IP Politik

Moving to a New URL

2008-10-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

It has become annoyingly apparent that my RSS feeds are pretty badly mangled up with three of my blogs all publishing to one feed. Which is nice if you like politics, anti-Wal-Mart news and my regular IP rants and reviews.

But, if you do not then perhaps you'll appreciate this pending change.

IP Politik will be getting its own URL, ippolitik.blogspot.com. If you're interested in keeping up, then head on over there.

SF Chronicle Election Fact Check Page

2008-10-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Campaign check: Lies and half-truths outed and surprise, surprise, most of them are attributed to statements made by the McCain/Palin ticket.

Of course, the GOP apologists are screaming about unfairly pointing out their sides lies while overlooking the vast sea of lies allegedly spoken by the Obama campaign.

Only there really isn't any vast sea of lies from the Obama/Biden camp. They've stayed pretty close to reality, stayed up above the mud slinging ridiculousness and stayed on the messaging this is actually important to the people of America to hear.

Here are some choice debunkings:
Statement: In speeches and elsewhere, McCain said: "I was the one who called at the time for tighter restrictions on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that could have helped prevent this crisis from happening in the first place."
Distortion: He signed onto GOP legislation in 2006 AFTER a federal oversight report ripped Fannie Mae. But Politifact.com said that for McCain to link his comments then to the current crisis "strikes us as quite a stretch."
Quite a stretch can be de-PC'ed to mean an outright, bold faced crock of shit lie.

Statement: Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said Obama was "palling around with terrorists who would target their own country," a reference to Bill Ayers, a 1960s radical who is now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Distortion: An Illinois state senator hosted an event at Ayers' home in 1995 to introduce Obama to the community. The two served together on an educational board, and Ayers donated $200 to Obama's state Senate run in 2001. Obama has condemned Ayers' actions as a member of the Weather Underground. "There's no evidence their relationship is more than the casual friendship of two men who occupy overlapping Chicago political circles," Politico said.
Translated: The smear and fear attempt is baseless but that won't stop Sarah Palin from her continual parroting of this lame diversion. Here's a hint, Sarah, the people won't solutions to their current problems not some ridiculous association smear from 13 years ago, most especially when you yourself have just last week been found to have breached the code of ethics in your Troopergate scandal.

Statement: In a McCain TV ad called "Dangerous," it is alleged that Obama said U.S. troops in Afghanistan are "just air-raiding villages and killing civilians" and that "congressional liberals voted repeatedly to cut off funding to our active troops."
Distortion: This quote is taken out of context and "recycles a misleading, 14-month-old charge that Sen. Barack Obama disrespected U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan," according to FactCheck.org, which added that the votes "were in favor of bringing the troops home and ending combat."
Which is to say, the McCain/Palin camp has nothing to offer of their own so they will spend their campaign dollars trying to knock the other side down to their level in the gutter.

It is because of the instant factcheck-ability of the internet that McCain's smear and fear campaign is failing. Oh yeah, that and a competely tanked economy due in no small part to his and Bush's pet war in Iraq while allowing the true attackers of 9/11 to roam free and continue to plot against the US and our allies. But, being a hardline GOP supporter means never having to thing twice about past actions, inactions or lies.

Because Crooks Make Good Cops

2008-10-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Palin says McCain will end ‘abuses of power’ in Washington but, apparently, not in Alaska.

The McCain/Palin campaign has lost the high moral ground (if it ever had it to begin with). They have lost the American people in their low-brow attacks and smears while the economy craters.

Sarah Palin needs to go back to her backwater rape state. McCain needs to go to one of his mansions and drink a few old fashioneds while listening to his Victrola music player machine. Maybe, eventually, he'll regain some of his sold out honor and dignity but it won't be happening this decade.

The only people stupid enough to believe drivel pronouncements like this have already bought the entire pack of lies and doublespeak that is the McCain/Palin ticket. Which, I'm pleased to say, is an ever-shrinking number of you everyday.

Obama Locks Up the 2 Year Old Vote

2008-10-13T07:09:00.001-07:00

We were having a heated political discussion around the dinner table and Sullivan wanted to weigh in with his thoughts about who we should support, since he's unable to vote for another 16 years or so.

Take that, Grumpa McCain! You don't get adorable little kids stumping for you, do you? That's because you're a great big fat doodyhead!

McCain Can't Count or Tell the Truth

2008-10-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

McCain’s list of ‘100 distinguished and experienced economists’ has only 90 names, 11 of those economist are on McCain's payroll including chief economic advisor, Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

John McCain wouldn't know honesty if it slapped him upside the head.

Teh Awesome is Strong!

2008-10-09T23:06:00.000-07:00

Rednecks for Obama

I'll Take Abuse of Power for $1000, Alex

2008-10-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

Lots of pressure from Palins, aides to remove trooper but its alright because Sarah Palin's campaign officials investigated the charges against her and the report her team came up with totally clears her (in fact, I think she was able to conclude that Barack Obama was the one who was actually trying to remove the trooper).

Seriously, this woman demonized, attacked and obsessed over a state trooper who'd been married to her sister. The divorce was ugly and the Palin clan wanted some payback.

The fact that she abused her power to do so is completely fine in Sarah Palin's playbook. She plays to win, no matter who's kneecap gets whacked with a lead pipe.

Desperation politics are an ugly, ugly thing. I hope John McCain is honorable enough to be ashamed at how low he's sunk.

I don't expect a Bibleheaded idiot like Palin would ever feel shame for anything, even if she just show a baby wolf from an airplane. (why yes, that is a new word, thanks for asking! It'll go up in my Fictionarium shortly).

Can You Relate to Sarah Palin?

2008-10-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Jay sent me a link to a column on Anderson Cooper's site, Palin’s female fans: Why they can relate and the article is all puff but the comments are gold.

Have a read and get an idea of how appalled much of America is with her selection for this incredibly important and demanding possible position. Here, here's a taste of the well written dismissals that await you:

He could have chosen a competent woman, but instead chose this incompetent, dishonest, ignorant, narrowminded, religious fanatic. I have nothing against religion. What I am against are people like Sarah Palin that have the same exact views as terrorist leaders. They believe that the ENTIRE country should abide by their own religious rules. This is wrong and this is exactly why Religion and State must be kept separate.

or how about this one?

I find her calculating, cunning and ambitious but sorely lacking in basic intelligence and analytical skills and reasoning. She is ignorant, pure and simple. Her views on abortion are repugnant to me. The very idea that this woman thinks that abortion should be banned even in the case of rape or incest, shows her blatant insensitivity and callousness. Her belief in creationism and rejection of scientific fact is another reason for me to disrespect her.

Solid quality smackdowns of the worst vp candidate in the history of our country (and yes, that includes Dan Quayle).

Enjoy! And don't forget to check those poll numbers.

The GOP Playbook

2008-10-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

Palin: I have been ‘an open book’ and have had to answer questions ‘every day.’

There is a disturbing pattern of behavior from the GOP that goes back years now. It is the action of doing one thing and then claiming the exact opposite is what you actually did.

Sarah Palin continues to repeat the lie about her saying no to earmarks on the Bridge to Nowhere when the public record clearly shows she was all for it until public sentiment made it a losing proposition. And she still kept every red cent she had gotten to that point.

Cindy McCain did it the other day when she said the Obama campaign was running the dirtiest campaign in history. When reality pretty easily shows it is the McCain/Palin ticket that has sunk into the muck and is flinging anything they can at Obama to try and cut into his growing lead.

John McCain keeps saying he's a maverick when the record shows he's voted in lockstep with Bush 90% of the time. He talks about a calm and steady hand and this is the same guy who called his wife a C**T in front of staffers for joking about his thinning hair.

The GOP playbook is say one thing and do another but claim that you've always done the one thing you've said even if there's indisputable proof that its a lie.

Because, as every faithful GOP agenda pusher knows, truth ain't nothing but a word used by sore losers.

Obama: 63, McCain: 0

2008-10-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

2008 Chemistry Nobelist Endorses Obama bringing the number to 63!

And yet, the FUD troops in the GOP are going to try and make believe like Obama's a science hater (hint, dumbasses, its your own freakin' vp nominee that's no fan of science).

Don't believe me? Read this delightful smear at the National Review titled "Will Obama Kill Science?" The answer, by the way, is rather loud and incredulous "No."

When you have nothing of substance or solutions to add to the discussion, just smear and spread lies about your opponent. Sure, its a soul sucking disservice to America but we're talking about winning the White House so all's fair.

Or not. The desperation tactics would be laughable if the flood of them weren't so consistent and completely unfounded. This is how the GOP operates. They can't run against Obama on the issues so they try to smear his character with lies, distortions and idiotic statements that apply to both Obama and McCain (or, just shut your pie-hole, Cindy, your husband voted to not fund your son in Iraq too).

It is only going to get worse as the poll numbers continue to slide.

Debate Number 2 Wrap & Notes

2008-10-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

I watched the debate from the start to the end, I listened to each candidate's answers, I watched each candidate's body language, comfort level, knowledge and candor. And, in McCain's case, I watched for signs of barely contained rage.

I don't think McCain is aware of how much he speaks down to people. His can't-possibly-be-wrong attitude fails to impress given reality, fact checks and my own memory. Combined with his awful and annoying "My friends" schtick (he doesn't do folksy well, at all) and the incredibly, incredibly bad jokes that flew about as well as a wet waffle and you have an uninspired performance.

Not terrible but nothing close to what he needed to start to close the gap. The post debate polls gave a decisive victory to Obama on the economy and presence and McCain won out slightly on terrorism and foreign policy.

What alot of it comes down to is which candidate would you want representing you? The young idealist with a head full of good ideas and plans to repair the harm done to our nation by 8 years of Republican idiocy or the old grumpy condescender who appears ready and willing to say anything to get a vote.

I find it bizarre that McCain/Palin keep bringing up accusations against Obama but they are the real perpetrators of the "crimes". Palin keeps bringing up past associations of Obama when her own history is full of far more relevant and far, far more questionable associations and beliefs. McCain keeps talking about straight talk while he flip flops around on economy issues and what we need to do to fix our ailing nation.

McCain is more of the same policies that have gotten us here.
Obama is a change, he will remove the stranglehold that the special interests have on our country, he will root out the corruption in Washington, he will hold golden parachute CEO's to task, he will not give billions of dollars to big business in the hope that some of it will trickle down to the middle class.

McCain's trickle down theory essentially involves the rich pissing change on the poor. It is a failed economic concept that has been demonstrated again and again to not work in practice. The middle class needs direct assistance and not once did I hear John McCain say he had any interest in helping the middle class (no wait, that's not entirely correct, he did have the decently good idea of renegotiating mortgages at the lower assessed value of the house, not sure how the economics of that work out but it appears to be a good idea).

Obama was presidential, gracious, articulate and engaging. McCain was testy, condescending, factually wrong and stilted though he did get better as the debate went on.

In the end, Obama won again. McCain's numbers will continue to sink and Sarah Palin will increase her increasingly hateful and racist attacks. And Obama will continue to act presidential and rise above the pathetic personal attacks because he knows it serves nobody but the GOP to get down into the muck with them.

Nicolle Wallace Doesn't Know the Difference Between a Nightmare and a Wet Dream

2008-10-08T15:28:00.000-07:00

Nicolle Wallace: John McCain Is A Corporation’s ‘Worst Nightmare’

Yes, because I have nightmares about grumpy old men giving me billions of dollars.

Nicolle Wallace is a senior campaign adviser for McCain so it makes sense that she'd have just a passing understanding of reality and the "hutzpah" to rewrite it to suit her candidate better despite her statements being ridiculous lies.

John McCain is Corporate America's darling. He wants to not only continue the decidedly awful policies of Bush but to expand on them and give more money to corporations. Why? He says that is how economies come back despite 8 years of recent evidence and history to exact contrary.

John McCain and his whole pack of douchebag liars campaign suck. I'm thoroughly sick and tired of their bullshit lies.

UnPresidented: Press Conferences are for Suckers

2008-10-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

Palin will sit for two more Fox News interviews; campaign scoffs at idea of a press conference with, you know, actual journalists on the payroll of media companies and not virtual extensions of the Republican Party.

I'm sure the soft ball interviews will be rehearsed and scripted and Palin won't be asked any tough questions like what newspapers she reads or any other Supreme Court cases aside from Roe v. Wade.

That Sarah Palin has yet to hold a real press conference and has no plans to is shameful and does nothing but diminish the institution of our electoral process.

They are keeping her under wraps because the GOP knows that she's crazy and a really awful choice for VP. And she wants MORE power for the Vice President?

Sarah Palin is a sham in a skirt.

If You're Happy with the US Then You're Probably Lonely

2008-10-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

Americans’ satisfaction drops to all-time low of 9 percent.

Sixty-nine percent of Americans named the economy as the top issue affecting their outlook, far ahead of the second most important issue — the war in Iraq (11 percent).

But that's not going to stop John McCain from turning the page and refocusing his campaign on the evil that is Barack Obama and how he consorted with a domestic terrorist when he was 8 years old.

The policies espoused by McShame/Phalin are the same ones that have led us to this point. Electing them is tacit condonation of the course we've been on and has nearly bankrupted our country.

And no, the attacks on Obama will not stop, they will intensify, they will become more outrageous, more stupid, more lowest common denominator. They will show more and more of John McCain's character as an angry enemy of the middle class. And his idiot running mate and her fundamentalist agenda, false perkiness and utterly ridiculous "qualifications".

One Week After McCain Claims Vets ‘Know I’ll Take Care Of Them,’ IAVA Gives Him A ‘D’

2008-10-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Another McCain Claim Debunked By Reality

Today, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America released its congressional scorecard for the 110th Congress, and awarded McCain a grade of “D” for his votes against veterans’ priorities. The grade makes McCain one of only four Senators to fall on IAVA’s “D List” — and marks a repeat performance for him, after receiving a “D” for his 109th congressional voting record as well.

IAVA hammered McCain for refusing to co-sponsor Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) 21st Century G.I. Bill. In fact, the IAVA highlighted the weaker alternative proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) — and endorsed by McCain — as “an effort to derail the popular and bipartisan” GI Bill proposed by Webb. “Thankfully,” the IAVA writes, “the Senate voted forcefully, 55-42, to kill” the Graham-McCain proposal.

IAVA’s score adds to other groups who have criticized McCain’s abysmal record on veterans’ issues. McCain has received a 20 percent vote rating from the Disabled Veterans of America, while the Vietnam Veterans of America noted McCain had “voted against us” in 15 “key votes.”

But McCain will keep claiming that he's a veterans affairs superstar despite reality. It is part and parcel of the McCain/Palin ticket to start a lie and keep repeating it until the populance just accepts it as truth.

The only thing is that those darned peoples are not automatically just accepting the lies. Darn that reality intruding on John McCain's Perfect Little Angry World.

A vote for McCain is a vote against our vets, humanity and the fabric of the universe.

More McCain Smackdowns

2008-10-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Maverick family to McCain: No way are you one of us!

But the New York Times reported on Sunday that the real Mavericks - a storied south Texas family with a long tradition in progressive politics - are not too happy about what they say is the misappropriation of their family name.

Its a puff piece but another piece of the greater puzzle that is McCain and Sarah Palin. They are running one of the most underhanded, dirty and negative campaigns ever and it is failing them. But will they change tactics and try something actually relevant to the country's current crisis? Doubtful.

Using a Bailout to Take Millions and More

2008-10-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Lehman board recommended $20 million in executive ‘special payments’ while filing for bailout because they knew they'd messed things up so badly that a few more million wouldn't make a bit of difference.

My recommendation and hope is that they are made into grim and long prison term cautionary tales of these types of craven corporate raiders and the punishment for such wanton greed. Massive payouts to executives while companies crater is just plain flippin' wrong.

McCain calls Obama a liar because he should know

2008-10-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

McCain calls Obama a liar, faults his Chicago ties.

This is ridiculous, pathetic and desperate. The McCain campaign, which has done virtually nothing but lie, is accusing Obama of lying.

Here's the thing, Johnboy. You've sold every last shred of dignity and honor and truthfulness. You are, in every essence of the word, a turd.

But you keep right up with your politics of obfuscation and hate. Watch those poll numbers continue to sink because America is ready for a real change, a positive change and, hint, hint, it AIN'T you and your dimwit pitbull in a skirt.

McCain Campaign: Brace Yourself for Teh Uglee!

2008-10-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

McCain campaign finally agrees to send spokeswoman to Rachel Maddow Show but, rather than, you know, answering questions, they used the appearance to prep the base about the wave of attack ads they've got loaded and ready.

Why are they attacking? Because McCain's campaign can't defend itself against the rather pointed and truthful facts aligned against them.

So they attack. And smear. And denigrate. And hate. And pretend they are the voice of change when they are really the voice of 4 More Years of the Same.

Voting for McCain is the same as another vote for George W. Bush. Only this time with a nastier Dick(less) Cheney by his side.

Nonsense Posing as Logic: The Sarah Palin Interview Generator

2008-10-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Need to get a handle on how off-the-handle Sarah Palin and her bizarre combination of lack of knowledge and eagerness to disprove that lack of knowledge and the ability to parrot talking points almost as well Elizabeth "Forehead as big as an aircraft carrier" Hasselbeck on The View.

Go and Interview Palin to get some penetrating insight into just how shallow her knowledge runs.

Found via the ever-entertaining Oliver Willis.

Debate Rundown with Corrections

2008-10-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Think Progress has an excellent live-blogged rundown of the debate as it happened including debunking falsehoods.

Give it a read if you're interested in learning how much of Sarah Palin's obviously rehearsed talking points were factual and which were based in fantasyland.

The important information is right near the top:
11:14: Yglesias points to the CBS instapoll showing that undecided voters watching the debate thought Biden won by 46 percent, compared to 21 percent for Palin. (UPDATE: CNN poll on “Who Did the Best Job In the Debate?” Biden 51% Palin 36%)

Joe Biden made an honest effort to answer the questions he was asked, Sarah Palin did nothing even remotely close to engaging the questions. She had her talking points and stuck to them regardless of how little they had to do with the questions. She didn't debate, she recited.

Either way, the debate won't be the turning point of the campaign. Palin did well enough to not get skewered, Biden didn't insult or demean her, there were no really nasty gotcha moments. There were some heated exchanges where Palin was factually incorrect but kept parroting her talking points anyway. And Joe wasn't absolutely spot on in every case but he was far, far, far more knowledgable and vice presidential.

And, if I'd been playing the Maverick drinking game, I would have been drunk pretty quickly. I loved when Joe Biden verbally rebutted one of the many times Palin claimed McCain is a maverick with specifics. There were some good moments but no meltdown and no explosions.

Palin lost but not by the crushing annihilation that some (myself included) were expecting. It doesn't really matter in any case, the McCain/Palin Smoke and Mirrors Express is having a harder time convincing Americans that they are anything but another Bush administration with one angry face and one deer in the headlights.

Chinless Joe Fellates McCain Some More

2008-10-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Lieberman: We Need To Pass The Bailout Because ‘It Will Be Good For John McCain’

My feelings about Chinless Joe Lieberman should be reasonably well established by now. I think the guy is a pathetic pussy warhawk traitor. Pretty much anything he has to say I am going to disagree with out of hand.

Truly, my disgust for him can't be measured in words. If he fell down a well, I'd piss in it.

Like Asking a Beggar for Investment Advice

2008-10-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

McCain: I routinely turn to Palin for foreign policy advice even though she rather pointedly has none that is in any way relevant.

If John McCain actually does seek her input then he's a bigger fool than I thought. However, he's very likely just trying to play up her "importance" and to defend her selection as his running mate when there is no defense. She was and is an absolutely awful selection and would be the worst vice president of all time (yes, Dan Quayle, you would finally be able to give up your dumbass crown).

But with the poll numbers spiraling ever downward the chances of McCain/Palin actually winning are getting slimmer and slimmer every minute.

And that's a good thing for all of us. Except maybe the rich and, honestly, fuck them!

Funny, She Doesn't Strike Me as a Prolific Reader

2008-09-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Palin on which newspapers she reads: ‘Um, all of them.’

More from the soft Katie Couric interview. Apparently Sarah Palin reads every newspaper in America but can't actually name one specific one that she reads.

Which is to say, of course, that she doesn't read any papers at all but doesn't want to come off like an (even bigger) idiot so she lies, again.

Still proud of your choice for the VP nomination, John boy? I doubt it.

Because Crazy is as Crazy Does

2008-09-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

Palin On Rape Kit Accusations: ‘The Entire Notion Of Making A Victim Of A Crime Pay For Anything Is Crazy’ yet the public record clearly shows that this is exactly what she did while serving as mayor of Wasilla.

It is not known how many rape victims in Wasilla were required to pay for some or all of the medical exams, but a legislative staffer who worked on the bill for [state legislator Eric] Croft said it happened. “It was more than a couple of cases, and it was standard practice in Wasilla,” Peggy Wilcox said, who now works for the Alaska Public Employees Association. “If you were raped in Wasilla, this was going to happen to you.”

To be truthful, legislation has since passed to prevent charging victims any further but Sarah Palin knew and approved of the charges.

Plus, I learned that Alaska has a rape epidemic. Nice.