She played upon every western Pennsylvanian's fears, but where could she have thought up this dastardly plot?
We all know about Ashley Todd’s pathetic attempt to bring sympathy to the McCain campaign by telling Pittsburgh authorities that she was attacked by a 6-foot-4 black man/Obama activist Wednesday night.
After allegedly robbing her, the big, scary black man threatened “to teach her a lesson for being a McCain supporter,” She said he then sat on her chest, pinned her hands down with his knees and scratched a backward letter “B” into her face using what she believed to be a dull knife.
After conflicting stories by this “plumber’s helper,” she was subjected to a polygraph, and subsequently confessed that she made the whole thing up.
My burning question over the last few days was where had I seen this before; Tawana Brawley? Susan Smith? Morton Downey Jr?
Justin Zatkoff-The originator of the student victim of liberal hatecrime. Truly, a man ahead of his time.
The answer comes from two years ago. Back in 2006, a Michigan College Republican named Justin Zatkoff claimed to have been beaten senseless by blacks and/or violent homosexuals. His photo showed a nasty black eye and he was certain the culprits were either militant blacks or militant gays. He just couldn’t remember which ones did it. Surprise, surprise. The Ann Arbor police finally revealed, that Zatkoff was just beaten up by his high school buddies. Insert gasps of shock and disbelief.
That answers it folks. Here is Ashley Todd’s mentor and inspiration. A note to any copycats thinking about pulling another stunt like this; if it didn’t work the first two times, chances are, it won’t work a third time. So knock it off young Republicans!
Over the last month or so, McCain and especially Palin have been on the offensive to showcase Barack Obama’s “guilt by association” to Ayers, ACORN, and anything else that they could find. In addition, the GOP candidates have highlighted the differences between “real America,” and “fake America.”
The following are two videos of a recent GOP rally in the Henderson section of Las Vegas. Notice those poor “real Americans” for McCain being forced to shout those epithets at the mean “fake Americans” for Obama. I mean, they really didn’t want to shout “Anti-Americans!” or “Communists!,” but what are McCainiacs to do when they see Obama supporters? Those brave, brave real McCain Americans had to defend themselves, you know. Here you are America. Here is “real America” as McCain and Palin see it:
The people in this Vegas suburb are indicative of this hateful insurrection that is festering throughout the US thanks to the incendiary campaigning by both McCain and Palin. Their rhetoric has had an opposite effect on me. Sorry folks, but I can’t take hate speech.
Earlier this year, I was actually leaning toward McCain after the Democratic Primaries were over. I initially thought that this was the John McCain that I remembered from 2000 when he ran against George W. Bush. My leanings are moderate, very moderate. Although I’m a registered Democrat and like to stay just left of center, I do have the ability to reach across party lines if for example, a moderate like Senator Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania was running. I was under the childlike belief last summer that the John McCain of 2008 resembled the John McCain of 2000.
What a difference eight years makes. As opposed to the campaign of 2000, McCain’s campaign this year is just plain mean. Both he and his VP pick, as well as their surrogates have been playing into “real-America’s” most primal fears, perpetuating the myth that Obama and his supporters are “Socialist,” “Communist,” and “Anti-American.” Thanks to the campaign of pointing out the opponent’s “otherness,” the right-wing weirdos, wackos, nuts, and conspiracy-theorists have come out of the woodwork to sing to the chorus of intolerance. If there is any guilt by association, it would be McCain and Palin associating themselves with the worst of intolerant people. Oh John McCain, what happened? Did you honestly think that pandering to the most extreme base while ignoring and shutting out everyone else would get you the electoral votes that you desperately need?
I only need to look at those who are supporting McCain and Palin to know that I have made the right decision in supporting Obama and Biden. When I looked at thoughtful, intelligent people like Christopher Buckley and Colin Powell crossing over to support Obama, I really knew that I was backing what I feel is the best candidate for the job. As a good friend of mine can attest to, it was not an easy decision in the beginning. After a deliberate process of fact-finding and thought, I chose my candidate. The people supporting each candidate served only to validate my decision.
To be fair, I am just as turned off by those in the far-left as I am to those on the far-right. Extremism on either side of the political spectrum is never a good thing. Thankfully, Obama and Biden’s campaign have been more inclusive. These are guys who believe as I do that there is no “pro-America” or anti-America,” but simply America. From the biggest cities to the tiniest town, like it or not, we are in this together.
Sadly, McCain’s campaign has yet to figure this out.
Ashley Todd shows off her wounds from an alleged attacker/Leonardo da Vinci Impersonator. Now it might be time for her to truly take her lumps.
Pittsburgh Police said student, Ashley Todd, of College Station, Texas, who is white, told them she was attacked by a 6-foot-4 black man Wednesday night.
Admittedly, that story in and of itself is unremarkable. The details of her story however, had me suspicious. As a result, I held off on writing about it until the facts came out.
Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Diane Richard divulged the woman’s account to the media.
From The Huffington Post:
In Todd’s initial account, she attempted to use the ATM when the man approached her from behind, put a knife with a 4- to 5-inch blade to her throat and demanded money. She told police she handed the assailant $60 and walked away.
Todd told investigators that she suspected the man then noticed a John McCain sticker on her car, became angry and punched her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground and telling her “you are going to be a Barack supporter,” police said in a statement.
She said he continued to punch and kick her while threatening “to teach her a lesson for being a McCain supporter,” police said. She said he then sat on her chest, pinned her hands down with his knees and scratched a backward letter “B” into her face using what she believed to be a dull knife.
In the subsequent discussions with investigators, according to the police statement, Todd said she was accosted as she approached the bank and fled her attacker, fell to the ground and the assailant began beating and fondling her.
Police Cmdr. Larry Ross, who is in charge of the police precinct where the attack was first reported, said Todd’s story has continued to change.
“I guess she elaborated more when she went down to the bureau headquarters. She added other things to it that we didn’t have at first, that she didn’t tell the initial officer,” Ross said.
The 20 year old McCain campaigner subsequently failed a polygraph test, then confessed to making up the story, telling investigators today that she “was not robbed and there was no 6’4″ black male attacker.”
This “October Surprise” leaves me shaking my head and wondering what is wrong with people this election season. It has me asking, “Is this what this election has come to?”
Has this heated Presidential race left certain McCain/Palin supporters so desperate to want their candidate to win that they would do whatever it takes in a sort of twisted Machiavellian philosophy that the ends justify the means? I’m not implying that very many McCain supporters would go to this extreme, but following the smears, innuendo, and subsequent yells of “Terrorist!” and “Kill Him!,” I suppose that this misguided attempt to bring sympathy to the McCain campaign was almost the inevitable next step by a twisted supporter.
What happened to good old fashioned American political discourse? This is the ninth Presidential election that I have been witness to, (I first became interested during Ford/Carter ’76) and I have never seen ugliness that nearly matches what I have seen in the last few months. From the top down in the GOP, the brazen racism, anger, smears, and fear-mongering are unprecedented. So much for the promises of American unity after the tragedy of September 11.
So where do we go from here as a nation? The immediate priority is for Americans to stop this Tawana Brawley, Susan Smith style of race-baiting, and agree that although Democrats and Republicans have fundamental differences with regard to this country, each platform is valid and must be respected. Case in point: I’m not a huge fan of George Will. I disagree with almost everything he says, yet I respect him as a thoughtful, conservative journalist. A person may even disagree with a member of his or her family, but there is no plank in either platform that says that person should not agree to disagree. After all, this is America.
Instilling hatred and fear in the electorate is an unhealthy recipe.
What we need right now as Americans is the opportunity to be united as a country. The last thing we need is race-baited fear-mongering.
This election has had some extreme ugliness in it. Much of it is unprecedented. There has been racism and sexism by both sides of supporters. I was appalled at some of the things that have surfaced.
There was the woman at McCain’s campaign stop who addressed McCain about Obama’s “otherness.” “I don’t trust Obama,” she said. “I have read about him. He’s an Arab.”
Let’s just say for one moment that he [Obama] is an Arab which he isn’t, but let’s just say he is. I had a couple of friends from the country of Jordan; Achmed and Kasim. I worked with these two, and they were genuinely decent people. We talked, we joked, we learned from each other. From these two, I learned more about what real Muslims believe. I can tell you that it is not the extremist fundamentalist rhetoric that is spewed but rather, a deep abiding respect for all people. While I explained a few things about western culture to them, I learned the significance of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. There are more Arabs out there who are moderate in their beliefs than those who are extreme. Why don’t people hear about this? Simple. It’s just not sensational enough to make the news. If Obama was indeed Muslim like Mohammed Ali and the late Benezir Bhutto, he would be in good company. The woman addressing McCain was implying that all Arabs are extreme and not to be trusted. There was quite a twinge of racism in that comment whether she knew it or not. The “Arab” comment made me sad for all decent Americans who are Islamic, as well as good Arabs all over the world who are trying to break the stereotype.
A little over a month ago, I came upon this disturbing piece from “Think Progress:”
Obama Waffles: Tasty treat, or racist rhetoric?
At the Values Voter Summit this weekend, vendors sold an item called “Obama Waffles” featuring a racist cartoon of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) on the box front — with “popping eyes and big, thick lips” — and another image of him wearing an Arab-like headdress on its top flap. Its creators, Mark Whitlock and Bob DeMoss, said it was meant as “political satire,” and sold the box for $10 from a booth at the Family Research Council event. CNN’s Lou Dobbs stopped by the booth and exclaimed, “My wife will love this!” A photo shows Dobbs with a box of the mix in his hand.
While Obama Waffles takes aim at Obama’s politics by poking fun at his public remarks and positions on issues, it also plays off the old image of the pancake-mix icon Aunt Jemima, which has been widely criticized as a demeaning stereotype. Obama is portrayed with popping eyes and big, thick lips as he stares at a plate of waffles and smiles broadly.
Placing Obama in Arab-like headdress recalls the false rumor that he is a follower of Islam, though he is actually a Christian.
On the back of the box, Obama is depicted in stereotypical Mexican dress, including a sombrero, above a recipe for ”Open Border Fiesta Waffles” that says it can serve ”4 or more illegal aliens.” The recipe includes a tip: ”While waiting for these zesty treats to invade your home, why not learn a foreign language?”
Not only does this capitalize on black stereotypes, it does so with Muslim stereotypes, reducing them to a vulgar caricature.
Sarah Palin has not come out unscathed. Late in September, Larry Flynt-notorious owner of “Hustler” magazine, sent out an ad on Craigslist for a porn actress who looks like Sarah Palin:
Production has now begun on an adult movie titled, “Nailin’ Paylin.” I’m not a big fan of the Vice-Presidential nominee, but this is way over the top. To be certain, Larry Flint is acting within his First Amendment right, but I also believe that that he is displaying his usual poor taste. My heart goes out to Sarah Palin on this one.
The most notorious of these insults came from a local California GOP women’s organization. Its newsletter claimed that if Obama was elected, his face would appear on food stamps, rather than dollar bills like other presidents. The group then included a picture of “Obama Bucks” — a phony $10 food stamp with Obama surrounded by racist imagery:
The president of the organization, Diane Fedele, didn’t understand the charges of racism: “I didn’t see it the way that it’s being taken. I never connected. It was just food to me.” One African-American member of the club said that upon seeing the newsletter, she “cried for 45 minutes.” “This is what keeps African-Americans from joining the Republican Party,” she added.
First of all, it wasn’t “just food” to Ms Fedele. Of all of the food out there, she just happened to use food from the four most racially-charged food groups? No Ms. Fedele, you knew exactly what you were doing, and most likely had a good chuckle from it. I mean, if you’re going to be flat-out racist, at least have the guts to admit it. Indeed, items like this are what keep African-Americans from joining the Republican Party. What a great way to show sensitivity to the Black members of your group.
Don’t think that I’m getting high and mighty on everyone. I’m guilty too. In recent heated exchanges with my brother who happens to support McCain, I blurted out some pretty sexist comments to him in a fit of anger. I promptly apologized to him, and felt like a jerk. It can be easy to go down that path, but contrition is needed, and certain amount of decorum should be followed. Do I like politically incorrect humor? You betcha! There are Obama, McCain, Biden, and Palin jokes on the web that are funny as hell, and made me laugh. I love edgy humor, but there is a really fine line though, between funny and plain insulting. Let us please take this election back to the issues at hand, and who is best qualified to deal with them.
Only then can we move forward as a nation.
Confidential to my brother: I apologize for my heated remarks on Palin. I know you’re voting for who you believe is the best person to lead us in these challenging times.
John McCain may want to start vetting some of these people he’s supporting. If the following allegations are true, McCain may have even more to answer for.
As indicated in my last blog, the star of last night’s debate was Joe Wurzelbacher or “Joe the plumber” as McCain and Obama both called him. This folksy moniker was mentioned around 25 times by both McCain and Obama.
My impression last night was that Joe Wurzelbacher was one of those independent voters who was teetering on the $250,000 mark, while McCain and Obama were debating on whether this man’s taxes would go up, down, or stay the same.
I’m impressed that McCain would bring up this random person from Ohio at last night’s debate. Just how random was McCain and Obama’s reference to Joe the plumber?
From the New York Times:
CREDIT MARKETS; Keating Aide in Guilty Plea
Published: December 10, 1991
The highest associate of Charles H. Keating Jr. to turn state’s evidence against the former owner of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and agreed to cooperate with Federal investigators.
Bruce Fairchild Dickson, 38 years old, a former Lincoln president and senior vice president of Lincoln’s parent company, the American Continental Corporation, entered the plea before Federal District Judge Manuel Real.
The single bank fraud count carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine. The judge agreed to delay sentencing until June 1 after Michael Lightfoot, a defense lawyer, and David Sklansky, an assistant United States attorney, said Mr. Dickson was cooperating with prosecutors.
Mr. Lightfoot would not discuss the case with reporters.
Mr. Dickson was the fifth former associate to agree to testify against Mr. Keating. Mr. Dickson was convicted last week in a California court on 17 of 18 counts of securities fraud and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Mr. Dickson was a close aide to Mr. Keating and worked with Mr. Keating’s son-in-law, Robert Wurzelbacher, a senior vice president of American Continental.
There is a flurry of blogs and articles floating around right now alleging that Joe Wurzelbacher may be a close relative to Robert Wurzelbacher. According to various articles buzzing right now, McCain campaign strategist and advisor Steve Schmidt allegedly tried to warn McCain before the debate:
If Steve Schmidt had any hair left, I hear he would have been pulling it out tonight. He reportedly screamed at John’s debate prep team tonight (out of earshot of reporters, of course). “You idiots – he’s related to Charles Keating… of the Keating Five scandal!”
After seeing footage of Joe Wurzelbacher, I could pretty much sum up that this guy is not an undecided voter. There is no problem with that in and of itself, but the impression that I got last night from the candidates was that of an undecided voter named “Joe the plumber” who was scrutinizing the two candidates’ tax plans. Again, that’s not Joe’s fault. It was the impression that McCain gave of this guy from Ohio.
The burning question now is, “Is he, or isn’t he?” Is he related to the Keatings, or could it be a “Wurzelbacher doppelganger?” Could this Joe be related to Charles Keating’s son-in-law, or is it a different Joe? If he was a plant by the McCain camp, there could be repercussions.
I have a feeling that the media will dig into this, and see if this “average-Joe” is at all as average as McCain claims. If he is indeed a Keating relative, I think both McCain and “Joe the plumber” will have some explaining to do. Since there is so much conflict in the blogosphere on this man’s relations, I will update as this story unfolds.
Now doggone it, say it ain’t so Joe.
Update: Keith Olberman on “Countdown” set the record straight and confirmed that “Joe the plumber” Wurzelbacher is not a relation to Robert Wurzelbacher, son-in-law to Charles Keating. BJD, you can rest easy now.
I couldn’t help doing this one. How many times can you use “Wurzelbacher Doppelganger” in a title?
Obama and McCain um . . . after the debate . . . Is McCain having a "senior-moment?"
To use an achingly melodramatic term, the third and final Obama/McCain debate belongs to the ages.
Cliche aside, I believe that the real winner of this debate was moderator and CBS reporter Bob Schieffer. Of this battle royale trifecta, Schieffer was the only moderator to get these two candidates to address each other, and had the guts to bring up the nasty subject of over-the-top mudslinging that has been plaguing the election for the last few weeks.
McCain seemed to stick to the story that if Obama had agreed to do town hall meetings with him, the election just wouldn’t have taken this nasty turn:
“Had Sen. Obama responded to my urgent requests to sit down and do town hall meetings, we could have done at least ten of them by now… I think the tone of this campaign could have been different.”
I’m afraid I’m not quite following that logic. To me, that smacks of the abusive husband projecting the blame to the wife for the abuse that she just received.
I just want to make sure that I get this straight-If Obama had agreed to town hall meetings, McCain and Palin wouldn’t have made that association between Obama and terrorism, and incite angry crowds to shout “Traitor!,” “Terrorist,” and “Kill him!” Yeah McCain. All of that was entirely Obama’s doing. Whatever helps you sleep at night.
To be certain, Obama did call McCain’s campaign erratic. Let’s say that Obama was referring to McCain’s age when this was brought up. The fact is, columnists George Will and Sam Donaldson discussed that very issue on “This Week with George Stephanoupolos.” Also, I believe that it’s fair to say that “erratic” does not nearly equal “paling around with terrorists.” I don’t think it’s fair to compare the two.
When McCain was asked to say what he regrets, he only cited something that Obama’s surrogate, Rep. John Lewis stated. McCain said;
“I regret some of the negative aspects of some of these campaign. The fact is, it has taken many turns that I think have been disrespectful… Congressman Lewis, made allegations that Sen Palin and I were somehow associated with one of the worst chapters in American history.”
The fact is, Lewis did not say McCain and Palin were “associated” with the “worst chapter in American history.” He was pointing out that Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.
McCain asserted tonight that Obama never repudiated Lewis’ remark comparing McCain and Palin with George Wallace. The following was a statement from the Obama campaign shortly after Lewis’ statement that seems to contradict McCain’s claim:
“Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies. But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for President of the United States ‘pals around with terrorists.’ As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Senator Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead.”
On the actual subject of William Ayers, the 1960s radical turned professor, McCain said he did not care about “an old washed-up terrorist” like Ayers, once a bomb-throwing militant in the Weather Underground group who is now a Chicago professor of education.
However, McCain must care just a little bit about that “old washed-up terrorist.” Otherwise, he would have left it at that instead of immediately following it up with this statement:
“But as Senator (Hillary) Clinton said in her debates with you, we need to know the full extent of the relationship with you.”
You can’t have it both ways McCain. Either you care about this guy Ayers, or you don’t. What a weak way to make an allegation like that to someone’s face. Obama once again, had to explain the loose relationship with Ayers as well as the liberal group, ACORN for those in the American electorate who didn’t quite get it the first fifty times he addressed it.
McCain actually did better in this debate than in the previous two. Not only did he look Obama in the face as he spoke this time, but the setup of this debate prevented the 72 year old Senator from wandering to the outer reaches of the stage. The zinger of the night does go to the Arizona Senator:
“Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago,”
Kudos to Senator McCain. I’m sure that the comment you made would have been the one that the pundits would remember had it not been for your cavalier remark regarding abortion when the mother’s health is at risk.
McCain sarcastically paid tribute to “the eloquence of Senator Obama. He’s for health for the mother. You know, that’s been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything.”
For many women out there who have had or might experience complications from pregnancy and the OBGYNs who treat them, I’m sure that McCain’s comment went over wonderfully. Poor McCain. You had me, then you lost me. I believe that McCain on women’s health issues will be a dominating force for political pundits everywhere tomorrow morning.
Megan Carpentier of womens’ issues blog “Jezebel” wrote the following:
“It used to be that McCain was leading the charge to reform the Republican platform to include exceptions for the life and health of the mother to their anti-abortion plank. That tonight he declared his own position extreme — let alone called a woman that chooses her own continued existence over the potential future life of a fetus “extreme” — is a pretty significant and rather disgusting charge.”
Here’s the video. Notice McCain’s sneering “air-quotes:”
On the subject of the economy, the clear winner was neither Mccain nor Obama, but “Joe the plumber,” or Toledo resident Joe Wurzelbacher. Both McCain and Obama almost couldn’t stop talking about him:
“Joe wants to buy the business that he’s been in for all these years,” McCain said. “Worked 10, 12 hours a day. And he wanted to buy the business, but he looked at your tax plan and he saw that he was going to pay much higher taxes.”
Obama countered, citing his own recollections with the now famous plumber:
“What I essentially said to him was, five years ago, when you were in the position to buy your business, you needed a tax cut then.
“And what I want to do is to make sure that the plumber, the nurse, the firefighter, the teacher, the young entrepreneur who doesn’t yet have money, I want to give them a tax break now.”
On other points of the economy, both stayed on message. Perhaps more so for McCain. He was using selections from “John McCain’s Greatest Hits From The Convention.” Yes, we heard such classics as:
“We’re going to stop giving 700 billion dollars to countries that don’t like us very much”
And
“I’ve been fighting since I was 17 years old, and I have the scars to prove it.”
I think I have an idea on how John McCain can update his campaign-come up with more new material.
The third and final debate of this Presidential election seems to have been recorded. The following is footage from the debate:
.
Many thanks to Marc Ambinder of “The Atlantic” for jokingly pulling my leg with his headline, and providing this wonderful footage.
So now we know where John McCain got his strategy. Stay tuned to see if McCain uses “The Penguin” strategy when he takes the stage to whip a black man.
Okay. The actual quote is that he’ll “‘whip‘ Obama’s “you-know-what.” So much for spin.
Sarah Palin cradles son Trig on her shoulder after VP debate: Can't you just put the poor kid to bed already?
If you the reader thinks that the title of this piece is offensive, take a little time to think about how offensive it has been for Vice-Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin to drag her children-all of them, over the national stage as cheap political props.
I tried overlooking the whole Bristol Palin/Levi Johnston deal because I felt as though the media was giving this heartwarming tale of the result of abstinence-based education a life of its own. I even tried overlooking McCain’s photo-op with the two on the airport tarmac during the Republican National Convention. I did find it strange that Bristol and Levi were being paraded through the media at the airport while McCain’s campaign was begging the press to lay off of Sarah’s daughter, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt.
My suspicions began to grow just after the first Vice-Presidential debate. While it is true that Joe Biden’s entire family was there, I couldn’t help but object to her newborn Trig being carried around by seven year old Piper, then by Sarah herself. I work a morning job and I was beginning to feel a bit sleepy after the debate was over. Imagine how a newborn baby must feel. Yes Ms. Palin, you have lovely children despite their strange names. Seriously though, did you absolutely have to drag your poor baby to this event? Did the babysitter cancel? Did the nanny quit, or was this pretty much what I suspect as a cheap political gimmick? Sarah, oh Sarah.
What confirmed my suspicions of Palin using her kids as unwitting pawns in her campaign, was when she dropped the hockey puck at a Philadelphia Flyers opener. Apparently, Ms. Palin must have known that Flyers fans are a tough crowd. Palin came out on the ice with her daughters Willow and Piper, the younger girl dressed in a Flyers jersey. A Fox News producer, Shushannah Walshe, says that Palin intentionally dressed Piper that way to discourage boos:
“The GOP Vice-Presidential nominee said at an earlier fundraiser that she would stop some of the booing from the rowdy Philadelphia fans by putting her seven year old daughter, Piper in a Flyers jersey. She said, “How dare they boo Piper!”
Um, Ms. Palin? They were booing you.
Again, the Alaskan native doesn’t seem to know how we conduct national politics down here in the lower 48. Presidents like Carter, Clinton, and yes, even George W. Bush took great pains to keep their kids out of the public eye as much as possible so that their children could be well, children. Good job Sarah. You knew that you were going to be booed at this event, so you dressed your seven year old daughter in a Flyers jersey as some sort of human shield to try to deflect some of the rancor. As a result, your kids got to share in your humiliation. Your parenting skills boggle the mind.
I met former President Jimmy Carter. He is a fine man and a very decent human being. To you Sarah, I suggest that you meet with this elder statesman to learn how to properly handle your young children during what has come to be a very intense political season.
Over the last week, I learned something extraordinary about John McCain. His campaign showed me in no uncertain terms that if you aren’t able to actually debate the issues, attack, attack, attack.
And attack they did. With Palin as the pitbull hopped up on Maybelline, the Vice-Presidential hopeful followed the McCain playbook and even added a few plays of her own.
Last week in Strongsville Ohio, Palin decided to ignore the economic crisis and the two wars that are going on, to go after Obama’s character:
“Our opponent … is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country,” she said, referring to a co-founder of the 1960s-era Weather Underground, an organization the FBI labeled as a domestic terrorist group.
“This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America,” she said. “We see America as the greatest force for good in this world. If we can be that beacon of light and hope for others who seek freedom and democracy and can live in a country that would allow intolerance in the equal rights that again our military men and women fight for and die for for all of us.”
To be fair, Palin’s rallies weren’t the only ones targeting Obama’s association with Ayers, John McCain brought the theme up at his own Obama political “lynchin’ rallies.”
Rabid attendees in the crowd of both McCain and Palin rallies shouted epithets of “Treason!,” Terrorist!” and “Kill Him!” Although Palin and McCain ignored these remarks, Secret Service is still investigating to find out who yelled the “Kill Him” comment.
“As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign,” Lewis said in a statement. “Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.”
McCain/Palin are playing with fire in these stump speeches, and most reasonable people recognize that. The Obama campaign responded in kind:
“…John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for President of the United States ‘pals around with terrorists.’ As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Senator Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead.”
Since the backlash, McCain has been trying to tone down the rabid attendees at his stump speeches.
From the Huffington Post:
McCain was responding to a town hall attendee who claimed he was concerned about raising a child under a president who “cohorts with domestic terrorists such as [Bill] Ayers.” Despite the fact that McCain and his campaign have repeatedly used Ayers to hammer Obama in recent days, the Arizona Senator tried to calm the man.
“Senator Obama is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared about as President of the United States,” he said, before adding: “If I didn’t think I would be one heck of a better president I wouldn’t be running.”
The crowd groaned with disapproval.
Later, McCain was again pressed about Obama’s “other-ness” and again he refused to play ball. “I don’t trust Obama,” a woman said. “I have read about him. He’s an Arab.”
“No, ma’am,” McCain said several times, shaking his head in disagreement. “He’s a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that’s what this campaign is all about.”
Too bad McCain. You reap what you sow.
I noticed that nobody in the Obama camp mentioned that Palin was “palling around” with secessionists who hate our flag:
And then there’s John McCain who had served on the advisory board for “The U.S. Council for World Freedom,” an international organization created by retired Army Maj. Gen. John Singlaub that is linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America. They were heavily involved in the Iran-Contra affair, and are anti-Semitic.
The Obama campaign could have brought this up and played the guilt by association game, but oh yeah. There are those darned real issues to deal with.
Those who live in glass houses, McCain, Palin . . .
Well done Palin. If nothing else, you demonstrated to us that you truly are a pitbull wearing lipstick. You and John McCain showed Americans this week that it is indeed possible to go even lower than Karl Rove and George Bush in smearing and character assassination. Both of you must be very proud of the high discourse in your campaign. This “guilt by association” ploy smacks of McCarthyism. After your amateurish job of serving as Governor of Alaska, (I’m referring to the wonderful way you handled the State Troopers) you’ve brought your shameless, Machiavellian “small-town” politicking to a national audience. I don’t know how they play politics up in Alaska sweetheart, but that’s not how we do things here on the national stage. Kathleen Parker of the “National Review” was right; you are clearly out of your league. You said in one of your speeches, “Who is Barack Obama?” What? We first heard of you five weeks ago. Who the hell are you? God willing, you and McCain will lose Nov. 4, and you can go back to the farthest state in the Union where we will never hear from you again.
And Kudos to you John McCain. Apparently, you listened to your pitbull, let her off of her leash, and was surprised by the carnage. Whatever your record is in the military or the Senate, you have conducted the most disgraceful and dishonerable campaign in recent history sir. I never thought I’d say that Karl Rove never even went this low. I think your pitbull ultimately wound up biting you in the ass.
Since you’ve resorted to this sort of neo-McCarthyism, I’d like to quote that famous quote from Joseph Welch to Senator McCarthy:
“You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”
So what’s next for your stump speeches? Is this what we have to look forward to?
When I was a young kid living about 15 miles away from Canada, we had three Canadian television channels that could be picked up; CBC, CFTO, and CHCH. This was before the advent of cable.
I liked CFTO and CHCH, but was lukewarm toward the CBC. Their shows weren’t bad, they were just a bit bland for my taste. CFTO for example, had more entertaining shows. CFTO sitcom, “The King of Kensington” was the first time that I had seen Michael J. Fox years before he ever starred in “Family Ties.”
I suppose the CBC still prefers being bland.
They decided to crack under pressure from of all places… FoxNews, in the wake of an op-ed written by Heather Mallick. (FoxNews actually knows about the CBC?) Her humorous exaggeration is almost her trademark. It is this writing style that landed her in hot water with her editors at CBC’s website.
Mallick wrote a rather colorful article about our favorite winking candidate, and Republican men. The New York Times Online reports CBC execs have since removed the article from the website.
Really? You, the CBC were bullied by FoxNews, and FoxNews won?
Watching your television channel as a kid and reading your site as an adult, I am saddened. As Palin would say, “Say it ain’t so, Joe!”
While FoxNews smears and is not even amusing about it, Mallick’s article was at least funny, if not bawdy. As opposed to trying to rally its viewers to launch a phone campaign to get the article removed, FoxNews should have learned from it. God knows that after the dreadful “Half Hour News Hour” which was promptly cancelled, Fox needs to not only cultivate, but achieve a sense of humor.
Shame on you FoxNews for Bullying the CBC into making a retraction, and shame on you CBC for letting it happen.
