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I am not a Republican, and I am not a racist.  I will be voting for Cynthia McKinney for president.  So don’t threaten me with your post-partisan, post-racial, manipulative, coercive hate mail.

Real Clear Politics

Hominid Views, Monte Carlo simulations

Links: 9/15/08, 8/15/08, 7/15/08

Wall Street’s Woes Challenge Candidates (Wall Street Journal)
The meltdown poses problems for both presidential candidates and doesn’t especially play to the strengths of either.

Wall Street crisis is culmination of 28 years of deregulation (McClatchy)
WASHINGTON — No one cog in the federal government’s machine of financial regulation let down the country by failing to prevent the latest shakeout on Wall Street. The entire system did.
Why isn’t Obama saying this, over and over and over?  Could it be because most of Obama’s economic advisors don’t like regulation, either?  And could it be because calling for fiscal responsibility would remind Democrats too much of the Clintons?

Obama ad hits McCain for saying economy’s ‘fundamentals are strong’ (On Politics, USA Today)
In its latest TV ad, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s campaign again takes aim at Republican John McCain for saying the economy’s “fundamentals are strong.” The ad, released moments ago, repeats a message that Obama and his running mate Joe Biden pushed hard yesterday as the crisis on Wall Street continued to unfold. They say McCain doesn’t understand that the economy “is broken:”
That is not the same thing as saying that there are problems, and the problems are because of many years of Republican POLICY.  No one wants to believe that the entire economy is broken.  It’s too far a stretch right now.  People won’t go that far in their thinking without more preparation.

Obama needs to invoke Clintonomics, but he can’t (by Iain Martin, The Telegraph, U.K.)
The Democrats have a good claim to being the true fiscal conservatives in recent US history, arguing for balanced budgets and stability. But to illustrate that argument the Obama campaign would need to point to the record of a previous administration which governed, for the large part, in such a fashion. And the problem is that at its head was Bill Clinton… Obama is denied access to fiscal conservative themes – which could help him greatly in charging the Republican party with incompetence and economic neglect – because he doesn’t want to invoke too many memories of the Clinton era.
And, of course, the only person limiting him is he himself.  But no, not content to simply refuse to invoke the Clinton era, his campaign tells McClatchy that this is all Bill Clinton’s FAULT.  (Why do I blame the Obama campaign?  Because there have been so very many McClatchy headlines that give the Obama daily line verbatim.  Somebody in their Washington Bureau is in love with Obama, and was throughout the primaries.)

McClatchy: blame Bill (by gob at Corrente)
McClatchy’s front page today lays the blame for the current financial crisis at Bill Clinton’s feet. Over the headline “Wall Street crisis is culmination of 28 years of deregulation” we see a photo of Bill grinning and giving the thumbs up, captioned “Bill Clinton in 1999 signed legislation that overturned nearly 70 years of regulation of the financial industry.” The commenters strike back with the facts, supported by linky goodness: it was a Republican bill, passed in the Senate on a straight party-line vote with exception of the DINO [Democrat in Name Only] Hollings. I spent many an hour ranting at Bill for his bad policy positions, but I don’t think this is fair journalism. The article is better, tracing things back to Reagan conservatism, but whoever made this editorial decision deserves a check from the RNC.
McClatchy, you disappoint me.  I expect better from you.  Back when you were Knight-Ridder, you were the best in refusing to fall for the administration’s line on the Iraq War, either before or during.

Shattered Donkeys (by Pat Racimora at No Quarter)

McCain’s Record On Economic Reform: ‘Zero’ (Think Progress)
A new ad released [Monday] by the McCain campaign states, “Our economy in crisis. Only proven reformers John McCain and Sarah Palin can fix it.” In a statement today, McCain said he will “replace the outdated and ineffective patchwork quilt of regulatory oversight in Washington” and bring “accountability to Wall Street.” That promise rings hollow considering he has the former lobbyists of AIG, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Bank of America on his campaign staff.
But Obama’s record is zero, too.  Why do his supporters want to keep reminding people of that?  Obama voted for Cheney’s energy plan, and he voted for the bankruptcy bill that has made it more difficult for ordinary people to go bankrupt.  Those are the only things I know of that he’s done at all in terms of the economy.

Loose Change: Why bad economic news doesn’t hurt McCain, or help Obama, as much as you think. (by John Dickerson, Slate)
Why isn’t Obama killing McCain on this issue? Part of the answer may be that polls have narrowed across the board as McCain has solidified his base. (Voters like McCain better, so they like his ability to handle the economy better—even though they may have no idea what his policies are.) Some portion of the tightening also comes from McCain’s advocacy of oil drilling… McCain’s other economic plans also have a similar action-oriented feel… If voters see him as the action candidate, perhaps they’ll take his word for it. On the specifics, though, he’s not in a very strong position… Still, Obama can be pushed around on the economy because voters don’t know what he’s for. Yes, he’s for change—but what does that mean when it comes to their daily lives?

What it will take to get the Democrats’ attention (by riverdaughter at The Confluence)
There are ominous signs on the horizon… And we have two candidates who are both ill-equipped to handle what is about to happen.  One is committed to his party’s ideology but seems to possess the personal mettle to withstand a crisis.  The other has spurned his party’s ideollogy and has no practical experience in dealing with tough situations with any kind of personal fortitude. It will take a Depression to get the Democrats to focus on what is important. [Emphasis added.]

Lehman cash: Hillary tops, Obama second (Hot off the Trail, McClatchy)
Hillary Clinton was the top recipient of political contributions from employees of the bankrupt Lehman Brothers, according to an analysis by opensecrets.org. She’s received $409,000. Barack Obama was second, receiving $395,000. John McCain was seventh. He’s received $144,000.

Why Wall Street is Melting Down, and What to Do About It (by Robert Reich)
Bailouts, subsidies, and government insurance won’t help Wall Street because the Street’s fundamental problem isn’t lack of capital. It’s lack of trust. The sub-prime mortgage mess triggered it, but the problem lies much deeper. Financial markets trade in promises — that assets have a certain value, that numbers on a balance sheet are accurate, that a loan carries a limited risk. If investors stop trusting the promises, Wall Street can’t function… [T]he best way to rebuild trust is through regulations that require financial players to stand behind their promises and tell the truth, along with strict oversight to make sure they do.
Say, wouldn’t it be nice to make politicians do the same?  Huh?  You with me?  Anybody?

Recovering alcoholics have to apologize to the people they harmed when they were drinking.  But the recommendation is that they not do it right after getting sober.  They need to get some sober living under their belts before their loved ones will even be ready to hear an apology.  The loved ones want to be able to believe the apology will be accompanied by continuing good behavior.  We have been so brutalized by our elected officials that it will take a lot of good behavior before we start to believe anything they say.

Creative Destruction (by William Grieder, The Nation)
In the long run, the destruction of concentrated wealth and power is always good for democracy, liberating people from the heavy hand of the status quo. Unfortunately, many innocents are slaughtered in the process. As the US manufacturing economy was dismantled by downsizing and globalization, the learned ones (Alan Greenspan comes to mind) told everyone to breathe easy — ultimately this would be good for the workers and communities who lost the foundations of their prosperity. Now that “creative destruction” is visiting the bankers, we now observe they are not so accepting of their own fate.

Faster, Economy. Fail! Fail! Fail!??? (by madamab at The Confluence)
Some think the frightening downward spiral of this economy will favor Democrats, and Barack Obama, in November. But I believe that the Democratic Party has squandered its economic credibility, jettisoning the Clintons, one of the most trusted economic brands in the history of America, for Barack Obama, an unknown brand with newer packaging… Given that horrible decision, where is the superior judgment of the Democrats on the economy?

OBAMA TRIED TO STALL GIS’ IRAQ WITHDRAWAL (by Amir Taheri, New York Post—a Rupert Murdoch newspaper that has endorsed John McCain)
WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence. According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July. “He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington,” Zebari said in an interview.

Obama campaign contests Taheri column (Politico)
An Obama aide accused Taheri of confusing the Status of Forces agreement with a Strategic Framework Agreement, for which Obama has pushed for congressional review. “This article bears as much resemblance to the truth as a McCain campaign commercial. Barack Obama has consistently called for any Strategic Framework Agreement to be submitted to the U.S. Congress so that the American people have the same opportunity for review as the Iraqi Parliament,” said Obama spokeswoman Wendy Morigi. “Unlike John McCain, he supports a clear timetable to redeploy our troops that has the support of the Iraqi government. Barack Obama has never urged a delay in negotiations, nor has he urged a delay in immediately beginning a responsible drawdown of our combat brigades.”

A Traitor In Our Midst (by Matthew Weaver at No Quarter)
Obama does not deny he asked for delay. [See above.] He is only splitting hairs about what he was asking delay on. Bottom line is that Obama has interfered in U.S. foreign policy by negotiating with a foreign government, albeit an America puppet-government, by asking them to delay agreements with the U.S… So, Obama, while claiming the anti-war mantle throughout the election, actually negotiated with the Iraqis in July to delay the withdrawal of troops until after the election?!

The McCain Campaign has issued a statement…: “At this point, it is not yet clear what official American negotiations Senator Obama tried to undermine with Iraqi leaders, but the possibility of such actions is unprecedented. It should be concerning to all that he reportedly urged that the democratically-elected Iraqi government listen to him rather than the US administration in power… [I]t demands an explanation.
It may demand more than an explanation.  It may demand a prosecution.  And it’s not unprecedented.  Reagan and Nixon may both have participated in similar activities.

Barack Obama’s big blunder (by Michael Goodwin, New York Daily News)
With top Dems fearing Barack Obama is in a hole, the Obama campaign has made a weird decision. It’s going to dig that hole deeper, harder and faster. No more Mr. Nice Guy, Obama vows. He’s going to really start hitting John McCain now. He’s going to make voters understand that McCain equals four more years of George Bush. It’s a weird decision because Obama has been doing exactly that for four months. The problem is not that Obama hasn’t hit McCain hard enough or linked him to Bush often enough. The problem is that he hasn’t done anything else.
And the other problem is that it isn’t working.  Do something that WORKS—if you want to win, that is.

Barack Obama under fire for ignoring advice on how to beat John McCain (by Tim Shipman, The Telegraph, U.K.)
The Sunday Telegraph has learned that senators, governors and union leaders who have experience of winning hard-fought races in swing states have been bombarding Obamas campaign headquarters with telephone calls offering advice. But many of those calls have not been returned. A senior Democratic strategist, who has played a prominent role in two presidential campaigns, told The Sunday Telegraph: “These guys are on the verge of blowing the greatest gimme in the history of American politics. They’re the most arrogant bunch Ive ever seen. They won’t accept that they are losing and they won’t listen.”

Obama Lays Out Plans To Woo Women Voters: Forget Palin, Focus On Equal Pay (by Sam Stein at the Huffington Post)
During a conference call with national female supporters on Monday, Barack Obama and his aides outlined a comprehensive strategy to target female supporters who could be on the fence between his and John McCain’s candidacies. The plan included intense focus on McCain’s opposition to equal pay legislation, which aides to Obama believe resonates beyond female voters; sending out prominent female surrogates to serve as political “ambassadors”; limiting focus on Gov. Sarah Palin in favor of McCain himself.
McCain may be worse on legislation for equal pay than Obama, but he’s better in actual practice.  So I’m not sure this is the best issue for Obama.  And does focusing on McCain have to involve alienating older voters?  See below.

Does Obama WANT to lose? (by Joseph Cannon at Cannonfire)
This Obama ad is so lame that most of the PUMA sites have been quick to display it, just as I am displaying it here. [Click through to watch it.] The obvious problem: People know that John McCain cannot use a computer keyboard, due to a disability caused by the torture he underwent while in a Vietnamese prison. This ad has redefined the Democrats: The party of FDR is now the party that makes fun of disabled people — a perception reinforced by the ghastly attacks on Sarah Palin’s child.
Is it really a good idea to imply that old people cannot bring fresh ideas to the national debate? The elderly vote. In large numbers.
The Boston Globe reported in 2000 that John McCain can’t even comb his hair or tie his shoes.

Obama Hits McCain Hard on Lobbyists (Political Wire)
Last week, we noted Sen. John McCain tapped a lobbyist to begin planning for a potential transition if he wins the November election. This week, Sen. Barack Obama has turned the news into a blistering advertisement. Key line: “His campaign is run by lobbyists. Now we find out McCain’s White House will be lobbyist-run too… Does that sound like change to you?”

RNC response: “If Barack Obama is truly worried about lobbyists’ influence, he should start by looking in the mirror. This week, Joe Biden’s lobbyist-ties became too much to bear and his son ended his profession of successfully lobbying senators like Obama. Obama’s attacks this weekend are a transparent attempt to cover-up for his campaign’s lack of transparency and abundance of special-interest connections.”

Unmentionables (by Anglachel)
When I got home this evening, there were two fundraising letters in the mailbox. One was for Obama and contained letters from Obama and Biden… In the RNC sending, the Republican Party and the RNC are mentioned 24 times in the letter and another 12 times on the donation coupon… In the Obama sending, there is no mention of the Democratic Party, the DNC (except possibly a small code with the letters “DNC” as part of the code at the edge of the payment coupon), or of Obama and/or Biden’s political affiliation… Why is the head of my party, the party nominee for the presidency, not even mentioning the party in his fundraising letters? When did being a Democrat count as something unmentionable?
I believe the turning point was when the anti-Clinton wing of the Democratic Party became Obamacrats.

Obama and McCain Make August a Record Month (Capital Eye)
The polls are putting John McCain and Barack Obama neck-and-neck, but as far as the money race is concerned, Obama has managed to maintain his strong lead. The Democrat’s campaign is reporting a $66 million haul for August, $11 million more than he raised in February, which previously was his record month. According to the Washington Post, Obama attracted more than half a million new financial supporters.

McCain collected $47 million in August, according to his campaign, also his record best. Because the Republican opted into the public financing system, he is now limited to $84 million through Election Day, while Obama started September with $77 million on hand. But McCain will receive plenty of financial support from the Republican National Committee, which reportedly collected about $23 million last month.  

Now It’s the DCCC That Is Swimming Against the Tide (by Stuart Rothenberg)
In a curious coincidence of timing, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has added a number of Congressional districts to its various lists of competitive contests at exactly the same time that Republicans are seeing an uptick in their poll and fundraising numbers and an improved political landscape… “We are seeing a real change up and down the ballot, from state legislative races to Congressional to the presidential,” said one enthusiastic Republican operative.

Independent groups target Obama, McCain (AP)
WASHINGTON – A sudden surge in advertising by outside groups is rapidly filling the airwaves and cable channels with unflattering portrayals of Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain as their presidential contest enters its final seven weeks.

Anti-Abortion 527 Launches Anti-Obama TV Ad (Political Punch, ABC News)
A new 527 has emerged. Called BornAliveTruth.org, the political organization says its mission “is to educate the public on the IL Born Alive Infants Protection Act and Senator Obama’s record opposing this act.”

“Just when I thought I was in… they push me back out …” (by lambert at Corrente)
CNN: “Obama campaign rolls out new ‘faith merchandise’”… Tell me it’s not a great country! One question: Is atheism a “faith background”? How about wanting to vomit when people whore “merchandise” their religion — Is that a faith background?

McCain campaign tries to quell ‘Troopergate’ (AP)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain is trying to put to rest the ethical controversy that’s come to be known as “Troopergate,” releasing e-mails supporting Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s contention that she dismissed her public safety commissioner over budget disagreements, not because he wouldn’t fire her ex-brother-in-law.
And that ex-brother-in-law is no peach.  He seems to be an alcoholic and an abusive stalker.  Nevertheless, public employees shouldn’t be fired for personal reasons. Don’t forget that the AP’s political editor, Ron Fournier, is a McCain fan.

In ‘Troopergate’, Monegan accused of insubordination (McClatchy)
Walt Monegan lost his job as public safety director because he resisted Gov. Sarah Palin’s budget policies and showed “outright insubordination,” say papers the governor’s lawyer filed Monday with the state Personnel Board.

Palin ‘Unlikely’ to Meet With Prosecutor (The Trail, Washington Post)
ANCHORAGE — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is unlikely to meet with a special prosecutor looking into whether she or other state officials improperly pushed to punish a trooper, a spokesman for John McCain’s presidential campaign announced Monday. Since Palin was named as McCain’s running mate Aug. 29, the campaign has dismissed the state legislature’s investigation into her dismissal of the state’s director of public safety, saying that Democrats are exploiting the probe for political gain.

And now for the MOST important issue of the day: Palin Had Tanning Bed Installed (Political Wire)
Gov. Sarah Palin “had a private tanning bed installed in the Governor’s Mansion in Juneau,” according to Us magazine. “Tanning beds can cost up to $35,000 to install in a home — not including the cost of parts.” Said a spokesman: “She did. She paid for it with her own money.”

Radio host suspended for airing anti-Palin protesters’ [phone] numbers (McClatchy)
Anchorage AM radio host Eddie Burke has been suspended for a week for broadcasting the phone number of women involved in organizing a protest against Sarah Palin.

Couric To Interview Palin (Media Bistro)
TVNewser reports that Katie Couric will interview Republican VP nominee Gov. Sarah Palin next week on the campaign trail, and will include something not seen in previous interviews — time with Sen. John McCain and Palin together.

Palin Proves There’s Sexism (by Marie Cocco)
Palin’s treatment resolves a lingering dispute from the Democratic nominating contest. The rank sexism that surrounded Clinton’s bid often was dismissed (especially on the left) as no such thing. The animosity was said to be not about any woman candidate; it was about that woman, candidate Clinton. Now it’s about Palin. At least no one can rationalize her treatment as mere Clinton-hating.

Sarah Palin is great for feminism. (by Ann Althouse)
[I]n recent years, feminism has been dominated by Democratic Party devotees who act like they own feminism, as if theirs was the only feminism — as if they could dictate that all women should vote Democratic… But feminism is something that transcends party politics. Women have interests that the parties should have to compete for. I want a vivid debate about what is good for women. Sarah Palin represents one argument, and her feminism will require Democrats to improve their argument and not take women for granted. Sarah Palin brings feminism to a lot of people who’ve been scorning feminism — because feminism has seemed like a strand of Democratic party politics. This is great for feminism.
And beating up on us is not the way to entice us into voting for Democrats, Obamabots.

Photog Admits She Tried to Make McCain Look Evil in Atlantic Cover Shoot (PDN)
Photographer and “hard-core Democrat” Jill Greenberg deliberately took a series of unflattering shots of Republican nominee John McCain for the current cover of The Atlantic, tricking him at one point into coming towards a strobe light that cast a diabolical shadow behind him.

McCain-Palin 2008 Launches “Honest and Open Election Committee” (McCain-Palin Campaign)
ARLINGTON, VA – The McCain-Palin 2008 campaign today announced the formation of the Honest and Open Election Committee, with a mission to ensure that every qualified citizen has the opportunity to vote in a fair and transparent manner. The committee will work with state and local election officials to anticipate, and where possible resolve in advance, problems likely to arise on Election Day. The advisory committee will be co-chaired by former United States Senators John C. Danforth and Warren B. Rudman.
Republicans ALWAYS name their initiatives for the exact opposite of what the initiative is really for.  Which means that this is their STOP-the-vote initiative.  These will be the people who challenge voters, using foreclosure lists and any other means at their disposal.  Never forget that a former Chief Justice of the United States, William Rehnquist, made his bones in Arizona politics by keeping people from voting.

Time’s Karen Tumulty: Unlike reporters, bloggers don’t have to use proof (by Glenn Greenwald at Unclaimed Territory, Salon)
before issuing those kinds of sanctimonious lectures about the stringent “proof” obligations imposed on reporters but not bloggers — especially when writing in the context of illegal NSA programs — Tumulty might want to review her own colleague Joe Klein’s notoriously error-plagued, deeply ignorant, Pete-Hoekstra-ghost-written FISA “reporting” — false, evidence-free “reporting” which her top editors proudly refuse, to this day, to correct (does this ring a bell: “I have neither the time nor legal background to figure out who’s right”?). I recall her colleague Jay Carney scoffing at the importance of Josh Marshall’s work on the U.S. attorney scandal (and then, much to his credit, subsequently admitting his error), but I also remember her magazine’s top editor, Rick Stengel, going on national television and falsely claiming that neither he, Stengel, nor “voters” generally wanted to see Karl Rove subpoenaed in the U.S. attorneys investigation, even though polls conclusively proved that exactly the opposite was true, and Stengel — even after this flagrant error was repeatedly brought to his attention — refused (like Klein) to correct or even acknowledge his patently false, proof-free claims.

If, as Tumulty claims, bloggers are guilty of spouting as fact evidence-free assertions, then she ought to be able to identify some examples, particularly of mine with regard to the FISA issue, since she specifically cited me as someone who exploits this “luxury” that she and her upstanding, evidence-bound colleagues don’t enjoy — the “luxury” of making claims without proof. I’d love to hear some specifics to back up that accusation.