Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Gmail Intelligence

I use Gmail, which is a Google thing. The way they stay in business is that they read your email and present ads to you that are related to the content of your messages. I know some people who couldn't stand that, they feel their privacy is being violated somehow. Whatever, I don't have anything to hide from some Google-bots.

Sometimes I get surprising ads, and it takes me a minute to figure out why they have decided to show these particular ones to me.

This morning was a good one, took me a minute. Google's artificial intelligence machinery decided I would be interested in a water purification system.

Ah, now I get it: "Ionic Japanese Showerheads."

52 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Palin represents the reappearance of the one part of Bush that never died -- the culture warrior. Democrats may have forgotten about the notorious red state-blue state divide, or hoped that the failures of the last eight years had made it go away. But it hasn't. It's been there all along. If Palin catapults McCain to victory, it will be revealed to be the most powerful and enduring force in American politics.

September 16, 2008 7:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

IT WILL BE A MESS!!! It will be more of the same-- The Bush Legacy.

That is something we need a lot LESS of!

Wake up.

September 16, 2008 7:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The problem with Bush was not his views, it was his lack of leadership skills.

Calm down.

Palin will some day be President.

You need to get used to her.

September 16, 2008 7:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Click my name to see the Bush Doctrine.

September 16, 2008 7:41 PM  
Blogger Priya Lynn said...

Anonfreak said "Palin will some day be President."

Yeah, sure, just like you promised us Huckabee was going to be president.

September 16, 2008 7:50 PM  
Blogger Priya Lynn said...

And anonfreak, here's the latest of the Gallup poll that you like so much:


http://voices.kansascity.com/node/2072

"The resurgence continues: Barack Obama pulled almost even with John McCain in Tuesday's Gallup Poll. The numbers: 47-46 percent, in McCain's favor.

But that's down from a 5-point lead barely a week ago.

And commentators -- including Gallup's pollsters -- say Obama's gains could continue this week. That's because voters have said the Democratic nominee generally has better economic plans than McCain."

The more people know about Palin the less they think of her:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/14/103042/902

Republican liars like to claim Palin has an 80% approval rating in Alaska. The reality is starkly different.
Despite sleazy attempts by Republicans to convince people it had been cancelled 1500 people (mostly women) showed up at a rally in Alaska to say Sarah Palin does not speak for them versus 96 Mccain/Palin supporters.

September 16, 2008 8:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"And commentators -- including Gallup's pollsters -- say Obama's gains could continue this week."

Of course anything "could" happen. Maybe the Queen will have an affair with Bill Clinton.

"Could" happen.

I think you'll find that many times in this election, McCain has been written off. And here he is, in the lead.

"That's because voters have said the Democratic nominee generally has better economic plans than McCain"

Really? They want marginal rates to go up and destroy economic activity? They want to repeal NAFTA, like Obama does, because the Canadians are to blame for every American who has lost a job? They want to continue leave our offshore oil untapped so we can run a huge trade deficit with the rest of the world and have a weak dollar?

I had no idea they were so stupid!

Well, McCain will educate them.

First lesson is September 26 at Ole Miss.

Don't miss it!

"Republican liars like to claim Palin has an 80% approval rating in Alaska. The reality is starkly different."

Actually, the media has maintained that.

Got any contradictory data?

September 16, 2008 8:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Emerging scandal that should end Obama's career. I'd hate to see him go to jail. Hopefully, he'll get probation for a first offense:

"On his World Tour in July, Obama interfered in the Bush Administration’s negotiations with the Iraqi Government about US troop withdrawals. For his own selfish political gain.

Not only is this an egregious Logan Act violation, which is a felony, it is an act of deception and political manipulation at the expense of American lives. Not to mention a reversal of Obama’s main campaign promise.

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

“He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington,” Zebari said in an interview."

Here's an excerpt from the Logan Act:

"Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."

Ouch!

September 16, 2008 9:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"He asked why." That doesn't sound so bad.

September 16, 2008 9:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow Anon, did you find another Ahmed Chalabi?

What a moron.

September 16, 2008 9:42 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

“The problem with Bush was not his views, it was his lack of leadership skills.

Calm down.

Palin will some day be President.

You need to get used to her.”


It’s true. We need someone who can read children’s books in case of another terrorist attack.

September 16, 2008 11:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

True dat.

If you had a Democrat as President, he could probably read a picture book, if he'd taken his ritalin, but he'd get all confused by the complicated story line. So it wouldn't be the same.

We need a President who can read to kids.

On the other hand, if a Democrat president had heard a plane had crashed into a building, I'm sure he'd stop reading to the kids immediately and jump on his batplane and rush to the locale to see if he could hold up the building with his superpowers.

I saw Clark leave Lana at the prom in just such a situation on Smallville once.

September 17, 2008 6:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As many know, and many more will soon know, Barack Obama does really act on any particular vision. His career in Congress, when he could bring himself to leave his national tour and show up at work, has been undistinguished from any other Democratic Senator. He basically has voted as the Democratic leadership has told him to do, almost invariably.

Now, the press is starting to comment on his lack of character:

"Seldom has there been a larger contrast between the style of a candidate and the strategy of his campaign.

Barack Obama is cool, firm and permanently unruffled. It is precisely this quality of steadiness that has made him seem a credible prospective president with the thinnest of résumés.

But Obama's campaign is rootless, reactive and panicky. At every stage since securing the nomination, it has seemed fearful of missteps and unsure of its own organizing principle. So it has invariably adopted the Democratic conventional wisdom of the moment.

Obama's first major decision was his running mate. He could have reinforced a message of change and moderation with a Democratic governor who wins in a Republican state, or reached for history by selecting Hillary Clinton. But his choice came soon after Russia invaded Georgia, and the conventional wisdom demanded an old hand who knew his way around Tbilisi. When the Georgia crisis faded, Obama was left with a partisan, undisciplined, congressional liberal at his side. This has served to undermine Obama's message of change -- and has allowed Sarah Palin to pilfer a portion of that appeal.

Obama's second decision concerned the tone and content of his convention. Here the Democratic conventional wisdom was nearly unanimous. Obama should shelve his highfalutin rhetoric and talk like a real Democrat. Go after McCain. Talk about "bread and butter" issues -- code words for class-warfare attacks on consumers of blinis and caviar.


Obama took this advice to the letter -- at the cost of his political identity. In his Denver speech, it seemed that every American home was on the auction block, every car stalled for lack of gasoline, every credit card bill past due, every worker treated like a Russian serf. And John McCain? He was out of touch, with flawed "judgment." His life devoted to serving oil companies and big corporations. And, by the way, he didn't have the courage to follow Osama bin Laden "to the cave where he lives." In obedience to the best Democratic advice, Obama managed to be conventional, bitter and graceless.

Now Obama has made his third major campaign decision -- to finally get really tough on McCain. In response to attacks and dropping polls, the Democratic wisdom is once again nearly uniform: Democrats lose because they are not vicious enough. And once again, the Obama campaign has taken this advice without hesitation. "We will respond with speed and ferocity to John McCain's attacks, and we will take the fight to him," says Obama's campaign manager.

Obama feels provoked. Having already accused McCain of being a cowardly corporate tool who is disconnected from reality, escalation is not an easy task for Obama. But he has managed. In one recent commercial, McCain is clearly mocked for his age -- compared to a disco ball and a 10-pound cellphone. Another ad uses the word "dishonorable" next to a photo of McCain -- an attack from a candidate who has little practical familiarity with the cost of honor.

Who is hurt most by this race to the bottom? McCain, by the evidence of his own convention, wants to be a viewed as a fighter -- which a fight does little to undermine. Obama was introduced to America as a different and better kind of politician -- an image now in tatters.

Even worse for Obama, all these shifts to catch the prevailing winds confirm the most serious concerns about his political character. As a senator, he has almost never opposed the ideological consensus of his party. (The ethics reform he often cites as his profile in courage eventually passed the Senate 96 to 2.) And now as a presidential candidate, Obama has run his campaign with all the constancy of a skittish sailboat on an erratic ocean.

Here is a different strategy. Obama could attempt to "beat back the politics of fear, and doubt, and cynicism." He could try to build a coalition that "stretches through red states and blue states." He could reject "the politics where we tear each other down instead of lifting this country up."

The candidate who said those words the night he won the Iowa caucuses did pretty well. But whatever the outcome of this presidential election, that candidate is no longer in the race."

September 17, 2008 8:02 AM  
Blogger BlackTsunami said...

anonymous, if you are going to cite right wing commentators, columns, etc., at least have the good taste to cite the source. The words you wrote are NOT your own.

September 17, 2008 8:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What did you think the quote marks meant?

Get your doctor to prescribe something to help you focus.

September 17, 2008 9:13 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fasten your selt belts guys. Reports are coming in today that Obama's support is now crumbling in the Northeast. If he loses New Jersey, Obama hasn't got a prayer.

Good thing he's raised a lot of money:

"A new Quinnipiac University poll conducted in New Jersey shows the race for president in New Jersey is tightening. Sen. John McCain now trails Sen. Barack Obama in New Jersey by 45-48 percent, making the race a virtual tie when the poll's 2.8% margin of error is factored in. The result represents a seven point swing toward McCain, who trailed Obama by ten percentage points in an August poll from Quinnipiac."

September 17, 2008 9:34 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

AH is quoting Gerson again, Bush's speechwriter who massaged all those lies into Dumya's speeches that conned the US into needlessly attacking and occupying Iraq.

McBush has voted to support Bush's failed policies 90 % of the time, not counting flip flops.

So tell us AH, how to you reconcile McShame's latest flip flops? The great deregulator suddenly is all in favor of regulating the banking industry, something Obama's been saying we need to do for ages. Obama has a six point plan to regulate the banking industry while McNotSoMaverick wants to do the classic inside the beltway delaying tactic of commissioning a group to study the problem. The problem is the GOP's failed leadership, and we don't need any more of it.

I'm particularly fond of the accurate reporting in today's Post:

Mr. Maverick Campaign Finance Reformer "Able to Skirt Limits of Federal Financing"

Looks like McDumb opposed banking regulation before he embraced them and embraced campaign finance reform before he decided he needed to "skirt limits on federal financing."

I just can't wait to see which financial giant the US government has to bail out next since the "fundamentals of our economy are strong," can you?

It's the economy, stupid.

September 17, 2008 9:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"McBush has voted to support Bush's failed policies"

Here's a phrase you seem to toss around quite a bit.

Could you elaborate on which failed policies you're talking about?

As far as McCain supporting regulation, there obviously comes a time when an institution has become so important to the global financial system that it needs to be rescued. It doesn't mean nationalization should be standard policy.

If you'll read the article you linked, you'll see that most of what Obama is proposing is also what Bush's Treasury Secretary has already proposed. Is Obama planning to keep Bush's treasury Secretary? That seems to be where he's getting most of his ideas.

btw, the banking industry in America is already highly regulated. The problems that have surfaced likely have a root elsewhere.

September 17, 2008 10:23 AM  
Blogger Tish said...

So you're saying that you don't want big government to regulate big industries, but you want big government to bail out big industries when they collapse of their own unregulated excesses.

September 17, 2008 12:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If it's in the best interest of everyone that they be bailed out.

It's like you don't want government to regulate your life but you do want it to maintain social safety nets like welfare, unemployment, et al to bail you out if your situation collapses.

Got any problem with that?

September 17, 2008 1:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good new for Preya:

Gallup is showing Obama 2 points up this afternoon.

Showdown on Sept 26 at Ole Miss.

Don't miss it!

September 17, 2008 1:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good news for everybody. The Palin bounce has been twofold. Reuters reports:

Obama wiped out McCain's 5-point edge in a Reuters/Zogby poll taken in August before the nominating conventions, a sign the Arizona senator could be drifting back to earth from what other opinion polls showed was a post-convention surge.

"We're back to where we always thought we would be -- in a very competitive race," pollster John Zogby said.

The poll, taken Thursday through Saturday, follows a hectic month in the race to the November 4 election as both parties held their nominating conventions and both candidates selected their vice presidential running mates.

McCain's choice of Sarah Palin, an anti-abortion and pro-gun first-term governor from Alaska, as his No. 2 set off a political firestorm that helped stoke conservative enthusiasm for the Republican ticket.

But Zogby said Palin also helped solidify Democratic support for Obama. "For the last few weeks it's been all about Palin and she has been a divisive force," he said. "She has shored up the base for both candidates."

September 17, 2008 1:48 PM  
Blogger Priya Lynn said...

I said "Republican liars like to claim Palin has an 80% approval rating in Alaska. The reality is starkly different."

Anonfreak replied "Actually, the media has maintained that. Got any contradictory data?".

Yes, vastly contradictory, as I previously posted and you stuck your head in the sand to ignore:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/14/103042/902

Anon-freak said " Reports are coming in today that Obama's support is now crumbling in the Northeast. If he loses New Jersey, Obama hasn't got a prayer.".

LOL, it must be nice to live in a dream world where everything goes as you want it to. Unfortunately for you reality is starkly different:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/deadlineusa/2008/sep/17/uselections2008.wallstreet

"Obama has gathered support among female and independent voters who, following the tumultuous nature of the US financial markets over the past few days, have seen him as the candidate best able to manage the current dire state of the economy. He now leads McCain among likely voters by 47% to 45%.".

Your guy's lead dried up as quickly as it appeared. Just as I told you, it wasn't long until Obama was back in the lead he rightfully holds.

September 17, 2008 2:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"But Zogby said Palin also helped solidify Democratic support for Obama."

I actually don't think this is true.

The race was close a month ago, a week ago and today. It will remain so. It follows the the pattern for the 21st century so far. We're a schizo nation, evenly torn between red and blue.

In the last moment, it will be decided by independents who go with their gut.

In general, people like McCain, Palin and Obama. Biden is just the kind of politician everyone despises.

Little things like a debate gaffe will be key.

It's keeping us all interested.

Expect the debates to set an all-time record for viewership.

September 17, 2008 2:24 PM  
Blogger Priya Lynn said...

Further to that last link I posted:

"Over the past two days McCain has been flailing as he attempted to justify his claim that despite one of the most dramatic weeks Wall Street, the ''fundamentals of our economy are strong''.

This error of judgement – along with the masses of coverage on the ramifications of the Lehmann brothers collapse - has put the Palin 'phenomenon' distinctly on the backburner.

In high-mode damage control McCain has appeared on six morning television shows in the US, explaining that what he meant was apparently in reference to the fundamentals of America… "which is the workers, their productivity, their innovation, their incredible performance for many, many years."

The ''excess and greed'' of Wall Street had ''betrayed'' the American working class, he added.

Obama has used McCain's 'fundamentals of the economy are strong' assurances to show how out of touch the Republican candidate is, not only with those suffering on Wall Street but the general public.

A series of advertisements released by the Democrats quote McCain effectively saying everything is fine, at the same time as headlines
"Lehman Brothers Collapses'', "Markets in Turmoil'' and "Foreclosures at 9.800 a day''.

A final word perhaps to one of Obama's people, in reference to a claim yesterday that John McCain had created the BlackBerry, who pointed out:

If McCain hadn't said 'the fundamentals of our economy are strong' on the day of one of our nation's worst financial crises, the claim that he invented the BlackBerry would have been the most preposterous thing he said all week.''"

September 17, 2008 2:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Your guy's lead dried up as quickly as it appeared."

Actually, as has been the case all year, neither side has often broken past the margin of statistical error.

At least with his opposition to NAFTA, Obama should get the anti-Canada vote.

September 17, 2008 2:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, Priya, but a rally of 1500 women in Alaska isn't a scientific poll. Palin does indeed enjoy the highest favorability rating of any governor in America.

Odd that you would say I'm denying reality in the same sentence you dismiss polls showing a dead heat in New Jersey. A loss there would doom Obama even if he won the national popular vote.

Stick to stuff you know about, like economics.

Hahahahahahahaha!

Tell us again how you think Obama would improve the economy.

I'm noticing an eerie silence whenever I ask this crowd that.

September 17, 2008 2:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

btw, Preya, if you up at the post bea made earlier and read the article she posted about obama's six-point plan for the economy, you'll find they are the same things being proposed by the current treasury secretary under Bush

maybe Obama's planning to vote for McBush

"could" happen

September 17, 2008 2:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here's how Obama/Biden will improve the economy:

Barack Obama and Joe Biden's Plan
Jumpstart the Economy

Enact a Windfall Profits Tax to Provide a $1,000 Emergency Energy Rebate to American Families:Barack Obama and Joe Biden will enact a windfall profits tax on excessive oil company profits to give American families an immediate $1,000 emergency energy rebate to help families pay rising bills. This relief would be a down payment on the Obama-Biden long-term plan to provide middle-class families with at least $1,000 per year in permanent tax relief.

Provide $50 billion to Jumpstart the Economy and Prevent 1 Million Americans from Losing Their Jobs: This relief would include a $25 billion State Growth Fund to prevent state and local cuts in health, education, housing, and heating assistance or counterproductive increases in property taxes, tolls or fees. The Obama-Biden relief plan will also include $25 billion in a Jobs and Growth Fund to prevent cutbacks in road and bridge maintenance and fund school re­pair - all to save more than 1 million jobs in danger of being cut.

Provide Middle Class Americans Tax Relief
Obama and Biden will cut income taxes by $1,000 for working families to offset the payroll tax they pay.

Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families: Obama and Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 150 million workers the tax relief they need. Obama and Biden will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. The "Making Work Pay" tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans.

Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less than $50,000: Barack Obama will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This proposal will eliminate income taxes for 7 million seniors and provide these seniors with an average savings of $1,400 each year. Under the Obama-Biden plan, 27 million American seniors will also not need to file an income tax return.

Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans: Obama and Biden will dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes. Obama and Biden will ensure that the IRS uses the information it already gets from banks and employers to give taxpayers the option of pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign and return. Experts estimate that the Obama-Biden proposal will save Americans up to 200 million total hours of work and aggravation and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees.

Trade
Obama and Biden believe that trade with foreign nations should strengthen the American economy and create more American jobs. He will stand firm against agreements that undermine our economic security.

Fight for Fair Trade: Obama and Biden will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. They will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that fail to live up to those important benchmarks. Obama and Biden will also pressure the World Trade Organization to enforce trade agreements and stop countries from continuing unfair government subsidies to foreign exporters and nontariff barriers on U.S. exports.

Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement: Obama and Biden believe that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. They will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.

Improve Transition Assistance: To help all workers adapt to a rapidly changing economy, Obama and Biden will update the existing system of Trade Adjustment Assistance by extending it to service industries, creating flexible education accounts to help workers retrain, and providing retraining assistance for workers in sectors of the economy vulnerable to dislocation before they lose their jobs.

End Tax Breaks for Companies that Send Jobs Overseas: Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that companies should not get billions of dollars in tax deductions for moving their operations overseas. Obama and Biden will also fight to ensure that public contracts are awarded to companies that are committed to American workers.

Reward Companies that Support American Workers: Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 with Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) to reward companies that create good jobs with good benefits for American workers. The legislation would provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America if it has ever been in America; pay decent wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance; and support employees who serve in the military.

And you can read the rest of the Obama/Biden plan here

Maybe Obama will keep Henry Paulson on as Treasury Secretary and not have to worry about him writing a backstabbing book about his covert plans.

September 17, 2008 3:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Glad that if you don't know what you're talking about, you can at least cut and paste.

You think this plan will work, Bea?

Just want to make sure you're endorsing it before I waste the time explaining how ridiculous each part is.

btw, I don't see one word about the regulation of banks, which I believe is what you and your nutcase friends have been saying is the big problem right now

I'm guessing our man about the town, Barack, hasn't told his campaign website his position on that yet, huh?

September 17, 2008 4:38 PM  
Blogger BlackTsunami said...

Anonymous, your rudeness to me and your tendency to highjack this blog only underlines your basic ignorance.

September 17, 2008 5:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

AnonBigot-

Are you an "ex-gay"???? Only an "ex-gay" would be so aggressive (usally because he or she is trying to suppress his or her feelings to such an extent that they exhibit self-hatred).

Contestámela, por favor.


Gracias,

Derrick in México.

September 17, 2008 8:06 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"your rudeness to me and your tendency to highjack this blog only underlines your basic ignorance"

Oh, yeah. That's nothing but ignorance.

btw, What am I ignorant of?

September 18, 2008 12:01 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The ill-defined protest "group" known as Anonymous, famous both for their campaign against Scientology and their strange protest activities, has hacked Gov. Sarah Palin's private email account and posted some of the contents online.

Internet "griefing" is a key component of the activities of Anonymous, and this is no exception. The full text of two private emails, as well as the screenshot of Palin's inbox and some of her family photos were added to the site wikileaks. The purported reasoning is that they are blowing the whistle on Palin using private email addresses for public business. However, the two example emails do not support the assertion, as they involve political material not permissible for use with a government email address.

Anonymous may be unaware, but elected officials not only may use private email addresses to correspond with other public officials, they actually must if it is material deemed not appropriate. For example, if Nancy Pelosi wanted to send the latest Michael Moore video to Howard Dean, she'd have to use her yahoo email address to do it, not her house email. So a bunch of addresses of people like Arnold Schwarzenegger showing on the list is evidence of nil.

The face of the controversy could change as the contents of the remainder of the emails are parsed ad nauseum by the online left, as you know they will. The current takeaway is clear: as the last two weeks have shown, the online left and their traditional media enablers will stop at nothing, not even the law, in their bloodthirsty quest to tear Gov. Sarah Palin limb from limb. It will be instructive to see who, if anyone, can be bothered to condemn this hack job.

The McCain campaign has issued a statement: "This is a shocking invasion of the Governor's privacy and a violation of law. The matter has been turned over to the appropriate authorities and we hope that anyone in possession of these emails will destroy them. We will have no further comment."

It is amusing to see, this week, a half-hearted attempt by the DNC and media outlets to paint to the McCain campaign as playing dirty. Obama's religiously devoted followers, including on blogs and in the press, have been doing his dirty work for months, and much dirtier than the McCain campaign could ever hope to stoop to. It's a neat trick to try and avoid getting Obama's hands dirty, and I recall a lot of people earlier this year whining that surrogates were doing McCain's dirty work for him. Yet the most significant Democrat blog online openly admits to doing so on behalf of Obama.

The number of lines willing to be crossed in the Palin witch-hunt the last few weeks continues to grow. From spreading rumors about her children to questioning her as a mother ... hacking her private email account and posting her private family photos online fits in perfectly. I have no doubt we'll soon hear a defense of the importance of this illegal activity to the political process. Steal personal email, don't steal press release prayers. Claim Palin's children are fair game because they are with in her public now and then, claim Michelle Obama is not fair game despite being a speech-making, event-hosting part of the campaign.

Anonymous may be anonymous, but their tactics are as plain as day. It's Obama Supporter 101. Do as he wants, not as he pretends not to do. Anonymous broke the law, but they kept the spirit of the left perfectly intact.

September 18, 2008 12:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

http://www.housequake.com/showthread.php?threadid=105697

September 18, 2008 7:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Now now AH, you didn't follow the link to the Obama/Biden econonmic recovery plan to fix the economy the GOP has broken after decades of deregulation. Go check it out and learn something.

And where is McI'm-a-deregulator's plan? Oh that's right, his latest move is to pander to the middle and recommend commissioning a "bipartisan group to review the problem," which is a typical inside-the-beltway delaying tactic. McStupid is all in favor of the Phil Gramm school of economics: "You‘ve heard of mental depression, this is a mental recession" and has a bad history when it comes to savings and loan crises. Like he has said repeatedly, McStupid really doesn't "get" economics even though he's chaired the Senate Commerce Committee for years.

The House Financial Services Committee Chairman explains it better than anyone here.

Barack Obama will fix our economy, which has been broken the elite bankers McCain's Commerce Committee has let run wild with little oversight and plenty of deregulation.

We're all enjoying this mental recession, aren't you?

It's the economy, stupid!

BTW, you stopped reporting the daily polls all of a sudden. How come?

September 18, 2008 8:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Typo correction:

Barack Obama will fix our economy, which has been broken BY the elite bankers McCain's Commerce Committee has let run wild with little oversight and plenty of deregulation.

September 18, 2008 8:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

He has the first thing wrong. He wants to increase taxes during a financial downturn.

Start with that and, right away, you see he hasn't got a clue.

If the banking crisis is so important, why didn't you paste his plan instead of linking it?

You pasted several other points from his website.

Why not issue number 1, the issue you claim is most important?

Let's see it. Just paste his brilliant paragraph and we'll discuss.

Or, actually describe it, if you even understand any of it.

September 18, 2008 11:48 AM  
Blogger BlackTsunami said...

Nice try, anonymous

but the Obama campaign had nothing to do with Palin's email break-in

September 18, 2008 12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"BTW, you stopped reporting the daily polls all of a sudden. How come?"

Because it can't go on forever.

The latest polls in Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Michigan have McCain ahead.

The race is tied in Pennsylvania.

This is a change from yesterday when Virginia was tied. That poll may have been flawed, however, since one released today puts McCain up by 9.

Check RealPolitics electoral map. Right now, it has McCain up 216-207.

With the crises we're facing and the unpopularity of the current administration, it's one of the seven great wonders of political history why the Dems aren't ahead by 20 points.

Of course, the explanation is twofold:

1. The Democratic Congress is more unpopular than the President, having been elected two years ago to a majority and having done nothing and, even worse, having not tried to do anything

2. The Dems, determined to shoot themselves in the foot, have a fear of winning and have elected the most unqualified candidate for President in history and paired him with someone who has run for President several times garnering a vote total that equals the membership at the local YMCA.

Problem is, to win, the Dems have to want it more.

September 18, 2008 12:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

We're still waiting for someone, anyone to find the deregulator's plan to fix the crisis in the financial markets. We got his attempt to stall -- his call for a "biparitisan group to study it" plan. What else has the old guy who doesn't understand economics got?

September 18, 2008 2:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

He has the first thing wrong. He wants to increase taxes during a financial downturn.

Who thinks Big Oil with its RECORD BREAKING PROFITS is in an "economic downturn" and can't afford to pay windfall profits taxes?

Not me!

The price of a barrel of oil recently dropped below $100.00. Who saw a corresponding drop in the price of a gallon of gasoline?

Not me!

September 18, 2008 2:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Big Oil" already pays tax on their income. Why should they pay at an exorbinantly high rate? We're not socialist.

Oil companies should be unshackled and able to tap our offshore resources.

This will help us economically and strengthen our security.

McCain also favors a pro-growth tax cut. At this point, it's hard to see who could disagree but Obama does. JFK, the last sane Democrat cut capital gains tax and caused a boom in the early 60s.

Obama has had other concerns while he was supposed to be serving his constituents:

"Barack Obama largest recipient of political funds from mortgage giants Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae
The federal takeover of mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae may stabilize the economy and help the housing industry.

But some politicians could take a hit too, most particularly Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Individuals who list their employers as one of the two entities, plus political action committees formed by the government-sponsored firms that own or guarantee half the nation's mortgages, have donated $4.3 million to federal elected officials and their various campaign committees since 2005.

Obama is the recipient of the largest individual money, at $111,849, according to federal campaign finance reports compiled by Times researcher Maloy Moore."

It takes a lot of money to tell people how wonderful you are.

Travel and commercials, yada, yada.

But Barack could probably share with us his most sage piece of economic advice:

It takes money to make money!

September 18, 2008 3:13 PM  
Blogger Dana Beyer, M.D. said...

We're not socialist? Wyatt, please forward to me your shares in AIG when you receive them. Thank you.

September 18, 2008 4:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

W

we're not an owner, we're a creditor

pretty nice interest rate too

11%

September 18, 2008 4:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's all you've got AH, half spun half truths. Here's the full LATimes blog article

Barack Obama largest recipient of political funds from mortgage giants Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae

The federal takeover of mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae may stabilize the economy and help the housing industry.

But some politicians could take a hit too, most particularly Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Individuals who list their employers as one of the two entities, plus political action committees formed by the government-sponsored firms that own or guarantee half the nation's mortgages, have donated $4.3 million to federal elected officials and their various campaign committees since 2005.

The money has gone to both Republicans and Democrats.

But Obama is the recipient of the largest individual money, at $111,849, according to federal campaign finance reports compiled by Times researcher Maloy Moore.

One reason Obama has raised the most from the entities is that he has out-raised all other candidates, $390 million so far and counting.

The mortgage money has not influenced Obama's stands, Ben Labolt, a campaign aide asserted.

The candidate has “consistently supported stepped-up regulation for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure that instead of....

...rewarding speculators who relied on the government to reap massive profits, taxpayers and struggling homeowners are protected,” Labolt said.


Republican nominee John McCain has taken $16,400 from Freddie and Fannie employees since 2005. But the groups have had an in with him. McCain campaign manager Rick Davis is past president of the Homeownership Alliance, an advocacy group whose members included Freddie and Fannie. In that role, he defended them against increased regulation.

Democratic and Republican committees set up to fund congressional and Senate races are the biggest recipients. Freddie PAC, Fannie PAC and their employees have given $171,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and $123,000 to the Republican Senate committee since 2005.

Other major individual recipients include House Republican Leader John Boehner and his political action committee, $71,750; Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell and his PAC, $62,500; and Senate leader Harry Reid and his PAC, $61,000.

Hillary Rodham Clinton took $56,100 and Christopher Dodd took $53,450.

Obama’s running mate, Joe Biden, brought up the rear during the period reviewed, receiving just one donation from one Freddie employee of $500. McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is Freddie- and Fannie-free, having never run for federal office.

-- Dan Morain


The Obama/Biden economic plan for protecting consumers from Mortgage Fraud includes among other things:


Protect Homeownership and Crack Down on Mortgage Fraud

Obama and Biden will crack down on fraudulent brokers and lenders. They will also make sure homebuyers have honest and complete information about their mortgage options, and they will give a tax credit to all middle-class homeowners.

Create a Universal Mortgage Credit:

Obama and Biden will create a 10 percent universal mortgage credit to provide homeowners who do not itemize tax relief. This credit will provide an average of $500 to 10 million homeowners, the majority of whom earn less than $50,000 per year.

Ensure More Accountability in the Subprime Mortgage Industry:

Obama has been closely monitoring the subprime mortgage situation for years, and introduced comprehensive legislation over a year ago to fight mortgage fraud and protect consumers against abusive lending practices. Obama's STOP FRAUD Act provides the first federal definition of mortgage fraud, increases funding for federal and state law enforcement programs, creates new criminal penalties for mortgage professionals found guilty of fraud, and requires industry insiders to report suspicious activity.

Mandate Accurate Loan Disclosure:

Obama and Biden will create a Homeowner Obligation Made Explicit (HOME) score, which will provide potential borrowers with a simplified, standardized borrower metric (similar to APR) for home mortgages. The HOME score will allow individuals to easily compare various mortgage products and understand the full cost of the loan.

Close Bankruptcy Loophole for Mortgage Companies:

Obama and Biden will work to eliminate the provision that prevents bankruptcy courts from modifying an individual's mortgage payments. They believe that the subprime mortgage industry, which has engaged in dangerous and sometimes unscrupulous business practices, should not be shielded by outdated federal law.


And Obama's record already includes:

Housing: In the U.S. Senate, Obama introduced the STOP FRAUD Act to increase penalties for mortgage fraud and provide more protections for low-income homebuyers, well before the current subprime crisis began.

Predatory Lending: In the Illinois State Senate, Obama called attention to predatory lending issues. Obama sponsored legislation to combat predatory payday loans, and he also was credited with lobbying the state to more closely regulate some of the most egregious predatory lending practices.


Do tell, AH, what does McBush plan to do and what legislation has he passed to keep or get us out of this financial crisis. Oh that's right, he's a deregulator.

T stands for Thornton

September 18, 2008 4:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andrea- not anon
Anon- Your delusions are getting worse. As to those of you who bother to answer Anon's questions with actual stories or links- don't bother-facts don't work for it. Kind of like Palin not remembering her support for the bridge or trying to ban books or not visiting Ireland or Iraq- big lies, little lies- what's the difference when truth means nothing.

September 18, 2008 4:36 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"trying to ban books"

Are you in favor of banning books by PFOX in public schools?

I remember you guys wanted to ban gtheir literature.

September 18, 2008 4:49 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

September 19, 2008 2:39 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Anonymous said…
"your rudeness to me and your tendency to highjack this blog only underlines your basic ignorance"

Oh, yeah. That's nothing but ignorance.

btw, What am I ignorant of?


Not knowing what you’re ignorant of.

You’re not angry at us, you’re angry about your own situation.

You’re single, and have no one to love, and you literally have nothing better to do than to hate us.

I don’t blame you for the pain that you’re in, it’s common, but it’s something that you need to at least admit to yourself if you have ANY hope of getting out of it.
--
People like us are getting beaten to death every day, and you seem to ENJOY it.

Admit it, at least to yourself.
--
Are you that ugly? Do you feel that ugly? Why else would you continue to come here to tease us, and taunt us -- knowing full well that we'll rip you to shreds, every time -- unless it's to make yourself feel better somehow?

We all know there’s something wrong with you, we just don’t know what it is.
--
There’s plenty wrong with all of us, I’m sure, and I’m sure many of us would be willing to admit as much. But if you really believe in God, a god of Love, then why are you so mean? Why do you WANT to be so mean?

What are you getting out of this?

September 19, 2008 3:13 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"why are you so mean?"

Emprob, most of the above is banter about the presidential campaign. It's a national pasttime, man. I don't see much difference in the way people talk to me and the way I talk to them. I see I've been insulted for my views and called a variety of names.

Personally, I like it when people disagree with me. I actually enjoy if they make a clever remark at my expense although they rarely do. It's also always funny to see people take themselves way too seriously.

If you don't like it, why participate?

September 19, 2008 8:44 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

“Personally, I like it when people disagree with me.”

I agree, I think you do. I absolutely, absolutely agree. 100%

September 19, 2008 3:21 PM  

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