Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* This morning, the Obama campaign, Romney campaign, Priorities USA Action, and even Karl Rove's Crossroads operation, each pulled their ads from Colorado airwaves. Good move. (Note: the process of pulling ads is not immediate, and some commercials may still be seen this morning.)
* Mitt Romney's scheduled campaign event in New Hampshire, however, will be held as planned. He'll be joined by Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R), who's reportedly being considered as a possible running mate.
* Yesterday, the Romney campaign released a dishonest video, wrenching a quote from President Obama out of context. Today, the Romney campaign released a 30-second version of its lie, which will actually be aired on television.
* A new USA Today/Gallup poll finds that 54% of Americans want Romney to release more of his tax returns. At this point, the Republican candidate doesn't care.
* A second judge has declared Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) voter-ID law unconstitutional, "further guaranteeing that the ID requirement will not be in place for elections this fall."
* In Maine, Democrats are so eager to curry favor with former Gov. Angus King (I), who appears to be a lock to win the open U.S. Senate race in November, that the independent candidate is getting some fundraising help from prominent Dems.
* The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee accused Sheldon Adelson of using "Chinese prostitution money" to buy elections for Republicans. The billionaire casino mogul is threatening to sue over the accusation.
* If you're looking for competitive U.S. Senate races, don't bother looking at New York -- incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leads in the latest Siena poll (pdf) by 37 points.
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I'll say it again:
I could cut and paste audio/video that made Ronald Reagan say he likes taxes and hates puppies.
Adelson is at least using gambling money, which many right leaning folks oppose as tainted money. At least they used to. He is CEO of Venetion Casino in Macau and if Macau is like Las Vegas, there's prostitution as well.
Dems just can't bring themselves to appeal to independents.
Here's a riff you won't hear from progressive pundits or bloggers: "Adelson, a billionaire made rich by his close business ties to Communist China and gambling, [fill in the blank]
Subtext: The GOP is bought by foreign interests. Worse, communists.
Factually, this is all correct. It is fair game. Use the rhetoric. Go for the jugular.
The reason why people are shy of this is the history of red baiting. The thing that is wrong with suggesting someone has sympathies with socialist countries or approaches to social problems is when the accusation is false.
The bedrock truth? The Chinese system is exploitative and an obscenity to the ideals of the communist ideology. Their system favors redistribution of wealth to the rich and privileged, just as with the US system . Adelson is ok with their "Communism" because he knows the ideological labels are meaningless, and are mere totems used to stir local passions.
That's what I have said before. China is a communist dictatorship, yet people are "OK" with companies and businessmen that deal with communists and send the jobs we once did in the U.S. to communist country. People should have great opposition to that.
Maddow showed us the Jeep costs between $150- $200K in China. But we can buy their stuff really, really cheap… because they make people work for government as subjects of dictatorship. Can they bargain with their "employer" for wages? If these folks think Obama is pushing socialism, then why are they OK with Chinese made products, supporting Communist regime that treats its people horribly, not to mention the pollution. Remember, they mandated people to shut down pollution production "during Olympics". Also, consider the shipping back and forth across the Pacific. Oh, but, that's just part of global economy and China makes it so much cheaper?
I read someone come on here and write essentially … big whoop, the stuff we buy is made in China.
In the same segment that Rachel showed us the Jeep, she talked about the suggestion that Adelson might be investigated for bribing an official in a foreign country - which is a crime.
I'm a little fuzzy about the details, but what stuck was the possibility that this explains why he is willing to pump unlimited gazillions of dollars into the election: So he can buy the government and stop it from investigating him.
This is way way beyond creepy and scary!!!
Sandy, there is a deeper discussion to be had among people who are willing to think in terms of the realities behind these issues rather than in totemic slogans and labels. There are well meaning conservatives and liberals on both sides, but unless we are able to think with open minds, all the good intentions will not bring us to any national consensus on our dire national economic crisis. For example:
Are we prepared to accept the cost of Free Trade/ Globalization when it does not work in favor or the majority of the middle class?
If we use the rhetoric of protectionism or limited protectionism (eg- trading with countries like India rather than "communist" china), are we prepared to accept the economic and military implications of that?
It's true that people are predisposed to their preferred rhetorical view. I push for mine, others push for theirs, but when does anyone we vote for sit down and exchange this for that and work it out?
I would welcome a discussion how to bring back more manufacturing in our country. But Republicans are promoting the downward mobility of workers with their pushing anti union and cutting public sector jobs to outsource/privatize.
I do not know how we would do that, other than offering tax incentives and negotiate trade with China that we will buy certain products from them if they will buy certain products from us.
The workings of WTO is foreign to me, but that is where we are. I think there was truth in Perot saying GATT and NAFTA would suck jobs away from the U.S. We seem to have less control over our fate. How can we get a better deal for the U.S.?
There is an up side, cheaper products. But consumers in this country can try a bit harder for seeking certain products made in the U.S. I know, that has not worked so well, because Walmart no longer advertises made in U.S..
Yes, more free trade could help avoid wars, but why do nations still attack other nations? Religion? Foreign people in their territory?
I am not in favor of offshoring jobs. What can be done to reverse this or get businesses to hire Americans here?
Can we do anything in our own house to stimulate more exports is what should be debated. The focus is on making money, no matter what country benefits more. Let's bring it back home more.
The Obama people should make a clip of ol' Jack walking back his lies when he was interviewed. I was cracking up and that was the first thought to pop into my head. Especially when I got clips from my teabagging friends online about the issue. GAWD!
I think if Romney releases his taxes, it will likely how that he is lying to the Mormon Church about tithing 10%. And if you will lie to you church, who won't you lie to.
As I asked in an earlier thread, is he tithing on his net or his gross income? How does he calculate the 10%? The way he seems to move his money to gain the most from his "investments," as reported on HuffPost, his 10% is probably after taxes and expenses are factored in. How does the LDS confirm that the 10% is correctly calculated?
And as to his Mormon affiliation, may I suggest, once again, that you Google Mormonism and Gambling, or some such and see what the LDS has to say about it. How does Romney rationalize accepting campaign contributions derived from gambling revenue?
Do you really think that?
The sun rose in the East today! Sources close to the White House said the President was seen looking towards the East and there it came-the Sun rising. This is not to infer that Obama was doing morning prayer facing Mecca and secretly had his Muslim brothers hoist the sun up in the East. However...
The whole real problem with this is what is very much true about this gun violence. That we have a group of men that are really cowards and weak when they think they need to carry a gun. These men are nothing but pitiful examples of what it is to be a man and lack any courage to walk around the streets without a gun. If a person like myself can be in a dangerous situation without any weapons at hand and handle the situation without any arm to anyone, then you men who carry guns are weak and look under your beds for an imaginary boogey man. And you men who carry those guns make sure you look in the mirror, since you are very responsible for way too much of this gun violence and deaths thus are murderers. We do not need anymore excuses of these men and women carrying guns in the streets who just want to be weak and cowards in our modern society. Get over your senseless and manipulated fears and grow up you no longer are little kids. We have a law enforcement that handles our law enforcement issues and we do not need little kids like you running around the streets with guns.
Here's a thought about something completely unrelated to topics of the day:
I just got back from running some errands and was listening to NPR. They were talking about the record heat and drought conditions that are affecting the whole country particularly the Midwest.
We are facing crop failures, loss of livestock because feed is not available, economic disaster.
If you look at the electoral map, the whole middle of the country is very solid "red" - Republican.
The Republican party appears to be all about small government - shrink the Federal government and leave things to the States.
So - my question is:
Will the governors of those "red" states, if things get as bad as it look like it will, be asking for Federal disaster relief and assistance? And if they do, who is going to pay for it?
heres a number for the right wing dingbat 12022253035 call him a jerk like i did
Foes anyone have a link to the fox interview with Jack Gilchrist ,where he admits that he did have a teacher, and had received help from others......basically refuting the Robme commercial?
Jack, my main man…DUDE, it must be tough being so damned cute and so damned dumb at the same time…LOL
Honest to God, NO INSULT INTENDED!
You're the kinda' 'dumb' a girl would appreciate on a lonely night, LOL
However, all kidding aside, please just try catching up with what's really happening in the world today and I am sure you'll be a better man for it.
I'm sure the world would be a better place for it.