Straight talk from Obama
This is shockingly statesmanlike, but I do think the nation is ready to be told that it has to face up to these hard times and take whatever medicine is on offer.
Straight talk from both candidates would involve the news that taxes will have to rise and spending fall over the short- to medium-term - probably most taxes and most spending.
Interesting suggestion here that Joe Biden has actually benefitted from the Palin phenomenon because it has kept him in the shadows where his errors go un-noticed.
I love these pieces setting out ghastly things that never quite come to pass.
But you cannot argue with the fact that the above scenario is at least technically possible, as is the equally ghastly one whereby one candidate gets a very sizeable majority of the votes but loses narrowly in some key states so still goes down.
UPDATE
There is now no doubt that Obama is benefiting from the financial crisis. He must be rueing his (successful) effort to get the first debate on Friday changed from domestic to foreign affairs. Ooops.
Hello, I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~18~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
"Shockingly statesmanlike"? Another Webbism trying to make something out of very little.
As for the "ghastly" scenarios, it's nothing to worry about. Should the electoral college tie, it will be resolved in the Constitutional way, and the people will accept it. It would probably be given to the Republicans, because the House votes by states in that event. As for legitimacy, it doesn't matter how a tie is resolved. In local elections, we often toss a coin.
As for the possibility of a disagreement in popular and electoral votes, which is more likely than an electoral tie, there's nothing "ghastly" about it. We accepted it in 2000, and life went on (for most of us, anyway). What is "ghastly" is the Republican policies of endless war and the looting of our financial institutions. If the US electorate doesn't throw the rascals out this year, then we deserve what we will get.
Complain about this comment
Obama is ahead in four key states
Battleground update
Complain about this comment
Justin,
I just saw the press conference, he handled himself well and looked pretty statesmanlike, answering a lot of tough questions. I'm trying to remember if I've seen McCain take a question on this subject, don't think so. Maybe he is saving himself for the debates.
It does make me wonder whether we will see McCain this afternoon or if he will throw a wobbly.
Keep up the good work!
Cheerleader Sam
Complain about this comment
Once again, the nation has to be told, whether they're "ready" or not, "to face up to these hard times and take whatever medicine is on offer." And who better to tell the proles to shut up and 'take their medicine' than that great man of the people, Obama. No "railing at greedy Wall St. bankers" for him. And no new health care plan to pay for this bitter pill he's asking them to swallow. Now's the time for him to shine in the eyes of those "steady, elderly well connected chaps" by showing his establishment bona fides and assuming a "statesmanlike" air, sternly admonishing all those starry-eyed dreamers clinging to cliches of "hope" and "change" that all those campaign promises will have to be "phased in" at some vague, far off time in the future "and a lot of it’s going to depend on what our tax revenues look like". In other words, all those grandiose ideas are simply that, grandiose ideas. Will they ever come to pass? "Probably not". The main priority for Obama and the Dem's is the same as for those "steady, elderly well connected chaps" - "rescuing the capitalist system". And since Dem’s are allegedly perceived to be fairer in economic matters than Repub’s, who better to break the news to the little people. Once again the public will be asked to pay for the excesses of “the well connected chaps” and bail them out while social programs will be left on hold indefinitely. No wonder Rupert Murdoch likes Barack , the same way he once took a shine to Blair. Who needs Romney when you’ve got Obama Copacabana?
Complain about this comment
anyone consider this?
McCain ill, Palin pregnant .....
... of course I wish Sen. McCain good health but it is a possibility ...
Complain about this comment
"Shockingly statesmanlike"?
Yet another press release from the Obama campaign masquerading as a BBC report.
Complain about this comment
#1 Gary_A_Hill: "Should the electoral college tie, it will be resolved in the Constitutional way, and the people will accept it."
Isn't the point of the article that the "Constitutional way" might be fraught with difficulty? Only if the popular vote were to be reflected would there be general acceptance - if it could be shown that Obama had won most votes overall and McCain became President, I believe it would become very contentious and that a lot of Americans would not accept it. It could become most unpleasant.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I agree with you Justin, that spending will have to of course be massively curtailed in the immediate to medium-term future (its common sence after all!) But if "most" taxes must be increased to cure our financial ailments (as you perscribe), then how, I wonder, does this help, instead of hurt, the majority of middle and lower income Americans, who are (as always) being hit the hardest by these "rough" economic times? I gotta tell you, I'm not so sure if those Americans will be quite ready to reluctantly take this medicin.
Complain about this comment
Mr Webb looks increasingly to be in the tank for Obama
Complain about this comment
The US Treasury has a choice. It can deflate the currency by printing up to about 7 or 8 trillion dollars wiping out the value of most debt or it can remain conservative and watch the economy sink for slowdown to recession to depression. Either way, it will mean an end to imported merchandise either because the dollar will fall and it will become too expensive or because nobody will have dollars to spend. They may already be locked into option number one whether they know it or not. If they are, expect inflation, high interest rates, and a shrinking dollar. A falling stock market will accompany high interest rates. If they take route two, expect a flat to slowly shrinking stock market, deflation, and low interest rates. They can't raise taxes, nobody has the money to pay them with. All that would do is put more people out of work and create more mortgage foreclosures among homeowners whose finances are now sound. The cause goes back over a decade to the deregulation of the finance industry and the gutting of the government overseers. They gave the finance industry the freest hand since the depression and the financeers may have just brought us another one. And who says they can fix it? The same people who brought it to us and those who didn't even talk much about it until a few days ago. Suddenly they have all the answers. What did Obama do, learn everything from Economics 100 to the PHD level in three days?
Complain about this comment
Low turnout for Obama in Green Bay. I saw a photo elsewhere showing the upoper tier of sets virtually empty.
Obamamania fizzling ?
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1178184,obamarally092208.article
Meanwhile Biden and Obama have disagreed about coal - which will go down real well in Pennsylvania. And Biden sharply criticised the Obama ad on McCain and computers. Will they be able to get their act together soon ?
Complain about this comment
Does Obama's statesmanship stem from media cameras that pan up to him from slightly below? (CNN, USA Today, BBC)
Does it come from sound bites with slightly amplified bass with echo? (CNN, NPR, ...)
Is it contrasted with camera down angles with McCain? (CNN, USA Today, BBC)
Is it contrasted with muted bass with McCain? (ABC, CNN, NPR)
Perhaps it is the vocal inflection of "Hmm" and "Hmmph" from journalists to "consider" or "dismiss" the merits of their statements. (CNN, NPR)
I am dumbfounded how unreceptive Americans are to their own propaganda.
Obama looks like the Messiah, and McCain, a feeble old man.
Complain about this comment
David_Cunard (#7), no, because we had a disagreement between popular and electoral votes, and it was accepted. By "accepted" I don't mean everyone liked it. There was lots of grumbling, but no rioting, and the Congress accepts the legitimacy of the President's election.
Complain about this comment
re: 7. David_Cunard:
"Only if the popular vote were to be reflected would there be general acceptance."
In 2000 the results didn't reflect the popular vote, especially since there was suspicion of vote-rigging in Florida. But people accepted it. Many resented it, but they did accept it. People might think that the electoral college is a lousy way to elect a president, but they accept that's what the constitution lays out.
I'm still surprised that there wasn't more turmoil after the 2000 and 2004 elections. There really was good reason to think that in Ohio the results were rigged. I was there, and it was a mess.
Complain about this comment
#9 NoRashDecisons: I was going to post something similar, so I'll just agree with an addendum that Justin's suggestive solution (he who hails from a country where "tax them now, tax them tomorrow, tax them forever" seems to rule the day) didn't surprise me.
One thing I would add is that I hope all voters, no matter which party, put as much serious consideration into Congressional and Senate elections as they are into Presidential election.
Congress holds the money---literally!!!---and there is A LOT of money in Washington that is wasted, shoved under the table, and "invisibly" passed in thousand-page legislation that Americans seem unaware of. I suspect a great deal of money to fix some of the mess could be found by shaking the politicians upside down and watching our wasted taxdollars spill out onto the ground. I suspect the amount, waste and fraud would have voters much more careful about whom they return to office and whom they do not.
Complain about this comment
Time has been backing Obama pretty stronly, so they may be unhappy to be reporting that Obama's grand (grandiose) plan to attack in 25 states is now being chopped back sharply - to about 10 or 12 battleground states. Pulling out its staff from North Dakota, for example.
http://tinyurl.com/3la8t2
After 2 years of campaigning, huge funds spent by the Obama campaign, economic woes, high oil prices, wars abroad etc - Obama has never cracked the 50% level convincingly nationwide. The average gap is just two to 3 points - after an horrendous week for economic worry.
And in all the four key battleground states covered in today's WaPo article,
Obama is ahead only in Wisconsin beyond the polling margin of error.
[Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]
None of this is what TeamObama and its supporters expected. They thought they ould walk it. They MIGHT stumble it. But then so might McCain/Palin.
Complain about this comment
if obama and mccain continue in this vein, expect the dollar to plummet. i just repatriated my usd savings, and recommend that anyone else with usd savings and a better currency to invest in should do the same. my only problem is that i bought gbp!
Complain about this comment
"Should the electoral college tie, it will be resolved in the Constitutional way, and the people will accept it. It would probably be given to the Republicans, because the House votes by states in that event"
From what I understand, Democrats currently have the majority of house seats in 27 states as well as DC (which also gets a vote). Two states have their house delegation evenly split, which means there would have to be significant Republican gains to give McCain the tie-breaking advantage. Since, however, the Democrats are the ones expected to make gains in the house, the election would almost certainly go to Obama if the electoral vote was split 269-269. They are also expected to have at least 55 seats in the senate (maybe as many as 59), more than enough to get Biden in as Vice President.
Complain about this comment
#13 neil_a2:
You definitely made a point to consider.
To add:
I wonder how many of us don't realize how badly manipulated we are, and how many of us don't CARE how badly manipulated we are so long as the end-game agenda is achieved.
It happens on both sides of the media, the former being blindingly ignorant and the latter shamelessly self serving.
Contrast half an hour on Fox with half an hour on MSNBC or ABC; biased manipulation is a transparent joke.
Complain about this comment
10, JohnAAA.
"Mr. Webb looks increasingly to be in the tank for Obama."
Everybody is in the tank for somebody. You are in the tank for the old guy. Why would you deny to someone else what you yourself enjoy. I guess fair mindedness is not your strong point.
P.S. I am in the tank for Obama too.
Complain about this comment
John Kennedy's election in 1960 is sadly still tainted by memories of election rigging in Cook County.
And there are plenty of signs this time round of multiple fraudulent voter registration attempts, ACORN's name keeps popping up for some strange reason.
Florida is quite right to be demanding voter ID, given all the risks of shenanigans.
We have been seeing a serious rise of voter fraud in the UK. Oddly enough - on the Labour side.
Complain about this comment
15, tim.
If the race is close this time we can expect more trouble than we had in 2000. Now everyong is wise to vote rigging. Voter registration is already being rigged.
If there is not a landslide vote for one of the candidates, November might be a good time to go on vacation.
Complain about this comment
#13
Perhaps McCain's campaign could get him a box to stand on? Then the camera angles would be the same as Obama's?
Helpful Sam
Complain about this comment
I suspect that the USA is beyond the need for an electoral college - but I expect changing that would require an amendment to the Constitution. If so, that would open the flood gates for other changes that would really help .. things like term limits, voter approval of salary increases etc. - fat chance.
Complain about this comment
Justin, I think it is pretty much a tradition (I don't know when it got started) that of the three main debates between the presidencial candidates each election cycle, the one on foreign affairs goes first. I know this is how it happened when Karry ran in 2004. I can't provide sound evidence aside from that, but look it up if you don't believe me...I'm sure there's tons of information on it. So whether Obama is cursing himself remains to be seen,
but nevertheless I hope he does well on Friday.
seanspa (#8): While I agree that a United Nations speech is perhaps the worst way in which one should express their beliefs in God (should they hold any)!!! Still I don't believe it fair of you to brand anyone in politics with a public faith in a God as being a "extreem right wing Republican nutter!" While Republicans are by far expected to talk about their faith far more than Democrats because there are just simply too many religious people within the Republican party who vote on faith or faith-based values, nevertheles, just because Democrats actually follow the whole "seperation of church and state" thing and don't bring their religion into the public square (as much) doesn't mean that politicions in their camp aren't religious as well.
I do think that faith, not race or gender, is the biggest obstical to the presidency in this country. Far too many people vote far too much on their faith and not on the issues at hand. No one votes like this in other western countries I bet!!
Complain about this comment
#11
Well Marcus,
back on form. To be fair it was the Republicans who pushed deregulation, but that is besides the point. Dereg was a good thing. Borrow and spend is not and is the cause of the current melt down. So there is path 3:
Tax more and/or reduce spending. Get back close to a balanced budget and watch the dollar rise and imports values fall (we import the same volume of stuff pretty much either way). The stock market will rise and household incomes recover from the shocks of the past few years. But it will take several years to get where we need to be.
On that, Obama is closer to the right answer. Ron Paul is closer still.McCain,not so much.
Economist Sam
Complain about this comment
#12
Same post, 2 threads. Boring.
BTW, they disagree about clean coal,not coal. Clean coal is an oxymoron. Not that politically Biden should have said what he did, but the man won't lie. Unlike, according to USA Today today, McCain.
Happy Sam
Complain about this comment
Democrats and the costs to the US taxpayers of Crony Capitalism :
http://tinyurl.com/4hxaqg
Complain about this comment
With all the wailing about the cost of the bailout, people should consider that we paid more than that for the stupid Iraqi war, and we are not done with that yet.
Complain about this comment
Ptrsin (#19), thanks for the figures. That makes me feel better!
Complain about this comment
Ptrsin (#19), I'm pretty sure that the District of Columbia would not figure into an election thrown into the House of Representatives. D.C. has electors, but does not have a voting member of the House.
Complain about this comment
#14. Gary_A_Hill, #15. timohio -
This year is unique and much has changed since 2000. I cannot agree that acceptance would be as simple as you would suggest. Assuming that there will be a great many African-American and younger voters who would be angry, not merely disappointed, the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles could be duplicated in inner cities and other urban areas across the nation. I well recall the riots in Los Angeles when LBJ was staying at the Century Plaza Hotel and later in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic Convention - and they had nothing to with 'colour' as such. Although it is nice to think that all would be plain sailing, I am not convinced that violence would not break out. By comparison, the Watts and King riots would be like a picnic in the park.
Complain about this comment
tiptoplisamich #16: Thanks for the sentament! I wasn't having a dig at Justin, in fact I'm not entirely aposed to the tax policies of Labour...did you know, they lifted 2 million children out of poverty and introduced paternity leave? We don't have paternity leave! Perhaps we could learn some things from them? Not massivley increase taxes to their extent, but enough to help make our society fairer too? Its funny, UK politicions talk about "fairness" all the time, when have Obama, but McCain in particular done so?
Complain about this comment
This is why I hope Obama wins...I personally don't care how much the rich are taxed! They need to learn the meaning of the word sacrifise!
Complain about this comment
People keep saying that Ayers was not a terrorist. But he pleaded guilty to bomb-laying offences .
In 2001 Ayers told the NYT "I don't regret setting bombs, I feel we did not do enough." That is - he was unrepentant.
No, this is not from some rabid right-wing website. It is fom Obama's own website on a page that appears fom its URL to have been in response to earlier criticisms from the Clinton campaign :
http://tinyurl.com/5dzot7
Complain about this comment
Do debates matter?
According to this article - possibly not all that much. [Unless, presumably, either candidate makes an outstanding blunder.]
And since Obama appears to be ahead, I'd take that as good news for him.
[Having said that, as I recall, someone claimed last time that no candidate widely held to have won the debates had ever lost the election. However, I thought Kerry was clearly better in the debates in 04....]
Complain about this comment
#22
That's easy JOhn. Youmade it up. Of course I could mention Diebolt . . . .
Techno Sam
Complain about this comment
22 JohnAAA
"And there are plenty of signs this time round of multiple fraudulent voter registration attempts, ACORN's name keeps popping up for some strange reason."
Evidence? Links? [Preferably not to extreme rightwing anti-Obama sites]. Proof of any links to Obama or the Democrats?
Fair and Balanced as ever....
Complain about this comment
As an aside, here's an interesting novelty question to ponder. Which city is the financial center of the world and why: London or New York? There are tons of experts who say its one or the other, but what are your thoughts? Also, which city (be it the above or an Asian one) has the best prospects for it in the future?
Complain about this comment
More on the Obama/Ayers relationship, and the need to use the Freedom of Informatio act to prise out info on the £100 million fund. :
http://tinyurl.com/5kzc37
Complain about this comment
NoRashDecisions, I hould have inserted a smiley in my earlier post. I don't actually believe that you have to be extreme right wing republican if you believe in god and believe that god create everything.
I do believe though, that there are a good number of posters here who automatically classify those who have such beliefs as such. In my own clumsy way I was pointing out the irrationality of such a classification.
Complain about this comment
cynic555 (#25), a proposed constitution amendment would not "open the floodgates" to other changes. Only a constitutional convention would do that.
The electoral college is, admittedly, archaic. Its original purposes no longer hold. Nevertheless, there are some downsides to a popular election. To name just one, in a very close popular election, votes anywhere in the country could be subjected to challenge in hopes of changing the result. Under the electoral college system, only those in close states are challenged. In 2000, this was limited to Florida, and to just a few districts, so the problem was manageable. Would have been, that is, had the Supreme Court allowed the recount to continue.
Complain about this comment
#36
Boring, irrelevant, tedious, dull, drab, boring.
Mr Anchovy Sam
Complain about this comment
#35
Thanks a lot Rash. I have a strong sense of sacrifice and service.
But I don't mind paying more tax to get out of this mess.
Tax Me Sam
Complain about this comment
JohninDublin
Try googling "ACORN voter fraud"
You will find page after page of links. I just got 500,000 links, Here'sone dated just last week :
http://tinyurl.com/495hpd
You are obviously not following things closely - do try to keep up.
Complain about this comment
25, cynic.
I personally support states' rights. The electoral college gives better repesentation to low-population states. With the elimination of the electoral college those states might be relegated to the dust bin. People tend to forget we are a union.
Complain about this comment
John in Dublin, an entry in wikipedia does not prove ACORN's involvement in fraudulent voter registration, but it does provide links.
Why do people accept that various news outlets are biased one way or another, see something in a report from an outlet they don't trust and therefore automatically dismiss it, yet claim absence of same report in a 'trusted' outlet as proof the report must be wrong. Bias works both ways!
Complain about this comment
#29
Isn't Terry Jones a Pythonist?
Fannie and Freddie again John? Hardly a change of subject. I noticed how keen the Press were to get on top of this one this afternoon on the Obama press conference. they asked all of 0 questions.
Give it up babe, this nag is dead. put the whip down and quietly walk away.
Jockey Sam
Complain about this comment
36, Johnny.
I hate to tell you this, but Ayers is not an Obama alias. You are using pure Rove technique. Say something often enough and people will believe it to be true.
I still want to know what your stake in all this is. It is eating up your life and you aren't even an American. And don't bother telling anyone it's about truth and justice, since you exhibit neither. Are you working for McCain? Otherwise I don't see how you could be so blindly prejudiced.
But keep writing. Your efforts will result in more Obama votes. I thank you. Obama thanks you.
Complain about this comment
41, Johnny.
Get a life.
Complain about this comment
ACORN and voter fraud.
Obama comes from the corrupt Chicago political machine, he ran with it and never opposed it. He has a a long background of radical activism and involvement with radical activists - extremists in most people's books..
Most of the time he tries to cover up or shroud this background. Little mention of the deatil of it in his two books. (Two books when you have nil substantial achievements ? - sounds narcissistic to me, far too much ego. Is it the done thing for all Harvard Law graduates of junior politicians to feel they are important enough to compose autobiographies ? Instead of writing about themselves - they could actually be out there DOING something !)
He has never been in any way post-partisan, that is an absurd claim.
He has had many years of dealings with ACORN, which seems to get involved with voter registration fraud surprisingly often. How many incidents are undetected ?
He has a huge record in earlarks - but of course Biden's is far larger.
And the race is still close, very close.
Roll on Friday for Round 1. It is a shame Obama chickened out of the ten Town Hall meetings that MCCain offered.
Complain about this comment
#46
My God, an anti union group don't like poor people being registered to vote. Stop the presses. Call out the national guard! Announce a zzzzz
More right wing rubbish that you can't connect to the topic. Why bother with this stuff, really?
Sleepy Sam
Complain about this comment
Sam
Youn too can be a crashing bore. Self-satisfied, too.
Complain about this comment
Was there just one candidate speaking today? If the other one spoke, what did he have to say? Did he sound presidentiial, or a bumbling old fool? Come on Justin, where's the next thread, or are the LA Times not so quick to rush out a report this time?
Complain about this comment
53, Sam.
Do you notice that Johnny is becoming more manic? I have visions of his going though all those 500,000 ACORN links. That thought makes my day.
Complain about this comment
Obama's buddies ACORN and their voter fraud :.
http://tinyurl.com/48vfzt
:
One trick is to register dead voters. Its all abit like the Thriller video - the dead get up to vote - for the Dems.
Complain about this comment
#54
Dear John,
I'd agree but i hate to fly in the face of public opinion.
I'm also fun at parties. And widely respected. I change the subject sometimes too.
Interesting Sam
#41
Can't be bothered
Complain about this comment
allmymarbles
I don't need to google for ACORN stories. They are cropping up every week - voter fraud in state after state after state. ALL for the Obama cause.
You won't look at any ACORN stuff. You deny off pat any corruption on the Dem side. You would not recognise the truth about this corruption if it bit you.
Complain about this comment
Sam
What you mean isn that you blow your own trumpet a lot - with a few sycophants here to praise you too.
Complain about this comment
#56
Hey marby,
I think he is. I suspect he is still trying to avoid answering the USA Today question. Because if 'your guy' is dishonest, and you spend every moment defending him, that could make you think you are dishonest.
This in turn could leadto low self esteem, medication and repetitive behavior. In my world we call this 'losing the plot'.
Psychiatrist Sam
Complain about this comment
57, Johnny.
Boy, are you naive. It is a tradiition for politicians of every stripe to raise the dead so they can go to the polls and vote.
Complain about this comment
#60
Johnny,
This is something different. It's called yanking your chain.
It's not my fault nobody likes you. Try telling jokes, changing the subject. Being interesting. Paying the odd compliment. I'm sure Marcus would be your friend if you ask nicely.
Happy Sam
Complain about this comment
32. Gary_A_Hill,
The 23rd amendment says that for the purposes of electing the vice president and president, DC's electors are considered to come from a State. I interpreted that to mean that they will receive a vote as a state in the event of an electoral college tie, but you may be right. If so that would mean complete disenfranchisement for DC voters in the final vote.
Complain about this comment
60, Johnny,
Yes. but when Sam blows his trumpet he plays a tune. You can only play one note. Also, he is amusing, not like some I could mention, but won't, because I am too polite. (signed) An Admirer
Complain about this comment
"59. At 11:50pm on 23 Sep 2008, JohnAAA wrote:
allmymarbles
I don't need to google for ACORN stories. They are cropping up every week - voter fraud in state after state after state. ALL for the Obama cause.
You won't look at any ACORN stuff. You deny off pat any corruption on the Dem side. You would not recognise the truth about this corruption if it bit you."
Who cares like to admit now how masterful the Obama camapign is?
Complain about this comment
Sam
I seem to be yanking your chain, judging by the number of times you try to respond. And some of your responses were plain insults.
..................
I see Biden was telling Katie Couric about how FDR went on TV in the Crash of '29, showed leadership.
Great grasp of history. Roosevelt wasn't elected until 1932. TV wasn't around, FDRs famous fireside chats after 1932 were on steam radio.
Biden makes this stuff up on the fly, he's hilarious.
Complain about this comment
Sam
I don't need to scratch around in blogs like you to find "friends".
But I have no further time to waste with you right now, a bunch of us need to fix our next Mediterranean trip.
Complain about this comment
Well Obama may be benefiting from the financial crisis at THIS moment, but the way this has been such a roller coaster race, the Opera ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.
Complain about this comment
"The Audacity of Deceit "- straight to No 2 politial book on Amazon :
http://tinyurl.com/4sgnx2
Bit by bit the truth of what Obama really stands for will find its target.
.............
Meanwhile the Dems are finally caving in on offshore drilling moratoriums. About time too, they have their heads buried in the sand..
Complain about this comment
JohnAAA,
I wasn't familiar with ACORN until this campaign. Much has been reported on its questionable voter registration tactics.
Voter fraud is a very touchy issue. If you look too carefully at those voter rolls, you're likely to be accused of voter discrimination, so it's a place only Republicans risk going.
P.S. People seem to be quite caught up with you, complaining all the while that it is you who is caught up.
Go figure.
Complain about this comment
52. At 11:39pm on 23 Sep 2008, JohnAAA wrote:
ACORN and voter fraud.
"Obama comes from the corrupt Chicago political machine, he ran with it and never opposed it. He has a a long background of radical activism and involvement with radical activists - extremists in most people's books.. "
Obama comes from Chicago and is black.
he is not far right so therefore....
"Most of the time he tries to cover up or shroud this background. Little mention of the deatil of it in his two books. (Two books when you have nil substantial achievements ? - sounds narcissistic to me, far too much ego. Is it the done thing for all Harvard Law graduates of junior politicians to feel they are important enough to compose autobiographies ? Instead of writing about themselves - they could actually be out there DOING something !)"
But it is plain you haven't read his books, and you haven't done a great deal either. He did get elected tothe US Senate.
And John McCain - well hmm not much.
Never did particularly well in the forces (the phrase is passed over I beleive), but then he married money - good move!
"He has had many years of dealings with ACORN, which seems to get involved with voter registration fraud surprisingly often. How many incidents are undetected ?"
Ifthe republicans are involved many.
"He has a huge record in earlarks - but of course Biden's is far larger.
And the race is still close, very close. "
But Obama is winning counter all your predictions. And in line with common sense.
"Roll on Friday for Round 1. It is a shame Obama chickened out of the ten Town Hall meetings that MCCain offered."
Its more a pity - and not pretty, that an elderly man has been persuaded to enter a fight he could not win and is heading for national humiliation.
Why could he not have stayed at one of his seven (?) magnificient homes and watched the servants polish his medals?
Of course there is the LHO solution, but time is runing out.
Complain about this comment
#67
John,
I think of it as a public service, cleaning up other folks crap.
Janitor Sam
Complain about this comment
An informed discussion of the "electoral vote tie" scenario is HERE
Salaam, etc.
ed
Complain about this comment
67. JohnAAA:
"Biden makes this stuff up on the fly, he's hilarious."
Biden's a decent guy, but he sure can't keep his mouth shut. Obama's going to have to sew his lips shut. :-I
Complain about this comment
"I see Biden was telling Katie Couric about how FDR went on TV in the Crash of '29, showed leadership.
Great grasp of history. Roosevelt wasn't elected until 1932. TV wasn't around, FDRs famous fireside chats after 1932 were on steam radio.
Biden makes this stuff up on the fly, he's hilarious."
Yes indeed, he should of course mentioned that theman presiding over the greatest economic disaster the country had endured was another republican - president Hoover
Complain about this comment
McCain's campaign seems far nastier than I think the man is ... he is coming across as a little opportunistic. In the long run the Rove machine may well end up detracting from his core appeal. Obama, on the other hand has had a good week, but it would be a shame if his ads started to slip to the level of some of the McCain efforts. Change starts at home ...
Am enjoying the skirmishes, keep it up!
anyone want to buy my credit card debt? no? did'n't think so ...
Complain about this comment
#67 Part II
Johnny,
FDR went on the radio. He was Governor of NY at the time and felt the need to speak out about a critical industry in his state. Biden got the medium wrong, but the rest was true, not made up. A bit of a gaff but hardly material.
We come back to USA Today today. If you want to condemn this type of thing, how about the misleading and inaccurate McCain campaign? Go on John, try to be non partisan, just once?
Happy Sam
Complain about this comment
More detailed informed discussion of the "electoral vote tie" scenario is HERE
Salaam, etc.
ed
Complain about this comment
67, Johnny.
What's wrong with hilarious? You need to get out more. You sit there alll day with ACORN and at night tell us all about it.
I admit I give some time to Justin's blog, but there is so much else to do. The other night we had a "Sarah Palin Hairdo" contest. One of the young guys with long hair got it just right, even the expression. We had to disqualify him though because he had a moustache.
Then a woman about Palin's age did that rat's nest thing on top of her head, put on eyeglasses and dragged some hair down to her eyes. She looked really Alaskan and then spoiled it all by putting on antlers left over from Christmas.
She claimed they were moose, but she was lying. When we let her win anyway, she wanted her prize. There wasn't one so we gave her one of the babies that was lying around. That wasn't much of a prize because it was her baby.
You can have a great time when you are slightly sozzled, Johnny. You should try it sometime.
Complain about this comment
#65.allmymarbles: "60, Johnny,
Yes. but when Sam blows his trumpet he plays a tune. You can only play one note."
Oh Marbles! You besmirch the memory of Rodgers and Hart; the tune he plays is more likely to be The Wrong Note Rag!!
Complain about this comment
BAILOUT PROPOSAL PUTS "CONSTITUTION AT RISK"....
It looks like the emptors are caveating ;-) And a good thing, too!Caveat, caveat, caveat!
ed
Complain about this comment
63. SamTyler1969 wrote: [to JohnAAAA ad infinitum]
"#60
Johnny,
This is something different. It's called yanking your chain.
It's not my fault nobody likes you. Try telling jokes, changing the subject. Being interesting. Paying the odd compliment. I'm sure Marcus would be your friend if you ask nicely.
Happy Sam"
Sam, like the scorpion in the story, he is what he is, and cannot change his nature. Obsessive, compulsive, unremitting, never ending, and quite without humour. I suspect he stops strangers in the street and warns them of the danger of Obama. Next thing it'll be a sandwich board in Oxford Street.
Still, it's as well he has his little outlet here. If not for us I imagine it would be 30 page letters every day to the Director General of the BBC, in capital letters and green ink, whinging about bias and Bolshevism...
Complain about this comment
#68
Somewhere nice I hope. Torremolinos?
Tourist Sam
Complain about this comment
#22. JohnAAA: "John Kennedy's election in 1960 is sadly still tainted by memories of election rigging in Cook County."
Regardless of what happened, I submit that you cannot possibly remember JFK's election let alone any rigging in Chicago. However, you might recall vote rigging in Florida in 2000.
#46: "Try googling "ACORN voter fraud" You will find page after page of links. I just got 500,000 links"
I implemented your suggestion and this is what appears:
about 27,300 for "ACORN voter fraud"
Just because there are a number of sites in which these words appear does not mean that each one proves that ACORN is guilty of voter fraud. Exaggeration does not prove your point.
Complain about this comment
re: 33. David_Cunard:
Although the possibility of civil unrest is not something we should take lightly, I think the situation is quite different from the examples you cite. I've been cursed to live in interesting times. I grew up in Detroit and well remember the uprising there in 1967. I could smell smoke from the fires when I walked out my front door. There was a lot of anger leading up to the event that sparked that violence. The same was true after the assassination of Martin Luther King.
I too remember the events surrounding the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The violence in Chicago in 1968 was about more than the election. It was about the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, the death of Robert Kennedy, and the rise of the radical anti-war movement. The events surrounding the Rodney King riots in LA were preceded by years of abuse by the LAPD in the inner city.
Remember, the people who rioted in the streets in Chicago in 1968 are now in their late 50s and 60s. Aside from worrying about their blood pressure and their health care coverage if they're beat up by the cops, they realize that nothing good really came from all that 40 years ago. The present college-age generation isn't into riots, for the most part (unless we're talking about college football fans). What is likely to happen with them if things look rigged is that they will simply drop out of the political process. Which would be an equal tragedy.
A lot, of course, will depend on how scrupulously the election is carried out. If it is perceived as largely fair, most people will accept it. If the election is blatantly stolen, yes, there could be blood in the streets.
But frankly, McCain isn't plugged into the Republican establishment well enough for them to take that kind of risk. And Palin is actually disliked by many in the Republican mainstream.
It was interesting a few years ago when my wife and I took our son to Chicago to look at colleges. We drove past Grant Park and the MacCormick Center and talked about what happened there in 1968. His eyes got big as he listened to us and looked out at the now-peaceful scene. It now seems so long ago. I guess it was long ago.
Complain about this comment
How can an electoral tie -for which there is already a constitutional remedy- be as ghastly as what happened in 2000? A stupid 'analysis'.
As for the debates- 'oops'? another pithy yet untrue summation: what will happen is that each successive debate will erase the previous one's impressions. If the last turns out to be Obama's strongest suit- so much the better for him.
Complain about this comment
The Deregulator strikes again!
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
81, David.
I was thinking of the song "Poor Johnny One Note,"
Complain about this comment
Justin, if we ever wind up with a deadlock in
the electoral college such as you describe,
I volunteer to recruit and manage a team of
computer hackers to "fix" things.
I simply can't live with Pelosi running things.
Now that we have progressed beyond paper
ballots, this is more feasible than ever. I guarantee,
as a measure of my personal integrity, that the
election will go to the highest bidder, which is
an improvement over the ethics of a typical
congressman.
As Simon Cameron, Abraham Lincoln's Secretary
of War proclaimed, "An honest politician is one who,
when he is bought, will stay bought."
I would go in and fix bank balances, but Paulson
and Bernanke are busy doing that. Of course,
with so much money moving so quickly, I'm
sure that nobody will notice a few "adjustments."
Complain about this comment
The hedgies are hurtingAwwwwww! Somebody pass the hat.
Note the date. Don't say you weren't warnedCorrect me if I'm wrong, but weren't some of them over-fond of CDOs?
Tough!
ed
Complain about this comment
seanspa #42: Ok I understand thanks for clarifying! Perhaps I was a bit generalistic myself when I said that "noone" voted on faith-based values in other western countries...may be people do but just simply and rightly in my opinion view faith as a private matter which is not to be disected in the public square. I just wish US citizens were more like that that's all. Although I do agree with you that a large number of posters on here equate anyone having any hint of a religion (no matter which religion but especially Christianity) with an extreem right wing Republican nutter, and thus pile on the scorn and ridicule. That, I think, is very sad and immature indeed!!
Complain about this comment
With regards Biden's "gaffes", I don't think it's anything for the campaign to worry about. I have an American friend, an Obama volunteer, who nonetheless used to share my fondness for George W. Bush.
Why? His "gaffes" of course!
I get the impression that Americans of a certain demographic are entertained by occasssionally silly politicians, and the rest just don't take it too seriously. And in an election year like this, it seems to me that they have much more important issues to concern themselves with.
Bidens obvious strengths overshadow these slips of the tongue.
Complain about this comment
87, Cart.
You are assuming a lot of people will watch the debates. The question is "why should we"? All the answers are rehearsed so the only thing left is who is more photogenic and who has a better TV personality.
So as not to get sucked in, I don't watch them. The election is about he issues. Nothing else.
Complain about this comment
"Under questioning from reporters, McCain wouldn't say if he would vote against the bill if it failed to meet any or all of his conditions."
It is unfortunate that we already know the answer.
_________________________
_____________________________
Those who keep thinking about the intersection of religion in politics might
start to think about:
what outlook fundamentalists everywhere
share.
Complain about this comment
90, guns.
Sorry, guns, the hackers have aleady been hired and waiting for orders.
Maybe you can mount a counterhack fix.
Complain about this comment
#89., allmymarbles: "I was thinking of the song "Poor Johnny One Note" - which Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart wrote for the musical Babes In Arms. I don't think either would want to have been associated with England's "poor Johnny".
Complain about this comment
#86. timohio: "If the election is blatantly stolen, yes, there could be blood in the streets."
Exactly - and these would not be relatively isolated as were the riots we have both mentioned. As with the Watts and King situations, it only takes on event to start a conflagration. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
Complain about this comment
If it's true that when the US catches cold, the rest of the world catches pneumonia, what happens when the US catches pneumonia? The problem for the Administration will be to persuade the Democrats that those who profited from reckless investments do not profit from the bailout, if anything they will suffer some or most of the losses. The Republicans in Congress feel the same way, they are calling the bail out socialism. Meanwhile Treasure and the Fed are sounding the alarm for quick action or the financial world will come to an end. Now that would be interesting. Franklin Delano Obama. What a joke.
Complain about this comment
#96, Allmy, you're probably right. But then,
there are always other elections to fix. Or, I
could just check into USAir and book a flight
to the Bahamas or the Cayman Islands.
Since they usually lose my luggage, I might
get lucky and wind up with a suitcase full
of cash, fresh from the US Treasury!
Complain about this comment
98, David.
On the other hand, this may make the Republicans nervous about fixing the elections. Or will it. They have already started with fixing registration.
Think of the world-wide scandal if the champion of free elections were to have a fraudulent election.
Complain about this comment
85, David.
The false figures and false implications supports the opinion of some of us that Johnny has gone over the edge.
Complain about this comment
Jeez. Now it's election fraud. This is one paranoid group. And a bit off-topic with the JohnAAA obsession.
David_Cunard:
I think you're underestimating Blacks to think they'd riot. There would be tremendous disappointment, but do you really believe they'd not be able to handle it?
It would be extremly naive to believe that just because Obama was the first Black presidential candidate, that this somehow entitled him to win. He has to get elected like everyone else.
His win, on the other hand, would be a tremendous victory for all Black Americans and, for that reason, a win for the entire country. It's one of the few things I'd love about an Obama presidency.
Complain about this comment
"I am dumbfounded how unreceptive Americans are to their own propaganda."
Not at all. I presume you stated this in jest; if not in jest, than in ignorance or foolishness.
Americans are consistently disgusted with media - our own and yours as well. In the US, allegations of media bias are incessant.
The problem is that people around the world accept the flavor of propaganda they find palatable.
For instance, the BBC suddenly became very hawkish when the Iranians captured the British sailors a while back. Suddenly, Nationalism and sabre-rattling was very popular !
Complain about this comment
101, lostmymarbles...
"this may make the Republicans nervous about fixing the elections. Or will it. They have already started with fixing registration."
How sad. How irresponsible.
The only good thing about Democrats winning is there is suddenly a complete loss of all complaining about election irregularities. Our "unbiased" media is happy; their party of choice won. Notice the complete blackout of any irregularities after the 2006 elections ?
Every one knows that all Republican victories are due to rigged elections... right ?
Utterly absurd.
Complain about this comment
For Victor_Hugo who left comment 184 on the Witch Burning Blog 6:11 p.m., September 18, 2008.
In response to your query, all I have been able to find was a synopsis of the study, found in the August 12, 1999 edition of the Economist.
The title was “Legalised Abortion and Crime”. June 24th, 1999. The authors were John Donohue of Stanford University Law School and Steven Levitt, an economist at the University of Chicago.
In essence, they point out that women who decide to have an abortion are, in effect, more often than not doing their communities a favor. Some may find this study, and its results, uncomfortable.
Complain about this comment
#70
Ummm, dude. Ranked 377 and dropping.
Bummer,
Sad Sam
Complain about this comment
The Palin phenomenon hey? Phenomenal insanity it what comes to mind. Regardless of which Presidential candidate is better equiped to lead America for the next four years, there is no doubt in my mind that Sarah Palin is an absolute joke.
Seeing her interview with Charles (Charlie) ??? gave me a chill to think that this woman would be the President should McCain's health become a problem. The fact he is 72 years old suggests that there is at least a reasonable chance that something could go wrong for him. Being 72 on top of previous melanoma cancer scares says that it could quite possibly be President Palin. And that is a truly scary thought.
Her belligerence in response to whether the US would have to go to war with Russia if Georgia was in NATO and the same thing happened that happened recently was cold sweat stuff. If Georgia was to be admitted into NATO and a similar confrontation were to occur, would the US have to go to war with Russia ? Perhaps.
Perhaps ? I hope you god fearing gun toting, commie hatin, freedom lovin cowboys like being showered with nuclear missiles and being incinerated because some little CIA puppet in Georgie decides to provoke the Russians.
Let's be honest, the only thing the American government cares about in that part of the world is the oil and gas pipelines, yet President Palin would "perhaps" go to war with Russia and sacrifice hundreds of millions of American lives because for the sake of it.
It's lucky for her she can see Russia from parts Alaska otherwise her foreign policy credentials would be that of say Jessica Simpson.
Wake up to yourselves America, this is a bad disney movie that could easily go horribly wrong, and your economy will be the least of your problems.
Complain about this comment
redagast, two points:
1. The reason we care about those pipelines is
because we don't want the Russians to be able
to control Europe by holding a knife to its jugular
vein. Some people in your part of the world
apparently agree.
2. When the Bear comes knocking on your door,
do you want our help or not?
Complain about this comment
105, Ricky.
Fixing elections is a sport with no boundaries. The upsetting thing in this election is the move to disenfranchse black voters by setting high barriers for registration.
The Republicans are desperate to win this year. They stand to lose not only the White House but also additional seats in the House and Senate. That could give the Democrats a power they have not had for a very long time. It would also bode ill for the Republicans in 2010.
The Republican fear is that they will find themselves sitting on the sidelines politically. It is unfortunate for them that they have two unpreposessing candidates, and old sick man and a second-rate woman.
Complain about this comment
104. At 03:56am on 24 Sep 2008, ricky78732 wrote:
"I am dumbfounded how unreceptive Americans are to their own propaganda."
Not at all. I presume you stated this in jest; if not in jest, than in ignorance or foolishness.
Americans are consistently disgusted with media - our own and yours as well. In the US, allegations of media bias are incessant."
Maybe if they bothererd to attend to it instead of whining they would know more about the world.
"The problem is that people around the world accept the flavor of propaganda they find palatable. "
Bit of a truism
"For instance, the BBC suddenly became very hawkish when the Iranians captured the British sailors a while back. Suddenly, Nationalism and sabre-rattling was very popular !"
No not really.
The BBC is by far one of the best news sources around, not because of non sensical and puerile conceptions of "balance", but becauseof its high news values.
Complain about this comment
For JohnAA and all McCain protagonists:
"Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Lead Over McCain in Poll"
Complain about this comment
#71. AndreainNY: "JohnAAA . . . People seem to be quite caught up with you, complaining all the while that it is you who is caught up. "
That's because he posts so much, so often. Thus far he has posted 16 notes here, nearly 15% of all up to this point - and much of it pointless or without foundation. Go figure.
Complain about this comment
If McCain becomes president, he might mistake Spain for a Latin American country and invade Spain by mistake. That would be tragic.
Complain about this comment
Suppose on election day I go to my regular polling place and I am told I do not have a valid regislation to vote. I would know that was a lie and that someone had been tampering with the records.
What would I do? Would I call a cop? Would I call a political party office? What I would want to do would be to shut the polling place down. If you come back with charges after the election nothing will be done.
So what do you do if you are on the spot and you, or someone you know, is being fraudulently disqualified?
Complain about this comment
gunsandreligion
1. I believe that the US interest in those pipelines have nothing to do with Europe's safety or prosperity. The interest, in my opinion, is in how much money big oil companies can make out of them and squirrel away to the benefit of no-one but themselves.
2. IF the bear came knocking on our door, which incidently would be an Australian door, then I certainly would not want American "help". Why would we need your help anyway? By help I guess that would mean we would have to set up an indefinite US military base and have a PM or President that toes the line with whatever he or she is told to do.
3. The idea that America actually helps anyone anymore is laughable. You's are $600 Trillion dollars in debt, you's spend more on guns and ammo then you do on your sick and poor and now it's propose that you bail out the Wall St. banks to the tune of $1 Trillion.
4. I think we (Australia) might have to start being friends with the bear because the Eagle has been killed by the Washington hawks.
Complain about this comment
redagast, I wish you luck. Australia sounds like
a wonderful place, just don't let anybody know
how nice it is.
Oh, and BTW, I think we'll probably solve our
financial problems, even if it takes a few years.
But, thank you for your concern.
Complain about this comment
paul939, that would be tragic. But, as his
faculties decline, at least he would have Cindy and
Sarah to push his wheelchair around the rose garden.
Complain about this comment
No worries Guns, Australia is a wonderful place, oops, I mean no it's not, it's crap actually, not a good place to be at all.
Good luck in solving your financial problems, you're gonna need luck in spades.
And in luck in spades for years, maybe decades.
Complain about this comment
#103. AndreainNY: "I think you're underestimating Blacks to think they'd riot. There would be tremendous disappointment, but do you really believe they'd not be able to handle it?"
If it were so obvious that the popular vote was for Obama and the election went to McCain because of a stalemate in the Electoral College, then I think it extremely likely. There have been times when it takes very little to start a riot - you must have seen the fires which surrounded Los Angeles following the Rodney King incident - many set by those who had no immediate involvement, just overwhelming anger. If those same people felt that they had been cheated out of their candidate's success, that really could be lighting the fuse. There remain a lot of ill educated and economically disadvantaged younger Black people in urban areas and I believe they could be easily triggered - or persuaded - to show their anger.
Complain about this comment
justin.... basics.. journalists are supposed to be objective.... ur pro obama stance is becoming increasingly disconcerting... "shockingly statesmanlike" is the latest webbism for standard campaign pap from "The Chosen One" .. at this rate people will start heavily discounting ure columns... do be careful..
Complain about this comment
redagast, hopefully it doesn't all end like this.
Complain about this comment
re: #108 redagast
You obviously don't understand the concept of a defensive alliance, e.g., NATO.
If a member gets attacked, all members are _obligated_ to defend the attackee, period, no ifs, ands, or buts. Without such guarantees of joint defense, treaties such as this are totally worthless, both as a defensive mechanism and as a deterrent. It is thus imperative that the understanding of commitment is communicated, both to other treaty participants, and to potential adversaries.
(Just out of curiosity, what is your view of the obligations of membership in a defensive alliance?)
The _real_ problem (which the US as a nation seems not to have learned from history) is that it is imperative to choose very carefully those with whom we conclude such treaties. Georgia, Ukraine, and other potential (and current) NATO allies are politically and/or ethnically shaky and may easily precipitate a major conflagration. It is in no one's interest to cede to them the power to initiate a major war (nuclear or otherwise). Yet, both US political parties, and even much of Europe, seem eager to do just that.
Complain about this comment
#120 and others
Key thing about riots is, it will be winter.
I know it's just a practical thing but you can't have a long hot summer in winter.
Complain about this comment
#119 redagast
Do you think Australia will be untouched by all of this ?
Complain about this comment
The religion and politics thing is more evident in the UK tha in the USA.
Ruth Kelly is a Labour MP who just left the government. She was seen at one time as a potential prime minister.
She is a member of Opus Dei. She had, reportedly, some trouble with hybrid embryo legislation.
Ann Widdecombe is a Tory - well known to British voters. A former Home Office minister. She has become catholic from CofE in the past few years.
She is (or was) Tory spokesperson on health but it was always acknowledged that she could not become the health minister if the Tories came to power because she is opposed to abortion.
I imagine these kinds of things go on all the time in all political setups.
Mahmoud Admadinejad believed - on an occasion a year or two ago - that he had a kind of religious vision while addressing the UN. There was a video of him talking to Ali Khamenei about it.
He's no nutter. He is the Iranian equivalent to Nancy Pelosi, I suppose.
Complain about this comment
chill0, that's really scary about Admadadinejad!
It's a good think he's not a commentator here,
his handle would be "nukesandreligion." I would
be totally outgunned!
Complain about this comment
Post 126 Chill0
Yes there are people with deeply held religious convictions in UK politics. I'd suggest through that religion plays out differently - in the UK it is a private matter which may influnence a politician in their actions but no politician would publicly justify their ploicy based on religion alone. The politician would also attempt to provide a common moral base and a logical argument (I know morals, logic and politicans inthe same sentence - go figure, as you say on TV).
Tony Blair recently converted to catholisism after leaving office. He said it would have been complicated to do so while still PM but i doubt that anyone outside of a few journalists with columns to fill to deadlines to meet would have bothered in the slightest.
As for Ruth Kelly - yes she had issues with the embryo bill but I would be surprised if that alone caused her to resign. She has four young children and being a minister is a demanding task if you want family time too. Also she has reached her peak. She was touted as possible future PM material but she was out of her depth at education and I don't think her career was going to go anywhere after that.
Anne Widicome - perhaps her views on abortion would have been a factor but that issue is always a free vote in the house of commons so no party line to comply with. She would never have been leader of the tories because even the party of Iain Duncan Smith would not have chosen the woman dubbed "Doris Karloff" as its figurehead.
You're all doing very well !!
PS Post 127 - keep the name. I once (in the mid 90's when a certain band were still popular) saw T-shirts for sale in Jerusalem with the the logo "Israel - Guns and Moses"
Complain about this comment
Perhaps we should realize that fundamentalists the World over have much in common.
"Mahmoud Admadinejad believed - on an occasion a year or two ago - that he had a kind of religious vision while addressing the UN. There was a video of him talking to Ali Khamenei about it.
He's no nutter. He is the Iranian equivalent to Nancy Pelosi, I suppose."
He is certainly not a "nutter", but he has not helped the Iranian economy and the public there does not appreciate that.
_____________________
Was his vision that Bush was Satan?
Complain about this comment
Concerning the foregoing comments on religion:
Organized religion is political ideology.
Those who take organized religion seriously are ideologues and likely to be obedient authoritarians.
Thus, beware when they approach government.
Complain about this comment
"There is no doubt that Obama is benefiting the economic crisis", you have said. Although there are lots of divides in the electorate each one affected differently by this crisis, the fact remains that the government is using taxpayer money to bail-out failing private firms. That is both "unamerican" (the USA is the Mecca of Capitalism) and insulting to all the people who are being evicted from their homes for not paying their mortgage. It will be really interesting to see how Obama (a Democrat i.e. closer to the "people") will vote, as a senator, on the huge "socialist" experiment of Mr. Paulson
Complain about this comment
Not exactly good news for the No Talk Express
Freddie Mac paid McCain's campaign manager through last month
Complain about this comment
#129 Xie_Ming
Near the beginning of this article there is some description of the Ahmadinejad vision. I cannot speak for the rest of the article, it was the best I could find.
Ahmadinejad suffered from the same problem as Tony Blair in 1997 - huge expectations - because he was very much seen as the man of the working people.
Complain about this comment
Mmmm, this FBI investigation into four organisations ones, thus far, who have come spinning out of the global banking hadron collider with a bang into the financial public eye..........
1. Who has commissioned it and what are its TORs and timeline? Is the focus solely on fraud, commercial irregularities and law breaking or what?
2. To whom will the findings be delivered?
3. Being executed with total independence or scope for political shananagans?
Bill
Complain about this comment
To answr some of the silly cooments overnight :
ACORN and their record of involvement in many areas with voter registration fraud was just ONE issue I mentioned yesterday,
Obama / Ayers and CAC was another - Obama was misleading to claim unrepentant terrorist Ayers was just a neighbour.
I also mentioned a string of other issues - offshore drilling and the DEM cave-in, Biden getting his wires crossed with Obama on coal, the current effective tie across the battleground states (how anyone can say that Obama is running away with things is beyond me), the financial troubles, McCain/Palin pulling very big campaign crowds, F Mae and F Mac, Biden and Obama being tied into the Senate earmark problem in a big way, Bill Clinton failing to support Obama , Biden yammering on about FDR going on TV in 1929 !!!, a book about Obama called "The Audacity of Deceit", - etc.
So it is stupid of Sam and his acolytes here to say I was just talking about ACORN.
...............
Simon21 carries on with his silly and false accusations of racism. Dumb.
........................
Sam
No, not Torremolinos, I have never been to any of the Costas other than the city of Barcelona and quiet villages north towards the Pyrenees, I much prefer northern Spain and Portugal. But in the autumn I like a third holiday for the year on a Med island. As Sicily, Sardinia, Mallorca have been done recently, it is looking like Ibiza this year - for the Catalan city, the cliff walks and the food and sunshine, the still-warm sea. All the rowdy Brits will have gone. But we may go clubbing one night - Pacha, Ministry of Works ?, maybe finish off in the morning at Space. I'd also go to Amnesia but I can't remember where it is.
..............
David_Cunard
You are totally wrong. I do remember the Kennedy election in 1960- and therefore the Cook County cliffhanger. I remember listening to a lot of Mort Sahl's satire in the couple of years before and after that - digging at Eisenhower and then Kennedy and Camelot. In those days we had decent reporting from the US, Alastair Cooke on BBC and in the Manchester Guardian. Not the shallow and biased pap we get from the BBC these days.
Re ACORN and voter registration fraud. You cannot deny that ACORN has been involved with this in a bunch of states, quite apart from the serious financial wrongdoing at the top of ACORN itself.
................
David_Cunard
There won't be riots if Obama falls flat in the debates, and various other things happen - or don't happen - such that McCain gets a clean win. Which is still a possibility. I reckon there is more of a chance of things tilting strongly to McCain than to Obama.
.....................................
redagast seems to discount the historically strong military alliance between the US and Australia. Which has served Australia well. OZ would have been taken out by the Japanese were it not for the US Pacific Fleet. And as my father was an ANZAC I have some feeling about this.
Complain about this comment
Please excuse my ignorance, but could someone please explain or correct the following.
The initial problem in the sub prime market was caused by homeowners stuck with ballon interest payments they were unable to meet which led to foreclosures. These mortgage loans had been bundled into CDOs and sold.
Now, what I'd like to know is, who benefits from the inflated interest rates collected from sub prime homeowners who are still meeting their payments if the government buys those debts?
Also, who actually owns the house after foreclosure?
Complain about this comment
Hi Justin,
I don't think that Obama is benefitting from the current financial crisis which is of the Republican's making. They've done a good job of creating this disaster themselves.
Anyone with an ounce of sense can tell you that Barack Obama is far more adept at running America than John McCain. It's just that pockets of white America quite clearly do not want to see a black man as president, and use the smokescreen of his lack of "experience" as their rationale for not wanting to vote for him.
How can a fool like McCain adopt a maxim like "change is here" when he's voted with Bush 90% percent of the time? The fact that he's voted in alignment with Bush on numerous occassions, denotes that he won't be "changing" anything. It's paradoxical if you ask me.
That said, the Republicans will really know that they're on the ropes and in a fight, when we have the debates later this week, then you will see the difference between someone who speaks of "change" (McCain), as opposed to someone who is the embodiment of "change" (Barack Obama).
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Obama - "The man who never was "
http://tinyurl.com/5ynuc2
Complain about this comment
This comment has been referred to the moderators. Explain.
What has Obama ever "changed"? That seems a large conundrum. As far as I can se he has just gone along with the political machine, in Chicago and then (when occasionally present) in Washington.
If he has no record of any significant change - why should people see him as an agent of change ?
Complain about this comment
# 133
The start of the article contains some good facts on Shi'ia theology.
(It reminds a bit of Ronald Regan's comments to the evangelicals concerning End Times and Armageddon).
The top man in Iran is not Amadijinidad but the leading cleric- (Khameini, if I recall correctly).
Without satellite dishes, trade and interchange with the outside world, the population will more and more hope for the Hidden Imam.
Complain about this comment
Concerning the investment banking meltdown-
It seems to me that a depression is arriving and the massive bailouts proposed will do nothing to avert it.
I suspect that "Main Street" can be aided directly a little later,
but that those who played with worthless paper should suffer the consequences.
What say you?
Complain about this comment
Am I alone in thinking that the Democratic Party hierarchy, the Republicans and the US media are jointly conspiring to ensure not only that Barack Obama doesn't become US president, but also that no black person will ever do so? Just consider how in the wake of the blatant lies, virulent racist smears, caustic, negative campaign ads and such like of the Republicans on Obama, every senior democrat, including Joe Biden, never respond as they should but instead go out of their way to heap praise on John McCain and Sarah Palin. And in Bill Clinton’s case it’s obviously the start of Hillary’s 2012 presidential bid.
Moreover, it's the Republicans who have determined what the presidential debate format should be; who ensured that Sarah Palin, in the VP debate, isn't subjected to any real scrutiny regarding her suitability as VP. Excuse: to counter Joe Biden's foreign policy experience and her lack of this. Why then is this woman running, bearing in mind she's also being kept away from the media? After 20 months of Obama on the campaign trail Americans lyingly tell themselves they don't really know him, while the US media quite disingenuously posits the obvious question: "Why is the race so close with the Republicans in political and economic meltdown? As if they're unaware of the massive elephant of racism sitting in the proverbial living room.
But they know Sarah Palin all right, who just three weeks ago no one outside Alaska had ever heard of and the media still refuses to scrutinize. Yes! Racism is still alive and well in the USA. Wake up Barack and smell the coffee!
Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore
London, England.
Complain about this comment
Odium generis humani: hatred of the human race.
Evangelicals take a huge delight in denouncing as false the established beliefs and conventions of civilized society and, instead, put the interests of their religion even above those of the state.
What is objectionable about these so-called Christians and their fundamentalist counterparts in other religions is the arrogant certainty they subjectively cling to that whatsoever they believe is unquestionably right, while different views held by others, however proven or salient, that are contrary to their own precribed views of life generally and the world in particular are either fundamentally flawed or downright wrong.
That's not the rational conduct of sensible, intelligent and matured persons, rather it's the reaction of fanatical bigots who need to be vigorously challenged and denounced at every turn, not embraced as serious partners in an objective debate on human behaviour let alone perceived as any kind of saviours, let alone the only ones, of a country like the USA that posits itself as a world leader.
Prof. Dr. Stanley Collymore
London, Englsnd.
Complain about this comment
The problem is, the ones who are responsible for all the problems at Wall Street will probably never be held accountable. It's only the small fry that are caught and vilified. The big fish almost never get caught. They've made their money, they go scot free after that.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Any relation? Some names and facts and figures here. Just how complex and far reaching is the spiders web? !
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/2788378/John-Paulson-becomes-hedge-fund-king-betting-against-sub-prime.html
No. 136 David_de_Jong. Good points. Those firms in the business will be pushing the hours in 24/7 right now and bundling up the toxic waste nasties as cleverly as possible in the hope that indecent haste and confusion wins the day and they can rip the Feds arm off laden with taxpayers dollars with mimimal scrutiny. Give those being fore-closed and hoofed out of homes a tangible lifeline and safety time net for starters?
Ever see a lawyer on a bike? They must be sizing up and rubbing hands feeling 2008 will be the Christmas of all Christmases!
Complain about this comment
Paul,
The big fish just turn into the Biggest Fish, e.g. Top Cat at Goldman is now Top Cat at Treasury....Follow the MONEYThe Sage of Omaha has the best nose for profit in the business. Watch this spaceWheeeee!
ed
Complain about this comment
#143, it's looking like the FBI has been investigating
Wall Street firms for misleading investors.
Perhaps some indictments will be handed down.
Complain about this comment
#136 David_de_Jong
I imagine these people i.e. the 'Trustee and Collateral Administrator' does but it will depend on what type of CDO they are (from reading this).
I guess they would have to have a Mortgage Backed Security (MBS) behind them to have a foreclosure, etc.
I particularly like this part of the description of the CDO concept from further up the Wikipedia article:
So you buy a bit of Fairyland.
Shame the pixie dust wore out really.
Complain about this comment
#149 Ed Iglehart
On the 'Today' program this morning their stock market man, Henk Potts, quoted Warren Buffett as saying 'Be fearful when others are greedy; Be greedy when others are fearful'.
Complain about this comment
Warren Buffet likes the bailout plan Well, he would, wouldn't he, with all those newly minted shares in Goldman & colleagues...
Follow the money!
ed
Complain about this comment
John AAA,
I'd like some information please. The other week you stated that you have a black son-in-law. What is his name?, where is he from?, what does he do vocationally? What are his political allegiances? What are his parents names? What is their backgroud? What do they do vocationally?
I look forward to your (quick) response with great interest.
Complain about this comment
Ref 131
I am very disturbed about my money - and my children's - being used to bailout inept and corrupt financial institutions and the failed Republican ideology championed by Reagan and Bush II, but I am convinced that doing nothing would lead to the collapse of our capitalist system and the global economy.
The impact of inaction would be felt at all levels of our society and would include not only corporations and the wealthy, but bank depositors, small and large investors, businesses, pensions, and every facet of life in America.
Hopefully enough oversight requirements will be introduced in the bill to eliminate the probability of more fraud and abuse and, most importantly, I hope changes are made to ensure that those who will pay for the "debt rescue plan" benefit from it and, conversely, those that created this mess don't get a dime out of it.
I wonder if President Bush has reflected on the dichotomy between his fiscal policies and the title he gave this package: a "debt rescue" plan championed by George W. Bush? You got to be kidding!
Complain about this comment
Obama supporters you will never change people like JohnAAA. Now Another mccain lie Davis has nothing to do with Fannie and Freddie anymore. But we find out his company has received $15,000 a month since 2005. His company pays him a very substantial amount too: read the article on Herald Tribune website.
Don't bother to rebut John it is a nother BIG LIE from mccant.
Complain about this comment
113.David_Cunard:
#71. AndreainNY: "JohnAAA . . . People seem to be quite caught up with you, complaining all the while that it is you who is caught up. "
That's because he posts so much, so often. Thus far he has posted 16 notes here, nearly 15% of all up to this point - and much of it pointless or without foundation. Go figure.
*************************
The very fact that you calculated the percentage of posts by him says something about your behavior as well.
An opposing viewpoint doesn't warrant personal attacks. Grow up.
Complain about this comment
The 'real world' situation behind all of this - the financial services crisis and the real world recession - is property prices.
Yet again a property bubble has caused a big economic problem.
Governments must surely introduce regulation on stuff like mortgage multipliers, and commercial land speculation otherwise we'll be here again in 20 years or less.
For the time it will take to recover, this might inform the Federal Reserve.
Complain about this comment
If Warren Buffett is not too old to be very capable man - does that mean that attacks on McCain are simply ageism ?
Complain about this comment
#136 David_de_Jong, #151 chill0, so much for
financial "innovation!"
Some time ago I read about homeowners who
defaulted on their mortgages, and the banks
servicing their notes were unable to prove
in court that they were entitled to foreclose!
This overly complex system of CDOs is
not working, even in its death throes.
Complain about this comment
#155, Dominick, so much for the "ownership
society!" We should just call it the "debtor-ship society!"
Complain about this comment
137. ezekielthemack:
"Anyone with an ounce of sense can tell you that Barack Obama is far more adept at running America than John McCain..."
You lost us here -- especially since he's not run anything except for a community-related fund, which didn't accomplish anything.
There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about Obama's readiness to lead the country.
JohnAAA:
Judging from the blind eye toward ACORN, it might be safe to assume that demanding ID prevents people from voting and, therefore, is wrong, but encouraging voters, even fraudulently, is somehow right.
ACORN is just another one of those questionable liberal organizations that gets a pass because, well, because it follows liberal orthodoxy, and it brings in the right kind of votes.
When a voter is turned away because of improper ID, if he/she fails to vote, there is no way of knowing whether he/she was legally entitled to that vote.
Complain about this comment
JohnHAHAHA,
Nah! It's IQism.Complain about this comment
Now here is an insight into
a possibly better way of solving the credit crunch.
Complain about this comment
139. JohnAAA:
Obama - "The man who never was "
http://tinyurl.com/5ynuc2
************************
That's a figurative road to nowhere if there ever was one.
Complain about this comment
#159. JohnAAA wrote:
If Warren Buffett is not too old to be very capable man - does that mean that attacks on McCain are simply ageism ?
**************************
Now that's a valid point, except that Warren buffett doesn't make too many goofups on the economy and on geography. And besides, He waaaaaay smarter and craftier than McCain.
Complain about this comment
#153, Ed, you're being too hard on Mr. Buffett.
We should pin a medal on the guy.
Of course, I'm not doing my part. I just got
a letter from Morgan Stanley advising me that
they were a safe place to park money.
Did I pony up? No way!
Complain about this comment
156 finmember
Any lobbyist works for people who pay him well to lobby. He is a hired gun, an agent - not the principal.
The distinction is - did the F Mae and F Mac lobbying affect votes by Senators? Which Senators voted which way ?
McCain proposed tighter regulation, warned of the dangers of systemic failure through F Mae and F Mac. Obama helped block that legislation. AND - he took a load of money off them.
Complain about this comment
#155 DominickVila
You strike me as a fair person but I do not believe this view you express is reasonable.
Property bubbles have come and gone in various nations around the world over time. It is the property bubble in the USA which will lead to recession.
If anything, I believe less business regulation (not financial services regulation, a different problem) and generally greater flexibility in the US economy have made it more resistant to recession. Nevertheless, some kind of economic downturn is an inevitable consequence of this property bubble bursting.
The bubble grew over a long time. Arguably it was helped by the Community Reinvestment Act and changes to that Act. The Act and changes to it were intended to provide affordable housing for poorer people. It's difficult to fault that.
The securitisation of mortgages and associated activities that has magnified the property price collapse into a catastrophe for the financial services industry arguably dates to the repeal of the Glass-Steagel Act which was partly to bring the USA into line with world trends in financial services. See this. Sample (this is a question from a financial journalist to Treasury Secretary Rubin in 1997):
Regulation failed to keep up with these changes. Now it all has to be sorted out.
This latter part was, I believe, a bipartisan fiasco. It was one of those issues too technical for politicians to 'get'.
I don't believe you can blame it on George W Bush, Ronald Reagan or anyone else - or indeed any political philosophy in particular.
Complain about this comment
And, now we have helpful citizens setting up
sites for toxic asset disposal like this.
With proper recycling, we'll have this mess
cleaned up in no time!
Complain about this comment
112. David_Cunard:
'For JohnAA and all McCain protagonists:
"Economic Fears Give Obama Clear Lead Lead Over McCain in Poll"'
Thanks. I can assure you that this has been widely reported, even on conservative blogs.
McCain is not considered strong on the economy. His strength is defense and national security.
This past week has been a boon for Obama, politically. As long as he didn't say too much, he could maintain that advantage.
Complain about this comment
A "blast from the past" Go Figure
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
Goodbye Milton Freedman and the Chicago Business School and hello J.M.Keynes. It doesn't take a scientist to figure what the global economic philosophy is going to look like. As the man said a pig with lipstick is still a pig i.e no matter what Paulson says or does we will go to Keynsian economics. Check your twentieth century economic history before Thatcher/Reagan economics and after.
Complain about this comment
29. JohnAAA:
"Democrats and the costs to the US taxpayers of Crony Capitalism :
http://tinyurl.com/4hxaqg"
Watching those politicians speaking yesterday, I couldn't help but see them as scrambling to get their backsides on the other side of this problem, as though they were sitting in the audience with the taxpayers without an ounce of responsibility.
A federal inquiry into Fannie and Freddie should show some interesting things.
Complain about this comment
151, chill0
"An investment in a CDO is therefore an investment in the cash flows of the assets"
That's the part that intrigues me. Accordingly, if the Fed buys those CDOs, they'll receive the inflated interest payments and perpetuate the fraud. If, however, they provide relief then those already foreclosed and those who responsibly own financially viable mortgages should scream blue murder. At least, I would.
On top of this the perpetrators of the fraud get off scot free.
It's a reverse of the old adage that "if you owe the bank $1,000 you're in trouble. If you owe the bank $10 million, then the bank's in trouble".
Complain about this comment
Re:#153. Buffet bought $5 billion of perpetual preferred stock with a 10 percent dividend. Goldman Sachs sweetened the deal for him.
Complain about this comment
#164 gunsandreligion
That looks good and most definitely interesting (the politicians ganging up on the financiers is particularly telling) but it looks like a common or garden variety property bubble.
That leaves banks with bad debts but not necessarily the mathematically-related paper that's flying around Wall Street now.
I remember reading many years ago that the 'normal' qualification for a London derivatives designer was a PhD in Physics.
Complain about this comment
Whoops! Go figure!
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
#175 Devid_de_Jong
If I were the Treasury, I'd try to concentrate on the tangible and leave the intangible to go to hell in its own way. It is valueless if it cannot be valued.
That might make the separation of these 'collateral managers' useful.
Complain about this comment
8. seanspa:
"I'm just watching Ahmadinejad on TV. He's prattling on about God, and has just said that God created everything. Clearly an extreme right-wing republican nutter."
I watched him on Larry King Live on CNN.
He was quite preachy about the value of talking and granting each country its sovereignty until it came to Israel.
Complain about this comment
GnR,
LOL, The greatest link this week! I'm asking for three hundred fifty thousand for my stuff($#!^)
Complain about this comment
JohnHAHAHA, You're rather fond of Intrade, if I recall correctly...
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
Another quote from this cited at #169 - Treasury Secretary Rubin is talking about a G7 meeting in 1997:
That discussion didn't go well then.
Complain about this comment
Seems my first post on this contained too much quoted text and didn't make it through.
From Real Clear Markets:
"The Mortgage Mess Began on Main Street"
Seems the rate of deception on mortgage applications was high. Speculators were a part of the problem. Fraud was concentrated in states with mortgage meltdowns, led by Florida and California.
The Mortgage Mess Began on Main Street
Complain about this comment
Chill 0 #126: In light of learning of these stories, perhaps religion is just more evident in a different way in UK politics than it is in US politics. I doubt very much that a person would turn down a department head apointment from the president based on religious views alone (or at least that hasn't happened ye.)
Young-Mr-Grace #128: '"in the UK it is a
private matter which may influnence a politician in their actions but no politician would publicly justify their ploicy based on religion alone."
Same here. Once a president has secured the presidency, they go directly from being (sometimes) a preacher to a seemingly devout atheost overnight. Its remarkable and shameful at times what politicions will do for votes! Read my posts at #26 and #92 if you wish to get a better understanding of where I'm comming from.
Complain about this comment
Freddie's friend
Poor Johhnie Mack! He just cain't seem to wash his hands McClean! Shades of the "Scottish Play"...McLobbyist rides again! Yippy Kai Yay!
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
If we ever got straight talk from Obama, he'd say I've been in the Senate for about 3 years, I've spent half that time campaigning so I wasn't doing my job, I really don't have a clue about what is actually going on but I'm a smart slick lawyer who learns fast while my opponent who has lots of time in the Senate doesn't have a clue either and will never get it. Vote for me becuse at least I might be able to learn on the job and my opponent probably can't. Then he'd admit that two weeks ago, like his opponent, he didn't have a clue about what was actually happening to the economy.
Complain about this comment
#162 AndreaInNY,
Your original comment:
You lost us here -- especially since he's not run anything except for a community-related fund, which didn't accomplish anything.
There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about Obama's readiness to lead the country.
--------------------------------------------------------The only person that was lost in regard to my more than valid comments was YOU.
Just when I think you can't get any worse, you confound me with your innate stupidity and misguidedness. What is clearly obvious is that you are clearly a Republican that doesn't know what you're talking about and continues to make statements that you cannot qualify. Moreover, you haven't tackled any of the issues that I raised in my post because you know that I'm right in my point of view.
The bottom line is this; John McCain is an incredibly weak opponent both literally and figuratively, you know it and more importantly, the Republicans know it. What you currently have is a party that is in denial and is trying to convince the world that their principle candidate and VP candidate are "great" choices, when deep down they know that they are not.
You can only maintain a pretense like this for so long and mark my words, reality will kick in and (finally) the realisation that you have a veritably weak candidate will hit you, when the debates start this week, because Obama will make McCain look even more of a bumbling fool than he already does.
You say that there are "plenty of reasons to be concerned about Obama's readiness to lead the country, yet you fail to cite any examples to bolster your argument. That in itself, tells me all I need to know about you. Woeful.
Complain about this comment
The press seems to be digging a lot on the two candidates: http://www.smh.com.au/news/us-election/treadmarks-mar-mccain-campaign/2008/09/22/1221935546386.html
I wish I had one of those cars. McCain wouldn't mind if I took just one out of the 13 that he has.
Complain about this comment
178. Ed Iglehart
This is scary new math, reading this, the chance of recouping any funds through this Government buy out are nill and the perpertrators know it.
Add to the 700 billion dollar bailout some of the 1.8 trillion dollar debt and paid profit (long gone value)and our "dollar" is also Long Gone.
Complain about this comment
Obama is very statesmanlike, he is a thoughtful, smart and well-read individual and a scholar of constitutional law - he knows the one-sided campaign platform rant needed to sway voters is incredibly unrealistic, and that the actual power of the executive office to 'make law' is minimal and rests primarily with congress. Unfortunately some see this realism as waffling or weakness, and some see McCain's flip flop and avoidance on issues as statesmanship. This election is about wealth, rich vs not-so-very-rich-at-all, and about manipulation of the religion, morals and fears of the not-so-very-well-educated. So on the one hand there are the very-rich (5%) and the not-very-bright (45%) sticking with the republicans (=50%) and the remainder going with Obama (50%). It is a miserable scenario because right now it is a miserable and divided population. The possibility of a clear majority in the populace yet a minority in the electoral college is very real this time. Better get out the chad counters.
Complain about this comment
#181, DT, this is one of my favorites.
Complain about this comment
186. At 2:14pm on 24 Sep 2008, Ed Iglehart
Ed, Reading futher on to the 'actual truth' rather than the implied accusations in the beginning.
Dang, how 'bout that? Nowhere is McCain indicated nor part of this even by association, yet you made it so,..
Are you working for Obama secretly? :)
Complain about this comment
188. ezekielthemack:
Please. Spare us your lectures on pretense, denial, and, most importantly, your opinion of me.
I can assure you I hold you in the same regard.
Complain about this comment
Ghost writers in the sky....
A job for John HAHAHA?No experience (or talent) necessary, in fact a certain naive lack of talent will make your letters more appealing to the target audience....If you want a letter of recommendation, I'll be happy to oblige.
;-)
ed
(P.S. as it's a Salon link, you may need to look in the extreme upper right hand corner and click through. If this doesn't work, let me know, and I'll temporarily archive the article...)
Complain about this comment
188. At 2:23pm on 24 Sep 2008, ezekielthemack
Please re-read your post with this is mind,.. nowhere in it did you point to the qualifications you endow upon Obama.
Instead you lean into insult and anger,(obvious) without providing any link or value to the empty suit you wish for President.
Complain about this comment
#188 ezekielthemack
No, I was as well.
Clear emphasis on clarity but I'm not a Republican.
Maybe you can be stupid and misguided and not a Republican.
Complain about this comment
LOL GnR
Good link, KM is overpriced.
Complain about this comment
182 Ed
No, I don't tout Intrade, someone else was mentioning it.
Interesting piece - and I like the point about someone betting a lot recently on Hillary to be President.
Come to think of it - that might not be a bad bet. I think she'd could contest McCain more handily than Obama, she's more convincing.
........................
184 AndreaNY
I had also seen that article about th3e trouble including a lot of peoperty speculation and also dishonest buyers in Cali and Florida. Also the earlier piece you cited re Cronyism. I think ther were included in the early moning list of articles at realclearpolitics ?
186 Ed
In the second debate I would expect the F Mae issue will come up.- and McCain will lean across and say that Obama and the Dems blocked his proposals for tighter regulation. Personal responsibility in the Senate - not just stuff at one remove. ie when push turns to shove. And will say "He took money from F mae, more than any other senator except the Dem Chairman of the Banking Committee who was supposed to have oversight. THAT is what I call cleaning up Washington. If Senators had done their duty and not been at the bidding of lobbyists, we might not have reached this meltdown, it could have been averted" And Obama won't have any teleprompter to help his frequently shambling answers to direct questions.
I think McCain the bruiser is probably looking forward to the debates. Some in the press are already trying to set the bar low for Obama. He was pretty poor in the Dem primary debates ?
......................
But lots might happen, it is all to play for.
Complain about this comment
Hi, Paul939!
#114
A person of McCain's experience not knowing the diffrence between historically illustrious Spain, and Latin American countries most of which were Spanish colonies! With no offence to your worthy self, I must say, it is ridiculous for anyone to suggest that. If there was some kind of lapse on McCain's part, it certainly could not have been through ignorance. Did have a spat with the Spanish Prime Minister, I wonder?
Complain about this comment
#198 DougTexan
No he's not. That's Highgate. It's expensive.
Complain about this comment
GnA
My Fav so far
Ed, A link you might find interesting. I did, though it was just a percursory view.
Complain about this comment
Doug,
Davis IS McCain's Campaign Chief. His firm WAS paid last month (and every month up to last) by Freddy Mac (in which I have bought shares and doubled my stake in the past few days). McCain says he is against lobbyists, but even a blind man can tell the colours of th "advisors" surrounding him, and leading him by the nose (perhaps he's in need of a white cane?I don't work for Obama, although (like Andrea) I consider the possibility of an Obama win rather exciting. I shall cast my vote for him.
Peace ()
ed
Complain about this comment
Hi Scribesolomon
#200
I know it sounds ridiculous too, I didn't believe it first myself. Except that it was reported by numerous news agencies. OK, maybe mot ignorance, but merely confusion. But to be the President, one musn't get confused about countries and spew illogical statements. It will only cause more embarrassment for the white house.
Complain about this comment
The polls are still worrying close in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Obama should really be doing better there, but there seems to be a residual "Palin effect" among evangelicals especially. McCain is also still popular among independents.
Iowa, Colorado and New Mexico look good for Obama while North Carolina and Virginia remain on the wish list. I don't think Georgia and Indiana are in play any more. I would expect to see Obama transfer his staff from these States in the next few weeks.
Again, turnout among blacks, latinos and young people remain the great unknown factor.
Regarding the debates, people have high expectations for Obama and low ones for McCain. So Obama needs to at least reach the level that voters expect of him. McCain just needs to avoid making another gaffe
Complain about this comment
JohnHAHAHA,
But a whole lot LESS than his own Campaign Manager, one Rick Davis....Op. Cit.;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
#200 Scribesolomon
I read this and it looks as though the McCain aides made it worse than it needed to be. Especially given the 'thick Spanish accent' of the interviewer.
Some posters here have said John McCain didn't know where Spain was. Do you know where that came from ?
Complain about this comment
#141
Early childhood education. Nuclear proliferation. The lives of the unemployed, under priviledged and poor. Childhood education. Veterans disability payments and care. Attitudes.
What have the Romans ever done for us?
PFJ Sam
PS I'd point out that the only thing John McCain has changed in the last 8 years has been his mind, but I'm not sure if he knows where that is any more.
Complain about this comment
That guy in NY, David Blaine, hanging upside down,.. you would think he was protesting the federal debt,....
Complain about this comment
#203 Ed Iglehart
I didn't think I'd ever say this but you didn't supply a link...
Complain about this comment
Hey - Latin America is historically illustrious in its own right, Spain was just an event !
That gaffe was just illustrative of the limitations on McCain's thought processes - two dimensional, maximum of two concepts at a time, they speak mostly Spanish in Latin America so that makes them Spain. Duh.
Complain about this comment
#136
Easy.
The bank.
The bank.
Sad Sam
Complain about this comment
Hi Sam, Great line about McCain's changes...but it made me think of Ben
Doug, I must be part of the "disorganised rabble" Very interesting indeed, especially Interesting times....
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
"Add to the 700 billion dollar bailout some of the 1.8 trillion dollar debt and paid profit (long gone value)and our "dollar" is also Long Gone."
Dollar gone,
America falls from it's pedestal. from a texan ,so the difference between you and me?dougee. I would not wish to fight anyone.(you relish it)(but also I am not scared of any texan I have met. small minded is not scary).
civil unrest
rigged voting
have fun LONE STAR.
Complain about this comment
Chill0, Op. Cit. ;-)
Complain about this comment
180. At 2:02pm on 24 Sep 2008, AndreainNY wrote:
8. seanspa:
"I'm just watching Ahmadinejad on TV. He's prattling on about God, and has just said that God created everything. Clearly an extreme right-wing republican nutter."
I watched him on Larry King Live on CNN.
He was quite preachy about the value of talking and granting each country its sovereignty until it came to Israel.
-----------------------------------------------
sound just like you two half wits
Complain about this comment
Mebbe if Obama just stands there next to McCain and says nothing but looks young and alive at the debates he'll win. That's my advice, just stand there and say nothing, looking good next to McCain.
Complain about this comment
Speed Dating
Meeeeeooooowwww!Complain about this comment
Half a wit is better than none.
Complain about this comment
#215 Ed Iglehart
I didn't mean that one. I assumed you had another. That one says:
Complain about this comment
I can't believe noone is discussing Palin's tour of the UN !
Little is known about it, as the press was largely banned from the meetings , but Afghanistan's Karzai has been quoted with saying "She asked the right questions on Afghanistan."
As only her asking the president's child's name has been reported, it's not clear if his words refer to anything else then that. ;)
I'm also wondering how sensitive it is to meet the head of state of a very traditional Muslim country, wearing a skirt ending above the knees.
Complain about this comment
128 right who caesabout religion unless the idiot mentions it.
(idiot not for being religious but for bringing it up infront of other people.
like going to the bog it is not a public thing.
Unless your in a public toilet in the states where due to really impressive engineering they cannot get the doors or panels to come within 1 inch of each other .(really this is done because they are really really paranoid over drugs and so designed the almost private cubical for perverts, Dea agents and republican senators to get their jollies by taking away the private part ,from the cubical that is.
Complain about this comment
Just a reminder folks,
Everything you read is the opinion of another person.
The two individuals running for office , belong to two political parties.
Both parties are hoping all this mess is cleaned up before they take over.
Be thankful elections don't last any longer than they do. Civil unrest happens!
Remember, when people run for office, they stretch every truth, trying to get your vote.Then when in office, if they remember, they find it hard to keep their promises.
So vote for the lesser of the two EVILS !
Complain about this comment
Ref 200
Don't forget we are talking about the same guy that thought Iraq borders Pakistan. So much for relevant experience! A crash course in world geography and history may help, even if it takes place in a nursing home or the Siberia plateaus that can be observed from Alaska.
Complain about this comment
194. AndreaInNY
I see you had a lot to say for yourself again - NOT. Truth hurts doesn't it? I've now rendered you silent, save for your glib responses. Have a good day ;-)
Complain about this comment
REMINDER
for Sam.
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
which brings me to they have more regulation on crapping then on finance.
so it's 2300 per person to bail out you lot.
and I mean All you who are just part of the problem.
It all got too big and it is true for the selfish individual to buy and sell be part of it is a way of fending off it's effects.
Or profiting on them.
But face it the unreal world of stocks and idiots. the lovely capitalist dream HAS failed.
If they bail out the aig's of the world.
Good on the fbi to say time to make some arrests. get the bankers
Complain about this comment
Ref 161
Not to mention the society that is about to save Bush's legacy by giving him an excuse for doubling the national debt in 7.5 years, which will now be portrayed as a patriotic decision based on the need to save our nation from fiscal and economic collapse.
Complain about this comment
What I want to know is...why didn't Ahmadinejad meet with Palin ??? That I would LOVE to see. I liked his suggestion about giving Israel a portion of Alaska instead of Palestine.
Ahmadinejad made a good point in response to the argument brought up by King about Jewish rights to an Israeli state because of prior abuse in Europe by the Nazi regime -- and about how the Palestinians are innocent victims and why should they pay for the crimes of the Nazis. Along that theory....how about moving the Kurds to Israel as well, and the Celts, and American indians, and some Hutus and Tutus - on King's premise we all have rights to occupy Israel....or Alaska...
Complain about this comment
Really John
Is registering dead people any worse than putting up a demented old coote for election?
Don't worry everyone, John is trying to keep us all so busy with his baloney that we might forget to go and vote these jokers out of office.
It is a vain hope John, but whatever lights your lynching-torches.
Complain about this comment
How dare you bush? You helped to create this financial morass and you are claiming you you devised a plan to ease the crisis. You haven't the intelligence to be an American president. You are a failed republican who succeeded in politics due to lies and your family wealth. We have had 8 years of deception on many fronts. We don't need a another of your ilk. mccain has supported you and your policies and now expects to continue your stupidities woe America.
Complain about this comment
#159
John,
That depends on whether you expect the president to make significant decisions more than once or twice per quarter. Buffet is semi retired.
Plus he gambles with his own money, so he should be free to do whatever he wants. Gambling with ours and our childrens is a different issue.
Happy Sam
Complain about this comment
Again with the half truths and the Salon stamp of approval.
Ed, did you read any of the letters? Did you notice that that same person also worked for whom they 'actually support',.... you quessed it OBaMA
Dis-appointment in you to post such dribble, ..... unless your a ghost writer!!
Arghhh,... the inhumanity
Complain about this comment
226 thanks ed
Complain about this comment
#199
LOL. And Obama will say something like 'John, you're lobbyist campaign manager was taking Freddie Mac checks up until last month. You were against the bailout until he told you to be for it. Your solution was set up a comission, that is do nothing. More to the point you didn't sponsor regulation, that was Sen Oxley. You deregulated the markets, now it's resulted in disaster you changed your mind. You want Warren Buffet to oversee the rescue, when he just invested $5bn in Goldman Sachs. We can't afford this kind of flip flopping muddled thinking any more. 8 years is enough'
McCain will lose his temper and the rest, as they say, will be history.
Sad Sam
Complain about this comment
229. At 3:45pm on 24 Sep 2008, frayedcat wrote:
What I want to know is...why didn't Ahmadinejad meet with Palin ??? That I would LOVE to see. I liked his suggestion about giving Israel a portion of Alaska instead of Palestine.
Ahmadinejad made a good point in response to the argument brought up by King about Jewish rights to an Israeli state because of prior abuse in Europe by the Nazi regime -- and about how the Palestinians are innocent victims and why should they pay for the crimes of the Nazis. Along that theory....how about moving the Kurds to Israel as well, and the Celts, and American indians, and some Hutus and Tutus - on King's premise we all have rights to occupy Israel....or Alaska...
------------------------------------
good old a ma dinnasbad.
you got to respect the fact that he makes more sense than half of america.
Complain about this comment
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/09/24/mccain_letters/
anybody on this blog a ghost writer???
Complain about this comment
ever since the 2006 elections the press has been digging in to find the dirt on obama.
since he started campaigning everyone has dug deep into his past but John the useless still thinks that no one has really tried to find out about him.
Doug thinks he is an empty suit
and others think he has not been vetted enough it seems.
and doug forget about inhumanity .
unless you want to get real with yourself for a while.
Deathworshiper
Complain about this comment
JohnAAA (#67) twists the facts, as usual. In Biden's reference to Franklin Roosevelt in his discussion with Couric, there is no mention of 1929, and certainly no mention of television. At the start of FDR's presidency in March, 1933, the stock market and the banking system were in crisis. The story of his preparations for his first radio address can be found through the following link, for those interested in a historical account:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_6_38/ai_n26699545
Complain about this comment
Fritz,
Here you go!Enjoy!
Salaam, etc.
ed
Complain about this comment
Had to happen, blame on the illegal aliens!!
Complain about this comment
(un)remarkableAcademic (#144), if you are not "alone in (your) thinking," you should be.
Complain about this comment
235
talk of warren buffet helping lead the recovery.
I find that funny
"Mr Buffet how do you plan to turn this around"
"first we have to get rid of those idiots the republicans cause we sure a s hell know they are dead dumb when it comes down to it"
Complain about this comment
The Goth jacksforgery
You've gone from viable to foolish, huffin' somethin'?
Complain about this comment
Speed Dating Slideshow
Awwwww! How sweet!
Complain about this comment
240 ed maureen now she's a right winger eh.
well put piece by her
Complain about this comment
242 on
144
gary you still believe a racist america is not at work, if so then why is it so many have said nothing as he gets hammered.
this letter makes more sense than your bull shutte comments about nationality you were so definate about.
Good on you remarkable academic.
gary and many others are self deluding academics. so don't worry about them.
Me Im just offensive but then so is america these days.
Marbles if you still wonder why I am so nasty angry grumpy , Which thankyou for leaving alone) it is because I have had enough of hearing racist a crap wrapped up as some other bull.
Complain about this comment
244 thought I would join you all alone state
Complain about this comment
Does anyone believe that a massive bailout of investment banks will avert a depression?
Could the funds not be better held in reserve to help the victims, rather than the manipulatos?
Complain about this comment
what is this "world leaders" with palin rubbish.
she met two puppets that america controls.
like someone said, lets see her argue with dinnasbad.
or Chavez.
I doubt she is that good.
even after an hour with a prize old fart like kissinger.
Complain about this comment
Could a Quirk in Human Brain Wind Up Costing Taxpayers $700 Billion Dollars?
Anchoring got its name from experiments by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman.Interesting stuff. Needs study.
Bookworm ed
Complain about this comment
It appears that the republicans have finally been routed in Torbay.
Complain about this comment
#157. AndreainNY: "The very fact that you calculated the percentage of posts by him says something about your behavior as well."
Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts. Perhaps you can't do mental arithmetic, in which case I would have said you were impaired, but that would be rude - and I am not. Like Sam, I am an acknowledged model of propriety - and fun.
"An opposing viewpoint doesn't warrant personal attacks. Grow up." I don't make personal attacks, calling a spade a spade does not come under that heading.
#135. JohnAAA: "I do remember the Kennedy election in 1960- and therefore the Cook County cliffhanger." Then I assume you can recall all the other cases. You must be very much older than we had ever suspected - and yet you plan to go to 'Pacha, Ministry of Works and maybe finish off in the morning at Space.' For an exceedingly senior citizen you have far more energy than most. Nevertheless, I appreciated the flash of humour about Amnesia - but would that crowd (or the others) really appreciate such an ancient body amongst them?
Incidentally, I wondered if you drive, and if so what make of car it is, since it is often thought 'you are what you drive'.
Complain about this comment
A comment from here
I concur!;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
Baron Von Moneypants
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
252 a good reason to get back home for me there
Complain about this comment
Xie,
B-b-b-but it's the banks who are the victims. They lent all that money in good faith! It's all those sub-prime lowlife folk who should never have got in debt. Everybody knows it's their own stupid fault! The banks are innocent. All they did (just like Faux News) was give the public what it wanted.(do I need to say TIC?)*
;-)
ed
*Tongue firmly in cheek, sarcasm fully engaged)
Complain about this comment
245. At 4:12pm on 24 Sep 2008, Ed Iglehart wrote:
Speed Dating Slideshow
..ahaaa...Ed,.. oh that was good,.. Henry looks good for his age. And now we know why many dislike Palin, the guys because they can't anyone that demure, the women because they're jealous.
Even Bill Clinton gets it, even if some of you don't:
Easy read to response, 'shallow snowmobileing Alaskan beauty queen with more Management experience then none, turn country over to Obama instead'.
Complain about this comment
An opposing viewpoint doesn't warrant personal attacks. Grow up.
Now ninny is saying to someone to grow up is that a complement?
you prepubescent school girl
Complain about this comment
In case you missed it
There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.
-- Will Rodgers
Complain about this comment
232 Sam
Buffett does not gamble with his own money usually - it is Berkshire Hathaway money, to whose shareholders he answers.
Didn't you know a simple thing like that ?
...........................
And don't you undrstand the clear difference between an AGENT - not even active or used, but available on a retainer - and a PRINCIPAL who takes his pwn decisions. McCain was one of the handful of sponsors of the Bill, he can quote waht he actually said at the time (you know the quote) and say that Obama helped to block the Bill. And say that Obama himself took lots and lots of lobbying money from Fannie Mae.
.......239 Gary
You are totally wrong on both . Biden DID say that Roosevelt went ON TV when the Great Crash happened - which was 1929. Here are the exact words Biden used :
http://tinyurl.com/49yyqx
Try reading them - you will see you are back-to-front on this.
..................................
That is - Obama was at the bidding of lobbyists, McCain was not.
.................................
Complain about this comment
"Straight talk from Obama" and "This is shockingly statesmanlike" ?
The link is to piece in the LA Times reporting McCain and Obama each sitting on the fence and throwing out the odd populist aside. What is either straight talking or statesmanlike about this - and even if it were either, why does Webb think it applies to Obama rather than McCain ?
Does Justin Webb write the headlines for his own blog or is there a sub editor involved ?
Complain about this comment
OH Dear!!!
The Palin radicalism!
The pastor who talks in tongue, the witchhunter preaches!
MUST WATCH, MUST WATCH
This is scary stuff.
Is this guy is a worker of Christ, than I rest my case. I have no words.
One thing, who is the enemy? The American who was governor at the time? The American people, who seem to be witches?
What lunacy!
Are you sure you want this country to walk that path? The path of witchhunting.
THe path that we think of those who disagree with us as witches and their heads must be stomped? Sounds to me like radical islam, eh...
no difference at the end between the too...
disturbing stuff
Complain about this comment
Here's the link to the CBS site with the Biden interview:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/22/eveningnews/main4470063.shtml
He did say "television," so I stand corrected on that point. That's just a Bidenism, for which he is well known.
I saw the interview, and Biden did a fine job. Palin is on CBS news tonight, I think.
Complain about this comment
Goleoo
Liked the video actually, but you not being 'religious' at all, nor tolerant of those that are really miss the point.
Just how would you describe the Honorable Reverand Wright?
The Kenyan-based minister' ... isn't he from the same place as OBAMAs dad, ooooo guilty by association... how can we havew someone like that run the country.
Another one, so full of nothing but viterol
Complain about this comment
JohnHAHAHA,
Mr. Warren Buffett has been a director since 1965 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. since 1970. Mr. Buffett is a controlling person of the Corporation. He is also a director of The Coca-Cola Company and The Washington Post Company.Compensation
Salary $100,000
Bonus
$0
Other Short-Term
$0
Long-Term Compensation
$75,000
Data reflects Year Ended Dec. 31, 2007
Do you reckon he's got a few shares invested himself?
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
Your all in Arms about Palin, but how foolish is Biden, the messiahs running mate:
September 23, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
Complain about this comment
224, DominickVila wrote:
Ref 200??Don't forget we are talking about the same guy that thought Iraq borders Pakistan. So much for relevant experience!
------
The good news is, should he choose to invade Spain, we are likely to see marines battling it out with penguins in Patagonia .
------------
------------
240, Ed Iglehart wrote:
Here you go!?Enjoy!
------
Cheers, mate, saw that before; I'm desperatly trying to find decent footage of P's UN visit, but it seems her team learned from the ABC interview.
Speed dating indeed.
Why so secretive, she doing anything there - to pay those guys back for seeing her - we shouldn't know about ? ;)
And Kissinger, of all people, the fellow who gave the Nobel peace price a bad name...
I'd love to see her meeting Putin, Sarkozy or Merkel/ Steinmeier - just to watch their facial expressions.
Imagine their thoughts : 'Ok, politics isn't all smiles and giggles, but I didn't sign up for THAT ! .'
Well, I guess P. will only get to meet politicians the GOP has some leverage on... What a circus.
Complain about this comment
The kiddies at HuffPo are slagging off Bill Clinton for his entirely reasonable failure to give emphatic support to Obama. FluffPo chasing Bill ? I bet that has him scared !
http://tinyurl.com/4vxm6a
Yet another day without anything helpful for Obama from the Clintons.
..................................
Make of it what you will, but for info. here is a report on today's TeamMcCain conference call on polling results.
( I had seen elsewhere that the latest WaPo poll was very heavily skewed in its sample )
http://tinyurl.com/444czv
.......................
Is Obama totally against new nuclear power stations ? Why ? - it seems just as stupid a ban as the Dems ban on offshore drilling which they have now been forced to drop.
............................
"The One" dropped that silly Presidential seal, but now the Dems have been buying gold coins with Obama's head on the coins and the legend "President of the United States".
I know Obama is presumptious - but isn't this pushing things a bit far ? Watch out for the McCain ad on this . Ridiculing Obama was the basis of the most efective ads so far - puncturing the ballon. Which happened well before Palin.
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/24/render-unto-obama/
.....................................
An ad slapping Obama for the McCain/ computers ad. Using Biden's condemnation of the Obama ad, of course.
http://tinyurl.com/4v4ljq
..................................
McCain tells the truth about Rick Davis, challenging everything the the NYT said as false and rooted in bias. No love lost there then ?
Appended is a statement by McCain made in May 2006 about the urgency of tightening the regulation on F Mae and F Mac - which echoes what he had said in 2005.
http://tinyurl.com/3qx75w
.................................
Complain about this comment
Re:#258. I rather liked this response to Bill C
A note to Bill Clinton
Complain about this comment
Coal or Chi-com Coal
Biden my time.
Complain about this comment
Ron Paul's Bailout Criticism: Illiquid Assets Are Illiquid For A Reason
He's the MAN!!Libertarian ed
Complain about this comment
Can't imagine how anyone finds Palin hot she looks like every nibby nose PTA hockey mom gossiping in the Walmart aisle and whispering about what Susy wore to church last Sunday and did you hear so-and-so is pregnant.....and she appears to adopt this as her governing style
Hope Buffett's co loses his cash, it ain't like Goldman Sachs hasn't gone down before....ask Paulson
Hope nobody hands Paulson nothin' he was wrong wrong wrong and he's wrong again. Plus he's excruciatingly boring.
I love their taxpayer line, about how if the bailout isn't signed by Friday all the consumer credit will dry up, so lets hand 700B to the banks...I have an idea, lend the 700B directly to the consumers and small businesses...problem solved! Better yet, let's not ding the taxpayer for the 700B, then they won't have to borrow it back again. In what reality is this market only allowed to go up and never down anyway.
Also in what reality does an empty pledge of a trillion dollars from a lame and brainless duck president of a country so deep in debt cheer up the investors to the point they take the DJIA above where it was when the banks failed? BS !!! PS buy back the fed.
Complain about this comment
I looked at that "tinyurl." I don't have sound, so can't listen to it, but here's what is presented as a quote of Biden's statement:
He meant "radio," of course. Nowhere does "1929" appear in that quote. The stock market crash began in late 1929, but it continued throughout 1930, 1931, and 1932. The bottom was near the start of FDR's presidency in 1933. The charts of the Dow index are available online, so this is easily verified. FDR went on the the radio at the start of his presidency to reassure the American people. There is nothing in Biden's statement which is inconsistent with the facts, except his use of the word "television."
That some people try to make an issue of Biden's occasional misstatements is an indication that they are unable to respond to the substance of his remarks. That's called "grasping at straws."
Complain about this comment
Straight talk!
And, as noted elsewhere, he "didn't do anything" except demand money for nothing....Ahhhh, honesty! So rare a treasure.
Complain about this comment
Gary
What do you mean Biden meant to say radiom not TV ? How you know ? He makes things up as he goes along.
The Great Crash is usually linked to 1929. There was a lot of decline after that - but the cataclysmic CRASH was '29.
You say that the decline continued through till 1932.
But FDR did not become President until January 1933.
Face it - Biden was talking tosh again. His remarks had no "substance" because they were entirely untrue.
Complain about this comment
doug your connections are so uneducated that I don't know what to say
Was Obama's dad a witchhunter?
is that what you are trying to get too, because it makes you sound like a fool.
Man, I know what your problem is.
You straight talk is so crocked not even a snake can follow it.
Complain about this comment
McCain pays for celebrity look.
Than he accuses Obama for celebrity status.
At least Obama does not spend 5000$ to pay for it.
Read
Complain about this comment
It's time to accept the fact that we're losing money en masse because of our own insistence on spending more than we can afford on every level from Main to Wall. It's time for us to take the consequences, and it won't be comfortable. A little depression now and then might actually help us appreciate the good times when they come again.
A government bailout will not make the debt disappear, nor will it effect a quicker payback. There's a lot worse things in life than losing money.
In the meantime, welcome to the Socialized States of America! We hope you enjoy your stay and take a few bad loans with you when you leave! We do offer golden parachuting on your way out.
Complain about this comment
John Doug Ninny and all the other non eventists that want to criticise biden for saying tv not radio.
your as pathetic as they get.
confusing tv and radio from before your time is not as big a fluff as forgetting the nations you've started war in, or are trying to.
you're fools. have fun in the funny farm.
Complain about this comment
After much thought, I finally figured out why reporters were blocked from attending Gov. Palin's meetings at the UN: she revealed top secrets related to her Japanese glasses to our puppets. Not only can she see Russians with them, she can actually monitor their conversations and its special features, designed especially for her and for purchasers of her action figures, allow her to interpret Russian policies from afar and, obviously, do wonders during refueling stops and corporate meetings at Revlon.
Forget the issues and the bailout, excuse me, the debt rescue plan; let's focus on what is truly important now that we have a statesman - or should I say I statesperson -that would make Churchill and FDR look like political novices. We are definitely in the good hands of...Sarah Palin!
Complain about this comment
"276. At 7:09pm on 24 Sep 2008, JohnAAA wrote:
Gary
What do you mean Biden meant to say radiom not TV ? How you know ? He makes things up as he goes along.
The Great Crash is usually linked to 1929. There was a lot of decline after that - but the cataclysmic CRASH was '29."
Wow reading history
"You say that the decline continued through till 1932.
But FDR did not become President until January 1933.
Face it - Biden was talking tosh again. His remarks had no "substance" because they were entirely untrue."
So what at least he did not run away like Palin.
Fancy not allowing anyone to see her talks with "world leaders" (the presidents of columbia and Afghanistan).
How shaming, she plainly is a coward at heart and is progressively making a fool of herself.
It says a lot that this ignorant fool arrogantly presumes to "talk" to world leaders.
On whose behalf- the people of Alaska?
Complain about this comment
John you do yourself no favours harping on about Biden and FDR. It is clear to everyone what he meant. To ignore the message and instead pick on the equivalent of a spelling mistake is a typical democrat tactic. Ha, found you out. Rather than being a GOP plant, you're actually a donkey in disguise.
Complain about this comment
"269. At 6:06pm on 24 Sep 2008, JohnAAA wrote:
The kiddies at HuffPo are slagging off Bill Clinton for his entirely reasonable failure to give emphatic support to Obama. FluffPo chasing Bill ? I bet that has him scared !
http://tinyurl.com/4vxm6a"
Obama beat his wife and he is now beating McCain
"And don't you undrstand the clear difference between an AGENT - not even active or used, but available on a retainer - and a PRINCIPAL who takes his pwn decisions. McCain was one of the handful of sponsors of the Bill, he can quote waht he actually said at the time (you know the quote) and say that Obama helped to block the Bill. And say that Obama himself took lots and lots of lobbying money from Fannie Mae."
The Bill was bad bill; and republicans opposed it.
Desperate stuff.
As McCain goes on to lose one supposes more feeble attempts will be made to slur his opponent.
Stillno references for the "consorts with terrorists" slur?
With courage like this no wonder your RAF career came to an end.
Complain about this comment
I've just watched the BBC report on Sarah Palin's meetings with 7 world leaders in 48 days. They say it's a PR exercise.
Of course, when Barack Obama met a bunch of world leaders in a similarly brief time, it was a stroke of genius and a smashing success.
Don't forget the BBC stylebook: Republican = bad. Democrat = good.
Complain about this comment
267. At 5:57pm on 24 Sep 2008, DougTexan wrote:
Your all in Arms about Palin, but how foolish is Biden, the messiahs running mate:
How ignorant is this statement? Let me count the ways:
1.Franklin Roosevelt didn?t become president in 1929 during the crash. He won the 1932 election and took office in 1933, largely because of the 1929 crash and the incompetent protectionist policies that transformed it into a Great Depression.
2.If FDR and President Herbert Hoover didn?t talk about the ?princes of greed? in 1929, by the time FDR took over, that kind of populist rhetoric had certainly taken root. FDR greatly escalated the scope of federal government to institute the kind of redistributionism that Obama and Biden now champion.
3.If Hoover or FDR appeared on television in 1929 or even 1933, only a few hundred people would have seen it. Television was still an experimental medium and wouldn?t be introduced to the public for at least another decade."
Yes he has a baad knowledge of history
Can you name an American politician that hasn't?
Complain about this comment
To quote Ronald Reagan (which I don't often do!) "there you go again"! (#276). I said the crash continued through 1932. The actual bottom of the 1929 market crash occurred in July, 1932, which was the month that Franklin Roosevelt was nominated. He was elected in November, and became president in March, 1933, when he gave his first radio address as president.
Complain about this comment
135. At 09:42am on 24 Sep 2008, JohnAAA wrote:
To answr some of the silly cooments overnight :
ACORN and their record of involvement in many areas with voter registration fraud was just ONE issue I mentioned yesterday,
Obama / Ayers and CAC was another - Obama was misleading to claim unrepentant terrorist Ayers was just a neighbour. "
Ayers is not a terrrorist , it is libel to claim he is.
Simon21 carries on with his silly and false accusations of racism. Dumb. "
But not as cowardly as running away from you=r remarks abot "consorting with terrorists".
This from an ex-serviceman?
" Which has served Australia well. OZ would have been taken out by the Japanese were it not for the US Pacific Fleet. And as my father was an ANZAC I have some feeling about this."
Insulting the Anzacs now, well no shame.
Pity your dad didn't tell you about the Kokoda trail
Don't worry you can find it on Wikipedia.
You will find the Anzacs did not run away from a fight
Complain about this comment
Complain about this comment
Of course, I meant 48 hours, not 48 days.
Complain about this comment
#276. JohnAAA: "FDR did not become President until January 1933."
But he was elected in November 1932 with the New Deal platform and the movement to end Prohibition. And not even you can remember that!
Complain about this comment
Yeah, were confused for pointing it out and he's a genius for fools.
To top that "no coal' for America.
Biden proves McCain was smart to pick Palin. Heck If Obama was "Smart" and not "Insecure" he would have picked Hillary.
McCains no genius either, he wants to suspend the campaign till after the "Crisis" is over,..... this guy's an idiot and in the kettle for Obama.
Complain about this comment
Don't be a cheapskate all your life, Simon21
Complain about this comment
285 OverseasBallot
Who gave the BBC report ? Webb ?
Complain about this comment
Gary
You don't know what FDR talked about in his early radio broadcasts any more than Biden does. You are both making things up. You yourself conceded that the real Great Crash was in 1929 - the sudden drop - and FDR did not take over until after the share-price drop had bottomed out.
Complain about this comment
David_Cunrd
Of course I knew that FDR was actually elected in November 1929. Don't be silly.
And I knew about the New Deal - I remember all the echoes that Kennedy and Johnson made of it, for example.
Complain about this comment
McCain wants to push the debate.
What a pu#$%!
His campaign is in trouble, as new lies have emerged to the surface. McCain proposes to cancel campaign and push the debate further to gain him time, while he presses Bush to form a new commitee?
A commiteee? yeaaaaahhhh....
The commitee is already gathered. One meeting is enough. NO point have other meetings. McCain is simply wanting to win time to let the people forget of his latest lies.
Complain about this comment
And just to flog this poor horse a bit more, FDR became president in March, 1933. Inauguration day was in January for the first time in 1941 (amendment of 1938). So even the nit-picker John A(cubed) is loose with his facts.
Complain about this comment
Personally, I think Biden demonstrated ignorance with his TV commentary, the same way McCain did when he confused Shias and Sunnis, when he referred to the Iraq/Pakistan border, when he admitted he didn't know how many houses he and his wife own or never heard of Viagra, when he admitted he doesn't know anything about computers, the Internet or economics, etc. etc.
Complain about this comment
Simon21 (#286) wrote: "Can you name an American politician who hasn't (a baad knowledge of history)?
Yes, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia:
http://www.oah.org/pubs/nl/2007may/painter.html
Complain about this comment
This is about the recent statement to cancel the debate. WHY?
Why do the debates need to be canceled?
Don't both candidates know how to multitask?
Don't both candidates have their own planes?
This is one of those everyday issues (in the life of the U.S. President) that must be accomplished in tandem to all the other world events. I say to both candidates: take care of the U.S. Senate WHILE you are chatting with the U.S. Citizen on Friday!!!
Vernon
Complain about this comment
283. John AAA - the report was by Matthew Price
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7632737.stm
Complain about this comment
Gary
You are the one nitpicking
Biden and y9ou bare talking claptrap saying that FDR was giving talks at the time of the Great Crash. Whichever way you cut it - you are 2 and a half years out with your dates.
Complain about this comment
McCain's claims are not always true. Obama's claims aren't always true. So the point about someone being misleading is what?
Complain about this comment
#295. JohnAAA :
"Of course I knew that FDR was actually elected in November 1929. Don't be silly."
Now who's being silly? You might care to read this which acknowledges that FDR 'Assum(ed) the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression." American history does not appear to be one of your strengths.
But really, how old are you - and what car do you drive? The answers would solve a lot of riddles.
Complain about this comment
285, OverseasBallot:
I've just watched the BBC report on Sarah Palin's meetings with 7 world leaders in 48 days. They say it's a PR exercise.
Of course, when Barack Obama met a bunch of world leaders in a similarly brief time, it was a stroke of genius and a smashing success.
--------
There's just one little mistake here; P. is ticking off a list of politicians, arguably most of them indebted to the current US governement, within 48 HOURS.
All of them conveniently being in one place at the same time.
Obama travelled the Middle East and Europe to visit some of the most influential heads of state there in their home countries.
I'm not sure he visited Ireland, though....
Complain about this comment
What is the old boy playing at?
Complain about this comment
Why do Americans call a rescue a bailout ? Surely the analogy is with a sinking ship- which needs a BALEOUT. As in baling water out of the vessel. Not bailing, that has to do with prisons, not ships.
"Two great nations, separated by a common language."
.............................
Obama versus Biden on coal - two-faced :
http://tinyurl.com/53o83u
.......................
It is all spin, of course - but Mccain took the initiative in saying it was time to go back to Washington. Obama pathetically tried to butt back in by asking for a joint statement- but appears to have continued campaigning. That is - putting party before country again.
Even the BBC had to report McCain's initiative on this. Normally they pander to the Obama campaign at every turn.
.....................
McCain wil have expected that Obama would demand that the Friday debate goes ahead. That does not look very good for Obama. McCain can then say "If you insist on putting politics before country - I will have to do the debate on Friday- distracting us both from urgent problems that shoud take prefernce" I think McCain may have finessed Obama into this slip - Mccain can do the debate anyway, was not worried about it or trying to duck it. After all - it is Obama who has been ducking debates with Mccain all summer long.
Complain about this comment
David_Cunard (#304), I'll guess he's about 15. So he's still on his learners' permit and borrowing his dad's car.
Complain about this comment
David_Cunard
For goodness sake - can't you read ? Biden said:
"When the stock market crashed, Franklin R. got on TV...."
He was NOT talking about the Great depression. He was talking about the Crash. Crash as in sudden fall, 1929.
Complain about this comment
David_Cunard
FDR's election in 1932 was long long after the Great Crash.
Read Galbraith.
Complain about this comment
So that the 'right-wing press' can be included, The Wall Street Journal indicates that only 40% of voters think Mrs Palin is suited to the Vice-presidency -and 49% think she is not.
And what good can come of Mr McCain's proposed delay of Friday's debate? Sounds like a case of cold feet to me! Whatever the situation, the date should not be postponed or abandoned.
Complain about this comment
So, McCain wants to postpone the debate on Friday. VERY INTERESTING!
Instead of a vegetable (chip) could this be more like being a protein source (chicken), perhaps?
Complain about this comment
Gary
I have four children and seven grandchildren. Not bad for a kid of 15, eh ?
Complain about this comment
#309 JohnAAA: "For goodness sake - can't you read ? Biden said:
"When the stock market crashed, Franklin R. got on TV...."
And you wrote Of course I knew that FDR was actually elected in November 1929.
You are apparently so elderly that you can't even read or remember your own writing - more than simple mild cognitive impairment - which would explain a lot. There is treatment, but not on the NHS. Nevertheless, on your civil servant's pension I have no doubt that you can afford it privately.
Complain about this comment
David_Cunard
Warren Buffett agrees with Paulson that unless the matter is sorted out - there could be a catastrophic freeze of the credit markets. Which would paralyse economic activiry. If the crisis overhangs another weekend ( I never expected it to be sorted last weekend) there is a risk of seizure.
If you think that doesn't trump a debate on Friday, a debate that could be held just a few days afterwards - you must disagree with Buffett about the seriousness of sorting out the logjam in Congress.
Trying to find a fix means getting sleeves rolled up, working long hours to find acceptable compromises. McCain knows what this takes. Obama has not a clue, he has never ever done it.
Clinto would have known better how to act than Obama - who is once again showing that he'sjust a greenhorn.
........................
If I were McCain, I would offer to send Palin to the debate, to shut Obama's whingeing up.
Complain about this comment
Ref 311
"And what good can come of Mr McCain's proposed delay of Friday's debate? Sounds like a case of cold feet to me!"
Particularly when the first debate was on foreign policy, McCain's alleged strong suit. By the time the domestic policy debate comes up it will be re-scheduled for the next presidential election when McCain will debate via video conferencing from his room in his assisted living facility in Arizona, with Sarah backing him up from her igloo in Alaska with a moose or two in the background!
I find it ironic that when Obama declined to offer a blueprint of his economic plan a week ago because he wanted more details on the "debt rescue" plan and because he didn't want to interferre with the ongoing negotiations he was accused of delaying tactics and not having a plan, now that McCain proposes to up the ante and delay the debates and suspend his presidential campaign he is being portrayed as a statesman and a great American. One thing is certain, there has never been a shortage of campaign duplicity!
Complain about this comment
More on those ridiculous Obama coins that the Dems are having mintedL
http://tinyurl.com/4pwddz
Complain about this comment
David_Cunard
Mentioning 1929 as the elcetion date was a slip in that one post. You are pernickety enough to know damn well that in several posts I have dated the FDR election as 1932.
You still arguing the more serious nonsense that FDR was President when the Great Crash happened ?
Or are you laying down smoke to cover your retreat on that one ?
Complain about this comment
True to form - Justin Webb has just done a totally biased interview on BBC Newnight.
The guy is in the tank for Obama. Little news from him as usual - just relentless anti-Mccain/Palin opinionising.
I bet he doesn't even realise how blatant he is.
Complain about this comment
Worth a giggle
McCain strategy
Complain about this comment
ref #288
Of course Ayers is a terrorist it is disgraceful that the University of Chicago employs him.
There is no difference between William Ayers and the leaders of Hams.
They mask the terrorism with community service.
Complain about this comment
311, David_Cunard wrote:
And what good can come of Mr McCain's proposed delay of Friday's debate? Sounds like a case of cold feet to me! Whatever the situation, the date should not be postponed or abandoned.
-----
It appears that both McCain and J-AAA believe the presence of the candidates is required for some sort of meeting, to solve the economic issues once and for all.
Neither Mr. McCain nor Mr. AAA could explain what exactly this meeting might be about, what it can achieve, what crucial role the two runners for presidency could possibly play, and why on earth it can interfere with the debate scheduled for Friday.
As if anyone needed MC or Obama in Washington right now, to add their campaigning mess to all that...
I'm with Obama here, let the US Americans hear what the fellows aiming to become their next president have to say in a moment like that - in public, in length, uncut, not in some brief senate hearing.
Complain about this comment
#315. JohnAAA: "Warren Buffett agrees with Paulson that unless the matter is sorted out . . . there is a risk of seizure. If you think that doesn't trump a debate on Friday . . . you must disagree . . . about the seriousness of sorting out the logjam in Congress."
I can't see that taking an hour-and-a-half or even two hours away from whatever work is in progress could possibly hurt; the venue could either be changed to Washington or be conducted using remote television. Even senators have to eat and there must be some break in senatorial work.
#318: "Mentioning 1929 as the elcetion date was a slip in that one post" - and I suggest to you that Mr Biden made a slip as well. What's good the goose is good for the gander. I have never suggested that Roosevelt was elected in 1929, but more to the point, he was elected during the Great Depression. Surely you can't argue with that?
In any case, in addition to other polls, even Fox News concedes that Mr Obama is ahead. Onward and upward!
Complain about this comment
Evening all, clever move by McCain, but Obama right to decline. If it was a valid idea why did'n't McCain mention it Monday? I think it suggests desperation ... anything to do with the fact that on the economy voters are not convinced by McCain?
Complain about this comment
Shockingly statesmanlike! The only thing shocking is that anyone in the United States is considering voting for a Republican. Must be a nation of sadomasochists. The results of eight years of an incompetent administration are facing us all squarely in the face. Take charge of your destiny send change to Washington - and that's not Johnny come lately McCain.
Complain about this comment
moderator having a coffee break? lol
regards short selling: am no economist but would restricting the percentage of shares in a company that could be shorted at any one time make the practice less damaging? ... if indeed it is ...
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
#319;
For one reason or the other, I failed to just scroll past your posting as I usually do.
The BBC are certainly not a perfect media outfit, none of them are.
It has to be said , however, that ever since news were broadcasted internationally, by radio, then TV, now the internet, the BBC has proven to be one of the most reliable, most trust-worthy, best informed source of information worldwide - in particular in times of peril.
The BBC, while run by humans with their unavoidable bias and opinions, still has an unrivaled reputation for decent reporting, earned over many decades , and during some of the most tasking moments in modern history.
Remember how the whole of the US press crumbled when facing the past-9/11 'homeland security' cleansings ?
I don't know, maybe one needs to be German to fully appreciate what happened back then.
Complain about this comment
253. David_Cunard:
#157. AndreainNY: "The very fact that you calculated the percentage of posts by him says something about your behavior as well."
Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts. Perhaps you can't do mental arithmetic, in which case I would have said you were impaired, but that would be rude - and I am not. Like Sam, I am an acknowledged model of propriety - and fun.
*****************
Oh, yes, you're just the funniest. And so good with numbers, obviously. ~:o)
Complain about this comment
New Obama ad:
McCain. Wuss.
Amazed Sam
Complain about this comment
Obama as a very junior Senator may not be needed in Washington - he would probably be a fifth wheel - but it needs some people of stature in the Senate to try to find a concordat - which McCain fits.
Harry Reid looks a busted flush, Dodd as Banking Committee Chairman is tainted, Schumer is a joke, Kennedy is unfortunately out of action.
It would be ironic if McCain and Clinton worked across the aisles on this one !
It is Obama's privilege to absent himself from Washington, there is nothing new about that, it is his normal MO. But the ball is in Congress' court, the situation is urgent, and McCain has a far better sense of prioroties than Obama.
Complain about this comment
274. , Gary_A_Hill:
'That some people try to make an issue of Biden's occasional misstatements is an indication that they are unable to respond to the substance of his remarks. That's called "grasping at straws."'
A misstatement is just that. Does anybody really believe Obama's 57-state gaffe?
And, yet, it does seem that Obama supporters take McCain's very, very seriously, as though they are evidence of something deeper.
Complain about this comment
276, Johnny.
The US did not fully recover from the depression until we started gearing up for World War II..
Complain about this comment
269. JohnAAA:
'"The One" dropped that silly Presidential seal, but now the Dems have been buying gold coins with Obama's head on the coins and the legend "President of the United States".
I know Obama is presumptious - but isn't this pushing things a bit far ? '
Obama has blind spots you can drive a tank through. There's that judgment thing again.
But he does give funny conservative blogs like Hot Air so much material to work with.
By the way, that NY Times skit on SNL last Saturday was very cute. The McCain skit was funny, too, though the incest joke was tacky.
Complain about this comment
There was very disturbing news in my neighborhood today. Thought I'd just share because race and religion have been at the forefront of discussion in this election and on this blog.
Today, at George Fox University, a Christian university in Nuberg, Oregon, within about twenty miles of where I live, a cardboard cutout of Barack Obama was hung in effigy on campus accompanied by a sign referencing university programs supporting diversity.
A student took it all down as soon as he saw it. University officials immediately assembled students in the auditorium and condemned the act.
As you see on the CNN Electoral map, Oregon is heavily democrat. My neighborhood has many Obama signs on cars and in windows.
I remain encouraged that Obama will win and get us back on the right track; however, prejudice, particularly racism, will remain dangerously close the surface of our culture.
bobbie
Complain about this comment
McCain should go to Washinton to straighten out the Republicans. The debate can continue, with Obama debating Palin. Isn't she ready to be president?
Complain about this comment
285. OverseasBallot:
"Of course, when Barack Obama met a bunch of world leaders in a similarly brief time, it was a stroke of genius and a smashing success"
Come on, now. Obama's thoughtful and intelligent. He's so today.
Experience, like military service, and jugment are so yesterday.
;-)
Complain about this comment
317. JohnAAA:
"More on those ridiculous Obama coins that the Dems are having mintedL
http://tinyurl.com/4pwddz"
Stubris. Funny.
Complain about this comment
This all or nothing bailout or rescue baffels me. All my life I've been told it was a 'scam' if you were being sold something that "had" top be bought now, as later it won't be here. High pressure deals with promises not written are wrong.
This is a Government grab, bi-partisen and bad for the people. We are bailing out GWs friends and co-conspiriters.
What next, disband the congress until we GW gets a handle on it? Way bad, McCain goose stepping in time here or what?
Since 94% of are working, living well and have little expendable cash, why is the government bailing "Big Corporations" out.
Complain about this comment
Looks like McCain can't walk and chew gum at the same time. How does he propose to satisfy the demands of the presidency when he can't even muster enough energy to attend Congressional meetings - where his presence has not been solicited and held by a committee that he is not a member of - and participate in a presidential debate on Friday?
Hopefully he understands that he won't be able to take afternoon naps if elected.
Complain about this comment
David_Cunard
The Great Depression is irrelevant, why do you keep raising it ? To dusk the issue yet again ?
Biden was plainly talking about the Great Crash...... 1929...... 3 years before FDR was elected..... And TV was not used by FDR for his chats after he bexcame elected.
Is that simple enough for you ? Do you need remedial teaching ? Or are you just playing obtuse.
.............................
If there are heavy negotiations going on in the Senate, heavy attempts at bridgebuilding, all working against the clock because matters are increasingly urgent, there is NO time to take off for debates, that is not how things work.
You don't have any sense of priorities, do you ? Are you an academic ? - that would explain it.
Do you have any idea of the potentialc onsequences of this thing stringing out much longer. Here in London, as important a financialcentre s New York, banks are refusing to lend to each other longer than overnight. They are turning down 3-month rates ff 6% or more - they would rather lodge with the Bank of England. THAT is what McCain can see.
Obama seems blind to the seriousness of things. Too busy speechifying as usual.
..............................
328 Fritz
You don't get the endless bias of the BBC that we get here in Britain. It is forfeiting its right to the respect it once had.
Try checking out some of their "Have Your Say" postings, they are torn to shreds by licence-payers for leftie bias. Those HYS posts right now are inundated with complaints about the pro-Brown campaign the BBC is waging. They are doing just the same with Obama, day in and day out.
..................
(Over there you have Rezko, Obama's felon friend and neighbour.
Here we are fortunate to have a brilliant new exhibition of Mark Rothko at Tate Modern-he donated a lot of his major works to the Tate just before his death.)
Complain about this comment
allmymarbles
Your remarks about the Great Depression have nil relevance to anything that Biden said.
He goofed, is all. It was funny, as usual. Why people can't just accept that Biden goofs as a matter of course and move on I cannot understand.
Complain about this comment
John,
They are not on the apprpriate committees. They can only get in the way. Response here has been universal. McCain is running scared, just like he did at the convention. And he is running straight to Washington to be with his chums.
There is no finesse where McCain can say 'You are distracting me from the nations business'. The response is simple 'If you can't multi task, you are not leadership material'
Happy Sam
Complain about this comment
336. pustelnik:
"McCain should go to Washinton to straighten out the Republicans. The debate can continue, with Obama debating Palin. Isn't she ready to be president?"
Maybe Obama can debate himself. They could give him extra time. ;-)
Complain about this comment
#329. AndreainNY: "Oh, yes, you're just the funniest." Yep - I made a considerable living by amusing the great American public, but unlike JohnAAA I wouldn't boast about my achievements or travels - that's too egotistic for me.
Complain about this comment
I have to say I think McCain's judgment is right on this. I'm not surprised Obama wouldn't feel obligated to do the same.
Complain about this comment
294, Johnny.
The stock market does not tell you what the people were suffering. Stick to the UK. You undertand it better.
I happen to be blessed (or cursed) with an excellent memory. I particularly remember 1936. I was six years old. I knew about joblessness because we had a business. It was a pharmacy and a restaurant. My father was a soft-hearted man who hired more people than he needed. These people were so grateful for their jobs that they treated us with embarrassing deference.
The cook of our simple restaurant had been an out-of work top-flight chef. One of the waiters lost his teaching position due to cutbacks. My Uncle Rudy also worked for us. He had been a ship's captain.
When poor people were being served a meager lunch, my father heaped their plates without saying anything. Times were very bad. Our largesse finally did us in. We lost the business.
I saw people without shoes, their feet bound in rags. I saw a tattered couple with a little girl staring at a doll in a toy-shop window on Christmas Eve. My father ran into the shop, came out with the doll, shoved it in th little girl's arms, and ran away.
America turned the corner when the defense plants opened.
Complain about this comment
Interesting take on why Hillary refused to participate in the anti-Ahmedinejad rally in NYC.
It wasn't a hit at Palin. It was a hit at Obama.
When Hillary found out Palin was going to be there, she realized she would be the "stand-in" for Obama. Because she finds Obama's position on Iran idiotic, she didn't want to be in that spot.
In other words, she wasn't going to clean up his mess.
Obama, Hillary and Palin's Disinvite
Complain about this comment
345. David_Cunard:
" I wouldn't boast about my achievements or travels - that's too egotistic for me."
Now, that's really funny!
Complain about this comment
Correction on #335: Newberg, OR
The sign hung around the neck of the life sized cardboard cutout of Senator Obama read: "Act 6 Reject" referencing a university scholarship program for low income students.
b
Complain about this comment
342, Johnny.
You know very well I was not talking about Biden, but correcting a statement YOU made. Your comment was sly misdirection.
Complain about this comment
My figures are perhaps not totally accurate but what I am seeing on polls and blogs,left, right and in the middle indicates that an average of 70% of the people want this debate to occur.
I think McCain MUST not shirk this debate if he wants even a chance at this election.
Complain about this comment
McCain is doing the right thing by working on
the financial crisis, instead of debating Obama.
I don't understand why Obama doesn't get it.
He's being outmaneuvered by a fighter pilot.
Complain about this comment
347 allmymarbles
No-one is questioning the agonies of the Depression. The discussion was about Biden's gaffe, which related to the Great Crash of '29, not the Depression that followed.
And people over here are not ignorant of the hardships. Not just by reading - my favourite friends these days in LA were in Ohio, his father was a bank manager, bank was closed, they survivied by growing potatoes. And yes - their real chance in life came from him moving to worrk in the burgeoning aircraft industry, she to New Mexico on defence work.
Complain about this comment
#343, Sam, reality doesn't matter. Most Americans
don't know how the Senate committee system
works, all McCain needs is a sound bite.
Complain about this comment
#341. JohnAAA: "The Great Depression is irrelevant, why do you keep raising it ?"
Why do you? So Biden made a mistake, just as you did with writing 1929 instead of 1932. FDR was elected because he proposed a solution to the problems which beset America - and so successful was he that he was returned for a further three terms. Had you been in the USA at the time you would have likely voted for Herbert Hoover or later, Alf Landon and then Wendell Willkie. I feel sure that you can actually remember Dewey's defeat - twice.
"If there are heavy negotiations going on in the Senate, heavy attempts at bridgebuilding, all working against the clock because matters are increasingly urgent, there is NO time to take off for debates, that is not how things work."
Why - don't people eat, urinate or sleep? There's more than enough time for a debate - and as Governor Rendell of Pennsylvania said "does McCain think the Senate will still be working at 9 p.m. Friday?" In any case, it looks as if it's going ahead, McCain or no McCain.
And no, I am not an academic.
Complain about this comment
To#350Ladybobbiebea
At least, the student who removed this offensive object and the university officials, acted promptly and appropriately.
It is sad but racism is still an ugly guest at our table here in the US. We might try to ignore the boorish behavior but I am not sure we can make it go away. Somehow bigots always seem to show up, even when uninvited.
Complain about this comment
#349. AndreainNY: "Now, that's really funny!" Sweetheart, you're so easily amused, I'll bet you go to the Letterman show every time you can. He loves easy audiences.
And by the way - show me one, just one, post of mine where I have ever mentioned any specific success I have achieved. There isn't one, so don't be so snide.
Complain about this comment
Dodd will shiv Obama by working with Mccain to get passage of a compromise Bill, Obama will be hung out to dry - McCain ACTS, using his Senate seniority, while the kiddo from Chicago carries on speechifying and fundraising.
Because - let's face it- Obama is a nonentity inside the Senate. It's still broadly 50/50 that's where he'll be in January.
Complain about this comment
McCain IS NOT working on the financial crisis. Tying to delay the debate is a political ploy. He begins to look like a coward and not a leader.
Where is the soldier? Where is the brave POW? Where is the seasoned senator, the maverick with all guns blazing? Congress does not need him to figure this out. They only need his vote.
A man who understands what it means to be president must understand that WE THE PEOPLE want to hear him debate with Obama over issues that concern us all.
There is a word "multitasking," if he is not capable of this the he is not capable of being president.
Complain about this comment
#123 PeterM99
"You obviously don't understand the concept of a defensive alliance, e.g., NATO.
If a member gets attacked, all members are _obligated_ to defend the attackee, period, no ifs, ands, or buts. Without such guarantees of joint defense, treaties such as this are totally worthless, both as a defensive mechanism and as a deterrent. It is thus imperative that the understanding of commitment is communicated, both to other treaty participants, and to potential adversaries."
Yeah, quite obviously I don't understand a "defensive alliance". I always thought that defensive meant to defend and hold your position.
So does "defensive alliance" mean expand your alliance into your opponents or enemies previously or currently held positions. I thought that was offensive.
Anyways, the USG pretends to care about Europe and the rest of the world but in reality, they care only about money, oil and regional dominance.
And spare me the WW2 line that the US saved everyone and we may need saving one day. It's like the Mafia saying that they protected you from the thugs a while back so now whom do you serve?
And to #125 - ChillO
Do I think Australia will be untouched by this? Untouched by what? If you’re talking about your economy, then yes we will also pay for it too somewhere down the line. If you’re talking militarily, then no, I don't think we will be touched by anyone, anytime soon, and even if we were, we wouldn't need your "help". What would you do anyway?
Complain about this comment
360 aqua
That is where you are so wrong. McCain is not worried about debating Obama - it is Obama who has spent 3 months avoiding Town Hall debates with McCain.
Bipartisan action is needed in Congress. That is McCain's forte.
By contrast, Obama would be about as much use as a smell in a spacesuit in securing cross-party agreement.
Complain about this comment
358. David_Cunard:
"#349. AndreainNY: "Now, that's really funny!" Sweetheart, you're so easily amused, I'll bet you go to the Letterman show every time you can. He loves easy audiences."
I don't watch Letterman, but I did get tix as a gift last May. The way they worked the audience was schmaltzy. Letterman was gone before the lights came on.
Ellen Barkin was an interesting guest, though. Quite a package with some tintillating stories.
Complain about this comment
337, AndreainNY wrote:
Come on, now. Obama's thoughtful and intelligent. He's so today.
Experience, like military service, and jugment are so yesterday.
;-)
---------
I couldn't agree more.
Just one thing keeps confusing me, and that's McCain's experience in military matters.
Last time I checked, he was a fighter pilot, who got shot down, captured and tortured as a POW.
I understand it is a given that everyone talks eventually when being tortured, in a matter of days, weeks if one gets lucky, at least that's what is being tought at special forces training.
So there is a fellow, some rich kid, one of the worst in his class, managed to become a fighter pilot anyways, due to his father's clout.
Never has been in a commanding position, never has fought on the ground, never has been involved in anything but a few simple mission briefings.
Got captured, most likely told his tormenters anything they asked for.
We will never know, but what are the odds ?
Returned on crutches, made the news - hey dad ! - instant hero.
Serving in the military means one has any experience, whatsoever, in commanding an army ?
The armed forces of the USA ?
You know your quotes, I trust:
'War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men.'
Not to mention those who claim to be 'military men' of experience, without having any.
Complain about this comment
aquagirl, you missed the move.
All McCain has to do is to be in town and
stand on the podium with some other Senate
leaders announcing the agreement, and
he wins the round.
Forget about reality. If you want multitasking,
get Linux on your computer.
Complain about this comment
gunsandreligion
You have it to a T.
McCain shows statesmanship, Obama is seen to be partisan. That is the chess game, Obama is losing it.
Another example of McCain taking fast initiatives, Obama being put back on his heels.
With all this trouble, Obama should be miles ahead. He isn't above 50% except in the odd poll. Palin continues to have a better net favourable than Biden, Biden is goofing off all over the place (5 examples I can think of in a fortnight).
Obama will be cast as ignoring the gravity of the situation.
Complain about this comment
353, gunsandreligion:
McCain is doing the right thing by working on
the financial crisis, instead of debating Obama.
I don't understand why Obama doesn't get it.
He's being outmaneuvered by a fighter pilot.
---------------
McCain is certainly not working on that crisis, he's working on his campaign.
What could the presidential candidates possibly do at this point ?
Ask your government, congress man, whatever.
Neither McCain nor Obama have much influence in current US politics right now.
Less than ever, I assume, running a campaign and all that.
One of them is supposed to be the future of your country, not some street cleaner taking over right now .
Seems like some former pilot tries to outmaneuver the US public, and has hit at least one easy target ;).
Complain about this comment
Fritz, you don't understand.
Regardless of how the Senate is normally supposed
to work, McCain is acting as the leader of his party.
What he says has weight. More weight, in fact,
than President Dummkopf. His mere presence
in the same city as the negotiations allows him
to grab the limelight.
If he says that an agreement stinks, that may have
more import at this particular time than anyone
who is formally involved in the process.
The American people don't understand all of the
wrinkles of our convoluted system. They don't
even understand how close our (and the entire
world's) banking system is to collapse, or what
that would mean to them personally.
But, they do know that we are in troubled times,
and McCain is showing that he can take command
of a fluid situation.
It's actually a brilliant move, and one that I did
not expect.
Obama is going to have a tough time recovering
from this one.
Complain about this comment
To#365Gunsandreligion
McCain is a politician with a drop in his polls and I think he has made a mistake, but we will see will we not?
Perhaps I used the word "multitasking" incorrectly. I learned it from a grandchild with a very busy life who somehow does manage everything.
Perhaps McCain believes that showing up and grimacing will be enough but he may have to share that meeting also with Obama.
Complain about this comment
Just listened to Bush,... This just doesn't even seem right for him. Always the unexplained additional bureaus and layersof expense and un-expected consequence,... inflation?
Complain about this comment
Why does McCain want to delay this debate?
Do you really believe that he cares so much about the "average American?"
He wants to be president. That is his mission. As a member of the military he has been taught to keep executing the mission no matter what happens.
Complain about this comment
I have thought that Bush looks like a deer caught in the headlights. I could almost feel sorry for him if he and his cronies had not made such a terrible mess of our country.
Complain about this comment
#369, aquagirl, the financial crisis is so immediate
that it basically IS the campaign at this point.
This is not an exercise to see who WOULD be
the better president - this is the real thing.
The debate doesn't matter anymore, and if
Obama presses the point, then he doesn't, either.
Complain about this comment
aquarizonagal
Thank you for your response.
I find such things deeply unnerving. I've seen too many political assassinations in my lifetime so I take such hateful acts very, very seriously.
b
Complain about this comment
Must watch
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
To#373Gunsandreligion
I respect your opinion and I do profess to have but an elementary understanding of the machinations of finance but I do understand panic.
People are frightened, even those who have food on their tables, a job, a roof and a few dollars in the bank. FEAR can be a "MIND KILLER." When people stop spending and investing, the economy suffers.
Right now, we are being told that we are in the worst crisis of this century and so forth. Having lived for nearly eighty years, I am not so impressed with this. We are being asked to spend money that we work hard for to bail out people who have been raiding the cookie jar for far too long.
This is being sold to us as the only solution or life as we know it will cease to exist. If you really believe that. May I sell you some beach front property in Arizona
Please do not let fear consume your reasoning. If you have any spare money at all this is the time to invest and to buy. Everything is on sale!
Complain about this comment
aquarigal, this is a real monster we are dealing with,
and the worse part of the storm has yet to hit.
If some kind of plan is not put together within
a week or 2, the rest of the world is going to
start dumping dollars, and we'll be facing
total economic collapse. Even Greenspan, who
I personally believe was partly responsible for
this whole mess, called this a "once in a century
event."
As far a few dollars in the bank, what happens
if all the banks have to close?
Some kind of a plan has to be put together,
even if we are dealing with thieves. Personally,
I would dunk the CEOs of these banks in water
until THEY came up with an acceptable plan,
because I don't like being rushed for money.
Everything is hanging in the balance now,
and if a deal isn't put together quickly, it
probably won't matter who is president.
That's why the debate doesn't matter.
Complain about this comment
No. 375 Ed
Oh, that was choice.
McCain is such a drama queen. Letterman and the debates present excellent opportunities for him to step up with a real time response to the financial crisis and he escapes to Washington to hide in the Republican enclave. At his own admission, economics are not his forte. So what does he think he's going to contribute? Morale support?
I can't believe he continues to brag about being at the bottom of his West Point class. That means he did not invest the time and focus to avail himself of the education provided. He's uneducated!
Hero? It's my opinion he definitely should have taken the opportunity to leave the Hanoi Hilton to go back and report to his superiors about the conditions, the identifications of the other prisoners, and any and everything else to insure their early release and rescue.
Interesting that both he and Palin were interviewed by Katie on the same program. She is stunning, utterly charming, and so out of her league. She can't begin to keep up with the big boys and girls. She repeats herself verbatim without even trying to rephrase or expand on her answers.
b
Complain about this comment
364 Fritz.
Go easy a bit there Fritz. You can criticize John McCain for many things, but not this.
Please don't belittle military service, and particularly not active service, McCain's, Kerry's, Kennedy's, GHW Bush's or anyone else's.
It takes a great deal to qualify as a naval aviator. Every read Tom Wolfe's description in The Right Stuff? Whether you are an Admiral's son or grandson, or not, if you can't stick the night landing on the heaving greasy skillet, you don't make it into the club, and you don't fly combat ops. (And some people think McCain has no aptitude for high technology. Think again?)
It is well documented that McCain showed fair coolness in surviving the fire on the Forrestal (the worst USN fire since WWII, well over 134 dead, 161 injured). His aircraft was on the deck, fueled, armed and ready to go, in the very center of the fire. He managed to get himself out of his harness, out of the cockpit, off the nose re-fueling probe of his aircraft and out alive. Others weren't so lucky. He took shrapnel in the chest and legs returning to the fire to help another pilot: 94 seconds after the start of the fire a 1000 lb bomb slung under his own aircraft exploded.
McCain completed 22 missions before being shot down. Military flight ops against live opposition were, and are, ridiculously dangerous. (Not to suggest that other branches of the armed services do not do dangerous things). If it isn't working up the courage to go the first time, it is working up the courage to go the second, and the third and the fourth ... and the 18th, and the 19th .... It's a matter of probability, and someday, maybe it is just going to be your turn, even if you are Earthquake McGoon. There's a book called "And a Thousand Shall Fall".
Have you ever put your life on the line like that ? Played roulette at that kind of level ? Please do not disparage it. Be humble and thankful that you have not been called upon. Whether or not he was Guy Gibson or Leonard Cheshire, it still merits a great deal of respect.
It is a fact that he spent extra time as a prisoner rather than accept early release. You may say that this was merely his duty, the code, but nonetheless, he did it. His health was not good. He suffered for it. A lot. For a long time. Surely this merits the same kind of respect as Erich Hartmann's refusal of early release?
When you cheapen military service, it is not only John McCain's record that is lessened. A lot of young men gave their last full measure of devotion in the service of their country.
Politics stops at the water's edge.
Complain about this comment
To#379Interestedforeignor
Thank you for your comment. Your last paragraph means a lot to me. I have a folded flag and a grandchild that is all I have left of my youngest child.
Complain about this comment
I am feeling robbed, like my wallet was taken and my credit used without my permission.
My take home of a dollar is now worth seventy cents, taxed on the blindside. The way GW just looked at the monitor, read his prompter, I didn't believe he thought robbing us could be so easy.
And I defended him when others called him the fool, or mocked his manner of speaking, his cabinet, or the Oil and big money buddies,.. now his 'truth' is unvieled to my blind eyes,... and I've been sold out.
I paid my bills, my mortgage and raised my children,.. not in a mansion, no I lived within my means, and thieves, loan sharks, low lifes and the rich made by such actions will get the assistance for the home they shouldn't have bought, the loan they can't repay, the vacations they took and the credit they mishandled and I get the bill,.. the tax bill.
There is no believing in a Government that fails the borders, robs me with "illegals" being allowed in my pocket, criminals running corporations with my investments, thieves selling short with stock they don't own, this is our Government, no protection for the haedworking, taxpaying citizen, no, protect the criminals, thats what a criminal government does, then bail them out,prop them up with money you steal from the citizen.
Complain about this comment
To#381Dougtexan
I am so sorry for how you are feeling.
Government can never really be trusted. We can never give any of them our blind allegiance.
Take a deep breath and a good look at the real issues and vote what you think is best for you and then keep a close eye on what they are doing in Washington.
There is a good reason why we have the Second Amendment.
Complain about this comment
380. Dear Aquarizonagal.
I'm so sorry. The tears are running down my cheeks.
Complain about this comment
#373. gunsandreligion: "This is not an exercise to see who WOULD be the better president - this is the real thing."
And so Friday's debate should go on in order to see who WILL be the better president. The next thing we'll be hearing from the Republicans is that perhaps the election should be delayed, although I would have thought GWB would want to move from Pennsylvania Avenue as swiftly as possible. Considering that Iraq and the present situation have happened on his watch, he'll be happy to get back to Texas, away from the fray. It's not as if Mr McCain has all - or any - of the answers and so a couple of hours "debating" with his rival should not be difficult. Obama should stick to his guns.
Complain about this comment
#381 DougTexan
I'm sorry to hear that. It's just that politicians can't be trusted to deliver what they preach they will. I wonder what a world without politicians would be like...
Complain about this comment
#380
Aqua,
I shed a tear. Peace be with you.
Sam
Complain about this comment
No 386 Sam
Isn't Sam playing tonight?
b
Complain about this comment
JohnAAA
My Army officers number comprised x6 digits. It is a number ex military men and women have indelibly etched in their minds for ever. How many digits was your RAF number? Out of interest what years did you serve and to what rank?
347 Allymarbles
Thank you for sharing that background - very moving. How lessons are forgotten by mankind. How good to receive enlightening input from people in the trenches of reality.
364 and 367 Fritz
Right on the button on 364. Being ex military, I have visited that topic too in the last couple of weeks and offered observations so wont bang on.
On 367, I caught interesting commentary early this morning from a number of seasoned commentators (GMT plus 5 here)........ i) on presidential debates having gone ahead, regardless, even during incredible events such as the D Day landings and more and ii) the reported McCain Washington return being pure and simple political posturing and opportunism. ......... Not that I feel that these scripted sessions called debates are anything more than exchanges of pre-rehearsed views and policies etc, the programmed meeting on Friday should happen. Location is not an issue.
Apologies for repeating myself, but this is a national crisis with international ramifications. Total responsibility rests with the current Republican administration and, believe it or not, those highly remunerated executives, running staffs, with direct responsibility for the direct oversight and stewardship of the US Banking and Finance sector. It is a here and now problem precipitated by failure - pure and simple.
What rankles with me big time is the notion that the collective of individuals above will look to point sole blame at Wall Street and then dress up what can only be described as an unprecedented experiment as some sort of *didnt we do well* rescue of the American tax payer whilst seeking political leverage in garnering credit for doing so!
Thankfully, seemingly experienced, astute, mindsets cross party, who were not necessarily close enough or directly empowered in roles, are not allowing this package to be blustered through without careful conditions of accountability being attached. All must hope that a final solution materialises just as soon as possible but it has to be the right solution.
In the mean time it is absolutely right that messrs McCain and Obama adhere to their senatorial obligations and responsibilities.
But let the brightest and best weld together responsibly in single purpose to deliver a solution to a problem that regrettably the incumbent President and a supposed champion of experience, judgement and maverick qualities as in *the fundamentals of our economy are strong* x10 days ago actually know pretty much zero about.
Complain about this comment
G&R,
I think you need to read Naomi's book.
And, for starters, have a look here:
Now is the Time to Resist Wall Street's Shock Doctrine
here she is
Caveat Emptor and Don't Panic
I'm for the debates, along with too many wise folk above.
Aquarizonagal, tears from me too. And Doug, (). Bill & Fritz, I hear you....
peace to all, and, for God's sake, VOTE
ed
Complain about this comment
From Nate Silver
Nuff Said!xx
ed
Complain about this comment
A new angle
Lao Tzu would have loved this book!
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
Timeline
and strategy: Blurt Out Random Crap
;-)
ed
Complain about this comment
379. At 03:46am on 25 Sep 2008, Interestedforeigner wrote:
364 Fritz.
Go easy a bit there Fritz. You can criticize John McCain for many things, but not this.
Please don't belittle military service, and particularly not active service, McCain's, Kerry's, Kennedy's, GHW Bush's or anyone else's.
It takes a great deal to qualify as a naval aviator. Every read Tom Wolfe's description in The Right Stuff? Whether you are an Admiral's son or grandson, or not, if you can't stick the night landing on the heaving greasy skillet, you don't make it into the club, and you don't fly combat ops. (And some people think McCain has no aptitude for high technology. Think again?)
It is well documented that McCain showed fair coolness in surviving the fire on the Forrestal (the worst USN fire since WWII, well over 134 dead, 161 injured). His aircraft was on the deck, fueled, armed and ready to go, in the very center of the fire. He managed to get himself out of his harness, out of the cockpit, off the nose re-fueling probe of his aircraft and out alive. Others weren't so lucky. He took shrapnel in the chest and legs returning to the fire to help another pilot: 94 seconds after the start of the fire a 1000 lb bomb slung under his own aircraft exploded.
McCain completed 22 missions before being shot down. Military flight ops against live opposition were, and are, ridiculously dangerous. (Not to suggest that other branches of the armed services do not do dangerous things). If it isn't working up the courage to go the first time, it is working up the courage to go the second, and the third and the fourth ... and the 18th, and the 19th .... It's a matter of probability, and someday, maybe it is just going to be your turn, even if you are Earthquake McGoon. There's a book called "And a Thousand Shall Fall".
Have you ever put your life on the line like that ? Played roulette at that kind of level ? Please do not disparage it. Be humble and thankful that you have not been called upon. Whether or not he was Guy Gibson or Leonard Cheshire, it still merits a great deal of respect.
It is a fact that he spent extra time as a prisoner rather than accept early release. You may say that this was merely his duty, the code, but nonetheless, he did it. His health was not good. He suffered for it. A lot. For a long time. Surely this merits the same kind of respect as Erich Hartmann's refusal of early release?
When you cheapen military service, it is not only John McCain's record that is lessened. A lot of young men gave their last full measure of devotion in the service of their country."
Does that include the Reverend Wright, a decorated veteran? He did not get much respect did he?
Complain about this comment
# 341 JohnAAA (to the intelligent and articulate Mr David Cunard)
"Is that simple enough for you ? Do you need remedial teaching ? Or are you just playing obtuse."
This from JohnAAA?? Staunch critic of insults and personalised comments. (At least, as long as they’re aimed at him or any Republican.)
As they say in Private Eye Magazine - 'shurely shome mishtake'.....
Complain about this comment
#355
'Finger lickin good'?
Puzzled Sam
Complain about this comment
379. Interestedforeigner.
Perchance you are exmil too? I agree with much of your text. The issue for me over John McCain has been relatively simple.
Military forces are tasked by their political masters to employ whatever instruments of power are demanded to meet military objectives and thus secure political goals.
It is a historical given that young men and more recently women, have done what has been demanded of them at incredible cost. The ultimate sacrifice; horrific injuries; post operational trauma and more.....much much more............
I can tell you candidly that between soldiers, sailors and airmen there is a bond; an understanding; a cultural dignity about having served. It is complete anathema to take to soap boxes, as was the case at the GOP convention, to use and spin personal experience in the way we all saw.
For my part, I found it utterly distasteful, disrespectful and, yes, completely cheapening of Senator John McCain to do just this.
I will be blunt and state this ...... there are millions of fallen and injured servicemen worldwide who have *given their today for our tomorrow* and more, that Senator McCain isnt even qualified to wipe the backside of. End of.
He ought to be out there on the ground helping to sort the 200,000 US homeless vets right now - a number that is surely going to swell dramatically in this credit crunch crisis c/o the Republican Administrations stewardship.
I will be quietly in spirit with the good men in my Regiment who I knew and we lost come 11/11 and Remembrance Sunday.
Thank you.
Complain about this comment
#345
Shouldn't you boast about your third holiday in Ibiza? After all, that is just like a long weekend in Atlantic City. And clubbing! Woo hoo!
Why do I hear an Amy Winehouse tune, something about F me pumps.
Classy!
Dancer Sam
Complain about this comment
#387
Apologies B!
Busy Sam
Complain about this comment
#388
Bill,
I need to hug you.
(})
Fond Sam
Complain about this comment
# 390 Ed Iglehart
A comparison of the debates to the Bugs Bunny show.
So - lets see - there was Bugs, tall slim, cool, calm, master of all situations.
And there was Yosemite Sam, short, stocky, bad-tempered, forever losing his head and firing his guns in all directions.
No - can't see the relevance....
;-)
Complain about this comment
393. Yes, it does.
Complain about this comment
Actually, Joe Biden is not the first one who got FDR and TV wrong. Have a look at The MZTV Museum of Television (http://www.mztv.com/mz.asp). Click to view their "Timeline of TV History", go to "On to the Timeline" and go to 1932-1934. It mentions "Roosevelt elected". But if you check that item, surprise, surprise it is about the televising of Roosevelt's re-election in 1940-1. I am not suggesting Biden got his info there, but if a museum can get things wrong, it is not such a stupid error after all.
About Palin's "gaffe" - wearing a "mini" skirt while meeting Karzai, in the 70s Kabul ladies wore mini skirts. OK, that was probably Russian influence, but Afghanistan was not the only "traditionally muslim" country where this happened (http://ikbis.com/triplem/shot/78949).
Complain about this comment
Supporting Fritz:
What command experience does McCain have, save the school at Annapolis?
Supporting Ms. Marbles:
"This is being sold to us as the only solution or life as we know it will cease to exist. If you really believe that. May I sell you some beach front property in Arizona"
Amen.
(I have asked, and nobody has answered,
what a bailout of investment banks will accomplish).
Banking failure? Has anybody every heard of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation? The government already insures all deposits up to $100,000!
Come, come, let the truth come forth!!
Complain about this comment
Coming back to Biden and staying on topic, too many people here and elsewhere seem to think that all will be well with the States in case of a 269-269 score, because Biden will surely get elected, as the Democrats are certain of a Senate majority. Re-read the Twelfth Amendment. For President, two thirds of the State delegations in the House must be voting (that is easy: the chance that one and the same party is completely absent from 17 State delegations in the House is minimal).
But for Vice-President, I quote, "a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators". Supposing neither Obama or McCain make it in the House, who or what will stop Republican senators from staying absent and deny Biden the quorum? Answer: the possibility that they may be considered poor losers for using such a tactic (except if McCain wins the popular vote of course...) and the prospect that if they continue the boycot, the next US Prseident will be Nancy Pelosi. I suppose that is what the American Founding Fathers meant by "checks and balances".
In 1836, the last time there was a divided vote, but only for the Vice-Presidency, the first vote immediately went 33-16 (out of 26 states) for R.M. Johnson, with both South Carolina senators and the Southern Whig presidential candidate from Tennessee, Hugh Lawson White, not voting. The Whigs were too divided to use the quorum boycott, and Martin Van Buren had been elected president already.
Complain about this comment
Straight talk- Obama?
Really......Don't think so!
I have listen to both candidates speak, and both promise tax cuts.
Obama has stated he wants to do this and that, but doesn't include WHERE the money will be coming from.
McCain isn't popular because he states he will trim the budget to get his project funding.
Call it what you wish.....allot has changed since the big flop on wall street. We will see what happens next in the next week or so.
Both candidates promise allot to get votes...true.
Being a true leader takes experience and special qualities. We will see!
Complain about this comment
No. 398 Sam
Sam, I'm just selfish. You, Bill, Ed, and Ms. Marbles, are all excellent contributors to my political education.
No. 396 Bill
Beautifully said. Your contributions are worth waiting for.
b
Complain about this comment
Gee our national deficit is enormous... permanent tax cuts for rich people!
It kinda sounds like something a twelve year old would say.
We need to raise taxes in order to save our standard of living, it's common sense people! (Unless you're twelve...). Or wait, maybe you live in some kind of fairy tale forest (like a twelve year old) where no one is held accountable for their actions (Republicans). Well you guys can go prance around with Hansel and Gretel, those of us who work for a living have to try to figure out if we're going to have a place to call home next year.
Complain about this comment
Straight talk is what is needed in the United States right now....
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS