My 10 yr old pointed out that it looked like the audience was smiling a lot more when Obama spoke. Think he may be right.

Posted at October 7, 2008 10:49 PM in response to Obama Makes Economic Case Against Iraq War

Ah yes, Mr. Squeaky Clean Van Hollen. Whose own voter registration wouldn't pass the test he's imposing -
http://www.milwaukeeworld.com/blog/2008/09/van-hollen-or-vanhollen-jbs-voting.html
"If I were up to the sort of mischief our attorney general promotes, I'd head up to Polling Place #2, 333 S. Madison Street in Waunakee, Wisconsin on election day and challenge JOHN BYRON VANHOLLEN when he shows up to vote. VANHOLLEN, born February 19th, 1966, better known by the alias "J. B. Van Hollen," is the attorney general of the state of Wisconsin. He's been busy meddling with the state court system to insist that election commission officials go through a punctilious scrutiny of voters which he feels is mandated by the HAVA act.
I don't think he'd pass his own test. . .."

Oh, and note this interesting piece about his refusal to participate in a multi-state lawsuit against predatory lenders . .. could it be because he owns stock in some of these companies?

http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/page/community/post/scotross/CHjY
"Wisconsin Attorney General JB Van Hollen refused to join a civil lawsuit along with 11 other states against one of the nation's largest predatory lenders, which just netted a record-$8.4 billion settlement. Financial disclosure records show Van Hollen owned stock totaling as much as $150,000 in at least three subprime lenders. . . ."

Posted at October 7, 2008 1:23 PM in response to Wisc. AG's Office Denies Voter Reg. Suit is Political

thanks, Loric!

But a heads up about what you need to register - can't just be any piece of mail (that's a common error about the rules) - to register you gotta bring something like a utility bill, mail sent by the gov't, a bank statement, university/tech college ID, or other "official" kinds of documents. Here's the list (and spread the word so we get it right!!!)

http://elections.state.wi.us/faq_detail.asp?faqid=119&fid=27&locid=47

Posted at September 24, 2008 10:12 AM in response to WI Attorney General Battles State Over Voter Registration Checks

Before anyone gets it in their heads to scream about "voter fraud" (as Repubs and right wing bloggers are in Wisconsin), here's a great posting about how the AG himself probably would fail the data match he's suing over:

http://www.milwaukeeworld.com/blog/2008/09/van-hollen-or-vanhollen-jbs-voting.html#links

Posted at September 23, 2008 7:18 PM in response to WI Attorney General Battles State Over Voter Registration Checks

I hope they start running it in other battleground states - there are Latinos in Wisconsin, for example, who were not real happy that Kerry ran almost nothing on Spanish media in 2004 while Bush & Co had much more. I'd bet it's an issue in other swing states with growing Latino populations too - Pennsylvania, Carolina, and others.

Posted at September 17, 2008 10:15 PM in response to Obama Spanish-Language Ad Ties McCain To Anti-Immigrant Limbaugh

It's happening in Wisconsin, too. The Republican state AG, who is also co-chair of the McCain campaign in Wisconsin, is suing to try to force overburdened elections officials to cull through up to a million voter registrations because of alleged no match issues with the data base. And, apparently, to also purge the registration lists.

Thing is, the majority of the no matches are typos or minor inconsistencies - like people using their middle initial on their license but not their voter registration. In fact, 4 of the 6 members of Wisconsin's non-partisan elections body, the Gov't Accountability Board, came us as no-matches themselves.

Oh, and gee, do we think this has anything to do with efforts to knock student voters in college towns, and voters of color in Milwaukee, off the list? Oh, no, that would never happen.

Posted at September 16, 2008 7:02 PM in response to MI Dems Fight Back Against GOP Attempts to Challenge Voters on Foreclosure Lists

Um . . . Palin STILL holds the view that Iraq was responsible for 9/11.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/11/AR2008091102162.html?sub=AR

September 11, 2008
. . .In her speech to the troops and their families, [Palin] linked the terrorist attacks to the Iraq war _ a claim no longer supported by the Bush administration.

She told the troops headed to Iraq that they would "be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced from the death of thousands of Americans."

Claims that Iraq shared responsibility for the attacks with al-Qaida were once promoted by administration officials, but have since been rejected, even by President Bush.
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"You'll be there because America can never go back to that false sense of security that existed before Sept. 11, 2001," she said. "You will be there to win, you will see victory."

Posted at September 13, 2008 6:44 PM in response to Obama Camp: McCain Running "A Campaign Not Worthy Of The Office He's Seeking"

but . . .how do we make sure that voters KNOW that side of Palin? Especially the opposition to abortion for rape/incest victims, which is completely over the top and I think would be rejected even by many voters who are otherwise not particularly pro-choice. One thing is to make sure WE are letting our friends, and friends' friends, and so on, know just how extreme she is on that issue. Because I don't see it coming from the press.

Posted at September 13, 2008 6:39 PM in response to Obama Camp: McCain Running "A Campaign Not Worthy Of The Office He's Seeking"

I've been among the panicked the past week . . . but I do have to wonder if Obama holding back and letting the media attack McCain was part of the strategy, so he doesn't come out as the initial bad guy.

Still, it does seem time for an ad taking McCain on as a serial liar . . . perhaps using some of those many media headlines that have been making that point for him.

In no small part because of the polls showing McCain's supporters are now as enthusiastic as Obama's. So much of Obama's campaign was built on the excitement and momentum he generated - and there's so much fear and depression out there now, that I worry it could cause supporters to just give up in despair - which Obama really cannot afford to have happen.

Posted at September 13, 2008 4:08 PM in response to Obama Camp: McCain Running "A Campaign Not Worthy Of The Office He's Seeking"

I've been among the panicked the past week . . . but I do have to wonder if Obama holding back and letting the media attack McCain was part of the strategy, so he doesn't come out as the initial bad guy.

Still, it does seem time for an ad taking McCain on as a serial liar . . . perhaps using some of those many media headlines that have been making that point for him.

Posted at September 13, 2008 4:00 PM in response to Obama Camp: McCain Running "A Campaign Not Worthy Of The Office He's Seeking"