Sunday Chat

Away we go.

Comments

[hrtshpdbox]

Powell objects to the choice of Palin, and to John McCain's use of Bill Ayers as a campaign issue. Obama is "transformational". It's baloney, in my opinion - Powell was never going to support a Republican again after the way he perceives he was treated at State under a GOP President. One of Bush's most egregious errors was choosing a liberal trouble-maker like Powell for a cabinet slot; Condi should've gotten State right from the start. Protecting Armitage so that Scooter Libby would twist in the wind was only partial retribution, as is this endorsement of a man who rejects much of the values that Powell ostensibly championed throughout his career (sort of difficult to imagine that Obama "loathes the military" any less than Bill Clinton) - I think Powell will be reliably causing mischief for Republicans forever. One saving grace, I believe, is that Powell's reputation isn't what it once was; I doubt that he'll influence many votes.

Meanwhile, the RealClear average is less than 5 points now, after being above 7 just last week. And Sarah was great on SNL. And the story about Obama and Ayers sharing an office for three years instantly brought to mind Lee Harvey Oswald, for some reason.

[Undecided Voter]

I am leaning towards McCain. I think the only way I could vote for Obama is if he was endorsed by Colin Powell.

[kim]

Sort of amusing to think that Powell might be the Kiss of Death.
=========================================

[Amused bystander]

Kim: KoD to whom?

[Cecil Turner]

Heh. Yep, I've been wondering who Colin Powell was going to endorse for President. In fact, it's long been the most critical question in trying to determine who had the more impressive resumé. And I'm sure most lefties, who treat Powell's every utterance with utmost respect (especially the parts having to do with WMD and whether the war in Iraq was well-intentioned and advisable) will immediately flock to this as proof positive their man is the one.

Okay, seriously, though I disagree with Powell on most social issues, I would have seriously considered him as a presidential candidate. But his late endorsement of the other black guy is less than inspirational, even if I viewed endorsements as something other than a barely appropriate attempt at vote-influencing. The main thing Powell has going for him is a long record of actual service, and an obvious willingness to subserviate his own welfare to that of the nation. Obama has no such record. I'm absolutely certain Powell is on our side . . . but not so sure about his endorsee.

[centralcal]

Oh, snort! Undecided.

[hrtshpdbox]

I think the reason that Powell has always been so reticent to comment on political and government matters is because he's utterly clueless about it; the keeping one's mouth shut lest removing all doubt about being stupid thing. A lightweight.

[Barry Dauphin]

Powell's endorsement of Obama is predictable in many ways, but throwing in the concern about the negative turn of McCain's campaign is fairly nauseating and most certainly disingenuous. Guess he doesn't watch any of Obama's ads.

[kim]

Ab, who's he kissing now? Did you see he said he didn't think he could stand two more Republican appointees to the Supreme Court? This is a former Republican Secretary of State? Would you like to be kissed by such a one?
====================================

[centralcal]

What about Colin's own history of negativity and backstabbing?

I agree with the others that he brings nothing to the table for McCain or Obama, except his own problematic history.

[kim]

Cecil, rarely do I dispute you, but I burst out laughing at this, that Powell has 'an obvious willingness to subserviate his own welfare to that of the nation'. Like Armitage, Powell is always about 'Me First'.
=================================

[Walter]

Cecil,

Way off topic, but I couldn't help but wonder about your opinion on this alternate Harrier landing procedure.

I'm inclined to give them points for creativity at the very least.

[kim]

And if he let his resentment about his speech at the UN inform his progress as SoS, to the detriment of the war effort, then the excess deaths be upon him. I think the military has a sense of this.
=======================================

[Jim Ryan]

Links for your muddle acquaintances:

Danfeotu's video. Not too shabby.

My The Reasons to Vote for McCain, fwiw.

[Amused bystander]

Well, if he is "on our side" he just endorsed a cryto communist who would hand our fate over to the "world community", and one whose beliefs are in line with the ideologues who drove the enemy he faught in Viet Nam. I hardly see how that is "on our side". Certainly he is not on my side.

This begs some questions: Is he an idiot? Is he senile? Is he naive? How does he so lightly turn on the GOP and the Bush family?

It casts doubt on his character, judgement and, indeed, his whole career.

Excluding some underhanded pressure placed on him by the Democrats, his endorsement appears to be motivated by some mixture of the following;
1. Race
2. A fit of pique
3. A play for a position in the administration
4. Perhaps an attempt to avoid the docket in the promised show trails of Bush officials.

Given how much the GOP did for this man, one is taken back, particularity in the timing.

The display of opportunism, disloyalty, hypocrisy and racism is stunning.

It is clear where his interests lie, and is with the elite, liberal Establishment; this does not bode well for most of America.

What is really galling is his dumping on Palin: Elitism from an Affirmative Action general, which is exactly what he was.

At best, a mediocrity.

America really has to decide what it is about.
If it is socialism, delusions of accomplishment and and this loony dream world of PC and tranzi self delusions then let us just say so and be done with it.

This election will most certainly set race relations back a great deal.

[bio mom]

Unfortunately or fortunately depending upon your point of view the Powell endorsement will lose some of its potential punch because of the race issue. Many will feel Powell just had to endorse another African-American. Race trumps all in this election if you are an African American. And I am very saddened that he chose to do it this way, two weeks before the election on Meet the Press. That is not honorable. He had many chances in the previous months and defered. I know politics is a tough thing, but I am very saddened by this fall from grace by Powell. It makes him a smaller man.

[SteveMG]

I guess all that talk by some (many?) of Obama's supporters about having war crimes trials for Bush Administration officials goes out the window now?

After all, didn't Powell "lie" about pre-war intelligence?

All snark aside, it is interesting that most of the press coverage has ignored Obama's scathing criticism of the decision to go to war in Iraq and Powell's support for the decision.

Seemingly, an observant press might want to look at that.

[Amused bystander]

Kim: Not arguing, I just did not know what you meant. It remains to be seen what this means.

We talk about the muddle, but we really do not know what is its composition. If a substantial portion of them are center or center left, than this endorsement could be devastating to McCain, if it is otherwise, maybe it is as you say.

I was just trying to understand you, that is all.

It may boil down to emotional feelings toward Powell -- impressions formed from either prior perceptions of him or the feeling generated by this endorsement (or both). It is hard to figure.

We shall see soon enough.

I doubt that people who are undecided understand the issues surrounding his career or follow insider Washington politics to the point that they can interpret this in that light. In any event, the MSM will not let that light in.

Seems mostly emotional to me -- at least for the muddle.

[glasater]

Greta had a quick segment on her show Friday evening when the Colin Powell rumors were coming on strong. She pointed out the pitfalls for Zero of such an endorsement.

[Amused bystander]

Walter, would you say that is landing is a case of "Hope spring eternal"?

[clarice plumber]

What's the trouble with the Harrier landing? It worked, didn't it? Looks like the cockpit remained intact to me. And no fire. Kind of like staving off a crazed murdered by stuffing his mouth with doughnuts.

[clarice plumber]

**murdereR***

[Amused bystander]

*take Aback*

[Amused bystander]

Bio Mom: Just so. Dishonorable in the extreme.

[Amy Poehler -- rap artiste]

Chris Wallace nails John McCain by showing a video of his pledge last May to make his campaign "one of issues, not about Rev. Wright or Wm. Ayers."

Wallace quotes NYT poll of independents: 62% say McCain is running negative ads. McCain's response? BO has spent more money on negative ads. Better response? NYTimes/WaPo/MSM do all the heavy lifting for BO on the negative side, e.g. NYT reporter's slimy emails to Bridget McCain's 16-year-old classmates digging for dirt on Cindy McCain.

Instead of blasting back, McCain gets pissy with Wallace for dwelling on "process." Sheesh, man up John, taking the faux-high road is getting you nowhere and that measured "calm voice" is kinda creepy.

Don't you remember any of that Navy jargon? Hell, just pretend you're talking to John Cornyn and let fly.

[SunnyDay]

Guiliani is going to respond on Wolfie's show.

[clarice plumber]

It is a fancy piece of irony, no? Obama beats Clinton because he openly opposes the war and Powell was a key supporter of it..

I don't know how much difference endorsements makes--M pointed out 4 former SoS endorsed him to P's Albright and Powell:

"… here is what JSM said on FNS about the Powell endorsement:

Q on another sunday talk show general colin powell has just said that he is going to vote for barack obama he said he meets the standard of being a successful president he says that senator mccain is unsure about how to deal with the economy and he does not feel that sarah palin is ready to be commander in chief

9:19:42 well i have always admired and respected general powell we are longtime friends 9:19:48 this doesn’t come as a surprise

9:19:53 but i am also very pleased to have the endorsement of four former secretaries of state kissinger baker eagleburger and haig and i am proud to have the endorsement of well over 9:20:01 200 retired army generals and admirals

9:20:05 but i respect and continue to respect and admire general powell

Q just briefly though one the key lines of your campaign lines has been that obama is not ready to lead here is colin powell saying he is

9:20:19 well again we have a very — a respectful disagreement and i think the american people will pay close attention to our 9:20:24 message for the future and keeping america secure
"

Powell has lost a great deal of his former lustre in my eyes over the past few years..but if I thought O would actually be consulting with experienced hands like him rather than, say, Soros, I'd think it not a bad thing. I don't though---I do not see the budding centrist hiding under his Hyde Park garb.

[SunnyDay]

Harrier landing - that's hilarious! Did some teenagers steal the plane?

[narciso]

Powell is a flak for the Saudis, a conflict ridden promoter of global warming interests
(Kleiner, Perkins)one of the Azeri oil lobbyist which seems to suggest acquiescing to Iran, when Baku is one of the frontlines
against neo-Czarism and Salafi infiltration.
He would have ambandoned the Kurds to Saddam in perpetuity let Southern Iraq become a virtual colony of Iran. Mark that
as a 'qualified' thumbs down.

from long time back. which mandates

[syn]

Wan't Colin Powell the one who surrendered to defeat during the first Gulf War?

Sounds appropriate Powell would endorse Obama.

I do hope Americans are aware that should Obama win, small businesses will downsize and layoff while smart people will pull-out all their money invested in the markets.

Simply put, no intelligent capitalist would ever leave their money in the hands of anti-capitalists.

If you want anti-capitalist Obama and his goon squad along side the Party of Marxist Lawyers dicatating your life and eliminating your job, that's your problem...not mine.

[PaulL]

One of Powell's claims to fame is his doctrine of overwhelming force. In a nutshell, this is the exact opposite of the traditionally-valued American way of a fair fight. It means sending in 8 men to subdue a teenager, so we can be sure of the outcome.

Powell's doctrine was, rightfully, laughed at after the incredibly successful invasion of Baghdad. Now the doctrine was move fast. Powell has been trying to get revenge on the President and Republicans ever since. He is scum.

[SunnyDay]

NO NO NO - O is going to give small businesses $3k for each new employee!!!! See? He cares about small businesses.

[Pofarmer]

Powell objects to the choice of Palin,

On what grounds?

[Pofarmer]

Betweem what O is promising in spending, coupled with what he's promising on giving away, I don't know where the math lies, but it can't be good.

[Barney's Evil Twin]

WOW! NBC cancelled MTP this morning and ran a 60-minute info-mercial for the Obama campaign. Pretty interesting though -

Colin Powell finally came out of the closet. No surprise, he’s been wanting to take a bite out of the hand that fed him for a long time.

Powell’s praise of McCain (while endorsing Obama)had a certain “I support the troops” ring to it. Ugh.

The Obama camp has been trying to goad McCain into playing a race card ever since the campaign started. Will Powell’s endorsement be seen as doubling down on this bet? Brokaw seemed to go out of his way to dare McCain’s people to cite Powell’s choice to join the 95 percenters.

Brokaw and friends would have Americans believe Powell’s endorsement will be devastating to McCain in important states with big populations of active and retired military people. Maybe not. I’m retired military. Not many of my peers regard Powell as a soldier’s soldier - more of a political animal - a view he validated today. I suspect the Powell endorsement did more to energize the GOP base than anything since the selection of Sarah.

[Cecil Turner]

Way off topic, but I couldn't help but wonder about your opinion on this alternate Harrier landing procedure.

I vaguely remember hearing something about using mattresses a long time ago . . . but it's not really necessary, and I don't think it's generally recommended. If neither the normal hydraulics nor emergency pneumatic blowdown works, a soft landing on the strakes will generally damage them very little, and sometimes not at all. (I was thinking this was an old incident/picture, but it's got the new squadron logo, so maybe we're relearning old lessons.) That beast was fun to fly, but I sure don't miss the mechanical issues.

[clarice plumber]

Powell's view on "overwhelming force" grew out of Viet Nam where I believe he must have felt that the pols at home misserved the men in the field. I disagree with his endorsement. I thought he was perfidious respecting Plame. I think he and his family have made out like bandits due to the Bush largesse and this seems an odd way to repay that. But I do not doubt that in his own mind he loves and cares for the troops.Like all of us, his personal prejudices have blinded him to the truth .

[kim]

narciso, read Vindal K. Dar from June and the Lord of Brenchley's encomium to McCain in the American Thinker and Richard Lindzen's latest about the CO2 hoax. We are cooling, folks, for how long even kim doesn't know.
=====================================

[clarice plumber]

BTW, I once was privileged tosee outtakes of an interview of Powell for a documnetary on the first Gulf War when he got to the part where they were waiting to learn if our airmen all returned safely he broke down and cried. I believe whatever you or I think of him, he does care deeply for the military men and their families.

[kim]

Ab, at 10:41. An excellent post; it seems you know more about kissing than do I, and I can understand why you weren't sure what I meant. Powell's kissed someone, but I'm not sure anymore whom.
==========================================

[Simple Simon]

Hearing Colin Powell galling it generational or rather transformational I finally got it Obama is a Transformer character called The One which is similar to Stephen King's It . All it can do is create Buzz and hopefully Sarah Tailgunner Plumber Joe and the Aviator will kill as David and Goliath with a slingshot. Go BladeRunner.

[Extraneus]

Doesn't it seem as if most black people are racists? I mean, I've been rooting for people like Colin Powell for a long time, but I'm coming to the conclusion that I was wrong.

Because of Affirmative Action, nobody can ever know whether Colin Powell's or Barack Obama's or countless other black people's achievements were or weren't due to the color of their skin.

Affirmative Action has really hurt this country. It's the root cause of the mortgage mess, and it's why an unqualified crypto Marxist thug is poised to become President. And really, we deserve it. Very few have stood up for equal rights when the risk of being smeared as a racist was the alternative. And yet, where are the racists?

[Amused bystander]

Ext: Yes, the race thing starts to look like yet another leftist con like Climate change and the labor movement.

BTW, this business of using minorities to distrupt societies is straight out of the collectivist playbook.

We can only hope that Americans have had enough of it.

[Simple Simon]

Affirmitaive action has dumbed down society in general. That is why we are getting lackluster candidates.

[E. Nigma]

General (Secretary?) Powell still yearns to play the Great Game. I think after 2004, and Condi Rice's rise to SoS, Powell has been shut out of consulting and opinion gathering at State.
Truly, he and Armitage let Libby 'twist in the wind', and I think that went gone down hard inside the Bush White House.
So Powell still thinks that Obama will ask his opinions as the 'wise old man', once Obama is President? Based on what? Who will be Obama's SoS?

Perhaps he will be a star 'friendly' witness for the Iraq War Inquisitions the Obama Administration will hold, and he has innoculated himself from prosecution by changing sides? Talk about a deal you can't refuse

And isn't Armitage inside McCain's campaign as a Foreign Policy mole, er, adviser?

[Amused bystander]

Well I think that people will be shocked at what happens during an Obama administration.

Powell's public reputation may be destroyed by this endorsement in the end.

I expect there to be some real slack jawed dumbfoundedness within 9 months of The One's installment. Transformative? Be careful what you wish for, Mr. Powell.

[ex-democrat]

has condi endorsed mccain?

[jimmyk]

Pat Buchanan of all people actually has a pretty sensible column on Obama, including this:

In short, Obama has still not closed the sale. Every time America takes a second look at him, it has second thoughts, and backs away.

Even after the media have mocked and pilloried Palin and ceded Obama and Biden victory in all four debates, the nation, according to Gallup, is slowly moving back toward the Republican ticket.

Moreover, Obama knows Middle America harbors deep suspicions of him. Thus, he has jettisoned the rhetoric about the "fierce urgency of now," and "We are the people we've been waiting for," even as he has jettisoned position after position to make himself acceptable.

LUN

[centralcal]

Hillbuzz has an interesting hypothesis - every time The One is falling behind or losing the narrative or fearing something coming - he whips out an endorsement.

Also, he doubled down this time - not only sending Colin out to formally announce his endorsement (which Obama has had for some time) but also to release his huge fundraising numbers (ahead of schedule and uncharacteristically on a Sunday.

It is all meant to demoralize us, folks. The magic isn't as awesome as it once was, seems to mostly impress the media.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Obama raised $150 billion this month (helped, no doubt, by prominent contributor Eatoin Shrdlu), outspent McCain 4-1 on media, and is losing ground in the polls. I guess he hasn't closed the deal.

[kim]

That is indeed a nice link, jimmyk; it's a reminder of Pat's past glories.
=======================================

[kim]

Charlie, is that Lebanese or Armenian? ::grin::
============================

[jimmyk]

A McCain late surge will be one of the great stories of the 21st century, an American collective coming to its senses despite the overwhelming media onslaught in favor of Obama (both the part Obama pays for and the part that he gets for free). I've always thought it would happen, and I haven't given up hope yet.

[JBean]

Powell's endorsement wasn't unexpected. He carefully calculated the timing to sharpen the knife, of course, and the maximum attention for Colin Powell.

Novak wrote about it back in June.

[Barbara]

I have never had a high opinion of Colin Powell. As someone said above, he always seemed to me to be more of a political animal than a soldier. After today, I would bet that the only one who has a "high" opinion of Colin Powell is Colin Powell.

Powell made his endorsement so late in the campaign that I doubt it will have any measurable effect on the outcome of the election. It was done in a rather smarmy way with Powell taking cheap shots at Palin and McCain, rather than listing the qualities and experience of Obama which in his view would make him a better president.

I don't know what Powell anticipates in his future or whether he has been promised some perfunctory position in an Obama administration. But if you are somewhat of an elder statesman, I would think that you would want to maintain a certain image and, as they say, go out at the top of your game. By making this endorsement in the way he did at the time he did, Powell eliminated that possibility.

[Captain Hate]

jimmyk,

I haven't lost faith in the majority of the citizens to ultimately do the right thing. I'm hoping for 2008 to be known as the year that the MSM officially lost all its credibility.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Barbara, Powell had exactly the skills that perfectly suited him to being a Pentagon general. "Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself; and heed well their advice, even though they be turkeys. Know what to kiss - and when. Consider that two wrongs never make a right, but that three do. Wherever possible, put people on hold."

[bad]

Roger Simon on Powell's Hobama endorsement on MTP:

Citing unnamed Republican party leaders (not McCain), he (Powell) said these leaders made allegations to him that Obama was a Muslim and therefore a “terrorist”. Really? I would like to hear the names of those “leaders.”

NYT will clear this up in no time. Really, no time.

[Elliott]

Provisional thought of the day from me: Powell's preference was not to endorse Obama publicly and the fact he has is an indication this election is far closer than you'd know from listening to the pundits.

[bad]

DOH LUN to Roger Simon

[Pagar]

Gen Powell's endorsement of Obama is an insult to every person who has served in the US military and a spit on the grave of every US and Allied citizen who died under the command of General Powell. IMO, Sen Obama hates the US military and all they have stood for throughout the years, since this nation came into existence. I expect the US military , as we know it, to cease to exist at the exact moment, should Obama becoming President.

[Jim Ryan]

Demoralized because of a Powell endorsement? LOL.

[larwyn]

Hurt myself again so can't sit up to type, collect or send out collections. Want to explode re Colin.
Proves what a LITTLE MAN this rat is.
I'll let Judith speak for me, although I could add other points, but you guys know them...

Judith Apter Klinghoffer http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/55838.html
POWELL PUTS RACE FIRST

Do you believe that Colin Powell would have endorsed a WHITE DEMOCRATIC Candidate for president? Me neither. Do you believe Colin Powell would not have run for president had he been WHITE? Me neither. Do you believe that Barack Obama would have offered Powell or any other black mad who failed to endorse him a seat at the table? Me neither.

To be honest, I never liked the man. He struck me as a coward. Yes, he was a general but he let fear of assassination prevent him from running for the presidency and he betrayed those who gave him a seat at the table in ill timed books.

Well, the two man deserve each other. Honor, gratitude and loyalty are not values familiar to either of them. Throwing old friends under bus is a common sport for them. All we can hope is that the American people will see through the media hype and give them their just dessert. A defeat in the polls.

Disgusting.

[PeterUK]

I have asked before,how much has Obama spent to make himself President.It would be worthwhile pointing this figure out to all those losing their job and houses,watching their life savings turn to dust.
Come on folks,time to put a price on socialism.

[glenda waggoner]

Hello all... I started re-reading McCullough's Truman biography last night. I am hoping to keep my optimism alive. So far, I can tell you Dewey and Obama have the same amount of letters in their name..I will continue the search for more parallels.

[glenda waggoner]

elliott & larwyn(prayers your way)..
what you said..dittoes

[bad]

Peter, others have made the point that Hobama's idea of spreading the wealth around refers to other people's money, not his own. Consider:

Campaign financing- Why isn't he sharing with McCain in the interest of "fairness" and "sharing the wealth"?

Brother George in Kenya- Why is he not his brother's keeper and sharing some wealth with him?

The School in Kenya-Why has he not shared the wealth with the school he promised to fund?

I'm sure there are better example's than this quick little list.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Wish I'd have said this:

How come when Colin Powell promoted Bush's "lies," he was not someone to be believed or trusted, but now that he's endorsed Obama, he is someone to be . . . believed and trusted?

[bad]

From Breitbart:

FannieMae's covert campaign against Republican Senators

Linked Under Name (LUN)

[bad]

sigh.. That would be FreddieMac

[Charlie (Colorado)]

By the way, I've got a two part question:

(1) when do you think the TED spread will close below 3 percent? 2 percent? My guess is 3 percent tomorrow, it might take a couple weeks for 2 percent.

(2) in an environment where the US Treasury is both taking on "lender of last resort" and insuring commercial paper, what's the fair value for the TED spread. My initial thought is zero percent --- no additional risk, no risk premium --- but it would seem that collection costs etc should add something.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

From Bad's link: "It shows that Republican consulting firm Freddie Mac and Republican consulting firm DCI targeted 17 GOP senators in a campaign to build opposition to a tough regulatory bill. The campaign began shortly after the Senate Banking Committee sent the measure to the full Senate on July 28, 2005."

WTF?

[kim jane il]

the nation, according to Gallup, is slowly moving back toward the Republican ticket.

just for giggles- gallup tracking poll

[bad]

Thanks for looking at it Charlie. I was hoping someone would interpret for me. WTF indeed.

[bad]

Charlie,

The story is on Breibart but has an AP byline.

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

Good speakers when reading a good speech, Glenda.

[motionview]

Bob Schiefer dismisses William Ayers as a "Vietnam War protestor".

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4531221n

at about 1 min 40 seconds.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Uh, poopsie, that's the June 8 poll.

[kim jane il]

Too bad the Republican party is loaded to the gills with religious bigots. With the economic meltdown in progress Romney would have been a stronger choice as a candidate, and Lieberman would have been a better choice as VP wrt the independent vote.

But I guess the religious bigot vote probably gave you a couple in the win column, so it all evens out.

He who lives by the sword.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Dammit, just put this in the wrong thread.

OKay, someone had a horrible cutting and pasting accident. Here:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Freddie Mac secretly paid a Republican consulting firm $2 million to kill legislation that would have regulated and trimmed the mortgage finance giant and its sister company, Fannie Mae, three years before the government took control to prevent their collapse.

In the cross hairs of the campaign carried out by DCI of Washington were Republican senators and a regulatory overhaul bill sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. DCI's chief executive is Doug Goodyear, whom John McCain's campaign later hired to manage the GOP convention in September.

Freddie Mac's payments to DCI began shortly after the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee sent Hagel's bill to the then GOP-run Senate on July 28, 2005. All GOP members of the committee supported it; all Democrats opposed it.

In the midst of DCI's yearlong effort, Hagel and 25 other Republican senators pleaded unsuccessfully with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to allow a vote.

DCI is a "Republican consulting firm" --- so what they're really saying is that FRE paid a lobbyist with GOP connections to lobby against the GOP-sponsored bill to increase government oversight and auditing standards over the GSEs.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

We were wondering about you, KJI. Did it take all weekend to work out the "religious bigots" line on your own, or have the new talking points just come out?

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Ah, I see. A little googling reveals that, failing in guidance from the appropriate memo, you're recycling the meme of August.

[jimrhoads aka vnjagvet]

Here's today's Gallup info:

Gallup Daily: Obama Retains Significant Lead NEW
October 19, 2008
Barack Obama again leads John McCain nationally by 10 percentage points among all registered voters, 52% to 42%. His advantage narrows to either 7 or 3 points among likely voters, depending on how that group is defined.

With "traditional likely voters" the spread is 3 points.

KJI linked to the registered voters poll which is, for most observers, worthless.

Can't sew panic on this thread, KJI.

[kim jane il]

DCI is a "Republican consulting firm"

Yup.

The DCI Leadership page lists six people as the leadership of DCI, each of whom has worked in some official capacity the Republican party.

* Tom Synhorst, Chairman — worked for Republican senators for sixteen years and held key roles in the political floor operations of the 1996 and 2000 Republican conventions, as well as being an advisor to Bush-Cheney campaign of 2000.
* Douglas M. Goodyear, CEO — managed a Republican Senate campaign and was Political Director of the Colorado Republican Party from 1985 to 1987.[1]
* Jim Murphy, President — worked on Capitol Hill for four years for former U.S. Senator Gordon Humphrey (R-NH), held senior positions in Bob Dole’s 1988 and 1996 presidential campaigns, managed floor operations at the last three National Republican Conventions, [and] served two years on the staff of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
* Doug Davenport, founding partner.

Of the other three partners, one is current chairman of the Republican Unity Coalition, another was Coalitions Director for the Dole/Kemp Presidential Campaign in 1996 and Deputy Director and Field Representative of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and spent nine years doing PR for a major tobacco company, and the last one was staff of the 2000 Republican National Convention and serving as Deputy Political Director of the 1996 Republican National Convention. He has served on the political staff of Republican Presidential candidate and US Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, and in the re-election campaign of George H. W. Bush. No one in DCI's leadership has any ties to Democrats, Libertarians, or Independents.

Other notable DCI Group employee include James Tobin, convicted in 2005 for his role in the 2002 New Hampshire Senate election phone jamming scandal,[2] along with GOP activists Brian McCabe and Chris LaCivita.

[bad]

Here's an article from Australia using the New York Times to blame Bill Clinton for the sub-prime mess.

Link Under Name (LUN)

[Soylent Red]

Hey, this redistribution thing caused me to reflect this morning on a few things...

First, Obama raised $150 million in September. By now, over the course of the 21 months he's been campaigning, he has to have raised close to a billion dollars. That's a hell of a war chest if he loses, but how much of that has he spent?

Second, why couldn't he raise a billion dollars over 21 months and then redistribute that to the poor? His supporters seem to be the only ones in favor or redistribution, so how about they redistribute their own before they come looking at mine?

[bad]

Soylent, here's another one:

Why hasn't he shared the wealth with Hillary? I haven't heard that her campaign debt is gone.

[Soylent Red]

KJI got his talking points/marching order.

Heard the exact same argument twice on different local talk radio programs in different parts of the country.

[PeterUK]

bad,
Yes ,but you need figures.How many Joe the Plumbers could be set up in business for the cost of Obama's vanity project.
Nothing pisses the poor like "One Obama ad is 25 time our family income".

[kim jane il]

Second, why couldn't he raise a billion dollars over 21 months and then redistribute that to the poor?

And why didn't W personally go fight the terrorists in Iraq instead of sending other people's kids to do it?

[PeterUK]

"Too bad the Republican party is loaded to the gills with religious bigots."

Yes,Episcopalians,Methodists,Baptists,Catholics,Jews,Mormons,Buddhists,Hindus,Taoists Zoroastrians.

What you got,Atheists,Communists and Wiccans?

[bad]

Yes ,but you need figures.

I'd settle for ONE good one. Yuck, yuck yuck...

[Soylent Red]

Well the most compelling reason I can think of KJI, is that national defense is mandated by the Constitution as a role of government, hence a shared duty.

Income redistribution? Maybe you could name me the article or amendment that falls under.

[Plumber's Pal]

This Beck/Steyn video is from last Spring, but it seems more timely now than when it first aired. How quickly we forget some of the things that were being pushed by the Obama campaign, re: spreading the wealth.

[seman]

...instead of sending other people's kids to do it?

Are we talking real ones or imaginary?

[JBean]

And why didn't W personally go fight the terrorists in Iraq instead of sending other people's kids to do it?

KJI? Stick to the cut and paste. Otherwise, you sound  kind of , um, third-gradish.

[PeterUK]

"Second, why couldn't he raise a billion dollars over 21 months and then redistribute that to the poor?"

Exactly.Instead of trying to break Joe the Plumber on the wheel, Omama could have bought him a business.

What kind of ego is it that thinks that it is worth a billion dollars of other people's money? Strange kind of socialism.

[Plumber's Pal]

Two Bloggers' Work Makes Closeness of Obama-Ayers Ties More Obvious Than Ever

[Soylent Red]

Strange kind of socialism.

Not really PUK. Party leaders always get the best dachas.

Because when you give your money to the government to spend for you, the rarely spend it on you.

[PeterUK]

bad,incorrigible.