long knives

I just deleted an email I'd been putting together for you guys choc-full of quotes and analysis on how unqualified Sarah Palin is for the office she seeks. But you know what, that's no longer the issue here. We all know that.
At this moment what is really worth noting is that John McCain, by his recent actions, has shown himself to be morally unfit for the office that he seeks. Simply put, he is not a person of character or integrity or principal. Yes, he has certainly spent a lot of time building exactly such a public image... Then again perhaps he didn't have much choice but to go all-in on this "honor/character" charade after he and the rest of the Keating Five got caught taking contributions in exchange for keeping government regulators away from people using the S&L crisis to make billions of dollars, which ultimately come out of taxpayers pockets in the form of a gov't bailout. (How Mavericky!) But, yes, many of us once assumed, based on what was being written about this man, that he indeed was an honorable person. But dear people, we were wrong. We must do everything in our power to make sure this man does not sieze the highest office of our Nation through his tactics of sleaze, lies, innuendo, and slash and burn politics. This is his last grasp at the ring and he will stop at nothing to achieve power, including betraying every ideal he ever supposedly stood for. We've seen it, and we will only be seeing more of it in the weeks to come.
At the bottom of this email you will find links for donating money and/or time to the Obama campaign. I'm sure there are many many other ways to contribute and participate in this crucial moment. But please, do something. Obama has been mocked to no end for saying, "we are the ones we've been waiting for." People, it's true.


Andrew Sullivan:

McCain has demonstrated in the last two months that he does not have the character to be president of the United States.

Steve Benen:

John McCain was presented with a choice: lose the election or lose his honor. As has become painfully clear, McCain chose the latter.

Josh Marshall:

All politicians stretch the truth, massage it into the best fit with their message. But, let's face it, John McCain is running a campaign almost entirely based on straight up lies. Not just exaggerations or half truths but the sort of straight up, up-is-down mind-blowers we've become so accustomed to from the current occupants of the White House. And today McCain comes out with this rancid, race-baiting ad based on another lie. Willie Horton looks mild by comparison. (And remember, President George H.W. Bush never ran the Willie Horton ad himself. It was an outside group. He wasn't willing to degrade himself that far.) As TPM Reader JM said below, at least Horton actually was released on a furlough. This is ugly stuff. And this is an ugly person. There's clearly no level of sleaze this guy won't stoop to to win this election.

And let's be frank. He might win it. This is clearly a testing time for Obama supporters. But I want to return to a point I made a few years ago during the Social Security battle with President Bush. Winning and losing is never fully in one's control -- not in politics or in life. What is always within our control is how we fight and bear up under pressure. It's easy to get twisted up in your head about strategy and message and optics. But what is already apparent is that John McCain is running the sleaziest, most dishonest and race-baiting campaign of our lifetimes. So let's stopped being shocked and awed by every new example of it. It is undignified. What can we do? We've got a dangerously reckless contender for the presidency and a vice presidential candidate who distinguished her self by abuse of office even on the comparatively small political stage of Alaska. They've both embraced a level of dishonesty that disqualifies them for high office. Democrats owe it to the country to make clear who these people are. No apologies or excuses. If Democrats can say at the end of this campaign that they made clear exactly how and why these two are unfit for high office they can be satisfied they served their country.

Mori Dinauer at TAPPED:

Whether it's sex-ed, lipstick, or "destroying" Palin, it's clear that John McCain is prepared to whip up as much disgusting cultural rage as he needs to win that 51 percent and that, my friends, is where this dishonorable man intends to take this election.

John Cole:

As has been discussed before, there is no downside for lying for the GOP. They lie about anything, and never pay a price, so why not accuse Obama of wanting to teach sex ed to kids so young that they can not yet read ? Some moron somewhere will see it, most likely on one of the Cable tv shows as they play it repeatedly for free, and not from seeing it during an actual ad buy, and then will miss the repeated debunkings. Then, for the next 30 years, it will be another one of those zombie lies that never dies.

A military man weighs in:

It is with great sadness that I say to you that John McCain is not an honorable man today. The reason I say this is because I am observing and hearing reported by every major news organization in this country that he and his running mate are participating in and personally articulating blatant lies. These are not the actions of honorable people. When one is aspiring to the highest and second highest public offices in the land it is incumbent upon one to speak truth and only truth and to communicate about those issues that are vital and of importance to the citizens of the nation. It is not honorable for individuals to speak lies to the citizens and make unproven accusations against those whom they oppose. When one opposes another person in vying for public office it becomes even more important to insure that one speaks the truth and deals with issues and substantive differences and not innuendo and accusation.

The fact that John McCain is a former Naval Officer and a sitting United States Senator makes this lack of honor horribly reprehensible. But I think what makes this lack of honor so disgusting and even more vile is that he would lose himself to the point of using his own sacrifice and service as a shield to commit such petit dishonorable acts of lying. Conservative, liberal, or Independent, share his beliefs or not, it would be morally reprehensible for anyone to support someone who displays so little honor. Sometimes we must call them like they are. Prisoner of war or not service to country or not there is a line and John McCain and his running mate have crossed the line.

This nation has endured eight long years of lies and deceptions from the two highest ranking public figures in the country and virtually their entire administration. Our honor as a nation is not just blemished but in tatters and we cannot endure another four or eight years of the same. If for no other reason than the fact that John McCain and his vice presidential running mate have publicly lied and continue to lie this nation needs to insure that he does not occupy the office of the president. Our nation needs honor above all else at this crucial point in our history. With honor comes respect and from these come all else.

Meanwhile Obama seems to be banking on the ground game

I'd never seen this Obama advisor before, but I'd like to see much more of her. She's great. (vid)

And, hell, I'll even take more Matt Damon (vid)

Here's a helpful pie chart for election coverage


Overheard at a McCain/Palin rally:

"Obama wants to abort 40 million babies in his first term."

"He wants to abort as many Republicans as possible to keep a Liberal Majority. He would abort Bristol's baby if he could. He will force abortions on every Republican woman in this nation if he is president!"

"Obama will destroy our country", "Obama is what is wrong with Washington.""McCain will clean up the corruption!" "Joe Biden has been in the Senate for 24 years, and what has he done?"

Interspersed with this was the claim that Obama hated women, and how sexist he was, and how horrible he is towards women. I heard a rather redneck fella say in one breath, "Obama hates women" followed by, "Damn, I would FUCK Sarah Palin silly!"

I found the disconnect very apparent. VPILF craze was rampant with the men in their 20's-50's. The open lust for her, calling her a hot piece, and commenting on how good "her mooserack" was (Don't ask, I didn't get it either) was juxtaposed with their claims of sexism in the Democratic party. "Obama said, put lipstick on a Pig, and it is still a Pig, How DARE he say that! How sexist!"

And, because it just seems appropriate, here are some words from John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE:

I'm sick and tired of hearing things from uptight, short-sighted, narrow-minded hypocritics.

I've had enough of reading things by neurotic, psychotic, pig-headed politicians.

I'm sick to death of seeing things from tight-lipped, condescending, mama's little chauvinists.

I've had enough of watching scenes of schizophrenic, ego-centric, paranoiac, prima-donnas.
All I want is the truth. Just gimme some truth.