Last Post Before Hurricane Ike Arrives In
Houston/Galveston Area

post from Texas Liberal on 12 September 2008 03:35:16 PM. © Texas Liberal

This will be my last post before Hurricane Ike reaches the Houston/Galveston area. My wife and I live in Houston. It’s unclear what conditions will be like after the hurricane. We don’t live in a flood area and we’re likely to be fine. Strong winds in the city of Houston are a cause for thought. But we will come out of it okay. As it stands [...]

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http://texasliberal.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/last-post-before-hurricane-ike-arriv
es-in-houstongalveston-area/

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I am completely shaken

post from My Left Wing - Front Page on 12 September 2008 03:26:32 PM. © My Left Wing - Front Page

As I write this, my hands shake. Truly, I don't know if I will be able to even write a diary. I am so, well, freaked out, I don't know if I can even put it into words.

Let me start with a link, so you know where I'm coming from. It is an AOL Poll. The question?

What's your reaction to Palin's comments leaving open the option of war with Russia?

The vote right now, this very second?

Thumbs down 50% 282,280
Thumbs up 50% 277,829

WAR! WITH! RUSSIA!
RUSSIA!!! You know, as in

What the hell is wrong with these people?

Look folks, incumbents have a huge advantage in any election. That means we need to think about who is likely to President, not for the next four years, but the next eight years. John McCain is unlikely to survive the rigors of the Presidency into his 80th year. That means we might be facing Sarah Palin, President, war monger, religious zealot, believer in Armageddon AS A GOOD THING, and in Alaska as a "Refuge State."

I can't stop shaking. Have you started yet?

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http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=22945

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Crowdsourcing the Obama message

post from MyDD on 12 September 2008 03:25:39 PM. © MyDD

This week, Chris Bowers at OpenLeft has been encouraging readers to run their own media campaign. The idea is very simple: at a fairly low budget, anyone can set up a simple Google ad campaign, targeted geographically and by keyword. Bowers has been[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mydd/~3/QwaqGGFcsTg/879

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New McCain Ad: Complimenting Palin’s
Appearance Is Sexist

post from Think Progress on 12 September 2008 03:25:00 PM. © Think Progress

In recent days, conservatives have attempted to characterize progressive critiques of Gov. Sarah Palin’s (R-AK) record as sexist. A new McCain campaign ad repeats this strained argument by suggesting Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) attempted to diminish Palin when he remarked that the “‘obvious’ difference between Palin and himself is ‘she’s good looking.’”

As FactCheck.org summarized, the ad uses quotes from news organizations “out of context in an effort to portray [Barack Obama] and his running mate, Joe Biden, as unfairly attacking Sarah Palin and making sexist remarks.”

Despite what the ad insinuates, conservatives certainly haven’t been exempt from commenting on Palin’s appearance — often using much cruder language. Karl Rove, a McCain adviser, called Palin a “young, attractive, fresh-faced reform governor.” Rush Limbaugh said the GOP had a “babe on our ticket.” Glenn Beck exclaimed, “Man, she’s hot!” Watch a compilation:

video details and more

At the Republican National Convention, one of the fastest selling items was a button that read “Sarah Palin, the Hottest VP from the Coolest State.”

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http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/12/palin-sexism/

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McCain vs. Palin: He Said, She Said

post from Daily Kos on 12 September 2008 03:16:05 PM. © Daily Kos

Prepare yourself for the greatest ideological match-up of the century! No, it's not Obama versus McCain, it's McCain versus Palin. Let's get ready to ruuummmbbbllle...

This was John McCain, late last year on why he was qualified to be the president:

I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time.

And here is Sarah Palin last night on why she is ready to be a 72-year old heartbeat away from the presidency:

Charlie, again, we've got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time. It is for no more politics as usual and somebody's big, fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yes, they've had opportunities to meet heads of state.

So there you have it. The ultimate he said, she said. John McCain explained why Sarah Palin isn't qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, and Sarah Palin explained why John McCain doesn't represent change, just more of the same old politics as usual.

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The Meddling Husband May Get A Subpoena

post from Firedoglake on 12 September 2008 03:09:11 PM. © Firedoglake

One of the, um, creepiest things about Sarah Palin is that her husband lurks around the Governor's business, sticking his nose in where private citizens should have no involvement. This includes oil and gas negotiations, her emails, and hiring and firing[...]

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http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/09/12/the-meddling-husband-may-get-a-subpo
ena/

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Labors for Barack

post from My Left Wing - Front Page on 12 September 2008 03:07:54 PM. © My Left Wing - Front Page

(all photos but the one up top by durrati)

Two weeks ago Saturday I was out canvassing with a young woman, well, I say young - I thought she was 24, turns out she is 31 - attempting to find our support in my neighborhood.

Elaine (I will call her) is telling me her story, (we in the campaign are big on telling "our stories"), of her Republican family and a husband on his second tour of IraqiWorld.

They have been married for 30 months and he has spent a solid 19 of them in-country and will not return until next May....if then.

"Thanks to stop-loss." She says with anger in her voice.

(In the interest of full disclosure I fell in love a little with Elaine as we walked, she was tall and lithe and lovely with one of those quirky smiles that turns down a bit at the corners and hazel eyes that sparkled when amused.)

I try my best to be amusing...

"Bobby's kind of a pushover," she continues, "he joined the army the first time a recruiter talked to him. Signed up for the infantry cause the jerk said that was all they had open..."

"A push over, huh, that how you roped him?" I say, grinning.

She laughs and slaps me in the bicep.

I walk on air to our next porch.

So it is working for Barack. I have made so many new friends here, heard "their stories" of how they have come to support our guy.

There is "Amy" a social worker from Kentucky who was tired of "seeing people screwed over" and impulsively locked up her apartment one day last fall and drove to Iowa to sign up. Amy is now Barack's regional campaign manager here.

There is "Dennis", an earnest young black man from Florida who is working his heart out for the campaign... as his lovely wife readies to deploy to IraqiWorld in December.

There is "Steven", a local 22 year old student who heard of Barack's win in Iowa while in Barcelona on a European tour and joined up online...with the help of a cyber organizer travelling in Egypt... and eventually went to Denver as a delegate.

And now I know Elaine's story.

She also made a comment about how Bush's war was breaking up families and I wondered how hard it would be to be young and in love, anxiously awaiting your husband's return from a very dangerous theater, only to have the rug pulled from under you not once but twice.

God-damned heartless thugs...

We had pretty good success, Elaine and I, in the first hour, copping a change of address registration and a couple of filled in Supporter Cards. Supporter Cards are the most valued lucre of the campaign; peeps will be e-mailed and called right up until election day and even if they never labor a moment for us, we hope they will feel included in our effort.

Elaine and I stop at a shady intersection for a drink of water and a breather...it's a hilly neighborhood... and I relate to her the importance of the next house we will stop at and tie it in with "My Story".

"About the time you were born, Elaine, mom and dad moved into that house down there.

After years of working on the road dad got a job working in the quarry over on Lone Pine. My oldest sister would die in that house, and, two years later my mom. Dad couldn't live there any more so he sold it. Dad only lived himself two more years....

But my Dad had a lot to do with me being back up here today.

When I was kid we lived down on Pacific street in the middle of town. When I was about eight a couple of black families moved into the neighborhood. One day in the summer I walked out of my house and saw the next door neighbor was scraping his house...gettin' ready to paint it.

Innocently I asked him ""What color are you gonna paint it?""

""Black!"" He shouted ""What other color is there?""

But my dad divided the world into only two kinds of people. Those that worked and those that didn't. The only time I ever heard him talking bad about people was when him and his brother would get together and laugh about how stupid their bosses were.

The first time Dad saw our new neighbor across the street he walked over and shook his hand. And, when a load of cinder blocks was delivered to Rudy's driveway one day, Dad and me walked over and helped him lug them to the back yard.

Turns out Rudy was a cook and he was building a Bar-B-Q pit in his backyard....

Best investment of labor Dad ever made. Rudy invited us over for his first cook out and we all became fast friends.

Rudy and his family are why I do this, like you do it for Bobby."

Rested, we got up and strolled down the street to the little house that for me held so many memories...

Reaching the driveway I step over the drainage ditch I had drunkenly steered my '76 Torino into one night while on leave from the navy.

Approaching the front porch I see my mom snapping green beans as one of her George Jones albums plays in the front room.

To the right is the window of the little bedroom in which my mother and sister had died.

At the end of the drive is the small detached garage where my father had spent so many hours sorting and cleaning his work tools and salvaging metal to pay for his plug tobacco and mom's smokes.

Ghosts contending light in the late August sun...

About to step onto the porch Elaine and I hear a car door slam shut in the dark garage.

Changing direction we head to the garage and meet Ms. Evans, a 60 something grey haired lady getting busy unloading her groceries.

Smiling broadly I started the rap I had learned at Obama school...

...graduation of which earned me this...

(cool, huh?)

"Hello, Katherine, my name is durrati and I am from Senator Obama's Campaign for Change in Missouri. Are you registered to vote at THIS address?"

Katherine eyes me sceptically.

"Yes, I am." She states curtly.

"And do you have a preference in this election?"

She shifts the sack of groceries in her arms. "I usually vote Republican, but Bush has been a big dissapointment. I really like Obama. But I won't vote for him."

"Why is that?"

"Cause they will shoot him, and I can't be a part of it."

So much for hope...

No one has said it to me that straight forward before.

Combined with the weirdness of her saying it here at this house I so associated with death, her forcefulness in stating it, her...surety...strikes me like a blow.

I become disoriented.

Peering over Ms. Evan's shoulder into the dark garage I can see my parents mourning RFK's death that Saturday morning so long ago; watching the funeral train passing crowds in Pennsylvania I turn to see my father sitting on our couch, his great head slumped down into his chest, fingers combing through his thinning hair as he does when distressed, hear my mother's racking sobs from the kitchen where she busies herself at the stove.

My little brother's crying also and I reach out to comfort him... Rick...

Elaine tugs at my sleeve urgently and I slowly swim back up to the driveway.

Katherine Evans is staring right through me.

"Thank you, Ms. Evans...we won't take anymore of your time." Elaine finishes for me and pulls me toward the end of the drive.

We walk in silence to the street; I turn and look back at the little house.

"She sounded so certain."

"So what?" Elaine scolds "You gonna get over it? Somebody's probably trying to kill my Bobby right now!"

She turns and starts striding purposefully up the street, her long legs chewing up ground so fast I come out of it and break into a trot to catch up.

So we pull one another along....

That Monday we marched for Barack in our town's Labor Day Parade:

Towheads and T-Models for Obama -

Hooking up -

The throng -

Good Boy! -

Durrati in the fore -

"If you hear the dogs barking, keep going.
If you hear them yelling after you, keep going.
If you see the lights behind you, keep going.
If you want a taste of freedom, keep going."

If you want a taste of freedom, get to work...

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http://www.myleftwing.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=22755

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McClatchy: McCain/Palin are now lying in their
immigration ads too

post from AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth on 12 September 2008 03:01:00 PM. © AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth

At what point will the media do the larger process story about what this decision to outright lie his way in to the White House says about John McCain? At this point, there's a larger story here, folks, than just what the lie of the day is. McCain has affirmatively decided to outright deceive the voters, day in and day out, ever since he picked Palin. That's new. But it's also a sign of something else, something larger. Is it that McCain has given up on being a maverick, because mavericks don't win? Is it that McCain's advantced age has made him less willing and able to run his own McCain, thus letting Karl Rove's staff run the show? Something is going on when a guy who claims he's about clean government adopts a strategy of blatant lies. It's a larger story. I'm waiting for the media to get the backbone to finally write that story.

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Mid-Day Open Thread

Poet George Watsky at the DNC in Denver (h/t Max from Max & The Marginalized) Open Thread below…

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http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/09/12/mid-day-open-thread-54/

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