U.S. Senate
See Full Big Line
(D) J. Hickenlooper*
(R) Somebody
80%
20%
Governor
See Full Big Line
(D) Joe Neguse
(D) Phil Weiser
(D) Jena Griswold
60%
60%
40%↓
Att. General
See Full Big Line
(D) M. Dougherty
(D) Alexis King
(D) Brian Mason
40%
40%
30%
Sec. of State
See Full Big Line
(D) George Stern
(D) A. Gonzalez
(R) Sheri Davis
40%
40%
30%
State Treasurer
See Full Big Line
(D) Brianna Titone
(R) Kevin Grantham
(D) Jerry DiTullio
60%
30%
20%
CO-01 (Denver)
See Full Big Line
(D) Diana DeGette*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-02 (Boulder-ish)
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(D) Joe Neguse*
(R) Somebody
90%
2%
CO-03 (West & Southern CO)
See Full Big Line
(R) Jeff Hurd*
(D) Somebody
80%
40%
CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado)
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(R) Lauren Boebert*
(D) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-05 (Colorado Springs)
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(R) Jeff Crank*
(D) Somebody
80%
20%
CO-06 (Aurora)
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(D) Jason Crow*
(R) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-07 (Jefferson County)
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(D) B. Pettersen*
(R) Somebody
90%
10%
CO-08 (Northern Colo.)
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(R) Gabe Evans*
(D) Yadira Caraveo
(D) Joe Salazar
50%
40%
40%
State Senate Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
80%
20%
State House Majority
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DEMOCRATS
REPUBLICANS
95%
5%
August 30, 2008 02:41 PM UTC
191 Comments
That quote ought to make most of you ‘pubs squirm.
at the start of the word “labor”
I don’t think he was talking about the Teamsters.
Or AFSCME…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
Since unions didn’t exist in Lincloln’s era, how can you understand what Lincoln meant?
Did you jus channel him from the grave?
I would make a conjecture that he would disagree with you 180 degrees.
Another Lincoln quote: “Labor always precedes capital.”
is pro-labor. Hell, most of my R friends ARE labor. Any belief that R’s are anti-labor would either be due to Big Labor’s support of Democrats or ignorance.
Yes, I know many pro-labor Republicans, but the party itself is extremely anti-labor. It never used to be, but it is obvious now. Bush is the most anti-labor President is modern history. Labor unions are democracy is the workplace, period. Democracy is not always easy, but it is still the best way to govern and the workplace should not be a dictatorship.
“Only a fool would try to deprive working men and working women of their right to join the union of their choice”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
about a card check?
Nothing.
I have many groups and organizations and I just had to fill out a form and sign up. That is a vote. The elections to form a union should be for exactly that to join the group, but instead they are used by the employer for the opposite purpose, to buy time and stop the union. That is NOT the purpose of elections. If people do not want join, they do not have to plain and simple. We need balance in this country and more fairness in the workplace. The EFCA would still allow an election IF the membership required it.The tide is turning and many on the right wing are worried. They should be. Enough is enough.
someone being able to see your vote promotes democracy in any way. I think you’re being disingenuous.
I am stating the facts. The election should not be used to prevent what it is intended to do and that’s that. You do not like unions so you do not care to look at the big picture of what unions are designed to do, ie, bring about checks and balances in the workplace. Remember due process of law? Remember equal justice or are they just words with no meaning? I am not trying to convince you. I am trying to set the record straight for anybody who cares to listen. Your mind is made up regardless of the facts. I understand that. Remember just one thing please. Removing democracy from the workplace is removing it from society.
If what the union was offering was strong enough, people would vote for it in a secret ballot election.
I have no problem with the concept of unions, and have belonged in the past. But in too many cases, greed and power have overcome the initial purpose of protecting workers and providing a safe environment. It’s about generating dues and gaining concessions that aren’t in partnership with the health of the business.
That’s an aside, though. A secret ballot election is a fair election. It’s a tenet of Democracy.
Would you do a “vote check” for municipal, state or federal elections?
I am more concerned with vote tampering with secret ballots.
Robert Mugabe was elected with a secret ballot.
However, that is beside the point. Management always wants to prevent employees from talking to each other, that is goal of secrecy–keep workers divided, alone, afraid for their job.
A secret ballot is no more a “tenet of Democracy” than a roll call vote. In fact, roll call and other open votes have been used more throughout history, but again, a secret ballot is an option with the Employee Free Choice Act if requested by the members. And it is sure NOT a fair election when the employer uses the secret ballot to buy time and bring in union busting law firms, hold mandatory meetings to go after the membership / employees. I have been elected and defeated in many secret ballot elections, but it was after the union was already recognized. My last election was an open vote. Again, the reason for an election should not be to beat back the union, but that is what it has become. We know it and they know it.
Governor Ritter was not a fool, he gave state workers the right to join the union of their choice.
Of course he provided the Right-to-Work which provides it is not a condition of employment to force membership, fees or dues in a union.
From Wikipedia:
The first unions established in the United States in the early nineteenth century tended, by nature of the industries in which their members worked, to be craft unions: shoemakers, cordwainers (shoemakers who work with cordovan leather) and typesetters all worked, as a rule, in small shops in which they had little contact with workers in other fields. Some of these early unions also came out of a guild tradition, in which skilled workmen often owned their own shops or, if they worked for another, had a good deal of control over how the work was done, which they policed by maintaining standards for admission into the trade, requiring entrants to go through an apprenticeship program controlled by the union, rather than the employer, and dictating the processes, tools, standards and pace of work. These traditions persisted into the twentieth century in fields such as printing, in which the International Typographers Union would enforce its own rules determining how work was done in union shops, and in the construction industry.
0indeed, when I was studying Labor Law, a landmark case involving the Cordwainers was by Recorder Levy in the Massachusetts Bay Colony law.
The GOP is the enemy of labor, not just Labor. Minimum wage, anyone?
from the HuffPo
Palin or no Palin, Thursday night belonged to Obama and he hit it out of the park. 85,000 people in person (with more wanting in) and 40 million on TV – that’s impressive
Barack Obama is a relative newcomer to the political stage and a lot of non-political junkies are not as familiar with him as Democratic (and Republican) activists are. I’m actually encouraged that so many people tuned in. I’m hoping that it will be the beginning of a renewed interest in politics by the general public.
My guess is Obama left most viewers with a favorable “first” impression. But as the campaigns winds on, that the significance of that speech will pale in comparison to the three presidential debates. That’s where I believe this election will turn.
Then your candidate is in trouble. I know that the argument is that Obama is not as good off-prompter as he is on, but he is going to wipe the floor with McCain.
I agree with you, though, Drew. This election will be strongly influenced by the debates.
let’s wait until McCain makes his prime time speech. I know his reputation, as a speaker, is not as good as Obama’s, but I wouldn’t underestimate him.
That being said, McCain’s speech will soon be forgotten once the presidential debates roll around. I think the viewership for those forums will exceed the ones for either convention speech.
Let’s drill.
Stay the course in Iraq.
Keep the Bush tax cuts.
Abortion sucks.
Guns rule.
Thank you and God bless America.
by blogging here, and listening to “Air America” this year, I have discovered that Democrats are a lot more presumptuous than Republicans are.
Ever listen to Limbaugh or watch Hannity? The arrogance of those men, let alone the hundreds of other right-wing talk show and tv show hosts, and their number of listeners far outreaches anything this blog or Air America has.
You’re comparing apples to oranges.
I’ve never seen Sean Hannity at all, and I stopped listening to Rush Limbaugh a long time ago. I recognize Rush is as much of an entertainer as he is a political commentator.
It was interesting to note, however, your belief that the listeners (and viewers) of right wing talk shows and TV show hosts do far outnumber this blog or “Air America.” By and large, this nation is more conservative than liberal.
brain washed than independent, intelligent thinkers.
“My Friends”
…and I spent over 5 years as a POW so that proves I’m right about all this other stuff.
two things:
1) Do people vote hope (Obama) or fear (McCain).
2) The ground operation.
The debates will matter, but I don’t see them being a game changer.
The debates matter to the bubble heads in DC, who build everything up to be a make our break event, when almost none of them are.
What matters most are their agenda’s, and McCain is simply proposing more of the same failed policies of Bush and he has picked a far right ideologue to run as his VP.
If the race is still close, the question for as many as one in three voters will be, is Obama fit to lead? Voters want change and aren’t convinced McCain offers a significant departure from the last eight years, but the McCain campaign has raised doubts whether Obama is qualified to be president. If Obama can put those doubts to rest by taking on McCain, he crosses a crucial threshold for doubting voters and wins running away.
It’s the same scenario that led to the first Reagan landslide. Carter was ahead, barely, going into the presidential debate on Oct. 28 (early voting was virtually nonexistent then), and had spent the campaign raising doubts over Reagan’s ability to be president. When Reagan appeared reasonable, witty and decisive, public opinion changed overnight and gave him a landslide. Obama has the same opportunity.
Worth noting too, the audience for presidential debates is much larger than the record audience Obama scored for his acceptance speech. More than 38 million households (that’s households, not people) watched Obama live on Thursday. Presidential debates usually score in the 60-80 million household range. It’s not just bobble heads in Washington watching — voters are taking the measure of both candidates.
Of course, you’re right, David, the ground operation is crucial too, and could make the difference between a narrow win and a blow-out. But the vast middle of already active voters will be watching the debates to decide whether Obama is someone they can trust to deliver the change they’ve already decided the country needs. It’s a test he has to pass.
John McCain, the 72year old cancer survivor, yadayadayada.
No one’s saying Americans should be afraid of John McCain because he’s old. Do you even understand what the word “fear” means?
Americans should consider whether McCain up to the job and, given his advanced age and medical history, whether he ought to be making a reckless choice for a running mate.
“The 72 year old cancer survivor” bit pushes the fear that he will make some horrible mistake. It does try to make people fear McCain.
McCain’s history of reckless and ill-considered decisions “pushes the fear” that he will make poor decisions.
Some morons will think this is real, put out by the campaign.
Satire is the first caualty of low IQ.
Funny, of course.
I recall reading a filler piece in the Rocky Mountain News, some time ago, that a number of young people get their “news” from the Daily Show. I sure hope it is a small number.
The prime and in many cases sole news source for younger voters is the Colbert Report and the Daily Show. But don’t worry too much – studies have also found that those shows have more real meat per show than the nightly news with it’s focus on celebrity and the political race being reduced to a horse race.
When Comedy Central has the two best news shows available, and they’re supposed to be spoofs of the real news shows, what does that say about the state of our media?
thanks for posting it David.
6 things the Palin pick says about McCain
http://www.politico.com/news/s…
I would like it to be true that this is a desperation move, but right now I think the focus on ‘lack of experience’ is bringing Obama’s ‘lack of experience’ back to the fore. I think we all misstepping here and we might be driving boarderline women out of our coalition this year with the current attack lines I’ve been reading.
“How is she going to be VP and take care of her kids?” is one of the attacks that has horrified me much less a Hillary supporter.
I think if we don’t home in on judgment problems and issues, primarily with McCain, we’re shooting ourselves by dancing to the Republican tune.
Dem VP pick instead of Hillary an insult, how much more insulted must they be to see this woman who is nowhere near HRC’s level on the national scene get the chance to be the first woman VP and in position to go on to be the first woman President. How must the Clintons feel about this?
If they ever thought about trying to sabotage Obama to help get McSame elected, I would think contemplating Palin, of all people, making it to the White House ahead of HRC would light a fire like you wouldn’t believe under them to make damn sure that doesn’t happen.
I think the Palin pick has probably won for Obama the most aggressive support he could possibly have hoped for from the Clintons. I bet they will make sure their big donors and prominent supporters know that standing by and letting Palin be the one in the history books is NOT an option.
http://mudflats.files.wordpres…
Downtown Wasilla
http://mudflats.wordpress.com/…
vetoed a bill that would have denied benefit access to same sex partners, then failed to call a special session to run 2 anti-abortion bills.
Politics is local … get local with ADN
http://www.adn.com/news/politi…
I am reviewing her union positions. Being a former member and her husband being USW is great.
However, if she is a knucklehead on forced union dues, agency fees and membership then I will have a major problem.
n/t
Why do you say I hate?
Unions are not accountable, big union bosses and CEOs use forced unionism to control the workplace. Big union bosses use forced dues to drive radical politics for only Democrats.
The Governor gave state employees the Right-to-Work…he does not hate the worker?
let’s work together to hold CEO’s accountable and look out for the working class in this state.
Vote YES on the Corporate Fraud Initiative
Vote YES on the Just Cause Initiative.
On the Corporate Fraud initiative, that does nothing for the workers in the state. It may not hurt them but I fail to see how it helps them other than the joy of seeing some fraudster arrested.
On the Just Cause initiative, that will drastically reduce jobs in the state. So for the marginally competent, who have jobs, it’s great. But for the rest – it’s big-time bad news.
The fact that 47 & 49 suck does not mean Just Cause is good.
My default position is always no.
SAFE yes
Corporate Fraud maybe
right now I’m thinking no on everything else, but I haven’t read all the ammendments. And If I don’t read them I vote no automatically.
Shouldn’t all Coloradans have the right to choose?
Yes, Coloradans should have the same right to choice that Sarah Palin and her young daughter have. Their wombs, their choice — who are we to tell them what they should do?
I’m glad you’ve come around on this crucial question, Libertad. Surprised, but glad.
Now show your blog support.
Why did Jonathan Coors hire convicted felons, including a convicted sex offender, to collect private contact information from people?
and not hire illegal aliens?
How many other ballot items (Ref C/D, FastTracks, MileHigh, Hickenlooper A-I) did these same convicted citizen’s collect signatures for? Don’t the people want to know why?
she had to veto the discriminatory bill because the alaskan state supreme court had ruled it uncostitutional before it passed, but she stressed her personal disapproval of homosexuality.
There is no such thing as “forced union dues”, but you have probably been told that 100 times. There are agency fees for non-members in union shops and there should be. That is representative democracy in the workplace. I did not vote for my last state rep in my old zip code, but I still had to pay taxes and he was still my duly elected representative. Union dues cannot be used for partisan candidates, but that is another fact that our opponents often ignore. For the Republican party to go after the union vote is a big joke and will only fool the uninformed, which is a lot of people in an American election.
Forced membership and dues are the crux of Union Bosses power.
Why did Governor Ritter give our state employees the right to not join the union, not pay union dues, and not pay agency fees? He wanted to protect our employees right to real employee free choice.
This is seriously frightening.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08…
Hey Charlie, she’s not an intern. She’s running to be Vice President of the United States.
The Palin pick is absolutely indefensible except when viewed purely as a cynical political play for women voters.
John McCain has demonstrated once again that despite all of his experience he has tragically poor judgment. This is not a serious candidate for VP and will place this country at great peril if they somehow win this election.
Does pointing out that she’s a cynical pick actually help with women voters. Not already committed Democrats, but the women who were going to vote Democratic for Hillary? Or does it sound like borderline misogyny and point out Obama’s lack of experience yet again?
I think we Democrats are in trouble.
I don’t understand the logic behind what you’re arguing.
She’s utterly unqualified, it’s misogynistic to think that you can just pick any woman and that female voters will just blindly follow. The McCain campaign is essentially banking on what they apparently believe to be an inherent female intellectual shallowness.
Of course she’s unqualified, by reason of her actions like the troopergate thing and the state dairy.
Arguing that she’s unqualified because she’s only ever been Governor of Alaska is playing the Republican tune about Obama as well as diminishing her achievement of unseating a sitting governor in a primary. It will sound sexist to ears listening for dog whistles even if it isn’t.
You’re assuming that only men will be attacking her experience. You’re also assuming that we can and should only have one very overt line of attack on her. In reality the campaign will maintain one message (likely ignoring Palin and continuing to focus on Bush as their new commercial does) while surrogates will begin to soften her up on various other fronts.
Palin is a complete unknown and we can attack her on all fronts if done strategically. Would attacks on her qualifications sound sexist if they were coming from Hillary Clinton?
Is the only person I can see attacking Palin on experience and getting away with it. And even then I think it is more risky than rewarding. I think it plays to the Republican narrative.
Attack her on anything else, but attacks on her experience or being a mother (Yes I’ve actually seen Obama fans asking “Who’s going to take care of her family?” Pure sexism.) or that it is “a cynical ploy”. Anything else. Those three are toxic.
If it is about family values that you stand on – don’t make the argument fit personal desires over that of your family.
A four month old baby with Down Syndrome and two other young siblings is a handful for any family. No one is questioning her ability to work, it is questioning her ability to run an exhausting campaign. This is a job interview, all aspects of your performance can and will be rated.
I also believe John Edwards was not taking care the needs of his family. I would never put my husband through that kind of stress while he was battling cancer. And while I am not a mother, I am not sure I would not leave my family at this time.
Perception of what is said is often more important than what is said. It does not matter that people have raised such questions about Edwards (thank heaven he did not get the nod). It only matters that it sounds WRONG to say that she cannot campaign for VP and still take care of her family. After all the campaign is only going to last sixty some days.
HRC is serving a second term in her first elected office. By that standard any number of women (as well as men) should have been ahead of her in line. Her supporters may have used the argument of experience against Obama but clearly their main reason for supporting HRC was NOT experience in the first place.
Where Palin is concerned, it’s the enormous difference between HRC supporters who are all either Democrats, progressives, moderate pro-choice independents or Republicans, and Palin’s constituency which is the social conservative right wing of the Republican party, some anti-choice independents and Republican moderates and some conservative anti-choice Democrats. These are radically different constituencies.
Palin is a natural ally of women like Phyllis Schlafley and Ann Coulter, not Hillary Clinton. It’s as though Hillary won the Dem nomination and McCain picked a hard right, anti-choice, neocon hawk African American running mate to attract disgruntled Obama supporters. Most would stick with HRC even she didn’t select Obama for VP.
Obama and Clinton each represent constituencies that may disagree with one another on the details on a number of issues but absolutely agree on their opposition to the Republican right, to the over-turning of Roe/Wade, to the appointment of more hard right Supreme Court Justices, to the privatization of social security, to the continuation of our present dysfunctional healthcare system with private companies, not health care professionals, in control of health care decisions, to the indefinite occupation of Iraq along with its 10 billion a month price tag and to the escalation of belligerent foreign policy.
Palin IS the Republican right that stands opposed to HRC and Obama on all of those issues. It is definitely NOT enough to just be a woman.
Palin was chosen to shore up the religious right votes for McCain, which is why we saw the Dobson endorsement moments after she was picked. McCain is desperate.
Alan Keyes would have been McCain’s running mate if HRC had defeated Obama for the nod!
I almost spit out my soda pop all over my keyboard!
I thought it showed courage to pick one of Monty Python’s finest, then I realized it wasn’t Michael, it was Sarah. Perhaps she’ll energize the evangelical base. But to have her a heartbeat away from the Oval Office is, frankly, frightening. Imagine the judicial appointments. Then try to sleep at night.
Hey, McCain! Welease Romney!
that should be “Welease, Romney,” Centuwion!
“Welease, Womney!” Finally got it right.
And what makes him a foreign policy expert? I know, I know…noun verb POW. But besides that.
He clearly has NO understanding of the complexities of the Middle East, approves entirely of GW’s failed policies in Iraq and Afghanistan (which he thinks is a big success) with the single exception of having been for more troops early on.
He’s got no bright ideas about the Russia/Georgia situation except tough blathering. Apparently he’s fine with borrowing most of 10 billion a month from China for Iraq indefinitely.
Of course we can’t borrow troops and haven’t heard a solution from him for that little problem. Sometimes he seems to say draft, sometimes he says no draft no way. Which is it?
If she’s an intern it would be nice if her mentor had a clue.
she thinks calling women bitches, and calling a cancer survivor a “cancer” on the state of Alaska, is something to laugh at:
Seriously, did they even vet Palin?
National Labor Relations Act, Section 7: RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES
Sec. 7. В§ 157. Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, and shall also have the right to refrain from any or all such activities except to the extent that such right may be affected by an agreement requiring membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment as authorized in section 8(a)(3) section 158(a)(3) of this title.
The Denver Chamber’s leading member companies have corruption unity with Labor … they like forced unionization and forced dues.
You are such a jerk about posting this everywhere that anyone here who was undecided you’ve pushed into the pro-union camp for the simple reason that you are such a dick.
If you secretly work for the unions – good job. If you truly are against them – you’re your own worst enemy.
Come on David, I expect a greater level of civility from you.
Honestly, I now see that you support the full radical union-boss agenda based on your comment that if I work for the unions – good job.
I can’t believe you are having fun destroying Colorado’s economy and restricting peoples choice to join or not join the union.
Unlike the Governor who gave state workers the right-to-work and opposes the radical union-boss ballot measures, you have decided to support Just Cause, Civil/Criminal Liability, etc… and oppose choice.
I’m opposed to Just Cause, etc – and because I am opposed to them, I don’t want you posting against them – because your posts will help them.
You’re the right-wing equivilent of code pink.
I am not a Republican, so go grab the NTY and jack-off.
Who stops pk-12 reform … unions!
to be a dick and that’s what you are. It’s a non-partisan thing.
ps I guess I’m stiff for choice then.
If there is any liberal blogger on here that is independent from unions it is David. Attacking him as such demonstrates that you are little more than a foolish ideologue who is lashing out in the only way he knows how.
Based on your impeccable message discipline I’d say that either you’re a paid flak for the Work for Less folks or you’re an utter simpleton who has been completely co-opted by the right-wing message machine.
If you secretly work for the unions – good job.
Sounds like a union support comment to me.
My theory is that Libertad is actually Jonathan Coors.
Like the “theory” of evolution or the “theory” of global warming, it’s just someone’s opinion, right? I’m sure you can find some industry shill to support your position and call it a “controversy.”
and you’re comments makes a lot more sense knowing you.
Since everything you have posted to date has been wrong, I assume you’re wrong here – which would lead to the conclusion that you are Jonathan Coors.
Apparently lots of money does not insure an education that teaches you how to write as well as a 9th grader.
those who support Right to Work agree with Palin that strong women are bitches and whiners? That’s the only connection I can seem to make here from your reply to mine.
My post was mistakenly made under your post. I did just listen to the radio posting and it appears she had a nervous laugh in response to some very strong language targetting a woman Senator.
Now there is a lil ammo for you to spin into her inability to manage her mouth or her lack of experience.
p.s. don’t miss the Saddleback Showdown tonight.
That happened like 2 weeks ago. Thanks for proving to all of us you only watch Fox News.
is still running promos for the Saddleback Showdown? Do they plan to rerun it instead of Hurricane Gustav coverage over the weekend?
they’re replaying it (according to the Comcast search thing) 3 times in the next 13 hours!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
Franklin Delano Roosevelt:
It is one of the characteristics of a free and democratic nation that is have free and independent labor unions.
Jimmy Carter:
Every advance in this half-century-Social Security, civil rights, Medicare, aid to education, one after another-came with the support and leadership of American Labor.
E.F.C.A. = a clear path for forced unionism
Please don’t pretend you care about the “employees”. You only care about your party and keeping things as they are, ie, trickle down economics”. Joining a union is a right under law and it is high time the law be enforced as intended.
Some of the rumors are really juicy. I won’t pass them on because I haven’t substantiated them to my satisifaction.
One fact though that I find troubling. Palin says after her water broke while she was at conference in texas, she got on a plane to fly 11 hours to Alaska so that her child would be “Alaska born”. She didn’t inform the airline even though the child was premature, with complications and she was 44 which too me is putting the life of her child at risk. After giving birth, 3 days later she was back at work (God my wife is a wimp she could barely get to the bathroom for a week).
They think a lot of it is due to the low air pressure but they do have clear statistical proof that flying drastically increases your chance of having a serious medical event or dying.
Medically this was incredibly dumb.
My understanding is that they’re still U.S. citizens even if born in Texas.
In the day or so since Barack Obama’s acceptance speech I have been in contact with many people, friends and family as well as strangers. I have been on the phone for hours, written an account of my plan to help Barack succeed to deliver to all my friends and family as well as the papers and blogs, and I have listened. There has been a line drawn and as Obama put so well last night, you either get it, or you don’t get it. All else is business as usual and with both candidates you either love them or hate them.
Until Barack’s speech s few nights ago I would have been to among the first to attack those who criticized my nominee. But when that line was drawn, at that moment when Barack said, “This was never about me, this was about you,” I realized that I did not have to fight with those who did not get it anymore. Instead, I needed to be refocused and happy. We are now in the position to finish what will be the first major step in reversing the damage done and restoring the America in which I grew up proud.
Really, I can’t help but feel sorry for the Republican voters who are left and still voting for McCain. Whatever their motivations may be, now seem silly to me. The allegiance to a war built on lies and fear will be futile if we can finish what we started. The belief Obama and Democrats are going to raise taxes on the poor and middle class seems like a shield to hide another more embarrassing deciding factor. Racism or sexism, whatever the reason, I do not blame them anymore.
Barack Obama has armed us with the most powerful tool in the world. Even more powerful than the mighty blog is the TRUTH. Instead of blaming those who do not get it, we can educate those around us and change the culture of America. Once Barack Obama is in the White House and we are rebuilding America we will become a society in which the children of those who opposed Obama for the wrong reasons will benefit from Obama for the right reasons.
Barack Obama will not fix America, but he will stop the decline. We must make sure Bush was the rock-bottom. So that 8 years from now we are looking for a candidate to finish what was started by the Obama Presidency, not start what was forgotten before continuing the same path of last 8 years.
If we can do this we will be moving towards a United States of America in which the children of those who feared Barack Obama, will be searching for someone like him to continue the work.
Don’t blame those who fear change, work to elect Barack Obama and change the culture of fear bred by the GOP and corporate America.
What was ‘started’? What ‘work’ is he doing?
Specifically what is Senator Obama (I think it’s cute that you call him by his first name) going to do?
Honestly? Your post is why moderates that don’t like Obama don’t like him.
It’s all platitudes and rhetoric. Get specific, and let’s talk.
That last little bit is almost as creepy as that dopey ‘salute’ they wanted everyone to do.
but not as disturbing as this
I think she was mostly trying to say that she’d only be interested in being VP in an administration that would give her an active role, and that she’d continue doing what she has done in AK, which was to fight corruption and malaise.
In her own party.
Nice change from Sen. Obama and his work with Dick Durbin.
Anyway, can you help fill in the blanks of “hope” and “change”?
I’ve been waiting for someone to get somewhat specific about Obama’s policies, but even from his own website he’s been terribly unclear.
Sir Robin referred me to Obama’s website, and I had a couple of questions about his nonproliferation mandates, but nobody’s chimed in.
every commentator in the nation agrees on that, yet you play dumb. How sad.
that you believe he laid out in his speech.
I’ve read the transcript, and I watched the speech – don’t post a link. Tell me, please.
I want to know how he intends on paying for some of the things he’s promised, and how he intends specifically on accomplishing some others. Otherwise it’s just empty words, right?
Just give me one. I think it’s funny that you can’t.
Now stop playing dumb. You’re sounding more and more like a concern troll (aka a Dick as others have put it).
Why only an energy industry windfall tax? Does he have a dollar figure on hat’s “excessive”? Is there a percentage of profit that qualifies one for being subject to this tax or is it a dollar figure?
Who does he classify as “middle class”, and what specific criteria does he use for this calculation?
I’m not playing dumb at all. You still haven’t answered any of my questions with detail, which is my point. Obama says something that sounds good:
‘Lets tax the oil companies because they made a lot of money in a hot commodities market!’
What happens if there’s a freeze, and most of the orange crop is wiped out. The few farmers that don’t get ruined for the season are then able to sell their OJ at much higher prices because it’s a traded commodity. Will he then impose a ‘big orange windfall tax’? Why not?
with one example as you asked. For further questions, research it yourself if you’re so concerned which is pretty apparent you’re not; you just want to bullshit around the issues in an attempt to misinform readers with non-sense talking points. It took me a mere few second to find an example and I’m sure you find what you’re looking for if you simply looked instead of being a dick and playing dumb.
It’s what I knew, and expected.
Senator Obama is offering all kinds of fantasy entitlements and no real policy to back it up. It’s not my job as a voter to do a research project to find nonexistent information on how he intends to pay for nearly $800 billion in new government that he outlines on his website.
I asked a very specific question, and in a very respectful way. You are such a supporter of Obama, I figured you would know what he means by windfall tax, or how he intends on paying for every child in the country to attend college, but the problem is that he’s never stated specific explanations. Not to my knowledge, anyway.
If you know or find out, please let me know.
because it ignores the history of this issue. Do you recall Cheney’s secret energy policy meeting with oil industry executives at the start of this pathetic administration?
I don’t recall a meeting with the OJ industry in the WH. You?
What do you assert happened at that meeting?
You asked for specifics, you got a specific example. If you want more read the speech. As acknowledged by all the commentators, it had plenty of specifics.
Regardless, I really can’t believe you think Palin is a great choice for possible president and Commander in Chief. It’s not as if every governor or member of congress or CEO or POW or any member of any particular category would make a good president and that’s a VPs primary reason for being; being ready to take over. So the fact that she’s a governor doesn’t make her ready in and of itself any more than the fact that Abraham Lincoln had a very thin resume made him unqualified.
He was never a governor, never had held any position in which he had to make up a big budget or manage a large staff but I’m pretty sure you aren’t going to pretend to believe Palin is Lincoln’s superior.
Have you actually LISTENED to her. Give me a break! I think you’re just being stubborn.
I asked for specifics. I read the speech. I listened to the speech. I’ve read his website. Most commentators I’ve read said the speech was light on details. Just like I and millions of others are saying. How can I vote for someone who doesn’t tell me specifically how and what he wants to do.
I’m going from his record of being the most liberal Senator we’ve got, his earlier positions on guns and abortion, and his incredible lack of judgment in surrounding himself with folks like Ayers and Wright. I won’t vote for him.
But I’m still waiting for an Obama supporter to tell me in detail why his policies would work, and all I’m hearing is Hope and ChangeВ®.
It’s not being pissy. Prove me wrong – I honestly want to know what he means.
Uh, can you name any policies McCain has said “specifically how and what he wants to do” ? ‘cuz I sure can’t recall anything.
Methinks you’re just using that point for the sake of arguing.
He has proposed a number of comprehensive bills over the past couple of years addressing major problems we face and those bills are detailed and specific.
Oops…
McCain has also recently announced that he is now against all of those bills he wrote and sponsored. So we’re back to square one with McCain.
By making permanent the tax cuts for the wealthy and promising — hoping? — for a balanced budget in four years — no, make that eight years — achieved by reining in earmarks (which don’t increase actual spending, just direct where the already appropriated money goes). Talk about hope.
I was getting whined at by specificity, and now the great minds (I’m being serious) that debate everything on this blog can’t just settle this and give me some specific policy on what Obama plans to do.
Let’s hear it, guys…
But go ahead. Leave all those McCain specifics for “another thread”.
because McCain offers no specifics either. Campaigners seldom do.
We know that Obama plans to get us out of Iraq in a timely fashion, but McCain is not clear (one day suggesting an indefinite presence, another day cautiously but unspecifically endorsing withdrawal, for example).
I’m suggesting that you’re making a bad argument because your guy is, when all is said and done, equally or even more vague. Therefore you’re holding McCain to a lesser standard and are being disingenuous in your argument.
Don’t ask of Obama what you don’t ask of McCain.
Again with that soft prejudice of lowered expectations. Republicans don’t mind if their vice presidential nominee can’t pass muster, so long as she’s spunky and female. And their presidential nominee? Please don’t ask for specifics, he’s given so much to his country already.
McCain will make the Bush tax cuts permanent.
Pretty specific. What’s Obama’s plan?
although you led me to believe that you were looking for something kinda wonkish, what with your asking about Obama’s “plan.” But I’ll counter that tax cuts are such a part of the GOP mantra – something that sells, and just about the only thing that does so reliably – that McCain is not going out on any kind of limb by taking that position. Furthermore, given that the Dems are going to continue to hold both chambers of Congress (unless some wingnut’s prayers are answered), it’s an empty pledge akin to flag burning amendments.
Obama’s plan (the simple version) is to extend the Bush tax cuts – except on those making over $250,000/yr.
The Tax Policy Center’s side-by-side comparison goes into great detail about the two candidates’ plans.
I see a couple of points on McCain’s column that I’d like to see Obama pick up, including the Internet tax exemption. Don’t see anything in the “real numbers” department that I would judge to be better from McCain than Obama, though.
Considering that the GOP base worship Reagan and completely ignore his long and storied record as a tax raiser I doubt this will break the base’s bubble but it’s worth noting.
Here’s the governor in her own words touting a windfall tax (she calls it “progressiveness”),
http://dwb.adn.com/opinion/com…
Progressiveness is the additional share we capture when oil prices and profits are high. I chose to set the progressiveness knob at a relatively low level in exchange for more security when prices are low. We accomplished this through a gross tax floor at our legacy fields. If the Legislature chooses to discard that floor, then the knob on progressiveness needs to be set higher – to make sure we capture a more equitable share when prices are high and profits extraordinary.
Kevin Drum has more,
http://www.motherjones.com/kev…
Not surprisingly Grover Norquist, Rush Limbaugh and the like have just ignored this portion of her record. So what do the righties on this board think of your new VP candidates affinity for liberal tax policies?
Because of oil income they pay no taxes and receive a check every year from the state. And she wants to milk that trust fund of every penny she can.
It’s a completely different world up there.
Maybe she will promise us all thousands of dollars in checks courtesy of the oil and gas industry?
Normally all of Friday would have been the talking heads arguing over Obama’s speech with Fox trashing it and most everyone critisizing parts. And all of that dilutes the impact of the speech.
Instead, he made his speech, 40 million watched it and took away their impressions of it (probably 99% positive). And then…
they had no one telling them what to think of it. Advantage Obama on this part.
from ABC News
Of course, there’s those pesky rules
I’d love to see the Republicans partying while New Orleans is being hit by a hurricane again – can we say split screen news reports…
Considering where McCain was the last time a Hurricane hit New Orleans.
Storm scrambles GOP convention.
While it might be sincere, right after this last gimmick it stinks of opportunism.
John McCain: If it’s REALLY devastated, then I’ll do my speech from wherever it hits.
Give me a break.
Go to Minneapolis. You are not President yet.
Don’t use human misery as a way of securing votes in an election. Please. I thought you were supposed to be a maverick, above the standard political crap.
do the green screen background again, and project images of the hurricane and relief efforts behind himself? Does it really make sense to divert all those resources to transporting and protecting the McCain entourage in the middle of a devastating storm?
Your hard work and dedication are what makes this country run.
If you like long weekends like this one, thank a union.
especially if you like this long weekend, as it’s Labor Day. But you can also thank Richard Nixon, who instituted Monday holidays to create three-day weekends.
I was checking stats on my blog. Do a google search on lets fuck and what comes up as number 7? My blog entry on the Just Cause Initiative. There must be a lot of links to that post…
What is the best thing about John McCain’s appeal, the best thing about his candidacy?
The above question was asked of Barack Obama last June in Miami, Florida, by the editors of Reader’s Digest. The article is in the September 2008 edition of the magazine.
http://www.rd.com/your-america…
The Democratic presidential nominee responded:
and honorable talk has not been echoed by the McCain campaign.
and I am frankly disappointed by that.
For the record, John McCain was asked the following question, by the same people, and his response was:
http://www.rd.com/your-america…
Obviously, it is a much shorter response, but then there is very little of a track record to look at for Barack Obama.
Cokie Roberts is living in a bubble.
Watching her and George Will on George Stephanopolis this morning is like watching the Colbert Report but those to are not trying to make jokes of themselves.
Someone please explain to me how these people have jobs? They have no original thought or insight into the issues at hand but rather repeat and regurgitate what other DC bubble heads say.
It looks like plans are up in the air for the GOP convention this week. And the two retiring leaders of the party, the Shrub and Cheney, have cancelled their appearances (although they’ve left open the possibility that Bush may address the delegates by video).
I think it would be more appropriate for Cheney, because of his firmly held beliefs on the subject, to address the delegates by video from the FEMA field office in New Orleans on the subject of global warming and climate changes.
Has anyone heard whether any of the right wing theocrats has opined that Gustav is God’s revenge on the party that dropped the ball during the Katrina?
but I’m amazed that McCain thinks it’s a good idea to exploit a hurricane (in some sick redo mindframe for celebrating during Katrina) and make a his acceptance speech from the disaster area.
This is the worst gimmick of this campaign. I thought his buffed up chest during the Georgian conflict was bad, but this is just wrong.
…he was firmly asked by the Governor of Iowa to postpone his visit to the state as it would drain Emergency personal away from actually helping people. John McCain responded with a healthy “FU” by showing up to pander for votes anyway.
He seems to like to explote human suffering for his own gain.
But apparently high ranking Dems think that it’s funny and cool that New Orleans is getting hit.
http://www.redstate.com/diarie…
I assume you know that it was Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and others on the “Religious Right” who posited that 9/11 was made possible by God due to American immorality and apostasy. And a variety of right-wing “pastors” (such as the leader of a group called “Repent America”) and innumerable commenters on various blogs that I read at the time asserted that Katrina was God’s revenge on the sinful city of New Orleans.
I’m assuming the joke about “God’s on our side” was some black humor related to the shameful tendency of right-wingers to attribute these natural disasters to God’s will. After all, if Katrina and its timing before Southern Decadence (a major gay event) was God’s will, then Gustav’s timing to coincide with the RNC must be God’s will as well, right? And the good weather for Obama’s speech at Mile High was also God’s will, I assume. Or does God only steer CERTAIN storms?
For the satire-impaired, I don’t believe that God steers natural disasters for any purpose. But I am willing to mock those who do believe that, which is what I think those men were doing on that plane.
BTW, it’s extremely disingenuous of whomever edited that video to superimpose the words “everything’s cool” over the statement, from earlier in the video, about the hurricane heading for New Orleans. I can’t even tell from the video what Fowler was referring to when he said “everything’s cool”.
I know about Pat Robertson and the rest of the “TV churches” and their repulsive response to 9/11. I rank it down there at the bottom of responses to that event right next to Ward Churchill’s “little Eichmanns” comment.
From watching the video, the “everything’s cool” is in context to how Gustav’s forcing people out of their homes and causing devastation is going to hurt the Republican convention. In other words, they are taking joy in destruction that will inconvenience their opponents. That’s how it seems to me, FWIW.
that he has a good excuse for Bush & Cheney to miss the convention.
It’s a good excuse for everyone but the delegates to miss the convention. It looks like the Twin Cities won’t be seeing that big a financial windfall from this.
Mwah ah ah ah….
a bigger bounce but regardless, McCain still can’t manage to get ahead, can he? And he hardly looks to pull ahead in Minnesota or Michigan now. McCain is the one who needs a surge.
mccain should be 10-15 points behind. Obama can’t get over 50%. This is going to get really interesting. Can’t wait for all the debates.
…damn!…talk about low expectations for yourself. I wonder if his low self-opinion is justified.
Your point?
He already did…in 1981.
Oh wait, you mean percent…
you mean one prediction made by the McCain campaign only.
Don’t be a fool.
even Dukakis had a 16-point lead in the summer before the election. It’s pretty standard for a challenging party to have a big lead that tightens as the election gets closer.
Go blue, it’s not about being a fool. It’s a dialogue. Take it easy.
George H.W. Bush was running as the candidate who would take the reins of an administration put in place by the exceedingly popular president Reagan.
John McCain is running in the wake of the most unpopular president in American history with a promise to be more of the same but better, and hinging his candidacy entirely on the hope that Bush won’t screw up too badly between now and November.
Far lefties hated Reagan as much as they hate Bush. Reagan polled higher, but Truman polled way lower.
And both Bush and Truman never polled at 9% like the do-nothing Congress led by Democrats.
You think the election is going to be decided by far lefties? Or ever was?
to all your buddies here…
🙂
10-15 points ahead? Fact is he’s not ahead, period. But this is a pointless thing to argue about. The only poll that matters is the one Nov. 4th.
Show Obama holding his lead.
CBS, Obama 48 McCain 40
And Gallup, Obama 50 McCain 43.
And with McCain’s recent panders his unfavorable rating will continue to rise. However, we’re still months away from the election and daily tracking polls are almost useless, unless of course you have no other good news to say about your candidate other than “look, he’s not a total loser!”
The split was around 280/257 at the beginning of the DNC.
Sure looks like a bounce to me…
That link in the title displayed just fine in the preview.
http://www.dailycamera.com/new…
Who Chose Sarah Palin
Last week, while the media focused almost obsessively on the DNC’s spectacle in Denver, the country’s most influential conservatives met quietly at a hotel in downtown Minneapolis to get to know Sarah Palin. The assembled were members of the Council for National Policy, an ultra-secretive cabal that networks wealthy right-wing donors together with top conservative operatives to plan long-term movement strategy.
CNP members have included Tony Perkins, James Dobson, Grover Norquist, Tim LaHaye and Paul Weyrich. At a secret 2000 meeting of the CNP, George W. Bush promised to nominate only pro-life judges; in 2004, then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told the group, “The destiny of the nation is on the shoulders of the conservative movement.” This year, thanks to Sarah Palin’s selection, the movement may have finally aligned itself behind the campaign of John McCain.
Though Dobson and Perkins reportedly attended the recent CNP meeting in Minneapolis, a full roster of guests would be nearly impossible to require. The CNP deliberately operates below the radar, going to excessive lengths to obscure its activities. According to official CNP policy, “The media should not know when or where we meet or who takes part in our programs before or after a meeting.” Thus the CNP’s Minneapolis gathering was free of reporters. I only learned of the get-together through an online commentary by one of its attendees, top Dobson/Focus on the Family flack Tom Minnery.
Minnery described the mood as CNP members watched Palin accept her selection as John McCain’s Vice Presidential pick. “I was standing in the back of a ballroom filled with largely Republicans who were hoping against hope that something would put excitement back into this campaign,” Minnery said. “And I have to tell you, that speech by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin – people were on their seats applauding, cheering, yelling… That room in Minneapolis watching on the television screen was electrified. I have not seen anything like it in a long time.”
Like I said yesterday, it appears the price John McCain was willing to pay to those he called “agents of intolerance” in 2000 was the choice of his running mate. How maverick-y.
And now since the “experience” meme has been undermined by his choice, the new narrative is that the McCain/Palin ticket represents “reform”, which the media is only too happy to pick up and run with.
But the question must be asked: How is it reform to pander to the Religious Right?
hat-tip/C&L
the vast right-wing conspiracy?
Well said, OQD.
from ABC News
The hits just keep coming with Sarah:
Somehow I don’t think this is what voters are looking for in a VP. I think she’s already toast. But if new stuff keeps appearing at this rate, in another week, it will be so so so bad for McCain.
McCain with this makes Bob Schaffer’s self-inflicted wounds seem like nothing. They say wars are won by the side that makes less mistakes. We’re seeing elections where that same rule applies.
I’ve already submitted a diary on this issue. What’s as troubling is her apparent dishonesty on such petty things. Check this out. Palin may have lied about winning the Miss Congeniality award. How can we trust her on anything if she lies about something so small like this? This also says McCain didn’t do his homework on his VP.
She’s a gift to us Dems and will self-destruct on her own.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…
From John Nichols:
[Democracy NOW is] urging journalists and concerned citizens to contact the office of St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman (651-266-8535) and the Ramsey County Jail (651-266-9350) and demand the immediate release of Goodman, Kouddous and Salazar.
The calls are important.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Lawyers Guild are also on the case.
Evidently she was arrested trying to help two Democracy NOW producers who were being unlawfully detained.
h/t: http://www.eschatonblog.com/20…
I’ll update my diary with this information.
All three have been released, after intense pressure from many groups and individuals. Thanks to any Pols readers who took the time to call.
Glenn Greenwald reports:
Beginning last night, St. Paul was the most militarized I have ever seen an American city be, even more so than Manhattan in the week of 9/11 – with troops of federal, state and local law enforcement agents marching around with riot gear, machine guns, and tear gas canisters, shouting military chants and marching in military formations. Humvees and law enforcement officers with rifles were posted on various buildings and balconies. Numerous protesters and observers were tear gassed and injured.
… Perhaps most extraordinarily, Amy Goodman of Democracy Now – the radio and TV broadcaster who has been a working journalist for close to 20 years – was arrested on the street and charged with “conspiracy to riot.”
I just attended a Press Conference with St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Police Chief John M. Harrington and – after they boasted of how “restrained” their police actions were – asked about the journalists and lawyers who had been detained and/or arrested both today and over the weekend. They said they wouldn’t give any information about journalists who had been arrested today, though they said they believed that “one journalist” had been, and that she “was a participant in the riots, not simply a non-participant.”
This seems to be an appropriate question for Labor Day. According to the Rocky Mountain News editorial this day, the answer seems to be clear: John McCain.
http://www.rockymountainnews.c…
Democrats like to knock McCain’s alleged weakness on the economy, but it seems like he comes out ahead of the elusive Obama.
If we are looking to the government to create jobs, rather than private industry, then the economy is in trouble.
Talk about circular logic! Let’s see….If you tax corporations lower, they’ll keep the jobs in the U.S……where they’ll pay decent wages…..like suppoprting an increase in the minimum wage…how did McCain vote with that issue again?…..It would seem appropriate to follow up todays opening Lincoln quote with another:
“Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration.”
Lincoln’s First Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1861.
…oh wait, that’s what Bush has been doing, and it doesn’t work that well.
According to the CD Howe Institute report, China has the highest effective corporate tax rate of all industrialized nations. According to the World Bank, it also has one of the ten most difficult tax codes to comply with. (Both figures quoted by the CATO Institute, a Libertarian think tank.)
While the United States has some of the highest listed corporate tax rates in the world, its effective tax rates are lower, and many of the top corporations pay no effective taxes to the U.S..
It isn’t tax rates that are driving businesses away. It’s cheap – sometimes slave – labor and the lack of health, safety, and “responsible neighbor” regulations.