Living (Pro)Life Between the Mirages

Caught in Between the Lines
Being pro-life, I feel like I am perpetually living in exile. I feel like I am wandering through the desert in between the two political poles demarcating the ideological terrain of the "life" issue. On one side, I am told that the life of a child is not valued more than the freedom of choice from a woman in a difficult situation--while at the same time proclaiming war is a despicable act because it denigrates the value of human life. Turning to the other side for relief, I find voices in protest against the atrocities done to the unborn because life is treasured--while at the same time clamoring for the blood of the savages over the pond through perpetual and endless wars. As a result, I want to definitively state to both political parties: you are not pro-life.

What does it mean to be "Pro-Life"?
When I claim the title of "pro-life," I am not merely describing the opposite of "pro-choice." While the issue of abortion is near to my heart, I do not feel like it is the only life issue that I, as a Christian, should be concerned about. The fact of the matter is that the war in Iraq is a "pro-life" issue. Capital punishment is a "pro-life" issue. Feeding the hungry and helping the oppressed is a "pro-life" issue. As a Christian, I am passionate about all human life because I truly believe that all human life carries intrinsic value in that it is a part of humanity that is made in the image of God.

Odd Exceptions to the Pro-Life Agenda
In my experience, I have found at least two instances when people championing the "pro-life" agenda ignorantly or conveniently set the issue aside.

Three summers ago, my wife and I experienced a miscarriage that really rocked our world. We were devastated, because we truly believed that we had lost a child. Even more shocking, however, was the way in which our "pro-life" friends reacted to our miscarriage as if it were not a big deal. "Well, it's not like you actually lost a child." or "Oh...are you still upset about that?" I remember thinking, "Aren't you against abortion because 'life begins at conception'? If that is taking a life, then why are you not considering this miscarriage as if we have lost a life?" This inconsistency bothered me, because it felt as if the "pro-life" agenda is cheapened in other avenues with no political advantage.

Second, the events of 9/11 opened a blood-lust in some of my "pro-life" friends that is nothing short of astonishing. I am baffled when Christians who read the words of Jesus--who said, "Love your enemies and pray for them," "When someone strikes you on one cheek, turn your other one towards them so that they may strike it too," or "Put away your sword, Peter. For don't you know that my kingdom is not of this world"--will say things like, "We need to bomb those barbarians back to the stone age!"

My heart breaks for the people enduring the war in Iraq, because first of all they are not barbarians, they are people. They are humans made in the image of God like you and me, and therefore, their lives, in my opinion and in God's opinion, have intrinsic worth that deserves to be valued. Second, this type of attitude by Christians (reminiscent of the crusades) is an illogical outworking of the message of love found in the Bible, expressed by Christ's ministry. Christ was so "pro-life" that he was willing and preferred to have his own life taken (brutally might I add) so that others may have life. Christ was so "pro-life" that he even cried out while hanging on a cross for God to forgive the people that were killing him. Christ was so "pro-life" that while he had the power to call down legions of angels in his protection to wipe out his enemies he chose, instead, to die. So how can I patronize his teachings and actions, then, by calling down fire on people that have hurt me? In other words, how can I love my enemies when I am staring them down through a gun scope?

I still cannot help but wonder what would have happened if America, a self-proclaimed (not God ordained) Christian nation, would have mimicked Christ on 9/11 and turned the other cheek? How would the world have responded? How would our oppressors have reacted? You see, Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi both understood the message of Christ with great acumen. Instead of the archaic, barbaric, knee-jerk reaction of meeting violence with more violence thereby perpetuating an endless spiral of violence that can only end when one side decides to lay dormant or completely dies, the way of Christ stops the cycle of violence by allowing an injustice to stand, by allowing honor to be lost, or by allowing some people's death to go unpunished. While non-violence is counterintuitive and even seems idiotic, Christ understood that loving people is the way to spread a message of love and peace and even transform an entire world--for his method of idiocy is still making waves 2,000 years later. If you don't believe this works, just ask Vaclav Havel.

Pro-Life in the 21st Century
So, what am I trying to say? I am trying to say that it is time for people committed to being "pro-life" to actually implement this message in all facets of their lives. I am convinced that abortion, war, capital punishment, and other scenarios in between are "pro-life" issues.

In addition, I am convinced that the most effective way to attack each of these issues simultaneously is by focusing our efforts on the issues surrounding the poor and the oppressed. How do we help abortions to go down in our country? Make full-term pregnancies cheaper than abortions--or make adopting a child easy and affordable for anyone--or give people opportunities through affordable education to provide a better life for them and their family (esp. single moms--its funny, because the Bible says that "a pure and faultless religion is one that looks after orphans and widows"...I am not saying anything new here, just forgotten).

How do we decrease the amount of "terrorists" around the world? Passionately target their key areas of recruitment with food, clothing, shelter, and a better life. When I was in Cairo, Egypt the summer after 9/11, the cab driver taking me to my flat pointed to a small wall on the opposite side of the road. He said, "Over that wall is called the city of the dead. That is where people actually build their homes on top of and inside of mausoleums because they are so poor, and in there not even the government will pursue them." While I was dumfounded by the reality of such a situation, the man nonchalantly added, "The city of the dead is also the key recruiting grounds for muslim extremists." It makes sense. People are so miserable with their plight in life (i.e., living in someone else's grave) that when someone comes along and tells them that they can escape this life of pain and torment and go to a life of luxury with 40 virgins if they would blow themselves up in a crowded intersection or in a plane crash into a building, what do you think they will choose?

Poverty, which is created in the aftermath of wars with great rapidity, is the greatest epidemic and threat to "pro-life" agendas than any election will ever pretend to be. I pray that Christians will hear the call of Christ to fight not only for the unborn but also for the living, because all life is precious and blessed with intrinsic value--even the life of a Muslim.

John McCain's Closing Argument

Here's a video of John McCain's "closing argument" speech, along with some backstage campaign video of a conversation between McCain and Palin and a strategy meeting.




Sorry, Linus.

Happy Halloween!

The Choice

Hey Charles,

I haven't been keeping up my end of the blogging bargain, I know. I suppose I've been a bit busy trying to keep up with Joe the Plumber sightings. Anyway, I hope to catch up a bit on writing in these final days before the big vote. Since it's getting late this evening, though, I'll leave you with a New Yorker commentary that's a couple weeks old, but, for my money, offered one of the best summations of the choice we face in this year's election.

Really, my friend, is there any choice?

Ryan

Voter Fraud Vs. Voter Suppression

From the Real News Network comes an interview with George Washington University Law School professor Spencer Overton in two parts.


Part 1




Part 2




Part 3

Sorry, John

McCain calls out for Joe the Plumber to stand up at a campaign rally and...confused silence.



Wow...a stunned silence from the 6,000 strong crowd (more than 4,000 of which were kids bussed in by the campaign for the event). According to MSNBC:

A local school district official confirmed after the event that of the 6,000 people estimated by the fire marshal to be in attendance this morning, more than 4,000 were bused in from schools in the area. The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses.

Say it ain't so, Joe! You're a no-show!

I guess Joe's new publicist had something else planned for him today.

Maybe he's getting his congressional staff in place.

Or, maybe he's recording songs for his first country album (which I, personally, can't wait to buy from the cut-out bin).

Oh, I know, Good Old Joe must be off with a box of crayons writing his first book (which I hope comes out soon because we're running low on toilet paper).

Gosh, this really is the Land of Opportunity.

The Closing Argument With a Side of Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton and Barack Obama at a midnight rally in Florida.



McCain campaign sources say their candidate was already sleeping when this event started.

I'm Sure There's Not Much We Agree On

So, I find myself reading George Will more and more. Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a case of being persuaded to buy into whatever philosophical branch of conservatism Georgie Porgie's selling. But I do have to say he makes some good points about McCain's sudden lack of judgment these days.

That...and, well, how do you say it, Gov. Palin? Not to "toot my own horn", but I did write about the basic idea of Will's column a while back.

Don't you love it when someone says that they're not going to do something...and then go ahead and do it? I might be turning into a Republican, after all. Won't Mom be proud?

A Five-Part Interview With Howard Zinn

If you haven't read historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, try to as soon as you can.

Meanwhile, here's a five-part interview with Zinn about a range of topics pertaining to our times and this election.


Obama and Direct Action




The Bailout Is the Trickle-Down Theory Magnified




Taxes and Class War




Guns or Butter: The Choice Between Militarism and Domestic Well-Being for the Next President




Democracy and Militarism

A Real Bailout

Here's a story that should be the norm in this country, but too often gets lost in the drone of spin.

The Tale of Two Stevens

Hey Ryan,

So, I'm watching the Rachel Maddow Show and she brings up a point that I forgot about regarding newly-convicted felon Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska.

You know, the guy who is a friend of Sarah Palin's?

Anyway, the point Maddow brought up was that Stevens can still run for re-election to his Senate seat. There's no law against that. Let me say that again...there's no law against Stevens being a convicted felon (on charges that are directly related to his "service" in the Senate) and running for re-election.

So, here's the tale of two Stevens...the one who can run for a Senate seat...and the one who can't vote. That's right, Stevens wouldn't be able to even cast a vote for himself! Can that be right? And, if it is, should it be right?

Is it any wonder, with these kinds of rules, that corruption runs rampant in our government? Also, should crimes like Stevens' make us reconsider term limits in the Senate? I mean, the brand of corruption that guys like Stevens tend to get involved with stems from being entrenched in the halls of power, being the go-to guy for corporate friends that will always be there as long as he can trick his constituents into voting for him.

Charles

The Lacking Legacy

Hey Ryan,

Well, I guess it's time batten down the hatches, because Cowboy Georgie's hitting all the shit switches before he leaves office.

It's like watching Willy Wonka sabotage the chocolate factory before he hands it over to Charlie just to prove he's still in charge.

Of course, what we're seeing from Bush the Junior is only the obvious tantrum-ish fare. We don't see the screws he's loosened in the system, yet. The next president (whoever it might be) will be plugging holes in the country for years to come.

But, I've got to say, it's not all covert peaches and cream. I mean, how damning is it when your sworn enemy (at least, in public) from the last eight years actually endorses your party's chosen successor because they believe that successor will carry on your policies?!? Man, that's gotta sting!

In 2003, Bob Woodward asked Bush the Junior how history would judge his war in Iraq. Bush answered (as told by Woodward):

“[H]e said, ‘History,’ and then he took his hands out of his pockets and kind of shrugged and extended his hands as if this is a ways off. And then he said, ‘History, we don’t know. We’ll all be dead.’”

Maybe he's brushing off that last line for his legacy, too. He's out of the news, now, and whatever he does is for the next guy to clean up.

Charles

The Entire Closing Argument

The video I posted yesterday is just the last eight minutes of Obama's speech. Here is the speech in its entirety from Truthout. It's between twenty and thirty minutes in length, and it makes the case.

Palin's Prisoner Pen Pal

Looks like Sarah Palin pals around with convicted felons. Nice.

We all have our crosses to bear, right, sweetie?

Is This What McCain Was Hoping For?

Thanks to McCain's and Palin's race -baiting and hatred-spewing, we can probably dread more plots like this.

Nice legacy you got there, McCain.

The Closing Argument

Take 13 Minutes and Watch This!

Here's an interview with Mark Crispin Miller on Democracy Now about the possibility of Repubs stealing elections and how the Bradley Effect that the media has been all over might be just a narrative framing device to explain an unexpected John McCain victory.



Watch your vote carefully!

Biden Is Now Weaver's Homeboy

A cool kid's-eye-view of a Biden rally in which fifth grader Damon Weaver does his own newscast, complete with a short interview with Biden at the end.

Just So We Don't Forget...

Here's a documentary called No End In Sight about the Iraq War. As we come ever closer to election day, it's important that we never forget what Bush the Junior did to both our country and to Iraq...and to stop McCain from continuing on in the same fashion.

Enjoy...

14:59 Department

From the 14:59 Department comes the news from Truthdig and The Hill that Joe Wurzelbacher (a.k.a. Joe the Plumber) might be considering a run for Congress in 2010.

Two questions come to mind:

1. I wonder who he'll give the contract to for installing new low-flow toilets in the Capitol; and

2. Will he use the Fight Club-ish ads McCain's campaign made where everybody claims to be Joe the Plumber?

The Great Flattening

Hey Ryan,

I'm not going to lie to you, friend, this has been a tough week. I haven't been writing much here because, well, there hasn't been a whole lot to write about. I've found myself upset at times about certain elements of the campaign news, but unable to put it into words.

It feels like The Great Flattening has taken effect--that time when all the news that's going to be truly effective in the final days of the election cycle has come out. And now, most of the airwaves are abuzz with the perceived dissolution of the McCain campaign. But I, for one, don't trust it.

I'm under the impression that this flattening could be more expectation management from the McCain team. Let's face it, the charges of their lacking in ideas is true. They have not thrown anything on the table that hasn't slid off almost immediately in months.

Some people might point to Sarah Palin as their last success, but she is sliding, too. In fact, some say she's even already gone cannibal on the Old Man. I don't doubt that. The $150,000 clothing bill is a clue that this campaign's just a few songs shy of My Fair Lady and one "sacrifice away from Frankenstein. The Old Man's campaign has become pure farce and betrayal.

But who can he blame, except himself? The candidate sets the tone of his or her campaign, right or wrong, just like the President sets the tone for the country once he or she takes office. If John McCain is elected to the presidency, the jerking, confused, and (yes) erratic movement of his campaign will only intensify in his governance. And his policy proposals will, at best, fall victim to that movement, if not be cynically scrapped altogether. (Remember "compassionate conservatism"?)

Why look at the complex issue of McCain's responsibility to set the right tone for his campaign, though? Let's just think about politics in very American terms. McCain is a product that even his creators don't know how to sell, as evinced from this passage from the NYT magazine article out this weekend that you previously cited:

John McCain’s biography has been the stuff of legend for nearly a decade. And yet Schmidt and his fellow strategists have had difficulty explaining how America will be better off for electing (as opposed to simply admiring) a stubborn patriot. In seeking to do so, the McCain campaign has changed its narrative over and over. Sometimes with McCain’s initial resistance but always with his eventual approval, Schmidt has proffered a candidate who is variously a fighter, a conciliator, an experienced leader and a shake-’em-up rebel. “The trick is that all of these are McCain,” Matt McDonald, a senior adviser, told me. But in constantly alternating among story lines in order to respond to changing events and to gain traction with voters, the “true character” of a once-crisply-defined political figure has become increasingly murky.

This quote goes on for a mile, I know, but it helps to have the whole paragraph for context. With all they supposedly had to work with, McCain's team still couldn't think of a reason for the citizens of the United States to elect the Old Man to office? That's the sound of a campaign that's drowning in narratives and bone dry on policy.

And good policy is what we need to get us out the current messes. That, and a smart and solid direction. But we get none of that from McCain's campaign.

Instead, we've had to sit through Joe the Plumber; Neo-McCarthyism; racial, religious, and even geographical discrimination; and, most insidious of all, fictional, hyperbolized victimization.

In effect, in the McCain campaign's tactics (because there's absolutely no strategy), we're seeing a microcosm of the last eight years, complete with the requisite ethics investigations. We're seeing the life of Rovian politics pass right before our eyes, but there are a whole lot of blockheads out there still falling for it.

Maybe that's why I'm so tired. I feel like Scrooge living through his whole life in a single night, seeing all of his misdeeds passing before him. Of course, unlike Ol' Ebenezer, I didn't have an active hand in the direction our "leaders" have taken us. And neither did you. But failure like that rubs off on everyone, even those who sat by and let it happen.

Let's just hope all this useless media chatter now is The Great Flattening...the third act of A Christmas Carol, rather than the first.

Charles

The "Times" aren't changing

Hey Charles,

I thought you'd get a kick out of this -- a collection of New York Times' endorsements for president. It's a trip through memory lane--or Deadman's Curve if you've leaned Democrat these past, oh, three decades! Despite the bad memories summoned by these endorsements, I actually enjoyed scanning the endorsements of Carter, Mondale, the Duke, Gore, and Kerry. I suppose the need to beat myself even more than necessary makes me a true Democrat.

Ryan

The "Bradley Effect" Analyzed

A great piece from the Washington Independent about the dreaded "Bradley Effect", the term that is being thrown around a lot in the media right now.

If you haven't heard of the Bradley Effect, don't worry. The article lays it all out, complete with an analysis of how the "effect" has been misread in this year's election cycle.

A Plain English Explanation of the Electoral Process

This is a good, down-to-earth explanation of the election process from Common Craft.

Man, This Really Takes Me Back...

Hey Ryan,

So, I guess you've heard by now that McCain has quite a following among Al-Qaeda. That's right! According to some chatter on extremist websites, Al-Qaeda would view a John McCain win as a great situation to further bankrupt and weaken our country.

This "endorsement" really takes me back, man. On the primary election day, I watched the local Fox affiliate interview a guy outside of a restaurant on the south side of town right after Obama had left the establishment. The reporter asked the guy if he had been able to talk to the candidate.

"No," the man said.

"If you had the chance, what would you ask him?"

Without missing a beat, the man shot back, "I'd ask him about his support among the Taliban."

The Fox Guy, of course, didn't bat an eye, but calmly questioned, "So, what are you going to do, now?"

"I'm gonna to go listen to my talk radio and see how I'm gonna vote," the man said.

I'm still looking for proof of pro-Obama members of the Taliban. Now that Al-Qaeda has come out with an endorsement, it could only be days away!

Of course, who cares about an Al-Qaeda endorsement, right? I mean, even if those guys were citizens of the U.S., McCain's buddies in the GOP would probably have already purged their names from the voter rolls anyway.

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, baby!

Charles

McCain Agrees With...Who?

Here's an odd little video of McCain yesterday in Pennsylvania, responding to John Murtha's previous comments about how the western part of the state is its racist section. (Way to unite people, Murtha.)

And, McCain...agrees with him? Or, no, he disagrees?

And how did Obama get thrown into this? He didn't even say anything about Western PA!

Take a look!



I love the stunned silence from the McCainiacs. Now they know how the rest of us feel about McCain's campaign.

I can't tell if this sounds more like Sarah Palin answering a question about the bailout...



Or, maybe McCain sounds more like his running mate answering a third grader's question.



(Note: According to Article 1 of the Constitution, the VP is not "in charge of" the Senate, but serves as a ceremonial leader who can only vote to break ties. Maybe Palin should break out her copy and read it again...assuming she has one.)

As far as Captain Caveman goes, I'm not sure. I mean, I know his slip-up in Pennsylvania was just that...a slip up. But maybe he should just lay off agreeing and disagreeing with anyone. I mean, he seems pretty at home in his new role as The Great Divider and expert on convenient socialism.

Maybe he should just stick with talking about growing pies...however you do that.

Block the Vote

Hey Ryan,

Thanks for linking to the article about McCain's campaign. I went looking for that yesterday and couldn't seem to find it.

What I did find, though, was the Rolling Stone article from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Greg Palast about the Repubs' efforts to suppress votes. I posted some video here before from Democracy Now and the BBC about this issue.

Here's some new video from Rachel Maddow:



You know, a few McCain/Palin signs have sprung up in yards here in my neighborhood. And, while I think those people are, at best, misguided, I would never even consider suppressing their votes. It's funny how McCain, Palin, and Bachmann run around talking about "real America" and "pro-Americans" when their party is the one behaving in the most un-American fashion. (More on that later.)

Speaking of fashion, I suppose you've already heard about Sarah Palin's $150,000 shopping spree on the RNC's dime. Wow, that's money wasted, huh.

Charles

The Making (and Remaking and Remaking) of McCain

Charles,

This is long, my friend, but it's a pretty fascinating look at a campaign that, with just a few days left before Election Day, is still struggling to find a narrative. As someone who considers himself a part-time writer, I can sympathize. But for a political candidate, it seems, this type of editing and re-editing can sink a campaign.

Here is the article that will appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine.

Ryan

The Ballad of the "Good Soldier"

Hey Ryan,

Did you love McCain's response to Biden's comments yesterday about how Obama will be tested in the first six months of his presidency? Biden basically said that Obama would, most likely, come up against some sort of test like the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early part of his first term.

Here's what McCain told a crowd of McCainiacs in response:

"I was on board the USS Enterprise," McCain, a former naval aviator, said in the capital city of Harrisburg. "I sat in the cockpit, on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise, off of Cuba. I had a target. My friends, you know how close we came to a nuclear war."

As the crowd of several thousand began to swell with cheers and applause, he added with dramatic effect: "America will not have a president who needs to be tested. I've been tested, my friends."

Don't you just love the semantical arguments made in election cycles? You know, I used to work with a guy (a Republican, oddly) who, when he knew he was losing a political argument, would resort to breaking down each and every little word, trying to roll it into something he could build a new argument on. He never could mount a new argument, but it did serve as a nice (for him) distraction that usually made his opponent give up and walk away.

Of course, in Captain Caveman's case, you really have to be drinking the Kool-Aid to fully buy what he's saying. The fact that he was on the USS Enterprise during the Cuban Missile Crisis, with orders, waiting to go on a bomb run really doesn't mean he's been tested as the...well...LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD! There's a marked difference in getting orders and giving orders.

Besides, if he had gone on his ordered bomb runs, Ol' Johnny probably would've crashed the plane anyway. I know, it sounds cruel, but I'm just saying...his batting average for missions isn't all that impressive.

Also, there's the issue of how the word "tested" is employed by each candidate. After eight years of The Idiot Era, the next president is going to be "tested" no matter who wins the election! It's pretty obvious that's what Biden's getting at.

But, John McCain never lets context get in the way of stroking his own ego. To him, the "tested" means that the rest of the world sees Obama as a huge question mark, the kind of newbie leader they can mop the floor with. And, that thought process shows McCain's projection issues.

Ol' Johnny knows now that the only recourse he has left is to point out his own failures as he sees them in his enemy. (Make no mistake, no matter what McCain says about Obama, he only sees his younger opponent as an enemy.) McCain's carrying his own (and much more damaging) domestic terrorist baggage. He's got his own (and much more pronounced and dangerous) experience gap. And, most importantly, in the context of the recent economic crisis, McCain has already been tested and failed miserably.

The only thing that McCain's presence on the USS Enterprise that day in 1962 tells me is that his mindset and his methodologies are old and obsolete. He doesn't realize that passing the commander-in-chief test isn't simply a matter of donning a flight suit and waiting for orders. There are plenty of good soldiers out there who were never cut out to be leaders. They are only adept at following orders and doing what they're told, no matter how idiotic those orders might seem at the time.

In his campaign and his response to the recent economic turmoil, McCain has shown himself to be a good soldier, going wherever his managers and aides (and other assorted lobbyists) tell him to go, and saying what they tell him to say once he gets there, no matter how erratic or out-of-touch their orders seem to be.

He's even covered for every dirty trick they've pulled, though such "old politics" supposedly goes against his maverick nature.

Yes, throughout all of this, John McCain has shown that he's a good soldier...he's just not cut out to lead.

And, quite a few of "reliably red" voters are starting to figure that out.

Charles

McCain Has Something In Common With "Undecided" Voters

Hey Ryan,

If you recall, a few posts ago, I wrote about the willful ignorance of "undecided" voters. Looks like maybe McCain, at least, has that quality in common with them, if nothing else.

Charles

Why didn't he quit him?

Another great piece from Frank Rich, who, in anticipation of the G.O.P.'s "long night of the long knives," delivers his own analysis of what went wrong with the McCain campaign.

Frontline: The Choice 2008

For those who missed it this last week, here's the PBS Frontline doc The Choice 2008, about Senators Barack Obama and John McCain. A great, eye-opening film that clocks in at just under two hours.

The "I Know" Strategy

Hey Ryan,

You've hit the nail on the head with your take on the candidates' respective rhetorical approaches. I've been drawn to Obama's approach all along for the very reasons you cited. But McCain's was tougher for me to pin down.

I knew I didn't like the close-the-deal portions of McCain's debate performances and speeches, but I just couldn't put my finger on what bothered me, not in the way you did.

To me, every time McCain says the words "I know how to", it feels like a flashback to the playground or summer camp. You remember the kid who always said he could do stuff, only to be humiliated when it actually came time to step up.

None of us are qualified to be the President. I know I'm not. Nevertheless, most of us have mental conversations with these candidates when we hear them speak. When they debate each other, in our minds, we're in there, too, our inner voices calling back to them.

And, every time McCain says, "I know how to get bin Laden," my inner voice says, "Then why haven't you caught him?" Sure, McCain's not the President, but his party still resides in the executive branch. It's not like Repub McCain would have to go a Dem president and offer unwanted advice about catching bin Laden.

So, why hasn't he worked with his love-hate partner Bush the Junior on this task? And, if McCain truly knows the way to catch bin Laden, doesn't the fact that he hasn't shared that plan with the Bush Regime make him a traitor? Or, a terrorist sympathizer? Or, by extension a terrorist himself? So, then, is Sarah Palin the one who's actually "pallin' around with terrorists"?

I'm not making accusations here. I'm just asking. We can still do that here in the good ol' U.S. of A., right?

For the thinking voter, simply proclaiming that he knows how to do something isn't good enough. McCain needs to show that he has the complex thought process to accomplish it. He hasn't done that. This is all he has done (and it's not for minors or weak hearts):



When you think of this man and all of the bloodthirsty savages he has been rallying as of late, do you see any reason to believe him when he says he knows how to do something?

I don't.

Charles

Looking through a glass Onion

Charles,

This is downright amazing. Check out this Onion story from January 2001 and the start of the Bush Administration. Besides boasting some of the funniest satirists around, our favorite fake newspaper evidently has a crystal ball somewhere in the newsroom. Wow.

Ryan

Crawford

In honor of the release of the film W., I thought we might take some time to look at Bush the Junior's (exposed) roots.

Director David Modigliani offers up a view of Lil' Bush's adopted "hometown" Crawford, Texas in...well...Crawford, a documentary about the place the Hillbilly Napoleon used as a folksy backdrop for his first presidential run and the entirety of his two terms.

It runs about one hour and fifteen minutes. Enjoy!



If you'd like to read an interview with filmmaker Modigliani, click here.

Tire Swinging

The kids at Talking Points Memo have coined the term "tire swinging" and all of it variations this election season to help explain the complex relationship between John McCain and the media.

Check it out here.

Steal Back Your Vote Central

Here's a piece from Democracy Now about Greg Palast's doc for the BBC about voter suppression.

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Make sure you can vote!

Watch out for voter suppression! Check out your state's rules and what litigation might be going on in your area that could prevent you from casting a ballot.

Make sure your vote gets counted! Don't vote straight ticket!

Pay a donation in any amount (even a dollar) and download the Steal Back Your Vote comic book and show it to your friends!

Well...It Isn't Real History...

But it sure looks like a lot of fun!



Opening today.

A Lighter Moment

Hey Charles,

If you missed this last night, it showed that whoever loses this election has a future in stand-up comedy. Enjoy!

Ryan

Me, myself, and I

Hey Charles the Writer,

Like Sugar Ray Leonard stickin’ and movin’ against Roberto Duran (this boxing fan loved your “No Mas” analogy a few postings ago!), you beat me to the punch with your analysis of the now-all-too-familiar post-debate analysis. I’m sorry now that I turned off the Ann Curry-led focus group. Wish I had seen it, but I kind of tuned out around the time David Gregory started talking about how Obama’s smiling might’ve come off as condescending, which led to a third consecutive Pat Buchanan declaration that McCain won the debate “on points.” (Note to self: Don’t go to the horse races with Pat Buchanan. Second note to self: If asked to go to the casino with John McCain, make sure you get a good night’s sleep the night before.)

So thanks for the recap. And I’m with you. The media coverage of these debates has just become laughable. While I’m at it, is there anything more laughable than CNN's zigzagging red, blue and green lines that are meant to gauge voters’ immediate gut reactions to the candidates? Can you please tell me what purpose this serves? If the focus groups allow these so-called undecideds (seriously, my friends, the information is out there, really it is) to pass off, as you say, “intellectual laziness as reasoned thought,” how much must these same folks love this amazing innovation? I suppose users hooked up to the reaction meter have to pay attention for an hour and a half to every word being spoken, but why do I just picture a bunch of "Guitar Hero" geeks tapping the button along to “Smoke on the Water” or whatever it is that’s playing in their heads during these debates. Sorry, I can't get over the ridiculousness of this thing. And how long do you think until CNN gives us something like this?

But, like you, I’ve done my research. Too much of it that, like you, I have gotten to the point of “No Mas.” And because I’ve slogged through a year of political overload, spanning 40-plus debates, 3 a.m. phone calls, Rev. Wright (how many days, my friend, before he makes a surprise appearance?) and the days of "Right Said Fred" Thompson, I don’t have much symphony for people who, like Chuck Todd and the crew of MSNBC’s First Read, wonder why Americans are “cramming six months of a general election into six weeks.” I’m as big of a procrastinator as anyone, but even I don’t get the notion that we’re somehow cramming the most important election of our lifetime into a few weeks. Sarah Palin, "Joe the Plumber" and "Joe Six Pack" might be cramming to figure it all out, John McCain might be cramming to locate a coherent campaign strategy, giddy Democrats might be cramming to find hotel rooms in D.C. for Obama’s January inauguration, but cramming for the general election, NO MAS EXCUSES, PLEASE!

And I’m also feeling like you—at least you several postings ago—when you echoed Mr. "Hands of Stone" himself, Roberto Duran, and said you were "tired of fighting" this guy. I don’t even have the energy to deal with Joe the Plumber right now, though you've peaked my interest with that "developing" story on a possible Keating connection. That would be just too good to be true.

Until we learn more, however, I thought I would share with you a theory, an admittedly unscientific theory, about presidential candidates who repeatedly talk in the first person. My humble opinion is that this approach does not help their cause. I felt this way about Hillary Clinton during the primary season. Remember the famous "I found my voice" line after the New Hampshire primary. That might've gotten attention at the time, but I thought it only highlighted the notion that she felt entitled to the nomination. Remember John Kerry's "I'm reporting for duty" line at the 2004 Democratic Convention. Nice applause line in the hall, but in retrospect, maybe too self-serving? Al Gore's "I invented the Internet." Ok, we know that one was way unfair, but for better or worse, this first-person stuff can be a killer. Again, this is all unscientific, but take John McCain in Wednesday night's debate, whose concluding remarks were stuffed with first-person references. He said:

America needs a new direction. We cannot be satisfied with what we've been doing for the last eight years.

I have a record of reform, and taking on my party, the other party, the special interests, whether it be an HMO Patients' Bill of Rights, or trying to clean up the campaign finance system in -- in this country, or whether it be establishment of a 9/11 Commission, I have a long record of it.

And I've been a careful steward of your tax dollars. We have to make health care affordable and available. We have to make quality education there for all of our citizens, not just the privileged few.

We have to stop the spending. We have to stop the spending, which has mortgaged your children's futures.

All of these things and all the promises and commitments that Sen. Obama and I made (inaudible) made to you tonight will base -- will be based on whether you can trust us or not to be careful stewards of your tax dollar, to make sure America is safe and secure and prosperous, to make sure we reform the institutions of government.

That's why I've asked you not only to examine my record, but my proposals for the future of this country.

I've spent my entire life in the service of this nation and putting my country first. As a long line of McCains that have served our country for a long time in war and in peace, it's been the great honor of my life, and I've been proud to serve.

And I hope you'll give me an opportunity to serve again. I'd be honored and humbled.

Now contrast that with Barack Obama's final remarks to the debate-viewing audience:

I think we all know America is going through tough times right now. The policies of the last eight years and -- and Washington's unwillingness to tackle the tough problems for decades has left us in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

And that's why the biggest risk we could take right now is to adopt the same failed policies and the same failed politics that we've seen over the last eight years and somehow expect a different result.

We need fundamental change in this country, and that's what I'd like to bring.

You know, over the last 20 months, you've invited me into your homes. You've shared your stories with me. And you've confirmed once again the fundamental decency and generosity of the American people.

And that's why I'm sure that our brighter days are still ahead.

But we're going to have to invest in the American people again, in tax cuts for the middle class, in health care for all Americans, and college for every young person who wants to go. In businesses that can create the new energy economy of the future. In policies that will lift wages and will grow our middle class.

These are the policies I have fought for my entire career. And these are the policies I want to bring to the White House.

But it's not going to be easy. It's not going to be quick. It is going to be requiring all of us -- Democrats, Republicans, independents -- to come together and to renew a spirit of sacrifice and service and responsibility.

I'm absolutely convinced we can do it. I would ask for your vote, and I promise you that if you give me the extraordinary honor of serving as your president, I will work every single day, tirelessly, on your behalf and on the behalf of the future of our children.

Thank you very much.

Sure, a few obligatory first-person references in there, but much more of a focus on US. Back in my advertising days, finding that "you focus" was absolutely essential to crafting an effective sales pitch, and it never ceases to amaze me how often our nation's politicians refuse to heed such basic lessons of marketing. And here's where Obama has schooled McCain time and time again. While McCain pokes fun at Obama's celebrity, questions his character, and belittles his experience, these attacks always smack of being for the benefit of JOHN MCCAIN. When he announces he has suspended his politicking, it's not to save us from economic peril, it's to rescue HIS floundering campaign. When, during the debates, he grimaces and cringes at Obama's proposals to address the current economic crisis, it's not because he feels OUR pain, it's because it pains HIM to be losing to someone to whom he clearly feels superior, to THAT ONE.

Again, I've never really set out to prove this theory. It's just a gut feeling I have. Of course, it's probably just as scientific as that CNN reaction gauge.

Talk to you soon!

Ryan the Wanna Be Political Strategist

Quick!

Which one of these guys do you want to run the country?

This Just Gets Better and Better

Hey Ryan,

At the beginning of the day, I thought Joe the Plumber was going to be a one-day cycle, kind of non-story. But, as it turns out, this one's got legs. They're such nice legs, in fact, it might be a good idea to get them insured.

You see, according to the Daily Kos, there might be a little something more under Joe the Plumber's apparent "Six-Pack-ness".

Now the Daily Kos isn't what I would call completely reliable, but they are saying something that has been floating around for a few hours now. Apparently, there's a good chance that Joe the Plumber might be related to McCain's buddy Charles Keating.

Hmmm...

Developing...

Charles

I'm Sorry, WHO'S Not Presidential?

The UK's Independent is now reporting that American and Iraqi officials have reached a deal for the Americans to withdrawal by 2011. And whose plan does it mirror?

Let's see, Obama wanted more protections for taxpayers in the initial short-term bailout plan. Check.

He wanted to establish a responsible timetable for withdrawal from Iraq, and now it seems such a plan is on the table. Check.

For those keeping tally of Presidential Points, the score is:

Obama - 2.5

McCain - 0

Even though George W. Bush talked Maliki into extending the withdrawal plan to 2011 to benefit John McCain (no playing politics with our troops, right, Mr. President?), Obama still scores here.

The extra half-point comes from the fact that the one of Obama's points was scored in what is perceived to be McCain's issue of choice: foreign policy. Gosh, tough luck, Johnny. Maybe Joe the Plumber will cheer you up.

Oh Yeah, By The Way

Joe so undecided...he ain't even gonna vote!

I know there's a joke to be made here...

The Keating 5's Latest Hit

Here's a short movie about the Keating 5 we've all been waiting for! You see, it's associations like these that actually affect policy! McCain has always been a very pliable defender of the corporation...which has played a major role in our current financial crisis.

So, this film about his involvement in the Keating 5 scandal represents not only a flaw of character, but also of a possible governance style which favors big business over the rights and needs of the individual. Sound familiar?

Forget Arabic Translators

We're going to need McCain translators if this guy gets into the Oval Office, never mind his VP Eva Emptyhead.

Here's a passage from McCain's debate "performance" last night that has the networks swooning:

Now, Joe, Sen. Obama's plan, if you're a small business and you are able -- and your -- the guy that sells to you will not have his capital gains tax increase, which Sen. Obama wants, if you're out there, my friend, and you've got employees, and you've got kids, if you don't get -- adopt the health care plan that Sen. Obama mandates, he's going to fine you.

If you can make sense out of that, come January, you might have a lucrative job waiting for you in D.C. if Captain Caveman is voted into office.

Substance, Interrupted

Talking Points Memo's Zachary Roth writes about the media and moderator Bob Schieffer's woeful lack of curiosity about McCain's claims about ACORN last night.

I guess they had that shiny tinfoil of Joe the Plumber to distract them.

Nice job, Media! We can always count on you!

I Talked To Joe the Plumber...

Hey Ryan,

Dateline: Holland, Ohio

Spoke to Joe the Plumber this morning and found out he's an idiot (and somewhat of a fraud), too.


Watch CBS Videos Online

So, let me get this straight...

Obama says he will cut taxes on people making less than $250,000, and Joe can't vote for him, because he wonders...stay with me...when Obama will change his mind and lower the boundary to $100,000. Huh? Nice argument, Joe. 

And by the way, you really ran Obama down and cornered him with your question:

So, you ask a candidate a question and he answers truthfully and then you say he "tap dances like Sammy Davis, Jr."?

It's not your fault, Joe. You're just like every other complete idiot walking the streets who thinks he has some sort of hayseed wisdom all locked up in his pee-sized brain because (sniff, sniff) he can't speak as well as Obama. So, of course, you don't trust the articulate candidate whose policies would, I don't know, help you!

Sorry for the acid here, but I'm sick and tired of hearing "I just don't know where Obama stands". That might have flown twenty months ago...or even six months ago...but it doesn't work anymore. Republican voters always chant that mantra because they are making excuses for their own ignorance and hypocrisy. "Nossir, it couldn't be ME who's wrong here. Obama just needs to speak clearer and a little louder because, well, I just can't quite hear him over the color of his skin."

I guess the basic attitudinal problem is this: Guys like Joe always talk about "manning up" and "knowing where someone stands" on the issues, but they're not willing to take a long hard look in the mirror and see where they stand, to see if they have the stones to truly sacrifice.

They don't want to give away their tax dollars to help out the old or the less fortunate:



And why are guys like Joe this way? Because, as much as they bitch about the greed on Wall Street, they wear it like a badge of principle on Main Street. They can wrap it in the flag or hide it behind the American Dream, but it's still just plain old greed. "What about my American Dream?"

Well, a lot of us know that the American Dream isn't a selfish one. It's a collective one. We care about what happens to the waitress, because if she's doing well, then it means other less-fortunate people are doing well and our country will be stronger than it has been under the Bush Regime. When the whole country is doing well financially and the education system is fully funded and providing quality service, crime and suffering go down. And that's what the American Dream is: To have a safe and prosperous place to live.

But guys like Ol' Joe and John McCain can't understand that you have to give some to get some. It's beyond their comprehension because they lack vision.

And that's sad, because all Joe would have to do is take a look at his truck bumper to find out that "Freedom Ain't Free".

Hey Joe, maybe you should try living by that slogan, instead of hiding behind it.

Charles

Make 'Em Laugh, Make 'Em Laugh, Make 'Em Laugh

If this whole presidential thing doesn't work out for McCain (and here's hoping it doesn't), maybe he can get a job as a rodeo clown. An evil one.

Let's face it, when you can get 50 undecided voters to laugh at you, but still think you suck, you've got a gift and it ain't for politickin'!

McCain's Brain #5

An NBC Snapshot of Sheer Stupidity

Hey Ryan,

You know, I wasn't going to write anything tonight because, right now, all over the Web, everybody's throwing in their two cents, trying to sound as smart as they can about who "won" or "lost" the final presidential debate.

But what are they talking about really? Yep. McCain huffed here. Obama wasn't on his game there. The line of the debate came when McCain said, "If you wanted to run against George W. Bush, you should've ran four years ago." Ha, ha, he so funny. So, again, for the most part, we get networks moaning that there was no "knockout punch", and droning on about how comfortable the candidates looked in the format.

Never mind that after saying he wasn't like Bush the Junior with his witty little canned line (and accompanying third grade "look I remembered my school play line" smirk), that John McCain went on to tout a health care plan that would deregulate the insurance industry in much the same way Wall Street has been unfettered in completely destroying our economy.

Nah, don't talk about that. Let's listen to Chuck Todd run the number of McCain's lizard licks through his crystal ball to find out how it will affect tomorrow's polling.

And then...and then...we get to sit there and watch Ann Curry try and interview six "undecided" voters. One of these guys was a real piece of work. I think his name was Mike, so that's what we'll call him. Mike raised his hand to say that, of the two candidates, he thought Barack Obama had the better short- and long-term plans to fix the economy.

Then, not two minutes later, Curry asked how many of the six voters would vote for McCain and...MIKE RAISED HIS HAND!

Yeah, okay, so I've got these two prospective presidents in front of me and I believe one of them has the smarter fix for the economy...the most important issue currently facing our country and the entire world! So, naturally, I'm going to vote for the OTHER GUY!

Mike's so undecided, he can't even agree with himself! Mike never explained why he loved Obama's plan, but would vote for McCain. If I had to bet, though, I would say his decision was based on sheer stupidity.

One of the women said she was leaning toward Obama, but wished the candidates would talk about how the U.S. is viewed in the world. This plea came after Curry asked the still "undecided" voters in the group of six what it would take to sway them. Of course, Curry didn't follow up with, "Have you been watching the debates or reading the Web or the news or the candidates policies?" because, well, she's a journalist (I guess).

In introducing the whole shameful segment, Brian Williams said, "The American people have a funny way of deciding elections no matter what anybody in the news media says including the best of analysis and that's the way it should be..."

I agree, Brian, they do have a "funny way of deciding", it's called willful ignorance. They claim to want to hear the candidates' views, but then blow the total recall mere minutes after the debate is over! They piss and moan about not knowing the candidates, but never take the time sit down and study the issues.

Their willful ignorance allows them to pass off intellectual laziness as reasoned thought. It lets them feign disgust about the quality of the candidate choices instead of buckling down and doing their homework. I've seen people put more effort in picking out which movie to go see on a Friday night than which candidate they're going to vote into the Oval Office.

Democracy is a messy affair, and I'm not talking about negative campaigning. Negative campaigning is only useful if it's connected to policy.

But Democracy, that's tough, because it requires work from everyone involved. It amazes me that the knuckle-dragger who drives around with a "Freedom Ain't Free" bumper sticker believes that that little nugget of gas station wisdom is all he needs to choose the next leader of the free world.

As for me, for what it's worth, I think Barack Obama won the debate tonight. But, then again, I've done my due diligence. I've looked at the issues and know where I stand, because an election isn't just a referendum on the candidates, it's also a chance for all of us to look in the mirror...to search ourselves to find out what we value, what we really believe in. To me, that's about as useful in defending our freedom as fighting on any battlefield. But I'm sure Mike the Willful Ignorant and "Freedom Ain't Free" Guy probably wouldn't agree with me.

Maybe I'll ask Joe the Plumber.

Charles

Putting the "Fraud" In Voter Fraud

Hey Ryan,

By now, you've probably heard all about the big bad bogeyman Voter Fraud! Every time I write those two words, a chill runs down my spine and I hear a wolf howl. I'm glad the Repubs brought this up, this year.

I was afraid that since they didn't have a color-coded-Jerry-Lewis-style-threat-level board to work from in this election, that they were going to have to fly commando. If it's good enough for John McCain...right?

Thankfully, though, Voter Fraud has reared its ugly, Tip O'Neill-shaped head for the upstanding, uninformed GOP voters to play whack-a-mole with. Man, good for them...



To me, it's really unfortunate that ACORN even has to get into voter registration. But, you know how the Repubs view educating voters they don't agree with:



So, groups like ACORN have to act. Otherwise, low- and moderate-income voters would never have a voice in the election process or on economic and social issues that are important to them. For all of the rhetoric bastardizing the "freedom and justice for all" line, the GOP is pretty transparent in its disdain for, generally, the poor and, specifically, minorities.

But, this disdain can't be uttered freely anymore. These poor, beleaguered GOP'ers, their hands are tied behind their backs! I mean, how can you get out a properly racist and classist message to your base without using the direct vocabulary...the "Straight Talk", if you will.

The answer is simple: Cry FRAUD! Let your base know that their underlying uneasiness about voting for a half-black man has somewhere to go. Sure, you can spread the whispers that he's a Muslim, a pal to terrorists, a baby-killer, a socialist, the antichrist or even a low-scoring point guard (unlike your goddess of choice Sarracuda). But why stop with the man, himself? Why not also hit his base and spread the suspicion around?

In its evil, Turd Blossom sort of way, the plot is genius: You can espouse a suppressive, Nazi-esque agenda, while still appearing to be fighting for truth, justice and the American way. Put the cape of freedom on over your Klan outfit. Even dictatorships have elections, right?

Charles

P.S. Just to be clear...

Oh, Big Box Mart!

Sure, retail sales were down 1.2% last month, but where's the happy face?

Olbermann Throws Down

Keith Olbermann on the latest Nazi-esque rallies from the McCain/Palin ticket.

Oh, Brother!

What does it say about your campaign when your own brother starts questioning your strategy? Here's the full text of brother Joe McCain's e-mail from Monday (Oct. 13) to McCain supporters/RNC allies.

Putting On Ayers

So, John McCain says he may bring up Bill Ayers at tonight's debate. Or, he plans to. Well, glad to see your yellow streak might be planning to wear off there, Flyboy. But the fact that he is finally saying he might bring the subject up begs the question:

How important to McCain was the alleged Obama-Ayers connection in the first place?

Oh, and bonus question: Is McCain's portrayal of the relationship really even true?

If you've watched McCain's "campaign" over the past couple of months, you know the answers to these questions, but they always bear repeating:

Not very; and

No.

See, the issue of Obama's supposed relationship with Bill Ayers is not very important to McCain because his representation is not true.

If McCain wasn't misleading the public on this, and the need for voters to know this information was so crucial, don't you think he would've brought it up before now? And, don't you think he would've taken his first opportunity to put Obama on the hot seat about it?

McCain's Market Magic Education Plan

Erika Szostak, a blogger for Huffington Post, conducts an interview with author and educator Mike Rose about McCain's policy of letting the free market fix the education system.

Be sure to click on the links at the end of Szostak's post to see the candidates' respective education plans.

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: Ethics Edition

Looks like Troopergate is just the tip of the iceberg. Isn't that the way?

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them

You know, there are people out there who will believe Palin when she says that the report that came out Friday night exonerated her of any wrongdoing in the Troopergate case...even though the net's getting a bit wider.

And that's just sad, because the fact that her supporters would so blindly follow her while totally disregarding a black and white report shows just how ill-informed, if not moronic, a good portion of our electorate has become.

Lucky for us, Rachel Maddow isn't one of those lemmings.



A question for any McCain/Palin supporters out there: Who is the REAL Sarah Palin?

Obama's Economic Plan

Here's a video from yesterday of Barack Obama laying out his economic plan for dealing with our current crisis. It's about 22 minutes long, but if you're a serious voter, you'll want to watch it.

Clown Strike

Hey Ryan,

It's taken me a little while to write back because, well, I didn't know what to write.

In fact, today, I feel like Roberto Duran. The most popular tale (and maybe the only thing some know) about Duran is his infamous "No mas" from his November, 1980, rematch with Sugar Ray Leonard. And there's no doubt, he did say that to the referee, but he also said something else that isn't so widely reported. According to his trainer, he initially threw up his hands and said, "No quiero pelear con el payaso." Roughly translated, this means: "I do not want to fight with this clown."

Just like Sugar Ray toyed with the out-of-shape champ that night, causing him to quit, I believe John McCain might be trying to make us voters throw in the towel. He might hinging his hopes on the idea that, in times of crisis, voters are really just battered wives in denial, jumping from one abusive relationship to another. And, in some respects, we are. How else to explain not one, but two consecutive Bush presidencies?

Sure, I'm not to blame and you're not to blame, but when the electorate speaks, we're all saddled with whatever stupid shit comes out of its mouth, just like we all have to apologize to the world when our man-sized babies run amok with their war rattles. But we all say to ourselves, "Never again." We all believe that the next time we're given the chance to vote these bastards out of office, we'll do it. Yessir, they're going away for good!

But, we Americans, we're a forgiving people. We live in the land of the Great Second Chance, where anyone, regardless of their status (as long as they're rich) or their race (as long as they're white or a racially-appropriated ethnic) can come back from any adversity to claim victory. All it takes is smart packaging, good advertising, and a strict adherence to a simplistic message. And substance be damned...even while we pay it lip service.

And, based on these criteria, John McCain is a success. Sure, his poll numbers are resting on the ocean floor, and his responses to every twist, turn or crisis have been erratic, if not bordering on insane. But McCain is a success because he has actually given us something he has been promising all along: Straight Talk.

He hasn't done this through one particular ad, speech or policy. No, McCain's message has been delivered by the very existence of his campaign...its actions, ads, speeches, and supporters.

And McCain's message is this: This is what you, the voters, are.

A politician and his pitch reflect what he believes the electorate to be. As such, John McCain and his campaign show that he feels we are a nation of erratic victims with extreme racist tendencies who can't form so much as a coherent thought on any one issue, much less the multitude of issues that need attention to keep this country afloat.

Notice, I said "afloat", meaning just plugging the holes and praying to the Good Lord that we eventually smack into dry land. I mean, if Bush has taught us anything, it's this: If you screw up the job so bad that things can't get any worse, you can take credit when they inevitably start to get better.

But why do we have to just stay afloat? Why can't we open the sails and fix the engine? Because, according to McCain and Palin, that's not who we are, as a people. We're not good enough for that.

We can talk about energy independence, but we can't really do it. We can talk about a brighter day in the economy, but not for those of us below McCain's million dollar poverty line. We can talk about ending wars, as long as it means launching new and bigger ones.

With their campaign, McCain and Palin have branded us as brainless barbaric beasts by giving new language to racism, extremism, and stupidity, then trying to sell it to us as a viable issue.

If they were honest people, they would distribute signs with slogans like "McCAIN/PALIN HATE: If it's good enough for the Nazis, it's good enough for us!" But neither John McCain nor Sarah Palin has ever met an honest sentiment they couldn't cheat their way around with blind greed and semantic shell games.

Of course, the reason they're even trying to peddle this smut is because they understand that there is a slobbering-rabid, knuckle-dragging, racist swine herd out there clamoring for it. And that herd has swelled out of the pen...so much so that when McCain tried to dial back the rhetoric, the pigs turned on him, puffing their snouts in a chorus of boos.

But who can blame them, right? No slave likes to be spurred on by his master and then be chastised for doing his bidding. But that's exactly what has happened. McCain and Palin rile them up one minute, then pat them down the next. Now we know how the rest of the world must feel about us.

And, the irony here is that, once again, we have a walking cheap shot spearheading the movement. Like Bush, Palin is an insult to everything she pretends to stand for. If she is what they mean by "like us", we're worse off than we thought.

As always in an election season, the cliches are flying around like gnats. And, when someone writes a sentence like that, it usually means that they're going to offer up yet another cliche disguised as insight. Guilty as charged. But I can't help but point out that, for once, the cliches are right, the hype is justified. This is truly the most important election of our collective lifetime (so far), because it's not a choice between political parties, it's a choice between who we have been and who we want to be.

You know, we try to joke a little here. Sometimes, we get preachy (well, I do). Sometimes we educate (well, you and Shane do). And, sometimes, well, I think we do find funny stuff to throw out there.

But, I have to admit, I'm getting tired of fighting this clown.

Charles

P.S. Here's a hopeful note.

Palin Debate Flow Chart

Is it really possible to follow a Sarah Palin debate performance? You betcha.

"To stay silent ...

... is to pour gas on the fire," writes Frank Rich in his latest New York Times column on John McCain allowing his supporters to ratchet up the inflammatory language toward Barack Hussein Obama. A must-read.

Palin's Pals

I posted about Palin's right-wing extremist associations a few days ago, but this time, it comes from Salon.com writers Max Blumenthal and David Neiwert and is a lot more in-depth about how it affected her political career in Alaska right up through her stint as Governor.

See, for all the talk about Obama's "friends", the majority of the media hasn't really addressed who Palin and McCain have associated with. If we have to listen to this bunk, it could at least be even-handed. But the squeaky wheel gets the grease, I guess.

Prediction?...Palin

A video of Obama predicting the slime oozing from the lips of McCain and Palin and their flacks...just for some perspective.

McCain's Health Care Plan...READ THIS NOW!

Ana Marie Cox from Time Magazine offers a post about sending McCain's Health Care Plan through actuarial analysis by her father Samuel H. Cox, a famous actuary. The resulting breakdown is staggering, to say the least.

Cox's short answer is this: IT WILL NOT WORK.

But the details show McCain's "plan" to be truly malicious and short-sighted. For example:

--There is NO incentive for employers to either start covering their employees or keep covering their employees. How many additional people will this cover? Well...none. Actually, it would, most likely, decrease the number of people sheltered from potentially catastrophic health care costs by an insurance plan. As Cox explains it:

Only about 60% of employers provide health care coverage. McCain's program removes the incentive for employers to provide it so I expect a lot of them will stop providing it. More Americans will be on their own, those with preexisting conditions will not get insurance. And it provides no incentive for employers to start covering employees. For small businesses, the situation is worse - only about 45% provide health benefits.

--Another core idea of McCain's "plan" is (you guessed it) DE-REGULATION of the insurance industry.

Another important aspect of McCain's plan is to deregulate health insurance. Now the states regulate it and provide consumer protection, solvency and other regulations. McCain says he will deregulate as``we have done over the last decade in banking.'' We see now how that turned out. It will be a huge mess.

I don't think McCain understands insurance or insurance regulation. This is just false: ``Health insurance is simply a financial device that shifts around the apparent costs of the nation's overall health care bill among various payers.'' Above all, insurance is a mechanism for managing risk. It also provides for economy of scale too but the primary function is to reduce the risk to an individual or family of catastrophic heath care costs. It is a very serious problem and McCain's proposal ignores it. No other developed nation treats its citizens this way, forcing them to bear the risk of catastrophic heath care costs.

--McCain's "plan" does not keep pace with rising health care costs.

[T]he costs are escalating faster than overall price inflation, so unless the tax credits are indexed to heath care costs, the advantage will disappear in a few years. While this aspect looks good now (for those who have and can continue with employer coverage), that may change without indexing. The proposal says nothing about indexing.

In the post, Cox also outlines the tax properties of the McCain's "plan" and how it would turn a currently-covered person's benefits into taxable income that could eat away at the $5,000 credit that the proposal offers.

Aside from the fact that McCain probably could not get such an abomination passed in a Democratic Congress, this plan shows that McCain is going provide the exact kind of "leadership" that's making citizens wonder about their financial futures right now!

By, essentially, lifting regulations on insurance companies (something their lobbyists tried to get passed with the Bailout Bill) and employers, in general, McCain will strip away the last vestiges of protection that consumers have in dealing with the health care industry, their insurance companies, and their individual employers.

This is the sort of information we need to hear, because it will eventually affect every single one of us. Take the time and read the whole post here. It's not very long and it's a lot more informative, and certainly more important, than the mudslinging that the McCain/Palin ticket is engaging at this very moment.

And, if you think this is just one side of the story, take a look at this article from the National Journal by Ronald Brownstein, in which, while he sends no love to Obama's plan, the writer acknowledges that McCain's plan completely upends the entire health care and insurance system in a fundamental and damaging way.