Sen. John McCain is using new and amazing technology he didn't use during his campaign to throw a few sucker punches. Harnessing the awesome power of Twitter, McCain (more like his intern) is putting out a list of pork projects in the omnibus spending bill, including:
#6. $950,000 for a Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Gasp! But, what's even more shocking is this little diddy was inserted by none other than McCain's Socialist wingman. Cue evil music!
Now, the good 'ol boys at the Myrtle Beach Sun News got their trousers all twisted over this one. As the bastion of journalism that no newspaper should aspire too, the paper wanted to share its two cents (since that's all it's worth):
The project has huge potential for the long-term creation of wealth and jobs here on the Grand Strand, and the $950,000 infusion advances that goal.
The proposed expansion of the Convention Center to include space for larger trade shows got a lot of ink a few years back. Larger shows in an expanded center would fill up local hotels at the times of years when occupancy is low while energizing restaurants and retail establishments in the during typically slow times of year, building jobs and economic activity for the entire region.
McCain suggested the Republican National Committee's calls for the Obama team to publicly release their conversations with Blagojevich and his people aren't helpful.
"With all due respect to the Republican National Committee, we should try to be working constructively together," McCain said.
Can't argue with that, unless you care more about party lines than progress. Too bad Dawson couldn't get some love during this segment. I fully support him leading the RNC toward a narrower and narrower base. And I would love to hear reaction from the right to McCain's comments, but I probably won't be that lucky.
Now that conservative hardliners couldn't get what they wanted from McCain, they'll go back to ignoring him. It looks like the RNC refuses to believe people simply won't accept politics along party lines anymore.
See the video and the rest of the interview here or download the segment here. H/T to RawReplay.
The latest desperation jab from the McCain campaign accuses Obama of wanting to "spread the wealth."
When the Bush Administration is in the process of spending $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars to bailout some of the richest people in the country, while refusing to extend unemployment benefits for victims of the financial collapse or force banks to renegotiate predatory loans, I've gotta think that a few of Sarah Palin's "real Americans" are warming to the idea of spreading the wealth.
What Republicans don't want you to know is that redistribution of income and wealth toward the rich has be happening for decades, and it has accelerated since 2000 under a Republican Administration.
The United States currently ranks 4th worst in income inequality, according to a recent report from 30-nation Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development - or OECD. Here's a link to the The U.S. has the 4th worst income inequality, behind Mexico, Turkey and Portugal of the 30 OECD nations. Here's a link to the report summary for the United States.
Report highlights:
The U.S. has the 4th worst income inequality, behind Mexico, Turkey and Portugal of the 30 OECD nations.
U.S. wealth inequality is even worse. The richest 1% hold 25-33% of the country's total net worth, the top 10% hold 71%. (By comparison, OECD average: top 10% hold 28% of wealth.)
Redistribution of income by government plays a relatively minor role in the United States. Only in Korea is the effect smaller. This is partly because the level of spending on social benefits such as unemployment benefits and family benefits is low – equivalent to just 9% of household incomes, while the OECD average is 22%.
The distribution of earnings widened by 20% since the mid-1980s which is more than in most other OECD countries. This is the main reason for widening inequality in America.
Social mobility is lower in the United States than in other countries like Denmark, Sweden and Australia. Children of poor parents are less likely to become rich than children of rich parents.
Republicans preached "trickle down" Reaganomics, but what we got was geyser up. This was no accident or inevitable result of globalization or free market Darwinism. Plutocrats in robes of free market theology designed the system to deliver the goods by changing tax code, trade policy, labor policy and corporate governance, by reducing oversight and regulation, and by attacking safety nets in place since the New Deal.
Bill Moyers examines the current financial crisis and growing income divide in the October 24 edition of Bill Moyers Journal.
Does anyone recall if the Republicans' "Contract with America" included a claw-back clause on our economy?
This is a letter from McCain requesting nothing other than an earmark. Yep, McCain requested an earmark for $500,000. The whole letter, including McCain's signature, is found here.
UPDATE: The image html appears to be broken. That picture is found here.
UPDATE 2: The Troopergate report should be coming out at some point today. We may see another smoking gun then too.
The McCain crew had been busy for for a couple of days trying to sell the absurd notion that Obama and Ayers are close friends and some how that then 8 year old Obama is in some way tied to Ayers actions during the Vietnamese War.
Then just prior to the debate McCain's people take this false flag off the table. They made it appear that they had decided that the didn't want to be quite that sleazy.
During the debate, McCain said nothing.
Now that Obama can not confront him, McCain starts up the lie again.
What a wimp, if he had any real conviction on this issue he would have brought it up during the debate face to face. No he waits till after the debate, and starts spreading his bull again.
A liar and a coward, not traits that many consider Presidential.
I don't know about you, but when I was coming back to the Midlands from the Lowcountry yesterday, I noticed a big difference: over the past few days, McCain signs have popped up everywhere. We all know that, while Obama might make it close this year, McCain will almost certainly carry the state. But those signs matter. The mailers that have been going out here matter. The ads both campaigns have been putting up matter. Obama can afford to campaign heavily here; his campaign has enough money to do so. McCain, however, does not. He's going the public financing route, meaning he can spend $85 million dollars during the general election season. Every penny is precious for the McCain camp, so spending on SC is an expense they can't afford. McCain has to win SC; if he doesn't, he can't win the election, but it's that necessity that is horrible news for McCain.
In this clip of Senator Graham yesterday on Fox News Sunday, you get to see a rare glimpse of the man behind the curtain. Listen to the resignation in his voice at the end of this clip.
Translation of Graham's answer: Even I don't have the energy anymore to do my usual spinny BS.
Sen. John McCain is using new and amazing technology he didn't use during his campaign to throw a few sucker punches. Harnessing the awesome power of Twitter, McCain (more like his intern) is putting out 
Can't argue with that, unless you care more about party lines than progress. Too bad Dawson couldn't get some love during this segment. I fully support him leading the RNC toward a narrower and narrower base. And I would love to hear reaction from the right to McCain's comments, but I probably won't be that lucky. 
