Buck Naked Politics

Jon Stewart Unleashes on McCain's Paris Hilton Ad & the Presumptuousness of McCain

In my opinion, this is the way to attack McCain's smear campaign:  with incredulous laughter.   Jon Stewart takes up McCain on the Paris Hilton ad and unleashes on both McCain and the media on the 'Obama-eats-arugula-and-is-arrogant meme.'  Don't get down in the mud---fight the smears by pointing and laughing! 

The McCain Campaign's Obama=Celebrity=Pop Star Dis

by Teh Nutroots | Two words:  'Ronald Reagan.'

Check out Spin Cycle and the blogosphere's reactions.

Questions Remain on Transparency of Candidates' Campaign Financing

by Damozel | Deb Cupples can follow up on this, but this article from Open Secrets makes it clear that the Obama campaign is holding back on providing full information about donors---though McCain has been more cooperative than Obama. 

Cockney Robin is Afraid of Bill Kristol

by Cockney Robin |  Somebody hold me.

Mr. William (Bill) Kristol is at it again (in an op-ed disturbingly entitled 'Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid'). He is striking fear into my guileless British heart by his claim to have been frightened into an attack of moroseness.  As the world now knows, nothing is more dangerous then a frightened, morose neocon.  Think of Dick Cheney and you'll see what I mean.  They're even scarier than the cheery, clueless types (George Bush) who spout neocon policy---getting every other word wrong---as if it's been drilled into them, or the jeering, strutting types like Karl Rove.

Note to Obama from a Supporter: Time to Dismount from the Flying Unicorn and Take Your Stand

Iby Damozel |  All righty, then.  We've seen that Obama can round up all the prettiest ponies and fly through space on the unicorn's back.  Time for his campaign to start thinking about something other than making pretty pictures and generating stirring rhetoric.

His speech in Berlin doesn't cut any ice with me---except from the 'Oooh, look!  Shiny!' standpoint--- because he hasn't got the means to make any of the things he talked about happen unless he wins the presidency.  The triumphal march abroad demonstrated that the rest of the world adores him, but people who care about this---I am one---already knew it.  It's important, but I didn't need a demo.

Obama Quest -- The Daily Show's Continuing Saga

McCain Thinks 16 Months Sounds Like a Plan

Teh Nutroots |  As Think Progress notes, McCain's been ranting all week about all the ways in which Obama's got things wrong.  In a Wolf Blitzer interview today, Senator McFlipFlop seemed to think 16 months sounded like a reasonable time, conditions on the ground permitting.  In fact, he said pretty much what Obama's been saying.  It's all semantic:  people who talked about 'timetables' were those who wanted to get out.  As we do.  Anyway, here's McCain Mcjabbering about timetables, then correcting himself to use the Bush phrase-of-choice, 'horizons.'  As in 'horizons for withdrawal.'

McCain's Foreign Policy Cred Is Down the Latrine

Teh Nutroots | Yep, more on McCain.  Damozel already posted something on this.

The real moral is getting lost in all the quibbling over details. The REAL point is that McCain's military experience doesn't translate into superior understanding of foreign policy.  The whole surge thing---McCain was right; Obama was wrong blah blah blah; and never mind that it's kind of previous to make that call---was supposed to prove that 'experienced' McCain was more likely to get these things right.

What---if he can't even keep the details straight?  How's he going to make good judgments if he can't cope with details? 

Obama Claims Credit for the Wrong Thing; Meanwhile, McCain Demonstrates Once More that Experience Doesn't Always Matter

by Damozel | Obama's getting called out for embellishing because of a misstatement to the Israeli Prime Minister. It's a minor matter, but in the interests of even-handedness, I shall discuss it before I rip into McCain.  As I've made clear, I support him (though not all my cobloggers do).

Responding to an Israeli reporter’s question Wednesday on his commitment to protect the Jewish state, Barack Obama pointed to a bill “we passed” in the U.S. Senate Banking Committee that tightens sanctions and authorizes divestment from Iran. “My committee,” he called it.

Except that he isn’t a member of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.

John McCain's incredible shrinking path to victory in Iraq

by Adam | John McCain is in a very tough spot this year.  He represents an unpopular party going for a third straight term in the white house (something only accomplished once in the last 60 years), his party has a large and growing registration gap, and he lacks the charismatic appeal of his opponent.  But most fundamentally, a majority of the public prefers Obama's policy proposals to McCain's on nearly every major issue, from health care to tax policy to foreign policy.  These issues have become more and more difficult to deny.

As such, McCain really only has one clear path to victory.  He must paint Obama as unfit for office and make the election a referendum on his readiness.  His only hope is that Obama's negatives can outshine all the issues that matter.

McCain Channels the Rove Within

By Damozel | Here's what McCain said:

This is a clear choice that the American people have. I had the courage and the judgment to say I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me that Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign..

Elrod at TMV points out the comparison to Rove and discusses the drawbacks of this approach for McCain. 

Even Joe Klein thought this was way over the top of the scurrilousness scale for a presidential contender.  If you want to put something that inflammatory out there, at least get Rove or some surrogate to say it for you.  He found it 'unpresidential.'  I found it all too presidential.  I was kind of hoping we could raise the bar a bit.

McCain on the Surge: Deliberate Distortion, Memory Failure, or Reckless Disregard for Facts?

by Damozel | Yesterday, Elrod commented at TMV on misstatements by John McCain which he made during his interview with Katie Couric. ‘Mysteriously,’ these were not aired.

This misstatement isn’t another amusing gaffe  by a crusty old maverick; this one matters.  As to what it tells you about him, take your pick. More than one interpretation is possible, as Elrod and others have pointed out. Which do you like best? He’s either (1) deliberately distorting facts he knows perfectly well because he’s desperate to discredit Obama; (2) has forgotten the facts because his recollection has become blurred; or (3) —’the Bush option’—he is indifferent to the facts (because he thinks the end—deflating Obama—justifies the means).

Oil Executives Approve McCain's Awesome Drilling Plans

by Damozel | Here's John McCain's energy policy:

Via D-Day: My friends, we have to drill off shore. We have to do it. It's out there and we can do it. And we can do that. The oil executives say within a couple of years we could be seeing results from it. So why not do it?

Oh, right.  Why not, eh?  If the oil executives think it would be beneficial, why not?

KeninNY at Down With Tyranny at first doubts that these energy experts would ever say such a thing...

Obama: Currently Winning the Iraq Argument

Posted by Damozel | Shaun Mullen discusses the ramifications for McCain’s of McCain’s argument here. Michael Stickings rounds up commentary by bloggers here; This piece rounds up related quotes and commentary, including a couple of fairly lame counterjabs from the McCain-supporting (or Obama-dissing) side which prove to be fairly easily seen off. After all, McCain’s whole argument against Obama’s position is founded on a pile of yesterday’s news clippings.

Initially, the Iraqi government denied that Maliki had intended to endorse Obama’s plan.  Now it seems that Maliki is endorsing Obama’s plan.

John McCain: He's So Well Seasoned!

by Damozel | Politico sez (to sum up):  McCain's frequent verbal mistakes remind voters he's an old guy. 

Republicans would like to make the case that McCain is seasoned and Obama is a callow newcomer to the public stage. But that’ll be harder if he keeps up the verbal slips, which make it easier for comedians and critics to pile on.

This may be a factor for you.  Perhaps it should be a factor if you're one of those McCain so-called 'Democrats' who is all, 'At least McCain is SEASONED!'   Yep.  He's seen many, many seasons.

Women Equally Victimized by Poor Economy; Unequally Victimized by Inequality in Wages (and McCain Doesn't Care)

by Damozel | The New York Times came up with what I'd call a strange title for this article: Women Are Now Equal as Victims of Poor Economy.  And the key points are oddly framed:

[F]or the first time since the women’s movement came to life, an economic recovery has come and gone, and the percentage of women at work has fallen, not risen, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Each of the seven previous recoveries since 1960 ended with a greater percentage of women at work than when it began...

The proportion of women holding jobs in their prime working years, 25 to 54, peaked at 74.9 percent in early 2000 as the technology investment bubble was about to burst. Eight years later, in June, it was 72.7 percent, a seemingly small decline, but those 2.2 percentage points erase more than 12 years of gains for women. Four million more in their prime years would be employed today if the old pattern had prevailed through the expansion now ending..

Economists first assumed that this was because women didn't need the money or had 'other priorities.'  Whimsical little souls, those economists.

The Difference Between Obama & McCain on Iraq: When Can Withdrawals Begin?

by Damozel:  Here's the difference as I understand it between Obama's Iraq commitment and McCain's:  Obama thinks that most conditions have been met for us to begin troop withdrawals and believes that withdrawals should progress as quickly as 'conditions on the ground' permit (which is what he said).  The 16 month deadline is a 'best guess.'   McCain isn't willing to begin till 'conditions on the ground' permit AND we can do it 'with victory and honor,' i.e., with all those interested others (think:  government contractors) satisfied with the arrangement. Big difference, in other words. 

To me, the pressing question at present isn't when we can be out, but when we can begin.  McCain's camp repeatedly tries to blur this question. We all know already that changed conditions might cause delays. Only an idiot would think 16 months is a firm timetable.  But what specific conditions does McCain think must be met before we can START?

Jon Stewart on the Consistency of the Bush Administration; the Pandering of McCain; & the Dobbs-O-Meter

Lou Dobbs:  Pinata-American?

McCain's Economy Illustrated

by Damozel | In re: the Gramm resignation and via Silent Patriot at Crooks and Liars, this reminder from Move On:

Because:  'McCain’s campaign co-chair Phil Gramm had to step down because of controversy over his comment that we were in the middle of a “mental recession.” But the truth is, John McCain threw Phil Gramm under the bus for saying, less artfully, what he himself has said repeatedly.'

Maliki Tries to Unsay What We All Know He Said: A Buck Naked Bloggerama

Posted by Damozel | Re: The value to Obama of Maliki's statement (discussed here), Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars says;  'Ooh, that’s gotta leave a mark when you make your campaign all about your foreign policy expertise.'  But Josh Marshall wondered whether the White House would 'muscle Maliki into a retraction of some sort.'

Yep.  As Libby says at The Impolitic, 'it didn't take long for the White House to walk Maliki back.'   But --- as she and Josh Marshall say --- that's going to be a lot for the public to unswallow.

He's already said he was misinterpreted, but come on. That's a whole lot of statement to misconstrue.... [E]verybody is going to know that Maliki was forced into a retraction. (The Impolitic)