Yes, and our collective choice represents the dominant consciousness.

The spirit would have aversion to those using negative energy tactics.

What percentages of voters are in touch with their spirit self?

Excellent Dr. Chopra!

Peace

Yes, Southerners love Republicans and that will probably never change, as I too adore McCain and Palin and am part Southern with a little of Californian :-)

Obama and his campaign are fighting fire with fire, so they are no better. However, I can see Obama's heart and what he wants, but he is fighting his own demons and ours. Might I add, so far Obama has won his internal battle and for the most part, comes back a little closer to his center, even tho still so very far away from the goal. Nonetheless, Obama has become another politician out to win, but isn't that what people are saying he had to do?

The whole thing disgusts me, however, is very entertaining.

Regardless, the next president of the USA will be a young male, so it has long been decided who our next president will be. So I hope Obama will be able to do what he initially set out to do ..... CHANGE for the betterment of the USA, as well as the world! I guess we will see and observe the mirror of the USA and the world.

Cheers,
Char

Yes, Republicans Fantasize About Murdering Democratic Icons
by: Matt Stoller

http://openleft.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=C3D4FF6875C51E005AF712CF1C9C6DB3?diaryId=9005

Your Abbreviated Pundit Round-up

DemFromCT, dkos: McCain in disarray, Palin in disgrace. Bush a bad joke. Nice way to finish.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/11/64611/512/27/626455

>>>>>

Bob Herbert:

"For the nitwits who vote for the man or woman they’d most like to have over for dinner, or hang out at a barbecue with, I suggest you take a look at how well your 401(k) is doing, or how easy it will be to meet the mortgage this month, or whether the college fund you’ve been trying to build for your kids is as robust as you’d like it to be."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/opinion/11herbert.html

:::::

David Brooks: No way to deny it. The current Republican party hates intelligence and competence. It's become a Know Nothing spectacle led by Sarah Palin. I will ignore my own years of neglect of this topic, and instead concentrate on where the GOP is heading. Neither subject, btw, is pretty.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/10/opinion/10brooks.html

::::::

Gail Collins:

"Remember how we used to joke about John McCain looking like an old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn? It’s only in retrospect that we can see that the keep-off-the-grass period was the McCain campaign’s golden era. Now, he’s beginning to act like one of those movie characters who steals the wrong ring and turns into a troll."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/opinion/11collins.html

::::::

Dana Milbank:

"The country desperately needs strong leadership now, but there's none to be found at the White House. The president is voicing the right sentiments, even if his words (Thursday's "we'll get through this deal") are characteristically clumsy. He's even affecting the right demeanor, between concern and confidence. But nobody seems to care."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002555.html

:::::

Marc Ambinder:

"He mentions Ayers in a speech or interview, or gives the tough talk to Sarah Palin. He neglects to speak about Ayers in a debate. He says that Ayers isn't relevant. Anger mounts. McCain is trapped. Some in campaign blame the media, again, for putting McCain into a box -- when something doesn't work, the media gets the blame. But that hoary old axiom in politics -- timing is everything -- applies. Suddenly dumping on Obama's character and associations in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the great depression smells cheap and desperate. And it creates a spectacle that is becoming easy for the media to dismiss McCain is aware of this -- he's flinched at times and reminded his audiences that he has to be optimistic, but his campaign advisers don't agree on the wisdom of angry crowds becoming the story; some hate the effect this is having on independents and others are trying to pump liquidity into the Republican base."

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/is_john_mccain_really_serious.php

:::::

Hugh Bailey:

"Palin was in a position to be, in the event of a McCain loss, the leading contender for the 2012 Republican nomination. But she's turned off so many voters in the last month that her party may decide she's too toxic to take a chance on. They don't nominate rabid partisans; George W. Bush ran from the Republican brand as a "compassionate consevative" -- he wasn't one, but he pretended to be -- and McCain has based his entire candidacy on a willingness to go his own way.

What seems likely is that Palin, her relative youth aside, knows that this, too, is her best and only shot at bigger things. The more people find out about her, the less popular she gets. Her favorability rating dropped from plus-20 a month ago to around minus-10 today."

http://www.connpost.com/hughbailey/ci_10689915

And a Sarah Palin news headline sampler:

LA Times: Palin abused her power, legislative inquiry finds

NY Times: Panel Finds Palin Abused Authority in Firing State Official

Bloomberg: Palin Violated Ethics Act, `Troopergate' Probe Finds (Update2)

Washington Post: Alaska Legislative Probe Finds Palin Misused Power

ABC News: Troopergate Report: Palin Abused Power

The Associated Press: Alaska panel finds Palin abused power in firing

M&G: Palin guilty of abusing powers, investigation concludes

Boston Globe: Palin abused power, trooper probe says

Detroit Free Press: Report: Gov. Palin abused power

::::

Guardian: Body blow for McCain as Palin found to have abused powers

"At the end of the 10-week investigation into the so-called Troopergate affair, Palin was found to have breached the ethics rules which govern her conduct as governor of Alaska. The findings, delivered by an investigator who had been hired by the Alaskan state legislature before she was picked as McCain's running mate, are certain to lead to questions over his judgment, and to queries and challenges as to her suitability for national office."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/11/uselections2008-johnmccain2

Hello Deepak and Everyone,

Deepak your title, "A Noble Loser vs. A Dirty Winner"....when it comes to the republicans you can forget words like noble, or dirty...it is all about the winning, period, doesn't matter whether it is perceived as dirty politics whether smear campaigns are nice or naughty or whether inciting a the crowd through very scripted means with hate and anger "plants," to yell and start the indended fires.....really, if you haven't gotten their "point" by now....you are simply refusing to accept the repulican's elephant in your face........to win, to control, to have the power....the means, does, in fact, justify the end...no matter what it takes...

when it comes to the republicans it is Country First....but it is THEIR Country First.....not a Democrats's Country, or an Indepentdent's Country...or an Undecided's Country First....it is a "Rovian NeoCon Religious Right Republican's Country First.....and, they, "know morality" because they have INVENTED it....and this Country will be won and run by THEIR Morality....

When it comes to the power hungry it is win or lose and the how is for others to reflect on while they are sitting in their seat of power.

So, while folks are writing about how awful the republicans can be by their use of smear campaigns, inciting hate and fear in order accomplish their goal of winnings...they simply continue on THEIR way, happily, smearing, inciting, and winning....

if, in fact, the end is, finally, near for this particular republican pair of political power hungry contestants....you can bet their handlers will be working steadfastly behind the scenes in Washington DC to prepare for 2012....

we must remember when John McCain says "Country First," he is not lying"......exactly, the perception of HIS Country, THEIR Country...... is much different from the perception of an "OUR Country."

have a great day,,ruth

The Obama campaign is launching a new 30-second TV ad today to respond to the McCain attack ad hitting Sen. Barack Obama D-Ill., for his relationship with William Ayers and former Commerce Secretary William Daley.

The Obama campaign says the ad -- "Lose" -- will air in "key states" starting today.

Video

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1185304443/bctid1847316502

Transcript:

NARRATOR: John McCain admits if the election is about the economy, he’s going to lose.

(Photo of Obama....Graphic quoting the McCain campaign as quoted in the Daily News on October 5: "If we keep talking about the economy we’re going to lose.")

NARRATOR: Now as Americans lose their jobs and savings...

(Still photo of stockbrokers)

NARRATOR: ...McCain’s resorting to smears and false attacks.

(Graphics: "Smear" -- Associated Press 10-5-08; "Verdict: False" -- CNN 10-5-08)

NARRATOR: Barack Obama launched his first campaign here, not in anyone’s living room.

(Graphic: "Obama launched his first campaign here in this hotel." Still photo of "Ramada Inn – Chicago, IL")

NARRATOR: And Bill Daley? He was confirmed as Commerce Secretary and praised for his great work...

(Screen-grab of "McCain attack ad" featuring "Political Boss William Daley")

NARRATOR...by none other than John McCain.

(Signed photo by McCain of McCain and Daley; Graphics: "Commerce Secretary praised for his 'great work' 9-25-08 CNN)

NARRATOR: It’s clear...with no plan to fix our economy...smears are all John McCain has left.

(Graphics: "With no plan to fix our economy...Smears are all McCain has left)

Better be warned.

Guest Column at FiveThirtyEIght:

"Will Bin Laden Strike Again?" by Rany Jazayerli

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/guest-column-will-bin-laden-strike.html

"...So when it came to the 2004 election, bin Laden was neither pro-Bush nor pro-Kerry. He was pro-war. And whichever candidate was most likely to sustain, or even escalate, that war was his man. That candidate was clearly George W. Bush, which meant it was time to turn on the cameras and burn a DVD.

This time around, we have one candidate who advocates a timetable to withdraw our troops from Iraq and divert those resources to Afghanistan in order to root out the people who actually attacked us seven years ago – bin Laden and his band of terrorists. And then we have a candidate who talks about maintaining U.S. forces in Iraq for 100 years if necessary, and sings songs in public about pre-emptively bombing Iran, which would set yet another gear turning in bin Laden’s scheme to bring about global war. Once again it appears that bin Laden would prefer the Republican candidate, and once again it appears that since any appearance by bin Laden is likely to tip voters towards favoring the decorated Vietnam War veteran, bin Laden’s best move is to show up with another October Surprise.

The McCain campaign has already attempted to label Obama as the preferred choice of Muslim terrorists everywhere. Back in April, McCain seized on favorable comments about Obama by a member of Hamas, stating, “If Senator Obama is favored by Hamas I think people can make judgments accordingly.” There’s no doubt the McCain campaign will pounce if bin Laden pops up with similar remarks. (It would hardly be a surprise if Hamas truly favors Obama, given that the Muslim world – and the rest of the world, for that matter – overwhelmingly favors him.)

With McCain lagging in the polls, bin Laden might even try a Hail Mary – with Sarah Palin on the ballot, I’d imagine that he’ll throw in some misogynistic comments about how a woman’s place is inside the home and that a nation led by a woman is sure to be cursed by God. (Which would be particularly rich if he goes that route, given that he’s probably holed up somewhere in Pakistan, where they’ve already had a female chief executive.) And then there’s the worst-case scenario: while Obama’s lead is substantial enough that he probably could weather a bin Laden appearance, the real game-changer would be if – God forbid – bin Laden is able to launch another terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

I hope I’m wrong, and that bin Laden stays quiet for the next month. I hope that the reason why no one can find bin Laden – not George Bush, not the US military, not even Morgan Spurlock – is because he’s dead. But if he’s not, then we can expect to see his ugly mug on TV in the next few weeks, and we can expect at least a few voters to be swayed by his appearance. Please, don’t be one of them."

GA-Sen: "Bomb Obama"
by kos

The McCain/Palin Hate Machine hits Georgia.

"The fury and loathing of Obama being whipped up largely by McCain-Palin-GOP rhetoric about the Illinois Senator is now spilling into down-ticket races, specifically the battle between GOP incumbent Saxby Chambliss and his Dem challenger:

Thursday's debate took place in front of a highly partisan crowd in the GOP stronghold of Middle Georgia.

Chambliss supporters waved "Saxby" signs and offered up a sustained "boos" when Martin mentioned Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

"Bomb Obama," one woman hollered."

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/bomb_obama.php

Classy.

There's no excuse for threatening violence against anyone, even if that 'is' standard operating procedure for Republicans these days, but there 'is' good reason for Georgia Republicans to panic.

Insider Advantage Pres | Sen. 10/9. Likely voters. MoE 4% (9/30 results)

McCain (R) 49 (50)
Obama (D) 46 (44)

Chambliss (R) 45
Martin (D) 45

Here's the Senate race:

http://www.pollster.com/polls/ga/08-ga-sen-ge-cvm.php

[20 point deficit in April to a Tie now]

DailyKos

Ref. 10

...where there is fear there is also hope.

Here's a nice ancedote from Georgia:

"Holy Sh*t! There's white people wearing Obama shirts...
by gailwmcdonald

For those unfamiliar with me, I live in conservative, christian Georgia. I volunteer for the Obama campaign. Last Sunday a fellow volunteer and I got our canvass list and went knocking on doors of "sporadic democrat voters". We went to several houses and registered one or two people. We stopped by one house where a BBQ was taking place and we were invited to a kids party later in the day at "The Manor". We then went to a low rent apartment complex. Our first two addresses would only talk to us through the door but they said they were registered. We had two more names for this address and we were debating if it was worth our time. We went to the next building and as we exited the car we heard through a window-"Holy Shit, there's white people wearing Obama shirts heading this way!" When we got to the door several African American men had stepped out onto the porch and we began a great political discussion. People were coming over to see what the excitement was. We registered several people and remained there talking for almost an hour. We exchanged emails and other information and they even gave us $5 for gas.

gailwmcdonald's diary :: ::
We were so excited and jazzed we decided to head to "The Manor" for one last stop. My fellow volunteer knew where it was and off we went. To be honest and up front, I had no idea what "The Manor" was or I might have not went so willingly but I like to think I would. Anyway, "The Manor" is a an apartment building in the worst part of town. And they were thrilled to see us. The people who invited us seemed genuinely surprised and pleased we showed up. We talked with several people and registered at least four more people. As we went to leave an African American man asked if he could talk to me. So we stood to the side and he said "I just want to thank you for being a Democrat and supporting and working for Barack Obama. It means a lot to us to see you out here." I was so touched and it left a smile on my face for days. I left feeling I had really made a difference this time.

I wrote a diary about this Sunday but I had to rewrite it again because it got bumped off quickly and because of updates during the week. I was talking to friends and members of my small Political group and I realized why this was a big deal. One friend told me "Girl, I am a black woman and I don't go the the manor. I have a new respect for you." Another friend drives a tow truck and says the manor is a known drug den and even the police don't go there at night. Had I known all this I probably wouldn't have gone. But I am glad I didn't. Everyone was nice and wonderful and I think we had respect for each other. This is one of the reasons I am supporting Obama. When he is president I truly believe things will begin to get better. I am not saying racism will disappear. I live in Georgia and I know first hand how ugly people can be.(See my other diaries for examples of life in the south!) But I am confident those 50 or 60 or maybe 70 million of us who support Obama will work together to be the change we want to see in this world.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/11/105159/93/58/627441

The word is out on Troopergate:

Time magazine:
http://tinyurl.com/3ggy6r

CNN:
http://tinyurl.com/5nw28o

The Branchflower report in pdf
http://tinyurl.com/4262tq

From the Time article:

"Did Governor Sarah Palin abuse the power of her office in trying to get her former brother-in-law, State Trooper Mike Wooten, fired? Yes."

"Was the refusal to fire Mike Wooten the reason Palin fired Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan? Not exclusively, and it was within her rights as the states' chief executive to fire him for just about any reason, even without cause. "

"...it convincingly answers a question nobody had even thought to ask: Is the Palin administration shockingly amateurish? Yes, it is. Disturbingly so."

and this tidbit, too:

"The 263 pages of the report show a co-ordinated application of pressure on Monegan so transparent and ham-handed that it was almost certain to end in public embarrassment for the governor."

"Not only did people at almost every level of the Palin administration engage in repeated inappropriate contact with Walt Monegan and other high-ranking officials at the Department of Public Safety, but Monegan and his peers constantly warned these Palin disciples that the contact was inappropriate and probably unlawful."

What does this tell us?

It shows that Palin engaged in exactly the kind of political pressuring we saw from the Bushies over the firings of the attorneys under Gonzales.

It shows that Palin gave her spouse free reign to use both the physical space and political clout of the Governor's office to work on his own agendas.

It shows a blatant, uncaring disregard for the rule of law, and a disrepect for other people who disagree with her.

It reveals a petty, backstabbing, me-first mentality.

This news, combined with the fact that she is running a campaign based on racism, fear, hate and smears shows a person who:

- does NOT represent American Moms, hockey or otherwise
- does not embody the spirit, nor obey the letter, of the principles of our Constitutional democracy
- is not thinking about the good of the country, only how she is going to consolidate her own power

Consider the recent Ayers smears:

Obama was six years old when the time of his alleged "palling around" with the Weathermen was supposedly taking place.

More likely at this time Obama's mother was actually trying to make sure he knew how to tie his shoes and wear his coat and hat to first grade.

Hello??? Earth to McCain! Earth to McCain!

Oh, forget it...

I enjoyed your post above very much Scott, as it touched my heart deeply. The stories I could tell you .... Anyway, I have not been able to do one thing to support Obama's campaign due to my current personal emergency of being laid off and having to move. I keep reading all the emails of all these wonderful people supporting "Change in America," and it just makes my soul sing. So in Spirit I am with all of you support Obama, as I cannot participate otherwise. Obama is a beautiful man with a heart of gold.

Cheers,
Char

Why does the aging public turn right?

The Terrorist Barack Hussein Obama
By FRANK RICH

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/opinion/12rich.html

Ref. 14. Because their SUVs and 401Ks are of utmost imprtance; and a lifetime in seeing human beings fail to cooperate in any significant manner, have displaced their hope in human nature progressing.

So now they just buy viagra, metamucil, and watch american idol.

Peace

Dear Deepak,
Raising our consciousness about politics could bring about the changes so many long for.
(there would be no losers, and there would be the satisfaction of cooperation of working together and solving problems effectively).
Love,
~ Kate

Char4, We all do our part in our own way ...by posting our thoughts at intentblog and elsewhere and by being ourself in your daily life. Not everyone can go out and knock doors, phone bank or donate in large sums. But we all have stories to share. And we are too many of us; our message shall get across. It won't be drowned down by the noises of ignorance, negativity, hate and the status quo.

Here's another story from South. I think you will enjoy it too.

"So I walked into Wal-Mart tonight in red state Alabama.. Grrrrrr"
by SteelMaggie13@dkos

"It's been a rough week to be an Obama supporter in the deep south. Earlier in the week, my sister called me in tears after having a contentious discussion with someone she's known for a long time... The very same day, I had a conversation with a man I've spoken to many times over several years... and it was disheartening and sad... And then tonight, I ventured into Wal-Mart here in Alabama wearing my "HOPE MONGER" tee shirt....

SteelMaggie13's diary :: ::
First, my sister's experience was with the accountant her company uses. She's known this woman for years and has had a fairly decent, light relationship with her. The woman is funny and engaging, but Jen (my sister) has had some uncomfortable moments with her because once in awhile, the woman's racism came out in conversations. Jen was always bothered by it, but tried to let it slide for the most part. The other day, out of the blue, the woman tells her that she thinks ANYONE who pulled the lever for Obama was an IDIOT. Jen politely said, "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this cause I'm on the other side of your argument.". Jen said even after telling this woman that she was pro Obama, the woman launched into a diatribe about Democrats and n******s and how ACORN and homeowners (of a particular color) were responsible for the mess our country is in now and Obama is involved and blah blah blah.. the usual talking points. Jen isn't one for confrontation, she wants peace no matter what.. She said she just felt frozen and got out of the office as soon as she could, got into her car and burst into tears. When I spoke with her she just said she'd had it with all the negativity and the hatred she was seeing spewing from people that she has had some measure of respect for before now. We both lamented about how hard it was for NYC girls raised by community organizers to live in Birmingham, Alabama. Her spirit was crushed. I did my best to cheer her up.

The very same day, the meter man for our power company came by. We always chat about our dogs.. We used to have dachshunds and he did too, so the dog thing was always kind of a common conversation we have. He's always been a pretty nice guy, we've always conversed pleasantly. Just as he was about to head back to his truck, he noticed my Obama magnet on the side of my car. He said, "Ohhh, you're for him?" Without hesitation and with a big smile I said, "Absolutely! He's my guy 100%" So HE begins to tell me that Obama scares him, we don't' know anything about him, the Democrats are responsible for the financial mess we're in, blah blah blah.. same kinds of talking points we're used to hearing. I asked him if he watched FOX NEWS... he really didn't answer the question, but I tried as nicely as I could to stand my ground, making my points when I could. I felt myself getting shaky in the knees and I could feel the tears of anger building up behind my smile... I asked him "What about Palin? She's scares me.".. And his reply was "Noooo Sarah Palin doesn't scare me at all, she's one of us... She just tells you like it is!" I just sighed deeply and told him to have a pleasant day and was much relieved when he finally left. But.. I felt a little crushed.

Soooo... Tonight I needed to go to Wal-Mart. I try to avoid it as much as I can because I prefer to give my money to the local businesses in town, but I had to go tonight. I try to wear one of my Obama Tshirts whenever possible because I am just really proud of my candidate. Tonight it was my HOPE MONGER tee ;o) It's funny the looks you get from people when you're in the minority.. Sometimes people look at my shirt and then at my face like I'm crazy.. Some smile, some say "Love that shirt!" And tonight... a woman actually confronted me about it.

I was behind her in line thru the self check out... and she looked at me and in a tone dripping with disdain, said, "Can I just ask you 'Why'"? (I knew immediately what she meant), but I asked her, "Why what?" She made a motion with her hand over her own chest, indicating my shirt... She said "Why? Why all that?" My first reaction was really incredulousness, and I said back, smiling, "Why NOT?!" I asked her what our other choices were. And she said.. "Well, not SOCIALISM!"

I said to her, "Oh, you must watch Fox News because they're the ones who are pushing that storyline.". I could feel my heart start pounding harder... She said something about his record, and I know the look on my face was complete disgust (I've GOT to work on that, I never have had a very good poker face), and I said back to her... "Records?? Consider if you will that the Republicans have been in charge of the gov't for the past 12 years.. and LOOK where we are!"

I'm very passionate about this stuff and I think maybe I scared her a little when I answered her back so sharply and quickly, so she said..
"I don't want to argue with you, I just wanted to know why.". So I, still smiling said... "Well, the reason for 'all this' (imitating the same movement she made indicating my shirt) is because THIS is a positive movement. I feel excited and joyful and hopeful about this election. I believe in this guy. I'm very happy with my candidate and I support Obama completely. It's not the dismal, hateful, scary stuff the other side is offering. That's why." I was smiling, but I think she and a few others around us, knew I was spring loaded and ready LOL... I've GOT to work on that. I only want to come across as joyful and confident.. Not snippy and bitchy. I mighta been a little snippy and bitchy in my delivery, but I felt proud of my answers.

So it's been a fairly shitty week in the South as far as dealing with actual people who are buying the McCain/Palin stuff. But I'm GLAD she asked me about it. Because I was glad to tell her about it. Maybe she'll think about the woman she questioned in the Wal-Mart who had good sound reasons for voting for Obama and maybe it will make her look into this Barack Obama guy. Then again, maybe not.
Either way, it feels good to stand toe to toe with these people and KNOW I'm on the right side of this thing!!

Yikes this is long, thanks for letting me vent. ;o)

UPDATE: Wow, thanks for the rec list. But more than anything, thanks for reading and adding such caring, positive thoughts. You guys help give us in the red states the will to fight on!! Thanks!!"

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/12/02934/468/450/628050

Another report to come out in about 10 days, courtesy of McCain/Palin tactics to cover up the case.

Troopergate: Not Over Yet
By Michael Isikoff | NEWSWEEK

http://www.newsweek.com/id/163465

"A new Alaska legislative report finding that Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power and violated state ethics laws spells new trouble for the McCain campaign. Special counsel Steve Branchflower's report could lead to fines or legislative action to censure Palin. It also directly challenges the vice presidential candidate's credibility on key points related to the "Troopergate" controversy."

"[...]But there could be more land mines ahead. Some weeks ago, the McCain team devised a plan to have Palin file an ethics complaint against herself with the State Personnel Board, arguing that it alone was capable of conducting a fair, nonpartisan inquiry[...] Some Democrats ridiculed the move, noting that the personnel board answered to Palin. But the board ended up hiring an aggressive Anchorage trial lawyer, Timothy Petumenos, as an independent counsel. McCain aides were chagrined to discover that Petumenos was a Democrat who had contributed to Palin's 2006 opponent for governor, Tony Knowles. Palin is now scheduled to be questioned next week, and the counsel's report could be released soon after. "We took a gamble when we went to the personnel board," said a McCain aide who asked not to be identified discussing strategy. While the McCain camp still insists Palin "has nothing to hide," it acknowledges a critical finding by Petumenos would be even harder to dismiss."

Another nice story from an Obama volunteer:

I Was Canvassed By The McCain Campaign!
by Relevant Rhino

I've stated this a few times in comments, but I am still a registered Libertarian. While I have been working for the Obama campaign for months now, knocking on doors and phone banking and sending e-mails to anyone and everyone close to me that I can bring into the fold, in the eyes of the McCain camp I am still an "undecided voter".

Which brings me to my story. Yesterday morning, after a truly effed up Friday that ended with me calling the police and filing an incident report, I was canvassed by the McCainanites.

Join me, won't you...

Relevant Rhino's diary :: ::
I'll start by recapping the whole shit storm on Friday. I live in Overland Park, KS, and was at a grocery store with my two and a half year old in the cart. As always, I was rocking my Obama T-shirt (one of several) and was going about my business in a laid back manner. I'm stopped in front of the coffee, when all of a sudden my cart is rammed. I look up, and a giant, pink wad of flesh is slowly trying to push his cart into mine. Before I could get a word out, the massive, balding, mouth-breathing troglodyte proceeded to call me a "commie faggot" because I was an Obama supporter.

Friends, I am not the nicest person on this Earth. When someone rams into me, then calls me two very derogatory names, I tend to lose it. Were it not for my son, it would've been worse. However, before the management got there, I managed to get out, "Look you miserable excuse for a sideshow freak, under no circumstances do I have to defend myself for you. Every time you draw breath, I feel cheated. That someone would be so wholly ignorant, yet be able to drive themselves to the supermarket is beyond my level of understanding." I was using too many big words, and he was clearly becoming enraged. The management showed up, kicked him out, allowed me to pay, and I was fully expecting an altercation in the parking lot (was I back in jr. high?) when I left, so I called the cops. When they showed up, he had split, so I filed an incident report and they took the video footage from the store. The officer that I spoke with was incredibly kind and understanding, and told me that this wasn't the first call of this nature that OPPD had received lately.

Anyhoo, flash forward to yesterday. There's a knock on my door. I thought it might be a follow up from the cops, and answered. To my immediate surprise, it was a couple in their late 30's with McCain/Palin buttons. They went through the usual canvasser rap with me, and I decided that after my previous day, I wanted to have some fun. So I played dumb.

"Well, I really haven't made up my mind", says I. "I'm nervous about our economic situation." "Well, you can bet that Barack Obama will raise your taxes." "Really? Because I read on the Tax Policy Center's website that he wouldn't." "Well, people get to say whatever they want on the internet, you shouldn't believe that." "What will John McCain do to lower my taxes?" Silence. Long pause. Then, "Are you comfortable with a President that has ties to domestic terrorism?" (WTF? Where was my answer?) "No, of course not" I said, "As a matter of fact, I've been thinking about that quite a bit lately." Big grins from the McCainanites. "Did you know that Barack Hussein Obama is a close friend of a domestic terrorist?" They're practically salivating at this point, and we've only been speaking for a few minutes. "Yes" deep breath "I know about Bill Ayers. Can I ask you guys a question?" Puzzled looks. "If Bill Ayers is such a detestable man, why was he allowed to be a member of the Annenberg Foundation?" Their faces darkened, and they muttered incoherently for a minute, and before they could speak, I added, "speaking of domestic terrorists, how's Gordon Liddy these days?" "So, we'll just put you down as undecided, then."

"No. Wait. You pulled me away from college football to try and convince me to vote for John McCain. Here's what I think of your candidate. He is a fraud of a man with a horrible record on every issue that is important to me as a human being. He has a detestable record concerning Americas troops and vets, promises more wars, and has ran the most despicable campaign I've ever seen. He has sunk to a level that I can't even begin to comprehend, and by supporting him, you two support the policies of hatred, fear, bigotry, and ignorance. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to my game." Polite yet authoritative closing of the door, then I watched as they walked by the window of our apartment that proudly displays our Obama/Biden sign.

Ah, catharsis.

UPDATE: Holy crap! Rec list? You guys are freakin' awesome. Thank you, it's my first time. Your comments and support mean the world to me.

Cheers

Sun Oct 12, 2008 at 02:26:13 PM PDT
Tags: Recommended, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Permalink | 323 comments
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/12/185143/14/911/628630

Ref. 18 Nice! Well, not "nice", but, a sobering read: thanks.

Peace

scott..post 20

damn dude! the way u tell this story with such clarity it was if i was there to see it all...

i wish u had seen him in the parking lot...damn!

that is so f..... funny...dude...whoahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa...

oops i mean rhino..

Looks like Gov. Bobby Jindal - not Sarah Palin - is going to be the dejected/rejected GOP's future savior!

RedState (the biggest right wing conservative blog) co-founder Joshua Trevino writes on his blog that he can't bring himself to vote for the Republican ticket:

"In the end, I couldn't do it. My California ballot arrived in the mail today, and I opened it fully intending to vote for John McCain. I filled out the state propositions first -- yes on 8, no on everything proposing a new bond or new spending -- then the local offices, straight Republican excepting Kevin Johnson for (nonpartisan) Sacramento mayor. Finally, the vote for President of the United States: an academic exercise in California, where Barack Obama will surely win by a crushing margin. But good citizenship demands voting as if it matters. Do I believe in John McCain? Not as much as I used to. Do I believe in Sarah Palin? Despite my early enthusiasm for her, now not at all. Do I believe in the national Republican Party? Not in the slightest -- even though I see no meaningful alternative to it. So, my choice for President in 2008, scrawled in my ballot as an act of futile protest, is Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. If nothing else, I am confident this is the first of several votes I will cast for him in years to come."

http://joshuatrevino.com/?p=681

#18

Just went through the comment thread. Some somber, some reassuring, good advice and more stories...

A random sample:

>>>>>>
My sister lives in the South.

She's originally from California and married a Southern guy. She drank his Southern potion and changed. I have heard some racist comments pass her lips over the years. I would confront her and say that she had not been like that in the past. She was a wild child in her day and seems to have reverted to being a "good wife".

So, a few months ago she told me that she'd be voting for McCain, because she thought he was a nice honest guy. So I asked her about where he stood on the issues. She had no answer. I asked if she knew who Phil Gramm was, she did not. Health Care is a big issue for her, she had no idea about McCain's policy. I offered to send her some articles and she said OK.

The next week she let me know how angry she was, because I made her feel like she was stupid. I wanted to tell her that she was not stupid, but she sold her identity for the Mrs. title. In her younger day, her best friend was a Black Gay guy. He died from HIV.

I love my sister, but I have to limit my time on her turf. I wish that some of the rebellious side of her would resurface.

by hiddengnostic __________________________________________________

>>>>>>
Republicans love to pile on and bully their opponents. I try to smile and confidently tell them that the information they're given by their favorite media figures is wrong and slanted. I tell them their party has been in charge of Congress for 12 years and the White House for eight, and the current messes are far more Republican than Democratic.

I never try to pretend that Democrats are blameless, but point out that Democratic sins are usually those of going along with Republicans and the money interests that run the Republican party. I tell them I hope a new Democratic majority will do better, but that I'll be first in line to kick their butts if they don't.

It is possible to find common ground on the future, though you have to push back hard by not accepting the premises they bring. I save my contempt for Republican propaganda, not for the voters themselves.

by xx
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
went out walking in the sunshine with my Obama shirt in Houston today. There was a black family having fun by the bayou and I could see them whispering amongst themselves as I walked up on the sidewalk to pass them. I knew why. :) Then one of the older black guys just said, "Oh eight" in response to my "Obama '08" t-shirt. I honestly think they were stunned that a white woman was proudly parading her Obama t-shirt around the park right next to downtown!!! Unfortunately, I had nothing witty to say so I just said, "Oh eight and maybe Texas will go blue this year!" I meant it but what I wish I had said?

JOEBAMA!!! hahahaha Would have been priceless . . .

by Crabby Abbey __________________________________________________

>>>>>>
All you need to remember is FDR he is your talism
an...

It took FDR and just a dash of socialism to dig us out of the ditch the last time the republicans ran the country into the ditch. Recommend they talk to their grand parents about that. America is always at her best when we are not quacking in our boots scared.... We are Americans and we fear not but God almighty (and some of us don't even do that)! And anyone selling you fear is your enemy.

by skippythebox
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
Just repeat this to yourself as a mantra

when confronted by ignorance and bigotry, as suggested by an earlier Kossack, can't remember who:

"Barack Hussein Obama is going to be President of the United States, and there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it"

Very therapeutic, and incidentally, TRUE!!!!!

by gtnoah
__________________________________________________

Coastal Alabama
Eastern Shore of the Bay...

Definitely waaay more McSame/Failin bumper stickers around here.

Here's how you keep your smile genuine, Maggie: Just know he's going to win. He is, ya know. When that confidence comes through, it shows in your face.

Gotta keep on smilin'...

"If we continue to accumulate only power and not wisdom, we will surely destroy ourselves." -Carl Sagan

by LightningMan
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
You done good! Thank you for soldiering through, staying with your head and heart. This is what we need to get through this mess!

"Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it." ML King

by TheWesternSun
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>>
I'm From Alabama,,, My Mom Works at Wal Mart...

Be of good cheer... there IS Hope

Last week, my mom and her colleagues at a Wal Mart in Montgomery called me up and left a voice message:

"Calvin, this is a colleague and friend of your mom, she said you're volunteering for Obama and we wanted to know if we can get some Obama shirts sent down here."

I made the opposite journey, from Bama to Brooklyn, but I completely intend to come back. It's home. Besides, Rep. Artur Davis, one of Obama's close supporters, will very likely be positioned to become the first AA Gov of Alabama in 2010.

The infrastructure and work you are doing now, and the work of Greater Birmingham Ministries, Engage Alabama, and Impact Alabama--all of this is building the networks that will facilitate the achievements of future progressive electoral actions. Continue to do well and be strong...

If you need a network of support while in B'ham to Montgomery and in-between, I have a lot of friends and fam who will take you in and show that Southern Hospitality you may be missin out on ;)

..."Just Sayin'"...

by C DuB ois
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
I had a similar experience today in Texas

The nurse came to my house for medical testing because I am in the process of procuring a life insurance policy. Everything was fine... cordial and polite until she asked me what I do for a living (my work involved international relations so it segwayed into politics).

Anyway, she asked who is going to be our next president. I quietly and cautiously that the polls indicate that Obama is on track to win. I refrained from high-fiving my husband or indulging in terrorist fist bumps or any display of emotion. She then said in horror "Oh no. I hope not."

My husband, I knew, was not be able to stay in the room and as his face turned to stone, walked out of the room saying "Madame, this is a Demcoratic household." Normal people would take that as a warning... especially when you're standing in someone else's house. But no... she then said "Well I think he's a terrorist."

Had the husband stayed in the room, he would have torn up the paperwork and thrown her out of the house (my husband, dressed in his suit for work, gave the finger to Tom Delay in downtown Houston with one foot between them so I am not being dramatic -- he's sort of Jim Webb-ish in demeanor).

Being myself, I simply said to her "I think you are very wrong and terribly misinformed." Very rarely do I play the credentials card but I do have strong qualifications in the realm of foreign policy. So I pulled all my publications off the bookshelf, explained the facts about who really is a terrorist, who is not, and whose policies leave us as risk, and essentially numbed her into silence and intellectual submission.

By the time I shooed her out of the house, she said i had given her something to think about.

She'll probably vote for the Unstable-Unable ticket in the end, however, it is possible that I have at least made her question throwing out incendiary and insulting accusations that a US Senator and Democratic nominee is a terrorist.

This is the kind of ignorance we are dealing with in the south and, frankly, it is incumbent on each of us to have the courage to speak up.

Now is not the time to be polite and pleasant to neighbors and acquaintances. Now is the time to stake out a position of integrity and stick to it. There is a higher purpose at stake -- much higher than being nice to assholes spouting hate and prejudice. The onus is not on us to pussy-foot around hate-filled fools. The requirement is for us to be strong and steadfast in the face of ignorance and division.

"No way. No how. No McCain." -- Hillary Clinton, Aug. 26, 2008

by Delilah
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
Keep up the fight!

I was raised, and lived, all over the South. Now I type safely from a solid-BLUE state. You, my dear, are on the front lines of an "anything goes" battle. It would be easy to take the path of least resistance, so my hat is off to you and my heart is with you.

Keep up the good fight, stand up for love, and don't allow those who choose to wallow in arrogant indifference give you a moments pause.

If Left is wrong, I don't want to be Right.

by pestopasta
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
May I offer a suggestion?

Try to develop some additional empathy for the ignorant and hateful. The fact is, they are victims of their own shortcomings. I know you believe in "the cause" and you know you are right, and are probably feeling battered and a little skittish from all the hostility out there. So try to hang onto the rational, and substitute the empathetic for the defensive.

"I know how you feel, but if you could only see what I see, I know you would feel differently. I just wish I knew how to share that vision with you more clearly."

You know, that sort of thing - pretending like their narrow-mindedness is actually your shortcoming, and disarming them with acknowledgment and validation of their irrational fears.

It is really hard work, and no human being is always up to it. But non-confrontational approaches work far better. Loving your enemy to death is really the only way to make inroads, if there is any way.

"Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" -- A. Lincoln

by Deighved H Stern MD

>>>>>>
Thank you for that...
That's how I WANT to come across..
I love this place (daily kos) because I sooo appreciate the thoughtful, intelligent folks here.

Thank you ;o)

"A liberal is a conservative who's been hugged." ;o)

by SteelMaggie13
_________________________________________________

>>>>>>
I feel your pain-it is hard to stay positive when
you have been marginalized for as long as we have. It is even more frightening now that the McCain Camp has emboldened the attack dogs.

Keep you chin up and be proud. You are on the correct side.

by mouser68
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
I know how you feel!
It's awful, frustrating and depressing when confronted with such negativity.

I broke up with my boyfriend a month and a half ago. this was the person I thought I loved, and I thought i knew. I mean he would make these jokes about Obama, which I thought he was just kidding at first, but then I realized that he was serious.

I finally couldn't take it anymore, and we had it out, and we realized politically we were miles apart.

I am very much for progressive taxes, and I think both of us have nothing to worry about, we should do our duty and be fair. He was arguing that if Obama were elected his taxes would go up, and that would be like me going up to him and robbing money from his wallet with a gun.

I honestly don't know why people are so uninformed about the whole mortgage crisis. Why they see the need to blame minorities, when it's just not true.

These are uninformed voters and they are scary. Because they don't that they are uninformed and they simply don't care.

"You dopes just got SCHOOLED Biden-Style" - SNL

by pinkbunny

>>>>>>>>>
I meant they don't know that they are uninformed

by pinkbunny

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
They are proud of their ignorance,
it's stunning.

I'm sorry about your breakup, but I understand how that could be a deal breaker! Politics is important and when the two don't mesh... yikes. ;o)

Good luck to you!

"A liberal is a conservative who's been hugged." ;o)

by SteelMaggie13
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>>
Don't let it get you down...
the 23% who still think GWB is great are real, and are out there. Probably got a disproportionate amount of them in your neck of the woods. But it is they, not you, that will need to deal with cognitive dissonance on Nov.5!

Thanks for sticking up for us!

by czardingus
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>>
I spent a couple months at Gunter AFB, Alabama

It was in 2006 and I was attending the USAF Senior NCO Academy near Montgomery. Some local political campaigning was going on, and I don't know if I were more amazed or more disgusted with the tenor of the campaigns. As for the state itself, it was either McMansion or squalor with very little in-between.

Keep in mind I was living in Arkansas at the time, and the comparison between the two states was pretty stark. Seeing Alabama actually made me proud of Governor Mike Huckabee and his relatively more liberal approach to governance and social justice. I'm not being facetious here; Alabama is really that bad.

Frankly, I can't imagine finding anything other than idiocy in the checkout line of a Birmingham Wal-Mart. Apparently I'm wrong because you are testimony to the fact that progress happens even in Alabama. I'm glad to hear you're on-duty there. Keep the faith!

by DaveinBremerton

>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yes!! Everything you describe...
is what it's like here sometimes. There are some amazing stories of triumph over racism and small mindedness from time to time, but it's maddening how many of these people are just not thinking and they can be so full of hate.

"A liberal is a conservative who's been hugged." ;o)

by SteelMaggie13

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
What I find maddening...
...is how they allow themselves to be robbed blind by the locally powerful. The South's rich and connected have mastered the art of using guns, gays, and religion to keep the population voting against its own economic interests.

Thank goodness Arkansas elected Mike Beebe as governor. It's too damn bad Bill Gwatney got shot by some mouth-breathing yahoo with a gun and a grudge.

by DaveinBremerton
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
Where's the love?
Great to hear you were in Bama for a moment. I actually am a AF brat and its the reason I came to Montgomery back in 96-00 before I came back to teach there from 2005-06. I know Alabama has it's difficulties, challenges and history. But while it was the birthplace of the confederacy, it also was the birthplace of the civil rights movement.

I'm proud of the place I now call my hometown because of the potential in its people. Trust me, I've been pleasantly SHOCKED. Just this week I spoke with a friend of mine who works at a salon (which serves upper middle class women in East Montgomery) and she was saying how ridiculously unpopular Palin is among her clients. I was completely floored to hear it. My former student's, some of whom are now attending a conservative private high school (of course built a couple years after the Brown v. Board decision) have been messaging me excited by Obama's campaign and critical of McCain.

Combine these stories with my earlier anecdote about my mom's colleagues from Wal-Mart calling me up for Obama shirts--and you have the other side of Alabama that is often untold: New families and a new generation giving birth to a new Alabama.So before you assume the worst out of the next Wal-Mart check out line in Alabama--remember that there may be a beautiful Filipina-American woman who just celebrated her 51st birthday on Friday, along with a few of her friends/colleagues who are quietly waiting on a package of Obama shirts, stickers, and signs in the mail--because even in Alabama, they still believe in a place called Hope! ;)

"...Just Sayin'..."

by C DuB ois

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My father used to say...
such sweet things about Alabama, even after having been one of those "bleeding heart liberals" in NYC in the 60s...

I think he saw the potential for healing and I think he also found it ironic that his daughters ended up in Birmingham, AL. He passed away recently and I think of him often during this election cycle... So often I long to be out of here, but I can almost hear him saying, "Wait, you're in the birthplace of the civil rights movement, bloom where you're planted."

He died a hopeful man... He didn't have a chance to "meet" Obama before he died, but he had that hope of a "new birth" in Alabama, just like you talked about.
I see that possibility here some day.

Those kinds of things get me through.

"A liberal is a conservative who's been hugged." ;o)

by SteelMaggie13
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
Have to face the facts that in many of the Southern States, white voters will be probably 2 or 3 to 1 against Obama/Biden 2008.

Still have a lot of work to do.

But it's not just Alabama.

Even in NH, where I live I hear all sorts of outright racist comments about Obama, about blacks and non-whites and people who "aren't Christian".

It's just there are more minds that have been poisoned so thoroughly with religious and race hatred, they feel more free to challenge you.

Fight back, every chance you get.
Don't let them win.

2008, the Year the Republican Party dissolved into a puddle of goo

by shpilk
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
In the immortal words of Kossack Fishgrease.....

Ayres? Doesn't matter. Wright? Doesn't matter. Acorn? Doesn't matter. Socialism? Doesn't matter.

Because Obama's gonna be elected president, and there isn't a goddamn thing you can do about it. How's that make you feel, Mr Meter Reader? Ms Wal-Mart shopper? Ms. Accountant?

Makes me feel mighty fine.

"Obama's gonna be president, and there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it. How's that feel?" - Fishgrease

by roxtar
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
Your situation is all too common and it's more than just the deep south. I actually had an interaction with a coworker myself who said that "we're 28 days away from a socialist government". I've heard from other educated people myself.

The best strategy with people like that is to let them vent off, nod politely, and then let it go. You aren't going to change that person's mind and there's no point in getting angry or emotional about it. The people whom you and your sister encountered are part of that 40% who aren't going to change your mind.

I'm sure that many of them feel the same way about us. So what I would do is just be polite and ignore it. There's not much else you can do otherwise.

by oceanstar17
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>>
Good for you! Rascists need to be stood up to every time. The idea that they can lap up the garbage that somehow low-income people caused this economic crisis just shows that they NEVER think for themselves.

God save us from the ignorant. Reminds me of the people who join religious scam movements so that they will have someone to tell them what to do and they don't have to take responsibility for their own lives.

by twinpeaks
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
Housing prices shot up the highest in wealthier
neighborhoods. Point out that housing prices shot up the most in Florida, The Tri-State area and California, but not in poor neighborhoods. Interst rates were dropped very low and that enabled banks to offer really low mortgage rates causing a flood of all types of buyers. Inflation raised much higher than wages in areas like education 60%healthcare78%, food, utilities and gas. Poor people didn't get rich off of this mess Bush gave us, but many Wall Street types did.

Show her the FOX propaganda video on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTkqosRiyYo

by stanjz
__________________________________________________

Stay Strong..

It is about being positive, just like you said. That is what most people are looking for. Secondly just like Gpooserock said: "They ran everything and everything is broken.." It should be all you have to say.

by Portlander
_________________________________________________

>>>>>>
you did a great job
you stuck to the issues and did not attack McCain's character or insult his supporters.
You also shared your personal reasons for supporting Obama, which is always more genuine than spouting talking points.You did great!

-7.88/-4.41 "The best way to enhance freedom in other lands is to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worthy of emulation. "Jimmy Carter

by Interceptor7
__________________________________________________

It must be the day for idiots in Alabama

I almost diaried this earlier but decided against it.

I went to the grocery store this afternoon and made sure to put on my Obama button before I left the house. I try to make sure I'm always wearing it these days. In Mobile, Alabama I figure lots of people need to feel that it's "okay" to vote for Obama, and frankly, every white person they see supporting him, the better.

I got out of my car at Bruno's and there was an elderly gentleman about to get into his car. I smiled and said "Hi, how are you?" as I was passing and he said, "Hey... don't you want to vote for John McCain?"

"No sir, I don't."

He frowned. "Why not?"

I tried to be 'gentle' in my response and not say what I really felt about McCain, so I said something like "Well, Barack Obama is a very intelligent man and I feel likes he's got the clear head and the calm tempermant that we really need right now."

The man glowered then and said, "But he's... he's a Muslim."

"No sir, he's a Christian. He has been for 20 years." (I know it might sound like I'm trying to shade my responses here, but he was an elderly man and my mom pretty much beat respect for my elders into me as a child. I was constitutionally incapable of being rude to the man.)

He started getting really angry then. "He hangs around with that damn terrorist preacher. The God damn America guy. He's a terrorist!"

"No, sir, he's not. He's a good man that loves this country."

"He's a terrorist! A Muslim terrorist!"

At this point we were drawing stares and I just walked away with one final, "No sir, he's not."

I was utterly calm while talking to him but in the grocery store I started shaking.

I didn't stop until after I got home.

"Well, the problem here is that you're out of candy. You're gonna need more candy." Rachel Maddow on the Big Bailout

by cishart

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ohhh... .
Thanks for sharing that... The shaking.. I know that feeling well. But we just have to keep at it!

Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes! ( I love that saying)

"A liberal is a conservative who's been hugged." ;o)

by SteelMaggie13
__________________________________________________

should have told him about Wright's 'Nam service
Explain that Jeremiah Wright voluntarily gave up his student deferment and served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Marine. Then he re-enlisted as a medical corpseman, and was good enough to be on LBJ's surgical team.

This always seems to give a nice cup of STFU to the haters out there.

by Uberbah
_________________________________________________

>>>>>>
I had my own Wal-Mart t-shirt experience. A middle-aged white guy approached me (a twenty-something white guy) at my rural Texas Wal-Mart and very dramatically pointed at my Obama shirt, saying something about how he himself was a Democrat from Illinois (oh, the credibility!), and that I should know "that guy [Obama] is a RACIST!" My comeback?

Is that so?

I wish it had been you instead of me! I learned everything I know about arguing from the Three Stooges, apparently. (Hopefully I delivered the sarcasm as well as Moe always did.)

by Junior Bug
__________________________________________________

>>>>>>
I had so many of these moments in 2004
I had a ton of these confrontations in 2004. Even lost a few friends.

I have had 0 confrontations this year. Even one of my coworkers with kids named Dallas and Colt, who says that his favorite book is the bible, says that he is leaning towards Obama.

by PaulMorel
__________________________________________________

Link:
Comments | 743 comments
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/12/02934/468/450/628050

Another prominent Conservative comes out for Obama.

Wick Allison, Editor in Chief of D Magazine in Dallas-Fort Worth, is another true and established Conservative to realize that Obama is best for this country... and the most likely to preserve HIS values. In an article entitled "A Conservative For Obama", Allison states that "Barack Obama strikes a chord with me like no political figure since Ronald Reagan." Now there's an interesting observation.

http://www.dmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp

Here is a quote:

"Barack Obama is not my ideal candidate for president. (In fact, I made the maximum donation to John McCain during the primaries, when there was still hope he might come to his senses.) But I now see that Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history. I disagree with him on many issues. But those don’t matter as much as what Obama offers, which is a deeply conservative view of the world. Nobody can read Obama’s books (which, it is worth noting, he wrote himself) or listen to him speak without realizing that this is a thoughtful, pragmatic, and prudent man. It gives me comfort just to think that after eight years of George W. Bush we will have a president who has actually read the Federalist Papers.

Most important, Obama will be a realist[...] unlike McCain"

This comes after Chris Buckley's similar announcement (and it should be pointed out that Allison was formerly the publisher of William F. Buckley's National Review -- the center of Conservative intellectual thought for decades.) leading one to the conclusion that traditional Conservatives are turned off by McCain's antics, which are not typical of traditional conservatism.

With a little over 3 weeks until the election, the appearance of more intellectual conservatives seeing Obama as the most reasonable candidate, and with the lead in the polls growing in Obama's direction, I am optimistic that this is going to be a marked victory for the Democratic candidate, and hopefully a big victory in the congressional races.

Re. 22

"This comes after Chris Buckley's similar announcement"

Actually, this came BEFORE Buckley...

Nevertheless, it is important. Conservatives of the old Buckley/National Review type know that modern Republicans are not conservative.

Obama's "deeply conservative view of the world" is an important reason for his broad appeal. Allison can be forgiven his association of "pragmatic" and "realistic" with "conservative." If conservatives want to return to the days of ethical realism (actually, Christian Realism) of Truman, Neibuhr, Kennan and even Eisenhower, then let's welcome them. They can call it whatever they want. We'll call it victory.

Allison begins his peice writing,

"THE MORE I LISTEN TO AND READ ABOUT “the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate,” the more I like him. Barack Obama strikes a chord with me like no political figure since Ronald Reagan. To explain why, I need to explain why I am a conservative and what it means to me."

And ends his piece which is music to my ears:

"Every great cause," Eric Hoffer wrote, "begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket." As a cause, conservatism may be dead. But as a stance, as a way of making judgments in a complex and difficult world, I believe it is very much alive in the instincts and predispositions of a liberal named Barack Obama."

Let's hope conservatism is dead. There is no bailout for a morally and politically corrupt way of governing. If Wick Allison wants to claim that intelligent, thoughtful, and even analysis is a conservative value--fine, whatever. So long as he votes, and perhaps takes a few who value his judgment with him, for Barack Obama.

*****

A Conservative for Obama

My party has slipped its moorings. It’s time for a true pragmatist to lead the country.
Leading Off By Wick Allison, EDITOR IN CHIEF
http://www.dmagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp

********

The son of William F. Buckley has decided—shock!—to vote for a Democrat.

Let me be the latest conservative/libertarian/whatever to leap onto the Barack Obama bandwagon.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-10-10/the-conservative-case-for-obama

Want to know more about the Palins... from the branchflower report? Read on...

Todd Palin, Creepy "First Stalker"
by Kagro X

Yes, we already knew that Todd Palin might be so creepily obsessed with Mike Wooten that questioning his mental stability might be fair game. After all, in his frenzied vendetta aimed at destroying the life of the man who dared to cross Sarahcuda, he inexplicably inserted himself into Wooten's worker's compensation claims, trying to deny him payment for an injury sustained on the job, even going so far as to stalk Wooten and photograph him riding a snow machine, hoping that would disprove his injury claims and cost him his compensation.

The Branchflower report (PDF) adds a new detail or two that show just how warped Palin's crusade was. For instance, it turns out that Todd followed Wooten 100 miles off the road in order to secretly photograph him during the snow machine trip that supposedly disproved his worker's comp claims. (It didn't. The trip was actually pre-approved by Wooten's doctor.)

It also included this equally intrusive (and equally baseless) gem: that Wooten "had been seen" dropping his kids off at school in him patrol car at 8:01 a.m. Yes, the report notes creepiness of the fact that the time is noted that precisely. And yes, it turns out that this activity, too, was pre-approved, this time by Wooten's supervisor. Crazy-ass Todd Palin appears to have spent an awful lot of time trying to frame Wooten up for "violations" that Wooten was actually meticulous about having pre-approved, don't you think?

And how about this one? Todd, Sarah and her dad had been after Wooten's job for some time already by the time election day 2006 rolled around, so this vendetta predated her gubernatorial victory. But check this bit out: Palin was elected on November 7, 2006. On November 8th, Todd called Wasilla Chief of Police John Glass to discuss Wooten. Remember, Wooten was a State Trooper, not a Wasilla municipal officer. Turns out, Palin was calling Glass to tell him what a bad guy Wooten was, and to say that he wanted to make sure Wooten was never hired onto the Wasilla force.

What does that tell you?

November 7th, Sarah Palin is elected governor. November 8th, Todd Palin is already trying to sabotage Trooper Wooten's next possible job. Sarah's been governor-elect for all of one day, and Todd's already licking his lips at the prospect of improperly using state government resources to fire him -- and to block him from working for anyone else, too.

This is one sick puppy, folks.

And what's it all for, anyway? The report has some interesting things to say on that front, too. For one thing, there's this bit of news regarding the Palins' claim that they feared for their safety. When the Palins were interviewed to prepare for setting up their security detail shortly after Sarah's election, they were asked whether they knew of any specific threats to their safety.

Their answer? Nope.

The Palins apparently didn't "fear" Wooten until they found themselves in need of a story for the subordinates they were illegally pressuring to fire him. And indeed, Branchflower concludes:

"[T]he evidence presented has been inconsistent with such claims of fear. The testimony from Trooper Wheeler, who was part of her security detail from the start, was that shortly after elected to office, she ordered a substantial reduction in manpower in her personal protection detail in both Anchorage and Juneau, an act that is inconsistent with a desire to avoid harm from Trooper Wooten or others. Moreover, assuming that Trooper Wooten was ever inclined to attack Governor Palin or a family member, logic dictates that getting him fired would accomplish nothing to eliminate the potential for harm to her or her family. On the contrary, it might just precipitate some retaliatory conduct on his part. Causing Wooten to loose [sic] his job would not have de-escalated the situation, or provided her or her family with greater security."

Uh... yeah.

And not only that. This stupid, myopic and vindictive crusade actually came back to hurt Sarah's sister's claims in her divorce, too. When it came time to settle the issues of division or property and child support, here's what the judge in the Wootens' divorce case had to say:

"On the other hand, Mr. Wooten is now challenged in his income earning ability. He's making in that $60,000 range, but he may be headed south to more like a $50,000 guy, and that's, at least in part, because it appears for the world that Ms. McCann and her family have decided to take off with the guy's livelihood, that the bitterness of whatever who did what to whom has overridden good judgment. Aesop told us not to slay the goose who lays the golden egg. For whatever reason, people are trying to slay the goose here and it tends to diminish his earning capacity."

"I think it's tragic that -- you know, if I thought Mr. Wooten was in-like-Flynn with the Alaska State Troopers from now until the cows come home, you might have a different outcome here. But, the Plaintiffs table has created a situation where that is a very fragile outcome. So, I'm not going to assume it."

Holy shit, these people are dumb as all fuck. They just 'cannot' help themselves. They're like spoiled children, and now, they want the entire United States to suffer under their vindictive stupidity.

Can you even imagine the disasters in store for us if these guileless, instant gratification-addicted, tantrum pitchers get installed in Washington, with the national security apparatus at their command?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/13/10352/387/784/627716

some interesting comments in 25....i actually read them all...damn!

#28 Just imagine Obama or Biden abuse their powers as a senator, breached the code of conduct and betrayed the public trust. The media would have been all over it.

As the saying goes..IOKIYAR (It's Okay If You're A Republican, short for discussing hypocrisy.)

Another EXAMPLE:

Krugman: From Conscience of a Liberal blog at NY Times

August 23, 2008,
IOKIYAR*
Glenn Greenwald has done the homework. In 2004 the right went all out on the theme that John Kerry was a wimp because he married into money. Rush Limbaugh repeatedly called him a “gigolo.”

Now, Fox News says that talking about John McCain’s many houses is “bashing the American dream.”

Of course, I guess it’s different because McCain is a war hero. Oh, wait …

*In case you don’t know: that “it’s OK if you’re a Republican.”

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/iokiyar/

And congratulations to the NY Columnist and professor at Princeton, Paul Krugman, for being the sole winner of Nobel Prize in economics this year.

#28 Just imagine Obama or Biden abuse their powers as a senator, breach the ethical code of conduct and betray the public trust. The media would have been all over it.

As the saying goes..IOKIYAR (It's Okay If You're A Republican, short for discussing hypocrisy.)

Another EXAMPLE:

Krugman: From Conscience of a Liberal blog at NY Times

August 23, 2008,
IOKIYAR*
Glenn Greenwald has done the homework. In 2004 the right went all out on the theme that John Kerry was a wimp because he married into money. Rush Limbaugh repeatedly called him a “gigolo.”

Now, Fox News says that talking about John McCain’s many houses is “bashing the American dream.”

Of course, I guess it’s different because McCain is a war hero. Oh, wait …

*In case you don’t know: that “it’s OK if you’re a Republican.”

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/iokiyar/

And congratulations to the NY Columnist and professor at Princeton, Paul Krugman, for being the sole winner of Nobel Prize in economics this year.

#22 Diablo: Apparently, not so much fun for the other guy :(

Rhino has an update on her blog entry (#20):

"UPDATE 2: I just got a call back from the officer that took my initial statement. They used the video from the store, and the video from the parking lot to find his car and get his license. At around 8:00 this morning, he was served with a summons to appear in court on assault charges! The best part...the court date is ster for Nov. 19th! Yup, just a bit over two weeks after we elect Barack Obama! I can't wait!"

Boston Globe endorses Obama today.

(BTW Obama had endorsements from 15 Sunday Newspaper Editorials yesterday to McCain's zero.)

"...Such a leader is at hand. With great enthusiasm, the Globe endorses Senator Barack Obama for president. The charismatic Democrat from Illinois has the ability to channel Americans’ hopes and rally the public together, at a time when the winds are picking up and the clouds keep on darkening."

"...The question, of course, is whether Obama can make good on his promises under the circumstances. For George W. Bush will leave a woeful legacy."

"...Obama’s opponent, Senator John McCain, would try to solve all these problems by going back to the same Republican set of tools: tough talk abroad, tax cuts for the richest at home. In contrast, Obama’s presidency would benefit from the Illinois senator’s formidable political gifts. A graduate of Harvard Law School and a former community organizer on Chicago’s South Side, Obama debuted on the national political scene with a dazzling speech at the Democratic National Convention four years ago. Since then, every word of his books and his speeches has been closely parsed. Evident from all that scrutiny is a nimble mind, an ever more impressive grasp of policy detail, and an ability to listen to contradictory viewpoints. Obama is clearly a liberal. But when he led the Harvard Law Review, he won praise from conservative thinkers because he genuinely wanted to hear what they had to say.

Obama is hardly immune to political calculation. Though he has positioned himself as a supporter of campaign finance reform, he backed out of the public financing system after his ability to raise jaw-dropping sums over the Internet became apparent. In the general election campaign, he has been slow to admit how much the financial crisis would limit his policy options come January.

Even so, the way Obama has run his campaign has been a marvel of sound management: He laid down principles, put the right people in positions of authority, and spent money strategically. And he has shown a remarkable steadiness. Whether he was far behind Hillary Clinton before the Iowa caucuses or on the verge of locking up the Democratic nomination, whether he was leading or trailing McCain in the general election contest, Obama made the same forward-looking appeal to voters’ best instincts."

"...An early Obama campaign slogan declared, ‘‘We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.’’ His critics deemed such rhetoric too ethereal. Now it seems prescient, as the nation confronts a financial crisis of historic proportions, as well as all the other policy failures and debt-fueled excesses of the last eight years. The United States has to dig itself out. Barack Obama is the one to lead the way."

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/10/13/obama_for_president/

A great moment on the PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer last night, when new Nobel Laureate in Economics Paul Krugman was asked by Lehrer what inspired him to become an economist. Krugman replied it was reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation series as a teenager, and seeing how social scientists saved galactic civilization.

That's the second reason I'm really happy that Krugman won the Nobel Prize -- and even more important than the first, which was that Krugman is on the honor roll of guests insulted by Bill O'Reilly.

Krugman is our Issac Asimov of economics with all his clearly written columns and blogs at NY Times and books that even econ dummies like me can follow ( more or less....)

Issac Asimov was an amazing writer.

When I heard Krugman won I thought, cool that he's a popularizer: someone who knows and advances economics principles but enjoys explaining them to laymen. They usually get dismissed by their academic colleagues, like Arthur C. Clarke and Issac Asimov were.

The post titled "Noble loser..." has a discussion about a Nobel winner?! (Krugman the economist & shrill liberal commentator)

Ah, the irony.

JeffLieber at Daily Kos wonders "So, let me get this straight...

...at the direction of unrepentant terrorist Bill Acorn, Buddhist Democratic candidate Barack O'Leary, who is not eligible to run for President on account of the fact that his birth certificate says he was born in Europe, instructed a voter registration group known as Filbert to conspire with the Iraqi government to give risky loans to black people, which has caused the nihilistic practice of the U.S. government bailing out Walmart, which is especially bad when you consider the fact that Tony Rezko, who is currently in prison for letting gay men and women get married in Kenya, is trying to force them to unionize, a practice that maverick Sarah Palin said "No, thank you" to as mayor of Alabama when she wasn't steadfastly monitoring whether or not Vladimir Preston was or was not rearing his head out from Mexico, which we need to build a wall around, because the mostest importantest thing to the U.S. Americans is who is going to pick our orange juice for $50 an hour, which we can't do on account of the fact that Raila Odinga wants to tax not just the RICH, but the Sexual Education Class for kindergartners, which is why YOU MUST VOTE for What's-His-Name, who ABSOULTELY AND COMPLETELY has a plan to catch Harry Pelosi, and whom Republicans only nominated because the rest of their candidates were total ball-sacks.

"And THIS is the cogent closing argument Republicans are sure will get America to WAKE THE F**K UP and install them in the White House for another eight years?

"And it's WORKING. McCain has some SERIOUS Mittmentum!

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/maps/obama_vs_mccain/#data

And this is absolutely hilarious too!

Cheers and Jeers: Tuesday
by Bill in Portland Maine
Daily Kos

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE...

McCain House #6---Sunday Night

"John, would you please go in the kitchen and fix me a ham sandwich?"

"Let me say this, Cindy. I know how to fix a ham sandwich, and I will fix a ham sandwich when I'm elected president. For starters, I know where the kitchen is and I know how to find it. I know where the plates are. I know where the bread is, and I will be the one to pull out the right number of slices and place them on the plate in such a way that the mustard can be spread. Yes, my friends, I know where the mustard is and as president I will have a plan to spread it effectively. I know this stuff because I am a maverick. I can do it and I will do it. Let's talk about lettuce. My opponent is inexperienced on this issue. I've been around long enough to know about Romaine, butter, iceberg, bib, Boston and celtuce, as well as loose greens like mesclun. But I promise you this: I will fight every day against the advancing red tide of commie cabbage and I'm not afraid to use force if necessary. I know how to lead this nation in these dangerous leafy times, my friends. Now, I see the yellow light on my lectern is blinking, but if I may for a moment address another critical issue facing this country today, and that is the thickness of domestic pre-packaged ham slices. When I was a POW, we didn’t have ham, my friends, or even a chair..."

"Oh fer god's sake, never mind. I'll have the butler do it."

Cheers and Jeers starts in There's Moreville... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]

More of Bill's column:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/14/83912/996/297/629236

#39

Looks like John's preparation for the Wednesday night's debate is going great!

Taking the role of scott: here's an uplifting story that shows how deep the stealth campaign against Obama and the republican lies have spread, and how vulnerable low information voters are in such a state:

The "Guys at the Dump" check in with Good News!!
by Granny Doc
Mon Oct 13, 2008

I loaded the refuse in the Glory Van, and led Mr. Nick the Wonder Dog to his dedicated bench seat, in preparation for my weekly run to the Waste Disposal Center. I have acquired several new bumper stickers since my last reported encounter with the tobacco chewing locals, and was looking forward to this encounter, poll numbers being what they are.

I now have 3 Obama stickers, 2 Tom Perriello stickers, and 2 that are most assuredly anti-McCain. I was stoking up for a lady like, southern "exchange", and raring to go.

Even Mr. Nick was a little wired, reacting to my anticipation, I suppose.

Well! Imagine my surprise.

My favorite tobacco spitter arose from his plastic lawn chair as I pulled in.

"How Ya' doin', today?", he asked politely while eyeing the anti-McCain sticker on the tail gate.

"Doin' well", I responded in the local vernacular. "How are you guys?"

"Heard that Ba'rack guy on the TV just now", he said, getting straight to the point.

"His speech on the economy?", I asked. "What did ya' think?"

"He made some sense", he allowed, "but, what about that Muslim thing?"

"Aw, Ray, you're not still buying that load the Republicans are selling, are you?" I asked.

"Well, I keep hearin' he's a Muslim", he insisted.

There was a general alertness among the Guys at the Dump. They were giving this exchange their undivided attention, and I suspected that Ray had been chosen to make this foray into information gathering. I detected a crack in the facade!

"Ray", I said, "these guys have been lying to you for 30 years! They told you Democrats would take away your guns. It didn't happen. They told you they would outlaw abortion. It didn't happen. They told you we would all get rich if we just let them handle all the money. It didn't happen. They busted the budget, started a war on a lie, and now they have destroyed the jobs and credit of everyone in this country. How long you gonna' keep believin' 'em?"

"Senator Obama is a good, Christian, family man. He was born in the United States, and raised by his grandma' from KANSAS. You gotta stop listening to those guys over at FOX news. You gotta' stop listening to Rush. They are lying, too."

I turned to the crowd that had gathered, all reaching for bits and pieces of trash as an excuse, and said, "If you guys want things to get any better, you better stop worrying about the lie Republicans tell, and the silly issue of what color someone is, and vote for your own interests for a change."

"Well", Ray acknowledged, "he made some sense."

And the others nodded, in unison.

Knowing my work there was done (for now - I will have to make at least two follow-ups before election day) I got in the Glory Van and started the engine. Ray came to the drivers side window and said, "You have a Good Day now, Doc. Ya' Hear?"

I was shaking as I drove away, trying to control my desire to whoop and holler.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/13/17919/690/3/629514

Well, I believe that the Supreme Court may have handed the election to Barack Obama with the denial of the appeal for Troy Davis. As many of you know, Kavita has brought this case to the attention of this body, and I just read that the Supreme Court denied the appeal for clemency for Troy Davis an hour ago.

This is a shocking and shameful decision for the court to make. I am very prayerful for the family of Troy Davis and of the police officer McPhail.

It is a shame that we cannot take pride in the actions of the Supreme Court now.

Palin Compromised Public Safety in Bizarre Crusade
by Kagro X

Another interesting tidbit from the Branchflower report on Troopergate, from Branchflower's interview with Commissioner of Public Safety Walt Monegan's executive secretary, Cassandra Byrne:

"MR. BRANCHFLOWER: And then the last call was in April of 2008. I think you told me earlier that he had just gotten back from a legislative session in Juneau, or something. Tell about that, if you would.

MS. BYRNE: I think that he was disappointed with the legislative decision about budgeting for public safety, and when he came back I asked him how the meetings went, the hearings, et cetera. He said that it was basically very disheartening at the direction that the legislative session had gone because we were not going to receive the funding that we would need.

MR. BRANCHFLOWER: And was there mention made of Michael Wooten in the context of this conversation?

MS. BYRNE: Yes.

MR. BRANCHFLOWER: What did he tell you?

MS. BYRNE: That because of the fact that we still had Wooten in our employee, that we would continue to have the problems with budgeting.

MR. BRANCHFLOWER: That was his feeling?

MS. BYRNE: Yes.

MR. BRANCHFLOWER: Did he say that he had been told that, or did you get the feeling that that was just his feeling?

MS. BYRNE: No. He was - I don't know who, whether someone told him directly, but it has always been my feeling that our administration has always been pressured and everything that we've done as far as goals and projects, that it weighed very heavily upon that issue.

MR. BRANCHFLOWER: The issue being Mike Wooten being fired?

MS. BYRNE: Yes.

MR. BRANCHFLOWER: And the pressure that you're referring to, would that be coming from the Governor or Governor's office?

MS. BYRNE: It was her Administration - not only from the Governor, but
other members."

Yep. So desperate were the Crazy Palins to prosecute their vendetta against their former brother-in-law that when they couldn't get Monegan to break state law and union rules on their behalf, that they decided to "punish" him by denying his budgeting requests for public safety projects.

Women are raped in Alaska at a rate twice the national average, but Sarah Palin cuts the public saftety budget in a desperate bid to score some kind of points in her insane personal crusade against her own family.

Remember this next time she spews her crap about how Democrats would "cut funding for our troops, because the truth is that she cut funding for her Troopers when Alaskans needed them most.

And she did it all for some vague hope of personal satisfaction.

What a psycho.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/13/115122/75/321/629196

Check Out the Crocodile Tears from Palin
by Kagro X

There's been a decent amount of coverage of the fact that Sarah Palin, as governor, has backed the legalization of aerial wolf hunting in Alaska.

So imagine my surprise on reading this August 2005 complaint e-mail from Sarah to then-Alaska State Trooper Colonel Julia Grimes, making the following allegation (PDF) against her ex-brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten:

"Another example that Wooten likes to share with others regarding his unethical and illegal hunting techniques involves a wolf hunt where he illegally chased down the animal with his snowmachine to kill it unfairly."

Disgusting.

I speak, of course, of the craven hypocrisy of the woman who would write a weepy complaint letter like that, and then permit hunting practices even more unethical and unfair than Wooten's.

WATCH
Sarah Palin's Record on Aerial Wolf Hunting Exposed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQobIUE1zTU

She and Todd try to get Wooten selectively targeted for prosecution for illegally shooting a moose (on her sister's unused permit), even though Sarah's father butchered the moose himself, meaning that both her sister and father may both be legally liable. And she even pretends to be horrified at the prospect of his unfairly hunting wolves on snowmachines even though she actively promotes their hunting from planes.

What a psycho.

http://kagro-x.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/14/11501/312/62/629479

More on Palin's Crazy Crocodile Tears
by Kagro X

Remember Sarah Palin's bizarre plea to the Alaska State Troopers that her former brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten, ought to be fired because he had "unfairly" chased down and shot a wolf on a snowmachine? And remember how ridiculous that complaint seemed in light of the fact that as governor, she advocates chasing down and shooting wolves from airplanes?

Well, to hear Mike Wooten tell it -- as he did in this 2005 AST investigation into Palin's complaints -- the Palin's are even more full of shit than previously believed.

[...]

How friggin' insane is Sarah Palin, that she's crying to the Alaska State Troopers about Wooten "unfairly" chasing down a wolf on a snow machine when her own father is not only doing the same thing, but running the wolf over while he does it?

[...]

And yet here's Palin, years down the road, still crying to the Alaska State Troopers that Wooten needed to be fired for stuff like this. Here's Palin's father Chuck, happily hunting along with Wooten, both on their snowmobiles, with Chuck putting bullet after bullet into this wolf, and even running it over with his snowmobile, then keeping the carcass and tanning the skin to give to Wooten as a gift... and then later, when Wooten divorces his daughter, he and Sarah are griping to the AST about what a bad guy Wooten is. And not only is Palin crying to the AST about it, but she's hounding Walt Monegan to reopen the investigation and increase Wooten's punishment and fire him.

Who's the nutbar here?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/15/103144/79/506/631061

Palin's Trooper Complaints Grow Still Crazier
by Kagro X
Thu Oct 16, 2008

You thought we were done adding to the record of spittle-flecked insanity in Sarah Palin's wacked-out crusade against her former brother-in-law? Not hardly! How can you stop when there's telling context like this, taken from the 2005 Alaska State Troopers' investigation into Palin's complaints about Wooten having allegedly shot a moose illegally?

http://media.adn.com/smedia/2008/07/21/18/Wooten_interview.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf

[Again, the players are Mike Wooten (MW) and the interviewer, Sergeant Ron Wall (RW). They're joined by Public Safety Employees Association Representative John Cyr (JC).]

[...]

[Tipper: Snipped -- Revealing snippets of AST investigation interview on record (see link below)]

[...]

So how bizarre is that? Sarah's dad, Chuck Heath, browbeats his daughter Molly into applying for a moose permit even though she has little or no interest in hunting, and then berates her for not going out to shoot a moose. Then the threatens to go out and shoot one on her tag whether she goes along or not, prompting Wooten to agree to go out hunting with her the next day and take care of it himself.

I mean, I still have a lot of questions about just what Todd is really all about and how much influence he has over Sarah. But maybe people need to be asking some questions about Sarah's dad Chuck, too. I mean, who IS this wild man? Forcing his adult kids to go out on hunting trips they have no interest in so that he can butcher the meat? Threatening to steal their hunting permits and go out without them if they won't bring home the meat themselves? Running down wolves on his snowmobile? Crazily chasing wolverines around the wilderness for target practice? Who is this guy?

Anyway, crazy though he might be, Wooten complies and takes Molly out to shoot the moose Chuck demanded, succeeds in bagging one, takes it back to Chuck's house where Chuck happily butchers it, keeping the family in mooseburger for two years.

Then, when things later turn sour, Chuck and Sarah are on the phone weeping and wailing to the AST that Wooten needs to be fired because he illegally shot a moose.

What a bunch of crazy fucking assholes.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/15/112952/80/444/631131

Wait, wait! There's more! Sarahcuda not the keen huntress she claims?
by Kagro X
Fri Oct 17, 2008

Yes, there's still more from the 2005 AST investigation into Sarah Palin's complaints that her former brother-in-law, Trooper Mike Wooten, should be fired because he allegedly shot a moose illegally. And this part gets juicy.

http://media.adn.com/smedia/2008/07/21/18/Wooten_interview.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf

[The players: AST investigator, Sergeant Ron Wall (RW) and Trooper Mike Wooten (MW).]

"RW: Did you know that it was wrong to shoot the moose on her tag?
MW: No cause I didn't see it that way. And I've reviewed the statute since obviously and I can't find it anywhere in there that says that what I did was wrong. She didn't want to shoot it. I shot it. And put meat in the freezer. And that was it. And I didn't go hunting the rest of the year. One moose is plenty for our family. And actually to be honest with you on record I was told by CHUCK HEATH that he would take her tag and go fill it with or without her. Now...to me taking somebody else's tag in the field and they're not even with you and shootin it that's I mean that's illegal. That's like taking somebody else's hunting license and going out hunting.

RW: Run that by me one more time, you lost me
MW: CHUCK told me that if I didn't take MOLLY hunting...

RW: Mmhm.
MW: ...he was going to take her tag and go fill her tag. With or without ah regardless of whether she went or not he was gonna go shoot a moose. Period.

RW: Did he tell that to MOLLY or you?
MW: Me. And MOLLY was there too she heard it. He does it every year. He does it with SALLY's caribou tag. SARAH's caribou tag an..."

What?

'What'?!

Sarah Palin isn't the fearless huntress we've all been led to believe? Chuck Heath regularly forces his family members to apply for hunting permits in their names so that he can go out hunting for extra game every year? He regularly shoots caribou on Sarah, The Divine Huntress's tag?

Oh, say it ain't so, Saracudah! Also! You betcha!

Again, I have to ask whether the traditional media might not be interested in finding out a little more not just about Todd Palin and his ties to secessionist militia types, but also (too, you betcha) about Chuck Heath and his bizarre, domineering manner with his family.

http://kagro-x.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/15/124112/13/325/631234