Tag: 2008 (page 4)

Sen. Barack Obama is fighting back against McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin's personal attacks against him. Sunday night he released a web video to supporters, criticizing his role in the "Keating V" scandal. The difference: Obama's ads and attack are true...and related to Mcain's political record.

The short video, being e-mailed to millions of Obama supporters, summarizes a 13-minute Web "documentary" that the campaign plans to distribute Monday, spokesman Tommy Vietor said. He said McCain's involvement with convicted thrift owner Charles Keating "is a window into McCain's economic past, present and future."

Here's a little history of the Keating V and McCain from an Arizona paper. You can watch the full 13 minute version here beginning at noon ET Monday. [More...]

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

Comedian Sarah Silverman has a new video, The Great Schlep, urging young Jewish voters to go to Florida and convince their grandparents to vote for Sen. Barack Obama. (Viewer discretion advised for profanity.)

The Great Schlep's website has these talking points contrasting Obama and Biden with McCain and Palin. Topics oovered: [More...]

Yesterday I wrote that if we start seeing personal attack ads in the battleground states, it's a sign McCain knows it's just about over for him. Looks like the same goes for his supporters.

Via Politico, it's begun.

The conservative Judicial Confirmation Network goes up today with an ad reminding voters in two key states about Obama's ties to Tony Rezko, Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. Representatives for the group say it will be a "$1 million ad and grassroots effort" around the veep debate tomorrow and the opening of the new Supreme Court session Monday.

Time Magazine released a poll today. It has Obama ahead of McCain, 50% to 43%. And Gov. Sarah Palin is not bringing women to McCain's side. Obama leads among women by 17%:

Among the poll's most dramatic findings: McCain is losing female voters faster than Sarah Palin attracted them after the Republican National Convention. Obama leads McCain by 17 points with women, 55%-38%. Before the conventions, women preferred Obama by a margin of 10 points, 49%-39%. After McCain picked Palin as his running mate, the gap narrowed to a virtual tie, with Obama holding a 1-point margin, 48%-47%.

Here's an e-mail that is making the rounds among lawyers today:

How Racism Works:

What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review? What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class?

What if McCain were still married to the first woman he said 'I do' to? What if Obama were the candidate who left his first wife after she no longer measured up to his standards?

What if Michelle Obama were a wife who not only became addicted to pain killers, but acquired them illegally through her charitable organization? What if Cindy McCain graduated from Harvard?

More...

I've been writing about Sen. John McCain's intent to attack Barack Obama for his coal position in the battleground states where coal is important.

Sunday, I saw the ad on TV here in Denver.

Newsweek fact checks the ad and finds it false, but I wrote a much longer post over at 5280.com yesterday detailing just how false, based on Obama's coal record since his days as a state legislator in Illinois.

Sen. Barack Obama is campaigning in Colorado today. He has released this statement on today's Bail Out vote and John McCain's specious response.

“This is a moment of national crisis, and today’s inaction in Congress as well as the angry and hyper-partisan statement released by the McCain campaign are exactly why the American people are disgusted with Washington. Now is the time for Democrats and Republicans to join together and act in a way that prevents an economic catastrophe. Every American should be outraged that an era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and Washington has led us to this point, but now that we are here, the stability of our entire economy depends on us taking immediate action to ease this crisis,” said Obama-Biden campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

Here's the McCain/Palin Campaign's statement on the failure of the bailout bill to pass the House.

McCain falsely implies he brought about the bipartisan agreement for the bill and blames Obama and the Dems for its failure. If you needed a greater reason to see how McCain distorts the truth, this statement is it.

As for Nancy Pelosi's speech today affecting the vote, keep in mind the Dems got 140 of their members to vote for it and only 95 Dems voted against it. If McCain was so influential and wanted the bill to pass, why couldn't he persuade more than 63 of them to go along? Why couldn't he persuade the other 133 to listen to his advice? [More...]

On Face the Nation this morning, Sen. Barack Obama said John McCain deserves no credit for the bailout proposal. He also said he's likely to support it.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said Sunday his Republican rival deserves no credit for helping to forge a tentative agreement on the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street.

On why Obama deserves credit: [More...]

This ad came on my tv during Saturday Night Live. Check it out. There's one person accused of wrong doing in the ad -- with a caption under him referring to CEO rip-offs. He's also, besides Obama, the only African -American in the ad.

The "victim" in the ad is a white woman with white hair. Her caption reads "Protect your savings and pensions."

Is he playing to perceived prejudices of elderly white women? Seemed like it to me. When I think of CEO's who rip off the public or their own companies, I think of Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Bernie Ebbers and a few others. Why did McCain pick this guy? (And no, I have no idea who he is, which leads me to believe the average voter doesn't either.)

larger version here.

[Hat tip to a Daily Kos diary that also has lots of video links and photos of Barack and Michelle Obama and detailed CBS poll analysis.]

Late Night music: If I never hear the word precondition again, I'll be just fine:

From the Big Lebowski soundtrack, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition:

I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Here's some early commentary on tonight's debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain:

• Focus Groups, Undecideds For Obama

• CBS News: Knowledge Network Undecideds Give Debate To Obama

• Halperin: Obama A- McCain B-

• Philadelphia Inquirer: McCain Uncertain - "McCain has been uncertain - Obama not."

More...