National Journal: GOP Scores with Uneducated

Analytical post-election piece in the National Journal by David Wasserman confirming what most believed would happen in the 2008 presidential election.

"John McCain swept 83 of the 100 large counties at the low end of the education spectrum," reads the teaser in Wasserman's Bottom Of Education Ladder Is GOP-Friendly.

Wisconsin '08 Election Notes

Political writers who in February ridiculed the notion that Obama, flush with a 17-point primary victory here, could in November win substantial blocks of voters among the 'white working class' (WWC), appeal to white voters in Republican strongholds such as Waukesha County, and who crowed that their reading of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) federal election law was spot-on correct, are in a word: Wrong.

Typical among today's brand of Republican commentators, such admissions have not been forthcoming.

White Working Class

As Ruy Teixeira writes: While losing the "white working class" (WWC) vote nationally by 18 points, "(o)n the state level, Obama did stunningly well among WWC voters in four of the five highly competitive states they won in 2000 and 2004 (MI, MN, OR and (Wisconsin)). The average WWC deficit for Kerry in these states in 2004 was 8 points. In 2008, Obama had an average advantage in these states of 6 points, a pro-Democratic swing of 14 points."

Waukesha County

Looking at Waukesha County, Kerry lost by 81,000 votes; Obama lost by some 60,000 votes. That's an improvement in one county of about twice the Democratic nominees' statewide combined winning margins in 2000 and 2004.

Informed (let's be honest non-Republican) observers saw McCain as a long shot here, with prospects dimming with each passing negative ad run.

But the Republican political campaign itself never gave up though its top strategists recalled later that they could read the writing on the wall.

McCain-Palin co-chair Van Hollen, Amen-Corner Know-Nothings

But the campaign soldiered on, including the contemptible attempt by McCain-Palin co-chair and AG J.B. Van Hollen to use the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to force widespread provisional ballot voting, disqualify eligible voters, suppress the black turnout in Milwaukee [where the blacks were getting uppity], and basically sow confusion into the voting process.

They lost that battle too.

And now Republican commentators, facts aside, claim victory: Victory in their arguments—citing the Government Accountability Board's (GAB) recent decision to maintain the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS), a voters list, by comparing it with State Department of Transportation data, per HAVA.

Some facts that continue to elude such writers as Waukesha's James Wigderson:

- The text in HAVA mandates that Wisconsin takes due care to see that eligible voters are not thrown off the voter rolls. The GAB has been and is exercising that care. Thus, as the GAB press release reads: "The six-member Board of former judges ruled that a mismatch of voter information contained in the Statewide Voter Registration System (SVRS) with Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) data, in and of itself, shall not result in disqualification of a voter."

- The GAB has said repeatedly that it will implement the cross-checking as Van Hollen, the GOP, and know-nothings like Wigderson screamed was demanded by the "law." But the disagreement was over the timetable, the GAB's versus the GOP's.

As the GAB press release reads: "The Board’s decision prevented potentially thousands of Wisconsin voters from being disenfranchised ... on November 4, solely because the spelling of the voter’s name was not exactly the same in the DOT database and the SVRS database. In its August 27 decision, the Board said that it would revisit its action after the fall election. ... 'Since being directed by the Board at its August 27 meeting, it has been our intention to work with our local election partners after the General Election to identify a protocol that ensures consistency and standards for cross-checking all voters in SVRS with DOT records,' (said) Kevin Kennedy, GAB’s Director and General Counsel, and Wisconsin’s Chief Election Officer. '"

The GAB is revisiting its action now, like it said it would.

So Wigderson says he was right all along, citing the decision of the GAB to do what it said it was going to do, and refusing to disenfranchise voters because bureaucrats' databases do not match.

Republican commentators like Wigderson live in a world undisturbed by facts, replete with an utter inability to comprehend this issue. And they are treated seriously by some--especially in journals that should know better.

Thankfully, the reality-based community will take over both the legislative and executive in America and Wisconsin in 2009 having swept away reality-challenged minds.

- via mal contends

In Defense of Joe Lieberman

Update: Hartford Courant: Secret Ballot To Decide Lieberman's Fate - "Joe Lieberman votes with me a lot more than a lot of my senators. He didn't support us on military stuff, and he didn't support us on Iraq stuff. But you look at his record, it's pretty good."
- Sen. Harry Reid

I don’t care for Joe Lieberman as a U.S. Senator.

Lieberman went right along with the obscenity of the Iraq Invasion and the Patriot Act, among other imbecilities.

I don’t care for Joe Lieberman as a public man.

Even among elected officials in Congress, Lieberman stands out as a lying propagandist.

Lieberman used Republican talking points and lies in his failed attempt to prop up John McCain’s candidacy that would have been devastating to a reeling economy and a shredded American Constitution.

And Lieberman veered right up to and past neo-McCarthyism questioning the patriotism of those not sharing his discredited militarism.

But let’s look to history.

Did the Democratic Party attempt to marginalize and punish Senator
Henry "Scoop" Jackson in 1977, for example, the dedicated militarist of the 1960s-70s who shared with Lieberman the sanctimonious commitment to state violence?

No.

Because to cast out Jackson would have been to indict a whole generation of Democratic leaders without whose dedicated support and lies the Vietnam Invasion would not have been waged.

If we take seriously the arguments to sanitize by sanctioning Lieberman after the Democratic Party’s electoral victories in 2008, more than Joe Lieberman need to stand and account.

The effort to punish Lieberman smells of scapegoating.

We just had an election. What are we going to do, punish Vice-president Biden, Clinton and Kohl for their historically horrendous votes and sometimes unsavory politics?

Of-course not.

Obama has it right. Let’s look to the future.

GOP Writers: Reading Is Bad on Voter Suppression Case

Those wishing that the 2008 election will result in commentary from the rightwing that is not quite so uninformed and dull will be disappointed.

Reading the reaction to the news that the GAB is considering a timetable of its maintenance of its statewide registered voter list (SVRS), one is left with the impression that desire for rightwingers to read before commenting constitutes a lost hope. Hyperbole? I wish.

Regarding the Van Hollen v. Government Accountability Board case, one would believe that those rightwing writers would read the briefs, relevant sections of the HAVA statute and the text of Judge Sumi's decision to dismiss. Sumi’s decision is 22 pages-long and is a quick read.

But rightwingers, like Dad29, show a stubborn resistance to facts. Hey, they were right all along, Dad29 would have you believe.

Writes Dad29 in GAB: "Doh! Van Hollen's Right!",

Van Hollen should bill back the AG's lawsuit-expenses to the GAB for this (news that the GAB is deliberating on HAVA checks dating back to 2006 RE (SVRS)).

Some points:

Citing precedent, Sumi writes in her decision that: "'It is evident that this court has consistently placed a premium on giving effect to the will of the voter.' ... 'the will of the voter in terms of the ability to go to the polls, vested with the franchise' (to vote)."

Sumi means that the disqualification of voters (outside a narrow class) desired by the GOP, or the forced casting of provisional ballots has no compelling basis in case law.

As for the HAVA statute, HAVA mandates the creation of a statewide voter registration list (SVRS), but is careful to leave the maintenance of the list up to individual states’ discretion, in accordance with the states’ existing election law and federal election law, like the Voting Rights Act of 1965—one of the end legislative results of uppity blacks and assorted liberals, including northern liberal Republicans of the time.

As pointed out by Sumi and everyone else who has bothered to read the text of HAVA, except for the GOP: “Neither HAVA nor state law require a database match (between SVRS and the DOT and Social Security databases) as a precondition to voting. … HAVA does not supplant Wisconsin’s constitutionally protected right to establish its voter eligibility standards.”

This means that the GOP’s desired kicking people off the voting list (except for a small class of voters) ain’t going to happen.

The GAB is the proper state agency to administer the voting list.

It has announced repeatedly that it will check the list, SVRS, against the existing databases, and it is now doing so, per its authority and responsibility and discretion.

The GAB will not make a match the basis for casting votes, even provisional ballots, except for a small class of voters, again discounting the expressed wishes of the GOP and Van Hollen who still scream voter fraud.

The GAB is now considering rules for the maintenance of the SVRS. That's the news.

C'mon Dad29, try reading before writing commentary, if you don't like it, you can always go back to what you're doing now.

McCain Underperformed with Religious Voters

Barack Obama outperforms Gore and Kerry among Protestants and evangelicals From MyDD:

Barack Obama received a higher share of the Protestant vote, 45%, than any other Democratic nominee since at least 1972, the earliest year for which I have data. By comparison, in 2004 Kerry received 40% of the Protestant vote and in 2000 Gore received 42%.

Even though McCain honed his campaign message to appeal to the religious right, alienating much of the country in the process, there was at a significant increase in Obama's share of the religious vote over Kerry's, especially among Catholics.

McCain's lack of appeal to the religious right and his poor people skills have been obvious since the inception of his campaign.

As we write here on Jan. 31. 2008:

Democrats are looking forward to a John McCain GOP nomination for president.

McCain faces the impossible task of disentangling himself from George W. Bush and presents the close-to-impossible task of bringing along the religious right.

You can bet that not just McCain but the remaining congressional Republicans will have similar results as McCain when they try to appeal to the American people through obstruction, assuming they are as sociopathic as Bush which is a fair assumption.

Dane County Black Man: "I will be voting today."

Working at Fire Station #2, 5415 King James Way (Fitchburg, WI), the words of a black man in his 20s this morning stand out as poll workers worked with his voting identity and residence.

"I will be voting today," he said calmly but with determination.

Black folks who were newly registering at the polls had a determined look in their eyes; I mean it. And there was a steady stream of black families coming from the newly-registered room.

I lived in the ward for some eight years and I know the high and low-turnout areas. Many voting today were from low turn-out areas.

Inspiring. These are just the people that J.B. Van Hollen and the Republicans want to disenfranchise. And they would not be stopped today.
- via mal contends

Election Day: November 4

First states to look for, election scoreboard, and leaked exit polling

- Two key early states to look for:
Indiana, after 5:00 PM (central): (except for Democratic-leaning Gary that closes at 6:00 PM).
Virginia closes at 6:00 PM (central).

If they both go Obama, Obama wins. In one state goes Obama, Obama is 99.999% certain to win. If neither does, no worries, McCain needs them, not us.

Useful links:

Election Scoreboard
Election Day ScoreBoard (Daily Kos) - great stuff

Leaked Exit Polling
Check back at the following sites around Noon Central time:

- MyDD
- Daily Kos
- BuzzFlash
- Huffington Post
- Drudge Report (I Know)

Loser, Loser, Loser

Brian Adams, a mathematics and computer science professor at Franklin & Marshall College, reports that there's a 99.98% chance that Sen. Barack Obama will win the presidential election on Tuesday.
- Political Wire

See also:
- Intrade Prediction Market Electoral Map

- 538.com

- Real Clear Politics

A corrupt hack like J.B. Van Hollen cannot change anything, though he tried his worst.

As Josh Orton writes on Van Hollen and his judicial follies: "Really the best of both worlds: Barack Obama would win Wisconsin even if the suit failed - but now another careerist Republican looks foolish having failed to politicize the voting process."

Voters for Obama Are Doomed to Hell, Says Writer

Caught this in Salon (Alex Koppelman, Gabriel Winant), WorldNetDaily's Janet Porter warns that voting for Barack Obama will consign the voter to hell.

Porter is serious:

To all those who name the name of Christ who plan to willfully disobey Him by voting for Obama, take warning. Not only is our nation in grave danger, according to the Word of God, so are you.

Catch you readers of this blog in hell. As for I God and the Word, I hereby mock thee.

Obama on Wall Street Crisis

Update II: Congress, Bush team OK bailout terms; Stocks sink
Update: From ThinkProgress: Question: In 1999, you were one of the senators who helped pass deregulation of Wall Street. Do you regret that now?
McCAIN: No. I think the deregulation was probably helpful to the growth of our economy

"You hear that implosion reverberating through financial markets? It's the sound of decades of conservative ideology collapsing," says Jared Bernstein.

Bernstein could well have said "neo-liberal" ideology as the 1999 repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, after 12 legislative attempts in 25 years (FrontLine), among other policy and unaddressed market changes, led the way to this epic collapse with Democratic acquiescence..

But Obama has clean hands on this. Not McCain.

The repeal of Glass-Steagall "allows for the merging of banks, securities firms, and insurance companies into huge financial conglomerates," as FrontLine notes.

McCain has been an anti-regulatory advocate for decades.

It is interesting to note, though, that on a critical vote on the S.900: Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999, (that led to the repeal of Glass-Steagall) McCain was the sole Senator not voting on the bill that passed 90-8-1-1.

What's up with that? Was McCain still smarting from his associations with the Keating Five 10 years earlier. Likely.

Senator Obama recently issued his Statement of Principles for the Treasury Proposal. The man sounds a lot like a New Dealer (that's a good thing).

And a reformer calling for a different regulatory framework from neo-liberal and conservative orthodoxies is a good very thing.

Note his "regardless of how we got here," lede-in in second graf:

Statement of Principles for the Treasury Proposal

The era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and in Washington has led to a financial crisis as profound as any we have faced since the Great Depression.

But regardless of how we got here, the circumstances we face require decisive action because the jobs, savings, and economic security of millions of Americans are now at risk. We must work quickly in a bipartisan fashion to resolve this crisis and restore our financial sector so capital is flowing again and we can avert an even broader economic catastrophe.

We also should recognize that economic recovery requires that we act, not just to address the crisis on Wall Street, but also the crisis on Main Street and around kitchen tables across America.

But thus far, the Administration has only offered a concept with a staggering price tag, not a plan.Even if the Treasury recovers some or most of its investment over time, this initial outlay of up to $700 billion is sobering. And in return for their support, the American people must be assured that the deal reflects some basic principles.

• No blank check. If we grant the Treasury broad authority to address the immediate crisis, we must insist on independent accountability and oversight. Given the breach of trust we have seen and the magnitude of the taxpayer money involved, there can be no blank check.

• Rescue requires mutual responsibility. As taxpayers are asked to take extraordinary steps to protect our financial system, it is only appropriate to expect those institutions that benefit to help protect American homeowners and the American economy. We cannot underwrite continued irresponsibility, where CEOs cash in and our regulators look the other way. We cannot abet and reward the unconscionable practices that triggered this crisis. We have to end them.

• Taxpayers should be protected. This should not be a handout to Wall Street. It should be structured in a way that maximizes the ability of taxpayers to recoup their investment. Going forward, we need to make sure that the institutions that benefit from financial insurance also bear the cost of that insurance.

• Help homeowners stay in their homes. This crisis started with homeowners and they bear the brunt of the nearly unprecedented collapse in housing prices. We cannot have a plan for Wall Street banks that does not help homeowners stay in their homes and help distressed communities.

• A global response. As I said on Friday, this is a global financial crisis and it requires a global solution. The United States must lead, but we must also insist that other nations, who have a huge stake in the outcome, join us in helping to secure the financial markets.

• Main Street, not just Wall Street. The American people need to know that we feel as great a sense of urgency about the emergency on Main Street as we do the emergency on Wall Street. That is why I call on Senator McCain, President Bush, Republicans and Democrats to join me in supporting an emergency economic plan for working families – a plan that would help folks cope with rising gas and food prices, save one million jobs through rebuilding our schools and roads, help states and cities avoid painful budget cuts and tax increases, help homeowners stay in their homes, and provide retooling assistance to help ensure that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built in America.

• Build a regulatory structure for the 21st Century. While there is not time in a week to remake our regulatory structure to prevent abuses in the future, we should commit ourselves to the kind of reforms I have been advocating for several years. We need new rules of the road for the 21st Century economy, together with the means and willingness to enforce them.

The bottom line is that we must change the economic policies that led us down this dangerous path in the first place. For the last eight years, we’ve had an “on your own-anything goes” philosophy in Washington and on Wall Street that lavished tax cuts on the wealthy and big corporations; that viewed even common-sense regulation and oversight as unwise and unnecessary; and that shredded consumer protections and loosened the rules of the road. Ordinary Americans are now paying the price. The events of this week have rendered a final verdict on that failed philosophy, and it is a philosophy I will end as President of the United States,” said Senator Barack Obama

McCain's Retrograde Health Care Plans Comes to Light

McCain Secretly Plans Tax On The Middle Class says The Hill

"So let me get this straight," Obama said. "He wants to run health care like they've been running Wall Street. Well, Senator, I know some folks on Main Street who aren't going to think that's a good idea."

Obama Trending Up

Despite the consolidation of southern constituencies (though McCain will still likely under perform with the religious right), Obama is trending upward in the aggregate pollster.com poll.

McCain has the air of a desperate candidate, as he flails lie after lie now, after accusing Obama of not having the experience, of being part of the problem of the D.C. elite. Can't wait to hear that one in the first presidential debate next Friday.

Obama on the Economy

Put that lying, *&^$*%! McCain away.

Hitting McCain Hard Now

"What we've seen the last few days is nothing less than the final verdict on an economic philosophy that has completely failed" - from Salon.

That's our man.

Palin the Lightweight

Speaking in apocalyptic terms to shore up the-anti-Christ-is-near vote, Sarah Palin demonstrated that she can follow political marching orders and that she is strikingly ignorant.

Madison’s West Side Hit with Obama Sign Theft

Numerous reports of Barack Obama signs being stolen on Madison’s west side and the City of Fitchburg have been reported over the last few days.

“We have had a whole bunch of calls of stolen signs, and they're all on the west side of Madison,” said a Madison Obama staffer in a phone call from the Monroe Street headquarters.

The theft victims include the writer of this blog.

A Fitchburg resident on Monticello Way in Fitchburg reports that he heard several young males shouting “I hate that fucking guy! [Obama],” a few nights ago.

A police report has been filed with the City of Fitchburg Police Department (case # 08-14651).

McCain's Lying

From Huffington Post:

BACKLASH

GUTTER POLITICS ABC: McCain's 'Truth Squad... Full Of Half-Truths'...

Time Mag: McCain "Responsible For One Of The Sleaziest Ads I've Ever Seen"...

Washington Post: "Untrue Accusations, Rumors Have Started To Swirl ... They Become Regarded As Fact"....

MSNBC: Evidence Palin, McCain Not Telling Truth About Bridge To Nowhere...

AP: Fact Check... McCain Ad About Palin Is Misleading...

Sarah, Oh Sarah

Update: A religious extremist a heartbeat away from the presidency?

Sarah Palin: McCain's won't let her near a press conference or an unscripted forum facing questions.

At least let her speak in tongues.

As Steve Hanson writes:
I swore that I wouldn't pile on to the Sarah Palin story, despite her and John McCain's need to lie continually in their speeches - but I think this should be seen. I think a person's religion is their own business - but when we're being asked to elect someone who would ask her church to pray for a pipeline because it's part of her political agenda --- it raises a lot of questions.

Jon on Sarah

Republicans are hypocrites and liars, but never say that out loud or even ask questions if you want to cover the presidential election on MSNBC.

Pro-Nader WI Site Says Roe v. Wade Safer with McCain!

The Proletariat site contends "It seems to me Roe v. Wade will be a lot safer in a McCain than an Obama presidency," promoting Ralph Nader's appearance in Madison tonight.

Is this guy kidding?

From John McCain's site on women's choice:

Human Dignity and the Sanctity of Life Overturning Roe v. Wade John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench. Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. However, the reversal of Roe v. Wade represents only one step in the long path toward ending abortion.

I have voted for Nader for president before, but I swear some of these pro-Nader people are as deluded and oblivious to facts as the religious right.

Let's hope someone from the Cap Times hits Nader with the question about Nader being concerned that a McCain administration would result in overturning Roe.