Rusted Sky

FOXNews.com - Google's New Web Browser Aimed Right at Microsoft - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News

The new Web browser that Google Inc. released Tuesday in testing or "beta" mode is designed to expand the company's huge lead in the Internet search market and reduce Microsoft Corp.'s imprint on personal computers.

The free browser, called Chrome, is being promoted as a sleeker, faster, safer and reliable alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which has been the leading vehicle for surfing the Web for the past decade.

All in all, not bad. Wonder what exploits and loopholes will come of it?

J.

The Volokh Conspiracy - - McCain campaign responses to today's NY Times attack

Frankly, the more the left screams about her, the more I think they're very, very afraid of her. Let's be sensible here - if she had deadly flaws in her background, they'd be quite apparent and she wouldn't have survived the vetting process. That the left is hyperventilating about her husband's 20+ year old DUI is simply stupid, and reeks of desperation on their part.

No - if she weren't a good candidate, the left wouldn't feel anywhere near as impelled to try to point out every possible wart and wrinkle in her background.

It'll be interesting seeing her speech tonight.

J.

Didn't get in at the beginning of it - guess it was about two-thirds of the way through...

Interesting tone... There's a confidence to her, and I like it. She's not going on and on about how everything is just so terrible, and McCain's the only one who can fix things. She's saying that things are good - and they'll be better with McCain in charge because he's going to DO things to make this country better. Oil, gas, nuclear. (It's about bloody time...)

Taxes? Obama's take on things is that we're not taxed enough - and he's promising billions in new entitlements. The idea that we can grow our way out of the deficits doesn't seem like a foreign concept - she's had experience in cutting waste in Alaska's government, and I realize there's plenty of entrenched special interests inside the Beltway that'll fight being trimmed tooth and nail - but it seems like she'd grind them down.

Family up after the speech - the baby doesn't quite seem to know what's going on (heh) but the rest? I LIKE this woman. Family values? Well - seems to me like she's got a handle on that.

The more the left screams... I think she'd make a very good VP, and an adequate President if need be.

Well, looks like I've made my mind up. I'll be voting for McCain/Palin.

J.

To the rest? Not so much.

Joe Biden says Barack Obama might pursue criminal charges against Bush administration if elected | World news | guardian.co.uk

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden said yesterday that he and running mate Barack Obama could pursue criminal charges against the Bush administration if they are elected in November.

Biden's comments, first reported by ABC news, attracted little notice on a day dominated by the drama surrounding his Republican counterpart, Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

But his statements represent the Democrats' strongest vow so far this year to investigate alleged misdeeds committed during the Bush years.

"If there has been a basis upon which you can pursue someone for a criminal violation, they will be pursued," Biden said during a campaign event in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to ABC.

"[N]ot out of vengeance, not out of retribution," he added, "out of the need to preserve the notion that no one, no attorney general, no president -- no one is above the law."

Shades of the USSR - shall we just call these 'Purges' and be done with it?

Is this the result of a feedback loop of two highly placed lawyers pushed too close?

Man, as if I didn't need another reason not to vote for Obama...

J.

Read Gov. Sarah Palin's Full Speech

There's reports the teleprompter went off-track, and she had to deliver a lot of the speech without it. She did a good job, I must say...

Read - and contrast this with Obama's acceptance speech.

Update - Looks like the teleprompter wasn't broken after all. Still, she gave a hell of speech.
J.

What was the reaction by Clinton supporters?

LIVE: Republican Convention, Day 3 (Sep 3, 2008): all discussion here please - Sarah Palin Speech, etc. - Page 11 - www.hillaryclintonforum.net

We will all have to work hard to make sure these two special people are elected. We can't just sit back and think Obama won't try to cheat and lie his way to the Whitehouse. We deserve better than Obama/Biden!

OK... PLAN B IT IS.
YOU'RE GOING DOWN, BOTS!
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY.

Everybody, please, try if you can to hang out at your precinct on Election Day and monitor for corruption. We really must do this! We need McCain/Palin!

THE FRAUD IS SO OVER!!!!!
Sarah Palin just booted him back to Chicago!!!!

what a great speech, she knocked it out of the park. Hit all the one liners and stuck it right to BO. I especially loved the styrofoam greek temples.

She's remarkable, people will love her and her energy

I think they are... I have to say, I am a DIE HARD Hillary supporter... after last week, I felt like I was finished w/ politics.... until Friday morning when she was announced. I NEVER thought I would be so excited about anyone else... but she ROCKED!!!!! if i were in MN i would have been on that floor waving my orange flag - let's be honest - WE know this would never have happened without Hillary..... they were PUMAs

I keep on refreshing this link to see what you guys are posting! You are all awesome!
I'm glad that things are looking very well for Palin. I felt so bad for her and her family when the media was attacking them left and right. I saw the Family photos of McCain and Palin on FOX and I have to admit their families look very real. They are also very beautiful families.
And yes this would not have happened without Hillary Clinton!!! I think that its Hillary that opened the eyes and minds of the Republicans towards something much better, something that her own party refuses to see.

If Palin had to take over for McCain during the Presidency, I have every bit of confidence in her.

She showed the public, she is ready to fight. The harder the liberal media and BO Mobs go after her and her family, the harder she will fight back. Yay. She is one tough PTA, Hockey MOM.

The DNC responded that it was a good speech but it was written by a Bush speech writer. Weak response because aren't all of their speeches written for them?

Now Fox says BO has released a statement saying that it "was well delivered but written by George Bush's speechwriter." Keep trying to belittle her BO, it won't work.

To end, there's this signature block...

I'm Still Campaigning for Hillary - I'm just doing it by way of "McCain 2008"

Today, for the first time in my adult life, I am proud to say I am voting for a Republican.

"McCain 2008" - because 2012 belongs to HILLARY.

Recycle plastic...Don't vote for it.

J.

Couple of things have stood out so far, aside from the Code Pinkers who tried to disrupt things...

He's talking about Americans showing how they lead - re energy. Nuke, wind, solar, gas, oil - millions of jobs, he says can be created.

Education - sounds like he's for school choice, revamping school system. Think there's too much inertia in that system to turn it quickly, myself - but things could be changed.

Iran and Russia are two big threats. Relations with Russia, sure - but no blind eye to aggression. Thinks trade is better than war, but knows how to secure peace.

Says we've got to change Washington, constant partisan rancor, stop people going to Washington work for themselves instead of the people. Will work with anyone to get country working. Jibe at Obama for his non-partisan attitude. Use best ideas from all sides - share credit - amazing country can do anything we set our mind to.

I like what I'm hearing pretty much. A bit concerned about his unemployment and health stuff.

Service above self - country first - he sounds genuine, he's proud to be an American, proud to be working for the people. Here are his closing remarks - from Instapundit.

I'm not running for president because I think I'm blessed with such personal greatness that history has anointed me to save our country in its hour of need. My country saved me. My country saved me, and I cannot forget it. And I will fight for her for as long as I draw breath, so help me God.

If you find faults with our country, make it a better one. If you're disappointed with the mistakes of government, join its ranks and work to correct them. Enlist in our Armed Forces. Become a teacher. Enter the ministry. Run for public office. Feed a hungry child. Teach an illiterate adult to read. Comfort the afflicted. Defend the rights of the oppressed. Our country will be the better, and you will be the happier. Because nothing brings greater happiness in life than to serve a cause greater than yourself.

I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach. Fight with me. Fight with me.

Fight for what's right for our country.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up for each other; for beautiful, blessed, bountiful America.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. Nothing is inevitable here. We're Americans, and we never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Thank you, and God Bless you!

Hmm. Well, this isn't the same sort of speech as last night, but it's a good solid one, very inspirational near the end. I think he'll make a good President.

("Barracuda" playing in background after speech. LOL...)

J.

Bill Whittle on Republican Convention on National Review Online

Need I say more?

I'll be glad when he gets to posting essays again - this was good, but too short!

J.

A remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still".

I'm not... sure about this. However, Keenau Reeves probably isn't a bad choice for Klaatu...

The trailer... um. Nanotech weapons, possibly?

J.

Washington Times - Obama's verbal slip fuels his critics

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Sen. Barack Obama's foes seized Sunday upon a brief slip of the tongue, when the Democratic presidential nominee was outlining his Christianity but accidentally said, "my Muslim faith."

The three words -- immediately corrected -- were during an exchange with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "This Week," when he was trying to criticize the quiet smear campaign suggesting he is a Muslim.

But illustrating the difficulty of preventing false rumors about his faith from spreading, anti-Obama groups within one hour of the interview had sliced it out of context and were sending it around via email. They also were blogging about it.

Mr. Obama noted that when Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin "was forced" to talk about her pregnant 17-year-old daughter, he issued a forceful statement to reporters that the line of inquiry was "off limits." But he said the McCain campaign tried to tie him to "liberal blogs that support Obama" and are "attacking Governor Palin."

"Let's not play games," he said. "What I was suggesting -- you're absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith. And you're absolutely right that that has not come."

Mr. Stephanopoulos interrupted with, "Christian faith."

"My Christian faith," Mr. Obama said quickly. "Well, what I'm saying is that he hasn't suggested that I'm a Muslim. And I think that his campaign's upper echelons have not, either. What I think is fair to say is that, coming out of the Republican camp, there have been efforts to suggest that perhaps I'm not who I say I am when it comes to my faith -- something which I find deeply offensive, and that has been going on for a pretty long time."

Full Youtube of the clip here.

Obama doesn't come across well. I'm sorry, but this comes across less as an 'I misspoke' moment, and more of an actual "this is who/what I really am' sort of thing. Considering the 'theology' taught at his church under Rev. Wright, I'm thinking this guy doesn't know what he believes.

J.

As a community organizer - which is the thing he's basing his primary expertise and qualifications as President on? Take a look at Best of the Web Today - WSJ.com

But Obama did not decide only that "community organizing" was not for him. Judis reports the future senator took part in a September 1989 symposium in which he "rejected the guiding principles of community organizing: the elevation of self-interest over moral vision; the disdain for charismatic leaders and their movements; and the suspicion of politics itself." Later, Obama "would begin to construct a political identity for himself that was not simply different from his identity as a community organizer--but was, in fact, its very opposite."

Judis offers the closest thing we've heard to a job description for "community organizers." What they do, he writes, is "unite people of different backgrounds around common goals and use their collective strength to wring concessions from the powers that be." To help illuminate this rather vague description, Judis also enumerates some of the tasks Obama and his colleagues undertook.

Before Obama's arrival in Chicago, Kellman and his "partner," Mike Kruglik, set out "to revive the region's manufacturing base--and preserve what remained of its steel industry--by working with unions and church groups to pressure companies and the city; but those hopes were quickly dashed." Apparently the presence of "community organizers" is not a strong selling point for companies making location decisions. Go figure.

Obama set his sights lower, but still missed the mark. He "got community members to demand a job center that would provide job referrals, but there were few jobs to distribute." Then "he tried to create what he called a 'second-level consumer economy' . . . consisting of shops, restaurants, and theaters. This, too, went nowhere."

These efforts at economic development having failed, Obama "began to focus on providing social services for Altgeld Gardens," a government-owned and -operated apartment complex:

"We didn't yet have the power to change state welfare policy, or create local jobs, or bring substantially more money into the schools," [Obama] wrote. "But what we could do was begin to improve basic services at Altgeld--get the toilets fixed, the heaters working, the windows repaired." Obama helped the residents wage a successful campaign to get the Chicago Housing Authority to promise to remove asbestos from the units; but, after an initial burst of activity, the city failed to keep its promise. (As of last year, some residences still had not been cleared of asbestos.)

It is both funny and scary that one of America's major political parties would offer this record of sheer futility as its nominee's chief qualification to be president of the United States. Even more striking, though, is how alien the world in which Obama operated was by comparison with the world in which normal Americans live.

Reader, when your toilet breaks, do you wait around for some Ivy League hotshot to show up and organize a meeting so that you can use your collective strength to wring concessions from the powers that be?

Or do you call a plumber?

As a "community organizer," Obama toiled within a subculture of such abject dependency that even home repairs were "social services," provided by government (or, in Obama's Chicago, not provided). It was an utterly bizarre intersection between the cultural elite and the underclass. By Judis's account, Obama's Columbia degree was useless. He would have been more helpful if he'd gone to vocational school instead.

Judis quotes an Altgeld resident as telling Obama, "Ain't nothing gonna change. . . . We just gonna concentrate on saving our money so we can move outta here as fast as we can." Certainly no one can fault Obama for doing the same thing. But what did Obama move outta there to do? To become a politician--specifically, an "idealistic" politician who wants "to make major changes in poverty." Guys like that created this mess in the first place.

My evaluation of the DNC just dropped a few points. They really couldn't be so stupid to think that nobody would ever look at the 'community organizer' thing and see if it worked, would they?

J.

The Corner on National Review Online

Classy.

Not classy?

This.

Obama. "Warning - unstable under pressure."

So - will he implode or explode?

J.

Okay, here's a theory behind Obama's recent blunders.

He doesn't really want the job.

He knows deep down he's not qualified - (way above his pay grade, indeed...) and it scares him to death... but as a political adrenaline junkie he's got to fight the good fight. He's got a LOT of folks with deep, messy pockets backing him up, and I wouldn't be suprised if some of them have told him in no-so-veiled terms that if he FAILS he's going to have something very unfortunate happen to him or his family.

So how do you run for office, wanting to fail, loving the political fight but hating the idea of WINNING - and still appearing to give your best effort?

You sabotage yourself. You make enough bad choices so the damage is cumulative and badly wounding to your campaign, but nothing you point at individually is a deal breaker.

So you have gaffes. And mis-speakings. You have campaign events that are damaging to your campaign and alienate the non-committed voter, but look REALLY good.

You tell your folks to 'not attack the other side', knowing they're not going to be able to resist the opportunity, driving other uncommitted voters away... and all the time expressing ignorance of what's going on.

Does Obama want to lose? Could it be he realizes the job is WAY above his pay grade? I dunno - but it almost looks that way.

FT.com / In depth - Democrats on Capitol Hill fear Obama fallout

Party leaders have been hoping to strengthen Democratic control of the House and Senate in November, but John McCain’s jump in the polls has stoked fears of a Republican resurgence.

“If people are voting for McCain it could help Republicans all the way down the ticket, even in a year when the Democrats should be sweeping all before us,” said the fundraiser, a former Hillary Clinton supporter.

“There is a growing sense of doom among Democrats I have spoken to . . . People are going crazy, telling the campaign ‘you’ve got to do something’.”

Could the house of cards the Democrats have constructed over the last few years be collapsing?

Let's look at some of the stuff they were going to change. The economy was going to be improved. Energy issues were going to be addressed. As was immigration. And health care. And the biggie - we were going to withdraw from the war in Iraq...

None of which happened. The economy is in fair shape, except for the housing market... which will improve eventually. Energy? Well, the Democrats figured hot air was a decent power source, but they were wrong.

Health care? No real change. Immigration? Hah.

The war in Iraq? They couldn't force Bush to lose it, now it's virtually won. Next on the slate - Afghanistan, Iran, and managing the dissolution of North Korea... none of which the Democrats have ANY clue about.

And their syncophants in the media aren't helping - they're being so overtly in the tank for Obama that even comedians are noticing - and people otherwise willing to consider Obama are turned away by the notable partisanship.

And Obama figures a 'sharper tone' is going to do the trick and get momentum back on HIS side.

I really think people have pretty much ignored the 'loony left' in politics. The really ugly stuff like DU and KOS haven't gotten much mainstream play, but they've had a good bit of control over the last few years and it's got a significant number of Democrats spooked.

This isn't their father's party, and they're looking at what they DO see and worrying. Pelosi controlling the party? Nothing getting done about energy, but the Democrats force a vacation so they can avoid the issue? Leftward bloggers making up insane accusations about Palin what are disproven with thirty seconds of googling?

They ask themselves what's going on - and the answer isn't one they like. The party has visibly morphed from a shining, sophisticated bunch of elegantly practical idealists to a hate-soaked, venomous street gang - and once you get jumped in you're STUCK with your identity and you'd better not try to step outside it.

And there's a rejection of that. With McCain/Palin on the Republican side, there's a good justification to jump ship. The Democrats aren't the party of ideas and change any more - and the media can't hide it any longer, no matter how many rumors they try to spin.

Democrats distancing themselves from Obama. That ought to tell him something - but it sure looks like he's not listening. The Democratic Party's teetering on the brink - will Obama push it over the edge?

One thing triggers another - and another... and.... ?

J.

FOXNews.com - U.S., China Laying Plans in Case North Korea Collapses

Kim Jong Il is ill - and it couldn't handle ot a nicer dicator. North Korea is a horrible example of what happens when a Soviet-style cult of personality turns into a cult of Godhood, and isolates itself from contamination by the outside world.

When Kim croaks, the country's going to have some interesting choices ahead of it. However, it remains to be seen if who/whatever ends up ruling it will continue in the current footsteps - or change, moderize, and make the country functional and a member of the international community. That'll take decades - but what, realistically, are the options?

J.

You know, when I saw it in the theater, I didn't think of it as a comedy...

The special effects aren't bad - considinering the time (1997). And the plot's pretty decent. Not much need for a sequel, though...

Sometimes cheese needs to age before it's properly appreciated...

J.

Lindsay Lohan Lashes Out at Sarah Palin | Showbiz Spy

Wow. I may have to rethink my entire reasoning for voting this year.

Or maybe not.

J.

I'm thinking a lot of people are realizing that the Democrats aren't the 'party of the people' any more - and will be voting accordingly.

In this election, putting gender first -- baltimoresun.com

I have given my loyalty to the Democratic Party for decades. My party, which is comprised primarily of women, has not put a woman on a presidential ticket for 24 years. My party stood silently by as Hillary Clinton was eviscerated by the mainstream media. My party and its candidate gave their tacit approval for the attacks on Mrs. Clinton (and, consequently, women in general).

I can vote for my party and its candidates, which have demonstrated a blatant disrespect for women and a fundamental lack of integrity. Or I can vote for the Republican ticket, which has heard our concerns and put a woman on the ticket, but with which I fundamentally don't agree on most issues.

Right now, for me, gender trumps everything else. If Democratic women wait for the perfect woman to come along, we will never elect a woman. I will vote for McCain-Palin. I urge other women to do the same. I promise to be the first person knocking on her door if Roe v. Wade or any other legislation that goes against the rights of women is threatened. But in Governor Palin, I find a woman of integrity, who not only talks the talk but walks the walk. I can work with that. I will work with that.

(Figure bribery wouldn't be out of the question, btw.)

J.

The Right To Bear Arms ｻ Deafening Silence on F-Mac/F-Mae By Obama

Considering the fact that Barack Obama has been blaming the GOP (and as such, John McCain) for every ill facing the United States, one has to wonder why he's so silent on this debacle.
Could it be he doesn't want to draw attention to the fact that he's received over $125,000 in political donations from those two during his short tenure as a United States Senator?

Hmmm.

J.

Barack Obama | Change We Need | Obama Action Wire

Ever wonder why everyone calling a radio show defending Obama sounds the same?

Now ya know...

J.

In your political ambitions? Could it be evident when something like THIS happens?

Top Clinton fundraiser backs McCain over Obama - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON - A top Hillary Rodham Clinton fundraiser threw her support behind Republican John McCain on Wednesday, saying he will lead the country in a centrist fashion and accusing the Democrats of becoming too extreme.

"I believe that Barack Obama, with MoveOn.org and Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean, has taken the Democratic Party — and they will continue to — too far to the left," Lynn Forester de Rothschild said. "I'm not comfortable there."

And 4 years after the start - they're down to 60 affiliates nationwide... and they count as an affiliate any station that carries ANY of their programming. (And they have to pay these stations to carry it, unlike most talk radio.) There just aren't as many 'progressives' country-wide as they thought.

(Which is a damn good thing.)

J.

Confederate Yankee: Hope and Change

Hope and Change
A drug-abusing minor celebrity has offered 17-year-old Bristol Palin a $25,000 bounty to abort her child.

Hackers have broken into Palin family email accounts, and posted some of the contents, including family photos, online.

Another site claimed to have a Palin family phone number and left a message asking for nude pictures of 17-year-old Bristol.

For once, I'm at a loss for words.

Posted by Confederate Yankee at September 17, 2008 03:21 PM

Okay - I know in the history of Presidential elections this is relatively mild stuff, but still... for a side that's supposedly taking the 'high ground' morally, it's starting to look like they've got their sense of vertical inverted.

J.

This idiot just killed off his father's career. What was the kid thinking? That he could get 'something incriminating' out of Sarah Palin's emails. To that extent, he took info out of the web and figured out her Yahoo mail password, got in, looked around... and then posted some of it on-line.

And the left is wondering what all the fuss is about. After all, don't we spy on terrorist emails?

State rep confirms that son is subject of Palin e-mail chatter | www.tennessean.com | The Tennessean#pluckcomments

State Rep. Mike Kernell confirmed Thursday that his son, a University of Tennessee-Knoxville student, is at the center of heated Internet discussion into the hacking of the personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Kernell, a Memphis Democrat, confirmed that it is his 20-year-old son, David, who is being widely named on Internet blogs and chatrooms in connection with an unfolding story about Palin's hacked e-mail accounts.

Oddly enough - the AP reporter on this hackfest is one of those blaming Palin. (Yes, it's Malkin. Read the email anyway, ideology be damned.)

The Secret Service contacted the AP, since hacking email like this is a felony. The AP refused to cooperate.

Wired has more on the story, as does GatewayPundit.

This isn't winning many converts, I think. One prime illusion we have is that email is private. To have a VP's email hacked and put out on the web is an indication that ANYONE's mail could be spread out for the world. That a DEMOCRAT's son would do this, with the expressed intent to find something to derail her candidacy shows a startling lack of ethical behavior.

But I'm starting to think that ethics are very politically and positionally dependent. And if you're high in the Democratic food chain, you have little to fear from any unethical behavior you might indulge in.

Conversely, you're guilty until proven innocent in the event you're conservative and attract the attention of the media. This should have people very concerned.

J.

He has a cunning plan, he does...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said on Friday he supported efforts by the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve to shore up confidence in the financial markets and said he would hold off from presenting his own economic recovery plan.

"The events of the last few days have made it clear that we must take further bold and decisive action to shore up confidence in our financial markets and avoid a deepening economic crisis that could jeopardize the life savings and well-being of millions of Americans," Obama said in a statement.

...

"Given the gravity of this situation, and based on conversations I have had with both Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke, I have asked my economic team to refrain from presenting a more detailed blue-print of how an immediate plan might be structured until the Treasury and the Federal Reserve have had an opportunity to present their proposal."

You had Pelosi's secret plan for energy in 2006. THAT was sure a winner, wasn't it?

You had Kerry's plan to end the war in 2004.

Now, Obama's got a secret plan to save the economy.

Forgive my skepticism. I've seen too much vaporware in the computer industry to be fooled by announcements of such in the political arena.

J.

Save your money to buy what you want.

Avoid overextending yourself when buying a house, and pay 10% or more as a down payment.

Be careful with credit cards, and watch the interest rates closely.

Watch out for 'easy credit' promotions when buying a car or furniture.

Seems each generation needs to relearn the old economic fundmentals - that you can't spend more than you bring in (at least, not for long!) and you should put some money away as a buffer for the future.

I've seen some analysis that a lot of the major bank failures are a result of real estate loans gone bad. Not just sub-prime loans, but the 'no-proof-of-income' loans, and other loans where much more was approved than would be justifed by the income of the homeowners. There was a loan to fit virtually everyone, of every income range.

And when the loans couldn't be paid? Well - what did they think would happen from that?
Or did they even look that far ahead?

Billions in loan defaults - and the loan companies tottering... yeah, who could see THAT coming?

So now, we'll see credit tighten like crazy. If you've got a mortgage, hold onto it or refinance to a lower rate if you can get it. If you're trying to get one...?

Start saving your down payment, get your credit in good shape. The days of $0 down are past.

J.

Hecklers are a normal thing at political rallies any more.

But this was something different. A group called "Blacks Against Obama" apparently crashed a party...

And the media gave them air time instead of ignoring them.

Looks like the chosen one isn't quite so glossy as he used to be.

J.

In my last entry, there was a commenter named Phil. His IP translated out to

Australia
Region New South Wales
City Sydney
ISP Optus Internet - Retail

... an internet provider in Australia, so I think it was kind of odd he ended up commenting as he did.

You're a moron. He handled it extremely well. At a
repub rally their would have been blood flowing from redneck morons such as yourself trying to stamp on free speech.

It never ceases to amaze just how fucking dumb most conservatives really are.

Okay - let's note a few things here. First sentence, he insults me. Second, he praises Obama. Third, he projects his own anger onto a 'Repub' crowd, ascribing to me the qualities of being a redneck moron, looking to stamp out free speech.

Then there's the last sentence. Somehow, the guy doesn't come across as much of a uniter, much less someone who you could actually have a conversation about politics with. And you've got to wonder - is this sort of rhetoric supposed to make me inclined to view Obama in a different light? (It does, I must admit... Certainly not in the way I think he'd hope...)

I tend to avoid the fever swamps of politics - I don't visit LGF much any more, and DU, Kos, and the other far-left blogs are places I avoid unless there's something particularly interesting. (There were another set of blogs that I used to look at, the left's political equivalent of bulletin boards, but I can't remember the name of the things... it was a series of political bbs sites by city... well, no matter.)

So - this guy's reaction... does it seem coherent and rational to you? I mention the media may not be in love with Obama any more, and look at the anger! Accusing ME of stifling free speech? Insulting me at every opportunity? What was this but an attempt to shout me down? Intimidate me? Keep me from blogging? (And a piss-poor job of it, too.)

Unfortunately, that seems to be the way the Dems want to have a 'dialog' about the qualities of their candidate. There's apparently a LOT of pent-up anger in some people on the left. Even their jokes about Palin aren't funny - you've got incest allegations on SNL, and a commediene hoping for gang rape. (NSFW. Or for anyone with two neurons that rub together properly...) And THIS sort of stuff is supposed to encourage me to vote for Obama?

Look - the purpose behind a political campaign is to get people to VOTE for your candidate - not the other! You're not supposed to piss off potential converts, you're supposed to persuade them that your chosen candidate's the right one, that only YOUR candidate has the right answers!

Phil, buddy, hate to tell you this but you absolutely SUCK at political persuasion. (We're talking Oreck level, too.)

It's so foul sometimes (even on the independent blogs I read) that I'm thinking there MUST be some sort of political death wish in operation. Or maybe they're realizing that far from Obama being a great candidate - he's the bomb that 'll split the Democratic Party into fragments. His meteoric ascention is being fueled by the last bits of good will the Democratic party has retained from when it was a party that would DO something constructive, instead of blaming the Republicans for everything. And when that good will runs out - the crash crater's going to be a big one.

Who wouldn't be angry at something like that?

J.

With the data collected by the Weather Service?

Adjusting Pristine Data - Watts Up With That? has the procedure.

That data's massaged more than a visitor at a spa vacation...

J.

Instapundit.com has some disturbing stuff. Obama's threatening the licences of TV stations that run NRA Ads.

And prosecutors and sheriffs threatening to prosecute Obama critics?

To make things worse, the DoJ may be compromised.

Scaremongering? Or a valid concern? You read, you decide.

But I believe the partisan posturing of the last 8 years has significantly poisoned the electoral waters. There's so much hate and rancor floating around that there's no possible way to agree to disagree. And THAT spells real trouble.

J.

McCain - On a scale of yuck to wow, I'd say he hit eh+ to fairly good. Clear, to the point in his answers, stayed on point.

Obama - On the same scale, I'd say eh- to a low sheesh. His vocal mannerisms, interruptions of McCain, inability to stay on the question - not good. Plus - months back he DID say he'd invade Pakistan. Tonight, he says he never said that. Not good on foreign relations, not good on the economy. Not so stirring in his speeches and set pieces tonight, doesn't resonate as much - makes me wonder if he has a lot of expert vocal 'help' from the sound folks along with the teleprompter.

It still amazes me at times that the Democrats think Obama's the best qualifed they've got for President. Obviously, they've got a different concept of 'qualified' than I do.

The little guy's judgement? "This is the most boring TV show I've ever seen."

J.

YouTube - Bill Clinton on Democrats and the financial crisis

Wow.

Better bury this, what? Don't want the wrong ideas leaking out...

J.

State of Missouri-Governor's Press Announcements - 2008

Gov. Blunt Statement on Obama Campaign’s Abusive Use of Missouri Law Enforcement

JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt today issued the following statement on news reports that have exposed plans by U.S. Senator Barack Obama to use Missouri law enforcement to threaten and intimidate his critics.

“St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer, and Obama and the leader of his Missouri campaign Senator Claire McCaskill have attached the stench of police state tactics to the Obama-Biden campaign.

“What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment.

“This abuse of the law for intimidation insults the most sacred principles and ideals of Jefferson. I can think of nothing more offensive to Jefferson’s thinking than using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights. The only conceivable purpose of Messrs. McCulloch, Obama and the others is to frighten people away from expressing themselves, to chill free and open debate, to suppress support and donations to conservative organizations targeted by this anti-civil rights, to strangle criticism of Mr. Obama, to suppress ads about his support of higher taxes, and to choke out criticism on television, radio, the Internet, blogs, e-mail and daily conversation about the election.

What's even more amazing is there's people in office who would do all they could to HELP with this.

I used to wonder where the movie villains used to get their lackeys. Guess I just wasn't thinking along party lines.

J.

From the legendary Instapundit.com -

A READER AT A MAJOR NEWSROOM EMAILS: "Off the record, every suspicion you have about MSM being in the tank for O is true. We have a team of 4 people going thru dumpsters in Alaska and 4 in arizona. Not a single one looking into Acorn, Ayers or Freddiemae. Editor refuses to publish anything that would jeopardize election for O, and betting you dollars to donuts same is true at NYT, others. People cheer when CNN or NBC run another Palin-mocking but raising any reasonable inquiry into obama is derided or flat out ignored. The fix is in, and its working." I asked permission to reprint without attribution and it was granted.

UPDATE: The Anchoress hears similar things. And reader Eric Schubert: "The Edwards debacle was proof enough of where the heart of the MSM lies, and lack of curiousity of the press about Edwards probably cost Hillary the nomination. And that shameful episode offers a warning to the MSM. What if Obama does have a skeleton in his closet (such as a shady deal or outright bribe) that is revealed after he wins the election? While the chance of this scenario is remote, imagine the backlash against the MSM if it could be shown that a reasonable investigation by the MSM would have easily revealed this secret to the public prior to the election?"

ANOTHER UPDATE: Rand Simberg isn't so sure: "Where was the backlash against this about Bill Clinton in 1992? They just seem to continue to get away with it." Well, yes and no. Their reputation and readership/viewership keep falling. And layoffs keep happening. I think they're willing to pull out all the stops because they realize this is the last election where they have a chance at swinging things this way. No point saving your credibility for the future when you don't have a future, I guess . . . .

American Thinker: Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis

The Cloward-Piven Strategy of Orchestrated Crisis

In an earlier post, I noted the liberal record of unmitigated legislative disasters, the latest of which is now being played out in the financial markets before our eyes. Before the 1994 Republican takeover, Democrats had sixty years of virtually unbroken power in Congress - with substantial majorities most of the time. Can a group of smart people, studying issue after issue for years on end, with virtually unlimited resources at their command, not come up with a single policy that works? Why are they chronically incapable?

Why?

One of two things must be true. Either the Democrats are unfathomable idiots, who ignorantly pursue ever more destructive policies despite decades of contrary evidence, or they understand the consequences of their actions and relentlessly carry on anyway because they somehow benefit.

I submit to you they understand the consequences.

But you can't have things that alleviate the pressure actually happen. You have Pelosi - doing everything she can to block any change in the energy situation. You have Reid, who tried to slip a passage blocking shale oil exploitation into the economics bill that failed today. You have the Democrats forcing banks into putting out tens, hundreds of thousands of loans that didn't have a chance of being repaid, knowing it would stress the economy. You have restrictions put on business due to environmental concerns. Piece by piece, bricks were removed from the foundation of our government, from our economy.

That was either very stupid (and I'm not ruling that out) or very enblematic of a long-term strategy. Each thing, taken separatly, 'seemed like a good idea at the time'. (Well, except for the refusal to expoit our OWN oil reserves.)

And now - they're within striking distance of getting whatever it is they nominally want. Pelosi's speech today - if this were a piece of fiction, I'd say those weren't the words of someone who was in the middle of an emergency and looking to get a fix accomplished - that was a villian monologging.

So. The media's 95% behind Obama. The Democrats are looking hard at forcing a crisis, figuring it'll get them more power. Obama's been pushed forward as the 'savior'.

Kind of worrisome, isn't it?

J.