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Cheese eating Surrender Monkey. Whipped. Scrawny Metrosexual. vs. Moose eating Soccer Mom. Five kids ("Happy Husband"). Former beauty queen. Some days you're Palin. Some days you're the Moose.TM Sucks to be on your ticket, Obama.

I was at the Minnesota State Fair all day today, resigned, but not too disappointed, at the prospect of hearing that Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty had been named the Republican Vice Presidential candidate to run with John McCain. A blue collar, environmentally-friendly guy, pro-life, not red meat for the base, but enough (maybe) to soothe them will extending a tepid hand to blue collar voters in the industrial Midwest and Rust Belt. Imagine my surprise, when, after wandering around the fair for most of the morning, and eyeing the cheese curds, I chanced by the Minnesota State Republican Party building...

Former President Jimmy Carter said Thursday that John McCain is “milking every possible drop of advantage” from his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, USA Today reported Thursday. Carter focused on McCain’s interview earlier this month with author and pastor Rick Warren at his parish, the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. McCain used every question, whether it was about religion, domestic or foreign affairs, to talk about his five-and-a-half years as a POW, Carter claimed

While Illinois' Senators, Obamis and Durbin, prepared for the party at Barackopolis; while Senator Obama's friend and mentors, Gover Rod Blagojevich and Emil Jones prepared for the party at the Barackopolis; state agencies in Illinois announce the layoff of ...

SPRINGFIELD, IL — It is unclear who was responsible for providing water to attendees of an August 21 event featuring Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, where an estimated 150 people were treated for heat-related illness, including 17 who required hospitalization, according to an August 26 article in the Journal Star. Justin DeJong, spokesman for Obama for America in Illinois, said the Obama campaign worked with Downtown Springfield, Inc. (DSI) to provide water for the crowd. DSI volunteers sold water for $2 per cup at three locations near the plaza. Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin said in the article that the city...

The head of the Snohomish County Republican Party apologized Tuesday after the organization's booth at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe sold "$3 bills" depicting Barack Obama wearing Arab headgear and featuring a camel. Geri Modrell, the Snohomish County Republican chairwoman, said a volunteer had brought the bills to the fair thinking they were funny. "I don't think it's funny," said Modrell, who said she ordered the bills removed as soon as she learned about them. "They were offensive. The volunteers are being told very clearly they must not do these sorts of things." The $3 bills, which are sold...

I Have Had Enough Of You! ...that corrupt, Marxist, pro-infanticide, terrorist-connected, Chicago con-man whom they’re backing for the Presidency... Written by Bridget Geegan Blanton There’s a scene in a Star Trek movie where Captain Kirk is all-out stomping on the desperate grasp of a Klingon, while the space thug claws the side of a cliff in an attempt to hang on. When Kirk finally delivers a fatal blow and knocks the Klingon off the precipice and into a fiery pit, Kirk says, with obvious pent up anger and frustration: “I have had enough of you!” Exchange ‘Klingon’ with ‘Liberal’ and...

Excerpt - A day of relative quiet that had observers wondering what happened to the large demonstrations expected in Denver this week turned violent Monday night as police fired pepper balls and pepper spray at protesters. Police dressed in riot gear and wearing gas masks clashed with scores of people who refused to leave a one-block stretch of 15th Street near Civic Center Park. Police made 91 arrests. No serious injuries were reported. ~ snip ~

TROPICAL STORM GUSTAV BECOMES A HURRICANE IN THE CARIBBEAN SOUTHEAST OF HAITI-U.S. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER

The 2008 Convention: Americans Gathering To Change The Course Of A Nation Program Schedule Monday, August 25 – One Nation Barack Obama’s story is an American story that reflects a life of struggle, opportunity and responsibility like those faced by Americans everyday. The opening night of the Convention will highlight Barack’s life story, his commitment to change, and the voices of Americans who are calling for a new direction for this country. Monday’s headline prime-time speaker will be Michelle Obama. 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM (LOCAL) Call to Order The Honorable Howard Dean Chair, Democratic National Committee Former Governor of...

According to Intrade http://www.intrade.com/ Obama is still a big favorite to win, with contracts for him trading at 60.5 vs. 38.4 for McCain. These are odds of winning as a percentage, *not* expected share of the popular vote. With the opinion polls tied, what explains this? Not being a Democrat, I am reluctant to dismiss the market. Romney for Republican VP contracts are trading at 58.8, with Pawlenty at 26.0 and Ridge at 9.5 .

Denver -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama acknowledged today that he has lost ground against Republican rival John McCain. But Obama plans to win through telling his story, talking about his plans for the country, and connecting with people, Obama allies said as the Democratic National Convention opens. "He loves basketball you know, and plays it," said Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, the senior Illinois senator and Senate Majority Whip. "We talked about the game today and we realized that over the last week or 10 days, John McCain has had a 12-0 run in this basketball game." McCain gained ground...

Barack Obama: Losing what was a significant lead in the polls, next week's Democratic National Convention is now of monumental importance.     Le Figaro, France Barack Obama is 'In Trouble'   "Despite the extreme unpopularity of George W. Bush and the poor state of the economy, John McCain, who will celebrate his 72nd year next week, is a Republican candidate that will be very hard to beat."   EDITORIAL By Pierre Rousselin                                                            Translated By Philippe Guittard   August 22, 2008   France - French - Original Article (French) Senator Joe Biden: According to the gamblers and...

I waded in today to the crowd of old hippies and punks that call themselves Re-create 68. Basically anarchy was the theme and they were quite a herd of cats......

Obama Lied /Christian Newswire/ -- The Obama camp is now acknowledging that Barack Obama lied about his abortion voting record on the born-alive bill, ...

Suffice it to say that I was not very hopeful about the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency held at the California megachurch last Saturday night. In the first place, I am not really comfortable with the idea of hosting such a politically charged event in a church. No matter how the event is planned and projected, once the event starts it can turn into something far more politically volatile than planned. That is a truth I have learned by hard experience. Secondly, the advance publicity about the event touted it as a platform for a kind of "third way"...

New video feature will zero in on the issues and events - an online video series to keep you up to date on the election. Host Stuart Shepard gets insights on the presidential race from Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus Action. Family advocates from across the nation will appear in upcoming episodes. "This is a challenging year for Christian conservatives to sort through where the leading candidates stand on pro-family issues," Shepard said. "We'll cut through the hype and the campaign ads and shine a light on how they view the sanctity of...

WASHINGTON — John McCain’s presidential campaign is denying any connection to Jack Abramoff ally Ralph Reed and accusing Barack Obama and Democrats of taking “desperate” measures to link the two men together. “It’s unfortunate that Barack and his allies have sunk to such depths that they are trying to draw connections that don’t exist and everyone knows don’t exist,” McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds told FOXNews.com. Reed, the former executive director of the Christian Coalition whose political career was thwarted last year by links to convicted lobbyist Abramoff, recently sent an e-mail to his friends urging them to attend a McCain...

Roberts to fellow Dems: 'We need unity badly' Few will declare it outright, but off the record people talk about soft versus solid support, and when it comes to Hillary Clinton conqueror Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il), some of his party support in New Jersey remains soft. In a state where she triumphed by ten points, "there are a number of people still frustrated that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) got a bad deal this year," Roberts said he plans to fulfill his responsibility as a delegate pledged to Clinton, then get behind the anticipated majority when Obama wins the nomination.

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Democratic dominance in presidential elections has been the norm for decades throughout much of the country's union-strong industrial Great Lakes region. The GOP presidential candidate is mounting strong challenges to Democratic rival Barack Obama in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and eyeing Minnesota — four states that have thwarted Republicans in at least four straight elections. The Arizona senator is also fighting to hang on to Ohio, a bellwether that President Bush won twice. They are home to large numbers of blue-collar whites, whom Obama has struggled to win over; senior citizens, who polls show tilt toward...

Critics accuse Barack Obama of presenting himself as some kind of Messiah (see "Hurry Up and Wait," WORLD, March 22/29, 2008). His speech upon clinching the Democratic nomination claimed for the event a cosmic significance that future generations would look back upon: "This was the moment," he said, "when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal." His campaign slogans exhort us to "Believe." One of his posters gives biblical concepts a new object: "Faith. Hope. Change. Barack Obama for President." But Obama's messianic image is more than just over-the-top political rhetoric. Many Americans...

...some key Democrats want for Sen. Barack Obama's No. 2: his veep search aide, Caroline Kennedy. {snip} ...adds one fan of the idea: "Caroline is the good Kennedy." {snip} There's recent precedent. President Bush picked his vice presidential search team leader, Dick Cheney.

In this legislative district, consisting of East Manatee and parts of Sarasota and Hillsborough counties, incumbent Ron Reagan vies with newcomer Kirk Faryniasz in the Republican primary. The winner will compete with Democrat Richard Jackson in the November general election. Reagan's passion for politics and policy and the leadership skills and experience he has gained in his three terms in the Legislature give district residents strong representation. Due to term limits, a fourth term would be his last. The biggest issues again are pocketbook concerns - taxes, property insurance, energy costs - and economic development. Tired of high property insurance...

Lately I have heard from some of you, asking about the Corridor. Most folks believe it is over, dead, gone from our beautiful East Texas. I have been watching our government's actions on this subject. Did you know that in TxDOT's cover letter to the federal government it states they will only use existing highways to build their corridor? Did you know that TxDOT also stated that it may need to build in non-existing paths also, some time in the future. Citizens, I write you today to make sure you understand that the corridor issue in Trinity County has not...

In the two stories below on Rick Warren's Saddleback Church forum, Sen. Barack Obama made two striking comments. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/16/warren.forum/index.htmlhttp://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-saddleback17-2008aug17,0,2051277.story When asked which Supreme Court justice he would not have nominated, Obama's answer was: Clarence Thomas. Says Obama, "I don't think he was a strong enough jurist or a legal thinker at that time for that. I profoundly disagree with his interpretation [of the Constitution]." This is another way of saying that, in Obama's view, Thomas wasn't up to the job, and didn't have the experience or qualifications necessary for that high position. So, now... experience does matter? When asked to...

LAKE FOREST, Calif. — When John McCain and Barack Obama appear on the same stage today, they will vividly demonstrate the reach that has made the Rev. Rick Warren among the most significant evangelists of his generation. He's a megastar who leads the nation's fourth-largest church and reaches thousands of ministers through the Internet and crusades against poverty and AIDS. That globe-trotting work and his successful book — "The Purpose-Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?" — puts him at the vanguard of a movement that inspires young, socially conscious Christians. But his willingness to soft-pedal political issues...

Sources within Hillary Clinton’s campaign say the New York Senator’s name is likely to be placed in nomination in Denver — at the insistence of the Obama campaign. Clinton had originally said she would NOT sign a document allowing a vote to be held on her nomination; aides thought it could be divisive, and worried that it could make her seem weak, since many of her nearly 1900 delegates would almost certainly not vote for her almost 3 months after she formally conceded. But in listening to her staunch supporters — those who are still bitter over the way she...

DENVER (CBS4) ― With the Democratic National Convention less than two weeks away, CBS4 has learned some of what security planners are preparing for. Multiple law enforcement sources talked to CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass about their contingency plans, provided they were not identified. Planners have studied past protests from around the world and looked at tactics used by demonstrators in previous protests. They're hoping that research will help them respond effectively to whatever might occur in Denver during convention week. The Secret Service has been sharing information with local security authorities. One of the major concerns: protestors using cars to...

This registration document, made available on Jan. 24, 2007, by the Fransiskus Assisi school in Jakarta, Indonesia, shows the registration of Barack Obama under the name Barry Soetoro into the Catholic school made by his step-father, Lolo Soetoro. The document lists Barry Soetoro as a Indonesian citizen, born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, and shows his Muslim step-father listed the boy's religion as Islam.(AP Photo/ Tatan Syuflana)

Four years ago, while working as a senior adviser in NATO's Brussels, Belgium, headquarters, I got an up-close look at the way al-Qaida's best minds see Western elections. On March 11, 2004, Spain was rocked by perhaps the bloodiest terrorist attack in Europe since World War II, as bombs ripped apart commuter trains in Madrid, leaving nearly 2,000 Spaniards dead or injured — three days before the country went to the polls. The incumbent party was promptly hurled out of office, and in Brussels, my colleagues and I watched as the Spanish mission began receiving drastically different instructions from Madrid....

I have been reading for some time about Barack Hussein Obama's birth certificate controversy. At first I dismissed it because I thought there was no way the Democratic Party would allow someone who is not qualified to run for the office of President. I now understand that at least half of the state attorney generals in the country will challenge Obama’s residency before certifying his nomination. Lawsuits will be filed to clarify Obama’s birth in the United States. Until today I simply believed that Obama was born in Hawaii. After doing some research I found it is not so clear...

There’s an old saying in politics that elections are won or lost one vote at a time. On Friday, DFL-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken demonstrated how true that saying can be, when a roundtable on veterans issues at Brigitte’s Cafe his campaign scheduled drew only one participant. Josh John, a St. Cloud resident who said he served in the Navy from 2000-04, had Franken to himself for an hour as he described difficulties he faced returning from his tour of duty and the help he received from his Veterans Services Office and the St. Cloud VA Medical Center.

This St. Cloud Times story about only one person attended a public event for Al Franken yesterday hit the Drudge Report. “ONE Person Shows Up At Franken Event..” This story is turning into a national embarrassment for Team Franken.

BARACK Obama's supporters have moved to stem the damage after one-time party star and presidential hopeful John Edwards admitted having an affair during his White House run as his wife battled cancer. With the party's national convention to officially crown Senator Obama as its White House candidate just over two weeks away, Democrats sought to minimise the John Edwards affair as a personal matter for the Edwards family. "We have unrealistic expectations for people. John Edwards like the rest of us is only human," said Howard Wolfson, a former senior official for the rival presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton. "The...

Senator Hillary Clinton asked the question herself on the night of the last primaries in early June: “What does Hillary want?” That’s still a bit of a mystery, particularly as she and Senator Barack Obama negotiate over her role, and possibly that of her husband, at the Democratic convention in Denver and beyond. Mr. Obama has given Mrs. Clinton a speaking role on the Tuesday night of the convention. But she made it clear in a recent chat with supporters — which is now on YouTube — that she is steeped in negotiations over how to salve the wounds...

The conventional wisdom has it down pat: A bad economy works against the candidate from the party in power as voters take out their rage and fear on the president’s party and back the challenger, just like they did in 1992. But this is not a normal economic slowdown (or recession) and Obama is not a normal challenger. I think the conventional wisdom may be dead wrong. It is not so much that unemployment is so high (5.7 percent) or that the economy is in the tank (1 percent growth this quarter) as it is that everything seems to be...

Despite howls of predictable protest from the media about him “going negative”, the recent McCain ad was as successful as it was timely in knocking the Chosen One down a notch or two off his lofty pretentious perch. The Obama-as-celebrity McCain campaign commercial was singularly auspicious as well. In conjunction with recent media antipathy towards Obama’s arrogance, overnight, it has effectively helped change the tenor and tempo of the campaign by forcing people to ask once again: who is Barack Obama? Replete with images from his Berlin speech, the ad successfully redefined the Obama campaign, at root, as nothing more...

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows the race for the White House is tied with Barack Obama and John McCain each attracting 44% of the vote. However, when "leaners" are included, it’s McCain 47% and Obama 46%. This is the first time McCain has enjoyed even a statistically insignificant advantage of any sort since Obama clinched the Democratic nomination on June 3 (see recent daily results). Tracking Polls are released at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time each day.A week ago today, Obama had a three-percentage point lead and the candidates were even among unaffiliated voters. Today, McCain...

As Ludacris knows, no rap album is complete these days without a tribute to Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Thus, the rapper included his ode to Obama, dubbed “Politics,” on his new mixtape with DJ Drama, The Preview. Luda claims that he’s both one of Obama’s favorite rapper and on the candidate’s iPod, so that’s good for a presidential pardon if he’s “ever in the slammer.” In our interview with Barack Obama, Obama admitted that he knows Ludacris, say maybe he’ll take Luda seriously when he lobbies for the role of Vice President in the song. Ludacris also demands “Get...

With the election only 100 days away, many are calling a Democratic victory in November. Some are even saying that the Democrats could get the filibuster-proof 60 seats in the Senate. Tom Broklaw ridiculed Chuck Todd for even thinking that McCain could win. But here's the thing. Opinions change. Many opinions have been changed in a lot less than 100 days. Here are just a few (yes, there are more. Many more)

"This is a critical time for our nation, and the American people deserve to hear both candidates speak from the heart."Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama will make their first joint appearance at a public forum with the Rev. Rick Warren on Aug. 16 at California’s Saddleback Church. “The primaries proved that Americans care deeply about the faith, values, character and leadership convictions of candidates as much as they do about the issues,” Warren said in a news release. “This is a critical time for our nation, and the American people deserve to hear both candidates speak from...

Announcement coming “very soon.� Geraghty notes that Pawlenty’s still scheduled to give a routine speech on Wednesday, but TNR noted over the weekend that he’s already pulled out of one event and his plans for this week are suddenly and suspiciously hazy. See this recent item from Marc Ambinder, too, passing along a rumor that McCain was planning to meet with his inner circle about VP yesterday. And then of course there’s that CNN item claiming an attendee at a fundraiser heard McCain say conservatives are “really going to like� Pawlenty. Put it all together and today’s scurrilous veep du...

Let’s give him credit: Obama gives a good speech. His cadence and rhythm of delivery is excellent. But, his abilities in this regard are overrated. If one strips bare all the stock, and by now, predictable platitudes that form the basis for his orations, what one finds is a lot of cheerful, but empty sloganeering that often times seeks to reconcile the irreconcilable (Philadelphia speech) or that in the end, reveals that there is no unifying or meaningful theme throughout, but rather, the presence of a lot of syrupy, mellifluous mush. Thus, a common reaction among many ordinary folks after...

ABC News' Mary Bruce reports: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., blamed Wall Street this weekend for the failing economy. "I think that Wall Street is the villain in the things that happened in the subprime lending crisis and other areas where investigations and possible prosecution is going on," McCain said in an exclusive "This Week" interview with George Stephanopoulos. McCain also placed responsibility on a "gridlocked" Congress. "I also think that Congress is at fault. We didn’t restrain spending. Spending got completely out of control," he said. When asked about Congress' progress in passing the housing bill, McCain said he would...

The National Rifle Association is putting the election-year squeeze on conservative Democrats, demanding that they buck their leadership to support a bill to erase more of the District of Columbia’s gun laws. Democratic gun rights supporters will risk losing their A-plus rating if they don’t sign a discharge petition to be filed Wednesday bringing the gun-rights bill directly to the floor. It will be the first time in more than 20 years that the NRA has “scored” a discharge petition in determining the grades it gives lawmakers before the November election, said spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. “We’re making this a priority....

America is at the Mall by Bridget Geegan Blanton Several months ago I came across a photo while online that appeared to have been taken inside a military installation quite possibly in a theater of war. The photo was simple yet poignant. In the background was the indistinct image of a Marine dressed in camouflage entering the room from the outside and in the foreground the photographer zeroed in on the side of a refrigerator. Three sentences written on the side of the refrigerator constituted the single most riveting feature of the photo. The statement was brief, to the point...

The mood among the US media pack that joined Barack Obama's overseas tour on Monday was grumpy and rebellious. The 40-odd journalists boarding the campaign's Boeing 757, dubbed Obama One, in Jordan had paid thousands of dollars to accompany him but missed the first four days of a trip that took him to Afghanistan and Iraq and information was in short supply. The press corps was appeased when Obama, who prefers to sit on plane journeys with his iPod and a pile of press cuttings or a book, ignoring staff as well as journalists, made a rare trip to the...

What explains all the over-the-top media coverage and adulation for Barack Obama? The presumptuous treatment by the press of Obama as president-elect or a head of state, stems from a belief that an election isn’t necessary, because, in the eyes of many in the mainstream media, as the first African-American candidate for the presidency, Barack Obama is entitled to the office. In a very real sense, Barack Obama is an affirmative-action candidate for the presidency. Should he be defeated by the American voters, it will not be a mere loss due to his numerous shortcomings and foibles, but rather, an...

Glenn Beck and guest Daniel Silva, author of "Moscow Rules," were discussing the unbelievably different coverage of the two campaigns. First, Beck ticked off ten fawning headlines for Obama, then followed with ten negative headlines for McCain, including the obligatory "confused" in one headline. (A "confused McCain" in my book is a heckuva lot more on the ball than an "alert" Obama, but I digress). Next, Silva noted that the image war is being entirely won by Obama. He's in front of massive crowds in Germany, while McCain gets a photo op in front of . . . CHEESE!!!? And...