Day Two: America's Economy Held Hostage

Hot dang-that is a GREAT video. Very quick and to the point-perfect for voters who don't like to pay attention for too long. I love the DOW tracker below him going down as he states the fundamentals of our economy are strong. Pretty much says it all-it's sad but many of us saw this coming.

McCain is eating his words for saying that, I am sure!  And I am smiling because Nate Silver posted on today's poll analysis that Palin's unfavorables are up, and that he thinks she will turn out a net liability for the ticket.  Yeah, well, I think only Democrats were willing to say that two weeks ago, but conservative pundits are saying it now too - and in print.  About time.  What does the EV map say now though? I can't make head nor tail of 538's map right now.

And this morning - in a blizzard of TV appearances before he was fully awake - McCain weirdly asserted that many Americans don't pay taxes so tax cuts wouldn't help. He's making this awfully easy for Obama. Would love to hear Palin's extemporaneous insights on the financial crisis.

And on the foreign policy front:

Kissinger, who is one of McCain's foreign policy advisors, is now openly supporting Obama's call for high level talks with Iran.

This just gets more and more interesting.

Per my comment on the last thread, this is very helpful summary. 

This ad is perfection. I am loving the new aggressive attitude the campaign is now displaying. They need to play this Ad nonstop throughout all the swing states. I saw a new Ad about equal pay for women which is good as well. Two other areas I think the Obama campaign need to do Ads about:

1). They should do an Ad about McCain's plans to privatise social security and highlight Obama's plan to not tax seniors making under $50,000 a year especially for a state like Florida.

2). They should also do an Ad stating McCain/Palin will tax your healthcare benefits if they get to office. This would be a winner as many folks are not aware of the details of McCain's healthcare plan. If his plan is put in place many people will be worst off in regards to healthcare as against now as most people get their healthcare coverage from their employer.

1. Of McCain ATTACKING Mika on Morning Joe - found it in a DailyKos diary.

2. The Jed Report has another gaffe of McCain on the economy. I think he was on CNN.

Both of these need to be DUGG DUGG DUGG

But Planned Parenthood has a brand new ad up today which slams McCain for lying about Barack's Education Bill in Illinois that sought to help kindergarteners recognize and protect themselves from sexual predators..."doesn't John McCain want to protect children from sexual predators...?"

Priceless!

My 35-year-old daughter, my 84-year-old mother, and I will be doing our weekly seniors' outreach; every Wednesday afternoon we spent a few hours talking to and registering seniors in senior citizens' homes.  Many don't get out much, few have cable, even fewer have internet. But they do have phones and spend hours talking to other seniors.  Here in SE Michigan, the issue of viable absentee ballots has been hot the last few cycles.

Got to make sure that seniors know the registration deadlines; the timelines for requesting, receiving, and returning their absentee ballots, and how their powers of attorney representatives can fill out their ballots for them.

During the recent primary election, I went around to all of the polling sites around me to check for handicapped accessibility. (A passion of mine since I am a former special ed. and English teacher...not to mention "my" seniors!))

My daughter just moved back to Michigan from Arizona due to health issues; but she still goes out twice a week to the local malls to find, register, and talk to Gen X-ers like her.  She already changed her registration from AZ to MI; and she calls weekly to make sure they aren't trying "something funny" with someone newly registered.  She registered 5 people in one hour just hanging out at the mall last Sunday!

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

@ Melissa:

McCain also has said that we "lower middle class folks", you know those of us who don't make anywhere near the $5M cut-off for McCain's "middle class", can always go to the emergency room!

All we need to do is focus on the ground game, McPalin will sink themselves!

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

We need one of those catchy one-liners to demonstrate the contrast. They are so good at them "tax and spend", etc...

The ad is pretty good, but we need to keep the pressure on. This morning McCain was all over every morning news shows trying to sound like a populist... yes, he did slip on "many people don't pay taxes" but it wasn't a huge deal. He is going to fit the "Original Maverick" in to everything he does. Calling for a "9-11 style commission" is laughable, there should be some way to belittle that. The guy has absolutely no understanding of what economics is about in a modern market context.

Portland West End

Hi Al,

Great article. I love the fact that Obama has been prescient in his observations of our financial world. He senses that "the social compact is starting to crumble." In his acceptance speech, Obama mentioned the word 'promise' 32 times. I think a terrific new slogan is: 'Keeping America's Promise' This is what the Obama/Biden ticket is offering. A new slogan just now could work wonders. What do you think? Can you pass it along to the connections you have with the Obama camp?

I cannot get the video to play. Here it is on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6reQLzgywzk

Meanwhile McCain is calling for a bipartisan 9-11 like commission to study the situation and Obama is talking about his plan to rectify the situation - enough is enough!

And Joe Biden says on CBS:

"...the Democratic presidential campaign's solutions for the economic crisis include giving middle-class taxpayers a substantial tax break, putting an end to Bush administration tax cuts that favor the wealthy, investing in infrastructure, and changing bankruptcy laws to help people facing foreclosure.

"My lord, take a look at what — who got us in this hole, whose policies," Biden said. "This has been a Republican philosophy of letting Wall Street do what they want and the middle class be damned. It's about time we change it. If I sound like I'm angry, I am fighting mad for middle-class people who have been the scapegoat of this economy because of the policies of the McCains and the Bushes."

Ann, pretty smart rhetoric on the part of Biden and Obama.  Poor people are less likely to vote--address issues of 'fairness' toward the middle class, with the hope that they can wake up from their sleep-walking and delusions of free lunch forever.

Sure, the rightwing will scream 'class warfare--no fair!', but we must simply point out that not increasing the minimum wage and allowing the fanancial markets to loot the treasury is class war directed at the American Way of Life.

Indeed, I think that the 'it's the economy stupid!' message needs to be hammered home for the rest of the campaign.  If Obam and Biden do as well as I think they will in the debates, and the economy stays on soft footing in the weeks ahead, and we at the grass roots GOTV, then we will see Obama/Biden inch back up on the polls and take this election.

Yes we can!

Populism works--when it is done right.

Palin, indeed, pales in comparison to the looming financial melt-down.

More, it seems unlikley that any international events can be conjured as an "October surprise' (that is what the US green-lighting the Georgian attack on South Ossetia was supposed to do.)

Look at Yahoo News: "Advisor says McCain Responsible for Blackberry"

LOL  Oh sweet Jesus--if only this would hang over the McLame campaign for a few weeks.

The guy can't compose and send an email to save his life--but he helped invent the BlackBerry.

Victory in Iraq and Free Black Berries for everyone!

Too bad you can't sleep in a Black Berry.   "Let them eat Black Berries" does have a wierd sort of resonance--appropriate to the times and the crimes.

In the New and Observer (Raleigh) today, there was an update on voter registrations.  Between 1 Jan and 6 Sep, the following numbers registered, by party (rounded, and hopefully remembered correctly):

GOP:  ~22,000

Dem:  ~178,000

Indy:  ~127,000

Unbelievable, lovely pictures here

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/16/113954/416/527/600538

amk

I would love to see an ad with Barney Smith - he's the "regular" guy who spoke at the DNC.  He used to be a Republican but now he's voting for Obama.

His memorable line "We need a government who cares about Barney Smith and not just SmithBarney"..

After this line, the crowd starting chanting "Barney, Barney, Barney".

It was really compelling and I think it will connect with voters emotionally.   Actually, they should just use the footage from the convention!  It's quite appropriate considering the dismal news on Wall Street.

seeker - actually, his campaign HAS used that slogan at times.  The rally I attended in OH back during the primaries had that theme - is on my rally sign in my front window.  :-) 

fastlane - My dad just emailed us with exactly the same idea - to use those great people who had the courage to stand up in front of that enormous crowd and tell their stories.  I was watching on CSPAN.  Did they actually show them speaking on the msm outlets?  [p.s. - We told my dad to call or email the campaign with the suggestion, which he did!  He's a notorious armchair quarterback on politics so thrilled he did something/anything.  Maybe you should do the same?  Who knows....  :-)  ]

This would seem to fit in nicely with the current dishonesty meme.  Granted it's not coming from the horse's mouth...

"He did this," Douglas Holtz-Eakin told reporters this morning, holding up his BlackBerry.  "Telecommunications of the United States is a premier innovation in the past 15 years, comes right through the Commerce committee so you're looking at the miracle John McCain helped create and that's what he did."

Traditonal Media did NOT show the regular folks - only CSPAN and PBS showed them.

I am also going to send this idea to Obama HQ.   It was a great moment to behold!   Thanks for involving your dad - that's great.  It's going to take all of us to "STAND UP" like Joe Biden said yesterday!

I think it's a good thing the debate moves from brand imagery to economics. In terms of getting people jobs, health care, education and poverty relief, the neoliberal trickle-down economics have not worked anywhere in the world. The only place it has ever been fully implemented was in Chile under Pinochet - only under a murderous dictatorship could it be done - and even there it did not work. Today in the US evidence is everywhere that it does not work. In itself I understand McCain saying that the fundamentals are sound - they are for those few who benefit from neoliberalism, those who need a big cheap labor pool of people desperate to work two jobs at low salaries to survive. From his perspective he's right; things are going perfect.

Love the quote, especially "this goes through the commerce committee".

Blackberry is from Research In Motion (ticker:  RIMM), which is in Toronto.  And here I thought we had never managed to conquer Canada...

In the update, above!

for over 5 years. They also have a web pub where we drink imaginary drinkas and generally bitch about things.

Last week, there was a palin discussion and to my shock, well-informed and intelligent engineers were repugs and closet racists rooting for her. I was in minority (literally) there,  trying to point out the cynical choice of McCain.

And today, I had the joy of joining in another discussion about down-sizing and surprise, surprise, the same guys were pissing & moaning about how the economy was mismanaged.  I left a snark or two there, pointing out their hypocrisy.

amk

Joe goes into the lion's den at CNBC and completely mops up.  Some CNBC twerp tries to trip up Joe and Biden sends him back to the corner with his blankee and graham crackers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dQ8Vp0fBSU

Biden is incredible.  So knowledgable.  Great communicator.  A leader.  I was initially very disappointed with the Biden pick, but this has been further proof that I need to trust Obama's decision-making at this point.  Can't wait for the VP debate.

Fired up!

I just saw a McCain/Palin ad (I'm in Chicago) that touts their "plan" for tougher regulation (i.e. they've ALWAYS been for tougher regulation), cutting middle-class taxes for job growth, off-shore drilling to offset gas prices, and then ended with McCain and Palin/experience and leadership: "the change we need".

Appropriation: the oldest trick in the book. 

Al, nice numbers.

If O-man stays on message, 'it's the economy stupid', and doesn't get sidetracked with trivial shit, there can very well be victory.

McLame was here in Orlando yesterday, and I had to laugh:  outside of some rightwing business types, the hispanic community here in Orlando is leaning heavily to Obama.

O-man is supposed to be in Miami this weekend.

I also like the fact that the novelty of Palin is wearing off pretty quickly.

Those Hotline numbers are definitely statistically significant - both on those economy numbers and the topline.  Obama has to have polled really well yesterday to account for that much movement.  And the movement is confirmed by , Research 2000, Ras and Gallup.  I could feel it coming.  I know there will be more ups and downs but it's good to see things moving in the right direction again.  Amazing to think that early voting starts in some states in just a few weeks.  I'm all for early voting but that just seems too early to me.  People should really be able to have as much information as possible.

Any chance this Carly statement is going to have much traction?

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/key_mccain_advis...

It's of course very ironic to ask Carly if she thinks Palin is qualified to run HP after she herself got the boot...plus one of those golden parachutes McCain/Palin are advocating against.

Sarah Palin can see Canada from her house!

OT, I know, but really funny (unintentionally so).

http://www.theita.com/news/sarahpalin.htm

As seen on Ambinder and Yglesias.

I know I shouldn't let it get to me but it annoys the crap out of me that McCain is so lame that he cannot even come up with his own ideas and he keeps stealing ours. He is even stealing Obama's lines! He suddely cares about regulation and middle class tax cuts! This is just so annoying, how do you fight someone who keeps doing this? Repeating your message in an attempt to hijack it.

That quote from John McCain

"I am fundamentally a deregulator."

should be put in an ad right away. This stuff goes right to the judgment issue - Obama has been talking about this over a year ago - who made the right call?  Bring this stuff together under the label of competence.

The simple question is - show the American people Obama Biden and then show them McCain Palin and ask:

"Who do you trust to fix this economy?"

KD

a regular fundamentalist?

an irregular mental mess?

McCain wants a commission. What's he going to do.. staff it with people who were presumptuous enough to get an Ivy-League education? Harvard people? Elitists who believe that you need a little more than good old American ingenuity and common sense? Elitists who believe in something called "expertise?" 

I think McCain should staff his commission with Hockey Moms. Moms have to work on a budget. They have the know how to solve this problem.

Er.. and Hockey Moms have an ad about Sarah Palin

enjoy. ;)

Al,

The past couple of days, commenters have theorized about various right wing pundits, Fox News and McCain camp surrogates seriously undercutting McCain's so-called message of honor and experience and the other couple of things he's trying to peddle.  Do you think this is orchestrated as a smart political ploy or is it just the rats running to high ground in the flood?

Since I work from home, I receive a lot of packages for personal and business use.  I generally know all of the delivery company guys; although I often leave a sign on my door to just leave the pkg. if I know I'll be back in a few hours.  Sometimes I don't see the guys. Today, however, I noticed that UPS was trying to deliver a package to my next door neighbors.  I waved to him and said, "I'll take it..."

As "Brown" walked up to my porch, he recognized me; he said: "Hi! I haven't seen you since George Bush won that last election!"  Geez, I must've really been pissed/sad/scared back in 2004 for him to remember that!  LOL!

Of course we talked about all the GOTV activities we are both doing to make sure that Repug mess doesn't happen again!

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

HRC did the same thing...stealing all of O-man's lines and themes; switching from "experience" to "change" and berating him as just able to give big speeches and hold big rallies...we saw how well that turned out...desparation and no consistent message from them both...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

Hi Steven,

you said:

<<

More, it seems unlikley that any international events can be conjured as an "October surprise' (that is what the US green-lighting the Georgian attack on South Ossetia was supposed to do.)>>

I agree with the interpretation on Georgia, but I think they have not given up yet. Iran seems to dangerous to them, but I find it strange that Venezuela and Bolivia recalled their ambassadors right now.

Hi Steven,

you said:

"More, it seems unlikely that any international events can be conjured as an "October surprise' (that is what the US green-lighting the Georgian attack on South Ossetia was supposed to do.)"

I agree with the interpretation on Georgia, but I think they have not given up yet. Iran seems to dangerous to them, but I find it strange that Venezuela and Bolivia recalled their ambassadors right now.

I think it's a little bit of both...with seemingly all of them "seeing the light" at the same time smacks of coordination...

but also, "bad stuff" is "news", good stuff is "boring"...

plus, a lot maybe the rats jumping ship...they've got bills to pay...and who's got the moo-la?

Even a couple of Swiftboaters (including Pickens) have decided not to finance them this year...there's a story on HuffPo about the other...

waterprise2 AKA Pam

Liberal with a Capital L!

THIS was my favorite picture

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a81/kos102/2008/Obama/Colorado/Cover%20...

KD

And here's a point I've seen a few people making today - what if George W and John McCain (who signed off on the proposal) had had their way three years ago and privatized Social Security and handed it off to Wall Street?

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/ezraklein_archive?month=09&year=2008&...

KD

I like it so much, Karen, that I made it the background of my desktop.

I'd love to see an ad or Obama or Biden mentioning McCain's claims that he's going to reform Wall St. with a line like "Who do you think you're kidding?" This could be joined with mentions of Gramm, the votes McCain has taken, and a contrast to Obama and Biden's positions.  But treat McCain's claim as the joke it is.

August 22, 2008. Reported in Australia.

Greenberg, other ex-AIG heads accused of $US1b diversion

American International Group shareholders say Maurice ``Hank'' Greenberg and other executives owe them almost $US1 billion for diverting funds to a company controlled by the former AIG chief executive officer.

A Louisiana teachers' pension fund claims that for five years, the former AIG executives overpaid closely held C.V. Starr & Co., where they served as officers. Starr gave the executives bonuses based on the fees from New York-based AIG, according to a lawsuit by the pension fund.

``I think investors have a decent shot at recovering what they are seeking,'' said Robert Zito, a securities lawyer in New York who reviewed plaintiff and defense pretrial briefs. Chancery Court Judge Leo Strine in June 2006 ruled against a defense motion to dismiss the shareholder suit.

Any damages awarded at a trial set to begin Sept. 15 in Wilmington, Delaware, would be paid directly to AIG, the largest US insurer by assets.[...]

Obama can't come soon enough.

I don't know about you, but I'll remember yesterday as "Tan Monday"!

I'll raise a Black & Tan "cheers" to that...

Al, have you decided area to focus on?

If you haven't made a final decision yet-I would like to make a case for Ohio, Michighan, Pennyslvania.

At this point in the game, I think that Ohio and Michighan are less likely to be in Obama's column than Virginia. And in Virginia we already have Werner & Kaine's support.

Socio-economically and geographically the region is very interesting, with part of Ohio resembling northern Kentucky, a strong industrial belt, within the midwest.

Plus Ohio can serve as an natural launching pad for trips into Pennsylvania, Indiana (which will give you an opportunity to see up close a red state on the verge of perhaps turning blue).

Just wanted to throw my two-cents in.

GOP delegate's hotel tryst goes bad when he wakes up with $120,000 missing. Pssst...at the RNC convention.

[What's he doing with all those rings and earrings?]

I've been visiting relatives who have had power restored and I see a lot's been going on since I last visited here on last Thursday.

Ike was terrible.  I'm working on getting past the sheer frightfulness of a dark night with a howling wind and items bumping against the house. Came out ok, only lost some shingles and have a hole in the side of the house. I have no power, no water, no landline phone, and just got my cell phone back (FEMA took over the cell phone lines; not sure why).  Trees are down everywhere, power lines down, long lines at grocery stores, hard to find gasoline.  Some of my favorite weekend escapes (Bolivar Peninsula, parts of Galveston) are gone with the wind and the sea.  Weird.  Gilchrist is just not there any more.  So many people displaced.

But, the news here is encouraging.  I am looking to the future with hope and expectation.

If you didn't hear it; read it http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gG5XWF

we need this man to lead the way....