bmm's Blog

McCain's concession speech

2008-11-05T04:21:15Z

This was the best speech I think I've ever seen him give (pace the obligatory Palin props and the reactions of his audience). Where was this guy all year?

McCain's concession speech

2008-11-05T04:21:15Z

This was the best speech I think I've ever seen him give (pace the obligatory Palin props and the reactions of his audience). Where was this guy all year?

He's heeeEEEEEEeeeeere!

2008-10-27T19:48:09Z

Ben Smith at Politico announces that the National Republican Trust PAC will be releasing an ad focusing on Obama's relationship with Jeremiah Wright. The ad calls Wright a "preacher of hate" and claims that Obama "built his power base in Wright's church." The ad is going to appear in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida:

The two questions that occurred to me are, first, does anybody still care at this point? It could have some effect on Obama's poll numbers, but it would likely be minimal depending on how the media reacts to it. It could even be counterproductive at a time when McCain is trying to convince voters that he has a focused plan to deal with America's economic woes, only to be dragged back into a cloud of character attacks against Obama that has so far only put off undecideds.

The second question is this: McCain has already declared Wright to be irrelevant and inappropriate as a campaign topic, while Palin is on record favoring raising the issue of Obama's former pastor. Given that the two and their respective aides are already publicly jettisoning each other in the media, how will they each react to the ad when asked about it?

Race-baiting whisper campaign in Wisconsin aims to preempt Obama GOTV efforts

2008-10-27T03:12:55Z

I haven't been checking the other reader posts over the weekend so I apologize if something about this was already posted.

The Daily Beast reports that neighborhoods in Wausau, WI are being flooded with flyers claiming to represent the Obama campaign. They are transparently false to pretty much anyone who seen any item from the campaign, but it's still pretty sleazy stuff, and brazen in its race-baiting. The Daily Beast has a photo of one of the originals, but here is what it says:

Barack Hussein Obama II

As a registered Democrat, we want to make sure you support your party lines.

Barack Hussein Obama II, has requested we go door to door and have you vote early. We will be calling you to follow-up on this flyer. Don't worry, as a registered Democrat, we are allowed to call you directly.

Remember, you are not only doing this for your party......but also for the Black Community!

Change means.....BLACK!

We will take care of our people when we win this election on November 4th, 2008. Don't wait, vote now and take a friend that will vote for the next Black President.

Approved and Sponsored by: Barack Hussein Obama II for President, Wausau Chapter

It looks like the flyer is aimed to preempt the Obama campaign's GOTV efforts. After all, campaign workers and volunteers will be making calls and knocking on doors. While the content of the flyer is almost laughably transparent, it could still be effective in dampening the greeting the campaign gets when they do try to contact these voters. In any case, the flyers are clearly directed against Obama's ground game, as opposed to just an attempt at spreading malicious rumors. Anybody else see anything like this?

Kathleen Parker on Colbert 10/13: Who do you think is funding her wardrobe?

2008-10-22T22:08:45Z

I thought I remembered Kathleen Parker mentioning something about Sarah Palin's hairdo and clothes on The Colbert Report a while back. Sure enough, on October 13, she says, "She's got a new hairdo, she's got a new stylist, and she's got some very expensive clothes...Who do you think is funding that?" I remembered it because, at the time, it sounded like an odd thing to bring up. Now I get it.

Just to refresh, Kathleen Parker is the former McCain biographer who was chased out of the National Review for suggesting that Palin be dropped from the ticket. The quote above begins at around 0:50 in the clip:

MSNBC exchange of the day

2008-10-22T13:14:19Z

BUCHANAN: "She was talking to a third grader!"

MATTHEWS: "She was talking like a third grader!"

"What does the VP do?" - What Palin DIDN'T say

2008-10-22T12:45:54Z

A lot of ruckus is being made about Palin's response to a third grader's question about the job of VP, especially her remark that the VP is "in charge of the Senate." Defenders argue that she wasn't parsing her words as carefully because she was "talking to a third grader." But what I find more interesting is not what she said but what she didn't say.

What is the main job of the vice president? To take over the presidency if something happens to the president.

McCain supporters defend Islam at rally

2008-10-20T18:57:35Z

McCain supporters rebuke religious intolerance outside of a rally in Virginia. A group of people were handing out bumper stickers saying "Obama for Change" with a crescent-and-star in place of the "C" and a hammer-and-sickle in place of the "G." Other supporters, some of whom are themselves Muslim (including a campaign official), accused them of not standing by the principles of the Constitution and of trying to make McCain look bad.

From the American News Project:

There he is! Al Gore update

2008-10-20T16:49:01Z

A couple days ago I published a post asking where was Al Gore this campaign cycle. nka and BillBela pointed out that he is doing a lot of down-ticket campaigning this cycle, and olepossom mentioned that he was helping raise money.

Jonathan Martin at Politico now reports that Gore will be hosting a webcast tonight among 200 gatherings across the country to discuss energy and the environment. While is not billed as a "fundraiser" in the strict sense, attendees will be encouraged to donate to the Obama campaign.

Limbaugh reacts predictably to Powell endorsement

2008-10-19T19:07:16Z

Gee, who didn't see this coming?:

Rush Limbaugh said Colin Powell's decision to get behind Barack Obama appeared to be very much tied to Obama's status as the first African-American with a chance to become president.

"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in an e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."

As for Powell's statement of concern this morning about the sort of Supreme Court justices a President McCain might appoint, Limbaugh wrote: "I was also unaware of his dislike for John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy and Antonin Scalia. I guess he also regrets Reagan and Bush making him a four-star [general] and secretary of state and appointing his son to head the FCC. Yes, let's hear it for transformational figures."

Late update: George Will also speculates on racial motivation; Pat Buchanan falls off sanity carousel over it.

Lithwick weighs in on "voter fraud" hysteria

2008-10-17T01:25:07Z

In her new piece on Slate, Dahlia Lithwick argues why hysteria over voter fraud is far more dangerous to "the fabric of democracy" than voter fraud itself.

AP fact checks ACORN controversy

2008-10-17T00:02:45Z

This isn't CNN. Full article here.

Media Matters takes on CNN over ACORN coverage

2008-10-16T23:21:40Z

Via Atrios:

From October 6 through October 15, CNN aired at least 54 segments mentioning allegations that ACORN submitted allegedly false or duplicate voter registration applications this year in a number of states. However, only one of those segments mentioned both of the following two relevant points: 1) that the statutes of most of those states require third parties registering prospective voters to submit all registration forms they receive; and 2) that actual instances of illegal votes being cast as a result of registration fraud are extremely rare. Of the 54 CNN segments addressing the allegations against ACORN, two mentioned only the former of those two points, while one mentioned just the latter.

Full story here.

Where's Al Gore?

2008-10-16T23:14:45Z

I've seen both Clintons on the trail, Sen. Kerry, Gov. Richardson, and Gov. Rendell on television, and Sen. Webb cutting a radio spot promoting the Obama-Biden ticket -- where's Al Gore? Or have I just been missing him?

By RNC standards, is Joe the Plumber eligible to vote?

2008-10-16T20:50:10Z

This from the New York Times "Caucus" blog:

Mr. Wurzelbacher is registered to vote in Lucas County under the name Samuel Joseph Worzelbacher.

"We have his named spelled W-O, instead of W-U," Linda Howe, executive director of the Lucas County Board of Elections, said in a telephone interview. "Handwriting is sometimes hard to read. He has never corrected it in his registration card."

The records, she said, showed he voted Republican in the March primary.

By the standards Republican groups are pushing to have voter registrations checked against social security databases and the like before they are deemed valid, would Joe Wurzelbacher be allowed to cast a vote in the upcoming election? His name does not match the name on the rolls.