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Obama for VP

I am no psephologist, but as the owner of one of those V-thingies, I have had a particular interest in the women in this election. Sadly, with one exception, they have shamed my gender and behaved in general as if they have one of those P-thingies instead.

Hillary – the Great White hope. Before this election got interesting I hoped and assumed that Hillary would trounce the republicans and we would see a woman in the White House. As an avowed feminist this was pleasing indeed and seemed to make this election a trailblazer for that reason alone. Anything to see the end of George the Imbecile, and what better way to turn the tables on neo-conservatism than to see a democrat woman as POTUS.

She is charismatic, confident, assured and knowledgeable. It turns out she is also rabidly ambitious and prepared to play dirty to that end. I was amazed at some of the stunts she pulled , the fake accents, the lies about her foreign affairs experience and worse, her preparedness to smear Obama when the Primary race got tight. Hillary believed that she had an entitlement to be back in The White House and she dragged it out to the bitter end, which was damaging for the party, and ultimately herself.

Then there’s the Stepford wives. Cindy McCain who has behaved like a handbag: an attractive accessory (if you like plastic), with not much content. She has conducted herself like all good wives from the 50’s should – well groomed, and silently supporting her man. Who knows what she really thinks? She represents a thankfully bygone era where a woman’s only public role was to be seen to support her man. Even when he has publicly humiliated her and called her a “Stupid C-nt”. If she had divorced him and spoken out against abuse of women she would be deserving of admiration. Instead she relies on his success for her identity. Not the kind of role model I want for my daughters.

And the First Lady – Laura . I actually feel sorry for her – after all she sleeps with George every night, so she is punished enough and in an act of sisterly solidarity I shall harm her no more.

My favourite anti-hero of this election is of course Sarah Palin. Not much I can say that hasn’t been said, and nothing anyone can say that betters Tina Fey. She will become a symbol of all that is loathed about the American Character – an arrogant, brash, ignorant, fundamentalist who does not have the intelligence to know that she isn’t. But she is also frightening – a juxtaposed “I can do anything” feminist persona overlaying a basic narrowness that is determined to undo some of the rights that women have fought and even died for – most particularly the right to choose whether to proceed with an unplanned pregnancy. This in my view makes her one of the most dangerous female politicians in the public arena today. Whatever your personal view on abortion is, it is not her right to impose hers on all American women. It’s bad enough that she’s doing it to Bristol.

Then onto the stage strides Michelle Obama. A woman of intelligence and style. A woman who clearly supports her husband but has her own views on matters of public policy. A mother and partner who has a successful career. A woman who can talk and think for herself. And an African American who must know first hand what it means to live in a country which has not reached it’s potential, but may in fact be about to. This is a role model for my daughters, and for all of us who aspire to see women in public life reflect the best of us.

Frankly – I wish she was VP.

1,370 replies on “Obama for VP”

Minnesotans abuzz over Senate race.

A poll taken Oct 22 by Rasmussen Reports found Franken leading Coleman, 41%-37%, with Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley at 17%. A few months ago, Franken faced questions about his entertainment company’s unpaid taxes and a 2000 Playboy humor column, in which he described visiting a fictional sex institute, and his campaign seemed stalled, says Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-26-50states-minnesota_N.htm

1296 – HarryH
[Yep…he sat there and said Obama is for “fairness” and implied that is a bad thing and he wouldn’t stand for it.]

Just goes to show how much neocon thinking became orthodoxy. McCain is basically saying to 95% of Americans that it is wrong for you to have a leg-up even if you are desperately struggling, but it is right for those who are not struggling to have a leg-up. And he expects those 95% to swallow that idea as wise and reasonable?? He doesn’t even know what he is saying anymore… he is simply regurgitating the orthodoxy as if somehow everyone would agree with him. His lack of awareness is breathtaking. It’s as if he is stuck in the 1980s.

But thankfully times are changing. And as McCain keeps hammering away at Obama for wanting to give tax breaks to middle and lower income earners, he will only make himself look even more irrelevant and further prevent the much-heralded “narrowing”, which seems increasingly likely to become a “widening” instead.

Andrew, I noticed that The Anchorage Daily News has been very critical of Palin ever since she agreed to be the VP candidate. The way the McCain camp was trying to block the troopergate investigation really ruffled their feathers… I guess it was that outsider interference being something that parochial Alaskans kind of hate.

“I got it!”
“I got it!”
“I don’t got it”
“I don’t got it”
“I got it!”
“I don’t got it”
“I got it!”
“I got it!”
“I don’t got it”
– Glenn Stevens trying to catch the Aussie dollar this morning.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

– The Aussie dollar in freefall this morning

“I see Joe the plumber and Lindy the teacher and Greg, Greg ‘the only Republican in my street’,” Sarah Palin yelled from the podium at some rally last week.
Ahh REAL America.
From Guy Rundle’s latest epistle in Crikey today.

The signs were waving from the crowd, who had made themselves into a whole army of people from the “real” America. In Florida, John McCain himself had been hitting the idea hard earlier, asking a bunch of people who they were — “Jill the Nurse”, “Gary the Carpenter”, and then pointed the mike at an older woman who told him she was “the land developer”, at which point McCain wisely curtailed the routine. Last thing you want is someone from the real America telling you how their sub-prime business has gone to crap and that’s why they’re voting for…

A cracking good read. Can’t wait for his book. 🙂

Yes, Gaffy, counting the days orright!
Kirri, thanks for the cool bananas E-V car link.

Sun Oct 26:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/tomtoles;_ylt=AulVe8pa0kyz6Za4kTu4g_Yl6ysC

Mon Oct 27:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/nonsequitur;_ylt=An0efdn_j_N1AmY66ou9k1bmcLQF

Ferny, the AUD is responding to fiscal gravity because Australia essentially doesn’t make nothin’ no more and what stuff we do punch out, the joints where it happens are owned elsewhere and that’s where the profits are repatriated.

paddy 1308

“Joe the Plumber”
“Jill the Nurse”
“Lindy the Teacher”
“Gary the Carpenter”

It’s all getting a bit confusing for ol Johnnie Bomb Bomb

On Meet The Press today he called the Dem VP candidate “Joe the Biden” lol

Precisely, Ferny, we sold the flamin’ farm, mate.
In these times of economic peril and uncertainty, Pixie’s ministers should be duly warned off consorting with Khemlani types and avoid contact with the contemporary equivalent of Nugan-Hand Bank “operatives” lest they wind up sucking 12-gauge on some bleak and lonely Lithgow backroad.

We could be now exporting state of the art solar technology, but because El Rodente was played like the ideological sucker that he is by BushCo, especially Cheney and Armitage(PNAC heavyweights, btw), the Chinese Australian gentleman academic who had the solar knowledge was compelled to seek finance from China. He’s now a squillionaire and Australia is up shit creek, solar-export-wise.
Just another reason I will one day spit on El Rodente’s grave, and pour a bottle of Glenfidich upon same, but only after I’ve put it through my kidneys first!

1311
HarryH
On Meet The Press today he called the Dem VP candidate “Joe the Biden”

ROTFL
:mrgeen:

Oh, please, let this be true. The Republicans will be dead in the water for years…….

Jim Nuzzo, a White House aide to the first President Bush, dismissed Mrs Palin’s critics as “cocktail party conservatives” who “give aid and comfort to the enemy”.

He told The Sunday Telegraph: “There’s going to be a bloodbath. A lot of people are going to be excommunicated. David Brooks and David Frum and Peggy Noonan are dead people in the Republican Party. The litmus test will be: where did you stand on Palin?”…

“Win or lose, there is a ready made conservative candidate waiting in the wings. Sarah Palin is not the new Iain Duncan Smith, she is the new Ronald Reagan.” On the accuracy of that judgment, perhaps, rests the future of the Republican Party.”

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/26/202828/51/700/643079

Harry, what about the professional cheer-leader, Roger the Rooter and Deefa the Dogcatcher?
The working men and women of America without surnames need greater recognition! Lest we forget:
Art the Painter
Bob the Buckjumper
Chuck the OysterShuck
Dave the Dealer and
Ed the Head……

You’re right Ferny-
he is indeed a complete unambiguous and unparalled FUCKWIT of the highest order.
ah… I feel so much better now.
Cheers.

Mccain’s Iraq albatross has come home to roost, so to speak:

The result was that while McCain stumped the country this summer, berating Obama for his willingness to “surrender” in Iraq and promising to win “victory” and “honor” for America, the Bush negotiators quietly capitulated to the Iraqi demands. A final draft of the SOFA terms that has circulated recently sets Dec. 31, 2011, as the date for full withdrawal and includes withdrawal of U.S. troops from all cities and villages by next summer. Changing those terms would require a full renegotiation of the treaty and ratification by the Iraqi Parliament.

In other words, the White House abandoned its own long-held position and completely undercut McCain at the same time.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2008/10/27/wars/

…not that it matters awfully much now, but it’s one more nail in the old man’s coffin.

EC

I’m with ya cheering on as the PNAC’ers and their agenda get knackered .

Their haven of first choice ,Dick Cheney’s Republican Party, and their solace in case of defeat of a Clinton DLC Democrat Party, have both been thoroughly rejected by the fed up mob.

Their time is up. They couldn’t maintain their own reality…real reality caught up with them.

The Power of the Ownership of politicians is moving away from perennial Owners like AIPAC and moving to The Netroots.

Interesting times.

1275
Jen

The only reason that McStupid can say that he can guarantee that come Nov 4 he will win is because he knows for sure that the Diebold machines have definitely been rigged and he is gloating about it.
I for one would not doubt that for one minute.

Ferny- I will always remember the way Bob Brown stood up to GWB when he visited our Parliament (which involved closing the people’s parliament for te first time in our history). He is a brave and dignified man , and I have no doubt that he will welcome Obama’s election.
And i also have no doubt that he thinks agrees taht GWB is a total FUCKING MORON.

Ahh..feeling even better .

Israel poll bounce shows Livni leading Netanyahu.

Tzipi Livni has seen a sharp turnaround in fortunes for Israel’s ruling Kadima party since she became leader last month and could now beat the right-wing opposition in a coming election, polls on Monday indicated.

Two newspaper surveys published a day after Livni abandoned her efforts to forge a new coalition government and recommended to the president that he call a parliamentary election showed Kadima just beating Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud — a reversal of the results forecast in previous polls, published in August.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE49Q1IK20081027

Obama, McCain wage last battles in red states.

Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama are heading into the final week of the presidential campaign planning to spend nearly all their time in states that President Bush won last time, testimony to the increasingly dire position of McCain and his party as election day approaches.
With optimism brimming in Democratic circles, Obama will present today what aides described as a final summing-up speech for his campaign in Canton, Ohio, reprising the themes that he first presented in February 2007 when he began his campaign for the presidency. From here on out, Obama’s aides said, attacks on McCain will be joined by an emphasis on broader and less partisan themes, like the need to unify the country after a difficult election.

Obama began boiling down his pitch Sunday in Denver before an estimated crowd of more than 100,000 people – the largest U.S. rally to date in an Obama campaign full of them – raising this question to supporters: “Don’t you think it’s time that we want to try something new?”

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/27/MNJ313OJ55.DTL&type=politics

While my heart soars with the thought of the USA actually electing a black man as POTUS next Wednesday our time.

An article published in Crikey today made me pause and think about whether we could ever do the same in Australia.

While the Obama campaign has often reduced me to tears of joy, watching Americans come together in what appears to be a truly redemptive process.

In my own country, the toxic legacy of racism, produces tears of a very different kind. We should and can be better than the story that Chris Graham of the National Indigenous Times writes.

The black and white of a Palm Island tragedy

The question the state of Queensland should be asking itself today is this: is Lex Wotton a danger to society?

The answer is that if Queensland Police stop killing black men in custody, and trying to cover it up, then Lex Wotton is no threat to anyone.

Not that it matters much. Late on Friday, Wotton was convicted of the offence of “rioting with destruction” following the November 2004 uprising on Palm Island. He is now in custody, awaiting sentencing on November 7 in Townsville District Court.

The scale of this injustice is hard to comprehend, and even harder to describe. So I won’t even try. I’ll just stick to the facts — the black and white of the issue.. …….

http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20081027-The-black-and-white-of-a-Palm-Island-tragedy-.html
(no sub req)

Old Hitch is giving Macca a dose:

Christopher Hitchens likewise came out for Obama, calling McCain “borderline senile” on “Hardball” Friday

…nice call Christopher! LOL

The Financial Times has just given a (cautious) endorsement for Obama:

“US presidential elections involve a fabulous expense of time, effort and money. Doubtless it is all too much – but, by the end, nobody can complain that the candidates have been too little scrutinised. We have learnt a lot about Barack Obama and John McCain during this campaign. In our view, it is enough to be confident that Mr Obama is the right choice.”

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1d0b127c-a380-11dd-942c-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

Current predictions

Electoral-vote Obama 375 McCain 157 Ties 6
Cnn.com Obama 277 McCain 174 Tossup: 87

Huh???

Andrew: CNN is desperately trying to pretend this thing is close and McSlimeball still has a chance of winning!
The MSM want a contest, that’s why they are giving McCain more coverage this week! The ABC is a good example. Tonight’s news totally ignores Obama’s Colorado rally and instead focuses on a boring McCain event in Ohio.

Andrew @ 1332

It’s the MSM trying to portray their illusion of a close horse race, despite the fact that the race was seemingly won some time ago!

1332

Andrew, electoral-vote.com’s system awards states to a candidate even if that candidate is only 1 point ahead in the average of the last week’s polls. CNN on the other hand take a more cautious and long term stance.

Now I don’t agree with CNN’s assessment that Colorado is a toss-up and their view on Ohio is suspect but the other toss-ups, which are rated ‘Barely Democrat’ by electoral-vote.com, are fair enough.

CNN Electoral Map
Electoral-vote.com

There are a few new polls up on RCP and Pollster for Monday. Mostly Zogby. One of interest is Zimmerman poll from Arizona from a few days ago with McCain +2. Zogby polls for Indiana show McCain up and tie for Florida but otherwise good for Obama in close states.

There is a great article on Huff Post “We Know the World and We Support Obama” by former US Ambassador Peter Bridges

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amb-peter-bridges/we-know-the-world-and-we_b_137989.html

which leads in turn to http://foreignpolicyforobama.com/

Over 330 former US State Department diplomats have signed an open letter supporting Barak Obama.

The lead article on the site latter site is “Powell’s former CoS on McCain: “I’m alarmed by the lack of sophistication”” WTF anyone digs finds out that McCretin is a nasty, dishonourable, fouled tempered, self-serving, sociopathic SOB.

And that’s on his good days. Only racists, religious nutters and Barbie Caribou clones could consider voting for grumpy grandpa – has anyone changed his nappy lately?

In case anyone isn’t familiar with the human detritus and dramatis personae and the places referenced in Harry’s post at 1329 and set to Neil Finn’s music, then here goes. Started sobbing uncontrollably about half way through the ad when I realised that for all America’s shortcomings and flaws, We The People are on the verge of taking back what has been stolen from them and what has always been their Constitutional birthright.

Before The Kid became a community organiser on Chicago’s Southside he taught U.S. Constitutional Law at Harvard.

-The Imbecile (mangling a simple homile about gullibility)

-Alberto Gonzalez (former BushCo AG, resigned in disgrace)

-Room 641 A (nerve centre where 30 million U.S. citizens are spied upon)

-Paul Bremmer (failed and corrupt Bush appointed “Governor” of Iraq after Shock & Awe, 2003)

-Battlestrewn Iraqi street, possibly Fallujah

-Ann Coulter (Bush MSM shill)

-Sean Hannity (MSM motor-mouthed hatemonger)

-Sammy Alito (Imbecile-appointed neocon SCOTUS replacement)

-New Orleans, aftermath of Katrina

-Tom “The Hammer” DeLay (uber-corrupt GOP House Majority Leader 2003-5, trial still pending)

-Scooter Libby, Cheney’s former CoS, now in jail for perjury in Plame case)

-Donnie Rumsfeld, failed B43-appointed Secretary of Defense

-post IED pink mist and carnage in Baghdad street

-BillO, alpha Fox-shill

-Michelle Matlin, BushCo MSM shill

-abandoned Iraqi Vets

-Turd Blossom (Bush’s brain and former architect, now jerry builder and MSM shill)

-Valerie Plame, former CIA undercover agent outed in spite with info leaked from White House sources to Bob Novak and Judy Miller, Ace Stenographer

-Imbecile wannabe dictator (“heh heh heh”) and self-described Deciderer-in-Chief

-Torture Dick Cheney, sadist, pervert and warmonger

-Cindy Sheehan (post bashing) mother of Casey (killed in Iraq) and spark that torched anti Iraq war movement after roadside vigil near Crawford ranch, Texas.

-Cheney, gun in claw not long after blasting his hunting buddy in the face with shotgun. Nothing came of it because the scumbag behaved as if he was above The Law)

– suspected “enemy combatant” being tortured in orange jump-suit at Gitmo

-Johnny Bomb-Bomb hugging The Imbecile with far more passion than he could muster for his wife, Cindy, after the third “debate”
————————–
First, The Kid gets elected on November 4.
Secondly, he gets POTUSed-up Jan 20.
Thirdly, truth, justice and the American way slowly regain purchase and Americans begin to look each other and the world in the eye without squirming.

Then we’ll see if the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas has got the transformational leadership qualities that we reckoned we saw in him all those moons ago.

EC at 1239

Exactly. I believe Obama has the smarts and the temperament to join the hand full of POTUS who are considered great – Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Teddy R, FDR. Terrible times are fertile times for greatness.

EC, no I live in what I feel sometimes is Caligula’s Canberra – unless the Greens support the Liberals (which I as a Labor voter in every election since 1968 until the recent ACT one (where I voted cough! cough! Liberal – I’m ashamed to say) .

I hope they do – Why? The Labor government trumpeted the fact they were going to save about 1200 tons of Greenhouse gasses by changing the type of light globes used in street lamps; meanwhile they want to approve a highly inefficient combined gas Power Station and Data Centre some 5-600 metres from the nearest house which would pump some 187,000 yes 187,00 of GHG’s into the atmosphere which would contain all sorts of nasties; worse, these combined Power Stations & Data Centres are now being avoided overseas because they turn out to be a most inefficient way to provide the power for Data Centres; also I’ve been told that extra water ACTEWAGL is piping in from the Snowy to secure Canberra’s water supply seems to be just the exact amount that this proposed data centre would require!

See http://www.nopowerstation.com for the ACT Labor Party at work.

Millions of people can rightfully take a little bit of credit when the Nov 5 wave slam dunks the Neocons and Theocrats just like the Katrina wave slam dunked the people of New Orleans.

But this humble blogger will reserve a special moment for Cindy Sheehan…….and so should Barack Obama.

Hey there, Ecky or Cat.

I’ve more or less finished my post now, and managed to save a copy in HTML.

Do I email it to someone, or set it up somewhere, or what?

Yeah, fair enough Cardster, stuff the ACT-ALP they need a decent kick in the arse for rolling over on a decision as important as this one. Messages need to be sent loud and clear. C’mon, Bobby Brown, stir it up!
—————————————————–
—————————————————–
This one’s for our pending poster, Don Wigan. (uh-hem)
🙂

http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/20081027_the_end_of_an_error/
———————————————————–
———————————————————–
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61527

Don’t worry, jen, the dodgies at Diebold can’t hold back this tsunami. Should they try it will stand out likes dogs balls on a canary and We The People will rise up and peacefully shut down D.C. till it’s sorted. At the end of the day, BushCo are cowards and they havn’t got the stones to attempt any more electoral theft in the current climate.
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61795

Reprised so it gets archived, URL is “fixed”, unlike the Yahoo toonies.
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61796

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61797

Alaskan Crude
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61798

“bun rides”, anybody?
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/61799

http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/20081027_i_suggest_a_new_game_john/

One could show that cartoon to a six year olds and they’d get it in a flash.
When Michelangelo was asked for a reference by the pope before pontiff cut him loose to knock up a few decorations around the vatican, the artist produced (probably with a flourish, Italians are rather passionate about their art) a piece of paper and a crayon and drew a perfect circle in seconds flat.
Mikey got the job.
He woulda made one helluva cartoonist.
:mrgreen:

There you are, Don!
Will email you immediately, sent it by return email et voila, monsieur, instant publishing!

It’s been returned.

Let me know if there’s any hitch. On technical matters, I’m ahead of McCain, but still not all that great.

Regards

Electoral-Vote.com: Democrats Set to Make Big Gains in Congress

Many neutral observers expect the Democrats to end up with 57-59 seats in the Senate (including Sanders and Lieberman), with 60 being a serious possibility. In the House, a gain of 30-35 seats seems plausible, maybe more. The voters are angry at the current administration for a variety of reasons and the Democratic Senate and House committees have far more money than the Republican committees. Add a large number of Republican retirements to the mix and you have a truly toxic environment for the GOP congressional delegation. CQ Politics has an overview of the big picture here. Our counters currently show Democrats with a projected 59 seats in the Senate and 252 seats in the House. The Senate total might go up by 1 or 2, but the House total will probably go up by a lot since many competitive races have not been polled at all.

Stevens guilty on all counts, campaign to continue.

Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens says he’s not dropping out of his Senate race despite being convicted of seven corruption charges.

Stevens accused the Justice Department of unconscionable behavior in his prosecution and asked Alaskans and Senate colleagues to stand by him as he appeals the conviction. The conviction threatened to end the 40-year career of Alaska’s political patriarch in disgrace.

In a statement released by his Senate office, Stevens asserted his innocence and said he would appeal. He was convicted of lying about $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor.

You fucken beauty!

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5je6Pw1sViz24JRo9F0PNhoqMtzTwD94349103

I thought, there’s no way Obama’s luck can keep going, the way it has been. But, I’ll take it anyway!

Obama ‘target of assassination plot’ by two white supremacists.

SECURITY concerns about the safety of Barack Obama are growing after US federal authorities yesterday charged two white supremacists with plotting to assassinate the Democratic presidential candidate.

Prosecutors in Tennessee charged the two men, Daniel Cowart, 20, and Paul Schlesselman, 18, with planning to kill Mr Obama as part of a “killing spree” targeting African Americans.

Both men were arrested following an abortive robbery last week, after which authorities found details of their plot which included plans to shoot or decapitate 102 black children at a state high school.

http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Obama-39target-of-assassination-plot39.4634450.jp

More executives sold on Obama.

Dan Cooper, a proud member of the National Rifle Association, has backed Republicans for most of his life. He’s the chief executive of Cooper Arms, a small Montana company that makes hunting rifles.

Cooper said he voted for George W. Bush in 2000, having voted in past elections for every Republican presidential nominee back to Richard Nixon. In October 1992, he presented a specially made rifle to the first President. Bush during a Billings campaign event.

This year, Cooper has given $3,300 to the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama. That’s on top of the $1,000 check he wrote to Obama’s U.S. Senate campaign in 2004, after he was dazzled by Obama’s speech at that year’s Democratic National Convention.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-10-27-prez-money_N.htm

Stevens guilty on 7 counts.

Alaska senator maintains his innocence.

Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, one of Congress’ most powerful Republicans, was convicted Monday of lying on financial disclosure forms to conceal his receipt of gifts and expensive renovations to his house, just eight days before he faces voters.

The 84-year-old lawmaker, the first sitting U.S. senator to go on trial in more than two decades, sat quietly as a federal court jury foreman read the verdict after less than a day of deliberations: guilty on seven felony counts, each with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

The senator, who probably will face a less severe penalty under federal sentencing guidelines, left the courtroom without answering reporters’ questions.

In a statement, Stevens maintained his innocence, accused Justice Department lawyers of “repeated instances of prosecutorial misconduct” and vowed to fight for re-election to a seventh full term.

That’s right Ted, take the party down with you. That’s what we like to see. Keep an eye on the polls in Alaska. 😈
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-stevensoct28,0,3992258.story

Obama just cannot stay out of the media.

Skinheads held over plot to kill Obama.

Two white supremacist skinheads were arrested in Tennessee over plans to go on a killing spree and eventually shoot Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, court documents showed on Monday.

Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman were charged in a criminal complaint with making threats against a presidential candidate, illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun and conspiracy to rob a gun dealer.

http://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUSTRE49Q7KJ20081028

State Dems hope to ride Obama’s coattails.

With polls showing Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama pulling away in the state, California Democrats are looking to ride his coattails to upset victories in congressional races across the state.

Party officials are downplaying their chances in most of the contested races, but they are seeking to take as many as six seats from Republicans, giving Democrats 40 of the state’s 53 seats in Congress.

“If (Sen.) Obama overwhelms (GOP nominee Sen. John) McCain, it will put the wind at the back of a lot of Democratic nominees,” said Andrew Acosta, a Democratic consultant.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/27/MNV413O0JU.DTL&type=politics

1367 Chris B Those two advertisements are extremely effective, especially if they run in high rotation. Any similar advertisements running in other senate seats will certainly swing or tie up those seats. I hope something similar is running in Maine, Texas, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Alaska was wrapped up today.

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