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Rove: Obama Moved Out

edenpprairiefactchecker — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:38:31 -0500

Rove: Obama Moved Out Smartly

Campaign 2008

Rove: Election played on GOP side of the electoral map

By Klaus Marre
Posted: 10/05/08 11:11 AM [ET]

Republican strategist Karl Rove on Sunday said the race for the White House is currently played on the GOP side of the map but noted that “rapid changes” could again alter the picture.
Rove, who has Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama leading in enough states to clinch the electoral vote, noted on Fox News Sunday that the Illinois senator has solidified his advantages in blue states while the race is tightening in several states President Bush carried in the last election.

“Obama has forced this more on to the Republican turf and off of the Democratic turf, and that's where you'd like to be at this point,” Rove said. According to state polls, the GOP strategist has Obama leading in states with 273 electoral votes while Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) is ahead in states with 163 electoral votes.

Rove believes that the recent swing can be contributed more to McCain’s perceived handling of the economic crisis than an upswing on the part of Obama.

“What we may be seeing is people reacting to McCain suspending his campaign, which may have – they’ve seen as a political gesture, coming back, and not getting something done initially with the failure of the bill to pass the House a week ago Monday,” Rove said.

He had no explanation for why the McCain camp announced its withdrawal from Michigan, a blue state in which the campaign once believed it could challenge Obama.

“Remember, each side has now pulled out of states. We had Obama pulling out of Alaska, North Dakota, Nebraska, Georgia, all states where he spent a lot of money. So each side has to start making these kind of decisions,” Rove said. “The question is whether you do it smartly like Obama did, very quietly, or whether you do it in a high-profile leak, as the McCain camp did.”

However, Rove also pointed out that there is still a month to go before the election and that recent trends can be reversed.

“The campaign ebbs and flows. What we're seeing here is a result of the focus of the American people and of voters on the economic problems that have dominated the news the last several weeks. And what has happened then has been a shift to Obama,” Rove said. “Just remember, though, 17 days ago in the electoral college McCain led 227 to 216. Fifteen days ago, on the eve of the news on the bailout, he led 216 to 215. This race is susceptible to rapid changes, and we're likely to see in the remaining four weeks more.”

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/rove-election-played-on-gop-side-of-the...

McCain's Naval

edenpprairiefactchecker — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:33:36 -0500

McCain's Naval Record

Mishaps mark John McCain's record as naval aviator

Three crashes early in his career led Navy officials to question or fault his judgment. A Times review of his record suggests he was cocky, occasionally cavalier and prone to testing limits.

By Ralph Vartabedian and Richard A. Serrano, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers
6:49 PM PDT, October 5, 2008

John McCain was training in his AD-6 Skyraider on an overcast Texas morning in 1960 when he slammed into Corpus Christi Bay and sheared the skin off his plane's wings.

McCain recounted the accident decades later in his autobiography. "The engine quit while I was practicing landings," he wrote. But an investigation board at the Naval Aviation Safety Center found no evidence of engine failure.

The 23-year-old junior lieutenant wasn't paying attention and erred in using "a power setting too low to maintain level flight in a turn," investigators concluded.

The crash was one of three early in McCain's aviation career in which his flying skills and judgment were faulted or questioned by Navy officials.

In his most serious lapse, McCain was "clowning" around in a Skyraider over southern Spain about December 1961 and flew into electrical wires, causing a blackout, according to McCain's own account as well as those of naval officers and enlistees aboard the carrier Intrepid. In another incident, in 1965, McCain crashed a T-2 trainer jet in Virginia.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-aviator6-2008oct06,0,7633315....

Women's Right to Choose in

edenpprairiefactchecker — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:29:40 -0500

Women's Right to Choose in Jeopardy

The Supreme Court's onetime wide majority in favor of abortion rights has shrunk to one: Justice John Paul Stevens, who is 88. Now the decision's fate may depend on who becomes the next president.
By David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 5, 2008

WASHINGTON -- Every four years, defenders of abortion rights proclaim that the fate of Roe vs. Wade hangs on the outcome of the presidential election.

This year, they may be right.

Through most of the 1990s and until recently, the Supreme Court had a solid 6-3 majority in favor of upholding the right of a woman to choose abortion. But the margin has shrunk to one, now that Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is retired and has been replaced by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.

And Justice John Paul Stevens, a leader of the narrow majority for abortion rights, is 88.

"Clearly, Roe is on the line this time," said Indiana University law professor Dawn Johnsen, a former lawyer for NARAL Pro-Choice America. "It is quite clear they have four votes against it. If the next president appoints one more, the odds are it will be overruled."

Some advocates worry that the perennial cries of "Roe is falling" has had the effect of muting such claims.

"What we find scary is that people don't understand what's at stake," said Kathryn Kolbert, president of People for the American Way. "In the next four years, one to as many as three Supreme Court justices may step down, and they all will come from the liberal end of the court."

But that doesn't mean abortion or the fate of the Roe decision is a rallying cry on the campaign trail for either Democrats or Republicans. The two parties have staked out opposite positions, but their candidates rarely mention them when campaigning.

The abortion issue is enormously important to the base of both parties, political strategists say, but it is a touchy and difficult matter to raise with an audience of swing voters and those who are undecided.

"People are conflicted about it," said Peter Fenn, a veteran Democratic strategist. "If you are campaigning in Scranton, you want to make the lunch-bucket argument. When the economy is driving the race, you don't want to ignite the culture wars."

On the Republican side, Kenneth L. Khachigian, a California attorney and a campaign advisor to President Reagan, said abortion had become a key issue in the primary races but not in the general election.

"It is a motivating factor at the grass-roots level," he said.

When Republican John McCain was considering his choices for a running mate, conservative activists threatened a rebellion at the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn., if he were to choose a supporter of abortion rights.

Instead, McCain galvanized his support with conservative activists when he chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest.

McCain's website says he "believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned."

But having established his opposition to abortion, McCain has no reason to campaign on the issue, Khachigian said. "At this stage, when you focus on the 10% who are out there and have not decided, you can figure they are not going to decide based on your view of abortion or Roe vs. Wade," he said.

Democrat Barack Obama has called himself a strong supporter of abortion rights.

"A woman's ability to decide how many children to have and when, without interference from the government, is one of the most fundamental rights we possess," he told NARAL Pro-Choice America. "I believe we must work together to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies," he said.

But Obama, like McCain, does not talk up the issue on the campaign trail.

Polls show the American public remains closely split on abortion. Most say they favor legal abortion, with some restrictions. In August, a poll for the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that 54% said abortion should be generally legal, and 41% said it should be mostly illegal."

More at this URL:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scotus5-2008oct05,0...

McCain Camp Warned Obama's

edenpprairiefactchecker — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:35:26 -0500

McCain Camp Warned

Obama's allies warn GOP, McCain to back off attacks
By CHARLES BABINGTON Associated Press
Oct. 5, 2008, 2:38PM

Several Obama surrogates said his supporters may start reminding voters of McCain's ties to Charles Keating, a convicted savings and loan owner whose actions two decades ago triggered a Senate ethics investigation that involved McCain as one of the "Keating Five."

The warnings of massive retaliation came as McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, took on the role of attacker and said that Obama sees America as so imperfect "that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country." She was referring to an early Obama supporter, 1960s radical Bill Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground whose members were blamed for several bombings when Obama was a child.

Obama has denounced Ayer's radical views and activities. But he's not above questioning McCain's character with loaded words.

On Sunday Obama unveiled a TV ad on the economy that paints McCain was "erratic in a crisis" — a not-subtle suggestion that McCain's age, 72, might be an issue.

Democrats were well-synchronized Sunday, using the word "erratic" and Keating's name in nearly-matching sentences across the talk show circuit.

"This is going to be a month, I think, of character assassination," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., an Obama supporter, said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Indeed, McCain adviser Greg Strimple predicted in "a very aggressive last 30 days" of the campaign.

"We are looking forward to turning a page on this financial crisis and getting back to discussing Mr. Obama's aggressively liberal record and how he will be too risky for Americans," he said in a recent conference call with reporters.

Obama, too alluded to harsher tactics in a speech Sunday to thousands of people in Asheville, N.C.

McCain and his aides, Obama said, "are gambling that he can distract you with smears rather than talk to you about substance. They'd rather try to tear our campaign down than lift this country up. It's what you do when you're out of touch, out of ideas, and running out of time."

Noting the nation's serious economic problems, Obama said: "Yet instead of addressing these crises, Senator McCain's campaign has announced that they plan to turn the page on the discussion about our economy and spend the final weeks of this campaign launching Swiftboat-style attacks on me."

Obama has denounced Ayers' radical views and activities. However, Ayers hosted a small gathering for Obama in 1995, early in his political career. Obama and Ayers live in the same Chicago neighborhood and served on a charity board together, but there is no evidence they have palled around.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, a Chicago Democrat and Obama supporter, warned against McCain's strategy.

"If we are going to go down this road, you know, Barack Obama was eight years old, somehow responsible for Bill Ayers," he said. "At 58, John McCain was associating with Charles Keating."

"If we really want to talk who is associating with who, we will," Emanuel said. "The American people will lose in that transaction."

Just months into his Senate career, in the late 1980s, McCain made what he has called "the worst mistake of my life." He participated in two meetings with banking regulators on behalf of Keating, a friend, campaign contributor and S&L financier who was later convicted of securities fraud.

The Senate ethics committee investigated five senators' relationships with Keating. It cited McCain for a lesser role than the others, but faulted his "poor judgment."

In the new Obama ad, an announcer says: "Our financial system in turmoil. And John McCain? Erratic in a crisis. Out of touch on the economy."

The ad, slated to start running Monday on national cable, alludes to McCain's response to the nation's financial crisis. He briefly suspended his campaign, called for a White House summit meeting that ended chaotically, and showed varying degrees of support for the massive rescue bill Congress passed Friday.

Republicans say McCain's actions showed leadership.

"In the midst of it all, I think you saw Sen. McCain, unlike Sen. Obama, come off the campaign trail, because that's John McCain in the middle of a crisis," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent-Democrat who backs McCain."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6041101.html

Presidential Tracking "The

edenpprairiefactchecker — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:58:48 -0500

Presidential Tracking

"The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows Barack Obama attracting 51% of the vote while John McCain earns 44%. For each of the past ten days, Obama has been at 50% or 51% and McCain has been at 44% or 45%. (see trends).

Tracking Poll results are released every day at 9:30 a.m. Eastern and a FREE daily e-mail update is available.

Forty-five percent (45%) of voters say they are certain they will vote for Obama and will not change their mind. Thirty-eight percent (38%) say the same about McCain. Thirteen percent (13%) currently have a preference for one of the candidates but might change their mind. Four percent (4%) are either undecided or plan to vote for a third-party candidate.

One way of understanding the difficult challenge now facing McCain is to consider the relatively small group of persuadable voters who could still change their mind. The Republican hopeful would have to win nearly 80% of those votes to pull ahead in the race. That’s especially challenging because most of those voters are currently leaning towards Obama. In other words, while the race is not over, McCain needs a significant--game-changing—event to win the White House. Simply doing what he’s been doing a little better will not be enough.

There’s no mystery as to why the race has moved in Obama’s direction--it’s the economy. Just before Lehman Brothers collapsed and made visible Wall Street’s problems, 24% of voters said the nation was heading in the right direction. Since then, even that relatively low number has fallen sharply and is now in single digits for the first time ever. Today, just 9% of voters now say that the United States is heading in the right direction. Eighty-eight percent (88%) disagree and say the nation has gotten off on the wrong track.

At the same time that the number who say the nation is heading in the right direction has fallen, Obama’s support has steadily increased. In fact, his level of support has not fallen by even a single point on a single day for any of the twenty-four days dating back to September 12. He was supported by 46% of voters on September 12 and 13 before inching up to 47% for four days. Then, he was at 48% for six days and 49% for two days. Obama hit the 50% mark on September 26 and stayed there for four days before earning 51% support for each of the past six days.

Fifty-one percent (51%) of voters now trust Obama more than McCain on the economy while 42% hold the opposite view. Given the importance of the economic issues in Election 2008, it’s not a coincidence that these numbers so closely mirror the overall voter preferences in the tracking poll.

Obama is viewed favorably by 57% of voters, McCain by 53% (see trends). Rasmussen Markets data shows Obama is given a 64.6% chance of winning in November (see market expectations for key states).

For a look at other key polling data, see our weekly review of What They Told Us.

Obama is opening a growing lead in the Electoral College projections and recent statewide Presidential polls have been released for Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Demographic crosstabs for all state polling are available for Premium Members. Learn More.

The Rasmussen Reports Balance of Power Calculator shows Obama leading in states with 217 Electoral College votes while McCain has the edge in states with 174 votes. When “leaners” are included, Obama leads 264-185 (see Quick Campaign Overview). There are currently six states in the Toss-Up category—Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia. If Obama were to win all the states that are currently leaning in his direction, he would need to win only one of those six toss-up states to become the nation’s next President.

A total of 270 Electoral Votes are needed to win the White House (see 50-State Summary).

See results from recent polling on Senate races.

Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 1,000 likely voters per night and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. The margin of sampling error—for the full sample of 3,000 Likely Voters--is +/- 2 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Results are also compiled on a full-week basis and crosstabs for the full-week results are available for Premium Members.

Like all polling firms, Rasmussen Reports weights its data to reflect the population at large (see methodology). Among other targets, Rasmussen Reports weights data by political party affiliation using a dynamic weighting process. During the final two months of Election 2008, party weighting targets are updated each Sunday (see additional information). For polling data released during the week of October 5-11, 2008, the partisan weighting targets used by Rasmussen Reports will be 39.3% Democratic, 33.3% Republican, and 27.4% unaffiliated."

http://www.edenprairienews.com/community/forums/back-and-forth/fact-chec...

Fact Check Afghan general

Ponytail — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:40:59 -0500

Fact Check Afghan general say 'surge principle' won't work?

Sen. Joe Biden said the 'commanding general in Afghanistan said the surge principle won't work in Afghanistan.'
The Statement:
Sen. Joe Biden said at the Oct. 2 vice presidential debate that "our commanding general in Afghanistan said the surge principle in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan."

Get the facts!

The Facts:
Gov. Sarah Palin, who lauded the successes of the "surge strategy" in Iraq, asserted in the debate that "the surge principles, not the exact strategy, but the surge principles that have worked in Iraq need to be implemented in Afghanistan."

But Sen. Joe Biden disagreed, saying "our commanding general in Afghanistan said the surge principle in Iraq will not work in Afghanistan. … He said we need more troops. We need government-building. We need to spend more money on the infrastructure in Afghanistan."

Gen. David McKiernan, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, was quoted on Oct. 2 in The Washington Post as saying that "no Iraq-style 'surge' of forces will end the conflict" in Afghanistan, even though more U.S. troops are needed to take on a growing insurgency.

"Afghanistan is not Iraq," McKiernan said in Washington on Oct. 1. He also said "the word I don't use for Afghanistan is 'surge.' " He called for a "sustained commitment" leading to a political and not just a military solution.

He said Afghanistan is a "far more complex environment than I ever found in Iraq." The newspaper paraphrased him as citing the country's "unique challenges" — "the mountainous terrain, rural population, poverty, illiteracy, 400 major tribal networks and history of civil war."

The Verdict: True.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/03/fact-check-did-afghan-ge...

Agree: Fear Unjustified Gwen

Ponytail — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:33:45 -0500

Agree: Fear Unjustified

Gwen Ifill was a true journalist: fair
Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images
HELPING HANDS: Moderator Gwen Ifill of PBS arrives before the vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis. She had injured herself in a fall at home.
Critics had feared she would favor Biden because she's written a book that spotlights Obama. Those fears were unjustified.
By JAMES RAINEY, ON THE MEDIA
October 3, 2008
At least one figure on the stage for Thursday night's vice presidential debate reached a high standard for reason, fairness and class.

Gwen Ifill of PBS demonstrated abundant dignity as referee of the much-anticipated debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.

"Some partisan critics had suggested in recent days that Ifill was unfit for the role because she is writing a book about American politics in the "age of Obama." As in Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee.

That information sent conservative commentators like Richard Viguerie into convulsions of dismay and anger. Surely, Ifill was a liberal plant who would try to tilt the debate toward Biden, the Democratic senator from Delaware.

Viguerie said Wednesday that Democrats would agree to debates only where they got "the home-field advantage, only when the questioners are people who see liberalism as objective reality and who consider the opinions of conservative, mainstream Americans to be backward and ill-informed."

If those were Ifill's feelings, she sure kept them concealed. One measure of how well the former newspaper reporter performed was that, once the talking started, she faded into the background as Biden and Palin shared their strikingly different world views.

I'd defy the critics to show how Ifill's questions even came close to favoring one nominee over the other.

When she asked about taxes, for example, both nominees faced a pointed inquiry. To Biden: Isn't the Democrats' call to tax the wealthy an invitation to class warfare? To Palin: Couldn't McCain's proposal to tax health insurance benefits cost many Americans their current coverage?

When the GOP governor of Alaska's answer focused mostly on dubbing Obama a big-time tax-and-spender, Ifill helpfully reminded Palin that she needed to respond to the query about McCain's health insurance proposal.

Both nominees segued far afield on a question about just what they would do in the vice president's office, and Ifill gave both a gentle scolding.

"Governor, senator, neither of you really answered that last question about what you would do as vice president," Ifill said, to laughter from the audience. "I'm going to come back to that throughout the evening to try to see if we can look forward as well."

And she did.

What the critics who set out to pillory Ifill failed to acknowledge -- because it did not suit their political aims -- was that real journalists, who doubtless have biases, can and will put them aside to do their jobs.

And the 53-year-old journalist is a real professional, one who has covered the White House, Congress and presidential campaigns for four newspapers, including the New York Times and the Washington Post.

Her upcoming book, "Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama," will feature three other politicians along with the Democratic presidential candidate.

Journalists and commentators are perfectly justified in pointing out that Ifill is writing the book. And voters can judge for themselves whether that project swayed her to help Obama's running mate or to throw obstacles in front of his Republican rival.

Ifill answered those questions admirably, showing that, regardless of her personal feelings, she knows how to moderate a serious political discussion. And how to fade gracefully into the background -- something her loud critics, who assumed the worst, should think about doing."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-onthemedia3-2008oct...

Ifill: Much ado about

edenpprairiefactchecker — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:30:58 -0500

Ifill: Much ado about Nothing

All the angst about Ifill's objectivity another GOP cop-out.

Is Gwen Ifill fair and balanced? Yes, with integrity to spare ...

"For people just now getting wind of the fact that Gwen Ifill, the moderator for tomorrow night's VP debate is working on a book about black politicians, including Obama, you may be interested in this profile of Ms. Ifill written about a month ago in the Washington Post. Good read, and it mentions the book and her motivation for writing it. It's no secret that she is working on a book that is, in part, about Obama, but on the eve of the debate, the spinmeisters sure are making a fuss. Maybe they should borrow a page from the man on the top of the GOP ticket who says this about Gwen Ifill:

"I think that Gwen Ifill is a professional and I think that she will do a totally objective job because she is a highly respected professional."

http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/10/is-gwen-if...

Biden won the debate

Ponytail — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:13:32 -0500

Biden won the debate according to
Republican uncommitted voters....

CBS Poll: Uncommitted Voters Say Biden Won
But Voters Also Say Their Perceptions Of Palin Improved

(CBS) Uncommitted voters who watched the vice presidential debate thought Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden did the best job by a margin of more than two to one, according to a CBS News/Knowledge Networks poll taken immediately following the debate.

However, there was good news in the poll for Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, too. Palin's debate performance improved uncommitted voters' perceptions of her overall, and on a number of specific measures. But uncommitted voters still have doubts about her ability to assume the presidency if necessary and she lags behind Biden on her knowledge and preparedness for the job.

Few of the pre-debate uncommitted voters committed to a candidate immediately afterwards - about seven in 10 remain uncommitted.

Voters' interest in this year’s vice presidential debate was high before the debate - about as high as interest in last week’s presidential debate.

Immediately after the vice presidential debate, CBS News interviewed a nationally representative sample of nearly 500 debate watchers, assembled by Knowledge Networks, who were "uncommitted voters" - voters who are either undecided about who to vote for or who have a preference but say they could still change their minds.

Forty-six percent of these uncommitted viewers said Biden won the debate Thursday night, while 21 percent said Palin won. Thirty-three percent thought it was a tie.

Even a quarter of Republican uncommitted voters thought Biden won the debate.

Among these voters, there was improvement in views of both Palin and Biden. Fifty-five percent of the uncommitted voters said their opinion of Palin had changed for the better as a result of the debate; just 14 percent said they had a lower opinion of her after tonight, and 30 percent said their views of her did not change.

As for Biden, 53 percent of uncommitted viewers said their image of the veteran senator improved, while five percent said their opinion of him got worse. Forty-two percent said their opinion did not change.

Palin's rating improved after the debate on being knowledgeable on important issues - from 43 percent to 66 percent - but Biden still far outpaces her. After the debate, 98 percent thought he was knowledgeable.

Uncommitted voters' views of Palin's preparedness for the job of vice president also improved as a result of her debate performance - from 39 percent to 55 percent. But those numbers are still nowhere near the percentage that thinks Biden is prepared - 97 percent, up from 81 percent before the debate.

Men were more likely than women to think Palin is prepared for the job, but that's not surprising, as more men tend to be Republican than women.

Although Palin made some gains on perceptions that she could serve as president if needed, she rose just nine points on that measure after the debate, to 44 percnet. In contrast, almost all uncommitted voters think Biden would be an effective president.

One of Palin's strengths has been her ability to connect with voters. Before the debate, 58 percent of uncommitted voters felt she shares their values; that rose to 73 percent after the debate. Fewer uncommitted voters said the same about Biden either before or after the debate.

Debate watchers who thought Biden won the debate cited his knowledge and experience - especially on foreign policy - often using words like "knowledgeable," "experienced" and "articulate." Others mentioned his sincerity and compassion, and mentioned finding out about his family life - particularly that he was a single parent. In contrast, they felt that Palin was overly rehearsed and dodged answering questions.

Debate watchers who thought Palin won the debate praised her style. They saw her as "outspoken," "determined" and "on the ball." They also said she was more intelligent and accomplished than they expected, echoing the finding that 66 percent thought she was knowledgeable in the post-debate poll.

Uncommitted voters include those who say they have a preference, but also say they could still change their minds. Eighteen percent said they were committed to Obama, ten percent were committed to McCain and 71 percent of these voters remained uncommitted after the debate.

Read the complete poll (PDF)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This CBS News poll was conducted online by Knowledge Networks among a nationwide random sample of 473 uncommitted voters - voters who don’t yet know who they will vote for, or who have chosen a candidate but may still change their minds - who have agreed to watch the debate. Knowledge Networks, a market and public policy research firm based in Menlo Park, CA, conducted the web poll among a sample of adult members of its panel, who are provided web access if they don't already have it. More technical information is available at http://www.knowledgenetworks.com/ganp/reviewer-info.html.

This is a scientifically representative poll of uncommitted voters’ reaction to the presidential debate. The margin of sampling error could be plus or minus 5 percentage points for results based on the entire sample."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/03/politics/2008debates/main44971...

Electopedia 2008 Greatest

edenpprairiefactchecker — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:44:18 -0500

Electopedia 2008

Greatest Political Accomplishment Never-Altered Core Position
Foreign-Policy Experience Best Speech
Worst Speech Angriest Public Moment
Most Embarrassing Gaffe Most Egregious Policy Flip-flop
Biggest Lie Greatest Political Blunder
Most Blatant Pop-Culture Pandering Most Amusing YouTube Video
Dirtiest Campaign Trick Nuttiest Rumor
Best Debate Smackdown Worst Enemy
Most Trusted Adviser Mentor
Relationship With Parents Relationship With Siblings
Curious Family History Houses They Grew Up In
First Job First Love
How They Did in High School How They Did in College
How They Did in Law School Military (In)experience
Blue-Collar Cred Personal Wealth
Most Spectacular Source of Income Greatest Private-Sector Liability
Where They Live Now Relationship With Offspring
How They Met Their Wives Marital Issues
Best Friend Pets
Spiritual Adviser Church Attendance
Superstitions Favorite Hobby
Taste in Alcohol Taste in Books
Taste in Music Fashion Sense
Hairstyle and Its Evolution Diet
Sleep Habits Health Problems
Preferred Mode of Transportation

http://nymag.com/news/politics/encyclopedia/angriestmoment/

Yup, You Betcha "There was

edenpprairiefactchecker — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:36:19 -0500

Yup, You Betcha

"There was also some breaking news out of Dayton, Ohio, today where this morning Republican presidential candidate John McCain introduced the world to his third wife — actually, no, I’m sorry, that’s his running mate Sarah Palin, the freshman governor of Alaska, and star and producer of Emmy-winning 30 Rock. No, I apologize, the star of the Emmy-winning Will & Grace. No, no, I’m sorry, it’s actually the mild-mannered and troubled librarian from every Cinemax movie." —Jon Stewart

Since when did facts matter in politics? Palin shows us what her brand of substance is: winkin an blinkin.

The Washington outsider and middle-class PTA mom is committed to "Joe Six Pack, hockey moms across the nation."

Palin is "beyond naive." When she was unable to respond to national issues she reverted to street talk, her response: "Oh, man, it's so obvious that I'm a Washington outsider and someone just not used to the way you guys operate."

Right, but we know how she operates in Alaska. And that's enough pork for one state, thankyou.

She "flailed" her way through the CBS News and landed up being ridiculed on "Saturday Night Live" and elsewhere. Was this her come-back to acceptability?

Last night she had the opportunity to speak knowledgeably about serious topics. Did she? The self-proffessed main-streeter was choppy at best, repeating catch phrases, slogans, everything but the kind of fluency and knowledge that put Biden over the top last night.

We don't need another four years of "Cowboy" politics and a contender who thinks the office has substantially more power, example our current Vice President.

She may be entertaining, but she's not a legit contender.

• "John McCain's V.P. pick is the governor of Alaska, a unknown hockey mom named Sarah Palin that no one ever heard of. The only other job she had in politics was the mayor of a small town known as Wasilla, Alaska, and now she has the opportunity to be on a ticket opposite of Barack Obama, the first black man she's ever seen." —Bill Maher

• "She does know about international relations because she is right up there in Alaska, right next-door to Russia." — Fox News' Steve Doocy "When you think about it, Alaska is also near the North Pole, so she must also be friends with Santa." —Jon Stewart

• "GRAN 'OL PARTY" —Today's Daily News cover

• "I think this is pertinent because McCain has been running this campaign based on 'we're at war, it's a dangerous world out there. The Democrats don't get that. I, John McCain, am the only one standing between the bloodthirsty Al Qaedas and you. But if I die, this stewardess can handle it.'" —Bill Maher

About As Laughable As a Punchline That Relies on the Word "Retard"

• "Palin and McCain are a good pair. She's pro-life and he's clinging to life." —Jay Leno

• "Does any of you have the phone number for Lynne Spears? I totally think we are going to be BFFs :)" —From the fake Sarah Palin blog

• "Are you kidding me, the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska? Yeah, that's who you want in the White House during a time of crisis. When she got a phone call at 3 in the morning, it was because a moose had gotten in the garbage can." —Bill Maher

• "Actually, it was kind of a smart choice. McCain went with a woman because he didn't want to have to be in a position to have to get CPR from Mitt Romney." —Jay Leno

• "She has unwittingly and literally become the poster child for her mother's anti-choice and abstinence-only education policies." —Bonnie Fuller

More at this URL:

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/09/sarah_palin_jokes_is_mccains_v.html

Barr McCain Hypocrite Barr:

Ponytail — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:53:58 -0500

Barr McCain Hypocrite

Barr: 'I Think McCain Is A Hypocrite'
@ 2:42 pm by Hill Staff

"John McCain isn't the opponent of big government that he claims he is, according to Bob Barr, the former GOP congressman and Libertarian presidential candidate.

"I think McCain is a hypocrite," Barr said of the Arizona senator. "He claims he is for smaller government and that's not the case."

Barr doesn't think Democratic candidate Barack Obama is a hypocrite. He's just a "classic liberal," according to Barr.

"I'm not saying he's a better person, but he's not hypocritical politically as many Republicans are these days," Barr said.

Barr made the comments in a 20 questions interview with The Hill that will run in Friday's newspaper.

Barr also criticized McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, as too inexperienced to be vice president. After saying Palin has done "a very good job" as governor, Barr said, "I don't think she has anywhere near the depth of experience to be vice president." He said he would pick a secretary of state who had significant experience in foreign travel and foreign business, "not someone who could see Russia from their back door."

He saved some of his sharpest barbs for his former colleagues. "This Congress has allowed the president to walk all over it," Barr said. "Congress sits back and says, 'Thank you sir, may I have another sir?'"

Barr served four terms in Congress as a lawmaker from Georgia.

The Hill called McCain's campaign about Barr's comments, but it has yet to respond.

-Betsy Rothstein

http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2008/10/02/barr-i-think-mccain-is-a-hypo...

Palin Tax Facts? The

Ponytail — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:48:32 -0500

Palin Tax Facts?

The Facts:
As the mayor of the town of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002, Palin did cut property taxes repeatedly: The city's property tax rate was cut by three-quarters during her tenure and eliminated after she left office. But she also raised sales taxes by one-quarter — from 2 percent to 2.5 percent — to finance a $14.7 million sports complex that remains in the red.

As governor, a job she won in 2006, she did suspend state fuel taxes. But she also raised taxes on oil companies and used some of the increased revenue — buoyed by higher market prices for crude — to increase the annual dividend each resident receives by $1,200.

The Verdict:
True, but incomplete. She cut some taxes in both posts, but raised others.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/02/fact-check-did-palin-cut...

McCain pulling out of

Ponytail — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:42:32 -0500

McCain pulling out of Michigan

John McCain is pulling out of Michigan, according to two Republicans, a stunning move a month away from Election Day that indicates the difficulty Republicans are having in finding blue states to put in play.

McCain will go off TV in Michigan, stop dropping mail there and send most of his staff to more competitive states, including Wisconsin, Ohio and Florida. Wisconsin went for Kerry in 2004, Ohio and Florida for Bush.

A McCain aide confirmed the move and chalked it up to the state's Democratic tilt and the resources Obama had put in place there.

"It was always a long shot for us to win," said the aide.

McCain will now turn his attention to bolstering his defenses in Ohio and Florida while putting more resources into Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and the second congressional district of Maine, where there is a sole electoral vote available.

Obama's campaign offered a muted response to McCain's decision to abandon Michigan, only promising to keep it in the Democratic column.

"We will continue to fight for every vote in Michigan because middle class families there just cannot afford more of the same," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

The Illionis Democrat was in Michigan today but didn't mention McCain's move.

Republicans had been bullish on Michigan, hopeful that McCain's past success in the state in the 2000 primary combined with voter dissatisfaction with Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm and skepticism among blue-collar voters about Barack Obama could make it competitive.

McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin spent the first night after the GOP convention at a large rally in Macomb County, just outside Detroit. The two returned later last month for another sizable event in Grand Rapids.

But recent polls there have shown Obama extending what had been a small lead, with the economic crisis damaging an already sagging GOP brand in a state whose economy is in tatters.

A McCain event planned for next week in Plymouth, Mich., has been canceled.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/McCain_pulling_out_of_...

Cheerleaderesque IMO. More

Ponytail — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:39:44 -0500

Cheerleaderesque IMO.

More opinions:

Shibley Telhami, Professor for Peace and Development, Maryland:
It's unlikely this debate will change many minds, and that's a clear win for Obama-Biden at this point. More...

The format worked for Palin, which allowed her to recite rehearsed positions as she chose, but in her attempt to appear confident in order to overcome the damage of the Couric interviews, she may have overcompensated as she came across as being cold while Biden displayed emotion when talking about personal tragedy and generally projected warmth. I think this aspect is a bit of a surprise and may have hurt Palin's ability to court Main Street. It will be interesting to watch how undecided voters react. I suspect little change.

Jeffrey C. Stewart, Professor of Black Studies:
Only a person who is completely blinded by ideology can believe that in preparation, command of the facts, command of the issues, and knowledge of the foreign policy challenges facing this nation that Joe Biden was not clearly superior to Sarah Palin in this debate and as a choice for vice president.

Samuel J. Brannen, Deputy Dir., CSIS International Security Program:
For the record, the commander on the ground in Afghanistan is General David McKiernan. Gov Palin called him "McCullough" or something (only using his last name) and Sen Biden only referred to the "commander on the ground." More...

Yet both agreed we should send more troops. I hope that the administration that inherits Afghanistan thinks long and hard about what more troops alone could really accomplish, let alone the toll on ground forces worn down by repeated deployments to Iraq. Great fact from Biden that we spend in 3.5 weeks in Iraq what we've spent in almost 7 years in Afghanistan.

Victor H. Fazio, Attorney, former Democratic congressman:
Both connected but Biden made the substantive case for a new direction from the last 8 years. She on the other hand had only rhetoric to fall back on. More...

Sarah Palin didn't implode and Joe Biden didn't blowviate. Both connected but Biden made the substantive case for a new direction from the last 8 years. She on the other hand had only rhetoric to fall back on.

James P. Pinkerton, Fellow, New America Foundation :
Palin is no Dan Quayle. But Biden may have won North Carolina for his ticket with that generous comment about Jesse Helms.

Christine Pelosi, Attorney, author and Democratic activist:
Palin announced that she was not going to answer the questions, admitted no flaws, and had memorized not lived her material. More...

Best was how she spoke to the audience not the moderator. The worst moment was when Joe Biden choked up talking about his kids, Palin responded by robotically going back to McCain is a maverick.
The surprise was her desire for more Constitutional power for the vice president.

Biden was on top of nearly every question and charge, admitted his flaws and his successes ie Bork and Bosnia.

The best was how he described his and McCain's records.The worst was he spoke to the moderator more than the audience. The surprise was that he actually let loose and risked being talkative and passionate.

Overall Palin surpassed low expectations and Biden reached heights especially on the economy.

Deborah Tannen, Author and professor of linguistics:
It felt like two different shows playing side by side on a split screen. Biden was debating policy, talking specifics: of what was done wrong in the present administration, what an Obama adminstration would do differently. Palin relied on a small number of tactics: folksy speech (heck of a lot, darn right, John said That's where I wanchuh, dropped g's), references to her daily life, and repetition of a few mantras: government is bad (folksily phrased as dialogue: "Sayin' government, yknow you're not the solution"), John can win wars, Democrats will raise taxes, John is a maverick). More...

She was ready with a cover for not being able to answer questions: "I may not answer the way you want but I'm gonna talk straight." I'm wondering if commentators will pick up on any of her mis-speaks; one that sticks in my mind was: "John McCain is the man we need to leave. uh lead."

Norman J. Ornstein, Resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute:
The first presidential debate was all about Barack Obama-- not about John McCain, or about McCain v. Obama. It was whether Obama could get over the bar of acceptability as a president and commander-in-chief. He did. Tonight's debate was all about Sarah Palin-- not about Joe Biden or about Palin v. Biden. It was whether Palin could stop the bleeding. She did. More...

In the process, she helped McCain by reducing the intensity of questions about his judgment in picking Palin. And she may have helped in another way, by reenergizing a Republican base that was becoming increasingly morose and demoralized by her awful performances in network interviews. Biden was very strong, especially compared to the debate performances of his predecessors John Edwards and Joe Lieberman, and he may have helped with the Democratic base. Neither one is likely to change directly any votes.

Lanny Davis, Attorney and Democratic strategist:
She avoided a train wreck. More...

They both did what they had to do. She avoided a train wreck. He talked, looked, and is ready to be, vice president. And he will be soon.

Steve Steckler, Chairman and founder, Infrastructure Management Group (IMG):

But stylistically (aside from talking too fast at times) and in terms of making the "Reaganesque Connection" with the target independent voters they were both after, there is little question in my mind that Palin succeeded. Moreover, she was nothing like her horrific network anchor interviews. Wow, what a turnaround! More...

Bottom line: Being a former high school and college debater, if I were reading a transcript or listening from behind a curtain, I would give the edge to Biden on debate points. But stylistically (aside from talking too fast at times) and in terms of making the "Reaganesque Connection" with the target independent voters they were both after, there is little question in my mind that Palin succeeded. Moreover, she was nothing like her horrific network anchor interviews. Wow, what a turnaround!

Joe Biden did fine, though he probably didn't move the needle for his candidate, but this debate will certainly re-inspire confidence in Palin among the Republican base and probably move 5 percent or so of likely female voters back to McCain. Those Quaylesque "President Palin" T-shirts with "The Scream" painting on them will be a little less common in the Washington suburbs, and Tina Fey's next Saturday Night Live portrayal won't be quite as funny. That was a lot to hope for going into the debate and it won't be nearly enough to even the polls before the next presidential debate, but the Republicans have to be happy. She is no longer the millstone she had become.

Eric Liu, Author and former Clinton White House adviser, WA:
Palin played an excellent Double-A game, while Biden played a great big league game.

Mark Mellman, Democratic strategist:
She went into this debate with most Americans believing she is unqualified for the office. She did nothing to dispel the doubts voiced about her-- even by Republicans--and frankly reinforced those doubts mightily. More...

Biden was thoughtful, forceful and clear. He took on McCain repeatedly, demonstrating McCain was no maverick and represents a third Bush term both on the economy and foreign policy. Palin sounded somewhere between over-programmed and just plain goofy. Mindless repetition of the same catch phrases doesn't make anyone sound capable. She went into this debate with most Americans believing she is unqualified for the office. She did nothing to dispel the doubts voiced about her-- even by Republicans--and frankly reinforced those doubts mightily.

Most important nothing happened in this debate to change the dynamic of the race---and that's a big win for Obama-Biden.

James J. Zogby, President, Arab American Institute:
Joe Biden was reassuring, passionate, confident and thoughtful - and clearly ready to serve as Vice-President. His answers were clear, concise and direct. He was clearly a winner. Palin was....silly, but just competent enough to satisfy her supporters (although, a friend of mine insists that "competence is not to be rewarded, it should be expected. What you reward is excellence"). Joe Biden was excellent.

Celinda Lake, Democratic strategist:
She stuck to her script, but didn't answer the questions.

Alan Schroeder, Professor of Journalism, Northeastern University:
The test that must be applied in a vice presidential debate is whether the candidate appears ready to step in and serve as president at a moment's notice. By this standard, Biden prevailed

Jeffrey C. Stewart, Professor of Black Studies:
That's the moment--when Biden choked up about being a single man. He showed his humanness. But when he followed that up with McCain has not been a maverick on the issues that matter to people, he sealed his victory.

Christine Pelosi, Attorney, author and Democratic activist:
This more rehearsed Palin sounds better, but she continues to either avoid directly answering questions. What's most disconcerting is when she gets smirky and cutsy (ya get it, wink, wink) and starts bluffing her way through an issue about which she knows too little.

http://www.politico.com/arena/

The Fact-Checker: Truth in Politics

vamma — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:27:00 -0600

The Washington Post has the right idea.

They will put all the candidates for 2008 Presidential Election through their "Fact-Checker" system, Republican and Democrat alike.

It's something we might think of doing in Eden Prairie for the 2008 election.

They Washington Post created "The Fact-Checker" at
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/?hpid=topnews

The current candidate under scrutiny for legit/non-legit?? tax-cuts is the GOP Presidential contender Mike Huckabee.

Evidently out of 91 cuts from 1995 to 2005, there were 21 tax increases which off-set those cuts.