The Flintstones

FIFTY years of the Flintstones -- Amazing.











Wow.

Tom Barrett: Jim Doyle's Third Term, Only Worse

Third Term from Republican Governors Association on Vimeo.

The Republican Governors Association aired a new television advertisement today on the similarities between Mayor Tom Barrett and Governor Jim Doyle. Tom Barrett would be like Jim Doyle’s third term, only worse. The ad can be viewed at www.MayorTomBarrett.com.

“It’s no wonder that Jim Doyle has spent a million dollars trying to get Mayor Tom Barrett elected. Barrett would be like Doyle’s third term – only worse,” said RGA spokesman Chris Schrimpf. “Both men have loved raising taxes and both have presided over thousands of lost jobs. Scott Walker, though, has shown that he understands the importance of a dollar. He’s someone who packs his lunch for work every day and has returned almost $400,000 of his salary back to the taxpayers.”

A transcript of the ad is below.

Wonder why Tom Barrett is Jim Doyle’s handpicked successor?

It’s because – like Doyle – Barrett just loves raising taxes.

Barrett’s raised taxes in every office he’s ever held.

In the state legislature, the U. S. Congress, and every year as Milwaukee’s mayor.

And, just like Doyle, Barrett’s lost thousands of jobs on his watch.

Tom Barrett: more taxes, less jobs. Barrett would be Doyle’s third term, only worse.

Barrett doesn't like being compared to fellow Democrat Jim Doyle.

Why is that?

Because he knows Wisconsinites are rejecting the failed policies of the last eight years. We want change.

Barrett's problem is he is like Doyle. When it comes to controlling government spending and cutting taxes, Barrett's record doesn't match his rhetoric.

Obama: FOX News and MSNBC

Obama is trying to reconnect with Americans.

So, Obama does an interview with Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone.

Naturally, Obama slams FOX News as "destructive."

JANN WENNER: What do you think of Fox News? Do you think it's a good institution for America and for democracy?

OBAMA: [Laughs] Look, as president, I swore to uphold the Constitution, and part of that Constitution is a free press. We've got a tradition in this country of a press that oftentimes is opinionated. The golden age of an objective press was a pretty narrow span of time in our history. Before that, you had folks like Hearst who used their newspapers very intentionally to promote their viewpoints. I think Fox is part of that tradition — it is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view. It's a point of view that I disagree with. It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world. But as an economic enterprise, it's been wildly successful. And I suspect that if you ask Mr. Murdoch what his number-one concern is, it's that Fox is very successful.

FOX News is destroying the country, but the White House finds MSNBC to be providing an "invaluable service."

CNN's John King had some fun pointing out the ridiculousness of Obama's demonization of FOX and his hypocrisy.

JOHN KING, HOST: Sometimes you feel sad to be left out of a big debate. This is not one of those sometimes. In an interview with "Rolling Stone," President Obama voiced the opinion that Fox News is a "destructive" force in our society. On the other hand, the left hand in this case, Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the President believes MSNBC commentators Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow provide "an invaluable service" to that same society and democracy.

After showing clips of FOX commentators and MSNBC commentators, specifically Ed Schultz and Keith Olbermann, King played a clip of Obama's commencement address at the University of Michigan.

OBAMA: For if we choose only to expose ourselves to opinions and viewpoints that are in line with our own, studies suggest that we become more polarized, more set in our ways.

I guess by Obama's own definition he must be seen as a polarizing figure.

That seems right to me.

Video.

Tony Curtis R.I.P.

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Tony Curtis, the Bronx tailor's son who became a 1950s movie heartthrob and then a respected actor with such films as "Sweet Smell of Success," "The Defiant Ones" and "Some Like It Hot," has died. He was 85.

The actor died at 9:25 p.m. MDT Wednesday at his Las Vegas area home of a cardiac arrest, Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy said Thursday.

Rest in peace, Tony Curtis.

Al Franken's Latest Gaffe

DEMOCRAT Al Franken is not a quick study. Unfortunately, he is a U.S. senator.

DEMOCRAT Franken screws up AGAIN.

Is DEMOCRAT Franken trying to fill the void left by gaffe machine Joe Biden?

If so, he's doing a terrific job.

Video.


DEMOCRAT Franken isn't capable of presiding over the Senate.

From The Hill:

Franken, the most famous member of the Senate freshmen class, has logged dozens of hours as presiding officer of the chamber, a duty often given to new senators to help them learn arcane procedural rules.

Franken suffered another embarrassing moment Wednesday morning when he mistakenly recognized Sen. Tom Udall as the “senator from Utah.”

Udall quickly corrected Franken by noting that he’s from New Mexico.

“Oh, God,” Franken boomed into his microphone. “I’m sorry.”

“The senator from New Mexico,” Franken said, emphasizing “New Mexico” to make up for his mistake.

The exchange was less awkward than the kerfuffle Franken sparked last month while presiding over the Senate.

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) scolded Franken on the floor for allegedly mocking him.

Republican aides said Franken gesticulated and made faces from the chair while McConnell delivered a speech on then-Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.

Bottom line: Franken is not good enough, he's not smart enough, and doggone it, he's an embarrassment.

Jimmy Fallon: Levi Johnston and Afghanistan

JIMMY FALLON: In an interview on MSNBC, Levi Johnston said that he has no idea if additional troops will help the war in Afghanistan. Which of course begs the question, who the hell is asking Levi Johnston about strategy for Afghanistan?

Jimmy Fallon: Joe Biden

JIMMY FALLON: A new poll found that 41 percent of Americans don't know who the vice president is. In response, Joe Biden was like, 'All right, all right, at least give me a hint.

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei

UPDATE, April 20, 2011: Dharun Ravi indicted on 15 counts tied to spying on, suicide of Rutgers roommate Tyler Clementi
________________

Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei are scum (allegedly).


Photo: Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei - Cruelty personified (allegedly).

Ravi is the roommate from hell (allegedly). Wei was Ravi's high school classmate and a fellow Rutgers freshman.

They are horrible people, miserable excuses for human beings (allegedly).

From WPIX:

NYPD harbor units have recovered the body of an individual believed to be Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman who jumped to his death after two other students secretly filmed him during a sexual encounter with another man, PIX 11 News has learned.

Sources say there was no wallet and no identification on the body.

Clementi was spotted on the walkway of the George Washington Bridge on the night of Sept 22. Earlier in the evening, the 18-year-old freshman had posted a chilling goodbye message on his Facebook page.

"Jumping off the gw bridge sorry," Clementi wrote on Facebook before jumping to his death. Sources tell PIX 11 News, Clementi's car was later discovered along the New Jersey border with both his cell phone and computer inside.

Fellow freshmen students Dharun Ravi, 18, of Plainsboro and Molly Wei, 18, of Princeton have since been charged with invasion of privacy for allegedly placing a camera in Clementi's room.

Ravi and Wei were charged with two counts each of invasion of privacy for using a camera to view and transmit a live image of the teen during the sexual encounter on Sept. 19.

Ravi, who was Clementi's roommate, was additionally charged with two more counts of invasion of privacy for trying to use the hidden camera to view the same student during another sexual encounter just three days later on Sept. 21.

Days before the shocking suicide, Ravi updated his Twitter account, admitting to friends that he enabled his webcam to spy on Clementi who had asked his roommate for some privacy.

"Roommate asked for the room till midnight," he tweeted on Sept. 19. "I went into Molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."

...Ravi was released on $25,000 bail Tuesday after surrendering to Rutgers police, while Wei was released on her own recognizance Monday after surrendering to authorities.

According to Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan, it is a fourth-degree crime to collect or view images depicting nudity or sexual content of an individual without that person's consent. The crime becomes a third-degree offense if the images are transmitted or distributed.

WPIX video


How could Ravi and Wei be so cruel?

Why would they do something that they knew would deeply hurt Tyler Clementi?

Did they think it was fun? Is bullying their hobby?

Clementi asked his roommate for privacy. Instead, Ravi allegedly violated his trust in a stunningly callous way. Ravi and Wei's lack of compassion is chilling.

According to Forbes, Ravi discovered that Clementi was gay from comments he made on a gay message forum, "JustUsBoys," and Clementi was aware of Ravi's video voyeurism.

A month-old tweet from Ravi indicates he discovered his roommate’s sexuality based on comments Clementi made on a gay message forum. Ravi tweeted on August 22, “Found out my roommate is gay,” and linked to a post he said was Clementi’s on JustUsBoys. It’s the same forum that Clementi appears to have turned to after discovering he’d been spied on. As Gawker noted, a user on the forum by the name of “cit2mo” posted a thread “college roommate spying…..” on September 21 at 7:22 a.m.

so the other night i had a guy over. I had talked to my roommate that afternoon and he had said it would be fine w/him. I checked his twitter today. he tweeted that I was using the room (which is obnoxious enough), AND that he went into somebody else’s room and remotely turned on his webcam and saw me making out with a guy. given the angle of the webcam I can be confident that that was all he could have seen.

so my question is what next?

I could just be more careful next time…make sure to turn the cam away…
buttt…
I’m kinda pissed at him (rightfully so I think, no?)
and idk…if I could…it would be nice to get him in trouble
but idk if I have enough to get him in trouble, i mean…he never saw anything pornographic…he never recorded anything…
I feel like the only thing the school might do is find me another roommate, probably with me moving out…and i’d probably just end up with somebody worse than him….I mean aside from being an asshole from time to time, he’s a pretty decent roommate…

the other thing is I that don’t wanna report him and then end up with nothing happening except him getting pissed at me….

Other users advised him to report it to the school and make sure his roommate’s computer was closed during future encounters. Cit2mo replied:

I feel like it was “look at what a fag my roommate is” –other people have commented on his profile with things like “how did you manage to go back in there?” “are you ok?”

and the fact that the people he was with saw my making out with a guy as the scandal whereas i mean come on…he was SPYING ON ME….do they see nothing wrong with this?

unsettling to say the least….

so I decided to fill out the room change request form….its not guaranteed that you get a change…and i don’t have to switch if I change my mind or work things out over the next week (they won’t start filling requests until next week)…but I figure I might as well as see what they can offer me….

More users advised him of the illegality of this video voyeurism. A famous case of this, of course, is that of Erin Andrews. The man who made peephole videos of her undressing was ultimately sentenced to 30 months in prison. Cit2mo responds:

oh yah, on the school website it says recording people where there is an expectation of privacy (bathroom bedroom etc) without the consent of everyone involved could….COULD…..result in being expelled

the only things is…there are too many ‘could’s ….the fact that he didn’t ACTUALLY record me (to my knowledge) and the fact that the school really prolly won’t do much of anything….

but anyway, i’ll be talking to my RA later today for sure…..

and yah, revenge never ends well for me, as much as I would love to pour pink paint all over his stuff…..that would just let him win…..

Cit2mo did end up going to the RA after Ravi’s tweet on September 21st:

so I wanted to have the guy over again.

I texted roomie around 7 asking for the room later tonight and he said it was fine.

when I got back to the room I instantly noticed he had turned the webcam toward my bed. And he had posted online again….saying….”anyone want a free show just video chat me tonight”…or something similar to that….

soooo after that…..

I ran to the nearest RA and set this thing in motion…..
we’ll see what happens……

I haven’t even seen my roommate since sunday when i was asking for the room the first time…and him doing it again just set me off….so talking to him just didn’t seem like an option….

meanwhile I turned off and unplugged his computer, went crazy looking for other hidden cams….and then had a great time.

Cit2mo’s last posting to the site on the morning of September 22nd indicates that he emailed an RA a paragraph about what had happened. Though he seemed calm and collected in his postings to JustUsBoys, that night, he posted “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry” to his Facebook, and committed suicide.

Clementi's postings indicate his struggles with Ravi and his feelings of powerlessness.

Ravi and Wei are conscienceless cyberthugs and hopefully they will pay for their criminal behavior. No slap on the wrist for these thugs if they are found guilty. They must suffer the consequences for breaking the law. Without question, they should be expelled from Rutgers.

Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick issued a statement on Clementi's death.

I deeply regret that today we learned from the family of one of our students that they believe their son has committed suicide. We are profoundly saddened by this report, and our hearts and prayers are with the parents, family, and friends of this young man, who had started at Rutgers this semester as a first-year student on the New Brunswick Campus.

While there is a lot of information being communicated, we don’t have all the facts in this case.

This young man was reportedly the victim of an incident that took place in one of our residence halls last week. Two fellow Rutgers students have been arrested and charged with invasion of privacy for their actions in that incident. If the charges are true, these actions gravely violate the university’s standards of decency and humanity.

The case is being investigated by the Rutgers University Police Department. The students—like all who are accused of a crime—must be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case is also being investigated by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs under the code of student conduct. Please know that while Rutgers does not comment publicly on the specifics of cases involving active criminal investigations and allegations of student conduct, the university is taking this case very seriously.

We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family during this most difficult time. While I did not have the privilege of knowing this young man, I have learned that in addition to his academic abilities, he was a gifted musician. Our university community feels the pain of his loss, and I know there is anger and outrage about these events.

Rutgers is a community that is extraordinarily proud of its diversity and the respect its members have for one another. In fact, we have just launched a two-year dialogue focusing attention on civility in the context of one of the most culturally and racially diverse research universities in the nation. I ask that all members of the Rutgers community honor the wishes of the family by providing them with privacy during this painful time and by committing to the values of civility, dignity, compassion, and respect for each other.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Of course, Ravi and Wei have to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The cybertrail will be easy enough to trace. (See postings from "JustUsBoys.") I trust it won't take long to determine if they actually did what they are accused of doing.

The WPIX report states that sources say Clementi had asked to have his room changed, but Rutgers denied that request.

If true, that refusal to move Clementi was obviously a terrible mistake.

When it comes to taking one's own life, ultimate responsibility lies with the individual. Clementi made the choice. He chose to die, but arriving at that decision certainly speaks to Clementi's unbearable anguish, being only 18 and not wanting to live. His suffering probably went beyond the clash with his roommate. The tragic unknown in all of this is whether Clementi would have made the choice to live had Ravi and Wei not treated him like the star in a freak show.

It's heartbreaking that Clementi determined his best option was to jump from the George Washington Bridge.

Rutgers can't be blamed for Clementi's death but it may be responsible for failing to address 18-year-old Clementi's serious problems with Ravi and buddy Wei.

Ravi and Wei didn't kill Clementi, but they're accused of illegal activity that had to be torture for him. His suicide may have been precipitated by their bullying.

Bullying in the Internet age takes on a whole new dimension. Thugs can use the Internet to compound the agony for the victim.

Ravi and Wei didn't push Clementi off the bridge, but they have blood on their hands.
________________

Here's video of Danielle Birnbohm. She lived in the dorm room next to Tyler Clementi and Dharun Ravi on Busch Campus at Rutgers.
_________________

UPDATE, September 30, 2010: Statement of President Richard L. McCormick, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

This is the second statement from McCormick. In his first statement, September 29, 2010, he didn't mention Clementi by name.

His September 30, 2010, statement is a more personal expression of sympathy.

The Rutgers University community is in mourning over the death of first-year student Tyler Clementi.

We grieve for him and for his family, friends, and classmates as they deal with the tragic loss of a gifted young man who was a strong student and a highly accomplished musician. I have spoken with Tyler’s parents to extend my own and the university’s deepest sympathies, and we will continue to respect the family’s request for privacy.

It is up to us at Rutgers to honor this young man’s life by reaffirming, and living up to, our commitment to the values of civility, dignity, compassion, and respect for one another.

I don't want to be cynical about McCormick's motives but this second statement seems to be an attempt to deal with the Rutgers PR nightmare of Clementi's suicide.

I think McCormick has said enough.
_________________

UPDATE, from WPIX: Officials: Body Found In Hudson is of Rutgers Voyeurism Victim

A body recovered from the Hudson River has been confirmed to be Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers freshman who jumped to his death after two other students secretly filmed him during a sexual encounter with another man, officials announced Thursday.

The New York City medical examiner's office determined that Clementi drowned and had impact injuries on his torso after jumping off the George Washington Bridge last Wednesday.

Sources say there was no wallet and no identification on the body.

Clementi was spotted on the walkway of the bridge on the night of Sept 22. Earlier in the evening, the 18-year-old freshman had posted a chilling goodbye message on his Facebook page.

"Jumping off the gw bridge sorry," Clementi wrote on Facebook before jumping to his death.

_________________

UDPATE: NJ student's suicide illustrates Internet dangers

This AP article discusses suicides and cyberbullying. It also includes some new information about Tyler Clementi, Dharun Ravi, and Molly Wei.

In Clementi's case, prosecutors said that his roommate, Dharun Ravi of Plainsboro, N.J., and Molly Wei of Princeton, N.J., both 18-year-old freshmen, transmitted a live image of Clementi having sex on Sept. 19 and that Ravi tried to webcast a second encounter on Sept. 21, the day before Clementi's suicide. Lawyers for Ravi and Wei did not return calls.

Luanne Peterpaul, vice chairwoman of the gay rights group Garden State Equality and a former New Jersey prosecutor, said authorities might be able to pursue the case as a hate crime under state law if they are able to establish that the defendants acted because they believed Clementi was gay.

Ravi posted a message on his now-closed Twitter account on Sept. 19: "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."

Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan said in a statement: "We will be making every effort to assess whether bias played a role in the incident, and, if so, we will bring appropriate charges."

A lawyer for Clementi's family did not respond to requests for comment on whether Clementi had come out to friends and family about his sexual orientation. He also said the family had no comment.

The mourning continued at Rutgers and in Ridgewood, the suburban New Jersey town where Clementi grew up and attended high school.

"As the father of a 17-year-old, I can't imagine what those parents are feeling today," Gov. Chris Christie said. "Those people who led him to that bridge are going to have to bear that responsibility for the rest of their lives."

Ed Schmiedecke, the recently retired music director at Ridgewood High, called Clementi "a terrific musician and a very promising, hardworking young man."

"Musically, Tyler was destined for greatness," childhood friend Mary Alcaro, who played in a summer music academy with him, said in an e-mail. "I've never heard anyone make a violin sing the way he did."

Students at West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional High School, from which Ravi and Wei graduated, remembered them as nice people who were not in any way homophobic.

Ravi had gay friends, said Derek Yan, 16, a junior. Yan said he chatted online with Ravi about what college life was like, and Ravi "said he was lucky to have a good roommate. He said his roomate was cool."

Apparently, Ravi and Wei have changed dramatically since they left West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional High School.

If they were nice, as students at the high school remember them, then they've changed dramatically. They've revealed they aren't nice anymore. They're heartless, soulless.

This wasn't some innocent little prank gone bad. They allegedly behaved illegally. They conducted a cold, calculated plan to torment Clementi. Nice people don't do that.

As far as being homophobic goes, they've been outed.

Obviously, if Ravi liked his roommate and thought he was cool, he had a sick, sick way of showing it.

In the end, it doesn't matter what a person says. It's irrelevant that Ravi supposedly had gay friends in high school. The "but some of my best friends are gay" defense is pathetic. It's irrelevant that Ravi said kind things about Clementi to someone online.

Words can be empty, meaningless. It's so simple to say something. What matters is how those words are backed up by actions.

What Ravi and Wei allegedly DID says everything one needs to know about them.
_________________

UDPATE, October 1, 2010: Bias crime charges weighed after NJ teen's suicide
_________________

UDPATE, October 1, 2010: Emotions run high at Rutgers after teen's suicide
_________________

UDPATE, October 2, 2010: Rutgers honors late student at homecoming game
_________________

UDPATE, October 3, 2010: Hating Ravi and Wei Solves Nothing
_________________

UDPATE, October 6, 2010: Rutgers Students Investigated After Death of Classmate Break Their Silence

Ravi and Wei deny they had anti-gay bias.

Wei's lawyer declares she's innocent.
_________________

UDPATE, December 22, 2010: Parents of NJ student who killed himself to sue

The parents of a Rutgers University student who killed himself after his roommate allegedly used a webcam to spy on him during a tryst with another man have filed notice that they intend to sue the school.

Joseph and Jane Clementi, parents of Tyler Clementi, filed the notice on Friday. They have to wait six months to file the lawsuit over their son's death, which became a symbol in a national outcry over the bullying of young gays.

In the notice, the couple said "it appears Rutgers University failed to act, failed to put in place and/or failed to implement, and enforce policies and practices that would have prevented or deterred such acts, and that Rutgers failed to act timely and appropriately"

The claim, first reported by The Home News Tribune of East Brunswick, did not list how much in damages the Ridgewood family would seek.

Rutgers spokesman E.J. Miranda said in a statement that the school is not to blame.

"We at the university share the family's sense of loss of their son, who was a member of our community. We also recognize that a grieving family may question whether someone or some institution could somehow have responsibility for their son's death," Miranda said. "While the university understands this reaction, the university is not responsible for Tyler Clementi's suicide."

_________________

UPDATE, April 20, 2011: Dharun Ravi indicted on 15 counts tied to spying on, suicide of Rutgers roommate Tyler Clementi

A former Rutgers University freshman was indicted Wednesday for secretly viewing a same-sex encounter involving his roommate - who later jumped to his death from the George Washington Bridge.

Dharun Ravi, 19, of Plainsboro, N.J., could face up to 5 years in prison if convicted of the top charges in the 15-count indictment announced by Middlesex County prosecutor Bruce Kaplan.

Ravi was charged by a grand jury with bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and witness and evidence tampering for using a webcam to spy on Tyler Clementi's dorm room date with another man.

Once Clementi's Sept. 22, 2010, suicide became public, Ravi asked witnesses not to implicate him and gave misleading information to investigators, Kaplan said.

According to the indictment, Ravi also knew the target of his webcam would be intimidated because of his sexual orientation.

"The grand jury indictment spells out cold and calculated acts against our son Tyler by his former college roommate," the Clementi family said in a statement.

"If these facts are true, as they appear to be, then it is important for our criminal justice system to establish clear accountability under law. We are eager to have the process moved forward for justice in this case."

Mark Belling, Russ Feingold, 'Garage Door' - PolitiFact Wisconsin

UPDATE: Feingold ad not fake, Belling says

Here is Belling's statement about the ad.

Funny that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (the Russ Feingold campaign team) links to it. Although it's a retraction, Belling still gets the last laugh.
________________

Mark Belling isn't running for office but PolitiFact Wisconsin has declared his "Pants on Fire."

Yesterday, Belling said that Russ Feingold's "Garage Door" ad was fake, that Feingold wasn't really standing in front of his home in Middleton.

Less than 24 hours after Belling made the claim, PolitiFact, "a partnership of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and PolitiFact.com, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Web site of the St. Petersburg Times," has responded, putting the assertion to the test.

In a new TV ad, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold goes back in history, reviving images from his successful 1992 campaign when he painted promises on his garage door in Middleton. Facing a tough re-election battle, the Wisconsin Democrat tells voters he owns the same house and is still the small-town fella they elected 18 years ago -- except that today he posts promises on a website instead of his garage.

It’s not exactly what you would call an attack ad. But it was enough to open the door for an attack by WISN-AM talk radio host Mark Belling.

"I’m going to make an accusation here, and I am very confident that I am correct in my accusation," Belling said in the first hour of his Sept. 28, 2010 program. "That ad is a fake. That ad is a fake. Feingold is not standing in front of his house in this new ad. They faked it."

Belling said he checked out the ad himself and cited an expert source he said he could not identify.

...While our primary focus at PolitiFact Wisconsin is fact-checking the promises, claims and accusations made by elected officials and candidates, we will also examine the words of other voices who shape the political discourse.

This was a strong accusation: Did a U.S. Senate candidate aiming to show off his roots back home fake the scene from a far-off TV studio?

Good grief.

"While our primary focus at PolitiFact Wisconsin is fact-checking the promises, claims and accusations made by elected officials and candidates, we will also examine the words of other voices who shape the political discourse."

Apparently, Belling has a lot of political clout.

Gee, less than 24 hours after Belling made the claim on his radio program, PolitiFact Wisconsin has published its findings.

That's remarkably fast.

Why such a quick reaction? How did that happen?

Obviously, it was critical that Belling's accusation did not stand. It had to be debunked immediately.

The Journal Sentinel obliged.

PolitiFact Wisconsin published its analysis at 2:14 PM today.

JSOnline posted the "Pants on Fire" declaration at 2:26 PM, about half an hour before Belling's program begins, in its "NewsWatch" box.

What timing!

...Belling declined to name his source, other than to say he was involved in video production and shared his suspicions.

"I have no proof,’’ Belling said. "I'm making an accusation that it's faked, and they can confirm or deny it."

So, we asked Feingold. Was he standing in his driveway when the ad was shot?

"I’m trying not to laugh," Feingold said. "Yes."

After spending the night at his Middleton house, Feingold said, he attended the dedication of a war memorial in Sauk Prairie on Aug. 28 while the production crew set up in the driveway. Then he returned home to shoot the commercial.

His campaign provided a still photo shot during the filming that shows Feingold in front of the house with a crew member identified as Rob Wernette, a freelance grip from Milwaukee.

An employee for the WisPolitics.com website also saw the ad being filmed, with Feingold standing in his driveway. Jeff Mayers, president of Wispolitics, said one of his employees saw Feingold filming the ad in front of his home and the employee confirmed it when contacted by PolitiFact Wisconsin.

Feingold said plenty of folks passed by the house during the two-hour filming, some beeping and giving him a thumbs up.

Feingold complained that he has received a lot of "cheap shots,’’ but that "this is the dumbest one of all time.’’

Oh come on.

"Cheap shots"?

Feingold has been dishing out a steady stream of truly cheap shots at his opponent, Ron Johnson.

St. Russ isn't without flaming pants.

Obama Madison Rally and the Taxpayers

A big event like Obama's rally in Madison yesterday costs big bucks.

Who picks up the bill?

In part, you, the taxpayer.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Now that the University of Wisconsin-Madison has cleaned up after Tuesday's political rally featuring President Barack Obama, officials at the school are preparing a bill for the president's political operatives.

But the Dane County Sheriff's Department won't do the same. The department will swallow any extra cost for protection during the event.

Vince Sweeney, UW-Madison's vice chancellor for university relations, said the university is still tallying up the expenses for the visit to request reimbursement from the Democratic National Committee.

"That's going to take a while," he said. "It was a big event."

A contract between the UW System Board of Regents and the DNC calls for the party to pay $10,500 for 10 security officers from the university, electricity and other utilities and other basic services. The contract allows UW-Madison to bill the Democratic Party for other expenses.

Sweeney said that in addition to $10,500, the DNC had paid directly for some of the expenses, such as the stage, insurance and bathrooms for the event and the fencing around Library Mall.

Dane County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Elise Schaffer said 129 sheriff's deputies worked during the event and that a little more than half were on their regular shift. The rest worked overtime.

It doesn't sit well with me that tax dollars should be used to bankroll such a partisan political rally.

Obama's appearance actually adds to the budget burden for Wisconsinites.

Nice.

Feingold, Madison, and the 'Last Laugh'

Don Walker, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, asserts that Russ Feingold got the last laugh when he showed up in Madison for Obama's "Rekindle the Magic of 2008" rally.

Walker writes:

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold's appearance in Madison for the rally led by President Barack Obama gave Feingold the opportunity and the motive to show up a number of pundits around the country.

The leader in that clubhouse belongs to Sean Hannity, whose taped broadcast had him saying that Feingold didn't want to be seen by the president.

...But there were others. Like this blogger. And this writer.

Here you have the media arm of the Democrat-Union-Media Complex doing its job, disseminating Feingold's spin.

Walker writes that Feingold's last minute, unscheduled appearance "gave Feingold the opportunity and the motive to show up a number of pundits around the country."

So Feingold got the last laugh, showing me, "like this blogger," up.

Feingold didn't exactly link arms with Obama. There was no victory lap of the stage made by the two liberals before the 17,000 gathered for the event. He attended. He was there but maintained a clear separation, a sort of "I stand with the president when I stand against him" move.

I think Feingold was pressured into being there. He was cajoled and eventually convinced that for the Obama "fire up the disillusioned Dems" effort to work, Feingold had to show up. If Feingold appears afraid to embrace the liberals in Madison, he doesn't stand a chance against Ron Johnson. So there was the dramatic late afternoon Tweet yesterday, that Feingold the fearless and independent was on his way.

Woo hoo! Feingold wins. He proves me and others wrong. HAHAHAHA.

Here's the Tweet from JSOnline promulgating the laugh allegedly heard 'round Wisconsin and the country.

Naturally, Team Feingold is pleased with Walker.

Here's the Feingold camp's Retweet alerting followers to Walker's pro-Feingold post.

The Journal Sentinel and Feingold have definitely linked arms. They're working together, "willing partners."

But about that last laugh-- I think it's terribly premature to be giddy about the "victory" of Feingold being airlifted at the last minute to Madison.

The only last laugh that matters is going to come on November 2nd.

Obama: 'Christian by Choice'

Obama is not comfortable talking about God and his faith. There's always an awkwardness, a kind of embarrassment.

It could be that his faith is something he prefers to keep private, or it could be that he squirms because he's not being sincere, that he's saying what he believes will help him politically and not what he actually believes.

Whatever the reason for Obama being so uncomfortable, it's clear he doesn't easily talk about his faith.

Although Obama's huge rally in Madison yesterday garnered most of the attention, I think Obama's small backyard discussion in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was much more interesting. He had to speak of his faith without the help of a teleprompter.

From the New York Times:

President Obama expounded Tuesday on the reasons he became a Christian as an adult, telling a group of residents here that he was a “Christian by choice” and that “the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead – being my brother and sister’s keeper.”

...The unusual exchange came as Mr. Obama continued his tour of American backyards, dropping in at the home of a disabled veteran and a schoolteacher here. He used his opening remarks to warn that Republicans would “cut back our education spending by 20 percent,” while spending $700 billion to give tax breaks to the rich – money that he said the United States would have to borrow from China, Saudi Arabia or some other wealthy nation.

Mr. Obama sharpened his critique of the Republican agenda during the first stop on a four-state campaign swing intended to gin up enthusiasm among the lackluster Democratic base and remind Americans that he is committed to improving the lot of the middle class.

With unemployment stuck above 9 percent and voters deeply dissatisfied with Mr. Obama’s management of the economy, the White House has also been deploying the president to the homes of ordinary voters for a series of what it calls “backyard conversations.” Tuesday’s was the fourth such appearance, and two more are on the president’s schedule for later this week, one in Des Moines and the other in Richmond, Va.

The conversation was held at the home of Andy Cavalier, a retired Marine Corps staff sergeant who is disabled, and his wife, Etta, who has taught for 36 years in public schools and is currently a counselor at Los Lunas High school here. (Technically, it was in the front yard, although Mr. Obama did drop into the Cavaliers’ backyard to sip iced tea with them before greeting neighbors in the front.)

The president fielded questions on a variety of topics, including education, immigration, energy and housing policy.

...But the religion question was perhaps the most revealing for the president – and also perhaps the most welcome, given that polls show that the public appears confused about his religion, with some 18 percent of Americans believing, erroneously, that he is Muslim.

“I’m a Christian by choice,” the president said. “My family, frankly, they weren’t folks who went to church every week. My mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew but she didn’t raise me in the church, so I came to my Christian faith later in life and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead. Being my brothers and sisters’ keeper, treating others as they would treat me, and I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we’re sinful and we’re flawed and we make mistakes and we achieve salvation through the grace of God.”

Mr. Obama went on: "But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people, and do our best to help them find their own grace. That’s what I strive to do, that’s what I pray to do every day." Yet he said that as president, he also "deeply believes that part of the bedrock strength of this country is that it embraces people of many faiths and of no faith."

"Christian by choice" is a strange way for Obama to describe himself.

Who isn't a Christian by choice? No adult in America is required to be a Christian.

Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes that 18 percent of Americans believe that Obama is a Muslim, linking to the Pew Research poll that received so much attention last August.

What's more significant is the large number of Americans unsure of Obama's religion.

"Fully 43% say they do not know what Obama's religion is."

Combine the group that wrongly identifies Obama as a Muslim with the group that can't identify Obama's religious affiliation at all and you've got an overwhelming majority of Americans. Obama has a religious identity crisis, a failure to communicate with the public.

The secularists are happy that Obama doesn't speak of his faith, yet many also are quick to condemn Americans as being Islamophobic and having sinister motives for labeling him a Muslim. It's all about hate and intolerance.

The reality is Obama bears some responsibility for the widespread confusion.

The woman in Albuquerque really posed an excellent question.

"Why are you a Christian?"

It's a question that all self-proclaimed Christians should consider. Why?

Obama's answer reminded me of statements he made during the campaign, when he was defining himself. His explanation seemed sort of forced, as if he had read a prepared statement from a teleprompter or even committed it to memory, a rote response.

I think that's because he rarely infuses his statements with expressions of his Christianity. I get the impression that it doesn't really figure into his life.

Talking about Jesus Christ and salvation seemed so odd coming from Obama. It was a blast from the campaign past.

Ann Coulter thinks Obama and other Democrats really are atheist.

Video.


I don't agree with Coulter's assessment, but it is interesting that our politicians almost always say they believe in God.

When was the last time an American candidate for a high profile office asserted a personal belief that there is no God?

It doesn't happen because it's not smart politics.

I think there is a good deal of dishonesty when it comes to the religious beliefs that politicians profess.

Another issue--

Bill Maher and other people who openly mock belief in God reserve their criticism only for their political opponents.

I don't hear Maher spewing his disrespect for Obama's Christianity.

I want to hear Maher slam Obama as being so stupid that he accepts "[retelling] nonsense stories from a time before men understood what a germ or an atom was or where the sun went at night."

I want to hear Maher bash Obama for "[trying] to telepathically communicate with [his] imaginary friend" and believing in the "fairy tale" of Jesus Christ.

It doesn't happen.

Obama does seem somewhat embarrassed to talk about his faith. It's unusual for him to attend church. After he left Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church, he never joined another.

Is Obama Christian by choice because it's politically expedient or because he truly believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Being honest is what matters to me.
_________________

Here's the White House transcript of Obama's answer to the woman's question.

Q It’s really a great opportunity, and I thank the Cavalier family for inviting me and my husband. I have three questions and they’re kind of hot topic questions and I’ll just --

THE PRESIDENT: All three of them?

Q All three of them. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: You didn’t slip in like sort of a easy, boring one in there with the --

Q No. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: All right, let’s hear them.

Q One of them is basically -- Mother Teresa answered it in an article and I was going to ask you the same because I loved her answer. The first one is: Why are you a Christian?

Second one is, there’s really no laws about the abortion law and when a woman can and can’t have an abortion, whether it’s two months or eight months, and what is your view on that?

And the third one -- it’s not as -- it is a hot topic but it’s literally a hot topic, and it’s about my husband’s chili peppers. (Laughter.) And that was my question: Would you please take some chili peppers home with you? One is a habanero.

THE PRESIDENT: I will definitely check out these chili peppers. I like spicy food to go with your spicy questions. (Laughter.)

Q Spicy.

THE PRESIDENT: You know, I’m a Christian by choice. My family didn’t -- frankly, they weren’t folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn’t raise me in the church.

So I came to my Christian faith later in life and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead -- being my brothers’ and sisters’ keeper, treating others as they would treat me.

And I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we’re sinful and we’re flawed and we make mistakes, and that we achieve salvation through the grace of God. But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace.

And so that’s what I strive to do. That’s what I pray to do every day. I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith. And it’s -- but the one thing I want to emphasize, having spoken about something that obviously relates to me very personally, as President of the United States, I’m also somebody who deeply believes that the -- part of the bedrock strength of this company is that it embraces people of many faiths and of no faith -- that this is a country that is still predominantly Christian. But we have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and that their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own. And that’s part of what makes this country what it is.

Now, with respect to the abortion issue, I actually think -- I mean, there are laws both federal, state and constitutional that are in place. And I think that this is an area where I think Bill Clinton had the right formulation a couple of decades ago, which is abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. I think that it’s something that all of us should recognize is a difficult, sometimes -- oftentimes tragic situation that families are wrestling with.

I think the families and the women involved are the ones who should make the decision, not the government. But I do think actually that there are a whole host of laws on the books that after a certain period, the interests shift such that you can have some restrictions, for example, on late-term abortions, and appropriately so. So there is in fact a set of rules in place.

Now, people still argue about it and still deeply disagree about it. And that’s part of our -- that’s part of our democratic way.

King Samir Shabazz: Black Babies Alligator Bait

New Black Panther King Samir Shabazz has said outrageous, racist, horrible things.

For example, he said, "You want freedom, you going to have to kill some crackers. You going to have to kill some of their babies."

Here's another instance of hate, King Samir Shabazz-style. Remember, this is the guy the Eric Holder and Obama Justice Department protected.

Video.


Transcript

KING SAMIR SHABAZZ: This is what King Samir, the Philadelphia Chapter, along with the guidance and leadership of Attorney Malik Shabazz, has been doing that you don't hear about from FOX Jews. I'm sorry, FOX News.

They're standing up to neo-Nazi groups who consistently threaten our people dead. Now most of them media bloodsuckers, liars, and CruciFOX Jews wanna talk about me killing white babies.

Well, let me tell you, stop jumping up and down like the devils you are, creating negative press to keep our people from joining something black and progressive. Yes, I said if you want freedom, you're gonna have to deal with this enemy the way he brings it to us.

You cannot tell a slave how to feel under the pressure of white supremacy.

I'm not a committer of reverse racism. I am a slave, born, brought, stolen to the hills of North America.

Let's talk about the little black babies that you use as alligator bait.

Black babies as "alligator bait"?

"FOX Jews"?

This is post-racial America under a post-racial and transcendent president, Obama?

This is truly awful.

It's mind-boggling that the media ignore this racist, anti-Semitic stuff from Shabazz, yet they obsess over the Tea Party movement as a pack of dangerous, racist, subversive kooks.

If the news outlets are to have any credibility at all and any semblance of objectivity, they should be outing Shabazz as the hater and community agitator that he is. They should be doing investigative reporting into the New Black Panthers and the group's impact on the community.

Shabazz talks like a terrorist.

What's the Eric Holder Justice Department and the Janet Napolitano Department of Homeland Security doing about this threat to the public?

Gold Star Mother's Day: Reception at Bush Home

Last Sunday was Gold Star Mother's Day.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June 23, 1936 (49 Stat. 1895 as amended), has designated the last Sunday in September as "Gold Star Mother's Day" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in its observance. On this day, we express our deep gratitude to our Nation's Gold Star Mothers, and we ask God's blessings on them and on their families.

As President, George W. Bush issued the proclamations.

Even though he no longer serves as President of the United States, President Bush and Mrs. Bush continue to observe the day and honor Gold Star Mothers.

(h/t DW)

From NBC Dallas-Fort Worth:

The last Sunday in September is Gold Star Mother's Day, a day meant for people to honor mothers who have lost a son or daughter while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

On Saturday night, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush hosted a reception in their Dallas home for local Gold Star Mothers and Blue Star Mothers. Blue Star Mothers are mothers that have a soldier serving their country right now.

NBCDFW assignment editor Cynthia Garcia was invited to the reception as a Gold Star Mother.

On May 27, 2006, her son Corporal J. Adan "Adam" Garcia, 20, succumbed to the injuries he sustained five days earlier during combat in Iraq while serving as a Combat Engineer with the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army.

Read Cynthia Garcia's very moving account of the reception at the Bush home in Dallas.

I attended the event as a Gold Star mother, only because I am always honored when someone continues to remember our soldiers who gave their lives for our freedom. I also wanted to meet the President and his wife. I had mentally prepared myself for a somber reception with a room full of crying mothers and just a heavy atmosphere, as these functions always bring back haunting memories for everyone.

I was nervous as I got out of my car and handed it to the valet in front of the Bush’s home and even more nervous to see the number of Secret Service agents at their posts keeping a watchful eye on everyone. I gave my name and showed my ID like I was asked and then I was taken inside. The home was full, about 80 women or so.

I was quickly taken to the Bush’s living room to have my picture taken with them. They hugged and kissed me and comforted me and thanked me for attending. I was greeted by them as if they had not seen an old friend in a long time. I felt calm and at ease. I had it together. I wasn’t about to break down. Not until he asked, tell me about your soldier.Then I lost it! Right before the picture was taken. Great!

We were then asked to take a seat as the President would welcome us and thank us for attending the reception. He went on to tell us how proud he is of our soldiers and how safe he always felt when being around them. Getting emotional at times he continued to thank us for raising such strong and unselfish men and women. He reminded us that our soldiers/children did not die in vain, and that our soldiers freed a lot of people and protected a lot of people for which he is eternally grateful. There was not a dry eye in the room. You can tell he is extremely patriotic.

The President then asked if we had any questions or comments. One mother went on to tell him how much people miss him and love him, he thanked her and in a laughing voice said "all except the guy that threw the shoe at me huh? Was that crazy or what?" We were all chuckling, then I said to him, 'that’s alright Mr. President, I’m Mexican, our mothers throw shoes at us all the time! I’m amazed you knew how to duck so fast!" The whole room chuckled and felt more at ease and continued to speak with him.

He asked us to please go eat some cheese and crackers otherwise he would be eating that for the rest of his life.

Mr. President came over to me at the cheese table and wanted to know more about my son. He thought I was pretty funny.

Thanks, Mr. President and Mrs. Bush, for a lovely reception.

President Bush and Mrs. Bush did what we all should do - honor the Gold Star and Blue Star mothers and keep them in our hearts.
_________________

Here's Obama's proclamation for Gold Star Mother's and Families' Day.

According to the White House schedule, there was no event held for Gold Star Mothers.

Ron Johnson: Listening

At yesterday's rally in Madison on the Obama 2008 Nostalgia Tour, Obama said that Russ Feingold "doesn't always agree with me but always agrees with the people of his state."

That is a crock.

Feingold completely ignored the people of Wisconsin when it came to ObamaCare.

FACT: He didn't listen to us.

Feingold and Obama in Madison - Photo

A very rare photo:



Feingold obviously looks up to Obama.

Sean Duffy: Get America Rolling Again!

Obama: Madison Speech - Transcript

In a nutshell: Blame Bush. Blame the Republicans for blocking the Dems' efforts.

Hey! Obama! You hold ALL THE POWER! No one stands in your way!

And quit yelling. You have a microphone. No need to scream.

More later.
_______________

It's later.

Some observations and random thoughts on the rally:

---I wonder why Feingold showed up. I don't think it was just about Feingold being finished with his work in Washington. I think it was a purely political calculation not a real scheduling thing. His remarks focused on the accusations that he was avoiding Obama. I don't think many of the kids there knew what he was talking about. The crowd didn't seem too impressed with Russ. He was an opening act they could do without.

---Tom Barrett introduced Obama. He had a deer in the headlights look. Mercifully, he only spoke a few minutes. Barrett was sent out to remind the crowd that Obama wasn't to blame for the economy. Remember Bush!

---When Obama took the stage, it was as if you could see his head swell. I don't know how it can contain the guy's ego. "You like me. You really like me!" "When I'm done here, I'll be walking on water."

---Obama was playing the cool guy. He talked of when he first lived in Chicago and had friends up in Madison. He said he would visit the campus.

"I had some fun times up here in Madison. I can't give you all the details. But I have good memories here."

Was Obama still dabbling in cocaine then?

---When Obama thanked Russ Feingold for being there he said that Feingold is "independent" and that he "doesn't always agree with me but always agrees with the people of his state."

That's a "Pants on Fire" lie. Feingold doesn't agree with us. We kept telling him that we didn't want ObamaCare but he didn't listen. He voted against his constituents.

Feingold is so independent that he doesn't give a crap about what the people he represents want.

---Obama gave a campaign-style speech, much of it the same lines he's been delivering at fundraisers, some lines from two years ago. We've heard it before. He even brought out the old "you can't elect a skinny guy with a funny name, Barack Hussein Obama." He got the crowd to respond "yes we can." Very 2008.

---Obama blamed Bush and the Republicans, "the opposition party," for his failure to accomplish more. His job: "clean up after their mess." According to Obama, the Republicans stood in his way. RIDICULOUS! The Democrats have ALL THE POWER. They can do whatever they want. No Republicans prevented Obama from doing anything. The crowd was too clueless to understand that. It's Madison.

---Obama insisted the economy is growing again. Really? Where? Not here. Tell it to my family members out of work, Obama.

---Obama trotted out his usual health care lies. He did make a point of telling the young crowd that they're covered by their parents' health insurance until they're 26 years old. Yeah, they'll need that because they won't be able to get jobs after they graduate.

---The clueless crowd cheered when Obama bragged about ending the combat mission in Iraq. Hey, buddy! Tens of thousands of our military men and women are still in Iraq, in harm's way, fighting and dying! But I'm sure they're glad that the combat mission is over.

---Obama yelled a lot. He did a lot of shouting, to the point that it was disturbing. Calm down and act like the leader of the Free World.

---Obama talked about slaves sitting around the fire, women marching for the right to vote, "workers organizing for the right to organize." I'm sure that went over well with the aging Leftist radicals in the crowd.

Video.


---"Progress is gonna come, but you gotta stick with me. You can't lose heart." "Change is gonna come for this generation if we work for it, if we fight for it." Promises, promises.

---Obama mentioned "A Pledge to America," mocking it. "You can't make this stuff up."

---Class warfare, class warfare, class warfare. On taxes, he again used his "giving $700 billion to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans." IT'S NOT OBAMA'S MONEY TO GIVE. Taxing is about taking what people have earned, not giving.

---This killed me: "I believe government should be lean and efficient." WHAT? Unbelievable.

---Even with all Obama's yelling, I lost interest. It was Obama's same shtick. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

---Obama once again was talking about the car in the ditch. He said that he and Feingold and Tammy Baldwin put their boots on, got in the dirt, and worked to push the car out of the ditch. The Republicans were standing on the side "sipping on a Slurpee." The Dems got the car out of the ditch and then the Republicans asked for the keys back.

Obama yelled, "You can't have the keys back. You don't know how to drive!"

He did that lame "D" is for forward and "R" is for going backwards.

"That's not a coincidence, people!"

That's right. Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president. He went in reverse. No coincidence. How stupid!

---Obama said the other side calls him a socialist. Gee, maybe that's because he makes comments that are socialist. It's not an unfair label.

---Obama said Americans are fired up to elect Republicans because they've "been fed a lot of information." I think he was talking about FOX News and talk radio. He was saying that those poor Americans have been "hoodwinked."

---Regarding broken promises, Obama reminded the crowd he said change wouldn't be easy. "I said we were gonna have to make some difficult choices."

Right, like creating a panel of experts to determine who gets a life-saving drug and whose life isn't worth saving.

---Finally, the teleprompter. Of course, the teleprompters were in place. Obama hasn't been able to get past his look left, look right, look left, look right, etc. Just once look straight ahead. Please. Obama can't do it.

---Just like on the campaign trail in 2008, "Only In America" by Brooks & Dunn played at the end of the rally as Obama pressed the flesh. He should have come up with a fresh soundtrack.

So that was Obama's attempt to address the enthusiasm gap.

I am so sick of hearing about the Dems' enthusiasm gap.

People aren't rejecting Obama and the Democrats because of a lack of enthusiasm.

It's the economy. It really sucks. People are hurting, terribly. No speech in liberal haven Madison, no matter how electrifying, alters what people are experiencing in trying to make ends meet.

Actually, I think the effort to recreate the Obama magic of 2008 only serves to highlight just how empty all the promises turned out to be.

The reason Obama didn't change Washington is because Obama is a typical Washington politician. He's no savior. The hope and change crap was nothing more than empty campaign rhetoric.

It sounds more hollow than ever.
______________

Finally, the White House has posted the transcript of Obama's speech in Madison.

Here's the "car in the ditch" portion of Obama's remarks.

OBAMA: So Madison, it comes down to this. And I’m not just talking to Madison, by the way, because there are 200 campuses across the country who are plugged in through web cams and house parties -- (laughter) -- so I’m speaking to everybody out there. (Applause.) Many of the folks in the other party who are running today are the exact same people who spent the last decade driving our economy into the ditch.

So me and Russ Feingold and Tammy Baldwin, we all went down into the ditch. And we put on our boots, and it was muddy down there and dirty and dusty and we were sweating and we’re pushing the car out of the ditch. And every so often, we’d look up and see the Republicans standing there. They’re just standing there sipping on a Slurpee -- (laughter) -- and waving at us. And we’d say, “Well, come on down and help.” They’d say, “No, no, no, but you should push harder. You’re not pushing the right way.”

But we understood we had to get the car out of the ditch so we’re pushing and we’re pushing. Finally -- finally -- we get it up on level ground. Finally we get it up on level ground. And look, let’s face it, it’s a little dented and a little busted and it needs a tune-up and the fenders all need to be hammered out a little bit, new paint job. But we’re finally on level ground, we’re moving. Suddenly we get a tap on the shoulder and we look behind us and who is it? It’s the Republicans. And they’re asking for the keys back.

And we’ve got to tell them, you can’t have the keys back. You don’t know how to drive. You don’t know how to drive. (Applause.) You don’t know how to drive. You can’t have them back.

I mean, I hope everybody has noticed when you want to go forward in your car, what do you do? You put it in “D.” When you want to go backwards, you put it in “R.” (Applause.) Don’t go back into the ditch. That’s not a coincidence. (Applause.) That’s not a coincidence, people.

So ultimately, whether they get the keys back is up to you. Look, there is no question the other side is excited. They have been pumped up to think that Obama is a socialist, and he’s this and he is that, and he’s for big government, and he’s responsible for all the -- look, they have been fed a lot of information.

Obama needs some new material. Enough with the car in the ditch.

Russ Feingold: No-Show, Obama Madison Rally

UPDATE: Russ Feingold and Obama didn't appear together. Feingold spoke for a few minutes and left the stage. Then, Tom Barrett was up next to introduce Obama. Feingold never was on stage standing with Obama.
_________________

UPDATE: Feingold to join Obama in Madison

In a Tweet to his supporters, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold said Tuesday that he had finished voting in the U.S. Senate in Washington and would join President Barack Obama today in Madison.

Here is what Feingold wrote: "@russfeingold Great day to be in Wisconsin! I made it! Finished voting and am proud to join President Obama at my alma mater.

Feingold had taken some heat for not being in Madison, though he had said weeks ago that he wouldn't be there because he hasn't missed a vote in the Senate.

Well, well, well.

Feingold will stand with Obama.

I'm sure Ron Johnson is very pleased.

Feingold and Obama together -- That will be a very rare sight indeed, almost as rare as Obama being seen going to church.
__________________

Russ Feingold is doing it again. He's skipping the opportunity to appear with Obama when he visits Wisconsin.

Obama's rally in Madison today has been hyped nationally for days. The rally was announced to the public weeks ago. It's supposed to mark the official reigniting of the Obama campaign spark of 2008.

In spite of this Obama rally being touted as a major national event, Feingold is a no-show again.

Once more, Feingold reveals his talent as an escape artist. He's the Houdini of Wisconsin politicians.

As Patrick McIlheran points out, "This is the measure of Obama's fall: Even senators who define the Democrats' leftward edge act like he's got cooties."

According to DNC Chairman Timothy Kaine, Feingold's disappearing act isn't a slight.

U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold isn’t slighting President Barack Obama by skipping Tuesday’s rally on the University of Wisconsin campus, according to national Democratic Party Chairman Timothy Kaine.

In an interview on CBS’s “The Early Show,” Kaine said candidates “make their own decisions about these things.” Kaine said Feingold understands that Obama can energize the party’s base.

The president’s rating in public opinion polls has fallen in recent months, and some candidates have been reluctant to appear with him.

During a rally on Tuesday afternoon in Madison, Obama is appealing particularly to college-aged youth to become active in midterm elections that are only a few weeks away.

“We just need to make them aware of the importance of these elections,” said Obama.

At the time of Houdini Feingold's Labor Day escape from Obama, Feingold claimed he wasn't slighting Obama.

When President Barack Obama visits Milwaukee on Labor Day to talk to working families and members of dozens of labor unions, one prominent politician won't be there.

A Labor Day schedule put out by the staff of U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) indicates that, while Feingold will be in Milwaukee earlier in the day for a Milwaukee Laborfest Pre-Parade on Monday morning, he will not be in town when Obama is expected to arrive.

...When Obama was in Menomonee Falls and Milwaukee last month, Feingold did greet the president in Milwaukee and stayed with him the entire day.

"I will stand with the president of the United States anywhere, anytime, no hesitation. I'm proud of what this president has tried to do," Feingold told the Journal Sentinel in an interview last month prior to Obama's visit.

The fact is when Feingold was willing to literally stand with Obama he didn't consider his opponent, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ron Johnson, to be a threat.

Now with Johnson holding a strong lead in the polls, Houdini Feingold performs another great escape.

It's clear that Feingold views Obama as election poison. Wisconsinites have experienced plenty of economic change since Obama took office - all bad.

Obama, community organizer, understands politics. He knows the tricks. I'm sure he doesn't feel slighted by Feingold's avoidance. He understands cooties. Obama knows how the game is played.

The voters know how the game is played, too.

If Leftist Feingold truly had the courage of his Leftist convictions, he would be standing with Leftist Obama in Leftist Madison later today instead of hiding.

Feingold's escape act isn't fooling anyone.

National Good Neighbor Day

It's National Good Neighbor Day, a time to honor our good neighbors and reflect on being one.

In the early 1970's, Mrs. Becky Mattson from Lakeside, Montana recognized the importance of good neighbors, and started the effort to make this a National day. With the help of congressman Mike Mansfield, she succeed in getting three presidents (Nixon, Ford, and Carter) to issue proclamations, along with numerous governors.

In 2003, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution, sponsored by Montana Senator Max Baucus, making September 28, National Good Neighbor Day. Previously, this day was celebrated on the fourth Sunday of September.

Some suggestions for celebrating the day:

Help your neighbors in some way

Offer a smile and friendly hello to your neighbor

Have your neighbor over for a meal

Hold a block party

Get to know your neighbor a little better

Geithner and Obama Tax Hikes

Tax cheat Timothy Geithner is tight-lipped when it comes to addressing Obama's massive tax hikes.

Video.


Awkward.

Obama: Madison Love, Old Magic, Broken Promises

UPDATE: Russ Feingold and Obama didn't appear together. Feingold spoke for a few minutes and left the stage. Then, Tom Barrett was up next to introduce Obama. Feingold never was on stage standing with Obama.
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UPDATE: Feingold to join Obama in Madison

In a Tweet to his supporters, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold said Tuesday that he had finished voting in the U.S. Senate in Washington and would join President Barack Obama today in Madison.

Here is what Feingold wrote: "@russfeingold Great day to be in Wisconsin! I made it! Finished voting and am proud to join President Obama at my alma mater.

Feingold had taken some heat for not being in Madison, though he had said weeks ago that he wouldn't be there because he hasn't missed a vote in the Senate.

Well, well, well.

Feingold will stand with Obama.

I'm sure Ron Johnson is very pleased.

Feingold and Obama together -- That will be a very rare sight indeed, almost as rare as Obama being seen going to church.
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UPDATE, September 28, 2010: Russ Feingold a No-Show AGAIN
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The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that when Obama holds his rally in Madison today, he'll be among friends.

File this story under "No kidding."

When it comes to picking favorable venues, a struggling President Barack Obama could hardly do better than the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison, where he'll hold a campaign rally Tuesday aimed at mobilizing young voters.

How favorable?

Consider Obama's massive margins in Madison two years ago over both Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin presidential primary and Republican John McCain in the general election.

In one voting ward next to the Library Mall where the president speaks Tuesday, Obama defeated fellow Democrat Clinton 88% to 12%. (Obama received 1,122 votes in Ward 45, Clinton only 160.)

...Obama's lopsided ward-by-ward majorities are a reminder of the rare energy propelling his campaign at that time and in that place, epitomized by a roof-rattling rally at a packed 17,000-seat Kohl Center days before the February 2008 primary.

Given Obama's performance as president, that "rare energy" of 2008 proved to be undeserved. The dream didn't come close to materializing.

If there's any political downside for the president in picking this location, it's in inviting comparisons to that moment.

"Madison is certainly still friendly territory for President Obama, (but) I would say that his supporters are battle-worn and disappointed in a way they were not in 2008," said John Coleman, chairman of the political science department at UW-Madison. "As we learn for the thousandth time, governing is not the same as campaigning."

But the numbers also suggest that even for a politically diminished Obama, this is one of the most favorable battleground-state venues he could have chosen for a get-out-the-base rally.

Coleman nails Obama's problem. He doesn't know how to govern. He can campaign and fire up a crowd but his rhetoric doesn't match the reality he delivers.

I'm sure the masses will turn out for Obama this afternoon. They may briefly relive their 2008 euphoria; but for those with even the slightest grasp of reality, it will be short-lived.

It was wise for Obama to choose Madison for this "oldies nostalgia tour" since it probably is one of the few places left in the country still harboring a bastion of Obama supporters - a heavy concentration of the clueless, blind, and brainlessly Leftist.

This rally is almost an embarrassment, a sort of pathetic attempt to recreate the glory days of Obamamania.

Remember when?

An empty and rather sad nostalgia is clearly all Obama has to offer, false hope.

An event that can't help but highlight promises broken is rather weird.

Can Obama thrill the crowd and wow them with his same old magic tricks?

If he can do it anywhere, it's Madison. Almost anywhere else, it's a tough sell.

Alan Grayson: 'Taliban Dan'

Just when I think that Democrat Alan Grayson can't go any lower, he finds a way.

Grayson has already falsely accused his Republican opponent, Daniel Webster, of being a draft dodger. He's made the outrageous claim that Webster doesn't love his country.



Now, Grayson shockingly refers to his opponent as "Taliban Dan Webster."

Video.


Transcript

ALAN GRAYSON: I'm Congressman Alan Grayson and I approve this message.

AD VOICE-OVER: Religious fanatics try to take away our freedom in Afghanistan, in Iran, and right here in central Florida.

DANIEL WEBSTER (clip): Wives, submit yourself to your own husband.

AD VOICE-OVER: Daniel Webster wants to impose his radical fundamentalism on us.

WEBSTER (clip): She should submit to me. That's in the Bible.

AD VOICE-OVER: Webster tried to deny battered women medical care and the right to divorce their abusers.

WEBSTER (clip): Submit to me.

AD VOICE-OVER: He wants to force raped women to bear the child.

WEBSTER (clip): Submit to me.

AD VOICE-OVER: Taliban Dan Webster, hands off our bodies and our laws.

There seems to be no limit to Grayson's tastelessness.

What's Grayson going to call Webster in his next ad?

A Nazi? Will Grayson depict Webster as Hitler?

I'm sure he'll continue his slime campaign. There's no sign of him letting up.

Voters should rebel against Grayson and his shocking negativity. They certainly shouldn't reward him by sending him back to Washington for another term.
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Here's complete video of Webster's comments that Grayson shamelessly distorts:


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The Grayson ad is so disgusting that even Contessa Brewer, MSNBC Democrat hack and propogandist, finds it hard to swallow.



Brewer interviews Grayson.

Transcript, from the Media Research Center.

Tom Barrett: Attack Dog

Beware of the dog.

He bites.



Bailey, Tom Barrett's Portuguese water dog, has a history of snapping at people and drawing blood.

According to records obtained by Mark Belling, "Last year, twice in six weeks, Barrett's dog bit someone, and the city of Milwaukee has done evidently nothing about it."

Belling had limited access to records. Attorney-client privilege was cited for withholding full details of the incidents.

Here's information on dog bites from the City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services:

BITES--Nuisance Control (excluding birds, reptiles, or small rodents) (s. 78-27) Any time an animal, residing in the City of Milwaukee, bites or scratches a human being resulting in the skin being broken, the bite/scratch should be reported to the Vector Environmental Health Section at 286-2268. The person reporting the bite/scratch should have the following information available: Address of animal Type of Animal Date of Bite Name and phone number of animal owner (if known) Name of victim Address, age and phone number of victim Location of wound (i.e. hand, leg, face, etc.) Circumstances surrounding the bite/scratch How Bite Occurred Where Bite Occurred Description of Animal

Once the inspector receives the bite report, a visit will be made to both the animal's and victim's homes. The animal will be quarantined in the home for 10-14 days starting the date of the bite. After this period of time, the inspector will release the animal from quarantine by making another visit to the animal's home. At each visit, the animal must be observed by the inspector. During a quarantine period, no animal shall be taken for walks, left unattended outdoors, or be allowed to leave its premises for any reason. All animals are quarantined in their home unless the owner requests that the animal be taken to the Humane Society for quarantine, the animal was loose at the time of bite and apprehended by either the Police, Humane Officers or Health Officers, or the animal's owner does not obey quarantine restrictions and this is brought to the Vector & Environmental Health Section's attention.

If Barrett can't control his dog, can he manage the state of Wisconsin?

I know that's really lame. It sounds like how Phil Walzak would frame the matter if Scott Walker's dog had been involved in biting incidents.

"Willing partners" of the Barrett campaign, TMJ4, would probably run an EXCLUSIVE, and cover the story as a grave concern to public safety and a disturbing pattern of mismanagement on Walker's part.

Of course, this wasn't Walker's dog.

No exposé will be splashed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to tell the story of Barrett's biting pooch.

Double standard - AGAIN.

I wonder if Barrett was cut any slack by the city. Did the mayor's dog receive a pardon from the quarantine? Did an inspector visit Barrett's home? We don't know. This calls for some in-depth investigative reporting. Did Barrett abuse his power and position? Was there a cover-up of this EXPLOSIVE election year story?

Apparently, a lawyer was involved in handling at least one of the bite cases.

Dog Bite Law details Wisconsin's statues:

Wisconsin Statutes section174.02(1) provides that "the owner of a dog is liable for the full amount of damages caused by the dog injuring or causing injury to a person, domestic animal or property," and the statute allows for double damages if the owner of the dog "was notified or knew that the dog previously injured or caused injury to a person, domestic animal or property." See sections 174.02(1)(a) and (b):

Wis. Stat. Ann., sec. 174.02(1)(a)
(a) Without notice. Subject to s. 895.045 and except as provided in s. 895.57 (4), the owner of a dog is liable for the full amount of damages caused by the dog injuring or causing injury to a person, domestic animal or property.

174.02(1)(b)
(b) After notice. Subject to s. 895.045 and except as provided in s. 895.57 (4), the owner of a dog is liable for 2 times the full amount of damages caused by the dog injuring or causing injury to a person, domestic animal or property if the owner was notified or knew that the dog previously injured or caused injury to a person, domestic animal or property.

A dog owner also faces statutory penalties:

174.02(2)(a)
(a) Without notice. The owner of a dog shall forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $500 if the dog injures or causes injury to a person, domestic animal, property, deer, game birds or the nests or eggs of game birds.

174.02(2)(b)
(b) After notice. The owner of a dog shall forfeit not less than $200 nor more than $1,000 if the dog injures or causes injury to a person, domestic animal, property, deer, game birds or the nests or eggs of game birds, if the owner was notified or knew that the dog previously injured or caused injury to a person, domestic animal, property, deer, game birds or the nests or eggs of game birds.

174.02(2)(c)
(c) Penalties in addition to liability for damages. The penalties in this subsection are in addition to any other liability imposed on the owner of a dog.

Bailey looks like a sweet dog.

Apparently, he just has a few anger management issues.