The Hollywood Liberal

RNC Readies Ad Blitz
The Republican National Committee “has reserved advertising slots in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, large buys that could mark the first serious wave of televised attacks on Barack Obama,” according to Ben Smith.

“Obama is on the air in 18 states, and has been using his financial advantage to tell his preferred version of his biography, one that roots him in Kansas values and centrist political issues.”

Quote of the Day
“I have not. I have not. Actually, I have not.”

— Sen. John McCain, in an interview on ABC News, when asked why he “admitted that you’re not exactly an expert when it comes to the economy.”

However, NBC News compiles past McCain quotes in which he said “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should” or “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.”

Shell Hit My Jaw, I Ain’t Wait For Doc To Get It Out, It Hit My Wisdom Tooth But I *Huck-Ptooo* Spit It Out
At 2 a.m. my friend Brian Beutler was shot multiple times. He lost a lot of blood and underwent major surgery. And by 4:30 p.m., when I saw him in the hospital, he was cracking jokes. That’s the kind of guy he is: invincible. The blogosphere’s very own 50 Cent.

This awful day is coming to an end and I have time to breathe, so.

At 2 a.m. my friend Brian Beutler was shot multiple times. He lost a lot of blood and underwent major surgery. And by 4:30 p.m., when I saw him in the hospital, he was cracking jokes. That’s the kind of guy he is: invincible. The blogosphere’s very own 50 Cent.

He’s also going to be a man with some serious hospital bills. Plans are in motion for Kriston‘s band Gestures, my band The Surge, and some other friends’ bands to play a benefit concert in D.C. to raise money for Brian in the near future. I’ll be posting notices here as soon as things firm up. If you can attend, please do, and if you can’t but can donate money, please do that instead. I’m going to set up a PayPal account for Brian as soon as I figure out how. What a great thing it would be if we could come together as a community to support each other when disaster hits.

That’s it for me tonight. I’m fried. The important thing is that my friend is going to be OK. It’s going to take more than fucking bullets, I can tell you that much.

More Swift Boating

February 2008:

“The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine,” Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), also a senior member of the Appropriations panel, told the Boston Globe recently. “He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me.”

But in the last 5 months, apparently McCain has matured:

. . . Though Sen. Cochran saw the incident he described to you, decades have passed since then and he wanted to make the point that over the years he has seen Sen. McCain mature . .

Must be dog years Cochran is talking about.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Haloscanned
I assume Jeevan will work his magic and fix it eventually.

It’s About Time for Online Voting
Historians will undoubtedly consider our current era of voting machines the technological equivalent of the 8-track tape machine.

McCain Puts New Strategist Atop Campaign
John McCain is never happier than when he is portraying himself as the underdog and, as he appoints a new campaign manager, he is once again stressing this point:In a telephone interview, Schmidt said that McCain faces a difficult challenge, given the overall mood of the country, but that he is encouraged by the race remaining relatively tight. “There are 125 days left until the American people will decide the next president,” he said. “Senator McCain is the underdog in the race. We
—- link

LeftWord: The Best Liberal Blog Posts

CREW Files Complaint About Sen. Norm Coleman’s Cheap Rent
Last week we pointed out what a great deal on rent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) appears to be getting on his Washington apartment. A National Journal reporter found that Coleman pays just $600 a month to live in the Capitol…

Journalist, defender of Iraq occupation, gets waterboarded
Journalist, defender of Iraq occupation, gets waterboarded

McCain gets ‘visibly angry’ when challenged on whether military experience prepares him to be president.
ABC News’ David Wright reports that when he asked John McCain to “explain how his Vietnam experience prepared him for the presidency,” McCain “became visibly angry”: McCain became visibly angry when I asked him to explain how his Vietnam experience prepared him for the Presidency. “Please,” he said, recoiling back in his seat in distaste at the […]

ABC News’ David Wright reports that when he asked John McCain to “explain how his Vietnam experience prepared him for the presidency,” McCain “became visibly angry”:

McCain became visibly angry when I asked him to explain how his Vietnam experience prepared him for the Presidency.

“Please,” he said, recoiling back in his seat in distaste at the very question.

McCain allies Sen. Lindsey Graham stepped in to rescue him. Graham expressed admiration for McCain’s stance on the treatment of detainees in US custody.

It’s a legitimate question. In 2003, McCain said, “I absolutely don’t believe that it’s necessary” to have military service in order to be president. He also said military service alone is not a sufficient qualification to be president.

Digg It!

Echoes of War
It is, I suppose, the curse of the baby boomers: Every presidential campaign is ultimately about Vietnam.

Obama Calls for National Service
COLORADO SPRINGS, July 2 — Continuing to press the themes of values, faith and patriotism, Sen. Barack Obama exhorted Americans on Wednesday “to step into the strong currents of history” and volunteer for service to their country, pledging to dramatically expand opportunities for those accepting…