The big question from all sides about the McCain story in the NY Times is..
Why Now?
The New Republic is out with its story about the internal deliberations at the Times over the McCain story. By some accounts, the fact that TNR was prepping this story is what prompted the Times to publish when it did, [...]
Tags: John McCain
Categories: 2008 Election · McCain
What McCain said, versus the facts. I really don’t agree with those who say this whole incident will be good for his campaign. It all goes to “truth and honesty”. Or, maybe, his memory just ain’t what it used to be…
McCain Comments Distort FCC Matter
Whatever you may think of this morning’s New York Times and Washington Post stories, they turn on whether John McCain did legislative favors for Vicki Iseman, the lobbyist with whom McCain denies having had a romantic relationship. And McCain was [...]
Tags: John McCain
Categories: 2008 Election · McCain
More chatter tonight about how you can’t just say things and expect them to be true. The pundits have been parsing what McCain’s been saying. Guess what?
McVain In Bed With Lobbyists? Frequently.
St. John McVain has a dirty little secret. The vaunted “maverick” Senator who works tirelessly against corruption and undue lobbyist interest in Washington? Sham. Why do I say that? Well, there’s this: McCain’s campaign staff had more lobbyists on it than any other back in June. And, after the staff massacre in July, the person he hired to be his new campaign manager (resurrecting his position from the failed 2000 campaign)? Uber-lobbyist Rick Davis [.... ]
Tags: John McCain
Categories: McCain
Oh, my! It’s a trifecta for McCain today!
Will McCain Be on the Indiana Ballot?
Not that it’s the biggest thing he has to worry about right now, but McCain’s spot on the Indiana primary ballot faces a challenge after his campaign fell short in the number of signatures required. Blue Indiana blogger Thomas Cook (and longtime kossack Yoss) writes that, with 500 signatures required in each congressional district: “In the 4th District, they are short. By my latest count, [...]
Tags: John McCain, Indiana Primary
Categories: 2008 Election · McCain
From here in the trenches, it’s looking seriously like a recession, no matter what the folks in Washington say about it. For them, it’s a numbers game, not anything based in the daily life of millions of Americans.
How Many Revised Economic Forecasts Before The Fed Says The “R” Word?
Economic forecasting isn’t an exacting science…yet the American public often knows we’re in a recession well before the experts. Politicians, on the other hand, love to hand out meaningless refund checks every time they hear rumblings of the “R” word. Americans should reject this [...]
Tags: Economy, Recession
Categories: Economy
Lost in all the chatter about affairs and possible lobbying paybacks, is this little tidbit.
McCain Loan Raises FEC Questions
The government’s top campaign finance regulator says John McCain can’t drop out of the primary election’s public financing system until he answers questions about a loan he obtained to kickstart his once faltering presidential campaign. Federal Election Commission Chairman David Mason, in a letter to McCain this week, said the all-but-certain Republican nominee needs to assure the commission that he did not use [...]
Tags: John McCain
Categories: McCain
This latest meet recall has been botched on almost every level. Congress is trying to fix things, but it’s kinda like closing the gate after the horse has run off.
Meat Recall Spurs New Food Safety Review in Congress
The largest beef recall in U.S. history has left many Americans wondering if they ingested bad meat, and the government’s response is raising questions on Capitol Hill [...]
Tags: Beef Recall, PETA
Categories: Recall
That’s all some U.S. cities may have, according to a new report. I’m not buying into this thing 100%, simply because the target date is too close. I can’t see things turning that bad, that quickly. But…
The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
Below table lists the world’s cities that are likely to collapse completely or partially by or before 2012¹ in the first wave of collapse. The collapse would be caused by a combination of failing ecosystems, human-enhanced environmental catastrophes; failing infrastructure; food, water and fuel shortages; infectious disease; war, civil conflict and other dynamics. Following the first phase of collapse, [...]
Tags: Economy, Environment
Categories: Economy · Environment
Oh, the stupidity reigns supreme…
Great Moments in Wingnut Thought
So you thought that, given that we were in the year 2008, it was kinda obvious that Hillary Clinton was eligible to run for president. Silly politically correct person! You haven’t seen the awesome legal mind of one Dick Marple, American: “Most people believe not only that the 19th Amendment permitted women the right to vote but [...]
Tags: Hillary Clinton, Women’s Rights
Categories: 2008 Election · Clinton
Don’t want to watch the debate tonight? Here’s a great alternative. CBS has just put a bunch of full episodes of really classic TV shows online. Like “Star Trek”. The first three seasons. No kidding. And there’s more. Go and play around NBC is going to do the same in the next few weeks. We can all be young again!
Just Click Here for the Star Trek page. You’ll find the other shows listed, too.
By the way, the quality of the shows is excellent. My only complaint is that I haven’t found a way to view them fullscreen. Right-Clicking doesn’t give a fullscreen option.
Tags: Star Trek
Categories: Television
This is, as they say, no way to run a political campaign. Maybe they thought it was the best way, perhaps the ONLY way, but it’s backfiring now.
Clinton Camp Spends $33 Million On Consultants
…About $15 million — or more than half of the New York senator’s January spending — went to a cadre of high-priced consultants. Though much of the cash went through the campaign media buyer for [...]
Tags: Hillary Clinton
Categories: 2008 Election · China
The right-wing pundits are beginning to wail away at Barack Obama, since he’s looking more and more like he’ll nail the Democratic nomination. Need a good example? Consider it done…
Obama Unbound: The Man Behind the Myth
Obama’s past is key to understanding the fervor surrounding his campaign, writes Bernard Chapin — and the way to figure out what we can expect from him if elected [...]
Tags: 2008 Election, Barack Obama
Categories: 2008 Election · Obama
I know I haven’t picked up my clubs in years. For all the reasons explained below. Kinda sad…
More Americans Are Giving Up Golf
The leisure activity most closely associated with corporate success in America has been in a kind of recession [...]
Tags: Economy, Golf
Categories: Economy · Sports
It’s getting rough out there - in the supermarket and at the gas station. I picked up a rotisserie chicken on my way home last night, one of the pre-cooked, refrigerated, ones. A year ago, it was on sale for $3.98. It was on “sale” last night for $5.98. Same bird. Same size. 50% pricier. And, noted by the front page of the local paper, gas went up overnight. They said it’s a dime higher. The stations I pass on my way to work were up 15 cents. That’s bad news, any way you look at it.
Oil Near $100 After Record Close
Oil prices held near $100 a barrel Thursday after hitting a record overnight as investors poured more cash into crude and other commodities as a hedge against inflation. Oil futures on Wednesday pushed briefly past $101 a barrel after the U.S. Federal Reserve lowered its forecast for [...]
Stagflation Fears Return
The U.S. faces an unwelcome combination of looming recession and persistent inflation that is reviving angst about stagflation, a condition not seen since the 1970s. Inflation is rising. Yesterday the Labor Department said [...]
Tags: Economy, Gas Prices, Grocery Prices
Categories: Economy
Wow. The McCain corruption/affair story exploded overnight. By the time I got to work this morning, my email was full of updates and comments. Watching “Morning Joe” at the house, it became apparent there are two stories involved - the allegation of an affair AND the allegations of corruption. Driving in to work, I was listening to McCain’s news conference on CNN (I love Sirius satellite radio!!) - seemed to be a lot of hemming and hawwing going on. He sounded even less animated than usual. Let’s kick things off with a short collection of links to various posts on the McCain story. Oh, the earthquake? 6.3 in NE Arizona. Big one.
PEEK: It’s Not the Sex, It’s the Corruption
Bob Bennett is running around trying to spike this story but so far it’s just been too good to pass up [...]
PEEK: Fox News Issues Press Release Against the New York Times Over McCain Story
It is pretty hilarious to see a “news” outlet issue an attack story on another news outlet for a story that outlet published only three hours earlier [...]
On McCain’s Alleged Infidelity
The New York Times has a shameful hit piece out on McCain that accuses him, without definitive evidence, of carrying out an extramarital affair eight years ago with a telecom lobbyist that had business before his committee. It presents a couple of questions about his conduct…essentially, whether he provided his alleged mistress any preferential treatment or disclosed a free ride on her corporate jet. But it is thin gruel. What is significant is that the sources for this article are former McCain staffers that contacted the Times in December, before [... ]
Just wonderin’, is all
I just turned on the TV to Morning Joe, and the Terrible Trio of Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist, are shocked….shocked….SHOCKED, I tell you…that the New York Times would print such scurrilous accusations against John McCain. I suppose it’s understandable that Scarborough would be particularly sensitive about [...]
McCain relationship with lobbyist rocks presidential campaign
A few months ago, just a few days before Christmas, Drudge reported that the New York Times was poised to publish a “high-impact report” involving John McCain and “key telecom legislation.” There were very few details, but McCain had reportedly already hired an attorney to deal with the controversy, while the senator and his campaign [...]
McCain: Experienced in the ways of Washington lobbyists
John McCain yesterday said “I’m not the youngest candidate, but I’m the most experienced.” True enough, but from the very start of his Congressional career McCain’s experience has involved chasing after lobbyists’ money. In the case of Vicki Iseman at least, it may also have meant [...]
Okay, you get the picture, don’t you?
Tags: John McCain
Categories: 2008 Election · McCain
