My Election Day

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My route for election day. I get one of the jobs where I don't have to wake up at 3AM, so that's a plus.

After that, I'm setting up the party! Woooo, technology and booze!

GOTV! Blogging Suspended

I'm already down in Miami working for Annette Taddeo.  So far we've had 16, 17, and 18 hour days.  I assume 18 is where it'll cap out... please God, let it not increase further... 

I think this campaign is run significantly better than my last, so that should preclude the all-nighters.  I'm eating utter crap, taking vitamins, and sleeping like the dead.  Feels about right.

Conservatives for Obama

1. Rep. Leach
2. Thomas
3. Johnson
4. Smerconish (right wing talkshow host)
5. Adelman (hardcore hawk!)
6. Powell
7. Bartlett (Reagan/Bush 1 senior advisor)
8. Kmiec (Head of Legal Counsel for Reagan/Bush 1, Pro-Life)
9. Kuo (Director of Faith Based Initiatives in Bush 2)
10. Cafardi (Pro-life Catholic)
11. Mrs. Hagel
12. Eisenhower x2
13. Coates (Friedman's student makes the libertarian case)
14. Goldwater x2
15. Buckley
16. Fischel
17. Drezner
18. Lorman
19. Ross
20. Frum (Bush 2 speechwriter)
21. Sen. Chafee
22. Rep. Gilchrest
23. McKinnon (McCain '00, McCain '08)
24. Hart
25. Lowry (not full endorsement)
26. Bennet (Bush 2)
27. Cole
28. Sullivan
29. Gov. Weld
30. Balko (Libertarian case for Obama)
31. McClellan (Bush 2 "true believer" and Press Sec.)
32. Gov. Carlson
33. Fried (Sol. General and McCain Adviser!)
    
34. Hitchens
35. Dowd (Cheif Strategist Bush 2)
36. Allison (National Review Editor)
37. Zakaria

Adam Smith the Socialist

It is not very unreasonable that the rich should contribute to the public expense, not only in proportion to their revenue, but something more than in that proportion.

So there.

Biden Finally Does It

Behold, an interview that even Sean Hannity would call "hard hitting:"



Biden has been a little weak so far in his role as VP nominee.   I don't have a big problem with his putative "gaffes," but rather his less than full-throated offense.  This quells that sentiment nicely.

Powerful Stupid & FoxNews Says McCain has Lost

If you've been anywhere near the newsbox the last two days then you know about the story of the Big Black Mugger Blacky Fondler BlacketyBlackBlack Obama Supporter Who Assaulted a White Woman.  Drudge said it was true, so it was reported all day long that this big darky had targetted the white woman because she was a McCain supporter.  In addition to the beating, fondling, and political rage, the man carved a "B" into her cheek with a dull knife so she'd remember who she was supposed to vote for come election day.

For much of yesterday, the Pennsylvania McCain campgaign flogged the story.  They were the ones that informed us that the "B" stood for Barack, in fact.  Very helpful.  In response to this story, Fox News Editor John Moody said this:

If Ms. Todd’s allegations are proven accurate, some voters may revisit their support for Senator Obama, not because they are racists (with due respect to Rep. John Murtha), but because they suddenly feel they do not know enough about the Democratic nominee.

If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator McCain’s quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to race-baiting.

Now, finally we come to the victim herself.  Look at this picture and see if anything jumps out at you:

That's right, the "B" is backwards... like you would get if you did it in a mirror.  Or perhaps the welfare loving darky is so uneducated by his ghetto schools he writes his B's backwards like Toys 'R Us.  Of course, the girl has recanted the whole story.  She made it all up.

That is some powerful stupid.

Finally, for those who think that racism is a thing of the past we can safely ignore, and moreover condemn people like Reverend Wright for not being able to move on, remember that within living memory such a craven lie of a story would have lead to a good old fasioned lynching of the nearest black guy.  Sometimes the leaders of the lynchmob would even be prosecuted for it!  ... but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

Update: She's now telling the police that she's "upset with the media for blowing this into a political firestorm."  Hahaha!

Bomb the Pentagon = Terrorist. Bomb an Abortion Clinic = Not Terrorist

"But Abortion Clinics kill babies," they will scream. Therefore, the ends justify the means. Of course, if you believe that in a representative democracy you bear moral responsibility for an unjust war that was killing innocent civilians and maiming your fathers and brothers, then perhaps you too would believe that the ends justified the means.

Palin is a morally bankrupt tribalist.

Greenspan Destroys Pure Libertarianism

Alan Greenspan, admitting that ideological libertarianism is wrong:

“I made a mistake in presuming that the self-interests of organizations, specifically banks and others, were such as that they were best capable of protecting their own shareholders and their equity in the firms,” Mr. Greenspan said.

....Mr. Waxman pressed the former Fed chair to clarify his words. “In other words, you found that your view of the world, your ideology, was not right, it was not working,” Mr. Waxman said.

“Absolutely, precisely,” Mr. Greenspan replied. “You know, that’s precisely the reason I was shocked, because I have been going for 40 years or more with very considerable evidence that it was working exceptionally well.”

Alan Greenspan's chief failing is believing that The Market is always be right.

Lollerskates!

Ahhhhhh ha ha! Hilarious.

Now we're going to hear all about Bill Clinton's brother in the comments. :)

McCain the Socialist

I know I've said it before, but John McCain should really get with the times. You see, we have these things called video tapes...

Mickey is Voter Registration Fraud? Maybe Not.

I recently said that apparently fraudulent voter registrations like Mickey Mouse wouldn't result in actual votes cast on election day.  Turns out I was wrong:

That's Drudge's point here - Hahahaha, they tried to register Mickey Mouse!  Fools!  But here's the thing: there are 32 people named "Mickey Mouse" listed in the White Pages nationwide, including two in Florida ... On MSNBC, NBC deputy political director Mark Murray just referred to "Harry Potter" and "Han Solo" as other obviously fake names.  There are 77 Harry Potters in the White Pages.  No Han Solos, but there is a Hans Solo.  And 8 Luke Skywalkers.  This is really simple: You cannot tell that a voter registration form is illegitimate based solely on the name.

Go figure.

AP: Al Qaeda Endorses McCain!

Al Qaeda knows who will play into their grand strategy.  The Republicans:

Al-Qaida supporters suggested in a Web site message this week they would welcome a pre-election terror attack on the U.S. as a way to usher in a McCain presidency.

The message, posted Monday on the password-protected al-Hesbah Web site, said if al-Qaida wants to exhaust the United States militarily and economically, "impetuous" Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain is the better choice because he is more likely to continue the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This requires presence of an impetuous American leader such as McCain, who pledged to continue the war till the last American soldier," the message said. "Then, al-Qaida will have to support McCain in the coming elections so that he continues the failing march of his predecessor, Bush."

As I said.

$150k for Palin's Dress Up

Even the Republicans aren't happy about this one:

The Republican National Committee has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.

According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York for a combined $49,425.74.

The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis, including one $75,062.63 spree in early September.

The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August.

Thank God for Real Americans, huh?

Ambinder reports:

There is already an attempt to blame the media -- as in, the liberal media would have looked askance at Palin if she wasn't clad in Neiman Marcus, but this won't wash. Republicans, RNC donors and at least one RNC staff member have e-mailed me tonight to share their utter (and not-for-attribution) disgust at the expenditures.

The coming Republican civil war will be between those who drank the Palin Poison, and those who didn't. Let's hope the country club crowd wins out over the Bible thumpers, but I suspect we'll have to wait until 2016 to see that come to pass. In 2012 the thinking will be, "McCain was a centrist, and he lost! Given the choice between Democrat and Democrat Lite, the people will choose the real thing every time. It's time to return to our conservative roots," by which they mean a return to the Tom Delay, Rick Santorum GOP base craziness. It'll be a landslide, and then they'll come around.

Oh, and get this precious reaction from a Palin spokesperson:

"With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

Awwwww. I wonder, what lucky welfare recipient or thrift-store shopper will be waltzing around in a $12,000 jacket next year?

Atrios ads the following to the discussion:

Remember the good ol' days (of about 8 months ago) when the GOP was outraged over $400 haircuts?

Oy.

By contrast, here's a picture of Obama's shoes.  He's had them resoled once already during the campaign.

That elitist bastard.

Palin Charges Alaska for Kids

We all know that Sarah Palin charged the AK taxpayers a per diem for living in her own home.  Now it is revealed that she charged the State for the travel of her children as well:

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.

In all, Palin has charged the state $21,012 for her three daughters' 64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights since she took office in December 2006.

...

After Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain chose Palin his running mate and reporters asked for the records, Palin ordered changes to previously filed expense reports for her daughters' travel.

Ouch. There she goes again editing expense reports after the fact. Worst. Vetting. Ever.

And what kind travel was this, exactly?

In October 2007, Palin brought daughter Bristol along on a trip to New York for a women's leadership conference. Plane tickets from Anchorage to La Guardia Airport for $1,385.11 were billed to the state, records show, and mother and daughter shared a room for four nights at the $707.29-per-night Essex House hotel, which overlooks Central Park.

They stayed in that hotel for 5 nights, even though her involvement with the conferences lasted only 1. Nice vacation, eh?

In July, the governor charged the state $2,741.26 to take Bristol and Piper to Philadelphia for a meeting of the National Governors Association. The girls had their own room for five nights at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel for $215.46 a night, expense records show.

Expense forms describe the girls' official purpose as "NGA Governor's Youth Programs and family activities." But those programs were activities designed to keep children busy, a service provided by the NGA to accommodate governors and their families, NGA spokeswoman Jodi Omear said.

And finally, let's remember what we learned during the "Palin Paid to Live at Home" mini-scandal:

The IRS also strictly forbids deductions for expenses incurred bringing a spouse and kids along on a business trip. Tax authorities say any reimbursement for travel costs for family members would likely incur income taxes.

She's a tax cheat just like Joe the Plumber! God, it's good to have a Real American running for office, isn't it?

Powell Endorses Obama

My man, Colin Powell. The way he frames this endorsement is so eminently reasonable - so old-school Republican - that it can't help but sway some of the Republican Party faithful. He is coldly vicious to McCain in the same breath despite their 25 year friendship.

Of course, not even Powell can overcome the crazification factor.

They Are Going to Get Obama Shot

That's Todd Palin, with Senator Norm Coleman, holding a sign that says "Charles Manson was a Community Organizer."  They are inciting violence with their rhetoric, and their followers are acting it out.

$150 Million

After hearing month after month that I am a traitor to America for opposing the Iraq War, and after hearing the McCain Campaign divide "real America" from the "anti-America" parts of the country, this news brought tears to my eyes.

Obama has raised over $150,000,000, with 623,000 new donors, and an average donation of under $100.

Keep talking about how we're not Real Americans, you sons of bitches!  We will bury you with it.  Maybe then the Republicans will realize that relentlessly dividing America is no longer an electoral winner.

Obama's Going to Get Shot

100,000 people in Ohio. A security nightmare. What is that man thinking?

Update: My new favorite picture:

ABC Vigorously Disputes ACORN Allegations

ABC smacks the ACORN argument around, in a piece called "McCain ACORN Fears Overblown":

But McCain's voter fraud worries – about Acorn or anyone else – are unsupported by the facts, said experts on election fraud, who recall similar concerns being raised in several previous elections, despite a near-total absence of cases.

"There's no evidence that any of these invalid registrations lead to any invalid votes," said David Becker, project director of the "Make Voting Work" initiative for the Pew Charitable Trusts.

Becker should know: he was a lawyer for the Bush administration until 2005, in the Justice Department's voting rights section, which was part of the administration's aggressive anti-vote-fraud effort.

"The Justice Department really made prosecution of voter fraud of this sort a big priority in the first half of this decade, and they really didn't come up with anything," he said.

"ACORN is stealing the election" is not a serious argument.  It is the last rationalization of a campaign that is going to lose, casting about wildly for some way to excuse their terrible, terrible performance in this campaign.  It's pathetic.

Racism Exists

These videos from McCain/Palin rallies are real eye-openers for us Whiteys. I've sorta always thought that racism still exists, but that it couldn't be that wide spread even here in the south. But seeing this exact performance parroted again and again, in city after city, makes me considerably more open to the "racism affects our lives" argument that some minorities make.

"Go back to Africa" indeed.