Exclusive: Barack Obama is 'aloof' says British ambassador to US

Barack Obama is a "decidedly liberal" senator "who was finding his feet, and then got diverted by his presidential ambitions", according to a frank verdict delivered to Gordon Brown by the British ambassador to the United States.

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Todays What the Fuck Moment

From Delilah Boyd, The Obama Channel
Channel 73 on the Dish Network is now The Obama Channel.

Obama's media buying strategy has been marked by a willingness to work the angles and to try to pick up a few votes at the margins. The decision to go to everything from extensive radio buys to odd-hour infomercials reflects the fact that the campaign media buyers spend a lot of time thinking about how much persuasion any given dollar can buy, and given a very cheap format — late night cable channels that need filler, for instance — will settle for a thimblefull of persuasion.

The satellite channel is the latest of these marginal gambits: Three readers from different parts of the country email that Channel 073-00 on the Dish Network is now labeled OBAMA. ("What is up with Sen. Obama having his own channel?" asks a St. Louis reader.) The channel plays his two-minute ad laying out his economic plan on a loop, over and over.

The only explanation: The media buyers think they can reach enough people per dollar to make it worth the odd buy.

The channel's appearance has provoked scorn and alarm on conservative blogs, though, and some discussion on a forum for Satellite TV aficionados, where one user writes that a Dish Network executive e-mailed to reassure the user that it "is paid advertising by the Obama campaign and is not an endorsement of Sen. Obama by DISH Network" and will broadcast through Nov. 4.

"DISH Network Channel 73 is paid advertising by the Obama campaign and is not an endorsement of Senator Obama by DISH Network. DISH Network made the same offer to the McCain campaign, an offer that remains open," Dish Network spokesman Parker McConachie emailed Politico.

UPDATE: Thursday, viewers said, the Obama channel started airing a wider variety of Obama content than just his two-minute ad, including other ads and the video that introduced him at the Democratic National Convention.

Tom In Paine: HOW DEMOCRATS CAN BURY OBAMA, SEE McCAIN WIN, STILL GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT AND RESPECT THEMSELVES IN THE MORNING.

Tom In Paine: HOW DEMOCRATS CAN BURY OBAMA, SEE McCAIN WIN, STILL GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT AND RESPECT THEMSELVES IN THE MORNING.

Dr. Lynette Long interview on Al Jazeera

Time Out

Fury at $2.5bn bonus for Lehman's New York staff

Up to 10,000 staff at the New York office of the bankrupt investment bank Lehman Brothers will share a bonus pool set aside for them that is worth $2.5bn, Barclays Bank, which is buying the business, confirmed last night.

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The Truth About the Bailout.

The Truth: $700 Billion American Taxpayer Dollars to go to Foreigners! You must read this if you have been following this farce.

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Sign seen on Wall Street

Pelosi paid husband with PAC funds $99,000 for rent, utilities, accounting fees

One word for this. Hypocrite

Last year, Mrs. Pelosi supported a bill that would have banned members of Congress from putting spouses on their campaign staffs. The bill - which passed the House in a voice vote but did not get out of a Senate committee - banned not only direct payments by congressional campaign committees and PACs to spouses for services including consulting and fundraising, but also "indirect compensation," such as payments to companies that employ spouses.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has directed nearly $100,000 from her political action committee to her husband's real estate and investment firm over the past decade, a practice of paying a spouse with political donations that she supported banning last year.

Financial Leasing Services Inc. (FLS), owned by Paul F. Pelosi, has received $99,000 in rent, utilities and accounting fees from the speaker's "PAC to the Future" over the PAC's nine-year history.

The payments have quadrupled since Mr. Pelosi took over as treasurer of his wife's committee in 2007, Federal Election Commission records show. FLS is on track to take in $48,000 in payments this year alone - eight times as much as it received annually from 2000 to 2005, when the committee was run by another treasurer.

Lawmakers' frequent use of campaign donations to pay relatives emerged as an issue in the 2006 election campaigns, when the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal gave Democrats fodder to criticize Republicans such as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas and Rep. John T. Doolittle of California for putting their wives on their campaign and PAC payrolls for fundraising work. Read the rest here

Why Bail?

I've heard lots of phony stories. Much of the country's political and economic leadership has been running around raising the prospect of the Great Depression and a breakdown in the banking system (I actually had taken the latter seriously). These stories are absolutely not true.

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Fantastic Commerical to be Aired by Democrats for Principle Before Party

Check out the commercial Heidi and Mark have been busy creating for airing on local TV stations - It hits Obama squarely in his weak spot.
Would You Buy a Used Car From this Man?
And, remember to donate $5.00 or $10.00 bucks to get this on the air in battle ground states! No amount is too small. This is a crucial time in the election process, so don't be shy - Donate!

The Democratic Party must be brought back to the people who created it - not the elites who are breaking it.

Todays What the Fuck Moment

Camp Obama children sing for der fuhrer. Shudder.

Sing for Change chronicles a recent Sunday afternoon, when 22 children, ages 5-12, gathered to sing original songs in the belief that their singing would lift up our communities for the coming election. Light, hope, courage and love shine through these nonvoting children who believe that their very best contribution to the Obama campaign is to sing.

Non-voting children? Really? Call ACORN - I'm sure someone from the O campaign will rush right over to sign them up.

Bill Clinton Flustered Defending Wright/Obama Connection

Via Hillbuzz

How allies of George Soros helped bring down Wachovia Bank

Funding the Obama machine with profits from subprime mortgages. Welcome to the world of billionaire "progressives" Herbert and Marion Sandler.

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Brit's take on the Subprime Banking Mess

Obama & Friends Caused US Ecomonic Crisis

A FEMINIST VOTING REPUBLICAN

Dr. Lynette Long

I am voting for McCain-Palin and I am a feminist. Many feminists can’t understand my choice. I am not betraying the cause, the fight, the mission, because I don’t want to vote Democratic. The Democratic Party is not our ally. The Democratic Party is 60% women but it has only once selected a woman as a vice-presidential candidate and that was nearly a quarter of a century ago. We are chattel in our own party. The head of the Democratic National Committee has never been a woman. Money donated to the Women’s Leadership Fund is funneled into the Obama Victory Fund. We cannot give dominion over our bodies or ourselves to one party. Current feminist groups have no teeth because they are part and parcel of the Democratic Party. They are held hostage by Roe v. Wade. They know it and the Democratic Party knows it. The only way to regain our power is to regain our vote. The Democratic Party has no reason to earn our vote. We’ve sacrificed one choice for another.

I will by not be held hostage by the Democratic Party that turned a blind eye to the corruption in the Democratic primaries and Democratic caucuses.

I will not be held hostage by the Democratic Party that ignored a woman who got 18 million votes.

I will not be held hostage by the Democratic Party a party that was deaf, dumb and blind to the persistent and pervasive sexist attacks against Hillary Clinton.

I will not be held hostage by a Democratic Party that has never had a female head of the DNC.

I will not be threatened into submission. I will not cast my vote based on fear.

The Democratic Party cannot be rewarded for its pervasive disrespect of women. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet. Sometimes you have to tear down a house before you can rebuild it. Most feminists think the Democratic Party will treat them differently during the next election. There is no next time. There is only this time. Reinforcing abuse only perpetuates abuse. In any abusive relationship, you have to leave to get respect. Abusers are often charming and apologetic and hold out the hope of better behavior. But there is no then, there is only now.

I am a woman and I am a feminist. To the other feminists out there I ask, “Where is your pride or are you a victim of your own misogyny?”

I am a woman and right now I am ashamed to say, I am a feminist.

Todays What the Fuck Moment

It is a classic case of Good v. Evil. Obama won the debate (with the help of Jesus Christ) because Father God made it so. My money is riding on Batman.

Day 39:
Father God we come again, as we will for the next 39 days, to thank You for giving Barack Obama an excellent spirit and for having favor upon his life in every situation and circumstance. (Daniel 6:3) We thank You for Barack's excellent performance in the debates and for keeping him, Joe Biden, their staffs and their families safe. As Joe Biden participates in the upcoming Vice Presidential debate, we pray for his solid preparation, respectful spirit, clear mind, wisdom, understanding of the issues, clarity of speech, strong articulation, insightful discernment and solid message concerning the needs of the people, the nation and campaign. God we pray for Barack as his opponent contempt for him was revealed in the debate. You have all the power and glory in this situation and we thank You for delivering Barack from those who come against him. (Daniel 6:16) In Jesus' name, Amen!

Day 40:
Our Lord God we come again to thank You for giving Barack Obama an excellent spirit and for having favor upon his life in every situation and circumstance. (Daniel 6:3) We thank You, God, for being with Barack in the debate last night and through the "crisis call" to Washington over the past week. Dear God through You the world was able to see that Barack Obama is "born of You. He has the strength to overcome the evil one in all manners of sin and temptation. For greater is He (Jesus Christ) who strengthens Barack and dwells within him, than the enemy that is in the world." Thank You God for truth, transparency and for giving Barack solid preparation, a clear mind, wisdom, understanding of the issues, clarity of speech, strong articulation, insightful discernment and a solid message concerning the needs of the people and the nation. In Jesus' name, Amen.

I kid you not.

Big Labor Promises $300 Million in Federal Election Spending to Democrats

Obama has vowed to clean up Washington and kick the lobbyist's out. This is how he will do it

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Alliance for Worker Freedom (AWF), a non-partisan organization dedicated to combating anti-worker legislation and promoting free and open labor markets, today remarked on the political trends of Big Labor.

The Alliance for Worker Freedom recently published several union political contribution statistics. Here are just a few:

• Labor unions contributed a total of $52 million in the 2008 political cycle
• 91 percent of that went toward Democrats
• 9 percent toward Republicans
• The largest 527 contribution in 2008 cycle was from the SEIU at $18 million

AWF Executive Director Brian M. Johnson says, “It should be no surprise that when some Democrats take office, the first things they try to deliver are political kick-backs that take the rights away from average workers and give them to union bosses.”

Johnson is referring to the “Employee Free Choice Act”, a piece of legislation his organization has vehemently opposed. Currently, voting on union membership is done with a private ballot, like voting for the president. If “EFCA” is passed as presidential candidate Sen. Obama has promised, union membership will be voted on using a public ballot.

“EFCA is the most anti-worker freedom piece of legislation I have seen. To take away a private ballot will open the doors for threats, intimidation and coercion that will rival 1950s gangster movies,” adds Johnson. “Rank-and-file union members should be very afraid.”

Republican Leader John Boehner | republicanleader.house.gov

Bailout Package to Place Money in Slush Fund Rather than Return it Tax Payers. ACTION ALERT!

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A feminist's argument for McCain's VP

Whether we have a D, R or an "i for independent" after our names, women share a different life experience from men, and we bring that difference to the choices we make and the decisions we come to. Having a woman in the White House, and not as The Spouse, is a change whose time has come, despite the fact that some Democratic Party leaders have deci

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Todays What the Fuck Moment

As if the fake Presidential Seal wasn't enough, Birmingham firm strikes Barack Obama presidential coin. "Audacity" turns out to be the right word for this guy.

I kid you not.

Obama's Truth Squad - The "truth" according to Obama

If this is what Obama plans for the whole country, that should be reason enough to not vote for him. He decides what is truth, then censors anyone who doesn't agree.

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Shocking Video Unearthed Democrats in their own words Covering up the Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Scam that caused our Economic Crisis

Todays What the Fuck Moment

Due to the fact that Obama's Presidential campaign has become ludicrous, ridiculous, a laughing stock, an unbelievable circus, a Salem witch hunt, a parody of what is wrong with America, I have decided to do a daily What the Fuck? moment.

In the spirit of everything goofy in the world, I give you President Obama's audacious portrait - ready and waiting for its journey to Pennsylvania Avenue as soon as he can figure out how to run over McCain and ascend the throne. I kid you not.

Obama Sends Advance Team to Meet with Ahmadinejad

From Count Us Out via Pagan Power

Jodie Evans, fundraiser and personal friend of Barack Obama, met yesterday with the president of Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. The purpose of the meeting, according to Evans, was to promote peace. Right.

Obama Campaign Supporters Meet With Iranian President

Jodie Evans, who co-hosted Obama’s first major fundraiser in Hollywood in February 2007 just after Obama announced his candidacy and is a top fundraiser and donor to Obama’s campaign, led a delegation of leftist anti-American groups that held a private meeting near the United Nations. The stated purpose of the meeting was to “serve as an opening for diplomatic resolution” to prevent war between Iran and the United States.

Given Evans’ close relationship with the Obama campaign it seems likely this meeting was at the behest and approval of the Obama campaign.

Evans has a long history of opposing positions that most Americans hold sacred. For instance, she believes that Osama bin Laden was justified in attacking our country. Just the sort of person you might expect would fit comfortably in the Obama inner circle. After all, Obama is also close personal friends with terrorist Bill Ayers too.
please continue reading: Pagan Power

Poll:Support or Oppose the $700 bill bailout of Wall Street

This is poll asking the question:Do you Support or Oppose the $700 billion taxpayer-funded bailout of Wall Street financiers?

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Fannie Ticklers

The Obama crazies inside the Mainstream Media are trying to launch an offensive against John McCain in the next couple of days. The New York Times has already started the attack by literally lying, once again, about McCain’s campaign manager Rick Davis. The NYT article, in an obviously hysterical attempt to equalize Obama’s already dirty hands with

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A Primer on the Financial Debacle

or, how the hell did we get here?

Look, this whole thing is simple and easy to understand. Bankers are greedy bastards so they need regulating. As a result of the 1929 stock market crash, resulting in a deep depression by 1932, the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933 was passed to protect homeowners. It was a measure that prohibited the mixing of banking, insurance, and investments.

Banking deregulation started in earnest during the Carter admin in 1978. Over a period of 20 years, Glass-Steagall was pecked at and undermined and weakened. It was finally killed altogether in 1999 with the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999. Every Democrat but 5 voted for it in the Senate and all but 1 Republican voted nay. John McCain was the single Senator who did not vote.

Read the rest by Ron4Hill at Hillary Forum.

Bernanke's Grand Theft Attempt on US Taxpayers

Ben Bernanke has proposed that taxpayers buy up bad mortgage securities an pay MORE than they're actually worth. He wants taxpayers to pay the fake "maturity" value of the assets, instead of their current market price. Bernanke is only trying to make sure his rich Wall Street friends don't become less rich -- at the taxpayers' expense.

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The Supreme Court: not the most important protector of civil rights, including reproductive rights

From that brilliant attorney, Heidi Li Feldmen, an excellent anaylsis of those arguments from Obama supporters about taking away your civil rights and overturning Roe v. Wade if you don't vote Democratic. Read it all Here

Now, let us turn to the issue of some civil rights key to women's liberty: reproductive rights, including the right to be free from state interference with access to birth control and abortion. Congress has the power to pass statutes along the lines of section 1983 to give much stronger protection to reproductive rights than current Supreme Court jurisprudence does. A Congress serious about individual liberty for both men and women (regardless of their color) would do just that. Meanwhile in the years since Roe v. Wade was decided, the Supreme Court has decided case after case cramping its scope and impact. (Two examples: the Supreme Court has upheld state created waiting period requirements and state laws requiring double parental notification).

Other things equal, I would prefer Roe v. Wade not be overturned. But the reality of abortion and access to birth control in this country is that in most places neither are readily available, particularly to young people. Of course, one may think this a good thing if one has views different than mine about the centrality of reproductive rights to human rights. But if you believe that control over one's procreational activities is about as fundamental a human right as there is, then you need to realize that to the extent the federal government can protect the individual it would be by enacting comprehensive legislation to do just that. Even more effective would be for each state to also enact its own legislation to do it.

At the level of Presidential politics Roe v. Wade has become something of a rhetorical football thrown back and forth a way of inciting passions among pro-choice and anti-abortion factions in the major political parties. But Roe v. Wade really does not have that much to do with making sure that this country treats women's rights as human rights and reproductive rights as human rights. For that dream to be fulfilled we need the federal legislature and state governments to act to secure these rights.

Big Dawg

David Brooks: Meet The New Boss, Same As The Old Boss

The New York Times columnist calls for trust and faith to be vested in the very same people who have wielded power for decades.

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Important things to know about the candidates

From Ron4Hill at Hillary Clinton Forum

Obama often says that McCain voted 90% of the time with Bush. What he doesn't say is that Obama himself voted 88% of the time with Bush and even voted for the Cheney energy plan. Hillary didn't and neither did McCain.

What they don't tell you is that McCain voted 97% of the time with the Democrats and that he has the worst conservative voting record of any Republican. He voted liberal 20% of the time.

(A little tip when you hear Obama lying about McCain's voting record: most votes in the Senate are unanimous consent.)

Did you know that some top Democrats are flocking to McCain? Yep, people who have been Democrats voting for only Democrats all their lives are switching to McCain. Hillary's top fundraiser and member of the DNC platform committee, Lady Lynne de Rothschild, has endorsed McCain. Hillary's Senior Political Advisor, Miguel Lausell, and Clinton Delegate-at-Large Luchy Secaira both endorsed McCain on Friday. Millions of Hillary's most active supporters have endorsed McCain.

There's a dramatic split in the Democratic party because of the way the DNC treated Hillary and because millions of Democrats know they can't trust Obama.

FED Up USA - Citizens Refusing to Pay For Bankers' Mistakes.

Bankers are attempting to offload their losses onto United States taxpayers, and the Federal Reserve is cooperating. Citizens are already suffering because of unwise monetary policy to the tune of $4 milk and gasoline, and we are DEMANDING that Congress force these bankers to be responsible for their OWN losses--we will NOT foot their bill!

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With some additional excellent commentary Here

Wow! I coulda had a

From Lady Boomer

Lea Lane's article: Do whatever you must to trick Hillary supporters into voting for Barack.

From LSekhmet at Alegre's Corner, A MUST READ


This article by Lea Lane is truly awful; it's called, "Do Whatever You Must to Trick Hillary Supporters Into Voting for Barack" -- and it's disgusting. (The secondary title, btw, is: "Eat Crow? Hell Yes, to Win This Election."

Here's the first two paragraphs:

The Obama team is suddenly making a huge effort to gain women's votes, but many die-hard Hillary supporters - dozens of my acquaintances - remain bruised and confused. The fact that Palin is on the ticket when HRC wasn't even vetted may turn out to have been the major gaffe of Axelrod and Company, and the tipping point of this tight election.

If you've been an outspoken Obama supporter from the beginning, it's time to make amends with Hillary supporters you know. Arguing with, or browbeating them to get on board is counterproductive, but showing you've come around to respecting Hillary may ease their hurt enough to do the trick. (Even if you don't mean it. This is politics.)

Some People Will Do Anything To Get Elected

Courtesy of Carolyn at Make Them Accountable

Tom In Paine: OBAMA:THE LATEST PUNCH LINE TO THE JOKE "HOW ARE THE DEMOCRATS GOING TO BLOW IT THIS TIME"?

Tom In Paine: OBAMA:THE LATEST PUNCH LINE TO THE JOKE "HOW ARE THE DEMOCRATS GOING TO BLOW IT THIS TIME"?

Obama Inflates Role in Creation of Stimulus Package

Today, Obama took credit for the stimulus package that passed earlier this year. "In January, I outlined a plan to help revive our faltering economy," Obama said, "which formed the basis for a bipartisan stimulus package that passed the Congress." Is that true? Democrats on Capitol Hill who support Obama say no... but not on record.

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Cash-poor Obama says no to Reid

Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made a personal appeal to Barack Obama: Help me grow the Democrats’ Senate majority by sharing some of the $77 million you’ve got in the bank. Obama’s campaign said no...

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Mr. Obama - Who are you?

Obama - Agent of Change

Jennifer Rubin

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac survived scrutiny by manipulating, cajoling, and lobbying politicians and hiring board members who were politicos (e.g. Jamie Gorelick) rather than mortgage gurus. They hired lobbyists, gave massive donations, obtained nice tax breaks, and sailed below the regulatory radar screen.

Of the 354 lawmakers who received money from Freddie and Fannie between 1989 and 2008, Sen. Chris Dodd received the most. But next was . . . drumroll . . . . Barak Obama Yup. And he was only there for three years. Not too much went to John McCain, about a sixth of what Obama received (h/t Glenn Reynolds.)

But, you say, maybe all the Fannie and Freddie employees who gave money just “liked” Obama. That might make sense with ordinary institutions. But these two had a game plan to influence and sway lawmakers for the purpose of keeping them on the government gravy train and out of the regulatory line of fire. It’s no coincidence that they “liked” Senate Banking Chairman Chris Dodd best of all.

So it would appear that this is precisely what Obama has been railing against: Washington insiders lining the pockets of other Washington insiders while the taxpayers ultimately have to foot the bill. The Agent of Change, it seems, didn’t exactly walk the walk on this one.

Senator Biden to Quit, Hillary to Become Obama’s VP?

This report may be be breaking news of immense national political importance as a direct result of what the NEIN Blog has previously described as “The Palin Effect.”

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Fineman on Obama's Woes

An excellent, concise list of some of the reasons Obama's is tanking. It all boils down to his "pride", according to Howard. Hard to believe, as Barky has never done anything to be proud of. His rapid rise to the top included mowing down anyone that got in his way. He uses worn out platitudes and rhetoric and is weak on actual policy. Now, he's using women to shore up his dwindling campaign. Not exactly a sterling example.

Here

Carly Fiorina is kicking Clare McCaskills's ass on This Week with George Steph. Two women debating politics on a Sunday morning talk show. It's about time. Obama is scared and he should be.

Will Bower: My History Of P.U.M.A.: From Iowa To Denver and

Will Bower's History of the P.U.M.A. movement on the Huffington Post.

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Barack Obama the speechmaker is being rumbled | Gerard Baker

There is a yawning gulf between what the Democratic candidate says and how he has acted. That's why the race is so close

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Crossing the line

Lipstick on a pig, huh? I am so mad I could spit.

More later.

UPDATE: Sometimes pictures speak louder than words.

Hillary's Stolen Delegates or How the DNC Stole Your Vote

Convention Vote Tally Analysis from DemConWatchConvention Vote Tally Analysis

We've gone through the numbers, and there's lots of interesting data to be looked at.

First, top line. Going into the convention, we estimated Obama at 2335 votes, (1842.5 pledged, 492.5 superdelegates), and Clinton at 1973 votes, (1720.5 pledged, 252.5 superdelegates), Edwards at 3, and 108 superdelegates uncommitted.

The results reported by the DNCC: Obama 3188.5 (+894.5), Clinton 1010.5 (-988.5), Not Voting 220 (+94 from superdelegate uncommitted). What this shows us is that at least 94 Clinton delegates abstained from voting, instead of voting for either Clinton or Obama. But it's actually more. Let's look at some key states:

CA: Was Clinton 233, Obama 200, Uncommitted 8. Convention Tally: Clinton 145 (-88) Obama 255 (+55), NV 41. At least 33 (88-55) Clinton delegates decided to abstain.

PA: Was Clinton 101, Obama 81, Uncommitted 5. Convention Tally: Clinton 20 (-81) Obama 137 (+56), NV 30. At least 25 Clinton delegates decided to abstain.

NJ: Was Clinton 71, Obama 55, Uncommitted 1. Convention Tally: Clinton 0 (-71) Obama 106 (+51), NV 21. At least 20 Clinton delegates decided to abstain.

An analysis of similar states show a total of 127 Clinton delegates (pledged and super) not voting for either candidate at the convention.

The three states above, CA, PA and NJ all had a high number of delegates not voting.

But there were only 3 other states that had 10% or more of their delegates not voting:

LA: 14 out of 67 not voting (21%), AL: 6 out of 60 not voting, MS: 4 out of 41 not voting.
Looks like early Gustav preparations for the Gulf Coast states. Fair enough.

So where did Clinton lose the most votes? Obviously in her biggest states:
NY: She lost 109 votes. CA: 88 votes. PA: 81 votes. NJ: 71 votes. OH: 59 votes. FL: 52 votes. MI: 49 votes.

In what big states did she lose a high % of her delegates?
NJ: She lost 100% of 71 delegates
PA: She lost 80% of 101 delegates
NY: She lost 59% of 185 delegates.
She also lost 100% of her delegates in AS, DE, NH, NJ, VI and VT.

Finally, there are two states that bucked these trends:

First, Iowa. Our estimate was Clinton 7, Obama 52, Uncommitted 4. Final Tally: Clinton 9, Obama 48. This is the only state where Clinton increased her numbers. Our guess is that the Green Papers estimates of Clinton's pledged delegate numbers did not reflect the fact that Clinton kept her state level delegates.

And finally, we should recognize Puerto Rico, which was the only delegation where Clinton received a majority of the delegates, 36-23.

Notes: All original Pledged Delegate numbers are from The Green Papers. All superdelegate numbers are from the DemConWatch Superdelegate Endorsement List, which was frozen on June 6th.
See Heidi Li's commentary here

Digg this: The Unexamined Life

In his memoir "Dreams from My Father," Barack Obama describes his troubled teenaged years. "Pot had helped, and booze, maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack though," he recalls, though he admits he came close to trying heroin at the urging of a friend who shot up in front of him.

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A Vote For The Democrats Is Not A Vote For The Left

If you are left of center, voting for a Democrat is voting against your principles. Stop doing it.

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Secretary Albright

Madam Secretary

Albright believes that being a woman was an advantage, permitting her to be both "humane" and "hard", as well as both charming and firm, and allowing her to switch signals. "I wish there were more women though," she admits, having been instrumental in establishing links between herself and the six other female United Nations representatives (despite there being 185 countries represented) when she worked there. Together they worked to ensure the appointment of two female judges to the UN War Crime Tribunal and to have rape declared as a 'weapon of war'. "I think there is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women".

Misogyny is alive and well at the DNC

I guess when your party's nominee is a misogynistic, lying, sexist man, you pattern yourself after him. Way to go, Democratic bloggers. I'm pretty sure anyone wandering over to your blog for information won't be inspired by your words.

Behold the comments on the DNC blog:

I heard that mchorny was looking at his VP's boxcar butt. What a dirty old man.
Posted by Johne on August 31, 2008

Sally and his ilk is always talking about somebodys butt, i wonder if he has seen his Republican parties, CEO of the Republican Convention, Mrs. Fat Arse Maria Cino. Hillary looks skinny next to her. This is a Amazon of a woman. She definitely eats at all you can eat buffets. And then after she eats there they put a sign on the outside of the restaurant, that says ("COME EARLY") Maria Cino CEO of the Republican party eats here today.
Posted by chassie

How long to you think it will take TMZ to find out the truth about that Downs Syndrome baby, that is Palin's 16 year old daughters. Just like Rove to not do all of his homework. I give it 2 weeks, but I hope it is later like October 22nd would be great. Palin is a lieing fake, baby not hers - 16 year old unmarried daughters basstard. Fun times ahead my friends, fun times ahead.
Posted by newsjunkie on August 31, 2008

UPDATE: Read what zuzu says

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Loyal Democrat of the Day: Ed O'Reilly

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Loyal Democrat of the Day: Ed O'Reilly

Palin v. Obama

Ok, this is from RedState, but it's really good!

A preview:

Most Courageous Moment in Public Service

Palin:
Resigned in protest from position of Ethics Commissioner of Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders, including the former state Attorney General and the State GOP Chairman (who was also an Oil & Gas Commissioner), who was doing work for the party on public time and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail.

Obama:
Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators in Hyde Park in 2002

In Current Office Because:

Palin:
Upset sitting Governor in GOP primary due to public support for her efforts to clean up corrupt government establishment

Obama:
Republican opponent, who was leading in the polls, was forced to leave race after unsealing of divorce records exposed a sex scandal

Family Affairs:

Palin:
May have removed State Public Safety Commissioner as part of effort to protect sister in messy divorce and child custody battle

Obama:
Often says, "I am my brother's keeper";
Brother lives in a hut in Nairobi on $12 per year

There's lots more!

Senator Obama

Obama doesn’t want to lead, he wants to rule. He isn’t offering change, he is threatening it. Obama has demonstrated that he will not tolerate dissent. This is the America he is promising and it isn’t an America anyone would ever want to see.

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I Feel Pretty

I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any man who isn't me tonight.

I feel charming,
Oh, so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real.

See the pretty man in that mirror there:
Who can that attractive man be?
Such a pretty face,
Such a pretty speech,
Such a pretty smile,
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing,
Feel like running and dancing for joy,
For I'm loved and
I'm a pretty wonderful boy!

Cross posted at Alegre's Corner

Hillary Can't Fix What Her Party Broke

Democrats had turned on fellow Democrats, and although the arrows flew in all directions, the nastiest of the invective fell on the ladies who loved Hillary. That these loyal Democrats had been targeted made them nuts.

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A View From Denver - A Party in Pieces

Election ‘08: The idea of Democrats emerging unified from their acrimonious convention is laughable. If the GOP convention had the Clinton/Obama feud and John Edwards scandal, it would be declared a catastrophe.

You don’t have to wait until this week’s Democratic National Convention is over to know that the Party of Jefferson is shattered, and their gathering in Denver is a historic disaster.

Hillary Clinton may have delivered a rousing speech Tuesday night, but within it she took a not-so-subtle shot at Obama in suggesting that it would be her universal coverage health care plan he would end up signing into law as president. (Campaigning against him, she had blasted his plan for not covering everyone.)

And what real effect did her calls for unity have? “Yes, I’m still bitter,” California Hillary delegate Jerry Straughan, skeptical that former first lady really meant what she said, told the Washington Post. “Obamination Scares the Hell Out of Me” and “Nobama” buttons were prevalent.

Former Democratic National Committee chairman and Clinton crony Terry McAuliffe isn’t even staying in Denver for Obama’s Thursday night acceptance speech; Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell suggested that Obama is hard for average Americans to identify with; Bill Clinton on Tuesday in Denver waxed on before the cameras about the “hypothetical” dilemma of Democrats choosing a candidate who “agrees with you on everything, but you don’t think that person can deliver on anything.”

Democrats in the Mile High City are divided by sex and by race. Investor’s Business Daily observed a visible racial segregation among delegates when it came to hanging out together, a balkanization or clannishness fueled by very strong identity politics.

Angry Michigan delegates complained to IBD about their distant hotel accommodations, seeing it as payback for Michigan breaking party rules by holding its nomination contest early.

GOP strategist Mike Murphy described the feeling in Denver’s thin air to the New York Times’ Maureen Dowd as “submerged hate.”

On top of all that is Obama’s loss of support among two key groups — conservative Democrats and moderate-to-liberal Republicans. A new Gallup poll finds that since June, conservative Democrats backing Obama have dropped from 71% to 63%, while his GOP support has gone from 10% in June to 11% in mid-July, down to only 7% in Gallup’s latest tracking poll.

Imagine if it were the other party undergoing equivalent convulsions. Let’s say Mitt Romney’s supporters demanded an open floor vote and were seething with public resentment against John McCain, the way Hillary’s delegates are against Obama.

Add to that former President George H.W. Bush verbally undercutting McCain at every opportunity, in the manner of Bill Clinton’s anger toward Obama regarding Hillary, because of, say, statements he made against his son, the sitting president.

Finally, what if Mike Huckabee were involved in a cheating/love child scandal the way John Edwards is, and had become so much of an embarrassment that, like Edwards, he couldn’t even speak to his own party’s convention after winning lots of electoral votes?

Is there any doubt that the Democrats and the media elites would classify such a GOP convention as the biggest fiasco in the history of party politics?

In such a comparable scenario, would there be any speech Romney could give at the convention that would be hailed as healing the party’s wounds? Anything he — or any other Republican — could say that would give the media the kind of heart flutters Hillary’s performance gave, for instance, Newsweek’s Jon Meacham, who gushed that it was the best speech he’d ever seen while appearing on the magazine’s joint Webcast coverage with the Washington Post?

Feminists demanding a female president are fuming against race-obsessed radicals eager for a black president from the leftist cliques of the South Side of Chicago.

Maybe the Democratic Party’s longtime recipe of catering to this interest group and that has finally reached the boiling point.

Here

You all can relax now. Or, maybe not

Fox News reported earlier that Michelle was speaking to a women's group today and she assured them that Obama has matured and grown during this campaign process. Yeah, that's right. He's mature and grownup now.

I know that will take a load off. It means he is ready to govern. Really. That's what Michele said, so it must be true. He's literally grown into the Presidency before our own eyes. Zap, he's ready.

Uh oh. Gateway Pundit says Michelle Obama quoted lines from Saul Alinsky's "Rules For Radicals" (a pragmatic primer for realistic radicals) in her Convention speech. So, maybe all is not so swell in ObamaLand.

AT&T Thanks The Blue Dog Democrats With A Lavish Party

The nation's most influential faction in Congress meets with one of its most significant benefactors at the Convention -- and they forcibly bar the press and public from knowing what they're doing.

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Unity You Can't Believe In

A number of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s top advisers will not be staying in Denver long enough to hear Barack Obama accept the nomination for president, according to sources familiar with their schedules.

Clinton will deliver her speech Tuesday night. She will hold a private meeting with her top financial supporters Wednesday at noon, and will thank her delegates at an event that afternoon. Former president Bill Clinton will speak that night. Several of Hillary Clinton’s supporters are then planning to leave town. Among them, Terry McAuliffe, Clinton’s campaign chairman, and longtime supporters Steve Rattner and Maureen White. Another of Clinton’s top New York fundraisers, Alan Patricof, did not make the trip to Denver.

Here

The Denver Group: The Denver Group's print ad in The Hill, Monday, August 25, 2008

The Denver Group: The Denver Group's print ad in The Hill, Monday, August 25, 2008

10 Alternative Ways To Follow Democratic Convention News

We all know about watching cable news and reading the big newspapers' political sections, so here is a list of different ways to track news at the Democratic Convention that includes social media options like Twitter and FriendFeed and party tracking through the Sunlight Foundation.

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Kos On Joe Biden

Please click here. I know we all hate giving the Orange Satan traffic, but this will make you smile. I promise.

PS: As long as you are there, be sure that you click on the comments. They are a gift from the Goddess that will come back to bite O-Bots in the ass.

Is Joe Biden a Women's Issues Advocate?

Roundup:
Feministing
Biden's role in the Thomas hearings, particularly his treatment of Anita Hill, are something that get little mention these days. (Although some women remember.) Biden says he did not vociferously pursue Hill's charges of sexual harassment because he didn't want to go after a Supreme Court nominee the way Republicans would. Here's Charles Ogletree, who represented Hill, on why Biden's excuse is bullshit:
Shakesville (last week)
Because there's no way in blue hell that Obama could be foolish enough to be seriously considering for one blinking second putting on his ticket the speech plagiarizing, bankruptcy bill voting, Bush-coddling, racist, sexist asshat Biden, a consummate gaffe machine who launched his own '08 presidential bid with a screeching dog whistle that declared Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."
And Melissa Today
It's not the first time Biden's had problems with saying something racist, and he's no stranger to sexist commentary, either – which is only the beginning of his problems with women, on whose behalf he is decidedly inconsistent.
Although he authored the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994 - a key tool in addressing domestic abuse nationally, which delegates federal funds for combating crimes against women - he does not support federal funding for abortion on the premise that it "imposes a view." (That view being, presumably, that women have agency over their own bodies.) Last year, he supported the "partial-birth abortion" ban, even without exceptions for the health or life of the mother, but also voted to reintroduce the Equal Rights Amendment.
Tennesse Guerilla Women
Hillary Rodham Clinton, the candidate who earned 18 million votes, was not even vetted. We're sure Biden's 200 voters are simply thrilled. The rest of us, well, just call us marginalized and invisible.
Back in the 1990s, Biden was the leader of the pack of 14 white male senators who conducted the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill hearings. The committee of 14 men threw every sexist stereotype in the book at Anita Hill. Like Hillary, Joe Biden voted to authorize the war in Iraq, but that's so not a problem when a bro does it.
Voting record on abortion
Biden's pro choice score from NARAL: 36% in 2003 and 75% in 2007.
And some bigotry from Vast Left
The point of Biden's grandstanding is clear: he fancies himself the most electable Democrat, because he will uniquely wrap himself in the shroud of Turin. In fact, he's so holy he wanted to rip out the Adam's apple of a colleague who dared call an old-school religious ritual "quaint."
But, let's play angel's advocate: maybe Biden's not saying that atheists are bad, he's just saying not to disrespect religion.

What Were They Thinking??

OK, I just woke up and this is off the top of my head, but... JOE BIDEN?

The same Joe Biden who voted FOR the Iraq war?
The Same Joe Biden who stole a speech from a guy in England the first time he ran for President?
The same Joe Biden who, in 2005, voted for the egregious Republican Bankruptcy Bill?
The same Joe Biden who lives in a blue state with 3 electoral votes?
The same Joe Biden who is Senator for the State of Delaware, the corporate home of credit card companies, as Delaware allows them to charge credit card rates of 25%, 29%, and even 32%? Rates that other States find usurious and illegal?
The same Joe Biden whose mouth sometimes gets ahead of his brain? I can't wait for the commercials to start.

Biden isn't the "come knocking with hat in hand" sort of guy. You know, trying to convince us to vote for the O-Man. He's arrogant, too.

I'm hearing that he will be the "attack dog". The go to guy to smear McCain. Well, I'm sure the walks-on-water-chosen-one could never stoop that low.

In my opinion, they may get some Hillary male backers to support the Democratic ticket, but it won't inspire any women. If this choice was about winning the presidency instead of about Obama's huge ego, it would have been an Obama/Clinton ticket. Not that I wanted Hillary on this ticket, as I think she would have been blamed for his mistakes and he would have been given credit for her achievements. However, I would have had to vote for a ticket that included the most experienced candidate, even if she was on the bottom of the ticket.

So that burden has been lifted. Go Barry. Yawn.
UPDATE: Someone Agrees with Me

No Whiners Allowed

Yeah, yeah, I know. Ted is a Conservative. This time, however, I think he nailed it.

There is no whining allowed in my world. I have no time or interest in suffering spineless whiners and complainers.

Even with my damaged rock and roll ears, I can detect the slightest trace of whining by family, friends, staff or business associates. By now, they know I don’t whine and don’t tolerate anyone who does. (The beautiful result of that is an automatic whine elimination system that prevails in TedLand.)

It would be easy for me to complain that the music industry is not fair or that I believe the industry is full of scoundrels and liars. Instead of wasting valuable time lamenting and complaining about these obstacles, my modus operandi has, and will continue to be, to play my guitar louder, sexier, more ferocious and more often. I simply won’t go away.

ife isn’t fair, just or impartial. The road to success or victory is tough, demanding and obstructed with any number of moral and ethical hurdles. Sucker punches are legal. When you get hit from behind and knocked down, the mark of a mature, confident person is to spring back up, dusts himself off and get back in the arena. A winner does not complain.

The mark of an immature person is one who complains that something isn’t fair because the ball didn’t bounce his or her way. These people remind me of spoiled brats on the grade school playground who didn’t get picked for the team. Tough.

If anyone has a legitimate right to complain, it would be Sen. McCain. The print and television media coverage is obviously biased in favor of Sen. Obama, yet you do not hear McCain complaining about it. He continues to march face-first into the howling political winds like an American buffalo on a mission. I like that.

When Obama received European adulation (as if he were the Second Coming), McCain did not complain but rather continued his steadfast campaign on American turf. The McCain campaign soldiers on with a determined spirit and is picking up momentum as evidenced by the polls.

When McCain scored a knockout over Senator Obama the other night at the Saddleback Church in Orange County by answering Reverend Warren’s questions more confidently, clearly and decisively than the stumbling, obfuscating Obama, Obama’s campaign accused the Straight Talk Express of cheating. Whiners.

There is no evidence -- none -- that McCain heard Obama’s rambling and confusing answers prior to taking the stage and answering Reverend Warren’s questions. The evidence is pretty plain: when thrashed soundly by a superior opponent, the Obama camp whined like school girls.

The Obama camp, recognizing that McCain answered the questions in a more straightforward, presidential tone than their guy, immediately began complaining that McCain must have cheated by listening to Obama fumble his answers time and time again. Obama appeared like the freshman senator that he is.

The bottom line is this: McCain appeared much more presidential than Obama. And there is a very valid reason for this: as a natural leader, McCain is a far better choice than Obama, who is the guy with the least amount of experience in the history of presidential campaigns.

When Obama does not have a teleprompter in front of him to deliver another hollow message of transparent, symbolic hope and change, his speech and answers to questions are disjointed and confusing. Watch him closely. He is not confident.

Are you, like me, wondering how a President Obama would fair politically against determined adversaries such as Iranian psychopath Ahmadinejad, North Korea’s Littler Hitler, Kim Jong Il, or how he would navigate through political minefields such as the trade imbalance with China, Russian saber rattling which could lead to a new Cold War, etc.? Scary thought.

A President Obama would be immediately tested by both our friends and adversaries because they know he has zero experience and has never been thrown into the murky, underhanded, geopolitical arena where no one -- friend or foe -- plays fair.

Choosing a president is always a tough, demanding business, especially during tough and demanding times. Politics aside, we must always first look for certain character traits in our president: strong, resolute, determined, unshakable, and firm.

Obama displays none of these presidential character traits. I am concerned that, as our president, Obama would fold under the pressure of the job just like he folds and complains when the political campaign seas get a bit rough.

McCain is looking more presidential with each passing day. Strip away the hope and change slick veneer of Obama’s campaign and he looks like any other windbag politician peddling a hollow message. No thanks. We need to rid American politics of whiners, not hire on more.Article Here

You've Got to have Hope

A growing body of research suggests that there is a potent way to fight symptoms of depression that doesn’t involve getting a prescription.

This potent weapon? Hope.

“We’re finding that hope is consistently associated with fewer symptoms of depression. And the good news is that hope is something that can be taught, and can be developed in many of the people who need it,” said Jennifer Cheavens, assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University.

Cheavens and Laura Dreer of the University of Alabama at Birmingham discussed some of the latest research on how hope can battle depression during a symposium Saturday Aug. 16 in Boston at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Boston. More here

My question is this: What do all of these depressed people do when they find out that Hope didn't come through? That hope turned out to be just another word (like typical white people, clinging to guns and bibles) and there is really no way to turn Hope into anything concrete? Hope won't pay the bills, keep you healthy or safe, put your kids through college. You can't trust hope to protect what you've worked so hard for or protect the values you believe in. In fact, in the end, Hope will make you more depressed for believing in him, er, I mean it. Hope is just an empty suit with hollow words, who sucked you in. You've been waiting forever and nothing has changed. How depressing is that?

‘Pay grade’ unartful dodge

Well, uh, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or, uh, a scientific perspective, uh, answering that question with specificity, uh, you know, is, is, uh, above my pay grade.” - Sen. Barack Obama, on “When does a baby get human rights?”

In 1948, they had Harry Truman and “The buck stops here!”

In 2008, they’ve got Barack Obama and it’s “above my pay grade.”

This is definitely not your grandfather’s Democratic Party.

Certainly not mine. My grandfather, Ray Futrell, was a lifelong FDR Democrat, the kind who would proudly rather vote for a wife-beating, syphilitic drunkard than for a Republican. In fact, he would find the previous sentence entirely redundant.Read the rest at Boston Herald

HaHa HaHaHa HaHa Told you so!

The presidential race is tightening in New York State, where Senator Obama's lead has slipped by 10 points since June. HaHa!

According to a poll released yesterday, the Democrat leads Senator McCain by 47% to 39%, a healthy advantage that has nevertheless deteriorated significantly over the course of the summer. The poll, conducted by the Siena Research Institute, also indicated that Governor Paterson's "call to action" on the state's budget crisis is resonating with voters. Nearly half of them describe New York's fiscal condition as poor, yet the governor's approval ratings are increasing.

Mr. Obama is currently eight points ahead of Mr. McCain in New York, down from a 13-point lead in July and an 18-point lead in June. The chairman of Mr. McCain's New York campaign, Ed Cox, said that the Republican senator is making gains in the state largely because of his credibility on national security issues.

"For the presidency, this is going to be a national security election, and national security is a nonpartisan issue," Mr. Cox said. "New York becomes a purple state and not a blue state."

In the 2004 election, the Democrat, Senator Kerry, defeated President Bush in New York by a 19-point margin.

The McCain campaign has been criticized by some New Yorkers for setting up its regional headquarters in New Jersey, but Mr. Cox said the narrowing poll margin shows that "campaigns are about people, not about real estate."

While the Obama campaign has pledged to operate a New York headquarters, it has yet to open.

In a statement, the New York State director of the Obama campaign, Dave Pollak, said: "New Yorkers are looking for real change in Washington, D.C., not a third term of Bush's failed policies, which is what John McCain will provide. In the coming weeks, our campaign will open offices, hold volunteer trainings, and continue to take advantage of the growing and significant enthusiasm for the Senator's candidacy."

Obama - I WILL WIN

Gosh. As an attorney he should know that you never promise you will win. It's part of the canons of professional ethics. Maybe he was busy writing all of those articles for the Harvard Law Review when they covered this in law school.

Politico

A confident Barack Obama raised an extraordinary $7.8 million Sunday at three California fundraisers, most of it in large checks to a Democratic Party committee.

“I will win. Don’t worry about that,” he said to the crowd of about 1,300 at his third event of the evening, according to the pool report.

He was warmly received by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who called him "a leader that God has blessed us with at this time."

Obama echoed some of the themes he discussed when he described Pennsylvanians as "bitter" and stoked controversy three months ago, but did so much more adroitly.

"Now, you want to win. And saying it doesn’t make it so," he told the crowd. "It would be nice to think that after eight years of economic disaster, after eight years of bungled foreign policy, of being engaged in a war that should never have been authorized and should never have been waged, that cost us a trillion dollars and thousands of lives, that people would say, let’s toss the bums out. Toss the bums out, we’re starting from scratch, we’re starting over. This is not working."

“So I understand why a lot of folks are saying, this should just happen. Why are we having to run all these television commercials? Why do we have to raise all this money? Just read the papers. These are the knuckleheads who have been in charge. Throw ‘em out. But American politics aren’t that simple," he said.

"The fact of the matter is, at a certain point, when government has not been serving the people for this long, people get cynical. They tune out. And they start saying to themselves, a plague on both your houses. They are willing to consume negative information more frequently than positive information, for good reason. They’ve seen how promises haven’t been kept," he said.

Bush admin. disconnected from reality

The National Endowment for Democracy is a neoconservative organization funded by the US government to buy and rig elections in the former constituent parts of the Soviet empire. . .The purpose of the assault on South Ossetia by the American and the Israeli trained and equipped Georgian army was to ethnically cleanse that province of Russians.

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Stolen Nomination

The 2008 Democratic Party nomination for the presidency was stolen from Hillary Clinton and given to Barack Obama by certain members of the party leadership.

Five states broke the primary timing rules, but only two—big states that Hillary was sure to win, Michigan and Florida—were penalized. The holding back of those two states gave Obama the ability to claim he was ahead in the race, even when he wasn’t. Unfortunately, a lot of people fell for that nonsense and started to consider him the frontrunner. That had an impact on media coverage and likely influenced the vote in later primaries. Paul Lukasiak documented this problem on several blogs, including InsightAnalytical, and found other evidence of what he calls “‘stop Hillary’ corruption” among certain members of the party leadership.

There was manipulation, if not outright fraud, in the caucuses. A group is making a film about it, and Lynette Long offers a preview. Pacific John, writing at MyDD, gave us a taste of what went on in Texas, but it wasn’t the only state with serious problems reported. Lambert reports on Texas caucus fraud and the general unfairness of caucuses at Corrente. Dr. Long has started a new website, Caucus Fraud, to document as much as possible of what happened.Read the rest and pass this on to everyone you know

Blowback From Bear-Baiting - Georgia's Mistake

Mikheil Saakashvili's decision to use the opening of the Olympic Games to cover Georgia's invasion of its breakaway province of South Ossetia must rank in stupidity with Gamal Abdel-Nasser's decision to close the Straits of Tiran to Israeli ships. Nasser'

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Rory Kennedy Documentary on Helen Thomas

When Rory Kennedy told her mother, Ethel Kennedy, that she was going to make a documentary about Helen Thomas, the former Mrs. Robert Kennedy responded, "Do you really want to do that? She was awfully hard on Jack."

Eventually, though, her mother understood what the veteran documentary maker with the famous name wanted to do, even allowing her to interview Thomas at her famed Hickory Hill home in McLean, Va., over five days in the spring of 2007. "The three of us had lunch together every day," she adds. Read the rest

Will American Insouciance Destroy the World?

The neoconned Bush Regime and the Israeli-occupied American media are heading the innocent world toward nuclear war.Back in the Reagan years, the National Endowment for Democracy was created as a cold war tool. Today the NED is a neocon-controlled agent for US world hegemony.

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Heidi Li's Potpourri: Once again, things are periously close to being what they were

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Once again, things are periously close to being what they were

Obama, Evangelicals and Abortion

IT took 16 years, but an anti-abortion Bob Casey will get to speak at the Democratic convention.

In 1992, then-Pennsylvania Gov. Robert Casey Sr., a devout Catholic, was barred from speaking at the Democratic National Convention. Party leaders claimed it was because he'd refused to endorse candidate Bill Clinton. But Casey maintained it was because of his anti-abortion views.

Yesterday, Barack Obama offered Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) - also anti-abortion - a speaking slot at this year's convention.

This is part of the Obama campaign's concerted effort to signal a more moderate approach to abortion - in hope of attracting more Catholic and evangelical votes.

Isn't grabbing evangelical votes tilting at windmills for a Democrat? Not exactly, argues Steven Waldman, the president and editor-in-chief of Beliefnet. If Obama attracts just 10 percent more evangelicals than did John Kerry in 2004, it could make the difference between victory and defeat.

Earlier this week, many Catholic and evangelical leaders expressed delight in the new abortion plank in the Democratic platform, language that they say highlights the need to reduce the number of abortions in a way previously missing.

The Rev. Joel Hunter, a former leader of the Christian Coalition and a registered Republican, called the language an "historic and courageous step," saying "Pro-lifers from both parties can now both support Barack Obama on the basis that more lives will be saved than if they had just taken a moral stand hoping to overturn Roe v. Wade. Democrats have widened their public support of those mothers who choose life."

The 2004 platform said that abortion should be "safe, legal and rare." This was a step away from 1996 and 2000, when the plank only said "more rare."

To outsiders, it's just semantics - but moderate anti-abortion activists see major progress.

More than the language changes, leaders from these groups seemed grateful just for being involved in the process. Kristen Day of Democrats for Life says she couldn't even get her calls returned back in 2004: Anti-abortion groups just had no seat at the table. But this year, she got to speak to the head of the platform committee.

Other leaders reported that they had real, substantial involvement in the process. Said one, "They listened, they took us seriously, and they did their best to work out common ground."

The Obama campaign got credit for this welcome step toward finding a middle ground on this contentious issue. But Christian leaders also say that the abortion plank isn't the most important thing: What really matters is what Obama says about it - and how much emphasis he gives the issue. Many will watch his meeting with megachurch pastor Rick Warren this weekend - hoping that Obama reaffirms his earlier statement that abortion has a moral dimension.

Obama should also use that appearance as a chance to explain or disavow his vote in the Illinois Legislature against a bill to protect prematurely born babies, including those who were born alive during attempted abortions. His explanations thus far have been unconvincing and troubling (regardless of where you stand on abortion).

In a recent Barna Group poll, John McCain only barely leads Obama among evangelical voters - where President Bush captured 78 percent of their vote in 2004.

But pollster George Barna cautions: "The initial excitement about Sen. Obama has lost some luster" as voters learn more about his record. In a nutshell, many evangelicals haven't warmed to McCain, but they've moved to undecided, not to Obama. Obama needs to make them feel OK about voting for him.

Rarely does doing what's right and what is politically expedient line up so well. It's up to Obama to seize the opportunity.

Slapstick Politics: Colorado Democratic Delegate Thrown Under The Bus For Anti-Obama Remarks, Delegate Status Threatened

Slapstick Politics: Colorado Democratic Delegate Thrown Under The Bus For Anti-Obama Remarks, Delegate Status Threatened

Album Review: INNER GYPSY's Gypsychology

European HMP Magazine's Department of Virtuosity reviews INNER GYPSY's debut Album, Gypsychology.

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Hillary Supporters Pop Up in the Darndest Places

This is THE week of the summer for me. I am an antique dealer/collector and this week is Madison-Bouckville, the biggest antique show in New York State. The show is running true to tradition, as it either rains or the temperature rivals South Florida. So far this year, rain is winning out.

As I was navigating the mud and squeezing between a dealer setup and a huge box truck, a man stopped me and asked if he could shake my hand. Being a NY'er, I was immediately suspicious of his motives, but being a child of the 60's, I said sure.

He then congratulated me on my choice for nominee, as he spied the Hillary button on my jean jacket. He quickly introduced me to his wife, both South Carolina residents, told me an Obama/St. Peter joke that does not bear repeating and we had a brief conversation on what in the world is going on in the DNC. I ended up giving my Hillary button to them. The wife immediately pinned it to her T-shirt.

I didn't find any antique treasures yesterday, but I did come away from slogging miles in the rain and mud with a smile on my face.

The Leader of the (not so) Free World

Anglachel's Journal: Yes, it *is* about the fucking

Anglachel's Journal: Yes, it *is* about the fucking

And Another One Bites the Dust

So... John Edwards had an affair and lied about it. I find the fact that he chose to run for President, knowing that his wife had cancer and that she could learn about his affair a GIANT character flaw.

I now understand why he came out for Obama. It's all about him.

Bless Elizabeth Edwards. I hope her strength gets her through this.

Best Obama Facts

I found a link for this site over at Uppity's place. Here is a preview of what is there:

# Every now and then, Obama opens his eyes and the world springs into existence.

# When a tree falls in the forest, Obama hears it.

# Obama can clap with one hand.

# Prometheus was punished for plagiarizing Obama.

# Obama can make a journey of a thousand miles without a single step.

# Socks worn by Obama are used for climbing walls in Spiderman movies.

# Hillary Clinton dropped out of the race when she learned Obama's true name.

# "Obama" is the very first word in the English language to be a verb, adjective, noun, pronoun, adverb, interjection, superlative and pronad. (Pronad is a new category made specifically for the word "Obama" so its power can be fully realized).

# When Obama squints dreamily into the distance, he can see next week's lottery winning numbers. But he never plays because that would mean poverty of ambition.

# Obama can calculate your guilt just by looking at the numbers in your checkbook.

Get thee over to Best Obama Facts for a roaring good time.

Is Obama the End of Black Politics?

NYT Sunday Magazine

For some black operatives in the Clinton orbit — people who have functioned, going back to Jesse Jackson’s campaigns in the 1980s, as Democratic Washington’s liaisons to black America — the fallout from an Obama victory would likely be profound. “Some of them will have to walk the plank,” an Obama adviser told me bluntly. In their place, an Obama administration would empower a cadre of younger black advisers who would instantly become people to see in Washington’s transactional culture. Chief among them is Valerie Jarrett, a Chicago real estate developer who is one of Barack and Michelle Obama’s closest friends. “She’s poised to be one of the most influential people in politics, and particularly among African-Americans in politics,” Belcher told me. “She may be the next Vernon Jordan.” In fact, the last time I saw Clyburn, he told me he had just spent two and a half hours at breakfast with Jarrett.

Then there are operatives like Belcher himself; Michael Strautmanis, Obama’s former chief counsel and de facto younger brother, who first met Michelle Obama when he was working as a paralegal at her law firm; Matthew Nugen, a political aide who is Obama’s point man for the Democratic convention; and Paul Brathwaite, a 37-year-old lobbyist who used to be the executive director of the black caucus and who might act as a bridge between black congressmen and an Obama White House.

Should they win in November, Obama and these new advisers will confront an unfamiliar conundrum in American politics, which is how to be president of the United States and, by default, the most powerful voice in black America at the same time. Several black operatives and politicians with whom I spoke worried, eloquently, that an Obama presidency might actually leave black Americans less well represented in Washington rather than more so — that, in fact, the end of black politics, if that is what we are witnessing, might also mean the precipitous decline of black influence.

The Audacity of Obama

Before it is scrubbed from the site: Pray for Hillary and her supporters
And Heidi Li's voice of sanity

And note the bold below. What they are actually praying for is that Hillary and her supporters drop off the face of the earth so Obama can become president. Obama is Bush the Second and unless we do something soon, he will be coming to a town near you, where he will remain for the next 4 years. I'm not sure about God, but I know that Goddess is pissed to no end.

Pray for HRC and her supporters (Community Service)
From 6/1-9/1 Watching the spectical on Sat. at the rules meeting breaks my heart. We can't wait for HRC to see the light on her own, we need to begin praying for her and her supporters now. Please commit to praying for them daily to 1) stop trying to hurt the Obama's and the Democratic party. 2) Pray God will speak to them all and change their hearts so their only pursuit will be party unity and whole heartedly backing Sen. Obama.

Time: Friday, August 29 at 12:00 PM
Duration:
Host: Carolyn Jenkins
Location:
Right where you are each day (Stafford, VA)
Associated Groups: Barack's Inspired Phone Bank Army, Faith-Action-Change Virginia, Fauquier Residents for Obama, Mary Washington Students for Barack Obama, Prince William County Virginia group, Pro-life for Obama, Rappahannock County for Barack Obama, Stafford County for OBAMA, The Substance of Hope, Veterans and Other Heroes, Virginia for Obama, Virginia Veterans for Obama, Website Designers for Obama, Woodbridge, VA for Obama
Signup for 'Pray for HRC and her supporters'
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Obama runs into turbulence

From Modern Vedic Astrology:

On the heels of Barack Obama's successful world tour, his campaign has generated more potentially damaging controversy in recent days with the accusations about him playing the race card, the new McCain celeb ad that attempts to depict him in an unflattering light, and now Obama's apparent flip-flop on offshore drilling. Clearly, he is suffering the effects of the transiting Mars to his natal Mars. Several months ago, I had predicted that the first week of August would be a stressful and conflictual time for Obama and that seems to be taking place.

Given that Mars (25 Leo) is currently still a few degrees away from Obama's natal Mars (29 Leo), it's very likely that the upcoming week will mean more headaches and missteps for him. Remember, too, that the effect of this Mars transit to Obama is greatly magnified by the presence of transiting Uranus exactly opposite at 28 Aquarius. This combination can be volatile and is often associated with accidents and sudden actions which cause hardship. I don't think he's in any great danger here, but he's is likely to be on the receiving end of anger and animosity and maybe a rotten egg or tomato. I would expect more protests of the sort that he encountered in Florida when a number of black supporters tried to interrupted his speech. I think it's also possible that polling numbers to perhaps begin to favour McCain next week. Up to now, Obama has been ahead although his lead has shown signs of diminishing in recent weeks Obama's birthday is tomorrow August 4th. Before he blows out the candles, he may be wishing for Mars to get on its merry way.

I will post something on John McCain in the upcoming week. His natal Venus (29 Leo) will be subject to the same Mars-Uranus influence this week so he, too, may have to react to some sudden development that embodies some element of conflict or violence. It's possible there may be some news involving Iran that affects the presidential campaign.

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Courtesy of Senator Obama: Another "Checkers" Moment

Heidi Li's Potpourri: Courtesy of Senator Obama: Another "Checkers" Moment

Rotten to the Core and a Liar to Boot

8/3/2008
Letter from Senator Obama to the Chairs of the Committee

Hon. Alexis Herman
1333 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005

James Roosevelt, Jr.
14 Meadow Way
Cambridge, MA 02138

Eliseo Roques-Arroyo
PO Box 190998
San Juan, PR 00919

Dear Credentials Committee Chairs:

In just a few weeks, our Party will convene in Denver for our National Convention. This will be an historic event that will showcase our vision for changing the direction of our country.

The delegates and alternates who gather on Monday, August 25 will reflect the talent, energy and rich diversity of our Democratic Party. The delegates will come from all 56 states and territories. As these delegates go about the important business of the Convention, I believe Party unity calls for the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be able to participate fully alongside the delegates from the other states and territories. Accordingly, I ask that the Credentials Committee, when it meets on August 24 to approve the delegates for the National Convention, pass a resolution that would entitle each delegate from Florida and Michigan to cast a full vote.

As a candidate for the nomination, I supported the DNC's efforts to establish and enforce a schedule for primaries and caucuses that would broaden the opportunity for Democrats from all regions of the country and all backgrounds and walks of life to have a meaningful voice. An unprecedented number of voters participated in our Democratic nominating process. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Governor Dean for his principled leadership during this long and challenging process.

As we prepare to come together in Denver, however, we must be - and will be - united in our determination to change the course of our nation. To that end, Democrats in Florida and Michigan must know that they are full partners and colleagues in our historic mission to reshape Washington and lead our country in a new direction.

With warmest personal regards,

Barack Obama

Tin Foil Hat and Bubble Boy

I did a google search for news on Bill Clinton and this headline came up:

Former president Clinton: voting across racial divide not enough
Bangkok Post, Thailand - 7 hours ago
Washington (dpa) - In the first extensive interview since his wife lost the bruising presidential primary elections, former US president Bill Clinton called ...

However, when I clicked the link, I got this: Error: can not find the story! I tried going directly to the Bangkok Post and got the same results.

I was, however, able to access this story.
WASHINGTON - Democratic candidate Barack Obama on Saturday backed away from rival John McCain's challenge for a series of joint appearances, agreeing only to the standard three debates in the fall.

In May, when a McCain adviser proposed a series of pre-convention appearances at town hall meetings, Obama said, "I think that's a great idea." In summer stumping on the campaign trail, McCain has often noted that Obama had not followed through and joined him in any events.

Obama's reversal on town hall debates is part of a play-it-safe strategy he's adopted since claiming the nomination and grabbing a lead in national polls. Advisers to the Illinois senator, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss strategy, say Obama is reluctant to take chances or give McCain a high-profile stage now that Obama's the front-runner.

Good grief, even lame ass George Bush debated. Can they keep Obama in a bubble until after the GE? Or maybe ship him off to Europe until after the election?

Super Delegates

Alegre's Corner
I talked about the effort to pull together the 300 delegates needed on that nominating petition below the fold in an earlier post re San Francisco and the video of Hillary. I sent a link to that earlier post to Daniel Kagan, who's one of the delegate spearheading this effort, and he sent me the following for inclusion in this post...

"I don't understand the delegates who refuse to sign the petition. Their words pay lip service to democracy, but their actions say 'I won't vote for Clinton, and, by not signing the petition, I'm making sure you won't vote for her either.' Now, how can that be right? I would respect them far more if they took a leaf out of Voltaire's book and said 'Though I don't agree with the way you intend to vote, I will fight to the death for your right to vote that way. Give me that pen!'"

So it's time to put up or shut up when it comes to all this talk about unity folks. You say you want us to get behind your guy. We're telling you the best way to bring us aboard is to include Hillary's name on the ballot in Denver. Show us your words aren't empty by signing on to this nominating petition - even if you don't plan to vote for her.

Prove to us that you're all about an open and fair convention. Otherwise - we'll know you don't mean it when you tell us you want to reunify our party.

The ball's in your court folks - what are you going to do with it?

An Interesting Read

Every day, for the past several months, I've made a habit in my morning prayers of thanking God for the emergence of Barack Obama. Not because my hope is in Obama, but because my hope is always, unequivocally in God....>>

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