When a ball is dropped from any reasonable height and strikes a hard surface, it tends to bounce back upward. If you try dropping the same ball into a pool of tar, it tends to make a "blurp" sort of noise and then begins to slowly sink beneath the surface. My friend Ron Beasley over at Newshoggers has a brief study on how the post-convention McCain-Palin bounce may be turning … [Read more...] about McCain Palin: From Bounce to Blurp
5 Days to the Planned Execution of Troy Anthony Davis
The state of Georgia is scheduled to execute Troy Anthony Davis at 7 p.m. on September 23. Dave Zirin, writing in the Huffington Post: Jocks 4 Justice (including the great Jim Brown) say: SAVE TROY DAVIS! Contact the Georgia Parole board to reconsider their decision denying Troy clemency. Fax: 404-651-8502 PH: 404-657-9350 Email: [email protected] … [Read more...] about 5 Days to the Planned Execution of Troy Anthony Davis
Where’s Señora Palin When You Need Her?
John McCain has further covered himself with egg -- or in this case huevo -- in an excruciatingly embarrassing interview with a reporter for a Spanish newspaper in which it was revealed that he didn't appear to know that Spain is in Europe, or that the leader of Spain is a guy named Zapatero. Anyhow, the reporter said: "Senator, finally, let's talk about Spain. If … [Read more...] about Where’s Señora Palin When You Need Her?
USA Unofficially Closes Northern Border to Non-Canadians
The northern border is effectively closed to non-Canadians who wish to enter the USA from Canada. And no one has noticed. The United States has, it seems, achieved something remarkable: the de-facto or practical closure of a border without any official announcement. How? For some time, the US has had a system whereby all non-immigrants who were seeking to enter … [Read more...] about USA Unofficially Closes Northern Border to Non-Canadians
The Case for Biden
Okay, enough with the Palin-centrism for a moment -- or at least for this post. (Although I will continue to make the case that Americans deserve to know the truth about Sarah Palin, I've certainly been caught up on the whole Palinpalooza phenomenon, if on the highly-critical side of it.) There is, after all, a genuinely admirable and qualified person who was tapped as a … [Read more...] about The Case for Biden
Stocks And Politics Hit Bottom
John Cole, The Scranton Times-Tribune … [Read more...] about Stocks And Politics Hit Bottom
Microsoft set to sack Seinfeld!
Valleywag said yesterday that Microsoft is set to make the announcement today: Microsoft's version of the story: Redmond had always planned to drop Seinfeld. The awkward reality: The ads only reminded us how out of touch with consumers Microsoft is — and that Bill Gates's company has millions of dollars to waste on hiring a has-been funnyman to keep him company. A PR person … [Read more...] about Microsoft set to sack Seinfeld!
2008 Election “Up a Creek?”
Six years ago we welcomed in the Help America Vote Act which was supposed to address the ills of the system exposed in 2000. While it took time to get some "solutions" in place and begin rolling them out, we were told that 2006 was going to be a "transitional year" as many new systems and policies were put in place. So this year we should be good to go, right? This report from … [Read more...] about 2008 Election “Up a Creek?”
McCain & Palin Peak While Obama & Biden Climb: Why This Week Is The Game Changer
The feeling grows that John McCain is not fully in control of himself. That his party's animal past and legendary inflexibility may be catching up to him. That he doesn't have the mental agility to stay sharp, let alone face down Barack Obama. McCain seems unsteady without Sarah Palin at his side and is drawing smaller crowds now that he is out on his own. Meanwhile, the … [Read more...] about McCain & Palin Peak While Obama & Biden Climb: Why This Week Is The Game Changer
Social Security & Health Care ‘Reform’: What If Bush Got His Way? Or McCain Gets His?
Weekly Dow Jones Industrial Average, 2002-2008 When viewed from perspective of an economy on the verge of a nervous breakdown and the battering that venerable Wall Street institutions and the Dow Jones Industrial Average have taken, President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security would have wreaked extraordinary havoc had it seen the light of day. And if John McCain were … [Read more...] about Social Security & Health Care ‘Reform’: What If Bush Got His Way? Or McCain Gets His?
It’s Election Year But Watch A REAL Dummy
I've long resisted putting my family/kids show demo on the Internet but the agent who books me for fairs has added it to his website. I've gotten lots of emails over the past few months from people who want to see my other incarnation. So if you want to see proof that I am the Internet's only blogger who is an admitted, authentic dummy, CLICK HERE and you can see it. … [Read more...] about It’s Election Year But Watch A REAL Dummy
McCain and the Meltdown
The latest meme being thrown by the Obama team is that McCain hasn't done anything to prevent the crisis taking place on Wall Street. But the thing is, McCain had a lot to say about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in recent years. According to Ed Morrissey, McCain was one of three co-sponsors of an act that would have done something about the two companies: Mr. President, … [Read more...] about McCain and the Meltdown
Chris Matthews Illustrates Republicans’ Key Problem
MSNBC's Chris Matthews, who had been a superb, hard-nosed print political reporter and bureau chief before he switched over to broadcast, had an exchange with GOP surrogate Rep. Eric Cantor which illustrates a problem Republicans are going to face this year: running as Republicans but not running as...Republicans. In this clip, the machine-gun-talking Matthews is behaving as … [Read more...] about Chris Matthews Illustrates Republicans’ Key Problem
Sabato’s Crystal Ball: MEET THE NEW MAP—SAME AS THE OLD MAP (ALMOST)
Larry J. Sabato on MEET THE NEW MAP---SAME AS THE OLD MAP (ALMOST) In early summer, the Crystal Ball took its first look at the likely November 4th Electoral College map. Our assessment was that, in the College at least, the contest appeared close. John McCain had 174 solid or likely electoral votes to Barack Obama's 200 solid or likely. The lead switched once we added in … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball: MEET THE NEW MAP—SAME AS THE OLD MAP (ALMOST)
World Cartoonists View Wall Street Economic Crisis And Government Bailouts
Cartoonists throughout the world are weighing in on the ongoing Wall Street nosedive and government bailouts. Here's an extensive cross section of cartoons on the subject. Some are witty, some are biting. And some are sad. Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune John Darkow, Columbia Daily Tribune, Missouri And there are lots more below. … [Read more...] about World Cartoonists View Wall Street Economic Crisis And Government Bailouts
CBS Poll: White Women, Independents Go Back to Obama
Much of John McCain's RNC convention bounce was fueled by the movement of white women and Independents (and the largely crossover within) away from Obama. Even our own Polimom moved "back on the fence" after the two conventions. If the new CBS/NYT poll is to be believed, those same voters are going back to Obama this week. And they have moved the top line numbers from McCain … [Read more...] about CBS Poll: White Women, Independents Go Back to Obama
Banking 2.0: Manage Your Money in the Cloud
Banks may be falling down but money management web sites are springing up all over. ReadWriteWeb has a roundup of the top Banking in the Cloud sites: These sites aren't just simplified versions of our former desktop apps... they offer a number of features that take advantage of their "always on" status. Forget downloading updates and typing in your transactions line-by-line, … [Read more...] about Banking 2.0: Manage Your Money in the Cloud
Dow Plunges Again – Panic of 2008?
On Wednesday the Dow Jones average dropped 449 points, a day after the Federal Reserve bailed out AIG. While yesterday the market gained 140 points the net drop for the Dow this week is over 800 points, or over 7 percent. Honestly, I'm shocked at Wall Street's behavior today. When the Fed stepped in to save Bear Stearns in March the Dow rallied. When the government took … [Read more...] about Dow Plunges Again – Panic of 2008?
Thoughts on Wall Street
Crossposted at the Square Deal: I'm not very good when it comes to things like money, my partner (who is the Democrat in the family) is better at those things than I am. So I will venture into this whole talk about what is going on with Wall Street with some fear and trepidation. As we stumble through this crisis, I have seen much ink spilled not as much on how to … [Read more...] about Thoughts on Wall Street
Quote Of The Day: On Attempts To Derail Palin Troopergate Investigation
Our political Quote of the Day comes from Dan Fagan, writing in Anchorage Daily News about news that GOP Vice Presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin isn't going to cooperate with the "Troopergate" investigation and news reports that the GOP is lawyering up to try and delay or derail the investigation totally: Meanwhile, this Palin VP thing has Alaskans all stirred up? … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: On Attempts To Derail Palin Troopergate Investigation