John McCain stumbles on question about attack on
Obama

post from AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth on 03 August 2008 11:57:00 AM. © AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth

Watch this video from Jed.

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Remember, McCain and his campaign manager made race a central issue in the campaign last week -- right around the time Juliet Eilperin from the Washington Post asked this question. Yet, McCain couldn't even begin to respond. It wasn't a hard question. What's that all about?

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Broderism Triumphant

post from TalkLeft on 03 August 2008 11:46:00 AM. © TalkLeft

It is easy to dismiss David Broder because he so often writes foolish things. For example, in today's column, he describes Ted Stevens, whose indictment alleges that he was doing political and legislative favors in exchange for expensive contracting work on his properties, as part of:

the rear guard of a generation of senators who see it as their principal responsibility to help their chronically needy citizens obtain the federal largess that can spell the difference between subsistence and a decent living.

(Emphasis supplied.) Um, Stevens was just labelled by the Department of Justice as a two bit grafter. Foolish, Broder, foolish. But what about Broder's claim that he will "win again" in the 2008 election, that High Broderism will be triumphant? That claim requires some examination. More . . .

Broder writes:

As significant as the numerical potential [of democratic gains] is the changing character of the new senators who may arrive in this election. They could be welcome news for either a President Obama or a President McCain, because the likeliest winners mainly are centrists who have been tested in real-world politics and have little tolerance for ideological extremes.
Two of the top five Democratic prospects are people who have been governors of conservative states. [NH Senator John] Sununu is in a rematch with former New Hampshire governor Jeanne Shaheen, who dealt with a Republican legislature throughout her tenure in Concord and -- to the disappointment of some Democrats -- managed to avoid a new broad-based tax to finance the schools.

The other former governor is Mark Warner of Virginia, favored to succeed retiring Sen. John Warner (no relation). Mark Warner, a millionaire businessman, also shared his capital with a Republican legislature and learned in his four years a wealth of practical wisdom about negotiating compromises.

Broder goes on to describe Mark Udall (Colorado), Tom Udall (New Mexico) and Mark Begich (Alaska) as adherents to High Broderism:

These five are likely recruits for the growing band of senators who -- under McCain's leadership -- saved the Senate from blowing up over the issue of judicial filibusters. If McCain and Obama are serious about moving beyond partisan gridlock, these folks might help.

According to Broder, there is, and should be, a Broderist strain to the 2008 election, Obama and McCain are going to pursue Beltway "post partisanship," a larger Democratic Senate majority will also pursue High Broderism.

As Broder sees it, the Wise Old Men of Washington, people like himself, Sam Nunn and Tom Daschle, reasonable post partisans, will go back to steering the ship of state no matter who wins in November.

Broderism triumphant? I can honestly say at this point, the evidence supports Broder. I hope he is wrong but the evidence is that he is not.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

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Lieberman On Attending RNC Convention: ‘I
Will Do It’ And Speak Against ‘Partisan Mud-Slinging’

post from Think Progress on 03 August 2008 11:42:00 AM. © Think Progress

On Meet the Press, host Tom Brokaw informed guest Joe Lieberman (I-CT) that nearly 50,000 activists have signed onto the “Lieberman Must Go” petition being circulated by Brave New Films. “Do you think you’re going to be comfortable next year in the Democratic caucus?” Brokaw asked. Lieberman said he’s crossed party lines to support John McCain because “this is no ordinary time.”

Brokaw followed-up by asking if that means he will speak at the Republican convention. Lieberman practically confirmed that he would indeed speak. After stating that no decision has been made, Lieberman went on to say:

If Sen. McCain feels that I can help his candidacy…I will do it. But I assure you this Tom, I’m not going to go to that convention — the Republican convention — and spend my time attacking Barack Obama. I’m going to go there really talking about why I support John McCain and why I hope a lot of other independents and Democrats will do that.
And frankly, I’m going to go to a partisan convention and tell them — if I go — why it’s so important that we start to act like Americans and not as partisan mud-slingers.

Brokaw said “it sounds like you’re going to go.” Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) added, “It looks like that to me too.” Watch it:

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Later in the roundtable segment, Andrea Mitchell said the “good money” is that Lieberman would deliver the keynote address at the RNC Convention.

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http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/03/lieberman-must-go-convention/

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Reality Be Damned, Here Comes Offshore Drilling

post from Firedoglake on 03 August 2008 11:30:37 AM. © Firedoglake

So, Barack Obama has said:Obama issued a written statement warmly welcoming a proposal sent to Senate leaders Friday by 10 senators -- five from each party. Their proposal seeks to break the impasse over offshore oil development and is expected to be [...]

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http://firedoglake.com/2008/08/03/reality-be-damned-here-comes-offshore-drilling/

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I remember George

post from American Street on 03 August 2008 11:26:00 AM. © American Street

He did have lots of promises then, didn’t he?I wonder whatever happened to that feller. So you say you have all the same promises he did?I’m sorry, the household budget doesn’t stretch that far anymore. Nor does this household’s gullibility.

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http://www.reachm.com/amstreet/archives/2008/08/03/i-remember-george/

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The Blade

post from Docudharma - Front Page on 03 August 2008 11:18:51 AM. © Docudharma - Front Page

Like everyone else, I was stunned by the events of 9/11/2001. But pretty quickly I felt very alone in my reactions (that was pre-blog days) as I continued to feel stunned and sad. It seemed like it was only days before the rest of the country moved on to[...]

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Mikes Blog Round Up

post from Crooks and Liars on 03 August 2008 11:00:08 AM. © Crooks and Liars

Politico: McLame casting Obama as a ‘celebrity’ is particularly audacious coming from a guy, who, since 2000, has gotten more screen time than the rest of congress combined. Consortiumblog: Tax-Factless Wall Street Journal-omicsunbossed: Spurning congressional oversight -The Dept. of Labor and double-secret stealth killer regulationThe Impolitic: Why doesn’t polling mirror event turnout numbers?Sic Semper Tyrannis: [...]

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http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/03/mikes-blog-round-up-588/

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We've Been Silent On McCain-Paris-Britney Too
Long!

Mother and child
Even though Bush personally nixed plans to have Britney Spears play the Republican Convention in NYC in 2004, the trashy, drug addicted and dysfunctional McComb, Mississippi/Kentwood, Louisiana dancer and singer, is as famous for endorsing him (as well as Pepsi and a fragrances called Curious, Fantasy, In Control and, most recently, Believe) and she is for her attempts to write songs. Watch her first brush with GOP presidential fame:

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Now she has been dragged into another Republican presidential campaign-- along with one of the few celebrities with even less talent than herself-- and she doesn't like it one bit. While McCain has been roundly berated for taking the low road for a spate of vicious, racist, negative campaign ads, Britney herself has either been too drugged up to be aware of them or is, uncharacteristically, keeping her own counsel. But the other camp isn't.

Kathy Hilton, the proud parent of Paris, is a McCain campaign contributor. Shallow, selfish rich people tend to kick in a little when their candidates are running for office. But now that infamous McCain ad, further dehumanizing her daughter, has got her dander up. Kathy posted at HuffPo this morning. She actually managed 5 coherent sentences proving she's twice as smart as her daughter and Britney combined. She points out that the ad is a frivolous way to chose the next president and that it's a "complete waste of the country's time and attention at the very moment when millions of people are losing their homes and their jobs," although glossing over why she donated money to a candidate who's record and policies are the very cause of those millions of people losing their homes and their jobs. But her first point, a quintessentially Republican-- and personal-- one, is that "it is a complete waste of the money John McCain's contributors have donated to his campaign." Indeed. And I hope they learned their lesson. Why not, as an alternative, donate to someone who is planning to come to the aid of those millions of people whose homes and jobs are in jeopardy because of the Bush-McCain Economic Miracle? May I suggest someone courageous, fearless and brilliant like Alan Grayson, Jeff Merkley, Carol Shea-Porter, or Howard Shanker? Or, if you don't want to donate to a Democrat, Steve Porter.

Meanwhile, here's McCain's latest fucked up and desperate campaign ad-- in which he substitutes Britney and Paris for Moses-- and here's one from Obama:

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Read The Full Article:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008/08/weve-been-silent-on-mccain-paris.html

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Graham: McCain would consider a tax increase on
Social Security as ‘part of a comprehensive approach.’

On Fox News Sunday today, host Chris Wallace asked Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a top McCain surrogate, about Sen. John McCain’s “doozy” of a flip-flop this past week on whether he would consider raising taxes as part of a Social Security fix. Despite the McCain campaign’s backtracking assertion this week that raising taxes is “absolutely out of the question,” Graham said McCain could support it “if it’s part of a comprehensive approach.” Watch it:

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Following Graham’s comments, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle remarked that, “we don’t know what we’re going to get with John McCain. The more he talks, the less certain we are about any of the positions he’s taken.”

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http://thinkprogress.org/2008/08/03/lindsey-graham-ss-flip/

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Did Citibank commit fraud

post from AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth on 03 August 2008 10:51:00 AM. © AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth

That's what New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is suggesting as he prepares to file against the troubled Wall Street giant. Considering how much of a free ride we've given Wall Street for a problem they created themselves, none of this is a surprise.

Cuomo outlined his intentions in a letter to Citigroup's general counsel dated Friday, saying that charges were imminent.

In the letter, the New York Attorney General's office alleged that the nation's largest bank "has repeatedly and persistently committed fraud by material misrepresentations and omissions" in the underwriting, distribution and sale of auction rate securities, touting them as safe, cash-equivalent investments.

Cuomo's office claimed that the sale of these securities had "a severe detrimental impact" on tens of thousands of Citigroup customers.

The AG also claimed that Citigroup "destroyed recordings of telephone conversations" related to the marketing and sale of auction-rate securities.