first black president or first woman V.P.

[whothrewthecake]

There's a real possibility she knows what a condom is.

i love how you feel the need to completely twist everything i said and make into another issue. yes, i really hate babies and think they are just terrible punishment. and i really want to focus on bristol palin's condom choices and not the actual absurd stuff you threw around but now won't acknowledge, like liberal indoctrination of schools. i'm wondering how you can make that call on schools having probably only lived in one part of the country your whole life and not being in the school system as a professional right now. but whatevs.

[Penny Lane]

OK. I am not going to read this thread after this as it truly is just mental masterbation, no offense to anyone in particular.

I do not know if anyone on this board makes $250,000 or more a year. If you do not, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU BITCHING ABOUT? If Obama wins, he is promising you a tax cut. When did that become a bad thing?

I'm so sick of this shit. Whatever poeple. Vote who you want to, but vote! If you don't, you have absolutly no fucking right to bitch and complain about a damn thing in this country.

Agreed. Anyone making less than 250,000 and voting Republican could not possibly understand the platforms of the GOP.  They are delusional,  MMJfantatic is a prime example of that.

i don't agree with that. most of that money gets reinvested back into the economy ---capitalism encourages people to create, to excel--just because it doesn't affect your tax return, in the long run, it's worse for the economy (not trying to get into a debate about trickle down economics, i believe in a regressive tax system as long as it's not out of control) **but to say anyone making under 250K should be jumping for joy** just don't think that's the big picture

[Taterbug]

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was convicted today on seven counts of failing to report more than $250,000 in improper gifts he received from 1999 to 2006, a stunning blow to a political career that has lasted more than 40 years and marked Alaska's entire history as a part of the United States.

Stevens, 84, now faces a question over whether he will resign, and if he does not, whether he can win reelection Nov. 4 in an already tough race.

Stevens could also be sentenced to as much as five years in federal prison, although considering his age and lack of previous convictions, is unlikely to receive anywhere near the maximum sentence.

Stevens could also appeal the decision, but would likely to have to pay a heavy political price for such a move.

The conviction came after a tumultuous week in the jury room. First there were complaints about an unruly juror, then another had to be replaced when she left Washington following the death of her father. Finally, jurors on Monday discovered a discrepancy in the indictment that had been overlooked by prosecutors. Jury deliberations in this historic trial have at times been as contentious as some of the proceedings

The Justice Department indicted Stevens on July 29, and the Alaska Republican took a huge legal gamble and asked for a speedy trial in order to resolve the charges before Election Day. Judge Emmet Sullivan complied with Stevens' request, and in less than three months from the time of his indictment, Stevens was found guilty.

The verdict, which followed a month-long trial, puts into serious doubt Stevens' political career, as well as his 40-year tenure in the Senate.

Stevens was seeking a seventh full term as in the Senate – he was first appointed in 1968 – and wanted to clear his name before he had to go before voters. With today's guilty verdict, Democrat Mark Begich, Stevens' opponent, will get a huge political boost, and make it that much more likely that he will unseat Stevens.

And even if he wins reelection, Stevens could face an expulsion from the Senate. Of the four sitting senators who were convicted of crimes while in office, only one — Sen. Truman Newberry (R-Mich.) — continued to serve after being found guilty, and he was eventually hounded out of office in 1922 by senators seeking his expulsion.

The verdict was also a huge win for the Justice Department, especially Brenda Morris, the lead prosecutor in the case, and her team of lawyers and investigators. Even investigating a lawmaker of Stevens' standing and reputation was a risky proposition, much less indicting and convicting him. Justice Dept. officials, however, insist that they are willing to take on any public-corruption case, no matter who is involved, and today's verdict will certainly buttress that claim.

The heart of the government's case against Stevens centered on the nearly total overhaul of Stevens' home in Girdwood, Alaska during 2000-01. Bill Allen, a close Stevens' friend and former CEO of VECO Corp., an Alaska oil-field services company, paid for much of the renovation work and used VECO employees to carry it out. That work cost more than $180,000, and Stevens never paid for it or reported it on his annual financial disclosure forms..

But Stevens claimed he paid more than $160,000 to other contractors for the home renovation project. He also said that any VECO employees working on the remodeling were not working for VECO, but rather were employed by him.

Stevens and his wife, Catherine Stevens, said she handled the couple's finances and the senator was not closely involved in the remodeling.

After some prosecutorial missteps early in the trial that almost led to the dismissal of the charges or a mistrial, the pivotal moment in the proceedings appeared to come when Stevens and his wife took the stand. Both told disjointed stories that failed to follow a cohesive narrative, and prosecutors were able to dissect their claims during cross-examination.

Stevens, in particular, was argumentative and crotchety when questioned by prosecutors, and his testimony failed to convince the jury that he was an innocent man.
 ::) ::)

HUGE blow to the the Republican Party in hopes to avoid a SUPER MAJORITY.  

There is still room to Jump on the Obamawagon for you Republicans that want to jump off the Republican turnip truck before it goes off into the ditch.  Better hurry, you got 2 tires in the ditch already  and turnip juice on your backs. ;)  :)

[red]

Not sure if this is getting any media coverage down there, but it's seemingly everywhere here: http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2008/11/01/palin-ckoi.html

[Jaimoe]

I'm no lover of McCain and especially Palin, but to his credit, McCain is a friend to Canada politically and socially wereas Obama wants to "re-examine" NAFTA, which should have everyone worried on both sides of the border.

[Penny Lane]

i don't see that happening--i think his team realizes that is one of his major blunders.

[Jaimoe]

i don't see that happening--i think his team realizes that is one of his major blunders.

The talk hasn't gone away, at least from the newpapers I'm reading. I hope you are right.

[Penny Lane]

just got my new Economist--they have officially endorsed BO---

the cover is haunting "It's Time"---my favorite cover yet.

"For all the shortcomings of the campaign, both JM and BO offer hope of national redemption. Now American has to choose between them. The Economist does not have a vote, but if it did, it would cast it for Mr. Obama. We do so wholeheartedly: the Democratic candidate has clearly shownt ath heoffers the better chance of restoring America's self confidence. But we acknowledge it's a gamble. Given BO's inexperience, the lack of clarity about some of his beliefs and the prospect of a stridently Democratic Congress, voting for him is a risk. Yet it is one America should take, given the steep road ahead."

(btw, the economist was a big supporter of McCain and concedes "he has bravely taken unpopular positions...has a long record of working with both Dems and America's allies" but goes on to say "If only the real John McCain had been running--the fiscal conservative who once tackled Bush tax cuts now proposes not just to keep the cuts, but to deepen them..the man who denounced the religious right as agents of intolerance now embraces theocratic culture warriors"....and of his choice of palin "epitomised the sloppiness-..chosen partly for her views on divisive social issues...made his choice upon having met her twice..."

[Penny Lane]

anyone have predictions for the election?? -- for certain states, for popular vote, for controversy (FL?) i think BO will take Ohio/PA and McCain will end up taking NM and WV---i don't see how McCain can win w/out FL--Colorado is the holdout --i have no idea who that will turn--that state is completely split i think

[Angry Ewok]

anyone have predictions for the election?? -- for certain states, for popular vote, for controversy (FL?) i think BO will take Ohio/PA and McCain will end up taking NM and WV---i don't see how McCain can win w/out FL--Colorado is the holdout --i have no idea who that will turn--that state is completely split i think

I predict Alabama is to be a red state.

[Penny Lane]

anyone have predictions for the election?? -- for certain states, for popular vote, for controversy (FL?) i think BO will take Ohio/PA and McCain will end up taking NM and WV---i don't see how McCain can win w/out FL--Colorado is the holdout --i have no idea who that will turn--that state is completely split i think

I predict Alabama is to be a red state.

9 votes! your boy needs more than that, bradley!  ;)

[Angry Ewok]

 :D

Mississippi? Texas? Uh... Tennessee?

[Crispy]

Here's my prediction:

Yes Virginia, Alabama will be red (Virginia won't tho).

[Angry Ewok]

Virginia and Florida are gonna be close, I think.

[Taterbug]

I'm gonna be so happy when the election is over.   I'm tired of political advertising  filling up my mail box, TV ,  Radio and STOP FUCKIN  CALLIN ME AT HOME.  

I WILL  watch the election coverage,  I think I'm gonna turn on FOX news  :'( ,  just for fun.

[Taterbug]

Virginia and Florida are gonna be close, I think.

Mccain would still lose even if he won Florida and Virginia.

[Angry Ewok]

Is "run the table" an accurate phrase in politics?

[pawpaw]

Here's my prediction:

Yes Virginia, Alabama will be red (Virginia won't tho).

Check out this link, it shows how the rest of the world would vote in our election if they could: http://www.economist.com/vote2008/index.cfm?source=most_commented

Iraq is one of only four countries that voted for McCain  ;D

[ItStillJaimoe]

No matter what side of the political fence you sit on, news of Obama's grandmother dying today is very sad for many reasons.

[red]

No matter what side of the political fence you sit on, news of Obama's grandmother dying today is very sad for many reasons.

Just saw that.  Absolutely heartbreaking.