Palin Gets Booed At Hockey Game

Everyone's least favorite "Hockey Mom" dropped the ceremonial first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers game to an "avalanche of boos" according to reports. Seems Palin suspected she would be unpopular and dressed her youngest in a Flyers jersey just to avoid it. The crowd booed anyway. Watch for yourself.

St Louis Post Dispatch Latest Paper to Endorse Obama

The newspaper endorsements are starting to fall in place, and Barack Obama is getting some really high profile nods. The latest, the St. Louis Post Dispatch happened in this weeks Sunday edition. Previously three other major dailies have endorsed the Illinois Senator:

• The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
• The San Jose Mercury News
• The Santa Fe New Mexican

Read about the endorsements here in Editor & Publisher.

Palin Lies To Reporter - Can't Seem To Stop Lying?

So Sarah Palin has an honesty problem. She just can't stop lying. When talking to a reporter about her ethics violation in Alaska, she stated that she did nothing unethical by replacing a cabinet member. True, but that was not the real issue. The real issue was her and her husband pressuring a cabinet member to fire a trooper for personal reasons.

Read the story here on Jack Trapper's blog on ABC News.

McCain Supporters Hatred Caught On Video

The following video clip from Pennsylvania shows why McCain and Palin need to tone their rhetoric way down.

McCain Finally Denounces Angry Supporters

McCain finally denounced the raging anger at one of his own rallies today. It's about time!



According to a Time Magazine reporter,:

Indeed, he just snatched the microphone out the hands of a woman who began her question with, "I'm scared of Barack Obama... he's an Arab terrorist..."

"No, no ma'am," he interrupted. "He's a decent family man with whom I happen to have some disagreements."

Troopergate Report - Sarah Palin Broke The Law!

The chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday that Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper. The bipartisan panel found Palin in violation of a state ethics law that prohibits public officials from using their office for personal gain.

Investigator Stephen Branchflower said Palin violated a statute of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Lawmakers don't have the authority to sanction her for such a violation, and they gave no indication they would take any action against her.

The much anticipated report was subject to a lot of legal maneuvering my the McCain campaign to try to delay it's release until after the election. That action failed and now the McCain PR staff is calling the report partisan and biased.

Here's my take. In a majority Republican state, for a bipartisan panel to find she was in violation of ethics laws seems pretty clear. Palin used her influence to settle a family grudge, and that is the plain truth. Now, will the state's personnel board take action against her? She could face impeachment and that would play poorly for the McCain campaign.

If you ever needed a reason NOT to vote for McCain/Palin, this is a pretty good one!

Who Is Barack Obama? Watch The Video!

Republicans At Rally Call For Terrorist Tactics!

McCain needs to rein in his supporters really fast! At the latest debate for a down-ticket race, Saxby Chambliss Republican incumbent in Georgia, supporters were out of control. They waved signs and shouted, culminating in calls for assassination of Obama.

From the AP:

Thursday's debate took place in front of a highly partisan crowd in the GOP stronghold of Middle Georgia.

Chambliss supporters waved "Saxby" signs and offered up a sustained "boos" when Martin mentioned Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

"Bomb Obama," one woman hollered.

It's time McCain and Palin stop their angry rhetoric and remind their supporters we still live in what might pass for a civilized country.

Sally Kerns Won't Shut Up

Sally Kerns is the bad penny of Oklahoma politics. In a debate with her Democratic opponent Ms. Kerns used the same line she used back in March of this year which drew national attention to the diminutive Oklahoma State Representative.

“While terrorism has killed more than 3,000 people in the continental United States in the last 15 years, homosexual behavior has killed more than 100,000,” she said again. “It's a danger to life. It is a danger to health.”

At the time I figured she was just making one last growl before she and the rest of the homophobic dinosaurs sank into the tar pit of history, but I was wrong. Even after the firestorm of controversy she caused, which brought derision to the state and her office by both the press and politicians, Kerns is unrepentant.

The debate even erupted into a shouting match at one point when her challenger’s wife stood up in the audience and called Kerns a liar. I wish I could have been there to watch.

Connecticut Supreme Court OKs Gay Marriage!

Just in from ThinkProgress.com:

In a 4-3 decision released this morning, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality, stating that same-sex couples have the right to wed. Citing the equal protection clause of the state constitution, the justices ruled that civil unions were discriminatory. From the ruling:

Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same sex partner of their choice. […]To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others.”

The Hartford Courant notes that “the court’s ruling today will likely be the final judicial judgment in the case because it it based on the state constitution, rather then the U.S. constitution.”

Wall Street Panick Feeds Itself - Time To Slow Down And Think

A roller coaster ride would be a very clear analogy for this weeks trading. Investors are panicked and they are jumping out of the market like lemmings. The problem is they are not being rational. The irrational exuberance that Greenspan once warned of is now expressing itself in an opposite direction.

The Dow dropping below 8000 for a few minutes today may have given people a sobering vision. The problem with the market is that it seems to be governed more by fear and emotion than sound decision. Yes, GM doesn't look real good right now, but that could change, or perhaps there will be no more major car makers in America. Both scenarios could happen and it would be based on fear not logic. A bigger crash is possible but only as a self-fullfilling prophecy. It's time someone quelled the panick and started talking some sense into the freightened traders before it is too late.

Whisper Campaigns - "Is McCain A Secret Irishman?"

OK, I got another email with the same crap about Obama allegedly being Muslim. No I don't have a problem with Muslims, we have a large Muslim community here in Dallas and I know several who are really decent people. The problem is that a lot of American's who listen to too much talk radio and to them, "Muslim" = "Terrorist".

Well that may seem silly but it's true. Now the problem is first, Muslim does not equal terrorist. Secondly, Obama is Christian. To drive home their point they harp on his middle name, Hussein, a family name on his father's side. So to many Americans, "funny name" = "terrorist".

Sad state our country is in, but that's the way it is. To combat this crap I propose a whisper campaign of our own. John McCain's middle name is "Sidney". How the hell can you trust a guy named Sidney? And worse, he is Irish! He hides this fact well, but we all know how dangerous the Irish are. They cam over here in the 1800's stealing American's jobs and polluting our cities with their music and drinking. Their gangs ruled New York for a while and how can you trust a guy whose native land drinks warm beer?

See how silly that sounds? Back in the1800's it would sound pretty scary, but it was silly then too.

Now, if you want to start a real whisper campaign, what about McCain's early onset dementia, losing his way onstage, forgetting Obama's name in the debates and calling an audience "my fellow prisoners"?

Cindy McCain Insults Vietnam Vets!

Enough is enough.Cindy McCain went way over the line today when she said that Veterans with PTSD were simply poorly trained draftees, as opposed to her husband who was trained. I assume she is referring to his training got him shot down and his training that crashed numerous jets during training I suppose. This quote from an interview with Marie Claire, gets my blood boiling as it should for anyone who ever served or who honors those who did.

Q: You met your husband after his POW days. To what extent is that still with you - or is it a part of history?

McCAIN: My husband will be the first one to tell you that that’s in the past. Certainly it’s a part of who he is, but he doesn’t dwell on it. It’s not part of a daily experience that we experience or anything like that. But it has shaped him. It has made him the leader that he is.

Q: But no cold sweats in the middle of the night?

McCAIN: Oh, no, no, no, no, no. My husband, he’d be the first one to tell you that he was trained to do what he was doing. The guys who had the trouble were the 18-year-olds who were drafted. He was trained, he went to the Naval Academy, he was a trained United States naval officer, and so he knew what he was doing.

McCain Is A Hot Head - Watch This Video

As Dow Drops Below 9000 - What To Do?

The stock market is in free fall and it's time to stop the slide. I suggest suspending trading until traders can calm down and stop their lemming like run for the cliff. People are selling just for the sake of selling and that is stupid.

If you are holding good companies why sacrifice them for pennies on the dollar? Financial stocks are a real problem, but major companies who are doing well should be good in the long run.

It's times like this I am almost glad I am poor. My portfolio is filled with moths.

We also need a strong President who can calm peoples fears. Bush should be on the radio and TV trying to calm people but considering his record for truth telling it might not work. I sincerely hope Barack Obama can be the kind of leader we need. Another Roosevelt would be a good thing right now.

Now about those execs at AIG (the company we bailed out) who threw the $500,000 party for their managers and salespeople, well they can sell apples on the corner for all I care.

Secret Service Investigates "Kill Him" Threat At Palin Speech

The Secret Service finally took a listen to the tapes that have been all over YouTube and it's about time. At Sarah Palin's hate fest against Obama the crowd was whipped up with a hateful fury. One supporter was clearly heard say "kill him" in regard to Barack Obama. Now after the press has pounded on it the Secret Service is investigating.

Shouts like that are considered credible threats, especially when the crowd was so riled up. If Palin did hear it and didn't say anything, she is complicit and should step down. That kind of hate in a campaign is far too dangerous to "pal around" with.

New Veterans Group Ad Slams McCain - Video

McCain Has Vietnam Flashback At Rally Today

John McCain is having Vietnam flashbacks! Seriously. At a rally in Pennsylvania he addressed the crowd as "my fellow prisoners". What the heck is happening to him?

Can we afford a person who is having serious lapses in memory to be president? I don't think so.

Who Backs McCain? Must See Video!

Not to demean the great majority of Americans but unfortunately these folks also vote. I love small town America but I don't love folks who are just dumb as a post. So you decide, dumb as a post or lovable small town folks?


Thanks to the folks at Dumbutt, Texas blog for this one! I suspect beer had a lot to do with their reactions on the video.

McCain's 17 Lies During Debate

JOHN MCCAIN’S 17 LIES TONIGHT

1. MCCAIN PROPOSING NEW HOUSING PLAN. McCain today said he had a new plan to allow the Treasury to purchase and restructure mortgages. The truth is that this is not a new proposal and is already part of the rescue plan that was signed into law. It was Obama, not McCain who called for this move two weeks ago.

2. MCCAIN TAX PLAN IS BETTER. McCain said, “It is my proposal not Senator Obama’s” that will “take care of working families.” The reality is that even the Heritage Foundation agrees Obama will provide a middle class tax cut that studies have found is three times larger than under McCain’s plan. In contrast, the McCain plan’s benefits would overwhelmingly go to the wealthiest Americans and would leave out 101 million middle class households.

3. MCCAIN’S PLAN FOR HOUSING CRISIS. McCain said, “We have got to give some trust and confidence back to America” to solve the housing crisis. But Politifact agrees that McCain was taken by surprise by the mortgage crisis and was “a latecomer” to the debate. He even said “I don’t claim to be smart enough” to solve the housing crisis and newspapers have found that McCain “overstates” his past actions on housing regulation.

4. TIES TO FANNIE/FREDDIE. McCain talked about “Senator Obama and his cronies and friends in Washington” and blamed them for Fannie and Freddie, while news accounts have pointed out his “deeper” ties to the companies. His campaign manager Rick Davis fought against greater regulation for years, and then his firm was revealed to be taking $15,000 a month until this summer from Freddie Mac, after denying any recent ties.

5. MCCAIN WILL MAKE HEALTH CARE AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE. McCain said “We can do them all at once,” talking about affordability and availability of health care, but he failed to mention that experts say his plan may require some to pay more or get less coverage, that millions would lose their employer-based coverage, and that even he has admitted that his plan will raise taxes on some.

6. SMALL BUSINESS TAXES. McCain said Obama’s plan “will increase taxes on 50% of small business revenue,” when the Washington Post found similar attacks “untrue,” and studies show 97% of small business owners wouldn’t see higher taxes under Obama’s plan. Factcheck.org said the attack used “a false and preposterously inflated figure.”

7. TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY. McCain said “I am not in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy.” While he once said that the Bush tax cuts were “too tilted to the wealthy,” now he wants to make them permanent.

8. 2005 ENERGY BILL. McCain attacked Obama for his vote for the 2005 energy bill, saying it had “billions for oil companies.” The truth is that FactCheck.org called this “an old canard” and a “false attack.” The non-partisan Congressional Research Service said the bill actually raised taxes on the oil and gas industry.

9. 94 VOTES FOR HIGHER TAXES…AGAIN. McCain once again repeated the attack that Obama voted 94 times for higher taxes, calling it “his record.” This attack has been debunked by the Associated Press, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, CNN, the New York Times and FactCheck.org, among others.

10. OBAMA RECORD ON NUCLEAR POWER. McCain said, “Obama is opposed to that,” when the reality is that this attack is “false” according to FactCheck.org. Obama supports nuclear as long as it’s “clean and safe.”

11. HEALTH COVERAGE FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. McCain said his health care plan would let people cross state lines to get plans, suggesting it would improve care and not telling Americans that it would weaken patient protections and does nothing to require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. McCain’s plan would create a situation the GOP chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners said would cause a “race to the bottom.”

12. HIGHER HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. McCain attacked Obama’s health care plan, suggesting that Obama will fine small businesses and make health care more expensive for them. ABC pointed out that he was “omitting key details about Obama’s plan to mitigate costs” for health care for small businesses. McCain also omitted his record of voting repeatedly against tax credits for small businesses to help with health care costs and that the majority of members of the National Federation of Independent Businesses oppose his plan.

13. JUDGMENT ON IRAQ. McCain said that he had “the judgment” to make national security decisions, ignoring his record of misguided statements during the course of the Iraq war. In 2005 he said the war would be over within 18 months. In 2003 he said “we will be welcomed as liberators,” and that “we will win it easily.”

14. RUSSIA AND GEORGIA. McCain said Obama “was wrong about Russia when they committed aggression against Georgia” when Obama had condemned Russia’s actions and called for an immediate ceasefire.

15. SURGE IN IRAQ. McCain again attacked Obama on the surge, when news accounts show that Obama “said at the time” that the increase “could improve security in certain neighborhoods but that it would not solve the long-term political strife.” Meanwhile McCain said only 10,000 troops would do the job.

16. NEGOTIATIONS. McCain attacked Obama on diplomatic engagement, but the Washington Post has said McCain is “distorting history when he suggests that Barack Obama is bucking American presidential tradition in expressing a willingness to meet with the leaders of countries hostile to the United States” and that McCain is “incorrect.”

17. SOMALIA. McCain held up Somalia as an example of failed American foreign policy, saying “we ended up having to withdraw in humiliation.” McCain ignored the amendment he introduced in 1993 to cut off funding for troops in Somalia.