tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-320336242024-03-14T01:35:07.742-07:00Mickeleh's SoapboxA derby for truth, justice, and true American values. Unpowered and all downhill from here.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-24929760798235204712010-10-22T10:34:00.000-07:002010-10-22T10:47:04.267-07:00This is NOT Ozzy OzborneIt's been a long time since I wrote or did video on U.S. Politics. But in this case, I felt strongly enough to risk being mistaken for Ozzy Osbourne.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="270"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8tIqgM6RV_M?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8tIqgM6RV_M?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="270"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mickeleh's Take:</span> She denies <span style="font-style:italic;">being</span> a witch. But she doesn't deny <span style="font-style:italic;">believing in</span> witches. Clearly she knows her base.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-87331599313296916832010-01-30T17:58:00.000-08:002010-01-30T18:23:27.684-08:00Chico Marx Explains the Democratic Strategy on Healthcare<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/S2TlfHf1cFI/AAAAAAAAAWs/77QlDsjufo0/s1600-h/Picture+276.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/S2TlfHf1cFI/AAAAAAAAAWs/77QlDsjufo0/s200/Picture+276.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432719373266939986" /></a>I was trying to remember why the Democratic strategy on healthcare seems so familiar, suddenly I remembered where I had previously seen it: In the Marx Bros. classic, "A Night at the Opera."<div><br /></div><div>Chico is sneaking into the country by impersonating a famous aviator. Asked to make a speech he foreshadows the way the Democrats are behaving with regard to passing healthcare reform:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#666666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So now I tell you how we fly to America. The first time we started we got-a half way there when we run out a gasoline, and we gotta go back. Then I take-a twice as much gasoline. This time we're just about to land, maybe three feet, when what do you think: we run out of gasoline again. And-a back-a we go again to get-a more gas. This time I take-a plenty gas. Well, we get-a half way over, when what do you think happens: we forgot-a the airplane. So, we gotta sit down and we talk it over. Then I get-a the great idea. We no take-a gasoline, we no take-a the airplane. We take steamship, and that friends, is how we fly across the ocean.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"</span></span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div>You can see a <a href="http://www.tcm.com/2009/essentials/video/?cid=224511&mainVideoId=236845">clip of this scene </a>online at TCM.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Mickeleh's Take</b>: Well, at least Chico managed to find a way to complete the journey.</div>Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-46464435611197415332008-11-04T06:57:00.000-08:002008-11-04T07:20:13.365-08:00Does Keith Olbermann Still Not Vote?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SRBmFViXFbI/AAAAAAAAAQk/tpoWNPM0Cv8/s1600-h/Olbermann_First_Commentary.PNG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 237px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SRBmFViXFbI/AAAAAAAAAQk/tpoWNPM0Cv8/s320/Olbermann_First_Commentary.PNG" alt="" id="Keith Olbermann's first Special Comment" border="0" /></a><br />My sister reminded me last night that Keith Olbermann once proclaimed that he doesn't vote. Astonished, I asked the Google and found this <a href="http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/041130glaser/">OJR interview</a> from 2004:<br /><blockquote>OJR: How would you describe yourself politically on the liberal-to-conservative spectrum? How important do you think it is for MSM to be transparent on their political affiliations?<br /><br />KO: I'm not political. I don't vote -- I don't believe journalists covering politics should (and I don't think the democracy would suffer if however many of us there are, recused ourselves). I have no more interest in the political outcome of an election than I did in the winner or loser of any ballgame I ever covered. I think transparency is vital; I think it's also, in these super-heated political times, unintentionally inescapable. If a reporter's work in turn winds up criticizing a candidate or party in some cases, and praising that same candidate or party in others, he's as close to neutral as he can be. If not, he's a partisan. The partisans outnumber the neutrals 1000:1.</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: This statement predates Olbermann's signature <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Keith_Olbermann%27s_special_comments">Special Comments</a>, which began August 30, 2006. Anybody know if Keith still claims to have no interest in the political outcome of an election? Is, "I don't vote" still operative?Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-52769972327351426782008-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:002008-10-28T11:10:52.107-07:00Obama's Closing Infomercial and FDR'sObama's cross-network TV infomercial tomorrow night is probably the single most expensive political ad buy in history: Thirty minutes on CBS, NBC, Fox, three cable news nets, (but not ABC).<br /><br />The precedent for this is older than the TV era. On election eve, 1944, the Democrats bought an hour of time on all four national radio networks to drum up votes for Roosevelt in his campaign against New York governor Thomas E. Dewey.<br /><br />SNL previewed Obama's closer as a variety show.<br /><br /><object height="245" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/0b_ufLuCXJE6xdY1xf0L5Q"><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/0b_ufLuCXJE6xdY1xf0L5Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="245" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />I have no idea if that's what Obama's team has planned. But an all-star variety show is just what FDR's team delivered.<br /><br />In 1944, the Democrats handed the assignment for developing the format and script for their get-out-the-vote broadcast to <a href="http://www.normancorwin.com/">Norman Corwin</a>, the most imaginative and poetic writer of the radio era, (still active today at 98). <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=UzVDHPsJ6AoC&dq=Erik+barnouw+golden+web&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=UD-Qd0uQ2e&sig=-a78TWLHky0hjHfCntsOYUi6DNw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA208,M1">Erik Barnouw</a> wrote that based on the President's approval of a two-page outline, Corwin was given a free hand to develop the show.<br /><br />What he delivered combines testimonials from citizens across the country and the political spectrum, combined with musical numbers written for the show by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Robinson">Earl Robinson</a> ("Joe Hill," "The House I Live In," "Ballad for Americans") and lyrcist <a href="http://www.yipharburg.com/">E. Y. "Yip" Harburg</a> ("April in Paris," "Only a Paper Moon"). Singers on the show included two stars who had introduced Harburg classics in their 1939 films, Judy Garland ("Over the Rainbow" in <span style="font-style: italic;">Wizard of Oz</span>) and Groucho Marx ("Lydia the Tatooed Lady" in <span style="font-style: italic;">At the Circus</span>).<br /><br />You can hear the FDR infomerical online at <a href="http://www.vintageradioplace.com/broadcast/arcsametime0611.html">Vintage Radio Place</a>. Click the Nov 5 show. Then jump ahead to the second hour.<br /><br />What struck me on hearing the show was how many of the themes and issues raised in 1944 have close parallels to today's campaign.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vote Suppression</span>: Roosevelt charged that "Millions of soldiers and sailors and merchant seamen have been handicapped or prevented from voting by those politicians and those candidates who think that they stand to lose by such votes."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Campaign Finance</span>: 1944 was the year of the very first PAC. It was set up by the CIO to allow individuals to make small contributions to counter large Republican donations, such as the $13 million given by Sun Oil's Joseph N. Pew Jr. ($13 million in 1944 is equivalent to $161 million today). Naturally, the Republicans denounced it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Investment in Energy</span> A Tennessee farmer testifies to the benefits of the TVA<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Republican Brand</span>: Then as now, the Republican brand was in tatters. Just as Obama ties McCain to Bush (Iraq, Katrina, Financial Meltdown), the Roosevelt broadcast tied Dewey to Hoover and Harding (Depression, Prohibition, Tea Pot Dome). James Cagney, Groucho Marx, and Keenan Wynn drive the point home in a medly that included"In the Good Ol' Hoover Time" and<br /><blockquote>East side, west side<br />All around the town<br />Banks were bustin' right in your face<br />Stocks were tumblin down<br />"Prosperity 'round the corner"<br />Bread lines 'round the block<br />Don't let Dewey bring Hoover<br />To the Sidewalks of New York.</blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Socialism</span>: Groucho reminded the audience that the red communism scare had been used again and again with "distinguished lack of success." and went on to sing, "The Old Red Scare it ain't what it used to be."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Republican support</span>: Just as the McCain campaign prodded a stream of conservative and Republican voters to announce for Obama, the FDR broadcast featured a series of Republicans who testified that they were voting for Roosevelt. The highlight was 94-year-old Julius Oscar, who, as a child, had shaken Lincoln's hand.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Celebrity Endorsements</span>: FDR's backers appearing on the show included a very impressive cast. (Ronald Reagan was not there, but Jane Wyman was.)<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">From Hollywood: </span><br />Joan Bennett<br />Mr. and Mrs. Irving Berlin<br />Humphrey Bogart<br />Virginia Bruce<br />Jimmy Cagney<br />Harry Carey<br />Claudette Colbert<br />Joseph Caution<br />Linda Darnell<br />John Garfield<br />Judy Garland<br />James Gleason<br />Paulette Goddard<br />Susan Hayward<br />Rita Hayworth<br />Walter Huston<br />Rex Ingram<br />George Jessel<br />Danny Kaye<br />Gene Kelly<br />Evelyn Keyes<br />Groucho Marx<br />Paul Muni<br />George Raft<br />Edward G. Robinson<br />Gale Sondergaard<br />Lana Turner<br />Richard Whorf<br />Monty Woolley<br />Jane Wyman<br />Keenan Wynn<br />plus the youngest and oldest voters<br />19-year-old Betty Hall and 94-year-old Julius Oscar.<br /><br /><b>From New York:</b><br />Constance Bennett<br />Gertrude Berg<br />Milton Berle<br />Charles Boyer<br />Marc Connelly<br />Bennett Cerf<br />John Dewey<br />Eddie Dowling<br />Olin Downes<br />Edna Ferber<br />John Gunther<br />Fannie Hurst<br />the Ink Spots<br />Dorothy Maynor<br />Vilhjalmur Stefansson<br />Alonzo Myers<br />Dorothy Parker<br />Waldo Pierce<br />Elmer Rice<br />Barney Ross<br />Vincent Sheean<br />Frank Sinatra<br />Paul Strand<br />Franchot Tone<br />Louis Untermeyer<br />Benay Venuta<br />Fay Wray.<br /><br /><b>From Hyde Park:</b><br />President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.</blockquote>Roosevelt's speech at the close of the broadcast was surpringly unpolitical. He didn't mention his opponent. He didn't ask for votes. He simply asked the American people to be thoughful, look forward to the peace, and create a world worthy of the sacrifice of our fighters. He ended with a prayer.<br /><br />The chairman of the DNC, Paul Porter, told Corwin that he thought the broadcast produced an additional million votes.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-77671546560155051502008-10-25T05:54:00.000-07:002008-10-25T06:33:22.252-07:00Wassup 2008: Change<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qq8Uc5BFogE&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qq8Uc5BFogE&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Produced by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/60frames">60Frames</a>. Thanks to Wizardly and <a href="http://roadkillrefugee.wordpress.com/">RoadkillRefugee</a> for the tip.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: ImpressiveMichael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-11637591297640137352008-10-24T13:19:00.000-07:002008-10-24T13:20:55.628-07:00Ron the Director, Meet Your Fans<object width="464" height="388" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://www2.funnyordie.com/public/flash/fodplayer.swf?5320a921" /><param name="flashvars" value="key=cc65ed650d" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><embed width="464" height="388" flashvars="key=cc65ed650d" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" src="http://www2.funnyordie.com/public/flash/fodplayer.swf?5320a921" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object><div style="text-align:center;width: 464px;">See more <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/ron_howard">Ron Howard</a> videos at Funny or Die</div>Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-62984696010047416542008-10-24T08:41:00.000-07:002008-10-24T08:57:00.166-07:00Joe the Plumber, Meet Amy the Makeup ArtistI have no special insight here. Just a burning need to unload to post some snark on the news that Amy Strozzi, Gov. Palin's makeup artist, <a href="http://snurl.com/4nwcg%20%20[thecaucus_blogs_nytimes_com]">drew top dollar</a> in the entire McCain campaign staff for drawing on the face that launched a thousand quips. I don't suppose Sen. McCain will be introducing her on the Joe the Plumber tour.<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: Amy Strozzi's other big credit is "So You Think You Can Dance." Maybe she can offer some terpsichorean tips to the McCain surrogates making the rounds of cable news today. They're going to be doing some mighty fancy tap dancing.</div>Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-69392154215774269612008-10-22T09:13:00.000-07:002008-10-22T13:04:37.018-07:00Palin's Wardrobe: Stop Whining. Those Outfits Are Fabulous<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SP9dx1BzIYI/AAAAAAAAAQc/0OctYwZOmeA/s1600-h/badeggs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SP9dx1BzIYI/AAAAAAAAAQc/0OctYwZOmeA/s400/badeggs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260026000421626242" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14805.html">Politico</a> broke the story. "RNC shells out $150K for Palin fashion." And everyone piled on. <a href="http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/10/republicans_disgusted_by_rnc_s.php">Ambinder</a> (Atlantic) said "Republicans Disgusted." <a href="http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/10/22/palin_rnc/">Koppelman</a> (Salon) snarked "How real Americans dress." <a href="http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=28594">Tayor Marsh</a> reminds us that Cindy McCain spent twice that for a single outfit. <a href="http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/welfare-queen-by-dday-why-is-nanny.html">dday</a> called her a "Welfare Queen." <a href="http://www.redstate.com/diaries/josh_painter/2008/oct/22/fashioning-criticism/">Josh_Painter</a> (Redstate) brushes it off as a bargain—the money didn't just buy outfits for the Gov, but for her whole family. <a href="http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/the_high_cost_of_looking_confused/">Pandagon</a> calculates that John Edwards could have had a $400 haircut every week for 7.2 years. <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2008/10/palins-economic.html">L.A. Times</a> calls it a "$150,000 Wardrobe Malfunction" and a "one-woman economic stimulus plan."<br /><br />I say, knock it off. Back in the fifties, <a href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/richardnixoncheckers.html">Nixon</a> kept his place on the ticket by telling the TV audience that his wife, "doesn't have a mink coat. But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat, and I always tell her she'd look good in anything."<br /><br />But TV was black and white back then. And generally fuzzy. Today, we're in a world of color and HD. I say, let Palin dress for success.<br /><br />Here's the most delicious irony of it all. The official McCain response to the flap:<br /><blockquote>With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses. It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."<br /><div style="text-align: right;">—Tracey Schmitt, McCain spokesperson.</div></blockquote>Aren't these the folks who said “If we keep talking about the economic crisis, we’re going to lose”? Now that they want to talk about the economy, they're stuck with the visual dissonance of a hockey mom in couturier fashion. Oops.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: Back in burlesque, they used the phrase "talking woman" to mean a female who could actually deliver lines in a sketch. Talking women were rare in the genre. Most women in burlesque were hired strictly for their looks. Palin may have started out at the Republican Convention with great reviews as a talking woman, but lately the more she says, the less voters think of her. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/21/the-palin-effect-from-bad_n_136711.html">Yesterday's polls</a> say she's an even bigger drag on McCain than Bush. So Palin's a washout as a talking woman. Still, the outfits are fabulous. She wears them well. Don't begrudge.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-59317053970466372122008-10-18T19:48:00.000-07:002008-10-18T20:44:38.440-07:00Robocalls: Shine a Light and Make the Cockroaches ScurryHave you ever before seen a campaign rebroadcast their opponent's slimiest ads? Obama has put the McCain Robocalls on YouTube for all to see.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_9WoGfS20l4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_9WoGfS20l4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Time was that politics was like the world of Fritz Lang's Metropolis. A visible world of daylight, and a dark subterranean shadow world. The worst of the smears through push polls, phone calls, flyers and mailers thrived in the underground campaigns. No more.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: The primary campaign was a vaccine. We all got the killed virus months ago. We have anti-bodies now.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-83892527808999407942008-10-18T04:39:00.000-07:002008-10-18T04:44:41.762-07:00The Musical Lilt of Sarah Palin's SpeechWoid sent this to me. He says it's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprechstimme">sprechtstimme</a>. I say it's bold and refreshing and devilishly funny.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9nlwwFZdXck&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9nlwwFZdXck&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: There are so many things this talented woman could do. She'll bounce back.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-5546391453171919192008-10-16T11:20:00.000-07:002008-10-16T11:29:40.550-07:00McCain Defends His Fans. Let's Meet a FewMcCain said this last night at the debate:<br /><blockquote>"I'm not going to stand for people saying that the people that come to my rallies are anything but the most dedicated, patriotic men and women that are in this nation and they're great citizens."</blockquote>Let's meet some of these great citizens:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zRqcfqiXCX0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zRqcfqiXCX0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Senator, do you want to revise your remarks? Or stand by them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: I cheated. Those folks aren't actually going to a McCain rally. They're going to a Palin rally. Whole different animal.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-35769183592145127062008-10-16T06:15:00.001-07:002008-10-16T12:30:35.495-07:00Debate Insta-shirt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cafepress.com/mccain_plumber"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SPc_QxSSxDI/AAAAAAAAAP8/D-VciVEEPzs/s150/plumber+shirt_Front.jpg" alt="" id="McCain-Plumber T-Shirt" border="0" /></a>Looks like John McCain has a new running mate. And the merchandize is <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/mccain_plumber">ready-to-wear</a> already. Woid is the designer. You have a choice of several shirt styles and a mug. Celebrate the world's second most famous plumber (Nixon's gang of burglars notwithstanding).<br /><br />(Note: at the presidential debate last night, John McCain made innumberable references to a citizen that had a conversation with Barack Obama about taxes. McCain called him "Joe, the plumber." Today we've learned a lot about Joe: He's <a href="http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081016/NEWS09/810160418">not a licensed plumber</a>. While he's concerned about Obama's tax plans, he <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aWDHvDjnDnTs&refer=home">owes back taxes</a>. He thinks <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sx04zXISnE&">Social Security is a joke</a>.<br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SPdEm25jPPI/AAAAAAAAAQM/vn12yAIPppU/s1600-h/josephine_the_plumber.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SPdEm25jPPI/AAAAAAAAAQM/vn12yAIPppU/s150/josephine_the_plumber.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257746524340960498" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Josephine The Plumber,<br />Even More Famous than Joe</span></span></div></div>Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-829042764138211702008-10-15T10:58:00.000-07:002008-10-15T15:58:15.366-07:00Help to Filibuster-proof the Senate<a href="https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/gofor60?refcode=thermometer"><img src="http://www.actblue.com/page/gofor60/goal/dark.png" style= "margin: 10pt 10px 10px 10pt; float: right; cursor: pointer;" alt="Goal Thermometer"/></a><br />A sixty-seat, fillibuster-proof majority within reach of the Democrats. Can you give $6 for 60 votes?<br /><br />As of October 15th, Democratic challengers lead in enough states to yield a <a href="http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Senate/Maps/Oct15-s.html">59-seat Democratic caucus</a>. But that includes Joe Lieberman (I-CT).<br /><br />Can we get to 60? Can we do it without Lieberman?<br /><br />There are six states where polls put the candidates within 5 points of each other. Democrats are barely ahead in three (AK, MN, NC). Republicans are barely ahead in three (KY, MS, GA).<br /><br />If we hold the three Democratic leads, that brings us up to 59. If we can turn one of the Republican leads, we make 60. If we turn two, we can have sixty without Lieberman.<br /><br />Because of the closeness of these races, these are the states where additional contributions can have the greatest impact in reaching a filibuster-proof majority.<br /><br />I've set up a page on <a href="http://www.actblue.com/page/gofor60/">ActBlue </a>to make it easy to contribute to these six tight Senate races.<br /><br />If you give each of these candidates $6, that's a total donation of $36. If that's too much, then pick your favorites from the list and give $6 to as many as you can.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take:</span> I set up the page with a very modest goal of raising $360. We blew past that in just a few hours, so I've doubled the goal.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-49276948510487621792008-10-11T11:55:00.000-07:002008-10-11T15:32:33.294-07:00Hey, John, You Earned Yourself a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card. But You're Still on Parole<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SPDuOtzC5II/AAAAAAAAAPU/vpjsqWhBJDA/s1600-h/get_out_of_jail.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SPDuOtzC5II/AAAAAAAAAPU/vpjsqWhBJDA/s200/get_out_of_jail.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255962701720642690" border="0" /></a>John, <a href="http://mickelehsoap.blogspot.com/2008/10/quick-everyone-send-john-mccain-cake.html">my fellow prisoner</a>, you did us proud last night, telling your fightened, hateful fan-base that Obama is not Arab (though you might have mentioned that it's okay to be Arab and it's even okay to be Arab-American). You told them that Obama's a decent family man and you said the members of your posse don't have to fear him as president. For that, I hand you this "Get Out of Jail Free" card.<br /><br />But, my friend, you're still on parole. And we can haul your ass back into Demogogue Jail at any moment. What you did was good as far as it goes. But now you have to show us far it can go. Does it undo your running-mate's and your advertising's game of guilt by word association (terrorists-pallin' around-shady)?<br /><br />You answered "Who is the real Barack Obama?" Twice. But many times did you ask it? Has your campaign ceased asking it? Look how nicely your new words fit your old questions:<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SjY9HOMbb0c&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SjY9HOMbb0c&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br />John, you have, as the Prophet Hosea put it, sown the wind. And now you're reaping the whirlwind. Your campaign has attracted a core supporter base that is among the most fearful, ill-informed, hateful, and irrational in the country. You, Palin and your surrogates have expressed, magnified, and unleashed their hatreds. The vast subterranean river of slander carried out of public view by emails is now spewing forth in your rallies with calls for violence against Barack Obama. Are you going to take responsibility for cleaning up that sewage? When?<br /><br />You've made a meme of "I know how to do it." Well let's see if you know how to do this: Can you stuff that foul genie back into the bottle?.<br /><br />You're auditioning for leader. Let's see if you can lead your rabble back to sanity. Let's see if you can lead the Atwater-inspired, Rove-trained crew that you hired on a path back to rational discourse? Can you lead your Vice Presidential choice away from her winky-poo demagoguery? Can you lead your estranged and bullying base back into the American family?<br /><br />We're watching.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: John, I'm so proud of my country because it isn't falling for the same old Nixon-spawned politics of division that your team attempted. They don't believe, don't even have much interest in the scurrilous messages you approved. And have you noticed the growing chorus of decent conservatives and Republicans who have spoken out agains your wretched, lying, dangerous tactics? I don't expect you to listen to me. But how about listening to them? I don't think you can save your campaign any more, but there's a chance might be able to save some shred of your reputation. Get out of jail, my fellow prisoner. Get off parole. Be a mensch.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-79052282391567374502008-10-11T10:26:00.001-07:002008-10-11T10:33:12.130-07:00Lee Stranahan's 30 Days, 30 Reasons<a href="http://leestranahan.com/">Lee Stranahan</a> counts us down to election day with a project to release a video a day telling us why he's voting for Obama. Here's the series so far.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/p/4D602C78718F6A71" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/p/4D602C78718F6A71" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mikeleh's Take</span>: So far, so good. Worth watching. Subscribe to Lee's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Stranahan">YouTube Channel</a> to get the rest of the series. Or Come back here, I'll be adding them as he releases them.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-22487238941634429742008-10-11T10:16:00.000-07:002008-10-11T10:17:42.178-07:00Feelin' The Love?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SPDfrXTF1JI/AAAAAAAAAPM/NWc2R2wQhQY/s1600-h/002101c92bbb%2445b07240%24a4219718.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_4EcHdWwaf3A/SPDfrXTF1JI/AAAAAAAAAPM/NWc2R2wQhQY/s400/002101c92bbb%2445b07240%24a4219718.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255946701222827154" border="0" /></a>Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-62835349489658260492008-10-11T06:43:00.000-07:002008-10-11T11:07:01.346-07:00Guess Who's the Real Crypto Muslim in This RaceHat tip to <a href="http://sparksflyup.com/">John Green</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Towns-John-Green/dp/0525478183/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223732722&sr=8-1">(author</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/vlogbrothers?ob=1">vlogbrother</a>, <a href="http://nerdfighters.ning.com/">nerdfighter</a>, and <a href="http://www.sparksflyup.com/anagrams.php">anagrammarian</a>) for getting me thinking about vice presidential anagrams this morning.<br /><br />I soon discovered that Sarah Palin anagrams to "Sharia plan." So, clearly, she's the one who plans to institute Muslim law in the United States.<br /><br />By the way, John's favored anagrams for the candidates:<br /><br />I need job (Joe Biden)<br />Las Piranha (Sarah Palin)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: Other anagrams for Sarah Palin include:<br />a sharp nail<br />a plain rash<br />anal parish<br />has anal rip<br />(but you didn't hear them from me.)<br /><br />Two apt anagrams for Joe Biden:<br />jibe node<br />jibe done.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-52799008571418911342008-10-08T19:17:00.000-07:002008-10-08T19:29:03.578-07:00Divine Intervention Against Free Speech?At the Palin rally in Greenville, N.C., the <a href="http://bluenc.com/invocation-palins-greenville-nc-rally-god-close-their-mouths">Rev. Walter Leake</a> prayed this prayer invoking both Scripture and the X-Files:<br /><blockquote>Father, you said the truth will set us free. We know the truth is out there, and the truth is that the other side is lying, ubelievably lying... God, we ask you to close their mouths."</blockquote><br />After which, Palin proceded to tell two oft-debunked lies that stand at the heart of her stump speech.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: "God bless America," I'm used to. "God, tell Obama to STFU" is new territory.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-88658862966336207602008-10-08T15:10:00.000-07:002008-10-08T19:47:36.782-07:00Quick, Everyone Send John McCain a Cake With a File Baked Into It.I don't know exactly why John McCain addressed us all as, "My fellow prisoners." It may have been a vibe he picked up from Warden Baracuda standing behind him. He may have been watching too many Naomi Wolff videos. He may just be feeling trapped in a role which has forced him put his honor into dry dock for the duration. Maybe he was reading the biography of Father Damien among the lepers on Molokai. But whatever it is, he said it. <br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N4FADXTI-vc&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N4FADXTI-vc&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />When you watch the video, keep your eye on Palin. She's looking at John until he has his brain-fart, then... well, see for yourself.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: Let's all send him a cake with a file baked in. If that won't get by the Secret Service, then let's all send him a harmonica.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-18742076611702357832008-10-08T07:06:00.000-07:002008-10-08T07:25:35.856-07:00The Rabid Base Gets Real FoamyEarlier, I noted that John McCain <a href="http://mickelehsoap.blogspot.com/2008/10/second-debate-who-is-real-john-mccain.html">declined to bring the mud </a>last night. I thought that was in recognition that the mud is only working for his rabid base and not at all for independents and undecideds.<br /><br />Turns out the rabid base was none-too-happy about that. <a href="http://mickelehsoap.blogspot.com/2008/10/second-debate-who-is-real-john-mccain.html">Andy McCarthy</a> in NRO's "The Corner," got real foamy in the mouth about it. Called it a disaster and said McCain failed because he didn't portray Obama as a radical leftist. He blamed the failure on McCain's not being a true-believer in conservative doctrine.<br /><blockquote>Memo to McCain Campaign: Someone is either a terrorist sympathizer or he isn't; someone is either disqualified as a terrorist sympathizer or he's qualified for public office. You helped portray Obama as a clealy qualified presidential candidate who would fight terrorists.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">[snip]</span><br /><br />With due respect, I think tonight was a disaster for our side. I'm dumbfounded that no one else seems to think so.<br /></blockquote>The debates have been a fine way for us all to answer Groucho's question: "Who are you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?" McCarthy is just furious that the country is coming around to believe our own eyes rather than the dangerous radical they conjure and fulminate against.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Mickeleh's Take</span>: Memo to McCain Campaign; cc: Andy McCarthy. You can tell me: Do any of you actually believe the crap you are trying to pin on Obama? Or is it—as it looks from the outside—pure, cynical demogoguery? I'm getting the impression that you are derranged enough to swallow your own snake oil.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-80655519048251215502008-10-08T06:28:00.000-07:002008-10-08T06:48:47.599-07:00"That One" "That Girl" & "This Boy""That One" is the immortal line from this debate. File it with "There you go again," and "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."<br /><br />In celebration, please enjoy the following vids.<br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rkykrDu32Wo&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rkykrDu32Wo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:85%;" >That One (McCain)</span></div><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M9rapJrbNRA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M9rapJrbNRA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">That Girl (Marlo Thomas)</span></span><br /></div><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y2H_zx0csW8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y2H_zx0csW8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:85%;" >This Boy (Beatles)</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: At least McCain didn't munge all three of these and call Obama "That boy."Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-43877744090123954472008-10-08T04:29:00.000-07:002008-10-08T04:46:54.115-07:00Who Won The Debate? Irrelevant.Before last night's presidential debate, Obama had a clear lead in both national polls, and state-by-state electoral votes.<br /><br />In order to change that, McCain would have had to deliver a breakthrough. He didn't. If you favored him, he did well enough for you to tout his victory. But if you didn't, nothing he said or did would have flipped you into his column. Best line of all is from <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/08/uselections2008.johnmccain">Melissa McEwan</a>:<br /><blockquote>McCain needed to win; he did not. He got owned. Say goodnight, Johnny. It's President That One to you.</blockquote>I'll tell you (though you know I'm biased going in) that Obama did better on substance, style, energy, focus, and looking, as Buffy once said, "very commandery." He did himself some good in bringing home some undecideds.<br /><br />I'll tell you that McCain started strong, but tired out through the debate, puttered aimlessly across the stage, looked grumpy and uncomfortable when Obama spoke, came to life briefly when he gave a navy guy a back pat and a handshake.<br /><br />I'll tell you that the CNN audience dial-a-smile didn't seem very interested in what McCain had to say.<br /><br />I don't have to tell you, because you probably read it elsewhere that the <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/8/71227/6169/246/623177">insta-polls</a> gave it decisively to Obama.<br /><br />I won't miss Tom ("Is Russia evil?") Brokaw.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: If you want Obama in the White House, don't let up. We still have four long weeks to go. But smile while you work.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-37127150054686765542008-10-08T03:33:00.000-07:002008-10-08T07:38:48.703-07:00Second Debate: Who is the Real John McCain?The most striking thing about last night's presidential debate is what we didn't hear. McCain didn't bring up Ayres, Rezko, or Rev. Wright. He didn't tell us that Sen. Obama accuses the U.S. of doing nothing in Afghanistan but bombing innocents. He didn't accuse Obama of wanting to raise taxes on people making $42,000. He didn't say that Obama just showed up "out of nowhere."<br /><br />The Sen. McCain who debated last night bore no resemblance to the Sen. McCain whose campaign has been throwing nothing but mud and asking, "Who's the real Barack Obama?" The John McCain who came to at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn comes from an alternate universe.<br /><br />Except for an eruption of disdain that burst out in when he called his opponent, "that one," this John McCain pretty much stuck to issues while he puttered around the stage. He threw only the mildest of shopworn zingers ("nailing jello to a wall") and a short list of distortions, including the canard that Obama voted 94 times for tax increases. (Using the same <a href="http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015025.php">dubious methodology</a> that gets Obama to 94, McCain voted 105 times for tax increases since 2005 and nearly 500 times in his Senate career.)<br /><br />It was a tacit admission that the core of his campaign is not working for anyone but the rabid base. It's a flop with undecideds and an energizer for Democrats. If you watched the CNN dial-o-rama to see how their panel of viewers rated the debate minute-by-minute you could see that anytime McCain went negative, the response flat-lined.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: Who is the real John McCain? The fellow who showed up last night to debate, or the one that approves a steady stream of deceptive smear ads and whose running mate demagogues Obama as a pal of terrorists?Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-53496605373153337532008-10-07T15:40:00.000-07:002008-10-07T16:08:29.852-07:00Short TakesTime for Biden to get up and remind a rally that John McCain is pallin' around with Phil Gramm, an economic terrorist who targets his own country.<br /><br /><object height="388" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.ucbcomedy.com/videos/embed/126645b191e22fbc4ced18f63ef26b7b"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.ucbcomedy.com/videos/embed/126645b191e22fbc4ced18f63ef26b7b" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="388" width="480"></embed></object><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">Marlon Brando in the Story of John McCain</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;">(Upright Citizens Brigade)</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"></span></span><br /><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/7/12422/0539/654/622785">BarbinMD</a>: "At what point do we call the tactics of John McCain and Sarah Palin for what they are? Hate mongering"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howie-klein/as-mccain-limps-into-the_b_132728.html">Howie Klein:</a> "Unless 'maverick' means a crook or a tired old wreck of a man, McCain is no maverick."<br /><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lucy-bernholz/palin-cruella-da-ville_b_132662.html">16-yr old girl</a>: "Mom, anyone who has ever seen even one Disney movie can tell that Sarah Palin is the bad guy in this story."<br /><br />One more <a href="http://mediamatters.org/columns/200810070007">right wing lie</a> to set straight: The Palin Rape Kit story has <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> been debunked.<br /><br />I used to think this Ira Gershwin lyric was a quaint reminder of a time long gone:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Refrain</span> from <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Who Cares?"</span><br /><br />Let it rain and thunder,<br />Let a million firms go under.<br />I am not concerned with<br />Stocks and bonds that I've been burned with! </blockquote>The lyric also includes this couplet that I've enjoyed all my life (because it mentions the town where I grew up). But I've never caught its full impact till now:<br /><blockquote>Who cares what banks fail in Yonkers<br />As long as you've got a kiss that conquers.</blockquote>Here's <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/7176v/is_barack_obama_muslin_clear_facts_answer_the/">how to answer</a> someone who tells you they won't vote for Obama because he's a Muslim.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: Here's the upside of the McCain Palin Slime Talk Express: It exposes them as having zero honor. It wouldn't be happening if they didn't know why the rest of us know: they're losing.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32033624.post-70705145630424572162008-10-06T04:42:00.000-07:002008-10-06T04:47:03.107-07:00Thirty Days, Thirty Reasons to Vote Obama<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Zqg33z4SZg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Zqg33z4SZg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Lee Stranahan kicks off a month-ong series of videos in support of Barack Obama. First installment: health care.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mickeleh's Take</span>: Obama wants to end the insurance companies's ability to reject people who have pre-existing conditions. The best way to do that is to reject McCain-Palin on the basis of their pre-existing condition: they're Republicans.Michael Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14556289806815705670noreply@blogger.com0