I was just watching MSNBC.  Chuck Todd is talking about endorsements.  Footage of Obama comes up.  He's speaking at a podium.  The camera angle is from down in the audience.  On the podium is a banner with the word "Change" on it.  However, the camera shot is framed between two peoples heads and all that can be seen is "hang."  It occurred at 11:35 Eastern if anyone can go back and get a screen shot.  

I'm definitely not sensitive to stuff like that, but it jumped out at me like a red flare.  It was as if the cameraman had to work to get that shot.

Boulanger

Olympia Snowe, John Warner and Chuck Hagel

These are Republican Senators that are mentioned as potential party-switchers should the Democrats take back the Senate.  Should we welcome them or turn our backs on them?

Considering how we have shunned Liebermann (rightfully so) do we take the spoils of a Democratic victory by taking on moderate Republicans?  

Personally I don't think Warner would jump.  Snowe would be my best guess.  Hagel, him I would like, if for no other reason than it further bolsters the Democrats in the Plains States.

What do you think?

No poll, just opinions,

Boulanger

Yesterday on Political Wire there was a link to a story about focus groups in New Hampshire and Iowa.  Many interesting things in the piece http://politicalwire.com/... but I wanted comments on this particular item.

Support for Hillary Clinton "disappeared by the time the night was over, and she won virtually no new converts."

I've got this acquaintance in Virginia.  He's a rabid Republican, fills my e-mail box with every kind of Republican propaganda imaginable.  

Earlier this week I asked him what he thought of Webb's chances against Allen.

He didn't think much of them but he wrote the following. "Warner against Allen would be close.  If Warner got the Democratic nomination for President he could win.  He worked with the Republican legislature here.  But he will never get the nomination because the party is controlled by..." and he went on to call anyone left of Liebermann a commie and such.  

This man can't stand Democrats, but Warner takes the wind out of his sails.  He would know doubt still vote Republican, but the gusto for their own would be lacking because they wouldn't have the hate generated against Warner.

I don't know that Warner is the right stripe of Democrat in every instance, but more and more I get the feeling he is the anti-Hillary and, more importantly, the man who can beat the Republicans.

Boulanger

I've benn talking this over with some poly-sci instructors I work with (I teach history) and one, an ex-lobbyist believes that McCain/Lieberman on an independent ticket would win the 2008 election.

This assumes that the Republicans don't nominate McCain -- I think a pretty good assumption -- and go with an Allen.

Dems put up Hillary -- another assumption that I think, unfortunately is a fair one.

McCain taps a rootless Lieberman to prove bi-partisan or centrist tendencies and in the three way melee that follows, captures the Presidency.

already the media has popped the question to Lieberman.  He laughs it off but the real question is, has McCain popped the question.

I read awhile back that the Rethugs are scared of just such a scenario.  Are we?

Boulanger

This diary is a follow-up to my diary of Friday -- "Fleeing Rita, sort of."

On Thursday we couldn't get out -- by Saturday morning it was obvious we didn't need to get out.
Rita ripped Southwest Louisana and Southeast Texas and virtually spared Houston.  Below is a brief description.  

As I write this the wind is picking up and pine cones are falling from the trees on to my home.  No rain yet.

Yesterday my wife, son and I piled into our car and started out to escape Rita.  We live in Northeast Houston.

Being ever so smart I headed EAST down Farm-to-Market road 1960, attempting to reach Dayton, TX and head north.  It is a short drive, maybe 20, 25 miles at the most.  We left shortly after 8AM.  We turned north on Highway 321 out of Dayton at 11:30.  We would go 28 miles in the next four and a half hours.  More after the break

Hope I'm not repeating a diary but here goes;

The Houston Chronicle reports that Martin Frost has signed a deal with Fox News to become a commentator.  This was a man running for the DNC chairmanship just weeks ago.  

Considering the "Democrats" Fox normally shoves in front of the camera this shows what kind of guts Frost has.  Shill is the first word that comes to mind.

Imagine if this right-leaning appeasor had become the head of the party?

Shudders subsiding now.

Boulanger

Nasty Karl Rove has released his insideous October Surprise.  Guys we may not recover;

http://slate.msn.com/id/2108216/slideshow/2108085/entry/2108087/speed/100

Next we will find out that Kerry uses teeth whiteners.

Boulanger

Usual apologies if this has already been posted.

Let's hear the media talk about two tracking polls showing the race tied.  Slowed momentum by ass.

47-47.

Bolanger

I'm not one for tinfoil hats -- OK I occasionally slip one on about Florida and Diebold -- but CNN's commercial touting their election coverage has a "civilian" using the term "with all the mixed messages" within their seemingly nonpartisan ad.

Now, since "mixed messages" is one of Bush's talking points and this lady seems to be endorsing that yes there are mixed messages, ain't this a tad partisan?

Sorry if this has been commented on elsewhere, I have not seen a thread on it. (Maybe for a reason)

Last night Greenfeld (I think it was Greenfeld) of CNN said that basically Bush was running to his base, seeking to get them fired up once again, while Kerry was tending to the center.

I know Grover Norquist thinks this is a winner, but in an electorate that is so motivated (and the consensus seems to be that all the electorate is highly motivated this year) can Bush really win with just his base?

A couple of days back there ABC's The Note mentioned that Kerry was now concentrating on 13 battleground states.  However, other than mentioning that Missouri apparently wasn't one of them, there were no details.  

Anybody got ideas?

PA,
FL,
OH,
NH,
MI,
WI,
IA,
WV,
NV,
MN,
NM,
CO,

That's all I can come up with, though I think you can eliminate Arizona along with ABC's pick of Missouri.

Boulanger

I'm interested to know if anyone can tell me if soldiers who are wounded in Iraq but manage to live long enough to make it to Germany or the US or being counted as killed in the Iraq war.

In the Houston area I've noticed over the last two months or so at least 3 cases where a wounded soldier has been transferred back to the US hospitals and died there.  Are these men getting counted?

Killed in Action
Died of wounds  (I guess)

Boulanger

Go on the Offensive:

Kerry should go on a Red Battleground state only tour on the Friday following the Rethug Convention.    Kerry goes to all the Red Battleground States (advertised exactly that way) to push it in Bush's face.  "My base is secure" is what this strategy would say.  He starts in New hampshire (while Edwards and the wives do a seperate Blue Battleground States tour -- though it is not advertised that way.  With Kerry in NH, Teresa is in Maine.  Edwards starts in Wisconsin and Elizabeth does Iowa.)  Then Kerry moves to Ohio and West Virginia, while Teresa joins up while the Edwards combine and go to Michigan.  

I was rereading "Big Lies" by Joe Conason the other day and read about Barney Franks threathening to out  gay Republican congress persons for bad mouthing a Dem congressman.  

Considering what the Republicans did with Alexander why doesn't Franks (or whomever has the information) out some of these Gay congressmen?

I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with being gay, but  their santimonious constituants might think so, and considering their likely stance on Gay Marriage, and how the Republicans have screwed the Dems on Alexander, putting a couple of safe Republican seats into play is nothing more than they deserve.

A straight Dem who defends the right of Gays to marry is better than a closet gay Republican who opposes it.

Boulanger

"In 2000 a bunch of party fat cats who had avoided service in Vietnam smeared and defamed the service of a member of their own party.  John McCain served his country underfire yet the Bush Campaign used every dirty trick to attack that service.

Well those same fat cats and sewer rats are at it again.  This time they are attacking the service of John Kerry, a decorated War Hero.  

Fool me once shame on you Mr. Bush, fool me twice... naw.  Take your tired bag of smut and go back to Crawford.  Let a man who has been underfire lead this country in a time of peril."

Ad rebutting Swift boat rats.

Boulanger

I'm hopeful.  

There I said it.  

Seems the Gore states are holding.  Perhaps we should start watching to see if Bush whiddles down his travel to just the battleground states that he won last time.  Afterall, with reapportionment if he simply carries what he won last time he wins.  So it may be instructive to watch how the travel schedule goes between now and the convention.  

Sure he will visit PA, but will be visit Ohio more?  Sure he will go to Wisconsin and Iowa, but will he spend more time in Missouri and West Virginia.  Same for New Mexico and Nevada, less time in NM and more in Nevada.

Finally will be spend more time in Florida -- naw, he doesn't have to do that, Florida is in the bag, along with the china and the silverware.

Boulanger