President-elect Barack Obama

I'll go ahead and say it: for the first time (in a long time), I'm proud to be an American.

...but not so much to be a Californian.

Election Day Free Food!

You don't have to prove you voted to take advantage of these deals, but your conscience will gnaw at you...

Y-- on 8 wasting their infinite hate money on AdSense

Yesterday, I got this from my wife:

Salon is running "Yes on 8" adds in their RSS feed headers. Booo....

Turns out, "Yes on 8" bought a crapload of Google AdSense spots, and hit a bunch of lefty/tech sites. A Google search shows that a lot of people are pissed about it, both Google for trying to play both sides, and "Yes on 8" for contaminating their site.

MacInTouch got hit:

Without our knowledge or consent, Google displayed political propaganda on this website today as part of our participation in its AdSense advertising program. This is contrary to our own advertising policy.

TPM got nailed, so Josh had to put up a note explaining their policy on ads.

We follow this policy because it is essential to preserving the editorial integrity of our product, which is news and information. Precisely because we are in the news and opinion business, advertising tied to ideas, issues or advocacy presents us with a particular challenge. If we reject ads that we disagree with, every ad we accept becomes, to one degree or another, a de facto endorsement. In other words, if we run ads only from candidates or causes we support, then the ad relationship also becomes an endorsement relationship. Even worse, a paid endorsement. That threatens the integrity of what we do -- which is to report the facts we find and explain the opinions we have.

As I'm linking to this, the ad is still up on the TPM website, but you know what? I can respect that policy. We often get wound up when some network won't air an ad produced by a progressive group because the content supposedly violates some "advocacy" policy that only seems to apply to progressive advocacy. Unfortunately, it works both ways: if you want to maintain that kind of editorial integrity, you have to put with the stuff you disagree with as well.

E-Day

For god's sake...please vote today.

Stick a fork in him

I probably should have seen this coming, after all the signs were there: the introduction of the wisecracking female sidekick, the decline in the ratings polls, and finally messing with the schedule.

I dare say the McCain show has jumped the shark.

Ask her to prove it

To our friends in the "liberal media:"

If you refuse to call Sarah Palin a liar for her bogus claim that she told Congress Alaskans didn't want that "Bridge to Nowhere," the least you can do is demand some sort of proof.

Ask her to produce the "Dear Congress" letter. How hard can that be?

Nativism?

I confess that I don't know much about the controversial Alaskan Independence Party, in which Todd and Sarah Palin are either remotely associated with or members, depending upon who you talk to.

I do kind of wonder whether they have some kind of "children of the soil" concept that requires them to emphasize the importance of having a native origin, ie. birth on Alaskan soil.

I ask that because of the many stories popping up about Sarah Palin, one of the more intriguing is the lengths she went to make sure that Trig was born in Alaska.

The story has it that she got on an airplane, made several stops, and finally landed in Wasilla while she was essentially in labor. It's certainly possible that she really wanted to have the child with family around, but why bother to take the trip in the first place?

It's just speculation for now, but I'd be curious to know whether AIP has some native-born requirement tucked away in its manifesto.

Vice Presidential Idol

Via Digby, Nomi Prins writes about the reality show aspect of Sarah Palin's nomination:

Then, I realized that Palin's omnipresence isn't about John McCain or Barack Obama, or even this week's RNC. It's not about her experience or stance on issues. It's about the "Pop" American Dream.

The old American Dream is dying. Rampant economic inequality makes the cost of working hard to achieve prohibitive. In a culture where more people vote for the next American Idol than for the next president, no wonder Sarah Palin is the top story: She defines the new American Dream, where leaping to the top against all odds is the end goal in itself. Of course there are voters appalled that someone 'like her' can be a 'heartbeat away from the presidency.' But there are also plenty of voters delighted that someone 'like her' has a shot at the ultimate American Dream—a spot in the White House.

This is an aspect of Palin's nomination that frankly has me a bit baffled. Clearly, as someone who has only recently become the governor of a relatively small population state after being mayor of a relatively small population town, and who has publicly admitted to not knowing what the position entails, she isn't even remotely qualified to be Vice President or for that matter, President of the most powerful country on earth. The correct answer to the McCain people should have been: "I'm flattered and honored, but for the good of the country (Country First?), I respectfully decline."

Have we gotten to the point where we really believe that anybody can become President? Our mythology has always been that anyone can aspire to become President, but you shouldn't just get to be Vice President because someone asks you to do it. There should be some sense of qualification involved.

Seriously. Suppose you happened to be visiting the hospital one day, and suddenly a gunshot victim is brought to you on a gurney, and the orderly grabs you and says "you have to operate or the patient will die." If you had any sense, you'd probably reassure him there are undoubtedly real, trained and experienced trauma surgeons in that very hospital, and that since you are not even a doctor and you have no business getting near the patient. You would not succumb to vanity and start scrubbing up, hoping that maybe you can cram a bit, and wing it.

But there she was, Ms. Wasilla herself, standing up front of the slobbering Republican masses in the XCel Center claiming that she has the guts to stand a heartbeat away from the Button. Good for her–she's won the lottery–but since we are talking about the lives of every American here, frankly I'm getting a little sick and tired of being treated like I'm nothing more than the audience member of a reality show.

I make predictions

I give Palin 10 days, 30 days tops before she tearfully and respectfully "requests that her nomination be withdrawn" so she can "spend more time with her family."

Disposable

John McCain has tapped former Monty Python member Michael Alaska governor Sarah Palin tojoin the ticket as his VP candidate. Now, you might think this is a attempt to balance John McCain's obvious youth and good looks with someone younger and prettier like Dan Quayle.

If I'd bothered to write it down, I would have guessed they'd make female pick after finding out that Obama selected Biden.But if they really were serious about putting a woman on the ticket (and not just making a backhanded gesture to Hillary's deadend PUMAs), they could have gone with any number of outstanding Republican women like Liddy Dole or Christine Todd Whitman. Hell, they could have even picked the gawdawful Kay Bailey Hutchinson.

No, this was to protect them.

They can smell defeat already.

Sarah Palin is a disposable nominee.

Update: Obviously I should give some thought to the all-important MILF constituency.

In a world...

From TUAW, comes word that Beau Weaver, the voice talent behind just about every movie trailer ever made has graciously produced a free ringtone opening with his signature "In a world..." You can download it at his website.
Update: I should have more correctly characterized him as "the voice talent behind many movie trailers." I clearly forgot the incomparable veteran Don "The Voice of God" LaFontaine, who sadly passed away Tuesday.

Biden for VP

If you haven't received your text from Team Obama yet, it's now official:

"Barack has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be our VP nominee. Watch the first Obama-Biden rally live at 3pm ET on www.BarackObama.com. Spread the word!"

In all the blogospheric analysis, I've yet to run across a mention that it was Biden who sank Rudy Giulani's campaign by calling it the now trenchant "a noun, a verb, 9/11."

Update: For the record, my text came in at 1:09am PDT, and the email finally arrived at 7:54am PDT.

Not that it will change anything

The National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a report confirming that WTC 7 collapsed as a result of fire, not alien attack, Special Forces, Black Helicopters, mutants, or Rudy Giuliani.

A PDF (7MB) of the report can be found at the NIST.

Sad News from Ohio

There have been conflicting reports on the condition of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the 11th District Representative from Ohio, who apparently suffered a massive aneurysm last night and is reportly in critical condition. Earlier reports had erroneously claimed that she already passed away. You may remember her appearance on The Colbert Report:

Update: She's gone.

Maddow goes to the big show

From Atrios comes the most welcome news that starting Sept 9, Rachel Maddow will be taking over the 9pm Dan Abrams' Verdict slot. She has been terrific subbing for KO and undoubtedly will be a great addition to the MSNBC lineup. Well deserved congratulations go out to Rachel.

Let's see, that makes it now:

• 1 liberal TV host and
• 2 openly gay women hosts.

I guess that means they'll have Pat Buchanan replace David Letterman to compensate.

Slow week

I'm down in LA for a conference, so things will be a little on the slow side. Apologies.

Fog/Schmog

Word from our intrepid China correspondent James Fallows is according to the IOC and the Chinese government the Bejing air "does not pose any health risk for athletes, officials and other visitors."

Mr. Fallows doesn't have the expensive air monitoring equipment employed by the Chinese goverment, so he must rely on his own eyes, which seem to show this

His assessment:

FWIW, view at noon today in downtown Beijing. No scientific or medical judgment implied here -- it could just be a kind of fog. Simply chronicling how it looks with two days to go.

Now, I'm not an atmospheric scientist, but I can throw in a few things I know about weather:

1. Water vapor is in fact, invisible.


2. Fog, smog, vog, you name it, is a condensed water vapor suspended in the air.


3. Among other things, water vapor usually needs nucleating particles to condense on.

In my opinion, Mr. Fallows, the Chinese government, the IOC, and the athletes who see fog, or haze, are seeing the effect of particulates in the air, which aren't necessarily "safe."

Anamorphic Tango

If you were intrigued by the bridge illusion in Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade, then this artwork on display at the Cardiff Bay barrage is for you.

My wife sent me a link to a blog posting of a Felice Varini artwork entitled 3 Ellipses for 3 Locks.

Photos in the posting are of the pieces from various viewpoints, including the particular spots where the illusions are most effective.

Is it a flop, without the flip?

Kevin Drum finds out in the LA Times that Obama's willing to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help offset high gas prices and to him, this is another volley in the McCain/Obama energy panderfest:

And we can't blame this one on the media, folks: Obama really is flopping around on energy policy, and he's doing it in the most craven possible way, switching from correct but politically risky stands to dumb panders.

He may be right, and Obama may be cravenly reversing a long-held position. My question is: are you sure that Obama ever held a different position, or did you perhaps project your own opinion onto Obama? It can be shown that Democrats as far back as last year have been talking up using the SPR to stabilize prices, so he's not exactly breaking from the party on this issue.

I don't have access to the Nexis, but with some crazy searches in the Google News, I did dig up an article from the March 20, 2008 Globe and Mail entitled "Obama would intervene on oil: adviser"

Mr. Obama would also consider tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to bring down prices while recognizing that such a move is normally meant to aid in the case of an acute supply disruption, Mr. Grumet said.

"It would be on the table," he said.

Just sayin'.

DemConHisFit 2008

Atrios wants us to peer into our crystal balls and predict the Republican hissy fit during upcoming Democratic National Convention.

Now, I'm not going to be able to do that due to the nature of the HissyFit^TM in that it must 

1. be sufficiently arbitrary so that every potential trigger can't be anticipated, and


2. occur within milliseconds of the actual event so that any attempt to manage the fit can only be reactive in nature.

However, I am willing to go out on a limb and predict the major theme (I hate the term "meme"):

the Democrats are making a colossal mistake by not picking Hillary.

To use an antiquated term, it will be the mother of all concern trolls.

Can't you already envision Pat Buchanan holding forth with Chris Matthews about how he always believed that Hillary was the better pick? Republicans and their media apologists will cast their eyes downward, sigh gently, and after clucking their tongues in disapproval announce what a tragedy it is that the Democrats missed the opportunity to nominate a woman (so now we know who the real feminists are), with such vast experience (that's why we picked a geezer), and having such Presidential bearing (as opposed to that uppity…).

Oh, and the hissy fit will be over the ritual burning of the Star of David into Joe Lieberman's forehead. Hey! What's he doing at the convention?

Dana Milbank KO'd

From Atrios, it looks like Dana Milbank's recent episode of quote-cropping and followup WaPo chat whine-fest has resulted in a parting of the ways over at Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

The headline: Dana Milbank won't be on the news hour any more.

Good on KO. Milbank's snark-fest was getting tiresome, especially some of his recent #1 segments.

Honest Tea is such a lonely word

According to McCain campaign assassin Rick Davis, Barack Obama has a yen for that most decadent of drinks: "hard-to-find organic brew — Black Forest Berry Honest Tea."
Since Rick is having such a hard time finding, I thought I'd help him out. Hey Rick, here's a link you can use to order it directly from Kroger.

BA to head JREF

Phil Plait (The Bad Astronomer) has a little announcement to make:

James Randi has offered me the position of President of the James Randi Educational Foundation. I am extraordinarily honored, and I have accepted this duty.

Congratulations to Phil!

Clarkmania!

If you want to register support for an Obama/Clark ticket, click on over to the website.
I'm not sanguine about an online petition having any substantive effect on the Obama campaign, nor on Gen. Clark's chances after the spanking he got for daring to question McCain's qualifications for president, but hey, at least it's an opportunity to register a preference.

Moving On

The McCain campaign wants to move on:

By the day’s end, Mr. McCain proclaimed that he did not want to dwell on the issue either, although he repeated his campaign’s central charge that his probable opponent had injected race into their battle.

But we should also remember who started it:

“He brought up the issue of race; I responded to it,” Mr. McCain told reporters in Panama City, Fla. “I don’t want that issue to be part of this campaign. I’m ready to move on. And I think we should move on.”

So when McCain forced to run negative ads with racial overtones, it's because they had no choice, you see.

Tin-Foil Hat Theatre

If this were a movie:

1. Bruce Ivins didn't kill himself.

A top government scientist who helped the FBI analyze samples from the 2001 anthrax attacks has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide, just as the Justice Department was about to file criminal charges against him for the attacks, the Los Angeles Times has learned.

2. Bruce Ivins didn't send the anthrax.

In her July 24 petition, a copy of which you'll find below, Duley referred to Ivins as a "client" who "has a history dating to his graduate days of homicidal threats, actions, plans, threats & actions towards therapist." Duley added that Ivins's psychiatrist called him "homicidal, sociopathic with clear intentions," and that "FBI involved, currently under investigation & will be charged w/ 5 capital murders. I have been subpoena to testify before a federal grand jury August 1, 2008 in Washington, D.C.."

3. If Bruce Ivins did send the anthrax, it wasn't his idea.

In the early days after the letter attacks, in September and October 2001, Dr. Ivins joined about 90 of his colleagues at the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in a round-the-clock laboratory push to test thousands of samples of suspect powder to see if they were anthrax. Later, in April 2002, he came under scrutiny in an Army investigation of a leak of potentially deadly anthrax spores outside a sealed-off lab at Fort Detrick. He later admitted he had discovered the leak but not reported it.

Of course, if this were a movie, a packet should be arriving at the New York Times right about now, but I'm sure they'll want to first check with the White House to make sure it's okay to run the story.

Shot down?

Okay, this is darn weird. A Navy prosecutor claims in his opening statements the the 4th plane in the 9/11 attacks was "shot down"

But prosecutor Timothy Stone, in an attempt to draw a link between Hamdan and the al Qaeda leadership in the first Guantanamo war crimes trial, told the six-member jury of U.S. military officers who will decide Hamdan's guilt or innocence that Hamdan had inside knowledge of the 2001 attacks on the United States because he overheard a conversation between bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

"If they hadn't shot down the fourth plane it would've hit the dome," Stone, a Navy officer, said in his opening remarks.

In the alternate universe I live in, flight 93 was prevented from reaching Washington D.C. when a brave gay, ex-football player prayed to Jesus, said "Let's roll!" and forced the terrorists to fly the plane into a Pennsylvania field. I know because I saw it on the teevee.

We're Back!

I'm going to give this another go.

Seems like years…