Jesse Helms Died Today

There’s an amazing whitewash of his record in the official obits making the rounds.

Happy 4th Of July

Remember, America, it’s hot out there. Be careful.

Giselle Bundchen in American Flag bikini

links for 2008-07-04

The McCains Are Regular People

Regular people who buy $3,000 designer dresses like they were candy.

Our Media Is Stupid

So, let me get this straight, Sen. Obama says what he has said for almost two years now - that he will draw down troops from Iraq in a responsible matter while consulting the generals… and the media sees some kind of change? Are the barbecues on John McCain’s palatial ranch that good that they have to resort to this sort of distortion so early?

MORE: TPM on how wrong they are.

links for 2008-07-03

Deck Chair Rearrangement, Continued

Leaking this kind of thing to the New York Times before the campaign has even ramped up is not a good sign for John McCain, almost as bad as the campaign reorganization that prompted the story in the first place.

The shift was approved by Mr. McCain after several of his aides, including Mr. Schmidt, went to him about 10 days ago and warned him that he was in danger of losing the presidential election to Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, unless he revamped his campaign operation, two officials close to the campaign said.

McCain is seeking to apparently “relaunch” his campaign. The man has had the nomination for months now, and for a good stretch of that time his eventual opponent paid him little to no attention as he was engaged in a close primary fight.

AND McCain is already buying up air time in Virginia, a state President Bush won pretty handidly. Defense, so soon?

When Black Republicans Strike

Just a bunch of dummies without a clue. History’s coming, and they still want to sit in the back of the bus.

Stay Classy, Newsmax

Conservative news web site Newsmax is using the following ad to push one of their hucksterish “Wellness Report” email newsletters. Nice.

Fact Check On The Washington Post’s Fake Mortgage Story

Hey, MSM, if you’re going to try and swing this race for John McCain, try not to be so blatant with it.

If True, Fail

Bret Favre giving up on that retirement thing? Come on.

Deck Chair Rearrangement Watch

John McCain has again shifted around who is in charge of his campaign. Anyone notice that through the Clinton and McCain shakeups the Obama camp has kept its head down and is being run smooth as silk?

UPDATE: Josh Marshall has more detail on why this is a bad sign for McCain. They’re scrapping everything and giving up whatever advantage they had during the extended Democratic primary.

This is a good time to remind people that the Democratic party has operations in all 50 states, and that the Obama campaign has been able to build on that with their volunteers and infusion of enthusiasm.

It’s like a national party or something.

Media For McCain: The Washington Post Makes A Federal Case Over A Mortgage

The Washington Post ignores so much about John McCain (the Post, for instance, has been silent on the McCains evading taxes on their condo) but they rush a big nothing story about Sen. Obama’s mortgage on to page one. The “liberal media strikes” again! I worked at a mortgage company for a little while, and the idea that the lender gives a few fractions of a percent to a borrower of a jumbo loan is about as common as breathing air. That’s kind of how they do business, especially in 2005 when the mortgage business was locking loans at such a good clip.

I know the mainstream media desperately wants John McCain to win so they can get some more of his sweet barbecue, but this is pretty ridiculous - even for them.

Free Ride: John Mccain and the Media

Veering Toward “The Center”?

Folks complaining that Sen. Obama is now moving to the center would have more room to speak if he hadn’t been at the center all this time. I saw a similar thing happen with Howard Dean (someone whose candidacy I supported). Dean was a centrist governor, even praised by the NRA, who happened to be against the war. Like Obama, once you are against the war - no matter your other moderate positions on the issues - the right and the press consider you a radical liberal, perhaps just a few steps away from someone like Dennis Kucinich. Unlike President Clinton, Sen. Obama isn’t seriously moving on any issues. He’s been in that center-left position for his whole time on the national scene. Now you may or may not agree with his stance on some issues (I don’t like his FISA stance but have little to no problem with everything else), but let’s not pretend his position is something it never was.

New Math?

In CNN’s new poll Obama is ahead 50%-45%. CNN calls it a “dead heat”. The margin of error is 3.5%. It’s close, but when you’re outside the margin of error, I don’t think that’s a “dead heat”.

The “Liberal Media” Strikes

Last night, every single broadcast outlet distorted General Clark’s remarks. Every single one. Apparently the “liberal media” forgot the talking points Howard Dean supposedly sends out every morning.

Again.

We Learned It By Watching You

As Kos and Ezra note, watching conservatives bitch and moan about investment in infrastructure and losing the information war is funny. You would think these guys have been asleep from the early ’90s to now when the right was dominating this game.

Tuesday For Change

Tuesday for Change is your weekly reminder that to get change, to elect Barack Obama, we must do our part to help.

Donate here to Sen. Obama.

Donate here to the DNC.

End the Iraq War. Fix the Economy. Save the Supreme Court. Donate today.

John McCain: We Need To Create Jobs In Mexico And South America

Rarely have I seen such an out of touch political ad.

Even if you are a free trade absolutist, this is just a bad idea politically. Americans simply do not like the idea of free trade agreements that have the effect of shipping jobs south of the border for cheap labor. In many ways its something conservatives (real conservatives, not the gilded age set that make up the punditry) hate with a passion.

If I could be assured that this ad will run in places like Ohio and Michigan I would donate to John McCain.

Pity The Millionaires

In this op-ed being promoted by Instapundit and others, the author sketches out the effect of Sen. Obama’s plan to secure social security and allow the Bush tax cuts for the top 1% to expire will have on folks like Tiger Woods and the New York Yankees. I guess the effect is supposed to elicit sympathy or outrage, but that’s the kind of out of touch thing we’ve come to expect from the right.

People (like me) may like Tiger Woods or the Yankees (not me) but we don’t give a crap about their finances. We all know that these guys make way more than the rest of us could hope to make, and we know that there’s little to no social value in a guy making 7 to 8 figures for hitting a ball. If they have to pay slightly more in taxes so that the social security system stays solvent for another decade or more? NOBODY CARES.

In the last couple decades when the sports leagues have gone on strike or had lockouts the fans have rarely sided with the athletes. In general, fandom is envious of their salaries and normal people think a work stoppage when you’re being paid a $10 million signing bonus is pretty ridiculous. The conservative argument is that raising the social security caps and allowing the Bush tax cuts for the top 1% to expire will really piss off millionaires and billionaires.

But besides conservatives and Republicans, nobody in the real world cares if millionaires and billionaires are perturbed. We know they have their money to comfort them.

A Third Bush Term, McBush, Etc.

It’s stickin’. Because it is true.

A recent USA Today/Gallup poll finds about two in three Americans concerned that John McCain would pursue policies as president that are too similar to what George W. Bush has pursued. Nearly half — 49% — say they are “very concerned” about this.

McCain isn’t his own man. He’s an older George W. Bush with a military record.

links for 2008-07-01

The McCain Residences: A Google Earth Tour

They’re not like us.

2004 Redux

You remember how every 5 minutes in 2004 we got a TERROR ALERT from Homeland Security, and then after Bush was re-elected the TERROR ALERTs seemed to go away? And then Tom Ridge admitted that at least a few of them were politically motivated?

Welcome back.

“The White House said Monday it agreed with an assessment by U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman, who warns terrorists could test the next president with an attack.”

The likelihood of this working this time is essentially zero (nobody trusts the party of Katrina and Iraq with their security anymore) but it is a pretty perverse thing for a government to be engaged in. And as cons always do, they will explain this away without batting the eye. Something like only America-haters would oppose the actions of their beloved Commander In Chief or something. Whatever, they’re a sick set of people.

More here.

Sudan Or Somalia?

John McCain mixes up countries again. But he was 7 when Pearl Harbor went down so don’t question his military service.

Or something.