And on November 5th, The Real Struggle Begins

I know right now most of us are focused like a laser beam on the election, working the GOTV, canvassing, doing what we can to flip wavering republicans and family members into our column in order to bring profound change to this nation and elect Barack Obama as the 44th President with a significant democratic majority in Congress.

In all likelyhood - with a fairly stable 190 Electoral Vote Advantage according to electoral-vote.com, a 96.2% Win percentage via Nate Silver at 538.com, and absolutely no viable path to victory for McCain even if you give him each and every close toss-up state including both Florida AND Ohio via CNN 's Interactive Electoral Map - Barack Obama will be the next President.

They're even starting to openly cry at the Whitehouse., so you know things are looking good for our side.

I'm not dancing on the five yard line here, I'm just saying we need to start thinking about what happens when Democrats are finally on the hook for everything!

Before I get into the best case scenario, let's first look at worst - which of course would be that somehow, someway, McCain manages to pull an upset against all logical odds.

What the fuck would we do then?

Before packing our bags for Brazil and/or Fiji, I'm thinking we hit LAWSUIT City. Right now the only way for this scenario to play out is through ongoing voter suppression, caging, but most importantly massive election fraud and vote tally recalibration at the machine level, either in stand-alone voting machines or more likely - at the tabulators.

There's nothing can do after the fact for people who've been blocked from voting, but for votes that have been flipped - the party is only just starting on Nov 5th.

We may learn quite a bit about this tomorrow at the Deposition for Mike Connell, a virulent anti-abortion partisan who was instrumental in setting up the Ohio Tabulator systems which may very well have stolen the 2004 election from John Kerry.

Interview with Stephan Spoonamore, a cybersecurity export (and Republican) who has closely examined the activities of Connell and his rabid pro-life associates.


Statements from Spoonamore's Deposition in the ongoing Ohio Election Case.

In the case of Ohio 2004, the only purpose I can conceive for sending all county vote tabulations to a GOP managed Man-in-the-Middle site in Chattanooga BEFORE sending the results onward to the Sec. of State, would be to hack the vote at the MIM.

IN REGARD TO THE DIEBOLD SYSTEMS, Formerly Global, DESI and now called Premier.

In my opinion, there is NO POSSIBLE WAY to make a secure touch screen voting system. None. Secure systems are predicated on establishing securely the identity of every user of the system. Voting is predicated on being anonymous. It is impossible to have a system that does both.

It is possible to design relatively secure optical scan machines, but even these can be hacked in even the best of cases. In the case of optical scan you have the ability to recount manually the paper ballot itself, and the ability to spot check the machines for errors against a sample of hand recounting.

Do not kid yourselves, the vote can be hacked: the vote WILL. BE. HACKED!

On November 5th, we need to be ready for this. Ready for strange and curious election results which seemingly have no basis in reality or fact. This year, I believe these attacks are almost certain to come - and with McCain trailing so far in so many states the attempt will either completely fail because not enough states will be involved in the tabulation flip or it will succeed and be blaringly obvious to everyone!

We can't let the media talk us into some B.S. "Bradley Effect" mindfuck. "Oh yeah, it was all the closet racists who lost it for Obama..." Like HELL, sure America has racists and even good people who just aren't yet comfortable with the idea of a Black President - but not enough to flip 7 or 8 States! We're gonna need boots on the ground, voters, poll workers and observers in key polling districts (minority and heavily democratic in red/purple zones) with Election Protection on SPEED DIAL in states that McCain HAS TO WIN such as Missouri, Florida, Georgia, Colorado, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

1-886-OUR-VOTE.

Burn that number into the back of your eyelids people.

If you can get involved in Video The Vote, to help document the election process before, during and after.

In 2004, only Senator Barbara Boxer stood up and dared to challenge the election results. Her Number is 202-224-3553. Lock that into your Cell RIGHT NOW! Also make sure you have both your own Senators and Congresspersons number at the touch of finger.

We're going to need to lobby the FRAK out of Congress to challenge the results in the Senate, then have them subpeona Spoonamore and Connell to testify with expert opinions on what did or didn't happen on November 4th. If necessary Congress may have to fix this by rejecting the results. It could get very messy, but we have to stay the course.

Our way of life depends on it.

And we still have to prepared for all this to fail and for the eventuality of a (shiver) President John McCain and Vice President (gak) Sarah Palin. (You Betcha. Also) Madre de Dios!

If that horror does happen - we have to remember that we still have a Democratic Congress with very likely either 58 or 59 Democratic Senators. It's going to be rough road, but we've been on it for sometime so we know all the curves. We know the house will pass some great legislation only to have it buried by Senate Republicans - and Lieberman. We know that McCain will probably follow in many of Bush's footsteps with Iraq, deepen the chasm with Iran, continue to ignore bin Laden and al Qaeda, continue to play Daddy Warbucks with his corporate cronies as we slip-slide our way into a deeper depression, and fully open the spigot that is spewing American jobs into China, Taiwan and India like a Firehose. Still, McCain might actually get a couple things right if the Wild winds of Crazy Horse Maverick-ness happen to blow the right way. I'm not sure what those will be - No one is, NOT EVEN McCAIN - but we need to be ready to help make sure there more of those moments, rather than less.

It's gonna suck donkey balls, but we need to realize that this massive Amazing organization the Obama has built doesn't need to wither away. WE CAN STILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, but continuing to organize, by lobbying and petitioning Congress, targeting those few swing Republican Votes in the Senate to help break their blockade, to rally reluctant Democrats to stand firm and hold the line instead of wimping out - like usual...

And on the other hand if Obama Wins -

All the ABOVE STILL APPLIES.

We're still gonna have massive election fraud to deal with and cleanup. HAVA needs serious reform. Rove needs Jail, badly. The entire federal government is now filled with ideologues in permanent positions who will continue to press forward the Bushie agenda and undermine President Obama. There are thousands of ridiculous signing statements to undo. We've got to close Gitmo, repeal the Military Commission Act, get our troops safely out of Iraq while ensuring the ongoing stabiilty of that nation, finally get serious with Afghanistan and Pakistan, close off access to lose nukes, get our financial and economic house back in order, balance the budget, save Medicade and Medicare, permanently ban pre-existing conditions, get the FUCK OFF OF FOREIGN OIL and start building a 21st Green Collar industry, fight Climate Change, prosecute a big steaming pile of ex-Bushies for violating the Hatch Act, for War Crimes, Domestic/Political Espionage, Malfeasance and Negligence and general Shit-headerry.

We've got a lot of work to do - a whole heaping ton of heavy-lifting - win, lose or (shudder) draw - November 5th isn't the day we rest...

It's the day we finally GET TO WORK!

Vyan

Best. McCain. Rant. Ever!

And this comes from a former Conservative , now voting this year for Barack Obama - and it's not about Barack, it's about Bush, McCain and Palin.


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When I turned 18, I made my family proud and registered to vote as a Republican. I could not have fathomed the political rollercoaster that awaited me.


Four years ago on election night I jostled for position around the bar in the band room of our fraternity house, it was like watching a road game. Almost all of us voted for Bush, including me, except for one die hard kerry supporter we were sure to mock every time they called a state for our boy dubya. Poor guy. He was the only one not drinking and I'm pretty sure I called him a "fucking pansy" a few times. I've tried to forget the other mindless drivel that shitted itself out of my mouth about Kerry; thank you very much to the winning combination of poor critical thinking skills + televised propaganda.


Two years ago, long after the reality of our foreign policy predicament was depressingly clear, I voted a straight blue ticket. If it were an option, I would've voted a straight "not-red" ticket. I kept my registration checked "Republican," for ideological reasons, namely my advocacy for smaller government, which I still feel is best.


Less than a year ago, I voted for Ron Paul in the Republican primary.


Today, I voted for Barack Obama.


I'm writing this for a purely cathartic, personal reason; because I'm quite sure I'll explode if I don't vent somehow, in someway, about this almost virally infectious political season.


[Rant]

Am I the only one who is locked in some horrifying political Orwellian nightmare? But it isn't just a nightmare, it's a crazy, quantum "what the fuck" circus nightmare of a nightmare. The kind of things nightmares have nightmares about when they're not being nightmares.... I honestly have no idea where to begin, or where I am, for that matter. Let's just pick something at random. How about that horrendous three word noun that has been force-fed to my cerebral cortex.
Did somebody say "Joe the Plumber?"

Sweet Slidin' Jesus on a stripper pole what in the fuck is going on with Joe the Plumber? Truth be told I sent my mother a link to that video Before the debates. I had decided on my vote a few months prior and after seeing the video I sent it to my mom, I felt it showed my candidate practically applying the rhetoric of his campaign to a real world situation, and I wanted her to see it. Maybe she'll mention it to her friends, I thought. "Bulletproof." I felt vindicated about my presumption of his commitment and intelligence, and importantly to me he didn't come across as a politician....and I abhor politicians. Now I'm going to jump ahead here, past my shock at the unpredictable ascendancy of Joe the Plumber in the public eye, and for the sake of argument, just go along with me. Forget the fact that the conversation revealed a depth of understanding by Obama about the application of economic policy, forget that the hypothetical scenario being discussed very likely would end up better for "joe" under Obama's plan than McCain's, forget that Joe's name is Sam, forget that Joe was stretching the truth at the very best and being a schilling-douche at worst (Uncle Keating, was it?)...forget everything. Everything except for the fact that this political tool now has a PUBLICIST and is attempting a COUNTRY RECORD DEAL. This is the point that a casual political observer would glibly offer the cliche pronouncement that, "You can't write this stuff." Well that's just incorrect. YOU CAN ONLY WRITE THIS STUFF. The real question is What the Fuck is it doing in my reality? I mean seriously, how is this happening in the actual universe? The only answer is that we exist in a pocket of space time that is dictated by the whims of an author of political satire writing his brilliant masterpiece, "Thank God We Don't Live There: A Novel about Political Inanity." You think it can't get worse, and then.......

BAM! Sarah Palin!

Everyone together with me now....."What. The. Fuck." I have never been so insulted in my life. You know what made me turn on Bush? No WMDs in Iraq and suspending Habeus Corpus didn't help, sure.... But somewhere along the way, I became convinced that I could do a better job. I'm betting some of you know the feeling well. I wasn't even 21 when I first had that thought, but I was convinced I could be a better President than the man sitting in the oval office, and that realization was devastating. I was just starting to figure the world out and somehow I found myself demonstrably smarter than the man in charge of the free world? Put a different way, this fucking idiot has the launch codes? And just when I thought I couldn't lower the bar any lower for the highest office in the land for the country I'd die for, in comes a tv-anchor/beauty-pageant-winner/crytal-meth-capital-book-banning-mayor gliding in on her helicopter fresh off an aerial hunt for wolves, and all of the sudden George Bush looks like Norman Borlaug, and I'm trying to kill myself with a wooden spoon to the ear. Man walked with dinosaurs, no global warming, witchcraft! Take your pick. Apparently if you believe one crazy thing, the media will harp on it until you're extinct, yet if you believe a hundred crazy things, you somehow become immune to criticism. If, just last year, 365 days ago, you would have asked me to give a list of ideas that would categorically disqualify someone for the office of President of the United States, I swear to God "man walking with dinosaurs" is number 8. The next time you're near a time machine and want to make someone cry, go back to about a year ago and tell me my number 8 is wrong. Matter of fact, if you want to be nice about it, kick me in the balls for 5 hours and then tell me number 8 is wrong, at least then I'd have something to distract me from the pain.


I could go on, but I won't, I'll simply leave you with this. If only because the title of this diary likely leaves you wondering why I voted the way I did, so here goes...

I believe in small government. I believe that our constitution is the greatest achievement in the history of humanity, born our of the spurns of the Enlightenment, a monument to secular rule, civilized dissent, and individual liberty. Yet, when I entered the voting booth today, I didn't base my vote on policy, or ideology, or affiliation. I didn't vote in the hopes of a bigger government, or a more liberal social policy, or for the advancement of a political party. I didn't vote "for" a Democrat or "for" a Republican or "against" the greater of two evils. I didn't vote to change our policy in Iraq, or to get troops into or out of Afghanistan, or to give homosexuals the right to marry or to ban prayer in schools. I didn't vote for experience and I didn't vote for change. I voted for the one thing that has been categorically absent for as long as I can remember noticing: Reason. Anybody can latch on to policies and advance them blindly on faith alone, both sides of the aisle have demonstrated that for decades, but for the first time in my life I feel like I have a leader who would listen to an argument and actually change his position if he were wrong. Naive? Maybe. But what an inspiringly audacious Hope it is.


It may seem small, but after living in this circus for entirely too long, it's everything. Now go vote so we can take this fucking tent down.


[/Rant]

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Amen, brother Amen.


Orifinal Version Posted Here

A Vote For McCain

is vote in support and solidarity with THESE PEOPLE!



Now, everyone has a right to make their own choices, but since McCain and Co have made such a huge issue of who you are "associated with", it's only fair to ask - who is the real John McCain if these are the people he inspires.


"Bomb Obama"

"I don't wanna sound racist here, but I don't want a Black man running our counrty"

"He wasn't born in America"

"Communist"

"No Way, HUSSEIN!!"

"Child Killer!"

"If you associate with terrorists - You're a Terrorist!"

"NOBAMA"

People may have legitimate reasons to prefer McCain, he was incredibly valiant to refuse early release from a vietnamese prison unless all his fellow Americans were going to be released also - HE WAS A HERO - but if McCain he won't reject and repudiate these vicious lies, distortions, horrific and potentially violent hate speech against a fellow American - then he deserves to be tarred with the obvious implication.


Just remember, the future of our nation is at stake, can we really afford to validate what these people are spewing?

Vyan

Ashley Todd does not deserve our Forgiveness!

Although she may deserve our pity and certainly our empathy, the fact is that what she did was a Hate Crime and that's unforgiveable.

Look, people - certainly she may require medical attention, counseling and psychiatric care - but that's no excuse! The claim had clear shades of the kidnapping and murder of Emmet Till, a young boy who was lynched for daring to whistle at a white woman (although in actuality, he only whistled to help control his stutter).

This was an attempt at repeat the story of the Scottsboro Boys who were tried multiple times for a rape that never happened.

Lets we think we've come a long way since the 1930's and 1950's lets not forget the false claims of Susan Smith in 1994.

Yes, what we're dealing with here is indeed a disease, but Ashley Todd isn't the only one who has it.

Bare with me, I've got a lot to get off my chest on this one. This isn't just a "Racial" issue, or even a political one - it goes far deeper than that.

For those who may who so quickly forgotten:

In 1994, Smith led the country on a wild goose chase for nine days by blaming a fictitious black man for carjacking her Mazda with her sons still in the car. The practice of unjustly blaming blacks and imprisoning them with alarming racial disparity, is not fictitious. It is a real national tragedy being revealed in studies by human rights groups and government agencies.

The truth was the Smith had sank her own car in a lake, with her children still in it. And her first attempt at a plausible alibi was to make up a story about a "black man in a knit cap."

Flash forward to today and Ashley Todd.

It is commendable that the police were vigilant enough to discover the truth of her story within a day. (Clearly the fact the "B" carved into her face was backwards was a bit a of a give away...) But suppose they hadn't? Suppose they hadn't decided to put her through a lie detector? How long could this have gone on?

And how many times have we seen this story played out before?

How viciously savaged in the press was the black girl who accused several members of the Duke LaCrosse Team of assault in 2006?

How many times do we see deference given to the "sympathatic" character in these situations and how often are those persons - young, (relatively) pretty and white?

We all know the story of the Pretty Private Jessica Lynch who was dramatically rescued from her Iraqi captures. Except that the rescue never happened.

Lynch herself doesn't remember a single thing and all the nurses and doctors and eyewitnesses on the scene say the Iraqi fedayeen guards had fled the day before the "rescue," and there was no danger whatsoever, no resistance of any kind, the U.S. forces could just walk right in, and they knew it.

And the hospital doors were wide open, and the nurses and doctors had gone out of their way to provide decent care for our precious Jessica, considering the circumstances, and doctors even tried to return Lynch to U.S. forces themselves.

Here's another thing, Jessica wasn't alone - she was with her whole unit. Jessica got the cover of Time Magazine, what kind of press coverage did Shoshanna Jackson get?

This is about more than just Ashley Todd's lies. This is about a sickness that America has, not neccesarily against black people - but to give undue and unreasonable deference to people who simply don't deserve it, and to deny it to those that do.

Clearly Ashley was fired up by weeks of charges by the McCain Campaign that Barack Hussein Obama was some kind of "Terrorist Sympathiser". "We can't trust him." He's a "Socialist!" "Kill Him." "He's an Arab".

The Fear of a Barack Presidency has been ginned up and deliberately set ablaze by McCain to keep his fading election hopes alive.

There should be little surprise that it's begun to erupt among the least stable among us. But let's just take a second and really think about this entire "William Ayers the Terrorist" thing.

Ayers and the Weatherman were Vietnam Protestors. They didn't set of bombs to "Kill Americans", they were doing it to try and end a war which killed 53,000 Americans. The only person killed by a Weatherman bomb - was a member of the Weatherman in an accident.

Yes, they were using extreme methods and certainly criminal - but they didn't "Hate America." This was the same time period that the American Indian Movement repossesed Alcatraz by force. This was the time of the SLA and the Manson Family. This was after Kent State. This was during COINTELPRO, which not so coincidentally is why Ayers was never successfully prosecuted, the FBI and police broke the law and participated in criminal actions which destroyed the case. What Ayers did and didn't do should be looked at in context of the surrounding events, not in a vaccum. 40 years later Ayer's is a college profession, education activist and winner of Chicago's 1998 "Citizen of the Year" award. He has no good reason to still be fighting to end a war that ended long ago. He and Barack live in the same neighborhood and have apparently only met about 6 times.

This is your dreaded Ameri-Qaeda member? A 60 year-old ex-war protesting professor? Really?

Yet, the drum beat of fear has marched on even after the fact as the McCain Campain specifically steered the media toward the story.

The McCain campaign steered reporters’ attention to the story yesterday. John McCain even called the 20-year old woman. Sarah Palin called her family. Well, tonight that woman is charged with making a false report

It's probably fair to note that McCain and Co didn't know it was a hoax, but it also shows that they were quite willing to believe it could be true and take advantage of it!

Ashley was providing them with exactly the Mean Liberal Scum they been trying to frighten America with. But the sad part is that you can't completely blame McCain and Palin, as I said before this story has been told for a long, long time and the consequences have been devastating.

About half of all the people who are murdered each year in the United States are black. Yet since 1977, when a firing squad in Utah initiated the modern era of capital punishment, the overwhelming majority of people who have been executed -- 85 percent -- had killed a white person.

Only 11 percent had killed a black person.

Such a huge disparity seems to suggest that racial factors may be influencing how the death penalty is dispensed -- but in different ways than some people had suspected.

While death penalty opponents had long feared that the race of the killer would play a pronounced role in determining who would be executed and that blacks would be put to death far more frequently than whites, several studies suggest that the most significant distinction is the race of the victim.

If about half he people killed in the U.S. are black, and the other half white - while 85% of the attacker of the white person goes to DEATH ROW, just what's going on with all the black people that are killed year in and year out? Just whose really getting away with Murder around here?

Even worse, over the past decade or so 223 wrongfully convicted people have been exonerated by the Innocence Project using DNA evidence. False Witness Testimony, Miss Identification, Police and Prosecutorial misconduct, False Confessions, Forensic Fraud, Lying Informants and just plain bad Lawyers have put hundreds, thousands, and (even if these failures only represent a fraction of 1% of the total cases) there are more than likely tens of thousands of innocent people behind our bars.

Over and over again, the guilty go free while the innocent are punished.

The truth is that's the crime here isn't that Ashley cried "Black Man" in a crowded theater, it's the fact that she was so easily believed - particularly by the McCain Campaign - and immediately garnered national media attention when she never deserved it.

How many muggings usually get on the CBS News?

It's just like how the Jon Bonet Ramsey Story was blown completely out of all realistic proportion andh nearly ruined the life of her parents although they were innocent the entire time.

Just like Jessica Lynch (but not Shoshanna).

Just like the story of that poor girl who "disappeared" in Aruba.

Just like the Jennifer Wilbanks, the Runaway Bride, who original said she'd been kidnapped. Not so much.

Just like the Astonaut in the diaper.

Just like Anne Nicole Smith, who everyone knew was going to die from drugs - so of course we all just made some popcorn and watched her slow, sad decline, completely wrapt.

Just like the latest missing girl, Carrie Holmes, and her apparently murderous mother who spent a month driving around supposedly looking for her daughter while her body (it seems) rotted in the trunk.

It's like a fixation.

We can't seem to tear ourselves away from pouring all our sympathies into these liars and overhyped stories that quickly plug into our own most deep seated fear - that WE MIGHT BE NEXT - we can't stop ourselves from making excuses for them, identifying with them, for immediately trying to "Forgive" Ashley Todd... but she doesn't deserve our forgiveness.

She doesn't and they really don't. Not when it comes at the cost of our ignoring all the real victims of violence, hatred and intimidation.

How much coverage has the tires of Obama supporters being slash received?

How much of the stories of Obama supporters cars being vandalized been covered by the national media?

How much coverage has their been of the hacking of the Ohio Secretary of States Website?

How much coverage has their been of the Obama campaign supporter who really WAS assaulted and accused of being a member of the dreaded "Acorn".

Or the mysterious White Powder sent to the Philadelphai Obama offices?

Or the mutilation of Obama in Effigy?

No, I can't forgive Ashley - not when she's helping take attention away from what's really going on, from the real victims and the Real American Terrorists in our midst.

Vyan

Update: Different people seem to have different definitions of "Forgiveness" - for the purposes of this diary, I was taking it to mean that she shouldn't face any responsibility for her actions, that she should get a little treatment and pat on the head. My position is that that simply isn't good enough, it's sweeping under the rug the consequences of what she did. NO ONE should suffer from false accusations and our entire justice system is currently far from accurate and effective for exactly that reason, the rush to judgement and "closure" by "Getting the Bastard" has far too often trumped fact, truth and "justice".

I'm not advocating hate or vengence of any kind against her. I'm saying what she did is SERIOUS and needs to be understood in the context of history!

She should get treatment AND be prosecuted.

Dana Milbank is Looking for the Real America

Two hours before Barack Obama's appearance at a campaign rally here Wednesday, they played the national anthem -- and people stood and sang. Some even put hands on hearts! In the first row sat a woman -- we'll call her Margaret the Corporate Trainer, in Joe-the-Plumber style -- wearing an actual flag pin on her shirt. "I'm American!" she said proudly. Really.

Then Obama took the stage and gave a stirring speech about those soldiers who "fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America! They haven't served a Blue America! They have served the United States of America!"

The audience took up a chant of "USA! USA!"

And these are Democrats?

This scene did not fit neatly into the Sarah Palin view of the world. In that view, there is the "real America," the "hardworking, very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation," the place where "we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans." We can identify this part of America because they vote Republican.

By inference, there is also a faux America, where people are slothful, unpatriotic, anti-American, misanthropic, bad and cowardly. We know these areas because they vote Democratic.

By that definition, you can't get much more real-America than Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy and the political center of a state that hasn't voted for a Democrat for president in 44 years. And yet, a CNN poll released Wednesday found Obama leading Republican John McCain by 10 points in the Commonwealth.

In recent elections, Democrats were cowed by challenges to their patriotism. But the crowd in Richmond, confident of an Obama victory, brushed off the Palin insult with laughter, a survey of the first row in the arena revealed.

"I'm a terrorist," said Kathleen the Food Vendor.

"We're probably communists," added John the Other Food Vendor, sitting with Kathleen. "I've been hating America ever since I was a young man."

"I was a baby terrorist," offered Terrence the Unemployed Guy.
If anything, it is those who have lobbed the anti-America charge who are in retreat. Palin herself apologized -- sort of -- for "the way it has come across." In Minnesota, GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann found her previously safe seat in jeopardy after going on MSNBC's "Hardball" to question Obama's patriotism and to urge media outlets to find other "anti-America" members of Congress. And Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.) had to climb down from telling the crowd at a McCain rally that "liberals hate real Americans."

By contrast, the phony American folks at the Obama rally in Richmond -- those who got in before the arena reached capacity -- were in a celebratory mood. They danced, hands overhead, to Kanye West's "Touch the Sky," then to the party favorite "Celebrate," then, "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now."

"There are patriots who supported this war in Iraq; there are patriots who opposed it," he said. "There are patriots who believe in Democratic policies and those who believe in Republican policies. The men and women from Virginia and all across this country who serve on our battlefields, some are Democrats, some are Republicans, some are independents, but they have fought together and bled together, and some died together under the same proud flag."

In the heart of real America, the crowd gave Obama a cheer that did not seem at all phony.

Footage from Barack Obama in Virginia.

With the challenges and crises we face right now, we cannot afford to divide this country by race or class or region; by who we are or what policies we support. There are no real or fake parts of this country. We are not separated by the pro-America and anti-America parts of this nation - we all love this country, no matter where we live or where we come from.

Amen.

Conservatives for Change

Following in the footsteps of many Republicans who have rejected the vicious and erratic campaign of John McCain and Sarah Palin, including Gen Colin Powell, Christopher Hitchens, Christopher Buckley, Susan Eisenhower, Micheal Smerchonish, David Brooks, George Will, Peggy Noonan and so many many others a filmaker - who found members of his own family who had been lifelong devout Republicans were now choosing to vote for their ideals and values instead of their party - decided to document the phenomenon.

Al-Qaeda's Preferred Candidate - John Sydney McCain

(Note this has been diaried, but deserves repeating)

Al-Qeada has Endorsed John McCain for President of the United States

"Al-Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election," said a commentary posted Monday on the extremist Web site al-Hesbah, which is closely linked to the terrorist group. It said the Arizona Republican would continue the "failing march of his predecessor," President Bush.

...

"It will push the Americans deliberately to vote for McCain so that he takes revenge for them against al-Qaeda," said the posting, attributed to Muhammad Haafid, a longtime contributor to the password-protected site. "Al-Qaeda then will succeed in exhausting America."

That's right while the McCain campaign and RNC are sending out mailers accusing Barack Obama of supporting "Terrorists of who bombed the Capital, Pentagon and killed Americans" - the actual terrorists apparently (heart) John McCain, because he's committed to continuing to weaken America by spilling our blood and treasure on the sands of Iraq - a country that was no threat to us - rather than fight and catch, well, Real Terrorists.

McCain and Co have been having a completely nutty over ex-terrorist Williams Ayers. 40 Years ago he was a member of a group who used bombs to protest the Vietnam War. In 2001 - just a few weeks before 9/11 - he stated that he wished they'd bombed done more to stop the war.

But... let us point out that Ayers was never prosecuted or convicted of anything. His former group, the Weathermen did not "attack Americans", the bombs did not target people but things and the only American actually killed by them was one of their own members in an accident.

The 60's and early 70's were a very different time, there weren't just bombings, there were police riots at the Democratic Convention - there was the tragic shooting of students at Kent State by National Guard troops. The FBI and CIA conducted illegal surveillence and infiltration operations which resulted in the wrongful imprisoning of dozens of individuals including Geronimo Pratt and Leonard Peltier, not to mention others who were essentially executed in the streets by police.

But we aren't in the 60's anymore.

We aren't arguing over the Vietnam war. We haven't had riots in the streets, even though we have had the same type of illegal surveillance of innocent U.S. citizens. (The NSA passing out the tapes of our troops having phone-sex, as well as spying on journalists and peace workers)

The National Security Agency routinely listened in on the intimate and innocent phone calls of Americans in Iraq, including government personnel, journalists and aid workers, as they called back into the United States, according to two former NSA operators who spoke to ABC News.

The accusations that the NSA routinely listened in on Americans' phone calls contradicts the Administration's repeated claims that its secret spying did not listen to any Americans other than suspected terrorists.

We have had the sanctioning of kidnapping and torture as part of official U.S. policy, simply by making up a new word "enhanced interrogation".

In dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House, the most senior Bush administration officials discussed and approved specific details of how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, sources tell ABC News.

Highly placed sources said a handful of top advisers signed off on how the CIA would interrogate top al Qaeda suspects -- whether they would be slapped, pushed, deprived of sleep or subjected to simulated drowning, called waterboarding.

None of this "We didn't know" - "it was just a few random incidents" crap. All of it, abu Ghraib, Water-boarding in Gitmo, Secret Prison were authorized and approved from the very top, despite the fact that it violated both international and U.S. Law!

We've completely destroyed our own moral authority and standing in the world.

We should be ashamed. American should be, and can be better.

Al-Qaeda knows this, and they know that this makes their job far easier. They want John McCain because he will continue on the exact same path of George W. Bush.

"The idea in the jihadist forums is that McCain would be a faithful 'son of Bush' -- someone they see as a jingoist and a war hawk," Raisman said. "They think that, to succeed in a war of attrition, they need a leader in Washington like McCain."

Forget William Ayers. Forget trying to re-fight the Vietnam War. It's time we started to start seriously fighting this war. We need to end the tragic distraction of Iraq and finally start getting the job done. We need recapture our moral authority. We need to retire al-Qaeda to the trash heap of history.

John McCain is not going to do it. Al-Qeada knows it. We know it.

Time to turn the page on all of Bush's failures, including McCain.

Vyan

The Tragic Rise of the (Un)Real Americans

Everyday we see another sign of the worsening and coarsening of American political discourse during this election.

Palin's - "Real" America is only in the small towns, not anywhere else.

Bachmann - and her media "investigation of Anti-Americanism" in the U.S. Congress.

Pfotenhauer - "Real Virginia supports McCain".

Giuliani - "God forbid that someone report on Obama's drug use"

Limbaugh - "Powell's endorsement was entirely about race"

In ever increasingly desperate moves the GOP has gone far past the pale, but is this really a new viciousness or has this bile been just below the surface for a very long time, and more importantly when they lose horribly in November - where will all that hate go?

Oh yes, there will be blood.

Even going beyond what we've heard directly from the McCain campaign and the GOP mainstream there have been other telling comments revealing the true feelings of the GOP by those such as Republican Rep. Robin Hayes of North Carolina.

He [McHenry] yielded the microphone to Representative Robin Hayes, who prefaced his comments by saying it was important to “make sure we don’t say something stupid, make sure we don’t say something we don’t mean.” Republicans, he reminded the crowd, were kind people. Plus, he added, the liberal media had shown itself eager to distort such remarks. With the crowd duly chastened and put on best behavior, he accused Obama of “inciting class warfare” and said that “liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God.”

Yet again, "those Godless, Anti-American Liberal SCUM simply Hate you Real Americans" -- therefore you're perfectly justified in hating them back. You're perfectly justified in doing what ever it takes to protect the "Real America" from them.

Don't you know they want to steal away the vote with ACORN, destroy democracy, turn American into some Socialist/Communist/Muslim Stronghold. Take away your hard earned money and give it to the lazy?

It's proven. (It's not like we should bother with a trial or anything...)

Can't you read the signs? Just look at this article from National Review Online about how Obama gave those ACORN scum $800,000 to steal the election.

When not scorching the earth to destroy ordinary citizens who have the temerity to ask the messiah blunt questions, or threatening political opponents with prosecution for campaigning against him, or promising war crimes investigations against the opposition party if Americans are daft enough to put his toadies in charge of the Justice Department, Obama comrades can be found editing the amendments to the last modification of their most recently restated campaign-finance reporting errors.

One day the candidate is taking money hand over fist from fictitious supporters like “Good Will” and “Doodad Pro.” The next day, he is illegally raising funds from foreigners (perhaps more than a staggering $63 million), including from Palestinians — who figure a candidate who pours tens of thousands of dollars into the coffers of a terror-supporting former PLO spokesman like Rashid Khalidi is a safe bet to make a prophet out of Jesse Jackson. On still other days, Obama finds himself having to explain his campaign’s misrepresentation of the $800,000 payday it gave his old pals at ACORN.

ACORN, the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now, is essentially a Marxist shakedown outfit. One of its main rackets is election fraud — but it can also be very helpful if you happen to be a Leftist activist who finds himself needing, say, to foment a riot, vandalize public property, shut down legislative hearings or opposition conferences, harass the families of elected officials, extort leave-us-alone pay-offs from banks, promote illegal immigration, or the like.

This article even goes on to argue that Special Prosecutor Nora Dennehy, whom the Obama campaign has ask to look into bogus allegations of voter fraud- isn't really a Special Prosecutor.

Except that - she is.

Think the language used by NRO is isolated? Think again.

"The Only difference between Obama and Osama is the "B.S".

"Kill the Babies!"

"We need a Muslim President"

"Communism!!!".

But this is just the "lunatic fringe" right?

Not so much.

Here on the lefty and egghead coasts we may argue that William Ayers is someone Obama hardly even knows, that he isn't a Muslim or a Terrorist, that Fraud was actually committed against ACORN - that the organization has been repeatedly investigated and found to be innocent of any direct attempts to influence an election (which is what election fraud is), and that several U.S. Attorneys were actually fired by the Bush Administration for refusing to persue unfounded allegations against ACORN in 2004 and 2006. Particularly form U.S. Attorney David Iglesias who finds the new ACORN allegations "astounding".

"I'm astounded that this issue is being trotted out again," Iglesias told TPMmuckraker. "Based on what I saw in 2004 and 2006, it's a scare tactic." In 2006, Iglesias was fired as U.S. attorney thanks partly to his reluctance to pursue voter-fraud cases as aggressively as DOJ wanted -- one of several U.S. attorneys fired for inappropriate political reasons, according to a recently released report by DOJ's Office of the Inspector General.

Iglesias, who has been the most outspoken of the fired U.S. attorneys, went on to say that the FBI's investigation seemed designed to inappropriately create a "boogeyman" out of voter fraud.

But it's been an effective "Boogeyman" none the less.

These so-called "Real" American are scared that their losing their America to the Commmie-Pinko-Liberals. They're scared, and they're pissed and they're not gonna take it anymore.

It's already gone beyond mere "fighting words".

We've had the Vandalism:


Attacks on Government Officials such as the Ohio Secretary of State's Website for fighting GOP voter suppression tactics.

Animal Mutilatons of Obama in Effigy.

Death Threats over Obama Yard Signs.

Physical Assaults against Obama Campaign Workers.

White Powder mailed to Obama's Philadelphia Offices.

Tennessee Gunman attacks Liberal Church

This is not a question of "when" things will turn violent - they already have turned violent. We have to fully accept and realize what this - all of it - really is.

These aren't just isolated incidents between individuals, like all Hate Crimes these are attempts to intimidate those who disagree into submission.

This IS Terrorism: which is the use of violence to accomplish a political goal.

We shouldn't be surprised by these attacks, not after the Clinton Chronicles argued that then Governor Clinton was a rapist and drug dealer, not after Swiftboating of John Kerry and Max Cleland arguing that two decorated veterans were traitors and cowards.

But we also shouldn't be surprised that things will not calm down after these people lose the election, assuming they don't steal it with voter suppression tactics.

It was during Clinton's Presidency that we had incident after incident with radical right-wing anti-government types - from the fiery inferno of Waco, to the bombings of the Murrah Federal Building by Tim McVeigh and the bombings of the Atlanta Olympics by Eric Rudolph.

Mark my words, the violence we've already seen WILL Escalate.

We had worried that the Democratic Party would have a difficult time pulling itself back together after the toughness of the campaign between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But we truly need to worry, and seriously commit ourselves to picking up the pieces after the lunatic fringe of the GOP has a complete NUTTY after "Barack Hussein Obama Jr." is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

John Lewis was absolutely correct. The incendiary rhetoric of George Wallace has returned in John McCain's skin. Sherrif Bull Connor with his water-hoses and dogs is back, in the form of a skinhead Florida Sherrif who thinks "We'll leave Barack Hussein Obama wondering what happened on November 4th"

We need to be ready.

We need to be prepared for all hell to break lose when we finally defeat these vicious (Un)Real Americans - and win. We need to be prepared to help stitch this country back together once the GOP neo-Terrorist suffer yet another defeat, the loss of public tolerance for their crazy and violent ideas once people finally see exactly where their cowardice and hate mongering are leading us.

It may take yet another bombing like those of McVeigh or Rudolph, it may take something else like yet another Ruby Ridge of Waco - but eventually it will happen, something ugly and violent and full of "a muslim terrorist has taken over our governmment" rantings the will be easily traced back to the hate-filled GOP as we know it today, which as a result, will be utterly and completely destroyed. Reduced to ashes by the flames of their own bullshit.

That will be an awful day. A terrible day. I for one, do not welcome it or look forward to it. But that day is coming, and we have to be ready for it - and ready for the new dawn that will follow.

The dawn of a New - Finally Unified - America.

Vyan

Muslims for McCain!!!?

Yes, it's true - and frankly about time that someone stood up against the hate, lies and smears. In this case a set of McCain supporters who happen to be Muslim's all stood against an anti-Obama Hate Monger.



This video stands in contrast to this one which claims that Obama isn't even an American Citizen, and that he's a fraud who has hidden his birth certificate.

Obama is a fraud


Problem is that Obama's Birth Certificate his RIGHT HERE.
http://fightthesmears.com/articles/5/birthcertificate



It takes two seconds to find it.

He was born in Hawaii, which is part of the United States. The seal is perfectly visible. His mother was a U.S. Citizen, just like John McCain's parents were. John is also a citizen even though he was born in PANAMA. Barack never renounced his citizenship, regardless of where he lived when he was a child.

If you want to vote for McCain - do it, enjoy it. But do it based on the facts not made up bullshit!!

Powell endorses Obama, Buchanan Loses it

McCain/Palin throwing Joe the Plumber under the Straight Talk Express?

Via Thinkprogress.

Last night, Sarah Palin said she didn’t want to talk about Wurzelbacher. “I begged our speechwriters, ‘Don’t make me say Joe the Plumber, please, in any speeches,” she said. After failing to properly vet Wurzelbacher’s situation, the McCain campaign is apparently now throwing him overboard and moving on.

Ouch, that's gotta hurt.


And why the sudden U-Turn from the Straight Joe-All Joe-Nothin' But the Joe Express?

Could it be this CBS Report?

So today, Joe, who said he makes much less than $250,000, reluctantly admitted Obama would lower his taxes.

“I would, if you believe him, I would be receiving his tax cuts,” Wurzelbacher said.

Oops.

Like far too many Republicans, it seems that Joe has a habit of lying about as much as the rest of us breathe.

The facts - as even the reluctant to bother actually doing reporting Corporate Media have revealed - are that: Joe The Plumber only makes $40,000 a year, doesn't have a valid plumbers license in the state of Ohio, has only been a "plumber" for 6 years - not 15, has never finished his plumber courses, has never apprenticed as a plumber, can't afford to buy his bosses business - which only generates $100,000 a year in income Profit, not $250,000 - is a registered republican who owes over a $1,000 in back taxes, and under any version of Obama's plan would get a tax cut that would be larger than McCain's.

His (first) Name isn't even Joe - It's SAM!

Speaking directly to Barack Obama, SAM said:

``Do you believe in the American dream?'' Wurzelbacher asked Obama, citing the Democrat's proposed tax rate increase for Americans earning more than $250,000. ``I'm being taxed more and more for fulfilling the American dream.''

Even if Sammy Joe's claim of nearly "fulfilling the American dream" had been true, instead of a ridiculous wingnut bag of lies...

Bloomberg reports that “one other problem in making Wurzelbacher a symbol of the overtaxed” is that — even if he did earn an adjusted gross income of $280,000 — “he would pay just $773 more in taxes under Obama’s plan than McCain’s.” That amount would hardly deal a crippling blow to his potential small business.

Oh ouch. What a burden to bear.

Can't you just feel the crushing chains of the evil Socialism clinking into place?

As someone far more eloquent than me recently said - why would anyone want to be such a douche nozzle?

(H/t to the other Sarahcuda - Silverman)

Oh wait, we are talking about a Republican here aren't we?. My bad. We all should know well by now to expect exactly this kind of douche Enema-baggery (changed to be more Gender Neutral).

If this was the guy who was supposed to throw the sinking McCain Campaign a life-preserver, I think we've all just discovered that it was really an anchor...

Update: So has the dreaded Sarahcuda shaken loose of her handlers and speechwriters enough to actually let go of Joe/Sam the Human Anvil? Er, Not so much. According to various comments she's on the outer tubes of vision right now spouting the party-line of how they're gonna storm the gates of Washington, climb the parapet and get all Mavericky for Joe The (Unlicensed), Not-so-Rich, Non-tax-paying, NOT Plumber, and stop the EVIL ACORN too. You betcha! Also.

blub...blub...blub....

Brings a whole new definition to "Anchor-man".

Update 2: McCain, who only mentioned his name 21 times is now blaming Obama for "Joe the Plumber" - Amazing. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/17/1562227.aspx

John McCain says that, if Joe the Plumber isn’t crazy about the tough questions coming from reporters hanging out on his lawn, he has Barack Obama to blame.

“He didn't ask for Senator Obama to come to his house. He wasn't recruited or prompted by our campaign,” McCain said of the political cycle’s newest celebrity, who questioned Obama on taxes during a neighborhood canvas earlier this week. “He just asked a question. And Americans ought to be able to ask Senator Obama tough questions without being smeared and targeted with political attacks."

He's not being "smeared" for asking of tough question, it was a simple question with a simple answer which Obama more than happily gave him. He's being attacked for being a Liar!

Vyan

Olbermann Hits It out of the Park on McHate!

I know Keith has his own diary up, but he rarely includes the video and this simply has to be seen and heard to be fully appreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hrJ5hKtcx8



It has to be repeated that this is no laughing matter, pathetic and laughable though the mCcain campaing response - accusing John Lewis of "the most outrageous thing in politics" for clearly pointing out the FIREY DANGER that their campaign in playing with in such a cavelier manner.

"TERRORIST"

"KILL HIM"

"STRING HIM UP"

"He's an Arab!"

Yet the McCain campaign attempts to play dumb when these are the answers are shouted by - by HIS Supporters - when he and Governor Palin ask the thinly veiled rhetorical question "Who is Barack Obama Really?"

Correct Answer: The Next President of the United States.

In this country we are guaranteed the freedom of speech, the freedom to express our ideas and voice our opinions - except - when those opinion are direct invocations for violence and an incitement to cause harm to others.

Despite his weak claims last friday the Barack Obama isn't a "Muslim" and in instead a "decent family man" - John McCain and Sarah Palin have grossly abused their freedom by implying that Obama is dangerous to the nation.

Covering your ears and claiming "I didn't Hear it" - and I didn't Tell them to say it is simply not good enough. The McCain campaign should hang it's head in shame simply because they haven't taken a unequivocal stand against this hate speech. Hiding behind innuendo and vague suggestion is a poor substitute for taking responsible action.

It's not like we have to wait for this type of thing to have consequences, it already has had real physical consequences.

Although the natural inclination is the fear for the potential safety of Barack Obama himself, the reality is that the very real danger exists agsinst those who openly support him, particularly in the deepest darkest red states.

Over the past few days we've numerous recommended DKOS diaries which have described a litany of personal threats and even violence against Obama supporters.

For example:

"If Anyone in this House Votes for Obama, I'll Shoot Them"

And various adventures at Walmart.

Soooo... Tonight I needed to go to Wal-Mart. I try to avoid it as much as I can because I prefer to give my money to the local businesses in town, but I had to go tonight. I try to wear one of my Obama Tshirts whenever possible because I am just really proud of my candidate. Tonight it was my HOPE MONGER tee ;o) It's funny the looks you get from people when you're in the minority.. Sometimes people look at my shirt and then at my face like I'm crazy.. Some smile, some say "Love that shirt!" And tonight... a woman actually confronted me about it.

I was behind her in line thru the self check out... and she looked at me and in a tone dripping with disdain, said, "Can I just ask you 'Why'"? (I knew immediately what she meant), but I asked her, "Why what?" She made a motion with her hand over her own chest, indicating my shirt... She said "Why? Why all that?" My first reaction was really incredulousness, and I said back, smiling, "Why NOT?!" I asked her what our other choices were. And she said.. "Well, not SOCIALISM!"

Or accidentally attending a McCain/Palin Meetup.

As soon as the last member of their group came in, they prayed. In their prayer they begged that God "deliver the country from the evil socialists" and even prayed that "Obama find God".

They talked a little more about how Obama would destroy our country with "free health care" and "gay marriages". The feared his daughters would probably play loud rap music in the White House while world leaders were staying. They feared that Muslim would become our official religion. One of them even feared that "the Muslim language would be taught in schools." Priceless.

And again at Walmart - They Attacked My Daughter.

She wasn’t in the door 2 minutes before she was attacked. And I mean attacked. They pounded her on her old man’s intelligence, how could a small businessman be a Democrat? How could a small businessman support these proposed corporate tax increases? How could a small businessman support Obama’s new health plan? How could a small businessman support the tax increases on the rich (over 250K)? On and On...

I strongly suspect these are not and will not be anecdotal incidents. As they themselves have stated - The Wingnuts are Enraged!

And they will be taking their rage out on the rest of us, who dared to dream and dared to hope that American can and will be better than it is today.

Therefore - we must be ready for them. Just as John Lewis, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the freedom riders were ready for the hatred, vitriol and violence that was directed at them. We need to be brave, to stand tall, to realize that we are right - and they are wrong.

We do not need to respond to their violence in kind, we do not need to let them make us into them - but we do need to stand, and to stand up for what is right, and what is true.

God Bless America.

Vyan

So what if he WERE an Arab?

Yesterday, CNN's Campbell Brown stated what should be so exceedingly obvious to any with a conscious mind - "So what if Barack Obama were Arab?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvxkNTdDHPY



First off, the point here is that he's not an Arab, he's an American. He's not a Muslim, he's a Christian. Being Muslim - and i happen to have just discussed this issue with a immigrant from Iran who also happens to be a U.S. Army Veteran - isn't an issue of "bloodlines". It's a matter of choice. It's a matter of BELIEF.

The truth is that Muslims worship the same God that both Christians and Jews do. They rever the teachings of Abraham, Moses, Jesus - AND - Mohammad. It's a continuation not a competition. The thing here is that Barack isn't Muslim, yet even in his defense of that simple truth John McCain insinuates that Muslim's aren't "Decent, Family People".

That's despicable.

There are criminals in the U.S. Some of them claim to be Christians. Some of them, in the name of Christ, have committed murders and have committed BOMBINGS. Particularly people like Eric Rudolph who bombed the 1996 Allanta Olympics, Gay Nightclubs and Abortion Clinics because "HIS GOD" told him too. Or people like Timothy McVeigh who bombed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, becaue he wanted to start a Holy War with the "Zionist taking over our country". Christians can be criminals too, and they have NO RIGHT to point fingers at anyone else based purely on their "bloodline" (which is RACISM) or their religion.

And just for the record, Williams Ayers - who may have supported the idea of bombing the Pentagon to end the Vietnam War - was never convicted of anything. He's even received Chicago's "Citizen of the Year" award in 1998 for his work with schools and school choice, an issue in which he happens to largely *AGREE* with John McCain on. Even the prosecutor in the Weatherman case says linking Obama to things that happened when he was 8 years old, and Ayers himself has clearly risen far beyond and above, is ridiculous.

Judge people on what they do, not what they are.


Vyan

Welcome to America-The-Stupid.. and Scary

This video was shot at McCain/Palin rally in Ohio.

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=KjxzmaXAg9E

So is Obama some kind of terrorist - (even though William Ayers was never convicted of ANYTHING 45 years ago when Barack was 8 years-old, and is now a respected member of Chicago society and even a friend of the Mayor) - or are more than a few of these people suffering from a sad, tragic, bigotted delusion drivin into a fedding frenzy by a barrage of lies, distortions and cheap innuendo from the McCain/Palin Campaign?

"Who is Barrack Obama Really?"

Well, he's already written two best selling books describing himself, why do you try reading some of them?

In recent events supporters have shouted "Terrorist" and "Kill Him" response to McCain and Palin's attacks on Obama and Ayers.
It's gotten so bad that the Secret Service is Investigating!

It's perfectly reasonable to disagree with Obama or McCain over policy issues.
It's perfectly reasonable not to like or trust either of them, but this?

If Obama is a bad guy because he didn't call Ayers to the carpet for his actions in the mid-60, what does it say about McCain when HIS CURRENT SUPPORTERS behave like this and HE SAYS NOTHING?!

Is this what McCain calls "Country First" - more like "Lunatics First".

Vyan

McCaskill Calls Palin the Earmark Queen of Alaska

On This Week with Stephanopolous, in response to Carla Fiorina's repetition of the blatant lie that Sarah Palin "never requested an Earmark a Governor of Alaska" - Clair McCaskill set her right: Palin is the Earmark Queen.

FIORINA: Sarah Palin as governor stood up and said, I know earmarks are corrupting. We must ask for less of them–

STEPHANOPOLOUS: But she still requested them.

FIORINA: As governor she did not. [...]

MCCASKILL: Sarah Palin has been an earmark queen in Alaska. That’s the facts.

It's nice to see the Ref's finally sarting to call the fouls, but amazingly - Fiorina was undaunted in her unending stream of lies.

The facts are that although Sarah Palin's Administration did cut some spending over her two years in office she has requested over $750 Million which was the largest per-capita earmark spending in the nation - BY FAR.

This isn't just a little white lie, that both McCain and Fiorina have been repeating. It's a Whopper!!



I know there are many that argue that we have been spending too much time on Palin, but she has been employed by the neo-cons to stand in contrast to Obama - and it's important that we point out that the comparison is completely bogus.

In her defense of Palin, Fiorina made several false claims about Obama.

Fiorina: The facts are that Sarah Palin Rejected the money for the Bridge to Nowhere [V. No, She didn't!] The facts are that Barack Obama, in his short tenure, has made more request for Earmarks, than Sarah Palin ever has.[V. Almost, but he didn't actually receive anywhere near that much] We need to ask Barack Obama if he's ever stood up against his party, has ever took [sic] a tough position...

Sometimes it's truly amazing how these people seem to buy into their own blather - but it's with this last mockingly posed question that Fiorina truly steps into the poop.

Let's just ignore the fact that Barack Obama stood up against the Iraq War - which was supported by most democrats - in the first place, and that he certainly went against the left of his party with his FISA vote, the real answer to this question is the fact that as a Rookie U.S. Senator Barack Obama took on both Harry Reid and Dick Durbin on the issue of EARMARK REFORM.

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) offered an amendment today that mirrored the tougher legislation passed by House Democrats.

According to Craig Holman of Public Citizen, Reid's version, if it had been applied to earmarks as part of legislation passed last year, would have disclosed the sponsor of only approximately 500 earmarks. DeMint's amendment would have forced sponsors to be known of roughly 12,000.

But Democrats sought to block DeMint's amendment, with an effort led by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). They failed, due mostly to nine Democrats, including Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and freshmen Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Jim Webb (D-VA), who crossed the aisle to vote with the Republicans, along with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT). Here's the roll call tally.

The Roll Call does not Lie, although apparently McCain, Palin, Fiorina and Leiberman do.

Obama taking the tough stand on that vote - going against his party - is very likely responsible for our even being able to track and identify all the earmarks that Sarah Palin has not just requested, but actually received including the money for the bridge to nowhere that Alaska KEPT!

The media has already realized they're being bullshitted, eventually the public will realize it too. You can't keep pissing on my shoes and calling it rain forever...

Vyan

Here's more on Palin's Eamark career from CNN.

22 Obama Smears: Debunked

I don't often interact with the Wingnut-o-sphere these days, it's bad for my state-of-mind, and sanity. But after posting the following video and a few supportive links I received a set of complaining messages from a fellow Myspace Musician.



I also provided a set of links for various MSM articles documenting John McCain repeated LIES, and he responded that the media is Liberal and Biased and so on. Then he tried to send me a more "balanced" set of views.

He said...

You can find things on any candidate.

Yes, but that doesn't make it true!

Obama issues:

1. Sen. Obama gives flowery speeches on change and hope. But he's part of one of the most corrupt political machines of all time. And instead of fighting and trying to reform the corrupt Chicago Cook County political machine, he used it to rise to power. When reformers tried to fight it, Mr. Obama refused to help them and actually was instrumental in defeating the reform movement. He preaches a new kind of politics but supports and uses one of the worst political machines in the U.S.

Yes, Chicago can be a rough and tumble political atmosphere - but that doesn't mean Obama himself is corrupt, what evidence is there of his being corruptly influenced? Where are the specifics on Obama's helping "defeat the Reform movement"?

2. He led the battle in the Illinois legislature to assure that born-alive infants would not be treated as persons and would not be entitled to medical care. Instead, if Sen. Obama had his way, such babies born alive after a botched abortion would be left to die, thus legalizing what appears to be infanticide and murder.

This is inaccurate, Obama voted against this measure because it was redundant - and was already covered by existing state and federal law, he did not "lead the battle against the born-alive" movement, this was a bogus issue brought forward by right-to-lifers, just as the Terri Schiavo issue was exploited by them for their own ends.

3. When he first responded to Russia's invasion of Georgia, he said that aggression was wrong, but the U.S. would be in a better position if we set a good example. Thus he made it clear he was drawing a moral equivalence between Russia's aggression and the U.S.'s liberation of Iraq, which had violated 17 United Nations resolutions. This reaction alone, suggests not merely bad judgment but apparently no judgment at all. Then after giving it more thought, his second response was turning the matter over to the United Nations. That of course was a stupid idea as Russia has a veto in the Security Council.

That is inaccurate as well. What he said was this...

"For many months, I have warned that there needs to be active international engagement to peacefully address the disputes over South Ossetia and Abkhazia, including a high-level and neutral international mediator, and a genuine international peacekeeping force - not simply Russian troops.

No matter how this conflict started, Russia has escalated it well beyond the dispute over South Ossetia and invaded another country. Russia has escalated its military campaign through strategic bombing and the movement of its ground forces into the heart of Georgia. There is no possible justification for these attacks.

The United States, Europe and all other concerned countries must stand united in condemning this aggression, and seeking a peaceful resolution to this crisis. We should continue to push for a United Nations Security Council Resolution calling for an immediate end to the violence. This is a clear violation of the sovereignty and internationally recognized borders of Georgia - the UN must stand up for the sovereignty of its members, and peace in the world."

With Video from CNN

4. He sat in the pews of the Trinity Church in Chicago, listening to a notorious racist, bigot and anti-American, Rev. Jeremiah "God Damn America" Wright, without a peep of protest. He did not leave the church until Rev. Wright said Obama is just another politician who says what he has to say. And that move was dictated by political considerations, not any moral outrage.

Barack was never in the pews on the specific dates when the most outrages statements such as "God Damn America" were made and even Reverend Wright has said so. That kind of stuff wasn't the only thing Wright preached, he was the original author of the "Audacity of Hope" sermon. William Kristol, who I mentioned before, once claimed Obama had been in the pews in the New York Times and had to RETRACT THE CLAIM, because he was just plain wrong.

5. He started his political career in a fund-raiser in the home of William Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist and anti-American. He still hasn't denounced him but says Mr. Ayers is now a member of the Chicago Democratic mainstream. He still maintains a friendly relationship with him, has served on a board with him, and has participated in speaking panels with him.

He likes Ayers, so does Mayor Dayley of Chicago. The man's never been convicted OF ANYTHING and has been helping on education issues in the Chicago community. This is guilt by assocation only, and out-of-date association at that. Obama's never been shown to support what Ayers said 40 years ago when he was 8 years-old - in fact he *HAS DENOUNCED* Ayers actions and words from back then.

6. He refused to wear a flag on his lapel, claiming he viewed it as a symbol of false patriotism employed after 9/11. He started wearing the flag only when he was embarrassed into doing so under political pressure. At that time he suddenly started ending his speeches with the words "God Bless America."

He wears a flag-pin when he feels like it, and doesn't when he doesn't. I agree with him about the pin being exploited as a symbol, real patriotism is about what you *DO* for your country, not what kind of china-made jewel you wear. It should be about Actions not Symbols.

7. He got an earmark appropriation from Congress for his wife's employer, the University of Chicago Medical Center. When questioned on the appearance of conflict of interest, he said there was nothing improper about that but he should have gone to his fellow Illinois Sen. Dick Durban, to put the appropriation through. In other words, if there is an appearance of conflict of interest, you should hide it somehow instead of avoiding what creates such appearance. This is a pattern: saying one thing and doing the opposite. When he started to run for the presidency, he stopped putting in earmarks. As is his usual pattern, he started doing the right thing for election purposes only. So judge him by his record, not moves that are merely campaign calculation.

This is true, he did stop putting earmarks when he started running for President and prior to that he did request an Earmark for the University of Chicago - none of which Obama has ever denied. I think this is nothing compared to Palin who claims to have not requested ANY Earmarks for Alaska, when in fact, she has the largest per-capita Earmark requests of any state in the nation - including studying the DNA of baby seals - something which the McCain compain swears it would never do. Really? Never? Hmm...

Is this a sign of Obama's pattern of misleading on Earmarks or McCain's?

8. He favors increasing the capital gains tax, even though he admitted it will not raise tax revenue, but cut it instead. He justifies such an irrational move, out of what he calls a sense of fairness. That would mean less tax revenue, higher deficits and less incentive for saving, investment, capital formation, economic growth, and creation.

This is incorrect, he wants to cut the capital gains tax for small business to zero. For larger businesses making more then 250,000 he has talked about returning it back to the rates we had under Bill Clinton (20%) from where it is now (15%). Considering how Bush's changes took us from a surplus to a massive deficit, and how well the economy did under Bill Clinton's fiscal policies - I think that's just fine.

9. He called for negotiations without preconditions with the Ahmadinejad of Iran, Chavez of Venezuela, and Castro of Cuba. Even Senator Obama recognized the folly of this idea, so he backed off of it after an explosion of criticism. He thinks sweet talk solves all problems, and when a problem calls for something beyond sweet talk, he 's stumped. He speaks loudly and often, but carries a toothpick-size stick which he is afraid to use. Another example of Mr. Obama's naiveté was his comment that Iran is a small country not to be feared.

No, actually he didn't back off. He always said there would need to be preliminary work done and ground rules established before any such direct meeting - but that we *SHOULD* be working toward that goal of negotiating. Kennedy Talked to Kruschev, Nixon talked to Red China and Reagan talked to Russia. Oh by the way, while Bush was bashing Obama for being an "appeaser" for considering talking to Iran, his state department was TALKING WITH IRAN.

George H.W. Bush's former Secretary of State James Baker said on FOX NEWS: "You don’t just talk to your friends, you talk to your enemies as well. Diplomacy involves talking to your enemies."



George W. Bush's Secretary of State Colin Powell has also echoed James Baker's statements, meanwhile Condi Rice has just recently had talks with Khadaffi.


Not talking isn't diplomacy, it's assholishness.

10. He called for withdrawal from Iraq, in effect, calling for retreat and defeat, which would have turned over the Middle East and much of the world's oil supplies to terrorists and their supporters in Iran.

That's just plain ridiculous. Al Qaeda in Iraq has already been defeated ala a report from the Washington Post Last October. (So much for not having any good news)


And that was mostly BY THE SUNNI IRAQIS THEMSELVES - something that would have happened much sooner if we hadn't been in the way causing a distraction.

As I said before this was documented by the 2007 NIE which stated the the primary cause for the drop in violence in Iraq wasn't the surge, it was the likelyhood of our impending withdrawal.


The Bush/McCain policy of extending the occupation has only delayed success, not accelerated it and now the Iraq government is openly calling for the same time-tables that Obama has been on about, *EVEN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HAS STARTED TO AGREE TO A "TIME HORIZON" for withdrawals. Once again, Obama was right and McCain was wrong.

11. He associated with and made a land deal with convicted felon, Tony Rezko, even knowing he was under serious investigation. He admitted this was what he called a boneheaded mistake. Mr. Obama seems incapable of judging his associates, as his close and friendly encounters with the hate-America and terrorist crowd suggests. Even an otherwise friendly biographer, said he is at home with the hate-America types.

Tony Rezko was convicted just last month, in a trial that began in March. The land deal was years ago so that doesn't even make much sense. When the deal took place Rezco wasn't even under investigation, but several of his properties had gone into foreclosure - not reacting to *THAT* is what Obama was talking about. Again, this is guilt by association when our other option is John McCain who was a MEMBER of the Keating Five (Five U.S. Senators who had been "bought and paid for" by Charles Keating when his activities caused the failure of Lincoln Savings & Loan).

"In 1982, during McCain's first run for the House, Keating held a fund-raiser for him, collecting more than $11,000 from 40 employees of American Continental Corp. McCain would spend more than $550,000 to win the primary and the general election.

In 1983, as McCain contemplated his House re-election, Keating hosted a $1,000-a-plate dinner for him, even though McCain had no serious competition. When McCain pushed for the Senate in 1986, Keating was there with more than $50,000.

By 1987, McCain had received about $112,000 in political contributions from Keating and his associates.

McCain also had carried a little water for Keating in Washington. While in the House, McCain, along with a majority of representatives, co-sponsored a resolution to delay new regulations designed to curb risky investments by thrifts such as Lincoln."

There is no evidence that Obama tried into intervene with Rezco in the way the McCain and five other Senators met with regulators on behalf of Keating. Admittedly McCain was very apprehensive at the meeting and tried hard not to do anything improper, but argubly *NONE OF THEM SHOULD BEEN THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE*. Interfering with an ongoing investigation in order to help one of your campaign contributors is the very DEFINITION of corruption.

12. He claims he will bring all sides together but he has never shown any signs or symptoms of bipartisanship. His record is that of a far-left liberal, the most liberal of any member of the U.S. Senate. He goes down the party line, and never reaches across the aisle.

That is again, incorrect. Just last week I posted this list of Obama's legislative accomplishments.

* The *Lugar-Obama Anti-Terrorist* and Nuclear Poliferation Bill Because keeping Russia's decomissione nuclear materials out of the hands terrorist is "nothing to speak of.."
* The *Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act* of 2006 which was implemented along with Republican Senator Tom Coburn (and original co-sponsored by John McCain) to establish an online searchable database of federal grants and contracts to help prevent the abuse of federal funds.
* Obama and Coburn also combined forces to create a bill prohibiting the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA from signing open-ended no-bid contracts
* The *Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act* which among other things created strict bans on receiving gifts and meals from lobbyists; new rules to slow the revolving door between public and private sector service; and an end to the subsidized use of corporate jets.
* The *Honest Leadership and Open Government Act* which prohibited former law makers from joining lobbying firms until two years after they have left office.
* Obama wrote and introduced The *Iraq War De-escalation Act* which would have implemented the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group and begin a phased withdrawal of our troops from Iraq in 2007, with all brigades removed by the middle of this year - the threat of which according to the 2007 NIE was one of the chief reasons for the reduction in violence in Iraq and the beginning of the Anbar Awakening - not the "Surge".

In case you didn't know Dick Lugar is a Republican, so is Tom Coburn. What was that about "never reaching across the aisle?"

13. He claims he will bring change to Washington, but picks a long-term Washington insider, Sen. Joe Biden, who has been in the Senate for decades, and is rated the third most liberal in the U.S. Senate. He claims he'll be the agent of change, but in his acceptance speech he catalogs the tired left-wing Democratic agenda, that has been regurgitated every four years for decades. He talks change but dishes up only the old liberal dishes, which have been rejected by voters many times from McGovern to Carter, and which have failed when implementation was attempted. If Mr. Obama wins the White House, he is likely to have a veto proof Congress, which mean all of his left-loony proposals would probably become law. Electoral history suggests Americans don't go for such unrestrained power. Beware of an Obama/Pelosi/Reid triumvirate that would bring us radical liberalism in its worst form.

The Change would be finally IMPLEMENTING the agenda, as well as overcoming the influence of corporate lobbyists in blocking it by empowering and inspiring the American people get GET OFF THEIR ASS and get directly involved.

His agenda isn't Carter's, it's closer to Clinton's and when that agenda was implemented just about *everyone* did very well during the Clinton years - even the rich.

The argument that American wouldn't go for a "Veto Proof" congress seems to fly in the face of the middle four-years of Bush's presidency where the Republican Congress wrote him a completely blank check. We tried it the Republican way, and it failed miserably - it's time for a change.

14. He says he wants to bring us energy independence but refuses to drill and extract our huge reserves, greater than those of Saudi Arabia. He wants us to check our tire pressure instead of drilling. Give me a break! He also advises everyone to tune-up their cars, even though most cars no longer need tune-ups.

He has not "refused to drill", he's said we ALREADY HAVE PLENTY OF PLACES TO DRILL that we aren't even using yet. Also, drilling is not the solution to the problem and won't generate any results for 20 years.

Checking tire pressure and keeping our cars tuned would reduce about 7% of our current fuel consumption - which is MORE than we would get from additional drilling - and would happen RIGHT NOW, not 20 years from now.

15. He never sticks with a job. For example, when he became senator he started writing his book. Then within two years of becoming a senator, he started running for president. It is not surprising that he has no legislative accomplishments. This has been the pattern of his entire career. He never sticks with anything long enough to chalk up significant achievements. That's why when asked about his accomplishments, his supporters seem to be stumped. Dean Barnett, in an article in the Weekly Standard (Sept. 1, 2008), entitled "Would You Hire Barack Obama? The resume of a chronic underachiever," writes, "You'd have to conclude that Obama's failure to commit himself to any career sufficiently to excel at it suggests some unexplained restlessness." I'd say it suggests he's a dilitante, who flits from one project to another, but never stays long enough to deliver a satisfactory end product.

This is just bull. He was an Illinois State Senator for seven years. He's taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago for 12 years. He was an attorney for 11 years from 1993-2004. What do you mean he can't keep a job?

16. As talk show host Michael Medved has pointed out, the people vouching for him at the Democratic National Convention were mainly relatives, such as his wife and brother-in-law. There were not major figures vouching for him, because they could not vouch for a classic empty-suit. Even Hillary Clinton, in her convention endorsement speech, said Democrats must support him, but in no way vouched for his character or judgment. Contrast that with the people at the Republican National Convention who vouched for Sen. McCain - Sen. Joe Lieberman and former Sen. Fred Thompson.

No major figures vouching for him? Bill Clinton vouched for him. He used to be a President, right? That's kinda "major". John Kerry vouched for him, he ran for President once. Senator Mark Warner gave the Keynote address. Ted Kennedy endorsed and vouched for him. I know these are all talking points, but this one is just plain silly.

17. To bolster his foreign policy credentials, he picked Sen. Joe Biden as vice president. Sen. Biden voted for the war in Iraq, which vote Sen. Obama views as the symbol of bad judgment. So even Sen. Obama admits Sen. Biden ha bad judgment. Sen. Biden also comes up with wacky ideas of his own such as splitting Iraq, a sovereign nation, into three parts for the Kurds, Shias, and Sunnis. He also voted against the first Gulf War, even after Iraq had invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East. I'd think most would consider that the height of bad judgment. He opposed the surge. He opposed Reagan's build-up to fight international communism, so his bad record is long and unbroken. Biden has judgment bad enough to match that of Sen. Obama's.

A lot of people voted for the Iraq War, but then the Bush Administration lied about it's intentions and blocked access to accurate intelligence information.

The U.S. itself is split - into 50 STATES, each with their own indivdual government and loose attachment to a fairly weak federal government. Biden idea is essentially *WHAT HAS HAPPENED) with the sectarian segregation of Iraq. That's all Biden was suggesting.

18. He flip-flops on matters that suggest he has no principles except the old Chicago machine principle of do anything you have to do to get elected. He promised to take public financing, something that the great reformer and change artist claimed to be committed to. Then when he saw it was to his political advantage to stay with totally private contributions, as that would bring in more money, he went back on his promise and rejected public funding. He said that his wide array of contributors to his campaign made his approach into public financing, one of his more nonsensical pieces of logic. He think if he uses sufficient oratorical powers he can make two and two equal ten, or private financing equal public financing.

Uh, what exactly did Obama flip-flop on? (This talking point apparently forgot to include it's own evidence!!) Assuming this is true - on say the FISA issue which actually pissed the LIBERALS OFF rather than pandered to them - Would it be like McCain whose flip-flipped on offshore drilling, on torture, and on tax-cuts for the wealthy?

19. He constantly uses such expressions as, "I would be glad to debate my opponent on that issue anytime, anywhere." But that is just for oratorical effect. In practice, he refused Sen. McCain's offer of a town meeting every week to debate the issues. He is clearly afraid of unscripted sessions. If he is not smart enough to go off the teleprompter and script, he is not smart enough to be president.

Uh, yeah - ok, whatever. It's not like McCain doesn't have planted questioners at his events - he does.

20. When he participated in the Saddleback debate with Pastor Rick Warren, he demonstrated again he doesn't make sense when confronted with tough questions without the answers on a script. When asked when does life begin, he said that was above his pay-grade. If that question is above his pay grade so is the presidency of the United States.

It's a medical question, or possibly a theological question. If you look at scripture it says in Leviticus 17:11 that...

" 11'For (A)the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for (B)it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement."

If life is in the Blood, then life doesn't begin until the body forms blood vessels and that doesn't happen until several days after conception. Then again, you wouldn't want to base public policy of religious scripture would you?

He would like voters to view him as a man of great political courage, but he has a documented record of political cowardice. For example, when in the Illinois legislature, he voted "present" over 100 times and was well known for taking that route, of neither a yes or no vote. Present is a classic sitting on the fence and waiting to find out which way the wind will blow. As William Kristol of the Weekly Standard (Sept. 1, 2008) has pointed out, " Has he shunned the easy path or broken with the conventional liberal pieties of those around him? Has he taken on his own party on a major issue? Nope."

No, that's wrong too. from the Boston Globe:

"THE SPIN: Obama portrays himself as someone voters can trust to tell the truth and skip the usual political games. Clinton and John Edwards are using his "present" votes to offer a different picture -- one of Obama ducking tough issues or refusing to support common-sense legislation.

THE FACTS: Obama acknowledges that over nearly eight years in the Illinois Senate, he voted "present" 129 times. That was out of roughly 4,000 votes he cast, so those "presents" amounted to about one of every 31 votes in his legislative career.

Illinois legislators often vote "present" and for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes blocs of lawmakers do it as a protest in some dispute over rules and procedures. Obama was often joined in his "present" votes by 10 or 20 other senators.

In other cases, lawmakers do it to signal objections to the details of a measure that they support in principle. They also use "present" votes as strategic moves to defeat legislation or, of course, simply to avoid taking a firm position."

Like I said, wrong again.

22. Mr. Obama bases his campaign on his superior judgment, and that in turn is based on his speech against the war in Iraq. Of course, he never made a vote against the war, as at the time he was in the Illinois legislature, not the U.S. Senate. He gave the speech at an anti-war rally in the liberal Hyde Park section in Chicago. But votes are more important than speeches. And since he's been in the Senate, he's been wrong on every issue related to Iraq. These mistaken positions were summed up in an article by Emery in the Weekly Standard (Sept.1, 2008) entitled "Misfortunes of War: Success in Iraq Confounds the Democrats." It isn't easy to be wrong on every vote and pronouncement on Iraq, but don't underestimate Sen. Obama's ineptness in the foreign policy area. Mr. Emery writes: "He claimed that the Anbar Awakening took place as a result of Democrats' congressional victories, but it began in September 2006, two months before before the voting took place. He opposed not only the troop surge, but also the strategic changes that took place along with it, that did so much to enable the victory. He said the American military had noting to do with the Anbar Awakening or with the retreat of the Sadr militia, something denied by the Iraqi military and by the Iraqi Sunnis themselves. He was also wrong in his predictions that none of this would occur."

Ok, I've already hit this one. The surge helped, but it wasn't the primary source of the changes in Iraq. A change in the POLITICS is what has made things better and the Surge didn't even start until months after that happened. I have more on this here

Sen. Obama not only has judgment bad enough to make him wrong on every foreign policy question, but he also has the knack of picking advisors and close associates who have a strong record of being wrong. For example, his choice for vice president, Sen. Biden, and one of the senators that accompanied him on his trip to Iraq, Sen. Chuck Hagel, introduced a resolution in opposition to the buildup that was the surge that turned the tide in Iraq.

Yeah, right whatever it's not like Chuck Hagel as a decorated vietnam vet (Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal) like say - John McCain - might have any experience in Foreign Policy, and did you hear - he's a Republican too?. What were they saying about a lack of "bipartisanship"?

Sen. Obama's inexperience in foreign policy is perhaps his most dangerous deficiency. But don't underestimate his ability to wreck our economy, destroy the incentives for entrepreneurs to take risks and build jobs, and to wreck our health care delivery system.

Or finally make us Energy Independent, fix our Health Care system, and stop PISSING OFF THE WORLD so we can start fighting terrorism and despotism together rather than all alone.

I signed off with "Thanks - that was fun, got more?"

If you happen to run into more of the viral Obama smear-mails from your Repub and Wingnut friends and family, feel free to use some of my debunking sources or your own. Forewarned is fore-armed.

Vyan