In The Woods

ABC News/WaPo: Obama +4

New ABC News/Washington Post national poll conducted after the debate (Sept 27-29) shows that John McCain has picked up 5 points on Barack Obama during the last week, moving from a nine-point deficit to trailing by four:

Obama 50 (-2 vs. last poll Sept 19-22)
McCain 46 (+3)

Obama leads by 4.8% in the RCP National Average.

According to the poll, McCain has regained the lead among key swing groups: Independents favor McCain by 3 (48-45), white women by 11 (54-43), and white Catholics by one (47-46). McCain is still holding on to 20% of Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton in the primaries, while 70% are supporting Obama.

Could someone please explain some of these numbers to me? What's with White Women? And what's with those 20% of "Clinton" supporters who support McCain? Really? So they were supporting Clinton because she is a woman, not because of Democratic Policies or Position statements? Voting record? Ideology? And because she lost they're going with the old white guy whose views are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM CLINTON? Who, someone please inform me, are these people?

Somali Pirates Take Break for Jewish Holidays

Somaili pirates who stunned the world by seizing a Ukrainian ship in the Gulf of Aden announced today that they would take a brief hiatus from terrorizing the high seas out of respect for the Jewish holidays.

"To all of our Jewish friends, we say a hearty Shana Tova," said pirate spokesman Sugule, moments before the pirates hoisted a Star of David flag over the captured ship.

Sugule took pains to indicate that while the pirates were taking a Rosh Hashanah break from their usual plundering and pillaging schedule, they were doing so only out of respect for Jewish pirates and not because they are Jewish themselves.

"None of us Somali pirates are Jewish," he said. "Except for Abe in accounting, who's half."

In a related story, former president Bill Clinton, who had earlier said he would not campaign for Barack Obama until after the Jewish high holidays, announced today that he would extend his hiatus until Purim, which falls on March 10, 2009.

Responding to Mr. Clinton's decision to remain on the sidelines until four months after the election, Sen. Obama issued the following terse statement: "Oy." LINK- ANDY BOROWITZ

Second huge anti-Palin rally in Alaska

Go here for article and pictures

SNL Palin Couric Interview

Great source of polling data and more

fivethirtyeight.com

Palin Problem

by Kathleen Parker National Review Online:

"As we’ve seen and heard more from John McCain’s running mate, it is increasingly clear that Palin is a problem. Quick study or not, she doesn’t know enough about economics and foreign policy to make Americans comfortable with a President Palin should conditions warrant her promotion." National Review Article Here

McCain Messes it all up

"Bush is no diplomat," said a Democratic staffer, "but he's Cardinal freaking Richelieu compared to McCain. McCain couldn't negotiate an agreement on dinner among a family of four without making a big drama with himself at the heroic center of it. And then they'd all just leave to make themselves a sandwich." LINK

Speechless....stupefying...unusual

It is really tough to have something to say about the election at this moment. Where to start? Sarah Palin is a moron and the "rest" of the country is finally waking up to that fact. The economic situation (which by the way is years old not just a few days old - memo to John McCain) has worsened and the choke team of Bush/Cheney along with sidekicks Paulson and Bernanke thought they could pull a fast one of the congress just as they were getting ready for their campaign recess. Palin backfires hard on the stump and crumbles in an interview with Couric. Congress disses Paulson, Bush and Cheney, so now lyin' John McCain "suspends" his campaign, lies to Dave Letterman and really pisses him off.

Last night on national TV - the Late Show with Letterman no less - Letterman unloads on McCain, venting a backlog of disgust so real, honest and familiar that should it get repeated and seen by others could likely be a game-changer for McCain.

Today lyin; metamucil McCain sweeps into D.C. , disrupts the discussions, sits in the White House and offers nothing. This is one day after a reporter asked him about the Paulson plan and, on natonal TV, our man McCain says he hasn't had a chance to "read it yet". (another memo to John-boy: its less than 3 pages long and its DAYS old already).

So the game is this. Since most of the congress and senate really, really want to go home this weekend and start campaigning there is a better than even chance they'll agree on "something". Then McCain will claim responsibility and "graciously" unsuspend his campaign and grace us with his presence at ole' Miss and swoop in for the debate.

Is any of this really happening or are we all living in a parallel universe? One developed and written and controlled by, say, the animators who brought us Grampy from Betty Boop? Koko the clown? Felix the cat? Pretty soon we'll all get inked back into the inkwell, or Felix will close up this world and clip us all back into his bag of tricks.

But, alas, I'm afraid it is all really happening. Sigh. But don't get discouraged. There was Sarah Palin telling Katie Couric that because she is near Russia, when Putin's head flies over, you see, its Alaska, you see, so there. Feel better now?

Watch Out!

John McCain is slipping quickly in the polls. The press has snapped and is uniformly ticked off at McCain and his "handlers" for trying to keep themselves in a plastic bubble. They've insulted the press corps, even those who traditionally were in the bag for him. The honeymoon with Palin is crashing and burning. Serious conservative pundits are finished with and embarrassed by McCain's actions over the past few weeks.

Meanwhile the Bush/Cheney juggernaut is trying to ram a financial rescue package down our throats that would once again benefit the few very rich and lead the vast majority of Americans worse off. Bush is set to speak to the nation tonight and McCain tries to weasel out of his flailing campaign and the first debate, scheduled for the day after tomorrow.

BE ALERT! This is the team that ruined our economy, took us to Iraq, missed Bin Laden, stood by during Katrina and has stood by for the past two years while the housing crising unfolded. WHATEVER they are planning to tell us tonight is most likely untrue.

Now is the time to get active. DO NOT LET McCAIN get away with this. Call your senators and congressmen and women. Write letters to the editor tonight. Go to your Democratic headquarters and man the phone banks.

Don't be fooled again.

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