Ned Raggett Says:

To be a fly on the wall at the White House get-together today.

Comrade Cris Ivanov Says:

I fully expect the Liberal Media to immediately take note of this contradiction. Lemme go check NPR.

Hm.

Maybe the Times.

Huh.

I’ll keep looking.

Michael D. Says:

The McCain campaign even put out a listof “Campaign Suspension Talking Points” that was accidentally sent to the media. Ha!

cleter Says:

Well, McCain expected Obama to go along with it. See, Obama and Biden were supposed to both go back to Washington to do important senatoring after Mccain’s chastisement, leaving the only non-senator in the race to carry on. Only the senators were supposed to suspend their campaigns, you see.

Comrade Napoleon Says:

Instead of Straight Talk Express they ought to call it Train Wreck Express. I have been a political junkie my entire life, have my undergraduate degree in history, and I cannot think of any other campaign that has had this level of shear comical ineptitude. It’s almost a thing of beauty.

If this campaign doesn’t do for the Republicans what McGovern did for the Democrats I will be surprised. Will any of the people who work on this campaign ever be taken seriously by anyone in the press ever again? I wonder how many political careers tied to this campaign are going to meet their graves in about 40 days?

JGabriel Says:

Ambinder:

Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin will bring her campaign to Philadelphia Thursday.

Philadelphia? That’ll go well.

McCain doesn’t stand a chance in PA. It’s pretty simple really. Look at a map of county by county results in 2004, like the map at DKos. Then look at a map similiar map of Ohio.

See what the difference is? Cincinnati.

PA doesn’t have any Republican dominated population center like Cincinnati; it’s dominated by Philly/Allentown/Reading in the SE, Pittsburgh in the SW, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the NE, and Erie in the NW.

None of those places are going to tip Republican this year.

And I’ll be surprised if Philly votes less than 90% for Obama. Hell, Kerry got better than 82% there in 2004.

.

dave Says:

The McCain campaign is still running commercials in Wisconsin & Minnesota today also, so I guess it depends on what the definition of suspend is!

Xanthippas Says:

Oh what the…seriously? What are they going to say now? That they meant only the actual presidential half of the campaign?

Not My Fault Says:

Well, McCain expected Obama to go along with it. See, Obama and Biden were supposed to both go back to Washington to do important senatoring after Mccain’s chastisement, leaving the only non-senator in the race to carry on. Only the senators were supposed to suspend their campaigns, you see.

If Obama had just agreed to those town halls in the beginning, the economy would be fine and NONE of this would be necessary.

It’s all his fault.

Comrade Napoleon Says:

McCain doesn’t stand a chance in PA. It’s pretty simple really. Look at a map of county by county results in 2004, like the map at DKos. Then look at a map similiar map of Ohio.

See what the difference is? Cincinnati.

I keep wishing that Cincinnati falls into the Ohio river, or that the river suddenly shift course and run north of the Cincy so that it is suddenly in Kentucky, but that wish never seems to come true and therefore this election may end in the horror that more of my fellow Ohioians thing McFail would make a better choice as president then Obama.

DSC Says:

Shouldn’t she be studying up on JSM’s “reformer” credentials so she can “get back” to Katie on that?

Shouldn’t she be with JSM to make sure he can draw an enthusiastic crowd in Congress?

Shouldn’t she be preparing for her “debate” with Joe?

Oh, that’s right. “Mavericks” don’t have to prepare—they’re always ready for…for…anything but the next question.

(God I hate people who overuse quotation marks, but I just can’t write that “shit” without them).

4tehlulz Says:

>>Philadelphia? That’ll go well.

Which is why the rally’s at the airport.

rachel Says:

It feels like the McCain campaign was running a draw play, but the nobody bought the fake.

Comrade General Stuck Says:

Meanwhile, word has it, while Mccain is in DC saving Amerika, the debate will go on with stand in and trusted Mccain confidant Donald Duck taking the stage against Obama.

r€nato Says:

Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin will bring her campaign to Philadelphia Thursday.

The “Straight Fail Express” campaign may be ‘suspended’, but I see the “Backcountry Hick Goes To The Big City” US tour continues.

Comrade Jake Says:

This is such an epic cluster-fuck. What we need now from our national leaders are calm, steady hands. What McCain did yesterday looks like the polar opposite.

Chuck Todd was on GMA this morning suggesting that the Republicans (and McCain) fear they could be blamed for killing the bill. So there is this sense that McCain needs to come back to DC and make sure that doesn’t happen. How Todd arrived at such an upside-down, illogical conclusion is beyond me.

Comrade Napoleon Says:

McCain doesn’t stand a chance in PA. It’s pretty simple really. Look at a map of county by county results in 2004, like the map at DKos. Then look at a map similiar map of Ohio.

See what the difference is? Cincinnati.

I keep wishing that Cincinnati falls into the Ohio river, or that the river suddenly shift course and run north of the Cincy so that it is suddenly in Kentucky, but that wish never seems to come true and therefore this election may end in the horror that more of my fellow Ohioians thing McFail would make a better choice as president then Obama.

mark Says:

The McCain campaign even put out a listof “Campaign Suspension Talking Points” that was accidentally sent to the media. Ha!

One of the things I thought was weird about Palin’s speech pattern in the Couric interview was how she seemed to begin every other sentence with “John McCain”, like she was reading off talking points. Maybe they were painted on the inside of her glasses.

cleek Says:

i’m sure he’ll blame Obama for this.

My friends, I wanted to stop the politicking and the bitterness, so that I could work on getting this country back on the right track. But my opponent refused to join me. Therefore, rather than unilaterally disarm in the face of a ruthless enemy, I am choosing to resume my campaign and to continue bringing the fight to him, for the sake of our country.

JGabriel Says:

Ned Ragget:

To be a fly on the wall at the White House get-together today.

I was thinking the same thing.

You’ve got Bush and McCain trying to get something from Obama. OTOH, Obama is the same guy who realized that Bush was lying about the AUMF as early as 2002 – hard to see how Obama would get taken in by him now.

And what’s Bush gonna do, trot out Paulson to scare him? Obama will just respond, “Right. You have a treasury secretary/former Goldman Sachs exec. And, on my policy team, I’ve got a former treasury secretary/former Goldman Sachs exec/current Citibank advisor. Three of a kind beats two aces, George.”

I really am wondering though, what the hell does Mr. Unilateral want so badly that he’d invite the Democratic presidential nominee to the White House to talk policy?

.

Incertus Says:

Oh what the…seriously? What are they going to say now? That they meant only the actual presidential half of the campaign?

Because SHUT UP

Seriously, that’s pretty much the message from here on out.

liberal Says:

Comrade Napoleon wrote,

If this campaign doesn’t do for the Republicans what McGovern did for the Democrats I will be surprised.

You’re kidding, right?

If you look at the history of presidential elections in the past few decades, you’ll find a big supply of white voters who will be quite willing to overlook this crap.

I, frankly, will be surprised if McThug doesn’t get a majority of the non-Hispanic white vote.

mark Says:

When I Said “Suspended,” I Meant “Slowed Down”

“I’d just like to say that there is NO cannibalism in the Royal Navy. And by that I mean there is a certain amount.”

SGEW Says:

The say anything tour continues.

Will McCain stand outside the debates holding a boombox aloft over his head, blaring out Sousa marches?

Punchy Says:

See what the difference is? Cincinnati

Why is this? What is it about chili, Bob Chuggins, ugly-ass archy-tecksture, and a shitty bar scene that makes these d-bags vote d-bag?

C-bus is pretty lib, as is Cleveland. Is it its proximity to KKKentucky?

Dennis - SGMM Says:

Well, the Clinton Global Initiative still likes McCain. They gave him the forum to make a high-profile speech this morning. Clinton enabling McCain to polish up his foreign policy and economics credentials was Clinton’s final slide into Joe Lieberman territory.

Comrade Jake Says:

By the way, this “suspension” didn’t prevent McCain from giving a speech at the Clinton Global Institute today either.

Team McCain appears to be going all-in on the stupidity of the populace. Every time I think “they can’t possibly think we’re that stupid,” they double-down. It’s insane.

Lee Says:

I really am wondering though, what the hell does Mr. Unilateral want so badly that he’d invite the Democratic presidential nominee to the White House to talk policy?

Wants his buyin for one last raid on the American Treasury.

The more I hear about the $700 billion package the Administration wants, the more I really believe it is nothing more than one last money grab.

I hope they do have a bailout package, just not THAT one.

Comrade Napoleon Says:

You’re kidding, right?

If you look at the history of presidential elections in the past few decades, you’ll find a big supply of white voters who will be quite willing to overlook this crap.

I, frankly, will be surprised if McThug doesn’t get a majority of the non-Hispanic white vote.

I agree with that 100%, which is why I have repeatedly said in response to TZ’s prediction that McCain gets 37%, or something like that, that McCain will get 45-47%. I think I even said in one thread that it the Republicans ran 2 dogs who did nothing but sniff each others behinds at each campaign stop they would still get 45-47%. The playing feild is way narrower then it was in 1964.

Having said that if 53% of the population simply comes to have the default view that the Republicans simply are not to be trusted as a serious political party it becomes very difficult for the Republicans to win. And that 53% can very easily come about even without majority white supprot. I think thet toxic combination of a dramatic show of what Republican rule over the last 7 1/2 years and the current very unserious show the Republicans are putting on could very easily lead to this result.

Two PSs. I have come to believe that if Obama was white he could very well win by a large margin this year, and should he win and institute a comprehensive health care reform, he could help solidify a working Democratic majority for decades to come.

Kali's Little Sister Says:

HELP! I cannot stop watching the Palin w/ Couric interview clips.

The look of barely veiled contempt on Katie’s face as Gov. Bimbette yammers on is priceless! It took several viewings for me to be able to watch it without my own loud laughter getting in the way of Palin’s words.

Dear Lord, there is not a serious person of any intellect who could watch that and defend it without full sociopath creds.

Not My Fault Says:

See what the difference is? Cincinnati

Why is this? What is it about chili, ...

What is it about Cincinnati and chilli? I’ve been there once, and was actually pleasantly surprised by the city. (I guess I was expecting St. Louis, so it wasn’t hard to exceed expectations)
But the locals were all proud about Cincinnati chilli. They took me out to get some and … I ate it out of politeness, but it was awful.

r€nato Says:

that interview did boost my opinion of Couric, though interviewing Palin is certainly low-hanging fruit.

DonnaInMichigan Says:

Watch out FAN, the shits about to hit you.

Fan=McCain, in this scenario.

Brian J Says:

Do you really think think the Clintons are using the CGI to prop up McCain? That seems like a stretch.

Comrade Zifnab Says:

I, frankly, will be surprised if McThug doesn’t get a majority of the non-Hispanic white vote.

I have no doubt he’ll win the non-Hispanic white male vote over the age of 40. That said, the majority of those people are idiots anyway so whatchagonnado?

As for McCain’s advisers? They’re all lobbyists and corporate cronies. Is Phil Graham going anywhere in the next couple of years? Hell, no. Did Kristol or Kagan drop off the map after their Iraq War fuck-ups? Hell, Doug Feith still makes the talk-show circuit and EVERYONE knows he’s a moron.

whack Says:

In view of the economic crisis, I’m suspending blogging for a couple of hours.

harlana pepper Says:

Sarah is stuffed with talking points and regurgitates them for the applicable question. When she is presented with a question for which specific talking points have not been fashioned and drilled into her head, she quickly flounders.

Montysano (All Hail Marx & Lennon) Says:

As I noted in last night’s thread, I think Obama’s best move would be to say “I’m leaving Joe Biden in Washington to continue work on the bailout and heading to Mississippi for the debate.”

Is Biden qualified for this mission? Of course he is. And that would leave an obvious unasked question, one that Obama doesn’t even need to touch because someone in the media will ask it for him.

Comrade Napoleon Says:

that interview did boost my opinion of Couric, though interviewing Palin is certainly low-hanging fruit.

I think what you see with Couric, and this would have factored into Campbell Brown’s rant, is that women who more or less made it by their own hard work, etc. must really be POed with the Palin stunt. (the only reason I say more or less because TV rewards good looks and if either of them didn’t have them they may have ended up in a different place career wise). Couric was simply not going to sit there and lob softballs at Palin and, effectively, play along with the corrosive cutout of a female archetype the Republicans are foisting on the electorate. I suspect Palin’s pick and the way McCain is using her is very much a personal thing with the Courics and Browns of the world.

ninerdave Says:

Apparently McCain hasn’t been bothered to read Paulson’s plan.

Maybe that’s why he had to suspend slow down his campaign. Reading iz hard!

Deborah Says:

Palin’s still campaigning, commercials are still running, and his spokespeople are busily attacking Obama per TPM. Is this campaign suspended in any sense other than trying to duck both of the upcoming debates?

comrade scott Says:

I fully expect the Liberal Media to immediately take note of this contradiction…I’ll keep looking.

Hope you’re young, healthy and have a robust health care plan since I guess this will take approximately 50 years never to find it.

What Not Campaigning Looks Like | NYU Local Says:

[...] – Palin got scheduled to stump in PA, a major swing state. [...]

Камрад Бросая камни Says:

Punchy Says:

Why is this? What is it about chili, Bob Chuggins, ugly-ass archy-tecksture, and a shitty bar scene that makes these d-bags vote d-bag?

I’m up North a bit ~ Dayton, which is still pretty Red, but on Monday morning WLW said Hamilton County (Cinci) may vote Democratic for the first time since 1964.
And yes, many, many in the Cin-Day corridor view Kentucky as the Motherland. I don’t understand.

The Dangerman Says:

The McCain campaign was suspended as much as David Blaine was suspended upside down in NYC (insert “Campaign/Dive of Death” joke here and, since I’ve watched the video replay, how the fuck is it a Dive of Death if he’s hooked up to a harness?; I mean, who had the bigger BS stunt yesterday, Blaine or McCain)

Chris Johnson Says:

Polar bears can sit there looking at Russia, and they are much more badass, with big claws and teeth.

Let’s elect one of THEM vice-president!

Common Sense Says:

And yes, many, many in the Cin-Day corridor view Kentucky as the Motherland. I don’t understand.

My state is the same way—incidentally, I’m just glad the constant dumping on Ohio is keeping people from shitting on Texans. Let them babble about kicking someone ELSE out of the Union for a thread.

A Regional Primer:

West Texas, excluding most of the Panhandle, is basically New Mexico. South Texas may as well be Old Mexico*. East Texas is the Old South, and Dallas ain’t nothin’ but South Oklahoma. East Texas, with the exception of inside the loop Houstonians, is the Texas you detest—Jaspers and Vidors for hundreds of miles (Beautiful pine trees though, so there’s that….). North Texas, including the Metroplex and Panhandle, is solidly red too (again excepting the urban city area). The other areas are a lot more middle of the road though, if not exactly “traditional” Dem. They’ll vote for a Democrat in the Schweitzer/Tester mold though (just substitute Spanish as the Second Language for Arabic). Central Texas, dominated by San Antonio and Austin, leans blue many years, and probably will this time. The huge military presence in Killeen and San Antonio is the biggest buffer to what would probably be an overwhelmingly blue region otherwise. And if Obama can make inroads in the suburbs around Dallas, Houston and other major cities (something I am not exactly optimistic about to be honest—those fuckers moved to the suburbs to escape dark skinned people) than Texas could really shock, or at least be competitive this year.

• I am being (mostly) hyperbolic. I love my Hispanic neighbors, and even watch soccer now. But The Valley is a whole different state than Houston or even El Paso.

Comrade Tax Analyst Says:

I think I even said in one thread that it the Republicans ran 2 dogs who did nothing but sniff each others behinds at each campaign stop they would still get 45-47%. The playing feild is way narrower then it was in 1964

Uh, isn’t that pretty much what they have actually done? Well, I guess to be fair, that’s not really true…Johnny McPeeohdubeeyew and Sarah McPalin don’t always travel together in packs. I’ve noticed that always hinders butt sniffing in Republican politicians.

And that’s really a dog-gone shame, because when they’re not sniffing each others butts they tend to be rather difficult, what with all their growling,snarling, and finally pathetic whining at everybody and everything.

I think it’s from too much inbreeding.

Comrade Tax Analyst Says:

harlana pepper Says:

Sarah is stuffed with talking points and regurgitates them for the applicable question. When she is presented with a question for which specific talking points have not been fashioned and drilled into her head, she quickly flounders.

Oh, not really a problem for Caribou Barbie…she just mixes and matches stuff from the various talking points. Yuh can get away with that if yuh wear those glasses that make yuh look smart, yuh know. Nobody knows what those words mean anyway, right?

But yuh have to be careful when yuh mix those sentences together to take out the “John McCain” part after the first part of yur spiel. For some reason it just don’t sound right if yuh don’t.

It worked really well last night, didn’t it?

JGabriel Says:

Kali’s Little Sister:

The look of barely veiled contempt on Katie’s face as Gov. Bimbette yammers on is priceless!

Backwoods Hick Mean Girl, meet Sophisticated City Mean Girl.

.

JGabriel Says:

Chris Brown:

Polar bears can sit there looking at Russia, and they are much more badass, with big claws and teeth.

Let’s elect one of THEM vice-president!

Finally. An answer to a question that’s been puzzling me ever since Palin was nominated:

Why does she fear polar bears?

.