Mark Halperin’s Latest Post

Mark Halperin of Time’s The Page, had this to post today:

1. Obama lawyer Bob Bauer.

2. Sarah Palin.

3. The person screening the audience and Internet questions for Tuesday’s debate.

4. Obama senior adviser Robert Gibbs.

5. The three executive producers of the broadcast networks evening newscasts (tie).

The third point is basically right on. We all know that Tom Brokaw, McCain’s sweet-heart lackey, will be the moderator for tomorrow’s townhall debate. He’s totally in the tank for John McCain, and I expect him to select the most outrageous townhall debate questions that will perhaps rival the atrocious ABC debate that was hosted by Gibson and Staphyloccus.

How should Obama prepare for these predictable debate questions?

*Wright, Ayers, Rezko

*Some dubious Muslim ties to Ayers

*The fundraising donations

*The Born Alive Act

A Summary Of The Bailout Plan

The CQ Report on H.R. 3997, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

I was able to gain access to the CQ report, which is a website that writes up nonpartisan summaries of major legislation for those on the Hill and lobbyists as well. This CQ report lays out why this bailout plan is so important, and how inaction on this issue could bring on another Great Depression. After you’ve read the CQ report, please feel free to share your thoughts with me here.

Obama’s New Spanish Ad SCORCHES McCain!!!

Ben Smith at Politico.com reports on the new Obama ad tailored for Hispanic-Americans. My first impression of the Obama ad was, “WOW!” And the script also plays very well to the Hispanic-American audiences.

“They want us to forget the insults we’ve put up with, the intolerance,” says the narrator, in Spanish, over a picture of Rush Limbaugh and quotes of him saying, “Mexicans are stupid and unqualified” and “Shut your mouth or get out.”

“John McCain and his Republican friends have two faces. One that says lies just to get our vote and another, even worse, that continues the failed policies of George Bush that put special interests ahead of working families,” according to the Post’s translation.

And the companion radio ad the Obama campaign is releasing also follow along the same lines, but with this additional line:

“Don’t forget that John McCain abandoned us rather than confront the leaders of the Republican Party.”

Ouch. I think I just heard that sizzle on that steak. I’m glad it’s bloody rare

You Gotta Be Kiddin’ Me! Palin To Visit Foreign Leaders At UN?

I guess this is a very desperate attempt to burnish her so-called foreign policy credentials. I really wish that my living nearby the Chinese embassy would give me foreign policy credentials like how Sarah’s credentials are established by her seeing Russia from her house in Alaska.

Anyhoo, the Wall Street Journal reports that:

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will meet with foreign leaders next week at the United Nations, a move to boost her foreign-policy credentials, a Republican strategist said.

Republican candidate John McCain plans to introduce the Alaska governor to heads of state at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly, although specific names weren’t yet firmed up. “The meetings will give her some exposure and experience with foreign leaders,” the strategist said. “It’s a great idea.”

McCain and Palin are expected to visit the U.N. on Tuesday, when President George W. Bush will address the international body.

Since her nomination, Palin has energized the Republican base, drawn huge crowds and propelled fund-raising. However, Democrats have attacked her as weak on foreign policy experience. Even on last week’s “Saturday Night Live,” actress Tina Fey spoofed Palin’s assertion that she is familiar with issues involving Russia, noting that Alaska is nearby. “I can see Russia from my house!” Fey-as-Palin said.

Also, here’s another kicker of a line from the McCain campaign:

But McCain advisers hope her U.N. visit will show how quickly Palin can make key connections and become well-versed in foreign-policy issues.

Uh, here in Washington, D.C., we call those “meets and greets” which is nothing more than a, “Hi, how are you, sir? Thank you so much for coming! So nice to meet you!”

How can one be well-versed in foreign policy issues after a “meet and greet?” This is blatantly ridiculous.

Devastating Ad Against McCain’s LIES

Here’s a spectacular ad from BraveNewPac:

This one has over 416,480 views, as VirginiaDem points out over in her diary at Dailykos. And it’s a great ad, and we DO need to help it go virally. So, let’s e-mail the hell out of this one, folks, and DIGG IT!!!!

Mark Halperin, Time’s The Hack, Gives Unsolicited Advice

HALPERIN’S TAKE: Good and Bad Options for Barack Obama to Stop His Slide

But which ones are the good options, and which the bad?

Greg Sargent Gives Advice To Obama Campaign

Greg Sargent, at Talking Points Memo, picked up on this Youtube ad. I just think it’s kind of telling when our own progressive bloggers, like those at TPM, Huffington Post, and other Democratic strategists are trying to remedy Obama’s piss-poor media strategy.

We have a problem here. It’s time that problem gets addressed by the Obama campaign. Once you have your campaign’s media strategy being criticized and people are giving you advice on how to run your ads, that’s a pretty big sign that you’re losing at the ad war game.

527s Right On Target Against McCain

From Defenders Of Wildlife:

From Planned Parenthood:

“Every eight minutes a child is sexually abused,” the narrator says. “That’s why Barack Obama supported legislation to teach children how to protect themselves. Now John McCain is twisting the facts and attacking Senator Obama. Doesn’t McCain want our children to protect ourselves from sex offenders? Or after 26 years in Washington, is he just another politician who will say anything to get elected?”

How To Best Mock John McCain

Contrary to earlier published reports, Sarah Palin remains on the trail with John McCain. The reason is because she’s been drawing all these big crowds, and if John McCain were to campaign by himself, he wouldn’t get these kind of crowds.

Notice how these crowds have been chanting, “Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!” instead of “McCain! McCain! McCain! McCain!?” Hell, even at the Republican National Convention, the mere mention of Palin’s name drew HUGE applause in comparison to the weak applause at the mention of McCain’s name.

I know this has to eat at John McCain. After all, isn’t this race supposed to be about him? At the rate she’s drawing the crowds, it might as well become Palin-McCain. Even her name is bigger than his on the placards.

Talk about being outshone by a woman. Here’s my ad idea here, which uses this theme to attack John McCain. Remember this ad about Barack Obama speaking at Mile High Field?

Let’s do an inverse flip, but with Sarah Palin at the podium with the chants of “Sarah! Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!”

SUGGESTED AD:

Ed Koch Decides To Back Obama Because of Palin

Ed Koch, the former mayor of New York City, who became known for his endorsement of George W. Bush in 2004, has decided to back Senator Obama because of Governor Palin’s stance on banning books from the library in which she asked the librarian if she could censor some books. Here’s his answer to the question as to why he backed Obama:

“The designation of Palin to be vice president,” he said. “She’s scary.”

He said he was alarmed by the report that she’d triggered a conflict with the local librarian in Wasilla, Alaska by inquiring about the possibility of banning books.

“Any time someone goes to the library and says, ‘I want to ban books,’ and the librarian says ‘no,’ and she threatens to fire them — that’s scary,” he said.

Here’s his official endorsement below:

I have concluded that the country is safer in the hands of Barack Obama, leader of the Democratic Party and protector of the philosophy of that party. Protecting and defending the U.S. means more than defending us from foreign attacks. It includes defending the public with respect to their civil rights, civil liberties and other needs, e.g., national health insurance, the right of abortion, the continuation of Social Security, gay rights, other rights of privacy, fair progressive taxation and a host of other needs and rights.

If the vice president were ever called on to lead the country, there is no question in my mind that the experience and demonstrated judgment of Joe Biden is superior to that of Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a plucky, exciting candidate, but when her record is examined, she fails miserably with respect to her views on the domestic issues that are so important to the people of the U.S., and to me. Frankly, it would scare me if she were to succeed John McCain in the presidency.

He’s right. It should SCARE moderate and female voters about the possibility of a President Palin in the White House, who believes in the End Times, the rapture, and believes in no abortion–even in cases of incest or rape. She’s a right-wing kook, and her extremist views, if they become well known, like her church hosting Jews for Jesus, could help us win Florida.

Mailings, radio ads, and local cable ads would help us alot in Florida on this issue alone.