Debate Pre-Game

I may be Ny-Quil blogging the debate but lets have an open thread to kick things off.

Comments

[Fisher]

Laptop - check
Battery - check
Tivo Remote - check

Let the Games Begin.

[Jane]

Fisher,

Around here we also check the liquor cabinet.

[JM Hanes]

As I was laboriously putting together my FOBO (Friends of Barack Obama) list, I discovered that Verner had already done all the work. Check out Barack's World. The whole site is just outstanding, and should be in everybody's bookmarks.

Given the wild ride these last few weeks, tonight's debate could get very interesting. When McCain's "He lied" ad came out, I suddenly found myself thinking about the Chinese. Just before almost any high level face to face meeting, they'll take offense at some putatively bad behavior, or lodge an accusation or complaint against the other party in order to put them off balance, and consequently at a disadvantage, coming into the talks.

[PaulL]

McCain could separate himself from Bush and make fun of Obama at the same time if he'd say,
"Look at those big ears. Do we really want another chimp in the White House?"

[aardvark]

The wife of Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel plans to endorse Democrat Barack Obama.

Lilibet Hagel has scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference in Alexandria, Va., on Tuesday with Susan Eisenhower, the granddaughter of Republican President Eisenhower. Susan Eisenhower also is an Obama supporter. [...]

She said it will be her first endorsement of a Democrat and that perilous world conditions were a factor. "The fact is we're in two wars, two of the longest we've ever been in. We've run up a third of our nation's debt in just the past eight years. We're in the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression," she said.

The Hagels know John and Cindy McCain, and she said her endorsement was not meant to slam them.

"This isn't anti-McCain. This is pro-Obama. I'm just convinced he's the right person," she said.

link

[clarice]

JMH--I'd like to blog that and give jennifer credit if it's her's but I don't see any author listed. Can you help me out?

[Pagar]

From the This ain't Hell, but you can see it from Here Site.
More money missing:

"Some of you may not have heard, but the DC government discovered last year that a small gang of their bureaucrats have been stealing money from taxpayer coffers for decades to the tune of nearly $50 million. Harriet Walters and some of her friends and workmates in the DC Tax and Revenue office siphoned off phony tax rebate checks, most recently in $400k chunks. In fact, when DC decided to tighten security in their procedures, it was Harriet Walters, the ringleader who designed the system intended to stop her."

LUN

Hard to believe no one noticed 50 million missing.

[Fisher]

What brilliant reasoning:

..."The fact is we're in two wars, two of the longest we've ever been in. We've run up a third of our nation's debt in just the past eight years. We're in the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression," she said...

What better time to turn the country over to someone with about a hundred days experience as a U.S. Senator.

[centralcal]

laughing hysterically at Jane. The liquor cabinet - check.

I am still at work and jealous of your early cocktail hour.

[Cindy]

Once again I am counting on the crew at JOM to get me through the night...

[clarice]

Pagar--the beauty of it was the the tonier shops in town like Nieman Marcus surely knew what was going on and said nothing. One middle level bank clerk said "whoa!" reported the odd transactions and the rest is history/

[PeterUK]

"round here we also check the liquor cabinet."

You stop to put the booze in a cabinet?

[Lesley]

Re: Lilibut Hagel.

In 1996, my husband and I attended a small breakfast fundraiser for Chuck Hagel who was in the process of convincing donors to support him in his first run for the Senate. Although Hagel was originally from Nebraska, he had not lived there in some time and was relatively unknown to the party faithful.

However, Hagel inspired our confidence because the of the man who came to speak on his (Hagel's) behalf that morning. And who was that man you might ask? John McCain.

Words fail me.

[jcox31mc]

Just a thought......the stock market may also be suffering from the aspect of Obama becoming President....Heaven forbid.....

[PeterUK]

Yes the woman is right,give the job to Barrack Hussein Obama the man who can't remember what he did with $160,000,000.

"Michelle ma'am,did I leave $160 million bucks in my pants pocket"?

"You sent them to the cleaners Barry".

[Soylent Red]

Pfft...

Chuck Hagel's ideology is not conservatism. It's Chuck Hagelism. He goes to the highest bidder.

[PD]

I'll be interested to see if Obama can respond to any criticism of his positions without using the word "distraction."

Am I tired of that word, and the Obama campaign's use of it:

"Bringing up Bill Ayers and the character issue is a distraction from the fact that the American people want to hear what we're going to do about the economy."

"Asserting that I'm going to raise taxes is a distraction from the fact that the American people want to know who's going to end the war responsibly in Iraq."

"Saying that I want to surrender in Iraq is a distraction from the fact that the American people want to know that their president is a man who can show judgement and character."

...and the cycle repeats.

[Lesley]

Soylent

Don't know if you noticed, but the Woods Fund was started by Frank sr. and Nelle Woods of Lincoln, Nebraska (Woods Brothers Realty, Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph, Sahara Coal Company). I saw some members of the family tonight at an art show. Thought I'd ask when the fund split into two parts, Lincoln v Chicago. It happened sometime in the 90's. The fund was originally directed primarily towards the arts (the intent of the founders, see mission statement of Woods Fund of Chicago)......the explanation to me, tonight, was that they now provide "seed money" to activist groups, get them up and going, and hopefully interest other better-funded foundations to carry on with the $.

[hit and run]

Well, carp. I'm liquorless.

[hit and run]

And not a drop of Nyquil, either.

[DrJ]

Time to turn water into wine, hit!

[Jane M Hanes]

Clarice:

I'm not sure exactly when/where I made that connection, but I have it listed as Verner's site in my bookmarks. She was posting here in the Ayers & Keating thread a little while ago, so perhaps you could check with her directly.

[Elliott]

Good morningGood evening, JaneMH.

[Jane M Hanes]

Evenin' E!!iott Have we established our drinking words yet?

[Jane M Hanes]

hit:

Not even any fermented fruit in the veggie bin?

[Soylent Red]

JMH:

"Distraction" should be one.

[centralcal]

Good grief everybody has aliases. Jane M Hanes - is that for real or your version of an alias? By the way, my real name is Jan - I decided early on to stick with centralcal because there were too many janes, joans, jeans, etc. to confuse things. grin.

[DrJ]

I'm with you cc. I can't keep up with all of the musical chairs, er, names.

[matt]

a recent poll found that a large majority would like to replace the entire Congress. Let's start with Hagel....

I have never seen a Republican stab another Republican in the back in the middle of a closely contested election, and surely that has to be a new low.

[Barry Dauphin]

Mrs. Hagel: Another example of Chuck's questionable judgment.

Gotta love the not meant as a slam to McCain. Should be wonderful dinner parties back in D.C.

It's kind of like the old Monty Python sketch: Your majesty is like a stream of bat's piss.. what I meant, your majesty, is that you shine out like a shaft of gold when all around is dark.

[Jane M Hanes]

centralcal:

Didn't you hear? We're all Janes now!

[centralcal]

Hagel gives me acid drip. He is worthless.

[Jane's Directory of Military Small Arms Ammunition:]

It's the only Jane I can think of.

[Ann]

You know what would make tonight perfect? If DoT came my just to say Hi! Isn't he the only one that has been for McCain from the start?

I have to come up with a new name. Mine is way to boring.

[SukieTawdry]

Evening, everyone. Axelrod warns McCain

Bring it.

[Soylent Red]

He's less than worthless. And I voted for him, to my eternal shame. Talk about acid drip.

[Jane M Hanes]

Would that be DrJDOMSAA?

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

I may be Ny-Quil blogging...

Same problem here. But, it'll be tea with a spoonful of honey...and a shot of Jack Daniels.

And, if McCain doesn't do better than last time, scratch the tea and honey.

[Porchlight]

"Distraction" should be one.

I only have four beers left. Have a heart. I'll never get through the debate at this rate...

[Soylent Jane]

Let's try this on for size.

[centralcal]

Hmm. Definitely not PLAIN Janes, I might add. Well ... I would only have to add a vowel to became a Jane.

[Sue-Jane]

I'm not nervous tonight. I think McCain will do well and Obama will win. Just as he did after the last debate.

[Pagar]

JMH, If there is any way to get someone added to the "Barack's World" list, there is some glaring omissions under the money section, IMO.

Penny Pritzker , 2008 campaign finance chairman for Barack Obama"
"Barack Obama was in Chicago at the time of the Superior Bank failure & has full knowledge of what went on and the cause of the collapse."

As far as I can see, the entire subprime disaster plan was laid out in the Superior Bank scandal and no one paid any attention.
If Obama wins, one can be sure, Penny Pritzker will be somehow involved in US money policy.

" The Pritzkers, one of the nation’s wealthiest families and heirs to the fortune created by the Hyatt hotels, agreed today to pay a record $460 million to the federal government to avoid being punished for the failure of Superior Bank F.S.B., the big savings and loan institution that regulators seized last summer.

Federal officials said the payment, which will be spread out over 15 years, is the largest settlement ever in the failure of a banking institution. The failure itself is one of the largest in the last decade, one that some estimate could cost the government up to $1 billion.

Unbelievable isn’t it? The failure of Superior Bank, based in Hinsdale, cost the F.D.I.C. about $700 million, making it one of the largest federally insured financial institutions to fail in a decade. Regulators said Superior had collapsed because of poor lending practices and sloppy bookkeeping."

That Penny Pritzker is a finance chair for the Obama campaign is a scandal, in its self.
Link

The second name I believe should be on that list is George Soros.

"Soros, Obama, and the Millionaires Exception"
"Soros and his family gave Barack Obama $60,000. This does not include money that Soros was able to funnel to so-called 527 groups (Moveon.org, for example) that have also been politically active; nor does it include money that Soros was able to raise from tapping a network of friends, business associates, and employees.

After taking advantage of the special freedom to raise large amounts of money from influential individuals, and as the campaigns entered their closing rounds, news was leaked to media outlets that both Hull and Ryan had personal scandals associated with them. The release of this news devastated both of their campaigns, leading to an easy run to victory for Obama in the primary and then in the general election. The New York Times Magazine revealed earlier in the year that David Axelrod, Obama's chief political and media adviser, may well have been behind the leak of the story that doomed the Hull candidacy as the primary reached its home stretch."

Without the aid of Soros, and family/friends
there is a good chance IMO, that Obama would not have won in 2004. Meaning that tonight we could be having a debate between two Americans with a solid list of achievements qualifying them to be president. Instead, John McCain is debating a person that is being sued in court today to determine if he is even eligible to be a candidate. A person that has more gaps in his resume than millions of other Americans who are known to meet the qualifications needed to be President as laid out in the Constitution of the US.

Link

[Porchlight]

Axelrod warns McCain

OMG, look at that jacket in the pic. Tough guy!

[Jane M Hanes]

JaneAnn:

"Isn't he the only one that has been for McCain from the start"

Well if anything could bring him roaring back, that's probably it!

[centralcal]

Sue-Jane - hush yo' mouth girl. Obama has already won! The press is just holding back until the debate is officially over, doncha know.

[SukieTawdry]

Oh, and later on make sure you don't miss this. Freakin' hilarious. LUN

[Soylent Jane]

Porch:

He looks like Shaft.

[centralcal]

quick someone - give a link so I can be centraljane.

[Elliott]

Have we established our drinking words yet?

I think "plan," "warn," "fight," and variations thereof should be nominated.

Just a brief aside, l think Obama's new ad (out of touch, out of ideas, etc.) is his best in a while. The music is well chosen.

[DrJ]

Would that be DrJDOMSAA?

No JD here! (That means I don't get it, if that is directed to me.)

[Jane Whitman]

The more Janes the merrier

[hit and run]

FREE DOT!!!

FREE DOT!!!

[He was a Rudy guy]

FREE DOT!!!

[Soylent Jane]

Elliott:

Is it Gil Scott-Heron?

[Jane Whitman]

Depends on how much you want to drink. If you chug on "distraction" you will be out cold by 9:15. If McCain brings up Ms Congeniality I personally will uh, uh, do something vile. I hope the words Democrat congress are repeated early and often,

[centralcal]

seriously - I don't remember where to go to create a log in name. help me please!

[Barbara]

McCain should also drop, "My friends."

[clarice]

OMG--My eyes really are crossed from fatigue--I reread the thread and found I actually typed "her's".

[Jane Whitman]

Here Centralcal? Under "Name".

[Sue-Jane]

I absolutely detest Obama's voice. I wish he would get rid of that fake southern accent.

[Elliott]

I don't know, but it sounds familiar. Link.

[Porchlight]

He looks like Shaft.

Soylent,

I was thinking Lester Bangs.

[JaneAnn]

Centralcal,

Just change your name in the post a comment line.

[Jane Whitman]

So apparently Obama has developed some fab new ideas for a sinking economy some of which he may reveal tonite.

[Soylent Jane]

centraljane - Just change your name line when you post a comment.

[Cecil Turner]

Mr Hagel is nearly indistinguishable from Obama on the Surge, doomsaying from the beginning and in denial up through this year, whilst taking verbal potshots at those who got it right:

"I think this is another episode of 'Alice in Wonderland,'"

Sure won't be sorry to see him leave the Senate. Dunno Mrs. Hagel . . . but from that short exposure, looks like she's well-suited to her spouse. I'd also note Hagel's earlier promise not to endorse a Democrat, and wonder if his wife's endorsement is supposed to be a proxy, or give him cover for reneging.

Frankly, though, the idea of someone telling me how to vote just irritates me. If anything, it actually makes me less likely to support the endorsee. Getting his wife to do it for him doesn't add. And from his recent stellar judgment, not sure why Hagel's endorsement would be any more persuasive than Bruce Springsteen's (and that ain't exactly a high bar), even if I liked him.

Guess I better go watch this thing. Cheers.

[centraljane]

that's it? jeez

[glenda waggoner]

Everyone get their people from the audience fact-checkers ready--and away we go!

[centraljane]

Grazie, everyone for the help

and we're off!

[Soylent Jane]

Perfecto porch.

Brokaw is a tool. Just getting that out of the way early...

[SukieTawdry]

I just hate his ties!

[Jane Whitman]

I wonder who will be the first to get out of their chair?

[Jane M Hanes]

Pagar:

If Verner doesn't check in on the debate thread tonight, you could try Discover the Networks' Contact Page.

I've been reading that 31 segment Obama Series over at NewZeal that you linked to earlier -- it's a pretty amazing compendium. I was working through them with an eye to nailing down Obama connections, and I was struck by how careful he seems to have been about explicitly allignments. He has fairly clear ties to a whole host of individuals, but has managed to skirt any obvious links to the organizations behind them.

[Jane Whitman]

Oh good, how will we bail out the retirees?

[SukieTawdry]

First question is about another bailout. Swell.

[hit and run]

I'm counting uh's and ah's.

[Porchlight]

The only thing I like about Brokaw is that he's from South Dakota.

Regulations, drink!

[bad]

Browkaws voice sucks.

[Syl]

re Penny Pritzker and Superior Bank. I've been mulling the idea that the goal from the start with the NiNJA stuff and sub-prime mess was to bring down capitalism and our markets.

After all, Obama has stated that he will fundamentally change America.

Remember Naomi Klein's "Shock Doctrine" which accuses the current administration of inducing shock and awe to re-arrange the economic playing pieces into embracing capitalism and free markets?

And the truism that the Left accuses the Right of what the Left is actually doing?

It seems it is actually Obama and the Left who are using the current financial markets crisis to re-arrange the pieces of our economy into socialism.

And I thought I wasn't a conspiracy nut. But I can't imagine someone as supposedely as smart as Obama had no idea of what the consequences would be when he trained the ACORN leaders, sent them off to bully banks, and defended them in court.

[Caro]

Sarah lookalike behind first questioner!

[SukieTawdry]

Doesn't Bambi know another tune?

[glenda-jane]

Aren't Obama's cheeks a little too red? a la Al Gore? yes......

[centraljane]

Will his ear piece fall out on tv?

[Porchlight]

New debate thread! Everyone move one chair to the right...

[SukieTawdry]

Tax cuts for the middle class. Gov't projects.

[Jane Whitman]

So Obama's answer as with everything is to spend money.

[badjane]

The audience looks petrified.

[Jane Whitman]

I'm not crazy about the government to buy up homes.

[Porchjane]

So they should be, badjane.

[SukieTawdry]

Jesus, John, that was terrible, my friends.

[Jane Whitman]

And I clearly can't talk.

[Porchjane]

I think he'll warm up, Sukie.

New thread!

[Elliott]

Walter, looks like you hit the nail on the head.

[Jane Whitman]

WE NEED SOCIALISM! WE NEED SOCIALISM!

[Verner]

Hey Guys, Wish I could take credit for the discover the network page, but I had nothing to do with it.

Give them an email. and see if they might like including the new info.