repugs attack, Dems are respectful pussies

McCain campaign uses hurricane to attack Obama's patriotism (again), while Obama gives McCain a pass
(Americablog)

but our "liberal media" lets them get away with this

Graham criticizes Obama for missing too many Senate votes.
(Think Progress)
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Of course, the first thing out of anyone's mouth when they heard this should be the fact that McCain holds the record for most missed votes.

bush turns on bolton

Bush says he ‘doesn’t consider Bolton credible,’ laments spending ‘political capital’ on him.
(Think Progress)

can you imagine if the repugs told the truth about their candidates?

McCain and Graham Repeat False Claim That Palin Opposed The ‘Bridge To Nowhere’
(Think Progress)

i would say that this isn't so obvious

McCain Says He Is ‘Obviously’ Against Torture, Forgets His Vote To Allow Waterboarding
(Think Progress)

this was absurdly foolish the first time - they really want to coninue using this?

Cindy McCain: Palin knows foreign policy because ‘Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia.’
(Think Progress)
---
How does anyone not laugh out loud at this ridiculous talking point?
This is really the best they can do?
It's like they're purposely seeing how far they can go before they are called on it and how insulting to the American people they can be and still get votes.

McCain lying about minimum wage

After Voting Against Them 19 Times, McCain Claims He Supports Minimum Wage Increases
(Think Progress)

McCain making history - in a bad way

Scholars question Palin credentials

John McCain was aiming to make history with his pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and historians say he succeeded.

Presidential scholars say she appears to be the least experienced, least credentialed person to join a major-party ticket in the modern era.

---
The repugs are already attacking the article - not because of the facts presented (which they do not dispute - and cannot dispute) but because they claim they are presented by Democrats!

Pathetic...

unfortunately. this is not from the Onion

McCain impressed by Palin's courageous work at the PTA

My sister, Karen, directed me to this quote People Magazine. This says a lot more about John McCain than Sarah Palin:

Sen. McCain, of all the candidates you considered, what drew you to her?

JOHN: Obviously, I found her to be very intelligent and very well-versed on the issues. But I think the important thing was that she's a reformer. She's taken on special interests since she ran for the PTA and the city council and mayor. The courage, I guess, is what most impressed me.

That's what most impressed John McCain. Granted, McCain doesn't really know Palin, but that's still frightening. Knowledge and understanding of all the foreign policy crises to which McCain is always referring -- al Qaeda, Islamo-facists, Iran, Russia, Georgia -- that stuff doesn't really matter if one stands up to the special interests at the Wasilla PTA, according to John McCain.

John McCain showed once again that he doesn't have the mindset to be President.

(Americablog)
---
Wow...that's....wow....

scary

We know McCain, Palin and the GOP will reverse Roe v. Wade. They also want Griswold gone. That means birth control.
(Americablog)

truly sick and twisted

RNC mulls Limbaugh abortion Obama jab

Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh boosted Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's pro-life position and mocked Barack Obama on his radio show yesterday with a make-believe riff in which Obama asked Palin "When you found out your baby would be born with Down syndrome, did you consider killing it before or after the due date?"

Limbaugh's "humor" caught the fancy of the Republican National Committee, which, in an internal e-mail, proposed using the bit in a YouTube clip.

The e-mail, which was sent to RNC Communications Director Danny Diaz, and mistakenly to a Tribune reporter, was titled "wow...good YouTube potential..."

---

(The Swamp, first seen at Americablog)
Once again, because the truth would only help the Dems, they have to rely on out and our lies and slander.
Despicable...

Palin already lying

Palin Repeatedly Professed Desire To Renew Federal Funding For ‘Bridge To Nowhere’
(Think Progress)

so now repugs don't like McCain OR Palin

Loyal Bushie: Palin pick is ‘disrespectful to the office of the presidency.’
(Think Progress)
---
This has got to be one of the least-liked pair of presidencial nominees ever.
I literally cannot fathom how they are doing as well as they are...

even McCain aides admit Palin isn't qualified - that's reassuring!

Top McCain aide says McCain won't die during his first term in office, and admits Palin isn't ready to be commander in chief

Putting aside the creepiness of a top McCain adviser having to reassure the nation that McCain, at 72 years of age with four bouts of cancer, won't die in office, what Charlie Black said today was particularly damning of McCain's VP choice, Sarah Palin:

Mr. McCain’s advisers said Friday that Mr. McCain was well aware that Ms. Palin would be criticized for her lack of foreign policy experience, but that he viewed her as exceptionally talented and intelligent and that he felt she would be able to be educated quickly.

“She’s going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years, and most doctors think that he’ll be around at least that long,” said Charlie Black, one of Mr. McCain’s top advisers, making light of concerns about Mr. McCain’s health, which Mr. McCain’s doctors reported as excellent in May.

So Black, the guy who said another 9/11-style attack on America would help McCain's campaign, is saying that McCain's VP doesn't know a thing about national security, but she can learn on the job over the next four years, you know, like night school. We're at war. And they're admitting that Palin may be our next commander in chief on day one, if McCain were to die or fall ill in office, yet she knows nothing about national security, and has never met a world leader. I, a blogger, have met more world leaders than McCain's VP.* Chew on that.

(Americablog)

does anyone think Palin is a reasonable choice?

Alaska's GOP State Senate President on Palin: "She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?"
(Americablog)

finally - someone in the media confronting the repugs on their absurd claims

Larry King mocks conservatives for claiming 9/11 was Clinton’s fault.

Larry King — CNN’s usually mild-mannered and non-confrontational host — took umbrage last night when his guest, conservative radio talker Larry Elder, tried to blame Bill Clinton for 9/11. “It’s Bill’s fault? … George Bush had nothing to do with this, then?” King asked. When Elder and King’s other conservative guest — Ben Stein — persisted in blaming Clinton, King said, “It happened on the Republicans’ watch. … It didn’t happen on Clinton’s watch.” King then began to mock the conservative guests, saying, “I’m totally lost — your history’s better than mine. I’m lost. I thought it was during the Bush administration.” He concluded by directing this sarcastic comment at Elder:

KING: You know something? You’re better than me. You know when it was planned. All the guys who planned it are dead. They’re dead on a plane, you know when. You interviewed them during the flight.

(Think Progress)

this is pretty spectacular

Obama’s speech watched by 38 million viewers.

Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) acceptance speech last night reached a quarter of America’s households, according to Nielsen Media Research. In all, with over 38 million viewers, “more people watched Obama speak than watched the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, the final ‘American Idol’ or the Academy Awards this year.” The AP notes that “Obama’s audience might be higher,” since Nielsen didn’t estimate how many people watched on PBS or C-SPAN.

(Think Progress)

wow - do these people think we've been in a coma for the last 18 months?

Sanford: McCain ‘Doesn’t Talk About’ His POW Experience
(Think Progress)

lots more on Palin

Palin has never been to Iraq.

Palin denies global warming is manmade.

Palin didn’t like Hillary Clinton’s ‘perceived whine.’

Scandal-Plagued Ted Stevens Endorses Palin For VP, Says He’s ‘Known And Worked’ With Her ‘For Over A Decade’

Palin’s financial portfolio managed by Smith Barney.

Palin is seemingly unaware of McCain’s Iraq plan.

Rove Flips On Qualifications For Vice Presidency, Says Palin Is Qualified For Same Reason Kaine Was Not

Palin wasn’t ‘really focused much’ on the Iraq war, wanted ‘an exit plan in place.’

Graham Lowers The Bar For Palin: ‘Don’t Think It Matters’ That She Hasn’t Traveled Abroad

(all from Think Progress)
---
The repugs' hypocrisy knows no bounds...

this is a pretty good analysis of McCain's desparate move

6 things the Palin pick says about McCain

The selection of a running mate is among the most consequential, most defining decisions a presidential nominee can make. John McCain’s pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says a lot about his decison-making — and some of it is downright breathtaking.

We knew McCain is a politician who relishes improvisation, and likes to go with his gut. But it is remarkable that someone who has repeatedly emphasized experience in this campaign named an inexperienced governor he barely knew to be his No. 2. Whatever you think of the pick, here are six things it tells us about McCain:

1. He’s desperate. Let’s stop pretending this race is as close as national polling suggests. The truth is McCain is essentially tied or trailing in every swing state that matters — and too close for comfort in several states like Indiana and Montana the GOP usually wins pretty easily in presidential races. On top of that, voters seem very inclined to elect Democrats in general this election — and very sick of the Bush years.

McCain could easily lose in an electoral landslide. That is the private view of Democrats and Republicans alike.

McCain’s pick shows he is not pretending. Politicians, even “mavericks” like McCain, play it safe when they think they are winning — or see an easy path to winning. They roll the dice only when they know that the risks of conventionality are greater than the risks of boldness.

The Republican brand is a mess. McCain is reasonably concluding that it won’t work to replicate George W. Bush and Karl Rove’s electoral formula, based around national security and a big advantage among Y chromosomes, from 2004.

“She’s a fresh new face in a party that’s dying for one — the antidote to boring white men,” a campaign official said.

Palin, the logic goes, will prompt voters to give him a second look — especially women who have watched Democrats reject Hillary Rodham Clinton for Barack Obama.

The risks of a backlash from choosing someone so unknown and so untested are obvious. In one swift stroke, McCain demolished what had been one of his main arguments against Obama.

“I think we’re going to have to examine our tag line, ‘dangerously inexperienced,’” a top McCain official said wryly.

2. He’s willing to gamble — bigtime. Let’s face it: This is not the pick of a self-confident candidate. It is the political equivalent of a trick play or, as some Democrats called it, a Hail Mary pass in football. McCain talks incessantly about experience, and then goes and selects a woman he hardly knows, who hardly knows foreign policy and who can hardly be seen as instantly ready for the presidency.

He is smart enough to know it could work, at least politically. Many Republicans see this pick as a brilliant stroke because it will be difficult for Democrats to run hard against a woman in the wake of the Hillary Clinton drama. Will this push those disgruntled Hillary voters McCain’s way? Perhaps. But this is hardly aimed at them: It is directed at the huge bloc of independent women — especially those who do not see abortion as a make-or-break issue — who could decide this election.

McCain has a history of taking dares. Palin represents his biggest one yet.

3. He’s worried about the political implications of his age. Like a driver overcorrecting out of a swerve, he chooses someone who is two years younger than the youthful Obama, and 28 years young than he is. (He turned 72 Friday.) The father-daughter comparison was inevitable when they appeared next to each other.

4. He’s not worried about the actuarial implications of the age issue. He thinks he’s in fine fettle, and Palin wouldn’t be performing the only constitutional duty of a vice president, which is standing by in case a president dies or becomes incapacitated. If he was really concerned about an inexperienced person sitting in the Oval Office we would be writing about vice presidential nominee Mitt Romney or Tom Ridge or Condoleezza Rice.

There is no plausible way that McCain could say that he picked Palin, who was only elected governor in 2006 and whose most extended public service was as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population 8,471), because she was ready to be president on Day One.

Nor can McCain argue that he was looking for someone he could trust as a close adviser. Most people know the staff at the local Starbucks better than McCain knows Palin. They met for the first time last February at a National Governors Association meeting in Washington. Then, they spoke again — by phone — on Sunday while she was at the Alaska state fair and he was at home in Arizona.

McCain has made a mockery out of his campaign's longtime contention that Barack Obama is too dangerously inexperienced to be commander in chief. Now, the Democratic ticket boasts 40 years of national experience (four years for Obama and 36 years for Joseph Biden of Delaware), while the Republican ticket has 26 (McCain’s four yeasr in the House and 22 in the Senate.)

The McCain campaign has made a calculation that most voters don’t really care about the national experience or credentials of a vice president, and that Palin’s ebullient personality and reputation as a refomer who took on cesspool politics in Alasksa matters more.

5. He’s worried about his conservative base. If he had room to maneuver, there were lots of people McCain could have selected who would have represented a break from Washington politics as usual. Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman comes to mind (and it certainly came to McCain’s throughout the process). He had no such room. GOP stalwarts were furious over trial balloons about the possibility of choosing a supporter of abortion rights, including the possibility that he would reach out to his friend.

Palin is an ardent opponent of abortion who was previously scheduled to keynote the Republican National Coalition for Life's "Life of the Party" event in the Twin Cities this week.

“She’s really a perfect selection,” said Darla St. Martin, the Co-Director of the National Right to Life Committee. It is no secret McCain wanted to shake things up in this race — and he realized he was limited to a shake-up conservatives could stomach.

6. At the end of the day, McCain is still McCain. People may find him a refreshing maverick, or an erratic egotist. In either event, he marches to his own beat.

On the upside, his team did manage to play to the media’s love of drama, fanning speculation about his possible choices and maximizing coverage of the decision.

On the potential downside, the drama was evidently entirely genuine. The fact that McCain only spoke with Palin about the vice presidency for the first time on Sunday, and that he was seriously considering Lieberman until days ago, suggests just how hectic and improvisational his process was.

In the end, this selection gives him a chance to reclaim the mantle of a different kind of politician intent on changing Washington. He once had a legitimate claim to this: after all, he took on his own party over campaign finance reform and immigration. He jeopardized this claim in recent months by embracing ideas he once opposed (Bush tax cuts) and ideas that appeared politically motivated (gas tax holiday).

Spontaneity, with a touch of impulsiveness, is one of the traits that attract some of McCain’s admirers. Whether it’s a good calling card for a potential president will depend on the reaction in coming days to what looks for the moment like the most daring vice presidential selection in generations.

----

This really does have to be the most unqualified nominee for VP ever - she knows nothing of the job, has no experience whatsoever and doesn't even know McCain!

Kinda mind-boggling in its desparation...

Obama campaign's response

Sarah Palin: Dems Pounce On McCain Pick

Barack Obama Campaign Spokesman Bill Burton responds to John McCain's choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate:

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies -- that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same."

(Huffington Post)

oh my (imaginary) god! She's a creationist!

Daily Kos reports that McCain VP pick Palin is a freakin' creationist!
Wow!
Has there ever been a bigger difference in the two parties? The Dems are truly attempting to be progressive and the repugs want to put us back into the 18th century!
Frightening...

during all the excitment, almost forgot Friday Beagle Blogging!

Happy Harley Head!

McCain's birthday and the anniversary of the repugs' ignoring Katrina

Because cake between buddies is much more important than the worst natural disaster to ever befall an American city.

re: Obama's speech

Great reviews of Obama's speech

MSNBC Pat Buchanan – “It was a genuinely outstanding speech. It was magnificent. It is the finest – and I saw Cuomo’s speech, I saw Kennedy in ‘80, I even saw Douglas MacArthur, I saw Martin Luther King – this is the greatest convention speech, and probably the most important because unlike Cuomo and the others this is an acceptance speech. This came out of the heart of America and he went right at the heart of America…”

FOX Bill Kristol – “Barack Obama faced very high expectations tonight and honestly I think he met them and I honestly think he exceeded them…He eloquently explained America’s promise. He explained why the Bush Cheney administration had fallen short of that…I thought it was an awfully impressive performance.

CNN David Gergen – “In many ways it was less a speech than a symphony…It was a masterpiece”

MSNBC Tom Brokaw – “It was a wonderfully crafted political speech and the Republicans I’m sure were looking in and wondering what they’re going to be able to do next week to match it”

CNN Paul Begala – “He went fearlessly at John McCain’s greatest strength, national
security. He went proudly into the social issue terrain that Democrats are usually so afraid of. He went boldly attacking the status quo of George Bush, Dick Cheney and John McCain, and then he went very comfortably in your living room…This is my ninth convention, it was as very nearly a perfect convention speech as I can imagine…”

MSNBC Chris Matthews – “I thought it was amazing – I’ve written speeches all my life, of course nothing like this…It was a great way of throwing back the other side’s best shot and saying it’s full of crap”

CNN Campbell Brown – “If anybody ever thought that Barack Obama was not tough enough to run against John McCain this speech should really put an end to that…”

FOX Chris Wallace – “I thought it was an exceedingly smart speech in which Barack Obama played offense and defense very effectively.”

CNN – Sen. Clinton delegates on Obama’s speech:Jessica Yellin: “I have three people who as you say have been following this for a long time. Two of these women are Hillary Clinton supporters and I wanted to ask you first…

Woman: “Were.”

Yellin: “Were Hillary Clinton supporters. What turned you tonight?

Woman: “His speech, and I like her enjoyed it all but the end is what got me. You know, it’s a dream and it’s going to come true we gotta’ work for it. That’s what I got out of it.”

(Americablog)

this is really stretching it

Doocy: Palin knows about foreign policy because Alaska is ‘right next door to Russia’
(Think Progress)
---
Is that what repugs consider foreign policy experience now? And they have the nerve to rant against Obama for his mythical "lack of experience"?!
Truly pathetic...

is any repug not under investigation?

McCain’s VP Choice Is Under Ethics Investigation For Abuse Of Power In Alaska
(Think Progress)
---
And, she seems to be pals with Ted Stevens, as well.

everyone believes that McCain is wrong

Wexler, Ellison Slam McCain’s Iraq Assessment: ‘That’s Ridiculous,’ ‘He’s Just Dead Wrong’
(Think Progress)

Gitmo coming to the repug convention

Amnesty International brings Gitmo to St. Paul.

“Guantanamo Bay is coming to St. Paul,” courtesy of Amnesty International. The human rights group is bringing their “live-size model of a maximum security Guantanamo Bay cell” to the Twin Cities. Visitors will be encouraged to experience the cell and push the Bush administration to shut down Guantanamo. Some
details about the exhibit:

The cell is a replica of a Camp 5 cell. It brings to life the harsh realities of illegal detention to concerned citizens and highlights the human rights violations that Guantanamo symbolizes. The cell includes a steel toilet, florescent lights and a sliding metal door. Detainees reported being held in isolation in similar cells for as long as 23 hours.

(Think Progress)

text of Obama's speech

Barack Obama's convention address
---

Obama post-convention

Obama, Biden kick off campaign in Pittsburgh

DENVER – Their raucous convention in Denver over, Barack Obama and Joe Biden head to Pittsburgh today to start a Midwest bus tour through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

The goal is to ride the momentum of a convention that culminated with an energetic speech before 84,000 people at Denver's Mile High Stadium.

The Democratic nominee promised to cut taxes for nearly all working-class families, end the war in Iraq and break America's dependence on Mideast oil within 10 years.

Obama says a McCain administration will be four more years of the current Bush White House, and that in November Americans must say "eight is enough."

He's promising to end what he calls eight years of broken politics and "failed policies of George W. Bush."

---
Again, everyone did a terrific job at last night's convention, culminating with Obama's speech. Since he was trying to lay out his policies a little more, it wasn't quite as rousing as some of his other speeches, but he still had some excellent lines and did a super job overall.

I'm still astounded that anyone does not want change and is even considering continuing the failed bush policies with McCain. But, it was a good touch to have the "common people" speak at the convention and tell their tales of what bush has done to them. Hopefully, that will help more people to relate and understand that this election is about everyone.

McCain's surprise pick

McCain chooses Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for V.P.

DENVER – John McCain tapped little-known Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate on Friday in a startling selection on the eve of the Republican National Convention.

In an announcement, the campaign said that Palin, who has been governor less than two years, "has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of."
---
More recently, she has come under the scrutiny of an investigation by the Republican-controlled legislature into the possibility that she ordered the dismissal of Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.

---
Obviously, McCain was going to unveil his pick today to deflect any post-convention bounce for Obama. And this pick will obviously be news.

Also, having a young-ish woman will help with the diversity of his ticket and help to balance Obama's youth. And, of course, hopefully pull some ex-Hillary supporters.

But after harping continuously on Obama's supposed "lack of experince", McCain picks someone who has considerably less experience? I think he will have a hard time convincing people that this inexperienced woman should be a heartbeat away from the presidency - especially considering his age.

More from Crooks and Liars, including the facts that she is anti-choice and pro-drilling. And, this is a nice quote: Palin wonders “what is it exactly that the VP does every day?”

Americablog also reports that she is pro-gun and anti-gay.

denying it does not change the facts

Ingraham: McCain Has Been ‘Different From President Bush On Every Issue’
(Think Progress)
---
Wow - even McCain doesn't try to say something this outrageous!

funny

Hagee Ministries: ‘No Comment’ on Tropical Storm Gustav

Earlier today, ThinkProgress contacted John Hagee Ministries to see if erstwhile John McCain endorser Rev. Hagee saw the Lord’s hand in reports that President Bush might not speak at the Republican National Convention on Monday because of Tropical Storm Gustav.

Back in 2006, Hagee declared that “Hurricane Katrina was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans.” Hagee said that “New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God,” because “there was to be a homosexual parade there on the Monday that the Katrina came.”

ThinkProgress asked Rev. Hagee’s spokesperson, Kara Silverman, whether Gustav’s possible impact on the Republican National Convention might be seen as punishment against Republicans for their not having done enough to combat the “homosexual agenda,” or whether this storm could be attributed to some other target of divine wrath.

Ms. Silverman said Hagee had “no comment.”

(Think Progress)

what reality does McCain live in? Cuz it sure ain't ours!

McCain: Iraq is ‘A Peaceful And Stable Country Now’
(Think Progress)

ok, this is really funny - i wish i thought of it first!

It’s Obama, It’s Obama…
(Sadly, No!)

Fox once again attempting to create a controversy where there is none

Despite lack of evidence, Fox News suggested Clinton's speech was "more diss than endorsement for Obama"
(Media Matters)

repugs obsessed with nazis

Noonan claimed Obama's DNC speech at Invesco Field "has every possibility of looking like a Nuremberg rally"
(Media Matters)

they've got nothing else

Defusing The POW Defense

Biden, yesterday, on John McCain's service:

"These times require more than a good soldier. They require a wise leader."

And the McCain camp's weak tea response:

The McCain campaign immediately struck back at Biden last night, saying, "Joe Biden is right. We need more than a good soldier, we need a leader with the experience and judgment to serve as commander in chief from day one. That leader is John McCain."

Something's missing from this response...something doesn't read quite right...oh, that's right. No mention of McCain as prisoner of war.

I guess when you're told that being in a prison for five and a half years does not qualify you to be president, you can't really reach out and play the POW card without looking, well, silly. Bravo to Biden for disarming McCain of his ubiquitous "POW defense." Day 1 on the VP candidate job, and Biden is already demonstrating that Obama made a wise choice.

(Daily Kos)
---
So, the best they can do is "no you're not, I am"? The kindergarten defense? That is kinda pathetic...

our wonderful "liberal media"

Right wing TV Pundits destroy every segment on Democratic Convention

Every time I turn on the TV and watch CNN and FOX (my hotel doesn’t get MSNBC) every Republican operative controls the dialog and direction of the panel discussion and it’s disgusting. Just one example—Hillary Clinton gave a brilliant speech last night, but every Amy Holmes-type talking head throws as much cold water on the speech as he or she can. The result is that the Dem talkers spend the rest of the time disputing the outrageous claims made and thus the GOP controls the entire framing and the entire segment. It’s shameful that the networks are allowing this to happen. I saw Jeffrey Toobin tell Amy that she was out of her mind with some of her comments and the discussion continues to that end. Soledad O’Brien comes back and says “well, that was a lively discussion.” Oh, no it was not. It’s a calculated ratf&@k. This is going on all day and all night.

Why is the Democratic Convention being ruined by these creeps? And why do all the networks allow it to happen? Why do we need them on in force to counter what is supposed to be our event?

I’m in Denver and it’s a completely different atmosphere. Party unison abounds, but you’d never know it from watching TV. Karl Rove acts like the biggest troll known to man—making sure to point out every little detail he dislikes. Well, his mission is to get McCain in the White House. But he’s the expert that Chris Wallace goes to for his “unbiased” take.

Will the Democratic talkers be allowed to do the same to the Republican Convention? I think not. It will be viewed as being an incredible event.

(Crooks and Liars)
---
I think these are all rhetorical questions because we all know that the overwhelmingly conservative media just loves to bash Dems while praising repugs at every turn. It is impossible for Dems to get the same fair coverage that the repugs always receive - to the point that the media explains away or makes excuses for the repugs ridiculous and offensive remarks.

I noticed this even on PBS during the convention. It is truly obnoxious.

The convention is completely inspiring and - though it sounds unbearably corny - thrilling. But these creeps need to throw water on us all before we actually start thinking that we could return this country to its once great status.

Bill's speech

Didn't put these all in order, but again via Crooks and Liars, Bill Clinton's speech:

Bill Clinton Throws His Full Weight Behind Obama, Blasts Bush/McCain Legacy
---
Bill did another terrific job last night.

excellent Joe Biden speech

Sen Biden rips McCain’s poor judgment
(Crooks and Liars)
---
Click the link for video and transcript.

Biden was terrific with repeated hammering of all of the instances where Obama was right and McCain was wrong. This is another important point that can't be repeated often enough. McCain claims to have experience, but it is all bad experience and his experience is of always being wrong on important issues!

go Harry!

Harry Reid on John McCain: "I just think he doesn't have the temperament to be president" -- and GOP Senators think that, too

Harry Reid was his usual blunt self talking about John McCain with Nevada reporter Jon Ralston. Reid has worked with John McCain for 26 years, so he speaks with experience. This is why we like Harry Reid. He says it like it is:

"I just think he doesn't have the temperament to be president," Reid told Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston during the taping of "Face to Face," in Denver on Wednesday. The show airs on a Las Vegas, Nev., cable channel.

"I've served with the man 26 years," Reid said. "Do I have the ability to speak with experience about someone who has abused everyone he's dealt with? Someone who does not have the temperament to be president, who's wrong on the war, wrong on the economy, wrong on nuclear waste. What am I supposed to do? Walk around talking about what a great guy he is? I don't believe that. .... "

"There isn't a Republican serving in the Senate that's happy he's the nominee. Now, they're all supporting him, but I'll tell you they have told me. I've had Republican senators tell me they don't think they'll vote for him," Reid said.

When Ralston asked if Reid thought it would be "dangerous" to let McCain be president, Reid answered: "Well, if you said it, I wouldn't correct you."

"Is that right?" Ralston asked. "You really think that?"

"That's right," said Reid, who predicted that Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama would carry the battleground state of Nevada by 5 percentage points.

We need more Senators who know McCain to be honest about him. This is exactly the kind of insight the American people need. Exactly.

John McCain is George Bush, but unstable, angry, abusive and dangerous. That's even worse than Bush.

(Americablog)
---
Reid is not an exciting speaker - he was a bit of a let down despite his strong message last night at the convention - but he does tell it like it is. More Dems need to do this...

Kerry's great speech

Kerry settles scores in 2004 do-over

DENVER, Colorado (AFP) – John Kerry reported for duty four years after his mauling by Republicans on Wednesday to settle a string of unpaid scores with a withering attack on Senator John McCain.

Had the 2004 nominee shown such fight during his own race, he might have been in Denver at the Democratic National Convention seeking renomination for another four years in the White House.

But he seemed desperate to make sure that 2008 White House nominee Barack Obama would not make the same mistake -- by failing to fight off attacks on his patriotism and character which doomed his own campaign.

He also laid into his old friend and Republican presidential candidate McCain, with whom he forged a bond as both are Vietnam war veterans.

"John McCain voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Ninety percent of George Bush is just more than we can take," Kerry said, in the first of a volley of attacks which stirred up the Democratic convention crowd.

"To those who still believe in the myth of a maverick instead of the reality of a politician, I say, let's compare Senator McCain to candidate McCain," Kerry said.

"Candidate McCain now supports the wartime tax cuts that Senator McCain once denounced as immoral.

"Candidate McCain criticizes Senator McCain's own climate change bill.

"Candidate McCain says he would now vote against the immigration bill that Senator McCain wrote.

"Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you're against it."

That final jab was a reference to one of his most notorious comments, which did more than anything to damn his presidential campaign, when Kerry said he was for an Iraq funding bill, before he voted against it.

The Massachussetts senator, who took his bow at his own convention in 2004, with the words "I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty" also slammed McCain for perceived deficits in national security judgement.

"When John McCain stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier just three months after 9/11 and proclaimed, 'Next up, Baghdad!' Barack Obama saw, even then, an occupation of, undetermined length, undetermined cost, undetermined consequences, that would only fan the flames of the Middle East.

"Well, guess what? Mission accomplished," he said, echoing the banner draped behind Bush in 2003 when he declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq from a US aircraft carrier.

Kerry, who has been mentioned by some observers as a possible secretary of state in any Obama administration, also vowed to combat efforts to assail McCain's efforts to his question Obama's patriotism.

"How insulting to suggest that those who question the mission, question the troops.

"How pathetic to suggest that those who question a failed policy doubt America itself.

"How desperate to tell the son of a single mother who chose community service over money and privilege that he doesn't put America first.

"No one can question Barack Obama's patriotism."

---
Kerry did a fantastic job last night, as did Bill and Biden. Every major speaker at the Democratic Convention has been amazing!
Yes, some of the lesser names, even Harry Ried, have not been particularly inspiring, but they also shouldn't take the spotlight away from the major players.

But this convention has been excellent so far! I can't wait to see how Obama seals the deal tonight!

Complete speech from Crooks and Liars:

Sen Kerry Blasts McCain: “Let’s compare Senator McCain and Candidate McCain”

this is a bit much, even for a repug

McCain’s Health Care Architect: There Are No Uninsured Americans
(Think Progress)
---
Man, how heartless are these scumbags? They seem to think that people are subhuman if they are not rich. Sickening...

anti-science repugs

2008 GOP platform calls for total ban on embryonic stem cell research.
(Think Progress)

rove controlling McCain's campaign?

Rove ‘Waffles’ On Whether He Asked Lieberman To Drop Out Of VP Consideration
(Think Progress)
---
We know that rove is one of the campaign advisers, but this is kinda bizarre. Considering how conservative Liberman is these days, i don't see how any repug would have a problem with him.

More from Americablog:

Rove heavily involved in McCain's VP selection process

No wonder John McCain is keeping so silent about his vice presidential selection process. Karl Rove is right in the thick of it. He's maneuvering to get Mitt Romney picked -- and trying to exclude his former best friend, Joe Lieberman, from the process. It looks like Rove has taken control of McCain's v.p. operation:

Rove, President Bush’s former top campaign adviser and arguably the most prominent political operative of the past generation, has no formal role in McCain’s campaign. But he knows much of the Arizona senator’s high command and has been offering informal advice, both over the phone and in his position as a Fox News analyst, since McCain wrapped up the GOP nomination.

His decision to wade into the vice presidential selection process could provide Democrats fresh ammunition to tie McCain to the polarizing Bush.

It is also chafing some Lieberman allies and others wary of the selection of former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

“Rove is pushing Romney so aggressively some folks are beginning to wonder what's going on,” grumbled one veteran Republican strategist.

This creates a conundrum for McCain. If Romney gets tapped, it show that Rove is still the GOP puppet-master -- which, he is.

---

this is pretty incredible

Flashback: Biden on 9/10/01 warned the ‘real threat’ may come in ‘the belly of a plane’

Before 9/11, the Bush administration’s national security focus was on missile defense, not terrorism. In fact, on 9/11, then-National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice was set to deliver a speech that focused “largely on missile defense.” Writing at the Huffington Post, Joe Cirincione — president of the Ploughshares Fund — recalls this quote from Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) on Sept. 10, 2001, warning against the Bush administration’s approach:

We will have diverted all that money to address the least likely threat while the real threats come into this country in the hold of a ship, or the belly of a plane, or are smuggled into a city in the middle of the night in a vial in a backpack.

Cirincione writes, “If George Bush had listened to Joe Biden instead of Donald Rumsfeld, the history of the past seven years would have been very different. We might have prevented 9/11.”

(Think Progress)
---
It is so sad to think how different our lives would be if the Supreme Court hadn't vetoed the American pubic and Gore had become president in 2000.
So many "ifs" - if we had a president who listened to warnings and we were able to divert 9/11, if bush didn't start an unnecessary war, if Kerry had won in 2004, if bush hadn't been so pro-business at the cost of us average Americans, is we didn't have oil men in the White House, and on & on...
It is heartbreaking to think about how this country has so unnecessarily gone down the drain. I only hope we have a chance to recover...

amazingly historical

Obama becomes first African-American nominee for President.

The AP reports that Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) has officially become the presidential nominee of the Democratic party. “I have been asked to inform you that Senator Obama accepts the nomination and will deliver his acceptance speech tomorrow night at the fourth night of the convention to be held at Invesco field,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced today. Obama is the first African-American nominee of a major political party and will accept the nomination on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

(Think Progress)
---
We've known this would happen for a while and it's easy to almost take it for granted, but this is pretty phenomenal. I really didn't know if even I would live to see this happen.

Obama really does symbolize what America is supposed to be about - as opposed to bush, who symbolizes (and has mostly realized) the destruction of all that America stands for.

McCain's tax flip-flop to help the ultra-rich

Tax Expert: McCain’s Tax Cuts Are Aimed At The Rich ‘Even More So Than Bush’s Were’

In 2001 and 2003, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) opposed President Bush’s tax cuts, arguing that he couldn’t “in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us.” But since then, McCain has ditched his concern about policies tilted towards the wealthy and now wants to double Bush’s tax cuts.

(Think Progress)

McCain not doing so well with vets

IAVA Director: If McCain Thinks The VA Isn’t Working, ‘It’s In Part Because He Hasn’t Funded It’
(Think Progress)

oh those "compassionate conservatives"

Beck: ‘We Shouldn’t Spend A Single Dime’ On New Orleans, Residents Should Just ‘Move Out’

---
Meanwhile in New Orleans, residents are preparing for Hurricane Gustav, which is barreling toward the Gulf Coast. The storm is expected to reach New Orleans on Monday, the same day President Bush is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention and just in time for the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
(Think Progress)
---
And how ironic is it that another hurricane is scheduled to hit just as bush is going to speak on the third anniversary of him ignoring Katrina?! Wow!
The Dems need to play this up big time! McCain and bush will be in NO for this hurricane but were partying across the country during Katrina.

still another amazing find

Fossil of Ancient Pregnant Turtle Discovered

A turtle that toddled alongside the dinosaurs died just days before laying a clutch of eggs. Now, about 75 million years later, paleontologists are announcing their find of the fossilized mother-to-be and the eggs tucked inside her body.

Scientists from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Canada discovered the turtle in 1999 in a mud-filled channel in the badlands of southeastern Alberta. Then, in 2005, University of Calgary scientists found a nest of 26 eggs laid by another female of the same species in the same region. Both specimens, described this week in the journal Biology Letters, belong to an extinct turtle in the Adocus genus, a large river turtle that resembles today's slider and cooter turtles.

The pregnant turtle represents the first fossil turtle to be unearthed with eggs still inside the body cavity, the scientists say.

"Although it is relatively rare to find the eggs and babies of extinct animals, it is even rarer to find them inside the body of the mother," said researcher Darla Zelenitsky, a geoscientist at the University of Calgary in Alberta, who was also involved in the first discovery of a dinosaur with eggs inside its body.

---

attempting to make Obama's popularity a "bad" thing!

Risks of Invesco event worry top Dems

Senior Democratic officials are expressing serious concerns about the political risks posed by Barack Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco Field at Mile High tonight.

From the elaborate stagecraft to the teeming crowd of 80,000 cheering partisans, from the vagaries of the weather to the unpredictable audience reaction, the optics surrounding the stadium event have heightened worries that the Obama campaign is engaging in a high-risk endeavor in an uncontrollable environment.

A common concern: that the stadium appearance plays against Obama's convention goal of lowering his star wattage and connecting with average Americans and gives Republicans a chance to drive home their message that the Democratic nominee is a narcissistic celebrity candidate.

---
I'm sure that McCain won't have this problem!
The media has to try to create controversy where there is none. I think this is amazingly inspiring that a Democrat can attain this level of popularity. And it is wonderful that Obama is being so inclusive that anyone can attend this event and that so many people are thrilled to attend.

truly sad

Lesbian activist Del Martin dies at 87

Del Martin, a pioneering lesbian rights activist who with her lifelong partner became a symbol for the movement to legalize gay marriage, died Wednesday morning. She was 87.

Martin died at a San Francisco hospital two weeks after a broken arm exacerbated her existing health problems, according to Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Her partner of more than 55 years and wife of just over two months, Phyllis Lyon, was with her.

"Ever since I met Del 55 years ago, I could never imagine a day would come when she wouldn't be by my side," Lyon, 83, said in a statement Wednesday.

"I also never imagined there would be a day that we would actually be able to get married," she added. "I am devastated, but I take some solace in knowing we were able to enjoy the ultimate rite of love and commitment before she passed."

Martin and Lyon exchanged vows at San Francisco City Hall on June 16, the first day same-sex couples could legally wed in California, after being together for more than half a century.

---

bizarre lie from Romney

Mittens: McCain earned all 10 homes, Obama earned none
(Daily Kos)

another McCain lie about Obama

From the Fact Check Desk: Did Obama Say Iran is a 'Tiny' Country that
'Doesn't Pose a Serious Threat'?
---
The script reads; "Iran. Radical Islamic government. Known sponsors of terrorism. Developing nuclear capabilities to 'generate power' but threatening to eliminate Israel.

"Obama says Iran is a 'tiny' country, 'doesn't pose a serious threat,'" the ad continues. "Terrorism, destroying Israel, those aren't 'serious threats'? Obama -- dangerously unprepared to be president."

This is a dishonest representation of Obama's words.

On May 18, on Pendelton, Oregon, Obama said that "strong countries and strong Presidents talk to their adversaries. That's what Kennedy did with Khrushchev. That's what Reagan did with Gorbachev. That's what Nixon did with Mao. I mean think about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela -- these countries are tiny compared to the Soviet Union. They don't pose a serious threat to us the way the Soviet Union posed a threat to us. And yet we were willing to talk to the Soviet Union at the time when they were saying, 'We're going to wipe you off the planet.'

"And ultimately that direct engagement led to a series of measures that helped prevent nuclear war, and over time allowed the kind of opening that brought down the Berlin Wall," Obama continued. "Now, that has to be the kind of approach that we take. You know, Iran, they spend one-one hundredth of what we spend on the military. If Iran ever tried to pose a serio us threat to us, they wouldn't stand a chance. And we should use that position of strength that we have to be bold enough to go ahead and listen. That doesn't mean we agree with them on everything. We might not compromise on any issues, but at least we should find out other areas of potential common interest, and we can reduce some of the tensions that has caused us so many problems around the world."

Watch HERE.

That is not even close to Obama saying Iran is a "tiny" country that "doesn't pose a serious threat."

Not even close.

(ABC news blogs - first seen at Americablog)

Michelle Obama's speech

I'm late with this, but a link to Monday's great speech:
Michelle Obama on the “great American story”
(Crooks and Liars)

good stuff

Sen. Casey Blasts McCain, Calls Him Bush’s “Sidekick”

Senator Bob Casey came out swinging Tuesday night and landed a few direct hits on the jaws of the “Bush-McCain Republicans.”

“John McCain calls himself a maverick, but he votes with George Bush 95% of the time. That’s not a maverick. That’s a sidekick.”

“The Bush-McCain Republicans inherited the strongest economy in history and drove it into a ditch. They cut taxes on the wealthiest of us, and passed the pain to the least of us. They ran up the debt gave huge subsidies to oil companies and now they’re asking for four more years? How bout four more months.”

(Crooks and Liars)

because somehow everything helps the repugs

Hillary's speech helps Republicans: Giuliani
---

let's hope that they deliver on their promise

"More of the Same" War Room in St. Paul

The last thing John McCain and the Republicans want hung around their necks next week is George Bush. But, that's what the Democratic war room is planning:

The Democrats aren't just in competition with the Republicans in the presidential race, they're going head-to-head on the coolness of their war room.

When the Republicans head to town next week, Democrats will be hot on their heels to staff a "More of the Same" war room. The Republicans have their own war room in Denver this week that they're calling "Not Ready ‘08."

Ah, but Democrats say the comparison ends there."Our rapid response program will be bigger, better, closer and more aggressive than anything seen before," said DNC spokesman Damien LaVera.

Bush = McCain = More of the same. It's not that complicated. And, the Republicans really don't want to hear it.

(Americablog)

bush's failed diplomacy

Though “President Bush has invested heavily in trying to forge a strong bond with key foreign leaders,” the Washington Post writes today that “new crises in Georgia and Pakistan are underscoring the limits of Bush’s personal diplomacy.” Bush “misjudged Putin” and when it was shown “his initial assessment of Putin was wrong, [Bush] tended to dismiss it,” said Stanford University professor Michael A. McFaul.

(Think Progress)

this would be nice timing, especially with McCain's close ties

“There’s quiet buzz in Washington this week that convicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff and several colleagues — including scam-artist Michael Scanlon — will be sentenced soon for their roles in the 2005 tribes-and-bribes scandal.” The sentences “could come as early as next week, during the Republican convention.”

(Think Progress)

interesting

Hagel, 8 other GOP senators to pass on RNC convention.

The Hill reports Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) is “skipping the GOP convention.” Along with Hagel, the following conservative senators are also taking a pass: Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ted Stevens (R-AK), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Gordon Smith (R-OR), Susan Collins (R-ME), Larry Craig (R-ID), Wayne Allard (R-CO), and John Sununu (R-NH). Roger Wicker (R-MS) is undecided about whether he will attend.

(Think Progress)

more propaganda from the Conservative News Network

CNN Thinks Only The Top Five Percent Of America’s Income Earners Count

In an interview with former NBA star Charles Barkley today, CNN host Wolf Blitzer discussed the respective tax plans being offered by Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain. This is the on-screen graphic that CNN displayed during the interview, which the network represented as the “average tax bill change”:

The graphic above only displays the “average tax change” on incomes above $161,000 – the top five percent of income earners in the nation. The graphic is therefore deceptive and misleading, as it suggests that McCain’s tax plan offers a greater benefit than Obama’s. In reality, for most Americans, Obama’s tax plan would offer three times the benefit.

Here’s the impact of McCain and Obama’s tax plan on incomes below $161,000 – the part that CNN left out:

MCCAIN OBAMA
Income Avg. tax bill Avg. tax bill
$112K-$161K -$2,614 -$2,204
$66K-$112K -$1,009 -$1,290
$38K-$66K -$319 -$1,042
$19K-$38K -$113 -$892
Under $19K -$19 -$567

Using his deceptive chart, Blizter tried – but failed – to get Barkley to voice his opposition to an increase in taxes on the wealthiest Americans to pay for national priorities:

BLITZER: If Obama has his way, you would spend another $701,885 in taxes. $700,000 above and beyond – you pay a lot of taxes right now if you’re making millions of dollars a year as you are. How do you feel about that?

BARKLEY: Well, I think that if you’re rich — I thank God I’ve been very successful — if you’re rich, you’re always going to be rich. If we pay more in taxes, I got no problem with that. If you’re making that kind of money, a couple hundred thousand dollars here or there are not going to change your life.

Let’s be realistic. I’ve been very fortunate and blessed. I did a great job of saving my money. But I got no problem if I’m making that type of money, paying more in taxes to be honest with you.

(Think Progress)

---

More from Crooks and Liars

I don't think I even know anyone at all who makes even the lowest level of CNN's chart. This certainly doesn't reflect the average American!

gee, ya think?

AFL-CIO President: ‘John McCain Is Wrong’ About His Claim That Economy Is Strong
(Think Progress)
---
Still, it's nice to have confirmation.

Hillary's speech

Hillary Clinton's speech at the Dems convention
---
She did a great job last night and we all can only hope that it inspired her followers to unite and that they won't cut off their nose to spite their face and vote for someone who will continue to destroy this country and the world just because they're pissed that Hillary didn't win the nomination.

This election is far too important for people to vote for the wrong person just out of principle.

Fox trying to ditch another disgraced repug

Fox Identifies Tom DeLay as a Democrat
(Newshounds)

someone hasn't been paying attention for the last 8 years

Mark Belling guest host Fischer on Obama: "[T]he most dangerous candidate ever to run for the White House"
(Media Matters)
---
I don't care what you think about Obama - this is simply a bizarre statement.
The greatest hope for this country is hardly the "most dangerous candidate ever"!

Fox: if Michelle Obama said something different than what she actually said, could that have been used against her?

Fox News' Kelly asked whether Michelle Obama gave "her critics fodder" with word she didn't say
(Media Matters)
---
This just goes to show how far Fox has to go to find something offensive about the Obamas - they literally have to invent fantasy scenarios!

Please do!

GOP takes a hard line on abortion for its platform
---
Oddly, the article implies that McCain does not support an abortion bad, despite his calls for the reversal of Roe v Wade and his repeated statements that he is anti-choice.

to McCain, diplomacy creates "trouble and agression"

McCain says Obama's views invite trouble abroad

PHOENIX – Republican presidential candidate John McCain told veterans Tuesday that Democrat Barack Obama's opposition to the Iraq war and preference for collective diplomacy over U.S. leadership would create more trouble and aggression in the world.

---
So if you want a president who will go straight to war without attempting diplomacy first, vote for McCain. War seems to be his answer to anything...

Obama pushing his message

Obama pushes economics on road to Denver

KANSAS CITY – Barack Obama renewed his emphasis on economic themes Tuesday, pledging to enforce occupational health and safety regulations as president and declaring that Republican rival John McCain "doesn't get it" when it comes to the anxieties that many middle-class workers are facing.

---

the Dems need to hype this

McCain to Mark Birthday, Katrina anniversary with VP Pick

In the latest chapter of their campaign of contrasts, Barack Obama and John McCain are set to mark two very different milestones this week. On Thursday, Obama will accept his party’s nomination on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s’ “I Have a Dream” speech. But in
an altogether different act of symbolism the next morning, John McCain will announce his running mate on his 72nd birthday. That date also just happens to be three years to the day President Bush presented McCain with a birthday cake in Arizona even as Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore in New Orleans.

(Crooks and Liars)

Cindy McCain off to Georgia

McCain sending wife Cindy to apparently broker peace in Georgia war-zone

Now I've seen everything. McCain is sending his wife to a war zone? This is just absurdly inappropriate, not to mention absurd. Imagine sending Michelle Obama to broker peace in Iraq. Imagine the outcry by the McCain people. This is just simply bizarre. Then again, Cindy McCain's father was a Vet, so remember folks, you can't ask any legitimate questions about why she's going abroad as America's ambassador to a war zone when her husband isn't even president yet. Amazingly presumptious of McCain to put America's credibility on the line as though he were already president. Then again, the country of Georgia already bought McCain's top foreign policy adviser, so perhaps this is just more fall-out from that. The Georgians have to get their money's worth.

(Americablog)

---

scary

John McCain on his unparalleled devotion to George Bush
(Americablog)
---
Click the link to watch the video and let McCain speak for himself that he will be more of the same....

the myth of a conservative America

Limbaugh Falsely Claims America Is A ‘Conservative Majority’ Nation
(Think Progress)
---
This is mainly due to the vilification of the word "liberal", but most Americans do support liberal ideals and plans.

But the fact that Limbaugh is trying to say that the repugs are NOT embracing conservitive ideals is pretty mind-boggling. McCain is running on the most conservative platform in years - if not decades!

selling his soul for the presidency

McCain’s GOP platform contains ‘caveats about the uncertainty’ of climate science.

The Washington Times reports today that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will “run on the final version” of the Republican Party’s election platform, a draft of which the GOP’s 112-delegate platform committee is debating today and tomorrow. The staff-written draft contains a number of hard line conservative positions with which McCain supposedly disagrees:

- “The platform draft calls for constitutional bans on abortion and gay marriage, two steps McCain does not support.”

- Despite McCain’s claims that he believes global warming is real, “the platform is loaded with caveats about the uncertainty of science and the need to ‘resist no-growth radicalism’ in taking on climate change.”

- Despite McCain’s previous support for “a path to citizenship” for illegal immigrants, “the draft platform also retains tough language against illegal immigration and a flat statement of opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants.”

Additionally, despite his flip-flop on offshore drilling, McCain has thus far maintained his opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. But the National Review’s Stephen Spruiell reports that the GOP platform endorses “drilling” in the “onshore fields” in Alaska.

(Think Progress)

McCain's 911: POWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOWPOW...

Wallace Defends McCain’s POW Dodge On Houses Gaffe: ‘It’s Not A Talking Point, It’s A Fact’

On the Tonight Show last night, host Jay Leno asked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) about his inability to say how many houses he owns. Before giving an answer, McCain turned to an unrelated subject, his years as a prisoner of war:

LENO: For $1 million, how many houses do you own?

MCCAIN: You know, could I just mention to you Jay, in a moment of seriousness, I spent five and a half years in a prison cell. I didn’t have house. I didn’t have a kitchen table. I didn’t have a table. I didn’t have a chair. And I spent those five and a half years because — not because I wanted to get a house when I got out. … I’m proud of my record of service to this country, and it has nothing to do with houses. It has to do with putting Americans in houses and keeping them in their homes.

(Think Progress)
---
Talk about a non-sequitor!
More from Crooks and Liars, including the video:
Tonight Show: McCain plays POW card again

thanks bush

New Census numbers: 37.3 million living in poverty; 45.7 million uninsured.
(Think Progress)
---
Hopefully, these people can vote and will vote for change this fall.

what an asshole

Rove Blasts Michelle Obama’s Patriotism: ‘I Don’t Think She Did Well On Saying I Love America’
(Think Progress)

McCain helping terrorists obtain guns?

McCain Camp Tries To Downplay Top Aide Lobbying In Favor Of Gun Rights For Suspected Terrorists
(Think Progress)

bigotry on parade

Ban on gay adoption cleared for Arkansas ballot.
(Think Progress)

WTF?

Glenn Beck Encourages Listeners To Use More Energy To ‘Wipe Out Any Potential Energy Savings’ At The DNC
(Think Progress)
---
Their insane hatred of all things Democratic are driving these loonies to promoting the end of the world. Even if this is supposed to be some moronic joke, WTF is wrong with these wackjobs? Don't they realize that this isn't a repug vs Democrat issue - this is a matter of the survival of our species?

military does not agree with McCain

Petraeus Disagrees With McCain, Says Success In Iraq Was Possible Without The Surge
(Think Progress)
---
How many times has the military disagreed with McCain and agreed with Obama?
And McCain is supposed to be the military leader of the two?

but does anyone really know what McCain's position on anything is?

McCain Surrogate Falsely Suggests McCain Does Not Want To Overturn Roe
(Think Progress)

well, it's not important to rove and bush

Rove: Obama-Lugar bill to secure loose nukes was ‘minor housekeeping measure,’ ‘unimportant.’
(Think Progress)

Fox priorities

Fox News’s DNC coverage focuses on cheerleaders, Hooters girl.
(Think Progress)
---
Does anyone wonder why Fox viewers are the least informed about actual issues?

the party of big business

Pawlenty Promises CEOs ‘Contact With Influential Gov’t Officials (Cabinet, President, Next President)’
(Think Progress)

Fox getting more blatant

Fox News reporter Griff Jenkins tasked with ‘causing trouble’ at Democratic convention.
(Think Progress)