Fundamentals of McCain Campaign are Out Of Touch

Just how far out of touch?



From a March forecast on currency exchange:

Unprecedented Developments
Trigger Unprecedented Responses

Over the past three months, the Federal Reserve has taken unprecedented measures to restore stability to the U.S. financial system. The collapse of Bear Stearns, which was once the nation’s fifth-largest investment bank, put the 2007 – 2008 financial crisis into the history books. This was the first time since the Great Depression that a major U.S. bank has failed. In response to this groundbreaking crisis, the Federal Reserve invoked an emergency provision allowing the central bank to loan directly to investment banks. This provision was added to the Federal Reserve Act during the Great Depression and has not been used since then. However, the collapse of a major U.S. bank and tight credit markets are making the Federal Reserve’s job exceptionally difficult. Cutting interest rates alone has not worked, and as a result, the U.S. Central Bank has introduced an alphabet soup of new measures, including the Term Auction Facility and the Term Securities Lending Facility, to inject liquidity into the financial system. They are even willing to accept less liquid and dubious mortgage-backed securities for the Fed’s highly liquid and rock solid U.S. Treasuries.

Although these efforts have prevented a collapse in the equity markets, it has not prevented a continual deterioration of the U.S. economy. With foreclosures on the rise and the median price of existing homes falling by the largest amount on record in February, the housing market shows no signs of stabilization. Layoffs are on the rise and consumer spending is contracting, which has forced the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates by 200bp in the first quarter, the most that the central bank has cut in one quarter since 1984. The combination of a deteriorating outlook for the U.S. economy, lower interest rates, and desperate measures by the Federal Reserve are the main reasons why the U.S. dollar hit a record low in March.

I don't claim to be a some kind of financial expert but I do know what it means when "desperate measures by the Federal Reserve" are needed, And I do know that everyone I talk to is either in or on their way to serious financial problems. I also know that looking around at the banking and mortgage failures, and knowing that there are likely still more failures on up the road...

This is the worst economy I have seen in my lifetime.

Most people barely have the money to buy the necessities - if they aren't already choosing between buying food or paying the utility bills or rent - and they have to be looking at all of this happy talk coming out of the McCain campaign and wondering what planet he lives on.

Remember that McCain is a kept that can't keep track of how many mansions he owns, and couldn't tell the press the price of gas when asked because someone else pumps his limousine's gas for him.

In a telephone interview with the Orange County Register earlier this week, John McCain acknowledged he was unaware of the price of gas. The OC Register’s Martin Wicksol reports:

WICKSOL: When was the last time you pumped your own gas and how much did it cost?

MCCAIN: Oh, I don’t remember. Now there’s Secret Service protection. But I’ve done it for many, many years. I don’t recall and frankly, I don’t see how it matters.

I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of town hall meetings, many as short a time ago as yesterday. I communicate with the people and they communicate with me very effectively.

Listen here...

McCain’s cluelessness about gas prices is compounded by the fact that he is clueless about what to do about it. He is promoting a gas tax holiday for drivers because he claims to understand “Americans are hurting.” It will provide “a little psychological boost,” McCain said of his plan.

In reality, his gas tax holiday would be worth a mere 60 cents a day for Americans and would be a boon for oil companies and foreign oil-producing nations.

John McCain will never understand what the average American worker is going through right now.

And McCain will beg you to ignore the reality of your dwindling bank account and buying power and the fact that his campaign is run by lobbyists for the very corporations that have written the GOP's irresponsible fiscal policy that is failing you right now, and John McCain will continue to run this economy into the ground unless someone else puts the breaks on continued bush failures.

Some late August brew from New Milford:

What was America talking about yesterday?

DemFromCT provides a pundit roundup:

Special Edition of John McCain and his seven eight houses. Do not swim with sharks while you cut your own jugular. See what happens when you do:

White House Contenders Trade Economic Attacks After McCain Home Gaffe (ABC)

McCain said that he wasn't sure of how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own

Obama doesn't let up on McCain's homes (MSNBC)

In nearly every speech in recent days, he has argued that McCain doesn’t get what ordinary American are facing, reminding people of McCain advisor Phil Gramm’s comment about America being a "nation of whiners" and about McCain’s Saddleback quip defining rich as an income of $5 million.

Obama pounces as McCain unsure of how many homes he owns (CNN)

Sen. Barack Obama's campaign pounded Sen. John McCain for his failure to answer a question about how many homes he owns

McCain Homes Flap Is No Joke (CBS)

Barack Obama was handed a gift-wrapped package from John McCain on Thursday.

Obama raps McCain for ignorance of his own houses (IHT)

Hours after a report that the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting didn't know how many homes he and his multimillionaire wife own, ...

The Danger of McCain's 'Seven Houses' Slip (Newsweek)

Asked yesterday in an interview with the Politico how many houses he owns with his wife Cindy, a beer heiress, John McCain was, well, not quite sure.

Does McCain have a Kerry problem? (KC Star)

Democrats Thursday ridiculed Republican John McCain for saying he couldn't recall how many homes he and his wealthy wife own

McCain not sure how many houses he owns (LA Times)

File this under "Problems most of us will never have" --

Obama Jumps on McCain House Comment (WaPo)

As part of an increasingly aggressive effort to redefine his opponent, Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday morning seized on ...

It's true; McCain has seven homes in five cities and three states (Chicago Sun-Times)

In an interview with Adam Nagourney of the New York Times, Obama strategist David Axelrod suggested McCain's campaign can't succeed by portraying Obama as out-of-touch because it reeks of hypocrisy.

Ouch. If this were a prize fight, the ref would call it. But it's politics, so he'll just keep bleeding.

I was well out ahead of the curve on this one...

McCain's Mansions: The Houses that Greed Built

From Robert Greenwald's BraveNewFilms:

Most working families today do not have homes that have anywhere near 10 rooms. John McCain has 10 houses. Many working people in America have to work two and three jobs to provide for their families and pay their car loans. John McCain hops on a private jet. Is it any wonder why McCain champions a George Bush agenda of cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy, helping oil companies turn record profits, and leaving working families to fend for themselves? McCain's velvet world leaves him utterly unprepared to make the tough choices we need to restore the middle class and ensure that everyone in America has quality, affordable health insurance.

-Andy Stern, President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

John McCain is soaring to new heights of hypocrisy on his wife's personal jet. He flies around the country bent on duping the public into believing he's "one of them," a regular guy who can empathize with Americans facing an overwhelming economic crush. What's more, he disparages those who oppose his ridiculous policy proposals as "elitist." But who's the real elitist?

The REAL McCain is a multimillionaire who owns ten luxurious homes. The REAL McCain backs President Bush's tax cuts for big corporations. The REAL McCain empathizes only with the interests of our nation's wealthy minority, not its money-strapped majority. But far too many are buying into McCain's deceit because the corporate press won't present the whole picture, so we created this video to educate the public about the REAL McCain.

Together, you have been a force in making sure The REAL McCain videos have been seen by nearly 6.5 million people. But as Frank Rich noted in his NY Times column yesterday, 40% of Americans hear too little about McCain from the mainstream media, meaning "the public doesn't know who on earth John McCain is." That's why it's crucial you ensure this video is seen by as many as possible, and that we use each and every tool at our disposal to get the word out. Send this on to five friends and family members, and tell them to send it to five people they know. Get it to your local news outlets and blogs and networking sites like Digg. Raise hell about McCain's economic duplicity!

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney summed it up best when he said McCain "simply doesn't understand the challenges America's working families are facing because he isn't remotely affected by them." It's up to us to tell people who McCain really is, a personal jet-setting elitist more concerned with corporate lobbyists than hard-working Americans.

This video is also available onYouTube.

Let's just say that I know how this feels. Brewed here on my own Blog in May, 2008:

On the Sub-Prime Crisis

Many of you already knew that we were probably losing our home in the first wave of foreclosures hitting this state and the country. I have been sort of busy the last couple of weeks with this issue and (some of) you may have noticed that my Blog has been dormant because I have been so busy.

The bad news? We have given up trying to save our home.

The good news? Unlike the many American families that are, right now, living in tent cities (from the morgtage crisis, floods and also from hurricane Katrina) we have been fortunate enough to find a house to rent. And we will not have to move from New Milford, either. The kids are happy about that second part. They have made friends and like living here.

Finding a place to live has not been easy. Being in the first wave of foreclosures, many landlords refused to rent to us. This issue will likely resolve itself for others later on as more and more people with foreclosures and bankruptcies on their credit reports will flood the renters market. For now it is still an issue. An issue we that we kind of lucked our way around.

Lemons Meet Lemonade

The house we are renting? It is a little bit smaller than the home we loved but it does have some serious plusses that make this a better place for us. First, it has a nice little wood stove in the living room to curl up in front of on those chilly New England nights. It will also save us money on oil. Second, it has a nice, big and sunny room that I plan on turning into my media room that will look right out over the back yard. Third, it is not on a main street so the kids and the dog will be a little safer playing outside. Fourth, we will be saving hundreds compared to what our original mortgage payment started at, never mind how much our ARM was by the time it doubled.

As for the luck part? Well, we are renting the house from someone that was on the verge of losing it all, as well. She pretty much knows our situtation and, because of her own situtation, was a little more forgiving on our credit check. The lady who owns the house is where we were in the foreclosure process about 9 months ago. She did not have "ARM" or sub-prime issues, but employment/relocation issues. As the real estate agent that helped us find a place said, this is a win/win situation for everyone here. She won't be crushed financially like we were and we will have a roof over our heads.

I'll have more to write on this later but, for now, don't be surpised if my Blogging particiaption is a little bit irregular.

I have written plenty on Countrywide, the mortgage crisis and a myriad of other political and social issues since then. This problem is growing exponentially under the Bush administration's incompetent economic policies. The same failed economic madness that politicians like John McCain and Chris Shays want to continue follow.

[update] The NY Times Caucus Blog:

Labor, Film Co. Paint McCain as the ‘Real Elitist’

The A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the Service Employees International Union have feuded plenty in recent years, but they have banded together to help distribute and publicize a new online video that characterizes Senator John McCain as elitist and out of touch.

The four-minute video, produced by Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films, is called “McCain’s Mansions: the Real Elitist” and showcases various McCain homes and condominiums in Arizona, California and Virginia, with one valued at $4.66 million.

Get back to me later on today to see what the media will be talking about tomorrow... If you want a good idea of what the pundits will be talking about today just look in my archives for the past week or so. lol jk

Lieberman's Latest McCain Flack on Iraq

Via Think Progress:

The Senate will likely vote Tuesday on an amendment offered by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) “that includes language touting the success of the troop buildup that began last year.” Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) have offered an alternative “that would offer a more nuanced assessment of the security situation in Iraq.”

It is rumored that Joe neocon Lieberman's next move will be to try and get a Constitutional amendment stating that John McCain is unquestionably the most heroic man on earth.

Considering even the Generals agree that some in Washington are talking out their asses with their bush-like rosy-colored-views and happy talk caricatures of what is really a "fragile" situation on the ground in Iraq... Well... What more do you need to know?

Just shut up already, Joe.

Sarah Palin Budgets to Protect Rapists

Before I write anything on why Sarah Palin is truly a very sick person I want you to look at these stats for violent crime and forcible rape on a state by state basis:



While - thankfully for us Nutmeggers - Connecticut is way down near the bottom of this list, it is obvious that rape in Alaska is a very serious issue that is and has been begging to be dealt with properly. Unfortunately for Alaskans, Sarah Palin has made it a budgetary priority to ignore these issues.

Now, Palin's views on abortion are extremist to the point of including the fact that she does not believe in abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Also, Palin was against even paying for victim's rape kits to determine if there were resulting STDs and or pregnancies, as well as searching for DNA evidence to use as evidence.

Despite denials by the Palin campaign, new evidence proves that as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin had a direct hand in imposing fees to pay for post-sexual assault medical exams conducted by the city to gather evidence.

Palin's role is now confirmed by Wasilla City budget documents available online.

Under Sarah Palin's administration, Wasilla cut funds that had previously paid for the medical exams and began charging victims or their health insurers the $500 to $1200 fees. Although Palin spokeswoman Maria Comella wrote USA Today earlier this week that the GOP vice presidential nominee "does not believe, nor has she ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test...To suggest otherwise is a deliberate misrepresentation of her commitment to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice,"

Of course, and as has proven the case over and over again, both the McCain campaign and Sarah Palin tried to lie their way out of that.

If you didn't have the money to pay for it you would not get this support from her town until later when the State of Alaska passed a law mandating that rape kits had to be provided to victims. Eight years ago, during Mayor Palin's reign of terror, the state of Alaska passed a law specifically with then Mayor Palin's back-assward town, Wasilla, in mind in order to protect victims from Palin's radical policy.

Eight years ago, complaints about charging rape victims for medical exams in Wasilla prompted the Alaska Legislature to pass a bill -- signed into law by Knowles -- that banned the practice statewide.

"There was one town in Alaska that was charging victims for this, and that was Wasilla," Knowles said

A May 23, 2000, article in Wasilla's newspaper, The Frontiersman, noted that Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies regularly pay for such exams, which cost between $300 and $1,200 apiece.

"(But) the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests," the newspaper reported.

It also quoted Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon objecting to the law. Fannon was appointed to his position by Palin after her dismissal of the previous police chief. He said it would cost Wasilla $5,000 to $14,000 a year if the city had to foot the bill for rape exams.

You would think that warped view would be enough to throw the average American woman for a loop. But Sarah Palin is even worse than that simple position since, according to the McCain campaign, she fired Monegan - one of the Alaskan state officials at the heart of Troopergate - because Monegan was trying to get more money from the Feds to help prosecute cases of sexual assault.

I had thought I'd hit a dead end in my investigations of the Wasilla rape kit billing controversy. Then this comes out:

The McCain campaign says it can prove Monegan was fired in July because of insubordination on budget issues
...
The "last straw," the campaign said, was a trip Monegan planned to Washington in July to seek federal money for investigating and prosecuting sexual assault cases.

In a July 7 e-mail, John Katz, the governor's special counsel, noted two problems with the trip: the governor hadn't agreed the money should be sought, and the request "is out of sequence with our other appropriations requests and could put a strain on the evolving relationship between the Governor and Sen. Stevens."

That's right: they claim Chief Monegan was fired for trying to get money to investigate and prosecute rapists, because Palin didn't want to do so.

That's right... According to the McCain campaign, Palin fired Monegan because he was trying to find more resources to prosecute rapists and other criminals involved in sexual assault cases. A problem that she had previously hampered as Mayor of Wasilla when she refused to pay for rape kits.

In McCain's and Palin's sick and perverted world view they seem to view this as wise budgetary decisions? We'll ask the victim's of rape and sexual assault if they want to apologize to Palin for creating this monetary burden for ya tomorrow, OK John and Sarah?

For now... WTF were they thinking?

The more I read on Monegan and Sarah Palin in the Troopergate scandal, the more and more Monegan comes off as someone trying to get things done to improve the safety and security of the people of Alaska in spite of Sarah Palin's best efforts to squander money on bridges to nowhere while ignoring serious criminal activity.

As a side note: The Yahoo article has changed since DemocraticLuntz first found this quote - been rewritten and edited - to read this way:

The last straw, the McCain campaign said, was in July, when Monegan planned to travel to Washington to seek federal money for a plan to assign troopers, judges and prosecutors who could exclusively handle sexual assault cases — one of the state's most intractable crime problems.

In a July 7 e-mail, John Katz, the governor's special counsel, noted two problems with the trip: The governor hadn't agreed the money should be sought, and the request was "out of sequence with our other appropriations requests and could put a strain on the evolving relationship between the Governor and Sen. (Ted) Stevens."

Just thought readers would want to know if they decided to click through... And Bloggers would want to know in case they are looking for quotes for their own Blog. I don't know if there were any other major changes to the article other than what I put in BOLD.

Previously Brewed in New Milford:

Palin's Troopergate Troubles Start To Spin Out of Control

Just an update on the impeachment for abuse of power story that I wrote about on Friday. Via Steve Benen at The Political Animal:

THE CRIME AND THE COVER-UP.... At her kickoff event in Ohio yesterday, Sarah Palin boasted about having rejected congressional funds for the infamous "bridge to nowhere." Soon after, we realized that Palin wasn't telling the truth about one of her signature issues, on her very first day as a candidate for national office.

Now, some might say this is excusable, because Palin's remarks were written by McCain campaign aides, and the McCain campaign barely knows who Palin is. That's probably true.

But lying about an alleged abuse of power is far more serious.

Remember the expression, the cover-up is worse than the crime? It's plainly true in the case of Palin firing Alaska Public Safety Commissioner Walter Monegan. Take a look at this video, from the ABC affiliate in Alaska, and notice that Palin seems to have been caught, rather blatantly, misusing her power and then lying about it.

While we're at it, read this rather extraordinary report from the Washington Post about just how embarrassing this scandal is for Palin.

For that matter, let's not forget that Palin fired the Alaska Public Safety Commissioner for the most dubious of reasons, and then replaced him with a guy facing a credible sexual harassment accusation, and who was out of the job two weeks later. What a great example of sound judgment.

Interestingly enough, the right wing only seems to want to address Palin's charges concerning Wooten being an asshat, but they completely ignore the very credible evidence of serious abuses of power and the fact that their family was directly involved in some of the asshat things Wooten did, as well.

I am sitting back and laughing because, outside of Alaskan Blogs, there were maybe about a dozen Blogs that had even one of the many stories I had bundled together on Friday about Palin being a pothead, her "Bridge to Nowhere!", whether or not she will be inducted into the Alaskan CBC... And, of course, the impeachment story, known as Troopergate, that many Blogs were playing catch up on.

Brewed here weeks ago:

McCain Pick Pot Head Palin Running From Impeachment

Anyone that thinks this is going to win over former Hillary Clinton supporters already firmly in the Democratic party fold don't understand the fact that Hillary supporters were and are strongly Pro-Choice for the most part.

Her lifetime membership in the NRA may help solidify one of McCain's many weaknesses in his own party base, as well as her advocating religion in schools under the banner of "creationism" may help solidify some of the Christian fundies, but I fail to see how any of it will get her anywhere with moderates or women, in general. Some of the Christian fundamentalists may even despise her just for the fact that she is woman seeking power.

As for her supposed record of cleaning up Alaskan politics and conservative cred?

Well? Palin did smoke pot and, yes, she did inhale:

Palin said she has smoked marijuana -- remember, it was legal under state law, she said, even if illegal under U.S. law -- but says she didn't like it and doesn't smoke it now.

Breaks laws but says it is OK... Sounds bush-like. IOKIYAR, to say the least.

Palin gave up on the Alaskan bridge to nowhere when it became a hot button showcase issue for Senator Steven's wasting tax dollars.

The $398 million bridge would have connected Ketchikan, on one island in southeastern Alaska, to its airport on another nearby island.

Gov. Sarah Palin said Friday the project was $329 million short of full funding.

"We will continue to look for options for Ketchikan to allow better access to the island," the Republican governor said. "The concentration is not going to be on a $400 million bridge."

And any doubt about her place on the ticket to distract from corrupt Republicans can be removed here:


Yep... She has an image as some kind of political reformer but she is just another booster of the Corrupt Bastards Club. Obviously the feelings are mutual:

I bet Governor Palin wishes she could take this commercial back.

Ted Stevens Endorses Sarah Palin

Oh yeah...

And she is running from possible impeachment in her state too:

Palin, who has previously said her administration didn't exert pressure to get rid of trooper Mike Wooten, also disclosed that members of her staff had made about two dozen contacts with public safety officials about the trooper.

"I do now have to tell Alaskans that such pressure could have been perceived to exist although I have only now become aware of it," Palin said.

But Palin said her decision to fire Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan last month had nothing to do with his refusal to dump trooper Mike Wooten.

The governor said evidence of what she called a "smoking gun" conversation, and other calls made by her aides, only recently surfaced as the attorney general started an inquiry at her request into the circumstances surrounding her firing of Monegan. Palin wanted the review because a special investigator hired by the Legislature is about to investigate the firing and a legislator has been quoted in a newspaper story talking about impeachment.

Got caught and threw others under the bus. Can you get any more bush than that? Yes she can... Here she tried to head off an investigation by having a farce inquiry of her own.

Gov. Sarah Palin is trying to find out what the Legislature's special investigator might discover as he probes her controversial firing of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.

Obviously Sarah Palin wants the inquiry for ethics reasons... Not to head off any damaging information that might come up in a real independent investigation.

Questions have been raised since Monegan's firing about whether Palin, her family, or members of her administration pressured Monegan to fire Wooten, a Mat-Su-based trooper involved in a rough divorce from the governor's sister.

Image taken from here

Sarah Palin has Corrupt Bastards Club written all over her.

• Palin aide put on leave in firing flap
• Palin says staff's calls were not pressure
• Palin staff pushed to have trooper fired
• Excerpts from conversation between Frank Bailey and trooper Rodney Dial
• Palin aide says he acted on his own

Just so you know who and what the Corrupt Bastards Club is all about:

Alaska political corruption probe refers to a widespread investigation from 2004 to the present by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service into political corruption of lawmakers in the Alaska State Legislature, focusing in particular on lawmakers' official actions in relation to the oil industry, fisheries, and private corrections industry. As of May 2007, the investigation has resulted in indictments against four current and former Alaska state legislators on corruption charges; and guilty pleas by two executives of the oilfield services company VECO Corporation to charges of bribery and conspiracy to impede the Internal Revenue Service. Indications are that further indictments may be forthcoming as the investigation progresses.

Former Representative Tom Anderson was indicted in December 2006 on allegations of extortion and bribery involving his support of a private corrections company. Anderson was convicted of all seven felony counts on July 9, 2007. Former House Speaker Pete Kott (R-Eagle River), former Representative Bruce Weyhrauch (R-Juneau), and current Representative Vic Kohring (R-Wasilla) were arrested and arraigned on May 4, 2007 on charges of accepting bribery and extortion related to their support of an oil tax law favored by the oilfield services company VECO Corporation.^[1] On May 7, 2007, VECO Corporation founder and CEO Bill Allen and Vice President for Community & Government Affairs Rick Smith pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Anchorage to charges of bribery and conspiracy to impede the Internal Revenue Service.^[2]

If you want to have a little fun...

Last November voters identified corruption as the number one issue affecting their vote, in short: vote the bastards out! We here at the C.B.C. couldn’t agree more but there are plenty more of these bastards out there in politics, the media and big business so let’s hear more about them. Play Who’s Your Corrupt Bastard? our award winning national contest ripped straight from the headlines of Alaska politics where you can win fabulous prizes and call out your favorite corrupt public figure. Peruse The Bastard Files for a look at current nominees. We are also the official headquarters for the now infamous Corrupt Bastard Club Gear - perfect for that corrupt bastard in your life.

Of note is that Josh Marshall says that this wouldn't be the first time that a politician has abused their power to settle family scores in this way. In Connecticut we don't have to look any further than Governor Rell's hit job on any policing effort when her son was caught with a stolen jet ski.

I mentioned this last week, and bears mentioning again:

Get back to me later on today to see what the media will be talking about tomorrow... If you want a good idea of what the pundits will be talking about today just look in my archives for the past week or so. lol jk

I am doing the best I can to be out ahead of everything that is "NEWS" here, more so than usual... And I think I have been well ahead of the curve on the biggest stories of the campaign in the last month or so. Certainly running with pack of Bloggers that are lookin' way back over their shoulders at the flailing and floundering Traditional Media.

And there is still a lot more to come on this pitiful Palin pick...

I am just not irresponsible enough to start posting based on rumors of her daughter being - or having been - pregnant, or any of the other weird and wacky stories floating around the internet concerning the birth of Trig. But, apparently these stories worry the right wingnuts enough to start refuting them before they make any big splashes in the news. Go figure?

Here we are talkin' about someone that not only should never have been picked as McInsane's running mate, but she knows she is completely unprepared for this, via kos:

In an interview just a month ago, she dissed the job, saying it didn't seem "productive." In fact, she said she doesn't know what the vice president does. Larry Kudlow of CNBC's "Kudlow & Co." asked her about the possibility of becoming McCain ticket mate. Palin replied:

Palin replied: "[A]s for that V.P. talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the V.P. does every day?

Since all muck is best when it is local, I am going to farm you out to a pretty good Alaskan Blog, Mudflats, that has a decent handle on the entire Troopergate scandal, and this story really does read like a trashy novel:

So, if McCain had made his selection six months ago, the squeaky-clean governor meme would have made a little more sense. But, Sarah Palin is currently under an ethics investigation by the Alaska state legislature. The details of this investigation read like a trashy novel, and I suspect that the players will soon have newfound celebrity on the national stage. I’ll try to explain for all you non-Alaskans who suddenly have good reason to want to know more about Sarah Palin. For those of you not interested in trashy novels, feel free to skip ahead. Here it is…what we in Alaska call “TrooperGate”.

Sarah Palin’s sister Molly married a guy named Mike Wooten who is an Alaska State Trooper. Mike and Molly had a rocky marriage. When the marriage broke up, there was a bitter custody fight that is still ongoing. During the custody investigation, all sorts of things were brought up about Wooten including the fact that he had illegally shot a moose (yes folks this is Alaska), driven drunk, and used a taser (on the test setting, he reminds us) on his 11-year old stepson, who supposedly had asked to see what it felt like. While Wooten has turned out to be a less than stellar figure, the fact that Palin’s father accompanied him on the infamous moose hunt, and that many of the dozens of charges brought up by the Palin family happened long before they were ever reported smacked of desperate custody fight. Wooten’s story is that he was basically stalked by the family.

After all this, Wooten was investigated and disciplined on two counts and allowed to kept his position with the troopers. Enter Walt Monegan, Palin’s appointed new chief of the Department of Public Safety and head of the troopers. Monegan was beloved by the troopers, did a bang-up job with minimal funding and suddenly got axed. Palin was out of town and Monegan got “offered another job” (aka fired) with no explanation to Alaskans. Pressure was put on the governor to give details, because rumors started to swirl around the fact that the highly respected Monegan was fired because he refused to fire the aforementioned Mike Wooten. Palin vehemently denied ever talking to Monegan or pressuring Monegan in any way to fire Wooten, or that anyone on her staff did. Over the weeks it has come out that not only was pressure applied, there were literally dozens of conversations in which pressure was applied to fire him. Monegan has testified to this fact, spurring an ongoing investigation by the Alaska state legislature. But, before this investigation got underway, Palin sent the Alaska State Attorney General out to do some investigative work of his own so she could find out in advance what the real investigation was going to find. (No, I’m not making this up). The AG interviewed several people, unbeknownst to the actual appointed investigator or the Legislature! Palin’s investigation of herself uncovered a recorded phone call retained by the Alaska State Troopers from Frank Bailey, a Palin underling, putting pressure on a trooper about the Wooten non-firing. Todd Palin (governor’s husband) even talked to Monegan himself in Palin’s office while she was away. Bailey is now on paid administrative leave.

As if this weren’t enough, Monegan’s appointed replacement Chuck Kopp, turns out to have been the center of his own little scandal. He received a letter of reprimand and was reassigned after sexual harrassment allegations by a former coworker who didn’t like all the unwanted kissing and hugging in the office. Was he vetted? Obviously not. When he was questioned about all this, his comment was that no one had asked him and he thought they all knew. Kopp, defiant, still claimed to have done nothing wrong and said to the press that there was no way he was stepping down from his new position. Twenty four hours later, he stepped down. Later it was uncovered that he received a $10,000 severance package for his two weeks on the job from Palin. Monegan got nothing.

After extensive news coverage about all this nasty behind-the-scenes scandal, which is definitely NOT squeaky clean, Palin’s approval ratings fell to 67%, still high, but a far cry from the 90% number that’s being thrown around so glibly by the Republicans today. Alaskans are quickly becoming disillusioned once again.

You will find about 800 comments there now, and a lot of it concerns rumors from locals on the Palin kids' origins, so to speak. They are debating whether Sarah Palin was ever pregnant OR if their daughter Bristol is or has been pregnant OR if Sarah Palin had the amniocentesis tests done because she might have been considering having an abortion, among other interesting subjects.

All of these issues are things that should instantly kill Palin's already lukewarm support from the Christian Fundamentalists, Christianists, and Christofascists IF they are proven true. You have to remember that while most of these groups may celebrate her far right wing religious positions, there are many among those groups that don't like women that go to work, never mind chasing that supposed manly power.

And as a last note...You hear guys using this word a lot on the internet when they talk about Sarah Palin - some girls use this term too - but here is someone bringing a whole new meaning to the word MILF:

Sarah Palin's hometown rallied around her as mayor - now Republicans wonder if the rest of America will warm up to the surprise pick from cold country.

Though her mother-in-law has doubts.

Faye Palin admitted she enjoys hearing Barack Obama speak, and still hasn't decided which way she'll vote."

Holy Crap! Her mother-in-law eFed her good...

[update] The McCain campaign is in a Bush-like desperation mode to try and stall anything from moving on Palin's Troopergate:

A former top Justice Department prosecutor now working for John McCain's presidential campaign has been helping to direct an aggressive legal strategy aimed at shutting down a pre-election ethics investigation into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

The growing role of Edward O'Callaghan, who until six weeks ago served as co-chief of the terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. attorney's office in New York, illustrates just how seriously the McCain campaign is taking the so-called "troopergate" inquiry into Palin's firing last summer of Walt Monegan,

Alaska's Public Safety Commissioner.O'Callaghan emerged publicly for the first time this week when he told reporters at a McCain campaign press conference, in Anchorage, that Palin is "unlikely to cooperate" with an Alaskan legislative inquiry into Monegan's firing because it had been "tainted" by politics.

The "tainted with politics" claim? I guess it is based on the fact that 3 Republicans and 2 Democratic members on a committee looking into claims of Palin's abuse of power voted to go forward with subpoenas and a formal inquiry...

Army Times: McCain Flip Flop or Fib?

Even The Army Times is kicking John McCain for his crazy attacks on Barrack Obama:

So where does McCain really stand? Some bloggers and analysts have suggested that he used the term “future combat systems” generically. Obama’s campaign maintains their candidate was speaking specifically about FCS, in which case McCain may be twisting his rival’s words.

Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute called it deceitful.

“McCain’s interpretation of Obama’s position is typical of the way in which the Republicans have twisted Democratic views in order to undercut their opponents and at the same time obscure the past positions of the Republicans,” Thompson said. “Future Combat Systems is the centerpiece of Army modernization. However, McCain has been more critical of it than anyone else in the chamber. Obama has been much more detailed and thoughtful in his comments about future military investment than McCain’s very superficial statements.”

Officials with the McCain campaign did not return phone calls and emails requesting clarification.

They manage to point to the reality that McCain had said point blank that he would scrub FCS completely from the military budget in the WaPo and now McCain is twisting himself up like a pretzel trying to distance himself from his own previous official campaign position on FCS.

And to make matters worse for McCain. He is is McLying AND trying to say Obama's policy on FCS is bad because he merely wants to review the program and cut some of the "wasteful spending" - you know? Missile systems and other pork programs that don't work at all or won't provide any more value than a bridge to nowhere would...

The reality of the Future Combat systems is that there is a constant evolution in the list of equipment that is wanted, needed, developed and tested as new wants and needs are pinpointed.

My unit was one of many tasked with testing a lot of the early FCS equipment that is now in use today. On paper a lot of the equipment sounded great. In the field some of these systems might prove to be invaluable while others would be deemed pure junk and useless. Either they couldn't build something rugged enough, or the technology needed to function properly was still out of the engineers' grasp.

There is not an American I know that wants soldiers to have anything less than the best equipment available to them. But neither soldier nor civilian wants to see our government flushing money down the drain on junk or useless programs when there are so many equipment shortcomings on even the basic equipment a soldier needs to function. Except for, apparently, John McCain. Either he wants to scrub the entire FCS program as he has stated earlier... Or he thinks we should be wasting our money on useless programs now.

Either way McCain shows a clear lack of understanding - much like he shows a complete lack of understanding of foreign policy and the economy - on the direction of today's military.

Florida Outlaws an Open and Verifiable Vote Count

On this FOX news report their answer at the end of it is even more technology. But this does not - in any way, shape or form - address the reality of an open and verifiable vote in a recount... As Florida has outlawed hand recounts:



This needs to be challenged in the courts immediately so real recounts - including hand recounts - can and will go ahead as needed. Do any of you doubt that hand recounts will be needed? Why else would they be outlawing them now?

In other Florida news:

The location of a Bush fundraising event in Florida has been changed after event planners realized that the original host is under an IRS investigation. The event was originally scheduled to be at the home of John Boswell, whose Boswell House Ministries is undergoing an IRS probe.

More Banks Fail and Workers Feel the Plutocratic Punch

Politics in the Zeros , one of the few Bloggers I know of that was following bank failures before it became fashionable, talks about the human side of this most recent round of bank failures involving AIG, Merrill Lynch and Lehman:

One report said employees were walking out of Lehman today (Sunday) crying, angry, dazed, their jobs and retirement funds vaporized. Would it be that only the fat cats got singed when capitalism has a crisis. But that’s not what happens. Lehman employs janitors, cooks, secretaries, clerks, etc. too.

I’ve been making it a point to post on financial blogs (as well as here) when someone screams that what’s happening is socialism that, no it’s not, it’s plutocracy.

Bob is 100% correct here. This country has gone well beyond normal and healthy capitalism and is now a Plutocratic state. This really isn't any form of socialism. But try explaining that to the average American that has been spoon fed in sound bytes of "liberal," "conservative," "socialism" and "communism." And never mind the fact that they are starved of the big (you could even insert that nasty Global word here!) economic picture by the traditional media because that American story would not be pretty at all.

Unless you live in the top 1% income earners in this nation (maybe even top 5%?) you are living in a completely different world than the people that live in the "richest nation in the world" that some conservatives howl about in lockstep at any mention of the American economic realities.

For the employees this will probably be like Enron all over again - with or without scandals and fraud. All of the workers, the little people, will get shafted but the “fat cats” will jump golden parachutes and all intact.

In cases like these, what is Plutocracy if it isn’t socialism for the rich?

Corporate and Wall Street welfare queens with their limousine lobbyists driving up to get their government handouts.

I know it is framing, and a bit dishonest at that. But it makes a point that Joe and Suzy Sixpack can understand. Everything else goes in one ear and out the other.

Unfortunately, most Americans don’t have a clue as to the meaning of Plutocracy, nor would they ever admit to its existence here if they even cared - "FREEDUMB!" - and some in the conservative spectrum would gladly accept it as long as the Plutocracy were Theocratic in its leanings.

In an honest and open free market - one of the other things conservatives howl about in lockstep whenever it is convenient to their arguments - these failed banks would be left to go under and the fat cats would suffer as well as the little people. And the government wouldn't even be thinking about bailing them out at all. But they will...

And all it is going to accomplish is reward the failure of the corporate elite and punish the taxpayer. Where is the incentive be a fiscally responsible corporation in America today? There is none.

Too many of these corporations have gotten so big in this (insert that nasty Global word again!) economy they can demand the right to be failures. A right for corporate "personhoods" that the average American person - you know? Living, breathing human beings - will never have.

Welcome to Plutocratic America...

In somewhat related news:

• 1. Wall Street banks falter Andrew Sorkin, NY Times
• 2. Bank meltdown wallops campaigns Mike Allen, Politico
• 3. McCain supports Bush's economic policies Jonathan Cohn, TNR
• 4. Treasury will have to protect the banks Editorial, WSJ
• 5. Blame Treasury Secretary Paulson Paul Krugman, NY Times
• 6. To win, stop attacking Palin Clive Crook, FT
• 7. McCain's press bashing is cynical Al Hunt, Bloomberg
• 8. Wal-Mart moms may be the key John Heilemann, NY Magazine
• 9. Insiders are best at reform Norm Ornstein, Washington Post
• 10. GOP victimized by elites Greg Rodriguez, LA Times

Stories number 9 and 10 have got to be a joke?

[update] A few more links and commentary via Think Progress:

Markets sank in Europe and Asia today, stock index futures slipped sharply on Wall Street, and the dollar plunged as two giant investment banks, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch, collapsed over the weekend. Compounding the financial uncertainty, insurance giant A.I.G. “sought a $40 billion lifeline from the Federal Reserve, without which the company may have only days to survive.”

Former Fed chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. credit squeeze has brought on a “once-in-a-century” financial crisis that is likely to claim more big firms before it eases. “Indeed, it will continue to be a corrosive force until the price of homes in the United States stabilizes,” Greenspan said.

Once in a century, Mr. Greenspan? Last century it was called The Great Depression...

[update deux] It appears that both bush and McCain are in Florida today. McCain is there denying the true scope of the economic collapse:

Speaking in Florida this morning — the very day that two of Wall Street’s major banking institutions collapsed — Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) declared he “still” believes “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” Watch it:

John McCain is a documented and fact-checked liar... McCain is also a self professed idiot when it comes to the economy. And I wonder if McCain was scheduled to show up at the same Florida fund raiser as bush was?

In other Florida news:

The location of a Bush fundraising event in Florida has been changed after event planners realized that the original host is under an IRS investigation. The event was originally scheduled to be at the home of John Boswell, whose Boswell House Ministries is undergoing an IRS probe.

[update trois] Crooks and Liars notes that this is a chance for Obama to take back the news cycle and focus it squarely on one of the big issues of today:

The financial markets are collapsing and it’s because of conservatism. McCain’s policies are the same as Bush and when McCain says that he is a reformer has no bearing on fixing the failing financials. Republicans do not want regulations. Period. McCain will not fundamentally change anything regarding our economy.

Obama’s camp:

Today of all days, John McCain’s stubborn insistence that the ‘fundamentals of the economy are strong’ shows that he is disturbingly out of touch with what’s going in the lives of ordinary Americans. Even as his own ads try to convince him that the economy is in crisis, apparently his 26 years in Washington have left him incapable of understanding that the policies he supports have created an historic economic crisis,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

They need to immediately produce a series of ads attacking McCain on conservatism and that puts the blame squarely on his shoulders for this latest Wall St. meltdown.

It's the economy, stupid! A freakin' no brainer that anyone with dwindling purchasing power (about 95 to 99% of America) can understand.

Straight Talk About McCain Lies

One ad after another from the McCain campaign and they just can't quit lying. America can do better than repeats of the failure of the Bush administration. America can do better than the lying John McCain:

McCain VS Palin - GOP bumble-rumble

Via BarbinMD at dKos, watch the two GOP wingnuts, John neocon McCain and Sarah secessionist Palin, unwittingly beat the crap out of each other:

Prepare yourself for the greatest ideological match-up of the century! No, it's not Obama versus McCain, it's McCain versus Palin. Let's get ready to ruuummmbbbllle...

This was John McCain, late last year on why he was qualified to be the president:

I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training. I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time.

And here is Sarah Palin last night on why she is ready to be a 72-year old heartbeat away from the presidency:

Charlie, again, we've got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time. It is for no more politics as usual and somebody's big, fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yes, they've had opportunities to meet heads of state.

So there you have it. The ultimate he said, she said. John McCain explained why Sarah Palin isn't qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, and Sarah Palin explained why John McCain doesn't represent change, just more of the same old politics as usual.