Anything to win

Anything:

"A phony State Board of Elections flier advising Republicans to vote on Nov. 4 and Democrats on Nov. 5 is being circulated in several Hampton Roads localities, according to state elections officials.

In fact, Election Day, for voters of all political stripes, remains Nov. 4."

For people who constantly scream about how democracy is so great that it needs to be forced on other countries, they certainly do a good job of subverting it.

(h/t: dkos)

Desperation

Shorter GOP staffer: "That morally-bankrupt, thieving Democrat erased the tape from the bug we illicitly planted on his podium to catch any off-the-record gaffes he might make during a debate! Arrest him, officer!"

"Last week, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) squared off in a debate with Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford. But on Lunsford's podium a GOP operative had placed a small voice recorder, presumably to pick up some off-mic comments Lunsford might make -- apparently a violation of the debate rules.

(The recorder itself -- sans recording -- was eventually returned.)" [...]

"And now St. Onge and the chairman of McConnell's campaign have filed a criminal complaint against Lunsford for petty larceny and destruction of property -- because of the erasure." (emphasis smirkingly mine)

Isn't this a little like calling the cops to report that someone ripped off your drug stash?

And Mitch McConnell... Mitch McConnell... hmmm... Oh yes, that fine upstanding example of GOP values.

Troopergate report: McCain campaign responds

Shorter McCainiacs: "Hey, unless there's a law against sleazy, slimy, unethical douchebaggery, Sarah Palin hasn't done anything wrong... and besides, the whole thing is a vast left-wing conspiracy." :

""Today's report shows that the Governor acted within her proper and lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan," said Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapelton. "The report also illustrates what we've known all along: this was a partisan led inquiry run by Obama supporters.""

Sure. Nothing to see here. That's why the McCain campaign has had lawyers up in Alaska for weeks, working feverishly around the clock to stall the report's publication.

"Kill him"???

And we're the ones right-whiners call "incivil"??:

""Now it turns out, one of his earliest supporters is a man named Bill Ayers," Palin said.

"Boooo!" said the crowd.

"And, according to the New York Times, he was a domestic terrorist and part of a group that, quote, 'launched a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol,'" she continued.

"Boooo!" the crowd repeated.

"Kill him!" proposed one man in the audience." (emphasis mine)

Of course, Palin immediately rebuked this despicable response, because that's, um, you know, the right thing to do, and -- what? She didn't? No, she just carried on with her hateful rant, pleased with the mindless fury she was whipping up in her audience of vicious, brain-damaged rednecks. And McCain? Hell, he's just as bad as she is.

UPDATE: JA Baker has more, including McCain's own suspicious ties.

(h/t - just another willy loman)

GOP ad blames Obama for bailout that didn't happen

Last week while John McCain was tooting his own horn for "solving" the economic crisis, the RNC was hurriedly producing a new commercial critical of the bailout. Unfortunately, they were a little over-confident that the bailout would actually pass, and sent the tape out early Monday morning. Ewps:

"The Republican National Committee's new advertisement critical of the the Wall Street "bailout" was produced and sent to television stations in key states before the package failed, officials at two stations said.

"Wall Street Squanders our money. And Washington is forced to bail them out with -- you guessed it -- our money. Can it get any worse?" asks the ad's narrator, as the words "BAILOUT WITH OUR MONEY" cross the screen. (The answer: Obama's plans would make it worse.)"

So let's untie some of the knots in this thing: The GOP (1)wanted the bailout to pass, but they were (2)counting on the majority House Democrats to just ram it through without too much GOP input, so (3)they could use it against the Democrats as evidence of their big-spending ways and (4)put a little space between McCain and Bush in the process (since it was Georgie's plan). That sound about right?

Who needs a drink?

McCain mafia "protection" racket

Nice VP debate-moderating job you got there, Gwen. It'd be a shame if anything happened to it.

Debate will go on? Or not.

I am utterly transfixed by this Gong Show south of the border. It isn't just the election, where one side seems to be okay with a know-nothing, scientifically-illiterate, end-times bible-thumper being one heartbeat away from the presidency, but also the serious economic crisis, which will no doubt ooze across the border in due course. It's serious enough for McCain to take advantage of the opportunity to "suspend" his campaign and put the debates on hold -- and we all know why. But to his credit, all along Obama hasn't blinked, insisting he'd show up for the debate whether McCain did or not... and now it looks like McCain might show up for the debate tomorrow after all:

"When asked whether Friday's debate will go on if McCain doesn't show up, Obama said: "I hope he does."

McCain also told ABC News that he was "very hopeful that we can [attend the debate.] I believe that it's very possible that we'll get an agreement so that I have time to fly to Mississippi."

CNN has learned that the University of Mississippi -- site of the first presidential debate -- has been told by the Presidential Debate Commission to continue preparing for the event."

Unless:

"During the White House meeting, it appears that Sen. John McCain had an agenda. He brought up alternative proposals, surprising and angering Democrats. He did not, according to someone briefed on the meeting, provide specifics." [...]

Before the White House meeting, Democrats and Senate Republicans were on track to get legislation to the floor by tomorrow."

Is it possible that McCain went to Washington not to help them hammer out a bailout plan, but to throw a wrench into things so he'd have an excuse for delaying the debates? A month ago I would have said "No way". Not now. Huh?

UPDATE: Well played, Senator Obama, well played!

(image from buy my shitpile)

Ouch

Don't fuck with Letterman:

Why did McCain blow off the Letterman show? Probably because of this disaster earlier. The McCain campaign saw it, puked, and rushed McCain in for an interview with Couric to bump the Palin interview out of the headlines.

So. Is the McCain campaign setting the stage for Palin to "spend more time with her family"? Watch for leaks from the Troopergate scandal in Alaska, that will mean the lid that's been clamped down on it is being loosened.

Rove Rove Rove your boat

Gently down the stream:

"Jewish voters are complaining of a poll that, after confirming their religion, asks a series of questions that appear aimed at alarming Jewish voters, including linking Barack Obama to Palestinian terrorist groups."

This slimy push poll asked whether Jewish Pro-Obama voters would change their minds about him if they knew that:

Obama has had a decade long relationship with pro-Palestinian leaders in Chicago

the leader of Hamas, Ahmed Yousef, expressed support for Obama and his hope for Obama's victory

the church Barack Obama has attended is known for its anti-Israel and anti-American remarks

Jimmy Carter's anti-Israel national security advisor is one of Barack Obama's foreign policy advisors

Barack Obama was the member of a board (sic) that funded a pro-Palestinian chartiable organization

Barack Obama called for holding a summit of Muslim nations exlcuding Israel if elected president

Senator McCain's remaining shred of credibility just went up in a wisp of acrid smoke. Sad.

UPDATE: Not a push-poll after all, but a survey done by the Republican Jewish Coalition, who plan on running a campaign against Obama and were trying to ascertain which kind of shit would stick the best and be the stinkiest. Okay, well that's all good then.