Attack ads are ubiquitous this campaign season, but they are not the threat to the electoral process that do-gooders claim.
Comment: Mr. Krohn: You have made a wonderful case for universal healthcare. Someone should pay for your meds.
Comment: I was one of those guys who "as recently as" the 1990's wrote against negative ads. And I believe that the use of these ads has played a major role in McCain's impending loss (yes, Obama used them to, but JMc is widely regarded as having launched the first salvo). What you're seeing here is a generation going to vote precisely because they've had it with the cultural divide and negativity posed by the right since Nixon. This style of character assassination and guilt by association is demeaning to all of us. Sure, politics being politics, slander will always be waiting in the wings. But a clear message is going to be sent: "Knock it off and let's talk about my job, my mortgage, my 401K and whattya going to do about it?"
Comment: The Wall Street crisis was planned the night of Obama's meeting at Bill Ayres home to put Obama in The White House. Together they put a beautiful plan into place.
This Strategy was first elucidated in the 1966 issue of 'The Nation' Magazine by a pair of radical Socialist Columbia University professors, Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven.
David Horowitz summarizes it as:
"The strategy of forcing political change through an orchestrated crisis. The "Cloward-Piven Strategy" seeks to hasten the fall of Capitalism by overloading the Government bureaucracy with a flood of impossible demands, thus pushing society into crisis and economic collapse.
unquote
Obama begin with ACORN by funneling millions into their organization. He then trained ACORN to stage protests in banks to force them to issue risky loans or they would be threatened to face racial charges. ACORN was trained to intimidate financial institutions into giving ???Ninja??? loans to people with NO assets, NO job and NO income, who couldn???t afford these loans.
That caused the housing bubble two years ago it was by ACORN's actions they were able to destroy our credit system.
As this played out, D-Barney Frank and D-Chris Dodd were able to cover up the millions of improvident loans to these bad risky house buyers. And Barney Frank and his chums successfully were able to block all of President Bush's attempts to put a rein on this problem.
So Fannie & Freddie was forced to purchase all these failed subprime mortgages.
Then both Frank and Dodd denied that there were any problems, and refused the Bush Admin. requests to set up a regulatory agency to watch over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and they were still pushing for these agencies to go even further in promoting sub-prime mortgage loans almost up to the 'minute they failed'.
Democrats then blamed Bush saying it happened on his watch knowing it would hurt the Republican Party in the election setting it up that Barack Obama could use this to his advantage.
Karl Marx once compared a Revolutionary struggle with the work of the mole, who sometimes burrows so far beneath the ground that he leaves no trace of his movement on the surface.
Barack Obama is that Marxist mole !
Comment: What is most troubling in todays political climate is the promotion of hatred as a philosophy. The emergence of an ultraconservative dogma relies increasingly on the encouragement of mass hostility aimed at one group in particular - Americans with progressive political views. Liberals are spoken of with the kind of dripping contempt and virulent hostility that used to be associated with racism and sectarian religious strife. Liberals are viewed not fellow Americans citizens concerned with the future of their country, but as ideological enemies that need to be destroyed - and eaten if possible. This view is fundamentally anti-American.
This right-wing sect manifests a complete lack of empathy toward other Americans whom it defines as its ideological enemies. Its core beliefs are absolutely impervious to reason and are unleashing ugly and violent impulses. What makes their zeal so dangerous for our country is their willingness to do serious damage to our precious American Democracy in their quest for absolute power.
-The Assault on Reason (2007)
SOUND FAMILIAR? IT DOES TO ME AND I AM SICK OF IT. IF YOU ARE TOO, VOTE OBAMA/BIDEN ???08
www.republicansforobama.com
Comment:
"Nowforthetruth" is now selling that Obama has PLO buddies referring to an LA Times story about Rashid Khalidi. McCain dropped that when it was disclosed that McC donated $440k to Khalidi.
See for yourselves at: http://richmonddemocrat.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-funded-rashid-khalidi.html
"Nowforthetruth", a little more "truth" about guilt by association....
"Nowforthetruth" also said: "Nins, all you prove is that you have perpetual PMS and cannot read. If you are as careless in your practice, you are a danger to your profession." You reveal too much of yourself "Nowforthetruth".
"Nowforthetruth" continues repasting that the cause of our problem is a law decades old that encourages loans to qualified low income people. "Nowforthetruth" continues to repeat well known deceit.
Alan Greenspan stated recently that the problem was not anything like that. Rather, he stated that an entire financial system was built outside of regulation, and "we trusted" these self-interested looters to regulate themselves. Credit Default Swaps were the result.
Credit Default Swaps increased from $106 trillion in '02 to $531 trillion under the R stewardship. No regulation.
While there are several variations of a viral email that tries to blame a few thousands of political donations to some Ds, the actual, legitimate news has reported that Fannie and Freddie paid many millions to Republican lobbyists to lobby Rs, only, to PREVENT REGULATION.
McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis, received up to $35K/mo. from Fannie and Freddie from 2000 to present, to lobby Rs,only, against regulation. Freddie paid Rick Davis while he has been McC's campaign manager. Freddie donated $250k to the R convention.
These facts are everywhere in the legitimate news: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/us/politics/22mccain.html and http://www.newsweek.com/id/164732/page/1 There's much more legitimate news on this.
Trillions were looted from our economy because the Rs allowed it. It is inescapable that the Rs, most prominently McC's campaign manager, were in the pockets of big money while they drove the buss off the cliff with us in it.
You can try to distract people with fears about 'those guys'. Lies, distortion, deception. 'Socialist' is only the last in a long, now desperate, list of labels you have tried to pin on 'that one'. That's all you have left.
Is your most recent reposting here directed to fears about "Socialism", or is it just innuendo, or are we trying to fold in a little racism too?
Since we have no more ideas, let's keep running our campaign on fear, smears and hypocrisy.
Keep talking "Nowforthetruth", you're really helping. You keep demonstrating that we all have to vote against lies and propaganda and attempts to hijack our political process with deceit. Your actions are the kinds of reasons that I'm voting for Obama after 40 years of never havin
Comment: You think you know Sarah Palin and John McCain? Think again.
SARAH PALIN
Palin appointed friends and donors to key posts in Alaska, records show
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-palinrecords24-2008oct24,0,6683728.story
Sarah Palin Linked to Second WITCH HUNTER
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-wilson/sarah-palin-linked-to-sec_b_137532.html
Palin faces new ethics complaint over kids travel
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081030/ap_on_el_ge/palin_ethics_complaint_5;_ylt=AiD7P6Fxkk.LKh67DdqdA1Bh24cA
Palins un-American activities
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/10/07/palins_unamerican/index.html
Palin And The Alaska Independence Party
http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/the_alaska_independence_party.php
Alaskan Independence Party chairwoman Lynette Clark talks about why she doesnt identify herself as an American, and about her kindred spirit Sarah Palin.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/10/alaska_secession/index.html
The pastor who clashed with Palin
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/15/bess/index.html
Troopergate Report Concludes Palin Abused Power, Full 263 Page report here
http://download2.legis.state.ak.us/DOWNLOAD.pdf
Mad Dog Palin: The full Story
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23318320/mad_dog_palin
JOHN MCCAIN
Make-Believe Maverick
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain
The Dark Side of John McCain
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/22/johnmccain.uselections2008
The funniest part of all of this to me is that Palin will return to Alaska with her tail between her legs. She might try for a run in 2012, but Guiliani and Romney and whomever else vies for the Republican nomination will absolutely tear her apart. I can???t wait to see it.
Comment: According to CNN, even Arizona is now a toss-up state. How humiliating for Senator McCain. He put his campaign and his reputation in the hands of common liars and crooks, and Sarah Palin is making an ass of him. Her Florida rallies today did not have his name on any of the signs, banners or literature. And the website listed on all the lit was www.GOP.com. Ouch!
Comment: "A former Newsweek reporter admitted in an article this week that he has no objectivity and imagined disabling Rudy Giuliani so he wouldn't run in the presidential primary race last year.
Michael Hastings wrote in GQ magazine that he had a "recurring fantasy" that he could somehow stop the former New York City mayor in his tracks.
"I quickly realized Rudy was a maniac. I had a recurring fantasy in which I took him out during a press conference (it was nonlethal, just something that put him out of commission for a year or so), saving America from the horror of a President Giuliani. If that sounds like I had some trouble being 'objective,' I did. Objectivity is a fallacy," he said."
http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_7484&pageNum=2
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/55_say_media_bias_bigger_problem_than_campaign_cash
55% Say Media Bias Bigger Problem Than Campaign Cash
http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/2008/cyb20080819.asp
Pew Research finds Media Credibility Plummets, Just 30% Believe 'Most Trusted' CNN
Comment:
Senator McCain has been smearing his colleague Senator Obama
about (Obama's) non-existent ties to Fannie Mae
as part of McCain's volley of Hate Attack Ads now circulating the country.
However, the McCain campaign has many ties to key advisors and lobbyists for Fannie Mae, including his
Campaign Manager, Rick Davis. Also Chief of Staff, Mark Buse.
Realise that McCain was the victim of a notorious robocall campaign in 2000 that spread lies about
his family.. He called them "hate calls" back then. McCain now heads up his smear campaign with the same Bush guys that defeated him back them.
McCain said to reporterss last week that he was "absolutely" proud of his campaign's tactics.
He has forgotten saying in 2000, "Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you do is run negative attack ads, you don't have much of a vision for the future".
Comment: The McCain campaign has many ties to key advisors and lobbyists for Fannie Mae, including Campaign Manager Rick Davis and McCain's Mark Buse. McCain started smearing Obama
Comment: Spread the wealth how.? Look at his past. Obama in this video, addressing his work with ACORN litigation against the banks and relating to the Community Reinvestment Act and the failure of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, as they relate to the current real estate and financial crisis, states that, and I quote:
"Subprime lending started out as a good idea, helping Americans buy homes who previously could not afford to. Financial institutions created new financial instruments that could securitize these loans, slice them into finer and finer risk categories, and spread them out among investors and around the country, as well as around the world. In theory, this should have allowed mortgage lending to be less risky, and more diversified."
"The original idea was a good one, which was, lets see if we can distribute risk more broadly, and make it easier to provide loans to people who otherwise might not be able to get one."
Listen for yourself. You cannot dispute the mans on words recorded live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr1M1T2Y314&feature=related
Obama in this second video is campaigning at a convention of Acorn and I believe two other ???Community Activist's organizations. Ask if he will be their ally if he becomes President, Obama says, quote:
"Yes, but let me say that before I even get inaugurated, during the transition we are going to be calling all of you in to help us shape the agenda."
See and hear it for yourself. Obama promised that Acorn and other groups like it will setting his agenda if elected:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vJcVgJhNaU
Below is a link to C-SPAN video clips of the Congressional hearings at roughly the time McCains attempt at S.190. to fix Fannie and Freddie. See for yourself who said what.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs
See also
http://www.newsweek.com/id/164732 from this web site. (oops!) stating that Freddie Mac was spending tax payer money to target Republicans in 2005 who were trying to regulate Fannie and Freddies fraud. Democrats were not targeted, as the were all in the tank with Fannie and Freddie to kill the regulations. Hear that, the article admits that Republicans were trying to regulate Freddie and Fannie, and Democrats were trying to stop it from happening as a means to facilitate the Community Reinvestment Act.
See also: http://www.newsweek.com/id/164972
Stating that Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act wasn't what caused the meltdown, and noting that "economists on both sides of the political spectrum have suggested that the act has probably made the crisis less severe than it might otherwise have been."
Comment: FactCheck.Org is owned by the Annenberg group of Chicago! Talk about a conflict of interest! And Obama has been telling people on the trail to check out the site to verify his opponents claims. Funny, every time that he endorsed something, it turns out to be a part of his spin machine! Like he raised objections in the primaries when Indiana required photo I.D. to vote. He Protested that It took away people's right to vote! I
knew then and there that he was up to no good! America, wake up from the MASS HYPNOSIS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWTs1YyhFRg&feature=related
Comment: See: http://www.newsweek.com/id/164972
Stating that Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act wasn't what caused the meltdown, and noting that "economists on both sides of the political spectrum have suggested that the act has probably made the crisis less severe than it might otherwise have been."
Comment: I can't stop laughing at how "Joe the sh!t pumper" keeps blowing up in mccain's face, he has no plumbing lic, he has not paid his taxes, he has NO plans to purchase any business, he came out late and ADMITED he WOULD benefit from Obama's plan. All this and repigs like mccain and palin, you know "hooker moms and joe douchebags" still talk about him, but then every thing out of Palin's mouth is a racist's wet dream, keep up the good hate repigs, it only helps Obama...kisses.
Comment: This is so true about how the election is already bought and paid for:
http://www.againstobama.com/2008/10/what-is-it-that-barack-obama-knows-that-the-rest-of-us-don%E2%80%99t/#comment-1929
Comment: Who "Joe the plumber" may be is not the issue, though it's easy to see why the Dems want it to be. That's because the real issue is what Obama's comments to him revealed about Obama. In the exchange with "Joe the plumber" we find out that Obama really is as radical as his early political acquaintances, Davis, Ayers, Wright, etc., and that he is into the failed economic policy of wealth redistribution. Obama's tax and spending plans alone would be bad enough, but add Reid and Pelosi to the mix, with the three of them controlling both houses of Congress and the executive branch without any effective restraint, and you have something that should causes concern even among moderate Democrats.
See Wall Street Journal: A Liberal Supermajority:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122420205889842989.html
And whether McCain won or lost the third debate is also not relevant. He succeeded in the first half hour to plant the seeds of a Reagan style wipeout. Reputable historians and economists overwhelmingly agree that the taxation imposed by Hoover and FDR, and the "stimulus" spending and public works programs of FDR, actually deepened and prolonged the Great Depression. It was the production demands of WWII that got the economy going again. And when the war was over, the economy promptly went into recession.
See e.g. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/03/opinion/main4499465.shtml
And
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/FDR-s-Policies-Prolonged-Depression-5409.aspx
Point is, Obama's programs are to tax, and it does not really matter who he taxes, those taxes are going to be passed through the economy. He has to tax, because it is they only way he can pay for his massive social engineering experiments. Any first year economics student knows that taxation is a tool used to contract an economy experiencing inflation, because it reduces demand by reducing the amount of money individuals and businesses have to spend. It is contractionary, which is exactly what you do not want to do when the problem is that the economy is contracting already into recession. Like Hoover and FDR, Obama's plans will only make it worse for longer.
Comment:
Look and listen for yourself. Hear Obama in his own words discusses his links to both ACORN and the mortgage meltdown, and praises bundling and securitizing mortgages by banks as a means to float loans to the poor. Never mind the link commentators point of view, just listen to what Obama says in his own words. A picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe more in the case of the last half of the second link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vJcVgJhNaU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr1M1T2Y314&feature=related
See also:
http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboards/thread.aspx?threadid=808692&boardsparam=Page%3d2
This is a link to C-SPAN video clips of the Congressional hearings at roughly the time McCains attempt at S.190. to fix Fannie and Freddie. See for yourself who said what.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs
The link below contains a purported list of the top 25 in Congress who got contributions from the folks at Fannie and Freddie. Obama is listed third, after Dodd and Kerry, even though Obama is just a junior Senator. Obama is followed next by Clinton. Barney Frank and Nancy Pelosi are on the list as well.
http://www.investors.com/editorial/IBDArticles.asp?artsec=16&artnum=1&issue=20080918
And the link below describes how some Democrats in Congress tried to use the original version of the bailout bill to divert money eventually recovered to groups like ACORN, a group Obama has a long association with. See:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122247015469280723.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Comment: Awe lil-jimmy and nowforthepoo are DESPERATE, keep up the good hate, it works very well for obama.
Comment: Yeah, these two keep posting the same old, same old, day after day..tiresome. Harl, did you read my post down below?
Comment: Everyone of voting age should read these two books written by Obama, 'Dreams of My Father' and 'Audacity of Hope'. Don't buy them, get them from the library before they are removed from the shelves.
From 'Dreams of My Father', "I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."
From 'Dreams of My Father', "'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race."
From 'Dreams of My Father', "There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white."
From 'Dreams of My Father', "It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."
From 'Dreams of My Father', "I never emulate WHITE men and BROWN men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela."
And FINALLY the Most Damning one of ALL of them!!!
From 'Audacity of Hope', "I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction."
Comment: Obama's view of the future of America - Socialism which is the next step to Communism!! He admitted to Joe the Plumber than he wanted to spread the wealth! He said that he wanted to make everyone equal! Is America ready for Socialism? The Iranian president, Ahmadinejad, said today that he is glad to see the end to capitalism in America!! Are you glad?????
====================================================================================================
Under socialism a ruling class of intellectuals, bureaucrats and social planners decide what people want or what is good for society and then use the coercive power of the State to regulate, tax, and redistribute the wealth of those who work for a living. In other words, socialism is a form of legalized theft.
The morality of socialism can be summed-up in two words: envy and self-sacrifice. Envy is the desire to not only possess another's wealth but also the desire to see another's wealth lowered to the level of one's own. Socialism's teaching on self-sacrifice was nicely summarized by two of its greatest defenders, Hermann Goering and Bennito Mussolini. The highest principle of Nazism (National Socialism), said Goering, is: "Common good comes before private good." Fascism, said
Mussolini, is "a life in which the individual, through the sacrifice of his own private interests??realizes that completely spiritual existence in which his value as a man lies."
Socialism is the social system which institutionalizes envy and self-sacrifice: It is the social system which uses compulsion and the organized violence of the State to expropriate wealth from the producer class for its redistribution to the parasitical class.
Despite the intellectuals' psychotic hatred of capitalism, it is the only moral and just social system.
Capitalism is the only moral system because it requires human beings to deal with one another as traders--that is, as free moral agents trading and selling goods and services on the basis of mutual consent.
Capitalism is the only just system because the sole criterion that determines the value of thing exchanged is the free, voluntary, universal judgement of the consumer. Coercion and fraud are anathema to the free-market system.
It is both moral and just because the degree to which man rises or falls in society is determined by the degree to which he uses his mind. Capitalism is the only social system that rewards merit, ability and achievement, regardless of one's birth or station in life.
Yes, there are winners and losers in capitalism. The winners are those who are honest, industrious, thoughtful, prudent, frugal, responsible, disciplined, and efficient. The losers are those who are shiftless, lazy, imprudent, extravagant, negligent, impractical, and inefficient. [What about the role of luckbeing in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time? R. R. Pope}
Comment: PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TO BE HELD SUNDAY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The Free and Equal Elections Coalition (FREE) and the Columbia Political Union are pleased to announce that a Presidential debate will be held this coming Sunday, October 19th, 2008, on the campus of Columbia University.
ALL SIX of the Presidential candidates who appear on enough state ballots to acquire the 270 Electoral Votes needed to become President are invited. They are as follows (listed in alphabetical order by affiliation):
Constitution Party Candidate: Chuck Baldwin
Democratic Party Candidate: Barack Obama
Green Party Candidate: Cynthia McKinney
Independent Candidate: Ralph Nader
Libertarian Party Candidate: Bob Barr
Republican Party Can John McCain
The Columbia Political Union will present the debate from 8:00pm to 10:00pm in the Altschul Auditorium, located at 417 International Affairs Building. The debate will be moderated by Pacifica Radio's Amy Goodman, the host of "Democracy Now!". CSPAN will cover the debate, and live radio broadcasts are expected.
"The Columbia Political Union is committed to energizing political discourse on Columbia's campus," said Allon Brann, Columbia Political Union Publisher. "As a non-partisan organization, we work to provide students with opportunities to encounter and engage with political ideas across a wide ideological spectrum, and on a wide range of issues."
"It is with these goals in mind that we have organized this Presidential Debate: to give all candidates-- either within or outside of the political "mainstream"-- the opportunity to speak directly to students about their goals on the issues they deem critical for this country."
"We have invited all eligible candidates, and it is our sincere hope that all will participate, to ensure the substance and rigor of the dialogue which we believe is crucial at this time."
Certified letters officially inviting each candidate have been sent to the respective campaigns.
The Free and Equal Elections Coalition and the Columbia Political Union await the response from the candidates. All candidates' supporters are encouraged to contact the Presidential campaigns and urge them to attend.
The Columbia Political Union seeks to enhance involvement in the political process, domestic and international, and draw every member of the campus community into an ongoing discussion of political ideas.
FREE is a coalition of political parties, independent citizens and civic organizations formed to promote free and equal elections in the United States.
http://www.freeandequal.org/events.php?id=7
Comment: Harley- I left you a post in reply to yours. Thanks.
Comment: McCain is connected to Nazi supporters and Central American death squads.. so says
FoxNews and Washington Post (two Republican News publishers)
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/07/attention-ayers-renew-focus-mccains-iran-contra-connection/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100700025.html
The old guy has a long infamous past.
Comment: Truthforward, thank you for posting this.
Comment: Unfortunately Floridave, far too many on the right are all too prone to say, "so what?" even though common sense demands closer scrutiny. In Iraq, no WMDs, but "so what? Saddam needed to be removed anyway"; prosecuting the war in Iraq takes resources away from Afghanistan where Bin Laden likely is - "so what? we've got to win" (despite the lack of political progress amongst the Iraqis); Americans need health care and we're spending $10-$12 billion/month in Iraq - "so what?" - hmmm, I still haven't heard the justification for why this trade-off. And so it goes. Some things do matter on their own face value.
Comment: Uh.... I was just wondering why the democrats twisted "Joe the Plumber has a concern" to "Joe the Plumber doesn't have a license. Then you turned it into "where are the WMD's in Iraq?"
Why can't you lefties stay on the subject?
Comment: Negative ads are overly simplistic, misleading or are outright lies. I have no use for them and I never will.
Comment: Speaking of numbers, Omaar..... How can Obama have 3 times the budget of McCain and STILL be dropping in the polls? Is it that hard to buy out stupid people (you excluded, of course) and illegally register dead people & fictional characters to vote? Two days ago I was ready to write McCain off, but with Obama's numbers dropping and the Bradley Effect still in play, I think I will hang in there a little longer.
Why you ask? Because I have the audacity of hope, that's why.
Comment: Date State Previous Status Current Status RCP Electoral Count RCP National Avg.
10/15 Florida Leaning Obama »»» Toss Up Obama 286 - McCain 158 Obama +7.3
10/15 Washington Leaning Obama »»» Solid Obama Obama 286 - McCain 158 Obama +7.3
10/14 Colorado Toss Up »»» Leaning Obama Obama 313 - McCain 158 Obama +8.2
Washington (11) 50.3 41.0 Obama +9.3 Solid Kerry +8.2 Gore +5.5
Wisconsin (10) 52.4 42.0 Obama +10.4 Solid Kerry +0.4 Gore +0.2
Michigan (17) 50.7 40.2 Obama +10.5 Solid Kerry +3.4 Gore +5.2
Montana (3) 42.8 52.0 McCain +9.2 Solid Bush +20.5 Bush +25.0
Oregon (7) 54.7 40.0 Obama +14.7 Solid Kerry +4.2 Gore +0.5
Iowa (7) 52.8 41.0 Obama +11.8 Solid Bush +0.7 Gore +0.3
New Jersey (15) 50.8 39.5 Obama +11.3 Solid Kerry +6.7 Gore +15.8
New Hampshire (4) 52.0 41.6 Obama +10.4 Solid Kerry +1.3 Bush +1.3
Pennsylvania (21) 53.8 39.8 Obama +14.0 Solid Kerry +2.5 Gore +4.2
Texas (34) 38.0 50.7 McCain +12.7 Solid Bush +22.9 Bush +21.3
California (55) 53.3 38.8 Obama +14.5 Solid Kerry +9.9 Gore +11.8
Massachusetts (12) 56.0 35.7 Obama +20.3 Solid Kerry +25.1 Gore +27.3
Mississippi (6) 40.7 53.7 McCain +13.0 Solid Bush +19.6 Bush +16.9
Kentucky (8) 39.5 54.3 McCain +14.8 Solid Bush +19.9 Bush +15.1
Kansas (6) 40.7 52.7 McCain +12.0 Solid Bush +25.4 Bush +20.8
Louisiana (9) 38.3 53.7 McCain +15.4 Solid Bush +14.5 Bush +7.7
Arkansas (6) 33.0 49.3 McCain +16.3 Solid Bush +9.7 Bush +5.4
Connecticut (7) 55.8 36.8 Obama +19.0 Solid Kerry +10.3 Gore +17.5
New York (31) 59.7 34.7 Obama +25.0 Solid Kerry +18.3 Gore +25.0
Tennessee (11) 38.0 53.7 McCain +15.7 Solid Bush +14.3 Bush +3.9
Alabama (9) 33.5 57.3 McCain +23.8 Solid Bush +25.7 Bush +14.9
Arizona (10) 39.0 50.3 McCain +11.3 Solid Bush +10.5 Bush +6.3
Illinois (21) 55.0 37.3 Obama +17.7 Solid Kerry +10.4 Gore +12.0
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Comment: Date State Previous Status Current Status RCP Electoral Count RCP National Avg.
10/15 Florida Leaning Obama »»» Toss Up Obama 286 - McCain 158 Obama +7.3
10/15 Washington Leaning Obama »»»
Solid Obama Obama 286 - McCain 158 Obama +7.3
10/14 Colorado Toss Up »»» Leaning Obama Obama 313 - McCain 158 Obama +8.2
10/14 Wisconsin Leaning Obama »»» Solid Obama Obama 313 - McCain 158 Obama +8.2
10/14 Michigan Leaning Obama »»» Solid Obama Obama 313 - McCain 158 Obama +8.2
Click Here for Previous Electoral College Changes
Obama 286, McCain 158, Toss Ups 94 | No Toss Ups: Obama 364, McCain 174
Solid Obama Leaning Obama Solid McCain Leaning McCain Toss Up (Click Header to Sort)
State Obama (D) McCain (R) RCP Average RCP Status 2004 2000
Ohio (20) 48.9 45.7 Obama +3.2 Toss Up Bush +2.1 Bush +3.5
Nevada (5) 49.2 46.2 Obama +3.0 Toss Up Bush +2.6 Bush +3.5
North Carolina (15) 47.9 46.7 Obama +1.2 Toss Up Bush +12.4 Bush +12.8
Missouri (11) 49.3 46.8 Obama +2.5 Toss Up Bush +7.2 Bush +3.3
West Virginia (5) 46.3 47.8 McCain +1.5 Toss Up Bush +12.9 Bush +6.3
Florida (27) 49.2 46.0 Obama +3.2 Toss Up Bush +5.0 Bush +0.1
Indiana (11) 45.0 48.8 McCain +3.8 Toss Up Bush +20.7 Bush +15.7
Colorado (9) 50.4 44.6 Obama +5.8 Leaning Bush +4.7 Bush +8.4
Georgia (15) 44.2 51.0 McCain +6.8 Leaning Bush +16.6 Bush +11.7
Virginia (13) 51.8 43.7 Obama +8.1 Leaning Bush +8.2 Bush +8.1
New Mexico (5) 50.7 42.3 Obama +8.4 Leaning Bush +0.7 Gore +0.1
Minnesota (10) 51.3 42.6 Obama +8.7 Leaning Kerry +3.5 Gore +2.4
Comment: Hey Pia ;) Remember I'm in Ohio, next Friday the 24th I get to stand guard with the SWAT team my best friend is on ( I am a former LE officer), as Barack Obama will be here, I may get to meet him, but at least I will get to see him up close and hear him in person...very cool, a TON of Obama yards signs here, scattered McPalin signs. Wish me luck and keep up the good fight.
Comment: Hello my friend Harley- Thank you for your note...good to hear from you and to know you are still in Ohio and preparing for the 24th..possibly meeting Obama and standing guard with your best friend's SWAT team! Very cool! I'm impressed! You as an LE officer.. double impressed! I know you will have a blast! Wish I was there with you. Good luck and enjoy yourself! Take photos...too bad I won't get to see them...or maybe I will someday..
As for me, I will try to do a good job here!
Comment: WOW! did you hear? Sarah Palin says Obama has a "questionable past", says Obama has had friends in the "past" that he should be held accountable for, "PAST" associations, "PAST" actions, and then Sarah Palins says..."WHY DO DEOMCRATS WANT TO LOOK AT THE PAST FOR BLAME? John and I look to the future."
Need I say more...LMAO!
You have to admit though she has her "credibility" to stand on...HA!
Comment: Sarah Palin has nerve saying this about Obama. She eloped to get married because she was pregnant! Hypocrite.
Comment: 2008 is only the begining of the "Prophecy of Doom". Nostradamus (1503-1566) was an French apothecary who was 96% accurate in his ability to fore see and predict the future(500 Years ahead of his time). In his last quatrain he predicted that between 2008-2012 would be the start of the end of civilization. He fore seen the down fall of Western countries through various events leading up to World War lll (A Nuclear War) by 2012, which will start in the Middle East. With the problems we are having in the current economic mess, this could be the first sign.
Comment: Whether McCain won or lost is not relevant. He succeeded in the first half hour to plant the seeds of a Reagan style wipeout. Reputable historians and economists overwhelmingly agree that the taxation imposed by and the "stimulus" spending and public works programs of FDR actually deepened and prolonged the Great Depression. See e.g. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/FDR-s-Policies-Prolonged-Depression-5409.aspx. It was the production demands of WWII that got the economy going again. And when the war was over, the economy promptly went into recession.
Point is, Obama's programs are tax and spend, and it does not really matter who he taxes, those taxes are going to be passed through the economy. Any first year economics student knows that taxation is a tool used to contract an economy experiencing inflation, because it reduces demand by reducing the amount of money individuals and businesses have to spend. It is contractionary, which is exactly what you do not want to do when the problem is that the economy is contracting already into recession. Like FDR, Obama's plans will only make it worse for longer.
Similarly, who ???Joe the plumber??? is is not the issue. The issue is what Obama???s comments to him revealed. In the exchange with "Joe the plumber" we find out that Obama really is as radical as his early political acquaintances, and that he is into the failed economic policy of wealth redistribution. Obama's tax and spending plans alone would be bad enough, but add Reid and Pelosi to the mix, with the three of them controlling both houses of Congress and the executive without and effective restraint, and you have something that should be something that causes concern even among moderate Democrats. Don't think so? Watch and listen to a C-SPAN video clip of the Congressional hearings at roughly the time McCain's attempt at S.190. to fix fannie and freddie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs
Comment: If you like less taxes, why not no taxes? No defence, infrastructure, health, education or government services. Save a ton of money. People can muddle through without them. Next suggestion?
Comment: Lest you labor under the mistaken belief that all black people favor Obama....
http://www.atlah.org/broadcast/ndnr09-03-08.html
Comment: Everyone should see this when it posts up on C-SPAN:
Senators John McCain and Barack Obama spoke at the Alfred Emanuel Smith Memorial Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. 10/16/2008
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&tID=5&src=atom&atom=todays_events.xml&products_id=281814-1
Comment: Joe "The Plumber" is the new "Johnny AppleSeed" right out of the mind and Camp that Brought You Republican & AIP Party Hopefuls .....Sad A!! Sarah & Todd Palin....The King & Queen of the Yukon.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) Joe the Plumber's story sprang a few leaks Thursday. Turns out that the man who was held up by John McCain as the typical, hard-working American taxpayer isn't really a licensed plumber. And court documents show he owes nearly $1,200 in back taxes.
"Joe," whose name is Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, was cited repeatedly in Wednesday night's final presidential debate by McCain for questioning Barack Obama's tax policy.
Wurzelbacher instantly became a media celebrity, fielding calls during the debate and facing reporters outside his home near Toledo on Thursday morning for an impromptu nationally televised news conference.
The burly, bald man acknowledged he doesn't have a plumber's license, but said he didn't need one because he works for someone else at a company that does residential work.
But Wurzelbacher still would need to be a licensed apprentice or journeyman to work in Toledo, and he's not, said David Golis, manager and residential building official for the Toledo Division of Building Inspection.
State and local records show Wurzelbacher has no license, although his employer does. Golis said there are no records of inspectors citing Wurzelbacher for unlicensed work in Toledo.
Comment: Only a democrat would track down the licensure of a plumber and somehow construe that to mean that Obama's tax policy is superior. Maybe that makes sense on the left, but here on the right we are all shaking our heads and saying "so what?"
Now not only do we have to remind you lefties that Bush is not running in this election... we also have to tell you that Joe the Plumber isn't running for office either.
Comment: Dave Lettermen Show: McCain on G.Gordon Liddy on his Association With [Unrepentant Crimina]: It's Ok, He Went To Jail
-------------------------------------
After Weeks of hammering Barack Obama for having an Association with a Former Weather Undergound member, John McCain was asked Thursday afternoon about his own Connections to a past felon: G. Gordon Liddy.
The question came, of all places, from late night comedian David Letterman, who pressed the Senator to explain why he was friendly with the man who was convicted in the Watergate scandal of conspiracy, burglary, and illegal wiretapping. McCain - according to an advanced report of the show - initially said that he "met" Liddy before adding, "He paid his debt, he went to prison, he paid his debt."
And yet, important to note in all of this, is that Liddy has been publicly unrepentant for his actions, much like Ayers. In an interview with the UK Independent Liddy said he didn't regret burglarizing the offices of the Democratic National Committee.
In addition to the burglary - for which he served a four-and-a-half year sentence - Liddy broke into the office of Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers. He also admitted to plotting both the murder of journalist Jack Anderson - a harsh Nixon critic - and the firebombing of the Brookings Institute.
The parallels between Ayers in Liddy are stretched in the regard that Ayers was part of a group that did undertake bombings (though all of them were designed to avoid casualties). But McCain seems to be suggesting that an association is legitimate if the individual served a jail sentence, something Ayers, too, would have done had the FBI not mangled its investigation.
Liddy's relationship to McCain has ventured somewhere between the personal and political. Liddy donated $1,000 to the Senator's presidential campaign and has hosted him on his radio program. Media Matters for America reports that Liddy once described McCain as an "old friend."
In addition to addressing Liddy - for what seems the first time in this campaign - McCain was asked by Letterman if his running mate had really said that Barack Obama "pals around with terrorists." McCain, according to a write up of the appearance, "started to say he didn't know, then said 'Yes. And he did.'"
That line has been the subject of much debate over the past week, with Palin actually removing it from her stump speech after Republicans and Democrats alike criticized her for inciting already rabid crowds. McCain, during the debate on Wednesday night, also sought to downplay that angle, saying the issue with Ayers was not one of terrorism, but rather whether Obama was being fully truthful with voters.
Comment:
John McCain and Fellow Republican Politicians, have worked with [ACORN] Especially John McC.
Source: www.thehuffingtonpost.com
McCain is a [Acorn Man] and other Republicans too !!!
40% of Acorn's Registered Voters have been [Republicans]
Hahahaha !!
On Monday, the Democratic-leaning group ACORN, which has been painted as a criminal enterprise by the GOP for its voter registration and housing policy efforts, pushed back against its critics by producing a photo of John McCain attending its March 2006 rally.
It was a reminder that, for all their electoral histrionics, Republicans have aligned themselves with ACORN in the past.
Indeed, in addition to the McCain photo, there is a host of examples of prominent McCain surrogates attending ACORN events, signing ACORN legislation, or complimenting the group's efforts.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, for example, partnered with ACORN in March 2008 for a "Homeownership Promotes The Economy" taskforce. More recently, Crist declared that -- contrary to GOP outrage -- he was not upset with the group's voter registration efforts in his state. The New York Times reported that ACORN supported a law signed by Governor Crist, which "changed the rules last year to restore the voting rights of about 112,000 former convicts."
In July 2005, meanwhile, another Republican governor, Rick Perry of Texas, signed ACORN's Lending Law Reform Bill that changed the state's homelending practices.
In July 2008, California Governor and McCain supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that ACORN helped draft aimed at California homeowners facing foreclosure.
In June 2007, Minnesota Governor and McCain VP short-lister Tim Pawlenty signed a similar bill -- drafted by ACORN -- that helped homeowners get fairer deals on their mortgages.
"The legislation was drafted according to recommendations made by a predatory lending study group established by Swanson prior to the legislative session," wrote the Northwestern Financial Review. "The study group contained representatives from the banking industry and the mortgage brokers association, as well as consumer advocates from organizations such as Illegal Aid and ACORN."
As Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney signed an anti-predatory lending bill that ACORN supported. In February 2006, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman met with the ACORN Katrina Survivors Association. And back in July 2005, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg actually got a kiss from ACORN's state leader, according to the publication City Limits, during an announcement that the city would protect or create 65,000 affordable units in a new housing proposal. Bloomberg, it should be noted, has not endorsed a candidate.
Comment: An entire houseful of young, non-Ohioan Democrat activists have used the Brownlee Avenue address to register themselves to vote in the Buckeye State and secure absentee ballots under extremely shady circumstances ??? all while mobilizing a large effort to register thousands of others for absentee and early voting. The activists are leaders of a group called ???Vote From Home ???08.??? The group is self-identified as having ???extensive experience with political organizing, election administration, and Democratic politics.??? They were hailed as the ???Justice League??? by a Daily Kos blogger. Their Facebook page brags: ???Want to turn the Presidential election blue in a key swing state? Vote from Home is a political organization that was founded by a team of young people for the purpose of assisting, aiding, and tracking voters to elect progressive candidates to the White House. Encouraged by the excitement of the 2008 elections and the movement around the Democratic candidates, Vote From Home will be in Ohio seeking to deliver 10,000 votes to Democratic candidates statewide.???
A network of young college reporters who have been doing the voter and registration fraud reporting that the MSM has been slow to do, have a breaking investigative report on how several members of the Democrat Vote From Home team ??? all Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, and Truman Scholars studying abroad ??? are turning up on Franklin County voter rolls despite having no bona fide residence in Ohio and admittedly having little to no knowledge about the state before descending on it in August to sign up other new voters in a rush to put 10,000 Obama supporters on the rolls.
http://michellemalkin.com/2008/10/15/voter-fraud-alert-houseful-of-out-of-state-obama-activists-registered-as-ohio-voters-received-absentee-ballots/
Comment: Harley and Mark- Where are you guys?
Comment: Joe The Plumber: Not a Licensed Plumber and Owes the State Of Ohio 12,182 &..Say its So Joe..
Source:Washingtonpost-Assc. Press
The Debates
Joe the Plumber: Not a Licensed Plumber
Plumber Joe Wurzelbacher watches the presidential candidate debate in his home in Ohio on Oct. 15, 2008. (Lori King/Toledo Blade)
The Meat Head is Republican Tool and Republican talking points man.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/16/joe_the_plumber_not_a_licensed.html?hpid=topnews
Joe the Plumber: Not a Licensed Plumber..Say its So...You Fake Joe
Plumber Joe Wurzelbacher watches the presidential candidate debate in his home in Ohio on Oct. 15, 2008. (Lori King/Toledo Blade)
Updated 3:20 p.m.
By Robert Barnes
Joe the Plumber is not exactly a plumber, he's "not even close" to making the kind of money that would result in higher taxes from Democrat Barack Obama's proposals and has such an aversion to taxes that a lien was filed against him by the state of Ohio.
Such is the whirlwind of information that has come out about Joe Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio, since Republican John McCain made him famous in last night's debate. McCain mentioned him more than 20 times to use him as a symbol of hard-working Americans who would be hurt by Obama's tax policies. Obama and Wurzelbacher met earlier in the week in Toledo, where Wurzelbacher said Obama's plans to raise taxes on those making $250,000 a year or more would penalize him in his plans to buy the plumbing business for which he works.
Wurzelbacher since then has been on Fox News, interviewed by CBS's Katie Couric and appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Not all the attention has been welcomed. Wurzelbacher, 34, told the Associated Press that he was not a licensed plumber. Because he works for a small company that does residential work, he said, he doesn't need to be licensed.
Wurzelbacher, whose legal name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, owes the state of Ohio $1,182 in personal income taxes, according to tax records that show a lien for that amount filed against him in January 2007.
Wurzelbacher said he is of modest means, but worried Obama's tax plans would eventually hurt him. "You see my house. I don't have a lot of bells and whistles in here, really. My truck's a couple of years old and I'm going to have it for the next 10 years probably. So I don't see [Obama] helping me out,'' he told reporters this morning.
He also sounded concerned about the attention he is receiving. "I'm completely flabbergasted with this whole thing and just hope I'm not making too much of a fool of myself and hope I can get my message out there," he said.
Comment: Excellent as always, Omaar, thank you!
Comment: Pia1981: Thank You as Always...Truly
Omaar
Comment: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081015/bush_mercury_ban.html?.v=1
Bush signs Obama bill banning mercury exports
Wednesday October 15, 8:41 am ET
By Jim Abrams, Associated Press Writer
President Bush signs Obama bill ending exports of mercury
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States will eventually stop all exports of elemental mercury, a neurotoxin harmful to humans, under legislation sponsored by Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama and signed into law by President Bush on Tuesday.
Under the legislation, the ban on the federal sale and export of elemental mercury will take place immediately. All exports of the substance will be banned as of Jan. 1, 2013. The act provides for a long-term management and storage option for elemental mercury generated by the private sector as of 2010.
Elemental mercury, a dense, shiny, silver-colored metal, is the pure form of mercury. There are also inorganic mercury compounds used in fungicides and antiseptics and organic mercury compounds such as methylmercury.
The United States is one of the world's biggest exporters of mercury and the export ban would have a notable effect on the market availability of mercury.
Elemental mercury can be found in thermometers, barometers, dental amalgams and batteries. While the U.S. mining and manufacturing industries have developed alternatives, mercury is a major source of pollution, especially in developing countries where it is used in mining operations and industrial processes.
Mercury is particularly harmful to pregnant women, newborns and children. When ingested, it can lead to learning disabilities and physical ailments. As many as 630,000 children born each year in the United States are at risk of neurological problems related to mercury.
The bill, Obama said after it cleared Congress in late September, "Will protect millions of the world's vulnerable citizens, particularly pregnant women and children, from the deadly threat of mercury poisoning."
Obama sponsored the bill with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, was a main sponsor in the House.
The bill is S. 907.
Comment: http://www.reuters.com/article/blogBurst/politics
Until after the debate no one really knew was ???Joe the Plumber???, who is officially named Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (pronounced whur-zell-BAHK-er). McCain could have used his original name now and then but instead labeled him ???Joe the Plumber???.
Jed Levinson from the Jed Report said the facts show different from McCain???s view of ???Joe the Plumber???.
??? Joe???s taxes will go down under Obama???s tax plan. Wurzelbacher makes less than $250,000.
??? Even if he buys the plumbing business for $250,000, he won???t get taxed under Obama???s plan because his earnings after all these costs will not be $250,000.
??? He is a registered Republican and he voted in the GOP primary in March. It is no wonder he criticizes Obama???s economy plan.
??? He likes to call Obama a socialist for some time now.
??? It appears he spent time as a resident both in Arizona and Alaska, which seems too coincidental with McCain???s and Palin???s residences.
??? There is a speculation that he may be related to Charles Keating???s son-in-law, Robert M. Wurzelbacher of Cincinnati, Ohio, who spent 40 months in prison in the Keating 5 Scandal.
??? Wurzelbacher, 34, told Obama in the actual conversation that he was a plumber for 15 years and said he served in the military. But latest report from Politico shows that he is not a licensed plumber after all.
Despite all this McCain wants to still talk about ???Joe the Plumber??? or "Joe the Not-Licensed Plumber" and he hopes to talk to him personally soon according to Fox News.
Comment: OKAY. HERE WE GO AGAIN. YOUR STORY IS TALKING ABOUT NEGATIVE ADS BUT YOU LIST "OBAMA PALLING AROUND" WITH TERRORISTS. WHY NOT START OFF THE STORY WITH THE 2008 VIDEO OF GOV. SARAH PALIN GIVING A SUPPORT SPEECH TO THE ALASKAN INDEPENDENCE PARTY WHO WANT NO PART OF THE UNITED STATES? AND GOV. PALIN IS GIVING A SPEECH SAYING SHE SUPPORTS WHAT THEY STAND FOR. WHY ISN'T CNN SHOWING THIS? I THINK I CAN FIGURE THIS ONE OUT.
Comment: I have seen that video on HuffingtonPost. I'll get a link if it's still available.
Comment: Comment: For the life of me I just can't see how a guy with a limited track record, no experience, ties to voter fraud, ties to domestic terrorist, links to a hatred driven church, did I mention a complete chapter of this guys life is still blank. Ties to corrupted state government officials, a business partner in jail on a number of charges, and someone who has did very little to nothing during the economic crisis ( being paid and suppose to give a dam) but didn't. Even when there were developments on an international front that the U.S. viewed on personal interest defending an ally, this guy went on vacation, during the whole ordeal, vacation ladies and gentlemen .After all of this, not really wowing voters during the debates and being very arrogant, really having his way with the minds of the American public, Barry Obama looks like our next president. If I only knew that someday reverse racism could of landed me in the White House I would have change my major from what I studied to criminal justice concentration in Law....WOW. the other develop nations must really be laughing at us so badly to put this (2yr) senator in office just to tell President Bush we don't like you....Personally how can you respect a person of this nature, and how can you hold your head high and truly say this is the better candidate, life is a dam sick joke if you ask me. I think its time to stop trying to get back at the current administration and see who is better overall defending our country.
Obama???s tax plan will hurt the one sector of the economy that is still in tack. He is a liar, a fraud and yet people still see him as elect able so I challenge all those who will do so. What has he done that is so grand, maybe plot to blow up more federal buildings with Ayers? Obama is dirty, and the New York Times and Newsweek have been backing him from day one, plain and simple. How else do you explain making McCain look bad in every story, every photo, and every change and not printing any negative story about Obama, it just doesn???t add up? You mean to tell me Obama was the only Illinois political leader not mix up I corruption, give me a break! The one thing McCain can say if he loses to Obama is that he cheated to do and he shouldn???t feel bad being beat by such a disgraceful person. ----I fear I will have to shake hands with this man one day and when I refuse it I wonder about my future.
Comment: Do absentee ballots facilitate fraud?
Lessons from East Chicago ??? could a statewide election be subverted?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27166150/
Comment: Joe The Plumber: Not a Licensed Plumber and Owes the State Of Ohio 12,182 &..Say its So Joe..
Category: News and Politics
Source:Washingtonpost-Assc. Press
The Debates
Joe the Plumber: Not a Licensed Plumber
Plumber Joe Wurzelbacher watches the presidential candidate debate in his home in Ohio on Oct. 15, 2008. (Lori King/Toledo Blade)
The Meat Head is Republican Tool and Republican talking points man.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/16/joe_the_plumber_not_a_licensed.html?hpid=topnews
Joe the Plumber: Not a Licensed Plumber..Say its So...You Fake Joe
Plumber Joe Wurzelbacher watches the presidential candidate debate in his home in Ohio on Oct. 15, 2008. (Lori King/Toledo Blade)
Updated 3:20 p.m.
By Robert Barnes
Joe the Plumber is not exactly a plumber, he's "not even close" to making the kind of money that would result in higher taxes from Democrat Barack Obama's proposals and has such an aversion to taxes that a lien was filed against him by the state of Ohio.
Such is the whirlwind of information that has come out about Joe Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio, since Republican John McCain made him famous in last night's debate. McCain mentioned him more than 20 times to use him as a symbol of hard-working Americans who would be hurt by Obama's tax policies. Obama and Wurzelbacher met earlier in the week in Toledo, where Wurzelbacher said Obama's plans to raise taxes on those making $250,000 a year or more would penalize him in his plans to buy the plumbing business for which he works.
Wurzelbacher since then has been on Fox News, interviewed by CBS's Katie Couric and appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Not all the attention has been welcomed. Wurzelbacher, 34, told the Associated Press that he was not a licensed plumber. Because he works for a small company that does residential work, he said, he doesn't need to be licensed.
Wurzelbacher, whose legal name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, owes the state of Ohio $1,182 in personal income taxes, according to tax records that show a lien for that amount filed against him in January 2007.
Wurzelbacher said he is of modest means, but worried Obama's tax plans would eventually hurt him. "You see my house. I don't have a lot of bells and whistles in here, really. My truck's a couple of years old and I'm going to have it for the next 10 years probably. So I don't see [Obama] helping me out,'' he told reporters this morning.
He also sounded concerned about the attention he is receiving. "I'm completely flabbergasted with this whole thing and just hope I'm not making too much of a fool of myself and hope I can get my message out there," he said.
Comment: It doesn???t matter if someone is a Republican, a conservative Christian or even a racist, for most anyone to vote for McCain-Palin it would simply be like ???shooting oneself in the foot???. Even those making over $250,000 who would get an Obama tax increase, with McCain-Palin they would still have to endure a further declining economy, continuation of the misguided war effort, no real resolutions for medical, education, energy, immigration,,, and the furthering of a focus on Special Interests while giving everyone else just subterfuge and the costs. It should be perfectly clear from all that has transpired during this election cycle that all Palin and McCain offer is deceptive rhetoric boldly presented, a lack of integrity, arrogant insincerity and more of the self-serving Bush style politics. Whether agreeing with all of Obama???s positions or not, it should be clear that they do sincerely address the issues with the people in mind and that in contrast the McCain positions can neither be trusted nor expected to help the majority of people. Even the offered scare that Obama represents a tax and spend ???big government??? mentality has no real basis, as what the Bush-Cheney administration has done, that the McCain-Palin positions clearly indicate they would continue, is outspent, including more ???pork barrel??? items, then any administration before. Last night, after the debate the ???Fact Check??? segment even pointed out that McCain???s proposals were more costly (and without anything offered to pay for them) than Obama???s. The truth is that unless people can check their prejudices, put aside their biases and be rational and objective to see that their emotional attachments could be used to sway them, then their voting for McCain-Palin not only may be asking for ???more of the same??? but also is very likely not in their best interests.
Comment: Source: www.washingtyonpost.com
Joe the Plumber: Not a Licensed Plumber..Sya its So...You Fake Joe
Plumber Joe Wurzelbacher watches the presidential candidate debate in his home in Ohio on Oct. 15, 2008. (Lori King/Toledo Blade)
Updated 3:20 p.m.
By Robert Barnes
Joe the Plumber is not exactly a plumber, he's "not even close" to making the kind of money that would result in higher taxes from Democrat Barack Obama's proposals and has such an aversion to taxes that a lien was filed against him by the state of Ohio.
Such is the whirlwind of information that has come out about Joe Wurzelbacher of Holland, Ohio, since Republican John McCain made him famous in last night's debate. McCain mentioned him more than 20 times to use him as a symbol of hard-working Americans who would be hurt by Obama's tax policies. Obama and Wurzelbacher met earlier in the week in Toledo, where Wurzelbacher said Obama's plans to raise taxes on those making $250,000 a year or more would penalize him in his plans to buy the plumbing business for which he works.
Wurzelbacher since then has been on Fox News, interviewed by CBS's Katie Couric and appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America."
Not all the attention has been welcomed. Wurzelbacher, 34, told the Associated Press that he was not a licensed plumber. Because he works for a small company that does residential work, he said, he doesn't need to be licensed.
Wurzelbacher, whose legal name is Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, owes the state of Ohio $1,182 in personal income taxes, according to tax records that show a lien for that amount filed against him in January 2007.
Wurzelbacher said he is of modest means, but worried Obama's tax plans would eventually hurt him. "You see my house. I don't have a lot of bells and whistles in here, really. My truck's a couple of years old and I'm going to have it for the next 10 years probably. So I don't see [Obama] helping me out,'' he told reporters this morning.
He also sounded concerned about the attention he is receiving. "I'm completely flabbergasted with this whole thing and just hope I'm not making too much of a fool of myself and hope I can get my message out there," he said.
I Agree, Joe, Palin and Mccain Himself are a Disgrace and are hardly Honorable...
No Integrity at all.
McCain is Always refers to Himself and not Us or You. Its .Always... I
"Obama has gotten much better about referring to voters more than himself while McCain refers to himself more than the voters. Check out the closing statements.
Here's McCain's: 'I have a record of reform, and taking on my party, the other party, the special interests...'
And Obama's: '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.'"
Comment: If Joe the Plumber thinks he can't afford to buy the business under Obama's tax plan then he really needs to consult a good accountant. Obama's plan lowers taxes on the first $250,000 Joe makes. On the money over $250,000, Joe would pay 39% under Obama, instead of the 36% he now pays. That's 3% more taxes, not exactly a break-the-bank if you have already made $250,000 at a low rate. Plus, Obama will give him a tax credit for every job he creates, and tax credits for every employee that he provides health insurance for. Under Obama's plan, Joe's business will pay LESS TAX than it does now.
McCain's plan will tax the first $250,000 at a higher rate, then drop the taxes on anything over $250,000 by an unspecified amount. McCain's plan does not give him a tax credit for every job he creates. If he provides health care for his employees he will now have to deduct yet another tax from their paychecks, adding administrative burden to his company. Not to mention that Joe will have to pay this tax himself on his personal income, which amounts to an extra $4,200 a year he pays in taxes (35% of the $12,000 a typical policy costs). And if his company does not provide health care, he and his employees will pay out of pocket for their health care (average cost $12,000 per year), get a $5,000 tax credit under McCain, but be out of pocket at least $7,000 per year for their policy.
My impression is that Joe really should stick to plumbing and leave tax policy to Obama.
Furthermore, Joe the plumber says that Obama has a "very socialist view of taxes" This statement shows America how very uninformed Joe Wurzelbacher is. I would love to hear Joe define socialism and describe the tax policies of a socialist nation. He would start to sound like Sarah Palin on Katie Couric. Nor does he seem to recognize that all democracies socialize certain functions: police, fire fighting, military, roads, public schools, sewers, water. This is for the greater good and we all accept it. It does not make us socialists.
In his book Audacity of Hope, Obama writes at length about the FAILURE of SOCIALISM. He enthusiastically states that American democracy is the greatest political system on earth. Obama is not a socialist, and he does not admire socialism.
Joe the plumber should stick to plumbing and leave public policy decisions to people who actually know what they are talking about.
Oh, and maybe Joe and his boss should get plumbing licenses. Apparently neither of them is licensed, in violation of both state and county laws.
Comment: McCain is Saddam's " Inside Man"
William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.
The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government.
During the same period beginning in 1992, Timmons worked closely with the two lobbyists, Samir Vincent and Tongsun Park, on a previously unreported prospective deal with the Iraqis in which they hoped to be awarded a contract to purchase and resell Iraqi oil. Timmons, Vincent, and Park stood to share at least $45 million if the business deal went through.
Timmons' activities occurred in the years following the first Gulf War, when Washington considered Iraq to be a rogue enemy state and a sponsor of terrorism. His dealings on behalf of the deceased Iraqi leader stand in stark contrast to the views his current employer held at the time.
John McCain strongly supported the 1991 military action against Iraq, and as recently as Sunday described Saddam Hussein as a one-time menace to the region who had "stated categorically that he would acquire weapons of mass destruction, and he would use them wherever he could."
Timmons declined to comment for this story. An office manager who works for him said that he has made it his practice during his public career to never speak to the press. Timmons previously told investigators that he did not know that either Vincent or Park were acting as unregistered agents of Iraq. He also insisted that he did not fully understand just how closely the two men were tied to Saddam's regime while they collaborated.
But testimony and records made public during Park's criminal trial, as well as other information uncovered during a United Nations investigation, suggest just the opposite. Virtually everything Timmons did while working on the lobbying campaign was within days conveyed by Vincent to either one or both of Saddam Hussein's top aides, Tariq Aziz and Nizar Hamdoon. Vincent also testified that he almost always relayed input from the Iraqi aides back to Timmons.
Talking points that Timmons produced for the lobbyists to help ease the sanctions, for example, were reviewed ahead of time by Aziz, Vincent testified in court. Proposals that Timmons himself circulated to U.S. officials as part of the effort were written with the assistance of the Iraqi officials, and were also sent ahead of time with Timmons' approval to Aziz, other records show.
Moreover, there was a major financial incentive at play for Timmons. The multi-million dollar oil deal that he was pursuing with the two other lobbyists would only be possible if their efforts to ease sanctions against Iraq were successful.
Comment: Obama's Iraq plans vindicated as US agrees to pull out by [ 2011]
By Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad
Thursday, 16 October 2008 Iraq and the United States have finally agreed on a security pact which would mean that US forces would withdraw from Iraq by 2011, American and Iraqi officials said yesterday.
The accord became a major test of strength between the Iraqi government and Washington since negotiations began in March with the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, pictured below, demanding US concessions on the date of the troop withdrawal and immunity for US troops. The pact replaces the UN Security Council resolution enacted after the American invasion of 2003.
The agreement still needs to be approved by the council of Iraqi leaders, the cabinet and the Iraqi parliament. Mr Maliki saw the highly influential Shia religious leader, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, last week and was assured that he would not stand in the way of the pact if approved by parliament.
The accord has been on the verge of being signed several times in the past only for fresh objections to be made by the Iraqi government, which has become increasingly confident of its own strength. A compromise has been reached on whether or not US troops can be tried by an Iraqi court if they commit crimes while not engaged in operations. US troops are to withdraw from Iraqi towns and villages by the middle of next year and from Iraq entirely by the middle of 2011 said the government's spokesman, Ali Dabbagh.
He said: "The withdrawal is to be achieved in three years. In 2011, the government at that time will determine whether it needs a new pact or not, and what type of pact will depend on the challenges it faces."
The US administration will present the pact as a sign of its success in Iraq but in fact the accord is very different from originally envisaged by Washington which would largely have continued the occupation as before.
President Bush was opposed to timelines or dates for an American withdrawal and the US is still stressing that this is conditional on improved security in Iraq. But it is unlikely that the Shia majority will want to share power with the US.
Iraqi politicians have always assumed that Washington's insistence on signing a new accord before the presidential election was motivated by the White House's hope that the accord would be seen as a sign that its Iraq policy had at last produced a success. The Republican contender, Senator John McCain, started off his campaign by saying that US troops might stay for 100 years and there should be no date for their withdrawal. The Democratic candidate, Senator Barack Obama, wants combat troops home by the middle of 2010, which was also the date originally proposed by Mr Maliki.
Comment: Friends, please forgive me. I left the field of battle yesterday in despair. But last night I was inspired by Senator McCain. I will resume fighting. We cannot guarantee victory, but we can deserve it.
Comment: No worries, there is reason for optimism. At this time time in 2000, major polls had Gore up 11% over Bush. In 2004, some polls had Kerry up 5% over Bush. We all know what happened.
I think this year it will be similar, if not better for the Republican candidate because I believe many who say they will vote for Obama (becuase it's hip or cool or fashinable), actually won't.
Comment: More's the pity....O self-styled Sir GaulMcBad.
Comment: Whether McCain won or lost is not relevant. He succeeded in the first half hour to plant the seeds of a Reagan style wipeout. Reputable historians and economists overwhelmingly agree that the taxation imposed by and the "Sstimulus" spending and public works programs of FDR actually deepened and prolonged the Great Depression. It was the production demands of WWII that got the economy going again. And when the war was over, the economy promptly went into recession.
Point is, Obama's programs are tax and spend, and it does not really matter who he taxes, those taxes are going to be passed through the economy. Any first year economics student knows that taxation is a tool used to contract an economy experiencing inflation, because it reduces demand by reducing the amount of money individuals and businesses have to spend. It is contractionary, which is exactly what you do not want to do when the problem is that the economy is contracting already into recession. Like FDR, Obama's plans will only make it worse for longer.
Obama's tax and spending plans alone would be bad enough, but add Wright and Pelosi to the mix, with the three of them controlling both houses of Congress and the executive without and effective restraint, and you have something that should be something that causes concern even among moderate Democrats. Don't think so? Watch and listen to a C-SPAN video clip of the Congressional hearings at roughly the time McCain's attempt at S.190. to fix fannie and freddie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs
Comment: The sad thing is not that Palin and McCain complement each other, but the fact that the country is loaded with enough dummies who ready to elect them as the next presidential executives.
You see, we cannot change the mindset of these followers. And, even if we could they would not be graceful at the end. So the best alternative is to ignore them and stop talking about them.
Remember the basic principle of Supply and Demand.
Comment: Todd & Sarah Palin's Hatefilled, Secessionist Party, The 3rd largest Political Party in alaska, Todd Palin was a Member for 7 Years and is Not a registered Republican. Demand that Sarah & Todd Palin Renounce and Denounce the Anti-American-Secessionist beliefs and teachings ...
Newsweek Magazine ...Please, I'm Begging You NewsWeek, Put sarah and Todd Palin to task for their Anti-American Connections.
AIP's creation was inspired by the rabidly violent anti-Americanism of its founding father Joe Vogler, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," reads a favorite Vogler quote on AIP's current website, "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Alaska, says current Chairwoman Lynette Clark, "should be an independent nation."
Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad. The prior year, he had renounced his allegiance to the United States explaining that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government." He cursed the stars and stripes, promising, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." Palin has never denounced Vogler or his detestable anti-Americanism.
Palin's husband Todd remained an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002.
Sarah can be described in McCarthy-era palaver as a "fellow traveler."
While retaining her Republican
