Tucker Eskew has a Blog

Go say hello to one of Bush's senior advisers. He sure does have a purty mouth.

WaPo Endorses Kerry

Only way to maintain their position as the Susan Estrich of newspapers.

The Liberal Media

Why isn't it showing all of the pictures of Red Sox fans who weren't killed by police? hmmmm?????

The Bush Cheney Project

The Poor Man has the story boards for the latest ad.

Inning

David E. writes a letter to the New York Times.

Open Thread

Evening Thread

Enjoy.

DeLay - Grand Jury on Monday...or not. see correction at link

Kos has the scoop.

PULL This

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that despite the Rovian maneuvers to discredit Hatfield's biography Fortunate Son, it's pretty likely that Bush did do his community service as some sort of consequence of being busted for cocaine. I don't think a 20something drug bust should disqualify anyone for anything, really, although obviously our currrent Bush-supported drug laws don't agree with me.

But, the incredible thing about the latest accusation regarding Bush's work with Project PULL in the early 70s isn't that according to people who worked with him it wasn't voluntary. I mean, come on, we know that it isn't exactly in the Bush family gene pool to do something like that. The incredible thing is that in addition to lying about why he was doing it, he lied about the importance of his involvement:

HOUSTON - Former employees of a now-defunct inner-city program here have disputed the role President Bush says he played working with troubled teens in 1973.

"I was working full-time for an inner-city poverty program known as Project PULL," he said in his 1999 autobiography, A Charge to Keep. "My friend John White... asked me to come help him run the program... . I was intrigued by John's offer... . Now I had a chance to help people."

Bush often has cited this work for the Professional United Leadership League as the source for his belief in compassionate conservatism.

Some former associates of White, who died in 1988, speaking on the record for the first time, say that Bush wasn't helping to run the program but was instead a volunteer, and that White hadn't asked Bush to come aboard. Instead, the associates said, White told them he agreed to take Bush on as a favor to Bush's father, who was honorary cochairman of the program at the time. They say White, a tight end for the Houston Oilers in the '60s, told them Bush had gotten into some kind of trouble, but White never gave them specifics.

While they question how he came to the group, they also praise his work and agree that he connected well with the youths.

"We didn't know what kind of trouble he'd been in, only that he'd done something that required him to put in the time," said Althia Turner, White's administrative assistant.

"He didn't help run the program. I was in charge of him and I wouldn't say I helped run the program, either," said David Anderson, a recreational director at PULL.

A White House spokesman, told about the interviews, denied that Bush had been in any trouble or that Bush's father, who was ambassador to the United Nations at the time, had arranged the job at PULL. He acknowledged that Bush wasn't paid for his work there.

"It was incorrect to say he was working there," spokesman Trent Duffy said. "He was doing volunteer service and getting paid by the Guard."

It's incredible that all signs point to his being a volunteer working off some community service time. Instead of just claiming to be a volunteer, he claimed he was asked to "help run the program."

Is there anything he won't lie about?

And, remember folks, it's not about the sex, it's about the lying...


...just a thought. I'm pretty surprised they got away with running this story so close to the election. I'm guessing the reporters may even have a bit more up their sleeves that makes this an even more solid story... Developing, as they say...

Liars

Surprise. And shame on our pathetic media for, as usual, thinking scary puppies are more important than the fact that the president who allowed 9/11 to happen then allowed the perpetrator of 9/11 to get away so he could have his war against a country which had nothing to do with 9/11 is now lying about it.

You'd think we'd have better memories about the events surrounding the "most important day ever" and the subsequent war.

Puppies

Crossfire yesterday:

WATKINS: Well, let's talk about what is happening right now.

The Bush campaign has rolled out its latest ad. And it may be the most powerful in its arsenal to date. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, AD)

NARRATOR: In an increasingly dangerous world, even after the first terrorist attack on America, John Kerry and the liberals in Congress voted to slash America's intelligence operations by $6 billion, cuts so deep they would have weakened America's defenses. And weakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(APPLAUSE)

WATKINS: Wow. Very strong and right on the mark.

The ads begin airing today in 14 states and on national cable. Bush aides say it was produced in the spring, but it was so effective in focus groups that they held it back until now. Good move.

(LAUGHTER)

BEGALA: This is -- now, the guy who makes Bush's ads, Mark McKinnon, is a dear friend of mine. We went to college together. I love him.

Mark, you need to switch to decaf, bud.

(LAUGHTER)

BEGALA: That's the dumbest ad.

(CROSSTALK)

WATKINS: That's a great ad. That's a great ad.

BEGALA: Those are puppies, Joe.

WATKINS: Americans care about being safe.

BEGALA: Ronald Reagan used a bear, a big threatening image, for the Soviet Union. These are puppies. What's next, Garfield the cat, Lassie?

(LAUGHTER)

BEGALA: Oh, I'm afraid. These puppies are coming. The puppies are coming.

The "applause" after the end of the video clip was actually laughter.

Weakness

As a few people have pointed out, there's a strange line in the Puppies ad:

[W]eakness attracts those who are waiting to do America harm.

Indeed.

Win Back Respect

Yes, once again, this is a good ad. They got a hundred from me, and a thousand from Kleiman. Go add some more.

Stop the Negroes From Voting

So, the Republicans have 3600 people signed up to do everything they can do discourage people from voting in Ohio.

We're going to need some citizen journalists to check out what's going on. Please, people in Cleveland make sure to travel around to various polling places and report in on what's happening on Nov. 2.

Wolfpacks for Truth

The truth will set us free.

Patsy Keever Up in Latest Poll

Close race:

ASHEVILLE - U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor slightly trails challenger Patsy Keever in a poll released Friday.

The survey conducted by the Asheville Center for Social Research at UNC Asheville found that 41.2 percent of residents polled support Taylor, 43.5 percent would vote for Keever, and 15.3 percent were undecided.

The poll involved 493 residents of Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood and Transylvania counties contacted by telephone between Oct. 11 and 21. With a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, the two candidates are in a statistical tie, said Mark West, director of the center and a professor of mass communication at the university.

Open Thread II

No cat blogging today. Cats too shy. Maybe tomorrow...

However, we do have boobies vs. puppies.



(thanks to woot, of course)

Open Thread

Priceless

The look on the righty co-host's face on Crossfire when the audience laughed after they broadcast the "puppies" ad...

After seeing the full ad, instead of just the script and still photos, I'm laughing. That ad's going to become a camp classic.

ooooo....spoooooky puppies...

Stolen Honor Funded By NRA?

The Brady Campaign says they have a source who says the NRA was behind it:

Dear StoptheNRA member:

Can it be true that the NRA is behind the Stolen Honor "documentary" attacking John Kerry to be aired in part or in its entirety by Sinclair Broadcasting?

We have received credible information from a source inside the NRA that the NRA is a significant funder of the Stolen Honor "documentary" which is scheduled to be aired on 62 stations owned by Sinclair Broadcasting in late October. This "documentary" is the source of much controversy as it is a blatant political attack on a presidential candidate days before an election and is being aired by a broadcast company owned by supporters of President Bush. They are characterizing it as "news" and claiming not to be subject to election laws.

The NRA has made no secret of its disdain for election laws and using its resources to try and get around these laws and impact the election. The NRA has a history of trying to circumvent these laws by attempting to buy TV stations, expressing desires to broadcast from Mexico or even from a ship offshore in international waters. By allegedly funding this "documentary" and working with an existing pro-Bush broadcaster to air it, they are succeeding where they have failed in the past. They need to be stopped from making this end-run around our nation's election laws.

Consider this:

The Assistant General Counsel of the NRA, James H. Warner, appears in the "documentary" as someone who is highly critical of John Kerry. Is this just a coincidence?

We have been told by a source inside the NRA (whom we cannot identify to protect him and his family) that the NRA is a significant funder of Stolen Honor. The producers of Stolen Honor, Red, White and Blue Productions, a for-profit company, brag on their website that they have received funding from "individuals and entities nationwide" and are actively soliciting contributions. Since when do for-profit companies or news organizations solicit donations?

There is no reporting of contributors by Red, White and Blue Productions. No accountability. Nothing. Is this just an attempt by the producers to circumvent campaign finance laws and allow their supporters to hide their identities?

Sinclair Broadcasting and the NRA have shown their support for President Bush through endorsements and contributions. Is Red, White and Blue Productions acting as the go-between in order for the NRA to get its wish and use the airwaves to further its extreme political agenda?

All groups who are involved in broadcast activities that attempt to influence elections (including the so-called 527 organizations) must disclose their donors. Why does Red, White and Blue Productions think it is exempt from this requirement?

The Washington bureau chief and top reporter for Sinclair Broadcast Group was fired after he criticized the company's plans to produce a news program based on a "documentary" critical of John Kerry. After his firing he was "escorted out of the building." Are these people afraid the truth is going to come out?

These are questions that need to be asked and investigated. Our nation's campaign finance laws are there to make sure the rich and powerful do not take over our election process. We supported campaign finance reform and the NRA opposed it. They even lost their challenge to those laws in court. What lengths will they go to by-pass these laws?

Time is running short. The election is almost here.

How You Can Help:

1) Call the offices of Campaign Finance Reform sponsors Senators McCain (202-224-2235) and Senator Feingold (202-224-5323) and demand that the Senate investigate who is funding the "documentary" produced by Red, White and Blue Productions and to be aired in part by Sinclair Broadcasting.

2) Call Red White and Blue Productions at 717-213-4955 and demand they release the names of the individuals and entities contributing to the making of this "documentary."

3) Forward this e-mail to as many friends and relatives as you can. Time is running out.

4) Please click here to make a contribution to our efforts to get to the truth. Sensible gun laws need protection today.

Thank you,