A Little Of The Old In And Out



(image via agoravox)

In: The Debate. Will Senator Obama's rhetoric be calculated to rasp Senator McCain? Will McCain, taking the bait, flash a toxic amount of his infamous temper? Will Senator Obama press the issue of temperament, calling Senator McCain "erratic"? Will Senator McCain beat expectations and turn in a surprise performance, reminding everyone that he's been doing this -- in some form or another -- for the past 30 years?

How much will the financial crisis intrude into a debate that was ab initio about foreign policy? Will there be a game-changing gaffe that all-but-ends the candidacy of one of these men? Inquiring minds want to know. From Salon:

"Even though McCain has gambled that the voting public's clamor for debates can be delayed at least through the weekend, Obama has the most to gain or lose when the candidates finally stand behind their dueling lecterns. As a freshman senator, who was in the Illinois Legislature just four years ago, Obama must in the first 30 minutes or so of the debate establish himself as a credible 44th president. During the first presidential debate 48 years ago, this was the major hurdle that John Kennedy surmounted, putting to rest his image as a callow, playboy senator."

More here.



Giggliani!

Out: "Giggliani." Cue: Luciano Pavarotti's"No, pagliaccio non son." Those of us New Yorkers who endured his oily, sausage-fingered rule -- the thuggish loyalists, the seedy "associates," the sexual hypocrisies, the vague air of crypto-fascist "lawr-n-order" -- knew that at some point in the near future the greater country's inamorata with Rudy Giuliani would fade into the sunset. That time is now. He is louche. A punk. And now, not too long after his laughable Presidential campaign faded into the recesses of modern American memory on the bloody electoral battleground of Florida Governor Christ's endorsement -- a Mayor? as President? oh really? -- Giuliani implodes once more, spontaneously, this time all covered in flop=sweat. From The AP:

"A former aide to Rudy Giuliani is out of prison and attacking the ex-mayor's ethics, saying he was ordered to help Giuliani's then-girlfriend get a below-market rent apartment.

"Russell Harding, who got five years for embezzling more than $400,000 in city funds and downloading child pornography onto his computer, claims on his Web site that Giuliani's two terms as mayor were marked by ethical breaches.

"Harding, 43, claims that in 1999, while he was the head of the city's Housing Development Corp., he was instructed to help Judith Nathan get a Manhattan apartment that would normally cost more than $3,000 for about half that price.

"Harding claims that by working with executives at a real estate company, he eventually helped Nathan secure a great deal on an apartment not far from the mayor's residence, Gracie Mansion in Manhattan.

"Nathan later married Giuliani. Her spokesman, Bob Leonard, denied Harding's allegations, saying she paid market rent for the apartment.

"Aides to Giuliani also denied the claims. They supplied a letter Harding wrote to another Giuliani adviser last year in which he said he doesn't want to talk to the press about Giuliani but does need money."

How fucking oily. "Thug life"!



(image via electoralmap)

In: Indiana. Indiana is like the prettiest girl in school around Prom time. Colorado may be the head cheerleader with regards to the electoral map game changer hotness, but Indiana is perhaps the true bellwether of this Presidential campaign. The excitement of the Obama-Clinton race -- which went way into the night -- galvanized Indiana Democrats and Independents in a way that suggests that they might come out, this time with gusto, and vote Democrat once more.

If early in the night Indiana veers Obama, then the McCain team can pack it up and call it a day (even before we get to Colorado's electoral results and their time zone). From Ben Smith of Politico:

"Two sources familiar with the media-buying plans say the Republican National Committee is set to spend six figures shoring up John McCain in the traditionally Republican state of Indiana.

"The RNC's independent expenditure arm — which is outside the direct control of the campaign or the committee — has placed a $100,000 buy with WISH-TV in Indianapolis, the CBS affiliate in the capital, one source said. Two sources said the buys across the state start on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

"I'd previously reported, incorrectly, that these were McCain campaign ads. The rate requests I reported then were in fact being made by the independent expenditure, which is being run by consultant Brad Todd.

"Todd didn't respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

"But the meaning of the move is the same: With its own polling presumably confirming public polls showing Obama seriously competitive in Indiana, which hasn't gone Democratic since 1964, the Republicans are being stretched thinner than they would like."

By the way, after reading this in which an excellent reporter of Ben Smith's calibre err basically on the side of not being able to initially tell the difference between an "independent" 5-2-7 and the Republican National Committee we have to ask ourselves, skeptically: Is McCain-Feingold "campaign reform" even worth the goddam paper on which it is written? Just saying ..