The Final Days of John McCain

These past few days have been scary. I'm not talking about a standard, figurative scary. I'm talking about never seeing things like this in my lifetime, thinking that the sins of the past were history and how we couldn't possibly go back to those horrible places again. I'm dumbfounded by the turn of events that have taken place over the last few days and how I could have been so wrong.

I always knew that race and racism have been and still are issues in this country, but it was always lurking underneath; a not so pretty, guarded chamber of man's soul that had laid dormant for at least the last twenty or thirty years. Of course, there are code words racists use to show their colors such as "affirmative action" and "immigration reform." In my own life, being of Hispanic descent I have occasionally been the victim of some racist taunts or comments. In my lifetime, there have been hate crimes based on race, but overall it's been few and far between in comparison to the civil rights movement of the 60s. I never thought it would ever get as bad as it had been "back in the day."

But with the new hate-filled speeches of McCain and especially Palin, depicting Barack Obama as someone you should fear - a one-man terrorist cell, a Manchurian candidate, someone who "sees America as so imperfect that he pals around with terrorists" - the dormant volcano of racism in America has erupted into some very ugly scenes at the McCain/Palin rallies.

Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. McCain

In the last seven days alone, we've seen Senator Erratic trade in his Maverick's license, which had been suspended for quite some time, for a chance at the golden ring. In his performance at the final presidential debate, McCain came off even angrier than is usual cantankerous self and then joked on a revealing Letterman interview, where he caught himself in mid-lie at least three times, having to revise his answer in the same breath that he uttered the falsehood. McCain also apologized to "Joe the plumber" for drawing attention to his story and putting him in the national spotlight after mentioning him 21 times during the debate, then blamed Obama for "smearing" Joe and exposing his private life.

McCain said that he has repudiated all of the hate filled rhetoric against Obama at his rallies (another lie) - calling shouts of "terrorist," "traitor," and "kill him" fringe elements - while hiring the same company that was used against his campaign in 2000 to robocall and continue the Obama/William Ayers smear just this past week. This is the same tactic that McCain called "hate calls" when used against him eight years ago.

Guilt by association and sowing the seeds of doubt from McCain and Palin are only serving to perpetuate the fear and hate. They have nothing else to run on - they fail on the issues, they fail on their policies - so the only other alternative is character assassination. But character is not the only thing they may be inadvertently urging to assassinate. This is dangerous territory they are treading on and Georgia Rep. John Lewis got it right.

"As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. What I am seeing today reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.

During another period, in the not too distant past, there was a governor of the state of Alabama named George Wallace who also became a presidential candidate. George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who only desired to exercise their constitutional rights. Because of this atmosphere of hate, four little girls were killed one Sunday morning when a church was bombed in Birmingham, Alabama.

As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Governor Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better."

Of course the McCain campaign took umbrage at Lewis' statement, concentrating on the Wallace section and dismissing the very essence of Lewis' meaning. Fear breeds contempt and hatred and we've seen that in spades at the McCain/Palin rallies. They've encouraged it.They've stoked it. Will it take someone to be being beaten or killed before they understand the nature of Lewis' remarks instead of painting it as a smear, feeling "saddened" by his remarks and asking Obama to repudiate a leader of the Civil Rights Movement? Will they listen if and when someone dies in a hate crime incited by their campaign rhetoric? By their guilt by association tactic? And by then, won't it already be too late?

I watch the videos of the crowds' overt racism and it truly scares me. What does it say about Sarah Palin when she thinks she can differentiate between "pro-American" parts of the country and anti-American parts? Does she believe that anyone who doesn't support her is anti-American?

Is this what she thinks is "pro-American"?

Or this?

Or maybe this?

What does it say about Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann when she suggests that Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid are anti-American because of their "liberal" views? The same liberals she rails against, by the way, are the ones who fought for her right to vote and her right to run for office!

What does it say for us as a collective people that imbeciles like Palin and Bachmann get elected into office?

Luckily, I do believe that we are in the final days of daily McCain and Palin sightings. It's just another 18 days until the election. Soon, they'll be out of sight, out of mind. McCain can go back to the Senate and become irrelevant as his maverick status no longer applies and eventually die the bitter, old bastard that he truly is. Palin can go back to Alaska and get voted out of office in her next election bid after the ugliness we've seen exposed - the Troopergate controversy alone showing her native Alaskan voters that she is no different from the people she replaced, and then have the free time to help her husband cheat on his taxes.

In eighteen days we start a new chapter in American history. In eighteen days we take our country back as citizens of the United States and finally beat down the Rovian machine that has been holding us back for far too long. In eighteen days.

Eighteen long days.

T Minus 94 Days

"September the fourth, 2001, I stood in the ruins of the Twin Towers. It's a day I will never forget."

- Marlton, NJ, October 18, 2004

Palin Family Values

Piper is just so fucking adorable, isn't she?

ADDING, I don't know what's more hideous in this picture, a little girl flipping the bird or Sarah Palin's coat.

McCain on Letterman

When I first heard that John McCain was invited back to The Late Show I got pissed. I figured Letterman would say it was water under the bridge, would let bygones by bygones and make McCain look like a hero. I was wrong.

Not only did Dave ask some very pertinant questions of McCain, but he also held his feet to the fire when the Maverick tried to weasel his way out of answering questions with a joke and a mug to the camera. McCain played his POW card again when he said, "I haven't had this much fun since I was interrogated." The line fell flat to my ears and although Dave chuckled, he wasn't having any of it.

If you can bear to watch it, you can see the wheels spinning in McCain's peabrain as he catches himself in mid-lie a couple of times and tries to correct himself - the Palin "palling around with terrorists" line and his association with G. Gordon Liddy are just two questions off the top of my head where McSquirmy started to lie and then caught himself, knowing full well that the audience just wasn't going to buy it.

I don't think this interview helped McCain any. He didn't mention anything new, just his routine stump speech. "I know how to get Bin Laden." "Palin's a reformer, I'm proud of her." Blah, blah, blah. Nothing new.

By the way, CBS disabled its own "embed this video" widget for this interview. Could it be that McThuselah wasn't happy with his performance and had the "liberal media" shut it down?

(H/T Paddy)

O-BAM!-A

What The Fuck?!

Very presidential.

REUTERS/Jim Bourg

Joe The Plumber - Just Another Distraction - UPDATED

Here's what we've learned about Joe the plumber in the past 12 hours:

- He thinks social security is "a joke."

- He thinks going into Iraq was the right thing to do, "WMD's or not."

- He's undecided between Obama and McCain but it doesn't matter because he's not registered to vote!

- According to NPR, it is comfirmed that he does not make more than $250,000 per year. I'm still looking for documentation on that one.

More to come, with video of Joe's impromptu press conference in his driveway today.

*On a side note, Tucker Bounds is on MSNBC now. What a douhe - and can I say that I hate Alix Witt? She is a complete tool, has no facts in front of her to debate the typical talking points, and on a frivilous note, someone has to do something about the lion's mane she calls hair.

UPDATE (12:35pm):

My video software is out of whack, but here's Think Progress' video (about half of the interview).



And here's a bit from Buck Naked Politics:

I can't work out why ol' Joe thinks he is rich enough to be disadvantaged by Obama's tax plan or rich enough to afford McCain's. What part of "middle class tax breaks" does he find unappealing? Ah ha! Here you go:

Like everyone else in America, he talks like a pundit.

"McCain was solid in his performance," he says. "I still don't know where he stands," he says of Obama. "I'm middle class. I can't have my taxes raised any more."

He also says he actually isn't in the bracket where Obama would raise his taxes -- but he's worried that Obama will shift the bracket
down.

He also said that, in his encounter with Obama, the Illinois Senator "a tap dance...almost as good as Sammy Davis, Jr."
(Ben Smith)

I see: he's a member of the demographic group who feel more secure with a guy who is promising NOT to give them any tax breaks than with a guy who promises to give them tax breaks and tax only those with income of a quarter of a million. Huh. Say it ain't so, Joe!

And the Winner of Obama/McCain III Is...

... Joe the plumber. Joe found out that under Obama's plans, he won't have his taxes raised (he makes less than $250,000 the year) and that Obama's health plan won't put him out of business. Joe the plumber should vote for Obama. But he probably won't.

I'm confused as to whether McCain's performance was his best or his worst of the three debates. His best line, "I'm not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush you should have run four years ago" did score some points for about a minute before Obama retorted that if he confused McCain's policies with Bush's, it's because McCain supports W.'s policies so vigorously. Nevermind the fact that McCain DID run against George Bush four years ago and got his wrinkly ass kicked.

Obviously Obama won the night. All polls show that uncommitted voters (jeez, there are still uncommitteds out there?) and independents called it for Obama.

CBS Uncommitted Voters:
Obama 53%
McCain 22%
Tie 24%

CNN
Obama 58%
McCain31%

McCain cannot help himself. There is no question that he is a condescending curmudgeon and he is incapable of it. Perhaps this is the main reason he is lost every debate. I would like to think that it's because of his policies and his confusing arguments when trying to make his points, but the dumbing down of America has gotten to the crossroads of whether or not you "like" the person. Too many people vote for the likable person instead of the qualified person - luckily in this case, the likable person is the qualified person.

McCain subverting his own argument off the bat when describing William Ayers as not caring about "an old, washed up terrorist" didn't help him and abrogated the whole Ayers debate even before Obama responded, which he did succinctly along with the responding to the ridiculous ACORN scandal.

Where I feel McCain truly went off the rails was the abortion rights issue.

McCain: Just again, the example of the eloquence of Sen. Obama. He’s health for the mother. You know, that’s been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything.
That’s the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, “health.”

No, Senator McCain. Two points: first, there is no "pro-abortion" position in this country, it's called "Pro-Choice." I think you can pretty much guarantee that everyone who is pro-choice is is not "pro-abortion." Second, consideration of the health of the mother is not the "extreme" position. In fact, it's the Supreme Court's position. And again, if McCain wasn't so worried about throwing a bone to his evaporating base, he might not have said something so stupid. Trying to make the health of the mother a dance around a talking point on Obama's "eloquence" was a huge mistake when the majority of Americans are pro-choice.*

The drinking word of the night? Joe the plumber.
________________________________________
* Still researching the numbers.

Debate On! Part Trois

Eight hours remain before Obama/McCain III: "The Horror at Hofstra™."

Is this the night McCain finds his balls and brings up Bill Ayers to Obama's face?

“I was astonished to hear him say that he was surprised that I didn’t have the guts” to bring up Ayers, McCain said on KMOX, a St. Louis radio station. “I think he is probably ensured that it will come up this time.”

Let's see, Maverick. Let' s see it. Go ahead and bring Ayers up, then try to defend yourself regarding Rick Davis' Fannie and Freddie fortune, the Keating Five, and the bullshit excuse you're using for letting the animals at your rallies call for the killing of your opponent. Have your Colonel Jessup moment. It's all academic at this point anyway, you lying, miserable, gutless piece of shit.

The Audacity of Erraticism

How is it that someone can demand respect for one's opponent and then say they're going to kick their opponent's ass in the same breath? And yet, that is exactly what John McCain did this past Sunday.

"After I whip his you-know-what in this debate, we're going to be going out 24/7... I want to emphasize again, I respect Senator Obama. We will conduct a respectful race, and we will make sure that everybody else does, too."

What the fuck is going on? The post traumatic stress disorder has finally gotten the better of ol' Johnny Maverick. I'm not even going to attempt to call his comment veiled racism because he used the word, "whip." That's neither here nor there because what I found appalling was the response from the McCain campaign regarding the John Lewis "controversy."

After a few days of intense negativity from McCain and Palin to the point of inciting hate-filled ourbursts from audience member in their rallies, Rep. John Lewis of Georgia said the following:

McCain and running mate Sarah Palin were "sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse." He noted that Wallace also ran for president. "George Wallace never threw a bomb. He never fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights... As public figures with the power to influence and persuade, Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all. They are playing a very dangerous game that disregards the value of the political process and cheapens our entire democracy. We can do better. The American people deserve better."

Of course the McCain campaign was outraged at such statements, and challenged Barack Obama to repudiate Lewis' statements. as if Obama had anything to do with it.

"Congressman John Lewis' comments represent a character attack against Governor Sarah Palin and me that is shocking and beyond the pale. The notion that legitimate criticism of Senator Obama's record and positions could be compared to Governor George Wallace, his segregationist policies and the violence he provoked is unacceptable and has no place in this campaign. I am saddened that John Lewis, a man I've always admired, would make such a brazen and baseless attack on my character and the character of the thousands of hardworking Americans who come to our events to cheer for the kind of reform that will put America on the right track.
I call on Senator Obama to immediately and personally repudiate these outrageous and divisive comments that are so clearly designed to shut down debate 24 days before the election. Our country must return to the important debate about the path forward for America."

Now, call me cynical, but taking John Lewis' history as a civil rghts leader into account, I'm going to have to side with him on this one over the objections of McErratic.

It was obvious that Lewis was not comparing McCain to Wallace directly, but rather in the way he was raising the hackles of his audience with fear mongering, guilt by association and tone. And although McCain tried to tone down the nasty nature of his followers, the smear ads and surrogates continue to fan the flames, attempting to keep McCain above the fray, but failing.

Lewis later added this statement to avoid any confusion:

"My statement was a reminder to all Americans that toxic language can lead to destructive behavior," he said. "I am glad that Sen. McCain has taken some steps to correct divisive speech at his rallies. I believe we need to return to civil discourse in this election about the pressing economic issues that are affecting our nation."

But McCain wanted a statement from the Obama campaign, and he got one.

"John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for president of the United States 'pals around with terrorists,"' Burton said in a statement.

And just as a side note, McCain was touting John Lewis during the Saddleback Forum of a few weeks ago as one of three "wise men" that he consults on a regular basis. Another lie.

So on the one hand, McCain considers Lewis a "wise man" he would look to for advice, but when confronted by Lewis with a dangerous situation of his own making, he's another Obama surrogate just slinging mud. Just sayin'.

T Minus 99 Days

"One has a stronger hand when there's more people plaing your same cards."

- Washington, DC, October 11, 2006

Also, let's not forget to wish Ari Fleischer a Happy 48th Birthday!

Fleischer: "There is already a mountain of evidence that Saddam Hussein is gathering weapons... adding additional information is like adding a foot to Mount Everest."