American Presidency: How low can you go?

Shadowen

moniker wrote: »

mxmarks wrote: »

Oh - as a interesting side about the media.

I'm a member of the CWA (Communications Workers of America) union, and I just got our newsletter, throwing our support behind Obama and giving us a shit ton of talking points about Obama vs. McCain on buisness and the economy. The whole newsletter explains why the CWA endorses Obama and has some pretty neat graphics about the way things break down under each canidate (when it comes to unions and employment).

So know that the people BEHIND the cameras are going just a batshit insane over this garbage as you on the forums are.

I won't believe that until a camera operator walks on set and punches Wolf Blitzer right in the beard.

Well, actually, last time I saw Blitzer he was dinging the McCain spokesperson pretty badly for lying about the Bridge To Nowhere thing. Now, if microphones used by John McCain and friends start having "technical difficulties", I'll know for certain who the techs are supporting.

mxmarks

Cinders wrote: »

mxmarks wrote: »

Oh - as a interesting side about the media.

I'm a member of the CWA (Communications Workers of America) union, and I just got our newsletter, throwing our support behind Obama and giving us a shit ton of talking points about Obama vs. McCain on buisness and the economy. The whole newsletter explains why the CWA endorses Obama and has some pretty neat graphics about the way things break down under each canidate (when it comes to unions and employment).

So know that the people BEHIND the cameras are going just a batshit insane over this garbage as you on the forums are.

Could you post said newsletter?

Sure, but unfortunatley it will be tomorrow. I don't have a scanner at home, but I'll bring it into work tomorrow and do it.

I'll look and see if we have an online version now though...

Here's the webpage for the Union - it has a lot of real similar things on it, but I'll actually post the newsletter itself tomorrow night.

Cinders

mxmarks wrote: »

Cinders wrote: »

mxmarks wrote: »

Oh - as a interesting side about the media.

I'm a member of the CWA (Communications Workers of America) union, and I just got our newsletter, throwing our support behind Obama and giving us a shit ton of talking points about Obama vs. McCain on buisness and the economy. The whole newsletter explains why the CWA endorses Obama and has some pretty neat graphics about the way things break down under each canidate (when it comes to unions and employment).

So know that the people BEHIND the cameras are going just a batshit insane over this garbage as you on the forums are.

Could you post said newsletter?

Sure, but unfortunatley it will be tomorrow. I don't have a scanner at home, but I'll bring it into work tomorrow and do it.

I'll look and see if we have an online version now though...

Sweet, thanks in advance.

Couscous

moniker wrote: »

nexuscrawler wrote: »

3 million dollars?

What's that .001% of what we've spent in Iraq?

All Congressional earmarks and 'pork barrel spending' constitutes 0.98% of the Federal Budget. It is my understanding that the Federal Budget doesn't actually count for appropriations concerning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which constantly get supplemental funding and such throughout the year so that it's on a different balance sheet. So...yeah. Thank God for reform minded candidates who will save us from such horrible wastes of taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile the DOD's budget is a sacred cow and stupid shit like the Osprey get money thrown at it until it finally stops killing marines.

McCain has blamed earmarks for the bridge collapse in that one city. At this point, I'm waiting for him to blame earmarks for his capture by the Vietcong and 9/11.

Palin pic of the hour.

moniker

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Lawndart

Couscous wrote: »

Palin pic of the hour.
(Palin with extra special campaign prop)

Sarah Palin: Have We Mentioned That She's Given Birth? Including To A Baby! Look!

deadonthestreet

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

I believe the argument is the money went to build a bridge that would service fewer people than died on the collapsed bridge.

Couscous

deadonthestreet wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

I believe the argument is the money went to build a bridge that would service fewer people than died on the collapsed bridge.

The argument doesn't really make much sense. I'm not seeing why the government couldn't pay for both the stupid bridge to nowhere and the bridge that collapsed.

Jragghen

First time all year, McCain polls over Obama in New Mexico

Zimmydoom

Couscous wrote: »

deadonthestreet wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

I believe the argument is the money went to build a bridge that would service fewer people than died on the collapsed bridge.

The argument doesn't really make much sense. I'm not seeing why the government couldn't pay for both the stupid bridge to nowhere and the bridge that collapsed.

That's just what 9/11 wants you to think.

...POW!

LadyM

Couscous wrote: »

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=4E2E5BFD-18FE-70B2-A815903CFF648F68

Many others, though, are of exactly the sort that McCain has made a career of mocking—like animal research.

“We’re not going to spend $3 million of your tax dollars to study the DNA of bears in Montana,” McCain has said during this year’s campaign, referring to a study he’s mocked for years of whether grizzlies need to keep their status as an endangered species.

Palin, meanwhile, has requested $3.2 million to be spent in part researching the “genetics of harbor seals,” in one of the state’s many requests for federal funding of research into Alaska’s fauna.

She’s seeking $1 million, for instance, for a project to investigate rockfish fisheries, a request that, according to the Alaska document, was presented to and refused by Congress last year.

“Our state's economy depends a certain amount on tourism…and there are a lot of charter fishermen who have clients that want to come up fish for halibut, and likewise when they're fishing for halibut they're catching … rockfish as a by-catch in that fishery,” said Cleo Brylinsky, who heads up the rockfish project at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. “So it's important to our tourism economy that we have sustainable fisheries and well-managed fisheries,” she said.

The rockfish research is one of several requests for federal help studying marine wildlife, which, coming from another candidate, might have drawn McCain’s mockery.

Here are a few, with the state’s description of the project:

• $400,000: Alaska Invasive Species Program: Continues to comprehensively prevent, identify, and respond to the threat of invasive species on the Alaska environment.

• $494,900: Assessment of Recreational Halibut Harvest in Alaska: This is an ongoing effort to collect data on the recreational halibut fishery that is conducted by federal agencies though relying on the state for data.

• $2 million: Bering Sea Crab Research and Management: Researches Bering Sea crab productivity and sustainability as necessary to restore crab stocks.

• $3.2 million: Seal and Steller Sea Lion Biological Research: Funds monitoring of ice seal populations in Native villages, research on the species delineation and genetics of harbor seals to understand the declines in population and provide for population restoration, and continues research into Steller Sea Lion population decline.

The McCain-Palin campaign didn’t respond to the questions of whether Palin still backs those specific requests, or how she would defend them in light of her opposition to earmarks.

In response to those questions, McCain-Palin spokesman Ben Porritt said the governor believes in “open, transparent, and efficient government” and criticized Obama for making extensive earmark requests.

Well, well well. Fuck you, John McCain. Fuuuuuck you.

I don't have a problem with any of Palin's natural resources related requests. (I almost got one of those invasive species jobs.)

moniker

deadonthestreet wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

I believe the argument is the money went to build a bridge that would service fewer people than died on the collapsed bridge.

Except the appropriations for the bridge to Gravina Island weren't going to come out of the Highway Trust Fund...

anable

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

Armored Gorilla

Schrodinger wrote:

Edit: Matthews cites a great Obama line: "Technically, if I meant it that way, then Sarah would have been the lipstick."
THANK YOU.

Take THAT, guy who said I was wrong.

*Shakes fist angrily*

jungleroomx

anable wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

I think we should make bio-roads that heal themselves. They live on carbon monoxide emissions and their waste consists of small pods of miniature Halloween candy bars and XBox Live points.

Is a truly open market really possible? I mean, wouldn't it's existence clash with so many other qualities of life we're supposed to hold dear?

Shadowen

jungleroomx wrote: »

anable wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

I think we should make bio-roads that heal themselves. They live on carbon monoxide emissions and their waste consists of small pods of miniature Halloween candy bars and XBox Live points.

I like the way you think, Mr. RoomX. Here's your key to the executive bathroom.

Cabezone

jungleroomx wrote: »

anable wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

I think we should make bio-roads that heal themselves. They live on carbon monoxide emissions and their waste consists of small pods of miniature Halloween candy bars and XBox Live points.

Is a truly open market really possible? I mean, wouldn't it's existence clash with so many other qualities of life we're supposed to hold dear?

You mean like a safe food supply and jobs? Yes it's called the early 1900's and prior. It was a fine time when people sold bottles of crude oil as a health tonic and filled sausages with sawdust.

moniker

jungleroomx wrote: »

anable wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

I think we should make bio-roads that heal themselves. They live on carbon monoxide emissions and their waste consists of small pods of miniature Halloween candy bars and XBox Live points.

Is a truly open market really possible? I mean, wouldn't it's existence clash with so many other qualities of life we're supposed to hold dear?

I'm not sure I understand how an annarcho-capitalist state would work just in terms of intellectual property laws and such. Hell, corporations exist solely due to government fiat. Change the tax code and they are no longer a business type.

mxmarks

Just incase anyone missed my edit above:

Everyone behind the cameras (including me!) on TV is strongly Probama. I'll scan the newsletter I got in the mail tomorrow, but this link gives you a good idea.

deadonthestreet

Jragghen wrote: »

First time all year, McCain polls over Obama in New Mexico

This is pretty awful because without Ohio, which the Dems won't get, they absolutely need New Mexico.

jungleroomx

Cabezone wrote: »

jungleroomx wrote: »

anable wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

I think we should make bio-roads that heal themselves. They live on carbon monoxide emissions and their waste consists of small pods of miniature Halloween candy bars and XBox Live points.

Is a truly open market really possible? I mean, wouldn't it's existence clash with so many other qualities of life we're supposed to hold dear?

You mean like a safe food supply and jobs? Yes it's called the early 1900's and prior.

Well, I mean truly free and open market.

Wouldn't the regulation/banning of just one thing make it not a truly open and free market? I'm actually asking, because that's what I thought it meant. Like, the existence of a black market would not be possible with a real free market in existence.

moniker

jungleroomx wrote: »

Cabezone wrote: »

jungleroomx wrote: »

anable wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

I think we should make bio-roads that heal themselves. They live on carbon monoxide emissions and their waste consists of small pods of miniature Halloween candy bars and XBox Live points.

Is a truly open market really possible? I mean, wouldn't it's existence clash with so many other qualities of life we're supposed to hold dear?

You mean like a safe food supply and jobs? Yes it's called the early 1900's and prior.

Well, I mean truly free and open market.

Wouldn't the regulation/banning of just one thing make it not a truly open and free market? I'm actually asking, because that's what I thought it meant. Like, the existence of a black market would not be possible with a real free market in existence.

One has never truly existed ever since we stopped being hunter gatherers and decided that cities are nice, so it's truly just a hypothetical scenario that is unattainable.

sdrawkcaB emaN

deadonthestreet wrote: »

Jragghen wrote: »

First time all year, McCain polls over Obama in New Mexico

This is pretty awful because without Ohio, which the Dems won't get, they absolutely need New Mexico.

goddamnit stop being so pessimistic about ohio you motherfuckers

there's absolutely no reason to think that way

demographically, vote history, turnout, whatever

stop letting how pissy you are over 2004 color your views

there's no by-the-numbers reason to think dems can't win in ohio

Gosling

deadonthestreet wrote: »

Jragghen wrote: »

First time all year, McCain polls over Obama in New Mexico

This is pretty awful because without Ohio, which the Dems won't get, they absolutely need New Mexico.

Do not write off Ohio for the love of God.

Also, Anderson Cooper 360 tossed up that tax chart we love here so much.

Zimmydoom

sdrawkcaB emaN wrote: »

deadonthestreet wrote: »

Jragghen wrote: »

First time all year, McCain polls over Obama in New Mexico

This is pretty awful because without Ohio, which the Dems won't get, they absolutely need New Mexico.

goddamnit stop being so pessimistic about ohio you motherfuckers

there's absolutely no reason to think that way

demographically, vote history, turnout, whatever

stop letting how pissy you are over 2004 color your views

there's no by-the-numbers reason to think dems can't win in ohio

dots is pathologically pessimistic. I wouldn't bother.

jungleroomx

moniker wrote: »

One has never truly existed ever since we stopped being hunter gatherers and decided that cities are nice, so it's truly just a hypothetical scenario that is unattainable.

Civilization IV. More like Fucking Lies by Sid Asshole Meier.

moniker

Gosling wrote: »

deadonthestreet wrote: »

Jragghen wrote: »

First time all year, McCain polls over Obama in New Mexico

This is pretty awful because without Ohio, which the Dems won't get, they absolutely need New Mexico.

Do not write off Ohio for the love of God.

Also, Anderson Cooper 360 tossed up that tax chart we love here so much.

Thanks to you I just watched Bay Buchanan spout crazy and lies. I hope you're happy.

Elki

Obama Camp Starts Going After McCain's Sexism Record

HuffPost wrote:

For most of Wednesday, surrogates to Barack Obama counteracted the contrived charge that the Senator had demeaned Sarah Palin in his totally unrelated "lipstick-on-a-pig" comment by criticizing the McCain's camp's tactics and bemoaning the media's complicity in running the story.

By the afternoon, the campaign had settled on a far more aggressive -- and likely effective -- response. Appearing on MSNBC and Fox News, Stephanie Cutter, a spokesperson for the vice president, turned the McCain campaign's charge entirely on its head, arguing that it was the Arizona Republican's sexist statements of his own, his position on equal pay, health care, and the economy to which female voters should take offense.

"I have never heard such a circular argument in my life," said Cutter. "This is a completely fabricated controversy and I have a hard time believing women are offended by this. People use this saying all the time. I have to wonder why John McCain would want to raise something like this. And maybe [former Massachusetts Gov.] Jane Swift [who appeared earlier on MSNBC] doesn't know his record but I wonder where her outrage was when John McCain said he was going to beat Hillary Clinton like a drum. Or participated in an event where one of his participants called Hillary Clinton a bitch. Those are direct comments targeted at somebody's gender. And I didn't hear any outrage then... They are having a false offense on putting lipstick on a pig, when John McCain doesn't even stand for equal pay for women, doesn't stand for children's health insurance, thinks the economy is just going fine when millions of children are going without health care. I mean where is the offense at that?"

Compare Cutter's line to the one offered just minutes earlier by Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, who criticized McCain on process rather than substance.

"This crowd of Republican consultants has been running their campaigns for the last generation have PHD is smear artistry. They are very good at it. They were smearing Sen. Obama's wife a few months ago," the Senator said on a conference call with reporters. "For them to now complain about smearing now is laughable."

Certainly, there are merits to the two counter-attack tactics. Appearing to stand above the fray (as Casey tried to do) keeps the Obama campaign in the good graces of those voters who genuinely have tired of slash-and-burn politics. But Cutter's statement is more along the lines of what Democratic operatives are pining for: shining the spotlight on McCain's record and putting his campaign on the defensive. Clearly, there is material Obama can work with on this front. In addition to the instances cited by Cutter, McCain has told offensive jokes about Chelsea Clinton's appearance and reportedly once called his own wife a "trollop" and a "cunt." If the lipstick comment is still in the news tomorrow, expect more of the Cutter line of response than the one used by Casey.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/10/obama-camp-starts-going-a_n_125466.html

AbsoluteZero

...Sexism? That's an odd thing to go after. Are they trying to win back all the feminists they lost to Sarah Palin, or what?

Couscous

AbsoluteZero wrote: »

...Sexism? That's an odd thing to go after. Are they trying to win back all the feminists they lost to Sarah Palin, or what?

They lost feminists?

Schrodinger

jungleroomx wrote: »

anable wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

I think we should make bio-roads that heal themselves. They live on carbon monoxide emissions and their waste consists of small pods of miniature Halloween candy bars and XBox Live points.

Is a truly open market really possible? I mean, wouldn't it's existence clash with so many other qualities of life we're supposed to hold dear?

Weren't you a huge pro-laissez-faire dude the first time I saw you on these boards?

What happened to that guy?

AbsoluteZero

Couscous wrote: »

AbsoluteZero wrote: »

...Sexism? That's an odd thing to go after. Are they trying to win back all the feminists they lost to Sarah Palin, or what?

They lost feminists?

Facetiously speaking, yes.

Omeks

I need to take a break from this thread.

Things go from really awesome to really shit on what seems like a daily basis. One day I come out of the thread thinking we're going to be just fine, and then on days like today, pessimism drags me down and genuinely worry about a McCain administration.

I wonder when my car magnet will get here. Maybe that'll cheer me up, deckin' my car out in Obama gear...

enlightenedbum

I'm reasonably sure the idea is that independent and Republican women will be offended regardless of the woman on the ticket. Whether it works, I dunno.

Flippy_D

lsukalel

I think people may need to calm down a bit. Things are going to be somewhat static until the debates. Instead of following the polls, we need to follow how the public is perceiving both candidates and what the expectations for the debates are.

Accordingly, because McCain keeps running these ads and is coming close to just bald faced lying and Obama is starting to hit back that perception is in Obama's favor. Also the Palin pick excitement looks to be wearing off in the press.

Expectations I am not sure of.

All in all , we are in much better position than 2004 right now.

Medopine

So I asked before but I went to gym class - is there a place to watch Matthews's show from today that you guys were talking about?

jungleroomx

Schrodinger wrote: »

jungleroomx wrote: »

anable wrote: »

moniker wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the bridge in Minneapolis collapsed due to nobody earmarking funds for its maintenance, repair, and/or replacement. But what would I know about structures.

Nothing obviously. Real infrastructure repair will only happen in a truly open and free market unobstructed by regulation.

I think we should make bio-roads that heal themselves. They live on carbon monoxide emissions and their waste consists of small pods of miniature Halloween candy bars and XBox Live points.

Is a truly open market really possible? I mean, wouldn't it's existence clash with so many other qualities of life we're supposed to hold dear?

Weren't you a huge pro-laissez-faire dude the first time I saw you on these boards?

What happened to that guy?

Oh I'm all about minimal interference. I think my question was more sort of to generate a small debate.

I wasn't really bashing the poster above me, just adding a little aside really. I hope it wasn't misconstrued, and if it was I apologize.

deadonthestreet

Medopine wrote: »

So I asked before but I went to gym class - is there a place to watch Matthews's show from today that you guys were talking about?

It'll be on msnbc.com at some point in the future I believe

jungleroomx

lsukalel wrote: »

I think people may need to calm down a bit. Things are going to be somewhat static until the debates. Instead of following the polls, we need to follow how the public is perceiving both candidates and what the expectations for the debates are.

Accordingly, because McCain keeps running these ads and is coming close to just bald faced lying and Obama is starting to hit back that perception is in Obama's favor. Also the Palin pick excitement looks to be wearing off in the press.

Expectations I am not sure of.

All in all , we are in much better position than 2004 right now.

Palin's pick itself, the novelty of a woman being in high office, will wear on a lot of people who are on board McCain's boat for that reason alone, just like the idea that Obama is black will wear on a lot of people who are on board for Obama just to "make history".

I understand it's an ugly thought, but it's not so far fetched. There will be, of course, those who will vote for or against each candidate for these very things, no matter what.

What I hope for is that the media stops looking for every fucking little thing to stick to the McCain/Palin camp, and something will real teeth sticks. Just like McCain's warcry of sexism will start to wear thin (MSNBC reported that McCain used the "pig on a lipstick" saying twice while referring to the Clinton healthcare package, and his blonde mouthpiece with a strange last name that escapes me claiming in his case, it was completely different and innocent), so will scandal after scandal after scandal eventually turn into smearing and media bias.

I have a feeling the next 30 days will be ugly as all hell.