Why is it that only Democrats pursue Ken Starr witch hunts?

Obama on O'Reilly, while very interesting, I think I will catch it on YouTube. I flatly refuse to give O'Reilly any viewership.

BlueGal, if you're reading this, I would love your thoughts:

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/09/did-bush-break-the-law-in-his-2.php

Which says:

Just wondering: was George Bush's address to the RNC from the White House illegal?

A fact page by the Office of Special Council says:

"The Hatch Act restricts the political activity of executive branch employees of the federal government...These federal and D.C. employees
may not...engage in political activity while...in a government office."

Is Bush an executive branch employee?

An odd, yet intriguing, thought.

I wish Obama wasn't going on O'Reilly, mostly because Bill-O is a motherless swine who doesn't deserve the attention.

However, if Obama can pull it off (and I think he can if anyone can) and still come out smelling like a rose then it will be an enormously important moment. Good luck, Barack!!

I actually think Obama going on O'Reilly v. McCain is great. Who is going to want to watch ol' jello & cottage cheese when you could watch O'Reilly v. O'bama, the Thrilla in Vanilla & Chocolate Swirl? Bonus, assuming it's interesting, what will the media coverage the next day be about? I think they've already reported that he's a POW.

Each candidate has a platform, mostly planks totally abstract and divorced from their personal lives.

In Palin, I think we have found someone who could create an entire platform just out of her personal issues: she lobbied for pork, abused her office, demonstrated the difficulties of raising kids when both parents work, failure of government to help out, etc. It is just too bad that in order to get elected she would have to run against herself. She is a one person poster of everything that is wrong with the Republican agenda.

I think the Obama campaign is doing exactly the right thing in their handling of the Palin choice. Don't attack her, attack the slapdash way she was chosen.

The reason the media rightly paid attention to a handful of PUMAs with mysteriously professional-looking banners but not to 12,000 anti-McCain registered Republicans is that yarg bubb ooma taxes gluf deega russia clinton baby jesus. traditional traditions first for american americans first, that's what i always say.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the NFL opener beats both Obama on O'Reilly and McCain's speech.

Steve, please watch Obama on O'Reilly tomorrow night - so I don't have to. O'Reilly elevates my blood pressure.

I have no doubt that Obama will present himself admirably. But when you wrestle with a pig, you're gonna get dirty!

I also like Team Obama's light touch on this. It's a huge, expensive, beautifully wrapped gift to be opened carefully. When Biden was asked about her experience, he basically just said, that's for the American people to decide, whether she's experienced enough or not. It's really all you need to say.

Huh, so McCain is releasing an ad extolling the experience of Palin?

I guess that they finally clued into the fact that everybody and their brother is questioning her preparedness.

This is not an ad given from a position of strength.

(sweet!)

"Hoping to steal some of McCain's thunder, Obama will appear on "The O'Reilly Factor" tomorrow night."

Brilliant move. If he can't deal with Fox fodder how can he deal with Putin or all the Republican miasmas brewing?

Plus, consider the audience. He goes to the heart of the voters we need to swing.

Yay!!

jibeaux, good case for watching it...just to show no one is watching the RNC.

doubtful, what, American Idol isn't on? Or NASCAR? /snark

Agreed it's a brilliant move. A great channel-switching will sweep the nation to watch Obama trounce O'Reilly in a mismatch.

The article Benen referenced above re McCain's new ad has reprint of a memo sent out to reporters today by the McCain campaign. Fits rather nicely with Rosen's piece in the HuffPo about using Palin to reignite the culture wars.

Palin/McCain - because she's got the experience he needs to grow into the job!

(yeah, it's a re-run, but they are really funny when they try to denigrate a Senator with a degree from Harvard Law by comparing him to a know-nothing mayor of 6000)

Why don't Republicans experience any cognitive dissonance over the "Palin has more experience than Obama" gag? She also has "more experience" than McCain. So, why isn't she on the top of the ticket? Why did they ever vote for McCain? Or Bob Dole? Or George HW Bush? Why did they nominate Wendell Wilkie who had never held ANY office? Or (heaven forbid) Abe Lincoln?

I think the Obama campaign is doing exactly the right thing in their handling of the Palin choice. Don't attack her, attack the slapdash way she was chosen. - idlemind

Of course it only works because Palin is so-o-o-o flawed. But it is great that they don't even need to point that out.

of American troops from Iraq by the end of 2010 and supported by nearly 70 percent of the American public, the Iraqi insurgents threw up their hands and said "What's the use of fighting". The Americans are leaving. The insurgents and al-Qaida could no longer enlist freedom fighters just as the surge arrived in Iraq.
You are going to hear a lot about the surge in Iraq at the Republican National Convention and in the debates to follow. This is not to denigrate the brave work of the American soldiers that performed in the Iraqi surge, but ever since the Congressional leaders announced a timetable calling for the removal
President Bush refused to set a timetable for withdrawal stating that the al-Qaida would merely wait it out and then take control of Iraq. Bush's response was to order a military surge, but the American media informed the Iraqi freedom fighters that the occupation was about over. Polls showed this spring that the American people strongly favored a Democrat Presidential Candidate calling for an immediate withdrawal. The Bush team would be gone in 9 months. Bush was right, the insurgents ceased fighting.

The Iraqi's are a proud people and all they want is America to leave. They hate the American occupation just as we would foreign occupation in this country and they hate those that sympathize with the Americans. Once they learned we are leaving, they no longer saw the need to join al-Qaida and they turned against them. The reduction of violence that followed allowed the President to start withdrawing our troops just as predicted and this further confirmed that America is planning to withdraw. President Maliki wants to be certain that it continues and set a deadline for completion.

The al-Qaida and freedom fighters are now focusing on driving the American occupation forces out of Afghanistan. Bush-Cheny and McCain team will claim the surge in Iraq worked and now the war on terror is in Afghanistan. They will contend we need to add more troops there like the Russians did and many people will believe that's the way to win!

Actually, the convention wasn't a Paul convention -- since he's technically still a Republican and will, supposedly, be nominated for the roll call. It was a collection of libertarians, independents, and oddities, including Jesse Ventura, Grover Norquist, Barry Goldwater Jr., and Paul. (It got Jesse on Larry King though, where he made some good points against McCain and Palin, and some easily countered ones against Obama.)

Besides Colbert, the best O'Reilly opponent I've seen was Geraldo Rivera. He was right up in O'Lie's face. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFZB7dKJk5c

O'bama and O'Reilly, a good old Irish brouhaha.

They want to put Bush in the cone of silence with Palin.

That's Just What I Said

Oh, that's so funny. I was driving around South Philadelphia at 1am last Friday night (don't ask, I forgot the right intersection for Pat's and Geno's) and turned on O'Reilly because he was the only thing on.

And he was on a serious rant about why hasn't Obama come on his show yet, doesn't he know how highly rated we are, etc. Had a serious bug up his rear. And scant days later, Obama steals his thunder.

This will be good. O'Reilly will be conscious of not steamrollering Obama (and Obama won't let him) and either Obama will smoke him or it will look like "he held his own" and get O'Reilly's grudging praise.

Obama is something of a ju-jitsu master....

O'Reilly has been on the Obama-Not-On-My-Show rant for months.

I love how Obama does it on his timetable - and perfect timing, too - and does one of those wonderful smiling-yet-in-your-face things to O'Bill.

I wonder if O'Reilly will mention lynching in this segment.

From the New McCain ad piece: McCain-Palin surrogates Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, former Ebay CEO Meg Whitman, McCain senior adviser Nicolle Wallace, McCain communications director Jill Hazelbaker and McCain senior adviser Nancy Pfotenhauer will do television and radio interviews to demand better treatment for Gov. Palin’s family.

Gee, where were these same women when Michelle Obama was smeared, repeatedly called an angry black woman, called Obama's baby-mama, said a fist bump was a terrorist fist jab, questioned her patriotism, and basically called her everything but white (point-score! That would be untrue, too!)?

NOWHERE. That's where!

It's ok to smear the shit out of your opponent's family but not someone who is clearly corrupt, unfit, and totally full of shit?

To each of those women, this woman offers you yet another hearty Fuck You!

We heard quite a bit from the media about Hillary "playing the gender card" when she referred to the "boys" ganging up on her. A rather innocuous comment when compared to the explicit use of the gender card by McCain to declare all criticism of Palin as sexist. The double standard is nearly as stark as comparing Palin's connections with a secessionist group to Obama's choice to wear a flag pin more often than McCain.

"Plus, consider the audience. He goes to the heart of the voters we need to swing." -- MsMuddler

This is something I've been wondering about -- *who*, exactly, are the *undecideds?" That is, voters who are undecided, but WILL actually vote.

Obviously, many voters have already decided between Obama and McCain. There's the faction still bitter over Hillary's departure, and Republicans who can't stand McCain. And there are independents.

I've never believed disappointed Hillary supporters are, in any significant numbers, going to vote for McCain or stay home on election day. I don't think there are many Republicans who will vote for Obama, no matter what.

This leaves the *independents,* (the ones who will actually vote) and I'm not sure who they are or how many of them there are, or their leanings. (They are who I think about when I wince at attacks on Palin going over the top.)

I suspect many of them are pro-choice. As my wife (who is pro-choice) has pointed out to me, being pro-choice means *choice,* not automatic choice of abortion. Last I saw, most American women preferred to have a choice in the matter of pregnancy, regardless of decision made.

These independents are probably more attuned to the issues and open to weighing candidates' individual arguments than partisans. I'm sure some vote with their gut. And I expect none of them like, being told by Republicans that they're unpatriotic if they don't like war and given Republican policies -- or by Democrats that, if they don't believe the party line, they're stupid bigots.

I figure these *independents,* as a comprehensive term, are up for grabs. As for the rest of the voting population, the candidates are talking to choirs or brick walls.

You are going to hear a lot about the surge in Iraq at the Republican National Convention and in the debates to follow. This is not to denigrate the brave work of the American soldiers that performed in the Iraqi surge, but ever since the Congressional leaders announced a timetable calling for the removal of American troops from Iraq by the end of 2010 and supported by nearly 70 percent of the American public, the Iraqi insurgents threw up their hands and said "What's the use of fighting". The Americans are leaving. The insurgents and al-Qaida could no longer enlist freedom fighters just as the surge arrived in Iraq.

President Bush refused to set a timetable for withdrawal stating that the al-Qaida would merely wait it out and then take control of Iraq. Bush's response was to order a military surge, but the American media informed the Iraqi freedom fighters that the occupation was about over. Polls showed this spring that the American people strongly favored a Democrat Presidential Candidate calling for an immediate withdrawal. The Bush team would be gone in 9 months. Bush was right, the insurgents ceased fighting.

The Iraqi's are a proud people and all they want is America to leave. They hate the American occupation just as we would foreign occupation in this country and they hate those that sympathize with the Americans. Once they learned we are leaving, they no longer saw the need to join al-Qaida and they turned against them. The reduction of violence that followed allowed the President to start withdrawing our troops just as predicted and this further confirmed that America is planning to withdraw. President Maliki wants to be certain that it continues and set a deadline for completion.

The al-Qaida and freedom fighters are now focusing on driving the American occupation forces out of Afghanistan. Bush-Cheny and McCain team will claim the surge in Iraq worked and now the war on terror is in Afghanistan. They will contend we need to add more troops there like the Russians did and many people will believe that's the way to win!

What's the attendance at the RNC?

"What's the attendance at the RNC?"

According to Republican officials, twelve million.

jibeaux wrote: I also like Team Obama's light touch on this. It's a huge, expensive, beautifully wrapped gift to be opened carefully.

Well said.

i suppose the light touch has been fine so far, but once McSame runs a Palin vs Obama ad, that should be considered opening the door. All's fair after that.

the easiest thing may be to make her scary:

"How well do you know Sarah Palin, who John McCain thinks should be a heartbeat away from the Presidency? Do you know that she rejects science in wanting creationism taught in public schools? Do you know she believes abortion should be illegal, even where the woman is a victim of rape or insest? Do you know that in the short time she was mayor her town ran up a debt of more than $3000 per citizen? That she was all for indicted Sen. Stevens' wasteful Bridge to Nowhere before she claimed to be against it -- and even then she made sure Alaska kept the federal money? Do you know her views on how to best stop nuclear proliferation? How to grow new markets in developing countries? How to ensure your children's toys and your vegetables are safe? Do you know if there are secrets we wont find out until its too late? Do you know Sarah Palin well enough that she could be President?"

[show web site 'DoYouReallyKnowSarah.com' - which we'd need to quickly set up with oppo - and do Obama disclaimer]

Is Bush an executive branch employee?

No, because he works for Dick Cheney, who has already been established as being in neither the executive nor the legislative branch.

Is Obama really going on O'Reilly to draw attention away from McCain's speech? I don't get it.

McCain's speech will probably be about as good as a McCain speech is, which is to say nothing to get too freaked out about in the long electoral run. Is he even going to get a 1-point bounce out of this convention as things stand?

Meanwhile, who will tune in to see Obama v. O'Reilly? A few people already in Obama's camp, a lot of pundits, and O'Reilly's usual base. For the sake of the latter two, O'Reilly will go on a beyond-the-moon bender of ratfucking. He knows it's too late for him to come out of this looking like an elder statesman.

I guess what I'm saying is, Obama is smart and cool and capable, but O'Reilly is unhinged and an attention whore and has delusions of grandeur, and he's WAY MORE of those things than Obama is smart, etc. If O'Reilly screams marching orders at his staff to make Obama look bad by hook or by crook, in ways that the chattering classes will chatter about for a week, they'll find a way to do it.

12,000,000 attending the RNC in St. Paul?

Yeah, right.

I doubt there are 12,000,000 there with all of the residents and protesters!

Where did that number come from, Alibubba? I am dying to dissect that!!

Where did that number come from, Alibubba?
You shouldn't be asking questions. Just believe.

As much as Billy O irks, I expect to see an interesting interview tomorrow.

Bill knows he is likely speaking to a future President. That's huge. And given that this moment will linger long into our youtube future, I expect he will bring his best comportment to the table.

Quite frankly, I think this will be a great moment for both of them.

According to Republican officials, twelve million.

Considering that the combined populations of Minneapolis and St. Paul are about 660,000 (only about 10K less than the entire state of Alaska), I have a feeling the RNC is talking about television viewership, not convention attendance. Unless they're having trouble with zeroes again and really meant 12 thousand, not 12 million.

"Where did that number come from, Alibubba? I am dying to dissect that!" -- MsJoanne

Choose life, MsJoanne. It came from my faith-based conviction that Republicans would never make shit up.

Ali...now that's damned funny!

I saw it asked, but not really answered: What is the number of people at the RNC, or, is there a count of number of attendents per night. Also, I'll ask the same about the DNC. Anyone know?

"Ali...now that's damned funny!"

You sure?

"Ron Paul's rival convention drew 12,000 people to the Target Center yesterday. I wonder whether there'd be more media attention if one of Obama's Democratic rivals held a competing convention during the DNC and 12,000 people showed up.

I think you already know the answer to that question. But media blackouts are nothing knew to the Paul campaign. I'm not suggesting they should have done a split screen with Paul and Joe Lieberman speaking at the same time but they weren't the least bit curious about it.

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