Posts with the tag 2008

2008 Electoral College results: map, cartogram

Mike W, Tulsa+ — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:05:42 EST

Two map versions of the same data to compare...

Map
http://myngp.com/BCEImages/UploadImages/1788/e0bb7259-67a6-43b3-bdd2-628cb4a4eef5.jpg

Cartogram
http://f9g.yahoofs.com/groups/g_6298918/.HomePage/__sr_/b094.jpg?grA0sUJBYhjobnGQ

Pres.-Elect Obama Names Eric Holder As U.S. Attorney General

Erin Medlicott — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:56:49 EST

President-elect Barack Obama today named Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. as the next U.S. Attorney General. He has accepted the position, pending a Senate approval.

Mr. Holder will be the first African-American U.S. Attorney General in American history.

He was former Deputy Attorney General of the United States from 1997 to 2001. He also served as Acting Attorney General under President George Bush for a few weeks until the Senate confirmed John Ashcroft as the AG nominee.

Last year Mr. Holder joined Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign as a senior legal advisor. And most recently, he became part of a three-member Vice Presidential selection committee with Caroline Kennedy and Jim Johnson.

He is 57, and married with three children.

VP Elect Joe Biden names chief of staff

Erin Medlicott — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:22:43 EST

VP-Elect Sen. Joe Biden has tapped VP Gore veteran Ron Klain to be his chief of staff.

Earlier in his career, he clerked for Supreme Court Justice Byron White during the Court’s 1987 and 1988 Terms and worked on Capitol Hill, where he was Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Klain had also previously been close to Sen. Biden through his service as counsel to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Committee, when Sen. Biden was its Chairman.

Ron Klain was portrayed by actor Kevin Spacey in the 2008 film "Recount."

Congrats, Mr. Klain - you've got a great new boss!

Election Day: Great profile on Senator Biden in today's New York Times...

Erin Medlicott — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:38:31 EST

There is a great profile on Senator Biden in today's New York Times, "From The Road: Biden's Closing Argument." Here is the link:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/11/04/politics/fromtheroad/entry4568577.shtml

"...Biden's poll numbers have steadily climbed since he was announced as Obama's running mate, and nearly three quarters of Americans believe he would be prepared to take over the presidency..."

"...This election is not about Barack," Biden said Monday. "It's not about me, it's not about Sarah Palin or John McCain, it's about you and now it's up to you. It's up to you to take back this country."

"It's in your hands. In less than 24 hours, we'll know who the next leader of the free world is and ladies and gentlemen, I know. I know, America knows, that Pennsylvania is going to decide the next President of the United States of America. It's gonna be Barack Obama!"

God bless you, Joe Biden...we're with you, all the way!

PA-05: McCracken for Congress -- Staying Positive with a Message of Hope and Change

Victor M. Ordonez — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:48:33 EST

There really isn't a lot left to say as we head into the final 24 hours of the campaign. First, and most important, Kelly, Amanda and I want to thank everyone who has helped in any way with the campaign. The one thing I will take away from this experience, regardless of the outcome on Tuesday, is the people I've met, the communities I've visited and the stories we've shared.

It has also been encouraging how many people have stepped up over the last 2 weeks to help with donations to the campaign. Once our opponent got desperate and decided to go negative there were many people and organizations who stepped up and sent in late donations. These late donations allowed us to expand our media advertising and create a second TV ad to combat the distortions coming from our opponent's campaign.

Joe the Plumber: A Prime Symbol of Republican Hypocrisy

Eric Wattree — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 10:10:13 EDT

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Joe the Plumber: A Prime Symbol of Republican Hypocrisy

John McCain accused Barack Obama of being an elitist. He then trotted out “Joe the Plumber” to symbolize that he, unlike Obama, stood in solidarity with the American middle class. That made for great theater, but like John McCain himself, it soon became clear that Joe the Plumber maintained a strained relationship with truth.

Dem VP Nominee Sen Joe Biden Receives Prestigious Award From Pakistan's Pres. Asif Ali Zardari

Erin Medlicott — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:55:38 EDT

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari announced Tuesday government awards for U.S. Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden and Republican Senator Richard Lugar.

Biden and Lugar in July introduced a bipartisan U.S. aid plan which calls for $1.5 billion per year in non-military spending to support economic development in Pakistan.

Zardari had awarded them the "Hilal-i-Pakistan" (Crescent of Pakistan) "in recognition of their consistent support for Pakistan," the government said in a statement.

Pakistan has figured in the U.S. presidential election campaign, with both Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican John McCain speaking of the need for more focus on defeating the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and eradicating al Qaeda from Pakistan's borderlands.

Zardari is the widower of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in a suicide attack in the city of Rawalpindi on December 27 last year.

PA-05: McCracken for Congress -- Working the Final Week to Take Back Our Future

Victor M. Ordonez — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:52:23 EDT

The campaign schedule has been pretty intense over the last week and will continue to be so until the BIG day on Tuesday, November 4th. I want to congratulate everyone for putting so much effort into this year's election, not just for an individual campaign, but for the entire Democratic ticket. I've seen people in every community throughout the 5th district working to make sure the message is getting out.

I want to remind everyone it is important that we finish strong. Don't take anything for granted, ignore the polls and work like the polls show our candidates 5 points down. Remember, while all indications show Barack Obama will be our next president, if we believe the polls, Al Gore would be concluding his second term or we would be working to re-elect President John Kerry right now.

Take A Look: Profile of Joe Biden in The New Yorker, Oct. 20 issue

Erin Medlicott — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:13:40 EDT

Take A Look: In-depth VP candidate profile of Senator Joe Biden in Oct. 20th "New Yorker" magazine, see Web link, below:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/20/081020fa_fact_lizza?printable=true

The article, by Ryan Lizza, is in "The Political Scene" department, called "Biden's Brief." Here are two paragraphs from the article:

During the primaries, which continued until June, Obama and Biden spoke about twice a week. “He’d call not so much to ask for advice as to bounce things off me,” Biden said as we sat in the tent. “And then when he asked me if I would consider being vetted”â€"possible Vice-Presidential candidates must submit to a personal and financial investigation by the campaignâ€"“I said I’d have to think about it.”

Biden, who has served in the United States Senate for thirty-six years, wasn’t certain that the Vice-Presidency was an improvement over his current position. “I’ve got a job I think matters now, as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee,” he said. “Presumptuous for me to say, but at leastâ€"at a minimumâ€"I’ve been able to influence the direction of the Democratic Party on foreign policy. And I’ve been relativelyâ€"presumptuous to sayâ€"relatively successful legislatively in the Senate, being able to win a lot of Republican friends, and being able to cross the aisle. And so it wasn’t self-evident to me that being Vice-President would be a better jobâ€"you know what I mean?”

PA-05: McCracken for Congress -- Come January 2009, We Must Remember What The American People Expect

Victor M. Ordonez — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:21:38 EDT

Earlier this week I received an email from a 5th district voter with very strong pro-life beliefs who would like to vote for me. She told me via email that she is comfortable that I am Catholic and my stance on pro-life issues is similar to that of Sen. Robert Casey. She feels it is very likely Barack Obama will be elected President and the Democratic Party will gain seats Congress. Where her concern lies is what actions a newly inaugurated President Barack Obama and a United States Congress with a strong Democratic majority will take after January of 2009. She is afraid there will be a far left agenda that will attempt to overturn pro-life initiatives put into effect like the ban on partial birth abortions.

In my response back to her, I explained that my agenda when I arrive in Washington will be exactly what I've been campaigning on. I want to concentrate on fiscal responsibility, a national energy policy that stresses domestically produced alternative fuels, health care and health insurance reform, saving and strengthening Social Security, rescinding No Child Left Behind and bringing our troops home from Iraq. I also mentioned that I will not stand for Congress losing sight of what the agenda must be -- solving the problems important to the middle class.

Tune In Tonight: Dem VP Nominee Joe Biden with Jay Leno

Erin Medlicott — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:17:12 EDT

Sen. Joe Biden is scheduled to tape two talk show appearances in Burbank today and speak at two campaign fundraisers in West Hollywood tonight in his first trip to Southern California since becoming the Democratic VP nominee.

He will tape an appearance on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" that will air tonight.

Sen. Biden will also tape an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' syndicated daytime talk show, scheduled for future broadcast.

He is scheduled to speak at two fundraising events for the Democratic National Committee's Obama-Biden Victory Fund, both at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. One fundraiser is a $500-per-person reception and the other is a reception and dinner.

John McCain: Portrait of a Demagogue

Eric Wattree — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:29:19 EDT

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

John McCain:
Portrait of a Demagogue

Demagogue: “A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace.”
The American Heritage Dictionary

Demagogues are vampires who prey on the viability of society. They depend on hatred, hostility, and dissension for their very political survival. Wherever there is underlying tension and hostility, they exploit it, and in the absence of hostility, they create it. They have a vested interest in creating discontent, and they are most creatively prolific, when society is in turmoil.

And there’s a very good reason for that. A demagogue’s agenda is virtually always fundamentally at odds with what’s in the best interest of the people. So the only way that they can get the people’s support is to appeal to their hatred, fear, or anger��"that’s when individuals are most prone to act without taking the time to think about their actions. Demagogues specialize, therefore, in appealing to the emotions. That allows them to circumvent the mind, and thus, not have to deal with the nuisance of one’s common sense.

An example of that strategy at work is clearly demonstrated at a recent John McCain rally. While addressing his angry supporters--who were already frustrated over the economy, the financial bailout, pending foreclosures, and the loss of jobs--instead of reassuring them by sharing policy initiatives that he’d developed to address their concerns, he further inflamed the crowd by giving the floor to, and agreeing with, a supporter who stood up to called Barack and Nancy Pelosi hooligan socialists.

PA-05: McCracken for Congress -- Who is Responsible for the Financial Crisis?

Victor M. Ordonez — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:06:39 EDT

Not surprisingly, we are seeing on TV and across the nation a strong and sometimes vicious debate erupting about who or what is to blame for the financial meltdown that is impacting not only our domestic markets but world markets as well. This was also a hot subject at the debates and forums held this week for the candidates in the 5th district race.

It is very troubling to see certain people on the national scene attempt to blame this crisis on people who took out mortgages they could not afford. We are also hearing criticism that federal government policies put in place during the 90s to encourage home ownership by low income minorities was a major factor in the crisis.

Tune In: Dem. VP Sen. Joe Biden on The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno Thurs. Oct. 16

Erin Medlicott — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:59:50 EDT

http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/

Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden joins actor Colin Farrell on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, this Thursday, October 16.

Tune in!!!

Join Us In Ohio: Sen Biden To Speak At 3 Campaign Events This Tuesday Oct 14

Erin Medlicott — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:31:56 EDT

Ohio: As part of the “Change We Need Rally” tour of Ohio, Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden will be in Ohio this Tuesday, Oct. 14th, and Wednesday, Oct. 15th, for several Obama-Biden campaign events.

Sen. Biden will kick off the tour through eastern Ohio starting Tuesday with a “Change We Need Rally” at the Warren Community Amphitheatre in Warren. Doors open at 8:30 am and it starts around 10:30 am. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but the campaign recommends RSVPing at the Barack Obama Web site.

Later on Tuesday afternoon Sen. Biden will speak at Ohio University Eastern Campus in St. Clairsville. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 2 pm and the program begins at 4 pm.

Tuesday night Sen. Biden will speak at 7:15 pm in an outdoor rally on Armory Square in front of the old Ohio National Guard armory on Front Street in Marietta. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

For security purposes, the area around the armory will be cordoned off…no tickets are required, but the audience will be admitted first-come first serve through a gate where metal detectors will be used.

Tune In: Sunday night, 9:30 pm -C-span - Today's rally with Joe & Jill Biden and The Clintons In Scranton

Erin Medlicott — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:09:49 EDT

Tune in to C-Span tonight,Sunday, at 9:30 pm, to see this afternoon's Obama-Biden rally in Scranton, PA - with guest speakers Democratic VP nominee Sen. Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and NY Senator Hillary Clinton and former president Bill Clinton.

Consumers Rights League, ACORN, & Congress

Democrat in Swanton, OH — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:05:57 EDT

I've been investigating ACORN for the past 2 days. Nearly all of the voter fraud allegations against ACORN have come from the Consumers Rights League.

The Consumers Rights League just popped up out of nowhere. I called them. There is only one person running this "non-profit, non-partisan, educational organization", Jim Terry.

A week ago, Terry submitted written testimony against ACORN. You can see it on their website here: http://www.consumersrightsleague.org/uploadedfiles/JamesTerryACORN9-24.pdf

Practically the whole document substantiates its findings with news articles, no actual court cases. My research is showing that many of these articles don't exist or refer to cases that were shown to have a low-level employee filling out voter registrations to show paid-time work, but Prosecutors of these cases point out that there was obviously NO INTENT TO CAST A VOTE with these.

One of Terry's citations in his written testimony:
10 Ervin, Keith. â��Felony charges filed against 7 in stateâ��s biggest case of voter-registration fraud.â�� Seattle Times. July 26, 2007.

Statement from the Prosecuting Attorney on the case:
â��â�¦Indeed, a joint federal and state investigation has determined that this scheme was not intended to permit illegal voting." http://www.metrokc.gov/proatty/news/2007/Voter%20Registration%20Statement.htm

Jim Terry is the one credited for "exposing ACORN" and his "findings" are the primary source of quotes against ACORN. He's been quoted throughout the news & even interviewed on FOX News.

This is a Republican posing as a Consumer Advocate organization, setup to smear ACORN (and subsequently Obama).

The Best Dollar of the Campaign

Eric Wattree — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 08:47:12 EDT

I hope you don't mind, but I'm posting this one to the Democratic site. Somehow I think Obama will view this as the best $25 he's collected during the entire campaign:

"That one" (14+ / 0-)

My husband, blue collar white guy, truck mechanic,
flag outside on the front porch, not a political junkie at all (basically, someone Sarah Palin would condescendingly describe as "Joe Six-Pack"), called me a little while ago to tell me he sent $25 to Obama's campaign. (With no prompting at all from me, BTW.)

It was his first political contribution in the 20 years I've known him. You know why he did it? Because McCain called Obama "that one." He yelled at the screen when McCain said that, and couldn't stop venting about it all through the debate.

I can't exactly describe his reaction -- it wasn't just "how dare he insult the candidate I'm voting for." It was as if it was his patriotic duty to help stand up for Obama and stop McCain.

So yeah, I think he sees Obama as his President.

From Daily Kos

A Footnote to Posterity

Eric Wattree — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:43:22 EDT

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

A Footnote to Posterity

As I watched the second presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain, my mind drifted off to when I once watched a Space Shuttle landing. All the drama of the mission was over, and the space walk had been completed successfully. Now all that was left to complete a perfect mission, was to bring the bird in for a landing.

As the shuttle grew larger over the horizon, I remember being overwhelmed with pride over this marvel of engineering, and for the thousands of ordinary people who had come together to accomplish its mission. Then as we continued to look out over the horizon, the sound of unabridged competence suddenly crackled forth as the commander of this magnificent vessel spoke to ground control: “Landing gear down, and all systems online. Glide path and descent, five by five.” Then after several seconds of awestruck silence, and as we watched the majestic bird descend, the commander’s voice chimed in once again, with that matter-of-fact tone, as though he was pulling his car into the driveway. “Thirty seconds to touchdown.”

As impressed as I was over the feat of engineering that went into the space shuttle and its mission, I found myself even more fascinated by what must have gone into building the kind of man with the competence, intelligence, and cool professionalism that could command such a vessel--and I had that very same feeling as I watched the cool professionalism of Barack Obama’s performance last night. I felt privileged to bear witness, to the very best this nation has to offer.

PA-05: McCracken for Congress -- United States National Debt Surpasses $10 Trillion

Victor M. Ordonez — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:54:40 EDT

While everyone was focusing on the fate of the bailout plan this week, the federal government's debt passed the $10 trillion mark with hardly anyone noticing. Of course, the bailout plan insures that this debt will climb even higher as there is specific language in the bailout plan authorizing the federal government to raise the debt limit and borrow up to $840 billion to fund the bailout.

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U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 05 Oct 2008 at 12:45:21 PM GMT is: