You know things are going bad for McCain when his own adviser, Charles Fried, supports Obama. At the center of Fried’s concerns for voting for McCain is….

” the choice of Sarah Palin at a time of deep national crisis.”

The New Republic

Charles Fried, a professor at Harvard Law School, has long been one of the most important conservative thinkers in the United States. Under President Reagan, he served, with great distinction, as Solicitor General of the United States. Since then, he has been prominently associated with several Republican leaders and candidates, most recently John McCain, for whom he expressed his enthusiastic support in January.

This week, Fried announced that he has voted for Obama-Biden by absentee ballot. In his letter to Trevor Potter, the General Counsel to the McCain-Palin campaign, he asked that his name be removed from the several campaign-related committees on which he serves. In that letter, he said that chief among the reasons for his decision “is the choice of Sarah Palin at a time of deep national crisis.”

Fried is exceptionally thoughtful and principled; his vote for Obama is especially noteworthy.

–Cass. R. Sunstein

• UPDATE: Fried writes to TNR: I admire Senator McCain and was glad to help in his campaign, and to be listed as doing so; but when I concluded that I must vote for Obama for the reason stated in my letter, I felt it wrong to appear to be recommending to others a vote that I was not prepared to cast myself. So it was more of an erasure than a public affirmation–although obviously my vote meant that I thought that Obama was preferable to McCain-Palin. I do not consider abstention a proper option.

The Colin Powell effect seems to be growing. The Wall Street has compiled a list of prominent republicans who have recently announced their support for Obama.

Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld is endorsing Obama today at a press conference in Salem, N.H. Weld was a public supporter of Mitt Romney in the Republican primaries. In a statement, Weld called Obama a

“once-in-a-lifetime candidate who will transform our politics and restore America’s standing in the world.”

On Thursday, former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson endorsed Obama at the state capitol.

“I think we have in Barack Obama the clear possibility of a truly great president,” he said. “I would contend that it’s the most important election of my lifetime.”

Scott McClellan, a former spokesman for President George W. Bush, also endorsed Obama Thursday. USA Today reported that McClellan told CNN in a taping to be aired this weekend that Obama has

“the best chance of changing the way Washington works.”

Ken Adelman, a prominent conservative on foreign policy matters announced his support for Obama on Tuesday, telling the New Yorker that his decision was based on temperament and judgment.

Adelman called McCain

“impetuous, inconsistent, and imprudent; ending up just plain weird” in his handling of the U.S. economic crisis. He also was unsettled by McCain’s choice of running mate. “Not only is Sarah Palin not close to being acceptable in high office—I would not have hired her for even a mid-level post in the arms-control agency,” Adelman wrote.

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

The Big Ten Poll has Obama leading John McCain and the bullshit express by double digits.

About the poll:

The Big Ten Battleground Poll is sponsored by a partnership of eight of the Big Ten Universities: the University of Illinois, the University of Iowa, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Northwestern University, The Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin. The data collection was conducted by LHK Partners Inc., Newtown Square, Pa.

The individual surveys of between 562 and 586 randomly selected registered voters and those likely to register to vote before the election in each of the states were conducted by phone with live interviewers from Oct. 19-22 and were co-directed by University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientists Charles Franklin and Ken Goldstein with the cooperation of colleagues from participating Big Ten universities. The polls each have a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points. The states included in the poll were Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota, home to the 11 universities in the Big Ten conference.

The new Big Ten poll shows Obama ahead in every Big Ten state, including Indiana, where McCain held a slight edge in September and a Democrat has not won since 1964. Obama also leads in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where last month’s poll results showed the two candidates in a dead heat.

Head-to-head results for individual states

• Illinois Obama 61% McCain 32%

• Indiana Obama 51% McCain 41%

• Iowa Obama 52% McCain 39%

• Michigan Obama 58% McCain 36%

• Minnesota Obama 57% McCain 38%

• Ohio Obama 53% McCain 41%

• Pennsylvania Obama 52% McCain 41%

• Wisconsin Obama 53% McCain 40%

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

Today, team McCain accused Obama of illegal contributions, that’s right, mom and pop America made illegal contributions. However, Mr. Country First McCain feels it’s necessary to ask the Russian government for campaign contributions. McCain is no stranger to Federal Election Commission (FEC) violations.  He obviously missed the part about “foreign nationals” being prohibited from making contributions. Foreign campaign contributions are  illegal!! Once again, McCain either lacks the knowledge, has poor judgment, or did he think the rules don’t apply to Republicans.

McCain’s September 29, 2008, letter to the Russian U.N. Mission Ambassador Vitaly Churkin:

From UN Dispatch

Dear Friend…Today I am reaching out to you to ask you to sign and return the enclosed 2008 Pledge of Support along with a campaign contribution of $35, $50, $100, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or even $5,000 to the McCain-Palin Victory 2008.

As we have already witnessed, this has been an extremely tough, hard-fought campaign, and it will be to the very end.

In recent years, elections have been fought within the margins of small differences. This one clearly will not be. The differences between our Republican candidates and that of the Obama Democrats could not be greater. And we intend to fight as hard as we can to ensure that our principles prevail.

Today, The Russian U.N. Mission posted a statement on their web site

STATEMENT ON FUND RAISING LETTER FROM JOHN MCCAIN ELECTION CAMPAIGN

We have received a letter from Senator John McCain requesting financial contribution to his Presidential campaign.

In this connection we would like to reiterate that Russian officials, the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations or the Russian Government do not finance political activity in foreign countries.

I’m not sure how team McCain could have missed this prohibition considering the FEC dedicated a whole page to it.  From the FEC website

The Prohibition
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) prohibits any foreign national from contributing, donating or spending funds in connection with any federal, state, or local election in the United States, either directly or indirectly. It is also unlawful to help foreign nationals violate that ban or to solicit, receive or accept contributions or donations from them. Persons who knowingly and willfully engage in these activities may be subject to fines and/or imprisonment.

Who is a Foreign National?
The following groups and individuals are considered “foreign nationals” and are, therefore, subject to the prohibition:

• Foreign governments;
• Foreign political parties;
• Foreign corporations;
• Foreign associations;
• Foreign partnerships;
• Individuals with foreign citizenship; and
• Immigrants who do not have a “green card.”

I guess there aren’t enough Americans coughing up the cash to help team disaster get into the White House.

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

Yes, you read the title correctly. It may come as a shock to some but not all republicans are like Sarah Palin or what John McCain has become. There are thinking republicans who care deeply about the war, the economy, the price of gas and Americas failed foreign policies. These republicans are concerned with the real issues that face all of us. They are disturbed with the mudslinging and lies that the McCain/Palin team spew. These republicans really do believe in country first.

Republican John Hutson for Obama

John Hutson, a retired US Navy Rear Admiral and New Hampshire resident, talks about his reasons for supporting Barack Obama for President.

Republicans for Obama website

• Republicans for Obama is a grassroots organization of proud party members who all share one important trait— we are Americans first and Republicans second. (Even if it is a close second.) Founded in late 2006 as part of the nationwide effort to encourage Senator Obama to run for the Presidency, our volunteer-run, grassroots group now includes over 2200 registered members from across the nation.

• Collectively, we have campaigned, worked for, and voted Republican all our lives, but recognize that our Country needs a new kind of leader at this time. While there will always be important issues on which thoughtful Americans will disagree, there are others that cannot be up for debate— our economic prosperity and our standing in the world.

• Senator Obama has rejected the politics of division and the win-at-all-costs attitude that has hurt our ability to move forward as a nation. While we as Republicans will not always see eye to eye with a President Obama, we know that his politics of competency and unity will lead to a stronger America.

Why Obama
Fellow Republicans,

• When deciding which candidate is best to now lead our nation, we ask that you consider supporting Senator Barack Obama. The U.S. faces serious challenges that are not being addressed by our political leaders. Elected officials of both sides have found it easier to appease their parties’ fringes to win elections, and media companies choose to shock, amuse and divide us. In the meantime, the problems we face as a nation grow as they are passed on to future generations.

• We need a leader who can lay the foundations of another American Century—someone who can get past our partisan and ideological divisions, as we strengthen our standing in the world and tackle the challenges we face at home. We need a leader who understands our differences, but who also knows the importance of finding common ground. While we continue to debate and address many issues on which we all have strong opinions—abortion, gay rights, the relationship between church and state, to name a few—we need a leader who can command the support needed to break our government’s paralysis and meet the growing challenges we face as a nation.

Senator Obama is the one candidate who can unite the American majority that wants to move forward and improve the long-term economic well-being and independence of our nation.

Republican for Obama at the Party’s Birthplace

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

Sarah Palin who has portrayed herself as honest, different from the same old Washington politics, has once again lied.  Not only did Palin abuse her power as governor, she violated public trust, an ethics violation. Palin sounds like Bush.

In a previous post,  Alaskan State Senator Hollis French stated:

“Now she could face impeachment, in a worst-case scenario.”

Be prepared for the GOP spin machine stating, this is a democratic smear. Well don’t buy that lie, the legislative council is bi-partisan, with the majority being republican. Palin was cooperating with the investigation prior to being tapped by McCain.

A legislative investigation has concluded that “Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power” in pushing for the firing of an Alaska state trooper who was once married to her sister.

The release of Branchflower’s 263-page report came after a unanimous vote of the 12-member Legislative Council, which authorized the inquiry last summer. The vote followed an all-day, closed-door meeting with Branchflower. Three members participated by telephone.

Branchflower Finding One:

For the reasons explained in section IV of this report, I find that Governor Sarah Palin abused her power by violating Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act. Alaska Statute 39.52.110(a) provides

“The legislature reaffirms that each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust.”

Branchflower Finding Two:

I find that, although Walt Monegan’s refusal to fire Trooper Michael Wooten was not the sole reason he was fired by Governor Sarah Palin, it was likely a contributing factor to his termination as Commissioner of Public Safety. In spite of that, Governor Palin’s firing of Commissioner Monegan was a proper and lawful exercise of her constitutional and statutory authority to hire and fire executive branch department heads.

Branchflower Finding Three:

Harbor Adjustment Service of Anchorage, and its owner Ms. Murleen Wilkes, handled Trooper Michael Wooten’s workers’ compensation claim properly and in the normal course of business like any other claim processed by Harbor Adjustment Service and Ms. Wilkes. Further, Trooper Wooten received all the workers’ compensation benefits to which he was entitled.

Branchflower Finding Four:

The Attorney General’s office has failed to substantially comply with my August 6, 2008 written request to Governor Sarah Palin for information about the case in the form of emails.

Stephen Branchflower Report to Legislative Council; October 10, 2008
Chapter 52. Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act
AS 39.52.110. Scope of Code
AS 39.52.120. Misuse of Official Position
AS 39.52.410. Violations; Penalties For Misconduct

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

The hate, anger and lies that John McCain and Sarah Palin have spewed over the past few weeks are finally being corrected by McCain himself. The McCain campaign has charged up every single rally and town hall meeting to the point where the audience have called Obama a traitor, shouted treason and most reprehensible of the all “kill him.” And, to keep the GOP charge of hate moving, neither Palin, nor McCain have said anything to calm the crowd. Instead they continued to stoke the fire.

Palin, who has been the most prominent in stoking the fires of hate, distrust and truly dishonest with her words, continues to divide a wounded country.

Today is another perfect example of someone believing the lies, sound bite news and obviously not caring to do their research, made this statement to McCain

“I don’t trust Obama,” a woman said. “I have read about him. He’s an Arab.”

McCain shook his head in disagreement, and said:

“No, ma’am. He’s a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with (him) on fundamental issues and that’s what this campaign is all about.”

He had drawn boos with his comment:

“I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States.”

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

John McCain would like everyone to forget he was one of five Senators up to their corrupt behinds in the The Keating Five Savings & Loan scandal of the 1980s and early 1990s. The Senate Ethics Committee stated “Senator McCain exercised poor judgment.” Somethings never change.

In a July 1996, General Accounting Report (GAO); Financial Audit: Resolution Trust Corporation’s 1995 and 1994 Financial Statements; the cost of the crisis is estimated to have totaled around $160.1 billion, about $124.6 billion of which was directly paid for by the U.S. taxpayer.

The 13 minute film below details McCain’s involvement and the gifts he received in return for political favors. Deregulation and the practices used in the savings and loan crisis are parallel to the current subprime mortgage crisis and the economic mess we are in today. Obviously McCain never learned anything about economics.

According to a 2001, National Review Online Article:

In John McCain’s America, any politician who accepts a large contribution or gift from a donor, and then takes steps consistent with the donor’s interests — even though there is no legal quid pro quo — is corrupt. Well, then, by his own standard, McCain is corrupt.

Simply put, the issue was whether McCain and the other senators used their official positions to attempt to pressure Federal Home Loan Bank Board officials to go easy on the troubled institution. Eventually Lincoln went bust, costing depositors and taxpayers millions.

In its final report (November 20, 1991), here is what the Senate Select Committee on Ethics concluded about McCain’s conduct:

“Mr. Keating, his associates, and his friends contributed $56,000 for Senator McCain’s two House races in 1982 and 1984, and $54,000 for his 1986 Senate race. Mr. Keating also provided his corporate plane and/or arranged for payment for the use of commercial or private aircraft on several occasions for travel by Senator McCain and his family, for which Senator McCain ultimately provided reimbursement when called upon to do so. Mr. Keating also allowed Senator McCain and his family to vacation with Mr. Keating and his family, at a home provided by Mr. Keating in the Bahamas, in each of the calendar years 1983 through 1986

“…[F]rom 1984 to 1987, Senator McCain took actions on Mr. Keating’s behalf or at his request. The Committee finds that Senator McCain had a basis for each of these actions independent of the contributions and benefits he received from Mr. Keating, his associates and friends. “Based on the evidence available to it, the Committee has given consideration to Senator McCain’s actions on behalf of Lincoln. The Committee concludes that, given the personal benefits and campaign contributions he had received from Mr. Keating, Senator McCain exercised poor judgment in intervening with the regulators without first inquiring as to the Bank Board’s position in the case in a more routine manner.

KEATING ECONOMICS: John McCain & The Making of a Financial Crisis

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.

It seems that the more mud you sling, eventually you’ll get hit. Sarah Palin, who tries to present herself as a reformer, an agent of change, a political corruption buster, seems to have a very serious skeleton in her political closet, Bill Allen. That’s right, the man who Ted Stevens took gifts from, and the reason Stevens is on trial.

Palin responded to her recent statements about Bill Ayres and Obama

“The Associated Press is wrong,” Palin said. “The comments are about an association that has been known but hasn’t been talked about, and I think it’s fair to talk about where Barack Obama kicked off his political career, in the guy’s living room.”

With that said, I think it’s only fair that we look at who’s living room or den Sarah Palin kicked off her political career.

Bill Allen and the VECO employees contributed heavily to politicians and in return expected support for the oil industry. In 2000, Allen co-chaired the Alaska finance committee during the Bush-Cheney campaign.

When Palin decided to run for lieutenant governor in 2001, she paid Bill Allen a visit at his home. According to a VECO emplyee the two drank wine and spoke about her future. After Palin’s visit with Allen, VECO contributed $5,000 to Palin’s campaign for lieutenant governor. The contributions came at $500 a pop over a two-day period in late December from Allen, his executives and a couple of their spouses, representing 10 percent of all money Palin raised in her 2002 campaign.

Palin and Ted Stevens excellent adventure …

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin began building clout in her state’s political circles in part by serving as a director of an independent political group organized by the now embattled Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.

Palin’s name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the “Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.,” a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state. She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings.

People in igloos shouldn’t throw fireballs.

©2010 BlueBloggin. All Rights Reserved.