Friday, May 16, 2008

Evening Open Thread

This one should actually work... chat away...

Posted by Michael Link at 08:16 PM | Comments (6) | Digg This!

Ohioans Respond to John McCain on the Economy

John McCain said in April that "a lot of our [economic] problems are, as you know, psychological."

Ohioans, who are among the worst hit by Bush/McCain style economic policies, disagree.

John McCain: he's no economist, nor a psychologist, either.

Posted by Matt Ortega at 07:00 PM | Comments (1) | Digg This!

McCain Sets Withdrawal Date

Posted by Michael Link at 02:42 PM | Comments (1) | Digg This!

McCain's Campaign of Lobbyists

How many lobbyists does John McCain have running his campaign -- even at the very highest levels?

So many that he lost count.

Yes, with resignation after resignation and controversy after controversy about John McCain's connections to lobbyists -- which, by the way, have done their lobbying work inside of the campaign bus -- he's now being forced to re-vet his entire campaign staff:

After a series of disclosures forced the resignation of two McCain campaign aides with ties to unsavory regimes, the campaign has decided to scrutinize the background of the entire staff to ferret out connections to lobbyists.
This morning, according to two Republicans with direct knowledge, Rick Davis, the campaign manager, e-mailed to McCain's entire staff a memo entitled "McCain Campaign Conflicts Policy" -- Effective Today" that includes a questionnaire asking about previous professional activities.

One of the questions asks: "Have you ever been a registered lobbyist at either the Federal or State level?" Another asks: "Have you ever been a registered foreign agent? A third asks staff members to list all of their previous lobbying or foreign government clients.

But what about change at the very top?

Charlie Black is McCain's "senior counsel and spokesman." MoveOn.org is taking aim at him in a new ad:

Some organizations are calling on McCain to fire even more.

Posted by Michael Link at 01:39 PM | Comments (1) | Digg This!

Rubin: McCain on Hamas The Ultimate Flip-Flop

It's being called "the ultimate flip-flop in American politics" by a former State Department official under President Clinton. As Think Progress points out, McCain now says "It is a grave and dangerous mistake for an American leader to meet with a terrorist organization like Hamas."

Here's what McCain had to say before, in an interview:

RUBIN: Do you think that American diplomats should be operating the way they have in the past, working with the Palestinian government if Hamas is now in charge?

MCCAIN: They're the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy towards Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so...but it's a new reality in the Middle East.

Posted by Michael Link at 11:07 AM | Comments (8) | Digg This!

Morning Open Thread

Chat away...

Posted by Michael Link at 06:44 AM | Comments (138) | Digg This!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Evening Open Thread

Chat away...

Posted by Michael Link at 06:54 PM | Comments (43) | Digg This!

A Step Toward Equal Rights

Governor Dean today issued the following statement on the California Supreme Court decision to overturn the state's anti-marriage ban:

"The Supreme Court of California today took a step forward in the long march toward protecting equal rights under the law for every American. This should not be a matter of politics or partisanship; it is a matter of protecting the rights and dignity of all American families."

Posted by Michael Link at 05:16 PM | Comments (0) | Digg This!

More on Bush's Outrageous Statement about Democrats

Speaker Pelosi: "What the President did in that regard is beneath the dignity of the office of the President and unworthy of our representation at that observance in Israel. And I would hope that any serious person would disassociate themselves from the President's remarks who aspires to leadership in our country."

Video via ThinkProgress:

Will McCain speak up?

Posted by Michael Link at 03:35 PM | Comments (5) | Digg This!

Will McCain Denounce Bush's Remarks

Bush made some outrageous comments that "Democrats are in favor of 'appeasement' of terrorists in the same way U.S. leaders appeased Nazis in the run-up to World War II."

Governor Dean has responded (emphasis mine):

"On the same day John McCain is talking about putting partisanship aside, the President launched a cheap political attack while on a state visit honoring the 60th anniversary of Israel, one of America's greatest allies. Bush's outrageous comments are an embarrassment to our country, not based in fact and bring us no closer to our goal of ending terrorist attacks against Israel and bringing peace to the region. If John McCain is really serious about being a different kind of Republican, he'll denounce these remarks in the strongest terms possible."

Posted by Michael Link at 01:56 PM | Comments (4) | Digg This!

Conyers to Rove: No

That's the headline at TPM Muckraker. With Karl Rove refusing to testify, in person and with a public record, House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers is saying that simply sending a letter isn't enough -- they need to actually be able to question him.

But he is willing to compromise by providing a list of initial questions that might be asked, which would allow him to make sure that the answers that he gives to the committee are precise and accurate.

From the letter Conyers sent Rove:

Our position remains, however, that since your client has made a number of on-the-record comments on these subjects to the media, and in light of your (now modified) statement that Mr. Rove would be willing to testify, we can see no justification for his refusal to speak on the record to the Committee.

Posted by Michael Link at 11:35 AM | Comments (0) | Digg This!