The O man strikes again! Can't wait for the debates. I think something like this will happen to McCain at some point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY-03vYYAjA

Does Obama's surge remind anyone else of Michael Phelps's butterfly finish?

I still think that Obama should take a trip to Wall Street to give a speech on what's needed to clean up the mess in our financial system. If he can do a good job, and I don't see why he couldn't, I think he'll pull away with the race.

The ol' boy network? In the McCain campaign, that's called a staff meeting.

Zing!

More of this, please.

On a substantive note, I like how this zinger not only points out how McCain is more of the same, but also subtly underscores the dishonesty -- the complete bass-ackwardness from the truth -- McCain's claims are. Nicely done.

While they're at it, maybe McCain's Super Blue Ribbon Commission can look into what actually happens to pigs when you put lipstick on them. Do they then enter beauty contests? Run for office? Enquiring minds want to know!

It's time for a New New Deal.

Reminds me of the '92 election when Bush said he would appoint an "economic czar". Clinton responded saying he would have one too, and his name would be "Bill Clinton." Too bad nobody on the McCain team remembered that.

I think Obama needs a tag for the 7 lobbyists. "The Something Seven," "The Seven Something." All right, even "the Gang of Seven." Maybe the McCain Gang.

Yeah, I suck at catchy names, but I'm not a political handler. The fact of McCain's lobbyist ties deserves traction, and the right name could make all the difference.

I still think that Obama should take a trip to Wall Street to give a speech - Brian J

He gave that speech in March at the Nasdaq. I doubt a new one would be one word different.

A little OT, Dana Bash just said on CNN that McCain was disappointed by the bailout of Freddie and Fannie. What business do she have reporting news? Of course, Wolf Blitzer didn't know enough to correct her.

Fuckin' A! That's what I'm talking about!

"The McCain campaign probably put the idea out there before thinking it through, and probably regrets it now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, I don't know, do you think the McCain campaign is capable of "regret"? That calls for a level of self awareness and introspection that just isn't there.

What you say is true: still, it's sad to see the campaigning break down into a slanging match based on who can get off the best zinger, instead of run on the issues. I fully appreciate it was McCain who went negative early and who dragged the debate down to its present level; I don't buy his excuse that if Obama had only agreed to do town halls (where McCain perceives he is stronger; based on God only knows what, because Obama would have kicked his ass there, too - maybe the McCain campaign planned on stacking the audiences) he wouldn't have had to get nasty. I understand that Obama is only reacting this way because a million and one armchair strategists said he just had to, or he was going to lose, and that might even be true.

Still, isn't it deplorable that the politics of major democracies have arrived at this fork in the road, whereby the candidates have to get down in the dirt and wrestle like gladiators for the entertainment of the masses? What happened to the golden age when you could say your opponent was dead wrong on everything, while still acknowledging he was a gentleman and a heck of a nice guy, and then proceed to sell yourself as the best choice? Obama had that going on for awhile, but everybody said if he didn't start eye-gouging and ear-chewing soon, he would lose. What does that say about the electorate and its insatiable lust for blood? Bread and circuses, indeed.

McCain is gonna blow in the debate, If Obama dares to treat a POW like that. He quite literally might not make it to the second debate.

Be on the lookout for 'technical difficulties' if McCain melts down or tries to attack Obama. No doubt, it will be Obama's fault if McCain can't control himself.

@Kyle - I think "Gang of Seven" is good for us to use on the blogs, but I don't think Obama should use it. Heck, this is the Intertubes. We can even say The Seven Dwarves. It would be fun to name them. But hard to pick which one will be Sleazy.

The problem is that McCain still believes everything he believed last week and last year: the economy is strong, and lower taxes on high income individuals and corporations will make it better.

Otherwise Jack Kemp is the next to be thrown under the bus, because he was standing right behind McCain on Monday and repeated the remark on MSNBC today, then said folks should be careful with the words they use. Tone deaf squared.

What you say is true: still, it's sad to see the campaigning break down into a slanging match based on who can get off the best zinger, instead of run on the issues

He can do issues too. You've seen the 2-minute economy ad, no? No reason he has to limit himself to one approach or the other. Get it in peoples' minds that McCain is a corrupt phony, and simultaneously reassure them that he's serious, sober, and effective.

McCain wants a Commission?

Will it be something like the Iraq Study Group (Baker-Hamilton Commission) who recommended pulling troops out of Iraq and maybe diverting some of them to Afghanistan...

...and McCain bought into TEH SURGE! instead.

I'm curious...how supportive was McCain of the 9/11 commission recommendations and did he block/obstruct any legislation that came out of them...

28 straight posts (it actually is probably more, I gave up counting) about how great Sen. Obama is in every way and how rotten Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are in every way. Just for yucks, how about take a break, Steve, and try to write something about another topic, like the collapse of the U.S. financial system? Us regular readers are sort of getting the picture how you will be voting in November.

The game is afoot!

Funny how flat-footed Obama seemed after the Palin announcement. Now it's McCain who can't adjust to the new reality. The "old boys network" is a Palin/McCain line and not a bad one. But Palin is on the back-burner these days. This is the McCain/Palin ticket again, and his line only seems like a pathetic attempt to be hip, much like a 50-year old Jonas Brothers fan.

The ol' boy network? In the McCain campaign, that's called a staff meeting.

Wonderful. I will send a $100 for this one to the Obama campaign.

Those who are saddened by this turn in Obama's campaign should go back to their Mama and not vote.

More like this place.

They should hire some good writers, preferably from the Daily Show, or Mathew Yglesias for a bit of dry humor.

The "old boys network" is a Palin/McCain line and not a bad one.

Have you seen McCain?

*

How will a commission do anything?

It's a bit late to figure out how to get out of this mess. Watching the DOW plunge almost 450 points today was not encouraging, even after AIG was "rescued."

How will a commission place people who have foreclosed back into their houses?

How will a commission instill confidence in the finance sector? If credit gets tighter, how is that a sign of confidence?

John has said economical issues are not a strength of his. Appointing a bunch of suits after he's elected to "solve" things is a very, very vaporous campaign promise.

The only thing that makes sense any more is that he has vascular dementia. Why else would he go ballistic over lipstick?

danp said:
"Dana Bash just said on CNN that McCain was disappointed by the bailout of Freddie and Fannie. What business do she have reporting news? Of course, Wolf Blitzer didn't know enough to correct her."

This is the same Wolf Blitzer who said after McCain's clear reversal this morning of his stand on bailing out AIG (a mere 24 hours after McCain said he opposed the idea):

"John McCain softens his opposition to an AIG bailout."

He 'softens' his opposstion. No Wolf, McCain flat out reversed his stand. McCain's new position is a clear flip-flop made in a 24 hour period.

A few years ago I had some respect for Blitzer, who was good reporter. Now days, he's little more than a hack who in an effort to seem 'fair' and 'balanced' equivocates every statement and the hard-on he gets every time McCain's face appears on Situation Room's walls is practically visible from space.

Us regular readers are sort of getting the picture how you will be voting in November.

If you don't like what he's writing about, then why are you a regular reader? No one's putting a gun to your head. Go find some other blog more to your liking.

Lobbiests are all all over the Obama campaign

Name one.

What you say is true: still, it's sad to see the campaigning break down into a slanging match based on who can get off the best zinger, instead of run on the issues.

Aw, baloney -- this zinger is great because it encapsulates the issues; namely, that McCain represents more of the same mendacity, incompetence and corruption of the modern Republican party.

And you express your, ah, concern on the same day Steve posts on Obama's two minute long ad addressing economic issues head on, yet!

Orwell: Evidence, please. Otherwise, you're just a troll.

Wow, that line really did get me to laugh out loud.

As I wrote on my blog on Monday, people really need to not panic just because Obama doesn't win every newscycle. That was the mistake Hillary made and she ended up making some really boneheaded mistakes (eg, Gas Tax Holiday). This is like surfing and you've just got to pick your wave. And sometimes your opponent will grab a good wave while you got caught looking. But the worst mistake you can make is to psyche yourself out and think you need to get fancy and grab a wave that wasn't meant for you.

Obama's been good at sticking with his long game and it's really been paying off for him. Sure McCain caught some good waves, but he's been playing it very risky and is still working with a day-to-day strategy. It's really going to start biting him in the ass.

If I didn't know better, I might think Barack Obama enjoys getting off the ropes and going on the offensive. (emphasis added)

Kind of like Ali did, don't you think?

This is why I never agreed with those who showed signs of panic. In the Rumble in the Jungle, Ali may have seemed in trouble, leaning on the ropes and letting Foreman throw punch after sloppy punch. But after giving his best shots, Foreman had nothing left, giving Ali the opportunity to sting his opponent and then go for the knockout.

And just think, the debates are coming up. I doubt that even the best efforts of the right-wing noise machine to gin up some fake outrage like they did about Gore's exasperation with Bush's whoppers in 2000 -- and said fake outrage being swallowed whole by the so-called "liberal media" -- will save McCain. For one thing, McCain's rep as a straight shooter has gone, daddy, gone.

That was the best delivery yet--very bright and witty --and true.

The McCain campaign probably put the idea out there before thinking it through, and probably regrets it now.

Repeat as necessary.

More of this, please. Like:

1. Did you know that McCain wants to TAX your employer-provided healthcare benefits as income?

2. If McCain and Bush hadn't been stopped by Democrats including Obama from "privatizing" Social Security, your hard-earned benefits would be evaporating now in the Wall Street meltdown.

3. Phil Gramm, one of McCain's top economic advisors and in line to be the Treasury Secretary in his cabinet was the author of the bill that permitted investment banks to dive into the worthless investments we're now all paying for.

I think Obama needs a tag for the 7 lobbyists. "The Something Seven," "The Seven Something." All right, even "the Gang of Seven." Maybe the McCain Gang. -- Kyle, @16:12

McChain Gang? But, as The Answer Is Green says, @16:19, such fun and games ought to be limited to us, here, not for Obama to use on the stump.

Gregory...

I've seen you, and few others I believe, posting this analogy.

We've had Baracky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkpa53n8dNk
We've had Baracky II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fNgA5xLxao

Note. Some of us are indeed awaiting Baracky III.
It is time to rope this dope.

*

Employees of the government-sponsored firms, which own or guarantee half of the nation's mortgages, have donated almost $4.3 million to federal elected officials and their various campaign committees since 2005. -anonymous troll

That has nothing to do with lobbyists. Those are average citizens, not a lobbyist among them. I guess they wanted to donate to the campaigns with the best plan to save the industry they rely on to pay the bills.

This is just more bullshit false equivalence. McCain has lobbyists running his campaign, and Obama got donations from people who work for a living! See! Obviously they are both corrupt.

Moran.

Um, "Orwell" -- I assume that was you posting that quote -- an unspecified number of employees at Fannie and Freddie contributed about $112,000 of the total $4.3 million donated to federal elected officials and their various campaign committees since 2005. That's also $112 large of the millions Obama raked in -- $440 million, total and $66 million in August alone, according to The Associated Press.

Thus, despite your wingnut sound and fury, the question remains: So what?

Love it...a staff meeting!! That is the way to get back in the news and on top again. Too much crap lately about McSame & McPain.. get over her already and back to the message. Talk and loudly about McShame and his crap....

What happened to the golden age when you could say your opponent was dead wrong on everything, while still acknowledging he was a gentleman and a heck of a nice guy, and then proceed to sell yourself as the best choice?

This "golden age" only exists in American High School History textbooks.

Seriously - I'd like someone to point me to an election where this has ever occurred. It doesn't - elections in this country are nasty business and have been back to the dawn of the electorate. Hell, for a good chunk of our history our elections were controlled by corrupt political machines that barely involved the citizens at large in the process much at all beyond casting their ballots when they were told to. Unfortunately, we aren't allowed to talk about that in our public schools, and few folks take much American History in college, so they're left with an impression that things are infinitely worse now in comparison to the past. That's not really the case, though the national nature media does amplify the ugliness more than in the past (and the 24/7 news cycle amplifies it even more nowadays).

(Though I will say - McCain's campaign is the most overtly mendacious campaign that I have experienced in my 25+ years of being politically aware. Most politicians tell subtle lies that are hard to refute - McCain is just going all out with easily debunked lies. THAT is definitely worse than anything I've seen, at least.)

Anonymous: "Employees of the government-sponsored firms, which own or guarantee half of the nation's mortgages, have donated almost $4.3 million to federal elected officials and their various campaign committees since 2005. Obama is the largest individual recipient at about $112,000, federal campaign finance reports show."

So employees of these mortgage firms, acting as private citizens, have donated a fairly tiny amount to Obama. Are you seriously pretending that this is a defense of Orwell's trolling about how "lobbiests" are "all over the Obama campaign"?

And I find it interesting that you merely assert this is from the LA Times. Post a link.

Wow. Love the zinger. Now, that is some good old straight talk--if he can keep the simple vocabulary up, he'll pull in all the voters who still think he's a smartass elitist.

John McCain helped pass the original law which has gotten us into this Wall Street mess.

John McCain isn't fit to be President.

Let's give Obama a chance.

I think obama can take care of himself physically during a debate if McSame tries to assault obama.

When asked kenron lay could easily point out the same business plans in all these sucking sounds.
This is bushcon accounting 0.101 at work.
Steal, cheat, lie then steal, cheat and lie in that order.
Drain the vault, leave it filled with hot air, give yourself the largest slice and leave the scene.
The problem everyone faces now is allot of the stolen loot is riding on old pardon man.
They need him in to stay out of jail.
You know how cons work. They will do anything.

Senator McCain reminds me of that proud but confused executive in the recent Sprint commercial who boasts about the flexibility of his cell phone plan: "No one can tell me what to do. It's my little way of sticking it to The Man." To which his assistant responds, "But sir, you are the man."

"I know," says the executive. "So, you're sticking it to yourself," says the assistant. "Maybe," the flummoxed executive responds.

"now he tells us that he's the one who will take on the ol' boy network. The ol' boy network? In the McCain campaign, that's called a staff meeting."

Remember, John McCain put the "old" in the "old boy network".