Atheists speak up

According to a recent article from the Courier Journal, Atheists in American are becoming increasingly vocal. It's an interesting read (click the link above). What is more illuminating are all the hate-filled comments from 'religious' folks in the comments.

Don't bother, McCain already won

McCain hasn't even gotten down to Ole Miss yet but he is already declaring he won the debate. Yes, this ad showed up on the Wall Street Journal website today, a day early. Someone grabbed a screenshot of it right away and sent it to the Washington Post.

I guess Obama need not show up now. McSame is the decider and within the span of one hour he has decided to 1) proceed with the debate, and 2) he has won the debate.

Oh, 2008 is such a great year for politics.

Tune in to Obama vs Obama

I wonder who will win?

UPDATE: CNN Breaking news reports that McSame will participate in the debates. Duh!

A heartbeat away?

You decide.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Update: Here's part II of that interview.


Watch CBS Videos Online

It's LARGE all right!

Forbes has been hard at work reporting on the Paulson bailout plan. Here is a very interesting article. One piece of complete idiocy jumps off the page. When questioned about the origin of the $700 billion figure, a Treasury spokesperson said:

"It's not based on any particular data point. We just wanted to choose a really large number."

AAAAAHHHHH! Throw them all out.

Obama - 52, McCain - 43

Obama takes a huge lead in the most recent ABC News/Washington Post poll. This is the first time either candidate has jumped over the 50% mark. Increasing worry about the economy is apparent in this latest poll. It has been said, and it looks like it's true; it is the economy. And America is not stupid.

Free Sarah Palin

Campbell Brown asks for the sexism to end. Let Sarah Palin be free!

“Tonight I call on the McCain campaign to stop treating Sarah Palin like she is a delicate flower that will wilt at any moment,” said Brown. “This woman is from Alaska for crying out loud. She is strong. She is tough. She is confident. And you claim she is ready to be one heart beat away form the presidency. If that is the case, then end this chauvinistic treatment of her now. Allow her to show her stuff. Allow her to face down those pesky reporters… Let her have a real news conference with real questions. By treating Sarah Palin different from the other candidates in this race, you are not showing her the respect she deserves. Free Sarah Palin. Free her from the chauvinistic chain you are binding her with. Sexism in this campaign must come to an end. Sarah Palin has just as much a right to be a real candidate in this race as the men do. So let her act like one.”

When will the repugs stop being racist?

The latest comes from conservative columnist, Cal Thomas. In his recent column, Cal is telling us what McCain needs to do to show he has more substance than Obama in the upcoming debate on Friday. I was struck, however, by the racists comment Cal slipped in there.

"America very much likes the idea of a person of color becoming president if for no other reason than to serve as partial propitiation for our individual and collective sins against blacks. McCain’s job is to project a view that he, too, favors the idea of a black president, just not Obama."

What kind of bullshit is this? Only someone who is racist, and wants everyone else to be scared of a black man, would claim America is only voting for Obama because he is black.

It is also interesting that Cal thinks McCain has to let others know that he would favor a person for office just because he is black too. Yeah, just like McCain is all about women VP's, right? Obviously since Gov. Palin has a womb she's just as good as Hillary. And people only supported Hillary because of America's need for partial propitiation for our individual and collective sins against women.

Let me officially nominate Cal Thomas the fucking racist geriatric white repug of the day.

Have you read the 2008 Republican Platform?

Yes, I'm talking about that platform adopted just a few short weeks ago.

"We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself."

(hat tip to Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

Priceless, eh? Now Bush and Paulsen want to spend huge buttloads of money to bail out wall street.

Wait, it gets better.

They want Paulsen to have complete authority over the $700,000,000,000.00 and wants to be protected against any legal action in doing so.

Wait, it gets better.

The want to bail out banks that are doing just fine in addition to those that are failing.

And, of course, there's the scare tactics of the Bush Administration: "There's no time to talk about it. We have to pass this now before our 'fundamentaly strong' economy disintegrates."

Rep. DeFazio has a few words to say about all this. I say DEMs, you MUST push back against this fiasco.

Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights is a Farce

And PZ gets it right. These are not human rights at all, they are a set of religious restrictions on humans.

Read more at Pharyngula. I would recommend everyone read the associated links.

Who's the Governor of Alaksa?

If you thought it was Sarah Palin, you are right. It WAS! But not anymore. Apparently the McCain Campaign has stepped into that role. You call the Governor you reach McCain campaign staffers in Virginia. Alaskans are asking themselves, WTF is this?

Read more here . . .

Then make sure you vote for real change.

McSame leading in ND, Obama pulls out

Well, the recent polls in ND are swinging John McSame's way. He is leading now by double digits. Not surprising for a state that voted 63% for Bush in 2004. McSame will not win by anywhere close to that margin, which says a lot for the people of ND. However, it is clear that Obama needs to take his resources out of ND and use them in states that will make sure he wins this election. I understand that.

But, don't get discouraged. There are still 43 days left. As we have seen, a lot can happen in just a few days. What the Obama campaign has inspired in ND will not die. There are thousands of local volunteers out there working hard to get Obama elected and to turn ND blue. Activities are happening and you can link in to like-minded people on Obama's web page for North Dakota.

While Obama focuses on Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and the other battle ground states, we can still work here. The most important thing you can do is talk to your friends and neighbors. Counter the lies and smears from the McSame campaign. Know the truth and talk about it to your fellow North Dakotans. Everyone is talking about politics today on the streets and in the coffee shops. Sway their votes with compelling arguments for the economy, health care, environment and common decency. Obama is now counting on you to bring ND home.

John McSame on Health Care

In John McSame's simplistic view of the world everything would just manage itself.

McSame would like to manage health care like we have done the banking industry. As we have seen, nothing is stronger than a deregulated banking industry, right? We should open up health insurance in the same way. So say's McSame.

I am truly frightened by the prospects of this ignoramus as president.

McSame camp backpeddles

According to the McSame campaign he meant to reject a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero.

But if you read the transcript of the reporter's exchange with McSame it looks like he was woefully confused and his head was clearly in the western hemisphere. He mentioned Mexico, drug cartels and a clear record of meeting with leaders in 'this hemisphere'.

Here is the transcript of the radio interview (emphasis mine):

QUESTION: Senator, finally, let's talk about Spain. If you're elected president, would you be willing to invite President Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House to meet with you?

MCCAIN: I would be willing meet, uh, with those leaders who our friends [sic] and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion, and by the way, President Calderon of Mexico is fighting a very very tough fight against the drug cartels. I'm glad we are now working in cooperation with the Mexican government on the Merida plan. I intend to move forward with relations, and invite as many of them as I can, those leaders, to the White House.

QUESTION: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government, to the president itself?

MCCAIN: I don't, you know, honestly I have to look at relations and the situations and the priorities, but I can assure you I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America.

QUESTION: So you have to wait and see if he's willing to meet with you, or you'll be able to do it in the White House?

MCCAIN: Well again I don't, all I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us, and standing up to those who are not, and that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America, and the entire region.

QUESTION: Okay... what about Europe I'm talking about the President of Spain?

MCCAIN: What about me what? (WTF?)

QUESTION: Okay... are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?

MCCAIN: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those that do not.

In the end he's left with repeating his memorized talking point.

Sad, really. I think McSame needs a neurological evaluation.

Up, up and away

And Obama is still climbing in the Gallup daily polls now having a statistically significant lead for the first time since the convention bounce.

Morning Java

Here are a few links to start your day . . .

McCain thinks Spain is in Latin America. (another link) (and another link) Scares the shit out of me that a potential president is so ignorant and would take such an abrupt stand against one of our NATO allies. Particularly since Palin thinks Georgia should be a part of NATO.

CBS/NYT poll puts Obama squarely 5 points ahead of McCain.

More North Dakotans worrying about how to pay their bills.

Farmers are worried about a new law for food labeling.

Is Nuclear Power all it's cracked up to be? I'm all for more nuclear power but we do have to take care of the waste.

Sarah Palin takes softballs from Hannity. Is any fossil fuel green if it produces CO2? She certainly has all the McCain talking points down.

Obama edges out McCain for the Gallup Top Spot

Gallup Daily today shows Obama edging out McCain for the first time since the Republican convention bounce with 47% for Obama and 45% for McCain. Since this is a three day rolling average, the effect of the economic crisis that struck on Monday is presumably just showing up in these numbers. According to Gallup daily in individual days for polling on Monday and Tuesday ratings of the US economy have become worse and Obama has had an advantage among registered voters.

These numbers still are within statistical ranges of each other. That is, the numbers show a tie between the candidates. But I predict that tomorrow will show Obama rising ahead of McCain with a statistical advantage.

Race tightens, Obama up a point

In today's Gallup poll daily tracking, Obama rose another point while McCain stayed McSame. The race is a virtual dead heat. I expect the economic woes of yesterday will lift Obama and drop McSame over the next few days. Watch and see.

Think your vote is safe?

Think again. The republicans will stop at nothing to prevent democrats from going to the polls. They know that is the only way to win an election.

Unfair but “probably” legal, using foreclosure lists provides cheap and effective strategy for McCain campaign

Last week we reported about Republican plans to use home foreclosure lists to block voters from the polls after James Carabelli, chair of the Macomb County Republican Party, told Michigan Messenger that on election day Republican volunteers will “have a list of foreclosed homes and make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses.”

Read more . . .

We know why they've been in power the last eight years. Don't let it happen again.

Clinton and Palin on One Stage Together

SNL got it just right, I think. Hilarious.