usdemocrats.com political news weblog October 10, 2008 back to weblog index
Biden bites back -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These guys are taking a page out of Karl Roves book, and theyre planning on taking the low road to the highest office in the land, Biden said, referring to President Bushs former political adviser. Biden cited a recent independent analysis of McCain campaign ads that found 100 percent of them were negative. I guess, when you vote with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, your best hope is to attack 100 percent of the time because theres nothing you can say, theres nothing you can talk about, Biden said. Biden, his voice rising in anger, said
McCain hadnt been able to look Democratic presidential
candidate Obama in the eye during their debate this week and
say those things. But folks, in my neighborhood, you want
to say something about me, look me in the eye and tell me! Say
it to me straight up! Say it to me head on! |
Congressional Dems urge Bush
to talk economy with G8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and House Speaker Pelosi sent a letter urging Bush to set up the meeting, according to a news statement released by the two Democrats. The letter comes at a time that Congress
passed a $700 billion bailout bill to abate the U.S. economic
crisis. After the bill was passed last week, U.S. and international
stock markets have continued to plummet. |
NSA eavesdrops on Americans
abroad, former linguists say -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON (CNN) Congressional oversight committees said Thursday they are looking into allegations that National Security Agency (NSA) linguists have been eavesdropping on Americans abroad including military officers in Iraq when they call friends and family back in the United States. The allegations were made by two former military intercept operators on a television news report Thursday evening. A controversial terrorist surveillance
program instituted by the Bush administration allows the intelligence
community to monitor phone calls between the United States and
overseas without a court order as long as one party to
the call is a terror suspect. |
Democratic senator testifies
on Stevens behalf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON (CNN) U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii testified Thursday that he has never known fellow senator Ted Stevens to tell a lie during their 40 years of service together in the Senate. Inouye was the first witness defense attorneys called on behalf of Stevens, who is fighting a seven-count indictment for lying on mandatory financial disclosure forms. His word is good, as far as Im concerned, good enough to take to the bank, Inouye, a Democrat, told defense attorney Brendan Sullivan. Before Inouye began his testimony as a
character witness, Judge Emmet Sullivan denied a defense motion
to acquit Stevens. The Alaska Republican is charged with accepting
and failing to report to the Senate more than $250,000 in gifts,
including home renovations that primarily came from Veco, an
oil-services company. |
Paulson actively
eyes bank investment -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At a White House briefing on Thursday, Perino confirmed reports that the United States could soon join the United Kingdom, Iceland and Italy in announcing a plan to inject capital directly into their troubled banking systems. These capital injections are something that Secretary Paulson is actively considering, said Perino. She said she couldnt comment on the timing or extent of such investments. By Chris Isidore CNNMoney.com |
Official: U.S. has received
partial payment from Libya for terrorist victims -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON (CNN) The United States has received a substantial amount of money from Libya to settle claims by American victims of terrorism, a senior U.S. official announced Thursday. We believe that (the) direct deposit of these funds is evidence of Libyas commitment to fully implementing the claims settlement agreement, the official said. Kara Weipz, president of Families of Pan
Am 103, called the news a positive step, but a small step. |
Biden to appear on 'The Tonight
Show' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This will be Biden's first late-night talk show appearance since being named to the number two spot on the Democratic ticket. Beau Biden, Biden's son, appeared on the late-night mainstay on September 16. Sen. Biden, who was recently parodied on
"Saturday Night Live" after his debate against Gov.
Sarah Palin, will appear on the talk show on October 16. |
Watchdog group seeks ethics
investigation of McCain -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart
An ethics watchdog group has asked the
Senate to investigate whether Sen. McCain failed to disclose
gambling winnings. |
Fact Check: Obama's tax plan
and small businesses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Get the facts!
The Facts: Obama's tax plans, as stated on his Web site and as discussed by various analysts, would increase individual tax rates for the two highest tax brackets to pre-Bush administration levels of 36 percent and 39.6 percent. That would apply to families with income greater than $250,000 or singles with income greater than $200,000, affecting about 2 percent of taxpayers. That tax increase or repeal of Bush tax cuts, depending upon one's perspective would affect a portion of small businesses because many small business owners pay their taxes through personal income tax. The Bush tax cuts are scheduled to expire by 2011. Obama has said he would let them run out for people in the top two brackets, while giving new tax cuts to people making less. But the number of small businesses and owners that would see a tax increase is hard to pin down because the term "small business" can be used to describe anything from an operation with hundreds of employees, to independent business people with no employees except themselves, to businesses that are little more than income-earning hobbies for their owners who also count income from other sources. "Technically (the McCain assertion) is correct in that taxes would go up for certain categories of small businesses," said Gerald Prante, senior economist with the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax research group based in Washington. "But it really depends on how you define small business. It's like the very rich it's only a small percentage of people but they have a lot of money. The same is true of the number of small businesses that would be affected by Obama's highest tax rates it's a small percentage of the total number of small businesses in the United States." Prante said the Tax Foundation estimates there are 36 million income-generating operations in the United States that can be classified as small businesses, using the foundation's "very generous" definition. Under current laws, the foundation calculates that small businesses pay $1.08 trillion in taxes annually. With Obama's plan, Prante said, the foundation estimates that "less than a few percent" of those small businesses would be above the $200,000 threshold and face a tax increase. Obama's tax plan would leave the corporate tax rate at 35 percent and, according to Obama's Web site, taxes would remain the same or be reduced for families with less than $250,000 in income, whether that income came from a small business or wages or other sources. The Verdict: Misleading. While Obama's
plan would increase taxes for an undetermined number of small
business owners who pay their taxes through personal income tax
and whose incomes exceed $200,000, it would not establish across-the-board
tax increases for all small businesses. |
Undecided Voters Breaking
to Obama -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before the debate, these undecided voters leaned toward Sen. John McCain (Obama 45%/McCain 55%) -- but after Tuesday's debate, nearly six in ten lean toward supporting Obama (Obama 57%/McCain 43%). |
ARG Poll: Obama Leading in
West Virginia? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minnesota: Obama 47%, McCain 46% Missouri: Obama 49%, McCain 46% Montana: McCain 50%, Obama 45% New Hampshire: Obama 52%, McCain 43% Ohio: Obama 48%, McCain 45% Texas: McCain 57%, Obama 38% West Virginia: Obama 50%, McCain 42% |
PPP Poll: Obama Pulls Ahead
in Virginia -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key findings: "Obama's made tremendous strides with white voters over the last three weeks, cutting a 60-35 gap with them to 52-42. A PPP analysis earlier in the summer showed that Obama would most likely win Virginia if he could capture just 39% of the white vote, and at 42% currently with 6% still undecided it appears at this point he would reach that threshold easily." Meanwhile, in Virginia's U.S. Senate race Mark Warner (D) continues to hold a commanding 58% to 31% lead over Jim Gilmore (R). |
Strategic Vision: Chambliss
Faces Close Re-Election Race -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the presidential race, Sen. John McCain is ahead of Sen. Barack Obama in Georgia, 50% to 43%. |
McConnell Loss Would Shake
Up GOP Leadership -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Democratic Strategists See
Landslide -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Four large states McCain once seemed well-positioned to win -- Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida -- have in recent weeks shifted toward Obama. If Obama were to win those four states -- a scenario that would represent a remarkable turn of events -- he would likely surpass 350 electoral votes." Important point: "Under almost any
feasible scenario, McCain cannot win the presidency if he loses
any of those four states." |
Forecasting the Electoral
Vote -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Based on this work, they project Sen. Barack Obama will beat Sen. John McCain in the Electoral College, 336 to 202. Projecting the national popular vote based on predicted state margins and assumed state-level contributions to the national vote, they expect Obama will get 51.8% of the two-party vote. http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/10/08/forecasting_the_electoral_vote.html |
Franken Jumps Into Lead -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Franken now leads 41% to 37% with Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley's support at 14%. Said pollster Lawrence Jacobs: "Norm Coleman's 9-point lead over Al Franken essentially disappears in the wake of the financial bailout that Congress passed. He is really suffering the consequences." http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/10/08/franken_jumps_into_lead.html |
Schumer Thinks 60 Seats Possible -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition, he sees Maine, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, and Mississippi within reach. "Although he refused to guess how many seats the Democrats will pick up, his stats and shrugs indicated that the prospect of the Democrats becoming a filibuster proof 60-vote majority is not outside the realm of possibility. He called the chances of such a scenario 'better than they were two weeks ago.'" |
The McCain campaign is on
the ropes, and sadly it's no surprise they're responding with
attacks and outright lies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've heard some pretty unspeakable things in the past few days -- deeply offensive smears that we'll hear over and over again until Election Day. John McCain and Governor Palin are setting a new low in presidential politics with their dishonorable campaign. Barack and I are out there every day fighting back. But we need your help. Make a donation of $5 or more right now to show John McCain and Governor Palin that when they attack us with lies and smears, it literally makes our campaign stronger. After last night's debate, it's clear why John McCain doesn't want to talk about the issues facing ordinary Americans -- especially the economy, which his own advisers admit he can't talk about without losing. Barack won last night by offering clear plans to rebuild our economy from the bottom up, lower healthcare costs, and end the war in Iraq responsibly. McCain tried to push more of the same disastrous Bush administration policies -- more tax cuts for the wealthy and giant corporations, deregulating the healthcare industry and taxing employer-based healthcare plans, and continuing to spend $10 billion a month in Iraq. So what's left for the McCain campaign? Negative attacks and lies. And it's even worse from some of the well-funded outside groups supporting McCain, whose sole purpose is tearing Barack down with smears. Instead of focusing on the issues that really matter, our opponents are doing everything they can to encourage this toxic atmosphere. We cannot stand by and let them get away with it. We need to increase the cost of these desperate tactics for McCain's campaign. Please make a donation of $5 or more right now: https://donate.barackobama.com/costofnegativity Thanks for your support, Joe |
The Fight Americans Can't
Afford to Lose -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dennis Kucinich has been sounding the alarm
for years. He has led the opposition to these obscene giveaways
to corrupt interests that have been gambling with your hard-earned
dollars. He's been demanding direct assistance to Americans whose
lives and futures are at risk - proposing real economic recovery
programs that will create millions of jobs and put money in the
pockets of working men and women all across the country. Please contribute as generously as you can - $20, $50, $100 or more - so that we continue to be represented by a man with the courage and the vision to always represent our best interests. His voice is crucial to our future. And your support has never been more important. http://kucinich.us/contribute Thank You |
Voter registration boom favors
Obama -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g5VqTacUPiPRJS1wBZF5xsE3sjmAD93N5CA80 |
General Election-Nov. 4, Perkins
County Fairgrounds, polls open at ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Obama Heads To The Buckeye
State -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/10/09/politics/fromtheroad/entry4511575.shtml |
C-SPAN Daily Alert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C-SPAN Highlights Tonight: Tomorrow: Tonight: Tomorrow: Tonight:
Tomorrow: Tonight: Tomorrow:
********************************************************************** * Road to the White House - Sunday on C-SPAN
at 6:30pm ET * Newspaper Articles & Viewer Calls * Federal prosecutors have rested their case against Sen. Ted Stevens following testimony Thursday from a last-minute witness: a construction worker for an oil-services company who allegedly helped manage a major addition to the Alaska Republicans home in Girdwood, Alaska... - Full Story at www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight/ * What was the first state not of the original
13 to produce a U.S. Supreme Court justice? - Answer at www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight/
|
US must stand up for democracy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/10/10/2003425510 |
Senate ratifies RP-Japan deal -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Senate demands answers from
Fed on AIG's spending -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Franken Takes Lead In Minnesota
Senate Race -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Liveblog: US Senate debate -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
You may already be registered
to vote, but you probably know several people who are not. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If they're not registered by today, they can't vote in this historic election. This election is going to hinge on unprecedented voter turnout. Visit VoteForChange.com, our one-stop voter registration website, and register before the New York deadline. http://my.barackobama.com/page/m2/55c13a....946819330/VEsH/ Then encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same. Together, we can make history and bring about the change we need. Thanks, Barack P.S. -- Please forward this email to your
friends, family, and neighbors and make sure they register today.
|
Democrats turn out to welcome
Biden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2008/oct/09/democrats-turn-out-welcome-biden/ |
Democrats see big gain in
local registrations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Christine Pelosi: Democrats
Fight Back: Taking On GOP Voter ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
House Democrats Meet to Plan
for Second Stimulus -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Democrats gaining in San Diego
County -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Will 2008 election be stolen? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
US election: Battleground
states -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Citizens can still register
to vote on Election Day -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
C-SPAN Weekend Alert -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C-SPAN Highlights Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Monday: Friday: Saturday: Monday: Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Monday: ********************************************************************** Saturday: Sunday: Monday: * Gov. Sarah Palin Campaign Event in PA
- Sat., C-SPAN, 10am ET LIVE Saturday: Sunday: Monday: ********************************************************************** * After four days of political and economic turmoil, the House on Friday reversed itself and cleared a $700 billion financial bailout package that also extends dozens of expiring tax breaks...- Full Story at http://www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight * In which census did California surpass
New York as the nations most populous state? - Answer at
http://www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight |
Gates says U.S. would back
peace talks with Taliban -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gates made the comments to reporters while at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday and comes as the United States and NATO look for answers to reduce the record violence gripping the country this year. U.S. commanders in Afghanistan have asked
for an additional 15,000 troops, but the call has gone unanswered,
with the United States short on troops and NATO countries not
interested in contributing more personnel. |
Fact Check: Would Obama fine
businesses that don't offer health care? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sen. McCain said Obama's health care plan
would fine businesses that don't offer insurance, but how true
is that?. Get the facts!
The Facts: The plan does not mention any criminal
or civil penalties. And, by withholding a percentage of payroll,
that portion of the plan seems more in line with a payroll tax
than a fine which would typically be a set dollar amount.
In a section of McCain's Web site highlighting his health-care
plan and criticizing McCain's suggestion that Obama's plan would impact small businesses is wrong. "Small businesses will be exempt from this requirement," Obama's Web site says. The Verdict: False. McCain calling the
plan's payment a fine is at odds with his own Web site, which
calls it a tax. Obama's campaign says small businesses would
be exempt from the plan. |
Fact Check: Would McCain's
mortgage plan shift burden to taxpayers? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Obama campaign released an ad taking
aim at McCain's mortgage plan, but how truthful is the ad?. Get the facts!
The Facts: On his Web site, McCain calls it "an American Homeownership Resurgence Plan." Under his plan, the government would buy up some troubled mortgages at their full value meaning the lenders would not take a loss. The government would then renegotiate those mortgages, so that eligible homeowners would be paying rates based on their homes' current, reduced value. McCain previously supported renegotiating mortgages with lenders, who would take losses. His economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, told reporters Wednesday that McCain now believes having the government pay the entire value of the loans is "the only way" to begin stabilizing the housing market "in a timely fashion." Obama, in his ad, highlights this quote from a CNNMoney.com story: "Much of the burden of paying to keep troubled borrowers in their homes will shift to taxpayers." The McCain campaign acknowledged that point, both on a conference call with Holtz-Eakin on the day after the debate and in a follow-up interview with CNN's Les Christie, writer of the CNNMoney.com story. The McCain campaign says the plan would cost about $300 billion. "Funds provided by Congress in (the) recent financial market stabilization bill can be used for this purpose; indeed by stabilizing mortgages it will likely be possible to avoid some purposes previously assumed needed in that bill," the campaign Web site says. McCain's plan puts him at odds with a bill adopted by Congress in July that required lenders to write down mortgage balances to 90 percent of a home's current market value in order to qualify for refinancing insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Neither McCain nor Obama voted on that bill. While the Obama ad refers to "lenders that caused the crisis in the first place," Obama himself has been using slightly different language on the stump, referring to lenders who "helped create this mess in the first place." But the substance of Obama's attack has not changed. The Verdict: |
Fox News: Obama Leads By Seven
Nationally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key findings: "Obama's advantage comes mainly from doing better among women, blacks, young voters, those with a college degree, and unmarried voters. He has increased his edge over McCain among women to 16 percentage points, up from a 4-point edge last month." http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/10/10/fox_news_obama_leads_by_seven_nationally.html |
Most GOP Insiders Think Obama
Will Win -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition, 67% of Republicans said Obama did more to help himself in the second presidential debate than did Sen. John McCain. |
Democrats Have Registration
Edge -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Civitas Poll: Obama Opens
Up Lead in North Carolina -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Key finding: "Obama's advantage comes from his increased share of unaffiliated voters where he has now opened up a 9 point lead (49% to 40%). He has also begun to solidify his base Democratic vote, shaving the percentage of Democrats voting for McCain down from 22% two weeks ago to 17% this week." Said pollster Francis De Luca: "The amount of money Obama is spending on television in North Carolina is finally paying dividends. Obama's ability to capitalize on the financial crisis and to outspend McCain in North Carolina gives him a strong advantage." |
Strategic Vision: Obama Leads
in Florida, Ohio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Florida: Obama 52%, McCain 44% Ohio: Obama 48%, McCain 46% |
I have three great friends
I want to introduce you to. But John, Eric, and Rick aren't just
great friends -- they're great leaders. They are honored veterans
who will be valuable allies to Barack Obama and Joe Biden in
Congress. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Boccieri from Ohio is a friend and a genuine hero who served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who will work to bring the troops home. Eric Massa from New York served 24 years on active duty in the Navy, and served in every operational area the Navy sails in. Both John and Eric are running great races and can help us grow our Democratic Majority. Rick Noriega from Texas joined the Army in 1979, and later served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas Army National Guard. After 9/11, he was deployed for fourteen months including one year in Afghanistan. I hope to have Rick alongside me in the Senate. I know John, Eric, and Rick well. I know they'll provide valuable leadership on national security issues and help us end the war in Iraq responsibly, face new challenges abroad, and restore the reputation tarnished by eight years of George Bush and John McCain-style foreign policy. That's why I'm happy to introduce them as the next three candidates on HillPAC's 2008 slate, and I hope you will join me in supporting them. Contribute today to help elect John, Eric, and Rick to Congress on November 4. http://links.hillpac.com/ctt?kn=1&m=1233....TMwS0&mt=1&rt=0 I know that we'll make Congress more effective and America stronger if we elect more Democratic veterans. Thank you for everything, Hillary |
John McCain keeps asking this
question at his rallies -- then he gives answers that are shockingly
false and negative. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's why it's vital that you sign up to volunteer for at least one day during the final days of this election. Voters won't know the truth about Barack unless supporters like you reach out to them. I also wanted to share a video of personal moments from behind the scenes at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, so you can see Barack and Michelle as they are -- decent, warm, and kind people with a loving family. Watch the video and get to know the Obamas a little better. Then sign up to volunteer on a crucial day before the Election:
Our opponents try to stir up doubt and fear by questioning who Barack really is -- as if after more than a decade in public office, more than 20 months on the campaign trail, dozens of debates, two books written by him and dozens more about him, people still don't have enough information to decide for themselves who should lead our country. Millions of Americans have gotten to know Barack Obama as an American who's devoted his life to things bigger than himself -- his community, his country, and ordinary citizens looking for a voice. Our challenge now is to do the same -- to devote these last weeks to a cause bigger than ourselves. These tough economic times make our cause more urgent and the stakes even higher. Barack needs your help to win this election and bring the change we need to Washington. Can you give a day of your time during the last four days of the election? Watch the video, share it with others, and get involved: http://my.barackobama.com/4Days Only 24 days remain until Election Day. Won't you commit at least one to ensure our victory? David David Plouffe P.S. -- You can make a difference in a nearby battleground state where the election is neck-and-neck. Find your state page and click Drive for Change. http://my.barackobama.com/page/m2/55c13a....219218011/VEsC/
|
Senate Race Rankings: 57+
For Democrats -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Democrats turn out for Biden
appearance in Springfield w/ Sen ... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Report hits Palin for abuse
of power, violating ethics code in trooper case -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Governor Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda, the report states. Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegans
refusal to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten from the state police
force was likely a contributing factor to Monegans
July dismissal, but Palin had the authority as governor to sack
him, the report by former Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower
states. However, it states that her efforts to get Wooten fired
broke a state ethics law that bars public officials from pursuing
personal interest through official action. |
Palin abused power but didnt
break law in trooper -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegans
refusal to fire Palins ex-brother-in-law from the state
police force was likely a contributing factor to
Monegans July dismissal, but Palin had the authority as
governor to dismiss him, the report by former Anchorage prosecutor
Stephen Branchflower states. |
U.S. to invest in banks, Paulson
says -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
U.S. looking at Afghan tribal
militias, officials say -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Ceremony marks U.S.-India
pact -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our partnership will be limited only by our will and determination now I believe there is nothing we cannot do, Rice said at a State Department ceremony in which she signed the agreement. Many thought this day would never come. But doubts have been silenced now. She blamed decades of mistrust for leaving that potential unfulfilled. The worlds largest democracy and the worlds oldest democracy drawn together by our shared values and increasingly by our many shared interests now stand as equals, closer together than ever before, Rice said. She was joined at the signing ceremony
by Indias minister of external affairs, Pranab Mukherjee. |
InsiderAdvantage: Obama Leads
in Ohio -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Newsweek Poll: Obama Way Out
In Front -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just a month ago, the same poll showed the race tied. Key findings: "Underlying Obama's surge in support: An historic boiling over of dissatisfaction with the status quo. An astounding 86% of voters now say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States, while a mere 10% say they are satisfied. That's the highest wrong track/right track ratio ever recorded in the Newsweek poll." |