And finally…

In case you hadn’t read or heard about this today…

Appearing on a KTRS Radio show in St. Louis today, McCain Victory chair Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, was asked by the host; “Do you think she has the experience to run a major company like Hewlett Packard?”

Fiorina answered; “No, I don’t. […] But that’s not what she’s running for. Running a corporation is a different set of things.”

Ouch.

When asked about that comment later in the day during an MSNBC interview, Fiorina replied: “Well, I don't think John McCain could run a major corporation.”

Ouch again.

With surrogates like this… who needs opponents?

UPDATE: Well, apparently McCain doesn't need surrogates like this...

After hearing her bluntly state that neither he nor Palin were capable of running a major corporation, one of McCain's top campaign advisers said that she will be punished.

From CNN's Political Ticker;

"Carly will now disappear," this source said. "Senator McCain was furious." Asked to define "disappear," this source said, adding that she would be off TV for a while – but remain at the Republican National Committee and keep her role as head of the party’s joint fundraising committee with the McCain campaign.

Fiorina was booked for several TV interviews over the next few days, including one on CNN. Those interviews have been canceled.

OOOOOOOO, sounds like someone's being take out to the woodshed...

Not something to be bragging about this week John…*

“The point is, I was chairman of the commerce committee. Every part of America's economy, I oversighted. I have a long record, certainly far more extensive of being involved in our economy than Senator Obama does.”

Really? You really want to brag about being involved in the economy right now at this moment?

Keep talking Mr. McCain…it only helps us.




*but keep doing it nonetheless.

John McCain’s ‘Al Gore Moment’?

We all know how fervidly the republicans screamed in 1999 when Al Gore said (read: implied) he invented the internet (McCain himself made fun of Al Gore back then).… well, Sen. McCain’s done it this time, implying that he invented WiFi, the Cell Phone, and the Blackberry.

No lie.

Yesterday McCain told scienceblogs.com; “Under my guiding hand, Congress developed a wireless spectrum policy that spurred the rapid rise of mobile phones and Wi-Fi technology that enables Americans to surf the web while sitting at a coffee shop, airport lounge, or public park.”

Uh-huh…

Consider these examples of McCain’s ‘guiding hand’ from Daily Kos’ Devilstower, the emphasis’ are my own;

With the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Senate passed the first major revision to telecommunications law in 62 years which provided the foundation for much of the cell phone and Internet regulation over the next decade. The bill passed 81-18 and was signed into law by President Clinton. McCain voted against the act.

In 2002, McCain authored the "Consumer Broadband Deregulation Act of 2002" which eliminated the requirement of the 1996 law that telecommunication companies provide access to competitors. It didn't pass.

In 2003, the Internet Tax Freedom Act was passed, putting in place a moratorium on taxes for activities on the Internet. The bill had 11 cosponsors – McCain wasn't one of them. He did vote for the bill, but since it passed 97-3, that's definitely "guiding" with a small 'g.' Granted, this wasn't directly a bill about wireless, but since McCain doesn't seem to have authored any law on wireless technology, I'm having to search for connections.

Of pending legislation, McCain is not a sponsor of the "Connect the Nation Act" – though Senator Obama is. McCain is not a sponsor of Senator Rockefeller's call for a universal next generation broadband by 2015 – though Senator Obama is. And of course, McCain isn't a sponsor of the "Internet Freedom Act" that would ensure net neutrality – though Senator Obama is. That last is no surprise. McCain has repeatedly opposed net neutrality, saying that companies have a right to restrict speed or even limit access to sites "when you control the pipe you should be able to get profit from your investment."

So, McCain's "guiding hand" seems to consist of opposing the legislation that laid the groundwork for the communications we have today, and authoring failed legislation designed to benefit big carriers. Of course, we should probably be glad that John McCain really didn't invent the cell phone or WiFi, otherwise we'd all be getting our wireless services from one monolithic company free to restrict our access to only the pages that pay for the privilege. And we'd all be using "Jitterbugs."

So his ‘guiding hand’ consisted of being one of 97 total votes for the Internet Tax Freedom Act that put a moratorium on taxes for activities on the Internet.

While we try and wrap our minds around how that constitutes helping to create WiFi, consider this from McCain’s top economic adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin. While holding his Blackberry up in the air, Holtz-Eakin said; “He did this. […] Telecommunications of the United States is a premier innovation in the past 15 years, comes right through the Commerce committee so you’re looking at the miracle John McCain helped create and that’s what he did.”

Wow! A United States Senator is responsible for helping to create a product born in Canada… created in Canada... and founded using Canadian technology… now that’s talent and we should ALL be grateful to Sen. McCain for not only lending his ‘guiding hand’ in helping to create WiFi, the Blackberry and cell phones… lest we all be using cell phones the size of a small dog.

It’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form.

Former FCC chairman Reed Hundt sees McCain’s contribution to society differently, telling ThinkProgress; “John McCain is so out of touch with America his economics adviser says he deserves credit for creating the Canadian company that invented the Blackberry. Message to Republicans: it’s American entrepreneurship our President is supposed to encourage.”

So… McCain doesn’t know how to use technology…admittedly doesn’t like technology… has to have his wife use technology for him… but he’s now taking credit for a bit of technology that changed our lives forever.

Interesting isn’t it that when Gore said that about the internet, the traditional media went agog and crucified him mercilessly…

I’ll be waiting for that to happen to McCain.

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Our blog is fundamentally strong…

• The Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all fell in early activity this morning…
• Parade magazine ran an article this past Sunday with SCOTUS Justice Antonin Scalia. One of the questions asked him was; “Is there a role for politics in our judicial system?” Scalia: “None whatsoever. The absolute worst violation of the judge's oath is to decide a case based on a partisan or philosophical basis, rather than what the law requires.” (this, dear readers, is irony…)
• Showing that she’s got all republican traits down pat, the McCain campaign announced that Gov. Palin will not cooperate with a legislative investigation into the firing of her public safety commissioner… (give me a break. Elected officials need to be held accountable for their actions, and in not cooperating, she’s not only sending a bad message to the masses, but showing a side of her that many people won’t like. Stay tuned, her honeymoon might be over…). The campaign also accused supporters of Sen. Obama of manipulating the Palin probe for political motivations… (And how exactly would they be pulling that off??? The McCain campaign certainly seems worried about something that this investigation might show. But nothing should come as a surprise since Palin was vette… oh, wait…)
• Not surprisingly, McCain is backing away from his inane comment that the economy is “fundamentally strong”… but it’s too late, the damage is done. And the Obama campaign has quickly cashed in on his gaffe, with Sen. Biden blaming the gop for the “god-awful mess” that the economy has become and releasing a new campaign ad that says McCain is “disturbingly out of touch” with the economic problems of ordinary Americans… (this is good for the Dems and the campaign. They need to hammer McCain on this every chance they get until McCain screws up again. Though my money is on Palin screwing up this time…)
• Former secretaries of state Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Henry Kissinger, Warren Christopher and James Baker are urging the US hold talks with Iran. Said Powell; “I agree with Madeleine, and I suspect my other colleagues, that we should try to talk to them.” (When you have that much foreign policy experience and expertise in a room, one should pay heed… too bad it’s going to fall on deaf ears in this administration and campaign though…)
• A Democratic-backed proposal that would give “states the option to allow drilling between 50 and 100 miles off their shores” is expected to be up for debate as the House is expected to vote on an energy package today that would open up most of the U.S. coastline to offshore drilling… stay tuned.
• And have we mentioned? That former Virginia governor George “Football” Allen is still an idiot? Appearing on Laura Ingraham’s radio show yesterday, Allen said “Americans are not addicted to oil. Americans are addicted to freedom…” and claims that anyone who says the US is addicted to oil are spewing an “elitist point of view.” (Um… has anyone told Mr. Allen that he’s alone on that, even within his own party? After all, “President” Bush claimed that “America is addicted to oil,” back in 2006… as has California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who said earlier this year that “America is so addicted to oil it will take us years to wean ourselves from it”… so who exactly was Allen attacking in this interview? And why should we care?)
  
  

Do they make rose-colored bi-focals?

Hopefully you all remember a moment back in January when Sen. McCain said; "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should."

He wasn't just whistling Dixie… he REALLY doesn't understand economics, as evidenced by a quote from him this morning after the Dow Jones industrial average dropped 300 points, Lehman Brothers announced they were filing for bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch was forced to sell itself.

McCain; "… the fundamentals of our economy are strong."

Really? They're strong?

It didn't take McCain long to start back-peddling as he tried to amend his words later today by redefining the word "fundamentals", saying; "The American worker and their innovation and their entrepreneurship, the small business, those are the fundamentals of America and I think they're strong."

See what he did there? He's redefined the words he used so now if you say there's something wrong with the economy, you're insulting the American worker…

Very Rovian tactic there… redefine, then offer sound bite after sound bite that you're the only one able to fix the economy.

How? I'd like to know how exactly he's going to fix it…after all, his economic policies aren't any different than Bush's policies… and it's Bush's policies that ignited this economic slowdown in the first place.

Moving the goalposts every time your rhetoric doesn't fit the facts is insulting to our intelligence.

Tell me Mr. McCain; if the fundamentals are strong, why is the dollar so low?
Why is unemployment increasing?

Why is the trade deficit increasing?

Entrepreneurs and small businesses are getting screwed with their pants on in today's economy as they're less likely to be able to afford health insurance for themselves and their workers or compete with the Big Box stores that enjoy tax breaks and the like,

Obama's campaign jumped on McCain's slip-up, issuing a statement that says; "Today of all days, John McCain's stubborn insistence that the 'fundamentals of the economy are strong' shows that he is disturbingly out of touch with what's going in the lives of ordinary Americans. Even as his own ads try to convince him that the economy is in crisis, apparently his 26 years in Washington have left him incapable of understanding that the policies he supports have created an historic economic crisis," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton."

Oh, and by the way… the Dow closed 500 points lower this afternoon, its worst point drop in seven years.

So tell us again Mr. McCain… how is the economy ‘strong’?

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

Running late… but better than never.

• Stocks are tumbling as Lehman Brothers, a 158-year-old business staple in this country, filed for bankruptcy while Merrill Lynch sold themselves to Bank of America. The Wall Street trouble naturally brought out chances for each campaign to hit the other, with Sen. Obama tying Sen. McCain to the economic legacy of “President” Bush. Meanwhile, McCain said the US needs to overhaul its “patchwork quilt of regulatory oversight.” Oh, and (once again) he said “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” (His cluelessness on the economy is absolutely mind-boggling…)
• Continued thoughts and prayers to all those affected by Hurricane Ike…
• “President” Bush acknowledges the US is in financial “pain”…
• An aide to Sen. Obama says that Sen. McCain’s campaign is the “sleaziest” in modern history… and he’s not the only one, see the next ‘whacking.’
• Karl Rove says McCain went “too far” in his attack ads… (wait, what? Wow… if Karl Rove says you’ve gone too far, you know you’ve sunk to a new low. After all, who’s lower than Karl Rove??)
• On the news that Gov. Palin is about to go out on her own (I’ll believe it when I see it), Sen. Biden is about to go on the attack and will use his position as being a decades-long colleague to McCain as a bridge to accuse him of being a “sequel” to President Bush's two terms. (And when they say sequel, think “Shrek 3” as opposed to “The Dark Knight.”)
• And have we mentioned? That the fallout from “The View” and their shellacking of McCain continues? Cindy McCain criticized the media over the weekend and said the show’s hosts “picked our bones clean.” (Yes…yes they did. Which is what the media is supposed to do. McCain and Obama are running for the most powerful position in the land, and it’s the media’s right, as well as the voter’s right, to know what the candidates believe, support and think. None of the questions were out of bounds, and the McCain camp’s overwrought reaction is akin to their over-the-top reaction to LipstickpigGate… I mean, how dare people expect McCain and Palin to tell the truth and defend their positions… who do we think we are? Oh right; the voters!!)

The Weekly Rewind

Told you we were back and better than ever… no pomp, no circumstance. Just the Weekly Rewind…

Applaud: to all the people who are in the path of or have been affected by Hurricane Ike. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Heckle: to more proof that we not only have a man-child frat-boy in the Oval Office but the entire administration is making it up as they go along. In his new book “The War Within,” Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward details a telling White House meeting on Iran in the spring of 2007 attended by Bush, CentCom commander Adm. William Fallon and others. I’ll let Mr. Woodward detail it himself;

“I think we need to do something to get engaged with these guys,” Fallon said. Iraq shared a 900-mile border with Iran, and he needed guidance and a strategy for dealing with the Iranians. “Well,” Bush said, “these are assholes.” Fallon was stunned. Declaring them “assholes” was not a strategy. Lots of words and ideas were thrown around at the meeting, especially about the Iranian leaders. They were bad, evil, out of touch with their people. But no one offered a real approach.

Shocking, isn’t it? No real approach… no strategy… just name calling. Is this a presidential administration or a high school locker room? Sad and pathetic.

Applaud: to Bill O’Reilly (hold the tar and feathers and hear me out for a moment) for defending Obama during “PiglipstickGate” this week. The man who we all love to hate and ridicule led off one of his shows this past week with a piercing critique of the McCain campaign’s character and tactics in trying to tie Obama’s “lipstick on a pig” line as sexist criticism of Palin. (One of two things made this happen; Obama so impressed Bill during his appearance this past week or Hell has frozen over and pigs are flying. My vote is for the latter… but regardless of the provocation, I applaud O’Reilly for not following the lemmings over the cliff and creating faux outrage over this. Way to go Bill… we’ll go back to heckling you next week I’m sure…)

Heckle: to something that sounds as if it came out of a Dime Store potboiler… The Interior Department’s inspector general revealed earlier this week that 13 government officials improperly engaged in sex with employees of energy companies they were dealing with while also receiving gifts… with an investigation revealing a “culture of substance abuse and promiscuity.” (Lovely… throw in some Soap Opera actors in there and you could have a hit on your hands. This is about as disgusting as anything done by this administration’s hirings, not only should be ashamed of themselves but also arrested)

Applaud: to a mild-case of showing some balls… finally. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told Sen. Joe Lieberman (I r-CT) that he can “no longer attend Democrats’ weekly caucus lunches” or the biweekly chairmen’s lunches that are usually designed to formulate policy.” (About effin’ time… he should have been removed from this – and his committee-ships – a LONG time ago. Hopefully this is a hint of things to come…)

Heckle: to kowtowing Democrats in Congress. Instead of forcing the republicans to vote on something politically difficult in an election year, Congressional Democrats have thrown out plans for another vote on their proposed SCHIP expansion, concluding that since “President” Bush would not sign their legislation and that didn’t have the necessary votes to override his veto, they would just shelve it until next year. (Dumb. Asses. Regardless of the end result, holding the vote would have still forced republicans to make a decision that has even their electorate split down the middle… but nooooooo, they chicken out once again. Way to go guys…)

Appleckle: to a new a new CQ analysis that shows federal lawmakers in both parties have oppo the president far more often than at any other time since he’s been in the White House this year. On top of that, the erosion in support is most dramatic among Republicans, with House gop members supporting Bush 94% of the time in 2001 but just 63% so far this year. (Two words: Election. Year. Anyone that thinks otherwise is naïve…)

Heckle: to less than stellar witnesses. The U.S. military has been denying charges that an Aug. 22 attack on Azizabad, Afghanistan killed scores of civilians even though Afghan witnesses, the United Nations, and other human rights and international officials all disagree and say about 90 villagers were killed. Earlier this week the military changed course and, in light of “emerging evidence” have requested an investigation. Who was behind the US’ staunch refusal up to this point you ask? Well, according to the Times of London, it was an embedded journalist from Fox “News.” Did I mention the reporter was Oliver North? (It’s the ‘Oliver North’ part of this story that makes it art… talk about false witnesses… whose word will we take next, Moammar Gadhafi.. oh, wait…)

Applaud: to CNN Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware for taking McCain to task earlier this week about his constant spewing about his support of the “surge” and how it’s “succeeded” and that “we are winning in Iraq.” Earlier this week Ware took issue with McCain and his concept of “winning”, saying that if McCain seriously believes that increasing troops was the only factor in reducing violence in Iraq, then McCain “has no idea what is going on” there…(Well said Mr. Ware. It’s becoming blatantly obvious that McCain doesn’t know much about what’s going on anywhere… and further supports my argument that he’s not fit to be CIC)

Heckle: to still seeing things with blinders on. Ignoring her recent non-endorsement endorsement of Sen. Obama, SS Condi Rice told Bob Woodward; “I have believed from day one that Iraq was going to change the face of the Middle East. I’ve never stopped believing that. […] There’s nothing that I’m prouder of than the liberation of Iraq.” (Uh-huh… how about that. What color is the sky in your world Mr. Rice?)

Applaud: to former republican representative and current Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr. Appearing at this week’s 15th Annual Funniest Celebrity in Washington Contest, he said one of the best lines of the campaign season, “Does anybody know what the difference between a bulldog and a hockey mom is? The bulldog gets vetted.” (Truth stings, so this has to hurt McCain like a million stings. It’s funny cause it’s true…)

Heckle: to news that shouldn’t surprise anyone with a brain to call their own. A congressional budget analysis released earlier this week said that the federal budget deficit will reach a “near-record” $407 billion when the budget year ends later this month, which means the next president will probably face a January shortfall of well over $500 billion… oh, and McCain’s economic plan (which I swear was created ad at Amway rally) would drastically increase yearly deficits well beyond that projected $500 billion… (but remember; republicans are fisally sound…)

Applaud: to CBS late night host Craig Ferguson. Earlier this week Ferguson told his studio audience; “If you don't vote, you're a moron” before handing out voter registration cards to everyone in attendance. (Way to go Craig… nice job. And thank you…)

Heckle: to strange dinner companions. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had dinner with Libyan leader (and terrorist sponsor) Moammar Gadhafi last week where Gadhafi presented Rice with several gifts, including a locket with an engraved likeness of himself inside… eeewwwwwwwww

Applaud: to this quote from Lyda Green, republican president of the Alaska state senate; “Palin's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president? Look at what she's done to this state. What would she do to the nation?” (Well said Lyda… thank you. Anyone want to answer? Anyone? Hellooooooo? Are those crickets I hear?)

Heckle: to repeating a false, already-disproven, dropped-by-fellow-republicans, talking point. Earlier this week Ms. Palin linked the Iraq war to the 9/11 attacks. Speaking to a brigade of soldiers shipping out to Iraq (including her son) she told them that they would “defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans.” NO NO NO NO NO!!!! The ridiculous idea that Iraq had ANY responsibility for the attacks on 9/11 has been rejected by hundreds, including “President” Bush himself… so either she truly believes this and doesn’t pay attention to the news, or someone told her this and she believed it. Either way, it shows Ms. Palin truly has no idea what’s going on in the world except for her little corner of it. Sad and pathetic

Applaud?:Heckle?: Undecided: to biting the hand that feeds your tax-exempt status. In an act of defiance on IRS rules, the socially conservative Alliance Defense Fund are recruiting pastors to join them on Sept. 28th in a protest to declare that clergy have the “constitutional right to endorse political candidates from their pulpits.” (This should end well… I am mixed on this and have no opinion to offer up at this time…)

Applaud: to the best description I’ve seen yet about the media’s coverage of politics this election season from Elyas Bakhtiari; “Most news outlets cover politics like a pack of dogs chasing a flashlight beam. They don't care where that bright spot on the wall is coming from. They see it and think, "Go get it!" Then it moves to the floor, and they run as a wild pack, barking at the top of their lungs, coming up with nothing. Over and over. Meanwhile, the guy sitting in the chair with the flashlight is doubled over in laughter at how easy it is to fool these simple beasts with such a basic tool.” (very well said Elyas… wish I had said it so eloquently)

Heckle: to Sen. Lieberman who introduced a formal amendment this past week that “expresses the sense of the Senate recognizing the strategic success of the troop surge in Iraq.” Before he introduced the amendment, he said he wanted to introduce a resolution that would applaud the success of the surge “against enemies who attacked America on 9/11.” (Sigh… Wow, using this debunked myth as fact shows a level of stupidity usually reserved for reality show contestants…way to go Joe. Though the fact that he and Palin used this same argument this week suggests that he’s coaching her… and doing a piss-poor job of it. Hopefully that continues…)

Applaud: to former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee, republican turned Independent, who told a Washington Think Tank earlier this week that Gov. Palin is a “cocky wacko.” (Honestly, does anything else really need to be said? I didn’t think so…)

Heckle: to the continuing Democratic kowtowing in the House. The House is going to vote on a bill to allow expanded offshore drilling very soon, perhaps as early as next week. Trying to put “lipstick on a pig” (fake media outrage in five, four, three…), the updated energy package would allow drilling but would also repeal tax breaks for oil companies and invest in renewable energy sources. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said; “So we’re saying: OK, you want to drill, this is how it will be. No more subsidies.” (Interesting… stay tuned to see if it works or not)

Applaud: to the fact that the Large Hadron Collider didn’t destroy the world this past Wednesday; Whoo-hoo

This week’s conservative Tool of the Week goes to the executive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, Dennis Baxley. Speaking with the Miami Herald this past week, he said that he was “suspect” of Sen. Obama’s “Muslim roots and training”, saying; “He’s pretty scary to us. […] I think his Muslim roots and training — while they try to minimize it — it’s there. […] I can’t speak for anyone else but I’m probably typical of all of the people who are suspect of those Muslim roots. We all know what early intervention with children is all about, and I am really wondering what the influence was on him from his father’s background and being in a Muslim country.” (Jesus H. Christ… - blasphemy intended – who the hell is this person and why are people listening to him??? Obama’s NOT a Muslim… he’s never been a Muslim… and he’ll never be a Muslim… he’s a committed Christian… get the fuck over his name and let it go. And a note to anyone that still believe this nonsense, you are too stupid to vote and should stay home on Election Day as to not spread your hate and stupidity to others) And because of those comments, Baxley is our Tool… of the Week.

Runner-Up: White House spokesperson Dana Perino, for this exchange earlier this week in a WH briefing; Q: “But Osama bin Laden is the one that — you keep talking about his lieutenants, and, yes, they are very important, but Osama bin Laden was the mastermind of 9/11… Perino: “No, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the mastermind of 9/11, and he’s sitting in jail right now.” (The stupid; it burns!)

All I have, take ‘em as you will…

McCain Issues a Challange: Let's Meet It

Sen. McCain got pwned on ABC’s The View today… not only did the women (save for Elizabeth Hassleback who tried to take the bullet many times and failed) ravage him on the choice of Palin as his running mate, but also on the lie his campaign keep saying that she never requested earmarks as governor.

But the best part was the fact that they forced him to essentially issue a challenge… so Sen. McCain has thrown down the gauntlet… and he better be prepared for the onslaught that’s coming.

While appearing on the show today, McCain tried to defend his ‘maverick’ image and failed… epically.

Joy Behar: “… you used to be more of the Maverick, then you sort of turned.”
McCain: “In what way?”
Behar: “You became much more lockstep, I think, with your party, with George Bush’s policies. […] I don’t see the old John McCain. … I understand why — you want to get elected.”
McCain: “I’ve been through this litany before, where I say, “ok, what specific area have I quote changed?” Nobody can name it. … I am the same person and I have the same principles.”

Ooooo, a dare…

McCain argued that on issues (spending, climate change, the war in Iraq, torturing of prisoners) he’s the “same guy” he always has been.

WRONG-O!

He dared people to give examples of how he’s flip-flopped on any issue, and you know the progressive blogosphere will have a field day with this… in fact it’s already started on Think Progress and The Carpetbagger Report.

Rather than point all of them out (I don’t have that kind of time), I chose my Top Ten John McCain Flip Flops… enjoy.

10. John Hagee, Rod Parsley. Jerry Falwell. All three are ‘controversial’ (read: idiotic) religious leaders who have either said outrageous and inane things or done outrageous and inane things. First he didn’t want their endorsement… then he did… then he didn’t again, but still kept the endorsement. Confused? Imagine how McCain feels…

09. Lobbyists. Back in May of this year McCain approved a ban on lobbyists working for his campaign… months later in July his campaign changed their mind and said lobbyists could work for his campaign.

08. Roe v Wade. First he said he would NOT repealing it, now he says the exact opposite.

07. Immigration. McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill. (Voting against your own bill is damn near the definition of flip-flopping. You can also see is own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997 that he crafted yet now opposes as another example of voting against a bill he created)

06. Taxes. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them and vowing to keep them in place.

05. Social Security. First he defended the “privatizing” of Social Security and now he says he’s against privatization when in reality he still supports it. Also, at first he said he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes… not soon after he said “nothing off the table” regarding an increase in the payroll tax.

04. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill to the point he offered his own version that was panned by every veteran’s group dating back to the Peloponnesian war… how he’s for it AND taking credit for it.

03. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas, he now believes the opposite. He also believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria, he now believes the opposite. He also supported normalization of relations with Cuba… he now believes the opposite. (Do you sense a trend here?)

02. Torture. How in God’s name a former POW who was tortured over a course of five years can support waterboarding is anyone’s guess. But this past February McCain did just that and reversed course on the banning of waterboarding.

And the number one McCain flip-flop can be summed up in one word: Iraq.

McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy, however in December 2003, McCain praised the strategy as “a mission accomplished.” Later, in March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.” (Yeah, how’d that work out for us Johnny boy?)

Furthermore on Iraq, McCain said before the war in Iraq; “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”

As if that wasn’t enough, McCain has also changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq many, many many times… coming to the different conclusion that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea. 20.

McCain staunchly opposed Obama’s Iraq withdrawal timetable, and even blasted Mitt Romney for having referenced the word during the GOP primaries. In July, after Iraqi officials endorsed Obama’s policy, McCain said a 16-month calendar sounds like “a pretty good timetable.”

These aren’t even counting the facts that he opposed a holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it… or that he endorsed intelligent design creationism in 2005 before saying the opposite a year later and then months after that saying that he was for and against creationism… or the fact he opposed a variety of measures on equal pay for women but then, this past July, said that he’s “committed to making sure that there’s equal pay for equal work. That, is my record and you can count on it” (not on my life would I count on ANYTHING this man says… or how he changed course on Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumventing the law or the fact he was all for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay… now not so much.

Remember, these are only my Top Ten flip-flops. If you want more, click HERE or HERE or HERE.

Let’s take-up this challenge and show McCain, and the American people, just how much he DOES flip-flop.

And how sad is it that a show that is defined more as entertainment than news is the only one to do the work of a journalist? Looks as though Ms. Walters has a little journalistic integrity left in her after all… good job everyone.

Except you Elizabeth…

Hat tip to Think Progress for this handy guide to a few choice responses from Gov. Quayle Palin in her first, and likely judging from her performance, last, one-on-one interview.

The quotes were pulled from TP, the snark is all mine…

On National Security Credentials: “Let me speak specifically about a credential that I do bring to this table, Charlie, and that’s with the energy independence that I’ve been working on for these years as the governor of this state that produces nearly 20 percent of the U.S. domestic supply of energy.”

(Uh-huh… you work on energy independence and that qualifies you to handle our national security issues… how? I don’t know whom I’m more disgusted with; Palin for this ridiculous answer or Gibson for NOT> asking what I just did. Way to be a journalist there Chuck)

On Alaska National Guard: “GIBSON: Have you ever given any kind of command decision to the Alaska National Guard?PALIN: We have called up National Guardsmen to help in other states who have gone in emergency status. We have assisted there.

(Oh, then we were wrong. She’s called up the National Guard, she’s more than qualified to lead… it’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form)

On Traveling Outside The Country:

GIBSON: Had you ever traveled outside the country prior to your trip to Kuwait and Germany last year?PALIN: Canada, Mexico, and then yeah — that trip was the trip of a lifetime to visit our troops in Kuwait and stop and visit our injured soldiers in Germany.

(Ok, new question: ‘have you ever traveled outside the American continent prior to your trip to Kuwait and Germany last year?’)

On Visiting With Foreign Head Of State:

GIBSON: Have you ever met a foreign head of state?
PALIN: I have not and I think if you go back in history and you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer.

(Seriously? That’s your answer?)

On Russia:

PALIN: We’ve gotta keep an eye on Russia. … You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.
GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they’re doing inside Georgia?PALIN: Well, I’m giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relations with all of these countries, especially Russia.

(And we have yet another instance of the ‘Inane Palin Talking Point That Won’t Die’…she’s qualified to deal with Russia because you can see Russia from Alaska... aaaahhh, the stupid, it burns!

Seriously, has there ever been a worse performance by a VP candidate before; not counting Admiral Stockdale?)

The Shortened Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

TGIFF…

• Our thoughts and prayers go out to anyone affected or in the path of Hurricane Ike…
  In her first interview, Gov. Quayle Palin eased fears over her inexperience, talked about bridging gaps with our European allies and assured everyone that she would be a conscientious leader… just kidding, she threatened Russia, and looked like a deer in headlights when asked about “President” Bush’s doctrine. (We are oh so screwed if McCain win…)
• A senior American intelligence official said yesterday that “President” Bush approved raids into Pakistan and conducted ground assaults without seeking Islamabad's permission first. Pakistani Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani said he was “assured at the highest level by the U.S. government that no such orders exist” while also saying that he would be very displeased if they did… this should end well.
• Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain’s presidential campaigns laid down their arms yesterday in a show of unity on the seventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks. After jointly attending ceremonies honoring the victims, both senators appeared at a forum sponsored by Time magazine at Columbia University which saw the two finding found common ground on national service. Expect hostilities to resume today…
• BTW, the Bush Doctrine is defined as the whole of “President” Bush’s foreign policy principles that the administration crafted after 9/11. The doctrine essentially says that the US has the right to treat countries that harbor or give aid to terrorist groups as terrorists themselves. It also contains additional elements such as the policy of preventive war that holds the US can and should depose foreign regimes that represented a threat to our nation’s national security, regardless of how emminate the threat is. The doctrine also supports democracy around the world as a strategy for combating the spread of terrorism. So all in all the Bush doctrine means that the US has the right of anticipatory defense of preemptively striking any other country that we believe is going to attack us. Someone MAY want to hand a copy of this to Ms. Palin…
• And have we mentioned? That former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee, republican turned Independent, told a Washington Think Tank earlier this week that Gov. Palin is a “cocky wacko.” He also described McCain and his candidacy as “lackluster” and described Palin’s selection as a throwing “this firestorm, this tornado, into the whole presidential election.” (Sometimes the quotes are full of enough snark that I don’t even have to add anything. This is one of those times…)

James Carville needs to STFU… NOW!

Are you kidding me???

James Carville on CNN; “And John McCain, deep down inside my heart, you know, as you know, I've said before I admire McCain. I don't believe he knew about it. I hope somebody asked him. But I refuse to believe that John McCain agreed to airing this spot. I know he says I'm John McCain, I paid for it but they have that in the can and they do it. It I don't think he knew about it. I really don't.

So let me get this straight… the McCain camp runs an attack ad aimed at Sen. Obama that essentially says he supports pedophiles and “Democratic Consultant” Carville lets McCain off the hook??? Give. Me. A break.

Carville wasn’t done fellating McCain though, he continued, “… I mean, my point is, I really don't think that senator McCain knows about this ad, and in my heart of hearts, I want to believe he's an absolutely furious about this and somebody's being called on the carpet because this ad is blatantly completely false.”

You really think that McCain doesn’t know what his campaign is doing??? That tells me one of three four things.

1. McCain is SO detached from his own campaign that he doesn’t know what’s going on behind the scenes… just the trait one wants in their president.

2. McCain is a senile old coot that barely knows what planet he’s on at any given time.

3. Carville is an idiot who is still smarting from Sen. Clinton’s loss so much that he’s joined his wife in hoping the republicans win in November so Ms. Clinton can take another shot at the Oval Office in 2012… in which case, Carville needs to shut the fuck up and take his creepy face elsewhere.

4. All of the Above

Scott’s 2-cents, which I happen to agree with:

With less than 8 weeks to go until Election Day, now is not the time for Carville to make all nice and spread sunshine… he needs to attack.

In the past, Carville has proven himself to be an effective campaign strategist and he knows better than anyone else that just because your favorite player isn't in the game doesn’t mean that you change the game plan.

It’s now the time to pick up the playbook and get back in the game… if not, then he needs to sit this one out, STFU and let someone else help coach the Dems to victory in November.

In Memoriam

It was seven years ago today that the United States was forever changed... no politics, no snark, no punditry today.

Just a note.

We Will Never Forget...

Who said what now?

I mentioned in this morning’s ‘Daily’ that the McCain campaign is agog over the “lipstick on a pig” (henceforth known here as PiglipstickGate) thing for nothing… and I’m not the only one as former republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee appeared on Fox “News” and defended Obama’s use of the term (check Hell to make sure it hasn’t frozen over).

Now we have someone else take the McCain campaign to task…not only for over-bloviating the “pig lipstick” comment but also for dumbing down the presidential campaign as a whole.

It was Meghan McCain.

...

Yes, THAT Meghan McCain… the one who said earlier this week that her family knows “more about war than anyone on the planet” appeared on Fox “News” today and defended Obama, saying; “I've heard my dad say that, the term 'lipstick on a pig.”

She wasn’t done as she goes on to make another solid point about the McCain camp’s overwrought reaction, saying; “I don't like anyone being referred to as a pig in any context. […] I think there's a lot more educated conversations we can have about the ticket than just saying these remarks like that.”

Wait a moment… let me read that again… ‘don’t like anyone’… uh-huh… ‘lot more educated conversations’...

Wow… If I’m reading this right, and I like to think I am, she just said that her father is running a petty and inane campaign.

Sure, she’s not defending Obama per se (she hasn’t gone totally smokeless), but she IS slamming her own father’s campaign.

This campaign just got keeps getting more and more interesting. Stay tuned...

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Hump day, let’s get a humpin’…

• The Large Hadron Collider didn’t destroy the world, whoo-hoo!
• To all the people getting bent out of shape for Sen. Obama’s “lipstick on a pig” line, it’s a commonly used expression and does not refer to Gov. Quayle Palin. Now, if he had said something like “lipstick on a lying, conniving, moose-hunting cougar”, then you could get upset…
• CNN’s Roland Martin gets it… why can’t anyone else? A person’s gender, religion or race should not be a determining factor in this, or ANY, election… the issues and only the issues, are what a candidate should be judged on. If you judge on any of the aforementioned demographics, you are doing yourself, and the country, a great dis-service.
• Ron Paul is set to announce his endorsement pla—ah who cares…
• It looks as though British Prime Minister Gordon Brown breached international protocol today that prevents world leaders from endorsing candidates in foreign elections as he praised Obama… (And Blair sitting in Bush’s lap for over 7 years didn’t break any protocol????)
• Obama detailed his education plan yesterday, which includes a proposed $4,000 tax credit to middle-class college students who agree to a year of public service, while also accusing the Bush(whacked) Administration failing to act on education and putting “our nation in jeopardy.” (But NCLB was a succes—hahahahahahahahahahaha… I’m sorry, I thought I could get that out without laughing). When the McCain camp heard his plan, McCain adviser Lisa Graham Keegan remarked, “Education is obviously not the issue Senator McCain spends the most time on. […] (McCain’s) plan’s limited scope should not be interpreted as a lack of commitment to education and school reform.” (Uh-huh… then how SHOULD it be interpreted? That he is as clueless on education as he is on economics or that he doesn’t care about education and, thusly, children… hit him hard on this Obama campaign, hit him hard…)
• A steady decline in U.S. dominance in the coming decades is what a new intelligence report envisions. The report, being done for the next president on “future global risks” says that as the world is “reshaped by globalization, battered by climate change, and destabilized by regional upheavals over shortages of food, water and energy” the US will lose much of its standing in the world...
• And have we mentioned? That Rick Santorum is an idiot? But you already knew that, didn’t you? Speaking on Laura Ingraham’s radio show yesterday, he chastised the feminist community for not blindly backing Gov. Quayle Palin. (Because Rick… you dumbass… they’re taking issues into account and not some silly thing like gender which has absolutely no bearing on electability… they’re doing it properly, you guys are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the electorate...)

Is the honeymoon coming to an end?

With each passing day, another development develops (imagine that) that further deteriorates Gov. Quayle Palin’s staunch support.

No, I’m not talking about her speaking in tongues… or the pathetic news that as Mayor of Wasilla she agreed that the town’s taxpayers shouldn’t be laden with a heavier tax burden so it was decided that the town would charge rape victims for their own forensic tests (stay classy Wasilla!)… but rather a seemingly long track record of lining her own pockets with government money.

During her acceptance speech at snore-a-palooza, Quayle Palin mentioned how she fired the chef at the Governor’s mansion because she knows how to cook and, in the words of Palin spokesperson Meghan Perino Stapleton; “From the start, she's been very uncomfortable with a gourmet chef. It's a luxury she doesn't think Alaskans should be paying for.”

Really? She doesn’t think Alaskans should be paying for a personal chef… interesting.

Perhaps she could explain why she saw fit to bill Alaskan taxpayers for 312 nights that she spent in her own home?

From WaPo; “Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has billed taxpayers for 312 nights spent in her own home during her first 19 months in office, charging a "per diem" allowance intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business. […] The governor also has charged the state for travel expenses to take her children on official out-of-town missions. And her husband, Todd, has billed the state for expenses and a daily allowance for trips he makes on official business for his wife.”

Interesting… and if she did indeed fire the chef because she thought it would save her state money, why was the chef re-assigned as a “constituent relations assistant” in the governor's office and later to the state museum before finally landing as the chef for the Legislative Lounge while still getting paid the amount that she made as the chef of the governor’s residence?

To recap; she charged the people of Alaska $16,951 to live in her own house despite her claims that a chef would have been a $45,000 luxury the taxpayers shouldn’t pay for… but then she turned around and gave that woman another position within the government while charging the state to attend “Newsweek's third annual Women and Leadership Conference” where she stayed at a $707 per night hotel.

Uh-huh… explain to me how you’re a maverick and want to weed out corruption and unnecessary spending again Ms. Palin… I could use a good laugh.

And while you’re at it… explain all of this. Explain how this stacks up against your claims of being a different kind of republican….

We’re waiting Ms. Palin… and we want to hear from you, not the campaign.