We just learned that the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee had a $20 million cash advantage on October 15th. That means we can expect to see a fierce blitz of negativity in the final days -- so-called "robocalls," mail pieces, and TV ads filled with smears and false attacks.

The former Senator, relegated to being a college president and eating lunch says, inter alia:

By my lights, the primary threat to the success of a President Obama will come from some Democrats who, emboldened by the size of their congressional majority, may try to kill trade agreements, raise taxes in ways that will destroy jobs, repeal the Patriot Act and spend and regulate to high heaven.

This is where Obama's persona is invaluable. He can withstand the arguments and pressure of the liberal wing in the Democratic caucus if, once elected, he is guided by the best instincts he has displayed on the campaign trail.

Plumber
Terrorist
Reverend
Redistributionist

The rabbi seems a genuinely nice guy, in the way the easy-going variety of clergy often are.  Wise, usually in a good humor.  Garrett, not so much.

So, this Temple in one of the District's towns has a candidate forum on Sunday morning, and invited both candidates to attend.  Schulman shows up.  Garrett refuses to attend, and sends a surrogate.

Who's the surrogate?  A blind rabbi who has absolutely no clue what Garrett's positions are on pretty much anything. (h/t Blue Jersey)

Set aside the fact that it's a Sunday morning, b/c pols on the stump especially this close will hit the earliest services they can - if they go - and then campaign all day anyway.  

Think instead about the level of studied insult this was on Garrett's part.  Not only to Schulman, but also to the syanagogue, the audience, and even his own surrogate.  He gave the back of his hand to the hosts and, by extension, the congregation, and said he thought so little of them and his opponent that he would send a token blind Jew to be made a fool of.

There was a bit of a scandal earlier this week in Germany, reported on German radio, where a prominent economist had to make a public apology for his anti-Semitic comments.  What did he say?
He said that in all great economic bad times scapegoats are made the object of derision and worse, that in the Great Depression it was the Jews and now it is the managerial class.  This apology and reaction to it was one of the main news items for a couple days.

Air Force Maj. Laurie Arellano said Thursday that the fire near the Minuteman III missile was caused by a faulty battery charger in the unmanned launch complex and burned itself out.

It was discovered days later by a crew looking for a wiring problem.

Arellano says safety systems prevented an accidental launch. She also says a leak was prevented, but she would not discuss whether the missile contained a nuclear warhead.

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