McCain will suspend his campaign and will go back to the Senate and debate the bail out bill.

H/T to Leslie Carbone

FOX News is reporting that John McCain has realized that the Bush Administration’s outrageous plan to burden the taxpayers with a bail-out for irresponsible banks and borrowers cannot pass Congress. Sen McCain has requested a delay of this Friday’s presidential debate, plans to suspend his campaign tomorrow night and return to Washington for bail-out talks, and has challenged Barack Obama to do the same.

Here is McCain via Drudge

MCCAIN: America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system. We must pass legislation to address this crisis. If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy. People will no longer be able to buy homes and their life savings will be at stake. Businesses will not have enough money to pay their employees. If we do not act, ever corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen.

Last Friday, I laid out my proposal and I have since discussed my priorities and concerns with the bill the Administration has put forward. Senator Obama has expressed his priorities and concerns.This morning, I met with a group of economic advisers to talk about the proposal on the table and the steps that we should take going forward.I have also spoken with members of Congress to hear their perspective.

It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the Administration’ proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time.

Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.

I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem.

We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats or Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved.I am directing my campaign to work with the Obama campaign and the commission on presidential debates to delay Friday night’s debate until we have taken action to address this crisis.

I am confident that before the markets open on Monday we can achieve consensus on legislation that will stabilize our financial markets, protect taxpayers and homeowners, and earn the confidence of the American people. All we must do to achieve this is temporarily set politics aside, and I am committed to doing so.

Following September 11th, our national leaders came together at a time of crisis. We must show that kind of patriotism now. Americans across our country lament the fact that partisan divisions in Washington have prevented us from addressing our national challenges. Now is our chance to come together to prove that Washington is once again capable of leading this country.

Developing…

Wall Street melts down per Democrat design, Team Sith flounders for several days, but Team Messiah blows its big chance. A wash, or a dress rehersal for an even bigger meltdown to come?

Also, this entity….

….had a bit of a meltdown himself.

Saturdays, 1PM Eastern/10AM Pacific

and/or

Sundays, 6PM Eastern/3PM Pacific

In March of this year, there was a “panic” sale of Bear & Stearns. The sub-prime housing crisis continues to threaten the economy. Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac were bailed out with our tax dollars. Today, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. AIG is seeking a major cash infusion. Merrill Lynch is being bought in a stock-only transaction by Bank of America.

The presidential campaigns of John McCain and Barack Obama issued statements, President Bush delivered remarks in the Rose Garden. Talking heads on TV and Radio are going nuts. Former Federal reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan celebrated, err… discussed the economic crisis by making a quick TV book tour - noting the release of the paperback edition of his book. Apparently, Alan is still hoping consumers will spend a little of their capital on him.

Be warned: the Obama campaign has a message. They are “taking the gloves off.” Which unfortunately was not a reference to the happenings during Fashion Week in Bryant Park a few days ago. Instead, it’s a warning to the McCain campaign that Obama and Joe Biden are going to hit McCain on the Bush economic policies. Never mind that McCain is not a part of the Bush Administration. Never mind that in the last 18 months, while Democrats controlled Congress - with a sizable majority - Americans, and our financial institutions, have lost hundreds of millions in our equity. Home equity, land equity, finance and investment equity.

Don’t get me wrong, the McCain campaign will hand out their share have hard-hitting language. Hitting Obama on higher taxes and his liberal political philosophy. And on higher taxes…. let’s be clear: if you let the tax cuts instituted since 2001 expire - that is a tax hike. You will pay more. Now, Obama wants us to believe he’ll get the US Congress to pass a tax cut for “everyone” or “95 percent” - either way, there isn’t a real chance any candidate will get everything they want.

Ask yourself, which candidate do you trust more? trust to build a coalition with you and your fellow Americans for a better, brighter, and more solvent future? Which candidate is making promises he can’t possibly deliver on? Is hope just hope, or is it hope with substantive chance of making a difference?

—Media Lizzy

Our Military On Political Pistachio Radio

On The Radio This Week!

ONCE A MARINE - An Iraq War Tank Commander’s Inspirational Story of Combat, Courage, and Recovery. Nick Popaditch appeared in an AP photo on April 9, 2003. The striking image was of the Marine tank commander smoking a victory cigar in his tank, the haunting statue of Saddam Hussein hovering in the background. “Gunny Pop” was immortalized forever as “The Cigar Marine.” A year later he fought heroically in the First Battle for Fallujah and suffered head wounds that left him legally blind and partially deaf. The United States Marine Corps awarded him a Silver Star for his valor and combat innovation. Coming home, however, is when the toughest fight of his life began - a battle to remain the man and Marine he was. Join Political Pistachio Radio on Tuesday Night at 10:00 pm Eastern Time/7:00 pm Pacific for a riveting interview with Nick Popaditch, a Marine’s Marine, a man who embodies everything noble and proud in the Corps’ long tradition.

What You Missed Last Week:

Saturday Sgt. Michael Volkin joined us to discuss his latest book, The Accomplishments of Senator Barack Hussein Obama. (From the book’s site, www.obamaresearch.com) The Accomplishments of Senator Barack Hussein Obama is a comprehensive, factual book about presidential candidate Barack Obama. The book is based on hours of research, dozens of speeches and listening to dozens of his supporters. The Accomplishments of Barack Hussein Obama accounts for all the presidential qualifications of Senator Barack Obama.

Some of the various topics this book discusses are:

+ His Detailed Plans of Change
+ His Senate Accomplishments
+ His Presidential Qualifications
+ Important Points He Has Made Without a Teleprompter or Prepared Script

This book includes title page, copyright page, a complete table of contents, running page headers, and a conclusion. Each book’s chapters, however, are BLANK!

Michael Volkin was the guest last Saturday on Political Pistachio Radio.

Also Last Week:

Mr. and Mrs. Cyber-Pastor’s adventures at the Republican National Convention
Mr. and Mrs. CP on PPR

9/11 Anniversary with the Executive Director of Let’s Get This Right .com, Sheridan Folger.
9/11 and Sheridan Folger on PPR

The Political Director, Dr. Bill Smith, of Let’s Get This Right .com joined us to discuss the Republican National Convention, Election 2008, and how the New Media is becoming a major force in shaping the public’s opinion and the rebirth of the Conservative Movement.
Dr. Bill Smith, Political Director of LGTR on PPR

Paul Volosen of www.mccainpalin2008.blogspot.com joined us to discuss the rise of Sarah Palin, as well as the continually changing upcoming election.
McCain/Palin 2008 on PPR

Amateur Kick Boxer Scott Venrick joined Political Pistachio to answer the question, does violence beget violence?
Does Violence Beget Violence? Let’s Ask A Kick Boxer on PPR

Alfonzo of MachoSauceProduction joins us to talk about being a black conservative, and why Conservativism is on the rise.
Macho Sauce Production on PPR

On the Blogs:

Doug Battles As He Adjusts To His New Life as a Trucker.

Newt Gingrich Shuts Up MSNBC.

I Remember 9/11.

See you next weekend (or earlier should a key guest come up) -

Doug
www.politicalpistachio.com

J-Ger notices an intriguing nugget in the latest Fox News poll:

Do you think Barack Obama is a talker or a doer?

Overall: Talker 49%, Doer 34%. Among independents, 55% talker, 26% doer.

Do you think John McCain is talker or a doer?

Overall: Talker, 30%, doer, 54%. Among independents, 21% talker, 58% doer.

Interrrrrresting, as Artie Johnson used to say on Laugh-In.  With McCain having his base locked up, and Obama, well, not, but not hemorrhaging either, the Indy vote is (much as I resent having to concede the cliched wisdom in this instance) where the election will be determined.  This suggests two possible outcomes: if a majority of Indies like what McCain promises, they know he’ll do what he says, and he should win; if a majority of Indies decided they don’t like what McCain promises, Obama should win.  Except that they don’t think he’ll actually do much of what he promises, which perhaps would make him seem like a safer choice, even though all he really is promising to do is….talk.

Perhaps the remainder to the cited results will shed some light on the conundrum:

If you had to make the toughest decision of your life, who would you rather get advice from?

Obama, 34%; McCain, 50%. Among independents it’s Obama 22%, McCain 52%. Interestingly, Biden matches up fairly well against Palin, 39% to her 43%.

This is the “wisdom” question.  McCain beats Barry because he’s ninety - okay, twenty-five - years older than god, who’s only a callow forty-seven, and lived orders of magnitude more than Messiah could ever imagine.  Interesting that that same dynamic doesn’t play out in the Rogaine-’cuda question.  Guess making that “tough” decision not to have Trig scraped out of her innards is counting for more than the nutters want to admit.

Which ticket has more experience combined?

Republicans 52, Democrats 34. Among Independents, it’s Republicans 57, Democrats 25.

Fascinating!  The logic of this answer is that experience is more than just the linear elapsing of time, but has definite qualitative aspects as well.  See “doer vs. talker” and “tough decision advice” above.  Perhaps two years as a Senate dilletante plus a year and a half as a professional presidential candidate, and three and a half decades as the poster boy for term limits is not, after all, the gravitas juggarnaut the Dems and the Enemy Media would have us believe.  Say it ain’t so, Joe!  You know you’re gonna.

But here’s the big uh-oh for Team Hussein: 

Which ticket has better judgment combined?

Republicans 47, Democrats 43. Among independents, it’s Republicans 51, Democrats 32.

BO is counting on his “judgment” as being the stand-in for his complete dearth of relevant experience.  He put Joe Biden on his ticket, ostensibly, to compensate for that rookie-ism, presumeably because the “judgment” angle was, and is, a flop.  Now he trails by nineteen on judgment and thirty-two on experience with the demographic he HAS to have even with Biden and Palin included, and after the latter has been hacked to bits with a rusty bat’leth?  Not good, boys and girls, not good.

But chin up, fever swampers, it’s not a complete washout:

Which ticket will bring the right change to Washington?

The Democrats still lead, 46-39. But among independents, it’s Democrats 36, Republicans 38.

Translation: President McCain and Vice President Palin will have to deal with a Donk Congress.

Sounds like a maverick’s dream come true.

[cross-posted at ]

I heart UStream.

On Political Pistachio Radio tonight we broadcast live John McCain’s speech at the Republican National Convention. After the speech we provided conservative commentary on the speech. I was struck by the speech’s theme that proclaimed McCain to be a servant of the people. He considers it a privilege to serve in Washington, and wishes to hold the politicians in Washington accountable. Listen to the audio of the speech by John McCain, and the commentary by me and a few of my listeners: HERE.

As for the Democratic response to Sarah Palin’s speech last night, it seems to me that if Palin was a Democrat they would be championing her small town rise to become the most popular governor in the country, and would hail her as a champion of women’s rights being that she is a woman that has achieved all of this political notoriety without an ex-president husband or a silver spoon shoved in her mouth. Instead, however, the Left is gritting its teeth over Sarah Palin. They know that this conservative that is sometimes being compared to Ronald Reagan is trouble for them and they don’t understand why. They don’t get it.

The left has attacked Sarah Palin for her inexperience while the man that is at the top of their ticket has even less experience than her, and no executive experience as a leader. Sarah Palin is being attacked for pursuing her political career with a special needs child at home while those accusing her of this are the same folks that have pushed for abortion (and would have aborted their baby had they been in Palin’s place) and who have pushed women to be in the workplace as the children at home become latch-key kids. Sarah Palin is being accused of being a secessionist because of a single speech she gave, while Obama spent over twenty years attending a church headed by an anti-American preacher, and while Obama called Frank Marshall Davis his mentor when the man was a well known communist bent on bringing down American Society.

The hypocrisy of the Left, and the baseless attacks from the leftwing media, on Sarah Palin disgusts me. Rather than recognizing Palin’s speech last night for what it was (phenomenal), they are grasping for more straws in a mad scramble to discredit her before she becomes too popular.

After listening to Palin’s speech last night, I am excited about this ticket, and no longer feel like I need to hold my nose to vote for the Republican offering for President and Vice President of the United States of America.

If Ronald Reagan could see this ticket, he’d be looking down upon us smiling.

Last night marked the beginning of a new era in Republican politics. Just 44 years old, Governor Sarah Palin took to the stage at the Xcel Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota to accept the nomination of the Republican Party. She is not your grandfather’s Republican. Heck, she’s not even your father’s Republican. She represents the Republican party that I know.

Until last night, the Generation X Republicans were mostly invisible to the American people. Our image - as created by the Main Stream Media - was one of almost elderly, and smarmy guys that sneak off with the people’s money. With Governor Sarah palin’s speech, that image has been shattered.

She is the face of the party I know. Palin, along with folks like Eric Cantor, has a command presence and a command focus that instills confidence. She doesn’t need the favor of a guy inside the beltway. Or a reporter with just the right connections. Sarah Palin is a woman in full. She inspires the folks around her.

Americans, of every generation, want someone new - more authentic - in power. To challenge the “Permanent Political Establishment.” Women want someone who understands that the word ‘choice’ is about more than an after-the-fact convenience. Choice is also about having sex, unprotected or otherwise. As beings with free will, for many Republicans - including pro-choice ones - the choice is about the act itself. Being a good parent is about a lot more than the caricature painted by Kate Michelman and her puppet, Democrat presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Americans want an energy policy that makes sense. We know that American Energy means American Jobs. We are complex enough to understand that would improve the economy. We don’t need some Harvard professor’s condescending tone to explain how the economy works. We know that when President George W. Bush lifted the presidential moratorium on oil drilling that the price of gas dropped about 60 cents a gallon, and that the price of oil per barrel dropped $25, and continues to fall.

When Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi tell us that the McCain-Palin & House GOP’s plans for Drill here, Drill Now, Pay Less will lead to only a 2 cent drop in 10 years — we know that is a LIE. Because we watched the prices drop. Even with Hurricanes. And the Russians threatening the pipeline in Georgia. And ongoing difficulties with Iran in the Straits of Hormuz.

Governor Sarah Palin is America’s Iron Lady. She is real. She knows where Americans live. She “gets it” in a way that average Americans have dreamed of for a long, long time. Here are a few of the best moments from last night:

“I’m not a member of the permanent political establishment. And I’ve learned quickly, these past few days, that if you’re not a member in good standing of the Washington elite, then some in the media consider a candidate unqualified for that reason alone. But here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to seek their good opinion - I’m going to Washington to serve the people of this country.”

“Here’s how I look at the choice Americans face in this election. In politics, there are some candidates who use change to promote their careers. And then there are those, like John McCain, who use their careers to promote change.”

This is a time for hometown heroes. Not apologies to Europe for being ourselves. Americans are tired of the Washington elite feeling ashamed of the 300 million of us that aren’t impressed with their fancy homes, the trappings of power that we gave them, and their disrespect of those who actually provide freedom. The men and women in the uniform of the United States Armed Forces.

Sarah Palin proved, with that amazing speech last night, that America’s best days are before us.

—Media Lizzy

These are the words spoken and vocalized by one Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Sen Reid was speaking about his conversation with a reporter about his conversation with Sen Joe Lieberman. Here is how it went:

“He has a close personal relationship with John McCain. I don’t fully understand why he does,” said Reid, who said Lieberman called Tuesday from the Republic of Georgia to alert him to the move.

“I told him last night, ‘You know, Joe, I can’t stand John McCain.’ He said, ‘I know you feel that way,’ ” Reid said.

Amazing. As I listened to Vice-President Elect Sarah Palin last night and several times this morning, I recalled reading about this conversation on 21 AUG 2008. The article I read is located at The Swamp in the Tribune’s Washington Bureau.

It has been quite a while since I have written anything and I had been mulling this topic around since I first read it. I suppose I can claim that VP Sarah Palin inspired this piece. As Sarah Palin said in her speech:

[…] Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps no accolade we hear this week is better proof that we’ve chosen the right man. […]

I agree. When the “angry left”, as President Bush referred to them in his Convention address the other night, is so mortified about the GOP candidates they will face off with, we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have the right people going up against them.

After the speeches were delivered and the Bobble Heads began the usual Spin Machines, one thing was obvious - even to the oblivious; the Democrats are in utter fear. I heard one Bobble Head, Susan Estrich, begin the usual nonsense saying that the GOP doesn’t want to put a 2-year Governor up against a 3-year Senator. I nearly spewed my coffee and where I come from, that is almost a criminal offense. Let’s take a look at that, shall we?

Sarah Palin is the Governor of Alaska giving her Executive Experience and she was a Mayor of a small town for a number of years which also gave her Executice Experience. As Rudy Giuliani smartly stated, paraphrased, he guesses that a small town in Alaska isn’t quite swank enough for the Washington Elitisits. That set aside, there is no evidence that Sarah Palin was ever AWOL from her posts in governance. The exact opposite can be stated about The One, Barack Hussein Obama.

He has been a US Senator for 3.5 years which equates to 1,277 days. He has a total on-the-record attendance of 143 days in 1,277 days. In the real world, he would have been fired for excessive absence at any job. He has been on America’s payroll getting paid to do a job that he hasn’t been doing.

He has never had any Executive experience in any way, shape or form. Period. Ever. He has been a community organizer which is no big deal because my 13-year old does that. So, to compare Barack’s 143 days as a federal employee that has been absent from duty for 1,134 days to Sarah Palin’s years of experience is beyond absurd. No, Barack’s qualifications are not only non-existent, it will take him many years to catch up to the lowest of Governors.

United States Senators do not get Executive experience accolades just by being a United States Senator. It comes with time and Senator John McCain has many years on The Hill first as a House Member and then a US Senator. Even in the Illinois Senate, Barack couldn’t make an “executive decision” 134 times…he voted “present” because he is incapable to commit.

I present to you yet another money quote I heard last night and at other times as well:

[…] My fellow citizens, the American presidency is not supposed to be a journey of personal discovery. […]

I couldn’t have said it better myself. I also heard on the Blog Talk Radio circuit on one of the Heading Right shows a particularly bizarre caller…this caller said that we should at least give Barack a shot at the White House…give him a chance. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

We are to hand the keys to the country to an inexperienced upstart that happens to have known ties to unrepentant domestic terrorists (William Ayers), known Syrian born billionaire and terrorist sympathizer (Rezko) and was mentored by a known communist poet in Hawaii that he refers to as Uncle Frank.

That would be like taking a kid fresh out of High School that has a job of scraping the oil sludge from an oil tanker and telling the young lad, “Hey! You speak well (when coached and the teleprompter works) and when cleaned up you look great! Would you like a shot at Chief Editor of a major news outlet?” Please. Giving Barack “a shot at” the White House just to see how he would do is beyond the definition of mental instability.

In most employment policies across this nation, a new hire gets a 90-day probation period. If you cut the grade after 90-days, you get hired on and your benefits begin to take affect. Sorry. The White House and the Presidency of this nation isn’t operable that way.

John McCain is not only ready for the office of the Presidency, he is qualified. Barack may be “ready”, like a child is “ready” to open presents on Christmas Day but he most assuredly is not qualified.

Cross-posted at Digital Journal…vote it up…thanks.

Vicious Attacks Against Sarah Palin - Moms 4 McCain On The Radio!

The attacks from the mainstream media against the Palin family have been vicious and uncalled for. The members of the press, in their attempt to discredit Sarah Palin, are grasping for straws that aren’t there. Some on the liberal left, specifically liberal bloggers, will try to compare this as being tactics no different to Conservative articles regarding Obama’s eligibility for the presidency, and questions raised regarding the connections he entertains with unscrupulous characters like Frank Marshall Davis, Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, and Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

The difference is that the questions raised by critics of Obama were raised based on things Obama said, his stance on issues based on what he has said, and on the evidence provided by the Obama Campaign regarding the questions asked regarding his political connections and eligibility. The attacks against Palin are based on rumor and unproven hearsay, and upon family matters that does not concern politics. None of the issues raised regarding Palin should have been politicized.

Palin’s husband has not said he is not proud of his country, Sarah Palin’s minister is not a radical, anti-American individual teaching an ideology rooted in divisive attitudes, and her family history has been laid out for all to see rather than shrouded in secrecy and uncertainty. Also, the mainstream media has given Obama a pass on every question raised, including his inexperience (which is crucial since he is at the top of the ticket) - yet within the first days of Palin’s involvement in the GOP ticket she has been viciously attacked, and her experience has been ruthlessly questioned.

Notice that under the questions raised, by the way, the Obama Campaign responded accusing the Right of being racist, bigoted, and smear merchants for simply raising these questions. Sarah Palin has responded honestly, and graciously - showing her true strength of character - an image of character Barack Obama has failed to unveil.

And in the end, I ask you this: Who do you prefer for your next President and Vice President?

Would you prefer John McCain who is a man who in the face of the horror of being a prisoner of war, when given the chance to be released early, refused because his men and country were more important than himself? A man that has questioned Washington while serving as a politician in D.C., who has vowed to eliminate wasteful government spending? And would you prefer this candidate who is paired with a woman, Sarah Palin, that has worked her way up from the grass roots of real America to become the most popular governor in the country and is known for stamping out corruption and wasteful spending in her state, while being heavily involved in attempting to solve our energy crisis?

Or would you like a President with no foreign policy experience, 143 days of Senate experience before forming a presidential exploratory committee, his main accomplishment is giving a great speech once or twice (which wasn’t even written by him, and he needed a teleprompter to deliver it in order to keep from filling the speech with hundreds of “uh”s), who calls a child a punishment rather than a blessing and would snuff out the life of that child should his daughter make the poor decision to allow herself to get pregnant outside of wedlock, whose wife has never been proud of America until her husband got a political promotion in that country, would rather put his hands over his genitals than over his heart when the National Anthem is played, and attended church led by a radical Black Theology teaching pastor claiming that everyone disagrees with his pastor every once in a while rather than recognizing the hate and leaving the church? And do you wish to vote for this man named Barack Obama who fails to answer questions directly, fails to give specifics in his position on issues, and when he does provide any evidence of his positions they contradict his position given the last time he muttered his position? And do you want this inexperienced man known for delivering a great speech he didn’t write that he read on a teleprompter, joined by a running mate that, despite the message of “change” by Obama, is hardly anything remotely resembling change, and is instead a 36-year career politician in the U.S. Senate, and is best known for being an attack dog?

——————–

Moms For McCain says they’d rather vote for the McCain/Palin Ticket. Join Political Pistachio Radio tonight for an interview with the founder of Moms For McCain at 10 pm Eastern Time.

Adam Brickley was one of the forces behind Sarah Palin being chosen by McCain for V.P.

Adam Brickley received a phone call from Todd and Sarah Palin thanking him for being an integral part of Sarah Palin being chosen as McCain’s VP.

And Adam did not do it all alone. My good friend and daily e-mail bud Steve Maloney (the longest standing supporter of the Palin for VP campaign), Kristopher Lorelli of PalinForVP.com (who put in TONS of leg work), PalinforAmerica.com, Students of America on MySpace, the original “Ted” (easily the most vocal advocate according to Adam Brickley), Paul Volosen, Eric Dondero, Trish Houser of Palintology.com, all of the media who were willing to interview Adam Brickley before interviewing him was cool, and everyone in the comments section who kept the faith was thanked by Adam Brickley on his site when Sarah Palin was announced as the V.P. choice of McCain.

Adam Brickley of Palin For VP has had a busy schedule of late, since Sarah Palin was John McCain’s Vice Presidential Pick. In fact, he has been on the radio (Larry Elder Show, KABC Los Angeles. 7:20 PM Eastern/4:20 Pacific), and television: FoxNews: 5 PM Eastern/2 PM Pacific yesterday, Fox & Friends: 8:00 AM Eastern this morning on FoxNews, NBC 4 (Washington) Interviewed for last night’s evening news (nbc4.com), and today will also be on NBC 5/30 (Colorado Springs - koaa.com).

Adam was first on Political Pistachio Radio to discuss Palin as a viable V.P. candidate last year, and tonight he returns to talk about the excitement of success.

Join us tonight after Founding Truth at 10 pm Eastern on Political Pistachio Radio as we welcome Adam Brickley of Palin For VP triumphantly back to the program.

When Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama unveiled Joe Biden as his running mate, the buzz for weeks had been Tim Kaine or Evan Bayh had closed the deal.  On Heading Right with Media Lizzy, I warned folks.  It is often one of the names you don’t see.  Why?  Because that person needs a few days to rehearse, to get the names of staff readied for the Secret Service, plan the events, get the advance teams in place, talk issues and strategy; get integrated into the ticket - and get ready for the campaign.  Talk to the family, organize the kids, get life organized.I was pretty confident about Joe Biden once the Russia v. Georgia conflict occurred, he dropped off the radar - went to Georgia.  And was silent on his return.

Expect the McCain process to be similar.  Missing from the official program, released by the GOP Convention, earlier today are a few names worth noting. Rob Portman, Colin Powell (trial balloon to stick a fork in arrogant Obama staff’s eye), and Eric Cantor.

From The Hill:

Rep. Eric Cantor (Va.), rumored to be on the shortlist of John McCain’s vice presidential candidates, is conspicuously absent from a complete list of speakers at the Republican National Convention.

The list, sent to reporters under the header “Republican National Convention Announces Full Program,” includes the names of all other individuals believed to be on Sen. McCain’s (Ariz.) shortlist.

Cantor was asked earlier this month to undergo the formal vetting process by the McCain campaign and served as one of his most vocal supporters in the House of Representatives.

From my AOL Political Machine colleague, Caleb Howe, who was lucky enough to speak with Eric Cantor earlier today:

I suggested that the week is full of the glamour of Senator Obama’s celebrity. He laughed and remarked that the Republican Convention next week will probably have its share of pomp and circumstance. I’m sure it will, although I’ll note without the American Idol-ready stage. You’re probably engrossed with the idea, like I am, that we might be treated to a 3AM text message that reads “CANTOR” in the next week or so. The Congressman thought that was pretty funny. Hey, he didn’t say we wouldn’t right?

Cantor is a short-lister for a reason. Just as we saw with the Democrats, wooing Virginia will be an important move this election cycle; And Cantor is popular with the base and grassroots. His being here in Denver is a good move for the McCain campaign. News organizations of course relish pulling in the opposition, and Republican voters will enjoy his rapid response to the Dean attack machine. Eric Cantor may be behind enemy lines, but he seems well-armed. After all, isn’t that what a floor fight is all about?

Updated: UPI report on Eric Cantor

#yeswecantor #yeswecantor #yeswecantor (and thanks toJoi the artist for the SuperCantor pic!)

—Media Lizzy

Obama Nation Book by Jerome Corsi Draws Criticism - Corsi is my guest tonight on BTR

Tonight on Political Pistachio Radio Dr. Jerome Corsi must meet controversy head on!

Dr. Jerome Corsi, staff writer for World Net Daily, has suddenly found himself in the midst of a violent storm of controversy. The WND writer, this week alone, has been the object of numerous television and radio shows as the media tries to wade through the information contained in the book, and determine if the book is truly filled with falsehoods, or is a well researched piece of literature that takes a close and hard look at the Democratic Presidential front-runner, Barack Obama.

The book at the center of the controversy is, The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality. The Huffington Post calls the book, “…one of the worst political books ever written. Corsi piles distortion upon innuendo to create a gigantic heap of right-wing garbage, with a seemingly endless parade of basic factual errors running through the text like rats. Corsi’s book is an embarrassment to the craft of journalism, and any of the conservatives who have praised and promoted it should feel humiliated at how bad it truly is.” Media Matters writes that The Obama Nation “contains numerous falsehoods about Sen. Barack Obama.” Even Conservative talk show host and Townhall writer Hugh Hewitt exclaims about the book, “Corsi’s from the fringe. . . the book contains errors.”

Hugh Hewitt, however, also points out that the Obama Campaign has given us an “absurd set of non-responsive responses,” and that, “Now they botch a gimmie — defining Corsi as a nut while not putting attention on the charges he leveled.”

Sean Hannity has stated that The Obama Nation “may have made his [Obama’s] campaign a bit nervous.”

Joseph Farah, founder of World Net Daily, says about the controversy surrounding the book, and Jerome Corsi, “Unlike most of the critics of The Obama Nation, I have actually read the book from cover to cover. It is a thoroughly well-documented piece of first-rate journalism. Are there mistakes in it? Show me a first edition that doesn’t have some – other than the Bible. But is it truthful? Does it add considerably to the public’s knowledge of the front-running candidate for the presidency? Do we know much more about Obama than we would had we relied exclusively for our information from the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and the Associated Press? I offer a resounding ‘yes’ to all three of those questions. I am privileged to call him my friend, colleague and co-worker. I stand with Jerry Corsi today as he is viciously maligned by an attack media that would prefer to aim its potent artillery at a man who dared to do their job when they refused, when they laid down, when they sucked up, when they failed to ask the tough questions, when they took sides.”

In response, Barack Obama’s advisers have been tracking Corsi’s media appearances, quickly telephoning producers to react to the book’s charges, and last night, the Democratic presidential candidate’s campaign issued a 40-page response to the book.

The Democratic National Committee has its own rapid response team to take aim at Corsi’s book, saying, “One of the most vile smear peddlers of the 2004 election has found a new target. We cannot afford to let Corsi get away with the same dirty tricks that fooled so many people in 2004. We can’t rely on the media to hold him accountable – in fact, the sheer brazenness of the lies is attracting even more coverage. The media have shown that they aren’t going to stop him. It’s up to you to spread the truth.”

So, what is the truth? Is this book a classic smear job? Or is Corsi’s book simply caught up in the crosshairs of the leftists because it hits a chord? Is Dr. Jerome Corsi a discredited liar peddling garbage in order to help continue Bush-Cheney politics? Or is he a simply being lynched by the mainstream media and Democratic Party for daring to write the truth? Be the judge yourself. Read the book, and listen to what Dr. Jerome Corsi has to say tonight on Political Pistachio Radio.
The show airs live at 10:00 pm Eastern Time, but will be archived for later listening for those unable to listen live. Access the program HERE.

www.blogtalkradio.com/politicalpistachio

~Snooper~

David Zublick has a piece posted at Heading Right and America Talks. I find it oddly curious that whenever Czarbama is shown to be a liar, crook and charlatan, his handlers and fellow sloths consider it an attack. To me, an attack would be saying something about Czarbama that was not true yet passing it off as Truth. You know, like what Czarbama does to McCain or anyone else that gets in his way.

The misleading headlines around the internet that Gore made, Nancy’s words not mine, are as follows: Poll: McCain’s Attack Strategy Paying Dividends…you can call them attack ads if you so desire but what they actually are is explaining to the American People and the world what an empty suit Czarbama is.

David Zublic ends his piece thusly:

[…] As some have stated, this election is not McCain versus Obama. It’s Obama versus himself. And John McCain needs to point out the dangers of electing someone who fancies himself a god. [END]

Czarbama summed up in three sentences is quite a feat. The accuracy of those three sentences are uncanny in their context. I guess we should consider them “attacks”? Not hardly. Truth stings at times.

Nevertheless, the Truth Ads that the McCain Camp has issued these past few weeks are deadly aimed and intensely accurate. In some way, I hope that the following application is accurate. I will leave that up to others to decide but, for the time being, I believe so.

The recent activity of the GOP in regards to the Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less campaign is not a “stunt” but a brave and courageous step that we conservatives have been demanding, hoping and praying for…for a very long time. This recent “stone growing”, I believe, is in conjunction with the McCain Camp stepping it up a bit. Czarbama and the Leftinistra need to be stopped in their tracks and stopped hard and stopped fast. It is going to hurt but that cannot be helped.

As is evidenced by a piece by Cenk Uygur at the Leftinistra hang out called Huff and Puff, they realize that Czarbama has got got and he has got got hard. He is between a rock and another rock with bigger rocks rolling in his general direction. He has nowhere to go but down and away, slipping into the Great Abyss of Obscurity - reluctantly, naturally.

The article I am talking about is entitled, “Why John McCain Has Caught Barack Obama and What Obama Can Do About It“. I have a suggestion. He can bow out now, gracefully and shrink back to Chicago where his “questionable antics” and associations will welcome him back into the Al Capone collective. That would be a good start.

With that said, here are the first two paragraphs of the “packed full of dashed hopes of change we cannot accept”.

There are two principal reasons why John McCain has caught Barack Obama in the national polls. 1) McCain has changed the whole conversation about this election into one question - do you want to vote for or against Obama? This is genius. Obama needs to switch the conversation if he wants to win. 2) Obama has only played defense so far and has not attacked at all. This is weakness and a sure-fire way to lose an election.

The question in this election should be whether Americans want another four years of Republican rule. We just went through a disastrous eight years and the Republican nominee agrees with the president who brought us that disaster on nearly every single issue. McCain wants even more tax cuts, even more war, even more rights for oil companies and even larger deficits. Do the American people want four more years of that? […]

More lies in print. The entire article misses the mark totally. Czarbama has got got because the American People are beginning to see straight through the upstart Czarbama and witnessing his inability to lead and speak coherently without a teleprompter. They see and hear him change positions faster than our Troops WISH they could change their socks. They see and hear him hold two differing positions on a wide variety of issues in the SAME interview. They see and hear him travel to other nations and besmirch our country and its people and its Troops on foreign soil after he said that he would never do that.

Czarbama got got because he is a liar. End of discussion. BDS has started to come home to roost. A political party can only live on hate of another for so long before that cancer of hate devours its owners.

Next week, Athletes from around the world will compete in a myriad of events. President Bush will attend the Opening Ceremonies, as will many other foreign leaders, despite the moniker “Genocide Olympics” entering into global consciousness.

Few dispute the complicity of China’s government in propping up the Khartoum regime. Organizations like Save Darfur, to the Enough Project, and Dream for Darfur, along with President George W. Bush have declared the situation in Darfur a genocide.

But tomorrow’s leaders have opinions too.  Both Senators Obama and McCain have spoken out forcefully regarding the ongoing genocide in Darfur.  Both have spoken in defense of the Dalai Lama and decried oppression of the Tibetan monks.   The ‘Genocide Olympics’ issue is one laden with political beacons that must be navigated precisely.

Senator Barack Obama, despite his reported $5 million purchase of air time during the Olympics, declared on July 7th, via the Hindustan Times:

“I would have wanted to see serious progress by the Chinese government before I make a commitment to attend the opening ceremonies. In the absence of some sense of progress, in the absence of some sense from the Dalai Lama that there was progress, I would not have gone,” the senator from Illinois said.

Obama said that Washington failed to exert serious pressure on the Chinese government to arrive at a solution during its talks with Tibetan spiritual guru the Dalai Lama.

“We were not aggressive in encouraging the Chinese government to make serious concessions in its talks with the Dalai Lama,” he said at an interactive session in St Louis, Missouri.

However pure Senator Obama’s intentions regarding the Olympics - the purchase of air time during the Olympics begs questions about just what sort of message he’s sending.  Does Senator Obama seek a standard for himself, that applies to no one else?  Will his campaign’s direct purchase from NBC - which, coincidentally is owned by GE - another corporation with ties to state sponsors of terror, utilize the time to inform the American people about China’s complicity in the Darfur Genocide, or talk about the Dalai Lama?  Or will the Obama campaign simply play standard bio ads - as he did during the Superbowl?

The Obama campaign has not returned a comment for the record, despite acknowledging the request.  So, that’s a ‘no comment.’

Senator John McCain also discouraged President Bush’s attendance at the Opening ceremonies.  To be clear, I have placed repeated calls to his campaign for commentary on the propriety of Senator Obama’s ad buy.  On Monday, I expect to have a statement for the record - but we shall see.  The obvious follow up question, beyond what the campaign thinks about the Obama ad buy is this: Has the McCain campaign purchased air time during the Olympics as well?  From NBC?  Or a cable buy that would include NBC’s Olympic coverage?

Senator John McCain has gone on the record about Darfur, previously - in an Op-Ed he wrote with former Senator Bob Dole in 2006.

Throughout the world, people of conscience were shocked by and ashamed of our failure to stop the genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda. We must not repeat these mistakes. In Darfur, the moment of truth is now.

Senator McCain’s wife, and potential First Lady Cindy McCain recently returned from Rwanda - her first visit since 1994, when she was in-country during the slaughter. She has spent a lifetime devoted to human rights issues - and the uplifting of women and children in third world and war-torn countries. Unlike other political figures, Cindy McCain has done much of her work without notice or a phalanx of enthralled media and adoring fans. When Doctors without Borders ( ou, en Français -Médecins Sans Frontières - MSF) called Mrs. McCain in 1994, she went herself. Dubbed The Quiet Humanitarian by The Wasington Post, Cindy McCain - and her husband, have demonstrated a lifetime of service in this arena.

Their record contrasts greatly with Senator Obama’s recent foray into international affairs. Surely, his supporters are not suggesting Senator Obama’s five hours in Paris, and a couple of meetings with Sarkozy and Kouchner (founder of Doctors without Borders/MSF) imparted Jeffersonian-level knowledge of Human Rights intricacies. By purchasing the air time directly from NBC, Obama’s campaign demonstrated a blatant hypocrisy, or perhaps it is as simple as being ill-prepared to serve.

The perspective of folks within the Human Rights arena should also be taken into consideration. I have spoken with senior representatives from ONE - whose focus is on the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals. I have also spoken with senior representatives at Save Darfur, and am regularly speaking with folks from the Genocide Intervention Network, Dream for Darfur, and other human rights experts around the country. Many of the folks were in absolute agreement on one thing: they are drawing a distinction between the Opening/Closing Ceremonies and the Games themselves. They wish to be supportive of the athletes - but be very clear that the spectacle being staged by the Chinese government is not an appropriate venue for our leaders to support.

On Thursday, August 7th at 3PM Eastern - I will be joined by M. Allyn Brooks LaSure, of the Save Darfur coalition, to discuss the urgency in Darfur - and the importance of being informed about the facts on the ground. We’ll discuss Mia Farrow’s amazing work, and her activities in Eastern Chad and in Darfur during the Olympics.

The stakes for our nation are very high this November. Vote wisely.

—Media Lizzy