October 2006 Archives

The 101st Fighting Keyboarders on full alert

103 dead in Iraq this month, 2814 dead in the war,  and they're fighting the Battle of Don't Get The Joke.

Rangel said Cheney may need to go to "rehab" for "whatever personality deficit he may have suffered."

Do you ever get the feeling that just about anything might happen this week?

Senator George Allen made a campaign stop in Charlottesville, NC, Tuesday morning...

As Senator Allen was exiting a ballroom, coming to talk to the media, a protestor started yelling and asking, "Why did you spit on your first wife?". He wasn't able to get near the senator as he was tackled by three men wearing Allen stickers, presumed to be staffers. He was pushed and manhandled and ended up on the floor, near windows at the Omni.

Well, let's check back with him in 7 days.

Mike Stark, the man who asked the question, was apparently referring to an incident that is allegedly detailed in the sealed divorce records from Allen's first marriage.

And speaking of sealed records, when are we going to see what those Allen arrest warrants are all about that are allegedly mentioned in Allen's application to the Virginia Bar?

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq."

What you can't deny is that, for many (if not most) successful college graduates, the armed services are not going to be the first choice. How could it be, if they look around and see what's happening in Iraq?

That didn't stop that preening poodle, Tony Snow, from yapping:

"Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who’ve given their lives in this...This is an absolute insult."

Kerry's response:

"This is the classic GOP playbook...I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did. I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium."

Good for John Kerry.

"We're in this grand ideological struggle," said the President two days later. "I am in disbelief that people don't take these people seriously." He was sitting in the Oval Office with a handful of columnists including yours truly. At the risk of making that C-SPAN caller's head explode, it was a great honor. I wasn't the only foreigner in the room: there was a bust of Winston Churchill, along with those of Lincoln and Eisenhower. A war president, a war prime minister, a war general.

First of all, I stand corrected: Bush is more clueless than Steyn. "I am in disbelief that people don't take these people seriously."

Really? Could it be because you have NO CREDIBILITY left? Not a shred? And you don't know that? And here's the real tragedy: "these people" really do want to do us harm. But because Bush completely screwed up the fight against them, it will now be harder to beat them back.

And then there's Steyn.

"I wasn't the only foreigner in the room: there was a bust of Winston Churchill..."

My god he has a high opinion of himself.

P.S. Churchill would have cut him (and Bush) to pieces.

KFDM continues to get complaints from Jefferson County voters who say the electronic voting machines are not registering their votes correctly.

Friday night, KFDM reported about people who had cast straight Democratic ticket ballots, but the touch-screen machines indicated they had voted a straight Republican ticket...[and] Saturday, KFDM spoke to another voter who says it's not just happening with straight ticket voting, he says it's happening on individual races as well.

....Bueller...?

While you're pondering that question, please remember to be careful when you vote next week. If you are in a district that uses e-voting machines, MAKE SURE THAT YOUR VOTE COUNTS. Double- and triple-check that the e-voting machine tabulates your vote accurately before you leave the voting booth.

(cross posted at Daily Kos)

Don't let this happen again! On November 7, make your vote count and COUNT YOUR VOTE.

And contact the Miami Herald and insist that they investigate this story further and not let it die.

In all cases, Republicans are listed first and all times are Eastern Time.

1. Thanks to increasing voter apathy, turnout keeps dwindling.
   Fact is, the number of people NOT ELIGIBLE to vote (non-citizens and convicted felons) is rising. Take them out of the model and turnout is steady.
2. Other countries' higher turnout indicates more vibrant democracies.
   It's hard to make a comparison when some countries make voting manadatory and/or have fewer elections.
3. Negative ads turn off voters and reduce turnout.
   You could just as easily say the opposite: the most famous negative campaign in recent history (the 2004 "Swiftboating" of John Kerry) coincided with one of the highest turnouts.
4. The Republican "72-hour campaign" will win the election.
   Evidence shows that might be true when voters are not already motivated by hot-button issues. But during an election dominated by, say, dissatisfaction with the war, GOTV operations might have a smaller net impact.
5. Making voter registration easier would dramatically increase turnout.
   Fact is, "motor-voter" laws increase registration -- but not necessarily turnout.

(cross posted at Daily Kos)

Now, the telcos want to add another layer of control: theirs. They want to be able to control whose Internet traffic gets preference and whose does not. They want to remove the "obstacle" of Net Neutrality.

Over one hundred years ago, John D. Rockefeller tried this when he owned the oil companies AND the railroads. He killed his competition by dictating which of his competitors could use his rail network to deliver their goods -- and which ones could not. This tactic was struck down in the courts.

But now the telcos could do the same thing if pending legislation gets through the Congress and is signed by the president.

Still don't get it? Still don't understand what's at stake?

Craig ("craigslist") Newmark put it another way: Imagine you're ordering a pizza. You call Papa John's Pizza on your cellphone and you hear the following message: "AT&T's preferred pizza vendor is Domino's. Press one to connect to Domino's now. If you would still like to order from Papa John's, please hold for three minutes while Domino's guaranteed orders are placed."

Farfetched? Not really -- there is nothing in the proposed legislation that would stop the telcos from doing this. Oh sure, they'll promise not to. But if that's so, why won't they agree to put it into the law?

The following video was shown on PBS and was part of a program produced by Bill Moyers.

The Senate version of the telecommunications bill -- sponsored by Sen. Ted ["Tubes"] Stevens of Alaska -- will not come to the floor for a vote before the Nov. 7 midterm election. But we must guard against any attempt by Congress to sneak through this legislation during the post-election "lame-duck" session.

I will keep you posted on this situation as it develops.

(HT to Cory)

What's that you say -- " What is digg.com?"

Digg is a user driven social content website.

Ok, so what the heck does that mean?

Well, everything on digg is submitted by the digg user community (that would be you and me). After one of us submits an article, or any other kind of content, other digg users read the submission and digg what they like best. If the story rocks and receives enough diggs, it is promoted to the front page for the millions of digg visitors to see.

P.S. Of course, you must have a digg account to participate. It's free -- visit the digg registration page and get started!

Michael Kinsley:...

[A] vote for the Democrat is a vote against the Republican. And voting "no" to a record of failure is more important to the functioning of democracy than voting "yes" to any number of promises about the future. It was not Newt Gingrich's Contract With America that caused the great Republican sweep of 1994: It was disgust, skillfully nurtured by Republicans, with the Democratic-controlled Congress.

by Mark Adams

In the Rust Belt, it seems like it always has been, stupid!  You don't have to tell us it's the economy.

We own the dubious distinction of living in the "fastest-shrinking big cities in the US."

The Steel Valley from whence I hail no longer makes much steel, which prompted the Wiki authors to deem the nickname "once-relative."  Akron is a shadow of its former "Rubber City" self.  While Toledo still claims to be the "Glass Capital of the World," others would differ.  The subtle change is evident in this Toledo Blade Article describing the construction of the Glass Pavilion of the Toledo Museum of Art.

Before the project began, some individuals had a hard time accepting the involvement of global players rather than the talents of people in the Glass City, in what was once indisputably the glass capital of the world.

When I moved to Toledo in 2000, the future seemed bright.  The surest sign that things were turning around from the malaise that had been hanging over the area since the late 70's was the "Help Wanted" signs growing like dandelions on every avenue.  Now, after just six years of the same old trickle-down crap they've been feeding us forever, there are no jobs, just for sale signs.

My name is Tony Trupiano and I am a proud Progressive candidate for Congress in Michigan's 11th CD. I am running against a neo-con rubber stamper who believes that America is best served on a platter. He should be ashamed of himself, to be honest. This is only his second term and with your help it will be his last.

Representative is not just a job title, it is a job description. I believe too many that are serving never got that memo.

by Mark Adams (X-posted @ KOS)

Did you really think the Rovevellians would sit by and watch as the idiots in Congress let a third of the Government fall from their grip?  Do you really think there is no level they won't stoop to?  It's downright naive to suggest they'd take this meltdown without pulling something out of their sleeves.

Via FoxNews [of course]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The high command of Al Qaeda appear to be behind terror threats to oil facilities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, a U.S. official said Friday.

"Indications are that Al Qaeda central — Usama bin Laden or his second in command Ayman al-Zawahiri — as well an Al Qaeda affiliate" are involved in the plot, the U.S. official told FOX News on the condition of anonymity.

That's significant, the source said, because the last time one of Al Qaeda's top two were believed to have had a hand in an operation was London's foiled airline bombing plot last August.

Come on, this is the gang who raised the color-coded terror kaleidoscope if the polls dropped half a tick.  We had so much smoke blown up our skirts before the last election its a wonder we could breath at all.  So excuse me for shining up my tin-foil hat and connecting a few dots.

They laid the groundwork for this back in 2004 (Bush was 10 points behind in the polls at that point), but never pulled the trigger.  The scary al Qaeda navy threat hasn't been very cooperative as a tool for getting bedwetters to run back to the GOP in the past, even though every attempt has been made to keep the treat alive in your lizard hindbrain.

Many have noted that there's been a lot of naval activity in the Persian Gulf lately.  Enough to spark a bit of Paranoia that supports conspiracy theories of an Iranian October Surprise.

Mind you, there are some adults in the room who warn us not to get hysterical.  But honestly, what fun is that.  (Dad is such a buzzkill.)

But this is only a midterm election.  The Bushies already got their legislative pardon for any war crimes.  No need to swamp us in a another pre-emptive war on Iran just to save Congress when the convenient bogeyman in the person of Osama bin Laden himself is conveniently still at large.

Iran can wait until the next election season.  Come 2008, the Cheney administration faces the dilemma of finding another stooge to be the face of their dreams of world conquest and unreasonable wealth.

Finding someone as inept as Junior; someone they can control, hoist on a pedestal of lies and fear, and do their bidding will be much easier if the fear-factor is at its greatest.  Questions of competence and concealed agenda will fall on ears made deaf by war drums if we are inextricably saddled with the shock-and-awe fireworks display an Iranian war would provide.

This is only the midterms.  They'll keep their powder dry for the big show, and leave the nation -- and their hand picked successor -- with no choices whatsoever if he turns out to have more intellectual capacity that the Shrub (a "no-brainer" indeed).

Keith Olbermann:

We began this week with reports that a mainstay of American politics was in failing health. And all too soon it was clear that the worst was true and that the nation had lost an old and honored friend...Tonight we pause to take the long view, the historic view of the important, the illustrious, and yes, sometimes controversial life and career of Stay The Course...

From Lars Sandvik:

"I made this ad as a free gift to the Webb campaign. I felt this would strike a chord across party lines. The Webb campaign and the DSCC "LOVE IT," but tell me that they cannot run it because they did not originate the concept, and their "rules" prevent its use. Webb is at least 4 points behind Allen. I believe that if they ran this ad, Webb would take Virginia. If anyone knows someone with the guts to run this thing on the air, about half a million dollars is all it would take!"

The Tigers are trailing the Cardinals three games to one. It's time to win...or go home for the winter:

This is what the brink looks like -- because the Tigers are on it now. A game they had and gave away. A slip. A bad throw. A wild pitch. Another error on another Tigers pitcher on a staff that in four games has committed more errors than any pitching staff in World Series history.

I took some time today and compiled links to (mostly) local newspaper coverage of House, Senate and Gubernatorial races around the country.

It didn't take that long. And/But tell me if you find this useful/informative. If I see enough comments to that effect, I'll continue to do it through the election.

HOUSE RACES

• CA-04 and CA-11:New York Times

• CO-05 and ID-01: USA Today

• CT-04: Hartford Courant

• IA-03: Quad City Times

• FL-16: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

• KY-03: Louisville Courier Journal

• TN-Sen: New York Times, Memphis Commercial Appeal, USA Today, Nashville Tennessean (1), Nashville Tennessean (2)

• VA-Sen: ABC News, USA Today (1), USA Today (2), Richmond Times Dispatch, Washington Times

• MO-Sen: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (2), Kansas City Star (1), Kansas City Star (2)

• MT-Sen: Billings Gazette

• NJ-Sen: New York Times

• MD-Sen: Washington Times

• PA-Sen: Philadelphia Inquirer

• OH-Sen: Cleveland Plain-Dealer

• CT-Sen: Hartford Courant, New York Times

GUBERNATORIAL RACES

• NV-Gov: Las Vegas Review Journal (1), Las Vegas Review Journal (2)

• PA-Gov: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

President Clinton said that.

P.S. Normally, I don't advise integrating your opponent's verbiage in your own defense. But perhaps the exception proves the rule -- if your message can be delivered in 10 words or less.

...Patrick Fitzgerald demolished Scooter Libby's "memory expert:"

There were several moments when Loftus was completely caught off guard by Fitzgerald, creating some very awkward silences in the courtroom.

One of those moments came when Loftus insisted that she had never met Fitzgerald. He then reminded her that he had cross-examined her before, when she was an expert defense witness and he was a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney's office in New York.

Libby's defense team declined to comment.

P.S. Trial starts in January. Hang on -- it looks like it's going to be a bumpy ride.

In brief:
Will this be a story about sexual titillation -- or a story about a hero vs. a coward?

In detail:
George Allen is hoping to disgust Virginia voters by rubbing their noses in various graphically violent and/or prurient passages from James Webb's fiction. That slimeball Drudge is obliging by posting the passages as supplied in broad daylight by Allen.

At the very least, Allen is hoping that Webb will be held up to the same kind of ridicule that befell Lynne Cheney and Scooter Libby when steamy passages from their novels came to light. Never mind, of course, that John McCain wrote a glowing review for Webb. Allen is counting on Virginians (translation: rural voters in the southern part of the state) to be shocked and squeamish when confronted by the offending passages.

How should Webb respond?

In brief, he should say that the books are based on fact, not fiction. He should NOT say he made these things up; he should state categorically that he saw these things (and worse) while he was fighting for his country, something George Allen was too much of a coward and a hypocrite to do.

Watch to see if Webb figures this out on his own and/or takes the advice of his supporters. It could make or break his campaign.

P.S. Like the racist sex-smear against Harold Ford Jr., this one has "Karl Rove" written all over it.

UPDATE: James Webb reponds -- forcefully. Do you think his campaign reads the blogs? Sounds like it does.

In an eye-opening survey, Gallup has found that voters expect (and would approve of) Democrats doing the following things if they take over Congress on November 7:

• Set a time-table for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
  
• Increase the minimum wage
  
• Pass legislation to provide healthcare to those who do not have it
  
• Allow Americans to buy prescription drugs from other countries

• Repeal the Patriot Act
  
• Take steps to make same-sex marriages legal
  
• Cut back on efforts to fight terrorism

• Reject most of Bush's nominations for federal judges
  
• Increase federal income taxes.

• Implement all anti-terror recommendations made by the 9/11 commission.

• Conduct major investigations of the Bush administration.

• Raise the minimum wage
  
• Repeal the Medicare legislation that forbids the government from negotiating with drug companies for lower prices
  
• Replenishing student loan programs
  
• Fund stem cell research
  
• Implement those recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission that have thus far languished.

• Make George W. Bush's life a ghastly, living hell
  
• Abolish Christmas
  
• Provide unlimited nights and weekends for terrorists using cellphones overseas.
  
• Install Osama bin Laden as Commissioner of Baseball

Prof. Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics says the following in his latest newsletter:

• At its most effective, a good field operation is worth only one or two points at the ballot box.
  By comparison, Rove, Mehlman & Co. (who have an agenda) put it at 5-7 points.

• New Jersey's Supreme Court justices have come to the luckless GOP's aid
  They may have just influenced several key midterm races [including, Ford v. Corker in Tennessee and, I presume, Kean v. Menendez in NJ itself]. No fundraising visit from Bush, Cheney, Giuliani, Hastert, McCain, Mehlman, or Rove could have done this well for the Republicans.

• Democrats are on track to net 21 to 26 seats in the House, 4 to 6 seats in the Senate, and 5 to 7 governorships.

• The second-to-last week of a campaign is typically the last week voter persuasion actually works.
  Translation: put those jungle drums behind Harold Ford's name in that radio ad.

• Republicans are despondent.
  They fear defeat.

• Democrats are paranoid.
  They fear defeat...will be snatched from the jaws of victory.

Ford's opponents are running racist radio and TV ads against him, reinforcing a stereotype of blacks as chasers of white women accompanied by a soundtrack of jungle drums. I kid you not.

And/But when Ford comes out against the NJ Supremes' decision on gay rights (including civil unions), he is blasted by the left.

I say 6 years of Ford is better than 6 years of ANY Republican.

P.S. If you think Ford is bad, you should take a look at his constituents.

P.P.S. This is not Connecticut and Ford is not Lieberman. I'm just saying.

This morning, the Post has published a major article about George Allen. It goes into great and exhuastive detail about his past -- his turbulent family life, his racist past, etc. It's the kind of story that will be used as source material for every piece that henceforth gets written about Allen -- if he wins re-election and later runs for President.

If character counts, if voters make a decision based on who a candidate is more so than what he says or does, then this story is not good for Allen, now or later.

I've been tearing apart and re-assembling large parts of the site over the last few days. I realized that left and right sidebars were taking up too much real estate on the screen. Earlier, I put my Blogroll into a drop-down box; I did the same for the Category list and the Monthly Archives list. Next, I removed the left sidebar altogether and I'll be moving the components that were there over to the right sidebar. I've also concentrated the AdSense ads into the first post on the page -- one above the post, one inside the post and one below the post. I'm also seriously considering limiting the number of posts on the page to 10 (or less). If y'all are seeing any chaos on the screen (and I know you are), hang in there. It'll get worse.

[crickets]

Just kidding.

But if you think we need a change of direction, then vote for the Democrats on Nov. 7.

Could it be that the worsening situation in Iraq becomes the main story -- the October Surprise -- between now and November 7?:

BAGHDAD, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- The significant surge of violence in Iraq sweeping U.S. personnel, Iraqi armed forces and civilians has made October the deadliest for Americans in Iraq.

The U.S. army announced Wednesday the death of four U.S. Marines, bringing to at least 87 the number of American personnel killed in Iraq this month.

Problem is, the president has abandoned "stay the course," pretending like he was never for it all along.

And Democrats? Our message should be the same: if you are happy with the way things are going in Iraq, then vote for the Republicans -- they'll stay the course and you'll get more of the same. But if you've had enough, if you think we need to change course, then vote for the Democrats on Nov. 7.

(cross posted at Daily Kos)

Jim Caviziel, star of Passion of the Christ, appears in an anti-stem cell ad with a creepy subliminal message.

I won't provide a link to the full ad -- it's easy enough to Google.

But, rest assured, it is a real ad. I understand it will be running tonight on TV during the World Series broadcast -- live from Missouri where Amendment Two is a hot-button issue in the close race between Republican incumbent Jim Talent and Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill.

The anti-stem cell bunch is running this ad to counter the powerful ad featuring Michael J. Fox -- you remember that convicted felon Rush Limbaugh mocked Fox for faking it or purposely going off his meds to shoot the pro-Amendment Two ad.

So now, the anti-crowd is rolling out some other big guns as well -- Jeff Suppan, the starting pitcher for St. Louis in tonight's game also appears in the ad.

Man, if ever there was a reason to root for the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, this is it!

Others appearing in the anti-stem cell ad include Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals and Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond.

These are the battle lines, people: We're for prevention, they're for punishment. One side wants life-saving research to go on; the other side wants to send you to Hell.

Send money to Claire McCaskill's campaign.

If you needed any reason at all to root for the Tigers tonight (who lost to the Cardinals last night to fall behind in the Series 2-1), you have it now: Cards starting pitcher Jeff Suppan will appear in a commercial, to be shown during the game, that comes out against the Missouri ballot initiative favoring stem cell research.

The ad, which will run during primetime, was quickly put together to counter another ad featuring Michael J. Fox -- the ad that Rush Limbaugh called a fake:

"He's moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act. . . . This is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting."

So tonight Jeff Suppan, professional athelete, will take the field -- against Michael J. Fox. Suppan will appear in a commercial that is against the interests of everyone who feels that research money should be allowed to be used to find a cure for a disease that Suppan and Limbaugh are fortunate enough never to have been afflicted with.

Suppan will be joined by Jim Cavizel (star of Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ) and Kurt Warner, quarterback for the the Arizona Cardinals.

Go Tigers and go Democrats!

Two weeks before the election, before a single early voter has had his vote counted, before even a single vote has been cast in a voting booth, Democrats are now assumed to be the favorites to take over the House and perhaps even the Senate.

I'm not buying it.

Similarly, Jim Leyland (manager of the American League champion Detroit Tigers) has had it with predictions of his team's inevitable victory in the World Series and he wants to set the record straight:

"...I'm tired of hearing about what a favorite we are, and how the Cardinals -- they're happy with their one win," Leyland said. "Let me tell you something about the Cardinals: You have been writing for the last several years, they've got one of the greatest, and some people think the best defensive third baseman, of all-time.

Attention Democrats: Stop it. Stop measuring the drapes in the Speaker's office. I don't want to hear about how we're a shoo-in. Like the Tigers' manager, I want to disabuse y'all of any notions you have that this is going to be a slam-dunk:"[The Cardinals have] the best young player in all of baseball. They've got an eight- or nine-time Gold Glove center fielder, a great player. They've got a Cy Young pitching tomorrow night. They've got the All-America baseball player at shortstop.The Republicans have an overwhelming edge re: cash on hand. The Republicans have an awesome GOTV machine, probably good for an undetected 5-7 percentage points in the polls. And they have a set of gerrymandered congressional districts that were designed to protect incumbents -- Republican incumbents.

"[The Tigers are] a great team," he added. "I don't really think the Cardinals, [are] happy about it. But I don't think they've gotten the credit they deserve. When you start talking about the Cards, you better look closely. They also have probably the best young catcher in baseball. I'm not sure we're favorites."

So I don't want to read anymore press clippings or click on any blog posts saying "we're going to win." I much prefer the role of the underdog. I like the idea that we may yet shock the world. I like the idea that Bush and Rove could wake up on November 8 with a nasty surprise while our team is preparing for our victory parade.

London Yank has the update.

Two weeks to go before the election.

I'm just saying.

We're into "head-game" territory now.

Republicans -- their party in tatters, with voters verrrrrrrry angry with the rubber-stamp Republican Congress -- have only one thing left: bluff, bluff and more bluff. And/But, in poker, you win if you can bluff your opponents just enough.

The big story is Kenny Rogers amazing post-season string of 23 consecutive scoreless innings. But the sportswriters keep mentioning the immortal Christy Matthewson as the record-holder at 27 innings.

But isn't this wrong?

DarkSyde debunks the myth of the bull market.

(Cross posted on Daily Kos)

OK, he showed one of my videos, and really just part of it, but still...crum-believable!

Here's Bush saying he's never been "stay the course" and then a video compilation of all the times he (and other Republicans) have trumpeted that lame "policy."

by Mark Adams X-posted @ KOS

Before he went full time into Loonyville, I occasionally saw a comment by Mark Noonan around the 'sphere.  Sometimes I check him out just for sheer amusement and he seldom disappoints.

Yesterday there was this gem at his site, Blogs For Bush:

I'm telling ya, the MSM has gotten it wrong - the polling is bogus: the Democrats are heading for quite the crash on November 7th...and the leadership knows

Note he's not predicting that the GOP will retain an ever so slim margin of control over Congress, but the Democrats will "crash."

I can only assume this means that they will end up with a net loss instead of gaining seats.  I'm also assuming that on November 8th, anything less than a veto-proof 2/3 majority by the Dems (an impossibility in the Senate with only a third of the body up for grabs) will be his "proof" that the Democrats are losers.

JD Hayworth is the Republican incumbent in Arizona's 5th Congressional District. I've heard him speak on TV and radio many, many times. The right-wing noise machine loves him because he is predictably loyal to Bush; he smiles nicely, and can make the requisite jokes with Don Imus. But the bottom line is that he has the style of a bombastic blowhard -- wrapping himself in the flag which, for him, comes in two shades: black and white.

It comes as no surprise that he is the hardest of hardliners on the immigration issue, even going so far as to praise Henry Ford's anti-Semitic "Americanization" program while claiming that he was just urging all immigrants to learn how to speak English.

His Jewish constituents were not impressed.

It turned out that Congressman Mark Foley, pedophile, was in charge of the Missing and Exploited Childrens' Caucus. Yuck.

Now, we hear that Congressman Jerry Lewis, himself under investigation for corruption charges, is in charge of, well, investigating fraud, waste and abuse of Congressional appropriations.

But wait!

Future historians will marvel at the power and ruthlessness of the Bush administration. Despite being weak in support and approval from voters, Bush and the rubber-stamp Republican congress (helped along by willing Democrats) were able to gut key provisions in the Constitution, destroying protections to our individual liberties that the Founders risked their lives to enshrine into our way of life:

There's a level of truth and meaning beyond (and, really, having little or nothing to do with) what's "demonstrably true", and that's what we're dedicated to keeping track of.

If you feel something strongly in your gut, or would like to help us keep track of the strong gut feelings of our dear friend Stephen Colbert, feel free to jump in and help out.

So, if you can handle the truthiness, take a gander at the articles we've created so far as a good place to start, or maybe just create your own.

And remember, when writing, don't use your brain; use your gut.

Michigan was originally part of Canada. But back in 1794, Americans, led by Optimus Prime, manned up and marched into Michigan, and took it away, driving out all the godless communists, liberals, and bears who had resided there. They then founded the Republican party in Jackson, Michigan to honor the great work they had done and to try and make up for the large number of cities with French names.

Why did they invade and conquer Michigan? First, because they could. Second, because Florida was already America's Penis, the people of fledgling America figured they needed to add a state which looked like a Giant Hand to go along with it.

Matt:

Connecticut Election 2006 has gone off the deep end. It's not your normal white picket fence suburban election, with attack ad facing attack ad. No, this is more like a white picket fence election that suddenly gets bored with life and decides to live in the forest, take a bunch of LSD, trout-fish naked, and taunt a bear cub before ending its life suddenly and with total and inexplicable resolution on November 7.

The new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll illustrates the political price Republicans are paying for dissatisfaction over the war, as well as disgust over the various Republican scandals.

Some highlights:

An Ohio Snapshot, by Mark Adams

AP - The Republican Party placed $700,000 in television ads in Ohio on Tuesday, a scaled-back ad campaign amid growing doubts by party officials that GOP Sen. Mike DeWine can win re-election in the battleground state.

Regardless, it "proves" nothing, no matter how hard desperate wingnuts click their heels.  While they're buying ads for Mike, it's not as much as they planned, and they don't plan any more.  (I'll note right here that, Ara's rumors notwithstanding, things can always change -- except the wankerness of Ad Nags.)   Mind you, it would be more helpful to DeWine if the RNC could keep its facts straight in the ads it does run instead of just making stuff up.

by Mark Adams

The ubiquitous Stirling Newberry is usually a go-to guy for the facts and figures needed to debunk the Right-wing noise machine's economic propaganda.  However, his TMP Cafe post describes the political war in Ohio as the "beachhead" that may seal the GOP out of the White House for decades if (and only if) the anti-triagulation strategy of fusing the moderates with progressives pushed by (soon to be) Governor Strickland plays out.

Per his expertise, Newberry keys into the Ohio "independent" voter's perception of the economy.  And he accurately describes at least two, if not more, different independent, moderate voters.

Moderates are realists, make up their own mind, enjoy tax cuts and respect integrity.  Or, they have no problem with big government as long as they get a piece of the action, and respect integrity  Or, are leery of ideological dogma, and respect independence -- which means their representatives better have enough integrity to stand up to the extreme wings of either party.

Moderate Republicans came into play when tax cuts were misrepresented and didn't impact their personal finances the way the gimicksters in Washington advertised, and the GOP showed their universal lack of integrity by not standing up to Bush for his fiasco in Iraq -- "but instead were cheerleaders for failure."

The underlying dynamic is that Republicans haven't really delivered on tax cuts. These people are paying the same in taxes as before, and their wages have stopped going up. Burdened by housing costs and property taxes, they are capable of looking at the total tax burden.

[snip]

Iraq, then, for the moderates, now looks like pure calculation, a blunder. A Bad Decision. Good deciders don't cover up Bad Decisions, they deal with them.

From SaveTheInternet.com:

While we have stymied the Internet gatekeepers' efforts thus far, we're not out of the woods yet.

The Senate version of the telecommunications bill -- sponsored by Sen. Ted ["Tubes"] Stevens of Alaska -- will not come to the floor for a vote before the Nov. 7 midterm election. But we must guard against any attempt by Congress to sneak through this legislation during the post-election "lame-duck" session.

SavetheInternet.com Coalition members need to keep the heat on elected officials in November and December -- before the 109th Congress gavels to a close. We need to pay particular attention to any senator who might side with the phone companies and attempt to pass Stevens' bill under the dark of night.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Tom Friedman wrote in the New York Times this morning that what we might be seeing now is the Iraqi equivalent of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam in 1968. Tony Snow this morning said, "He may be right." Do you agree?

BUSH: He could be right. There's certainly a stepped up level of violence, and we're heading into an election.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But what's your gut tell you?

BUSH: George, my gut tells me that they have all along been trying to inflict enough damage that we'd leave. And the leaders of al Qaeda have made that very clear. Look, here's how I view it. First of all, al Qaeda is still very active in Iraq. They are dangerous. They are lethal. They are trying to not only kill American troops, but they're trying to foment sectarian violence. They believe that if they can create enough chaos, the American people will grow sick and tired of the Iraqi effort and will cause government to withdraw

With yet another downturn in Bush's poll numbers, we're hearing again how history will inevitably view this president less harshly in the fullness of time. The most commonly offered proof of this truism is the legacy of Harry S. Truman. By the time he left office, Truman's approval ratings were historically and dismally low. Already viewed by many as the product of corrupt Kansas City machine politics, he had gotten the US bogged down in Korea, seemed willfully obtuse on the issue of Communist infiltration in the US government, and had been in charge when various scandals rocked his administration. It took nearly 30 years (and the even more dismal presidency of Richard Nixon) for Truman's reputation to rebound.

Now comes George W. Bush.

Olbermann addresses the Military Commissions Act in a special comment...

Full transcript follows:

This is no time for Democrats to stop and pat themselves on the back. Republicans are working hard to get their voters motivated and to the polls:

In a month, the party completed more than a million phone calls and door contacts combined. Bigger states are putting up big numbers -- even Ohio, which lagged behind its targets all summer, has caught up. The RNC is particularly pleased with their progress in New Jersey, where they've rapidly set up a more aggressive version of their 72 Hour Program in light of the state's more competitive Senate race.

These are the numbers that motivate Karl Rove's optimism. The spreadsheets show that Republican volunteers are working hard. There are plenty of volunteers and they seem plenty willing to knock on doors and make telephone calls. That's why it makes sense for Rove, for White House pol. dir Sara Taylor, and for Mehlman to exude uncanny optimism even while their brains pour over pessimistic polls. Right now, a strong volunteer corps on election day working to turn out voters is the only hope they've got. If the volunteers detect a shred of defeatist cross-talk or come across a newspaper article suggesting that Rove is panicked, then they'll start to panic, too.

The point is that top-level Republican optimism is pragmatic, not ignorant.

Why won't the traditional media talk more about this?

MoveOn:

The November election is our best opportunity in years to change the direction of our country. We can end Republican control in Washington if we get progressives in key districts to come out and vote.

That's why we've launched Call for Change, one of the largest volunteer phonebanking efforts in American history. MoveOn members will make more than 5 million phone calls to voters in 30 highly competitive House districts plus key Senate races.

This works! We tested this program in a special election in April, and our calls boosted voter turnout more than any volunteer phonebank ever studied. MoveOn members also made 77,000 calls to put Ned Lamont over the top in the recent Conecticut Senate primary.

Now, if we all pitch in, we're going to win back Congress.

Top Democrats think they have a shot at capturing as many as 40 House seats (or more) in November, but that the money isn't all there to put into the right races.

Donations can be sent to:

• Democratic National Committee
  
• Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
  
• Democratic Senate Campaign Committee

There are three things that I follow with a passion: baseball, movies and rock & roll. So it's no surprise that I think one of the most memorable scenes in Major League (a hugely under-rated baseball movie), is the one wherein Charlie Sheen's character, relief pitcher Rick Vaughn, is called in from the bullpen to the X version of Wild Thing . [Warning: Language not office-safe!]:

Well, since then, a lot of ballclubs have encouraged the players to choose their own "theme music." And the World Series-bound Detroit Tigers are no different:

• Center fielder Curtis Granderson likes 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted from Tupac Shakur.
• First baseman Sean Casey prefers Even Flow (Pearl Jam).
• Relievers Jason Grilli and Jamie Walker prefer (respectively) Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N' Roses and Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water.
• But my favorite is Joel Zumaya (another reliever!) who likes the park sound system to crank it up with Hendrix's Voodoo Chile.

DemFromCT:

A plan for which topic? There's plenty of plans. More importantly, there's a process for planning and oversight, something sorely lacking for the last six years. I can't wait, and judging by polling of voter enthusiasm, neither can America

Habeas corpus is your principle defense against imprisonment without charge and trial without defense, now thrown away for no good reason, with the president's signature yesterday on the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

Furthermore, the president is empowered to decide who is an "unlawful enemy combatant." That category can now include citizens and non-citizens alike -- and if you are deemed an enemy of the state, you can be arrested and jailed, no questions asked (or answered).

The president can also pick and choose which parts of the Geneva Convention he will obey, i.e., torture is now "legal," so God help you if you are one of the detainees.

As Senator Feingold said, "We will look back on this day as a stain on American history."

Keith Olbermann discusses the details with George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley.

Sunday's "Stand for the Family" rally in Nashville was a bust:

The event was originally scheduled in arena with tickets to be sold, but later was moved to a church and free admission. Monday's crowd was substantially smaller than a "Justice Sunday" event held two years ago in the same church.

We've already seen all the polls showing the Dems poised to make historic gains in the House, Senate, and Governorships; we've seen the polling models that indicate that fewer voters self-identify with the Republicans; we've heard the stories about the playing field expanding for the Democrats and shrinking for the Republicans; we've heard that the Republican Congressional campaign committees are shutting off money to lots of races previously thought to be competitive; and we've heard they are huddling behind a "firewall" that is crumbling under the heat and fire.

Just 20 more days and we'll know for sure if the Dems can take back the majority. One thing is for sure: it can't happen without your vote on November 7.

Now that its deal with McDonald's has expired, Disney is cutting trans fats and empty calories from any food that they license.

Polls seem to indicate that if you are unmarried, you are more likely to vote Democratic. That said, here's another great (and funny) political ad I came across called "Speed Dating."

Pass it along!

1. “I have not been informed of any investigation or that I am a target.”
2. “I am cooperating fully, but this whole thing is a political ploy by the Democrats.”
3. “I’m SHOCKED by the mistakes made by my subordinates.”
4. “I’m deeply sorry for letting down my friends and family. I now recognize that I am an alcoholic. I will be entering rehab immediately, so I have no time for questions.”
5. “Can I serve my time at Eglin Federal Penitentiary (aka Club Fed)?”

Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift is the Navy lawyer who successfully defended Salim Ahmed Hamdan all the way to the Supreme Court. Two weeks after that decision in the case that was reached, he received word that he had been passed over for promotion and that, under the "up or out" rules, he will be forced to retire in March or April. Coincidence? Who knows. All I know is that Swift looks to be a straight arrow, the kind of guy you'd want for a brother or a son. And when he talks, we should listen.

Keith Olbermann interviewed him recently:

SWIFT: Thomas Paine said famously, "He who would seek liberty must first defend his enemies from oppression lest he set a precedent that would reach himself." And when we say that you can have a full and fair trial without the accused present, [or] you can use techniques such as waterboarding to extort a confession, and use that and that's fair, then inevitably that's going to haunt us and it's going to haunt our children. We have a chance, still, to stop this and I am dedicated to preventing that from happening.

(Cross posted at Daily Kos)

In keeping with the tone of baseball triumphalism around here lately, I'm including a tidbit from The Note, wherein they float one of their cute, fictional memos to make a point about what the Democrats should do between now and November 7. It's "from" Begala, Carville, Greenberg, et. al. and is addressed to "Leader Pelosi:"

1. Let's keep our candidates focused ("like a laser beam") on the national "meta" narrative of this campaign -- change v. more of the same. [...]
   
2. Play offense every hour of every day for the next three weeks. [...]
   
3. Act like winners. [...]

Let's follow the trajectory of the Detroit Tigers . . . given up for dead last year . . . surprising everyone with a great summer . . . An early fall swoon . . . followed by a late autumn charge to the World Series . . . good pitching beats good hitting . . . let's keep throwing the high heat at their heads.

Oh, and the Democrats have to win, too.

I'm just saying.

by Mark Adams

It's a very big chessboard out there, and the October Surprise could just as easily be a skirmish with North Korea instead of the "accidental" war with Iran many of us liberal Blogtopians have dreaded.

It's shouldn't be too hard to start some shooting in South East Asia since North Korea has already declared that the UN sanctions constitute an act of war. 

The US-drafted resolution also authorises UN member states to interdict and search cargo ships going to and from North Korean ports for weapons and weapons material.

I know that most of Bush's supporters are too young to remember the Tonkin Gulf, but Cheney's buddy Kissinger sure does.

Never misunderestimate Bush and Rove's ability to switch from one disastrously bone-headed idea to another.  They do, after all, have a plan for disaster, contrary to popular belief.

It seems George Bush is already planning his escape from the US.

Isn't that the last the last refuge for fascist dictators?  Or was that Agentina?

Stop. Just stop.

There's a phrase that describes what Democrats are doing right now: they're measuring the drapes, i.e., they're assuming that they have the November election already won. Democrats need to sober up -- a lot can happen between now and November 7 to turn this thing around for the Republicans.

Yes, I've seen the polls, I've read the insider stories, like the one that has unnamed Republican strategists bemoaning a certain loss of between 7 to 30 House seats. And/But I've read the following story, too, and it sounds fishy -- for a different reason:

The official White House line of supreme self-assurance comes from the top down. Bush has publicly and privately banished any talk of losing the GOP majorities, in part to squelch any loss of nerve among his legions. Come January, he said last week, "We'll have a Republican speaker and a Republican leader of the Senate."

Whatever it is, I would advise you to keep your eye on the ENTIRE chess board:

The aircraft carrier Eisenhower, accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio, guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage, guided-missile destroyer USS Mason and the fast-attack submarine USS Newport News, is, as I write, making its way to the Straits of Hormuz off Iran. The ships will be in place to strike Iran by the end of the month. It may be a bluff. It may be a feint. It may be a simple show of American power. But I doubt it

In the bottom of the ninth, with the score tied, two on, two out, Magglio Ordonez hits the ball so hard that it launches into the night sky with a vapor trail coming off of it -- a home run, left field, game over and the Tigers win the pennant.

Unbelieveable! Kids will be telling their grandchildren about this one forever...

Mitch Albom:

What a finish. What theatre. As Ordonez circled the bases, and the fountains exploded and the scoreboard flashed "World Series Bound!", the Tigers flew like magnets to home plate. The coaches chugged after them. The pitchers came racing out of the bullpen as if it were on fire. And they all waited for Ordonez to reach them, to officially touch the rubber that lay in the middle of that maddeningly happy huddle, to officially send them to a place this franchise hasn't seen in 22 years.

Detroit beat Oakland yesterday to take a 3-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.

Back in the day, we used to call it "winning the pennant" and the Tigers are one win away from doing that now; the last time they pulled it off was during the first Reagan administration.

Bob Wojnowski:

The Tigers are hurdling methodically and hurtling madly toward something they've seen for a while, something that should be clear to everyone now. The 40-degree weather didn't matter. The earlier starting time didn't matter. And it appears the opposition doesn't matter at all anymore.

[...]

The Tigers can clinch the pennant this afternoon, and really, there's no point in delaying any longer. They have that look, the look of a team grabbing for everything. The A's have the exact opposite look, the look of a team eager to get out of the cold.

Back in March, it came out that Congress had allocated $1.3 million to form the Iraq Study group co-chaired by Bush 41 fixture James Baker and 9/11Commission Chair Lee Hamilton. Other members included former CIA director Robert Gates, Rudy Giuliani, former Sen. Alan Simpson, former Clinton confidants Leon Panetta & Vernon Jordan, former SecState William Perry, former Sen. Charles Robb, and a player to be named later. [Note: Seriously, who did that turn out to be?]

Now, a draft of their report has been leaked to the New York Sun and it doesn't sound like they think we can win that war.

Blame it on Panetta and Jordan!

UPDATE: Wasn't the remaining player going to be Sanda Day O'Connor?

[I posted the following piece earlier today as a comment on a blog devoted to marketing and advertising. As we have discussed this topic on a number of occasions, I am taking the liberty of posting it here.]

Regarding the wisdom of the Google/YouTube deal...

Google will cut a few verrrrrrrrrry large deals with folks like Time-Warner that will solve the copyright issue post-haste. In fact, it's already begun:

[Time Warner CEO Dick Parsons] told the Guardian: "You can assume we're in negotiations with YouTube and that those negotiations will be kicked up to the Google level in the hope that we can get to some acceptable position."

Got it? Here's how it'll shake out:

Wolf Blitzer moderates a debate between former Democratic Senator/war hero Max Cleland and the preposterously high-voiced Terry Jeffrey, editor of Human Events. Cleland is on fire:

JEFFREY: "I believe that were it not for the public dissatisfaction with what's going on in Iraq, the Democrats would have no chance at this time of winning in November. However now, I think they have a very real chance."

CLELAND: "If a frog had wings, he wouldn't bump his rear end. This has been a disaster - not just for the Republicans - for the country. We are four years into this war and we've lost a lot of fine young Americans there. It's time to redepoy our forces and bring the Guard and Reserve home and refocus on the real enemy. It is Al Qaeda stupid and this crash in New York should just remind us that it's been five years since 9/11. And if we don't get it now - that it's Al Qaeda stupid - we should be sent up the creek."

Republican Congressman Chris Shays has apparently lost his marbles, again:

Now I've seen what happened in Abu Ghraib, and Abu Ghraib was not torture...It was outrageous, outrageous involvement of National Guard troops from Maryland who were involved in a sex ring and they took pictures of soldiers who were naked. And they did other things that were just outrageous. But it wasn't torture.

Earlier in the week he slammed Sen. Kennedy while excusing Denny Hastert's outrageous cover-up of Mark Foley by saying "At least Denny Hastert never killed anyone."

Now, I haven't seen any polls for the race between Republican Shays and Democratic challenger Diane Farrell. But is it possible that the race is tightening up and Shays is, you know, starting to choke?

In Turkey, it is a crime to write about the Armenian genocide. Now, the French legislature has approved a bill that would make it a crime to deny that same genocide.

The Turkish law has been on the books for quite some time; the French law was passed in an attempt to block Turkey's entry into the EU. President Chirac is not expected to sign it into law.

The Turkish law is an outrage and/but the French legislation is simply assinine. Simply put, the genocide occured and people should just deal with it by talking about it openly and freely.

Speaking strictly for myself, I'm not interested in "debating" it with anyone, nor watching any such debate. The fact is, both my parents were born in Turkey, had first-hand experience with the genocide and so I know all I need to know. I don't have any need (nor desire) to engage the deniers in any way; that would simply dignify them and their message. But that doesn't mean the deniers shouldn't have a voice.

That said, I was intrigued to hear that the Turkish government has officially congratulated Orhan Pamuk, Turkey's best-known novelist, on his being awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize for Literature. This is the same writer who had previously been put on trial by the Turkish government for "insulting Turkishness." Translation: "writing about the genocide."

[Note: Pamuk was one of the first Muslims to openly denounce the fatwah against Salmon Rushdie.]

Eventually the charges against Pamuk were dropped, but other writers in Turkey have not been so fortunate.

This excellent 30-second spot will be aired on CNN in about a dozen congressional districts. It was produced by the September Fund, a 527 organized by Harold Ickes, a close advisor to Hillary Clinton.

ABC News is reporting:

Two Democratic sources confirm that former Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA) will announce today that he will not be a candidate for president in 2008. Both sources say that Warner simply decided with his family that he didn't want to make the commitment of time that would be required to run.

Maybe that last bit will turn out to have been a signal that he just didn't have the requisite "fire-in-the-belly" to run for the Big One.

Stay tuned.

The tragedy of Cory Lidle's death should not be minimized or ignored. But there are bigger questions that all of us should be asking:

by Mark Adams (@ D-Kos too)

Bad poll news all around for the GOP?  Even worse coming out every day.  But not so fast.

Never misunderestimate politicians backed by the most powerful corporate interests on the planet.  How do you think those people got to be captains industry?  They sell junk to lots of people that would be better off without their cheap crap.  The Foley scandal serves to give cover to those who know they should vote against the current power structure for so many other reasons.  But don't think for a minute that the GOP is suffering anything more than a setback.

It's branding, well in advance of release of the product for general consumption.  Years in fact, of public indoctrination of the idea that the GOP has leaders waiting in the wings.  Strong, responsible, grown-ups who are ready, willing and able to take on the mantle of commanding the ship of state.

That explains this tidbit lost in the weeds of all the dismal news the Republicans read in the latest polls -- all but dashing their hope to salvage anything of the November election.

Here's a bit of good news for the 2008 Republican nominee: "And the public by a 12-point margin continues to say the Republican Party has stronger leaders – potentially a significant strength in an uncertain world, if that’s where voters were ultimately to focus."

Good stuff sells itself, like milk.  But nobody ever got rich selling milk.  Why?  Because the really gifted snake-oil salesmen crave a challenge, like making the entire world think that buying a Coke can make us all sing in perfect harmony -- instead of creating hyperactive caffeine addicts with bad teeth.

The tragedy of Cory Lidle's death should not be minimized or ignored. But there are bigger questions that all of us should be asking:

• Five years after 9/11, how is it that a plane could get so close to a building in Manhattan?

• Why are we not securing this airspace like we secure the airspace in Washington DC?

• Of all the terrorist targets in the US, is New York City not at the top of that list?

• Just how easy is it to go to any small airport near the City, load a private airplane with God-knows-what and then fly a few minutes into Manhattan?

• This is a real problem, isn't it?

Keith Olbermann interviews Richard Wolffe, senior White House correspondent for Newsweek magazine, about Bush's press conference on Wednesday...

Wolffe: The idea that Democrats are going out there, as he put it today and he's put it before, that they are waiting for America to be attacked before they seek to protect America it's just nonsense. It sounds great but there is a core problem at the heart of this for the administration.

A few years ago, Carey Bock of Mandeville, Lousiana, contacted Sue Scheff of Weston, Florida, and asked for her help in getting her [Bock's] sons out of a boarding school in Costa Rica where Bock's husband had put them against her wishes. Scheff referred Bock to a consultant who helped Bock get her boys.

But Bock wasn't happy with the service she got and posted some nasty comments about Scheff on an Internet message board about troubled teens. Then, in 2003, it was Scheff who became unhappy -- she sued Bock for defamation.

One thing led to another and, last month, a jury awarded Scheff $11.3 million in damages:

"Even with no opposing counsel and no defendant there, $11 million is a huge amount," says [David] Pollack [Scheff's attorney], adding that Scheff is considering whether to try to collect any money from Bock. "The jury determined this was a significant enough issue. It's not just somebody's feelings are hurt; it's somebody's reputation is ruined."

If this precedent holds up, there are a lot of bloggers -- and I mean a lot -- who should consider taking up another line of work. You know who you are.

I'm just saying.

P.S. Defendant Bock's home and property were wiped out by Hurricane Katrina.

First Adam Gadahn, an American-born convert to Islam, is charged with treason -- the first such case since World War II.

Now they want Sandy Berger's hide too:

[Former Clinton National Security Advisor] Berger admitted last year that he deliberately took classified documents out of the National Archives in 2003 and destroyed some of them at his office. He pleaded guilty in federal court to one charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material and was fined $50,000.

Ten lawmakers led by House Armed Services Chairman Duncan Hunter, R- Calif., and Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., released a letter calling for the House Government Reform Committee to investigate.

Shouldn't the investigation come before the sentencing? I'm just asking.

From the U.S. Constitution Article 1, Section 7:

"...If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law. "

What's up with that?

Ted Kennedy went to Connecticut to campaign for Rep. Chris Shays' opponent and apparently it was too much for the Congressman:

"I know the speaker didn't go over a bridge and leave a young person in the water, and then have a press conference the next day," said Shays, R-4th District, referring to the 1969 incident in which the Massachusetts Democrat drove a car that plunged into the water and a young campaign worker died.

"Dennis Hastert didn't kill anybody," he added.

• Down in the polls, Republicans bring on the terrorists
  Adam Gadahn, an American-born convert to Islam, has become the first American to be charged with treason since World War II.

• Bush thinks Mark Foley's behavior was "disgusting"
  ...which is apparently why he's OK with Hastert covering it up.

• What's wrong with Studio 60?
  "It's misty-eyed about the days when it was still possible to believe that somebody could go on TV and tell the truth and it might make a difference."

• Tiger Manager Jim Leyland is a character out of Damon Runyon
  He's a serious horse player, Leyland is. He carries a briefcase to the [race]track, and he bets the other tracks.

The Tigers are playing their best, right when it counts the most.

After the final out in Game 1, catcher Pudge Rodriguez shares the love with closer Todd Jones

UPDATE: Has losing pitcher Barry Zito made his last appearance in an A's uniform? Or is this another case of premature speculation like those false rumors about Torre and A-Rod.

Colbert's cover story is online at New York Magazine: Stephen Colbert Has America By The Ballots. I'm looking forward to reading it at the gym while I pedal on the bike.

In the meantime, enjoy this entry in Colbert's Greenscreen Challenge ("It's not a contest. But there will be a winner. Because that's how life is.")

"Content isn't king. If I sent you to a desert island and gave you the choice of taking your friends or your movies, you'd choose your friends -- if you chose the movies, we'd call you a sociopath. Conversation is king. Content is just something to talk about."

----- Cory Doctorow

So...seen any good movies lately?

If you're reading this, then you probably already know about the crucial role played by Florida's Secretary of State, Katherine Harris, in the 2000 election, e.g., making several key decisions about deadlines and statutory interpretation that ran out the clock on the Florida recount. And in 2004, Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell played a similar role in thwarting Democratic efforts, e.g., distributing too few voting machines in Democratic precincts so people would stand in long lines, then give up and go home without casting their votes.

That said, the Secretary of State Project is seeking your support in electing clean candidates to this key role in Ohio, Minnesota, Colorado, Nevada, Iowa, Michigan and New Mexico.

The Republicans' knack for visual imagery is legendary.

(HT to John)

My hunch is that the Republicans are lowering the bar:

Republican campaign officials said yesterday that they expect to lose at least seven House seats and as many as 30 in the Nov. 7 midterm elections, as a result of sustained violence in Iraq and the page scandal involving former GOP representative Mark Foley.

OK, this should probably be viewed as evidence of a gathering storm bearing down on the Republicans:

So much for Mark Foley.

The Republicans are clinging to power in Congress. And now I understand that they're going to cling to each other (and to Bush, too), hoping they can gut it out one more time. Too bad for the Democrats that the election isn't today. Because they could beat these guys in a heartbeat right now.

Leave your caption suggestions in the comments.

Mitch Albom:

In the end, the Yankees were a bunch of grumpy giants staring at a broken beanstalk. And the Tigers? They didn't tiptoe past the richest team in baseball. They stomped it, kicked it and stole its jewelry, then waved a happy good-bye and headed on down the playoff road.

Now the Tigers' great pitching takes them to the American League Championship Series against Oakland to see if they can win the pennant and move on to the World Series.

And the Yankees? There's talk that Joe Torre may be fired and A-Rod banished. It reminds me of what happened after the Detroit Pistons beat the LA Lakers in the NBA Finals. The owner busted up the team, trading Shaq and firing Phil Jackson. It's what you do when you blunder badly and have to save face with the fans.

Search giant reportedly in talks to acquire video site for $1.6 billion.

Lots of entertainment execs have said that whoever buys YouTube will be up to their asses in lawsuits because most of the content on YT is infringing on existing copyrights. They keep making the comparison with Napster, but I disagree – the quality on Napster was pristine. Not so on YouTube, as you know. Ditto for Google Video.

So maybe Google is thinking the same thing. Or maybe they just figure that the Google ad revenue they can harvest from the revamped YouTube will be more than enough to pay all the lawyers in the world ten times over.

Think about it: 100 million page views X 20 ads per page X 1.5% clickthrough X 25 cents = approximately a lot of money every day ($7.5 million) with pretty much no additional cost because the system is already in place. So if they buy YouTube for $1.6 billion (in stock? in cash?) the additional revenue pays for the initial investment within a short time AND...and...and...you have enough to pay all the licensing fees that any copyright holder could desire. AND the system stays free for the guy who just uploaded a video of him dancing in his underwear while lipsynching System Of A Down. Which got 100 thousand views in the first 2 days. And P.S. -- Google won't have to pay HIM any money at all.

It's the perfect system: A commercial medium where the talent gets paid nothing and advertisers, lawyers and studio-heads make a bundle.

Is there that much money in the world? If so, Google will have most of it before we're done with this story.

Bush 41:

"I would hate to think what Arlen [Spector's] life would be like, what Rick [Santorum's] life would be like, and what my son's life would be like if we lose control of the Congress," said former President George Bush in a reference to Pennsylvania's two Republican Senators. "If we have some of these wild Democrats in charge of these committees, it will be a ghastly thing for our country."

Here's what Nancy Pelosi has said she would try to get done in the first 100 hours of a Democratic House of Representatives:

David Rogers of the Wall Street Journal reports that one Jeff Trandahl (write that name down) may be the "key" to the entire case.

Who is Jeff Trandahl?

[M]ore attention is beginning to focus on former House clerk Jeff Trandahl, who both oversaw the page program and was close to Mr. Foley.

[...]

Kirk Fordham, Mr. Foley's chief of staff until late 2003, has said warnings from Mr. Trandahl about Mr. Foley's conduct were what led him to ask the speaker's office to intervene with the congressman more than two years ago. And last fall, Mr. Trandahl again played a central role when he was dispatched with Rep. John Shimkus (R., Ill.) the chairman of the page board, to warn Mr. Foley against any further emails to a former page from Louisiana.

But Mr. Trandahl was in a unique position to recognize the implicit danger in the fact that Mr. Foley wasn't just close to pages on the House floor but was pursuing contact via email.

P.S. Just curious: is he (or was he ever) a member of that gay cabal?

by Mark Adams X-Posted at D-KOS

How many times have we heard it?  Whether it was an explicit threat to a dictator that we would engage in preventive war, or the implicit threat that we're not afraid to test the latest "almost nuke" bunker-busting air-fuel penetrators in Iran, or the real thing in North Korea -- Washington has always maintained that it's best for the President to maintain the flexibility to always be able to state: "All Options Are On The Table."

Unfortunately, the unimaginative Neander-Con cabal who have highjacked our foreign policy only view this doctrine in one direction: escalation of military force to the point of total annihilation.

I don't believe that the idea of military flexibility is flawed.  It's use by the imperialist "unitary executive", sadly, is short-sighted.

Miraculously, some of the grown-ups in the GOP have remembered how the game really should be played.

I upload a lot of videos and I receive almost as many back again in response. Recently, someone sent me the following video because...well, God only knows why. I'm about as far from being a Republican as you can imagine. Anyway, I watched it and honestly couldn't tell if it was serious or not. So I decided to tweak it a bit and make the message clearer. Hope you like it.

Jon Stewart: "The president and his administration really don't understand why people don't think the country is headed in the right direction. For example, Bush's approval ratings stay in the high thirties, maybe reaching up into the low forties. There are two possible reasons for these low approval ratings. One: the president is doing a very bad job, or Two: and much more likely, we don't understand what his job is. Even though this president has tried very, very hard to tell us..."

Just kidding.

Actually the judge did drop the child porn charges against him and he was released from jail in California today. Whether or not he's headed for Florida, I can't say. But turn on Fox News -- I'm sure they'll be covering this story 24/7 til November 8th.

So finally, Republicans can breathe a sigh of relief. There's ONE story that isn't about the Mark Foley cover-up, or Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Condi Rice, or the NIE report or Woodward's book...

by Mark Adams

Steve Soto at The Left Coaster alerts us to the polling data, via FOX:

An internal GOP poll and analysis by a Republican strategist this afternoon concludes that if Hastert stays as Speaker, the GOP will suffer cataclysmic losses next month.

So, when I mentioned the sheer idiocy of Hugh Hewitt earlier, it was not because I disagree with his conclusion that Dennis Hastert should fight with all his might to retain the Speakership.  It was because he arrived at that conclusion for all the wrong reasons.

Actually, for Democrats, the entire fiasco is a win-win.  If Hastert steps down, we no longer have to put up with the President's chief enabler.  If he stays, he's a lightening rod.

Make no mistake.  Hastert needs to go.  But the phrase "The sooner the better" only works if you're a Republican.

Earlier this week I suggested that Republicans were trying to divert attention away from their coverup of Foley's disgusting behavior by gay-bashing, essentially blaming the whole thing on the Democrats' tolerance of homosexuality.

Now that the strategy has failed, they've taken a different tack -- they have tied these two threads together and are suggesting that a "gay cabal" sought to shield Mark Foley from the authorities. That'll fire up the base! This has Karl Rove's fingerprints all over it.

And you know what's distressing? Katie Couric and CBS News have apparently bought the story at retail.

This will cloud the issue by throwing fear, uncertainty and doubt into the minds of whatever Republican loyalists are still sympathetic to the leadership of this corrupt, rubber-stamp Republican Congress.

(Click to see a larger image...or better yet, open up Google Earth to the coordinates listed in the title)

The hard-throwing Tigers subdue the Yankees to even their playoff series 1-1.

How hard were they throwing? Verlander and Zumaya were each clocked at 100+ mph. Yow!

Al Kaline throws out the first pitch at Comerica Park on Friday, when the Tigers bring playoff baseball back to Motown for the first time in .... well, I'll put it this way: the last time they were in the playoffs, my son was 4 weeks old. He's now a sophmore in college.

Jon Stewart: "Today it came out that Foley finger-banged two high school sophmores from the Model U.N. on the catwalk of the Rotunda. However, Foley has announced today that his mother smoked while pregnant. So, again, I don't see how this has anything to do with him."

The Washington Times wants Speaker Hastert to resign. To do so would be to capitulate to Democratic-activist-induced and MSM-abetted hysteria. Not only should Hastert not resign, he should use every opportunity to swing back hard at a MSM deeply compromised by its ideological extremism and a Democratic Party committed to retreat and defeat in Iraq and fecklessness in the war generally.

The news cycle is awash in the following stories:

• The latest Abramoff revelations,
  
• Foley sex scandal and the resulting House leadership crisis
  
• Troubles in Iraq (including the Saudis building a 550 mile security fence along their Iraqi border)
  
• Troubles in Afghanistan
  
• The Iraqi poll showing we are not greeted as liberators by the by the Iraqis.
  
• Woodward's book

Had you even heard he was dead?

First, HT to Jane for the title phrase of this post.

Second, it's clear Hastert's days as Speaker are over. If the Republicans keep their majority, they'll probably think hard before voting him in again. And if the Democrats win, well...you do the math. The only question left is this: will he last until the election? My guess is that he will, but that's just my hunch.

Finally, and most importantly, I'd like to point out something you've probably already noticed: that Republican apologists are saying that all of this is the Democrats' fault.

The most ridiculous assertion by Republican loyalists is that the Democrats knew about Foley all along -- emails and IMs and all -- and waited to spring their October surprise. This, of course, is disputed by ABC News who broke the story last week.

Other Republican apologists are suggesting that the Democrats are to blame, in a larger sense, for Foley preying on those pages. Some (e.g., the Christian Right) are saying that "our sex-drenched culture" encouraged and/or enabled Foley. Translation: the Democrats loooooove to drench things in sex. Others (I'm talking to you, Newt Gingrich) have said that Republicans were afraid to pull the trigger on Foley because they'd be accused of, you know, gay-bashing. Jon Stewart had the best come-back for that:

By the way, equating a 52-year-old Congressman who preys on 16-year-olds with being gay may be one reason that the GOP is being accused of gay-bashing.

No to all of them. Just no.

The fact is, what Foley did was wrong and everyone knows it. And, knowing it was wrong, the House leadership swept it under the rug, for whatever reason we cannot say. Perhaps they feared losing his seat, perhaps they feared losing face, perhaps they feared losing power. Who knows? But it's clear now that Foley being gay was the least of it.

So for the Republicans to divert attention away from their own corrupt leadership by somehowing equate this scandal with their own anti-gay platform is wrong and no one should be fooled by it.

So, if you've had enough of their crap, vote for change -- vote Democratic. Because that is the only way to say that everyone should be held accountable for their actions.

UPDATE: Jonah Goldberg joins the masses of clueless, finger-pointing Republicans.

Who has controlled the Middle East over the course of history? Pretty much everyone. Egyptians, Turks, Jews, Romans, Arabs, Greeks, Persians, Europeans...the list goes on. Who will control the Middle East today? That is a much bigger question.

by Mark Adams

The shame of it is, the Pedo-Foley-a scandal* gives the entire GOP apparatus an excuse.

The Democrats were well on their way to an historic victory, reemerging to the seats of power and influence on the merits.  So inept at managing the nation, the Republican stranglehold on all the levers of government exposed them as without the principles necessary to lead America or minimal ability to supervise each other.

And they had no one to blame but themselves.  They had no credible Democratic whipping boy obstructing their great plans . . . if only the liberals/courts/media or brainwashed public would get out of their way, we would all finally see the light of their vision for a better world.

(Click image to see complete poll results)

In another America, in another time, deliberately misleading the country into war would be an impeachable offense. But with a rubber-stamp Republican Congress, Bush-Cheney are immune from accountability.

This is why you must vote for change. You must vote Democratic. You must do this for no other reason than simply to restore accountability to the system.

It's not going to be easy to overturn the Republican majority. Let's get real: Bush's approval rating in the same poll is 39% (down three points in a week). So, in other words, the guy lies us into a war (resulting in nearly 25 thousand American casualties) and over a third of the public still approves of his performance as president.

Amazing.

But we can take some small measure of encouragement from this: a solid majority (54-37) say that, if the Congressional elections were held today, they would vote for the Democrat over the Republican in their own district. And this poll was done just as the Foley Sex Scandal Coverup started gathering steam.

Vote for Change. Vote Democratic on November 7.

I just signed a petition asking the leaders who participated in the outrageous PredatorGate cover-up on Capitol Hill to resign. With your help, we can make real change.

Please join me by signing this petition.

Thanks!

Yes, it's true: Rosemary is out. She's vowing to throw the Republican bastards under the bus.

Political debates usually find challengers on the attack and incumbents playing defense. But Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm reversed roles on Republican Dick DeVos in their first debate Monday night.

(cross posted at Daily Kos)

Of course, all the stories lead off with the Washington TImes calling for Hastert's head on a platter:

Mr. Hastert has forfeited the confidence of the public and his party, and he cannot preside over the necessary coming investigation, an investigation that must examine his own inept performance.

The guy in this picture even looks like Mark Foley, no?

(HT to Worth1000.com)

Joe Scarborough, longtime friend of Mark Foley, wonders:

Reading the first set of e-mails made me uneasy. My friends who knew Mark and I got on the phone and wondered aloud why he would ask a high school kid for a picture . . .

Where was the Republican leadership over the past year? They knew of Mark’s inappropriate e-mails to a former page but never informed Democratic leaders so they could warn those pages they had brought to Washington.

How could the Speaker of the House not remember being told by the Chairman of the Republican Congressional Committee that Foley had been confronted with his inappropriate emails to a male intern? Does this happen so often in Congress that it was no big deal to Denny Hastert?

Had Enough? Vote for Change, Vote Democratic.

Jon Stewart: This is why I treat my interns like garbage; because as soon as you're nice to them, they get horny.

Just calling it a "sex scandal" doesn't do the Foley mess justice -- neither does the word "hypocrisy."  We need new words.  The last time the House of Representatives changed hands, a bunch of Congress Critters were caught kiting checks.  This is the third Republican Congressman to leave in disgrace this year alone.  Amazing.  Now the changing of the guard also threatens to topple the man who is next in line after Dick Cheney to sit in the Oval Office.

Yes, a juicy gay child-predator scandal from the Values Voter Party who rode gay-bashing to victory last cycle dwarfs everything -- not that there's anything wrong with that.  Digby gave us the list from last week, enough to fill two books.

But that was then, back when Clinton slapping Fox News was THE news.  If it weren't for blogs that condense amazing weeks in the news, and news aggregators that summarize those, I can't keep up.

Huge stories, all breaking now, any one of which could swing an election:

1. Torture legalized & Bush-Cheney pardon themselves
   
2. NIE says Iraq war is making terrorism worse
   
3. Foley sex scandal and meltdown of House leadership
   
4. Woodward's book including Condi's brushing off the CIA shortly before 9/11(among other details)

Frist, this morning: Bring the Taliban into the Afghan government.

[crickets]

Frist, this evening: Uhhhhm...not so much.

First, let's get real about the stakes involved. Here's George Stephanopolous:

Right now it's a category 3 hurricane and it's picking up steam. Republicans all across the country are getting questions about it. But here's the key question: Did any Republican leaders know about those x-rated emails? ...If they did, it's game over. The leadership will have to resign. It will cost Republicans control of Congress. As one top GOP aide told [Stephanopolous] -- 'the place will burn down.'

(Cross posted at Daily Kos)

As you all know, the Military Commissions Act of 2006 exempts Bush-Cheney from prosecution for war crimes against any detainee being held at Gitmo or elsewhere.

But did you know that that exemption is retroactive -- and reaches back to November 26, 1997?

What is the significance of that date?

The answer will send a chill up your spine and turn your blood ice-cold, I promise.

Somebody's been watching reruns of The Sopranos.

Tigers lose the last game of the season, finally falling out of first place, and settling for a wild-card matchup with the Yanks. Playoffs start on Tuesday in New York.

On one hand, who'd have thought (last spring) that the Tigers would even BE in playoffs? That said, it's a disappointing outcome, especially given that the team was up 40 games over .500 at one point.

Bottome line: the post-season has just begun. Go team!

(Video included below)
(Cross posted to Daily Kos)

If I were a Democratic challenger for Congress, I'd use any (or all) of the following issues to beat my Republican opponent like a rented mule.

In no particular order:

• The latest Abramoff revelations,
  
• Foley sex scandal and the resulting House leadership crisis
  
• Troubles in Iraq (including the Saudis building a 550 mile security fence along their Iraqi border)
  
• Troubles in Afghanistan
  
• The Iraqi poll showing we are not greeted as liberators by the by the Iraqis.
  
• Woodward's book

1. Bush is atrocious
2. The Republican incumbent IS Bush
3. So the Republican incumbent is atrocious.
4. Had enough? Then vote for change, vote Democratic.

...that the rubber stamp Republican Congress shirked its oversight duties on a routine basis.

Throw the rascals out on November 7. Vote for change, vote Democratic.

The Foley sex scandal is a firestorm threatening to scorch the House Republican leadership while the book State of Denial by White House stenographer Bob Woodward reveals a White House determined to hide the truth about Iraq from the American public.

And -- ta da! -- as if on cue, here come the terrorists:

A tape has emerged that appears to show Sept. 11 ringleader Muhammad Atta recording his last will and testament months before the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, according to NBC News and a report in the London Sunday Times.

Look for more nuggets of this sort to come out the closer we get to November 7th.