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Friday, October 31, 2008
We lost our brother posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 8:25 AM
Last night, dubyaD40.com lost a brother and owner of this site. Clyde was involved in a fatal car accident that took his life. Most of you know him as Clyde who writes "Clyde's Corner" each week. We know him as Kenny. Clyde being his middle name. Outside of being an owner of this site, Kenny worked a full time job just like us. He was a blue-collared welding inspector that loved Nascar and politics.
Kenny recently turned 46. He is survived by 1 sister and 2 brothers.
I'm not good at writing things like this so I apologize. Your condolences are welcome but flowers are not. If he were here, he would say VOTE, don't send flowers.
R.I.P. Kenneth Clyde Bolles - Our best friend and brother:
She is a whack job posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:26 AM
McCain Advisor Eagleburger Blisters Palin: "Of Course" She's Not Ready
A former Republican Secretary of State and one of John McCain's most prominent supporters offered a stunningly frank and remarkably bleak assessment of Sarah Palin's capacity to handle the presidency should such a scenario arise.
Lawrence Eagleburger, who served as Secretary of State under George H.W. Bush and whose endorsement is often trumpeted by McCain, said on Thursday that the Alaska governor is not only unprepared to take over the job on a moment's notice but, even after some time in office, would only amount to an "adequate" commander in chief.
"And I devoutly hope that [she] would never be tested," he added for good measure -- referring both to Palin's policy dexterity and the idea of McCain not making it through his time in office.
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Eagleburger explained: "I don't think at the moment she is prepared to take over the reigns of the presidency. I can name for you any number of other vice presidents who were not particularly up to it either. So the question, I think, is can she learn and would she be tough enough under the circumstances if she were asked to become president, heaven forbid that that ever takes place?
Rasmussen: The Last Word--Almost posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:23 AM
These are our 2008 election projections as of Thursday, October 30. We will make final adjustments and tweaks on Monday afternoon, November 3, and post them to the website. At that point, we will attempt to call the few remaining toss-ups.
We wish everyone the best possible Election Day, with congratulations to the winners and condolences to the losers. Our sincere thanks to the thousands of readers who have offered tips, suggestions, and constructive criticism.
In January 2009 we'll start our focus on the new administration and Congress--and yes, the critical "Census/redistricting" midterm election cycle of 2010 (36 governors, thousands of state legislative seats, the entire U.S. House again, and the next third of the U.S. Senate seats on the ballot). The never-ending cycle of American politics will be played out here on Sabato's Crystal Ball.
The October Surprise: Like clockwork posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 1:42 PM
Qaeda wants Republicans, Bush "humiliated": Web video
An al Qaeda leader has called for President George W. Bush and the Republicans to be "humiliated," without endorsing any party in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, according to a video posted on the Internet.
"O God, humiliate Bush and his party, O Lord of the Worlds, degrade and defy him," Abu Yahya al-Libi said at the end of sermon marking the Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr, in a video posted on the Internet.
Libi, one of the top al Qaeda commanders believed to be living in Afghanistan or Pakistan, called for God's wrath to be brought against Bush equating him with past tyrants in history.
The remarks were the first comments from a leading al Qaeda figure referring, albeit indirectly, to the U.S. elections. Muslim clerics often end sermons by calling on God to guide and support Muslims and help defeat their enemies.
In 2004 al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden issued his first video in more than a year just days before the elections to deride President Bush and warn of possible new September 11-style attacks.
The fat lady is warming up posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 12:59 PM
McCain Camp Buses In School Kids To Fill Crowd
The most cringe-worthy political moment of the day, so far, came when Sen. John McCain called out for his new buddy Joe the Plumber to stand up at a rally in Ohio, only to be greeted with confused silence. Joe the Plumber wasn't there.
But that rally featured another embarrassing moment, one that illustrates a far more troubling dynamic for the Republican ticket. The McCain campaign actually had to bus in school kids from the surrounding area in order to fill the event. As reported by MSNBC:
A local school district official confirmed after the event that of the 6,000 people estimated by the fire marshal to be in attendance this morning, more than 4,000 were bused in from schools in the area. The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses.
This happened -- as if a reminder were needed -- less than a week out from the election, when the heat of the campaign should be drawing record crowds.
Exxon will miss the Republicans posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 8:43 AM
Exxon Mobil: Biggest profit in U.S. history
Exxon Mobil Corp. set a quarterly profit record for a U.S. company Thursday, surging past analyst estimates.
Exxon Mobil (XOM, Fortune 500), the leading U.S. oil company, said its third-quarter net profit was $14.83 billion, or $2.86 per share, up from $9.41 billion, or $1.70, a year earlier. That profit included $1.45 billion in special items.
The company's prior record was $11.68 billion in the second quarter of 2008.
The latest quarter's net income equaled $1,865.69 per second, nearly $400 a second more than the prior mark.
Hello future Democratic majority! posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:12 AM
Palin suggests she's now GOP political fixture
Facing the unhappy prospect of defeat, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin indicated Wednesday that she will not disappear from the national political scene if the GOP ticket loses on Tuesday.
"Absolutely not. I think that, if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we've taken, that ... that would ... bring this whole ... I'm not doing this for naught," Palin said in an interview with ABC News, according to excerpts of a transcript released by the television network.
Palin was steadfast in saying Republican presidential nominee John McCain would defeat Democrat Barack Obama.
"I'm just ... thinking that it's gonna to go our way on Tuesday, Nov. 4. I truly believe that the wisdom of ... of the people will be revealed on that day. As they enter that voting booth, they will understand the stark contrast between the two tickets," the Alaska governor said.
Zogby: 50-43 posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:08 AM
Obama takes 7-point lead on McCain 50-43
Democrat Barack Obama has opened a 7-point lead over Republican rival John McCain with five days left in the race for the White House, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Thursday.
Obama leads McCain by 50 percent to 43 percent among likely voters in the three-day national tracking poll, building on his 5-point advantage on Wednesday. The telephone poll has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
It was the second consecutive day Obama's lead has grown as the two-year presidential battle draws to a close. McCain is struggling to overtake Obama's lead in every national opinion poll and in many battleground states.
"This is not good news for McCain. The race was tightening for a few days but now it is going back the other way," pollster John Zogby said.
You know you're doing bad when... posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:07 AM
McCain Now Running Robocalls Attacking Obama In Home State Of Arizona
John McCain and the Republican National Committee are now running robocalls attacking Obama as weak on terrorism -- in McCain's home state of Arizona, according to multiple readers from the state.
The call signals genuine worry about McCain's home state at a time when several polls show the race to be much closer than expected there.
McCain's robocall, which was played to us over the phone by Mary Joe Bartel, a retiree who lives south of Tucson, attacks Obama as unprepared to defend the country from terrorism, singling out Joe Biden's recent remarks about the likelihood of Obama being tested by an international crisis early in his first term.
Here's the script:
I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because Barack Obama is so dangerously inexperienced, his running mate Joe Biden just said, he invites a major international crisis that he will be unprepared to handle alone.
If Democrats win full control of government, they will want to give civil rights to terrorists and talk unconditionally to dictators and state sponsors of terror. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the experience and judgment to lead America. This call was paid for by the Republican National Committee and authorized by McCain-Palin 2008.
Two other Arizona readers -- David Lorti, a Phoenix realtor, and Jerry Mooers, a retiree from Sun Lakes -- confirm to us that they received the same call today.
It's about FRIGGIN' time! posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 11:58 AM
Sen. Lieberman likely to lose his gavel in massive reshuffle being discussed
Democratic leaders are discussing a major reshuffling of Senate committee chairmanships, according to multiple sources, and the proposed changes include ousting Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) from his coveted chairmanship.
Lieberman, a former Democrat who supports Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president, is likely to lose his gavel on the Homeland Security Committee he has chaired since January 2007, say the sources who see him being replaced by Sen. Daniel Akaka (Hawaii), the committee's third-ranking Democrat.
Lieberman spokesman Marshall Witmann dismissed the speculation, saying Lieberman "is focused on doing all he can to elect John McCain as president rather than post-election Washington politics."
One Democratic source said Lieberman is not likely to lose his position in the Democratic caucus, even if the party picks up several seats in next week's election. While Democrats could approach or exceed the filibuster-proof threshold of 60 votes, they may still need Lieberman's vote often.
I thought the Democrats were going to bring about "socialism" posted by
Clyde 11:57 AM
Do these people have any clue as to what their friggin message is? Psst Caribou Barbie - you can't have both. Pick one to try and scare the 28 percenters with or just shut the F*ck Up!
Palin warns against one-party rule
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin told supporters Wednesday that one-party Democratic rule in Washington would bring an "agenda of inaction."
"When you look over the energy plans of Barack Obama and his allies in Congress, it's just a long, labored agenda of inaction," Palin said during a speech on energy. "And it's the same agenda of inaction we could expect under the one-party rule of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid."
"They're always talking about things we can't do in America, energy we can't produce, refineries we can't build, plants we can't approve, coal we cannot use, technologies we cannot master. As John McCain has observed, for a guy whose slogan is 'yes, we can,' Barack Obama's energy plan sure has a whole lot of 'no, we can't.'"
Palin was following the lead of running mate John McCain, who on Monday called Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid a "dangerous threesome."
Hitting back even harder posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 10:29 AM
Obama, again, mocks 'socialist' claim
Obama, in Raleigh, N.C., returned to the claim by the McCain camp that he's sliding toward socialism.
McCain is "spending these last few days calling me every name in the book," Obama said.o
"I'm sorry to see my opponent sink so low. Lately, he's called me a socialist for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. By the end of the week, he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in Kindergarten," he said.
A sneak peak of the Obamercial posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 9:47 AM
Obama Infomercial, a Closing Argument to the Everyman
Senator Barack Obama will use his prime-time half-hour infomercial on Wednesday night to make what is effectively a closing argument to a national audience of millions. At times he will speak directly into the camera about his 20-month campaign, at others he will highlight everyday voters, their everyday troubles, and his plans to address them.
Mr. Obama's campaign agreed to provide The New York Times with a minute-long trailer for the 30-minute program, which is to run on four broadcast networks at 8 p.m. It will be the first time in 16 years that a presidential candidate has bought network time, in prime time, for a prolonged campaign commercial.
The trailer is heavy in strings, flags, presidential imagery and some Americana filmed by Davis Guggenheim, whose father was the campaign documentarian of Robert F. Kennedy. As the screen flashes scenes of suburban lawns, a freight train and Mr. Obama seated at a kitchen table with a group of white, apparently working-class voters, Mr. Obama says: "We've seen over the last eight years how decisions by a president can have a profound effect on the course of history and on American lives; much that's wrong with our country goes back even farther than that."
Then, while standing before a stately desk and an American flag, Mr. Obama, in a suit, says: "We've been talking about the same problems for decades and nothing is ever done to solve them. For the past 20 months, I've traveled the length of this country, and Michelle and I have met so many Americans who are looking for real and lasting change that makes a difference in their lives."
Will history repeats itself? posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 8:34 AM
Obama's ahead, polls say, but will the lead last?
With a week to go before Election Day, most recent national polls show Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama with an advantage. But how much are they to be believed?
The most recent national CNN poll of polls showed Obama with an 8-point lead over Republican presidential nominee John McCain, 51 percent to 43 percent. The polls were conducted October 21 through October 26.
Most other national polls show Obama with a lead ranging between 5 points and double digits.
A look at CNN polling during the same period before Election Day in 2000 and 2004 suggests that political observers and campaign supporters ought to be cautious in declaring the race over because of current polling numbers.
When a presidential race has a non-incumbent in the lead, like this year, the poll numbers tend to tighten as Election Day gets closer, CNN senior researcher Alan Silverleib said "Any time it looks like they are on the verge of voting somebody new into office, there is buyer's remorse," he said. "Based on that, and the fact that the country has been so polarized in recent elections, there's pretty good reason to think that the polls might tighten up a little bit."
.....
There have been a few examples of such "buyer's remorse" in recent history, Silverleib said.
"We saw that with Clinton in 1992, when the polls suddenly tightened up during the last week," he said. "It was almost like people saying, 'Do we really want this guy?' "
They did. Clinton soundly defeated President George H. W. Bush, 43 percent to 37 percent.
6 more days posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:15 AM
Electoral Math Bleak for McCain
Florida, Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri - all states President Bush won in 2004. The only traditionally Democratic state where McCain is seriously campaigning is Pennsylvania, and polls show him trailing there by double digits.
Barack Obama's campaign long planned to use its vast fundraising network to target more Republican states than usual. With a big assist from the financial collapse, it has paid off. A week before Election Day, Obama has a host of possibilities for reaching the necessary 270 electoral votes, while McCain's options are dwindling fast.
The standard rule for the last few presidential campaigns has been that whoever wins two out of three between Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, wins the White House. With so many states in play, that's no longer valid.
Obama could lose all three and still win the election if he picked up several states won by Bush in 2004, states where Obama leads in the polls. Or, just winning Florida or Ohio could put him in the White House.
"This is an unbelievable crowd for this kind of weather," said Obama, dressed in a dark rain jacket. "I just want all of you to know that if we see this kind of dedication on Election Day, there is no way that we're not going to bring change to America."
He continued, "Whether it's rain or sleet or snow, we are going to go out and we're going to vote, because there's too much at stake ... We're going to keep on going until we finish the job."
And the crowd -- under umbrellas, wearing trash bags, stuffed inside giant parkas -- chanted "We want change! We want change!"
Dear John: Fark you. Signed, Governor Crist posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 1:19 PM
Gov. Charlie Crist Extends Early Voting Hours
Gov. Charlie Crist signed an executive order today, extending the hours for early voting during the current general election.
"I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote."
Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, Oct. 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Sat., Nov. 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008.
Barack Obama leads John McCain by a 52% to 36% margin in Pew's latest nationwide survey of 1,325 registered voters. This is the fourth consecutive survey that has found support for the Republican candidate edging down. In contrast, since early October weekly Pew surveys have shown about the same number of respondents saying they back Obama. When the sample is narrowed to those most likely to vote, Obama leads by 53% to 38%.
A breakdown of voting intentions by demographic groups shows that since mid- September, McCain's support has declined significantly across most voting blocs. Currently, McCain holds a statistically significant advantage only among white evangelical Protestants (aside from Republicans). In addition, Obama runs nearly even with McCain in the so-called red states, all of which George W. Bush won in 2004.
Just as ominous for the Republican candidate, Obama holds a 53% to 34% lead among the sizable minority of voters (15%) who say they have already voted. Among those who plan to vote early but have not yet voted (16% of voters), 56% support Obama, while 37% support McCain.
Arizona goes Obama? It's possible posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:22 AM
Internal GOP Poll has McCain Only +3 in AZ
More disturbingly for Republicans, at least one internal Republican poll conducted toward the end of the week showed McCain clinging to a tiny 3-point lead. McCain is tied in Maricopa County, usually seen as a death knell for any statewide Republican candidate, but he makes up the difference with a strong performance in the northern part of the state.
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"This is shaping up to be the worst landslide for a Republican since (former Arizona Senator Barry) Goldwater. I realize the irony in that," said one distraught Arizona Republican operative who asked for anonymity to speak frankly. "If I were to place a bet today, I'd say McCain loses" his home state. .....
Still, other Republican strategists with ties to Arizona said, on condition that their names not be used, that there was reason for concern.
Internal Democratic polls in individual congressional districts in Arizona show McCain dramatically underperforming President Bush's 2004 numbers.
Standing up to hate. posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:07 AM
Dozens Of Call Center Workers Walk Off Job In Protest Rather Than Read Anti-Obama Script
Some three dozen workers at a telemarketing call center in Indiana walked off the job rather than read an incendiary McCain campaign script attacking Barack Obama, according to two workers at the center and one of their parents.
Nina Williams, a stay-at-home mom in Lake County, Indiana, tells us that her daughter recently called her from her job at the center, upset that she had been asked to read a script attacking Obama for being "dangerously weak on crime," "coddling criminals," and for voting against "protecting children from danger."
Williams' daughter told her that up to 40 of her co-workers had refused to read the script, and had left the call center after supervisors told them that they would have to either read the call or leave, Williams says. The call center is called Americall, and it's located in Hobart, IN.
<...>
The daughter, who wanted her name withheld fearing retribution from her employer, confirmed the story to us. "It was like at least 40 people," the daughter said. "People thought the script was nasty and they didn't wanna read it."
Who's the terrorist again? posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 2:26 PM
ATF says it disrupted skinhead plot in Tenn., Ark. to assassinate Obama
The ATF says it has broken up a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people in a Tennessee murder spree.
In court records unsealed Monday, agents said they disrupted plans to rob a gun store and target an unnamed but predominantly African-American high school by two neo-Nazi skinheads.
It's a series of Guilty posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 2:12 PM
Sen. Stevens found guilty on corruption charges
Sen. Ted Stevens was found guilty on all counts at his corruption trial Monday.
Stevens was charged with lying on Senate financial forms about $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts he received from an oil contractor.
Stevens spent three days on the witness stand, vehemently denying that allegation. He said his wife, Catherine, paid every bill they received.
Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count, but under federal sentencing guidelines, he would likely receive much less prison time, if any.
Stevens' trial hinged on the testimony of Bill Allen, the senator's longtime drinking and fishing buddy. Allen, the founder of VECO, testified that he never billed his friend for the extensive work on the house and that Stevens knew he was getting a deal.
The south goes Obama posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 12:59 PM
NASCAR'S Junior Johnson comes out for Obama
My family and I have given this election a lot of thought.
Our country is in a rough spot, and we're going to need some serious change. There's only one candidate ready to deliver it -- and that's Barack Obama....
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Every day I talk to someone else who's never voted for a Democrat, but now they're voting for Barack Obama. They realize that Barack understands what we're going through here in North Carolina. And they're ready for change.
So I've made up my mind, and I'm ready to get involved. I know that I could never have won a race without my pit crew, and I know Barack can't win this one without us.
Can you sign up to volunteer this last crucial week?
When I talk to folks about why I support Barack, I just tell it like I see it.
There's been a lot thrown at him this election, and he's stayed calm, positive, and focused. I know a little something about how important it is to stay cool under pressure.
And with all the dangers in our world today, that's the kind of rock-solid leadership our country needs.
These days, I run a small country ham and pork skins business. Barack Obama will fight for a fair economy where small businesses like mine have the freedom to grow, and he'll defend the Second Amendment to protect the hunter's way of life.
But the most important reasons I'm speaking out for Barack Obama are named Robert and Meredith, my two children. My wife Lisa and I talked it over, and honestly, we know in our gut that their future is more secure if Barack Obama is president.
At the end of the day, there's just nothing more important than that.
That's why I'm going to talk to my neighbors this week, and I'm asking you to do the same. This election in North Carolina is going to be one of the closest ever, and we all need to lend a hand.
I've been in a lot of races in my life. But this may be the most important one of all. So let's all get in gear and win it together.
Yours,
Junior Johnson
P.S. -- I know what it means to run an aggressive race, but I also know what it means to compete with integrity. Have you gotten one of these pre-recorded calls that are flooding our state smearing Barack Obama's character and questioning his patriotism? That's crossing the line, and North Carolinians deserve better. Help fight back by canvassing this week to tell your neighbors the truth about Barack.
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Junior Johnson is one of the founding fathers of NASCAR. Tom Wolfe's story, Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamlined Baby was about Junior. He was a convicted Moonshiner and when they talk about how NASCAR grew from the high speed cars of the moonshine era, Junior is one of those guys. He was also one of the biggest and best cheaters in NASCAR. Even late in his car owner career (early 90's) he got caught cheating with one of his cars and they suspended him for a month. His wife ran the team for him until he came back. As a car owner in the sport, guys Like Darrel Waltrip and Bill Eliott drove for him. As his legend has grown he has become rather beloved by the race fans. I never saw him race but I have watched him working the pits in Charlotte when he was still active in the sport.
His support for Obama could actually be a game changer in North Carolina. He is that well know down there. NASCAR is the most Republican leaning sport in America and Junior Johnson announcing that he is voting Democrat is pretty fucking amazing. I'm ready to go out and buy some fine Junior Johnson fine Pork Products...yes-sir-re-bub
All I want for Christmas.. posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 12:09 PM
Yes, Virginia, You Are Obama's Firewall
Suppose that instead of a relatively decisive win by Barack Obama on Election Day, we instead have a very close election.
Wish state might the McCain campaign really, really wish that they hadn't insulted?
I'll give you a hint. It's not technically a state, but rather, a commonwealth.
Five separate polls of Virginia have been released within the past 48 hours. Zogby has Obama ahead by 7 points there, the Washington Post by 8, SurveyUSA by 9, Public Policy Polling also by 9, and Virgnia Commonwealth University by 11.
Virginia, with 13 electoral votes, is a bit more electorally potent than Colorado; Obama could afford to lose either New Hampshire or New Mexico if he won there (though not both), which is not true about the Rocky Mountain state. We are currently projecting Obama to win every John Kerry state, except New Hampshire, but plus Iowa, by double digits. If Obama wins all of those states plus Virginia, he's at 268 electoral votes, meaning that any more electoral votes anywhere in the country would win him the election.
Tick tock, tick tock posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 12:06 PM
String of polls shows uphill climb for McCain
Barack Obama is hanging onto leads in several battleground states as well as a handful of traditionally red states won by President Bush in 2004, CNN's average of several recent state polls shows.
According to a string of new polls of polls from CNN, Obama holds narrow leads in Ohio, Missouri, Florida, Nevada, and Virginia. John McCain meanwhile is hanging onto his lead in Indiana and West Virginia. CNN's polls of polls are statistical averages of several recent surveys from each state. They do not carry margins of error.
In Ohio, the state no Republican has won the White House without, Obama is holding a 4 point lead, 50 percent to 46 percent. That's one point narrower than a CNN Ohio polls of polls last week.
In Missouri, the state that voted for President Bush twice, Obama holds a 1 point lead over McCain. A CNN average of recent polls last week showed the race tied in Missouri.
Obama is holding onto a 2 point lead in Florida meanwhile, 48 percent to 46 percent. That's one point narrower than the race was last week at this time.
In Nevada, Obama has a 4 point lead, 49 to 45 percent - a lead that hasn't changed over the last week.
In Virginia, a state that hasn't voted Democratic in over 4 decades, but one that has been increasingly trending Democratic, Obama holds a 5 point lead, 50 to 45 percent. That's 3 points narrower than Obama's lead there last week, according to a CNN poll of polls then.
McCain meanwhile has a 1 point lead in Indiana, 47 to 45 percent, another state that hasn't voted Democratic since the 1960's but one that the Obama campaign has heavily targeted.
The pimp slap... posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 6:10 AM
Anchorage Daily News Endorses Obama
Alaska's largest newspaper said Gov. Sarah Palin has brought to the state "attention and recognition" as the Republican vice presidential nominee but said that fact alone "does not overwhelm all other judgment."
"Many Alaskans are proud to see their governor, and their state, so prominent on the national stage," reads the endorsement. But "Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office."
Obama "displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, stead hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain," the editors continue.
The paper notes that both Obama and John McCain oppose the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, a policy position the Anchorage Daily News disagrees with. "We think both are wrong, and hope a President Obama can be convinced to support environmentally responsible development of that resource."
With a circulation of roughly 71,000 and two Pulitzer Prizes, the Anchorage Daily News is the state's most influential newspaper. It has been critical of Palin in the past, though the endorsement still comes as a surprise.
Republican's Hate Democracy posted by
Wally 2:45 AM
In anything resembling a fair and open democratic process, Republicans don't stand a chance. Out of one side of their face they talk about defending and protecting freedom and democracy, and out the other side they pull shit like this. In Georgia, they purged more than 50,000 voters off the voter lists, without giving them the opportunity to prove they are legitimate voters.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- College senior Kyla Berry was looking forward to voting in her first presidential election, even carrying her voter registration card in her wallet. But about two weeks ago, Berry got disturbing news from local election officials.
"This office has received notification from the state of Georgia indicating that you are not a citizen of the United States and therefore, not eligible to vote," a letter from the Fulton County Department of Registration and Elections said.
But Berry is a U.S. citizen, born in Boston, Massachusetts. She has a passport and a birth certificate to prove it. Video Watch some of the concerns of voting experts ยป
The letter, which was dated October 2, gave her a week from the time it was dated to prove her citizenship. There was a problem, though -- the letter was postmarked October 9.
By the time the letter left the post office, it was too late for her to do a damn thing about it. This was not an accident. Remember, it happened to more than 50,000 others in Georgia too. Who's willing to bet against me that these letters were aimed primarily at college students and minorities?
Cheating worked for the Republicans in Ohio in '04. Cheating worked for them in Florida in 2000. In my lifetime, the GOP has never been above violating the very thing that makes America what it is, if it keeps them in power.
I'm sure we'll hear about a lot more of this over the next week. I hope Obama has his army of lawyers ready. I expect a lot more fight out of him than we saw out of Gore or Kerry if they try to steal this one.
This is why Obama keeps encouraging us to not get cocky or complacent. This is why we need to vote in numbers so large that it is too overwhelming for them to steal. Again.
McFailin campaign is off the reservation posted by
Dookie The Webmaster 8:42 PM
Palin's 'going rogue,' McCain aide says
With 10 days until Election Day, long-brewing tensions between GOP vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin and key aides to Sen. John McCain have become so intense, they are spilling out in public, sources say.
Several McCain advisers have suggested to CNN that they have become increasingly frustrated with what one aide described as Palin "going rogue."
A Palin associate, however, said the candidate is simply trying to "bust free" of what she believes was a damaging and mismanaged roll-out.
McCain sources say Palin has gone off-message several times, and they privately wonder whether the incidents were deliberate. They cited an instance in which she labeled robocalls -- recorded messages often used to attack a candidate's opponent -- "irritating" even as the campaign defended their use. Also, they pointed to her telling reporters she disagreed with the campaign's decision to pull out of Michigan.
A second McCain source says she appears to be looking out for herself more than the McCain campaign.
"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else.
Palin stylist draws higher pay than policy adviser
An acclaimed celebrity makeup artist for Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin collected more money from John McCain's campaign than his foreign policy adviser. Amy Strozzi, who works on the reality show "So You Think You Can Dance" and has been Palin's traveling stylist, was paid $22,800, according to campaign finance reports for the first two weeks in October. In contrast, McCain's foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, was paid $12,500, the report showed.
McCain's campaign said the payment covered a portion of her work in September and a portion of October. An earlier campaign finance report showed Strozzi was paid $13,200 for a portion of September.
In recent days, McCain and his running mate have tried to douse a furor over how their side spent their money. The Republican National Committee came under scrutiny after the party committee reported earlier this week that it had spent about $150,000 in September on wardrobe and cosmetics after Palin joined the GOP ticket.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune and Fox News on Thursday, Palin said the clothes bought for the Republican National Convention were not worth $150,000 and said most have not left her campaign plane. She also said the family shops frugally.
Social Conservatives Aim Fire at GOP Campaign Committee
The move by an arm of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) to scale back campaign support for embattled Reps. Michele Bachmann and Marilyn Musgrave drew a sharp rebuke from the leader of a prominent organization of social conservatives, who is vowing to tell his supporters not to donate to the GOP's House campaign unit unless the decision is reversed.
"It appears that the NRCC is abandoning social conservative candidates and the issues for which they stand, particularly if they are championed by some of the most promising female legislators in the Congress. This is no time to cut and run from a fight," Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins wrote in a letter to NRCC Chairman Tom Cole , who represents an Oklahoma district in the House. The letter was released to reporters late Thursday.
Referring to his organization's political action committee, Perkins warned, "I will urge supporters of the FRC Action to stop giving to the NRCC until it starts supporting and fighting for conservative candidates in close races."
Musgrave, who survived a very close 2006 contest in Colorado's 4th District, appears in even more political danger in her contest this year with Democratic businesswoman Betsy Markey, a former aide to Colorado Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar . Bachmann appeared a much stronger favorite in Minnesota's strongly conservative-leaning 6th District, but her race against Democratic former state official Elwyn Tinklenberg has tightened since last week, when she made controversial remarks on national television questioning whether Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has "anti-American views."
