If you haven't read the post or weighed in on this issue yet, please use the link below.  TPM wants our feedback on this, so let them know what you think.  Please remember to recommend this post to keep it accessible.  Thanks!

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/21/report_abuse_button/

One final electoral vote from Nebraska has made it 365 for Obama!  What a sweet number - one EV for every day of the year!

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal . . ."

Among the many things I am happy about today, I am thrilled that we are about to make the aforementioned truth visually evident for all the world to see, by electing our first non-white president!  The significance of this event cannot be overstated.  We are making a huge leap on our way to living up to the ideals of our founders.  It matters, not just to Americans but to those of our brothers and sisters around the world who still look to the US as an inspiration for their own struggles.  This is a beautiful day in our history, and I am grateful to be here!

I haven't seen much discussion today of the following McCain statement from last night's debate, which I think may be the single craziest thing he said.  It sure jumped out at me when he blurted it out!  Obviously it was planned, and probably intended to whip the credulous into a frenzy of fear over this heinous liberal plot - but for God's sake, have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?

"We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama's relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy."

Will Boehner Bring His Caucus?

Kudos to David Kurtz for this sneaky and snarky headline currently bringing joy to the TPM home page!

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/mccain-not-comm.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/15/AR2008071502136.html?hpid=topnews

This reinforces the Quinnipiac Poll results currently posted on TPM Election Central (9 point lead)!

P issed-off
U nprincipled
M cCain
A ssisting
S tooges!

Yay!

P uppets
U nconvincingly
M asquerading
A s
S elf-directed

Yay!

P owerless
U nder
M cCain's
A uthoritarian
S way

Yay!

OK - I got it out of my system - thanks for your indulgence : : :

Reading Dan Froomkin's excellent White House Watch (WaPo), I followed a link to this NYT op-ed piece:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/opinion/17meyer.html?_r=2&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&oref=login&oref=slogin

Here is a key quote:

'The “strategic alliance” that President Bush is proposing eerily resembles, in spirit and in letter, a failed 1930 treaty between Britain and Iraq that prompted a nationalist eruption in Baghdad . . .'

We knew the agreement our idiots-in-chief are pushing was heavy-handed and imperialistic, but I for one was not aware of the historical parallel.  This piece is fascinating, and offers another blatant example of the tragic boneheadedness of Bush/Cheney and Co.  I guess W's interest in history is limited to his daydreams about his glorious place in the textbooks of the year 2083. 

Since the original Obama Sock Monkey post is soon to drop off the list, I wanted to forward this link and encourage all to check it out:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/2008/06/obama-as-a-sock-monkey.php

Please keep up the pressure on the perpetrators of this repugnant item to discontinue it, by sending civilized, modulated and coherent expressions of outrage to:

customerservice@thesockobama.com
(David and Elizabeth Lawson, the creators/sellers)

quotes@customplushtoys.com
(the contracted manufacturer)

Hey, it's Loving Day, y'all!  I love it!  Check it out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loving_Day

Loving Day is an annual celebration held on June 12, the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia which struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in 16 states citing "There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause."

This is especially for anyone who has not already read the discussion following Deanie Mills' excellent post entitled Hillary Supporters: From One Mother to Another, I'm Begging You.

Please be advised that there is a virulent troll posting at TPM (and apparently elsewhere) under the name "michelle bociurkiw".  As some astute commenters to Deanie's post pointed out, this name may actually be in use by more than one troll.  This "michelle bociurkiw" is the most toxic troll I have yet seen on TPM in my few months here.  She is a literal geyser of hate and ill-will who pushes every possible button and spews every variety of venom in an obvious effort to sow dissension and drag down any meaningful discussion.

In reading the discussion thread following Deanie's heartfelt post, it was depressing to see how this troll succeeded in taking the focus off the topic at hand and dragging reasonable commenters into wasting a great deal of time and energy refuting her vicious inanities.  It was depressing because I am sure this is exactly what "michelle bociurkiw" intended, and if ever a post deserved focused and heartfelt discussion, it was this one.

I propose that the best course of action in future is to utterly ignore "michelle bociurkiw" and DO NOT RESPOND to her comments.  Don't Feed the Trolls, as a wise TPM community member has often said.

Not my words, so please don't hang me!  Actually, I am quoting the current top headline at hillaryis44.org.  Check it out:

http://www.hillaryis44.org/

Choice quotes:
"Obama is unelectable and not qualified to be president."
"Obama will either concede now or in November."
"Hillary supporters will not vote for Obama on any ticket. Last night, at the Hillary rally, the shouts were Denver, Denver - not tears nor surrender."

I know, I know - this group is probably just one of those "strange attractors" that has pulled in a lot of people that might otherwise have gravitated to any number of conspiracy-theory causes.  But, it's a shame that the HRC campaign has nurtured their anger and outrage, and given them a "cause" that will continue to inspire them to mischief at best and dangerous mayhem at worst.

All will be revealed:

www.johnmccainisyourjalopy.com

Just keep clicking on the text - if it repeats, just keep going!  Have fun!