Awesome-I was hoping either you or Hilzoy would do a live blog!

With the Prop 8 thing, the poll questions I've seen have been very confusing because the opponents and the proponents have been using different names for the prop. I think I managed to accidentally say that I was going to vote "yes" because the way the question was worded made it sound as though you were voting "yes" FOR gay marriage, not "yes" to be AGAINST it.

I'm sure that's what the proponents are counting on.

The time for Bush's resignation-in-disgrace came after Hurricane Katrina.

The time to impeach the chump also came and went years ago.

What makes me suspicious of the CA initiative poll: it shows young people breaking in favor of it. Something's clearly messing with those numbers.

No need to panic, but no cause to grow complacent. If you're concerned, send more money.

Over the last 15 months, Americans' retirement plans have lost as much as $2 trillion.

I wonder what percentage of the market this represents. Meanwhile Bush decided to reassure people again, and AP's money quote from him was, "I wish I could snap my fingers and make what happened stop. But that's not the way it works." It's nice that he finally figured out that optimism is not a strategy, but it's also no wonder so many people, not only in the US, but throughout the world, are so interested in this year's election. It's absolutely mindboggling that the Republicans would even consider a ticket like McCain and Palin.

To be fair to Dana Peroxide, there are a bunch of us who doubt that we're in a recession.

We think we've slid into a full-scale global depression.

3 1/2 More Months. Go George, Go! You can do it. 20% is in sight. Make it official about who is the Most Unpopular President, even if there is little controversy left about who is The Worst President EVER

Will McCain or Obama connect better tonight? That seems key for these debates--especially a townhall format..and I mean really connect in a warm, reassuring--yet not patronizing way?
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Seems to me McCain will likely speak as much as possible to these three talking points:

**tax and spend liberals and more government are the last thing we need--and the congress will enable this..

**strong POW, macho, I know how to keep you all safe card..

**while this naive dangerous unknown who has affiliated with shady characters most certainly does not.

But watch his body language, his ability to connect, the tone of his voice, his eye contact..

Any other guesses what McCain will emphasize or gesture?

You mean a total and complete racist anti-Semite hack was on Hannity's AmerKKKa? Amazing. SHam-nity has the credibility of a pile of caca.

McCain's ugly flailing is clear evidence of his own awareness that he is losing. He knows he's losing.

Gallup also found that only 9% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country.

The same percentage that admit they have driven drunk within the last 30 days. Quite possibly the same 9%.

Nicolle Wallace (Sr. Advisor, McCain Campaign) is telling David Gregory that McCain will emphasize that the only bright spot in our economy has been the growth of small businesses and that Obama's extreme plan will essentially wipe that out completely, tax small businesses, insist they provide health care coverage and so forth...
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Yes--it would be great as Maddow just suggested if someone asked about support for Veterans!! This has not been addressed nearly enough! McCain's record here is appalling beyond belief...

* Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) has had political contributors pay for his rent, his utility bills, his travel, and now, even his clothes.

Gigolos
On
Parade!!!

That brand is so-ooo toxic....

Within the past week or so, scientists have reported that:

One quarter of the Earth's mammal species are in danger of extinction. (Even higher percentages of of birds, reptiles and particularly amphibians are also headed for extinction.)

Large quantities of methane -- a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide -- have been observed bubbling up from underwater deposits which are thawing as a result of anthropogenic global warming.

Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest is accelerating.

The volume of Arctic sea ice reached the lowest level ever recorded this year. (Mainstream predictions are for the Arctic Ocean to be ice-free in summer within five years -- something that has never happened for far longer than human beings have existed on Earth.)

We now return to rearranging the deck chairs.

Wow, a Richard Cohen opinion piece that doesn't suck! I didn't know such an animal existed.

He still looks like a demented, chinless beaver, though.

God I so hope fuckwad brings up Ayers. Anyone who thinks that crap's pertinent should be hog-tied and flogged.

Nicole Wallace (am I the only one who thinks it's funny as fuck she has the same name as the villainous psycho on L&O: Criminal Intent?) just said McCain would focus on the *one* *bright* *spot* of the economy: somewhere there were 350000 jobs created. Not sure what planet, maybe Mars?

I'm thinking of a having a McCain's Presidency Haunted House for Halloween. We'll have witches stirring a cauldron of dirt, ghoulish begging bail-out victims, and no one will get candy because THERE IS NO GODDAMNED CANDY!

PS, Steve, the 'free score.com' ads are misleading. They only sign you up for their credit record at Intelius, for $10 more than you can get it at Intelius itself.

at no point do you actually get access to your scores from the three services named in their ad.

"Bush's approval rating is down to a stunning 25%. When Nixon resigned in disgrace, his approval rating was 24%."

This administration's multiple betrayals and offenses were impeachable.
There has been zero accountability, other than that George W. Bush has aged tremendously,
and seems to have a comb-over, hiding a severe loss of hair up top.

Here is the sad thing his administration has brought to us-- its horrid legacy:

The quote is according to Charles Austin Beard:

"One of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the great struggle for independence."

And the final few months of his presidency, with the insane seige of tax payer funds, headed by former Goldman Sachs workers, i.e. Hank Paulson, now in his administration:

"The combination of economic and political power in the same hands is a sure recipe for tyranny."
--Rose and Milton Friedman in "Free to Choose"

I write this with sad demeanor

Large quantities of methane -- a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide -- have been observed bubbling up from underwater deposits which are thawing as a result of anthropogenic global warming.
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Yes, and guess what else releases large quantities of methane gas?? Drilling for oil. Comes as no surprise. So, please, by all means, Ms. Palin, admit that there is a global warming problem, (but of course, you have NO IDEA if man is causing or contributing to it), but push hard to open up Alaska and the coastline of the U.S. to more oil rigs, methane gas release, and concomitant environmental destruction. "Drill baby drill." fri'ggin idgit!

Andy Martin, a/k/a Anthony Martin-Trigona, has an interesting history. He was the first person I've ever heard of (white supremacist Matthew Hale being the second) who failed to pass the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission's character and fitness screening primarily dues to being an outspoken anti-Semite. Anyone interested should check out In re Martin-Trigona,55 Ill. 2d 301 (1973). The guy's also been described by a U.S. Court of appeals as "a notoriously vexatious and vindictive litigator who has long abused the American legal system." Martin-Trigona v. Shaw, 986 F.2d 1384 (11th Cir. 1993). The Seventh Circuit desrcibed Martin-Trigona's "tendency . . . to exaggerate, to believe himself the victim of conspiracies where none exist, and to suspect without any reasonable basis that others are persecuting him is evident from many of his filings in this record," Martin-Trigona v. Gouletas, 634 F.2d 354(7th Cir.). He's been declared involuntarily bankrupt. If he's a "journalist", I'm H.L. Mencken.

Shame on David Gregorery for asserting that McCain was EXONERATED for his participation in the Keating Five!

The Obama spokesperson (Valarie Jarrett) had to correct that no, he was chastised for his participation.

David Gregory is also keen on pointing out Jarrett has known Obama a long time, and he goes on to imply that Obama needs to clear his record on the Ayers thing with everyone publicly tonight--that he has been less than forthcoming heretofore.

David Gregory: Shame on you! Much more biased and outright misleading questions as opposed to the ones you posed the Republican Spokesperson.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino isn't sure if there's a recession. I think she's the only one who remains undecided.

This reminds me, of Letterman's Top 10 List awhile ago: ~ Top 10 things people are saying to the McCain campaign. No. 1: ~ "Hello, this is President Bush. What all this 'trouble with the economy'"?

I think David Gregory has been gunning for the Meet the Press spot,
and has been watching his p's and q's...

Shame on him, I agree
.
CNN today, however, told its viewers that McCain absolutely
has blame to bear in the Keating Five debacle.
I listened intently, knowing the Keating history.

I hope older voters realize McCain seeks to dismantle Social Security and Medicare.
Like George W. Bush, that is the ideology that compels him.
That is their unifying vision.
McCain = Bush = McSame

Cindy McCain said today in Nashvegas that Obama is running the sleaziest, ugliest campaign ever. ( She must be on the percocets again.)

My father said he heard at one of Palin's speeches that they were chanting "kill,kill,kill." Does anyone have a link?

[trolling deleted]

Hey, Fat White Guy?

You're going to lose.

Heh.

And if we're going to talk about shady characters involved in the early stages of the candidate's careers, let's not forget that McCain's earliest political sugar daddy was a convicted felon. You know, unlike Ayers, who was never convicted of anything. Not only that, but McCain's involvement with his convicted felon political sugar daddy went much much deeper than having had one event hosted for him and sitting on a non-profit board together....McCain married into his convicted felon political sugar daddy's family.

So, bring it right the f*** on, knuckle-dragger.

Dee Loralei (BTW I saw the original rocky cliff, along the Rhine, the source of the legend of the Lorelei): Maybe you're thinking of the Palin speech/es where she said Ayers was a terrorist (well, he was) and someone in the crowd said "Kill him"! An account is here:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/06/in_fla_palin_goes_for_the_roug.html
and here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/06/mccain-does-nothing-as-cr_n_132366.html.

Obama will bring up the Keating Five.
And you know he will be prepared.
Without the 5" by 7" note cards the silly, freak show Sarah Palin hid behind the lecturn.

I really look forward to Obama listing additional allegations.
With Bush's failed presidency, McCain is doomed.

What can McCain say--"I did not have financial relations with Keatings' company?"

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Opponents of marriage equality put out a T.V. ad that I understand is being aired often in select areas. It really has proven quite ugly (it makes the Mayor look silly drunk and reckless).

And isn't the bill worded so you are voting 'for preserving family'? How underhanded is that?!

The proponents for marriage equality really need to put out an ad to counter this and NOW.

* Gallup also found that only 9% of Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in the country. That's the lowest total in the history of Gallup polls.

That's the portion of the top quintile or so, that is doing better than before relative to the rest of us and also too stupid to realize that looting the real economy, going to a quagmire, etc., is ultimately bad long-term even for the upper class.

tyrannogenius

The McPains have ticked off another songwriter, this time Gretchen Peters, by using her song "Independence Day." So she's getting even:
"Now, Peters says she'll be donating her songwriting royalties from the song to Planned Parenthood — in Palin's name."

From http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081007/NEWS0206/810070355/1016

Re Jennifer: Here's a good link about Cindy Mac's dad Jim Hensley, the convicted felon, and here Johnnie Mac praises him:
http://www.mixx.com/stories/1904160/john_mccain_calls_cindy_s_father_a_convicted_felon_with_ties_to_the_mob_a_role_model

Lots of good links just from googling "mccain cindy convicted felon".

The same percentage that admit they have driven drunk within the last 30 days. Quite possibly the same 9%.
Wait'll the third-quarter 401K statements arrive. People will be driving drunk and angry. Be careful out there, kids.

Here's a good mini-rebuttal of the claim that loaning to poor/black people caused our financial meltdown:
http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/opinion/viewsday/2008/10/looking_for_someone_to_blame.html

BTW, about Richard Cohen - his columns have been rather good and non-assholey for weeks, mostly. Maybe he's re-wisening up (I say, since I mostly liked his 90s stuff.)

When you do these quick hits, could you please put more just a bit more information about what an item is about so we can decide whether the item that doesn't warrant a post of its own is something we might nonetheless be interested in visiting? "Meet Andy Martin", for just one example in this particular post, is nearly content free.

Actually as a whole this one was pretty good, compared to some of the other Quick Hits posts. For most items there was enough real information for readers to decide whether to follow up for more. Please keep that up! Thanks.

You know how 9/11 was the next Pearl Harbor? Then Katrina was the weather 9/11? And this crisis is the financial Katrina? These "once in a lifetime" events are hitting us in increasingly short periods of time. I can't imagine there won't be a new disaster before Bush leaves office.

In our only-in-Idaho department:

Letters to our leading newspaper today were unanimous in condemning socialism and government intrusion into business affairs as the cause of our economic distress. I kid you not. But, alas, it's not only in Idaho. It's 40% of our people nationwide, 80% here.

Actually, the letters are coming in about 2-1 in favor of Obama. But that happened in 2004, also, in favor of Kerry.

Pat Buchanan acknowledged the latest ad from McCain pegging Obama as a serial liar is pretty low, but quickly adds: "What else should he do? Yelling at David Gregory in his 1:1.."He's got to win, he's got to go there if he's going to win...David, do you have any better ideas?"

I know Buchanan is not the only one who uses this
kill or be killed/ there is no limit when it comes to winning a race 'rationale" for such ugly smear tactics, for such underhandedness.

But he sure gets away with it a heck of a lot.

He essentially admits there is no line too low to cross.

Why don't Gregory or others say "What about McCain's honor?" "What about the solid argument that the means don't always justify the end?"

Are they afraid to sound naive and hopeful?

I find it very much a turn-off that so many journalists allow this stance, the one that goes: "He's got to go there to win (he has no choice, his hands are tied)" to fly without even questioning it.

The truth is we always have a choice. And there IS such a thing as crossing the line.

And McCain has made his choice, Mr. Buchanan.
And McCain has crossed a line, Mr. Buchanan.
And you apparently think it matters not.

We all lose when such blatant cynicism is not addressed, and worse yet is given a wink and a nod again and again.

I wouldn't get to worked up about the Channel 5 poll on Prop 8. The Field Poll - the gold standard in California - had 55% against it late last month. The SurveyUSA poll, admittedly a good outfit, has the No vote at 42%. I don't watch a ton of TV, but the only time I've heard/seen the Newsom ad was when it got played in a news story on the radio this morning. But I have seen the pro-gay marriages ads quite a few times. So, color me doubtful that the Newsom ads have changed the game.

These "once in a lifetime" events are hitting us in increasingly short periods of time.
While the weather and the actions of terrorists are not altogether subject to mitigation of government until after the damage is done it's hard to imagine that the current economic storm went completely unforeseen by the administration. Either the little SOB in the White House ignored the warnings like he did the warning that "Bin Laden determined to strike US" or he cynically hoped that the economy wouldn't blow up until he left office.

I am not sure how all this sleaze will play out, the pegging Obama as dangerous and Un-American and so forth...on one level, it seems folks have had it with all this.

But I do think it works in two ways:

1. Some people are unsure and uncomfortable as to who Obama is and especially with the notion of voting for a black man--so they will actually believe the B.S. and

2. In general, when folks feel cynical and negative, the energy depletes, and voter turn-out is accordingly undermined diminished--at least that's my understanding of how this works...

I hope I'm wrong about this. I hope folks feel energized with their outrage to get the vote out like nobody's business.

"House Press Secretary Dana Perino isn't sure if there's a recession. I think she's the only one who remains undecided"

She is yet another casualty of this administration.
This girl has an obstruction of justice problem and it shows in her lined forehead.
She had a youthful vigor before.

Edwin Hubbel Chapin once observed, "Neutral men are the devil's allies."

Or Mark Twain--"First get your facts; then you can distort them at your leisure."

When she comes into the room, it is time for another spin.

Reminds me of Scott McClellan denying White House involvement in the outing of the Wilsons.
Or when George Bush was told there was a reception at his daughter's wedding,
he got nervous and said there is no reception....
recession...reception...

She did not get the memo that democracy is based upon trust
but subverted by manipulation and lies.
Pretty propaganda, she.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/12/BADU128V6V.DTL&type=gaylesbian

As of August, the wording on Prop 8 had been changed from "Limit on Marriage" to the ever-so-much-more-truthful "Eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry." Once the court decided that under the California Constitution gay and lesbian people DO have the right to marry their same-sex partners, the original language of the ballot was inaccurate. The right to marry wouldn't simply be preemptively limited, it would be taken away. A Superior Court Judge ruled that AG Brown's re-wording of the title was, in fact, a completely accurate description of what the proposed amendment would actually do. Cue whining and crying from bigots who complained that the truthful wording made them sound - gasp! - bigoted.

http://noonprop8.com/about?id=0011

Ballot Title and Summary

Proposition 8:

ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

I hope this doesn't get lost in the post-debate chatter, but another great article on how McCain has dissed the veterans and troops is here:
http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=051FA6670239B07796999E08012E6D65?diaryId=1957

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino isn't sure if there's a recession.

Whoever wins, the next president, should embrace the word. Heck, call it a depression.

Only one place to go but up, right?

Also, set the record straight by restoring the CPI index to the original basket of goods to illustrate the inflation all of us are painfully aware about but politicians continually claim does not exist.

Perhaps replace gold reserves borrowed to artificially deflate the price of gold also masking inflation we poor saps pay, but politicians feel free to deny.

(For the record I own no gold and would gain nothing but a solvent nation and future from this.)