John McCain's excellent judgement

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122539083988384919.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

This editorial in the WSJ talks about McCain's unusual choice in heading up his transition team, citing Lehman's ethics problems regarding his time as Navy secretary. The editorial pointed out what great friends McCain and Lehman are. I wouldn't call this so unusual, but I would use a much overused phrase, isn't this "just politics as usual?" I know McCain has given air quotes a very bad name, but I can't help myself... I mean who does this sound like, friendship over competence, cronyism rules all. Why doesn't it sound just like GWB? Another incredibly seamy side not mentioned in the WSJ is his involvement in the Tailhook scandal. Mother Jones has an exceptionally lurid description of this fine upstanding Naval officer.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/10/10403_mccain_lehman_transition_tailhook.html
But I guess in McCain's world, boys will be boys.

Another, plum, juicy rat

Who has stuck another knife in the back? Why my very own congressman - the so called mavericky Chris Shays. This is definitely a case of a strong desire to not go down with the sinking ship. He says he is disappointed with McCain not staying true to his core beliefs. What core beliefs, other than going to war with just about everyone, including inner cities (he supported a "surge" to deal with inner city crime)? Other than that, McCain is an empty vessel, bereft of any idea other than Republican orthodoxy. It is also quite sweet that Shays is the head of the McCain campaign in CT. But the sanctimonious tone of his backpedaling is although delicious, somewhat nauseating. Who does Shays think he is, Joe Lieberman?

Payback's a bitch

Hat tip - americablog.com
Much to my surprise, Charlie Christ extended the early voting hours in Florida. I hate to impugn base motives for everything that any Republican does, but what the hell. This will go in the category of the Revenge of the Former Suitors. Charlie has put the boot in big time, the Mittster has expressed himself, and even Tom Ridge in a tv interview implied that McCain would be winning in PA if he had been chosen VP. Lieberman is readying his bus, but as far as I know, Tim Pawlenty has yet to cave. So much for loyalty. I can't imagine what it would be like for them to see that ghastly woman on the campaign trail, readying her knives for the post election blood bath.

Mystery solved

I woke up this morning to monsoon like rain, and started worrying about election day weather. Ihave been going to fivethirtyeight for polling info (Pollster got way to gloomy for me a few weeks ago, while Nate Silver still was optimistic.) Nate Silver must of read my mind because I clicked to fivethirtyeight and found that he had posted weather forecasts for battleground states - scattered showers for the most part. I have seen Nate Silver a few times on TV, spouting numbers and statistics, and looking slightly strange and furtive. I don't remember fivethirtyeight from four years ago wondered where he sprung from. The mystery is solved. He is a SPORTS GEEK! I should have known because all of his stats are so extensive and convoluted, I never understand what he talking or writing about when he does analysis, but believe him totally.

Watch your back, John

Apparently, Hendrik Hertberg of the New Yorker can't stand Lieberman either. It is really creepy to see him read the writing on the wall and try to edge back toward the Democratic party. Joe is all about Joe, so McCain not only has to worry about Ms P, but about Joe trying to save his own sorry behind. I am waiting for Mr Sanctimonious to start blaming McCain for supposed moral failing. Hertberg wrote that Joe dumped his first wife because he claimed she wasn't pious enough. I wonder what moral failing he will accuse McCain of. And my god, wouldn't it be sweet if the dems get to 60 in the Senate.

My own personal shame

Much to my sorrow, the NYT endorsed Chris Shays for Congress. Shays is the so called mavricky congressman from my district in Connecticut. He is notorious for taking a noisy and mavricky stand on one issue, and then for the rest of his votes is a loyal foot soldier for the republicans. I admit, I was once fooled. During his first term in Congress, he voted against aid to the Contras, despite tremendous pressure from the Reagan administration. Although I had not voted to elect him, in the next election, because of that vote, for the first and most likely last time in my life I pulled and R lever. I am deeply ashamed, and I once confessed to my Auntie my sordid secret. She won't let me forget it, and says that she is going to insist that my tombstone will read, "She once voted for a Republican."

What to do with Beauty Pageant Contestants...

http://www.jedreport.com/

Where do they get these people from. I was casually watching the CBS local news from NEW YORK. There were two reporters talking about the election. I was busy reading various columns in the NYT, so I admit I was not paying full attention, but something caught my ear. One of the reporters cited an AP poll that showed that Obama was one point ahead. The other, I kid you not, said, "Maybe this has to do with Obama wants to redistribute the wealth." Huh? Since when did an anchor in NEW YORK start spouting McCain talking points. The jedreport video shows Biden having the most insane interview with a "reporter" (I put reporter in quotes - she is a former Miss Vermont - I know I shouldn't be snooty about beauty contestants, but frankly the dominatrix from Alaska has given pageant contestants a bad name) from Tampa. She even quotes Karl Marx. Jed Lewison calls this a funny interview, but I must admit to be appalled. Do people really think that calling for a more equitable tax structure is socialism or a redistribution of wealth? If a reporter in New York can say that, God knows what idiocy is being spouted in the rest of the country. PS Of course I was panicked by the AP poll mentioned, so I franticly went on line to track it down. I couldn't find a new one, so I began to wonder if it was the one that Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight wrote about. It was the only poll in the universe that showed McCain crushing Obama in the youth vote. And I read somewhere else that one of the questions went along the lines of What do you think of Obama's socialist policies?
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-aka-nate.html

The New Lieeeeberman

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14929.html

There are lots of delicious stories floating around about Sarah Palin and her tensions with the campaign. Supposedly she feels she has been mishandled. Hmmmm.... I think she knows she is on a loosing ticket and is blaming McCain for not being negative enough, being old, etc. He of course, realizes he has been saddled with an albatross. However, she has big dreams of being the next big thing in the Republican party. In fact she reminds me of Lieeeeeberman. Who knows, she might even jump ship. Both Gore and McCain made reactive choices for VP. Gore because of wanting to distance himself from Clinton's mess, McCain reacting out of petulance because his choice was vetoed by his handlers, and he had some misguided notion that all HRC supporters would immediately flock to McCain. I think Palin will get the same rude shock that Lieberman got if she attempts to run in 2012, after she goes down in flaming defeat. Already in polling the preference is Romney. Now you know you are a looser if your polling numbers are worse than the puppy abusing Romney. Lieberman was a disaster as a candidate and had a veritable love fest with Cheney during his one debate, where his only task was to eviscerate Cheney. He even let slide Cheney's absurd claim that his Haliburton wealth was a result work in the private sector and had nothing to do with the government. But Lieeeberman thought that he had discovered the secret, not realizing that Gore had done all the heavy lifting. When he ran he was stunned that he did so poorly, and that is why he has turned into the bitter old troll that he is.

I do have a heart, really I do

Now I am not a Patriots fan and I am certainly not a fan of Tom "Dog Meat" Brady; however, this article about his knee surgery made me ill. I did wonder why on earth would he go to LA to have complicated knee surgery done by a shoulder and elbow specialist? When looking for a surgeon I always want to find someone who finds the surgery so routine that it almost boring. I did click on a link that showed a picture of the smooth looking doc with his fab wife. They looked like a couple from Nip and Tuck. It turns out that he did surgery on Nicole Kidman's knee. Now there is a recommendation, no offense to Ms Kidman, but her lively hood doesn't depend on her knees (I first wrote that Ms Kidman didn't make her living on her knees, but boy that sure didn't sound right).

Yes, I am REALLY superficial

//www.iht.com/articles/2008/10/22/america/palin.php
I have to weigh in about the clothing crisis the fair Sarah must have had post vp nomination. How on earth could the staff have spent so much money? Was it the $90 onesie bought for Trig? Was it the suit bought for Sex on Skates (aka the fiancé)? Was it the fab Valentino jacket for the acceptance speech? The truth be known, she doesn't need to have all that much spent on a makeover. She is tall and thin and could probably wear reasonably priced stuff and look allright. OK, OK anyone who knows anything about me knows I am no fan of Mistress Mary (aka Sarah Palin, the neo cons porn star fantasy woman) but I think all this points to her basically greedy grifter nature. She bills the Alaska govt for housing when she is home, she goes to events and bills for her stage props (aka her kiddies.) This is a woman on the take, BIG TIME. Can you imagine what she would do with the scope of being VP? One shudders...

leaving the Titanic

More delicious, plump juicy rats jumping ship these days - Arne, lil' Scotty, Colin, Christopher Buckley,William Weld, and now Charles Fried who was actually an adviser to the McCain campaign. It is pretty wonderful. I think these people had a very different notion of who McCain is and their disappointment is vast. Even Jon Stewart seems genuinely pissed off about all the "real" America talk. I do have a bit of a beef with Stewart and Letterman - they helped create the myth of the so called maverick Mcnut. Both of them had him on under very friendly circumstances, and frankly, his politics have always been quite horrible, although now they are extremely horrible, and having him on their shows gave him credibility he didn't deserve. Even though I am generally unforgiving, I have forgiven Jon Stewart.

I go on line and what do I find, but an interview with a former, although I have to admit anonymous, who also said that McCain was happy to mudsling, unless he was caught at it, so this horrible campaign is ultimately not only his responsibility, but in his loathsome nature.

Polls, polls, polls

I continue to fret about polling and find it hard to believe the good numbers that Obama gets in states like PA. A few weeks ago, I canvassed in NE Philadelphia, and it was an eye opening experience for several reasons. People actually opened their doors, which amazed me. I am always so frightened that anyone ringing my doorbell is a Jehovah's Witness, that I open the door to no one. In the days when I did, I was too polite to say I had no interest. After all, what do you say to someone who asks, Do you worry about the end of the world? Since that is something I worry about incessantly, I could never bring myself to say, NO! and slam the door. Consequently, I have a fine collection of pamphlets advising me about what to do when doomsday occurs. The other thing that surprised me was that many people were undecided, even registered Democrats were unsure of who they were going to vote for. NE Philadelphia is a lower middle class neighborhood and there were many more McCain signs than Obama signs. Another thing that surprised me was that people were generally friendly, even those that disagreed or were undecided. The other night I got a call from the Obama headquarters in NE Philadelphia asking for my help, saying McCain was making a push in the very neighborhood where I had been. I was not surprised.

Mood Swings

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14800.html

Another article about Democratic feelings of doom in Politico. My mood swings back and forth. I read Roger Simon and I get a feeling of dread. I then read an article in Salon (I don't know if I can link - every time I try to navigate away, I lose my post; I need my tech support people, aka my excellent children, to help me figure it out) which lists all the dirty tricks the Repugs are already up to, and my sense of impending doom increases. I then read an article about early voting in the NYT, which says that Dems are voting early more than Repugs, and my spirits brighten. As the inestimable Bette Davis said, Dahling, we are in for a bumpy ride.

Columns I don't need to read

Columns I don't need to read aka Let the Sliming Begin!

Novakula has a column in the Wapo today titled, Powell Never was a Real Republican. Now one shudders to think what a real Republican is, according to the totally discredited Novak. Which brings me to another point - why on earth do some ghastly pundits manage to linger on? Why is the yapping Pat Buchanan still on the air? Does anybody really take him seriously? After listening to him for a while, I thank god for the mute button, because I don't even have to listen to know what partisan drivel will come out of his mouth. Why does the Wapo give Novak any space for his column? One would think after the Plame affair they would have the good sense to get rid of him (I know, I know he has health problems, but he was horrible before and poor health is no excuse for his hateful columns.)

Real Plumbers

Paul Krugman had his usual good column yesterday, this one about the "real plumbers of Ohio." My son has some experience with the real plumbers. As part of the College Dems, he was part of a group that went to Columbus to canvas for Obama. The Ohio State Dems had promised them a place to sleep, but that fell through. My son's college Dem's called the Obama campaign. No problem, they were all housed at the plumber union's hall. The Real Plumbers back Obama, big time. (It is funny how the word plumbers has many connotations for those of us of the Watergate generation.) The Obama campaign constantly dazzle with their orginazation.

Family Reunions

I saw this on Buzzflash (in blog speak should I say hat tip? Remember, I am a novice.) I liked seeing the picture of Joe McCain in the middle. I like too, that not only does John McCain not show up for these reunions, he denies the existence of these relatives as well as his slave owning family history.

Psycho Attack Dogs

David Corn has a good piece in Mother Jones about the false and disgusting attacks on Obama, starting with trying to de-legitimize the election if he wins, to all of the smear/fear tactics used by the Repugs. He ends his article with noting that this psycho style attack will be what Obama will face if he actually elected president. Repugs believe that if a Dem is elected, the election must be illegitimate. Just ask Bill Clinton.

Paranoia and how I am sick of the Bradley Effect

I keep hearing about the so called Bradley effect (I feel sorry for Tom Bradley who it seems is now only remembered for the elections he lost to the idiot Dukmejian (sp?), instead of all the elections he did win.) In my pre-election anxiety ridden paranoiac state, I brood that the Repug will manage to steal this election, just like so many before, by their usual tactics of fear, smear, robo calls, phone jamming, lying fliers, and voter suppression, and perhaps some computer fiddling. And even if the exit polls are good, but Obama loses through their criminal acts, they repugs and pundits will say, Oh no! It was the Bradley effect.

Powell's Redemption, sort of

I saw Powell's the press conference after he was on MTP. His contempt for the McCain campaign was palpable. He talked about how horribly we are viewed in the world when people see the exchange between that woman at a McCain rally and McCain about being a Muslim. McCain's answer was "...No, he's a family man." Powell said, Obama is a Christian, but shouldn't matter if he was Muslim, he's an American. He went on about the campaign and how the superficial negative attacks on Obama and the obvious unsuitability of Palin as a VP candidate were a contributing factor in his endorsement. I then watched MTP where he said many of the same things, as well as talking about Obama as being a transformational candidate. During his MTP appearance he talked quite movingly about seeing a grieving mother at Arlington and that there was no cross or Star of David on his tombstone, but the Mulism holy symbol. The conventional wisdom is that endorsements don't matter; however, I think this one does. Partly because of the pain that the endorsement was causing Powell, but mainly because of his blistering indictment of the McCain campaign and the Republican party. He was ballistic about McCain going on about Ayers when we were involved in two wars and the economy is in the toilet. He said things that most politicians are afraid to say, ie What is wrong with being a Muslim? But the depth of he distress about the direction his party has taken and their empty policies was a quite an indictment. The other thing about the Powell endorsement was that even thought he was critical of the McCain campaign, he was extremely positive about Obama. He described him as a transformational candidate who was the right candidate for the time. (I labeled the post redemption, sort of because of Powell's unwillingness to dissociate himself from the Bush administration until now, not to mention he was party to getting us involved in the disastrous WAR in Iraq. Redemption takes more than one act, but his endorsement has set him on the righteous path.)

Those fiends

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/17/AR2008101703360.html?hpid=topnews

In Gail Collins' Saturday column she writes about how terrified Democrats are about the election. It is no wonder, we actually do have memories. Remember Florida 2000? Remember Ohio 2004? And guess what, to no ones surprise the Republicans are at it again. After reading Collins' column I turned to the Wapo, and what do I read, but a fairly lengthy article about voter suppression and the inappropriate elimination of voters from the voting rolls. Along with the Republican effort to once again, to use their still politicized Justice Department to target Acorn and other voter registration groups. My son reminded me the other day of my first time voting. I went merrily to the polling place and presented my ID. The man at one of the tables told me I couldn't vote. I asked him why, and he said that I was improperly registered. I didn't know what to do and slunk out of the polling place and went home. My mother, a fierce life long Democrat (for example, when she died, we said in lieu of flowers please contribute to the DNC) called Democratic headquarters. They told me to come on over. They had vans full of people denied the right to vote going to court. I went, and the judge gave a court order allowing me to vote. I went back and voted. Not everyone has a fierce mother and not everyone has the luxury of being able to take the time to go to court. When my son was canvassing in Ohio, he told Obama supporters that if they were given grief, call Democratic headquarters. Voting shouldn't be hard, it shouldn't be humiliating, it shouldn't be something that anyone should be anxious about. So when Gail Collins' writes as though we Dems. are faint of heart, we have good reason. The Repugs stop at nothing.

I am no fan of McCain, but it does actually surprise me that he has run such a lousy campaign. I think people mistakenly compare elections and in this case the McCain campaign took the wrong lesson. McCain based his campaign on having been a POW and having foreign policy experience. He had tremendous support in the press, and thought he could keep that support no matter what. He failed to adapt to changing events, in part no doubt, because of his self confessed ignorance of the economy, most likely due to lack of interest. McCain and his advisers had one tactic - attack, attack, because basically they are bereft of ideas about how to deal with the economic crisis. His ideas - tax cuts for the rich, less government, and less regulation. Where have we heard this lame brain ideas? Yeah, aren't those the same brilliant ideas that brought us to the precipice? This is not the replay of the 2000 or 2004. This election is different because change is actually possible, unless of course the repugs manage to steal this one.

more debate thoughts

I have always been puzzled why the press seemed to love McCain so much - I have always found high on the creepster scale. But I have seen him schmooze with the press, but I failed to see the charm. His colleagues have always said he has a horrible temper, but the press always failed to take much credence in these reports. After all, they knew better than people who actually had to to WORK with him (note heavy sarcasm.) Even though in general the press still tries to bend over backwards to say nice things about him, a few commentators have fallen out of love. It is like the mask has slipped in front of their eyes, and what they see is a bitter, angry man. He is eight years older than he was in 2000, and the years have not treated him kindly. Several times he seemed deranged last night. He would start on one line of attack and then begin some other rant. He looked like he couldn't believe that he was loosing and wasn't going to be awarded the presidency, after all he had sold his soul to the devil, surely he should be rewarded. But eafter the debate several people, including Andrea Greenspan nee Mitchell said he won the debate. What debate were they watching? They did quickly cool their rhetoric when they got feedback from the viewers.

strange sounds and visuals

Watching the debate was a little strange - great white hands kept emerging from the side of the screen, turning pages. I kept hearing weird sounds - like sniggers and snorts. Could that have been McCain?

Crypt Keeper

Gee, I hope I never have to listen to that unpleasant man ever again. He was awful. I kept thinking that he was going to blow. He did look at Barack, but death rays. And that awful smile... I keep coming back to the brilliant Rude Pundit, who said, "Wait till the public gets a look at Denzel vs the Crypt Keeper. I could barely watch McCain. Now I am really testing my metal by listening to the gas bags. The are bickering about the score. Score the debate? Do they really think that they can score a debate on points? This is not a speaking union or debate society, what people are listening is what it would mean if one of these candidates is elected president, and the specter of McCain being president is terrifying. When he seemed like he was going to blow his stack when talking about choice and not allowing a late term abortion even when the woman's life is at stake. Actually, being anti-choice is one issue that McCain has been consistent about. Horrible man.

The Ramen investment

I didn't blog this morning - I actually have a day job, which given the state of the economy I will be working for a long, long time, if I am lucky enough to keep my job. More grim news from Wall Street. I know I don't understand the financial world all that well, but is the fact that consumer spending was down a surprise? I guess so. My brother in law suggested that we all invest heavily in Ramen Noodle Soup because that will be the only thing that we will able to afford to eat.

There is much talk in the msm about the upcoming debate. I came home to the dulcet tones of Tweety (aka Chris Mathews) hectoring someone about what McCain had to do during the debate. Who care what he does, even if he waxes lyrical, his ideas about everything are horrible, and he been acting so notional these days, who could trust him to be dog catcher, let alone president.

McCain the moral beacon (hah)

http://www.politico.com/rogersimon/index_Page2.html

Roger Simon of Politico wrote a post today which a little too forgiving and wrote that McCain is not comfortable with being negative. Hmmmm... it is after all his campaign, he didn't disavow the repug head of the GOP in VA for telling his canvassers to compare Obama to Osama, he didn't back off his claim that Obama was pushing sex education for kindergartners, and in fact got real snippy with the Des Moines Register editors, doesn't try to control Palin's hate speech, etc. Just what does he object to? Right now he is fulminating about Barack's not distancing himself from what his hero, John Lewis said about the dangers of hate speech. I think Simon is off base. John McCain is just so pissed that he is the head of a ridiculous campaign, with horrible people running it, but after all, if he could hire the very people who savaged his family, what can he expect.

The Dean

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/13/AR2008101302170.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

David Border has a column in the Wapo today which I could actually read. Usually I find him so insufferable I never make it to the end of his columns (imagine if you will, a love child of Cokie and the so called Dean - he/she first sentence would be saying something trite and horrible about the Democrats.) Today though, he writes about how McCain is toast in PA. He has many quotes about how terrified people are of dear Sarah Palin. How wonderful it would be, if McCain's deeply cynical and irresponsible pick for VP sunk him in the general election. The more I see of her, the more frightening she becomes. How McCain could have picked her is beyond belief. Aside from little experience, she had a big ethics problem, which wasn't exactly a surprise to anyone who reads the sublime Josh Michah Marshall at Talkingpointsmemo.com. Oh I forgot, although McCain invented the Blackberry, he relies on the fair Cindy to all his internet work. I guess reading TPM escaped her. Gee, what a surprise.

Long memory

I alluded to having a long and unforgiving memory when writing about Paul Krugman. My daughter asked me the other day how I felt about Frank Rich. I said that although I rise early every Sunday to read his column, I still hadn't quite gotten over his meanness about Al Gore. Of course just about everybody in the msm dripped and oozed contempt for Gore, the dreaded conventional wisdom being that he was a terrible bore, and that it didn't matter all that much who was elected president. Hah! I bet they are singing a different tune these days. It seems that everything Bush touches turns to ashes. I wake with fear and trepidation to see what new horror the Bush administration has wrought. Let me put it this way - I am counting the days (and crossing my fingers, holding my breath, and whatever else I can think of that will bring luck.)

Fox and the lunatic fringe

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html?bl&ex=1224129600&en=4b6a0b6f9f1b411c&ei=5087%0A

I had read in other sources what a lunatic Andy Martin is, but how nice to see it the NYT. It is a detailed article about all his bizarre lawsuits, his antisemitic rants, and a nice juicy bit about why he was not admitted to the bar - psychiatric issues about having a personality disorder. How Fox can call itself a legitimate news organization is hard to believe. What a joke.

Congratulations, Paul!!!

Wow! It just came over the wires that Paul Krugman won the Nobel Prize for economics. How wonderful, even though he has said a few pithy things about Barack, he is on the side of the angels (see, I do sometimes forgive people for disagreeing with me...) He is such a clear writer that his columns make economic issues understandable, unlike Alan Greenspan who seems to speak in gibberish most of the time.

idiot prince

"Krugman: This is not just about McCain and what he did. The fact of the matter is, for a long time we have had a substantial fraction of the Republican base that just does not regard the idea of Democrats governing as legitimate. Remember the Clinton years. It was craziness, right? They were murderers, they were drug smugglers, and the imminent prospect of what looks like a big Democratic victory would drive a lot of these people crazy even if Sarah Palin wasn't saying these inflammatory things. It's going to be very ugly after the election.

Roberts: On both sides that's true. I think that you've also had a huge number of Democrats who think that the Republicans are illegitimate, and that was particularly true after the 2000 election, and to some degree after 2004. And so you really do have at the core of each party people who are not ready to accept the verdict of the election.

Krugman: I reject the equivalence."

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/

My god, Cokie is insufferable. What an idiot and god bless Krugman. I am so glad that he rejected the equivalence. Clinton was elected, Bush was not in 2000 and although I may be accused of being a tin hat conspiracy nut, it is hard to argue that if everyone who wanted to vote in Ohio was able to, Kerry would have won the election. But count on ole' Cookie with her supposed fount of conventional wisdom to compare the slurs and fabrications of the elected Clinton, to the rage and disappointment of democratic voters about the installed idiot prince by his daddy's appointees. Hey, I guess I am not over it, am I? Of course Cokie is the genius that declared that Hawaii is an "exotic" vacation destination.

More rats, god bless 'em

The difficulties of the McCain campaign have led some Republican leaders to express concern that he could end up dragging other Republican candidates down to defeat. “If Obama is able to run up big numbers around the country,” said Mr. Anuzis, the Michigan party chairman, “the potential for hurting down-ballot Republicans is very big.”

One sign of that has emerged in Nebraska, where Representative Lee Terry, a Republican, ran a newspaper advertisement featuring words of support for him from a woman identified as an “Obama-Terry voter.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/us/politics/12strategy.html

Nice piece in the nyt. I like a rough week for McCain (but it sure doesn't compare to my rough week - my husband entertains himself by watching our retirement savings evaporate. Retirement? what retirement) I love that Lee Terry is from Nebraska, when people flee from a Republican presidential candidate in Nebraska, he's got real problems. More rats please.

Rats

I can't help myself from looking at polling data. I have gone from being deeply critical of the dreaded msm focus on the horse race election reporting, to being all about the horse race. I can now look at the polls with both eyes, instead of looking at them from a distance with my hands over my face. Of course as we all know polls can be wrong, but they are sure looking better than they did a few weeks ago. But really, how awful does a repug have to be to lose an election. I keep wondering what bizarre stunt is McCain dreaming up now. I keep hoping that the rest of the republican party will start to look after their self interest and flee. There is some movement in that direction - William Milliken, Christopher Buckley, to name a few. I want more rats. Of course, fool that I am, in 2004 I expected that at least some republicans would put aside party loyalty, and endorse Kerry. I know that people are down on Kerry and he may have made mistakes during the '04 campaign, but running against an incumbent is tough, even if the incumbent is a nitwit.

Fanning the flames

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002456.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

There is a good piece in the Wapo today by Hosseini about the nasty turn in the McCain campaign in their fanning the fires of xenophobia and racism. There are clips on the web of a woman in Minnesota who says to McCain that Obama is an Arab. He supposedly corrects her saying, "...No M'am, he is a family man..." This is a somewhat bizarre response - as my husband pointed out, an Arab can't be a family man? There is some debate as to whether the woman said Arab terrorist. She might have when she was interviewed later, but I don't think she did when she was talking to McCain. Now I have heard various people write that McCain is no racist, but I am not so sure. He sure doesn't have a stellar record for civil rights, and anybody who didn't harbor some sort of racial feelings wouldn't have such a tin ear and demonstrate such a lack a sensitivity for things racial, witness his condescending manor to Oliver Clark, his lack of support of MLK holiday, his embrace of the Confederate flag, until it was convenient to disavow the flag, etc.

My dear boy, What were you thinking???

I was shocked, shocked to hear that Brady Quinn was out campaigning for McNut. I knew I never liked him - gave my people a bad name. My son in law is watching the Notre Dame vs UNC on tv, and I just turned to look to see a strange little man in a bizarre hat leaping up and down. I don't know how I would feel as a parent if I sent my son at great expense to ND to see him become a leprechaun. My son in law takes his sports SERIOUSLY and despises any other team he doesn't support. He is to put it bluntly, no fan of the Fighting Irish, but then he and my daughter went to ND's arch rival. They took great satisfaction in finding out that their suspicions were confirmed about the odious Brady Quinn.

Heck of a job

I was asking my family if they thought that it was possible that GWB could possibly think that he was doing a good job. The man just keeps on giving...

WASHINGTON — George W. Bush began his presidency with the worst terrorist attack on American soil and he is ending it with the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. In between, he confronted a hurricane that nearly wiped New Orleans off the map as his administration showed ineptitude in its response.

Now, as he spends his last months in office trying to avert a global economic collapse, Mr. Bush has been telling people privately that it’s a good thing he’s in charge.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/business/11bush.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

My precious

Gail Collins can sometimes be too snarky and annoying, but today she is spot on. I am disappointed in myself that I failed to see the startling resemblance between McNut and Gollum...








http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/opinion/11collins.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Remember how we used to joke about John McCain looking like an old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn? It’s only in retrospect that we can see that the keep-off-the-grass period was the McCain campaign’s golden era. Now, he’s beginning to act like one of those movie characters who steals the wrong ring and turns into a troll.

During that last debate, while he was wandering around the stage, you almost expected to hear him start muttering: “We wants it. We needs it. Must have the precious.”

Jack Reed

I am up on Block Island for the weekend, a strange and wonderful place. The only place I know of where there are signs near the ferry that read, "...extreme drunkenness is a threat to National Security..." Jack Reed and Jim Langevin were on the island to promote the Democratic party. The held their meeting at the Yellow Kittens which a a notable island hot spot. The last time my daughter was at the Kittens, there was some reveler dancing about with a flashlight in his pants. Unexplained antlers on men's heads have also been sighted there. Strange but frankly, strange behavior is not that unusual at the Kittens. At the Jack Reed event everyone looked very respectable, and I saw more suits and ties than I expected. Jack Reed was fine and made a push for pulling the big D lever (what a shame there is no such thing any more, or at least not where I vote.) Langevin was quite funny. He said that he was the poor bastard that had to speak following Barack's speech in 2004, or words to that effect. He said it more delicately.

bread lines

While I am tinkering here on my blog, my son in law is discussing the economy and how we are basically screwed if the government defaults on debt - bread lines doesn't begin to describe the chaos that will ensue. What a cheery thought. God help us if McNut is elected. Although the polls look good, I must admit I am holding my breath and wonder what the repugs will pull in the next few weeks. They are capable of anything.

Oliver Clark

Two things about this story interested me - one how Gallup decides who is an undecided voter, and McCain's condescending assumptions about the man who asked the question. I also thought Oliver Clark was quite gracious in his reaction to McCain's foolishness in assuming that he knew nothing about Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/9/173349/097/963/625503

Hello I am the Hag

I guess I should introduce myself and explain a little. The name of the blog comes from two sources - according to my son in law, I seem to be an expert in noting news stories about Republican politician's deviant behavior, so the stance is a Larry Craig reference. The hag comes from Hot Fuzz, a fine movie by the way. It takes place in an English village and the villagers murder people when they don't like someone's taste, chanting "The greater good...the greater good..." Two characters have this exchange during the final bloody fight - "Hag!" "Fascist!" For some reason, my son thinks that is very funny and calls me Hag regularly, and I have grown fond of the name. I have been encouraged to start a blog, which is the height of irony, being that although I incessantly read things on the internet, I am not that technologically evolved. I am an unabashed life long liberal/progressive Democrat. So here goes...