John McCain is just glad nobody is saying anything about his desire to eat babies.

He does like cub scouts, but only if there are no babies to eat.

Putting up images on Political Animal?

Ask Kevin Drum of Friday Catblogging fame!

Obama needs to take control of the news cycle. He needs to hit the GOP on the following:

1. Financial corruption

2. Incompetence

3. Mendacity.

4. Power

E.g.:

1. McCain Keeting connection. American mortgage finance is in meltdown now. It should be possible to form a connection between McCain and the current mess. How can a guy like him fix it if he's on the inside. Tie this into all the GOP problems these past few years. This is mud that will stick. The current debt, look at debt per person in Wasilla, there's tons of mud here.

2. Can't tell the truth or confused. McCain was wrong about Al Qaeda. He had to be corrected. Palin's wrong about the bridge. Had to be corrected. McCain was wrong about Palin selling that plane on ebay. Had to be corrected. McCain was wrong about the Iraq war (it was not necessary).

3. Power. Bush has abused power. Palin has abused power. Find examples of McCain abusing power. Sling the mud.

And how about flip flopping. Why don't they have an add showing how McCain's positions have changed through the years.

How about that anti-catholic pastor. Or the anti-jewish statements preached in Palin's church.

Everyone knows Wright is going to come up. Isn't he? Isn't it time for Obama to seize the initiative and news cycle.

"Tiger Cubs" are first-grade Cub Scouts, only one year older than kindergartners.

"Tiger Cubs" are first-grade Cub Scouts, only one year older than kindergartners.

Obama needs a catchphrase-
.
McCain
Is
Crying
Wolf.

This is all they have-
No ideas. No plans. No solutions.This is playing politics at its worst.It's ugly and it is an insult to everyone who truly loves this country.They are not disrespecting me-they are disrespecting YOU.

The "Culture of Corruption" idea worked wonders in the last congressional elections. It might be time to dust it off.

Capt Quirk - Steve B. has been the leading journalist and has the official flipflop list.
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/flipflops

I think they need to make a comic book for 17 year old daughters of pro life Governors, they did it for the Catholic Church and the Cub scouts....they could have Jamie Lynn as a sidekick and an Major Pinhead- a bloviating doubletalker as the villain!

Would you vote for John McCain if you knew that he liked to sodomize little puppies and kittens while he slowly strangled them? Can he prove that he doesn't?

Just sayin'.

um, cub scouts are several years older than kindergartners.

Posted by: che che on September 10, 2008 at 10:09 AM |

I was in 3rd grade when I joined- a mere three years is not "several" ( just to review- a couple-2, a few, 3-4 and several- 5 + ) and still well into a Freudian latency period.

Joined the Weblos in 5th and Scouts in 7th ( middle school)

Obviously you never were one or the opposing gender equivalent, or perhaps cannot recall your first pinewood derby!

Obama does need to hit on the issue of Republican corruption and that his opponents are Republicans to the hilt. But would the corporate media report it? No, they'd rather write about the gaffe of the day.

It would also behoove the Obama campaign to create the idea that McCain's campaign and its ads and arguments are stupid.

While Bin Laden is still out there, while America is going bankrupt, all McCain can do is run stupid ads filled with lies and misinformation. We can do better.

Here's the problem: Obama has to start pushing these ideas so that press can't ignore them. They have to get the McCain campaign to respond. Hitting them on Keeting and the current financial mess is a good start. Tying in the idea that a man who can't keep track of the number of houses he has, who wears $500 shoes, and who thinks $5million dollars a year is middle class is also important.

Che Che,

You are ignorant. The Illinois legislation said that "where age appropriate" the local jurisdictions would be allowed to educate children regarding how to identify predators. It was an add on to already in place legislation and programs. McCain's mendacity is that he is stating that Obama approved "comprehensive" sex education for pre K kids. Nothing could be further from the truth. An total fabrication.

just to review- a couple-2, a few, 3-4 and several- 5 +

Um, what? Since when are these terms so well defined? And if they've got such cut-and-dried meanings, why use them at all? The whole point of saying "a couple," "a few," or "several" is to be intentionally vague about the exact number, usually because you don't know it.

So I would be wrong to say that I spent "several" years in the military, but not if I said "a few" years (I was actually in for four)? Good to know, I guess.

Sorry to be such a language fascist, but the explicit definition of "a few" as no fewer than three, but no more than four just strikes me as idiotic.

I was in 3rd grade when I joined- a mere three years is not "several" ( just to review- a couple-2, a few, 3-4 and several- 5 + ) and still well into a Freudian latency period.

It's a moo point. Cub Scouts begins in first grade, roughly age 7. That's only one year older than Kindergarten. In addition, Boy Scouts of America®, sponsor of Cub Scouting, is a fairly conservative organization, and they do not think first grade is too young to talk about what's appropriate and what's not.

Take it from a veteran Cub and Boy Scout leader:

Tiger Cubs are first graders.
Wolf and Bear Scouts are typically second and third graders.
Webelos are typically fourth and fifth graders.
Webelos cross over to Boy Scouts when they are in the fifth grade, typically anywhere between February and May, depending on the Pack, with late March to early April being most typical.

There is age-appropriate training on abuse resistance, including videos, for the different ages. Adults also go through youth protection training and have to get re-certified every three years.

McCain's commercial is reprehensible. He's not worthy.

Maybe McCain and the RNC, home of pedophiles like Mark Foley, and too many closeted gays to list here, doesn't want little kids to know how to protect themselves from unwanted sexual advances from Republican perverts.

How else can anyone explain this obviously false and despicable ad?

The most important line in the ad is the last one, "I'm John McCain and I approve this message." Kind of says it all, doesn't it?

Threegoal is right. My 2nd grader is a Wolf this year; Tiger last year. One of the requirements in the Tiger handbook was talking about inappropriate touching, etc. I had to sign off on the requirement that I had spoken to my son about it.

I know I'm an elitist, but godforgiveme I cannot take seriously anyone who delivers him/herself of the utterance "It's a moo point."

You were being ironic, right? Please say you were being ironic.

DrBB:

I can't speak for MyDupa, but I'm embarrassed to say that I recognized "moo point" as a reference to an episode of "Friends" where Joey (the dumb one) says "It's a moo point. You know, like a cow's opinion. It's moo."

Play this one for all the Scouting families in America---and take another chunk of "Das Base" away from "The Mc-Immoral One:"

"John McCain thinks that telling kids how to protect themselves from child-molesting deviants is wrong. He's even produced a campaign ad to that effect, to smear Barack Obama.

There's just one problem with John McCain's ad: Barack Obama is doing exactly the same thing as millions of Scouting parents have done for their children---so John McCain is smearing those millions of Scouting families.

Scouts and their families the world over have known about Trust, Honor, and Honesty ever since the Scouting movement was founded. John McCain doesn't know about those things, and doesn't care.

Scouts and their families should tell John McCain "NO" on November 4."

no, che che, they aren't. You're thinking of Boy Scouts. Cub scouts is for little kids. One year older, maybe, but not "several" years older.

"And how about flip flopping. Why don't they have an add showing how McCain's positions have changed through the years." - CaptainQuirk

They already exist! Robert Greenwald's Brave New Films, among them "McCain vs. McCain" and "The REAL McCain 2." I don't understand why progressive groups aren't paying to run these short videos as ads. They show McSame contradicting himself over and over again.

You are correct, Hank. It was indeed a Joey-ism. Personally, I hold you in greater respect because you recognized the reference, and don't think you should be embarrassed. And, DrBB, I recognize the irony in your plea that I state my ironic intent; I guess I just forgot that I was commenting in a thread inhabited by latte-drinking, arugula-eating elitists. Please accept my sincerest apologies for any anguish I may have caused by my injudicious remark. I'm sure Senator Obama will disavow me at any moment.

I try to be funny...sometimes it even works.

To che che:

I don't think that pedophiles wait until their victims are cub-scout age. Do you?

Che Che,
Cub Scouts starts at first grade. Stop kidding yourself. McCain is a sleaze. He'll do whatever it takes to get elected. It is his only goal other than keeping troops in Iraq.

Strategy: The issue of "The Issues"

Obama has been citing this over and over: If you've got "John McCain voting 90 percent of the time in agreement with George Bush then you probably don�t want to talk about the issues..." We've heard this over and over. Then he rattles off the laundry list of the issues that, according to any polling source, we, as Americans, really do care about: the economy, jobs, health care, global warming, etc., etc...

But I am talking about "The Issues" [tm], here, collectively, and not the individual components. Obama has spoken until he's been blue in the face every day for months about his desire (and a genuine one, at that) to talk about "The Issues" [tm], but McCain's camp said "Nay." Campaign Rick Davis declared, bluntly, to the Washington Post, "This election is not about issues."

What??? What self-respecting American of either political party could possibly let that proclamation go unnoticed? What would any forefather of this country have to say about any runner for office even hinting at such a direct perversion of the principles we were founded upon? It would not be pretty, I can assert with confidence.

Obama, take on the issue of "The Issues!" [tm] You own it, they've forfeited it. Show Americans that you're serious about this "issue" - what you've been talking about since day one... your simple desire to clear away the daily ball of slime politics, be it lipsticked pigs or depraved exaggerations of child protection law, or whatever will come up tomorrow or the next day or the next as the distraction machine rolls onward... your simple desire to discuss "The Issues!" [tm] without wasting precious time with the constant, intentional distractions from the other team.

Keep calling them out on it - and strongly! Make it clear they've made a decision to abandon "The Issues" [tm] from their strategy and to rely on who-looks-better and cultural, novelty politics. They don't want time spent on "The Issues." [tm]

"The Issues" [tm] have not won elections for the past eight years and I think this time, finally, we have a chance. And if he can pull it off, he'd be doing the greatest service to our future political discourse - to win back the debate and prove, once and for all, that "Yes, we can" WIN on the issues and put the Rovian trash politics to rest somewhere in a dark spot in the annals of history.

I know I'm an elitist, but godforgiveme I cannot take seriously anyone who delivers him/herself of the utterance "It's a moo point." -- DrBB, @12:45

When you're dealing with a "maverick" (an unbranded cow), "moo point" is the only kind of point you can expect (and get).

To My Dupa. As one Polish speaker to another, I congratulate you on your handle, ever so appropriate to the subject er... on hand.

Che che (@10:09), obviously a Repub, feels that children between the ages of 5 and 7 should not warned against such as him; he wants to be able to feel them up any time he wants to, without any repercussions.

So, what are you saying, Che Che? That we should educate Cub Scouts (grades 1-4) about inappropriate touching from adults, but NOT kindergartners because they're one year younger than Tiger Cubs? Because why? Because it's okay for pedophiles to fondle kids who aren't old enough to be Cub Scouts? WTF?

"Would you vote for John McCain if you knew that he liked to sodomize little puppies and kittens while he slowly strangled them? Can he prove that he doesn't?

Just sayin'.
Posted by: Limbaugh's Pilonidal Cyst on September 10, 2008 at 10:34 AM"

Brilliant!

Skip One Starbucks & Donate the Dollars to Obama
Sign petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/skip-a-Starbucks-give-Obama

Please Everyone...skip just ONE Starbucks drink (sorry Starbucks), and donate that amount to the Victory for Obama campaign: http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

It's a little sacrifice to make sure there is enough money to battle the McPain smear machine. Give more, or more often, if you like, but even a little goes a long way.

Thank you, and here's to an Obama victory November 4th!

Cub scouts are older than kindergartners and ???

In other words what stupid point are you trying to make--that it is okay to try to protect 7year old from predators but not 5 year olds? If so, you are a damned idiot.

A little rant on words, word, words, good people...
because what is said and how it is said is vitally important to how it is received.

Rhetoric is a worthwhile art and skill, although not all practitioners have thoughts worthy of expression. Deceit and hypocrisy characterize the rhetoric of McCain and Palin. I have no doubt that the McCain/Palin speech writers know exactly how much they are stretching the truth, they know just how much of what they say is unsubstantiated and can be readily refuted. Their speeches are deliberately crafted to appeal to peoples' most basic, primitive, needs and emotions.

And, just as few here consulted a dictionary to clarify the meanings of 'few, several,couple', few will research the legislation in the sex ed issue either. Many comments were posted before one person clarified the details of the legislation in question.

To argue effectively and countermand lies and double-talk, one must be prepared to discuss the charges aimed at common-sense and decency with accuracy and clarity.

So here's what comes to light in a few minutes of googling:
Consulted on-line etymology and dictionary for standardized usage and definitions of:
few, several, couple

'Several': more than 2,
'few' and 'couple' do not have hard and fast rules about the number. Both 'few' and the colloquial use of 'couple' allow indication of an indeterminate number.

Googled 'entry age requirements admission kindergarten U.S. public school', appears that:
5-6 years old is the minimum/maximum age,in most instances

A visit to the BSA website revealed:
7 years old is the minimum age to join Cub Scouts

So, according to standardized definitions, the use of'few'and'couple'in the kindergarten/Cub Scouts debate is correct,'several' is incorrect.

None of these three words can be used to correctly indicate the number of untruths being propagated via the McCain/Palin campaign...
Nor do they properly indicate the number of times McCain stumbles or over-emphasizes the word 'change' in his speeches.

Offhand, I would suggest 'gazillion' might be most apt.

My son became a tiger scout at six because it is based on the grade level. As others have recounted the abuse training was required for all children in the pack and a family member was required to attend as well.

Something that really bothers me is when you watch the dayton speech when he introduced Ms. Palin to the world, there is scouts in uniform on the stage. That is clearly against the suggestions by the Scouting Council in Southern Ohio.

A huge new ethics scandal is unfolding at Interior, and, really, at D.O.J. (Justice is basically refusing to bring charges against retired conspirators, just like they refused to bring charges against retired Gonzalez -- it screams scandal at Justice).

But the news cycle is about pigs and a slanderous sex ed ad.

McCain wins while appearing to loose.

[Trolling deleted]

Y'know... I've been thinking and thinking about this "sex ed for kindergarten" business for 24 hrs now... And have come to the conclusion that it's much easier to teach a 5yr old how to cope with inappropriate touching, than it is to explain to someone that same age how to cope with loss due to death. How do you explain to a 5yr old that his/her father/mother won't ever be coming home because some hothead -- older and wobblier in his mind than the beloved grandpa -- has sent them to slaughter, on a whim?

XGRUNT, thank you for the biggest laugh of my night.

Does McCain have anything worthwhile to actually add to the discussion about all the problems our country is facing, or are insults (and fake outrage over imaginary insults) all the Republican Party represents anymore?

It's time for your bedtime.

The grown-ups need to have a serious discussion.

Go ahead and give over the Country to The Lying Blowhard/s.

That would be the bushies that snaked their way into office in 2000. And hey, have you heard? Even the corporate media is calling McShameless out for being a lying sack of shit.

Your socialist values have already destroyed Our Country.

How do you figure? Can you explain this statement? If you mean the fact that corporate losses get socialized to the populace at large when mismanaged companies go belly up, that is a characteristic of your republican and the crony capitalism that has cut the legs out of so many of our functioning institutions.

Enjoy your "Bloviating", you Quiche eating Pansies.

With a debate style like that, Harvard and Fordham are in a fierce contest to recruit you.

And when you're all Serfs in China's newest Colony you can spend your time tilling rice in some field and discussing the "Mendacity" of your new Masters.

It was bu$h that mortgaged the country to the Chinese so he could wage a war against a nation that was no threat to us and had nothing to do with the attacks of September 11.

When His time comes, At least McCain (You know, the "Old Fish" Obama alluded to right after his lipstick slap) can Know He died a Patriot.

You have a lot of damned gall. In one sentence you call people you don't know the slightest thing about "quiche eating pansies" and in the next, ascribe motives to someone else you don't know for using common idioms.

You, XGRUNT, are a drooling mendacious fucktard, and a dumbass to boot.

To Che Che: Uh... pedophiles rape children much younger than kindergartners, or haven't you heard? At least one sex rings has been busted over the last few months where babies (literally!!!) were raped. I'm sorry but from the time my children could both talk and walk (about 3) they knew about self-defense, trusting your gut, and "feeling uncomfortable" with adult behavior. I don't think we do children as many favors as we think when we pretend that, simply because they are children, bad things can't happen to them. That's self-delusion, and it can be dangerous.

Hi, I'm John McCain...I can say and do anything I want because I spent five years in a cage in VietNam and you didn't. I'm a dangerous hothead who claims Obama's the least experienced candidate ever (we won't mention that ol' coke-head Bush here), and that Sarah Palin has foreign policy experience because she, like, lived really near Russia, dude. And Obama wants to pet your kids. No, really, he's a groper.
I'm a lying sack of shit and I approve this message.

cub scouts are not "several years older than kindergarteners" -- you can be a cub scout in first grade. The younger a child is, the more likely they are to think they are to blame, or to not know that what is happening is not OK. They need to be told early and unequivocally that such behavior is wrong as soon as they can understand that concept.

http://TheRealMcCain.com

Tell everyone you know about this site, which features videos and a blog that exposes McCain for the flip-floppin', baby-eatin', Confederate flag-wavin' moron that he is!

The Cub Scouts actually have a movie for the boys to watch with 3 little scenarios where boys get into bad situations and a den mother or pack leader has a booklet of talking points to go over. Actually, I live in IL, in the suburbs of Chicago and my son HAD the program in kindergarten that Obama and the Annanberg Foundation sponsored. It was very age-appropriate, especially for kids who are going to be around a lot of strange adults without their parents present, many for the first time ever, when they go to school.

The cub scout video we saw last year in 2nd grade- it was actually kind of creepy! Much MUCH more specific and creepy than the school discussion. It totally infuriates me that the Republicans would slander this program- and as a result slander my parenting for letting my child participate in it. Obviously their own parenting skills need some serious work!

>um, cub scouts are several years older than kindergartners.
It starts in first or second grade, tough guy. You're thinking of boy scouts (who get a little booklet about how to deal with sexual abuse in their handbooks).

Is there any truth to the rumor that Sarah Palin has had books by folks like Kurt Vonnegut, J. D. Salinger, and Mark Twain banned from the Waslila public library? If it's true, this lady is way out there on the Neanderthal fringe, and she wants to drag the rest of us there too. If we're not scared for our intellectual lives, we should be.