Today's edition of quick hits:
* Another deadly shooting in Wisconsin, this time in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, where a gunman killed three women inside a day spa before turning the gun on himself.
* This report caused a stir over the weekend, but both Washington and Tehran are denying its accuracy: "The United States and Iran have agreed in principle for the first time to one-on-one negotiations over Iran's nuclear program ... setting the stage for what could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iran."
* Thwarted terror plot: "Jordan has foiled a plot by an al-Qaida-linked cell to bomb its shopping centers and assassinate Western diplomats, state television said on Sunday, thwarting an attempt to destabilize the key U.S. ally."
* Arizona has a new law prohibiting Planned Parenthood's health clinics from receiving public funds, but as of Friday afternoon, a federal judge has put enforcement of that law on hold.
* The current payroll tax cut is set to expire, along with so many other policies, at the end of the year. Rep. Chris van Hollen (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, would like to see an extension. Keep an eye on this; it's just starting to simmer as an issue.
* Hey look, there's a new daily tracking poll. How many are there now? If my count is right, there are seven -- and Gallup's the only one that shows Mitt Romney with a big lead.
* When President Obama calls on the wealthy to pay their "fair share" of taxes, Michael Bloomberg doesn't like it. But when Michael Bloomberg calls on the wealthy to pay their "fair share" of taxes, that's apparently fine.
* Jane Mayer takes a look at a voter-suppression leader that most of the public has never heard of: Hans von Spakovsky.
* And in light of George McGovern's demise over the weekend, take a look at this recent segment from MSNBC's Steve Kornacki, which was a well-deserved tribute to a legendary senator.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
O needs to hit it out of the park tonight. Look for a Libya ambush, zingers from Willard, and an attempt to steer it back to the economy.....
P.S. Hey Willard, Osama's dead, dude, so just quit now.......
Romney is going to have to make up some lie about he killed Bin Laden, saved Detroit, and restored Wall Street.
After Romney said he didn't want to kill Bin Laden, he said he wanted Detroit to go bankrupt, and after he pulled his money out of wall street so he could send it overseas.
That blond kid got his hair cut off after he called bullmitt.
In 1972, my then-boss met with then presidential-candidate Senator George McGovern, and thus I also got to meet him. The most decent guy I ever met in politics.
To me George McGovern and Richard Nixon illustrate the basic difference between the two parties perfectly, and the point is nowhere better made than to look at their respective careers in the Second World War:
Richard Nixon, who spent the war on Guadalcanal, arriving a year after all the fighting was done, who spent his time in the rear with the gear as a supply officer who played poker well enough to come home at the end of the war with the money for a down payment on his first home. Out for himself, from the git-go.
George McGovern, who flew 35 missions as pilot of a B-24 operating out of Italy, facing the chance of being blown out of the sky 35 times (flak was far more deadly to B-24s than fighters), who cared for his crew, men who loved him all the rest of their lives, who took what he had learned in those deadly skies and put it into his politics, caring for his country the way he cared for his crew, using that courage that had to sustain him then, to take the most unpopular position a politician could take: to oppose the war created by the president of his party, and make the issue stick.
Blue skies, Captain McGovern, sir.
Conor Friedersdorf, no Democrat or liberal, had this to say on McGovern's passing:
From Hunter S. Thompson’s legendary Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72:
And we are still putting up with the results of the election of 1972 - almost all the Big Gargoyles in the Republican Party got their start as small imps of Satan working for Tricky Dick (Rove, etc.)
Nice work, TC.
And, for all of Nixon's faults, he is still miles above today's sorry excuse for Republican politicians!
Nixon started the War on Drugs that ultimately resulted in 90% of the United States using marijuana because he pursued white supremacist policies (click here).
Romney is just as racist as Nixon.
The disinterment of Nixon's political career after the disastrous campaign for Governor of California was one of the most spectacular failures of the American political system in the nation's history.
ah, richard milhouse nixon, the thing that wouldn't die.
let's bury romney deeper (face down?). we don't need him coming back.
RIP George McGovern. If he had won, how different would this country be today? For one thing, Watergate would just be an apartment building.
OMG.
Thank you for this.
I've been so worried someone the US would bomb Iran to prevent them from getting nuclear technology after the Russians finished the nuclear power plant the US started in 1975.
Well....they agreed in principle for the first time one-on-one negotiations...which just means that "yeah I guess we could meet one-on-one sometime soon." Still a ways to go and I don't think anything will come of it before the election.
Missed you on the Darrel Issa story Skip. I know how you just hate leaks. At least you did a few months ago, which coincidentally was the time that Congressional Republicans voiced their "concern" about leaks.
I felt the same way, Crack, but both sides are denying that it happened.
I can't figure out the reason for putting that kind of false statement out there or who would do it.
Very strange -
Well, Benghazi is still at the top of the list for tonight's fun.
David Ignatius was just on with Matthews, talking about who knew what when.
As opposed to John- (got milk)- Bolton, over at Fox, spreading lies.
And it struck me that Obama has General Petraeus and the entire CIA, plus the National Security Agency signals gathering facilities at Ft. Meade, plus Sec Def Panetta, plus Hillary's folks on the ground- all contributing (often classified) info on the event.
And Romney has. . .who? The aforementioned Bolton. Dan Senor. And the rest of the PNAC crowd. The ones who just knew there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Because Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, code name "Curveball", told them so.
I hope the President has, as the commercial says, "all his ducks in a row" tonight. Because, as the last debate showed, facts DO matter.
Recent intelligence data suggests that the Benghazi attack was NOT carefully planned, had no ties to Al Qaeda, and was in fact associated with protest over the stupid movie.
Now, some might say, as Martha Radditz suggested in the VP debate, that this uncertainty, again, signals a massive intelligence failure. But Libya is still very unstable, barely has a government, and there are roving bands of heavily-armed militias. Its own government barely has the country under control or knows what's going on. Nor are we in any position to criticize the evolving government's lack of control in Libya, when we can't control the crime-ridden eastern portion of our nation's capital.
Everything suggests that we have won the hearts and minds of the majority of the Libyan people, who are grateful for our assistance without being occupiers. True, there are radical factions who are trying to take advantage of the disarray. But let's not blow it now with simplistic policies.
It's strange that the murder rate seems to go up in areas where public services have been halted or withheld.
Imagine that.
/sarc
I am very new to this blogging phenomenon, so I'm probably posting this in the wrong place. And in my first try, my message just completely disappeared! So... I'm wondering and worrying: with all this voter intimidation and suppression going on, how can we even be sure that any votes for Democrats that actually ARE cast will be accurately and honestly counted? Plus, I understand that in several states, the voting machines are supplied by a company owned by ONE OF ROMNEY'S SONS! How "incestuous" can you get? All this seems particularly odd in a country that sometimes assumes the responsibility for monitoring the elections of other countries. (P.S. I don't "do" Facebook, so if anyone responds to this message, will I get a notification at my email address?)
if anyone responds to this message, will I get a notification at my email address?)
You will get a response right here. Just go back to Benen's post, and scroll down until you find your deathless prose. In a different color, so it easy to find!
The nice thing about Rachel's blog is that we peons are able to enter into a dialog- sometimes meaningfull, often rife with trolls. (You can tell the trolls by their lack of content and fact, and the over abundance of vituperation.)
Also click on your own name at the left top of your post and it will take you to your very own "Newsvine" page. You'll see a column of three little numbers at the top left of this page, that will show you how many new posts have been made to threads you've commented on. This number will not be about how many have responded to your post, just how many new posts there are in the thread. You can also do other cool things on your page, like post links and write posts that will stay there permanently.
bonbal I do'nt believe you will get a response in your email,you will have to come back here to see if anyone respond's.I have a response for your post.While we hear outrage all the time about election's in foreign countries being "fixed",here we are in the United State's of America with republican's trying to "fix" and in some case's "fixing"election's.We have a candidate's son with tie's to voting machine's,we have multi million's of secret dollar's pouring into the Karl Rove super pac.And most of all we have Mitt Romney lying and decieving his way through this election cycle.What the hell is happening in this country when outright lie's are the norm?
I'm not sure if there is an answer to your question, joca,.
I cannot believe that any rational human being would consider voting for a party that has shown itself to be so venomous, greedy and barbarian as the Republicans in this election cycle.
I have never seen such blatant disrespect for a sitting President.
I have never seen such a push for religion being forced into federal governmental issues.
I have never seen a political party willing to allow the citizens suffer homelessness, hunger, and joblessness for the specific aim of overturning the duly elected President.
I have never seen a congress that was so obstructionist as to refuse to vote for any assistance to the citizens of their country in order to regain the power to drive us further towards a third world nation
I have never seen a member of congress so ego-driven that he would place our allies into mortal danger to play up a false premise in an attempt to win an election.
I cannot understand the Representative Issa hasn't long since been brought up on ethics charges and stripped of his committee standing before he does more damage to the security of our country.
I have never seen a Supreme Court come up with such a fallacy that corporations are people that can buy an election with secret funding with no limits.
I have never seen a candidate totally lacking in moral conviction, any degree of discretion or the idea that he is "entitled" to the highest position in the land without any disclosure of his plans.
And last but not least, I have never seen an electorate that has just gone through the worst recession since the great depression that is so stupid that they would even consider for a minute voting for the people that collapsed the economy, put us in two unending wars, not only ate up a surplus passed on to them, but as well, threw the country trillions of dollars into debt and blame the administration that has amazingly kept us from suffering from the same continuing economic crisis that Europe is dealing with.
I thought the United States of America stood for fairness. When the Republicans are so venal that they refuse to grant President Obama even one iota of approval for the strides he has made, it tells me that they are hoodlums and gangsters that for sure can't be trusted to do any good for Joe Schmoe.
And what the h--- are our citizens thinking of to even let the thought of putting these cretins back in control run through their minds for a New York second?????
Ye Gods!
You want to know that world where the Republicans want to take you to where it involves an extreme religious right wing. It starts out with no birth control and you must stay in a marriage regardless if it works or not. In my very small neighborhood I grew up in there were all kinds of activities going on. Here are some examples of the neighbors next door. One guy kept demanding things of his wife playing that male dominant row that has been spoken about so much of late. Well one day that wife finally cracked and got fed up with little abusing husband and took a crowbar to his head. It was surprising though that he never did make a foul word or demand again about her after that. The next family was farmers with 16 kids and now he was a real bastard and beat his kids and wife regular. He would pick up anything really handy and just pound the crap out of his wife and kids. It took finally when the kids grew up so the wife could get rid of his butt, since he was an older man and those kids weren’t going to allow anymore of that crap going on. And the other neighbor wow he was something too with 3 boys that he beat regular a long with his wife. There was a day when he didn’t like what one of his sons did and slammed a garden rake with the prongs in the middle of the boy’s back. He was real handy with objects lying around too. This is why I say men have gotten a raw deal, since too many times by the result of these religious hypocrites they have caused way too much crap of leaving people trapped in misery, despair and death. But of course as these boys did grow up and many of them got to learn and repeat that same behavior, because they never learned how to control their rage or anger. These boys only learned to repeat that same behavior. And this is currently where these Republicans, extremists of hatred, and extreme wealthy want to take you back to and what could you say about all this well welcome to hell.
1. Applause for the federal court on Planned Parenthood....2. When I returned from VietNam I voted for McGovern. Read the 'Pentagon Papers' still must reading for those questioning motives for war...3.How many GOIP are unhappy that Jordan prevented the terror attack?...4. How many white patriots believe that lying is better than being 'colored'?....5. Most parents do not let their immature children play with explosives. Why would any parent let Mitt be CinC?...
The whole family has one thing to add to this open thread. After continually watching Republicans bring up their mom as proof they won't get rid of Medicare, I felt it was important to point out that mom, dad, grandma and grandpa understand that if a voucher system is so bad they don't want it, why would they want to give it to their kids? How will we protect Medicare, to guarantee health care for our future generations, if it's a coupon program that guarantees nothing but a discount? Mom, dad, grandma and grandpa know Medicare works and it can continue to work by better balancing it, not ending it.
 How will we protect Medicare, to guarantee health care for our future generations
Well that is the real question. In it's current form without some changes it will eventually collapse as more people use medicare and less people pay into in - just like social security. I don't know if vouchers are the way to go but something has to be done rather then keeping it the same. Either more $$ in or cutting the waste and fraud out big time or both. It really is simple math on most of these programs - if we keep sending more money out then we take in, it will end sometime.
A quote from a recent Michael Kinsley column at Bloomberg:
So explain to me why all us little old folks are voting for the Republicans???? I thought we were supposed to grow wiser as we grow older, not just stupider and masochistic.
I drove through our countryside today and was shocked by the number of Romney/Ryan signs on yards. I am so depressed with the lack of intellect in this country I could cry.
For shame.
That voucher program does sound great... Let's do it for everyone,, now!!
How does Romney, the Morman Pacifist and father of 5 able-bodied sons, none of whom ever served his country in uniform, justify his hawkish stance on Iran, Afganistan and Lybia? Seems to me he's made a choice between his God and his devotion to the Corporate/Military machine and (sorry God) the guys with the money won. I'm a 100% disabled, Vietnam-era veteran so seeing pictures of Mitt lounging on a French beach while young men his age were fighting and dying in the swamps and jungles of Vietnam makes my skin crawl. And using his Morman religion as an excuse not to serve while protesting in college in favor of the war and telling other college age men they should serve - what kind of a hypocrite is this guy? Apparently he has no moral disconnect about sending other people into war to die so his corporate supporters can sell more overpriced weapons to the Pentagon. If I were still on active duty and he becomes POTUS and Commander in Chief, I'd put in my separation papers ASAP. I couldn't in good conscience serve a coward, a fraud and a hypocrite. I love my country but if my fellow Americans are so ignorant that they would give this man command of the finest fighting force in the world, they don't deserve to vote.
Neither Willard Romney nor the Mormontology Cult have pacifism as part of their creeds. Willard's religion was not 'an excuse' to not serve; it was multiple draft deferments which coupled with his college deferments kept him from being drafted.
Willard is not a pacifist, he is just another repuknican chickenhawk eager to send poor people's kids off to die in the pursuit of higher profits for the militarization industries.
Romney had ONE ancestor that started out in the US Army, but defected to the Mormon Militia and gave the US troops position and information on their rations. Charles Henry (Carl Heinrich) Wilcken. Pathetic.
This voter-fraud horseshet really chaps my hide.. There needs to be an independent council evaluting all cases of suspicion by petition (if you will) of concerned parties. These pathetic morons are running around in broad daylight screwing around with elections! Where are we, on the @!$%#ing moon?! I am close to declare today as Punch a Republican in the face day.
I'd give them the finger but I'm too refined! (/snark)
I decided to look at the comments section in hopes of seeing something that doesn't make me furious, anxious, or depressed having to do with the voter-fraud baloney used to suppress voting. I'm not sure of anything except for working my butt off to get the president re-elected. Any other suggestions on turning around my angst and rage to something positive?
Well, I'm no millionaire, so I can't help buy the election. I'm not able to walk, or help much with fundraisers. I have given what I can monetarily (which is darned little). But I can write to my friends. I can write on blogs, which won't help with the trolls, but may catch someone that can think. I can call and call and call to make sure that people get out and vote (hopefully with their brains in gear.)
And of course we can pray that decency will win.
Why is no one reporting more about this? It refutes the entire Republican fabrication of administration coverup and incompetent handling of foreign policy in the Benghazi attack.
“No evidence found of Al Qaeda role in Libya attack”
U.S. intelligence agencies and witnesses paint a picture of an assault carried out with little planning at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/19/world/la-fg-libya-attack-20121020
And if the Republicans in Congress hadn't cut the funding for overseas diplomatic security, what would have happened?
George Martin, you've got it absolutely right. I'd also like to add that when Ambassador Rice made her statement, she said "preliminary intelligence reports. . . " and then said there would be further updates as they became available. Anyone who has ever heard an Intelligence briefing during wartime knows the first intell estimates are raw and have not been thoroughly analyzed. As with anything, as more info/intell is available, the assessments are refined. She was perfectly correct to state what she had and label it as preliminary. The Republicans jumped on her words because a) they don't have a clue how to evaluate an Intel Report and, b) they were, as usual, trying to find any excuse to criticize the Administration. I spent years as an Air Force Intelligence Officer and found nothing out of the ordinary about her statement. It was difficult to obtain more credible intelligence immediately after the attack which caused delays in updates. Nothing new here either.
I live in a Senior Community in Las Vegas, and on our "chat line" anything goes. The last few days the radical Tea Partiers and Far Right are posting things about "how did Obama get school loans if he registered as a "foreign" student. Also posted was a thread about how the Obama administration is or has a thing about Fema and recruits and Nazi Germany! It is unbelievable, especially coming from the "source" which they are persistently putting up as "real" Anyone know anything about this? the website they are telling people about, is http://infowars.com/obama-fema-corp.recruits-conjure-up-memories-of-the-hitler-youth-of-1930s-germany/ People ACTUALLY believe this crap.
How many of Mitt's neocon, GWB retreads have served in the military and how many have financial incentives for war?
Damn few ever served in the military. Most are chickenhawks. Many are chickenhawks who hid from the draft during Viet Nam. Most have financial incentives for war.
I know. I was hoping one of the excellent researchers on this site would have a reference.
"The current payroll tax cut is set to expire, along with so many other policies, at the end of the year. Rep. Chris van Hollen (D-Md.), the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee, would like to see an extension. Keep an eye on this; it's just starting to simmer as an issue."
THIS SHOULD NOT BE EXTENDED!!!!! An extension will only hasten the day when the trust fund will have to pay out more in benefits than it takes in, effectively defunding Social Security. As a stimulus it was minimally effective, as a way to eliminate the program it was very effective. Find another way to stimulate the economy.
Amen Brother King...
The Obomination's payroll tax cut was a horrible idea from the start and needs to be allowed to expire. The only 'positive' thing that it has 'accomplished' is to provide the repukes and DLC/DINO types further justification for 'fixing' social security to the detriment of working people.
...setting the stage for what could be a last-ditch diplomatic effort to avert a military strike on Iran.
Here we go again with the corporately owned media prepping for their roles as cheerleaders for another war. The media talk about Iran's nuclear program as if they have a nuclear weapons program. So what if the intelligence agencies of the U.S. and Israel and the international inspectors say that Iran does NOT have a nuclear weapons program. Benny NutAndYahoo wants a war, so we must have a war. Watch tonight for the contest between The Obomination and Willard to see who can put the biggest liplock on NutAndYahoo, AIPAC, and The Likud Party.
For good luck (I get kinda superstitious when it comes to ball games and competitions of every sort):
I think it's quite possible we're going to be watching the fate of the 20th century tonight in the upcoming 90 minutes. When you stop to think that all that rests on an incompetent media's portrayal of facial expressions, tics, and physical presence instead of the substance or relative truth of the two candidates, you realize just how bad a shape this country is in and how tenuous stability is.
Let that sink in.
Go Obama. Kick Willard in the balls if you can.
I understand that Mitt has plans to tithe 10% of our children to any war that will help him and his friends financially.
Did the final presidential debate do anything to influence who you will support in the election?
Did the final presidential debate do anything to influence who you will support in the election?
Optional short answer(140 characters left)
Rachel,
Why is there no President Obama box???????????????????
I wonder why Rachel or Chris or anyone on MSNBC has not picked up the story all over the Internet that Romney's son has bought into the company that makes the voting machines used in the Ohio voting. This is like a deja vu or Diebold who were staunch Republicans and friends of the Bush family making the voting machines in 2004. Didn't help Kerry; will it hurt Obama and why is no one checking out this story. This could be terrible. If you can't win an election, steal it. It would certainly not be the first time Republicans did this.
I tried to post this before, and somehow it did not show up. Forgive me if I being redundant, but this is important. I wonder why Rachel did not pick up on the story that is all over the Internet and seems legit. Romney's son bought into the company that manufactures the voting machines that will be used in Ohio's voting. This is like a deja vu of the DIebold machines (Diebold good friends and supporters of the Bush clan manufactured the voting machines used in the 2004 election.) This cannot be fair or allowed. It would not be the first time that Republicans could not win an election so they'll steal it. Ask Kerry! Or Gore. Why is this not being exposed?
We watched the "after-debate" Stage theater. The President & Michelle were sought out by the audience wanting to touch skin. The wannabe Willard was seeking out hands to touch in near desperation. Anne "came to the rescue", first prodding Willard to move offstage. When he continued to seek hands, Anne wrapped her arms around him from behind, trying to guide him offstage. The facial expressions both in "debate" & seeing the lack of proffered hands seemed to seal Willard's loser status, & his wife saw a need to intervene & force his exit.
There is a strong person sitting as POTUS, with a weakling wannabe sinking ever lower.