McCain's $520 loafers put 'elitist' shoe on the other foot

Normallly presidential campaign season finds Republicans accusing Democrats of being out-of-touch elitists -- but this time it seems the shoe may be on the other foot.

Huffington Post blogger Isabel Wilkinson reported on Wednesday that Senenator John McCain "has worn a pair of $520 black leather Ferragamo shoes on every recent campaign stop — from a news conference with the Dalai Lama to a supermarket visit in Bethlehem, PA."

Sheesh! And to think I felt guilty spending $65 on a new pair of Dockers!

Joe Lieberman Threatened With Scary Rat Balloon

An angry Connecticut Democrat says that he will rent a very large floating rat and display it outside the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul if Joe Lieberman decides to attend the Republican National Convention, which he hasn’t been invited to. This angry guy, Ed Anderson, says he is “ready to apply for permits” and everything, which is tantamount to imminent violence.

Anderson helped start the Web site DumpJoe.com, so he has apparently not liked Joe Lieberman for quite some time — just like the rest of America. This gentleman will now rent a rat like the unions use to shame picket-line crossers, and when Joe Lieberman goes to the Republican convention he will look up in the sky and say, “Oh look, they made a parade for me.”

I love it!

McCain Spokesman: John McCain Doesn’t Know What He’s Talking About On Social Security

On Sunday, ABC’s George Stephanopoilos asked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) about his plans to fix Social Security. McCain said repeatedly that “everything has to be on the table” regarding possible reforms — including a payroll tax increase:

STEPHANOPOULOS: So, that means payroll tax increases are on the table, as well?

MCCAIN: There is nothing that’s off the table.

The comments drew a “sharp rebuke” from the Club for Growth, who wrote McCain a letter calling the comments “shocking because you have been adamant in your opposition to raising taxes under any circumstances.” In fact, just last year McCain explicitly told the National Review that he refused to consider any sort of tax increase. He also told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, “No new taxes.”

Trying to stymie the conservative blow-back over his boss’s recent comments, McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds insisted to Fox News this morning that the senator hadn’t really been speaking for the campaign. When Fox host Megyn Kelly insisted Bounds stop “waffling” and answer whether a tax increase was “on the table,” Bounds replied, “No”:

KELLY: Might the Social Security tax go up? Is that on the table?

BOUNDS: No, Megyn, there is no imaginable circumstance where John McCain would raise payroll taxes. It’s absolutely out of the question.

This is absolutely hilarious!

Democrats Call for Contempt Charges Against Rove

Democrats on both sides of the Capitol assailed the administration’s handling of the Justice Department yet again on Wednesday, and a House committee recommended contempt charges against Karl Rove, who was President Bush’s top political adviser.

The House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines, 20 to 14, to cite Mr. Rove for defying its subpoena to testify in an inquiry into improper political meddling in the department.

“Mr. Rove has left us no option,” said Representative John Conyers, the Michigan Democrat who is chairman of the committee. Mr. Conyers expressed regret that the committee had been forced to use its subpoena power.

“Today’s vote was an important statement by this Committee that no person — not even Karl Rove — is above the law,” Mr. Conyers said.

Now, what will the full house do? If it passes there, will it be enforced?

Of course not...

Yes We Kaine?

If Hillary Clinton voters stay home this fall, will they blame it on the Kaine? Blogland is abuzz with rumors that Tim Kaine, the governor of Virginia, is on Barack Obama’s short list of possible running mates. Tom Watson (the liberal blogger, not the golfer) thinks his blogging colleagues might want to start a “Kaine Mutiny.” Watson writes:

I just saw Fineman say that the short list is Biden, Bayh, and Kaine.

If I were a betting man, my money would be on Kaine.

Obama says he'll order review of executive orders

Barack Obama told House Democrats on Tuesday that as president he would order his attorney general to scour White House executive orders and expunge any that "trample on liberty," several lawmakers said.

Presidents, as head of the executive branch of government, issue such orders to direct operations of executive branch agencies, like the Justice Department and the CIA. For example, President Bush used an executive order last year to breathe new life into the CIA's controversial terror interrogation program that allowed harsh questioning of suspects.

Obama "talked about how his attorney general is to review every executive order and immediately eliminate those that trample on liberty," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.

"He indicated there would be a review in his administration," said Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., the House majority whip.

Good. I think executive orders are unconstitutional to begin with; maybe his AG should look into that.

Grand jury indicts Alaska senator

Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska was indicted Tuesday on charges he lied about receiving gifts worth more than $250,000 from an Alaska-based energy company on whose behalf he intervened in Washington.

In a 28-page indictment from a federal grand jury, Stevens was charged with seven counts of making false statements on his Senate financial disclosure forms.

Stevens has not yet commented on the indictment.

It charges that Stevens "knowingly and willfully engaged in a scheme to conceal ... his continuing receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of things of value" by failing to report them on his annual financial disclosure forms.

Ha! Mr. Bridge-To-Nowhere...

U.S. Headed For 'Heightened Alert' Stage

Security experts point to next month's Olympics as evidence that high-profile events attract threats of terrorism, like the one issued this past weekend by a Chinese Muslim minority group that warned of its intent to attack the Games.

Anti-terror officials in the U.S. cite this summer and fall's lineup of two major political parties' conventions, November's general election and months of transition into a new presidential administration as cause for heightened awareness and action.

This is what the Department of Homeland Security is quietly declaring a Period of Heightened Alert, or POHA, a time frame when terrorists may have more incentive to attack.

Boo! Now will you vote for McCain?

Another John McCain Gaffe

There is one more John McCain gaffe that the media missed from the now famous CBS interview with Katie Couric.

This is the same interview in which McCain claimed the surge led to the Anbar Awakening, which is demonstrably false. But watch below for another gaffe when McCain says Iraq was the first major conflict after 9/11.

This guy looks like an amateur in compared to Obama.

Prof whose 'last lecture' became a sensation dies

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, died Friday. He was 47.

Pausch died at his home in Chesapeake, Va., said Jeffrey Zaslow, a Wall Street Journal writer who co-wrote Pausch's book. Pausch and his family had moved there last fall to be closer to his wife's relatives.

Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007 garnered international attention and was viewed by millions on the Internet.

This man was truly inspiring. If you haven't seen his famous "last" speech, you should watch it now.

Novak Cited For Hit And Run

Bono said that the pedestrian, who was crossing the street on a "Walk" signal and was in the crosswalk, rolled off the windshield and that Novak then made a right into the service lane of K Street. “This car is speeding away. What’s going through my mind is, you just can’t hit a pedestrian and drive away,” Bono said.

He said he chased Novak half a block down K Street, finally caught up with him and then put his bike in front of the car to block it and called 911. Traffic immediately backed up, horns blaring, until commuters behind Novak backed up so he could pull over.

What an Asshole...but we already knew that!

CBS violates its own Standards and Practice by altering transcript and video of McCain interview

CBS news had a huge scoop Tuesday night on John McCain, because he falsely claimed that the surge was responsible for the “Sunni Awakening in Anbar.” That is FALSE. The Sunnis changed positions before the surge was ever discussed so—McCain once again makes a major mistake on the one issue his campaign is running on—The Iraq war.

However, CBS probably violated its own rules (Standards and Practice) by altering the video of Katie Couric’s interview with McCain that left out his major blunder on this issue and then broadcast it on our airwaves. CBS should not paste together separate answers from different questions to make it appear like an answer was fluid. It was completely taken out of context. I understand that a fair amount of editing has to be done, but what they did failed to meet the legitimacy test.

Saw this on last night's Olberman. Will McCain continue to complain about unfair media coverage?

During a segment on education, Fox News misspells the word ‘education.’

During a segment this weekend, Fox News’ Brett Baier said that “the high price of gas may be costing your kids some of their education. We’ll explain here.” At the same time, though, the word education was misspelled on-screen as “eductaion.” Watch it:

LOL!

U.S. general warns against Russian bombers in Cuba

A top U.S. Air Force officer warned on Tuesday that Russia would be crossing "a red line" if it were to use Cuba as a refueling base for nuclear-capable bombers.

Gen. Norton Schwartz, whose nomination to become the Air Force's top military officer is being considered by the Senate, was asked at his confirmation hearing how he would advise U.S. policymakers if Russia were to proceed with such a plan.

Russia's Izvestia newspaper this week quoted a "highly placed source" as saying Russia could land Tu-160 supersonic bombers nicknamed "White Swans" in Cuba as a response to a planned U.S. missile defense shield in Europe, which Moscow opposes.

This military-industrial complex is jumping for joy

Rice limits embassies' aid for candidates

n a cable sent late Thursday on the eve of Mr. Obama's swing through the Middle East and Europe, Miss Rice told U.S. diplomats to treat the candidates as "members of Congress visiting in personal or semi-personal capacities," but "with additional restrictions based on rules related to political activity."

...

Mr. McCain, Arizona Republican, traveled to Europe and the Middle East more than four months earlier than Mr. Obama, but the State Department did not issue special instructions for overseas missions because during that trip he led an official congressional delegation, officials said.

This is shameful!

It's time for campaigning!

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Fitzgerald says Rove was trying to fire him during CIA leak probe

In a supplement to his responses to the House Judiciary Committee, Patrick Fitzgerald confirms what we've always suspected: Karl Rove was trying to have Patrick Fitzgerald fired while Fitzgerald was still investigating Rove for his role in leaking Valerie Wilson's identity--and the timing lines up perfectly with the Administration's efforts to fire a bunch of US Attorneys.

Remember back in June, when Fitzgerald publicly suggested he had more details to share with Congress about Rove's efforts to get him fired?

Wow, I'm shocked...

According to Jane Mayer, the United States has succeeded in creating an American gulag

With the appearance of this very fine book, Hillary Clinton can claim a belated vindication of sorts: A right-wing conspiracy does indeed exist, although she misapprehended its scope and nature. The conspiracy is not vast and does not consist of Clinton-haters. It is small, secretive and made up chiefly of lawyers contemptuous of the Constitution and the rule of law.

In The Dark Side, Jane Mayer, a staff writer for the New Yorker, documents some of the ugliest allegations of wrongdoing charged against the Bush administration. Her achievement lies less in bringing new revelations to light than in weaving into a comprehensive narrative a story revealed elsewhere in bits and pieces. Recast as a series of indictments, the story Mayer tells goes like this: Since embarking upon its global war on terror, the United States has blatantly disregarded the Geneva Conventions. It has imprisoned suspects, including U.S. citizens, without charge, holding them indefinitely and denying them due process. It has created an American gulag in which thousands of detainees, including many innocent of any wrongdoing, have been subjected to ritual abuse and humiliation. It has delivered suspected terrorists into the hands of foreign torturers.

Sounds like an interesting book.

Across the aisle, a ballad to Kennedy

Senator Orrin Hatch, the conservative Utah Republican, has written hundreds of songs on patriotic themes - with such titles as "Freedom's Light" and "I Love Old Glory" - as a way of paying tribute to his country.

But his latest trip down Tin Pan Alley had an even more personal resonance: Hatch said he was asked by several colleagues to put down his feelings about a very close friend who is facing a serious illness. The friend is the legendary liberal Ted Kennedy, and the colleagues are Democrats who envision having the song played as a tribute to Kennedy at next month's Democratic convention - and as a living example of a brotherhood that transcends party lines.

The result, "Headed Home," is a lilting ballad that even its author can't repeat without tearing up. The lyrics, he said, refer to Kennedy's heroic return to the Senate where Kennedy has served for almost 46 years and Hatch for 32.

This is touching. I hope they do play it at the convention.

McCain Ape Rape Joke Recalled By Sources

The story, which was reprised on the blog Rum, Romanism and Rebellion before being blasted out by Think Progress, goes like this: In an appearance before the National League of Cities and Towns in Washington D.C., McCain supposedly asked the crowd if they had heard "the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die?"

The punch line: "When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, "Where is that marvelous ape?"

W.T.F.????

At press conference on economy, Bush takes chance to blame Democrats

"I don't think the government ought to be involved in bailing out companies," Bush said.

Amid soaring gas prices, the toughest real estate market in decades, falling home prices and financing that's harder to come by, Bush said: "It's been a difficult time for many American families."

But he also said that the nation's economy continues to grow, if slowly.

Bush said that despite the woes of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the recent government takeover of California bank IndyMac, U.S. depositors should not worry because their deposits are insured by the government up to $100,000

"If you're a depositor, you're protected by the federal government," Bush said.

Huh???

Political Billboard Showing 9/11 Tragedy Creates Controversy

A controversial billboard in Orange County has a picture of the burning World Trade Center and the message, "Please Don't Vote for a Democrat." The man who paid for the ad says he's trying to help Republicans, but officials with both political parties are calling the billboard inappropriate.

Disgusting!

Anti-gay Republican caught being gay. Gay Old Party exposed again

This may come as a shock, but a prominent anti-homosexual Republican attorney general has apparently been caught having homosexual sex intercourse with his homosexual gay male assistant. Bonus: The dude’s wife caught him, in their bed. This is the rumor that the AG’s office has officially denied, so now of course everybody is spilling the sordid details.

AG in question is Troy King, who, of course, is only interested in outlawing homosexuality and sex toys. His gay lover is either a college “buddy,” or a very young youngster and “Homecoming King” from Troy University. What are the odds of a dude named Troy King getting caught in bed with a Homecoming King from Troy University? This seems like a wacky sitcom plot, on a gay porn channel. (Is this what that Will & Grace was about?)

Ha!

Wisconsin law: Gay couples can be imprisoned, fined $10,000

Can a marriage certificate also serve as an arrest warrant?

California, the second state to recognize same-sex couples' right to civil marriage, became the first to extend that right to couples residing outside the state when its landmark Supreme Court ruling took effect in mid June. Most out-of-state couples, with the exception of those residing in Massachusetts and New York, know that their marriages will not be recognized when they return home.

For couples in Wisconsin, however, second-class citizenship may simply be the appetizer to the main course: Jail time.

In addition to an amendment voted into Wisconsin's constitution in 2006 barring recognition of same-sex marriages, a law on the books prohibits its residents from leaving the state to enter a marriage that would not be legally recognized when they return.

This is ridiculous!

Rove refuses subpoena, leaves country

Update: Conyers gives Rove 5 days to comply before pursuing 'all available options'

Former White House adviser Karl Rove has ignored a subpoena from congressional Democrats to testify about allegations of political pressure at the Justice Department and his alleged role in the prosecution of a former governor of Alabama.

A House subcommittee voted 7-1 Thursday to reject Rove's claim that executive privilege freed him from an obligation to testify, leaving open the possibility the Republican political guru will be held in contempt.

During the hearing, Rep. Chris Cannon (R-UT) revealed that Rove was out of the country. According to the liberal blog ThinkProgress, Rove's lawyer's confirmed that Rove was out of the country on a trip scheduled long before the subpoena was sent.

Karl Rove failed to appear before the House Judiciary subcommittee. His lawyer revealed that he was out of the country.

They should lock him up...Of course, they won't.

McCain makes another Iran joke -- about 'killing them' with cigarettes

Earlier in the campaign, Republican presidential contender John McCain drew lots of critical attention for jokingly singing "bomb bomb bomb ... bomb bomb Iran" (to the tune of Barbara Ann) during a townhall meeting.

Yesterday, he made another joke about Iran that's getting attention.

Asked about a report that the biggest U.S. export to Iran is cigarettes, McCain said, "that's a way of killing them." He quickly added "I meant that as a joke." The Associated Press says the candidate's wife Cindy poked him in the back as he made the wisecrack.

Haha...wait, that wasn't funny...

Analysis: McCain looking to fix mojo problems

I had to do it...

He quit rather than lower flag for Helms

L.F. Eason III gave up the only job he'd ever had rather than lower a flag to honor former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

Eason, a 29-year veteran of the state Department of Agriculture, instructed his staff at a small Raleigh lab not to fly the U.S. or North Carolina flags at half-staff Monday, as called for in a directive to all state agencies by Gov. Mike Easley.

Wow, that's principled!

America Rules England Sucks

A bit late, but still worth it!


America Rules England Sucks - Watch more free videos

Former Clinton flack joins Rove at Fox News

Howard Wolfson, who since last year had spent his days undercutting Barack Obama as Hillary Clinton's communications director, will start this week as a political analyst for the Fox News network, according to several reports.

Wolfson told the New York Times that Fox's coverage of the Democratic primary was "fair and evenhanded." Much of the Clinton campaign came to favor Fox toward the end of the campaign in the face of what they saw as a pro-Obama bent from the rest of the networks. (For example, unlike, say, CNN or MSNBC, Fox gleefully spread the rumor that Obama was educated in a Madrassa, referred to his fist bump as a "terrorist fist jab," implied his wife was an unwed mother and hosted a guest who joked about killing Obama.)

Why am I not surprised???

Obama to accept nomination at football stadium

In a break with tradition, Barack Obama will accept the Democratic presidential nomination at Invesco Field at Mile High, a 76,000-seat stadium, rather than at the site of the party's national convention across town.

Democratic Party officials said the decision to move Obama's speech on the final night of the Aug. 24-28 convention to the giant open-air football field of the Denver Broncos was a natural extension of the Illinois senator's efforts to open up the political process.

In a conference call with reporters, DNC Chairman Howard Dean said he was "delighted" about the change in venue for the convention speech. He batted away questions about logistical challenges and added costs the change would produce, saying those things would be worked out in the coming weeks.

"This is very much in keeping with Senator Obama's philosophy and, I might add, my philosophy as well," Dean said of moving the speech. "I think it's very fitting, especially the way Sen. Obama got here with his enourmous grassroots operation."

This is awesome!

Growing parade of conservatives backing Obama

An increasing number of disaffected Republicans fed up with what they see as President Bush's broken promises and unimpressed with John McCain say they may be switching teams in November to vote for Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

Among the reformed righties now hoping for an Obama victory are free-market economist David Friedman, former Reagan aide Douglas Kmiec, Contract With America co-author Larry Hunter and Susan Eisenhower, granddaughter of the former president.

I smell a landslide...

Google must divulge YouTube log

Google must divulge the viewing habits of every user who has ever watched any video on YouTube, a US court has ruled.

The ruling comes as part of Google's legal battle with Viacom over allegations of copyright infringement.

Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) called the ruling a "set-back to privacy rights".

The viewing log, which will be handed to Viacom, contains the log-in ID of users, the computer IP address (online identifier) and video clip details.

While the legal battle between the two firms is being contested in the US, it is thought the ruling will apply to YouTube users and their viewing habits everywhere.

This is insane! DO we have ANY expectation of privacy anymore???

Can You Believe This Shit????

No, it's not a spoof!

Obama Met Privately With Powell At His Office

The blogosphere is abuzz with speculation that Powell could back the Democrat, a sign of his disaffection with the Republican Party and the Bush administration. The nod could, of course, also carry weight with voters concerned about Obama's lack of foreign policy experience. In poll after poll, the only consistent question in which McCain bests Obama is on the matter of who is best able to handle national security issues. A Powell endorsement of Obama would certainly be a blow to the Arizona senator's chief selling point -- that he is better prepared to be commander in chief.

Tis would do a lot to redeem Powell in my mind.