It's debate night

I have fallen asleep on the couch in the course of the last three so I don't expect tonight to be different. Still, you never know.

Eddie is mixing the mojitos and Dillinger is heating up the queso. (He is such a little Texan, and so cute!) I bought some popcorn from a cub scout last week and have been saving it for tonight.

I was briefly a cub scout back when I was around eight years old, so that was one for nostalgia and solidarity.

Will Bob Schieffer betray his admiration for McCain or keep it in check? Will McCain manage to rattle Obama? Can Obama possibly not rattle McCain, given how McCain's resentment of even being staged as an equal with Obama has oozed from every pore of McSame's being at each debate? Will there be fireworks? Or dullness? What will be the sound byte that emerges from tonight?

Can we please, please, please go back to having the League of Women Voters run the debates?

I will keep an emesis basin at hand for each time the senior senator from AZ says "my friends."

Are you registered to vote? Do you know where your polling place is? Can you help GOTV?
--the BB

Betty White chimes in (probably NSFW)

I've seen this in a few places, most recently at Crooks and Liars.

Betty White discusses the campaign with Craig Ferguson.

Funny.
--the BB

I dozed off

So much for lively debate. Lots of decorum. I rather like decorum, actually, though I appreciate a good zinger too.

Who forgot his flag pin tonight? Commie.

Trapper John said, "Obama won this on graciousness and composure. Period. He was the adult in the room." I may not have been consciously present for all of it but that is my impression also. He looked and sounded presidential. Grampy occasionally seemed on the verge of ordering the kid off his lawn.

Not too sure how comforting his "I've been around forever" leitmotiv is, frankly. He almost seemed to hobble off afterward.

Eddie was catching a few Zs as well. I had to wake him up when it was over. Since he is a member of the Platypus Party he finds human debates rather irrelevant. I did hear him mumble something about more shrimp in every pot. New Orleans seems to agree with him.

Maha frets that most viewers might not notice that McCain often does not answer the question put to him. Think Progress documents McDisaster's, um, inaccuracies.

McLiar trotted out some of his faves this evening. He just can't stop. From Crooks and Liars we read about something I'd like see Grampy get called on:

It turns out that presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain has attended even fewer Afghanistan-related Senate hearings over the past two years than Obama’s one. Which is a nice way of saying, McCain, R-Ariz., the top Republican on the Senate Armed Service Committee, has attended zero of his committee’s six hearings on Afghanistan over the last two years.

I expect a run on popcorn before the VP debates. For a preview of the junior-high-school edition of political finesse check out Wilda Wolfkiller:



Should Senator Biden show up in a black hat just to scare the bejeebers out of the little lady? (I know that was a belittling sexist remark but JFC, she's a cross between Attila the Hun and a Valley Girl just emerging, barely, from magical thinking.) Governor Palin should scare every sentient being to the polls to ensure she never gets near the White House.

h/t to SilentPatriot at Crooks and Liars

I think Digby speaks for me:

It's very hard for me to gauge this debate because to me John McCain is quite obviously a crazy, intemperate, nasty old bastard. He was sarcastic, contemptuous and patronizing. I really, really loathe him.

Whenever someone, especially a lifelong Democrat, says they can't quite bring themselves to vote for Obama because there's just something about him they can't quite name, is it just me or do you want to scream with me, "You mean because he's black?!!!"? That's my inner reaction anyway.

--the BB

About that "elitist" meme

Don't you get tired of it? I do. I remember the "egghead" label being stuck on Adlai Stevenson, something that was anathema to the bulk of the American populace. Heaven forbid we should value knowledge or clear and critical thinking!

Yes, Obama is highly intelligent, educated, and articulate. Shouldn't we want that in the leader of a great nation? Do we really want a doofus? (Please don't remind me that we already have one. Look where that has gotten us.

I don't know how anyone can have the gall to insinuate that the Obamas cannot relate to ordinary working folk. They did not come from the realms of the idle rich.

Oh well, let's go for the graphic comparison.

h/t to Markos whence I nabbed the image.
--the BB

Can you spot any stylistic differences/

h/t to Joe Sudbay at Americablog and Jed who put the video together
--the BB

Senator Biden delivers the speech we've been waiting for

Note: it runs just over 30 minutes. But even a few are great to listen to.



You can read the text as prepared for delivery here.

We've seen this movie before, folks. But as everyone knows, the sequel is always worse than the original.

If we forget this history, we're going to be doomed to repeat it -- with four more just like the last eight, or worse. If you're ready for four more years of George Bush, John McCain is your man.

Just as George Herbert Walker Bush was nicknamed "Bush 41" and his son is known as "Bush 43," John McCain could easily become known as "Bush 44."
....

John McCain is so firmly in their corner he thinks the Exxon-Mobils of the world should get an additional $4 billion dollars a year in tax cuts.

h/t to icebergsim at Daily Kos

Update: You owe it to yourself to listen to this speech. It's energizing.
--the BB

The honor was there but now it's gone

John McCain is, and I will say it in print if others are too damned polite to do so, a LIAR. And his campaign is replete with lies.

It took years for the American public to wake up to the fact that Bush lied to them repeatedly, and still does. How much time do we have to wake up to McCain?

UPDATE: If it won't play for you, here is the link.
--the BB

Biden's response

You tell 'em, Joe!



Meanwhile, Governor Palin is being kept beyond the reach of reporters. What are they afraid of?
--the BB

Fuckin' redneck

Levi Johnston, Governor Palin's future son-in-law

The New York Post provides information on the father of Sarah Palin's future grandchild:

On his MySpace page, Johnston boasts, "I'm a f - - -in' redneck" who likes to snowboard and ride dirt bikes.

"But I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some s- - - and just f - - -in' chillin' I guess."

"Ya f - - - with me I'll kick [your] ass," he added.

He also claims to be "in a relationship," but states, "I don't want kids."

Since he wrote his own material here, I assume there is no slander in sharing it.

Hoffmania, who alerted me to the NY Post article, comments on the "I don't want kids" bit:

Should've planned for that, f---in' redneck.

[Need we remind anyone that Governor Palin is firmly in favor of abstinence-only sex "education," praises here daughter's "choice" while opposing any woman's right to choose, and used a line-item veto to slash funding for a program for pregnant teenagers?]

NYMag calls him "Sex on Skates." So I guess McCain has sewn up the hockey vote.

Charming lad.

All of them lovely people.

This is NOT part of our prince blogging series.
--the BB

A helpful resource: comparative resumés

You know you're going to hear a lot of stupid shit this campaign (still working on my cuss-o-meter rating). The whole bit about Governor Palin having more executive experience than Obama is an especially prominent one. It really pays to examine their experience to see what kind of experience and at what depth in order to evaluate that claim.

SantaFeMarie has done the legwork on this and posted her results at Daily Kos. I recommend you check it out and get all the details. Here is a small sample of summations for time periods.

1991 - 1995
Him: Expert on our nation's fundamental legal principles.
Her: plotted to leave the Union; thinks Pledge of Allegiance was written by our founding fathers, doesn't know what a Vice President does.

2005 to present
Him: Impressive figure on the national stage who knows how Congress works and is engaged with foreign policy issues.
Her: small state governor for 21 months; "next to Russia", but that is just 1 of the 190 countries in the world she has never been to.

Conclusion: the word "executive" is not some kind of magic force multiplier when placed in front of the word "experience".

Enjoy!
--the BB

Ah, freedom of thought! And Godwin's Law - updated

Because y'all should know about it, if you don't already, here is what Wikipedia says about Godwin's Law:

Godwin's Law (also known as Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies) is an adage formulated by Mike Godwin in 1990. The law states:

"As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

Godwin's Law is often cited in online discussions as a deterrent against the use of arguments in the reductio ad Hitlerum form.

The rule does not make any statement whether any particular reference or comparison to Hitler or the Nazis might be appropriate, but only asserts that one arising is increasingly probable. It is precisely because such a comparison or reference may sometimes be appropriate, Godwin has argued that overuse of Nazi and Hitler comparisons should be avoided, because it robs the valid comparisons of their impact. Although in one of its early forms Godwin's Law referred specifically to Usenet newsgroup discussions, the law is now applied to any threaded online discussion: electronic mailing lists, message boards, chat rooms, and more recently blog comment threads and wiki talk pages.

I preface this post with such information for the sake of self-awareness because I am using such an inflammatory illustration (so to speak).

From Time online:

Stein says that as mayor, Palin continued to inject religious beliefs into her policy at times. "She asked the library how she could go about banning books," he says, because some voters thought they had inappropriate language in them. "The librarian was aghast." The librarian, Mary Ellen Baker, couldn't be reached for comment, but news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire her for not giving "full support" to the mayor.

St. George, however, points out that Palin couldn't have seen everything through an evangelical lens. She had, he says, notably resisted calls to restrict operating hours for the bars in town. And even if faith did play an unusually large role in her decision-making as mayor, it may have only reflected the continued rise of evangelicism in the valley, a growth that continues to this day.

"We like to call this the Bible Belt of Alaska," says Cheryl Metiva, head of the local chamber of commerce. Churches proliferate in Wasilla today, and among the largest and most influential is the Wasilla Bible Church, where the Palins worship. [emphasis mine]

That first paragraph should make your blood run cold.

The final one gets to me as any mention of a Bible Church makes my blood run cold. I have history.

So, while I cannot say I have conclusive evidence by any means, there seems to be enough material floating about already to suggest that Sarah Palin is something of a theocrat. Which is why the fundagelicals like her and I find her simply terrifying.

The real issue, however, needs to be McCain's judgment and decision-making style. He is a gambler, someone who acts on impulse, and - given his famous temper - very short on self-control. America and the world really don't need someone like that heading up the United States.

Think some free thoughts today while you still can.

h/t to my friend Kathy who e-mailed me the paragraph about banning books and to Plutonium Page at Daily Kos who posted about this.

UPDATE:
Prior to affiliating with the Bible Church, Palin attended the Wasilla Assembly of God where Ed Kalnins is the senior pastor.

The church runs a number of ministries providing help to poor neighborhoods, care for children in need, and general community services. But Pastor Kalnins has also preached that critics of President Bush will be banished to hell; questioned whether people who voted for Sen. John Kerry in 2004 would be accepted to heaven; charged that the 9/11 terrorist attacks and war in Iraq were part of a war "contending for your faith;" and said that Jesus "operated from that position of war mode."

[Emphasis mine]

Your blood running cold on that one yet?

That and more may be found in an article by Nico Pitney and Sam Stein at Huffington Post. H/t to John Aravosis at Americablog for that alert and link.
--the BB

How's this for being fair?

We'll let the conservatives evaluate Governor Palin's fitness for the vice presidency:



Thanks to Clarknt67 for the link.
--the BB

When disaster strikes - updated

Whom would you like to see in charge of things in a time of disaster: Obama or McCain?

Muzikal203 has a terrific post up at Daily Kos, discussing the matter of "walking the walk." There you will have the opportunity to learn about and assess the responses of the two candidates to events such as Katrina, the midwestern floods earlier this year, and the impending effects of Gustav.

The McCains visit the region; Obama uses his e-mail clout to mobilize donations and volunteers. On the one hand we have a photo op and on the other we have community organizing (where Obama began his career).

What is really amazing, though, is looking at McCain's voting record with respect to emergency situations and funding related to Katrina's aftermath. One would hesitate to proclaim him a friend of disaster victims. But this is consistent, is it not?
UPDATE:
John Aravosis summarizes it well at Americablog:

Keep in mind, Mccain voted against the Katrina Commission to hold the Bush Administration accountable for their disastrous non-handling of the previous hurricane. He voted against extending unemployment benefits to Katrina victims. He voted against Medicaid for Katrina victims. He voted against funding the Army Corps of Engineers. He sought and received the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee after Hagee said Katrina was God's punishment against New Orleans. And finally, McCain celebrated his birthday with his bff George Bush and a big cake the very minute that Katrina was destroying New Orleans. McCain has already been battle-tested in disaster response. And he lost.

--the BB

Safely home

This post comes from Desert Farne, my home in Albuquerque. The upstairs was only 95 degrees this evening but the A/C is on, the ceiling fan in my bedroom is running, and a smaller fan is blowing directly on me in my office right now. Re-entry is always a bit rough but my energy bills (for six days of cooling per month) have been very nice this summer.

Maggie got a bit adventurous in the Phoenix Skyport. Here she is on top of my laptop checking out the scene.

And here she is lined up ahead of the crowd, ready to board. Those who travel Southwest will recognize the numbered pillars telling us where to stand in line. Maggie, of course, was above it all.

As I fumbled for my keys I was greeted by my neighbor Anthony. I had to walk over and use his garage light to see as I dug around in my briefcase to locate said keys. Nice to be home.

While in Phoenix, where I had a long layover, I got to read posts on Sarah Palin, McCain's VP choice and I agree, it was a desperate choice. While she has an extremely high approval rating in Alaska, she may well be a great gift to the Dems this election.

As others have noted, McCain has spent months saying that inexperienced 40-somethings are not fit for the White House. Well, there goes that line of attack. She is far brighter than Dan Quayle though some suggest the better parallel is Spiro Agnew, an inexperienced governor with some corruption issues. (Corruption? In Sen. Stevens' Alaska? How can this be?) She seemed, in one of the earliest interviews, unbelievably unclear on the role of Vice President (who briefed her?) and very eager to promote the causes of Alaska. What a great national and international visionary she makes.

I also saw several posts contrasting the Obama approach to this campaign, which sounds as though it is a discussion by grownups, and the increbibly juvenile GOP approach - one which is about all kinds of games and no substance. I have long thought that an immature male adolescent psychology governed a great deal of politics and especially among the GOP. Fratboy sniggering, irresponsibility, testosterone poisoning, recklessness, insecurity, and lack of direction. Yep, that sounds like the Grand Old Party of the past few decades. Which is a great pity. It would be nice for the United States if the Republican Party were returned to sensible grownups.

They pose as grownups in contrast to the DFH of the Democratic Party but if one brushes aside the words and looks at their actions it is clearly a facade, one - I believe - deliberately designed to deceive.

This should be interesting.
--the BB

Pale, Paler, Palin

So Grampy McWhiteGuy gots hisself a VP candidate. A woman (good thing). Governor Palin (not such a good thing).

I hear she's a creationist. Shit. As if the last 8 years of anti-science know-nothingism hasn't been bad enough. God help us. [See, you can believe in God and not be a creationist. No need to park your brain at the door.]

I'd like to share some words from Jon Soltz of VoteVets:

Maybe Palin could one day be someone who has the judgment and experience that would make me feel comfortable with her leading our Armed Forces. But not now. Not after just 60 days thinking about those issues, and even then, just toting the party line. What's this say about McCain's judgment - to put political PR above sound judgment when it comes to naming a potential, if not very possible, Commander in Chief? What's it say about his judgment vs. Barack Obama, who faced with the same question, answered, "Joe Biden."

In times like these, with the stakes so high, and the decent chance that McCain might not live long into his first term, I can think of no scarier thought as a proud war veteran than someone with such an empty resume holding in her hands the lives of my buddies still in the service.

h/t to Joe Sudbay at Americablog

Btw, did y'all catch all those generals and admirals standing up for Obama?

Now think of "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" McCain in charge. The world really cannot afford this madman.

Check out all of Jon's article at Huffington Post by clicking on his name above.

--the BB

Dang, this feels good!

From the pen of David Horsey, whose work can be viewed here.
--the BB

C'est vrai tout cela?

Well, mostly not. Check it out.



--the BB

Revisionism

I believe we call it "revisionism" when people re-write history to match some later perspective.

Yesterday while eating my lunch in the break room at work, where CNN plays endlessly, I saw Senator Clinton playing to Florida with her "every vote must count" schtick. I wanted to puke, because for all the noble sentiment (and yes, I believe every vote should count in a democracy) her phony stance on Florida and Michigan now does not match the past. She wants to change the rules in the middle of the game or, if you will, she wants to play Calvinball with the primaries.

It seemed rather like wrapping oneself in the flag when under the flag is a tissue of hypocrisy. All the crowd sees is the flag, the noble things we find easy to support.

Check out JLFinch's tour of what happened that got Florida into this situation. It does not read well for Senator Clinton. Slate is quite devastating:

On Aug. 25, when the DNC's rules panel declared Florida's primary date out of order, it agreed by a near-unanimous majority to exceed the 50 percent penalty called for under party rules. Instead, the group stripped Florida of all 210 delegates to underscore its displeasure with Florida's defiance and to discourage other states from following suit. In doing so, the DNC essentially committed itself, for fairness' sake, to strip the similarly defiant Michigan of all 156 of its delegates three months later. Clinton held tremendous potential leverage over this decision, and not only because she was then widely judged the likely nominee. Of the committee's 30 members, a near-majority of 12 were Clinton supporters. All of them—most notably strategist Harold Ickes—voted for Florida's full disenfranchisement. (The only dissenting vote was cast by a Tallahassee, Fla., city commissioner who supported Obama.)

This new-found passion for Florida votes is pure bullshit.
--the BB

¿Qué dijo?

From Brave New Films:



I once believed he had integrity and that he stood for something, one of those rare GOP politicos I felt I could like. Pfft. Not any longer.
--the BB

Everybody's got their own firebrand

Pastors we associate with are either irrelevant to political campaigns or something we should examine closely. If the latter, then we should do so even-handedly.

Btw, have you met one of McCain's endorsers?



--the BB