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Monday’s Mini-Report

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Today’s edition of quick hits.

* Novak retires: “Robert Novak has announced his immediate retirement following the diagnosis of a brain tumor, a prognosis the Sun-Times’ political columnist describes as ‘dire.’ ‘The details are being worked out with the doctors this week, but the tentative plan is for radiation and chemotherapy,’ Novak said.” I’ve been reading his column every week for years, and will miss it.

* Consumer spending dropped again: “Consumer spending, after adjusting for inflation, fell in June as shoppers were hit with the second biggest increase in prices in nearly three decades. The Commerce Department reported Monday that consumer spending dipped by 0.2 percent in June, after removing the effects of higher prices, the poorest showing since a similar drop in February.”

* More economic news: “Planned layoffs at U.S. companies jumped 26 percent in July from June, depicting further deterioration in the labor market, a report showed on Monday.” (thanks to S.W. for the tip)

* Just in time for the Olympics: “Attackers rammed a dump truck into a patrol station in China’s restive Central Asian border province Monday morning, tossing grenades in a raid that killed 16 officers and wounded others, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. The attack in Xinjiang province was in an area where local Muslims have waged a sporadic rebellion against Chinese rule.”

* Let me get this straight — a middle-class couple in Queens, one of whom works as track foreman for Amtrak and one of whom is an office manager at Hess, donated a combined $57,000 to the McCain Victory 2008 fund? On the exact same day as nine other Hess execs and Hess family members contributed? Note to reporters: you want a juicy story to dig into? This is a juicy story for you to dig into.

* Maybe this isn’t a good time to shut down the investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks: “The New York Daily News has a new twist in the administration’s attempt to peg the anthrax attacks to its own bellicose aims. Immediately after 9/11, the Daily News reports, ‘White House officials repeatedly pressed FBI Director Robert Mueller to prove it was a second-wave assault by Al Qaeda,’ according to a former FBI official.”

* By McCain campaign standards, was Ronald Reagan a “celebrity,” too?

* Whether this augurs VP considerations or not, it’s a subject that deserves attention: “As speculation over the number two slot rises, presidential candidate Barack Obama and potential v.p. contender Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana joined forces Monday, signing a letter with eight other senators that urges Defense Secretary Robert Gates to increase medical coverage and care for Iraq war veterans left with serious brain injuries. The senators point to a recent study from the RAND Corporation that estimates 320,000 troops from the two Iraq wars experienced a traumatic brain injury, or TBI.”

* “Russian novelist and historian Alexander Solzhenitsyn, whose works detailed the horrors of Stalin’s Soviet labor camps, has died at 89, Russian news agencies reported Monday…. Awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1970 for ‘The First Circle,’ Alexander Solzhenitsyn was considered a moral voice for Russia. His works centered on issues of good and evil, materialism and salvation. His three-volume ‘Gulag Archipelago’ unveiled the horrors of the Soviet labor camps, where he himself was imprisoned for eight years.”

* Josh Marshall wants to know if the punditocracy will stop grading McCain on a curve. I’ve been wondering the same thing.

* I had no idea the Politico had a print edition.

* Rachel Maddow wants to host both a TV and a radio program: “If O’Reilly, Hannity and Beck can do that, so can I.” Damn straight — and she’d do it better than both of them, too.

* Let’s just say there appears to be some “concerns” about the accuracy of Jerome Corsi’s new book. The phrase “Unfit for Publication” seems entirely appropriate.

* Does Bob Schieffer understand what the word “denigrate” means? I kind of doubt it.

* Paul Krugman has been concerned about Obama’s rhetoric lately, but loved today’s speech on energy.

* Note to Dana Milbank: when your readers notice your factual errors, it’s probably a good idea to pay attention and do better next time, not to accuse your audience of “whining.”

* And finally, no Republican wants to be seen with George W. Bush right now. And no Republican wants to be seen with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) right now. They don’t mind, however, being seen with each other.

Anything to add? Consider this an end-of-the-day open thread.

Comments

  • Greg

    says:

    Obama’s poll numbers really suck, I used to think we had this election in the bag, even Dukakis had a 17 point lead at this time in the election cycle, WTF??

  • melior

    says:

    I hope none of those mean liberal science-worshipping doctors hurt the poor little tumor. It’s made of human cells, after all, and so is sacred human life according to the GOP platform.

  • doubtful

    says:

    …even Dukakis had a 17 point lead at this time in the election cycle, WTF?? -Greg

    Dukakis lost. So perhaps it is a good thing, in that light, but I too feel the apprehension.

  • jen

    says:

    McCain doesn’t get graded at all. He’s the star jock who always gets a passing grade even when he sleeps through the exam.

  • TR

    says:

    …even Dukakis had a 17 point lead at this time in the election cycle, WTF??

    Dukakis had that lead before the Bush campaign unleashed its barrage of negative ads — Willie Horton, the pledge ad, the one about Boston Harbor’s pollution that used images of a polluted nuclear submarine yard instead, etc. etc.

    We may be at comparable points on the calendar year, but the two situations aren’t comparable. Obama still has a slight edge in the wake of several months of negative attacks; Dukakis didn’t.

  • Mathew

    says:

    RE 1: I wouldn’t fret too much about Obama’s numbers right now.

    To use a boxing analogy, Obama’s campaign is holding a collective hand over McCain’s campaign’s head while the latter swings wildly, expending much energy. None of the shots I would say are really connecting, and the viewers are getting bored. I would say Obama hasn’t really started hitting yet, and it seems to be by design.

    A more big concern is if Obama is serious about Bayh. I don’t know much about him, except that he voted for the Iraq war, did he not?

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    Bayh for VP?

    NO!

    The Protect America Act really was what many of you thought the FISA bill was, a true attack on the 4th Amendment.

    NO ONE who voted for that bill, not Bayh, not McCaskill, not Webb, is worthy of being VP.

    I’d rather see Hillary nominated, and you know how strongly I’m against that.

    NO!

  • jen

    says:

    Obama needs to think outside the box. The whole tire gauge thing should be turned around. At every Nascar event, Obama supporters should hand out free tire gauges with his name on them. Save gas/save our country. Vote Obama. Now that would be a hit.

  • CJ

    says:

    Obama’s poll numbers really suck, I used to think we had this election in the bag, even Dukakis had a 17 point lead at this time in the election cycle,…

    Dukakis had a 17 point lead, but he ultimately lost.

    With regard to Obama’s poll numbers, I’m only speculating here but, I get the impression that he might be going out of his way to avoid peaking to soon. Seriously. He knows how the media works…the higher your numbers, the harder they kick.

    In Iowa, he drafted behind Hillary, and then soared past her towards the end to win that state’s caucuses. Whether deliberate or not, that might be an approach to consider for the general.

    My theory could be total crap. I’m just thinkin’ out loud.

  • The Answer is Orange

    says:

    * I had no idea the Politico had a print edition.

    I didn’t know Politico started as a blog until recently. I always thought the format reminded me of a not-completely-unhinged righty blog written by college freshmen but in the Nation’s Capital you can find any flavour of BS in print.

  • Gridlock

    says:

    jen,

    I like that idea. If he could get a Matt Kenseth or Dale Jr. or some other driver on board (except for Jeff Gordon) that would be extra special…

  • thorin-1

    says:

    To use a boxing analogy, Obama’s campaign is holding a collective hand over McCain’s campaign’s head while the latter swings wildly, expending much energy.

    The rope-a-dope strategy worked against Clinton because the MSN did much of Obama’s tear down job for him. He could aford to sit back and hit Clinton’s campaign try the ‘kitchen sink’ attack format. He also all but had the nomination mathematically in hand by that point. Going after Clinton would only have hurt him.

    I also don’t think the Obama campaign properly figured on just how fast the MSN coverage would turn on him and protect McCain. Against Clinton he could be relatively confident that his press release replies to her attacks would be picked up and played by the MSN straight up. They are not doing when he replies to McCain.

    The tut-tut-tut ‘Just another politician’/’same old politics’ isn’t going to work.

    He needs to start putting up advertising to define himself and hit back at McCain. I hope he does more with his Olympic ad campaign that just the same old biography ads he played during much of the primary.

  • hark

    says:

    Sure doesn’t look good for Obama in the national polls at this point. McCain is surging. Imagine what he’d be doing if his handlers ran a halfway competent campaign.

    And the Democrats lost the drilling issue big time. How they managed to snatch this defeat from the steel trap jaws of victory is a classic failure that will be studied for decades. And so, here we go again, feeding our addiction endlessly, handing out more unnecessary leases to the oil companies, more tax breaks for them, more wasteful rebates so Americans can continue to buy cheap gasoline instead of investing in alternative energy, and . . . and oh God, I can’t even finish this I’m so disgusted with the Democrats.

    They deserve to lose. Again.

  • Frank

    says:

    Obama’s bad numbers are GREAT. Reign in your optimism and FIGHT for November. We need people worried and pissed off to win. These last 8 years aren’t gonna reverse themselves.

    Donate and work for your candidate and get others to do the same. Whoever thought it was going to be easy was naive. It’s only going to get tougher.

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    TCG:
    This helped make my day, but it’s also sad that it took a group of Kansas Republicans to do what no one else seems to be willing to do, call out Tony Perkins. Do you have a site for the Kansas TRA, because this isn’t Rovian politics in the slightest. Perkins does have ties to the Klan, to the other groups, and, as I discussed in a post on Mark Kleiman’s blog, to the “Phineas Priest” movement.

    My stomach lurches every time I see that smiling, impeccably dressed hypocrite appearing on television and being considered a ‘respectable’ spokesman for the Religious Right. This is not just a nutjob like Hagee, Perkins is a seriously dangerous man, and again, bravo to the KTRA — and if I can help them, I will do so.

    Maybe this time someone will pick up on the story and investigate it publicly.

  • Megalomania

    says:

    Wow, Rush Limbaugh gave the Carpetbagger Blog a plug today. Had something to do with the tire gauge thing, something about the article by Steve I guess. Gee the Carpetbagger is blessed by the Golden Microphone…

    Had the opportunity to watch a judicial discussion on C-Span the other day. Alito and Ken Starr participated as a couple of the commentators. A very, very intelligent questioner from the Pepperdine University was asking questions. Here, especially when the 14 Amendment was referred to Alito and Ken Starr seemed very uncomfortable to reflect on decisions based on this amendment. This amendment analyzed covers the citizen’s privacy rights from government interference. Especially “punishes states for denying vote”. Verified what I always thought the Supreme Court made a friendship decision and helped the illegal election of George Bush.

    Ladies and Gentleman America has no Law. Just tyranny.

  • zeitgeist

    says:

    hark @ 18, you sure got that one. both Congressional Dems and Obama have taken on water over the drilling issue. Gas prices should be helping elect Dems.

    it can still be turned around, but not easily. the Dems, including Obama, failed to get out in front of the issue. given enough time, even idiot Republicans can figure out how to use an issue. they never should have been given the time.

    to review, gas prices were going ever up, real hard-working Americans, who cant just go trade up for a hybrid on short notice, are having to cut back and make sacrifices. they are concerned, hurting, and looking for help.

    gas tax holiday? Democrats say no, and do just enough that the public sees this as the gimmick it is – mainly on their own, little help from Dems.

    release the reserves? Democrats either don’t push or cant get it through.

    how about more drilling? would that help? Dems say no – takes too long, risks the environment.

    all of which is true, but so far it looks like Dems either oppose or cant lead to any result at all. the public wants something and the Dems do not invest heavily in explaining (a) why they are saying no to things, or (b) what the better alternatives are that Democrats support.

    it is almost as if the Dems thought that the public would just understand – that they trust the Dems so much more than Republicans that no explanation was needed of the Democrats’ position.

    the Republicans rushed in to fill the silence and void. they filled it with nonsense, but if you are dying of thirst, you’ll drink pretty dirty water.

    my mantra (hopefully my 5 month break made everyone less tired of it): the Democratic party and too many of its adherents suck at messaging. it does no good to have the better ideas, the better people, the better philosophy if you cant communicate that to anyone.

  • Bruno

    says:

    Jjen and Gridlock That’s an excellent idea.

    Wouldn’t it be great for Obama to start parading one after another of those NASCAR celebrities on TV, especially on ESPN and the SPEED channel. Every single one of them not endorsing Obama as a candidate, because the republicans would automatically tune that one out, but endorsing Obama’s idea of properly inflated tires, regular tune ups and such.

    I’m sure quite a few Republicans and independents will be smart enough to make the connection that Obama is the one who brought it up, and how silly McCain and the ‘tire gauge’ mocking Repubs are. No different than the “Purple Heart” mocking bastards at their convention.

    Republicans only care about winning election, but no so much about running the country.

  • Carpetbagger

    says:

    @21 Megalomania
    Wow, Rush Limbaugh gave the Carpetbagger Blog a plug today. Had something to do with the tire gauge thing, something about the article by Steve I guess. Gee the Carpetbagger is blessed by the Golden Microphone…

    Really?? When?? What?? Details, please!!

    -Ms Carpetbagger

  • Bose

    says:

    On Milbank — interesting to hear a minute ago from Keith Olbermann that Dana Milbank was not welcome back as a Countdown talking head, apart from offering a correction. Needless to say, he declined.

    Olbermann named him #3 on his Best Persons list.

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    There may be many, but only one regularly appears on National Television as a go-to guy for the RR’s latest view of things, Tony Perkins. And it would take Tom C. at his most profane to describe my opinion of this impeccably dressed hypocrite.

  • ericfree

    says:

    Several things:

    All respect to Rachel Maddow, who deserves the TV job, but not at the expense of praising Rebecca Traister, author of the Nation article on Maddow, whose puerile, self-obsessed prose played such a large part in the destruction of Salon. Interesting, though, to see such confirmed Salonatics as Traister and Farhad “the 2004 election wasn’t fixed” Manjoo writing for competing publications like The Nation and Slate. It appears they’re jumping before they have to swim. (The rebuttal to Manjoo is in “Fooled Again” and “Loser Take All: Election Fraud and The Subversion of Democracy, 2000 – 2008,” both by Mark Crispin Miller.)

    One more big reason to root for Maddow is that the show she wants is apparently also coveted by Joan Walsh, Editor of Salon, who apparently would like to do to broadcast what she’s done to web journalism.

    Apart from being a key DLCer and voting for the PAA, Evan Bayh was, in collaboration with Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the key Democrat behind the Bankruptcy Act, also known as a giveaway to the credit card companies. The “reform” act makes it virtually impossible for you and me to slide out from their manipulative, deceptive practices and get a fresh start. Bayh admitted that most bankruptcies are due to medical expenses and the lack of comprehensive health insurance but rather than attack it from that end he saddled us with the problem and we’re still being ridden. One of the first accomplishments of the new Obama administration should be to fix this tragedy, which will be a little difficult if your Vice President is one of the authors.

    #16: Very interesting, and funny in that horrible rightwing way. There’s no doubt that Tony Perkins, who has done so much to destroy Republican parties state by state in the Heartland, is a Klan/CCC fellow traveller, just ironic that Kansas Republicans are so panicked as to call him out. One mistake in the Commander Guy’s post, though: Frank Rich, New York Times columnist and apparent source for the story, isn’t the author of “What’s the Matter With Kansas.” That’s Thomas Frank. Understandable error, but there’s not a lot of resemblance between the two other than name and general political outlook. “Kansas” is still worth reading, but after the ’06 election there’s not nearly as much wrong with Kansas, or Iowa, or Missouri, and Perkins deserves much of the praise or blame, depending on which way you face.

  • Greg

    says:

    My point in my original comment was that the Republicans & 527’s haven’t begun attack ads yet, and Obama has a lot of baggage that they will use as fodder, I just hope that he has something up his sleave that will cancel out the upcoming onslaught, because he can’t afford to lose ground when he is trailing behind or barely keeping up.

    I know I’ll catch hell for saying this in this blog, but he really should pick Clinton as his VP, that would solve everything.

  • ericfree

    says:

    After damning Salon in #29, let me say that The War Room is pretty good right now, with multiple postings by Thomas Schaller and Vincent Rossmeier. Don’t know what happened to Koppelman (I don’t get there as often anymore), but it’s a welcome and probably temporary relief.

  • zeitgeist

    says:

    i posted this on the “giddy” thread, too, but it is worth noting up here as well. Time.com finally proved the MSM is not hopeless with this really nice piece on the Tire Gauge issue. Blunt, plain-spoken, common sense – good stuff. Makes a nice article to forward to friends and family who may be vulnerable to the new attacks.

  • Hannah

    says:

    Per Jed: http://www.jedreport.com/2008/08/whos-the-real-d.html?disqus_reply=1097164&disqus_reply=1097229#comment-1097229

    ~~~
    Here’s a list of quotes (compiled by the Obama campaign) from McCain supporters and non-partisan organizations alike making it clear that properly inflated tires will help improve mileage:

    SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN, CHAIRMAN OF CITIZENS FOR MCCAIN:

    “Nestled within the ‘Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act of 2005,’ which Lieberman introduced in the Senate, section 201 requires the creation of a ‘national tire fuel efficiency program for tires designed for the use on passenger cars and light trucks.’

    “It doesn’t stop there, either. Lieberman is on record going as far back as 2001 touting the significant role tire efficiency can play in any plan to reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign oil. In a 2001 press release arguing against exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Senator said: ‘Increasing the fuel efficiency of replacement tires for our cars to the same level as those sold on new automobiles will save drivers $90 in fuel costs over the lifetime of the tires and will save the U.S. more than 70 times the amount of oil we might find in the Refuge.’” [Huffington Post, 8/4/08]

    GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST AND GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER:

    “Both governors appealed to those with the real power to make change—average citizens—to drive slower, keep engines tuned and tires properly inflated, to buy hybrids and lower overall consumption. ‘We all do have the power. Let’s not wait for government,’ Schwarzenegger concluded. ‘Energy prices are not going back to the good old days.’” [Los Angeles Times, 6/26/08]

    REPUBLICAN REP. MIKE ROGERS (MI-08), WHO WILL HOST A MCCAIN CONFERENCE CALL LATER TODAY:

    “You can improve your gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer. Fuel Economy Benefit: up to 3% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: up to $0.09/gallon.” [Rep. Rogers Website, Accessed 8/4/08]

    THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S “ENERGY SAVERS” MANUAL:

    Keep tires properly inflated and aligned to improve your gasoline mileage by around 3.3%. [DOE “Energy Savers” Manual, p.31]

    NASCAR:

    “With gas prices now hovering around $3, smart drivers care. Savvy consumers are seeking to increase fuel economy and the life of their tires by paying more attention to those rubber objects that are attached to their vehicle…With escalating fuel prices, the time is now for drivers to focus on simple things like proper tire pressure to maximize tire performance and increase fuel economy.” [NASCAR Release, 7/25/06]

    THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE, TRADE ASSOCIATION FOR THE OIL INDUSTRY:

    Keep your tires properly inflated. Underinflated tired can decrease fuel economy by up to 1 mile per gallon. [API “Fuel-Saving Tips for Drivers,” 7/11/08]

    REPUBLICAN REP. VERNON EHLERS (MI-03), RANKING MEMBER ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE, LETTER TO MEMBERS AND STAFF:

    “With gas prices at an all time high, the simple step of keeping tires inflated will help ease pain at the pump, as well as reduce carbon emissions, a major threat to the environment. I encourage any Members and staff who park in the Rayburn Garage to take advantage of this opportunity to maximize their fuel dollars while helping the environment.” [Ehlers Letter, 7/28/08

    REPUBLICAN REP. MICHAEL BURGESS (TX-26):

    “Now, the one that everyone talks about and you hear it all the time and I will mention it again is tire pressure. Ensuring that tires are properly inflated can result in a 3 percent fuel economy benefit and equivalent gas savings of up to 12 cents a gallon. Properly inflated tires are safer and they last longer, so you will spend less money on your tires. So, in the long run, it is a real bargain.” [Press Release, Rep. Michael Burgess, 7/8/08]

    ~~~

    Pass it on!

  • Hannah

    says:

    #30 Greg: I know I’ll catch hell for saying this in this blog, but he really should pick Clinton as his VP, that would solve everything.

    If one can believe the pundits on CNN, the Rs would LOVE Obama to pick Hillary as his VP. Which is the reason he shouldn’t. What baggage does Obama have? None as compared to HRC/WJC.

  • toowearyforoutrage

    says:

    * Rachel Maddow wants to host both a TV and a radio program: “If O’Reilly, Hannity and Beck can do that, so can I.” Damn straight — and she’d do it better than both all three of them, too.

    I know they blend together, CB, but technically, speaking….

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    I’m not sure if I said this on one of the other threads, but not only should Obama use the quotes, but he should use real numbers, dollars and cents savings for the average driver if he uses the gauge, and other tune-ups.

  • libra

    says:

    […] Republicans & 527’s haven’t begun attack ads yet, and Obama has a lot of baggage that they will use as fodder, I just hope that he has something up his sleave […] — Greg, @30

    The excess baggage is all on McCain’s side; Obama travels light. Any “fodder” that Republicans and their 527s produce will — out of necessity — be well-chewed and regurgitated *cud*, unrelated to facts and unrecognizable as anything resembling truth.

    I remember you pushing Rezko and Wright (can’t remember for certain whether you drooled over Sinclair fairy-tale too, but am pretty sure you did) “outrage” with all your might during the primaries, but that’s been and gone, since there was no real story there, either. If the Repubs want to try and blow some life back into those, they’re welcome.

    As for your hope, mine is *precisely opposite*. While I hope that Obama will get off his butt soon and start shooting some straight baskets into McCain’s net, I also hope they’ll be *straight* ones — all facts and no “Crap a la Republicans”. I don’t want him pulling anything sleazy out of his “sleave” (or out of his sleeve, either).

    The image of an ace hidden in a sleeve is one associated with a card sharper and with cheating. Perfectly suitable for McCain, but *not* for Obama.

    As for Hillary as Obama”s VP… Please check with your goddess; even she doesn’t want that anymore.

  • libra

    says:

    Oh, and Happy Birthday to Barack! The FISA “bone” is still sticking in my craw, but, what the heck… you’re 47 once only. So I sent him $47 and signed a b-day card (on VA for Obama part of the website) too — they had a photo of a really nice cake 🙂

    And, for good measure, I ordered a bunch of the lapel pins which say “Vote for Change; Obama ’08” and have that distinctive logo of his (one day soon, I’m gonna make up that logo in wire lace; I really, *really*, like it). Dems are opening their headquarters (joint effort with Obama campaign) on Aug 15, on Aug 23rd there’ll be another community festival (this time in town, not in the county) and I think it’ll be nice if every volunteer could wear one (and peddle the rest)…

  • Tom Cleaver

    says:

    I’ve been reading his column every week for years, and will miss it.

    Yeah, the way you miss that root canal you had the day they ran out of anesthesia and you told yourself you were tough enough to “take it.”

    The way you miss that headache when you stop hitting your head against that brick wall.

    Unfortunately, Novak won’t fulfill my fondest dream for wingnuts and die alone in the dark and the cold.

    One down, 10 million to go.

  • Tom Cleaver

    says:

    Happy birthday Barack Obama, born on 8-4-1961, and on The Path of the Master from birth.

    OK, before anyone goes “TC? A New Ager?” there was a time when I was in that for a couple years (before coming to my senses). During that time, I met a very good numerologist – a guy whose insight and advice on other issues in my life was so good it is still good 28 years later, as I continue to work on them – who pointed out that numerology is a metaphor that can allow the student to gain insight. Used properly, it’s a good tool, nothing magic.

    Anyway, that said….

    8+4=12, 12+1=13, 13+9=22, 22+6=28, 29+1=29. 2+9=11, 1+1=2. The “double-1 2” birth number is found in under 1 percent of the population. I happen to be one. Interestingly enough, while it is found in less than 1 percent of the general population, I have found it in around ten percent of the creative people I have worked with in Hollywood, particularly among Major Names you would recognize.

    As it was explained to me, the “path of the master” is: cooperation – creativity – spiritual law – creativity – cooperation. In simpler terms, if one “cooperates with the universe,” i.e., comes to understand and accept the world as it is (in Christian terms, don’t build your house on a foundation of sand), one can use their creativity to arrive at an understanding of who they really are, leading to the ability to create what one wants to cooperate with.

    It’s also said “the path of the master – you master it or it masters you.” I can think of any number of highly creative Hollywood folk who were double-1-twos, who were mastered by it (Don Simpson comes to mind).

    Reading Obama’s books, particularly “Dreams of My Father,” one can – with this insight – see a person on that path, struggling to learn it.

    It’s also said that the Path of the Master is for thise morons who think they can find a spiritual shortcut and deal with two lifetimes of karma in one. I rather suspect this is the part that applies to me.

    But bottom line, when I did his birth number after being told his birthdate, I was unsurprised at the result.

  • Tom Cleaver

    says:

    Prup (#27) said: And it would take Tom C. at his most profane to describe my opinion of this impeccably dressed hypocrite.

    Gee, Jim, I hate to disappoint you right at the moment where I am getting a pat on the back from you (never ever turn down a compliment when you get one!), but as a Professional Profane Writer, words fail me when it comes to Tony P., although i can think of an old Chief I knew 44 years ago who could curse for 30 minutes without repeating himself who might be the one you seek. The only good thing I can say here is I am working on a screenplay that “connects the dots” between Al Qaeda and the white supremacist movement (the enemy of my enemy is my friend), and throughout it you see the bad guys watching a very handsome, very oily, very smarmy Nazi “Christian” on TV – he’s my “whack” at Tony the Perkster.

    But thanks for the compliment anyway!! 🙂

  • petorado

    says:

    A number of commenters have made the point of despairing over Obama’s poll numbers. Yes, they do suck. But with as hard as the media has worked to to turn blind eyes and ears away from the facts, I’d think McCain should be kicking a** by now. But he isn’t.

    The media is McCain’s adoring base, but as Andrea Mitchell has shown, even they have their limits. It’s getting harder and harder to prop up the old man and he will have his day when he implodes and there will be nothing to do but stare and gasp, even for the media.

    The Republicans have scored some cheap political points with the energy issue — all of it bullsh*t. Obama and the 527s need to get out the word this current energy crisis is the work of two oil guys in the White House. McCain has vowed to provide more of the same … and that’s exactly what we’ll get if he’s elected.

  • libra

    says:

    Tom Cleaver, @42,

    Eh? I don’t understand any of it (my math teacher had to help me cheat on the final exams, to get me out of high school; she couldn’t face another year of me in class)

    8+4=12, 12+1=13, 13+9=22, 22+6=28, 29+1=29. 2+9=11, 1+1=2.

    OK. The first two numbers — 8+4 — are month plus day (and I’ll *never* fathom what prompts Americans to have such an illogical sequence; it’s neither going from smallest to largest, nor the other way ’round. Why not day, month, year?). Then, the sum — 12 — is added to the first number of the year, becoming 13. 13 is then added to the second number of the year — 9 — to make 22. Add that sum to the third number of the year and you get 28. 28 (typo here, I think) plus the last number of the… Oh, never mind… I get it 🙂

    So, now, me. To make sure I *do* get it. 10/20/1949.
    10+20=30. 30+1=31. 31+9=40. 40+4=44. 44+9=53. 5+3=8. End of the line, right? Oh, well, *figures*… 🙂 My son is 6 (also without that last computation) and I’ll have to calculate my husband’s but I don’t expect any revelations *there*, either… Well…8. At least we’re a match 🙂

    What, BTW, is “double-1 2″ birth number?

    Me, I’m putting all my faith in Obama on the basis of an 1832 play (Dziady) by a Polish “prophet” poet, Adam Mickiewicz. 🙂

    In the play — which to this day remains obscure as to the meaning of its “prophecies”, and is discussed, endlessly, from highschool level on — a “deliverer” (redeemer? Messiah?) is mentioned. We know very little of him, except: “and his name is forty and four”. Nobody knows what the number means, or how Mickiewicz came up with it (opium and sugar – as in the case of William Blake — have been suggested by some detractors) but the general consensus has always been that, whoever/whenever he was, “44” would deliver us (Poland) from the Russian oppressor.

    1944 came and went, leaving us in an even deeper s..t vis-a-vis Russia (by then, Soviet Union), since they “liberated” us from the Germans (establishing a USSR-dependent govt), on 4.VII.1944. So, obviously, *that** wasn’t the “44” the play talked about…

    But now… My *adopted* country is in dire straits, definitely in need of deliverance. And the next president is going to be 44th. Since McCain can’t even deliver a pre-written talking point, obviously, it’s gonna be GO ‘BAMA! 🙂

    How’s *my* numerology,Tom?

  • Michael W

    says:

    Tom C (#42) and Libra (#45):

    You are both intelligent people, and I would hope you don’t place too much stock in numerology. After all, the calendar we use is an arbitrary human-defined construct. Hell, it doesn’t even follow a solar or lunar year.

    You could get just as much use out of astrology and the alignment of planets, though that might be more useful. With astrology, you at least can try to figure in the microscopic affects of the gravitational and electro-magnetic aspects of the planets on the developing embryo and its subsequent development.

    What the hell, it’s all in fun anyway. I’m rather partial to the Messages From Michael series myself.

    Of course, that could just be because I like the name Michael. 🙂

  • Prup (aka Jim Benton)

    says:

    Tom C.:
    You’re welcome, and just a couple of hints for your screenplay. First, don’t forget the Hitler-Grand Mufti connection before the war. Second, investigate the Phineas Priests more closely, they might help ‘connect the dots’ quite well. (Dave Neiwert posted his complete chapter on them at Orcinus in response to my Tony P. piece, and the original book that coined the phrase considers the Waffen SS as members.) And finally, give a kick in the appropriate place to the offkey D’Souzaphone for his ‘if we’d only get more moral, Bin Laden wouldn’t hate us,’ taurine excrement.

  • chrenson

    says:

    Living as I do within earshot of NASCAR country, I can say without fear of exaggeration that 99% of racin’ fans are Republicans. An Obama tire gauge giveaway at one of those events would be like a “Help McCain save the whales” giveaway at Greenpeace. It’s a good idea, but no one will take the messenger seriously.

    At this point we’ve completely lost the “price of gas” issue. And that’s really, really bad. The irony is, the price of gas has gone up thanks to poor planning by the republicans in charge, but people are starting to turn toward the republicans to come up with a plan to fix it.

    Why doesn’t the DNC website have a cartoon of McCain pumping up his wallet at a gas station?

  • Patrick

    says:

    You can pick up Politico free at newspaper machines all around the Capitol. It is actually a pretty good rag. They sometimes have in depth pieces about Congressmen or Senators that you don’t hear about anywhere else. I remember reading a real good bio about the Senator from SD that had the stroke last year, Tim Johnson. It talked about how his staff takes care of him and he is running almost unopposed for reelection and even the republican, Thune is nice to him. I often look for it and like to sit outside at one of the bars along Pennsylvania Ave, like The Pour House, reading and having a beer. Highly recommended summer activity.

  • Greg

    says:

    Libra, I never believed Larry Sinclair. I’ve known too many pathelogical liars in my lifetime and recognize the traits, he is certifiable and definitely unbelievale, and not in a good way.

    Rezko and Wright and others were and still are real concerns, most Americans don’t even know about all of his shady connections. I have friends who don’t keep up with these things like those of us who read the blogs every day do, and will be shocked when they see the 527 ads. Unfortunately, they will be timed perfectly so that they have the desired effect, right before the voting starts and before any lame attempts to counter the attacks can be launched effectively.

  • Greg

    says:

    Ok, my b-day is 8-24-1974

    8+24=36, 36+1=37, 37+9=46, 46+7=53, 53+4=57, 5+7=12, 1+2=3

    The number 3 is symbolic of “completeness,” or “divine perfection”.
    Examples include, the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) being God and Christ was dead for 3 days before being resurrected.

    Therefore, I am undeniably perfect and therefore correct in my assertion that Clinton makes the best VP choice, so there 🙂

  • Greg

    says:

    OMG, I just realized that gttim was right, there is a flaw in Obama’s numerology above.. 29+1 is certainly not 29, so that means his number is actually…

    8+4=12, 12+1=13, 13+9=22, 22+6=28, 29+1=30. 3+0=3

    No wonder Obama thinks he is perfect, he too has the divine perfection of the number 3, lol.

  • Greg

    says:

    Nope, I messed up too.. it was supposed to be 28+1=29, so its actually…

    8+4=12, 12+1=13, 13+9=22, 22+6=28, 28+1=29. 2+9=11, 1+1=2

    I guess he is a 2, and I’m not really perfect.. 🙂

  • Ohioan

    says:

    #26 is right. Not only did Dana Milbank leave MSNBC because he was afraid of having to defend his smearing Obama, he moved immediately to CNN.

  • Nancy Irving

    says:

    That the Obama campaign allowed the tire-gauge issue to be turned against them is very depressing.

    Especially given that it’s Republicans who are always saying that national problems should be solved by individual action (like properly maintaining your car) rather than by government action.