M Night Bipartisans' The Village

They're coming.

The Village Bipartisan Idiots.

They'll never leave Obama alone until he becomes one of them.

Their attack is already underway from people like Nebraska's Bob Kerrey.

I believe this is likely because Obama will surround himself with professionals, not ideologues or acolytes. An unprecedented number of patriotic, politically savvy and centrist men and women have been part of his campaign team - and are therefore likely to make up President Obama's governing team.

I believe this is likely because of who Obama is. Republicans have tried desperately to paint the man as a secret radical. But the imagery just doesn't connect; Americans see a man who is calm, respectful, considerate and careful. That is just what the doctor ordered for our politics.

Last, I believe this is likely because Obama understands that to succeed, he must make peace with John McCain just as he has done with Hillary Clinton. When this historic election concludes, I expect the two to sit down, without precondition, and negotiate an agenda of reform.

But that will only be the beginning. To build up the political capital for the kinds of changes needed in these difficult times, Obama will need to communicate the following to Congress, in no uncertain terms: The Democrats have not won a mandate for all their policies. Rather, the American people have resoundingly registered their frustration with a failed status quo, and the next President must chart a new, less partisan course.

Bob Kerrey is only the start of the Sensible Washington Establishment douchebaggery that will start in long and loud on November 5.

Everyone in the Village Idiot club, left, right, "sensible" center, will be saying how Obama now needs to immediately do whatever the hell the GOP wants to do as a "bi-partisan effort".

There will be a good two months of pressure for Obama to:

1. Keep as much of Bush's cabinet as possible, especially Robert Gates and Michael Mukasey, if not Condi Rice.
   
2. Drop all charges/pretense of charges/hints of pretenses of charges against Bush and quash any investigations.
   
3. Drop any notions of reversing controversial Bush policy at all: PATRIOT Act, Gitmo, torture, wiretapping, etc. Kerrey's already asking for this.
   
4. Show he "reaches across the aisle" by giving into more bad GOP legislation from the wingnuts.
   
5. Abandon progressives, period. Obama will be pressured to prove he's not a liberal, and will be advised to "distance himself from Pelosi/Reid".
   
6. Enact McSame's economic, health, and military plan rather than his own.
   
7. Escalate wars in Afghanistan and start one in Iran.

In other words, Obama will be told to be McSame, because he doesn't have a "mandate like Bush did." Even if the Democrats have 60 Senate seats, 275 or even 300 in the House, and Obama in the White House, it's not a mandate for change...it's a mandate to do the same exact f'ckin stuff for the last 8 years, got it?

Palinocrats

There's been a lot of talk this election season about Obamicans: pissed-off moderate Republican voters (mostly male) who are sick of Bush, sick of the wingnuttery, and sick of the GOP in general.

But there's always a flipside to everything, and to the Obamicans, their opposite number is the disaffected pro-life feminist who believes that the GOP putting Palin on the ticket and Hillary's loss of Obama is proof the Democrats have abandoned feminism...the Palinocrats like the Daily Beast's Wendy Button.

The final straw came the other week when Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (a.k.a Joe the Plumber) asked a question about higher taxes for small businesses. Instead of celebrating his aspirations, they were mocked. He wasn’t “a real plumber,” and “They’re fighting for Joe the Hedge-Fund manager,” and the patronizing, “I’ve got nothing but love for Joe the Plumber.”

Having worked in politics, I know that absolutely none of this is on the level. This back and forth is posturing, a charade, and a political game. These lines are what I refer to as “hooker lines”—a sure thing to get applause and the press to scribble as if they’re reporting meaningful news.

As the nation slouches toward disaster, the level of political discourse is unworthy of this moment in history. We have Republicans raising Ayers and Democrats fostering ageism with “erratic” and jokes about Depends. Sexism. Racism. Ageism and maybe some Socialism have all made their ugly cameos in election 2008. It’s not inspiring. Perhaps this is why I found the initial mocking of Joe so offensive and I realized an old line applied: “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party; the Democratic Party left me.”

The party I believed in wouldn’t look down on working people under any circumstance. And Joe the Plumber is right. This is the absolutely worst time to raise taxes on anyone: the rich, the middle class, the poor, small businesses and corporations.

Our economy is in the tank for many complicated reasons, especially because people don’t have enough money. So let them keep it. Let businesses keep it so they can create jobs and stay here and weather this storm. And yet, the Democratic ideology remains the same. Our approach to problems—big government solutions paid for by taxing the rich and big and smaller companies—is just as tired and out of date as trickle down economics. How about a novel approach that simply finds a sane way to stop the bleeding?

That’s not exactly the philosophy of a Democrat. Not only has this party belittled working people in this campaign from Joe the Plumber to the bitter comments, it has also been part of tearing down two female candidates. At first, certain Democrats and the press called Senator Clinton “dishonest.” They went after her cleavage. They said her experience as First Lady consisted of having tea parties. There was no outrage over “Bros before Hoes” or “Iron My Shirt.” Did Senator Clinton make mistakes? Of course. She’s human.

But here we are about a week out and it’s déjà vu all over again. Really, front-page news is how the Republican National Committee paid for Governor Sarah Palin’s wardrobe? Where’s the op-ed about how Obama tucks in his shirt when he plays basketball or how Senator Biden buttons the top button on his golf shirt?

As Digby says at the end of eviscerating Wendy Button here:

I suspect there's going to be a very lucrative niche opening up for these Palin Democrats with lots of wingnut welfare to go around.

Hell, I'll go one step further: The path Sarah Palin will have to take to the Oval Office in 2012 is by walking directly on the backs of people like this. They need each other, just like Bush and Rush did.

The GOP is already maneuvering for 2012. The sycophants and water carriers are already lining up for Obamabashing, The Industry.

As I've said before, the hatred for Clinton and Bush combined will be shockingly pale compared to the pure vehemence against Obama.

His honeymoon will be over before he is even sworn in.

Starting the Palinocrats tag now, and keeping an eye out for em. There will be more.

Errm, Another Last Reminder Of Bushenomics

GDP officially contracted by 0.3% for 3rd quarter. Remember, that's all BEFORE most of the bailout. Steve Benen makes the point about what this means for the last 6 days:

The McCain campaign, presumably with a straight face, issued a statement that argued Barack Obama, by moving the country in an entirely different economic direction, "would accelerate this dangerous course." The McCain campaign added, Obama is "change Americans cannot afford."

I have to admit, this is rather amusing. The economic policies of the last eight years clearly haven't worked. Obama is offering a new approach. McCain's argument, in effect, is that we need to stick with what we know has already failed. If can only keep doing what Bush has done, and wait for it to start working, everything will work out fine. Indeed, we "cannot afford" to go in a different direction.

Why anyone would find this persuasive is a mystery.

22% of America still believes Bush and his policies are fine, remember?

One Last Reminder Of Bushenomics

ExxonMobil reported a nearly $15 billion third-quarter profit today, a new American milestone of capitalist excess. Fifteen. Billion. Dollars. So far the company has made $80 billion plus in the last 21 months or so despite the financial downturn.

Companies make profit, it's what they do. But oil companies still need government subsidies for "exploration" and land deals and tax credits and discounts, and ExxonMobil is making roughly $1 billion a week, and that's where I have something of a problem with them when they're still demanding my taxpayer dollars with the best lobbyists money can afford.

And of course, the Maverick Twins fought these companies so very hard. Dems are just as complicit. But it's time to get our priorities straight.

How To Know When The GOP Is Up To No Good

Follow this simple checklist:

1. The GOP exists.
2. It's a day of the week ending in the letter 'y'.
3. They are behind in the polls.
4. They are accusing the Democrats of cheating, for this is the only way Democrats could possibly be ahead in the polls.

If you answered yes to all four questions, simply take whatever the GOP is accusing the Democrats of doing, and you now know exactly what the GOP is up to.

The Ohio Republican Party launched Tuesday a radio ad that opens with the sound of a ticking clock and asks, "Could Ohio's election be stolen?"

In suggesting that "many" voting registrations in the state "may be fraudulent," the 60-second spot cites the case of a Cleveland man who has told election officials and news reporters that he signed multiple registration cards in exchange for cigarettes. The ad says that the man was "bribed to register 72 different times and vote illegally."

Mike West, a spokesman for the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in Cleveland, said Tuesday that the board has uncovered 80 registration cards with Freddie Johnson's name on them that were submitted since January, "but he has never voted. ... We have no record of him ever voting."

Ohio Republicans have said in court briefs that fraudulent registration forms raise fears that fraudulent voting could occur.

The ad berates Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (D) for allegedly ignoring problems with voter registrations and "concealing evidence." The ad will run throughout the state, as many as 20 times a day in some locations through Nov. 4.

Asked about the spot, Kevin Kidder, a spokesman for Brunner, said, "We are not going to dignify it with a response."

The fact that the GOP is taking out radio ads on this is a huge clue that the GOP is up to no good in Ohio. When they are accusing Dems of trying to steal the election, you'd better believe the GOP is trying to do exactly that.

Interestingly enough, the US Justice Department said it's not going to investigate the Ohio GOP's claims too closely. Not enough evidence. Perhaps they are tired of being Bush's legal thugs. Perhaps they are being held in reserve. Perhaps it's one hell of a feint.

Perhaps Obama is going to win by such a margin that Ohio really won't matter by itself.

StupidiNews!

• The Phillies take the world's longest game 5 to win the World Series.
• Can Obama take down McSame...in Arizona?
• The Beatles could be coming to your own "Rock Band".
• America's third party Presidential candidates debate this evening in Cleveland.
• Scientists zero in on a neighboring solar system and its planets.

OBAMAVISION!

Enjoy. Pretty good stuff here, actually.

Epic Train Wreck Omega Super Fun Time Fail

The train wreck that is McSame/Palin just got hit by another train the jumped the tracks from four counties over, and is now busy trying to make baby train wrecks with the first train wreck (h/t BooMan):

Wolf Blitzer: And this just coming into the "Situation Room," the Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin now speaking out openly about her intentions in 2012 if, if she and John McCain were to lose this contest next Tuesday. In an interview with ABC News, Sarah Palin is now saying, she would be interested in remaining a serious national political figure, going ahead to 2012. She was asked what happens in 2012 if you lose on Tuesday, would you simply go back to Alaska? Elizabeth Vargas of ABC News asked her and Palin said this, and I will read it to you verbatim according to an ABC News transcript: "Absolutely not," Sarah Palin says. "I think that, if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we've taken, that ... that would ... bring this whole ... I'm not doin' this for naught," and that is a direct quote from Sarah Palin. Clearly, leaving open the possibility that she would be interested in leading the Republican Party in 2012 if she and John McCain were to lose this presidential contest right now.

EPIC. CAMPAIGN. MESSAGE. FAIL.

The GOP Sucks Across The Board

Today's example of why the GOP has to be put out in the wilderness until it learns basic human civility? Liddy Dole.

Falling behind in her reelection race, Sen. Elizabeth Dole has uncorked one hell of a charge: The Democrat running against me is godless.

Dole's 30-second ad, which is running on television in North Carolina but has not (understandably) been promoted by the GOP, uses a September fundraiser co-hosted by 40 people, including a representative of the Godless America PAC, to falsely accuse Democrat Kay Hagan of being an atheist herself.

The end of the ad features a picture of Hagan with a female voice yelling "there is no God!" -- the clear implication is that the voice is Hagan's. In fact, the Democratic candidate is a Sunday School teacher and an elder at her Presbyterian church.

The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday morning that Hagan's campaign is seeking a "cease and desist" order against Dole's new attack.

This is about as bad as it comes, folks. There are such things as devout Democrats, be they Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or what have you.

There are also plenty of Atheist Democrats who vote too. That's the great thing about America, no matter what your spiritual inclination is, your vote counts. So attacking a candidate's religion when she's a freakin Sunday School teacher is probably a bad, bad idea.

But that's what Liddy Dole and the GOP will do to win an election. Honor, integrity, civility? These are weapons to Republicans...and weaknesses their Democratic enemies have that are exploitable.

Obamavision Now In THREE-DEE

Obama's Big Commercial(tm) is tonight at 8. Should be interesting.

Of course, since Obama's doing it, Politico is already complaining about it.

Barack Obama will go on national television tonight and air a 30-minute infomercial about himself and his presidential campaign.

Several political image makers, both Republicans and Democrats, say it’s a smart move. But is there a risk of excess in it, as well?

While Obama hasn’t made many strategic mistakes in his campaign against Republican John McCain, he has, on occasion, shown a weakness for extravagance.

In July, Obama’s visits to Afghanistan and Iraq generated comforting images of the senator with military leaders and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But his trip ended in Berlin with an image of 200,000 fans, mostly Europeans, chanting Obama’s name.

In August, his campaign navigated the minefield of the Democratic Party’s feuding families to pull off a convention that began healing the wounds between the Clinton and Obama camps. Then it came to its conclusion between two Greek columns where a triumphant Obama delivered an acceptance speech to a football stadium crowd of more than 80,000.

Today, Obama is dominating the television ad wars. As of Oct. 22, Obama placed 150 percent more ads than McCain in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, according to the Nielsen Co.

Despite all that, and despite his lead in national and most battleground polls, the campaign decided to plunk down between $3 and $5 million to buy half-hour blocks of time at 8 p.m. tonight on NBC, CBS, FOX, Univision, BET, MSNBC and TV One for delivery of his final argument to the voters.

Could it seem to some voters like overkill?

Glad to see we're back to the elitist, out-of-touch, The Chosen Uppity Colored Man meme from September there, guys. I was kinda beginning to miss it.

But that's okay. Remember, Your Liberal Media is "in the tank for Obama".

Dick Morris Explains It All Again

Dick Morris: still America's Worst Pundit(tm).

If current survey trends continue, Obama will finish with less than 50 percent in the polls. Even discounting the Nader vote (some people never learn), the undecided voters could tip the race either way. How will they break?

Since there is no incumbent, they cannot automatically be assigned to the challenger; and since turnout is likely to be huge, the current undecided voters will probably make their way to the polls and cast their ballots.

But for whom?

At the beginning of this contest, Obama effectively made the case that the election was a referendum on Bush's performance in office. Painting a vote for McCain as a desire for "four more years of the same failed policies," he made the most of Bush's dismal approval rating. Had he been able to keep the focus on Bush, he would likely have inherited most of the undecided vote.

But as Obama surged into a more or less permanent lead in October, animated by the financial crisis, he has assumed many of the characteristics of an incumbent. Every voter asks himself one question before he or she casts a ballot: Do I want to vote for Obama? His uniqueness, charisma and assertive program have so dominated the dialogue that the election is now a referendum on Obama.

As Obama has oscillated, moving somewhat above or somewhat below 50 percent in all the October polls, his election likely hangs in the balance. If he falls short of 50 percent in these circumstances, a majority of the voters can be said to have rejected him. Likely a disproportionate number of the undecideds will vote for McCain.

Got that? Obama is now the incumbent before he has even been elected, therefore his aura of "inevitable" means the public is tired of him, they are "rejecting" him, and that McSame is the scrappy, energetic challenger that undecided voters will flock to in the last week.

You know, even though all the polls show Obama leading. All of them.

I have doubts about the "inevitability" of Obama, myself. But this theory is not the explanation for what a McSame win would consist of. That little nightmare scenario has a much different tune.

Oh, and Dick Morris is still an idiot.

Yeah, I'm Real Proud Of This In My State

Wildcat Pride, baby.

University of Kentucky police are investigating who hung an effigy believed to be Democrat Sen. Barack Obama from a tree on the Lexington campus Wednesday morning.

UK President Lee Todd, after a news conference Wednesday, said that UK police have notified federal authorities of the incident. Todd said a professor saw the effigy on the tree near the Rose Street parking garage across from the Mining and Minerals building this morning and called police. The professor then sent Todd an email notifying him of the incident.

UK police took down the effigy and have it as evidence, Todd said. Todd said anyone with any information about the incident should contact UK police. The effigy was likely placed there sometime overnight. But it's in a well-traveled area and police are hoping that someone saw something, Todd said.

Todd called the act "deplorable" and "abominal" and says that type of behavior is not tolerated on UK's campus.

GO BIG BLUE!

...And take Mitch McConnell and this racist bullshit with you.

Rate Cut!

Fed does make that 50 BP rate cut. Markets wanted more, of course. Dow dropped under 8,900 there for a while. Of course...it's not like it'll do any good anyway.

So far at least, the Fed (and Treasury) have had less success in restoring confidence. "Pushing on a string" is the term often used to describe a central bank that can't get economic activity to respond -- no matter how aggressively it acts -- because sentiment is so fragile, not to mention the banking system.

There are three likely long-term outcomes to such a scenario, and only one of them is particularly hopeful -- kinda like what coaching legend Woody Hayes said about passing the football: "Only three things can happen, and two of them are bad."

• The Fed's actions help put a floor under the economy, preventing a severe recession and paving the way for a normal recovery.
• The Fed cuts rates to zero and the economy remains moribund, i.e. the dreaded Japan scenario.
• The Fed reignites inflationary pressures by continuing to devalue the dollar via its "easy money" policies. (If you believe that's the most likely outcome, best to have some exposure to commodities, TIPs and equities since cash will become trash - perhaps literally.)

I'm betting on both number 2 AND number 3 myself. The 1% interest rate "REFI YOUR HOME NOW! INTEREST RATES AT HISTORIC LOWS!" beast is how we got into this mess in the first place.

Hell, I expect us to be at 0.5% before the end of the year. There will be big pressure from Wall Street to drop the rate to zero. They'll have to. They'll have no other choice. Not even Obama will stop them.

And then the hyperinflation fun REALLY begins.

What Obama Is Up Against In PA

He's up against this. I don't buy Fivethityeight.com's Obama 96%+ win percentage on Tuesday for a second. I don't buy the GOP "We expect McSame to lose" argument for a second. McSame himself is still guaranteeing a win. He says the polls are wrong across the board. He knows voters out there in America think like the folks in the video above and aren't telling pollsters about it.

One reason McSame's camp says the polls are wrong is because they believe true voter turnout is being massively overestimated based on new registrations. They know these new voters -- primarily Democratic voters -- will either not vote, not be able to vote, or not have their vote counted correctly.

Mass disenfranchisement of urban, minority, and poor voters -- Obama voters -- is already underway. The election will be far closer then anyone thinks. As I said yesterday in pointing out Digby's post on the GOP trying to own the voter fraud meme, the GOP Pretty Hate Machine must be dismantled. The GOP is preparing to steal the race once again, this time by saying the Dems are the ones defrauding the nation's voters when as usual with these assclowns, just the opposite is true.

But does anyone here actually think the unitary executive power that Preznitman/Nameless One acquired over eight years will just be handed over to the Democrats?

I don't buy it. Neither should you. Vote. If America blows it here, if the GOP gets away with it yet again, we don't get another chance to save the country.

McSame...and President Palin...will see to that.

[UPDATE] Steven D at the Frog Pond has more on the "McSame = Truman" meme the GOP has been pushing for the last two weeks.

StupidiNews!

• Yesterday's huge Dow gain comes in part from the expected Fed rate cut this afternoon, but how low will they go?
• Defense Secretary Robert Gates is demanding a new nuclear weapons program, or the Pentago may have to resort to nuke testing.
• Both Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty are warning of an Obama win.
• The Iraqi government has put forth its own draft proposal for US troops remaining in the country, which the US is expected to completely reject.
• MTVMusic.com takes on Youtube by posting "nearly every music video ever made".