After all it's more puffed out than usual, at least after hubby's european tour.
What do you think?
Take the poll:
Ok, I'm kidding. But the left isn't. The Huffington Puffington Post continues it's journalistic excellence by running a story - based on an anonymous gmail tip - of whether or not Sarah Palin has a lip tattoo.
"A READER AT A MAJOR NEWSROOM EMAILS: "Off the record, every suspicion you have about MSM being in the tank for O is true. We have a team of 4 people going thru dumpsters in Alaska and 4 in arizona. Not a single one looking into Acorn, Ayers or Freddiemae. Editor refuses to publish anything that would jeopardize election for O, and betting you dollars to donuts same is true at NYT, others. People cheer when CNN or NBC run another Palin-mocking but raising any reasonable inquiry into obama is derided or flat out ignored. The fix is in, and its working." I asked permission to reprint without attribution and it was granted."
Of course this has been true for a while and it's all the more reason that The Conservative Consumers Union is needed. Again, the CCU would use the buying power of American Conservatives to go after MSM news organizations where it hurts - in the advertising revenues - to pressure these news organizations to print the WHOLE truth and not just their biased little end of it.
Most if not all of MSM is owned and run by companies that exist to make money. The lion share of that money is in advertising. Simply put CCU would work to hold advertisers accountable for their backing of biased media coverage by withholding patronizing their products. This would be more than a letter campaign, or phone calls and emails, but would be all encompassing. For instance running ads that expose advertisers and media figures for their bias while asking others not to support them would be one approach.
How effective would this be? Studies have shown that a lot of advertising is in fact geared towards conservatives, espcially those who are successful have families and money. While liberals fall into this category the numbers aren’t as great.
In short it’s good old fashion people power.
We all know that the media has been ignoring many of the scandals and stories about Barack Obama because by their own admission they are rooting for him to win the election. MSM outlets feel that they simply do not have to answer to the masses and report their view of things and to those who disagree it’s “eat cake”.
However if enough pressure would come to bear on the advertisers of CBS, NBC, ABC, MSNBC, CNN and yes even FOX, that might just change.
We know it does for we have seen accountability forced on media by the great work of bloggers and other new media people. Just last week this blog - along with others - called for a boycott of US Weekly for that trashy cover of Sarah Palin and son Trig. The result was over 10,000 subscriptions cancelled. At the present subscription price that cost the magazine over $250,000.
Remember that one person forced CBS to cancel a mini-series on Ronald Reagan back in 2003.
They say money talks and they are right. It does talk and the power of it can force the powers over these outlets to get it right, or get off the air.
Again, this is just a concept, but in the process of making it a reality.
The blog is back up at Macsmind so that readers can view the videos on Obama, but for the time being I will continue to blog here primarily. I still have some restorative work as well. Additionally ads still on that blog need to run as per agreement with our advertisers.
Once the election has run it's course I will most likely make this the primary blog, I'll keep you updated. Thanks for understanding and your support and especially the links which keep us alive.
Been out of the office today, but here's a few thoughts on the failure of the bailout vote. First this disturbing news from Larry Kudlow:
"A number of Republican House members and staff, along with others who are plugged in, are telling me that Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats will come back with a new bill that includes all the left-wing stuff that was scrubbed from the bill that was defeated today in the House.
As this scenario goes, the House Democrats need 218 votes, and they have to pick up a number of black and Hispanic House members who jumped ship because the Wall Street provisions, in their view, were too benign. So things like the bankruptcy judges setting mortgage terms and rates, the ACORN slush-fund spending, the union proxy for corporate boards, stricter limits on executive compensation, and much larger equity ownership of selling banks through warrants will all find itself back in the new bill. Of course, this scenario will lose more Republican votes. But insiders tell me President Bush will take Secretary Paulson’s advice and sign that kind of legislation."
Which stiffens my theory that Democrats engineered this whole collapse by way of inaction through 2006 until now so as to gain "control" of the banking industry by federalizing it. Make no mistake that is exactly what this bailout is intended to do. The 700+ point drop on Wall Street was nothing more than the market's "hissy fit" for not getting it's way.
I watched Fox, MSNBC, CNN tonight and without fail all of them screamed that the sky is falling and that if this bill isn't passed on Thursday at the next vote all is over. Let's not forget however that all the major news orgs are run by giant corporate conglomerates that have heavy investment in Wall Street so it's no doubt that their anchors are simply relaying the panic of their employers.
The market plunged, and might do so again tomorrow, but nevertheless the bailout isn't the right way to go. Keep up the pressure on our side of the house, the fact is that Larry is most likely right and democrats may just shove this thing through with all the earmarks and perks attached. But we have to stay firm on the GOP side.
So let the Democrats pass this mess and when it blows up - and it will down the road - they will not have the GOP to blame.
Very sketchy, but Rezko isn't a happy camper and has been singing like a bird. Via the Chicago Trib:
"Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a convicted influence peddler who was once one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's most trusted confidants, has met with federal prosecutors and is considering cooperating in the corruption probe of the governor's administration, sources told the Tribune.
Rezko's possible change of heart—after years of steadfast refusal—has sent ripples through a tight circle of prominent defense attorneys who represent dozens of potential witnesses and targets in the wide-ranging probe.
His cooperation would give prosecutors investigating the governor and his wife access to someone they have described as an ultimate political insider at the center of a pervasive pay-to-play scheme.
Rezko's trial this year laid bare a culture of scams, bribes and backroom deals stretching from City Hall to the Statehouse. It even became fodder in the presidential campaign of Democratic nominee Barack Obama, whose fundraising and personal ties to Rezko go back more than a decade.
Rezko has made no deal in the wake of his June corruption conviction, sources familiar with the situation said, but has had preliminary talks with prosecutors before an October sentencing that could put him in prison for years. Still, there are indications Rezko has already provided investigators with information.
Four attorneys have told the Tribune in recent days that federal prosecutors have telephoned them and other attorneys either with news Rezko is talking, or armed with details only Rezko could know. The lawyers speculated prosecutors are using the preliminary talks with Rezko to shake loose more cooperation from other witnesses.
"I had very recent a conversation with an assistant U.S. attorney that led me to believe they were getting specific information from either Mr. Rezko or Mr. Rezko's lawyer," said a defense attorney who said he represents a figure in the case. None of the attorneys interviewed would agree to be quoted by name, saying they didn't want to hurt their clients.
The U.S. attorney's office in Chicago declined to comment, as did Rezko's attorney William Ziegelmueller."
Hard to tell exactly what Rezko is talking about. The feds want Blagojevich, and the prosecutor's office has been leaning towards reopening queries into Rezko and Obama according to several sources with knowledge of the dealings.
It looks like Rezko was looking to have "friends" get him out of jail and now feels "screwed" and that's a bad place for him to be for his acquaintances and friends from the past.
"In less than the blink of an eye, the blast of eight tightly-bound sticks of dynamite shattered the brittle wooden shell of the building hastily constructed during the Second World War, adding jagged splinters and rusting nails to the shrapnel that ripped through cheap tables and chairs, taffeta and chiffon, uniforms, and flesh.
Before the concussive shock waves reverberated off nearby buildings, half a dozen human beings closest to the outside wall of the NCO Club became mist.
The roof, lifted skyward by the explosion and suddenly absent a supporting wall as it returned to earth, crashed down on the dead and dying. Leaking bottles from the shattered bar fed the rapidly spreading flames, and deafened, dazed and bleeding survivors crawled or stumbled towards escape in ones and twos.
As soldiers from nearby buildings ran to help the bleeding and burned, a carefully-crafted 12″ pipe-bomb studded with roofing nails hidden in a nearby trash can went off, turning rescuers into additional victims.
Just outside Fort Dix confused onlookers sat in stunned amazement, as a pair of nondescript young women nervously laughed and counted ambulances for a half hour before losing count and heading back to the townhouse in Greenwich Village. The message had been sent.
Though he would have no way of knowing it at the time, the Weatherman’s attack on the non-commissioned officer’s dance would stand as the deadliest act of terrorism on U.S. soil for 25 years, 1 month, and 13 days, until Timothy McVeigh drove into Oklahoma City and infamy."
This is Bob Owens writing about what might have happened on March 6th, 1970 had Ayers and his buddies succeeded in bombing a Fort Dix NCO club. One which I frequented while stationed there. Of course it didn't because the assailants blew themselves up instead. The devices were nail bombs that were designed to rip their victims to shreds.
What is a fact is that a would be President of the United States of America is a friend of one who would plan such an attack. That person is Barack Obama.
"WASILLA, Alaska (AP) -- Though Sarah Palin depicts herself as a pit bull fighting good-old-boy politics, in her years as mayor she and her friends received special benefits more typical of small-town politics as usual, an Associated Press investigation shows.
When Palin needed to sell her house during her last year as Wasilla mayor, she got the city to sign off on a special zoning exception - and did so without keeping a promise to remove a potential fire hazard.
She gladly accepted gifts from merchants: A free "awesome facial" she raved about in a thank-you note to a spa. The "absolutely gorgeous flowers" she received from a welding supply store. Even fresh salmon to take home.
She also stepped in to help friends or neighbors with City Hall dealings. She asked the City Council to add a friend to the list of speakers at a 2002 meeting - and then the friend got up and asked them to give his radio station advertising business.
That year, records show, she tried to help a neighbor and political contributor fighting City Hall over his small lakeside development. Palin wanted the city to refund some of the man's fees, but the city attorney told the mayor she didn't have the authority."
As one who worked in a city for eleven years this is standard fare and not a bit out of line. In fact our democratic mayor had a new take home vehicle for personal use which got replaced every year IN THE BUDGET. Not an eye brow raised. As you go on reading the story you find nothing that wasn't done before or after Palin.
Additionally, all these "gifts" were disclosed in public records as required. That means "AP" that it's not "unethical" to receive certain gifts or even "perks" so long as they are not forbidden by law and disclosed. Seems the writer missed that point.
Of course the next sentence is another lame attempt at "disqualifying" Palin:
"Palin claims she has more executive experience than her opponent and the two presidential candidates, but most of those years were spent running a city with a population of less than 7,000."
Which is 7000 more people than Barack Obama has ever governed over, a point which the MSM willfully misses.
By the way, Sharon Theimer, the AP writer of this story is a registered Democrat.
Newsbusters asks, "Where is the media", on the story that the family of Ryan Jopek - the soldier who's name he forgot - had asked him NOT to wear it any more.
"Barack Obama played the "me too" game during the Friday debates on September 26 after Senator John McCain mentioned that he was wearing a bracelet with the name of Cpl. Matthew Stanley, a resident of New Hampshire and a soldier that lost his life in Iraq in 2006. Obama said that he too had a bracelet. After fumbling and straining to remember the name, he revealed that his had the name of Sergeant Ryan David Jopek of Merrill, Wisconsin.
Shockingly, however, Madison resident Brian Jopek, the father of Ryan Jopek, the young soldier who tragically lost his life to a roadside bomb in 2006, recently said on a Wisconsin Public Radio show that his family had asked Barack Obama to stop wearing the bracelet with his son's name on it. Yet Obama continues to do so despite the wishes of the family."
Disgusting. But what we have come to expect from democrats. Remember it's Barack Obama who called for defeat in Iraq to make the sacrifice of our soldiers for naught.
UPDATE: Jake Tapper who's still pulling for that Press Secretary Job on the Obama Administration begs to differ. Nevertheless the fact remains that there is enough doubt that if Obama truly respected the wishes of the family and the memory of the fallen he wouldn't be wearing it.
While SNL and the Media continue the assault on Sarah Palin telling us that "she's not ready" they continue to dangerously ignore the fact that Senator Barack Obama isn't ready to be the leader of the free world.
An example of this media sellout and their ridiculous arguments against Sarah Palin is brought to you by Fareed Kararia - noted Obama shrill. Commenting on the Couric interview he takes offense at Palin's answer to the "bailout question":
"COURIC: Why isn't it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?
PALIN: That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the—it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.
This is nonsense—a vapid emptying out of every catchphrase about economics that came into her head. Some commentators, like CNN's Campbell Brown, have argued that it's sexist to keep Sarah Palin under wraps, as if she were a delicate flower who might wilt under the bright lights of the modern media. But the more Palin talks, the more we see that it may not be sexism but common sense that's causing the McCain campaign to treat her like a time bomb."
Note there is no reasoning for this dismissal, just "nonsense", typical of the left's swatting away of things they don't like. There was nothing wrong with the answer and in fact is the way that many Americans feel about this boondoggle of a bailout. Zakaria should get out of his Newsweak office and meet some people sometime.
Let's forget the fact of the logically fallacy of the moment. First, Obama is running for President, Palin is not. The chance of Palin, who is the VP candidate - not the Presidential candidate - taking the top position in the next four years is nearly a million to one.
So let's dispense with the false argument that whether or not she could be president NOW even matters. Let's move to the one who would be KING, Barack Obama. Leading the polls and possibly 37 from now, America may just elect a man who has had - and may still have - ties with a known domestic terrorist, and with two people with open hatred of America, Louis Farrakhan, and Jeremiah Wright.
A man who can't see to stay on subject when talking about Iraq:
Who doesn't have much more luck with healthcare:
Who can't even remember the name of a solider's name on his bracelet a mom asked him to wear.
Who has a flipant view about the dangers of Iran and Russian and other world thugs:
And who wants to disarm America so that we cannot respond to the threats that these "tiny countries" present.
There is no way that any other candidate for President would have survived such controversy and continued to be a candidate. Not only is the MSM been a willful participant in failing to cover the stories that would inform Americans about Obama, they will be totally to blame for the cataclysm that will be sure to follow.
"JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt today issued the following statement on news reports that have exposed plans by U.S. Senator Barack Obama to use Missouri law enforcement to threaten and intimidate his critics.
“St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer, and Obama and the leader of his Missouri campaign Senator Claire McCaskill have attached the stench of police state tactics to the Obama-Biden campaign.
“What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment.
“This abuse of the law for intimidation insults the most sacred principles and ideals of Jefferson. I can think of nothing more offensive to Jefferson’s thinking than using the power of the state to deprive Americans of their civil rights. The only conceivable purpose of Messrs. McCulloch, Obama and the others is to frighten people away from expressing themselves, to chill free and open debate, to suppress support and donations to conservative organizations targeted by this anti-civil rights, to strangle criticism of Mr. Obama, to suppress ads about his support of higher taxes, and to choke out criticism on television, radio, the Internet, blogs, e-mail and daily conversation about the election.
“Barack Obama needs to grow up. Leftist blogs and others in the press constantly say false things about me and my family. Usually, we ignore false and scurrilous accusations because the purveyors have no credibility. When necessary, we refute them. Enlisting Missouri law enforcement to intimidate people and kill free debate is reminiscent of the Sedition Acts - not a free society.”
Well there is more. I'm told that the DOJ will be looking into (most likely referring to the FBI) this as a possible civil rights violation as well as violation of free speech. Specifically St. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, could face individual jeopardy for misuse of office.
Actually Governor Blunt himself could order his State Attorney to open an investigation.
Remember it was the democrats that accused President Bush of politicizing the Justice Department and this is far beyond that. Most likely the announcement of the DOJ will come this week.
"CNN’s poll of debate viewers blares a puzzling headline: “Round 1 in debate goes to Obama, poll says.”
But the poll itself actually doesn’t say that. This is blatant editorializing on the part of CNN. The first problem is the numbers:
Fifty-one percent of those polled thought Obama did the better job in Friday night’s debate, while 38 percent said John McCain did better.
Buried way, way down at the bottom of the story — hopefully, one surmises, past the point where anyone would read — is the following:
The results may be favoring Obama simply because more Democrats than Republicans tuned in to the debate. Of the debate-watchers questioned in this poll, 41 percent of the respondents identified themselves as Democrats, 27 percent as Republicans and 30 percent as independents."
Join me at 12pm EST for The MacRanger Show. Two hours of analysis without the paralysis on the week in news, politics and whatever else is on my mind because after all it's MACSMIND. Phone in 646-652-4913 and the chat room will be open.
Unbelievable. Talk about brown shirt, goose stepping Nazis! The Barack Obama campaign is asking Missouri law enforcement to target anyone who lies or runs a misleading TV ad during the presidential campaign.
Here's the video
I want to see them try and enforce this. Speaking of "ethics laws" these prosecutors are violating their oath of office. I wonder if any Republican in the state legislature is speaking out.
Will be live-blogging the debate tonight between Obama and McCain. In spite of the depression of some of my compadres, I'm looking for McCain to embarrass the hell out of THE ONE and if THE ONE's former debate performances are any indication this ought to be fun.
Meanwhile, enjoy!
UPDATE: Debate begins. Note that Obama throws out the first lie. "Two years ago I warned about this crisis". That's a lie, McCain should call him on it!
9:12: Obama looks mad, this isn't good for him. Checking on that claim that he warned on the crisis two years ago, so far nothing coming up in Google or Nexus Lexus. By the way McCain looks much more direct and relaxed and not mad.
9:19: Obama is getting flustered after McCain called him on his BS that he cut earmarks since the beginning of his Senate career.
9:20: Obama talking about that "No one under $250,000 will be taxed more". But that is not true. Again many small business owners make $250,000 a year, but it's not saying that they are rich. Hit them with more taxes and it will still affect Americans in lost jobs and higher prices.
9:23: Obama, also should be called on this "tax cut for 95%" nonsense. About 45% of Americans don't even pay federal income taxes.
Some idiot by the name of Katheleen Parker at NRO snuck in the back door and writes that Palin should step down. Her asinine reasoning?
"Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.
No one hates saying that more than I do. Like so many women, I’ve been pulling for Palin, wishing her the best, hoping she will perform brilliantly. I’ve also noticed that I watch her interviews with the held breath of an anxious parent, my finger poised over the mute button in case it gets too painful. Unfortunately, it often does. My cringe reflex is exhausted.
Palin filibusters. She repeats words, filling space with deadwood. Cut the verbiage and there’s not much content there. Here’s but one example of many from her interview with Hannity: “Well, there is a danger in allowing some obsessive partisanship to get into the issue that we’re talking about today. And that’s something that John McCain, too, his track record, proving that he can work both sides of the aisle, he can surpass the partisanship that must be surpassed to deal with an issue like this.”
When Couric pointed to polls showing that the financial crisis had boosted Obama’s numbers, Palin blustered wordily: “I’m not looking at poll numbers. What I think Americans at the end of the day are going to be able to go back and look at track records and see who’s more apt to be talking about solutions and wishing for and hoping for solutions for some opportunity to change, and who’s actually done it?”
If BS were currency, Palin could bail out Wall Street herself"
Excuse me but we could say the same - and then some - about Barack Obama. Palin still has the edge on experience there and more. Parker is a Washington elite - which the problem with Washington now - that would have missed Ronald Reagan in 1980, calling him too "inexperienced" for the job.
The permanent move to Blogger is in progress. If you are here it's because Macsmind.com has been re-routed back where I began back in 2004. After three years of hosting hell, we have returned.
Sometime last night our host had a server error, thus the site has been down for about the last four hours. Unfortunately, this has been - as you know - happening for a while. At this point I'm considering moving the entire enterprise back here to blogspot. While it has it's own issues, it doesn't suffer from the outages that plague the cheep webhosts on the internet.
In any case I'm told things should be back up shortly.
Everything is moved over and the old site will be up in about 24 hours. Sorry for the inconvenience but it was unavoidable due to the increased traffic. Thanks for your understanding.
