The Hollywood Liberal

PPP Poll: Obama Slightly Ahead in Florida
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Florida finds Sen. Barack Obama narrowly leading Sen. John McCain, 46% to 44%, on the basis of greater support among Hispanics.

Four years ago, President Bush won Hispanic voters in the state, 56% to 44%, but this survey shows Obama leading among them, 51% to 37%.

In addition, Obama is winning every age group except voters over 65, where McCain’s considerable 52% to 34% advantage allows him to keep the race competitive overall.

Late Late Nite FDL: Baby Likes To Rock It
The Tractors – Baby Likes To Rock It. The little cottage by the creek in the redwoods has found a buyer. Looks like I’ll be moving up to the Pacific Northwest early to mid August if all goes according to plan. Let’s get this party started. Who else has some good news to share?

The Tractors – Baby Likes To Rock It.

The little cottage by the creek in the redwoods has found a buyer. Looks like I’ll be moving up to the Pacific Northwest early to mid August if all goes according to plan.

Let’s get this party started. Who else has some good news to share?

Now It’s Webb’s Turn

The McCain Outrage Skit continues:

On MSNBC last night, Webb told McCain that he should “calm down” with the use of his military service in the campaign, adding that it was time to “get the politics out of the military.” Now the McCain campaign is responding to Webb, arguing that Webb’s comments prove that Obama “can’t control his surrogate operation.” McCain spokesperson Brian Rogers sends us this:

If you didn’t think this was a coordinated attack on John McCain’s credentials before, it’s clear now that it is. Barack Obama’s surrogates are telling the McCain campaign to “calm down” about attacks on his military record? Seriously? Now somehow Wes Clark’s attacks are John McCain’s fault? It’s absurd. If Barack Obama can’t control his own surrogate operation, how can he be trusted to run the country?

I hope someone in the Obama camp remembered to turn off Bill Burton’s fax machine and Blackberry this time before he has Obama cower with a rejection of Webb.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Everybody’s A Critic
One thing about blogging during the campaign is that you end up pissing people off on all sides. There are those who, understandably, think it’s vitally important that Barack Obama be elected and so important that asshole bloggers like me should refrain from any and all criticism lest my mighty blog powers cause Obama to fail. And there are those that get mad because I’m completely in the tank and don’t criticize Obama enough. And everyone in between.

I actually think all perspectives, except the crazy people who imagine the Obama campaign is funneling lots of money to me, have merit. It is vitally important that Obama win this election, and the importance of that towers over most day to day stuff But I’m inspired to criticize at times when I think Obama (and Kerry before him) is engaging in bad politics.

Mostly I just do whatever it is I do on this sucky blog without thinking too much about it. Still I try to distinguish between actions (what Obama does as a senator) and campaign rhetoric which doesn’t matter nearly as much. Obama isn’t trying to win my vote and the campaign isn’t going to be aimed at me. There are ways a campaign approach can narrow options after victory, but mostly a campaign is about winning. Hope is not a plan, but let’s hope they actually have a plan to do that.

Inside Obama’s Christian Crusade
Obama has made a major effort to woo evangelicals, but at what cost to church-state separation?

Muddy Brooks
David Brooks made an important mistake in his Tuesday column about Barack Obama’s fund raising. He writes: “If Obama’s tax plans go through, those affluent donors could wind up giving over 50 percent of their income to the federal government.”…

So Many Countries, So Few Letters
McCain confuses Sudan and Somalia….

Webb passes GI Bill

It is very hard as a freshman Senator to get anything of substance done in Congress but Senator Jim Webb of Virginia has done exactly that. He pushed the GI Bill through both houses of Congress. He attached the bill to other legislation and dared the President to veto it. Senator Jim Webb may be that rarest of politicians. One who has principles and sticks by them. He is someone who said that he supports the troops and then proved to EVERYONE that he, in fact, supports the troops.

From WaPo:

POLITICAL PROMISES are easy to make, harder to keep. So it is a testament to the tenacity of Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) and the justice of his cause that Congress has enacted a new GI Bill for war veterans. The freshman senator’s ability to work across party lines means that the men and women who risk their lives for America’s well-being will, in return, get expanded education benefits, along with opportunities for better futures.

The expansion of education benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans is part of the $257.5 billion emergency spending bill that passed the Senate on Thursday. The House gave its approval earlier, and President Bush is expected to sign it this week. The timing is fitting, considering that 64 years ago last Sunday, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the original GI Bill, which made a college education affordable for millions of World War II veterans. Today’s warriors are equally deserving, but the system, designed for a peacetime military, has not kept pace with the costs of college. Mr. Webb’s bill — The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act — is true to the original in providing full tuition, housing and living costs. (more…)

There are very few politicians that I admire. As I read more and more about these guys and gals, they really don’t resemble anything that I’m familiar with. Senator Jim Webb maybe that rare guy who promises that he will be over on Tuesday to help you built that back deck and on Tuesday he shows up to help.

I congratulate Senator Webb and Senator Hagel for getting this bill through. I also congratulate our troops for a job well done. Here’s their reward.

NATO, US forces ‘deadliest month’
June worst for foreign troops in Afghanistan since 2001 fall of Taliban.

Barr: Another GOP Sen. wants me to quit
Barr: Another GOP Sen. wants me to quit

McCain Adviser Absurdly Claims President Bush Opposed The Surge
Appearing on MSNBC today, Nancy Pfotenhauer, senior adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), touted McCain’s national security credentials, citing his support of increasing troops in Iraq while the war was unpopular. Pfotenhauer claimed that even President Bush did not support the idea: When Senator McCain challenged the current strategy on the ground in Iraq, and was […]

Appearing on MSNBC today, Nancy Pfotenhauer, senior adviser to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), touted McCain’s national security credentials, citing his support of increasing troops in Iraq while the war was unpopular. Pfotenhauer claimed that even President Bush did not support the idea:

When Senator McCain challenged the current strategy on the ground in Iraq, and was pushing for the surge, alongside Gen. Petraeus, this was incredibly unpopular here in Washington. It was particularly unpopular with President Bush. And he did it because that’s what he felt was right on the ground and he put the interests of the country first.

Watch it:

But the facts show that Bush clearly did support a surge of troops in Iraq. In 2006, then-Multinational Force Commander George Casey, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Iraq Study Group all argued against sending more troops to Iraq. Bush ignored this advice, however, and went as far as to replace Casey with Gen. Petraeus, who was open to a troop increase.

Furthermore, at the time, 68 percent of Americans opposed Bush’s call for a surge. Despite the military and public clearly rejecting the plan, Bush expressed little doubt about the surge and ordered 30,000 additional troops to Iraq.

Pfotenhauer’s claim that the surge was “particularly unpopular” with Bush is particularly laughable.

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