Veracifier

Obama hits the mark

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:42:34 EDT

Obama clinched the critical delegate count today, and our friends at The Uptake are there, covering live. Watch the speech live or archived in the embedded player below at a slightly different angle than the televised speech, from their live cam at the event. Read the full text of the speech on TPM Election Central.

Meanwhile, our friends at TPM watched McCain's "prerebuttal" to Obama's speech, and say it's a "frighteningly sad" performance. As Josh Marshall writes:

...I'm curious to hear what other people think, but I really feel like he would have served himself much better by just going to ground for the evening.
McCain is often very good when he speaks extemporaneously. Even better in 2000. But still good. He's also good in debates. But giving set piece speeches, let's face it, he's simply awful. He finds it impossible to pretend he's actually thinking what he's saying.

Stay tuned for more thoughts and recaps from Veracifier's partners, and for full video of Obama's and Hillary's speeches from tonight. McCain's prebuttal speech is embedded below.

Sharon Stone Call is Karma, China Calls it "BAN"

Thu, 29 May 2008 11:31:57 EDT

Back in Reality TV Politics, the good people of China won't be watching Basic Instinct anytime soon. China has banned Sharon Stone from the silver screen after making the completely ridiculous comment that the earthquake was karma.

Sharon! How did you go from Left Wing We-Love-You Liberal to Crazy Hawk Talking Nonsense in one election cycle! What happened!

More from Cheras

Thu, 29 May 2008 10:30:40 EDT

In Malaysia, Fracas Leads to Police Violence

Thu, 29 May 2008 09:27:52 EDT

It was a night of chaos in Kuala Lampur last night. The Malay Mail reports:

On a night filled with tension and anger, police detained three men and a woman for allegedly trying to ram a car into a line of riot police. Five people also lodged police reports stating that they had been assaulted and one for damage to a car.

Residents at the scene alleged that as many as 20 people had been injured and several cars smashed by the unknown assailants.

Protests started when residents woke up to a concrete barricade rebuilt at the controversial access road earlier in the morning by Grand Saga. By evening, a crowd of at least 250 residents had gathered.

At 7.20pm, when residents pushed off a slab of concrete from the barricade a group of unidentified men rushed towards them wielding wooden sticks, bike helmets and, some residents claimed, metal rods and parang. The armed men shouted at the residents to stay away from the barricade.

Ean Yong Hian Wah, the State assemblyman for Seri Kembangan, arrived at 9pm and had to calm some riled-up residents, some of whom wanted to take quick revenge by destroying the Batu 11 toll booth.

“This problem should not be solved by violence. This is a legal matter and can only be settled in court,” he told residents, adding that he would be bringing up the issue at the Selangor exco meeting today.

Goodbye, Mike!

Thu, 29 May 2008 07:26:09 EDT

Veracifier favorite Mike Gravel exited the race, stage left this week.

Ex-Press Sec Publishes CV for Left-Wing Bloggers

Wed, 28 May 2008 12:35:04 EDT

... in the form of a book. Scott McClellan has published a tell-all (or tell-most) book where the great truth is revealed, for the very first time ever: GW kinda lied about that Iraq war thing. I'm shocked, shocked that gambling's going on here! Here are your winnings, sir...

Obama's History a Little Fuzzy... or Uncle Was a Soviet

Wed, 28 May 2008 09:54:10 EDT

Apparently Obama's uncle was among those who liberated Auschwitz. Incredible service not to be slighted. Except, um, the Americans didn't liberate Auschwitz. The Soviets did.

Hillary's Biggest Liability Still Has Functioning Mouth

Wed, 28 May 2008 09:49:00 EDT

It's amazing that the campaign hasn't bought a "Vote Hillary!" muzzle for him yet. Is Bill seriously going to keep talking? Doesn't he worry he's committing political suicide too, or is this the "I got away with Presidential Knee-Pads, I'm immortal!" syndrome?

Liz Trotta Says She's Sorry

Tue, 27 May 2008 14:37:46 EDT

High time.

FOX News: Knocking off Osama, Obama, or Both...

Tue, 27 May 2008 13:23:43 EDT

... "if we could."

This is one of those times when you wonder (a) how you can say "f*ck" on the air but you can say this without being fined, (b) how this woman can even chuckle after saying it, and (c) please, dear Lord, let the next Fox News correspondent be reporting from prison!

Tuesday Morning Must-Reads

Tue, 27 May 2008 09:06:30 EDT

Rove Refuses to Deny Contacting DOJ about Siegelman Prosecution [Raw Story] ABC's George Stephanopoulos talked with Karl Rove about his role in the prosecution of Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. Rove repeated the claim that he learned about the prosecution in the newspaper but refused to deny that he had contacted the Justice Department to discuss the prosecution. Partial Transcript: STEPHANOPOULOS: We're just about out of time. As we know and our viewers probably know you were subpoenaed this week by the house Judiciary Committee to give testimony on any involvement you may have had with the prosecution of the former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. He's claiming there was selective prosecution. He's out on bail now even though he was convicted. He said your fingerprints are all over it. The House report said -- "in Selma 2007 a Republican attorney for northern Alabama named Jill Simpson wrote an affidavit stating that in November 2002 she heard a prominent Alabama Republican operative named Bill Canary say that Karl Rove had contacted the Justice Department about bringing a prosecution of Don Siegelman. The question for Mr. Rove is whether he directly or indirectly discussed the possibility of prosecuting Don Siegelman with either the Justice Department or Alabama Republicans." did you?

McCain's Distortations on the Webb GI Bill [MyDD] This past week John McCain failed to show up for the important vote on a measure that would increase benefits for veterans -- a 21st century update to the G.I. bill -- legislation that he opposed in rhetoric but would not officially do so in the congressional record. Today, McCain went further, taking a swing at the legislation, saying that the increased benefits could lower the number of troops serving in the U.S. military. Sen. John McCain asserted that the G.I. Bill sponsored by Virginia Sen. James Webb will drive soldiers out of the armed services at a time when the country is trying to expand the size of the military. Speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony, McCain praised Webb as "an honorable man who takes his responsibility to veterans very seriously." And he said the bill, which would increase benefits for veterans after serving one tour, is a way of offering the nation's "deep appreciation" for the veterans who have served. But McCain insisted that he takes "a backseat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans." And he predicted that Webb's bill would reduce the military's retention rate by 16 percent.

Time to Take Back the White House [Taylor Marsh] I will never forget election night, November 2000. I was living overseas, hosting a party for a rowdy Democrats Abroad group. I'll never forget the ecstasy of Al Gore being declared winner of Florida after a nail-biting night of state-by-state returns. We cheered and jumped around like kids, dialed up relatives in the US, popped the cork... Well...you know the rest of the story: chads, lawsuits, Supreme Court briefs, outrage, heartbreak, regret. Mostly, though, the injustice of it all. The injustice was wrenching. Our candidate lost the White House over a handful of votes in the swing state of Florida even though he won more votes nationwide. There you have it. Reality sunk in and George Bush moved into Al's house on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Dual about Iraq Moves to NM [Tribune] Sen. John McCain stood before hundreds of flag-waving veterans and their families Monday and vowed not to waver in his support of the Iraq War. "Even," he said, "if I must stand athwart popular opinion." Sen. Barack Obama addressed a separate audience of veterans and received vigorous applause when he declared, "As many of you know, my intention is to bring this war in Iraq to a close and to start bringing home our troops in an orderly fashion." If Labor Day is the traditional opener to the fall presidential race, this Memorial Day offered at least a preview into the summertime duel between McCain and Obama, who for the first time were campaigning in the same swing state on the same day. As McCain spoke about the costs and sacrifices of the Iraq War at the Veterans' Memorial in Albuquerque, Obama praised the patriotism of America's soldiers before taking voters' questions—and hearing their frustrations about Iraq and a host of other concerns—at an outdoor forum here.

Bad News for GOP/Good News for McCain [Real Clear] The recent loss of formerly deep-red congressional districts to Democrats is supposed to be awful news for John McCain. Actually, the opposite could be true. We keep hearing that if Republicans can't hold onto voters in northeastern Mississippi -- or in Baton Rouge, La., or in the Chicago suburbs where former Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert held sway -- they're done for. The GOP's rocket is hurtling to earth, and not even a special-case Republican like McCain can stop it.

The Running Mate Choice [NYT] My first thought on the running mate question is that to balance his ticket, Barack Obama should pick a really old white general. Therefore, he should pick Dwight Eisenhower. John McCain, on the other hand, needs to pick someone younger than himself. Therefore, he also should pick Dwight Eisenhower. My second thought is that most of the commentary on vice president picks is completely backward. Most discussion focuses on what state or constituency this or that running mate could help carry in the fall. But, as a rule, recent vice presidential nominees haven’t had any effect on key states or constituencies. They haven’t had much effect on elections at all, except occasionally as hapless distractions.

10 Things Better Left Unsaid

Fri, 23 May 2008 13:26:45 EDT

10. "The growing fear of Obama, who remains something of an unknown, will drag every last white Republican male off the golf course to vote for McCain." - Dick Morris

9. "When required by law to verify that your evidence was accurate you simpy resubmitted it with phrases amounting to "See, I done proved it!" virtually written in the margins in crayon." - Keith Olbermann

8. "I think playing golf during the war just sends the wrong signal." - Our ever-noble president, GW

[as noted in Keith Olbermann's Special Comment]

7. "Hold on one second, sweetie." - Obama to female reporter

6. "There are a large number of voters that are turned off of Obama because of his connections to Rev. Wright, his connections to William Ayers, his possible connections to Louis Farrakhan. It would be as if there were a white candidate who was allied with the Ku Klux Klan and with the Aryan racial leagues." - Dick Morris

5. "I hear there's a last primary on June 3 and we're certainly going to... I'm not even sure which state it's in..." - Ron Paul

4. "How do the liberal-leaning Governor of New York and Mr. Conservative from Arizona wind up holding hands?" - Rowland Evans and Bob Novak in a recent WaPo article on Goldwater and the Rock.

3. You can be green without being gullible! ... making stewardship a priority does not mean that we should surrender our national autonomy and sacrifice family incomes to fight environmental threats that are speculative at best. - Environmental proclamations from the FRC (the sponser of the Values Voters Summit)

2. "McCain: Victory in Iraq by 2013" - CNN headline. [The copyeditor must have thought the extra "1" in "2113" was just a mistake.]

1. "The poor guy's been suffering for years, you know? Unfairly he's been accused of alcoholism, but we see now that it was something much more deep-stead. Andso, to cut this out in some respect for Ted Kennedy, here's a tune coming at you from the Dead Kennedys. Go ahead and play it, please." - Michael Savage "pays respect to" Ted Kennedy

Lanny Goes to FOX!

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:36:00 EDT

Clintonite Lenny Davis has turned to the dark side - or, at least the fair and balanced side - he's gone to FOX. (Meanwhile, let's not forget that January study that suggested FOX actually is the most balanced, and when the liberal media is fawning over Obama, does that not make FOX an ironically appropriate ally for the Clintons?)

Achmed the Terrorist

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:32:12 EDT

Are we so scared of muslim people that we have to put a puppet in a turban and give him a funny accent?

A video challenge from MobLogic.tv.

Downing Street 2.0

Thu, 22 May 2008 11:24:09 EDT

If the value of the dollar hasn't done it for you yet and you aren't wooed by delicious curry 'round every corner, here's just another reason to move to London: Ask the PM. Downing Street has gone online with YouTube in a really incredible new outreach program where the lowly citizenry can ask all their burning questions of the PM in return for a three minute soundbite on how to fix the housing problem or solve global warming. But Downing Street actually has a pretty neat online presence.... meanwhile, YouTube.com/WhiteHouse goes nowhere. God Bless America, where our leaders regulate YouTube instead of using it.

Worst Political Ads

Wed, 21 May 2008 14:49:56 EDT

As soon as you watch this, you'll have "Democrats, apply directly to the problem," stuck in your head to the tune of the ever-grating HeadOn ads. That's because tonight, the economic think tank Growth & Justice will hand out awards for the worst political advertising in America. Our Ground Hound Mike McIntee at the Uptake bring us a preview of the awards with an interview of Growth & Justice President Dane Smith. We’ll bring you the winners of the non-partisan lampooning after they’re announced.

I love you back, Iowa!

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:04:49 EDT

It's just about time for the general, and Obama is still fired up and ready to go. Clinton's still making waves, but at this point, it would look bad if she dropped out. Think of it - if she had dropped out four weeks ago (when it made sense), she would have still been on the ballot in West Virginia and Kentucky, and she still would have won those states. They've long been Clinton Country and it's certainly not changing any time soon (until November, at least). If Obama were the official candidate, and she were winning states though no longer officially in the race, it might not look so hot. And at this point, now that we've let everybody and their mother - even Guam - have a primary say, the only thing that makes sense is to see it all the way through. No alienating the states that are left, no bad-looking wins, just an honest race for America's vote. In the end, the nasty battle seems to have become kind of cool. For once, every Democrat in America will have their say about who they want to run this nation. It may be the most democratic thing we've ever done.

No More LOST for W, The White House Hates NBC

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:02:01 EDT

It seems that the White House hates NBC. And not just because the last episode of LOST left us all on the cliff (although we all hate them for that), but mostly because of the recent interview with GW they aired on Sunday's Nightly News. Dan Froomkin explains the problem in full in "the President v. the Peacock:"

There is more to the White House's unprecedented attack on NBC News yesterday than meets the eye.

The blistering letter to NBC from White House Counselor Ed Gillespie ostensibly focuses on the way President Bush's interview with NBC chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel was edited for presentation on Sunday's Nightly News.

But NBC's handling of the interview was not atypical for a tightly-edited broadcast and did not violate any journalistic norms. The White House may believe that news outlets are obliged to reproduce all of Bush's non-answers in their rambling entirety, but that's not the way the news business works.

Here is video of the edited interview as shown on the Nightly News. Here is video of the entire interview, which was 15 minutes long. Here is the full White House transcript.

A major topic was Bush's controversial speech to the Israeli parliament last week. (See Friday's column for background.)

Read the full story - and the unedited interview exchange in full - here.

John McCain's Fake SNL Commercial

Tue, 20 May 2008 11:25:24 EDT

"Jamming gaydar is not a federal responsibility. That's something best left to state and local governments."

John McCain made a star-spangled apperance on SNL this weekend - The Swamp has the full story and more videos - but this is probably the funniest thing I have ever seen John McCain do. And I saw him sign a baby in New Hampshire. With Sharpie.

Campaign Financing: Love it or Fix it

Tue, 20 May 2008 11:19:31 EDT

We've long looked to Good for great reporting and awesome videos, but this one is the best I've seen yet. It takes us into the Wild West of campaign fundraising where I have so far learned two things I didn't know before: Ron Paul was the beneficiary of a profound amount of military support, and I'll never be able to afford living in Manhattan. Hello, New Jersey... and the billion dollar mark.