Where’s the Outrage?

Here’s the Tuesday evening’s news roundup:

• Senator Ted Stevens’s trial has kicked into high-gear. Bill Allen, former CEO of VECO, testified against his former friend. It will be interesting to see how Stevens tries to get out of this one.
• I have no idea what happened on Wall Street today. If part of the plummeting stock numbers from yesterday resulted from the failure of reaching a bailout deal, then what was the almost 500 point rise today about? There is no bailout deal yet, although there’s a lot of speculation of adeal in the works. The more I look at this bailout, the less I like it. The politics of it are all wrong. Fiscal conservatives feel that such an expenditure is simply not warranted. There are some conservatives that believe the market needs to take care of the market. Similarly, there are a significant number of Democrats who did not vote for this bill. These Democrats are wondering why we should bail out Wall Street when they created this mess. All of the House members will be up for re-election in a little more than a month. We have a president who is clearly a lame duck. He has no clout with Democrats or Republicans. He went on television this morning… did anyone know that he was going to be on TV this morning?
• One of the plans that continues to percolate in the background is somehow rescuing struggling homeowners. Although I’m all for helping homeowners who were duped by predatory mortgages, I’m not sure that this will fix the problem. The problem has to do with falling home values in relation to wages. Home values are going to fall even more over the next year or or so. Historically, home values are too high. Therefore, either home values need to decrease or wages need to increase. With the economy screeching to a halt, we all know wages are not going to increase. This is kind of a head scratcher.
• There was a British comedy called Fawlty Towers which aired for a short time in the mid-70s. Basil Fawlty, the lead character, was so inept that it became painful at times to watch him flounder. I think the same can be said for Governor Sarah Palin. More of her interview with Katie Couric were aired tonight. She didn’t get any better. I don’t know why, but I expect that she will do well in her debate with Senator Joe Biden.
• It appears that Missouri Senator Kit Bond (Republican) was deeply involved in the firing of Attorney General Todd Graves. The latest inspector general report, released yesterday, seems to implicate Senator Bond’s office.
• Although John McCain has mentioned at least a million times that the surge has worked, the purpose of the surge was to create a peaceful space where political reconciliation could begin. We really haven’t seen any of that reconciliation. One of the major parts of this reconciliation is the inclusion of the Sunni militias into the Iraqi police force. So far, that hasn’t happened.
• In a one-game playoff, the Minnesota Twins lost to the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are in the playoffs.
• Scott Linehan of the St. Louis Rams was fired on Monday. It’s really unclear to me why he wasn’t fired during the off-season. They need an offensive line. They need some playmakers on defense. None of this happened in the off-season. Al Davis, long-time owner of the Oakland Raiders, fired Lane Kiffin today. Al Davis then proceeded to excoriate his former coach! It’s pretty remarkable. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s completely classless.

Tags: Economy, Election 2008, Iraq, Senate, Sports by ecthompson
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Here’s something compelling from the Princeton Student Body.

5424 Frist Campus Center
Princeton, NJ 08544
www.teachmccainecon101.com
jcoan@princeton.edu

“I Could Be McCain’s Econ 101 Teacher” Public Performance at Princeton University to Begin Wednesday

Students at Princeton University are starting a daily public performance called “I Could Be McCain’s Econ 101 Teacher” outside of Frist Campus Center beginning this Wednesday (10/1) from 12:30 PM until 2 PM. The performance will continue for at least three days. This project questions Sen. John McCain’s knowledge and preparedness concerning the economy, especially in these difficult economic times. Students take turns teaching economics to their fellow classmates playing McCain.

This comedic performance also has a very serious and frightening message - the next president of the United States likely knows less about the economy than undergraduates who have taken basic economics at a time when America is facing its worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. This is not the time to have a president who could benefit from having students teach him Econ 101!

Students teaching economics wear t-shirts with the name of their campaign, “I could be McCain’s Econ 101 Teacher” on the front and McCain’s infamous quote from December 2007, “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should” on the back. The student playing McCain wears a different t-shirt with that quote on the front and McCain’s name and his abysmal class rank at Annapolis - 894 out of 898 - on the back. [Read more →]

Tags: Economy, Election 2008, Fun by ecthompson
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Senator John McCain has been the master at trying to play both sides of the fence. He was the king of deregulation and less government. Then, the economic crisis occurs. Now, he was a plan to strengthen regulation.

Do something.

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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Senator John McCain is finding it harder and harder to run away from his record. He wrote an article in the September/October issue of Contingencies (a journal I had never heard of) in which he stated:

“Opening up the healthcare insurance market to more rigorous, nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.”

I guess it never occurred to McCain that healthcare does not respond to the supply and demand theory that drives most of the market. Nobody goes to a doctor because they seek the cheapest medical treatment. As a matter of fact, people will frequently drive for miles out of their way, to see a physician who they believe is the “best.”

More importantly, this short excerpt shows McCain’s true tendencies when faced with a problem: Don’t analyze the problem; Deregulate it.

Tags: Economy, Election 2008 by ecthompson
4 Comments »

Here’s the Monday evening news roundup:

• Unless you’re living in a cave, you already know that the U.S. House of Representatives rejected the bailout plan. The Dow responded by dropping 778 points. This is the single largest one-day drop since October 1987. In my opinion, the president gave us a half-hearted attempt to sell this plan. He had one prime time speech and that was it. (To be fair, he did have a photo opportunity with congressional leaders in the White House.) If this plan is going to pass, the president needs to take it to the American people and sell it.
• The Federal Reserve is pumping over $600 billion into the global financial system. Although this seems to alleviate some of the cash crunch, I’m not sure how it won’t increase inflationary pressures.
• The House (Republicans and Democrats) needs to look at this legislation carefully. Is this legislation the best thing for our economy right now? If the answer is no, let’s defeat this proposal and move on to find a solution. If, on the other hand, this is the best solution for America at this time, what is the problem? Politics can’t stand in the way, can it?
• There seems to be over a thousand different things to worry about. We have the war in Iraq. We have a lack of resources in Afghanistan. Here at home, we see these extremely large banks buying up what most would consider to be large banks. Wachovia was the latest bank to be acquired. Citigroup purchased Wachovia. It seems as if Citigroup, Bank of America, and J.P. Morgan Chase will be the only banks left when all is said and done. Charlotte, North Carolina stands to lose tons of great paying jobs.
• Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a special prosecutor to look into the infamous U.S. Attorney firings. According to the New York Times, the report gave a “blistering critique” of Alberto Gonzales’ management of the department. The report specifically pointed out that complaints from New Mexico’s Republicans to the White House led to the removal of David Iglesias. You can read the several hundred page report here.
• Are you better off now than you were eight years ago? The numbers are somewhat frightening.
• Galveston continues to struggle in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. There’s only one emergency room open for the entire island.
• Check out the thoughtful piece written by Tom Wise over at BuzzFlash on white privilege. In a New York Times opinion piece, Paul Krugman points out that John McCain’s attitude and actions concerning the economy should cause everyone to take notice. The only thing crazier than his behavior is his poor choice of advisers. Frank Rich adds his two cents about McCain’s behavior. He once thought McCain was a maverick and a sympathetic politician atlhough, looking back, that suggests he didn’t follow politics that closely. McCain has completely shattered any dream that he, along with most Americans, harbored about McCain being a thoughtful, intelligent politician.

Tags: Economy, Environment by ecthompson
4 Comments »

Now the finger pointing has started. The bottom line is that it didn’t matter what Nancy Pelosi said earlier this morning. The Republicans in the House don’t care about this bill. Period. They don’t want a bailout.

The Dow was down 777 points at closing. So, what do House Republicans have to say to the American people now? Better to go down with the ship?

Senator John McCain and his advisers were bragging over the weekend about how he’d brought everyone together. He was the one that forged a deal. Now what does he have to say?

I find it interesting that House Republicans have followed President Bush off a cliff. They have gotten in line with every crazy idea of his. Now that someone is handing them a parachute, they aren’t interested.

From the New York Times:
In a moment of historic import in the Capitol and on Wall Street, the House of Representatives voted on Monday to reject a $700 billion rescue of the financial industry. The vote came in stunning defiance of President Bush and Congressional leaders of both parties, who said the bailout was needed to prevent a widespread financial collapse.

Senator Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire, said of the new plan, “If we don’t pass it, we shouldn’t be a Congress.”

The vote against the measure was 228 to 205, with 133 Republicans joining 95 Democrats in opposition. The bill was backed by 140 Democrats and 65 Republicans. (more… )

Tags: Economy by ecthompson
3 Comments »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS: MOLLIE McKINLEY; KRISTI BROWN

Carolina Blood Services; American Red Cross Blood Center, 100 Edgewood Rd., Asheville, NC;

828-258-3888

RED CROSS ENCOURAGES BLOOD DONORS TO ‘GIVE A LITTLE, BUY A LOT!’ WITH CHANCE TO WIN A $1000 SHOPPING SPREE

Asheville, NC - Each time a blood donor gives the gift of life, he or she gets something back - the knowledge that in taking the time to donate one unit of blood, they may have saved up to three lives. >From October 1 to December 31, 2008 blood and platelet donors will get even more back when they are entered to win a $1000 gift card courtesy of The American Red Cross. [Read more →]

Tags: General by ecthompson
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The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, called this bail out a “buy-in.” We’ll see.

From the Washington Post:

The House began a heated debate this morning on legislation that would authorize what is likely to become the biggest federal government bailout in the nation’s history, shortly after President Bush urged lawmakers to act quickly to approve the $700 billion proposal hammered out over the weekend.

Bush acknowledged that the vote will be “difficult” in the face of opposition from taxpayers and voters but necessary to protect the economy.

“A vote for this bill is a vote to prevent economic damage to you and your community” by stabilizing financial markets and renewing the flow of credit, Bush said, attempting to undercut arguments that the proposed legislation bolsters Wall Street at taxpayers’ expense. “This is a bold bill that will keep the crisis in our financial system from spreading through our economy.”

Tags: Economy by ecthompson
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There isn’t really much to say. The Dallas Cowboys laid an egg. The defense was awful. Jason Campbell was great though. He protected the ball. He hit the open receiver– and there were plenty of open receivers. The Cowboys’ high-powered offense couldn’t run the ball. The receivers were manhandled. The Redskins whipped the Cowboys. Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips should be ashamed. At the end of last season we needed a receiver to offset T.O. and yesterday we saw that we still need a REAL receiver to offset T.O.. I understand that Tory Holt is looking to get out of St. Louis!

Tags: Sports by ecthompson
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There is only one Republican U.S. House member left from New England. There are a total of 22 House members from New England. The six New England states are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

The remaining offending House member is Christopher Shays (Photo above) of Connecticut’s Fourth District. Mr. Shays was first elected in 1987.

This district includes both affluent New York City suburbs and struggling urban centers such as Bridgeport.

Like you and I as individuals, this district is your proverbial study in contrasts. 

In some cases, it may be best to keep at least a few Republicans around. For example, a city council with only Democrats may suggest that all the Republicans have move to the suburbs. A state legislature with one party in longterm total control may make that state legislature an even greater den of corruption. ( I don’t have the highest view of state governments.)

In this case though, the U.S. House won’t be running out of Republicans anytime soon and turncoat U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman can plead for Connecticut among Republicans.

So let’s hope Mr. Shays is defeated.

[Read more →]

Tags: Election 2008 by Texas Liberal
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Important Election Updates

September 28, 2008 To: All Buncombe County Democrats From: Kathy Sinclair, Chair We’re quickly approaching the final month of this very exciting and important Election Year, and the pace is picking up. During this time, if questions arise, please contact our office manager Pat Scherer at 274-4482, hq@buncombedems.org for information. We hope you find the following helpful: EARLY VOTING / SAME DAY REGISTRATION / ABSENTEE BALLOTS This information can be found on the front page of our website, www.buncombedems.org and will be updated regularly. There are 8 official ballot styles for Buncombe County, so the easiest way to find a voter’s official ballot is to visit http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/VoterLookup.aspx After typing in the name and county, there’s a link to the official ballot. Buncombe County is fortunate to have 15 Early Voting / Same Day Registration Sites. Early voting starts on Thursday October 16 and lasts through Saturday November 1. Any unregistered voter can register and vote on the same day during this time. For a list of Early Voting sites, including times and locations, visit http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Election/news_detail.asp?newsID=6414 Please note that Biltmore Square Mall and Innsbrook Mall are open until 9:00 PM on Saturday, October 18. Absentee ballot requests are being accepted by the Buncombe County Board of Elections. Instructions on how to request a ballot are available at http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Election/absentee.htm VOLUNTEER Your time as a volunteer is very much appreciated. Here’s a brief list of some activities: Canvass and Phone Bank - Contact each campaign for schedules. Most campaigns have events happening daily. Pass out slate cards at Early Voting Sites - Contact your precinct chair Pass out slate cards on Election Day - Contact your precinct chair Provide Rides to the Polls during Early Voting and on Election Day - Please provide times available and contact info to Headquarters, 274-4482 Make phone calls during Early Voting to voters who have not yet voted - Lists will be obtained by Party HQ from the Board of Elections - Contact your precinct chair or headquarters at 274-4482 Pick up candidate signs and literature at HQ prior to Election Day for your precinct Erect candidate signs at polling locations on Election Day - contact your precinct chair FALSE RUMORS ABOUT VOTER ATTIRE Posted on the North Carolina Democratic Party Website on Wednesday, September 24: “As Election Day quickly approaches, voters will hear false information designed to intimidate and dissuade them from the polls. Misleading reports were issued today saying that voters could not wear to the polls t-shirts, pins, hats and other clothing with Senator Barack Obama pictured on them. Some reports even claim that people won’t be able to vote if they wear Obama gear. This is false. State law bans campaigning in the voting booth and the nearby buffer zone of 25 to 50 feet around the polling place. However, wearing a candidate t-shirt or button does not constitute campaigning. To avoid trouble, please do not interfere with other voters or actively campaign while at the polls. “With so much at stake during this year’s historic election, it’s easy for false and misleading information to reach thousands of people,” said NCDP Chairman Jerry Meek. “More people will exercise their right to vote this year more than at any time in our state’s history.” “We must balance enthusiasm with a healthy sense of skepticism,” Meek said. “If something doesn’t sound right, check it out with your local board of elections office or party headquarters.” VANCE - AYCOCK 2008 RECEPTION AND DINNER AT THE GROVE PARK INN Saturday, October 4, 2008 Breakfast, Hosted by the Buncombe County Democratic Women Doors Open at 8:30 AM; Program begins at 9:00 AM Scheduled Speakers: Beverly Perdue and Kay Hagan Tickets: $35 Contact Elana McKenzie elana121861@yahoo.com or 253-4921. Dinner & Reception VIP Reception at 5:30 PM, followed by Dinner at 7:00 PM Dinner & Reception: $250 Dinner Only: $100 Personal Checks Only, No Cash or Business Checks To purchase tickets on line, click here. Tickets are available at the Buncombe County Democratic HQ, 274-4482 or contact Buncombe County Chair Kathy Sinclair at tandem9@charter.net DEBATE SCHEDULE The Presidential and Vice Presidential Debate Schedule: – Thursday, October 2, Vice Presidential Debate – Tuesday, October 7, Second Presidential Debate - Town Meeting Format – Wednesday, October 15, Final Presidential Debate - Domestic Policy The day before North Carolina One-Stop Early Voting begins!!! ( Click Here To Go To The Debate Website >>> ) A COUPLE OF GREAT VIDEOS Follow this link to enjoy a video taken at our September 6th United We Win Event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8rSa-iQcVU Follow this link to an inspirational message about why we do what we are doing and why we need to encourage others to join the movement. Be sure to share this with others. ELECTION NIGHT Join the festivities on Election Night at the Crowne Plaza (behind Sam’s Club). Details to follow.

Tags: Party Politics, State and Local Politics by ecthompson
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It appears that Congressional leaders and the Bush administration have hammered out an agreement. The details of this agreement have not been released. Staffers will be typing out a final draft so that it can be ready for discussion and voting in the morning.

• It appears that all the money will not be dispensed all at once.
• There’s a limit on senior executive compensation.
• Taxpayers should benefit if the companies that participate in this program return to profitability.
• There is a provision instated by the House Republicans designed to encourage homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgages to take out some sort of government insurance policy. I’m still not exactly sure how this would work.

Tags: Economy by ecthompson
5 Comments »

I don’t want to even suggest that Senator John McCain lost the race for the White House last night in the first presidential debate, but I will say he really didn’t help his cause. He spent most of the debate trying to flash his experience and belittle or label Senator Barack Obama. He was forceful and serious, railing against earmarks as if eliminating earmarks would solve all of our problems. It won’t.

One of the most frequent lines that John McCain used last night was that he knows how to cut government spending and how to cut government waste and will do that as president. My question is this: John McCain has been in the Senate for 26 years, so why hasn’t he cut government waste and government spending in those 26 years? He is a Republican senator. Republicans have been in power for approximately 28 years. He has had sympathetic presidents in Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush I so where were all the spending cuts? He is telling us that he has all of this leadership ability yet we have never seen him “take the weed wacker” to earmarks and government spending.

In contrast, Barack Obama clearly laid out his plan on economics and on foreign policy. He stood up and pointed out the flaws in McCain’s logic and presented an alternative to business as usual. I think, overall, the debate was a draw.

Here’s Obama discussing what he saw in the debate. McCain did not mention the middle class once. McCain did not offer any plan to help the middle class. He did not back away from tax cuts for the rich.

After Obama’s appearance in Greensboro, North Carolina he made an appearance in Virginia. He drew a huge crowd which stood in the rain to hear him.

Tags: Economy, Election 2008, Music by ecthompson
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Here’s the Saturday evening news roundup:

• Chinese astronauts experienced their first spacewalks. Congratulations to China. Now, let’s see, the Soviets did their first spacewalk on March 18, 1965. American Astronaut Ed White walked on June 3, 1965.
• Zimbabwe is in the midst of a huge food crisis.
• There is evidence to suggest that Pakistani tribesmen in the northwest frontier are beginning to rise up against the Islamic extremists. I wonder if the Pakistan government or the U.S. government are supplying these tribesmen? This seems to be remarkably similar to the “Sunni Awakening.”
• At home, what happened on Thursday? Remember, around noon on Thursday it appeared there was a bailout deal. Then, a couple of hours later, there was no deal. The Washington Post has an interesting article today about these negotiations. It appears that Republican nominee John McCain played a central role in derailing the process. It is not clear whether this was intentional or not, but Republicans like Representative Paul Ryan (Wisconsin), ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, were waiting to talk to someone and McCain was that someone. After listening to House Republicans, McCain went to the Senate. He attended a Senate Republican policy luncheon. Senators Robert Bennett (Utah) and Judd Gregg (New Hampshire) explained the contours of the bailout agreement. Then McCain said, “Just like Iraq, I’m not afraid to go it alone if I need to.” Just like that, the deal had gone up in smoke. Is this an example of McCain putting his Country First?
• In 1992, Sweden underwent a huge financial crisis. Sweden did not bail out their ailing financial institutions. Instead, they bought huge stakes in the banking industry. They increased regulation. Then, as their economy began to heal, banking profits went to the government and the taxpayers. The government was then able to sell off some of its banking assets, making more profits for the taxpayers. Proposing something like this is laughable in the United States. Republicans, Libertarians, Constitutionalists, and probably anarchists would all be dead-set against such a plan. This type of plan would be dead on arrival in Congress.
• The new National Intelligence Estimate on Afghanistan has been prepared and it is ready but will not be released to the public. The Bush administration thinks it’s in our best interest. Maybe it’s in the best interest of neoconservatives that their major failures stay hidden and under wraps before a major election.
• Remember when Deputy Attorney General James Comey testified that White House Chief of Staff Andy Card and then Chief White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales visited John Ashcroft in his hospital room trying to get re-authorization of the double secret surveillance program? There was speculation that the only way that Card and Gonzales would bother the Attorney General while he was in the hospital would be a under the direction of President Bush. Well, it appears that President Bush was directly involved.
• Fifty-seven million people watched last night’s debate. It is nice to see the country engaged in possibly the most important election in the last 40 years.
• Someone on the McCain campaign team thought it would be a great idea to send Governor Sarah Palin into an Irish pub in downtown Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the city that is known for pelting Santa Claus with snowballs during an Eagles game. Although there were about 400 supporters inside the pub, there were approximately 300 protesters outside of the pub. Some of the signs read: “McSame/Failin’;” “Hey Hockey Mom — keep the puck out of PA;” “Just like Bush in lipstick.” Sweet!
• Finally, where was Governor Palin after the debate last night? Senator Joe Biden was everywhere, making Palin’s absence even more noticeable. One Republican columnist thinks it’s time for the Sarah Palin experiment to end. She has asked her to resign.

Tags: Afghanistan, Domestic Spying, Economy, Election 2008, Foreign Affairs by ecthompson
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At the age of 83, Paul Newman died of lung cancer in his Connecticut home.

Back in high school, I took a film criticism course in which we watched Cool Hand Luke. It is an incredibly amazing movie. Newman deserved not one, but two, Academy Awards for that performance.

My favorite Newman movie is called The Verdict. He played a down-and-out lawyer who was given a “slam dunk” case to put him back on his feet. It is a story about standing up for what you believe in and fighting against a powerful enemy. It is a great movie and I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves movies.

Unlike most in Hollywood, Newman was more than just an actor. He was also a philanthropist. He was a race car driver. He was married to Joanne Woodward for over 50 years. He seemed to be one of the few men that could live life on his own terms.

 

 Paul Newman [2:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Movies by ecthompson
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Michael Douglas is Gordon Gekko, in the movie Wall Street.  This should look familiar.

 

 Wall Street - Greed Speech [0:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Economy by ecthompson
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This is a great tune. Here’s “Man in the Mirror” featuring the world famous Andrae Crouch Choir.

Tags: Music by ecthompson
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Tonight, we watched the first nationally televised presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. As a result of following this campaign closely for over 12 months, I know the candidates and their positions. It still amazes me how McCain can lie and tell the truth with the same expression on his face. For example, when Obama stated that Henry Kissinger said that he supported direct negotiations with Iran, McCain replied with a straight face that Kissinger never said that. Oops. It turns out that Kissinger said exactly that. So, either McCain was “naïve” and has no idea what his advisor is even saying or he was lying. Take your pick.

Five former Secretaries of State had a forum last week. Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger and James Baker all advocated talking with your enemies.

Here’s more on Kissinger’s position from the Huffington Post:

I’m in favor of negotiating with Iran. And one — (unintelligible) — of negotiation is to put before Iran our vision of a Middle East — of a stable Middle East and our notion of nuclear proliferation at a high enough level so that they have to study it.

It’s not only Kissinger’s position, it is the position of James Baker and Colin Powell as well. Here is what Powell said at last week’s forum: “We should start to talk to them. Don’t wait for a letter coming from them. Start discussion. We’ve been talking to them up through 2003.” When asked whether we should take the initiative, Powell responded, “Yeah. We shouldn’t we? What are we afraid of?”

From the Washington Post Fact Check:

McCain seriously misstated his vote concerning the marines in Lebanon. He said that when he went into Congress in 1983, he voted against deploying them in Beirut. The Marines went in Lebanon in 1982, before McCain came to Congress. The vote came up a year into their deployment, when the Marines had already suffered 54 casualties. What McCain voted against was a measure to invoke the War Powers Act and to authorize the deployment of U.S. Marines in Lebanon for an additional 18 months. The measure passed 270-161, with 26 other Republicans (including McCain) and 134 Democrats voting against it.

Overall, I think that Obama did well. McCain tried to make him seem small and inexperienced, but I don’t think that it worked. And even though McCain tried to tie Iraq into everything, Obama did a great job of untangling Iraq and pushing the problems in Afghanistan. At best, McCain fought to a tie in a subject that was his strong suit.

Daily Kos has some polling numbers on how Americans thought the candidates did.

 

 Obama discusses foreign policy [2:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008 by ecthompson
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Weekly Events Reminder Saturday, September 27Cluster 5  Brunch with the Candidates      10:00 AM      Skyland Fire Department      Come to Meet and Greet your state and local candidates! Dog Frolic Event      1:00 PM - 4:00 PM      French Broad River Park      Hosted by the Eleanor Project Group      Voter Registration and Candidate Education Spotlight      DOGS WILL BE :  BARKING FOR BARACK & BIDEN - the Obama / Biden Demoocratic Presidential Ticket -                                      HOWLING FOR HAGAN - the Kay Hagan campaign for N.C. U.S.Senate seat -                                                                            WAGGING FOR WHILDEN - the Jane Whilden campaign for N.C. State House of Representatives District 116 -                                 DIGGIN’ IN FOR DAVID - the David Gantt campaign for Chair of Buncombe County Comission ****45 SPECIAL DOG TREAT BAGS WILL BE GIVEN (on a first-come/first-served basis) - The number 45 was selected as a tribute to this being the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I HAVE A DREAM” Speech. There will be a special photo op, so bring your camera!!!      p.s. You do not have to have a dog to attend. Contact Marnie Walsh, mprescottwalsh@yahoo.com,  828-298- 2231 Sunday, September 28      no events scheduled Monday, September 29 Jane Whilden Mailing      10:00 AM      Democratic Headquarters      VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!      Call Forrest Gilliam at 989-1021 Meet and Greet for David Gantt      6:00 PM - 8:00 PM      Home of Patsy Keever, 17 Braddock Way, Asheville      Suggested Contribution $25 per person      Contact Ellen at ellen@ganttforbuncombe.org or 828-442-9252 Tuesday, September 30 Forum with County Commissioner Chair Candidates      12:00 noon - 2:00 PM      Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church Street, Asheville      Sponsored by the Asheville Civitan Club Wednesday, October 1 Monthly Volunteer Luncheon      12:00 Noon      Democratic Headquarters      Please reserve! 274-4482 Thursday, October 2 Luncheon in Support of David Gantt and Barack Obama 12 Noon - 2:00 PM Limones Restaurant, 13 Eagle Street, Downtown Asheville RSVP by September 29 to yeswecan@bellsouth.net, 901-871-0211 $50 per person All proceeds to to the Buncombe County Democratic Party Get Out The Vote for Chair of the Commission Candidate, David Gantt and Presidential Candidate Barack (Yes We Must) Obama. Happy Birthday to David Gantt. Friday, October 3 Democratic Candidates Reception      5:30 PM - 8:30 PM      Crest Center, Pavilion      Sponsored by Carol and Bruce Peterson      Meet Your State and Local Candidates      $50 per person      Contact Carol at 828-628-1349 Saturday, October 4 29th Annual Vance Aycock Breakfast      Doors open at 8:30 AM, Program at 9:00 AM      Sponsored by the Democratic Women of Buncombe County      Tickets $35.00      Grand Ballroom, Vanderbilt Wing, Grove Park Inn Resort      Tickets available at Democratic Headquarters 48th Annual Vance-Aycock Dinner      Reception 5:30 PM, Dinner 7:00 PM      Reception $250 per person includes dinner, Dinner $100 per  person      Grove Park Inn Resort      Tickets available at Democratic Headquarters and online at www.ncdp.org Mamas for Obama Picnic      4:00 PM - 7:00 PM      Lake Louise Park and Playground, North Merrimon Avenue,   Weaverville      Bring a picnic and the family!      Contact docaproducts@yahoo.com , 333-1115 Sunday, October 5      no events scheduled Upcoming Events October 6, Monday, Forum with County Commissioner Candidates, 6:30-9:00 PM, Sponsored by the Wilshire Park Community Emmanuel Lutheran Church 51 Wilburn Pl Asheville, NC 28806 6:30pm potluck, 7:00pm Forum October 8, Wednesday, Bill Stanley Benefit, Gerald’s Firplace Restaurant, 287 Weaverville Highway, Woodfin, $100 per person, $150 per couple, RSVP to 254-4925, Cocktails 6 PM, Dinner 7 PM October 10, Friday, AB Tech Candidates Forum, Noon - 2:00 PM Ferguson Auditorium October 11, Saturday, County CommissionerCandidates Breakfast, Owen High School Cafeteria October 11, Saturday, Carol Peterson Benefit, Barnardsville Community Center, 2:00-4:00 PM

Tags: State and Local Politics by ecthompson
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President Bush made a little announcement about the economy. It is very similar to an announcement he made several years ago. Jon Stewart, the best at this type of thing, juxtaposes the two announcements and the result is funny and scary at the same time.

Tags: Bush Administration, Economy, The Daily Show by ecthompson
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