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Oct

15

LIVE-BLOG: The Last McCain – Obama Debate @Hofstra

Filed Under Barack Obama, Blogging, Debates, John McCain, Politics, WH2008 | 4 Comments

Okay folks. Please join in.  I’ll go live at about 8:50pm Eastern.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 8:28 pm October 15th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Blogging, Debates, John McCain, Politics, WH2008 | 4 Comments 

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Oct

15

WLST on KPOJ (Portland, OR) tomorrow morning, 10am Eastern

Filed Under Jill Miller Zimon, Media | Comments Off

Here’s the link to AM 620 KPOJ.

The show is KPOJ Mornings with Carl Wolfson & Friends which airs 6-9am Pacific time.  Here on his blog, he notes the Stockton, CA historic endorsement of Obama, which I noted yesterday.  Fun.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:34 pm October 15th, 2008 in Jill Miller Zimon, Media | Comments Off 

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Oct

15

FL McCain camp’s finance co-chair circulates joke about death of Obama, wife

Filed Under Barack Obama, Campaigning, John McCain, Michelle Obama, Politics, WH2008 | 5 Comments

Posting without comment – what can you say?  The story is from Tampa Bay Online:

Al Austin, a longtime, high-level Republican fundraiser from Tampa, today sent to his list of political contacts an e-mail containing a joke that refers to the assassination of Barack Obama.

When asked about the e-mail, Austin said it was a mistake and apologized and that he wouldn’t knowingly have circulated it. He said he planned to send an apology and retraction to the same e-mail list.

The joke concerns a group of schoolchildren discussing the definition of “tragedy” as opposed to “great loss” or “accident.” The punch line comes when one child says that if an airplane carrying Obama and his wife, Michelle, “was struck by a ‘friendly fire’ missile and blown to smithereens,” the event might be a tragedy “because it certainly wouldn’t be a great loss, and it probably wouldn’t be an accident either.”

The Miami Herald states that Austin has bundled more than $500,000 for McCain.  H/t AmericaBlog.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 6:46 pm October 15th, 2008 in Barack Obama, Campaigning, John McCain, Michelle Obama, Politics, WH2008 | 5 Comments 

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Oct

15

Blog Action Day 2008 Poverty

Filed Under Blogging, Culture, Social Issues | Comments Off

What one person can do:

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I’m very fortunate to be able to write that, with the exception of the year I spent in Israel living on a constantly devalued stipend (a situation which frequently required me to search in the pockets of the three or four pairs of pants I had and the few cushions in the few pieces of furniture that came with the government-issue apartment I lived in for enough shekels to ride the bus or buy some vegetables to steam into rattatouille), I’ve never been “poor.”  Not in any way that most of us would define it.

But the notion of mending the world, tikkun olam and the role of tzedekah and good works is a part of everyday life in my house.  In fact, many of the programs with which my synagogue is involved help those in financial need – families, children, seniors – regardless of religious affiliation.

I also think that it’s a time like now, when the wealth of Americans is being devalued daily as a result of financial concerns at levels way above the street, when we most need to not turn away but turn toward people and either ask or just give – because we know how hard it can be to ask, and we know how many people are in need. It also feels like we’re doing something when we give.

So please, consult this list of 88 ways to help combat poverty right now, on today, Blog Action Day 2008, and find a way to give.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 5:20 pm October 15th, 2008 in Blogging, Culture, Social Issues | Comments Off 

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Oct

15

Ohio GOP wants info on all 13,141 who registered, voted during Golden Week

Filed Under Elections, Ohio, Politics, Voting, WH2008 | 3 Comments

And Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner’s response?

…she charged that the Republican Party is trying to “cause chaos in the process” a few weeks before Election Day by twisting the intent of federal election law.

“In this case what we have is one political party that’s trying to drive a truck through a small, little hole to create an advantage by somehow either injecting fear into the process or to try to disqualify voters on bases that don’t justify disqualification and that the law doesn’t support,” Brunner said.

Did I mention that I just wrote a political consultant I know in Kentucky about how Ohio is turning into a hellhole?

Backing up, here’s the story from the Columbus Dispatch’s blog: Read more

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 4:46 pm October 15th, 2008 in Elections, Ohio, Politics, Voting, WH2008 | 3 Comments 

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Oct

15

Ohio nursing home man, woman allegedly come to fisticuffs over ballot

Filed Under Elections, Ohio, Voting, WH2008 | 6 Comments

Yeah, you know – I’m just the messenger on this one, from the Akron Beacon Journal:

Poll workers from opposing sides in the presidential race apparently clashed in a physical altercation Friday at a Cuyahoga Falls nursing home when one accused the other of improperly marking a ballot.

George Manos, the 75-year-old Republican, told police that Edith Walker, the 73-year-old Democrat, jumped on his back and struck him in the head three to four times with her fists. Manos said two other elections workers had to pull Walker off his back, according to a report filed with Cuyahoga Falls police.

Manos said it happened after he accused Walker of ballot tampering, and he wants to prosecute.

Now that’s some serious voter suppression tactic. Sigh.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 3:02 pm October 15th, 2008 in Elections, Ohio, Voting, WH2008 | 6 Comments 

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Oct

15

Where’s Phil Burress when you need him? Pole dancing studio opens in P-burgh

Filed Under Business, Culture, Flip, Politics, Social Issues | 2 Comments

From the Wall Street Journal (of all sources – Rupert Murdoch influence?):

In August, [Stephanie] Babines (pictured) titillated students of zoning and the First Amendment when she filed a federal suit against Adams Township for refusing to allow her to open a dance studio featuring pole-dancing classes on the grounds it’s a sexually oriented business. Babines other offerings — which are all taught and performed fully clothed — include power lap dance, strip tease, “SeXXXercise,” and the stiletto strut.

Last night, the Adams Township zoning board apparently caved and approved a settlement with Babines. Though the settlement won’t become official until it is approved by a federal judge, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the board agreed that Babines can open her studio immediately.

“It’s great that Adams Township will join China in allowing a dance studio for Butler County women who want to learn more about pole dancing, the latest worldwide fitness craze,” said Witold Walczak, the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Foundation of Pennsylvania, which filed the lawsuit on Babines’ behalf.

They need you there, Mr. Burress.  Please go – please?

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 11:04 am October 15th, 2008 in Business, Culture, Flip, Politics, Social Issues | 2 Comments 

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Oct

15

Ruffini: “…forced nationalization of banks is socialism by any grade school definition”

Filed Under Sarah Palin, WH2008 | Comments Off

Thank you, Patrick. I thought so too.

Here’s the phrase in context (though the larger context of the column is the intra-party disagreements over the value, utilization and support of Sarah Palin):

We have seen a situation yesterday in which the Republican Secretary of the Treasury acted as a handmaiden to socialism. I am not given to hyperbolic language, and I use the phrase not to pass judgment on the necessity of what happened, but the forced nationalization of banks is socialism by any grade school definition.

In this charged environment, there is almost irressistible movement-conservative temptation to raise the figurative middle finger to anyone or anything associated with establishment Republicanism — one which gave us runaway spending, a $700 billion bailout that preceeded an 18% stock market swoon, and bank nationalization. And not entirely without cause.

I confess – I had to look up “movement-conservative”:

A movement conservative is one who supports all or nearly all conservative principles with a coherent philosophy, and who advances broad conservative goals both individually and through teamwork. This is contrasted with cafeteria, or single-issue, or self-serving approaches.

Since I first got linked to Ruffini’s political wire page a year or more ago, I’ve read up on him and he’s a smart, young guy.  I do not agree with his politics for the most part, but, like a few other center and right of center folks I read, he is even-tempered and uses logic.  I like logic.  Even when I don’t like where it leads.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 10:45 am October 15th, 2008 in Sarah Palin, WH2008 | Comments Off 

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Oct

15

[updated] Roland Martin to Palin: Cut the conclusory crap

Filed Under Media, Politics, Sarah Palin, WH2008 | 5 Comments

Okay – that’s my interpretation.  But CNN commentator, Obama supporter and columnist Roland Martin says it throughout this commentary.

Martin says, “…what is truly pathetic is that Palin talks tough, but is really scared of facing her own issues,” and then enumerates them exactly:

- she portrays Barack Obama “as a shady figure who might occupy the White House,” but, Martin says, “…the American people deserve to hear Palin answer if her husband, Todd, a former member of the Alaska Independence Party, agreed with its founder, who wanted to secede from the union.”

-Palin refuses to answer questions about her, “…disagreements with John McCain’s criticism of the Bush administration’s decision to remove North Korea from the terrorist nation list…”. Martin wants Palin to address this disagreement.

-Martin wants to know why Palin, “…didn’t say a word to rebuke the hateful, pathetic and degrading comments made at rallies featuring her, such as when someone in the crowd called Obama a terrorist, someone else shouted, “Off with his head” and others suggested he is a traitor.”

But, as Jake Tapper pointed out earlier this week, the biggest flaunting of a failure to shoot straight relates to Palin’s revisionary version of the Troopergate report:

Lastly, don’t you think the self-described maverick needs to own up to what really happened with the firing of the commissioner in Alaska? She was declared by a special investigator to have been within her rights in firing the commissioner, but she was blasted for abuse of power and violating the state’s ethics act.

So what did she say in a conference call with Alaska reporters — who were not allowed by the McCain camp to ask follow-up questions? That she was cleared of all wrongdoing, legally and ethically.

That’s right. She repeated over and over and over an absolute lie, and we are supposed to say, “Hey, it’s all fine. She winks at us. We love her hockey mom schtick. Don’t worry about that abuse of power thing.”

Martin concludes with this:

…McCain, Sen. Joe Biden, Barack and Michelle Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Cindy McCain and even McCain’s 95-year-old momma and Palin’s daddy have all done interviews with CNN, sharing their thoughts on the campaign. But Palin? Not a whisper.

It’s clear that Palin really isn’t a true frontier woman. See, when you tote a gun, carry a big stick and spit fire, you aren’t afraid to take on all comers.

So, Sarah, if you want to talk big on the campaign trail to those audiences that don’t talk back, go right ahead. But if you truly are the maverick politician you say you are, come on and talk to us soft, coddled, elitist journalists. Surely we aren’t as tough as the moose you like to take down with your Second Amendment-protected hunting rifle.

Just to repeat, I have to start believing that Palin does not even know what it means when someone tells her that she’s answering in a conclusory way, given the extent to which she does it.  Because the alternatives are just so much worse: she’s not listening to anyone or she has no conscience that would keep her from behaving so egregiously hypocritically.

UPDATED: Washington Monthly‘s Political Animal writer Steve Benen thinks the same thing at the end of his piece about Palin’s refusal to accept or acknowledge Troopergate findings:

So, Republicans, which is it? Is Sarah Palin shockingly dishonest or is she functionally illiterate? Inquiring minds want to know.

Nuts. Just nuts.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 9:59 am October 15th, 2008 in Media, Politics, Sarah Palin, WH2008 | 5 Comments 

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Oct

15

Canada’s Harper wins in landslide

Filed Under Canada, Elections, Politics, Voting | 2 Comments

From the CBC:

Canadians were waking up Wednesday to news the country had elected its third consecutive minority government, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives returning to Ottawa with a strengthened mandate following a national vote Tuesday.

“Canadians have voted to move our country forward and they have done so with confidence,” Harper told a rally in Calgary as supporters celebrated the party’s victory and the end of a tumultuous — and at times rancorous — 37-day campaign.

Do you covet that or what – only 37 days of campaigning?

This post at The Moderate Voice offers more insight on what it means to win a “third consecutive minority government”:

Now understand that in Canada a landslide has a different meaning. There are 4 main parties (Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic and Bloc Quebec). So a landslide is when a party is able to form a majority government with 50% plus one seats in Parliament.

You need 155 seats for a majority, the Conservatives came in with 124 seats so they needed to gain 31 more.

The Canadian Broadcasting Company has already projected that Harper will remain Prime Minister in a minority government. One interesting thing I’ve noticed is the bias in the coverage. Here we had the big SNL parody of the media openly rooting for Obama. In the CBC coverage they are openly for the Liberals and attacking Harper (calling a 20 plus seat gain a ‘major defeat’) and it seems to be no big deal.

Again, having lived in a country ruled by a coalition government of nearly 14 political parties (Israel in the mid-1980s), and reading about Canada with four parties, I again caution that we be careful what we wish for.  In our mobile, global world, there is, just as there never has been, no perfect system of electing a government.

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By Jill Miller Zimon at 7:37 am October 15th, 2008 in Canada, Elections, Politics, Voting | 2 Comments 

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