Who's up for getting INSPIRED on a Tuesday morning?

Ok, so yesterday I had a somewhat infuriating clip of some crazy lady in Florida "interviewing" Joe Biden by basically parroting GOP talking points and then acting like they were questions. Today, the Biden clips continue, but they give you a completely different piece of the political landscape, namely one of many reasons Joe Biden is a ridiculously cool guy. Below is a story about one woman's struggle with domestic violence and how Biden's work to pass the Violence Against Women act had a direct impact on her life. Inspiring stuff! Enjoy.

Are you joking? Who's up for getting ANGRY on a Monday morning?

Given my leanings, you might think this post is going to be about John McCain's temper, but it is not. Instead, it's about my own. One thing I have grown increasingly tired about over the past few years is the hackery that is passed off in so many places as reporting. There sometimes seems to be a horse race between cable news and local news to see who can dig the deepest into the pit quickest, but sometimes that feels unfair. Is it worth pointing out that cable news personalities may be actually paid to be hacks whereas local news personalities may just be rookies or amateurs who don't realize how poorly they're executing on reporting?

I dunno, and maybe I don't even care. Do you? Either way, check out this lady from Florida "interviewing" Joe Biden. I think Biden keeps his cool and does a remarkable job in the face of some truly ridiculous questions taken from or even elaborated beyond McCain campaign talking points. If you want some further background on this lovely reporter, check out her interview with McCain.

Glad to have found all of this on HuffPo. Ugh, I really don't know what else to say here.

Biden Takes on the Idea of "Pro-American parts of America"

I think Americablog gets it right when they say that the video below shows, "Biden at his best." This short clip shows Biden reacting to Sarah Palin's recent remark about how she likes to visit, "Pro-American parts of this country." Biden says, among other things:

I've never been to a state that hasn't sent it's sons and daughters to fight and die for this country. It doesn't matter where you live! We all love this country.

Joe the... what the?

Oops! Turns out today has provided America with a storehouse of interesting facts around everyone's favorite new everyman, Joe the Plumber... fact #1 on the list is that Joe is, in fact, not licensed as a plumber! From an AP article published today:

Joe the Plumber said Thursday he doesn't have a license and doesn't need one. Joe Wurzelbacher, better known as Joe the Plumber, the nickname Republican John McCain bestowed on him during Wednesday's presidential debate, said he works for a small plumbing company that does residential work. Because he works for someone else, he doesn't need a license, he said.

In other places on the web Daily Kos is documenting an ongoing series of info pieces on Joe, including information seeming to indicate he's a registered Republican (not the independent folks are making him out to be) and that he doesn't worry too much about taxes, since it appears he simply doesn't pay 'em. Oops, indeed!

Not Just Dirty, Dangerous

John over at AmericaBlog makes a good and important point today in a post today, and I'd like to do my small part to echo and hopefully amplify the outrage around an idea they've brought up. The idea is basically that McCain's choice to start attacking Barack Obama in certain ways this week is not simply dirty, it is dangerous. The accusations being tossed around by Palin and McCain today are the kind of ideas that stand some chance of riling up the craziest of the lunatic fringe on the borders of the right wing in America, the kind of folks who yell, "terrorist" at McCain rallies or, "kill him!" while Sarah Palin talks about Obama.

By suggesting Obama likes to hang out with terrorists and that we don't know who Obama really is they are playing the classic Republican, those who disagree with us are unpatriotic card, but with some ugly and new racial, ethnic and geopolitically tinged undertones. In essence, they are saying something that will sound to the craziest on the right like, "Obama is a terrorist," and in so doing I think they have truly crossed a line that has everything to do with decency.

Now, I know and am not surprised (nor should you be) that politics is ugly. However, the two-faced talk about bipartisanship, McCain's ability to reach across the isle, and building a better future, all while smearing their opponents in the ugliest possible way strikes me as something more people should speak out about. The larger pattern already established has been outrageous long before this week's increased intensity. What is new, is the dangerous and tantalizing possibility McCain's camp keeps spreading, the clearly implied endorsement of all those ugly forwarded emails that have been circulating since long before the Democratic primaries were over.

This world of lies and disinformation, these whispered notions about Obama being a secret Muslim and a friend of terrorists do absolutely nothing to move our discourse forward, nothing to benefit America or strengthen our nation. They take the exact the opposite tack from the dignified tone Biden took in the VP debate when he discussed his belief that you should never question other peoples' motives, simply their tactics, choices, perspective, etc.

I am not worried about the fact that today was simply an uglier day in a race that is likely to get a bit more dirty as the week wears on, but what worries me is that all of a sudden the McCain camp has put this campaign back in a place where it seems rational and reasonable to worry about what the lunatic fringe might do if Obama wins the election. I, for one, am angry that this kind of concern seems rational again. Angry and disappointed.

Politico Gives Stark Rundown of Debate Performances

Politico writers John F. Harris and Mike Allen pop up today with a solid piece of post debate analysis under the heading, "Palin clears bar, still falls short." In the piece they discuss how Palin managed to disappoint all those who watched the debate wishing for real blatant blunders, delivering a performance that steered clear of anything extreme on the gaffe front. Still, they go further into what we all saw, describing Palin as being both on defense basically the whole time, and struggling to go on the offensive as McCain's advisers, no doubt, wanted her to against Biden. Their critique is smart and to the point:

Washington power lawyer Robert Barnett, who helped Biden prepare, said viewers would come away with the sense that Palin "is a nice person, an interesting person but not a qualified-to-be-the-president-of-the-United-States person."

They do give each VP candidate credit for having their moments, saying:

From the moment she blew a kiss as she walked onstage, the Alaska governor was folksy and spunky, dropping a “bless their hearts” here, a “God bless ‘er” there and “darn right” — twice. She showed a cheerful confidence that must have been hard to muster after the humiliating coverage of her amateurish interviews...

Biden offered a fluent, self-assured performance of the sort that cannot be especially hard for him after two presidential campaigns, 35 years in the Senate and countless appearances on Sunday morning programs...

Still, all in all, our friends at the Politico came around to the point well summarized in their title, that last night's debate while it wasn't a debacle also didn't change basically anything about the larger trends in the race.

The debate did nothing to arrest — and may even have helped cement — a gradual but unmistakable turnabout in the race, with Barack Obama gaining in polls and momentum and McCain losing ground in must-win states. The financial meltdown has put a new premium on competence, and Palin did nothing to show she is ready to be in charge...

In many ways, Obama-Biden has taken ownership of the play-it-safe vote, and McCain-Palin have become the more unpredictable and potentially risky choice.

Live Blogging Follow-Up

First, can I just say that Live Blogging the debate was yet again a ton of fun tonight... if you missed it, we'll try it again at the next debate. In comments during the live blogging I mentioned a 1-doggie survey regarding Sarah Palin's ability to inspire sleepiness. Evidence of her ability to put dogs down is below. Thanks to Kim's lovable cutie pie Zoey for being our test subject and spokesmodel for this survey.

Live Bloggery on the Internets

8:55: Just testing out how this works since I've never done this funky live blogging thingy before. I like the timer feature that all the cable news networks seem to have. makes it feel like New Years Eve.
9:00 Washington University in St. Louis always strikes me as an overly long name.
9:02: I wonder if the fact that the moderator wrote a supposedly pro-Obama book will come up tonight?
9:06 McCain was a champion of greater government oversight? I don't know much about that, but it seems a little unlikely. I don't mean that as an insult, either.
9:08 I love how they talk up anti-partisan creds while attacking the other side.
9:10 from the comments: "WOAH! Sarah Palin just winked at all of us! Holy crap... uh, I dunno what to do." Personally, I find her very likable. She should sell soap.
9:11 And Biden could probably sell ties. I like his.
9:13 From Comments: Holy crap. She said "Joe Sixpack" and the CNN line for undecided men went apeshit! It literally went backwards.
9:15 Obama NEVER voted to raise taxes on people making $42k! That's just unfair. And does anyone actually think the next president will lower taxes?
9:17 Lowering taxes on the middle class is redistributing wealth?
9:19 Doesn't Biden have hair plugs? they don't seem to work all that well. I want the name of the place so I can avoid them.
9:23 Another Comment: YES! BIDEN, ZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ULTIMATE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE!

Oooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
9:23 She took on the oil companies? I bet she dropped them like a rabid moose.
9:26 Normally, the idea of taxing a company for making too much profit would scare me, but it is true that oil companies get really sweet tax treatment. Almost as if they know the people who write the tax laws...
9:27 NO! Let go of the damn "Main Street and Wall Street" thing.
9:29 Great Comment: did she REALLY just say "i haven't made any promises i can't keep b/c i've only been around for 5 weeks" ?!?!?!

That has got to be the worst answer ever. "I haven't had a chance to lie yet, but just you wait."
9: 31 "attribute every activity of man to changes in the climate." WTF?
9:36 I much admire Biden's comments on same-sex benefits. I'd still rather see marriage equality, but progress is progress.
9:38 Palin: "I have gay friends. Really."
9:39 why not just define marriage as one man and one woman of the same race? There's an argument that that is the traditional definition.
9:42 Iraq? What's that? Apparently not a big deal in Ohio.
9:43 Biden's son heads off to Iraq tomorrow. I don't think that he wants to waive the white flag.
9:44 My mom, who is a Republican, is yelling at Sarah Palin.
9:47 Again, comparing Petraeus and al Qaeda?!?!???!?!
9:49 I still don't think that meeting with foreign leaders is naive. I like the way she pronounces "naivete" though.
9:51 From Comments: Eeeee when Sarah Palin says, "Stinking corpse" it gives me the heeby geebys. However, when she says, "The Castro Brothers" I somehow think she's talking about some sort of Disney Channel boy band.

And

I heard the Castro Brothers play a gig in Altanta. They were pretty good.
9:53 It drives me nuts when politicians refer to themselves in the 3rd person. Bob Dole don't like this.
9:55 "Joe Biden is FUCKING dynamic when he refers to himself as Joe Biden... third person always kicks ass. Kim agrees, our only critique is that he should have said, "Israel has no better friend than Joe Motha F**ing Biden!""
That actually woulda been cool. I stand corrected.
9:56 "Nuclear weaponry would be the be all end all of too many people..." what did she just say?
9:58 Mamma Venice: Sarah Palin should play herself on Saturday Night Live.
10:01 Biden is truly strong on foreign affairs. This is like me playing golf with Tiger Woods. Except cheaper. And without those funny shirts.
10:03 You big city Washington types. I'm just from a small town and so I'm a real American. I don't go in for none of this fancy policy talk. I just want to put a moose in every pot.
10:05 'DIDN'T SHE DO THE SAME DAMN THING on the bridge?!!?!!??!?"

Yes, but she's NOT FROM WASHINGTON. so it's OK.
10:09 Look at how the CNN happy lines fall as soon as she starts talking. Maybe he should have met her more than once before selecting her to be his running mate.
10:11 I think she means that if she's vice president, people on Wall Street will start volunteering at soup kitchens and feeding stray kittens.
10:13 the Home Depot line is my least favourite of his so far.
10:14 Dude, if she's vice-president they better not give her more power...
10:16 Total non-answer in my opinion. Too bad, since the vice-president's proper role is kind of a big question if you are, you know, the vice-president.
10:18 From Comments:Sarah Palin wants to drill into the position of Vice President! She wants to tap all of it's potential for domestic homeland energy independence. Drill Baby Drill!!!!
10:21 Biden's tale of raising his children is enormously powerful. I didn't watch the happy lines, but I hope they reflected that. I think he really DID get choked up.
10:28 "Obama wants to kill jobs." Can't you just see him sitting around, saying to himself, how can I kill some jobs? I want people to be out of work and miserable!
10:30 Why don't the Republicans just get a blow-up Reagan doll and nominate it?
10:33 I love Biden. I can't deny it.
10:34 From Comments: Sarah Palin won because her head didn't explode!!!!!

That may be true. I don't think she was great but she wasn't as bad as she could have been. Given the low expectations, that may have been enough.
10:38 This guy talking on CNN has a great mustache. What's it made of?
10:39 Alright, this was super grovilicious. I really enjoyed all the comments. I look forward to doing this again, hopefully with a less one-sided debate.

No Liveblogging for John tonight! :(

Just a quick announcement: I won't be able to live blog the debate between the Barracuda and Gaffey Joe this evening, as I'll be in a softball triple-header starting at 6pm. That's right, three straight games of softball. Now, I have DVRed the debate, so I'll have some thoughts, for sure. If any of my fellow contributors would like to take on live blogging, please feel free.

Like it or not, did SNL have an impact?

Amy Poehler's Hillary Clinton closed the intro skit between her and Tina Fey's Sarah Palin last week with the line, "I invite the media to grow a pair, and if you can't I will lend you mine."

Now, whether you found the skit funny or kinda flat, whether you found Tina Fey's Palin inspired or insipid, it would seem, from this week's events, that the media has, to some degree taken heed of that call. Just today the McCain campaign arranged for a big photo op/media moment surrounding Sarah Palin's meetings at the UN with various foreign dignitaries. These meetings were set up as an attempt to give Governor Palin more foreign policy cred, but to me seem, well, a bit showy and strange on their face.

At the last minute the campaign announced (this morning) that no actual reporting would be allowed of these meetings, only photographers and a video crew from CNN would be allowed in (with CNN to provide video coverage for other news networks). When this was announced, however, CNN reacted to the barring of reporters from this event by pulling their crew entirely, denying video coverage to what the McCain campaign no doubt hoped would be a nice press moment for their incredibly popular (some might say celebrity-esque) VP candidate. Ultimately it turns out that a producer was allowed in, but isn't this back-and-forth strange and troubling.

It also isn't something happening in a vacuum. The Huffington Post has a nice rundown of increasing press frustration with McCain camp unavailability (on the part of both the Presidential and VP candidates). Some are trying to spread the term, "No Talk Express" as a new substitute for the McCain classic image of the "Straight Talk Express."

Still, why does any of this matter? Certainly Obama isn't being grilled on a daily basis by the press, and when he is perhaps we can see reasons why McCain is more hesitant. Both men have made gaffes, from the one mentioned by Venice in a post late last week to some of the gaffes that almost immediately pre-dated the McCain camp moving to curtail reporter proximity to their Presidential candidate, and to end the famous bull sessions that gave the Straight-Talk name to McCain's campaign bus in the first place.

I was thinking through these sorts of issues when I watched Tony Blair on the Daily Show last night (it was a repeat from last week). Mr. Blair's courage to go on and face some comical, but ultimately tough questioning shows something I think we should ask our politicians for, namely more honesty and less spin.

Right now both campaigns are attempting to tightly orchestrate the choreography needed to move from a tight race now to a November victory, and in so doing they are both hesitant to take chances, risk mistakes, and open themselves to missteps. Even so, I think what I want most from either or both of them right now is to display the sort of confidence in themselves and in the American public that would allow them to be bold and actually get out there, put their feet above the fire, take hard questions and give real answers.

Will I see this anytime soon from Barack, John, Joe or Sarah? I'm not holding my breath. Still, if the media continues to push hard and act like they really want the investigative, independent, respected credentials they should be chasing... we'll see if anything will change.

I Find Your Lack of Taste in Fashion Disturbing

Gawker had a post last night that made me giggle at first, but then got me thinking... What would have happened if Obama had chosen Hillary as his running mate? Would we be treated to her in a Padme-accidentally-ripped-her-shirt-in-a-sexy-way outfit? How long would it be before we saw a metal bikini on the campaign trail. You made the right choice Barry! Now, somebody go get Joe Biden a Porkins costume!

"I can hold it!"
(Apologies for not photoshopping this with Biden's face... maybe later?)

Finally, as an astute commenter said after reading the Gawker article, this is all funny, but if you follow the parallels of Palin = Tarkin too far you realize that McCain = Vader and the United States is now Alderaan.

Toby Says His Piece

Who doesn't love West Wing? I will admit that it is a community collective pass-time among people in my age bracket who live or have lived in Washington DC to imagine what the world would be like if only President Bartlett had reached power in 2000, rather than Dubya. Still, all make-believe aside, the cast of the show are a remarkable bunch, now turning out stellar performances, like Allison Janney's turn in Juno. Today I read a remarkable piece of writing by Toby (Richard Schiff) over at Huffington Post, and I simply had to post a bit of an excerpt.

The whole thing isn't too long, and I strongly encourage anyone troubled by the tight state of the current presidential race to read it quickly. His piece focuses on the fact that his wife, a strong Hillary supporter, appears likely to be voting for McCain this fall. Here's a stretch that I was especially struck by:

"... The bottom line is that this is where we are: a still fractious and divided nation, split right down the middle, as represented by my very own household. I am moved to think that we, along with the Obama/Biden team, will begin to change the very culture of the way we do business with each other and the world at large. That we should use 'Example as power rather than power as example'; that 'America's promise [is] of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.'

I ask myself why these tenets are so rejected by the opposition, by my wife. Is it racism? Is it the propaganda of family values and God and the manifest destiny of American domination of the world as a righteous cause? Is it that John McCain is still perceived as a maverick and revered for his heroic war service? Is it the singular issue for some women that Hillary Clinton was castigated in certain media and an object of old-school misogyny that is unacceptable and cause enough to abandon the very politics that she supports?

I can't answer these questions, as I don't understand the thinking and emotional investment that defends them.

My opinion of John McCain is different. Here is a man who had his moment in history already pass him by. After being eviscerated and politically castrated in the 2000 Republican primaries by the Bush PR machine; accused falsely of fathering an illegitimate and racially mixed child, he was given a chance at redemption and a chance to save the world from a man he considered at the time to be dangerous and untrustworthy. He could have run as a third party candidate and taken enough votes away from George W. to seal the election for Al Gore. He passed.

Four years later, John Kerry had talks with McCain about running as his Vice-President; a dream ticket that would surely bring down the Bush regime. Again he passed. When I ask Washington insiders why, they can only conclude that the reason was simple, unadulterated ambition to be President. But what a price to pay. This is a man who could have saved the world from the last eight years of disaster and instead is content to inherit the aftermath. But the other half of the divide chooses to imagine the younger McCain, the independent, free thinking, iconoclast he may very well have been once, long ago.

And now McCain has picked Sarah Palin of Alaska for the office of Vice-President. I'm sure she is capable of governing the frozen tundra of her state (couldn't help myself) and is surely a force to be reckoned with on some level. But no one can convince me thatMcCain has chosen a running mate who is capable of stepping into the Oval Office in the event of the death of the President. And let's face it, that scenario isn't beyond the realm of possibility. And even with this, I hear in real and electronic voices 'we like her,' 'she's warm and personable,' 'she's a soccer mom who has become accomplished and powerful.' What?

And so we stay divided: My country, my wife and I. I am stumped. But I am stubborn in my hope that Americans across the great divide, including one who sleeps in my bed, will wake up to more lofty dreams.

I imagine an America that can actually change. That we become a nation that prospers again but without pillaging the resources of nations that make their people hate us. That we become a nation that, as the constitution says in its preamble, its very first paragraph, 'promotes the general welfare' of its people.

When new ideas and belief-altering evidence confronts us, many of us still shout that the world is flat, or global climate change is cyclical, or women belong in the home. I can only remember when great agents of change come to us, it seems as many reject their presence as rejoice in it. Kennedy won office by the slimmest margin in our history to that point. Martin Luther King made as many or more enemies than there were marchers by his side."

I know that's a ridiculously long excerpt, but I recommend reading the whole thing, I found it an interesting meditation on the state of the nation/election.

Obama's Clinton Bump

So before the Democratic convention and during there was lots of talk about the great pains Barack Obama and Joe Biden would need to take in order to woo former supporters of Hillary Clinton. Polls taken around the start of convention showed only 70% or so supporting the Democratic ticket and the pundits were all a buzz. Now, however, it seems that a new poll shows a statistically significant bump in that number, with around 81% of former Hillary supporters planning to vote Obama/Biden. That's a nice jump... and hopefully the start of more good things to come. No word on whether this poll was taken pre or post-Palin.

Does anybody think that will matter? I, for one, honestly don't think the Palin pick is a serious play for Hillary voters. Perhaps for far right voters yes, but the values are just two different, and honestly the two women themselves couldn't really be much more different than they are. Anyway, please feel free to weigh in!

Wonkette Wonder Sarah Palin

I'm not going to lie, most of what I know about Sarah Palin, I've learned from reading one of my favorite political blogs, Wonkette, where for quite some time they've alternated between calling her the hottest governor ever and a GILF (now changed to VPILF). One of my favorite all time posts they tossed up was about Palin being the hottest Lego governor, but today they posted a collection of past posts, and I also enjoyed one about her being a snow dwarf, and one they created based on a picture of Palin giddily revealing the state quarter of Alaska (the title? "Hot Bear on GILF action!").

That all said, I would echo the strengths and weaknesses I've seen most places related to this whole thing. On one hand, it truly is remarkable to think that in four months we'll either have a woman swearing in as Vice President or a black man swearing in as President. It's also just remarkable to think that in four months we'll be past the Bush Cheney nightmare. That's beside the point, though.

Ok... back to Palin. I think the notion that she'll somehow be the magic bullet on recruiting Hillary voters who are disgruntled is completely bogus. It might help some tiny bit with that particular constituency, but I'll be honest, I think the media is over-blowing the size and importance of that faction. Simply put, I think most Hillary supporters are Democrats with a capital "D" who are likely pretty jazzed up about the strong ticket their party has put together, even if they might think very rightly that their woman would have headed a strong ticket herself (and they're right). While I think this notion of aiming Palin at the PUMA camp and somehow wooing them all is bogus, I do agree with Matt and many others who say Palin will help with all the uber social conservatives who think McCain isn't sufficiently crazed over abortion, appalled at gayness or ready to open oil rigs in every national park. I think Romney, Lieberman, and Ridge would all have caused big challenges with this crowd, and having been teased with those possibilities for weeks I imagine they're pretty giddy.

Meanwhile, back over in the world of how this all will unfold, I just can't imagine a debate between Palin and Joe Biden being anything but lopsided, but then again I thought Biden was pretty stellar in the early Democratic Primary debates and it clearly didn't keep him in the running for that job. I guess we have an interesting fall to look forward to.

Biden Time

Well, turns out it was Biden after all. My first, pre-coffee reaction is one of relief: given all the ballyho about "the pick" I was beginning to worry that it might be someone else. The reaction to Biden's Veephood and Obama's handling of the announcement is uniformly positive. Maybe this will help the jitters among Democratic circles that Obama's campaing is on the wrong track.

I'm pretty pleased with the Pick, since I am a Biden guy from way back. It says a great deal about Obama's judgement that he went with someone like Biden and not a flashier, demographic-pleasing pick, like Kaine, Strickland or Clinton Herself. This gives credence to the idea that Obama will make up for his relative unfamiliarity with statecraft by surrounding himself with the best and brightest. Of course, Bush did the same thing on paper and look how that turned out. I suspect, though, that Obama is a good bit quicker than our Texan friend. All in all, this move will help Obama in the crucial me demographic.

Brooks On Biden

David Brooks has a nice opinion piece today in the NYT about the wisdom of picking Biden, yet more fuel on the fire, I believe. At this point I'm basically keeping my fingers crossed because I think Joe is a pretty great pick. Any thoughts to the contrary? Ideas of folks who might rival the strengths of the Senator from Delaware?

Biden for VP

Busy week here... wish I was posting more. Meanwhile, interesting stuff keeps happening in the world. For example, today George Bush celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Israeli state by giving a blatantly partisan speech overseas comparing Obama to Nazi sympathizers. Nice move Georgie. Best response so far?

"This is bullsh**t. This is malarkey. This is outrageous. Outrageous for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, sit in the Knesset…and make this kind of ridiculous statement" - Joe Biden

h/t Americablog.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for entertainment, Purple State does it again this week with a week of Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard and otherwise) themed Daily Diversions. My favorite so far is here.

While you're there, Purple State also has some great coverage the fallout from the NARAL and Edwards endorsements, and a post with clips of former undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith appearing on Daily Show, both things I found incredibly interesting and worth a little of your time.