Go to Martin and read his mini-assessment of Governor Sara Palin, John McCain's pick as his running mate. Here's the money quote

Considering John McCain's age and history with cancer, this pick has extra importance. It's hard to envision Gov. Palin becoming president on short notice. It also undermines McCain's focus on foreign policy and experience. But, McCain had to do something bold. He is going to try to narrow the gender gap. Will women follow?

When I first read her name on Memeorandum, all I could say was "Who?" followed by a "WTF?!?!" Is an anti-choice, hunting loving semi-nobody from Alaska the best the Republicans could muster to be their stand-in for Hillary Clinton.

WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING!

My father was born in Davenport, Iowa. His family (the Kunkels) have lived there since around the Civil War and used to have a sporting good store there. So I always pay attention to the local politics in Davenport.

Well, Obama just swung through Davenport and this video shows what a man of the people he really is:

Bush and McCain won't talk to anyone who hasn't been pre-screened to avoid embarrassing questions. Obama is willing to face the people, including potential critics. The Republicans are afraid of the American people. Obama is one of us.

I often discuss candidates based on their past voting record, because let's face it, we want to know where candidates REALLY stand, not just what they say. I have previously exposed John McCain's right wing extremist voting record, including his consistently anti-choice, anti-Veteran, anti-farmer and anti-labor votes. Whatever McCain CLAIMS, his voting record shows he is not in touch with the mainstream of Americans. The National Jewish Democratic Council also compares McCain's extremist stands with Obama's moderate, mainstream stands. And the Sierra Club slams McCain on the environment. Even George Bush's own Pastor slams McCain's character and morals and endorses Obama.

Going to try and blog the occasional easy piece while on vacation. Have a couple of big stories I will handle when I get back, but until then, probably just a handful of entries.

Since I will forget by the time I get back, I want to post the list of endorsements from the Oregon League of Conservation Voters. I should note that this is not a vetted list so I am not personally endorsing them (other than Jeff Merkley, who is excellent) but I consider the Oregon League of Conservation Voters pretty good so it is worth putting their endorsement list out there. Anyone who agrees or disagrees is free to post their comments here.

United States Senate

Jeff Merkley (I also have my own opinion of Merkley here)

United States House of Representatives

Kurt Schrader

Statewide

Attorney General - John Kroger

Secretary of State - Kate Brown

Treasurer – Ben Westlund

Oregon Senate

Senate District 14 – Mark Hass

Senate District 17 – Suzanne Bonamici

Senate District 18 – Ginny Burdick

Senate District 21 – Diane Rosenbaum

Senate District 23 – Jackie Dingfelder

Bush flip flops on Putin's soul. It seems like only yesterday that Bush said of President Vladimir Putin: "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue... I was able to get a sense of his soul." Now, Bush accuses the Russian president of "bullying and intimidation." It remains unclear whether Putin has changed or Bush has bad soul-dar.

Condoleeza Rice leaks conscience to the press. [or "in rare moment, Condoleeza Rice let's conscience slip."] The Secretary of State said "military power" is "not the way to deal in the 21st century."

In a similar episode, the AP lets the truth slip, referring to Joe Lieberman as "the Democratic vice presidential prick* in 2000..."

William Kristol lies only 1/4 of the time. Since joining The New York Times Op Ed team in January, William Kristol has already forced the paper to issue four corrections. Although Kristol founded the Weekly Standard, he prefers writing for The New York Times, where
he can push the neo-con agenda, bring down Obama, and destroy the credibility of a newspaper he hates, all at the same time.

McCain's cone of silence could be confirmed by Ear, Nose and Throat doctor.
The McCain campaign insists that the presumptive Republican nominee was in a cone of silence during Rick Warren's interview of Obama. Some, however, suggest that, since McCain was traveling in his motorcade, "he may not have been in the cone of silence" and might have had "some ability to overhear" the questions. This leaves the McCain campaign in the unenviable position of holding the world's first nationally televised presidential audiological test in order to prove that the cone of silence was unnecessary because the senator is hard of hearing.

Bored with just stealing American jobs, immigrants turn to taking away our medals.

*You would think that with a last name like hers, the AP reporter, Nedra Pickler, would be more careful.

Originally posted at The Field

Have you got this vibe going in your family? We do!

Evolved home education and most all forms of "alternative education" just go hand-in-hand with this vibe. (Anti-intellectual church-driven school-at-home excepted, of course.)

I'll bet your kids exude it too -- Colleen's long-haired Jerry, Not June Cleaver's skateboarders, Nance's two quintessential unschoolers, Doc's quirky country fair quartet, Daryl's dancers, COD's fencer and equestrian. Heck, I was a brainy counterculture fencer myself, once upon a time. (The True Vibe can't be contained, even in regular public school!)

Always unschooled Favorite Daughter and her mostly-schooled boyfriend were part of The World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando. For five thrilling days, they were organizer Greg Cohen's trusted roadies and grips and security behind the scenes, technical crew supporting and marveling at these brainy counterculture young boys and what they could do.

The contest from July 31 to Aug. 2 drew 196 competitors from 20 countries, mostly teenage boys, who exuded an unthreatening and brainy counterculture vibe. They looked like skateboarders stuck inside on a rainy day.

Many admitted to not quite fitting in back home, where no one seems to take the yo-yo as seriously as they do. Most dressed in black T-shirts and wore their hair long. They had callused middle fingers and forearms scarred by string marks, and often carried backpacks or hard cases filled with yo-yos, some costing hundreds of dollars.

The younger competitors were chaperoned by proud parents or grandparents, willing to keep their distance . . .

Passing guests invariably watched in wonder.

When she got home that Sunday night, FavD didn't stop talking for hours. She planned to blog it all, when she could process it into power of story she could corral and tame. So far that hasn't happened, but maybe it will. If it doesn't, that won't mean it's any less real. Maybe it means it's MORE real than the same old standard stories.

Today Barack Obama is in Orlando (although not literally with yo-yos, AFAIK.) Right now he is saying to the veterans' group that "I believe the American people are better than that", that our performance now must include "acting tough AND smart" to clean up the "calamity left behind" from the past eight years of George Bush and John McCain.

What I love about Obama is that he has the brainy counterculture yo-yo vibe going on. It's like he's speaking a whole new language as he explains the great new moves he's working up to show us. We're all invited to join in and be part of something magical.

But just copying old tricks like churches and schools do, is not merely inadequate. It's a loser move and everybody knows it, which means it's downright embarrassing! Makes the audience uncomfortable even as they try to be polite and respectful. Yes, John McCain, I'm talking to YOU.

My blogging will be at a minimum for at least two weeks. My family is going off to visit my family in California! My son has been counting the days til we leave since August 1st. We are half packed and ready to leave tomorrow. Tomorrow will be airline hell, but by Tuesday I will be happily settling into my California relaxation mode.

I used to love flying. Now, if it wasn't for my family living across the country, I'd avoid flying like the plague. Between Homeland Security's ineffectual but degradingly insulting measures and the airline's incresasingly petty fees and service cuts, the fun has been totally sucked out of air travel, leaving nothing but a husk of misery, anger and bitterness. I used to travel with a smile and just enjoy the ride. Now I fly with a tight lipped sense of dread. Thank you very much airlines. You suck and your suckiness gets worse year after year.

For years US military personnel favored Republicans. I was not always clear on why, I have to admit, and my stepfather was a clear exception to this rule. He fought in WW II and Korea, retired the youngest Lt.-Col. in the history of the US Army (at least up to that point) and taught at Westpoint. And was a lifelong Democrat who in his retirement took to reading The Nation. But the fact was that most US military personnel were Republicans.

That has changed starting in 2002 and as of this year deployed US military personnel have donated to Obama 6:1 over McCain.

From the above linked Daily Kos Diary:

Here are some key talking points:

1. US military 2008 presidential campaign donations, from deployed US troops, favor Barack Obama over John McCain by a 6:1 margin.

2. The Open Secrets study was comprehensive - as ABC notes, "The center tallied money from donors who list the Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy and National Guard as an employer".

3. US military personnel have made a major shift in their donations, in favor of the Democratic Party, since 2002, when military donations favored the GOP by almost 5:1. Now, in '08, those donations favor the GOP only 3:2. That's a huge shift.

I have to agree with Al Giordano, 2008 is the year of the viral video.