* Apparently, there's some bizarre rumor circulating on the pages of the New York Post about Michelle Obama ordering lobster at the Waldorf Astoria. It's not true.

Yr welcm.

I'll give Palin this -- she knows how to dominate the media -- you never know what is coming next!

Do NOT laugh at the Nickelodeon Kids poll. Of all the years it's run, this may very well be the most important time it has. The idea with the Nick Kid poll is that kids mirror their parents beliefs, but unlike their parents, don't filter them for pollsters.

This seriously suggest the Bradley Effect is well and truly in play.

Isn't the Michelle Obama rumor a re-tread? I seem to remember hearing this same rumor (except I think that it was Barack in that case) the night before the 9/11 tribute that he and McCain both appeared at.

Of course, that should read "the night before the 9/11 tribute at which he and McCain both appeared." but I was afraid that that might sound too elite.

How many ways do I love Rachel Maddow? I would love to see her in the White House.

Does the fact that I watch her show on the web rather than on the air get counted into her totals?

Bah, apologising for "being misunderstood" is not apologising at all.

Apparently it's our fault that we believe that what Sarah Palin means can be deduced from the words she uses, or the order she puts them in.

This seriously suggest the Bradley Effect is well and truly in play.

Or that someone has spoofed the poll, which is not exactly unheard of in an online poll.

Considering that one of the first links that came up in Google was someone on a telling people to go vote for McCain so Obama wouldn't win in a landslide, I'm suspecting some spoofing of the Nickelodeon poll.

* On a related note, Palin still seems a little confused about the V.P.'s responsibilities.

So what does it mean to preside over the Senate, or any body for that matter?

The only responsibilities assigned to the Veep by the constitution are legislative.

A few notes:

1. For Reps Bachmann and Hayes, chickenhawks like you don't have any moral authority to cast aspersions on how "American" is determined. As an ex-USN (merely the glaring war with the Sovs and Saddam/Iran) I don't appreciate the sacrifices made for the Constitution (which we swear an oath to, not the President, BTW) by the troops being redefined for your political gain. And, trying to deny that you said it in the era of Youtube isn't going to work. For Michelle at least, buh-bye.

2. If you look at the summer of 1929, the market was lurching around like this. Not necessarily trying to be alarmist, but it isn't a good time to risk the seed corn, as it were.

3. If all they can do is claim that M. O. ordered lobster and Iranian caviar at the Waldorf, perhaps Cindy can toss in her menus as well. It's still clear they've got nuttin'.

4. So, it's probably true (not yet confirmed, but it's my gut feel FWIW) that the anchor with the bit part in "W" got beat up for political reasons, and the WH lackeys will "investigate" this thoroughly, really they will.

5. ACORN's runaround is exactly the same BS that the killer squirrel Schlozman was trying to do in 2004, and part of the USA scandal. Conyers is already looking at this, but he'll need to know we've got his back. What is interesting to me on this is the CA arrest of a GOP operative for registration fraud, the fact that ACORN is required to turn these in regardless (depending on the state) if they think it is bogus, and GOP drives in NV that threw out the D registrations and submitted GOP ones (in 2004 as I remember, a small scale flap at the time)

"I'll give Palin this -- she knows how to dominate the media -- you never know what is coming next!"

She's stupid. She's reasonably attractive in an uninteresting sort of way. Every time she opens her mouth she makes an ass of herself. She loves nothing better than a camera pointed at her. she has no shame.

After this is over her political career is finished, but we won't be rid of her. She loves the attention too much to go away. She has no real talent, we're not sure what she actually can do or does.

She the new Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Apparently this is getting lots of play right now so the download is taking forever BUT, here it is:

Sweet Baby James Moore Square Park, downtown Raleigh NC, today.

While you wait for that, here's a preview on youtube.

GooooOoOoo, Obama Go!

Is eating a lobster some sort of euphemism?

This seriously suggest the Bradley Effect is well and truly in play. -Sean Riley

No. No, non, nyet, nay, no, NO!

First things first. The Nickelodeon poll was an online poll, which are notoriously bad to begin with, and probably wasn't restricted to just kids. To believe it was is naive. It also wasn't restricted to one vote per person. Why in the world are we even considering this a legitimate topic or concern? Sigh.

If you must rely on a poll of children, the Scholastic poll is much more reliable and scientific. Obama won that 57 to 39.

Second, these polls are not weighted, and obviously have no likely voter filter. There is no way you can extrapolate this population to the population who will vote. It's just not possible. There are no controls for family size as it correlates to party id, no controls for gender, race, age, nothing.

It should be viewed as nothing more than a passing amusement.

Third, it has been proven in so many different ways that the Bradley/Wilder effect does not exists. Google it. Please, for all of our sanity, research it. I'm so tired of hearing about the Bradley effect.

Racist people do not feel compelled to lie to a pollster and say they support Obama. There is no logical reason to suggest they do. At the very least, this effect may be present in exit polls, but there is no basis for assuming it would show up anywhere else.

Check out fivethirtyeight.com for more information on why the Bradley effect does not exist. They have repeatedly debunked it.

Thank god for Rachel. I'm a big fan of Ari Melber for the psuedo-debates we get on cable news. Ari's been doing a stellar job of crosschecking the Republican strategists.

Go Rachel! Hey, Steve-- it's about time for you to make another guest appearance!

***********************************

Palin's apology rings hollow--she was clearly drawing a clear-cut dividing line--between those who are Pro-American and good and those who are Anti-American and evil---
AND..
She was clearly asserting she herself knew precisely where that line was, that folks should trust her to know and declare and define where that line is.

It was not only bigoted, it was arrogant beyond belief. And if you look at her other statements, you can see it all ties in. She is a demagogue in the making.

Tell Michelle she can order whatever the hell she wants after what she's had to put up with. The woman is amazing.

Uh, Steve. Do you realize that in the entire month of October you've written exactly one post NOT on how great Obama is and how terrible McCain Palin are? ONE. The entire month. O-N-E. I think we're gonna put you down as voting for Obama. That OK by you? Now, how about one post every 200 or so on some other subject? Just for yucks.

So what does it mean to preside over the Senate, or any body for that matter?

It doesn't mean anything, really. It's a ceremonial role.

Now, how about one post every 200 or so on some other subject?

If you don't like the subject matter here then why do you continue to visit the site? No one's putting a gun to your head -- I'm sure there are a thousand other blogs you would find more to your liking, so just go there and stop your sad whining.

I don't get it. She ordered a lobster, so fucking what?

knowing computers could be more reliable and that machines fail all of the time, I reserve making any accusations, but...

With the introduction of electronic voting machines over the past two to four major elections, why have we not heard of the instance that a voter intends to vote republican and the democrats name pops up?

Partisan computer glitches? I don't know.

Viva La Zappa

I am surprised it took Andrew Sullivan this long to understand that the crux of the biscuit is the caribou flavored kool-aid:

Sullivan:

I have a feeling the looming first divide among conservatives if the GOP loses this election will be between those who drank the Palin poison and those who didn't.

I won't say duh. Because Andrew has been dancing all around the obvious for weeks now. And you know, sometimes: to see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle.

ruth
please tell me
where to watch
rachel maddow online
as our local cable co.
bumped it up to digital
along with cspan 2
thanks
est

Why no challenges to McCain's claim to be a bi-partisan super hero?

In the third debate, he cited Feingold, Lieberman and Kennedy and Feingold and Lieberman, and Feingold while touting his vast record of bipartisanship. Was that not obvious to everyone?

None of this legislation is major, being that the Immigration bill didn't pass and he is currently exercising the loopholes in his campaign finance work while simultaneously bitching about Obama's small donor base.

Yet he an Palin everyday talk about how he's reached across the isle and bucked his corrupt party.

OK. Let's live in Palin's make-believe world for just a moment. Let's pretend that the V.P. really is "in charge" of the Senate. Then wouldn't we want a V.P. with legislative experience? Even in Palin's make-believe world, Joe Biden is more qualified than she is.

In all seriousness, if you can't read and understand the job description for a position, you're not qualified for the job. The Constitution contains the job description of the Vice President, and...well, I think you know where I'm going with this....

This is how a Republican reformer governs,

ANCHORAGE, Alaska � Gov. Sarah Palin charged the state for her children to travel with her, including to events where they were not invited, and later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business.

Uh, Steve. Do you realize that in the entire month of October you've written exactly one post NOT on how great Obama is and how terrible McCain Palin are? ONE. The entire month. O-N-E. I think we're gonna put you down as voting for Obama. That OK by you? Now, how about one post every 200 or so on some other subject? Just for yucks.

What did you expect to see on a blog called Political Animal, recipes?

Why is nobody talking about Palin being found guilty of abusing her power? Surely that's a big story that needs to be front and centre right up to the election, but it blew right by in days. Have her Jedi mind tricks actually worked?

* Apparently, there's some bizarre rumor circulating in far-right circles about Michelle Obama ordering lobster at the Waldorf Astoria. It's not true. -- Steve Benen

Even if it *were* true, what does it matter? Michelle Obama can eat all the lobster she wants, not being Jewish. Now, *Baruch* Obama, OTOH...

Re the kids poll: even if everything else was on the up-and-up... Repubs tend to have more children than Dems do ('s what you get if you depend on "tie a knot in it" method of birth control). But, whether it's 5 kids or 2, there's still only one set of voting parents behind them.

Lobster is like $30.00. It doesn't even taste all that good anyway. What is this story even about?

It doesn't mean anything, really. It's a ceremonial role.
Posted by: Stefan

I find this topic very interesting. From the Federalist Papers...

The appointment of an extraordinary person, as Vice-President, has been objected to as superfluous, if not mischievous. It has been alleged, that it would have been preferable to have authorized the Senate to elect out of their own body an officer answering that description. But two considerations seem to justify the ideas of the convention in this respect. One is, that to secure at all times the possibility of a definite resolution of the body, it is necessary that the President should have only a casting vote. And to take the senator of any State from his seat as senator, to place him in that of President of the Senate, would be to exchange, in regard to the State from which he came, a constant for a contingent vote. The other consideration is, that as the Vice-President may occasionally become a substitute for the President, in the supreme executive magistracy, all the reasons which recommend the mode of election prescribed for the one, apply with great if not with equal force to the manner of appointing the other. It is remarkable that in this, as in most other instances, the objection which is made would lie against the constitution of this State. We have a Lieutenant-Governor, chosen by the people at large, who presides in the Senate, and is the constitutional substitute for the Governor, in casualties similar to those which would authorize the Vice-President to exercise the authorities and discharge the duties of the President.

In the "open thread" vein:

Remember how McCain seemed to be clueless about who Zapatero was? Well, it appears that Spain's paying him right back. Today, I got a message from a Polish/German e-friend, who lives in Spain. She was writing about another friend of hers, who lives in an assisted living facility in Blacksburg, VA and who won't vote for Obama, 'cause he's a Muslim. My friend wanted to know if I could arrange for someone from the Obama campaign to go there and talk sense to those old hens. At the end of her message was this little gem:

There is more coverage of the american election here than ever before. The debates were televised and everyone - wishful thinking, I suppose - takes it for granted that Obama will win. Neither my sons nor I have heard anyone say anything about the also ran - one very well known journalist here refers to him as what's-his-name.

Last interesting quote on the topic, my emphasis...

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Vice_President.htm

Under the original code of Senate rules, the presiding officer exercised great power over the conduct of the body's proceedings. Rule XVI provided that "every question of order shall be decided by the President [of the Senate], without debate; but if there be a doubt in his mind, he may call for a sense of the Senate." Thus, contrary to later practice, the presiding officer was the sole judge of proper procedure and his rulings could not be turned aside by the full Senate without his assent.

The first two vice presidents, Adams and Jefferson, did much to shape the nature of the office, setting precedents that were followed by others. During most of the nineteenth century, the degree of influence and the role played within the Senate depended chiefly on the personality and inclinations of the individual involved. Some had great parliamentary skill and presided well, while others found the task boring, were incapable of maintaining order, or chose to spend most of their time away from Washington, leaving the duty to a president pro tempore. Some made an effort to preside fairly, while others used their position to promote the political agenda of the administration.

During the twentieth century, the role of the vice president has evolved into more of an executive branch position. Now, the vice president is usually seen as an integral part of a president's administration and presides over the Senate only on ceremonial occasions or when a tie-breaking vote may be needed. Yet, even though the nature of the job has changed, it is still greatly affected by the personality and skills of the individual incumbent.

I can understand the excitement with which the Right greeted the Faux lobster story. Lobster is a well-known elitist meal. I always find the Queen of England and the Aga Khan and the Rockefellers at the Red Lobster down on Route 20, chowing down on the all-you-can-eat specials.

I had dinner with a conservative friend who observed her decision to vote for
Barack Obama results from the fact he will require insurers to cover pre-existing conditions.

Under McCain, insurers would decide where or not to cover pre-existing conditions.

McCain's viewpoint is unsatisfactory. Bottom line.

I thought this was evidentiary that voters ARE looking at the issues,
that older persons, the seriously afflicted, and the unhealthy will suffer under John McCain.

Only an out of touch GOPer would think that lobster was "elitist".

Lobster's elitist just like hot dogs and corn on the cob.

I really thought it was a euphemism.

Under the original code of Senate rules, the presiding officer exercised great power over the conduct of the body's proceedings. Rule XVI provided that "every question of order shall be decided by the President [of the Senate], without debate; but if there be a doubt in his mind, he may call for a sense of the Senate."

The potential for autocracy and abuse of power in this rule is precisely what set Thomas Jefferson in motion to revise it out of existence - while he was sitting vice-president. He devised the Manual of Parliamentary Practice to make the Senate as fair as possible and afford as much protection to minority parties.

The Federalists of Jefferson's time were the forerunners of today's Republicans in many ways: reactionary, aristocratic, and prone to the abuse of executive power at the expense of the liberty of citizens - that tendency reaching its zenith in the Alien and Sedition Acts, which obviously unconstitional have essentially been resurrected by the Bush administration.

The relevant part of your quote that you failed to bold is this bit: "Some made an effort to preside fairly, while others used their position to promote the political agenda of the administration."

Let's be honest: Sarah Palin does not have the first fucking clue as to the role of the vice president. She's exhibited an utter lack of knowledge of the limitations even of own office in Alaska, much to the chagrin of the her Party who were finally forced to investigate her abuses of power. And she freely admitted earlier this year that she has "no idea" what the vice president does.

It's simply foolish to try and cast her remarks revealing her intent to be the Tony Soprano of the Senate as some kind of thoughtful but originalist approach to that role. They are simply illustrative of her instincts to thuggery and arrogation of illicit power to herself.

It is fitting and no surprise at all that she and her husband either consciously or unwittingly do tend toward concepts of the United States that hearken back to a divisive, secessionary period in in the nation's history.

Well, at least we know Michelle Obama is not Jewish because observant Jews consider lobsters and other shellfish 'unclean'. Of course, Jesus, in one of the parables, instructed his disciples that anything made by God was clean; that God made nothing that was not sanctified. So much for that judgmental, hating God.
peace,
st john

She [Palin] has no real talent, we're not sure what she actually can do or does.

You can't be serious.

* Apparently, there's some bizarre rumor circulating in far-right circles about Michelle Obama ordering lobster at the Waldorf Astoria. It's not true.

Page Six even ran a correction — and someone even made a fake receipt, despite the correction that she wasn't even in New York.

Better, the fake receipt, had a bottle of Bollinger's going for $44. Bollinger's (crappy). At the Waldorf(not crappy). For Room Service (even if they had it, figure on, oh, I don't know three figures).

Couldn't they have just said that she eats stem cells? These fucking people no absolutely nothing. Thankfully, The Editors have their own World Exclusive.

Here's the URL for the Palin/childrens' travel story.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081021/ap_on_el_pr/palin_family_travel

Some of this info isn't new, but some is. Like this, which seems to point to, ummm, guilt?:
"On Aug. 6, three weeks before Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain chose Palin his running mate, and after Alaska reporters asked for the records, Palin ordered changes to previously filed expense reports for her daughters' travel."

Here is yet another bombshell on the RNC:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14805.html
RNC appears to shell out $150K for Palin fashion

Clothes, hair and makeup and even some for her kids and hubby. Check it out.

to watch the rachel maddow show on line

use this link

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/

for countdown with keith

use this link

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/

i also watch the daily show and the colbert report on line as well.

You know, it would be a LOT easier to avoid stereotyping Alaskans as rural bumpkins who have no idea what goes on in the lower 48 if their Governor could give at least a somewhat convincing demonstration that she's paid any attention at all to the mechanisms of government outside Alaska.

That she hasn't studied up on this question by now is, well, even more pathetic.

I realize that I was a nerdy kid living in an 'unreal' 'anti-America' part of America, but I could have answered the kids question correctly by the time I was in seventh grade.

What the hell is wrong with that woman????

* On a related note, Palin still seems a little confused about the V.P.'s responsibilities.

Nah, she's not confused; it's just that someone pointed out there was this third grade kid to whom she hadn't lied yet---and there's only 14 days left for her to meet that goal of "Tell at least one really stupid lie to every American's face at least once before being sent home to Alaska in a soiled chum bucket."

That she hasn't studied up on this question by now is, well, even more pathetic.

That's unfair. Cheney told her that the VP is in charge of the Senate.

I wish the Nickelodeon Kids poll was as terrifying accurate as some folks like to warn:

57% - John Kerry, 43 % - George W. Bush

Um....oops?

And since we're on the subject of the Moosylvania Misfit, there's this tidbit:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14805.html

Damn. I knew she looked a lot like Imelda Marcos!

Under the original code of Senate rules, the presiding officer exercised great power over the conduct of the body's proceedings.

Yes, they did. The Senate, under the Constitution, makes the Senate's rules (Art. I, Sec. 5), not the VP. So, originally, the Senate made the presiding officer very powerful. Then the Senate made the presiding officer not very powerful. Contrary to Palin's statements earlier in the campaign, this is not something the VP can change unilaterally based on their whim, and contrary to her most recent statements, under the rules applicable now, the VP, while "President of the Senate", is not "in charge of the Senate", even in loose approximation.

I don't know why you would think the quote was interesting, unless you were trying to suggest that Palin was confused, and thought she was running for the Vice Presidency of the US closer to the turn of the 19th Century than the 21st.

Old Yeller teeth

Breaking...

McCain's campaign is crumbling.

The Palin poll was the tipping point.
The fact that everything that comes out of Caribou's mouth is a lie... doesn't hurt the trend going forward.

They work.
Thanks for those links karen marie.

yes
thanks for the links
cheers
est

I keep hearing these Alaska First types saying they want the feds out of their homeland and they should be able to keep their natural resources. Following their premise shouldn't the native inhabitants and not a bunch of johnny come latelys get first dibs? That would rule out old pale face as far as I can tell and give it to the indigenous tribes. It's their oil and gas as far as I can tell.

Biden's prediction that Obama will face a crisis within six months proves that he is still the fatuous, self-important fool he has always been. It's a sure sign that he has been lying awake at night dreaming of being in the White House during a Cuban-missle-like crisis. He's dangerous.

Right, Biden is the dangerous one. Have you seen McCain? He's a nut - he's the kind of complete moron who thinks the war on the Iraqi people was a good idea. He's the kind of nitwit who goes around joking about dropping bombs on the citizens of Iran. He's, well, if those two moronic ideas aren't enough to render John McCain a total nut with no business being near the Presidency then you are likely unreachable.

I don't know why you would think the quote was interesting...
Posted by: cmdicely

I find the whole role of the Veep interesting. The job has evolved into something that has nothing to do with what the constitution says, and in fact is pretty much in opposition to it. The constitution gives NO responsibilities on the executive side, and uses the word "shall" on hte legislative responsibilities. It has somehow morphed into "shall" on the executive and next to nothing on the legislative. A friend pointed out to me this from the West Point recruiting site...

As a Member of Congress, the Vice President has five cadetships for applicants from the United States at large.

Obviously left over from back in the day.

I think it is time the country as a whole figured out what the Veep's roles and responsibilities are, and codify it better.

I see someone beat me to the punch with the Rachel Maddow link.

I love the link of her on the "feminist" story above.