McCain Worker Gets Off Easy for "Attack Hoax"

Ashley Todd, who was one of one of John McCain's 50 College Republican field representatives, and who tried to play the media --- while at the same time helping John McCain --- for fools, has reached a plea agreement and will be getting off easy.

The original story was that she was robbed and beaten by a 6'4" black male, who also cut a letter B into her face because he was incensed by her John McCain bumper sticker.

Obviously this was all designed to help John McCain, and from the tone of bloggers who wrote about it at first, hurt Barack Obama. Todd didn't count on forensic evidence showing her to be a liar, however (such as the ATM camera footage).

Under the plea bargain agreement announced in court Thursday, Ashley Todd,20, will be released from jail and required to undergo mental health treatment. If she stays out of trouble her record eventually will be expunged.

Getting off way, way too easy, if you ask me, as her actions could have impacted one of the most important elections of our time.

Obama Effigy Found on University of Kentucky Campus

For the second time in little more than a month, an effigy of Barack Obama has been found at a college campus. The first incident took place at George Fox University in Oregon, ironically a Christian campus. George Fox was the founder of the Quakers.

This incident took place at the University of Kentucky (UK). UK spokesman Carl Nathe said the effigy was found Wednesday morning in a highly-traffickeded area between a classroom building and parking garage.

The President of the university, Lee T. Todd Jr., made the following statement:

Unfortunately, this morning an effigy of Senator Barack Obama was discovered hanging in a tree on campus. I am personally offended and deeply embarrassed by this disgusting episode. This is not reasonable political expression; it is just malicious. And it is unacceptable.

On behalf of the University of Kentucky I apologize to Senator Obama and his family. I will personally assure them that this is not who we are as a University or as a state.

At the same time, the university announced a forum to discuss the effigy incident, which was to take place at 7 PM EDT.

Kentucky governor Gov. Steve Beshear said of the effigy incident:

"This was not political speech. It was simply hate."

John Johnson, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights said the following:

"It's astonishing that somebody would do that at this day and time. You would hope that our country has progressed further than that."

With the astounding number of hate crimes, and even neo-Nazis plotting against Obama, I'd say: he's not looking at the same country I am.

Real Voter Fraud: Counterfeit Flier Says Dems Vote Nov. 5th

Now here's some real fraudulent voting activity, for those looking for it. And it's clear, from the flier itself, that it's from GOP supporters. I mean, the Dems certainly wouldn't be telling their own followers to vote on the wrong day, now would they?

The flier pretends to come from Virginia's Board of Elections.

The flier says that:

"Due to a larger than expected voter turnout for this year's Electoral Process. (sic) An emergency session of the General Assembly has adopted the follwing (sic) emergency regulations to ease the load on local electorial (sic) precincts and ensure a fair electorial process."

The flier goes on to say that the GOP and independents supporting GOP candidates will vote on Nov. 4th and the Democrats and independents supporting Democratic candidates on Nov. 5th.

The flier was circulated around several locations in Hampton Roads, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

Hampton Roads, in southeast Virginia near Virginia Beach, is in the 2nd Congressional District, where Democrats are battle to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. Thelma Drake. Drake won re-election two years ago by a margin of just 5,000 votes; the latest poll in the district shows Drake leading by just 5%.

State police are investigating; good luck.

New Ad Hits McCain on His "Bush Economics"

John McCain has admitted that the economy isn't his strong suit, what would be worse for America is if he continued the failed Bush economic policies. And that's just what a new DNC ads points out.

Joe Biden starts things off:

There's not one fundamental economy issue, on which John McCain has challenged George Bush or his policies.

But wait, you'll say, he's a Democrat. Well, what to you hear what McCain's own backers say:

George Stephanopoulos: Sen. Grahm, John McCain is calling for an extension or maybe even an enhancement of the Bush policies.

Phil Grahm (let's not forget he said the economy was just fine and that America was a nation of whiners): Yeah, absolutely.

Liz Cheney: I think on the really important issues that face the country, on issues like the war on terror and the economy, Sen. McCain in fact is advocating those policies that those of us who supported Pres. Bush and the VP believe are the right ones for this issue.

There's more, but let's go to the I loved the part where Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC) fails to offer a single difference between McCain and Bush on the economy. He keeps uh-ing and aw-ing ... and then says "I'm drawing a blank, here."

Sanford finally brings up NAFTA, but Wolf Blizter corrects him, and Sanford admits he was just "bringing up a point," and "what you'd want is consistency with regard to that position."

So, in other words, nothing, no difference.

Considering which administration's eight year policy brought us to the brink of global recession, can we afford --- and I mean our wallets --- to have a continuation of these failed policies? I'd hope the answer is no.

Oh, and for those who will say, "but Congress was controlled by the Democrats," yeah, right. Because of filibusters, 51-49 in the Senate is nothing. And because most, both Democrat and GOP, will vote the party line rather than their own conscience (something many have said the Founders did foresee), an override of a veto is nearly impossible.

Watch the video:

Palin: Some Bombers May Not Be Terrorists

It's interesting. Wouldn't you normally assume that someone who targets someone with a bomb would be called a terrorist? In fact, let's look at Merriam-Webster's definition of a terrorist, or rather, of terror, since their definition of terrorist sadly refers to terror:

Violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands

Well, when someone bombs an abortion clinic, it's because they want to intimidate the staff and clients into granting their demands (no further abortions). Hence, terrorism.

Yet, although Palin and McCain feel it's fair to tie Barack Obama to someone (Bill Ayers) who was, in fact, a domestic terrorist when Obama was 8, she feels that bombing an abortion clinic, despite any death or "terror," would not be terrorism. Let's also not forget that 3,000 academics have recently signed a petition in support of Ayers.

What's really terrifying? The possibility of Palin as VP.

Watch the clip:

McCain Campaign Volunteer Confesses: Lied, Injured Self. An Attempt to Defame Obama?

A McCain campaign worker, Ashley Todd, who claimed she was the victim of a politically-motivated attack in which she was beaten, kicked and cut, now admits that she lied and made the whole story up.

The story was suspicious from the start, with even conservative queen Michelle Malkin questioning it. The original story was that she was robbed and beaten by a 6'4" black male, who also cut a letter B into her face because he was incensed by her John McCain bumper sticker.

Well, as was pointed out by Malkin commenters (and Malkin herself), the whole thing was fishy.

Notice how the “B” is backwards on the right cheek……if you were looking in a mirror and put it on your own face…it would appear backwards and would probably be on your own right cheek (due to most folks are right handed)……she put it on her own face but forgot it would show up backwards.

Except that her own statement said that "the assailant sat on her chest and pinned her hands down with his knees." Was he both dyslexic and neat, so as to get the upside-down "B" crafted so finely? And the fact that the "B" was so neat --- come on!

“I’m a cop - 8th year now - and this McCain supporter attack just didn’t pass the “smell test” as soon as I read about it.

Finally, her Twitter feed was quite calm for someone who had been attacked. As of now, the feed has been removed.

The Post Chronicle reported that ATM video showed conflicting evidence from what Todd said. Ooops. This made the police request a polygraph test.

Faced with all this, Tood recanted her story, but still tried to cover her *ss. According to KDKA:

Todd told investigators today that she "just wanted to tell the truth" – adding that she was neither robbed, nor attacked.

"She indicated that she has prior mental problems and that she does not remember how the backward letter B got on her face," Pittsburgh Police Spokeswoman Diane Richard told reporters today.

Right, right, she doesn't remember. She happens to be one of John McCain's 50 College Republican field representatives. Or at least she was; it appears she may have been removed.

As such, what is the truth behind all this? Was this a "vetted" idea? A county clerk, obviously a GOP support, passed around a flier calling Barack Obama "Black Hitler." Besides the fact that the statement is ludicrous based solely on the fact that if he was such, he'd want to kill himself since he was not Aryan, it's hateful, as is this act.

What will McCain supporters fail to do nowadays? Lie, cheat, more?

Student Dies During Eating Contest

A death during one of those eating contests? Sounds like something you might see on TV. Too be honest, it's been done, on CSI. In that case, the death was accidental, meaning he just ate himself to death. But it was because he had a rare disease, Prader-Willi Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes insatiable hunger in people.

In this case, it wasn't a contest of who could eat the most, but rather, the fastest.

In Taiwan, 23-year-old Chen Chun-sheng was among 60 students who took part in the annual contest. Contestants eat two steamed dumplings each as quickly as possible. You wouldn't think it would be particularly dangerous, but in this case it was.

Reports from various new sources are conflicting. Some say he won managed to chat with other contestants, then ran to the restroom, where he collapsed and was found later. Some say he was on the verge of winning when he vomited, then died.

In either case, the cause of death appears to have been choking due to ingesting too much food too quickly.

Taiwan has cancelled other such eating contests while this is under investigation.

Sarah Palin's Latest Fashion Accessory Supports the Democrats

Maybe this explains the so-called tenseness, seen by some, between Sarah Palin and John McCain. Or maybe it explains why the GOP is so up-in-arms over her $150,000 clothing bill (including clothes for her family, by the way).

Or maybe it's just another example of her ... well, poor judgment is a nice way to put it.

Here she is wearing a Democratic Party scarf, covered with the mascot of the Democrats and the word "Vote."

A picture is worth 1,000 words, so I don't think I need say more. Picture Credit: Jezebel.com (but the unzoomed pic has been around).

Sarah Palin Doesn't Know What Her Job Would Be

Wow, generally when one takes a job they know what they're in for --- meaning, they know what the job will be. Sarah Palin doesn't.

On Monday, Sarah Palin was interviewed by KUSA, an NBC affiliate in Colorado. In response to a question sent to the network by a third grader at a local elementary school about what the Vice President does, Palin erroneously argued that the Vice President is “in charge of the United States Senate“:

Q: Brandon Garcia wants to know, “What does the Vice President do?”

PALIN: That’s something that Piper would ask me, as as second grader also. That's a great question, Brandon. And, a Vice-President has a really great job, because not only are they there to support the President's agenda; they're like the team member, the teammate to that President, but also, they're in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom, and it's a great job, and I look forward to having that job.

Quick, someone get this woman a copy of the Constitution. Or a civics book, even.

Sorry, you don't get in there and create legislation.

Article I of the Constitution defines the Vice-President's role, pretty much nothing, really. He or she gets to vote when the Senate is deadlocked.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.

And, despite being "President of the Senate," the Senate's website explains further the modern role of Vice-Presidents.

During the twentieth century, the role of the vice president has evolved into more of an executive branch position. Now, the vice president is usually seen as an integral part of a president's administration and presides over the Senate only on ceremonial occasions or when a tie-breaking vote may be needed.

and

In practice, the number of times vice presidents have exercised this right has varied greatly. John Adams holds the record at 29 votes, followed closely by John C. Calhoun with 28. Since the 1870s, however, no vice president has cast as many as 10 tie-breaking votes.

Sarah Palin, remember some of your high school civics --- oh, wait, I forgot what a poor student you were --- and you might know exactly what job you will have.

Watch the video:

Jon Stewart to Sarah Palin: "F* You"

Please, Jon, tell us how you really feel about Sarah Palin. Jon Stewart appeared at Northeastern University on October 17th. Obviously he'd been listening to the news that day, as he was pretty upset, understandably, about Palin's comments about portions of the country not being pro-America.

On Thursday night, Palin addressed a North Carolina fund-raiser and said:

"We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe...that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation."

This was picked up be media outlets quickly (as well it should have) and Obama spokesperson Bill Burton said: spokesman Bill Burton asked in an e-mail to reporters, "What part of the country isn't pro-America?"

In Stewart's monologue, he said (though it's hard to make out from the video):

He (McCain) made an interesting vice presidential choice.

I like the woods ... I just don't know if I would pull my vice president out of the woods randomly.

She came out again today. She was talking to a small town, she said that small towns, that's the part of the country she really likes going to because that's the pro-America part of the country.

You know, I just want to say to her, just very quickly ... [expletive] you.

I've never seen someone with a greater disparity between how cute they sound when they're saying something and how terrible what they're saying is.

Don't ya know, Obama, by golly, he just is a terrorist? What? Oh, you know, he just, gosh, kills babies, you know.

I'm so over the idea that only small-town America is the heart and soul. Small-town America is fine, but it's the same as cities. Cities are just a lot of towns piled on top of each other in one place.

They have this whole thing that somehow we can write off entire swaths of the country, that we are somehow ... I get it. You know, New York City wasn't good enough for [expletive] Osama bin Laden, it better be good enough for you.

I can't take it anymore. After eight years of this divisiveness, we're back to this old idea that only small-town America is the real America. That the other parts of America ...

I get it. I'm from New York. We have a lot of gay people. But homosexuals don't have sodomy on top of Russian flags.

Watch the video, but be aware it's hard to hear and there are some expletives:

GOP California Voter Registration Chief Arrested for Fraud

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." The head of a voter registration group hired by the California Republican Party was arrested over the weekend for allegedly lying about his address in the state in order to appear to meet the legal requirement that all signature gatherers be eligible to vote in California.

This as the GOP tries to make a big issue out of ACORN, which, as noted on Bill Moyers Journal by Mark Crispin Miller, is not guilty of voter fraud, but rather, the GOP is:

ACORN itself flagged the suspicious voter registration forms that caused this whole thing to begin in Las Vegas about ten days ago. It brought those forms to the attention of the secretary of state who then turned around and said, "Ah-ha, evidence that you're conspiring to commit voter fraud."

Well, filling out voter registration forms dishonestly to pick up a couple of bucks, which is what the ACORN volunteers had done, is not voter fraud. What ACORN does is it pays people to register others. So naturally there are people who will turn in funny forms because that's the incentive system, that's a way to make a couple of bucks. And that's why ACORN has been quite scrupulous over the years in going through these forms and then turning in the ones that strike them as suspicious.

and:

Miller: The point I'm making to you here, Bill - and this is the most important thing I'm going to say to you tonight - is that this is a pretext being used by a party, okay, that is itself committing election fraud and vote suppression on an enormous scale. In other words, we have a party (the GOP) that is itself engaged in disenfranchising, actively disenfranchising millions of Americans. It is itself complaining about a group that is supposedly planning to do the same thing but that isn't doing that at all.

Moyers: What's the evidence that say the Republican Party is disenfranchising millions of people?

Miller: Well, first of all, all of these voter purges, the caging of voters, as I described before.

As is patently obvious, the lower the voter turnout, particularly among the elderly, the poor, and minorities, the better for the GOP. Here's an example, as Miller noted:

It's really very simple. The Republican Party, in a particular state, will get a list of the names and addresses of Democrats and send them letters that look sort of like junk mail, you know? Often they'll have windows in the envelope, the kind of thing that people are going to be inclined to throw away. And if people don't open those envelopes and take out forms that are in them and fill them out and send them in, their names will be stricken from the voter rolls on that basis. They've also been known to send these kinds of forms to people who are overseas serving in the military. Well, they're not home to check their mail, so if they don't fill out the forms, their names are stricken from the voter roll.

How many of you casually throw out junk mail without looking at it carefully? Note that they do not send such mail to GOP registrants. If anyone is guilty of voter fraud, now and in the past, it is the GOP.

And as Miller also noted, if you are concerned about possible caging and suppression, look into the PBS and YouTube project, Video Your Vote.

Colin Powell to Back Barack Obama

It has been rumored for some time that Colin Powell was considering backing Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential Race. And on Sunday's Meet the Press, he did just that.

At the same time, he criticized the negative attacks on Obama's character, saying the GOP party should be concentrating on what he called "unprecedented challenges."

As early as Sept. 20th Powell gave a hint that he wasn't going to make his choice based on friendship (with John McCain) or Barack Obama's race:

I'm an American, first and foremost, and I'm very proud--I said, I've said, I've said to my beloved friend and colleague John McCain, a friend of 25 years, "John, I love you, but I'm not just going to vote for you on the basis of our affection or friendship." And I've said to Barack Obama, "I admire you. I'll give you all the advice I can. But I'm not going to vote for you just because you're black." We, we have to move beyond this.

But Sunday on Meet the Press, Powell announced who he was backing. Some of his statement follows, emphasis mine:

I have said to Mr. McCain that I admire all he has done. I have some concerns about the direction that the party has taken in recent years. It has moved more to the right than I would like to see it, but that's a choice the party makes. And I've said to Mr. Obama, "You have to pass a test of do you have enough experience, and do you bring the judgment to the table that would give us confidence that you would be a good president."

And I've watched him over the past two years, frankly, and I've had this conversation with him. I have especially watched over the last six of seven weeks as both of them have really taken a final exam with respect to this economic crisis that we are in and coming out of the conventions. And I must say that I've gotten a good measure of both. In the case of Mr. McCain, I found that he was a little unsure as to deal with the economic problems that we were having and almost every day there was a different approach to the problem. And that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had. And I was also concerned at the selection of Governor Palin. She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired; but at the same time, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question in my mind as to the judgment that Senator McCain made.

On the Obama side, I watched Mr. Obama and I watched him during this seven-week period. And he displayed a steadiness, an intellectual curiosity, a depth of knowledge and an approach to looking at problems like this and picking a vice president that, I think, is ready to be president on day one. And also, in not just jumping in and changing every day, but showing intellectual vigor. I think that he has a, a definitive way of doing business that would serve us well. I also believe that on the Republican side over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party and Mr. McCain has become narrower and narrower. Mr. Obama, at the same time, has given us a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people. He's crossing lines--ethnic lines, racial lines, generational lines. He's thinking about all villages have values, all towns have values, not just small towns have values.

And I've also been disappointed, frankly, by some of the approaches that Senator McCain has taken recently, or his campaign ads, on issues that are not really central to the problems that the American people are worried about. This Bill Ayers situation that's been going on for weeks became something of a central point of the campaign. But Mr. McCain says that he's a washed-out terrorist. Well, then, why do we keep talking about him? And why do we have these robocalls going on around the country trying to suggest that, because of this very, very limited relationship that Senator Obama has had with Mr. Ayers, somehow, Mr. Obama is tainted. What they're trying to connect him to is some kind of terrorist feelings. And I think that's inappropriate.

...

I would have difficulty with two more conservative appointments to the Supreme Court, but that's what we'd be looking at in a McCain administration. I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way. And John McCain is as nondiscriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.

So, when I look at all of this and I think back to my Army career, we've got two individuals, either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now? Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities--and we have to take that into account--as well as his substance--he has both style and substance--he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming into the world--onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.

Powell did add that he would not be campaigning for Obama, with only two weeks to go. But he will be voting for Obama. And with the prestige Powell holds among the moderate right, is this the nail in the coffin?

Watch the video:

Palin on SNL: "Way Hotter in Person"

Sarah Palin appeared on NBC's Saturday Night Live on Saturday Night, and despite all the hoopla, it wasn't anything special. I mean, it was funny, but it sure isn't going to reverse the damage of her actual Katie Couric interviews as well as the Tina Fey impersonations of her.

And let's face it: when scripted, she's fine. When she has to think for herself, that's when she sucks.

The show opened with a mock C-SPAN press conference in which Palin's spokesman said that "nothing is off limits," while at the same time requesting press "be cool" and that the press use "no recording devices and don’t write anything down."

Fey then appeared as Palin.

First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be in front of both the liberal elite media as well as the liberal regular media. I am looking forward to a portion of your questions (a reference to her, ahem, practice of answering questions by addressing her own chosen topics).

There were a few quips, but one I liked was in reference to Palin's comment last week about Pro-America places in the U.S.

Reporter: At a rally in North Carolina this week, you said that you like to visit the "Pro-America" parts of the country. Are there parts of the country that you consider un-American?

Fey as Palin: You know, that was just my lame attempt at a joke. But, yes, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, California. But then also, too, you have states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania and Florida, which could be real, real anti-American, or real, real pro-American, it's up to them.

They then switched backstage where the real Palin and producer Lorne Michaels are watching a monitor. Alec Baldwin, who definitely leans left, and who co-stars with Fey on 30 Rock, "mistook" Palin for Fey.

It gave Baldwin a chance to insult Palin to her face. When informed by Michaels he was speaking to Palin herself, he quipped, "Forgive me, but I feel I must say this; you are way hotter in person."

Baldwin then ran up to Fey, at still at the mock press conference, and whispered in her ear. Her reaction:“What? The real one? Bye!” Palin then took her place.

"Now, I’m not gonna take any of your questions but I do wanna take this opportunity to say “Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

Later in the show, Palin appeared during Weekend Update. "Refusing" to do the pre-rehearsed bit, Amy Poehler stood up and did the bit for her, a rap about McCain, Palin, and Alaska.

Here's the intro:

Here's the Weekend Update segment:

Obama Signs Defaced With Swastikas, Stolen

Ever hear of the "Bradley Effect?" Named after Tom Bradley, who lost a California gubernatorial race that polls said he should have won, it refers to an alleged tendency on the part of some voters to tell pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for a black candidate, and yet, on election day, vote for his/her white opponent.

Well, racism is alive and well in this election. Several Barack Obama campaign signs in Albuquerque, NM were spray painted with swastikas. And these were signs on private property, as well, in people's yards.

It's not the only incident around the country. National media hasn't made all that much of it, but local media has. Here's one in NC. Harford County, MD. Sacramento, CA. Glendale, CA.

I am disgusted by this. It just symbolizes hate. It seems my view of the human race is better than it should be. Will the "Bradley Effect" decide this election? It remains to be seen.

Watch a local report:

Palin: Parts of U.S. not "Pro-America"

Perhaps this shows just why Sarah Palin has ties to the Alaska Independence Party, a secessionist movement. She thinks parts of the country are not Pro-American!

To extrapolate further, that would imply she really thinks parts are Anti-America!

The McCain campaign is backpedaling on this, a remark reported from a Sarah Palin fundraiser in North Carolina yesterday in which the Alaska Governor said that she loved to visit the "pro-America" areas of the country. By extrapolation, she implied that there were some parts of the United States that she viewed as not pro-America.

Juliet Eilperin of the Washington Post broke the story yesterday, and has an "extended version" of her speech here, with the following excerpt:

"We believe that the best of America is not all in Washington, D.C. We believe" -- here the audience interrupted Palin with applause and cheers -- "We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard working very patriotic, um, very, um, pro-America areas of this great nation."

I couldn't say it better than this commenter from the Huffington Post:

you know, it really REALLY ticks ME OFF ...when some politician from out of nowhere who no one ever heard of except in her own state ... tells Me I'm NOT Pro America... because i don't follow HER views of it..."

"Joe the Plumber" Admits: Would Receive Obama's Tax Cuts

"Joe the Plumber," who became a national icon based on McCain's attempts to use his as a foil against Obama's Tax Plan, has admitted he would indeed benefit from Obama's tax cuts.

McCain used Joe to claim Obama's tax increases. But that is totally false. Obama's tax hikes apply only when personal income, not the value of the business, rises above $250,000. Where's this information come from? The non-partisan Tax Policy Center.

So, it seems like Joe was lying, perhaps to support McCain. As defined by McCain in stump speeches, his tax plan would cut, cut the taxes of those making $1 million or more by an average of $195,000. CUT!

This income level is where those Wall Street "villains," as they were called by MSNBC on Friday. Is this how they should be treated, tax-wise? No!

Obama's plan cuts taxes (on average) for every group up to those with income above $500,000.

Those making above $1 million would be hit with a tax increase of $227,000.

But let's not forget: those people in those income levels have resources and advisors: they'll leverage every loophole they can. So what if someone making over $500,000 gets a tax increase! They can afford it.

Watch Joe recant:

Racist GOP Mailer Shows Obama Pictured with Watermelon, Fried Chicken, Ribs

Apparently, the local GOP affiliates haven't gotten the message: negative ads turn off voters. Racist propaganda sure isn't going to do any better.

And then they wonder why the poor and minorities won't join them. The ACORN flap, as well as the challenges to voter registration in other states, is not because the GOP really fears fraud. It's because they know the new voters and the disenfranchised and poor will gravitate toward the Democrats.

More on that later.

The October newsletter by the Chaffey Community Republican Women, Federated shows Obama illustrated on "Obama Bucks" -- a fake $10 bill featuring Obama's face on a donkey's body, labeled "United States Food Stamps." It also has the stereotypically racist images of watermelon, ribs and fried chicken.

Back to why they can't get minorities to join their party:

Sheila Raines, an African-American member of the club, was the first person to complain to the group's president, Diane Fedele about the newsletter. Raines said she has worked hard to convince other minorities to join the GOP but that she feels betrayed. She said:

"This is what keeps African-Americans from joining the Republican Party. I'm really hurt. I cried for 45 minutes."

Acquanetta Warren, also a member, and a Fontana councilwoman said:

"When I opened that up and saw it, I said, 'Why did they do this? It doesn't even reflect our principles and values. I know a lot of the ladies in that club and they're fantastic. They're volunteers. They really care -- some of them go to my church."

Yeah, well, you know what? Plenty of racists go to church. Will the Bradley Effect impact the election? Many say it will. We'll just have to wait.

Father of the Internet Endorses Obama Over Net Neutrality

No, I'm not talking about Al Gore. I'm talking about Vint Cerf, the real "father of the Internet." Cert says he is backing Obama because of Obama's stance on net neutrality, which is the question of whether content providers should be charged more for different content by ISPs.

Here's a transcript:

Hi, name is Vint Cerf. I'm Google's chief Internet evangelist and sometimes called the co-founder of the Internet. I want to talk to you today about Net Neutrality.

The concern that some of us have is that broadband access to the Internet in the United States is not very competitive. There are two kinds of providers--the cable companies and the telcos--but often they don't actually compete with each other directly for services to consumers or to businesses that need access to the Net.

The problem with this relatively uncompetitive environment is that those who control the broadband access to the Net may in fact introduce discriminatory practices that interfere either with competitors who are offering value-added services on the Net, or maybe they will interfere with consumers trying to get access to services all around the world who may actually be using those broadband facilities in order to reach the consumer from someplace else.

We believe that the Internet should remain an open environment. It's vital to innovation. Companies like Google, and Yahoo, and eBay, and Amazon, and Skype, and so on, got their start without having to get permission from any ISP or any broadband provider to offer services. They simply acquired access to the Internet, put their services up and then made them available to the general public.

We think that's the best way for the Internet to evolve, and I'm pleased to say that in the upcoming presidential elections, the two candidates have rather different views of this particular matter. Senator Obama in particular sees things the way I do, which is that the Net should remain open, fully accessible and providing access on a nondiscriminatory basis to people who want to offer new services on the network.

While we're talking about this presidential election that's coming up, let me remind every single one of you: register to vote, and then go to the polls on November 4th, or before if you're allowed to do that. You really should vote because it's fundamental to the American democracy.

My name is Vint Cerf; I'm a scientist, and I'm voting for Barack Obama.

Watch the video:

White House Officials Want Palin Dropped: Parker

It's amazing how much real news is revealed on a faux news comedy show like The Colbert Report. Last month Kathleen Parker, conservative columist, blasted Sarah Palin in a column, saying "she's out of her league." She said Palin should drop out.

Naturally, the response was not exactly friendly, with many calling Parker an out-and-out GOP traitor. And interestingly, one of them said her mother should have aborted her and left her in a dumpster. Eh? These are GOP supporters?

Well, it looks like some in the Bush Administration are in the same traitorous boat. Here's what went down on The Colbert Report Monday night:

Colbert: Now, you said that you got emails from people in the White House who secretively –

Parker: Did I say that?

Colbert: Yes, you did. You said you secretly got emails from people in the White House but you wouldn’t name who they were, who said that they agreed with you.

Parker: That’s correct. I got a lot of off-the-record emails. And a lot of phone calls, from people who said, "you're saying what we've been saying."

...

Colbert: You have said that the press is too easy on Sarah Palin because she's a babe.

Parker: You know what, you know what, we're both from South Carolina; do you know what a fantasy it is for those guys, for Bubba, to have a good-looking woman who likes to hunt moose? Come on, this is huge.

He also tricked her somewhat, by asking her who she wouldn't vote for (since she wouldn't say who she would vote for), which led eventually to her saying she didn't like negative campaigning. Then she said, "I see how you're tricking me into answering this question."

Yep, pretty clever. She's voting for Obama, obviously.

Watch the video:

McCain "Put the Country at Risk" with Palin Pick: Former Bush Re-Election Chief Strategist

It is no secret that many, including conservatives, feel that Sarah Palin is uniquely unqualified to be Vice-President, whether it be on economic issues, social issues, or global issues. And now the former chief strategist for Bush's re-election campaign has come out still stronger, saying McCain "put the country at risk" with his pick of Palin.

At Time Warner's two-day 2008 election summit in Manhattan, Matthew Dowd, a prominent political consultant and aforementioned chief strategist for Bush's re-election campaign said the following:

"They didn't let John McCain pick the person he wanted to pick as VP. When Sarah Palin got picked instead of Joe Lieberman, which I fundamentally believed would have given John McCain the best opportunity in this race... as soon as he picked Palin, that whole ready versus not ready argument was not credible."

Obviously, since if anyone's not ready, and needs to be, given McCain's age and health history, it's Palin. He added:

"He knows, in his gut, that he put somebody unqualified on the ballot. He knows that in his gut, and when this race is over that is something he will have to live with... He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that."

When later poked about the temporary energizing of the GOP base, Dowd replied with a statement which is the perfect answer to the following riddle: How is Sarah Palin like Halloween?

"To me it is like Halloween. You get energized by eating all that candy at night but then you feel sick the next day."

Ringo Starr to Fans: No More Mail, Please!

If your next letter to Ringo Starr is postmarked Oct. 20th or later, he's going to trash it. Yep, it's into the wastebasket. I'm not kidding.

In a video on his site, he said:

“This is a serious message to everybody watching my update right now. Peace and love. Peace and love.

I want to tell you please, after the 20th of October please do not send fan mail to any address that you have. Nothing will be signed after the 20th of October. If that is the date on the envelope, it’s gonna be tossed.

I’m warning you with peace and love I have too much to do. So no more fan mail. Thank you, thank you. And no objects to be signed. Nothing. Anyway, peace and love, peace and love."

Someone needs to remind Ringo that without the fans, he's nothing. If it wasn't for the crazy way the world treats athletes, celebrities, and the like, instead of them making millions, the people who really make a difference, like teachers, would be making a decent wage.

And let's face it: he's not the greatest of the Fab Four, now is he?

They're currently having a photo contest at the site, so I'm guessing that at least for now, those won't bounce (although that's a special email address). Perhaps someday.

"Hockey Mom" Palin Booed at Flyers Game

Sarah Palin dropped the puck at Saturday night's Flyers game. She was roundly booed when she stepped onto the ice. Strangely, she chose to bring her 7-year-old daughter, Piper with her. Perhaps she felt she could use Piper as a shield if necessary.

Delaware Online said:

There is no doubt in my mind that that the music was ordered up to help tamp down what could have been an even more embarrassing moment.

Watch the video. Sure, there are cheers later ... when the hockey players emerge. When Palin steps out it's boos, boos, boos. And watch carefully for the blue Obama / Biden signs behind her as she drops the puck.

Wall Street Mayhem: Stock Trader Loses Toupee on Market Floor

Many traders are losing sleep over the financial crisis. Some (and many in the public) are losing their shirts. But it looks like for at least one trader, he's also lost his hair.

Assuming it wasn't a setup, Rick Santelli of CNBC apparently found a toup on the market floor. Anyone who's seen the activity on the floor knows there can be plenty of shoving and mayhem.

Santelli: "In treasuries, it's so bad down her, in some of these markets, guys didn't only lose their shirts, one of my guys lost his toupee."

Erin Burnett: (laughs) "Wow, it has a bad part-line, too."

Better to laugh than to cry, eh?

Accident? Or Deliberate? Absentee Ballots Mailed with "Barack Osama" on Them

The GOP, as part of its negative campaigning, keeps emphasizing Barack Obama's middle name, Hussein, chanting "Barack Hussein Obama" as though that alone would turn him from Christian (which he is) to Muslim (which he is not).

The absentee ballots sent to voters in Rensselaer County in upstate New York identified the two presidential candidates as "Barack Osama" and "John McCain."

Officials from both sides of the aisle characterized it as a simple, innocent typo.

Edward McDonough, the Democratic commissioner said:

"No question this is an honest mistake innocently done. We catch almost everything."

Seeing as how McDonough is a Democrat, I'd be inclined to believe him. On the other hand, Republican Commissioner Larry Bugbee said:

"This was a typo. We have three different staff members who proof these things and somehow the typo got by us."

Wait, three people couldn't find this? Or maybe, what you want to say is, three people saw it and ignored it.

Innocent typo? I suppose, seeing as how "b" and "s" are so close on the keyboard. Oh, wait, they're not, are they?!

While it's possible it could be a mistake, I wonder how it could have slipped through. And I'd also like to know what party the person who typed the ballot up is registered under.

Unable to Win on Issues, McCain Ads Go 100% Negative

As the U.S., nay, world economic crisis clearly affects his poll numbers in a downward direction --- McCain himself, mind you, has said his economic knowledge isn't all it should be --- he has turned to nearly 100% negative campaigning, rather than focusing on the issues.

“The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should,” McCain said months ago. “I’ve got Greenspan’s book.”

Greenspan --- who some put the blame on for the current economic crisis. He has his book. No wonder McCain is avoiding issues.

The Wisconsin Advertising Project (WiscAds), which since 1998, has undertaken "research initiatives to document how candidates, political parties and special interest groups communicate with voters," issued a press release (.PDF) covering ads from the period from Sept. 28-Oct. 4.

During the week of September 28-October 4, nearly 100 percent of the McCain campaign’s advertisements were negative. During the same period, 34 percent of the Obama campaign’s ads were negative.

It has been said that when a politician is out of ideas and is desperate for whatever votes they can muster, they go negative. The more desperate, the more negative. What does this say about McCain?

And, as we reflect on a President none can call a "brain trust," and consider a nominee who cannot operate a computer, consider the words of conservative, yes, conservative David Brooks:

Obama has the great intellect. I was interviewing Obama a couple years ago, and I'm getting nowhere with the interview, it's late in the night, he's on the phone, walking off the Senate floor, he's cranky. Out of the blue I say, 'Ever read a guy named Reinhold Niebuhr?' And he says, 'Yeah.' So i say, 'What did Niebuhr mean to you?' For the next 20 minutes, he gave me a perfect description of Reinhold Niebuhr's thought, which is a very subtle thought process based on the idea that you have to use power while it corrupts you. And I was dazzled, I felt the tingle up my knee as Chris Matthews would say.

And lest you think Obama is a pure intellectual, as some accused John Kerry of being, which inevitably hurt his campaign in terms of the common man, Brooks continues:

And the other thing that does separate Obama from just a pure intellectual: he has tremendous powers of social perception. And this is why he's a politician, not an academic. A couple of years ago, I was writing columns attacking the Republican congress for spending too much money. And I throw in a few sentences attacking the Democrats to make myself feel better. And one morning I get an email from Obama saying, 'David, if you wanna attack us, fine, but you're only throwing in those sentences to make yourself feel better.' And it was a perfect description of what was going through my mind. And everybody who knows Obama all have these stories to tell about his capacity for social perception.

High praise from the opposition. It is clear why McCain has abandoned substantive campaigning for negativity. It appears his own party is jumping ship.

Olbermann Applies the Character Test to McCain, and Finds He Comes Up Short

While Sarah Palin continues (in her folksy way) to contend that Barack Obama palled around with terrorists (when in fact, said "terrorist" was in the Weather Underground when Obama was 8), Keith Olbermann decided to take a closer look at John McCain Wednesday night.

He wanted to apply the "character litmus test" to McCain. And here is what he found.

He reminded viewers of the U.S. Council for World Freedom on whose board John McCain sat for years. And of his fellow board member, Anthony Bouscaren --- a veteran of the Pioneer Fund, a eugenics group researching white superiority. And of another board member, Jay Parker, a registered foreign agent for the apartheid government of South Africa in the late '70s.

Olbermann reminded viewers of one of McCain's endorsers: Leonore Annenberg, widow of philanthropist Walter Annenberg, who created the project on which both Ayers and Obama served. Interesting, no?

He reminded viewers of August 30th, 1993. On that day, McCain attended a fund-raiser for the Oregon Citizens' Alliance, an anti-gay group. As Olbermann said, an Arizona newspaper column previewed the speech with this headline: "Hate Group Finds Friend in McCain."

He reminded viewers of Marilyn Shannon, who praised a local woman who had just shot a doctor less than two weeks earlier. A doctor who was a former Navy flight surgeon, a sonogram pioneer, was shot in both arms because he performed legal abortions. Praised her!

Shannon, called the shooter, as McCain sat there "a fine lady." But that "fine lady" was later jailed for a campaign of bombing women's clinics and the judge who sentenced her said, "Though, I am loathed to call anyone a terrorist, you are a terrorist." What of McCain's ties to Shannon, who obviously admired this "terrorist?"

Well, Shannon was a delegate for John McCain this year.

Here's the full transcript:

OLBERMANN: Why do William Ayers and the Reverend Jeremiah Wright matter? The answer, we are told, has to do with Barack Obama's judgment and character, judgment in choosing to associate with them, judgment in choosing to serve on a board with Ayers, character in choosing not to walk out on Wright's rhetoric.

In our fourth story: What we learn applying this litmus test to John McCain.

We told you last night about the U.S. Council for World Freedom on whose board John McCain sat for years. But while Ayers was a rehabilitated terrorist when Obama served on a board with him, what about McCain's fellow board members in the '80s?

What about fellow board member, Anthony Bouscaren-a veteran of the Pioneer Fund, a eugenics group researching white superiority? Or fellow board member, Jay Parker, a registered foreign agent for the apartheid government of South Africa in the late '70s?

And if board co-membership is so toxic, what about McCain's list of endorsements today, including Leonore Annenberg, widow of philanthropist Walter Annenberg, who created the project on which both Ayers and Obama served?

And what of Obama attending sermons by the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, never mind the fact that the teams of opposition researchers have yet to produce any evidence that Obama witnessed any of Wright's critics of America? If that tells us anything, what does August 30th, 1993 tell us? On that day, McCain attended a fund-raiser for the Oregon Citizens' Alliance. He can't claim he wasn't warned going in 30 protestors picketed him for endorsing the anti-gay group.

Prior to McCain's appearance there, a Republican senator, a colleague of his, Mark Hatfield, warned Senator McCain not to do it. McCain's own staffers called it "The invitation from hell," the Oregonian newspaper reported. An Arizona newspaper column previewed the speech with this headline, quote, "Hate Group Finds Friend in McCain."

And yet, McCain went, sat silently, offered no rebuke during or after the remarks of this woman, Marilyn Shannon, who praised a local woman who had just shot a doctor less than two weeks earlier. A doctor who was a former Navy flight surgeon, a sonogram pioneer, was shot in both arms because he performed legal abortions.

Unlike Ayers, who did not endorse terrorist activities during his meetings with Obama, this woman, Shannon, said of the shooter, as McCain sat there, quote, "She's a fine lady." A judge later sentenced this "fine lady" for a campaign of, yes, bombing women's clinics said, quote, "Though, I am loathed to call anyone a terrorist, you are a terrorist."

And Marilyn Shannon, who defended that terrorist, who later said her praise did not mean she approves of others doing what that terrorist did, as McCain renounced her even, she was a Bush delegate in 2004, seen here with a purple heart bandage, mocking the American combat veteran, John Kerry. This year, last month, she was a delegate for John McCain.

Judgment and character.

Watch the video:

After Bailout, AIG Executives Party

If you haven't been asleep, you know that AIG was recently bailed out by the U.S. government, as part of the ongoing financial crisis. You might think that as they were just bailed out they might consider being frugal with their infusion of cash --- but maybe not.

According to the opening statement by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) during a hearing held Tuesday at the House Oversight Committee, AIG's idea of controlling spending differs from most.

Last month, the taxpayers bought out AIG in an $85 billion bailout. This was a direct result of the mistakes made by Mr. Cassano. Yet even today, he remains on the company payroll, receiving $1 million a month.

The federal bailout occurred on September 16. Less than one week later, AIG held a week-long retreat for company executives at the exclusive St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, California. A photograph of the resort is on display.

Rooms at this resort can cost over $1,000 per night. Invoices provided to the Committee show that AIG paid the resort over $440,000, including nearly $200,000 for rooms, over $150,000 for meals, and $23,000 in spa charges.

Many Americans feel that the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street is rewarding the rich corporate mucky-mucks for their mistakes. If one were to look at the above, would one's mind be changed? Nope, what AIG has done, no matter how they try to position it, is to just re-emphasis to Main Street who's making out like a bandit during this crisis, and who's being robbed.

Poll: Americans' Satisfaction at All-Time Low of 9%

A new Gallup poll finds that just 9% of Americans are “satisfied with the way things are going in the United States." This is the lowest such reading in Gallup Poll history.

The previous record low had been 12%, recorded back in 1979, in the midst of rising prices and gas shortages when Jimmy Carter was president. Meanwhile, there have been several times earlier this year when the level was 14%.

Unsurprisingly, the top issue affecting the outlook of respondents is the economy, at 69%. 11% are dissatisfied with the war in Iraq, and 9% with the government, including poor leadership / corruption / abuse of power.

According to the poll:

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,011 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Oct. 3-5, 2008. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

Peggy Noonan to Palin: "Suck it Up"

It's not good when your side of the aisle says you're too soft on issues.

Remember Peggy Noonan's initial response to Sarah Palin? She said, "it's over," meaning the election. Obviously, she hasn't softened her stance on Palin.

Today on The Laura Ingraham Show, Wall Street Journal columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan criticized Gov. Sarah Palin’s trend toward cutesiness while the nation --- and world, for that matter --- is experiencing a major financial crisis:

INGRAHAM: I know you've had some words about Sarah Palin on television and in print. What do you make of Sarah Palin.

NOONAN: I don't like the populist stuff she's doing. I do not like the "I am Joe Six-Pack" stuff.

INGRAHAM: Why?

NOONAN: Because she is running for vice-president of the United States. She's running to be a co-leader, a second leader for all of us.

INGRAHAM: You know what she's saying. She’s saying to people out there who don’t feel like they’re connected to this political culture, “I’m hearing you, I know how you live; I know what your values are; I’m hearing you.” I think that’s what she trying to say. And it's not maybe the way you'd say it, but I think that's what she's trying to say.

NOONAN: Oh, I think they both ought to get more serious. Our country is facing huge challenges. Suck it up and be serious. And don’t be doing this cute colloquial stuff. It doesn’t sit right with me. And it doesn’t seem fitting. It doesn't seem as serious to me as conservatism is. And I don't mean somber. But I mean textured and realistic, and pertinent.

INGRAHAM: Why do you think people seem to like it a lot, on the right?

NOONAN: I think the base likes it a lot. The base is inclined to like Palin for a number of reasons. One is she's a young woman who's a conservative. That's exciting. Another is that she was brutalized by the press in the first few days after she was chosen. She’s a spirited person, I get all that, but I would like her to be more serious.

Many people have expressed the opinion that Palin tends to fall back on her cutesiness, or folksiness, when in a bind.

Listen to the clip:

Fey Skewers Palin's Debate Folksiness

Tina Fey has skewered Sarah Palin a few times already, and one of the problems (for Palin) with the skits are that they are uncannily right on, right down to using Palin's exact words as part of the comedy skit. If that doesn't tell you what a brain trust she is, what will?

On this weeks Saturday Night Live, Tina Fey returned to reprise her role, with Queen Latifah playing moderator Gwen Ifill and SNL cast member Jason Sudeikis portraying Joe Biden.

This time they lampooned Palin's folksy, empty rhetoric. A recent Newsweek story reminds us that "governing requires knowledge, not mindless populism."

Highlights:

LATIFAH AS IFILL: ... we would like to remind our audience that due to the historically low expectations for Governor Palin, were she simply to do an adequate job tonight, and at no point cry, faint, run out of the building or vomit you should consider the debate a tie. Alright, let's begin. Senator Biden, how, as Vice President would you work to shrink the gap of polarization that has sprung up in Washington?

...

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "Governor Palin. How will your administration deal with the current financial crisis?"

FEY AS PALIN: "Well first of all, let me say how nice it is to meet Joe Biden. And may I say, up close your hair plugs don't look nearly as bad as everyone says. You know, John McCain and I, we're a couple of mavericks. And gosh darnit, we're gonna take that maverick energy right to Washington and we're gonna use it to fix this financial crisis and everything else that's plaguin' this great country of ours."

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "How will you solve the financial crisis by being a maverick?"

FEY AS PALIN: "You know we're gonna take every aspect of the crisis and look at it and then we're gonna ask ourselves, 'what would a maverick do in this situation?' And then, you know, we'll do that." (SHE winks.)

...

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "Senator Palin. Address your position on global warming and whether you think it's man-made or not."

FEY AS PALIN: "Gwen, we don't know if this climate change hoozie-what's-it is man-made or if it's just a natural part of the 'End of Days.' But I'm not gonna talk about that I would like to talk about taxes, because with Barack Obama, you're gonna be paying higher taxes. But not with me and my fellow maverick. We are not afraid to get maverick-y in there and ruffle feathers and not got to allow that. And also, too, the great Ronald Reagan."

...

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "Governor Palin. Would you extend same-sex rights to the entire country?"

FEY AS PALIN: "You know I would be afraid of where that would lead. I believe marriage is meant to be a sacred institution between two unwilling teenagers. But don't think I don't tolerate gay people. Because I do. I tolerate them with all my heart. And I know quite a few too. Not personally. But I know of them. I've seen 'Ellen.' Oh, and there was this one girl on my college basketball team. She wasn't officially 'a gay,' but, you know, we were pretty sure."

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "Governor Palin, what is your position on Healthcare regulation?"

FEY AS PALIN: "I'm gonna ignore that question and instead talk about Israel. I love Israel so much. Bless its heart. There's a special place for Israel in heaven. And I know some people are going to say I'm only saying that to pander to Florida voters, but from a very young age, my two greatest loves were always Jews and Cuban food."

LATIFAH AS IFILL: "I would now like to give each of you a chance to make a closing statement."

FEY AS PALIN: : (holding flute): Oh, are we not doing the talent portion?

(FEY AS PALIN plays flute, winks)

(LATIFAH AS IFILL stares)

FEY AS PALIN: "I liked being here tonight answering these tough questions without the filter of the mainstream gotcha media with their 'follow-up questions,' 'fact-checking' or 'incessant need to figure out what your words mean and why ya put them in that order.' I'm happy to be speaking directly to the American people to let them know if you want an outsider who doesn't like politics as usual or pronouncin' the "g" and the end of words she's sayin' I think you know who to vote for. Oh, and for those Joe Six-packs out there playing a drinking game at home -- Maverick."

Watch the whole skit:

Middle-School Teacher Uses N-Word to Describe Obama to Students

You'll remember, I assume, the recent racist events surrounding this year's presidential campaign. Most recently, Barack Obama was hung in effigy at a Christian university (how Christian of them). Earlier, racist Obama Waffles at this year's Family Values Conference (how family-minded). Now, a Florida teacher has not only abused his position by speaking about political matters at a middle school, he also used the N-word to refer to Obama.

The 7th grade teacher, Greg Howard, asked his students what "change" stood for in relation to Obama. He spelled out the word as follows:

C - Come
H - Help
A - a
N - N*gger
G - Get
E - Elected

The school suspended Howard without pay for 10 days and removed him from his position at the school. However, according to school officials, he has not been fired --- as he should be --- he was instead transferred to Jackson Country Adult Education where he continues to teach.

As I said, this person should be fired, period. If you wish to register your opinion, you can call the following people:

Daniel G. Sims, Superintendent of Schools - 850-482-1200 ext. 210
Larry Moore, Deputy Superintendent - 850-482-1200 ext. 209
Hue Reynolds, Interim Director, Office of Communications and Public Affairs, Florida Department of Eduction - (850) 245-0413, Hue.Reynolds@fldoe.org

Watch a video report:

Seven-Year-Old Developing Sociopath Breaks Into Australian Zoo, Feeds Live Animals to Crocodile

A seven-year-old boy broke into the Alice Springs Reptile Center in central Australia by jumping the fence, and then proceeded to feed both live --- and dead animals --- to a crocodile. Apparently the boy's small size prevented the zoo's security system from detecting him. He was, however, caught on camera.

The unidentified boy went on a 30-minute "rampage," killing three lizards by bashing them to death with a rock, including the zoo's beloved, 20-year-old goanna, which he then fed to "Terry," an 11-foot, 440-pound saltwater crocodile.

Additionally, cameras showed him throwing live animals over the fence to the croc, once going so far as to climb over the outer fence of the croc exhibit to get closer to "Terry."

Unfortunately children under 10 are not liable for criminal offenses in the Northern Territory. So this potential sociopath is going to get off scott-free. But, perhaps not his parents.

In a statement to the Times Online, zoo’s director Rex Neindorf said:

"It's absolutely devastating for us, we're just horrified. The goanna was 20 years old, she was an absolute doll. He was lucky because if he got in there with the goanna, she would have torn him to pieces.

I thought for the sheer consequences of what he did that there would have to be some severe punishment, but he’s only seven, they can’t do anything to kids under 10. We're going to see what we can do, maybe try and sue the family in the civil court, we'll look down that avenue."

It's clear there's definitely something wrong with the family. Why? Five years ago this kid's elder brother was part of a group who attacked "Terry."

Psychologically speaking (my wife is a psychologist, so this is expert opinion), this child is a potential sociopath, meaning he will be without conscience. Children that young can't officially be diagnosed, but it is well known that serial killers often start "practicing" with animals when they are young.

Students Confess to Hanging Obama in Effigy

Administrators at George Fox University in Oregon (which is ironically, both a Christian university and named for the founder of the Quakers) announced that they have punished four students who confessed to hanging Barack Obama in effigy from a tree on the campus.

A sign reading "Act Six reject" was taped to the effigy, as you may recall. Act Six is a scholarship program run by the college granted to 10 student leaders from urban Portland. According to the statement, most of those in the program are ethnic minorities.

In a statement, the school said:

Act Six — a leadership and scholarship initiative designed to bring students from diverse communities to campus — was one effort toward this end. Another effort is our “Blueprint for Diversity,” which includes not only enrolling a racially and ethnically diverse student body, but also cultivating staff and faculty who are persons of color. As part of this plan, every staff and faculty member participates in diversity training. We want the world to know that we take diversity and racial reconciliation very seriously and that this abhorrent act that was senselessly carried out by a few students does not in any way reflect the commitments and beliefs of this institution. There is no excuse for this behavior.

The university took immediate action once the students were identified. After an internal judicial process, there were several disciplinary measures taken — up to and including immediate long-term suspension from the university. Investigations are still ongoing by federal law enforcement to determine if any federal civil rights laws have been broken. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the university from making further comments as to the identities of the students, their involvement in the incident, or the specific sanctions against them.

Long-term suspension? That's letting 'em off too easy. Expulsion should have been the punishment, and even that would be going too easy on these racists. Naturally, there was no comment in the university's statement as to the students' motives, but that should be self-evident.

McCain Says He's Turned to Palin for Foreign Policy Advice "Many Times in the Past"

Well, here's a case of extreme exaggeration at its best, and out-and-out lying at its worst. Wednesday morning on NPR, while discussing the financial crisis, talk (naturally) turned to his running mate, Sarah Palin. When questioned about her knowledge of foreign policy ... well, here's the transcript:

Given what you've said, senator, is there an occasion where you could imagine turning to Gov. Palin for advice in a foreign policy crisis?

I've turned to her advice many times in the past. I can't imagine turning to Sen. Obama or Sen. Biden, because they've been wrong. They were wrong about Iraq, they were wrong about Russia. Sen. Biden wanted to divide Iraq into three different countries. He voted against the first Gulf War. Sen. Obama has no experience whatsoever and has been wrong in the issues that he's been involved in.

So, remembering what we already know: that John McCain met Sarah Palin only six months before announcing her as his running mate in August of this year. That means that over the past seven months he's turned to her "several times." Please, give us more credit than that.

As far as being wrong on the Iraq War, let's not forget McCain's own gaffes on the issue:

“Because I know that as successful as I believe we will be, and I believe that the success will be fairly easy, we will still lose some American young men or women.” [Larry King Live, 9/24/02] Yeah, it's been easy, all right.

“But the point is that, one, we will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” [MSNBC, 1/22/03]

At any rate, let's not forget where Palin's experience comes from. That's right, it's because Russia is relatively close to Alaska. You can listen to the interview here. The Palin comment is 4:50 into the interview.

BTW, it's also interesting that he mentions a couple of governors as good President, but not one recent one whose last name starts with B.

Palin Knows No Supreme Court Decisions Besides Roe v. Wade

You may recall that White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was stumped when it came to the Cuban Missile Crisis. It could be noted that that event happened a pretty long time ago. However, the Supreme Court makes important decisions all the time; not every day, but frequently.

According to Politico, part of the Sarah Palin / Katie Couric interview that has not been aired is pretty embarrassing. It makes one wonder if Palin reads the paper at all.

It seems that Couric asked Palin to discuss some Supreme Court decisions. After the obvious Roe v. Wade decision, she could not name any others.

There was no verbal fumbling with this particular question as there was with some others, the aide said, but rather silence.

Shoot, anyone who's paying attention should remember at least one! And particularly a hunter, as she purports to be. I'm referring to the recent gun ownership decision (that just happened in June!).

I guess the biggest question now is why CBS hasn't aired this footage.