Huh. I'm sort of salivating over a Biden-Romney debate.

Mountainphan wrote:The only issue I've heard in connection with Ayers, and I believe it's legit btw, is Obama's lack of judgement in closely associating himself with an unrepentent scumbag like Ayers and his significant other.

Presumably, then, it's fortunate for McCain that the Keating 5 were repentant scumbags - though I'm not actually sure they're on record as repentant. The US Senate at any rate IS on record as having rebuked McCain for - uhmmm - lack of judgement (poor judgement, actually)

The economy shifted to a higher gear in the spring, growing at its fastest pace in nearly a year as foreign buyers snapped up U.S. exports and tax rebates spurred shoppers at home.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product, or GDP, increased at a 3.3 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter. The revised reading was much better than the government's initial estimate of a 1.9 percent pace and exceeded economists' expectations for a 2.7 percent growth rate.

I expect everyone to get really indignant on here when people lie about how we're in a recession.

jerseyhoya wrote:

The economy shifted to a higher gear in the spring, growing at its fastest pace in nearly a year as foreign buyers snapped up U.S. exports and tax rebates spurred shoppers at home.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product, or GDP, increased at a 3.3 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter. The revised reading was much better than the government's initial estimate of a 1.9 percent pace and exceeded economists' expectations for a 2.7 percent growth rate.

I expect everyone to get really indignant on here when people lie about how we're in a recession.

Indignant? Hardly. Those Commerce figures are magical - just magical

drsmooth wrote:

Mountainphan wrote:The only issue I've heard in connection with Ayers, and I believe it's legit btw, is Obama's lack of judgement in closely associating himself with an unrepentent scumbag like Ayers and his significant other.

Presumably, then, it's fortunate for McCain that the Keating 5 were repentant scumbags - though I'm not actually sure they're on record as repentant. The US Senate at any rate IS on record as having rebuked McCain for - uhmmm - lack of judgement (poor judgement, actually)

You want to compare the Keating 5 with the Weathermen? Really?

Probably should take the shades off.

jerseyhoya wrote:

The economy shifted to a higher gear in the spring, growing at its fastest pace in nearly a year as foreign buyers snapped up U.S. exports and tax rebates spurred shoppers at home.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product, or GDP, increased at a 3.3 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter. The revised reading was much better than the government's initial estimate of a 1.9 percent pace and exceeded economists' expectations for a 2.7 percent growth rate.

I expect everyone to get really indignant on here when people lie about how we're in a recession.

All lies... I blame Rove.

drsmooth wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:

The economy shifted to a higher gear in the spring, growing at its fastest pace in nearly a year as foreign buyers snapped up U.S. exports and tax rebates spurred shoppers at home.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product, or GDP, increased at a 3.3 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter. The revised reading was much better than the government's initial estimate of a 1.9 percent pace and exceeded economists' expectations for a 2.7 percent growth rate.

I expect everyone to get really indignant on here when people lie about how we're in a recession.

Indignant? Hardly. Those Commerce figures are magical - just magical

It's the "Bill Gates and a thousand laid-off metalworkers" effect. Your donors are still doin' super. That isn't prosperity.

Mountainphan wrote:

drsmooth wrote:

Mountainphan wrote:The only issue I've heard in connection with Ayers, and I believe it's legit btw, is Obama's lack of judgement in closely associating himself with an unrepentent scumbag like Ayers and his significant other.

Presumably, then, it's fortunate for McCain that the Keating 5 were repentant scumbags - though I'm not actually sure they're on record as repentant. The US Senate at any rate IS on record as having rebuked McCain for - uhmmm - lack of judgement (poor judgement, actually)

You want to compare the Keating 5 with the Weathermen? Really?

Probably should take the shades off.

You're right.

The Weathermen were a bunch of fucking deluded morons so incompetent they wound up blowing themselves up (and good riddance). The S&L criminals were tremendously effective in ruining peoples' lives and earning a massive government bailout paid for by you 'n' me.

It's sort of like comparing the idiot bankrobber caught because he made took off his mask and made faces at the camera to Lex Luthor.

Mountainphan wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:Romney is going bonkers at Intrade.

Romney's a very good choice for the mountain west and parts of the midwest, namely Michigan. He's a better option than the other names that have been floated recently.

Plus he'll more than hold his own with Biden in the debates, which probably is the biggest impact event(s) for VP candidates on the overall outcome of the election.

Do you think he really helps in Colorado? As far as I can see, it's the only Mountain state that's really up for grabs. I suppose Romney might help in Nevada, but that's still only 5 evs.

I sort of see the Michigan thing, but again, I don't see it mattering all that much.

I think it hurts the Republicans in VA and maybe even NC.

Romney hurts almost everywhere because he sucks.

It seems like McCain really wants to pick Lieberman. But either he (because he's pro-choice) or Romney (because he's a Mormon) potentially puts some of those hardcore social-issues voters at risk, and neither guy really helps on the economy: Romney knows his stuff, but he comes off as a rich guy with a compassion deficit, and Lieberman has no domestic record to speak of. (This probably doesn't bother Republicans, but the only thought I have of him with respect to economic issues was his total lack of interest in looking into Enron and other bad corporate actors when he was in a position to do so as a committee chair in 2002.)

Pawlenty talks the talk on domestic issues, would sit fine with social issues voters, and might help in his home state. But they're evidently scared Biden would carve him up in a debate, probably with reason. Romney, for all his other issues, is a very smart guy and probably could debate Biden to a draw.

I'm starting to think the genius pick for McCain would be Kay Bailey Hutchinson. She has no policy profile to speak of and has never struck me as an especially magnetic political personality. But she'd provide cover for the truly enraged Hillary voters, and I'd argue there's a non-negligible chance that Biden would say something truly egregious or offensive if he had to debate her.

The other really interesting pick would be Huckabee, but I just don't see McCain going there.

The Republicans probably need to find someone to speak in Jindal's Wednesday slot. Even Ray Nagin left the DNC yesterday.

Updating a story jhoya reported yesterday:

The Republican primary for Alaska's at-large House seat is still undecided. With all but one precinct (the village of Hughes) counted, Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is leading Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell (R) by 152 votes. The sled dogs are working hard to bring the box with the 63 remaining ballots from Hughes to the county office. In addition, thousands of absentee ballots and provisional ballots must be counted. With such a close margin, a recount is likely. This is bad luck for the Republicans since both Young and Parnell are in limbo until there is a winner, whereas the Democratic nominee, former state house minority leader Ethan Berkowitz, is busy crisscrossing this vast state campaigning.

Please, lord, let Alaska elect a Jewish Democratic at-large rep... though I'd guess that, whatever happens with this primary or the general, Parnell eventually is the congressman from Alaska. Unless he replaces the other Senator first.

dajafi wrote:Updating a story jhoya reported yesterday:

The Republican primary for Alaska's at-large House seat is still undecided. With all but one precinct (the village of Hughes) counted, Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is leading Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell (R) by 152 votes. The sled dogs are working hard to bring the box with the 63 remaining ballots from Hughes to the county office. In addition, thousands of absentee ballots and provisional ballots must be counted. With such a close margin, a recount is likely. This is bad luck for the Republicans since both Young and Parnell are in limbo until there is a winner, whereas the Democratic nominee, former state house minority leader Ethan Berkowitz, is busy crisscrossing this vast state campaigning.

Please, lord, let Alaska elect a Jewish Democratic at-large rep... though I'd guess that, whatever happens with this primary or the general, Parnell eventually is the congressman from Alaska. Unless he replaces the other Senator first.

Lisa Murkowski isn't going anywhere. She's young and not in jail. I imagine Parnell will win the seat either this year or take it from Berkowitz in 2010.

TenuredVulture wrote:

Mountainphan wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:Romney is going bonkers at Intrade.

Romney's a very good choice for the mountain west and parts of the midwest, namely Michigan. He's a better option than the other names that have been floated recently.

Plus he'll more than hold his own with Biden in the debates, which probably is the biggest impact event(s) for VP candidates on the overall outcome of the election.

Do you think he really helps in Colorado? As far as I can see, it's the only Mountain state that's really up for grabs. I suppose Romney might help in Nevada, but that's still only 5 evs.

I sort of see the Michigan thing, but again, I don't see it mattering all that much.

I think it hurts the Republicans in VA and maybe even NC.

As much as a VP candidate can help in an election, which is probably somewhat minimal, Romney would be a help in Colorado. He's very popular in the state, especially with the hard-core conservatives including those on the religious right. This latter group might be a surprise to some, but in Romney probably isn't the liability with the religious right that some (like Huckabee) make him out to be. Colorado is so closely contested that a 1% bump, which I could see Romney providing, may very well be the difference in McCain's ability to win the state. Same for Nevada and New Mexico.

While I don't think he'd be a net positive in VA or NC, I don't see him costing McCain votes either.

jerseyhoya wrote:Romney hurts almost everywhere because he sucks.

While I certainly agree that Romney has his flaws, I'm curious why you think he "sucks". Perhaps this is hyperbole, but I'm interested in hearing why you feel the way you do about him.

dajafi wrote:It seems like McCain really wants to pick Lieberman. But either he (because he's pro-choice) or Romney (because he's a Mormon) potentially puts some of those hardcore social-issues voters at risk, and neither guy really helps on the economy: Romney knows his stuff, but he comes off as a rich guy with a compassion deficit, and Lieberman has no domestic record to speak of. (This probably doesn't bother Republicans, but the only thought I have of him with respect to economic issues was his total lack of interest in looking into Enron and other bad corporate actors when he was in a position to do so as a committee chair in 2002.)

Pawlenty talks the talk on domestic issues, would sit fine with social issues voters, and might help in his home state. But they're evidently scared Biden would carve him up in a debate, probably with reason. Romney, for all his other issues, is a very smart guy and probably could debate Biden to a draw.

I'm starting to think the genius pick for McCain would be Kay Bailey Hutchinson. She has no policy profile to speak of and has never struck me as an especially magnetic political personality. But she'd provide cover for the truly enraged Hillary voters, and I'd argue there's a non-negligible chance that Biden would say something truly egregious or offensive if he had to debate her.

The other really interesting pick would be Huckabee, but I just don't see McCain going there.

KBH is a very interesting possibility as would Gov. Palin from Alaska. In fact, the latter would be, in my opinion, more of the genius pick because she's a political rising star as opposed to KBH. That said, I don't think she (Palin) would accept even if offered the job.

Mountainphan wrote:

dajafi wrote:It seems like McCain really wants to pick Lieberman. But either he (because he's pro-choice) or Romney (because he's a Mormon) potentially puts some of those hardcore social-issues voters at risk, and neither guy really helps on the economy: Romney knows his stuff, but he comes off as a rich guy with a compassion deficit, and Lieberman has no domestic record to speak of. (This probably doesn't bother Republicans, but the only thought I have of him with respect to economic issues was his total lack of interest in looking into Enron and other bad corporate actors when he was in a position to do so as a committee chair in 2002.)

Pawlenty talks the talk on domestic issues, would sit fine with social issues voters, and might help in his home state. But they're evidently scared Biden would carve him up in a debate, probably with reason. Romney, for all his other issues, is a very smart guy and probably could debate Biden to a draw.

I'm starting to think the genius pick for McCain would be Kay Bailey Hutchinson. She has no policy profile to speak of and has never struck me as an especially magnetic political personality. But she'd provide cover for the truly enraged Hillary voters, and I'd argue there's a non-negligible chance that Biden would say something truly egregious or offensive if he had to debate her.

The other really interesting pick would be Huckabee, but I just don't see McCain going there.

KBH is a very interesting possibility as would Gov. Palin from Alaska. In fact, the latter would be, in my opinion, more of the genius pick because she's a political rising star as opposed to KBH. That said, I don't think she (Palin) would accept even if offered the job.

About the most fun political race I could ever imagine would be Palin vs. Brian Schweitzer for the presidency. Both westerners, more or less libertarian, great personalities.

(Then again, I thought this one was going to be fun and uplifting, and it's sucked just as hard as they usually do. Probably until we do away with all the consultants on both sides, this will continue to be the case.)

But just as this wasn't Schweitzer's year, I think you're right that it isn't Palin's either. The fact that they're both from tiny states population-wise also suggests it would be tough for them to win a nomination, if they ever tried for it. Thinking about it, the last nominee from a low-population state was McGovern; that didn't work out real well.

Mountainphan wrote:

dajafi wrote:It seems like McCain really wants to pick Lieberman. But either he (because he's pro-choice) or Romney (because he's a Mormon) potentially puts some of those hardcore social-issues voters at risk, and neither guy really helps on the economy: Romney knows his stuff, but he comes off as a rich guy with a compassion deficit, and Lieberman has no domestic record to speak of. (This probably doesn't bother Republicans, but the only thought I have of him with respect to economic issues was his total lack of interest in looking into Enron and other bad corporate actors when he was in a position to do so as a committee chair in 2002.)

Pawlenty talks the talk on domestic issues, would sit fine with social issues voters, and might help in his home state. But they're evidently scared Biden would carve him up in a debate, probably with reason. Romney, for all his other issues, is a very smart guy and probably could debate Biden to a draw.

I'm starting to think the genius pick for McCain would be Kay Bailey Hutchinson. She has no policy profile to speak of and has never struck me as an especially magnetic political personality. But she'd provide cover for the truly enraged Hillary voters, and I'd argue there's a non-negligible chance that Biden would say something truly egregious or offensive if he had to debate her.

The other really interesting pick would be Huckabee, but I just don't see McCain going there.

KBH is a very interesting possibility as would Gov. Palin from Alaska. In fact, the latter would be, in my opinion, more of the genius pick because she's a political rising star as opposed to KBH. That said, I don't think she (Palin) would accept even if offered the job.

I was thinking Palin too, but she just had a baby a month or so ago, so don't know if she'd want to embark on a campaign right now. Also, she's caught up in a probe of her official conduct (abuse of power) at the moment, so that likely takes her from consideration.

Mountainphan wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:Romney hurts almost everywhere because he sucks.

While I certainly agree that Romney has his flaws, I'm curious why you think he "sucks". Perhaps this is hyperbole, but I'm interested in hearing why you feel the way you do about him.

He doesn't suck. But he comes across as extraordinarily fake in my opinion. His willingness to change positions at the drop of a hat for the sake of political expediency isn't a likable character trait. Plus he's rich as hell and owns many more houses and the media will blather on about that because it's dumb enough that they can understand it.

In other news, off Drudge: SOURCE: NAME MAY LEAK AT 6 PM ET... WITH SOME SORT OF CONFIRMATION AT 8 PM... DEVELOPING...

I love when the timing of a leak gets leaked. Shows how farcical this all is.

COME ON T-PAW