinks so little of America's perfection that she continues to "pal around" with a man--her husband, actually--who only recently terminated his seven-year membership in the Alaskan Independence Party. Putting plunder above patriotism, the members of this treasonous cabal aim to break our country into pieces and walk away with Alaska's rich federal oil fields and one-fifth of America's land base--an area three-fourths the size of the Civil War Confederacy.

AIP's charter commits the party "to the ultimate independence of Alaska," from the United States which it refers to as "the colonial bureaucracy in Washington." It proclaims Alaska's 1959 induction as a state "as illegal and in violation of the United Nations charter and international law."

AIP's creation was inspired by the rabidly violent anti-Americanism of its founding father Joe Vogler, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," reads a favorite Vogler quote on AIP's current website, "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Alaska, says current Chairwoman Lynette Clark, "should be an independent nation."

Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad. The prior year, he had renounced his allegiance to the United States explaining that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government." He cursed the stars and stripes, promising, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." Palin has never denounced Vogler or his detestable anti-Americanism.

Palin's husband Todd remained an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002. Sarah can be described in McCarthy-era palaver as a "fellow traveler." While retaining her Republican registration, she attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska. The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 convention and she recorded a video greeting for this year's 2008 convention. In other words, this is not something that happened when she was eight!

So when Palin accuses Barack of "not seeing the same America as you and me," maybe she is referring to an America without Alaska. In any case, isn't it time the media start giving equal time to Palin's buddy list of anti-American bombers and other radical associates?

Trouble viewing this video? Click here.

Palin's secession flirtation | Rosa Brooks | Los Angeles Times:

"That John McCain -- he's such a maverick!

Just when you thought you had him figured out, McCain threw another curveball -- picking rookie Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whom he barely knows, as his running mate.

As ex-Democrat Joe Lieberman told the Republican convention Tuesday night, everyone recognizes McCain's "record of independence. ... God only made one John McCain, and he's his own man."

Uh-huh. Some might call it reckless for a 72-year-old to offer the vice presidency of the United States to someone with as little national experience as Palin. The McCain campaign calls it showing independence.

Still, don't be too hard on Palin. Like McCain, she's independence-minded -- very, very independence-minded. And, it turns out, there's much more to her than you might at first have thought...." Continue reading.

Trouble viewing this video? Click here.

Also see:

• YouTube - Palin addresses AIP convention

  "Former member of AIP, Sarah Palin, addresses Alaskan Independent Party convention.
  
  Watch this other clip here of Dexter Clark, vice chairman of the Alaska Independence party confirming that Sarah Palin was once a member of the AIP. The clips are long, you can skip to 6:00 in to hear the reference to Palin.

  'Our current governor, we mentioned at the last conference, the one we were hoping would get elected, Sarah Palin, did get elected. There's a joke, she's a pretty good looking gal, there's a joke goes around we're the coldest state with the hottest governor. And there was a lot of talk about her moving up. She was an AIP member before she got the job as a mayor of a small town -- that was a non-partisan job. But you get along to go along -- she eventually joined the Republican Party, where she had all kinds of problems with their ethics, and well, I won't go into that. She also had about an 80% approval rating, and is pretty well sympathetic to her former membership.'

  Clark goes on to talk about the need for AIP members to 'infiltrate the major political parties'.
  
  Very important to watch these clips also to get the full context."

Also See:

• The Palins' un-American activities | Salon:

  "Imagine if the Obamas had hooked up with a violently anti-American group in league with the government of Iran."

Technorati tags: Sarah Palin, Alaska, Independence Party, Secession, 2008, Campaign, Vice President, politics

A Conservative for Obama

By Wick Allison, EDITOR IN CHIEF, D Magazine:

"My party has slipped its moorings. It’s time for a true pragmatist to lead the country

THE MORE I LISTEN TO AND READ ABOUT “the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate,” the more I like him. Barack Obama strikes a chord with me like no political figure since Ronald Reagan. To explain why, I need to explain why I am a conservative and what it means to me...."

Technorati tags: Barack Obama, D Magazine, Media, Endorsement, 2008, Election, Politics, Conservatives, Liberals, Wick Allison

Out of Touch Weekly: Meet John McCain!

From vanityfair.com:

"...John McCain’s first foray into tabloid superstardom. VF.com presents a preview of what’s sure to be the talk of supermarket aisles across this fair land...."

Why After 75 Years, Esquire Endorsed a Pres. Candidate

Esquire:

Two years ago, in our issue that hit newsstands a month before the midterm elections, we decided to make a statement about how important the '06 elections were (and how important it was for our readers to participate) that we endorsed a candidate in every federal election in the country, and for good measure, in gubernatorial races as well...

read more | digg story

What if things were switched around?

What if the Obamas had paraded five children across the stage, following the debate, including a three month-old infant and an unwed, pregnant teenage daughter?

What if John McCain was a former president of the Harvard Law Review?

What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his college graduating class?

What if McCain had only married once, and Obama was divorced?

What if Obama had met his second wife in a bar and had a long affair while he was still married?

What if Michelle Obama was the wife who not only became addicted to pain killers but also acquired them illegally through her charitable organization?

What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

What if Obama had been a member of the Keating Five?(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.)

What if Obama couldn't read from a teleprompter?

What if Obama was the one who had military experience that included discipline problems and a record of crashing seven planes?

What if Obama was the one who was known to publicly display a serious anger management problem?

What if Michelle Obama's family had made their money from beer distribution?

You could easily add to this list. If these questions reflected a reality, if the tables were turned, 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 qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative characteristics in another when there is a color difference.

And, think of this: the candidates' educational backgrounds:

Barack Obama:

Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization innternational Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Joseph Biden:

University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

John McCain:

United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah 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

Education isn't everything, but this is about the two highest offices in the land as well as our standing in the world.

You make the call.

(Thanks to rdny P. hedgehogg who passed this email to me.)