Sen. John McCain has been quoted saying this election is all about who you can trust, intimating that Sen. Obama has flip-flopped his way out of the public trust.
Never mind that this is not true.
The truly staggering piece of spin has been his campaign, with a straight face, saying because Sen. Obama has said he will listen to the generals on his trip to refine his position on Iraq while also saying given circumstances he believes we can begin withdrawals IMMEDIATELY at his inauguration. Well: the McCain team sees that as Obama coming on over to John McCain's side.
We've all seen the RNC ads, the McCain campaign spin, and the media lapping it up without critically examining the charges.
I've been offline most of the day. This morning, I got the Obama campaign e-mail announcing that ordinary citizens will have direct input into the Democratic Party platform. I got back online expecting to see the blogosphere buzzing about this radical proposal.
August 2008 will be the first open-source party convention. The Convention has always been an insider's game, with credential requirements, rules committees and professionals running the show. Not anymore.
Surely the netroots would be excited about this. Surely we would see front page stories on all the major Democratic blogs, and one, maybe two Recommended diaries on the topic. Apparently, that isn't what happened. A few diarists, it appears, posted the news, but generated little discussion. No front page stories on DKos, MyDD or Open Left.
Barack Obama just threw open the doors of the Democratic Party Convention and the people who should care the most collectively shrugged their shoulders. That's too bad, because it tells us something really important about what kind of President he plans to be.
I could go on a rant about how Senator McCain is just using veterans and his military service to get elected. But it might be taken the same way General Clark's comments were taken, like sour grapes.
So I went digging into the Washington Post data base on the Senates voting records and the issues the votes are related to, I gathered all of the issues that he claims to support, veterans and military. He's running on the basis that ALL veterans support him and he has been given every award possible by the veterans groups. If he has been given them it wasn't because of his voting record, I can promise you that, read it below and you decide.
On Monday, fresh off the July 4th Super Duper Patriotic Weekend, John McCain learned that he will most likely not be the next President of the United States.
Seems Obama's thrown 'em a curveball by accepting at Mile High, and they're whining.
...all options are open as they look for savings to balance out the anticipated costs surrounding the stadium event. The acceptance event is an unexpected departure from the traditional convention hall format for which they have spent months planning.
Whine. Our news division doesn't really do actual news coverage anymore. We're so used to relying on photo-ops and press releases, and sitting in our comfy seats on the straight talk express, that if we have to actually cover something that's, well, unexpected, you know, real news, we'll have to cut back elsewhere.
Oh... and we'll punish the Democrats for it...in extended...
McCAIN: Well, if that scenario evolves, then I think it's obvious that we would have to leave because— if it was an elected government of Iraq— and we've been asked to leave other places in the world. If it were an extremist government, then I think we would have other challenges, but I don't see how we could stay when our whole emphasis and policy has been based on turning the Iraqi government over to the Iraqi people.
AFP reported Tuesday that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq.
If you're not pissed off about FISA or any other of the numerous controversies that have been swirling, than you're pissed off over the uproar. You know things are getting bad when you find yourself nostalgic for the primary campaign or at least the one week window where unity not only seemed possible but actually seemed to be occuring.
Senator Obama is in a bit of a hole right now, some of it of his own digging. There is no quick, easy fix for his problems with the progressive wing of the party but there is something he can do as a gesture, a symbolic tip of the hat in their direction
Recently, the AP has been failing to uphold its standards of journalistic integrity. Josh Marshall at TPM has been documenting this carefully, even stating semi-facetiously that the AP has "endorsed" McCain. He has even charged the AP with bamboozlement over its distortion of Obama's Iraq stance.
In particular, AP writer Liz Sidoti (of McCain donut sprinkles fame: see first link) has written that: "On Iraq, he has gone from hard-line opposition to the war to more nuanced rhetoric that calls for a troop drawdown process that could last 16 months." Of course, this is patently false for Obama has always talked about a 16 month withdrawal. She also writes of Obama's Iraq stance: "a potentially flexible formulation that has troubled liberals."
However, this is also patently false. The uniform response from the liberal blogosphere has been condemnation of the media for distortion, not Obama.
Below I describe how you can take action. Please rec this diary to encourage others to do likewise.
Now that Iraq's PM is demanding a US pull out time table it would be interesting to see how Sen McCain and the Bushes spin this after years of saying If Iraq wanted us to leave we will leave... intriguing. Since PM Nuri al-Maliki is now calling what appears to be Bushes, the repugs and McSame's bluff. Sit back and enjoy peeps...
McCain, Obama at odds over Iraqi withdrawal demand
WASHINGTON (AFP) — Iraq's hardening demand for a pullout deadline for US troops on Tuesday sent shockwaves through the White House campaign, putting Republican hopeful John McCain on the defensive.
McCain, who says it is too early to leave Iraq, said US pull-backs must be dictated by security conditions, after Democrat Barack Obama said the Iraqi government now shared his desire for a timetable for withdrawals.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday that Iraq was seeking such an arrangement in talks with Washington on the future US force structure in the country.
This Election already has been a historical one.
And more history promises to be made.
Numerous comparisons to past elections can be borne out by similarities.
It's now his to lose. Each day more news comes out showing momentum in Obama's favor and McCain floundering around with his teleprompter, shuffling his staff around while Obama enjoys enthusiastic crowds and promises the largest outdoor campaign speech probably in modern history when he accepts the nomination in Denver. Has Obama moved a bit Right on some issues? Maybe. Did he miss the boat on providing leadership on FISA? Probably. But is he still a master champion of Democratic, Progressive causes? Absolutely. Absolutely. Responsible withdrawal from Iraq? Check. Investments in Energy Independence Research and Development? Check. Investments in Schools, Infrastructure, Health Care? Check, check and check. Repeal of tax cuts for the top 3% incomes? Check. McCain.....crickets.... But wait... what's that ?? A scandal? A misstep? Could it happen...
In case you missed it, the Obamas did an interview with Access Hollywood that aired earlier today. I think there's another part tomorrow. Anyway, the Obama girls are LOVELY and they are all such a beautiful family.
How beautiful? That even Bill O'reilly was touched! He actually took some time out of his Obama-bashing to say something nice about Malia.
I couldn't figure out how to embed the videos but here is a link.
I almost fell out of my seat! Seriously, though, it's a testament to the cuteness of that kid!
I have a few links to clips to the interview below the fold. If anyone knows how to embed non-Youtube videos, pretty please let me know.
I'm leaving Daily Kos. I am leaving as a response to Markos' public display of withholding funds from the Barack Obama campaign.
I am not leaving forever. And I'd like to be clear that I am not leaving in a dramatic huff. I'm not pissed off at Markos for what he did. Am I Disappointed? Yes. Do I vehemently disagree? Yes. But at the end of the day, he did what he feels is the right thing, and that's all we can ask people to do, even as we try to persuade them that their understanding of the right thing is misguided.
I generally like Chuck Todd, but just now on Countdown he was repeating to Rachel Maddow the narrative that everyone in the media and the right seem to agree on: that this election is a referendum on Barack Obama.
What makes me so mad is that this is just the narrative-builders' way of covering up all of John McCain's weaknesses. After all, if the election is a referendum on Obama, then the media doesn't need to cover John McCain's flip flops, his 95% mimicing of Bush, his inability to keep Iraq and Iran straight, his colorful personal life, his financial corruption, etc as they would for similar issues with Obama.
Basically, the corporate media is fashioning a "referendum on Obama" narrative which allows them to maintain a double standard of exaggerating Obama's problems while hushing up McCain's.
This is not journalism. It's pro-GOP corporate media propaganda.
As I sit here in Iraq on the 9th month of a 15 month tour, my frustration seems to grow more and more each day. I feel as though I have an interesting seat for these elections as I am somewhat on the outside looking in. Comparing John McCain to Barack Obama is like comparing a GED to a Masters Degree.
McCain is so out of it that it does't make sense to me that so many people are still supporting this guy...
I was shocked to see a television ad decrying our dependence on foreign oil that said,"We can't drill ourselves out of this." Then, I was floored as it suggested wind and solar power as the means to wean ourselves off carbon based fuels. Then I nearly threw up in my mouth as I saw none other than T. Boone Pickens appear to tell us he would lead us with his new plan. I might be crazy, but he doesn't seem to be on board with the McCain campaign here. It could all be a rouse to gain support among environmentalists and those hurt at the pump on board with the rethugs, but I don't know.
Hi. I never post, since I'm so busy being enraged and stuff, but one of my favorite YouTube subscriptions posted a really good Obama impression and I wanted to share with you guys! Even though I don't comment alot or post diaries, I'm always thinking about Dailykos and what's going on here. I hope this puts a smile on your face like it did mine. If you like the vid, please show Alphacat some love!
All his maneuverings at this point are merely political (avoiding attack ads), rather than ideological.
Obama said this about people like you today.
You're not going to agree with me on 100 percent of what I think, but don't assume that if I don't agree with you on something that it must be because I'm doing that politically, I may just disagree with you.
(Click quotes to link to their sources)
Markos, sometimes people are just telling the truth. Even when you can't possibly see how they could come to the conclusions that they come to because you are so certain of your opposing conclusion. I do not have proof that Obama is telling the truth and you do not have proof that he isn't. And after his clear statement above, this is a matter of Obama lying or telling the truth.
