October 2008 News History Archives

October 2008 News:
2008 Election News

_2008 News News Reference October 2008 News
October 30, 2008 News URL: #October-30-2008-News
20081030 Thursday

- Sarah Palin - Money - Politics - Family - Travel - Flights - 2008 Election
"Palin faces new ethics complaint over kids' travel." ... "A new ethics complaint has been filed against [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor] Sarah Palin, accusing the Alaska governor of abusing her power by charging the state when her children traveled with her." ... "The complaint alleges that the Republican vice presidential nominee used her official position as governor for personal gain, violating a statute of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. It follows a report by The Associated Press last week that Palin charged the state more than $21,000 for her three daughters' commercial flights, including events where they weren't invited, and later ordered their expense forms amended to specify official state business." ... "In some cases, Palin also has charged the state for hotel rooms for the girls." ... ""Governor Palin intentionally secured unwarranted benefits for family members, improperly used state property to benefit her personal and financial interests, and illegally altered documents that were the subject of a Public Records request," the complaint states." ... "Earlier this month, a legislative report found Palin violated state ethics laws when she fired her public safety commissioner." ... "The state already is reviewing nearly $17,000 in per diem payments to Palin for 312 nights she slept at her home in Wasilla [Alaska], about an hour's drive from her satellite office in Anchorage [Alaska]." -By Rachel D'Oro -AP via -BostonGlobe

- Corporate - Government - Politics - US - Britain - Germany
"Banks to Continue Paying Dividends: Bailout Money Is for Lending, Critics Say." ... "U.S. [United States] banks getting more than $163 billion from the Treasury Department for new lending are on pace to pay more than half of that sum to their shareholders, with government permission, over the next three years." ... "The government said it was giving banks more money so they could make more loans. Dollars paid to shareholders don't serve that purpose, but Treasury officials say that suspending quarterly dividend payments would have deterred banks from participating in the voluntary program." ... "Critics, including economists and members of Congress, question why banks should get government money if they already have enough money to pay dividends -- or conversely, why banks that need government money are still spending so much on dividends." ... ""The whole purpose of the program is to increase lending and inject capital into Main Street. If the money is used for dividends, it defeats the purpose of the program," said [New York Democratic Senator] Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y. [Democratic-New York]), who has called for the government to require a suspension of dividend payments." ... "The 33 banks signed up so far plan to pay shareholders about $7 billion this quarter. Companies generally try to pay consistent dividends and, at the present pace, those dividends will consume 52 percent of the Treasury's investment over the initial three-year term." ... "The Treasury's approach contrasts with decisions by foreign governments, including Britain and Germany, to require banks that accept public investments to suspend dividend payments until the government is repaid. The U.S. government similarly required Chrysler to suspend its dividend payments as a condition of the government's 1979 bailout." (1, 2) -By Binyamin Appelbaum -WashingtonPost

- Voting Machines - Political - Electronic - Technology - 2008 Election - Texas - West Virginia - Tennessee
"Texas Voters Urged to Avoid Straight-Party Option, After Vote-Flip Complaints." ... "A number of voters in several Texas counties have been complaining that voting machines they used to cast early votes flipped their votes from Democratic choices to Republican ones." ... "Voters have reported that when they tried to vote a straight-party Democratic ticket, the machine flipped their choices to Republican candidates instead. In some cases, voters reported a problem only with the presidential race; in other cases voters reported the entire ballot being marked Republican by the machine." ... "The counties where the problems were reported use different kinds of voting machines from three of the top voting machine companies -- Election Systems & Software [ES&S], Diebold Election Systems (now Premier Election Solutions) and Hart InterCivic." ... "The same ES&S machines are at the center of stories in West Virginia and Tennessee where voters also reported the machines flipping their votes, though the scenario in those states was slightly different since voters there weren't trying to vote a straight-party ticket when the problem occurred." ... "Complaints so far have come in from at least seven Texas counties -- Collin, Dallas, El Paso, Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, and Palo Pinto." ... "Collin County uses Diebold paperless Accu-Vote touch-screen machines; Dallas uses ES&S paperless iVotronic machines;  El Paso uses Diebold paperless Accu-Vote touch-screen machines; Galveston uses Hart InterCivic paperless eSlate machines, which use a dial-and-click system that doesn't require voters to touch the screen; Harris uses Hart InterCivic paperless eSlate machines; Jefferson and Palo Pinto Counties use ES&S paperless iVotronic touch-screen machines." -By Kim Zetter -Wired

- Voting Machine - Technology - Politics - Video - West Virginia - Tennessee - 2008 Election - Obama - McCain
"Video: Recalibrated Machine in W. Virginia Appears to Record Vote Inaccurately." ... "Video the Vote has a video showing [West Virginia's] Jackson County Clerk Jeff Waybright demonstrating how votes cast on uncalibrated touchscreen machines can jump from one candidate to another. This is the kind of problem that voters reported having in several West Virginia counties last week on touchscreen machines made by Election Systems & Software. Voters in Tennessee also complained about the same problem on ES&S machines." ... "In the video, after Waybright demonstrates the phenomenon on the uncalibrated machine, he calibrates the machine and votes again. But even though the machine is supposed to be fixed at that point, it appears to record a vote incorrectly." ... "In the first part of the video demonstrating an uncalibrated ES&S iVotronic touchscreen machine, Waybright touches the screen to cast a vote for [2008 Election] Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, but a check mark appears three boxes below Obama's name in the slot for Constitution Party presidential candidate Chuck Baldwin." ... "When he touches the box next to Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney's name, the machine sends him to a new screen where a box and keyboard are displayed for filling in a write-in candidate's name. When he selects the option for voting a straight-party Democratic ticket, the machine shows a check mark in the box next to [2008 Election] Republican presidential candidate John McCain's name." -By Kim Zetter -Wired 

- Barack Obama -  - Ad - Media - 2008 Election - Families - Economy - Military - Ohio - Missouri - Kansas - New Mexico - Florida - Arizona -  - US - Iraq
"30-minute Obama ad shows campaign muscle." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama's 30-minute TV ad, which ran simultaneously on broadcast and cable networks at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, is muscle-flexing that has little precedent, a campaign advertising expert said." ... ""It's evidence, if you needed any, that the Obama campaign has more money than there is ad time left to buy," said Evan Tracey, director of the Campaign Media Analysis Group. "This is flexing the muscles."" ... ""The strategic brilliance of this for Obama is that he is going to consume about 24 hours of the news cycle," Tracey said. "It boxes [John] McCain in, takes the oxygen out of the room."" ... "In the carefully produced infomercial, Obama laid out his plans for the economy and for bringing an end to the war in Iraq." ... "It also featured stories of struggling families in swing states such as Ohio and Missouri and included testimonials from high-profile supporters, including Kansas [Democratic Governor] Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and New Mexico [Democratic Governor] Gov. Bill Richardson." ... "Obama's Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, was not mentioned, nor was the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican]. The spot ended with a brief, live Obama address to a rally in Florida, another hotly contested state in this year's campaign." -By Richard Allen Greene -CNN

- Sarah Palin - John McCain - 2008 Election - 2012 Election - Politics
"Palin's 2012 talk leaves McCain aide speechless." ... "[2008 Election Republican] Vice presidential contender Sarah Palin told ABC in an interview to air Thursday that she's not going to leave national politics if she doesn't enter the White House in January, fueling speculation that she's considering running for President in 2012." ... "CNN's Dana Bash told cohort Wolf Blitzer that a senior [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate John] McCain advisor was rendered "speechless" by Palin's comment. "There was a long pause, and then I just heard a 'Huh.' on the other end of the phone. I mean, this is certainly not a surprise to anybody who has watched Sarah Palin that she is interested in potentially...a future national run. Certainly she is being urged to by a lot of people inside the Republican Party if they do lose."" ... "[Alaska Republican Governor] Gov. Palin has already been called a "diva" and "rogue" by people within the McCain campaign who see her straying from prescribed narrative in her speeches, having "lost confidence in most of the people on the plane."" -By Nick Cargo and David Edwards -RawStory.com

- Ted Stevens - Criminal - Money - Politics - Alaska - VECO - 2008 Election
"Sen. Ted Stevens guilty of all 7 felony charges." ... "[Alaska Republican Senator] Ted Stevens, the longest-serving Republican senator in history and patriarch of Alaska politics, was convicted Monday of all seven felony charges for making false statements." ... "Shortly before 4 p.m., the jury convicted the 84-year-old senator for making false statements by failing to report more than $250,000 in gifts from Bill Allen, the former head of Veco Corp., and other friends." ... ""This company, the evidence showed, was not a charity," said Matthew Friedrich, assistant attorney general for the criminal division at the Justice Department, referring to Veco Corp." ... "Judge Emmet G. Sullivan deferred sentencing until after Feb. 25, when a hearing is scheduled on further motions. Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count." ... "The jury did not seem to buy the explanation from Stevens that Allen showered him with gifts he didn't want and was unaware of, and that he believed the $160,000 he gave to another contractor covered all costs for the home renovations." -By Manu Raju with contributions by  J. Taylor Rushing and Sam Youngman -TheHill.com

- Barack Obama - 2008 Election - Federal - Law - Race - Terrorism - Politics - Tenn - Ark
"Feds disrupt skinhead plot to assassinate Obama." ... "Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting [2008 Election] Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday." ... "In all, the two men whom officials describe as neo-Nazi skinheads planned to kill 88 people — 14 by beheading, according to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn. [Tennessee.] The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community." ... "The spree, which initially targeted an unidentified predominantly African-American school, was to end with the two men driving toward Obama, "shooting at him from the windows," the court documents show." ... "Sheriffs' deputies in Crockett County, Tenn., arrested the two suspects — Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of Helena-West Helena, Ark. [Arkansas.] — [October] Oct. 22 on unspecified charges." ... "An ATF [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms] affidavit filed in the case says Cowart and Schlesselman told investigators the day they were arrested they had shot at a glass window at Beech Grove Church of Christ, a congregation of about 60 black members in Brownsville, Tenn." -By Lara Jakes Jordan with contributions by Erik Schelzig, Jon Gambrell, and Eileen Sullivan -AP via -Yahoo

- Sarah Palin - John McCain - History - 2008 Election
"Palin's 'going rogue,' McCain aide says." ... "Several [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain advisers have suggested to CNN that they have become increasingly frustrated with what one aide described as [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin "going rogue."" ... "A second McCain source says she appears to be looking out for herself more than the McCain campaign." ... ""She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else." ... ""Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."" ... " ... [T]wo sources, one Palin associate and one McCain adviser, defended the decision to keep her press interaction limited after she was picked, both saying flatly that she was not ready and that the missteps could have been a lot worse." ... "They insisted that she needed time to be briefed on national and international issues and on McCain's record." ... ""Her lack of fundamental understanding of some key issues was dramatic," said another McCain source with direct knowledge of the process to prepare Palin after she was picked. The source said it was probably the "hardest" to get her "up to speed than any candidate in history."" -By Dana Bash, Peter Hamby and John King -CNN

- Sarah Palin - Religious - Video - Kenya - Alaska - US - 2008 Election
"YouTube Videos Draw Attention to Palin’s Faith." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Ms. Palin’s faith has come under scrutiny after two videos taken in her former church surfaced on YouTube and became immediate sensations. The first showed a visiting preacher from Kenya praying fervently over Ms. Palin in a gravelly voice and asking God to favor her campaign for governor and protect her from “every form of witchcraft.”" ... "The second showed Ms. Palin at an event in June praising the African preacher’s prayer as “awesome” and “very, very powerful.” She is also seen nodding as her former pastor from Wasilla prays over her and declares that Alaska is “one of the refuge states in the Last Days,” a piece of prophecy popular in some prayer networks that predicts that as the “end times” approach, people will flock to Alaska for its abundant open space and natural resources." ... " ... Ms. Palin has had long associations with religious leaders who practice a particularly assertive and urgent brand of Pentecostalism known as “spiritual warfare.”" ... "Its adherents believe that demonic forces can colonize specific geographic areas and individuals, and that “spiritual warriors” must “battle” them to assert God’s control, using prayer and evangelism. The movement’s fixation on demons, its aggressiveness and its leaders’ claims to exalted spiritual authority have troubled even some Pentecostal Christians." ... "Bishop Thomas Muthee, the Kenyan preacher shown on the YouTube video anointing her as she ran for governor, is celebrated internationally as an effective spiritual warrior who led a prayer movement that drove a witch out of his town in Kenya." ... "Critics say the goal of the spiritual warfare movement is to create a theocracy. Bruce Wilson, a researcher for Talk2Action, a Web site that tracks religious groups, said: “One of the imperatives of the movement is to achieve worldly power, including political control. Then you can more effectively drive out the demons. The ultimate goal is to purify the earth.”" (1, 2) -By Laurie Goodstein -NYTimes

- Sarah Palin - Fashion - Politics - McCain - 2008 Election - Missouri - New York - Minnesota
"RNC shells out $150K for Palin fashion." ... "The Republican National Committee [RNC] has spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain in late August." ... "According to financial disclosure records, the accessorizing began in early September and included bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis [Missouri] and New York for a combined $49,425.74." ... "The records also document a couple of big-time shopping trips to Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis [Minnesota], including one $75,062.63 spree in early September." ... "The RNC also spent $4,716.49 on hair and makeup through September after reporting no such costs in August." ... "September payments were also made to Barney’s New York ($789.72) and Bloomingdale’s New York ($5,102.71)." ... "Macy’s in Minneapolis, another store fortunate enough to be situated in the Twin Cities that hosted last summer’s Republican National Convention, received three separate payments totaling $9,447.71." ... "An additional $4,902.45 was spent in early September at Atelier, a high-class shopping destination for men." -By Jeanne Cummings -Politico.com

- Sarah Palin - John McCain - Fashion - Money - Alaska - 2008 Election - Working - People - Health Care
"Palin Clothes Spending Has Dems Salivating, Republicans Silent." ... "Since her selection as [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's running mate, the Republican National Committee spent more than $150,000 on clothing and make-up for [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska] Gov. Sarah Palin, her husband, and even her infant son, Politico reported on Tuesday evening." ... "Palin, in the end, had received the equivalent of $2,500 in clothes per day." ... "During a week in which the Republican ticket is trying to highlight its connection to the working class - and, by extension, promoting its newest campaign tool, Joe the Plumber - it was revealed that Palin's fashion budget for several weeks was more than four times the median salary of an American plumber ($37,514). To put it another way: Palin received more valuable clothes in one month than the average American household spends on clothes in 80 years. A Democrat put it in even blunter terms: her clothes were the cost of health care for 15 or so people." -By Sam Stein -HuffingtonPost.com

- Racist - Marketing - Fashion - Politics - Terrorism - Crime - Illegal - Immigration - Economy - Pennsylvania - Alabama - Fla
"White supremacists target middle America." ... "The white-power movement is changing its marketing strategy to broaden its appeal." ... "The USA's largest neo-Nazi group is ditching its trademark brown Nazi uniform with swastika armband for a more muted look in black fatigues." ... "In Pennsylvania, the Keystone State Skinheads is changing its name to Keystone United to attract members." ... "Supremacist groups are on the rise as they market themselves to middle America, according to leaders of the groups and organizations that monitor them. They are fueled by the debate over illegal immigration and a struggling economy." ... ""Many white supremacist groups are going more mainstream," says Jack Levin, a Northeastern University criminologist who studies hate crime. "They are eliminating the sheets and armbands. … The groups realize if they want to be attractive to middle-class types, they need to look middle-class."" ... "The FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] knows of about 24 domestic terrorist groups. Spokesman Richard Kolko would not say how many are white supremacists." ... "Jeff Schoep, head of the National Socialist Movement, says the government classifies his group as a domestic group of interest, not domestic terrorists. The FBI would not comment." ... "[Former Alabama Ku Klux Klan leader Don] Black's son, Derek, 19, was elected to the Palm Beach County, Fla. [Florida], Republican committee in August. Local Republican leaders are trying to unseat him after learning of his white supremacist ties." -By Marisol Bello -USATODAY

- Cartoon - Fashion - History - Germany - Poland - US - McCain - Palin - 2008 Election - /Channel - Media - Corp
"Fox Family Feud Over ‘Family Guy’." ... "A Sunday night episode of the Fox animated series “Family Guy” stirred up trouble by suggesting­ rather directly that Nazi officers would have supported the McCain-Palin ticket. And it was another arm of the News Corp. conglomerate, Fox News Channel, that first reported on the episode." ... "Fox (the broadcast network) aired the episode in which Stewie, the obnoxious baby character at the center of the series, and Brian, a talking dog, traveled back in time to Poland during the 1939 German invasion. The characters ambush Nazi soldiers in an alley and steal their uniforms so they can travel without drawing attention. Putting on an overcoat, Stewie notices a McCain-Palin campaign button affixed to the lapel. “Huh, that’s weird,” Stewie remarks." -By Brooks Barnes -NYTimes

- John McCain - Barack Obama - Military - Politics - 2008 Election - AZ - Nevada - VA - TX - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - Vietnam - History
"McCain Lies Again, Repeats False Claim He ‘Received The Highest Honor And Awards’ From Every Vets Group." ... "Yesterday, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain (R-AZ [Republican-Arizona]) held a telephone town hall meeting, in which “thousands” of Nevadans — according to the McCain campaign — called to listen in. Among some of the hostile, pointed, and critical questions came one from a veteran, who challenged McCain on his voting record regarding funding for the Veterans Administration and veterans’ priorities:"

"Q: I know you voted for lesser increases, and sometimes they were so much less, and our VA desperately needs the money. Can you tell me why you would vote for less money for the VA when there’s a war going on?"

"M: Well of course I have not and I’m afraid I’ve been endorsed by the VFW in every election that I’ve been in. I have been — received the honors, the highest honor and awards from all our veterans organizations for my consistent support of them. I don’t know what you’re looking at, but the DAV, the VFW, the American Legion, all of them have given me their highest awards for my consistent support of them."

"– Disabled American Veterans (DAV): In a list of 36 “key votes,” shows McCain “Voted Against Us” 16 times. ([2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama “Voted With Us” 17 times, and against only once.)"

"– Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW): Endorsed [Virginia Democratic Senator] Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA [Democratic-Virginia]) GI Bill that McCain vigorously opposed; called McCain’s alternative GI Bill “very partisan” and said they “didn’t have much input” in its crafting."

"– American Legion: Endorsed Webb’s GI Bill and criticized McCain’s concern about how it would affect retention, saying the bill “would encourage young men and women to join the military.”"

- 2008 Election - Law - Politics - California - Florida - Massachusetts - Arizona
"Ontario police arrest man in voter fraud case: Mark Jacoby, who owns a firm hired by the California Republican Party, violated state laws with his own registration, authorities say." ... "The owner of a firm that the California Republican Party hired to register tens of thousands of voters this year was arrested in Ontario over the weekend on suspicion of voter registration fraud." ... "State and local investigators allege that Mark Jacoby fraudulently registered himself to vote at a childhood California address where he no longer lives so he would appear to meet the legal requirement that all signature gatherers be eligible to vote in California. His firm, Young Political Majors, or YPM, collects petition signatures and registers voters in California and other states." ... "YPM has been accused of using bait-and-switch tactics across the country. Election officials and lawmakers have launched investigations into the activities of YPM workers in Florida and Massachusetts. In Arizona, the firm was recently a defendant in a civil rights lawsuit." -By Evan Halper -LAtimes

- Barack Obama - Madelyn Payne Dunham - Grandmother - Hawaii - Illinois - Kansas - Politics - Race - History - Book - 2008 Election
"Obama's grandmother fights to see him elected." ... "Madelyn Payne Dunham gave young [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barack Obama a place to call home while his mother traveled the world. When he needed money for school, she went without new clothes to help pay his tuition." ... "And when the Illinois Senator decided to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, Dunham provided the "Kansas heartland" pedigree he needed to appeal to conservative white voters — and a personal anecdote about racial prejudice that helped the man with the foreign name and Ivy League resume connect with the African-American experience." ... "The 85-year-old former bank executive is said to be "gravely ill" after falling and breaking her hip, and some reports suggest she might not live to see the results of the Nov. 4 election. Whatever happens, she's already lived long enough to see her "Barry" achieve what she'd wanted for him, her brother says." ... "Although he made his mark thousands of miles from the Honolulu [Hawaii's capital] apartment where she helped raise him, Obama and others credit Dunham — whose birthday is Sunday — with instilling in him an appreciation for education and hard work, and with setting an example of thrift, practicality and tolerance." ... ""I think there's nobody more important than her, except his mother, in shaping his character," said David Mendell, who interviewed Dunham in 2004 for the Chicago Tribune and later wrote the book, "Obama: From Promise to Power."" ... "While her husband [Obama's grandfather, Stanley Dunham] was away in the Army during World War II, she was home raising their daughter, Stanley Ann, and supervising a B-29 bomber assembly line at the Boeing plant in Wichita [Kansas]." -By Allen G. Breed -AP via -Google

Obama's Grandmother:

Madelyn Payne Dunham
Obama's Grandparents:

Stanley Armour Dunham and Madelyn Lee Payne Dunham
Barack Obama's Grandparents

- Barack Obama - Madelyn Dunham - Grandmother - Hawaii - Indiana - Wisconsin - Des-Moines - Iowa - Politics - 2008 Election
"Obama will make emergency trip to Hawaii to visit his Grandmother." ... "[2008 Election Democratic] Presidential hopeful Barack Obama will make an emergency trip back to the [Hawaii] islands this week to visit his grandmother." ... "A campaign spokesman says 86-year old Madelyn Dunham is very ill." ... "Obama plans to leave Indianapolis [Indiania's capital] on Thursday afternoon." ... "His grandmother has always been one of the most important people in his life." ... ""She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me," said Obama on August 28." ... "Obama will be stepping off the campaign trail for a couple days to be at his grandmother's side." ... "He cancelled his appearances in Madison, Wisconsin, and Des Moines, Iowa to make the trip." -By Marisa Yamane -KHON2.com

- Barack Obama - Madelyn Dunham - Grandmother - Politics - 2008 Election
"Obama Calls Grandmother "Rock of My Family"." ... "In September, [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate] Barak Obama talked about his grandmother [Madelyn Dunham] during an interview with CBS News' Katie Couric." ... ""She's been the rock of my family. She worked very hard all of her life. And made a lot of sacrifices on my behalf. And now she can't travel. She's got osteoporosis that's very bad. She's as sharp as they come. She explained to me the other day, she said you know the problem with getting old is that you're the same person, just your body is falling apart, and it's very frustrating. And that's how she feels. And you know, spending time with her is something that's going to be a priority after the election is over."" -By Tim Sakahara -KGMB9.com

- Barack Obama - Madelyn Dunham - Business - Woman - Grandmother - Hawaii -Illinois - Politics - 2008 Election
"Obama's Grandmother Described As 'Strong Willed': Senator Leaves Campaign Trail To Make Visit." ... "Those who know Madelyn Dunham said throughout her life she has been "strong willed" and ambitious." ... "Dunham's health has slowly deteriorated and during his recent visit to Hawaii [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama spoke about his grandmother's condition." ... ""Her body is not in great shape she has osteoporosis which means she can't travel. She can't sit for a long periods of time on the plane so that's why it is so important for me to take these trips back to Hawaii," Obama said." ... "Barack Obama since he was 10." ... "Dunham turns 86 on Sunday." ... "University of Hawaii professor Alice Dewey is a longtime friend of the Obamas and remembers Dunham's tenacity." ... ""She was a very determined person as you began to get to know her she knew her mind and followed her principles," Dewey said." ... "Dunham was one of the first women vice presidents at the Bank of Hawaii. Co-workers said she was a well respected business woman." -KITV.com

- Barack Obama - Madelyn Dunham - Grandmother - Health - Hawaii - Illinois - Politics - 2008 Election
"Obama coming to Hawaii to visit ailing grandmother." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs announced that the senator will head to Hawaii Thursday to see his 86-year-old grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who is seriously ill." ... "She was released from the hospital last week and is at her home on Oahu [Hawaii]. Obama plans to return to the campaign on Saturday." ... "In a statement Gibbs said: "[Illinois] Senator Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has always been one of the most important people in his life. Along with his mother and his grandfather, she raised him in Hawaii from the time he was born until the moment he left for college. As he said at the Democratic Convention, she poured everything she had into him." ... ""Recently, his grandmother has become ill, and in the last few weeks, her health has deteriorated to the point where her situation is very serious. It is for that reason that Senator Obama has decided to change his schedule on Thursday and Friday so that he can see her and spend some time with her. He will be returning the the campaign trail on Saturday."" -KHNL.com

Obama's Grandparents:

- Environmental - Politics
"The League of Conservation Voters Is Friendlier to Republicans than Democrats." ... "The LCV [League of Conservation Voters] scorecard is the major scorecard for the environmental movement, this is their measure of how friendly to the environment a candidate is, a selection of key votes that set goals for the large and sprawling set of green groups." ... "Basically, what the data suggests is that LCV has two sets of standards, one for Democrats, who have to meet a certain bar for support, and one for Republicans, who have to meet a lower bar for support." -By Matt Stoller -OpenLeft.com

- John McCain -Nathan Sproul - Money - Politics - Investigation - Law - California - Nevada - Oregon - Minnesota - Pennsylvania - West Virginia - Vermont - Massachusetts - Michigan - Libraries - 2004 Election -2008 Election
"McCain Employing GOP [Republican] Operative Accused Of Voter Registration Fraud." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain's campaign has directed $175,000 to the firm of a Republican operative accused of massive voter registration fraud in several states." ... "According to campaign finance records, a joint committee of the McCain-Palin campaign, the RNC [Republican National Committee] and the the California Republican Party, made a $175,000 payment to the group Lincoln Strategy in June for purposes of "registering voters." The managing partner of that firm is Nathan Sproul, a renowned GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] operative who has been investigated on multiple occasions for suppressing Democratic voter turnout, throwing away registration forms and even spearheading efforts to get Ralph Nader on ballots to hinder the Democratic ticket." ... "During the 2004 election, Sproul & Associates (the former name of Lincoln Strategy) was accused of attempting to destroy forms collected by Democratic voters in Nevada. That same year in Oregon, Sproul & Associates allegedly instructed canvassers to only accept Republican registration forms in addition to destroying those turned in by Democrats." ... "In Minnesota, meanwhile, Sproul's firm was accused of actually firing workers who brought back Democratic registration forms, while other canvassers were allegedly paid "$13 an hour, with the $3 bonus for every [Republican President] Bush, undecided or Ralph Nader voter registration." Similar problems related to Sproul & Associates popped up in Pennsylvania and West Virginia." ... "All of this was executed, it seems, through an elaborate web of deception. As Salon.com wrote back in 2004:"

"Canvassers were told to act as if they were nonpartisan, to hide that they were working for the RNC, especially if approached by the media... In letters the firm sent to the libraries, Sproul misrepresented itself as America Votes -- a left-leaning national voter registration group not affiliated with Sproul -- but said that it was interested in registering "all those who wish to register to vote." Shortly after Sproul canvassers began working the libraries, though, patrons began complaining that the canvassers were being especially inquisitive about their political leanings, and some were pushing people to register as Republicans."

- John McCain - Illegal - Foreign - Money - Politics - Russia -  - Arizona - US - 2008 Election
"McCain: Brother, Can You Spare A Ruble?" ... "... the [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign sought illegal contributions from the Russian ambassador to the United Nations."

"The Russian Mission to the United Nations issued a bizarre statement to the UN press corps today stating simply, "We have received a letter from [Arizona] Senator John McCain requesting financial contribution to his Presidential campaign. In this connection we would like to reiterate that Russian officials, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations or the Russian Government do not finance political activity in foreign countries.""

"Intrigued, I called the Russian Mission and a press officer there directed me to this item on the Mission's website. It seems that the McCain-Palin campaign sent a generic fundraising letter to Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly I Churkin."

- Barack Obama - Michael Mukasey - John McCain - Political - US Attorneys - Law - Investigation - 2008 Election
"Obama Lawyer Asks for Probe Into Vote-Fraud Claims (Update1)." ... "Robert Bauer, general counsel to the [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama campaign, wrote to Attorney General Michael Mukasey a day after the Associated Press, citing unidentified law enforcement officials, reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was investigating ACORN. The name is short for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now." ... "A special prosecutor appointed by Mukasey already is looking into whether improper political considerations influenced the firings of nine U.S. attorneys. At least one prosecutor was fired following Republican complaints that he didn't aggressively pursue allegations of voter fraud against ACORN." ... "Bauer said the news leaks are part of a coordinated effort by [2008 Election Republican John] McCain's presidential campaign and Republicans. They are ``fomenting specious vote-fraud allegations and there are disturbing indications of official involvement or collusion,'' Bauer said." ... "``It is apparent,'' he wrote, that law enforcement officials are serving ``improper political objectives'' that could inhibit voter participation in the [2008 November] Nov. 4 election. The aim is to ``suppress the vote and to unduly influence investigations and prosecutions,'' Bauer wrote. " -By Jeff Bliss -Bloomberg

- Barack Obama - John McCain - Michael Mukasey - Law - Politics - Investigation - 2008 Election
"Obama Camp Charges GOP with ‘Partisan Plot’ to Suppress Votes." ... "The [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama campaign charged Friday that [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain, in concert with the [Republican President] Bush administration, has embarked on a studied effort to disrupt [2008] Election Day in many states and suppress the vote." ... "In a conference call with reporters Friday, Robert Bauer, chief counsel for the Obama campaign, suggested that a flurry of fraudulent registration complaints recently, and a subsequent leak by FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] officials that the agency was investigating the incidents, were part of a coordinated attempt by McCain and the administration of [Republican] President Bush to intimidate voters." ... "As evidence of the coordination, Bauer pointed to recent rhetoric from McCain that Acorn, a left-leaning non-profit group implicated in submitting fraudulent voter registration forms in several states was, as McCain put it during this week’s debate, tearing at “the very fabric of Democracy.’’" ... "McCain’s comments about Acorn were quickly followed by a Justice Department news leak that the FBI was investigating the group. The leak, Bauer said, was a clear violation of Justice Department policies and likely came from the department." ... "Bauer said the timing of the comments and the leak suggested a “partisan plot” to suppress the vote on Election Day." ... "In a letter to Attorney General Michael Mukasey released Friday by the Obama campaign, Bauer called the “current bogus claims of vote fraud’’ and the McCain campaign’s attempts to breathe life into the allegations by urging Justice Department investigations was “history repeating itself.’’" ... "The Republicans used similar tactics to suppress the vote in 2000 and 2004, Bauer wrote." ... "The leaks that the FBI recently began investigating hark back to an on-going inquiry into whether the Justice Department was improperly involved in voter suppression activities in 2004, Bauer said." -By Christopher Cooper -WSJ.com

_2008 News News Reference October 2008 News
October 15, 2008 News URL: #October-15-2008-News
20081015 Wednesday

- Sarah Palin - Russia - Alaska - Energy - Markets - US - 2008 Election
"Palin unaware of Russian energy meeting in Alaska." ... "The campaign of [Republican] vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin said the Alaska governor was unaware of a visit by Russian energy officials to Anchorage [Alaska] on Monday." ... "Eight high-level officials from Gazprom, Russia’s state-controlled energy conglomerate, traveled to Anchorage earlier this week to meet with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and the chief executive of ConocoPhillips to discuss energy projects and the possibility of expanding into new markets." ... "But the campaign said the governor did not know that the Gazprom delegation was meeting with the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, who is a Palin appointee." -By Peter Hamby -CNN

- Corporate - Government - Politics - Consumer - Safety - Law - Language - Health - Medicine - Auto - Transportation
"Bush Rule Changes Could Block Product-Safety Suits." ... "[Republican President] Bush administration officials, in their last weeks in office, are pushing to rewrite a wide array of federal rules with changes or additions that could block product-safety lawsuits by consumers and states." ... "The administration has written language aimed at pre-empting product-liability litigation into 50 rules governing everything from motorcycle brakes to pain medicine. The latest changes cap a multiyear effort that could be one of the administration's lasting legacies, depending in part on how the underlying principle of pre-emption fares in a case the Supreme Court will hear next month." ... "This year, lawsuit-protection language has been added to 10 new regulations, including one issued [2008 October] Oct. 8 at the Department of Transportation that limits the number of seatbelts car makers can be forced to install and prohibits suits by injured passengers who didn't get to wear one." ... "These new rules can't quickly be undone by order of the next president. Federal rules usually must go through lengthy review processes before they are changed. Rulemaking at the Food and Drug Administration, where most of the new pre-emption rules have appeared, can take a year or more." ... "The use of rulemaking to protect corporations from product liability was discussed from early in the Bush administration, said former Bush domestic-policy adviser Jay Lefkowitz, who was instrumental in the process." -By Alicia Mundy -WSJ.com

- John McCain - William Timmons - Criminal - Oil - Money - Terrorism - Politics - Government - Iraq - International - Law - South Korea - US - 2008 Election
"McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam In Lobbying Effort." ... "William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime." ... "The two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government." ... "During the same period beginning in 1992, Timmons worked closely with the two lobbyists, Samir Vincent and Tongsun Park, on a previously unreported prospective deal with the Iraqis in which they hoped to be awarded a contract to purchase and resell Iraqi oil. Timmons, Vincent, and Park stood to share at least $45 million if the business deal went through." ... "Timmons' activities occurred in the years following the first Gulf War, when Washington considered Iraq to be a rogue enemy state and a sponsor of terrorism." ... "Virtually everything Timmons did while working on the lobbying campaign was within days conveyed by Vincent to either one or both of Saddam Hussein's top aides, Tariq Aziz and Nizar Hamdoon. Vincent also testified that he almost always relayed input from the Iraqi aides back to Timmons." ... "Talking points that Timmons produced for the lobbyists to help ease the sanctions, for example, were reviewed ahead of time by Aziz, Vincent testified in court. Proposals that Timmons himself circulated to U.S. [United States] officials as part of the effort were written with the assistance of the Iraqi officials, and were also sent ahead of time with Timmons' approval to Aziz, other records show." ... "Vincent, an Iraqi-born American citizen with whom Timmons worked most closely, pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in January 2005 that he had acted as an unregistered agent of Saddam Hussein's regime. Tongsun Park, the second lobbyist who Timmons worked closely with, was convicted by a federal jury in July 2006 on charges that he too violated the Foreign Agent Registration Act." ... "At the time Timmons introduced the two men, Park's notorious background was well known:" ... "In the 1970s, Park had admitted to making hundreds of thousands in payments and illegal campaign contributions to U.S. congressmen on behalf of the South Korean government. Park was indicted on 36 counts by a federal grand jury, but fled to South Korea before he could face trial. All of the charges were later dismissed in exchange for Park providing information about which public officials received funds from the South Korean government." -By Murray Waas with contributions by Patrick B. Anderson -HuffingtonPost.com

- John McCain - Sarah Palin - 2008 Election
"Bush Strategist: McCain Knows He Put Country At Risk With Palin Pick." ... "Matthew Dowd, a prominent political consultant and chief strategist for [Republican President] George W. Bush's reelection campaign eviscerated [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain on Tuesday for his choice of [Republican] Sarah Palin as vice president." ... "Dowd proclaimed that, in his heart of hearts, McCain knew he put the country at risk with his VP choice and that he would "have to live" with that fact for the rest of his career." ... ""They didn't let John McCain pick the person he wanted to pick as VP," Dowd declared during the Time Warner Summit panel. "When Sarah Palin got picked instead of Joe Lieberman, which I fundamentally believed would have given John McCain the best opportunity in this race... as soon as he picked Palin, that whole ready versus not ready argument was not credible."" ... "Saying that Palin was a "net negative" on the ticket, he went on: "[McCain] knows, in his gut, that he put somebody unqualified on the ballot. He knows that in his gut, and when this race is over that is something he will have to live with... He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that."" -By Sam Stein -HuffingtonPost.com

- History - Book - California - US - Global
"Taleb's `Black Swan' Investors Post Gains as Markets Take Dive." ... "Investors advised by ``Black Swan'' author Nassim Taleb have gained 50 percent or more this year as his strategies for navigating big swings in share prices paid off amid the worst stock market in seven decades." ... "Universa Investments LP, the Santa Monica, California-based firm where Taleb is an adviser, has about $1 billion in accounts managed to hedge clients against big moves in financial markets. Returns for the year through Oct. 10 ranged as high as 110 percent, according to investor documents. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 39 percent in the same period." ... "The S&P 500 dropped 18 percent last week, its worst week since 1933, on concern that the credit crunch would cripple the financial system and trigger a global recession." ... "As a trader turned philosopher, Taleb has railed against Wall Street risk managers who attempt to predict market movements. Even so, Taleb said he saw the banking crisis coming." ... "``The financial ecology is swelling into gigantic, incestuous, bureaucratic banks -- when one fails, they all fall,'' Taleb wrote in ``The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable,'' which was published in 2007." ... "Taleb said the current crisis is a ``White Swan'', not a Black Swan, because it was something bound to happen." -By Stephanie Baker -Bloomberg

- Barack Obama - 2008 Election - Federal - Law - Politics - Investigation - Colorado - Indiana - Ohio - Michigan - Nevada - North Carolina - New HampshireWisconsin
"Obama Campaign: Count Every Vote." ... "Republicans have been raising a huge stink about voter fraud in recent days, but the much bigger question on Election Day [2008] is whether every vote (or at least most of them) will actually be counted." ... "The New York Times published a shocking story last week, reporting that "tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law."" ... "The article continued: "Although much attention this year has been focused on the millions of new voters being added to the rolls by the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama, there has been far less notice given to the number of voters being dropped from those same rolls." The paper looked at six swing states: Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina. "Michigan and Colorado are removing voters from the rolls within 90 days of a federal election, which is not allowed except when voters die, notify the authorities that they have moved out of state, or have been declared unfit to vote. Indiana, Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio seem to be improperly using Social Security data to verify registration applications for new voters."" ... "The net effect: in Michigan 33,000 voters were removed from the rolls in August and in Colorado 37,000 voters were purged in three weeks since mid-July. Imagine this scenario--on Election Day thousands of voters will show up to the polls, only to be told they're not registered, leading to chaos and confusion, perhaps in large enough numbers to swing the results in crucial swing states." ... "It's a scary thought--and one the [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama campaign says they're preparing for. On a conference call today, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe and legal counsel Bob Bauer laid out their plans to ensure that every vote is counted." ... ""This has been an election of enormous interest to the American people and we think that's something that should be celebrated," Plouffe said. "Our opponents seem to have a different view."" ... "Obama counsel Bob Bauer pointed to examples in Montana, where Republicans have used change-of-address forms to improperly challenge new Democratic registrants (a federal judge called the GOP's tactics "political chicanery"); in Ohio, where Republicans challenged same-day registration and absentee voting (the 6th circuit court said the claim rested on "shaky ground"); in Michigan, where Republicans tried to use foreclosure lists to purge voters; and in Wisconsin, where the Republican Attorney General is suing the state's board of elections. (And just today, a GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] operative was indicted for lying to the FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] about charges that he jammed the phones of the New Hampshire Democratic Party on Election Day 2002.)" -By Ari Berman -TheNation.com

- Barack Obama - John McCain - Terrorism - History - Illinois - Pennsylvania - 2008 Election
"Obama charges McCain trying to divide country." ... "[2008 Election Democratic] Presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday accused Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate] John McCain of trying to divide the country, but he let fellow Democrats handle harsher attacks while he kept his message mostly upbeat." ... "Speaking to an outdoor audience, Obama said "it's not hard to rile up a crowd by stoking anger and division." He said Americans want "someone who can lead this country" with a steady hand in a time of economic crisis, not divide it." ... "Echoing McCain's "country first" motto, Obama said, "Now more than ever it is time to put country ahead of politics."" ... "With little more than three weeks before the election, the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] presidential candidate is seeking to turn his campaign around by steadily escalating his attacks on his Democratic foe and raising questions about his associations with [William] Ayers, who in 1969 helped found the violent Weather Underground group blamed for bombing government buildings in the early 1970s[.]" ... "The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Obama and Ayers are not close but that they live in the same Chicago [Illinois] neighborhood and worked together on two nonprofit organization boards from the mid-1990s to 2002. Ayers also hosted a small meet-the-candidate event for Obama in 1995 as he first ran for the state Senate." ... "During the campaign, Obama has denounced Ayers' radical actions and views." ... "In an interview with Philadelphia[ Pennsylvania]-based radio talk show host Michael Smerconish, Obama said Thursday that when he met Ayers in the mid-1990s Ayers was teaching education the University of Illinois." ... ""I was sitting on this board with a whole bunch conservative businessmen and civic leaders and he was one of the people who was on this board," Obama said of the Annenberg Challenge, a nonprofit educational group [funded by Republican billionaire Walter Annenberg]. "Ultimately I ended up learning about the fact that he had engaged in this reprehensible act 40 years ago, but I was eight years old at the time and I assumed that he had been rehabilitated."" (1, 2) -AP via -MSNBC

- US - Global - Economic - History - Belgium - 
"Ex-president Carter slams Bush on market crisis." ... "Former [Democratic] President Jimmy Carter said on Friday the "atrocious economic policies" of the Bush administration had caused the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s." ... "Carter told reporters on a stopover in Brussels [Belgium and EU's capital] that "profligate spending," massive borrowing and dramatic tax cuts since President George W. Bush took office in 2001 were behind the market turmoil and economic crisis." ... "Eight years ago, the United States had a budget surplus, low inflation and a stable, strong economy, he said." ... "Carter said he was astonished that the United States now owed China "in the neighborhood of $1 trillion."" ... "Deregulation and what he called a withdrawal of supervision of Wall Street had encouraged irresponsible elements in the U.S. financial system, enabling banks to borrow 30 times their value." -By Paul Taylor with contributions by Sami Aboudi -Reuters

- John McCain - Barack Obama - Sarah Palin - Terrorism - Language - Pennsylvania - Illinois - Politics - 2008 Election
"McCain's attacks fuel dangerous hatred." ... "2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as "not one of us," I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence." ... "At a [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin rally, someone called out, "Kill him!" At one of your rallies, someone called out, "Terrorist!" Neither was answered or denounced by you or your running mate, as the crowd laughed and cheered. At your campaign event Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa. [Pennsylvania], the crowd was seething with hatred for the Democratic nominee - an attitude encouraged in speeches there by you, your running mate, your wife and the local Republican chairman." ... "Shame!" ... "John McCain: In 2000, as a lifelong Republican, I worked to get you elected instead of George W. Bush. In return, you wrote an endorsement of one of my books about military service. You seemed to be a man who put principle ahead of mere political gain." ... "You have changed. You have a choice: Go down in history as a decent senator and an honorable military man with many successes, or go down in history as the latest abettor of right-wing extremist hate." ... "Your rallies are beginning to look, sound, feel and smell like lynch mobs." ... "John McCain and Sarah Palin, you are playing with fire, and you know it. You are unleashing the monster of American hatred and prejudice, to the peril of all of us. You are doing this in wartime. You are doing this as our economy collapses. You are doing this in a country with a history of assassinations." -By Frank Schaeffer -BaltimoreSun

- Japan - History - US - Real Estate
"Nikkei tumbles 9.6 percent on crisis fears." ... "Japan's key stock index plunged a stunning 9.6 percent Friday to close out its worst week in history as frantic investors worried about a global recession dumped stocks after huge losses on Wall Street." ... "The benchmark Nikkei 225 index tumbled 881.06 points to 8,276.43, its lowest since May 2003. It was its biggest one-day percentage loss since the stock market crash of October 1987." ... "The index dropped by more than 11 percent at one point but recovered modestly in the afternoon." ... "Since last Friday, the Nikkei has lost nearly a quarter of its value." ... "Mid-sized insurer Yamato Life Insurance Co. [Company] went bankrupt Friday, becoming the first major Japanese financial company to collapse on the fallout from the U.S. [United States] credit crisis. On Thursday, New City Investment Corp.'s [Corporation's] bankruptcy filing made it Japan's first real-estate investment trust to fail." -By Shino Yuasa -AP via -Google

- Joe Biden - John McCain - Corporate - Government - Politics - Consumer - Regulation - Mo - Arizona - Tennessee - 2008 Election
"Biden Accuses McCain of Waffling on Homeowner Help Plan." ... "[2008 Election] Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden started his 24-hour swing through the Show-Me State [Missouri] Thursday with a swipe at Republican [2008 Election Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain for already changing the mortgage buy-up plan that the GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] candidate introduced in Tuesday’s presidential debate in Nashville [Tennessee]." ... "“John said he was going to spend $300 billion of your tax money to buy from banks bad mortgages that they now own. And he was going to buy them, though, at a discount, an authority, meaning he wasn’t going to buy them for what the bank paid for them -- he’s going to buy them for what their market value was," Biden said at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo. [Missouri.] "And then on Wednesday morning he said, his campaign said, 'No, we made a mistake. We are going to buy them for exactly what the bank paid for them.'" ... ""So, he’s going to spend $300 billion of your money so the banks don’t lose a single penny!" Biden continued. "I’m not making this up. I know it sounds like fiction, but I’m not making this up." ... ""That’s not bailing out the homeowner," Biden added. "You’re bailing out the bank."" ... "“Ladies and gentlemen, in a matter of months, days, even hours, John McCain has gone from first cutting regulation consumer protections from banks –- that was his initial position, cut those protections -- then ignoring the banks and lenders and not even talking about them, now to talking about banks and lenders, and now he’s gone to the point of actually wanting to reward banks and lenders for their greedy behavior," Biden continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a steady hand, and the latest proposal is not only bad for taxpayers, it’s bad for homeowners and it’s bad for the economy, and everybody seems to be aware of it this morning."" -By Matthew Jaffe -ABCNEWS.com

- John McCain - Hillary Clinton - Barack Obama - Consumer - Homeowners - Bank - Government - New York - 2008 Election
"McCain Rebuked for Comparing Mortgage Plan to Clinton." ... "[2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain was rebuked by an aide to [New York Democratic Senator] Hillary Clinton on Thursday for inaccurately comparing his [home] mortgage buy-up plan to one proposed earlier this year by the former first lady." ... ""It's wrong to suggest the new McCain plan is what Senator Clinton proposed ," said Clinton spokesperson Kathleen Strand. "She and Senator Obama are focused on helping struggling homeowners and holding bank lenders responsible. . . Senator McCain's new plan calls for bailing out and rewarding irresponsible bank and mortgage lenders, while sticking taxpayers with the bill."" -By Teddy Davis and Arnab Datta -ABCNEWS.com

- US - History - Global
"US STOCKS-Recession fear plunders Wall St, Dow dives 678.91." [DOW at 8,579.19] ... "U.S stocks plummeted for a seventh straight session on Thursday as investors bet recent moves by authorities worldwide to thaw frozen credit markets would not be enough to avert a global recession." ... "The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI dropped 678.91 points, or 7.33 percent, to 8,579.19, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX plummeted 75.02 points, or 7.62 percent, to 909.92. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC sank 95.21 points, or 5.47 percent, to 1,645.12." ... "The steep declines came on the anniversary of the Dow's all-time closing high above 14,000." ... "The Dow average has lost 2,271.47 points in the last seven trading days -- the worst ever in such a period. Since its record closing high a year ago today, the Dow has tumbled 5,585.34 points -- or almost 40 percent." ... "The Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index .VIX, Wall Street's preferred fear gauge, hit another all-time closing high -- jumping 11.11 percent to end at 63.92." (1, 2, 3) -By Kristina Cooke with contributions by Leah Schnurr, Ellis Mnyandu, and Jan Paschal -Reuters

- Noteworthy - Sarah Palin - Military - Terrorism - Alaska - Federal - Oil - Land - Money - Politics -  - International - Law - US - 2008 Election
"Alaskan Independence Party: The Last Refuge of a Scoundrel." ... "[2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah] Palin, it could be argued, following her own logic, thinks so little of America's perfection that she continues to "pal around" with a man--her husband, actually--who only recently terminated his seven-year membership in the Alaskan Independence Party. Putting plunder above patriotism, the members of this treasonous cabal aim to break our country into pieces and walk away with Alaska's rich federal oil fields and one-fifth of America's land base--an area three-fourths the size of the Civil War Confederacy." ... "AIP's charter commits the party "to the ultimate independence of Alaska," from the United States which it refers to as "the colonial bureaucracy in Washington." It proclaims Alaska's 1959 induction as a state "as illegal and in violation of the United Nations charter and international law."" ... "AIP's creation was inspired by the rabidly violent anti-Americanism of its founding father Joe Vogler, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," reads a favorite Vogler quote on AIP's current website, "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Alaska, says current Chairwoman Lynette Clark, "should be an independent nation."" ... "Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad. The prior year, he had renounced his allegiance to the United States explaining that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government." He cursed the stars and stripes, promising, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home." Palin has never denounced Vogler or his detestable anti-Americanism." ... "Palin's husband Todd remained an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002. Sarah can be described in McCarthy-era palaver as a "fellow traveler." While retaining her Republican registration, she attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska. The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 convention and she recorded a video greeting for this year's 2008 convention." -By Robert F. Kennedy Jr. -HuffingtonPost.com

- Japan - Hong Kong - Indonesia - Taiwan
"Asian markets crumble, Nikkei 225 dives 9.4%: Hang Seng loses 8.2%, S&P/ASX 200 off 5%, Indonesia index slumps 10.4%." ... "Asian markets crumbled Wednesday, as investors alarmed by a deteriorating financial markets situation dumped blue-chip stocks to raise cash, sending several indexes tumbling down to multi-year lows." ... ""It's not just the hedge-funds, everybody is selling ... And there are no buyers," said Dale Tsang, managing director at Imperial Dragon Asset Management Co. in Hong Kong. "There is a state of panic, for cash. Everybody needs cash."" ... ""No, I haven't seen anything like this, and I don't think anybody has seen anything like this before, except those who are over 75 years old and have seen the Great Depression," Tsang added." ... "Japan's Nikkei 225 Average tumbled the most to close 952.5 points, or 9.4%, lower at 9,203.32 for its worst single-day percentage drop in years. The broader Topix index lost 8% to 899.01. Both benchmarks declined for a fifth straight session." ... "In Taipei [Taiwan's capital], the Taiex tumbled 5.8% to 5,206.40, its lowest level since July 2003. " -By V. Phani Kumar -MarketWatch

- Barack Obama - John McCain - Terrorism - History - Economy - Tenn - 2008 Election
"Obama: McCain Scoring 'Cheap Political Points'." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate and Illinois Senator] Sen. Barack Obama says the personal attacks levied against him by the campaign of his presidential rival, Sen. John McCain, particularly references to his association with 1960s anti-war radical Bill Ayers, are an attempt to "score cheap political points."" ... ""Why don't we just clear it up right now," Obama told ABC News' Charlie Gibson in an exclusive interview for World News. "I'll repeat again what I've said many times. This is a guy who engaged in some despicable acts 40 years ago when I was eight years old. By the time I met him, 10 or 15 years ago, he was a college professor of education at the University of Illinois . . . And the notion that somehow he has been involved in my campaign, that he is an adviser of mine, that . . . I've 'palled around with a terrorist', all these statements are made simply to try to score cheap political points."" ... "Obama said that the McCain campaign is making personal attacks "the centerpiece of the discussion in the closing weeks of a campaign where we are facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and we're in the middle of two wars."" ... ""I think that makes very little sense, not just to me but to the American people," Obama said." ... "Obama said he believes the personal attacks are an attempt to "change the subject" and draw attention away from the issue at the front of most voters' minds: the struggling economy." ... ""I mean, you've had their spokespeople over the last couple of days say if we talk about the economic crisis, we lose. I mean, you can't be much more blatant than that," he said." ... "Obama also said he was surprised some of those attacks weren't brought up by his opponent at the debate Tuesday night at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn [Tennessee]." ... ""I am surprised that, you know, we've been seeing some pretty over-the-top attacks coming out of the McCain campaign over the last several days, that he wasn't willing to say it to my face. But I guess we've got one last debate. So presumably, if he ends up feeling that he needs to, he will raise it during the debate."" (1, 2, 3) -By Katie Escherich and Lauren Sher -ABCNEWS.com

- John McCain - Terrorism - Women - Abortion - Clinics - Federal - Law - Politics - History - Arizona - Oregon - 2008 Election
"Woman's rights advocate: McCain sides with 'sympathizers and enablers of domestic terrorism'." ... "The Arizona Senator [and 2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain] may not have directly consorted with any clinic bombers, but his legislative record was certainly favorable to them, and critics are hammering his association with sympathizers of domestic terrorists who target abortion providers." ... "People For the American Way encouraged McCain to "look in the mirror" after a RAW STORY report revealed McCain's connection with Marylin Shannon, a Republican official in Oregon who was a McCain delegate at this year's GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican (2008 election)] convention. The two appeared together at a 1993 fundraiser for an ultra-conservative organization where Shannon praised a woman who was later convicted of attempted murder in the shooting of an abortion clinic doctor." ... "“When anti-choice extremists were terrorizing American women and their doctors, John McCain had multiple opportunities to make what should have been an easy choice,” PFAW president Kathryn Kolbert said Tuesday. “But he chose political expediency over law and order." ... ""He didn’t say a word when Marylin Shannon sympathized with an attempted killer. He voted against the clinic access bill even as everyday Americans were being assaulted and besieged by domestic terrorists," continued Kolbert, a longtime women’s rights advocate who successfully argued a crucial abortion rights case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1992. "As someone who faced repeated threats for work on behalf of reproductive rights, I am deeply disturbed by John McCain’s willingness to stand with and side with sympathizers and enablers of domestic terrorism.”" ... "McCain and Shannon appeared together at a fundraiser for the Oregon Citizens Alliance in 1993, a gathring of Christian right extremists that even fellow Republicans advised McCain not to attend because the group was so far outside the mainstream." ... "Speaking before McCain, Shannon offered some kind words for Shelley Shannon, who was accused and later convicted of shooting an abortion doctor: "I'm not related to Shelly Shannon, but I think she's a fine lady," the vice chairwoman of the state Republican Party said. McCain apparently said nothing to contradict that judgement, and less than three months later he voted against a bill that would make abortion clinic bombings a federal crime." -By Nick Juliano -RawStory.com

- Joe Biden - Barack Obama - Sarah Palin - Terrorism - Politics - Fl - Law - Enforcement - 2008 Election
"Biden: Palin Must Condemn Supporters' Hateful Obama Attacks." ... "[2008 Election Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate] Joe Biden lashed out at [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin on Wednesday, calling her recent rhetoric "ugly" and "mildly dangerous," and expressing shock that the Alaska Governor did not interrupt recent rallies when supporters shouted hateful attacks about Barack Obama, including "treason!" and "kill him!"" ... ""I watched the news and I heard a couple people hollering from the audience semi-vile things about 'terrorists,' things like that," Biden said on NBC's Today show. "The idea that a leading American politician who might be vice president of the United States would not just stop mid-sentence and turn and condemn that -- it's just a slippery slope, it's a place that we shouldn't be going."" ... "Biden repeated the sentiment on ABC's Good Morning America:" ... ""I think it goes way too far. Look, this really is a case where, when you don't have anything to talk about, attack -- and it gets really over the edge," he said. "I mean, some of the stuff she's saying about Barack Obama and the stuff that people are yelling from the crowd, if she hears it, she should be at least be saying, whoa, whoa, whoa, that's overboard. But this is volatile stuff."" ... "A Secret Service spokesperson said on Tuesday that agents were trying to track down more information about the individual who yelled "kill him" during the Palin event in Clearwater, Fl. [Florida], on Monday." -By Nico Pitney -HuffingtonPost.com

- Secret - US - Iraq - Afghanistan - Military - Terrorism - Politics - McCain - Obama - 2008 Election
"New U.S. intelligence report warns 'victory' not certain in Iraq." ... "A nearly completed high-level U.S. [United States] intelligence analysis warns that unresolved ethnic and sectarian tensions in Iraq could unleash a new wave of violence, potentially reversing the major security and political gains achieved over the last year." ... "U.S. officials familiar with the new National Intelligence Estimate said they were unsure when the top-secret report would be completed and whether it would be published before the Nov. 4 presidential election." ... "More than a half-dozen officials spoke to McClatchy on condition of anonymity because NIE's, the most authoritative analyses produced by the U.S. intelligence community, are restricted to the president, his senior aides and members of Congress except in rare instances when just the key findings are made public." ... "The new NIE, which reflects the consensus of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, has significant implications for Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, whose differences over the Iraq war are a major issue in the presidential campaign." ... "The findings seem to cast doubts on McCain's frequent assertions that the United States is "on a path to victory" in Iraq by underscoring the deep uncertainties of the situation despite the 30,000-strong U.S. troop surge for which he was the leading congressional advocate." ... "But McCain could also use the findings to try to strengthen his argument for keeping U.S. troops in Iraq until conditions stabilize." ... "For Obama, the report raises questions about whether he could fulfill his pledge to withdraw most of the remaining 152,000 U.S. troops _ he would leave some there to deal with al Qaida and to protect U.S. diplomats and civilians _ within 16 months of taking office so that more U.S. forces could be sent to battle the growing Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan." ... "The findings of the intelligence estimate appear to be reflected in recent statements by Army [General] Gen. David Petraeus, the former top U.S. commander in Iraq, who has called the situation "fragile" and "reversible" and said he will never declare victory there." -By Jonathan S. Landay, Warren P. Strobel and Nancy A. Youssef with contributions by Leila Fadel -McClatchyDC.com

- Sarah Palin - Terrorism - Politics - Alaska - Iran -  - History - US - Federal - Law - Enforcement - Earth - Environment - 2008 Election
"The Palins' un-American activities." ... ""My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."" ... "The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah] Palin, that's the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd [Palin], belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")" ... "AIP chairwoman Lynette Clark told me recently that Sarah Palin is her kind of gal. "She's Alaskan to the bone ... she sounds just like Joe Vogler."" ... "So who are these America-haters that the Palins are pallin' around with?" ... "Before his strange murder in 1993, party founder Vogler preached armed insurrection against the United States of America. Vogler, who always carried a Magnum with him, was fond of saying, "When the [federal] bureaucrats come after me, I suggest they wear red coats. They make better targets. In the federal government are the biggest liars in the United States, and I hate them with a passion. They think they own [Alaska]. There comes a time when people will choose to die with honor rather than live with dishonor. That time may be coming here. Our goal is ultimate independence by peaceful means under a minimal government fully responsive to the people. I hope we don't have to take human life, but if they go on tramping on our property rights, look out, we're ready to die."" ... "This quote is from "Coming Into the Country," by John McPhee, who traipsed around Alaska's remote gold mining country with Vogler for his 1991 book. The violent-tempered secessionist vowed to McPhee that if any federal official tried to stop him from polluting Alaska's rivers with his earth-moving equipment, he would "run over him with a Cat and turn mosquitoes loose on him while he dies."" ... "Vogler's greatest moment of glory was to be his 1993 appearance before the United Nations to denounce United States "tyranny" before the entire world and to demand Alaska's freedom. The Alaska secessionist had persuaded the government of Iran to sponsor his anti-American harangue." ... "That's right ... Iran. The Islamic dictatorship. The taker of American hostages." ... "AIP leaders allege that Vogler, who was murdered that year by a fellow secessionist, was taken out by powerful forces in the U.S. before he could reach his U.N. platform." -By David Talbot -Salon

- Reporter - Politics - Government - Financial - Social Security - Accounting - 2008 Election
"If Social Security Was a Private Corporation Then it Would Sue Tom Brokaw for Every Penny He Has." ... "If a news reporter deliberately makes a false statement claiming that a private company like Boeing or Microsoft is going broke, the company has the right to sue the reporter and the news agency. That is why reporters rarely make statements like Microsoft or Boeing (or Lehman Brothers, AIG, or Goldman Sachs) are going broke." ... "However, reporters can freely impugn the financial health of a government program like Social Security because a government program cannot sue for libel. That is why Brokaw knew that he could imply that Social Security is going broke, even though it is not true. Social Security cannot sue Brokaw even if he deliberately tells explicit lies about its financial health." ... "Those who are interesting in learning about the true state of Social Security's financial health can find out by looking at the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office's website [PDF]." -By Dean Baker -Prospect.org

- McCain - Terrorism - Finance - History - Secret - Government - Intelligence - Military - Politics - Iran - Nicaragua - Foreign - Arizona - US - 2008 Election
"McCain linked to private group in Iran-Contra case." ... "GOP [GOP=Grand Old Party=Republican] presidential nominee John McCain has past connections to a private group that supplied aid to guerrillas seeking to overthrow the leftist government of Nicaragua in the Iran-Contra affair." ... "The U.S. Council for World Freedom was part of an international organization linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America." ... "The council's founder, retired Army [Major General] Maj. Gen. John Singlaub, said McCain became associated with the organization in the early 1980s as McCain was launching his political career in Arizona." ... "Covert arms shipments to the rebels called Contras, financed in part by secret arms sales to Iran, became known as the Iran-Contra affair. They proved to be the undoing of Singlaub's council." ... "In 1987, the Internal Revenue Service withdrew the tax-exempt status of Singlaub's group because of its activities on behalf of the Contras." ... "Elected to the House in 1982 and at a time when he was on the board of Singlaub's council, McCain was among Republicans on Capitol Hill expressing support for the Contras, a CIA[Central Intelligence Agency]-organized guerrilla force in Central America. In 1984, Congress cut off CIA funds for the Contras." ... "Months before the cutoff, top [Republican President] Reagan administration officials ramped up a secret White House-directed supply network and put National Security Council aide Oliver North in charge of running it. The goal was to keep the Contras operational until Congress could be persuaded to resume CIA funding." ... "Singlaub's private group became the public cover for the White House operation." ... "Secretly, Singlaub worked with North in an effort to raise millions of dollars from foreign governments." -By Pete Yost -AP via -Yahoo

- John McCain - Terrorism - Politics - Women's - Medical - Abortion - Rights - Federal - Law - Enforcement - Colorado - 2008 Election
"McCain Voted To Protect Domestic Terrorists Who Carry Out Violence At Abortion Clinics." ... "Referencing a recent New York Times article, [spokesperson for 2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain, Nancy] Pfotenhauer claimed that if McCain “hung out with somebody who had bombed abortion clinics” it would be a legitimate topic of discussion." ... "Pfotenhauer’s invocation of abortion clinic bombers in defense of McCain is ironic given that McCain has repeatedly voted against protecting Americans from domestic terrorists in the anti-choice movement. On multiple occasions throughout his career, McCain sought to limit the government’s ability to punish violent anti-choice fanatics by:"

"– Voting against making anti-choice violence a federal crime. As the Jed Report notes, McCain voted in 1993 and 1994 against making “bombings, arson and blockades at abortion clinics, and shootings and threats of violence against doctors and nurses who perform abortions” federal crimes."

"– Opposing Colorado’s “Bubble Law.” McCain said he opposed Colorado’s “Bubble Law,” which prohibited abortion protesters from getting within 8 feet of women entering clinics [Denver Post, 2/27/00]. The law was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court."

"– Voting to allow those fined for violence at clinics to avoid penalties by declaring bankruptcy. NARAL Pro-Chioce America notes that McCain “voted to allow perpetrators of violence or harassment at reproductive-health clinics to avoid paying the fines assessed against them for their illegal acts by declaring bankruptcy.””

- John McCain - Racist - Terrorism - Money - History - 2008 Election - Phoenix - Arizona - US -Military - Law - Foreign
"Why McCain's Time With Council Of World Freedom Matters." ... "Since Sunday, Democrats have been buzzing about the re-revelation that during the 1980s, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain served on the board of a far-right conservative organization that had supplied arms and funds to paramilitary organizations in Latin America." ... "Democratic strategist Paul Begala lit the fire when, during an appearance on Meet the Press, he warned that this relatively obscure detail from McCain's past could draw him into a guilt-by-association game he was bound to regret." ... ""John McCain sat on the board of...the U.S. Council for World Freedom," said Begala, "The Anti-Defamation League, in 1981 when McCain was on the board, said this about this organization. It was affiliated with the World Anti-Communist League - the parent organization - which ADL said 'has increasingly become a gathering place, a forum, a point of contact for extremists, racists and anti-Semites.'"" ... "But McCain's involvement in the U.S. Council for World Freedom, which extended from 1981 through, possibly, 1986 is significant -- not merely because it ties him to unsavory characters but because it firmly associates him with a foreign policy that was, at the time and still, controversial." ... "The USCWF was founded in Phoenix, Arizona in November 1981 as an offshoot of the World Anti-Communist League. The group was, from the onset, saddled with the disreputable reputation of its parent group. The WACL had ties to ultra-right figures and Latin American death squads. Roger Pearson, the chairman of the WACL, was expelled from the group in 1980 under allegations that he was a member of a neo-Nazi organization." ... "It [The USCWF] claimed to support "pro-Democratic resistance movements fighting communist totalitarianism." And during the 1980s it became a vehicle for the [Republican President] Reagan administration to prop up some of the more totalitarian, anti-communist efforts in Central America." ... "The funders of the U.S World Council of Freedom read like a who's who list of prominent conservative figures. Joe Coors, the Republican Beer baron was reportedly a big donor. Time Magazine wrote that the Christian Broadcasting Network was a backer as well. The Washington Times newspaper, owned by the controversial Reverend Sun Myung Moon, started a fundraising drive of its own." ... "Through it all, McCain was a member." ... "... McCain's association with a group that reportedly circumvented law, financed right-wing military institutions, and engaged in sometimes brutal anti-communist tactics, could be telling for some voters." -By Sam Stein -HuffingtonPost.com

- John McCain - 2008 Election - Law - Politics - Investigation - Arizona -Texas - US - Iraqi
"FEC Queries McCain Campaign on 'Excessive Contributions'." ... "The FEC [Federal Election Commission] sent a letter to [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's campaign treasurer [September] Sept. 30 demanding the candidate turn over more information about "contributions that appear to exceed the limits."" ... "The letter is accompanied by a nine-page list showing scores of overages from McCain's August campaign finance report, including nearly $13,000 from Texas rancher Ray R. Barrett Jr.; $9,200 from an Iraqi security consultant, H. Carter Andress; and $5,000 from Joseph F. Davolio, an executive at a major national liquor, beer and wine distributor." ... ""Please inform the Commission of your corrective action immediately in writing and provide photocopies of any refund checks and/or letters reattributing or redesignating the contributions in question," the letter from the FEC's senior campaign finance analyst, Leah S. Palmer, says. "The acceptance of excessive contributions is a serious problem."" -By Matthew Mosk -WashingtonPost

- John McCain - Sarah Palin - Barack Obama - Politics - 2008 Election
"Lagging In The Polls, Palin Shifts To Fear Tactics." ... "On the day when the [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate John] McCain campaign released a new attack ad not-so-subtly titled “Dangerous,” [2008 Election Republican Vice Presidential Candidate] Sarah Palin made a concerted effort to use words like “fearful” and “afraid” to describe Barack Obama, signaling her campaign’s decision to make the election a referendum on [2008 Election Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack] Obama’s character, rather than the issues facing the country." ... "Palin has devoted a significant portion of every one of her stump speeches in recent days to lamenting that the “filter of the mainstream media” has not given her a chance to do what she really wants to do: talk about the issues. But in filter-free forums across the country, Palin continues to speak in generalities about where she and John McCain want to take the country, calling for tax cuts, winning the wars, and reforming government, while providing very few details on how she would accomplish those goals." ... "Instead, Palin has increasingly focused her remarks on tearing down Obama." ... "Though it is nothing new for Palin to question Obama’s promise to initiate tax cuts, it has only been in recent days that she her stump speeches have been marked by a series of scathing, personal attacks." ... "Although she almost always wears a sunny demeanor, smiling broadly even as she delivers her scathing barbs against Obama, Palin’s words show that she has embraced the traditional vice presidential candidate’s role of being the attack dog and is even more willing than McCain to engage in personal mudslinging." -By Scott Conroy -CBSNews

- John McCain - Poor - Families - Seniors - Federal - Health - Politics - Arizona - 2008 Election
"McCain Plans Federal Health Cuts: Medicare, Medicaid Spending Would Be Reduced to Offset Proposed Tax Credit." ... "[Republican Presidential Candidate] John McCain would pay for his health plan with major reductions to Medicare and Medicaid, a top aide said, in a move that independent analysts estimate could result in cuts of $1.3 trillion over 10 years to the government programs." ... "The Republican presidential nominee has said little about the proposed cuts, but they are needed to keep his health-care plan "budget neutral," as he has promised. The McCain campaign hasn't given a specific figure for the cuts, but didn't dispute the analysts' estimate." ... "In the months since Sen. McCain introduced his health plan, statements made by his campaign have implied that the new tax credits he is proposing to help Americans buy health insurance would be paid for with other tax increases." ... "But Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Sen. McCain's senior policy adviser, said Sunday that the campaign has always planned to fund the tax credits, in part, with savings from Medicare and Medicaid. Those government health-care programs serve seniors, poor families and the disabled." ... "In April, when [Arizona Senator] Sen. McCain gave a major speech about his health plan, Mr. Holtz-Eakin, the senior policy adviser, said the tax provisions alone were budget neutral -- meaning that health benefits would have to be subject to both income and payroll taxes." -By Laura Meckler -WSJ.com

_2008 News News Reference October 2008 News
October 4, 2008 News URL: #October-4-2008-News
20081004 Saturday

- Secret - John McCain - Terrorism - History - Money- Politics - Radio - Federal - Law - Enforcement - 2008 Election - Clinton - New York -Arizona
"Why is the NY Times continuing to ignore McCain's "own Bill Ayers"?" ... "... [The New York[ Times has yet to mention, let alone devote an entire article to, [2008 Election Republican Presidential Candidate and Arizona Senator] Sen. John McCain's relationship with radio host and convicted Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy [Republican President Nixon associate]." ... "As Media Matters for America has noted, Liddy served four and a half years in prison in connection with his conviction for his role in the Watergate break-in and the break-in at the office of the psychiatrist of Daniel Ellsberg, the military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers. Liddy has acknowledged preparing to kill someone during the Ellsberg break-in "if necessary"; plotting to murder journalist Jack Anderson; plotting with a "gangland figure" to murder Howard Hunt to stop him from cooperating with investigators; plotting to firebomb the Brookings Institution; and plotting to kidnap "leftist guerillas" at the 1972 Republican National Convention -- a plan he outlined to the Nixon administration using terminology borrowed from the Nazis. (The murder, firebombing, and kidnapping plots were never carried out; the break-ins were.) During the 1990s, Liddy reportedly instructed his radio audience on multiple occasions on how to shoot Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents and also reportedly said he had named his shooting targets after [Democratic President] Bill and [New York Senator] Hillary Clinton." ... "Liddy has donated $5,000 to McCain's campaigns since 1998, including $1,000 in February 2008. In addition, McCain has appeared on Liddy's radio show during the presidential campaign, including as recently as May. An online video labeled "John McCain On The G. Gordon Liddy Show 11/8/07" includes a discussion between Liddy and McCain, whom Liddy described as an "old friend." During the segment, McCain praised Liddy's "adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great," said he was "proud" of Liddy, and said that "it's always a pleasure for me to come on your program."" ... "Additionally, in 1998, Liddy reportedly held a fundraiser at his home for McCain. Liddy was reportedly scheduled to speak at another fundraiser for McCain in 2000. The Charlotte Observer reported on January 23, 2000, that McCain's campaign vouched for Liddy's "character":"

"His [McCain's] campaign officials said Liddy's character will appeal to many voters because he was following orders from [Republican] President Nixon and kept silent afterward."

""His (Liddy's) judgment might be in question, but I don't think his character is," said Ed Walker, the York County chairman of McCain's campaign. "He was following orders just like any good soldier, and he didn't tell on anybody. He felt like he was on a mission and kept his silence.""

"What McCain didn't mention is that he has his own Bill Ayers -- in the form of G. Gordon Liddy. Now a conservative radio talk-show host, Liddy spent more than 4 years in prison for his role in the 1972 Watergate burglary. That was just one element of what Liddy did, and proposed to do, in a secret White House effort to subvert the Constitution. Far from repudiating him, McCain has embraced him."
...
"Last November, McCain went on his radio show. Liddy greeted him as "an old friend," and McCain sounded like one. "I'm proud of you, I'm proud of your family," he gushed. "It's always a pleasure for me to come on your program, Gordon, and congratulations on your continued success and adherence to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great.""

"Which principles would those be? The ones that told Liddy it was fine to break into the office of the Democratic National Committee to plant bugs and photograph documents? The ones that made him propose to kidnap anti-war activists so they couldn't disrupt the 1972 Republican National Convention? The ones that inspired him to plan the murder (never carried out) of an unfriendly newspaper columnist?"

"Liddy was in the thick of the biggest political scandal in American history -- and one of the greatest threats to the rule of law. He has said he has no regrets about what he did, insisting that he went to jail as "a prisoner of war.""

[Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman]