Completely Unnecessary

I was door-knocking for Jeremy Karpen today. Everything was going swimmingly, chatting with residents and taping pamphlets to their doors. I marched up and down numerous flights of steps.

I talked to two guys who, whilst not speaking amazing English, were receptive and friendly. Walking northbound, I headed up another tall stairway - the bonus of houses with garden apartments that aren’t actually basement apartments. No one home.

Climbing the steps and the next house north, I knocked and waited. I looked around aimlessly as I waited. Mounted to the left of the door was a small, closed-circuit video camera. But it wasn’t pointed at the porch - it was pointed at the street.

Now, Season Three of The Wire tells me that houses with cameras pointed at the street are most likely a stash house. There’s no reason to tape the street unless you want to know who’s coming well in advance. Images of men I didn’t want to meet chunked through my brain.

I taped my flyer to the screen door and bolted. The odds of Stringer answering the door seemed low.

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I have too much packing to blog - you may have noticed - so I’m reposting Jen Marshall’s tips for all those damn judges on your Chicago/Cook County ballots!

Greetings all my Cook County friends!!!

As you well know, there will be way more than just Presidential nominees on the ballot on Nov 4th.
Here’s what you’ll be voting for:

• Proposal Call for Constitutional Convention: ‘to establish a recall for elected officials.”
• President
• Illinois U.S. Senator
• U.S. Representative
• State Senator
• State Representative
• Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioners (Vote for 3)
• State’s Attorney
• Clerk of the Circuit Court
• Recorder of Deeds
• Board of Review
• Judge of the State Supreme Court, Appellate Court & Circuit Court.

General Ballot Info

http://www.chicagoelections.com/

Judges

[Information's at the] Chicago Bar Association. [fixed!] You’ll find a PDF voter’s guide to the judicial nominees. Read about the evaluation process and judge for yourself whether it is valid or not. The CBA puts in a lot of work to determine who is and is not qualified, and I think its a great service. You can even print up a pocket voter’s guide to take to the polls with you.

There is a bit more info, and a list of further NOs in [this Sun Times article] as well…I tend to agree with the author in that if a reputable association recommends voting against a judge, I’ll do it.

Also check out: www.voteforjudges.org.

Water Reclamation District

[The Sun Times has some recommendations]

Constitutional Convention

I found a great article by Greg Harris on this issue here.

Of all the research I did on this issue, most were heavily leaning towards a yes vote, but Harris does a nice job of simplifying why a NO vote makes more sense. To me, anyway.

All the things that need ‘fixing’, can be done through amendments, not re-writing the damn thing!

Early Voting Sites
http://www.chicagoelections.com/page.php?id=9

Ok, that’s all I have for now. Hopefully this helps someone out there…of course, most of this is fairly opinionated, so you’re free to say ‘piss off’ as well.

Voting is so damn exciting (and if you know me, you know I’m not kidding)!

X,
Jen

X,
Brie

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Oh, I have to run to class, but I can’t leave without giving out a shout out to Senator/Convicted Felon Ted Stevens (R-AK).

Nice work, Senator! There are eight days until the election - and now looks like MarkBegich will be cruising to the Senate.

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Google will run all of our lives, but no one will care.

Google Maps and The League of Women voters have developed this amazing tool.

You just enter your address and zip code and it shows your polling place, directions, etc. Useful info about absentee voting and laws in your state also pop up.

Mine was correct, but they put the in the caveat that you should check with your local election board to verify the details.

Very useful.

h/t: Political Wire

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I managed to read the announcement of a Grant Park rally on election night just before going to class today. I’m not usually much of a star-struck type (seeing Maxine McKew notwithstanding), but I was like, OMG!!!!! I am SO there!

It’s a bit embarrassing.

But in that tingly way.

Anyway - the election is just kind of saddening me at this point - what with the ‘terrorist’ chants, dead bears, Palin’s possible $150,000 wardrobe and the like.

It’s, like, time to vote already - let’s get on with it.

I suppose it’ll be interesting to see if Michelle Bachmann (R-MN6) loses her seat after the latest in a series of silly comments out of her.

And it was nice to see McCain supporters fight back against the racists in their midst (via Megan at Jezebel).

But, you know, Bush is still enacting annoying things like giving federal money to orgs that only hire people of one faith, despite that being totally against the rules.

And the media is focusing a lot on that Iraqi puppy, Rachet, and him going to his girl in MN. It’s a charming story, but the amount of money and press attention showered on a dog instead of, say, the Iraqi people or the troops is kind of depressing.

Well, that was useful. That got rid of some of the links in my browser. I swear some days that’s the only reason I blog - to clear out links that I’m too lazy to post to del.icio.us.

That’s how much you mean to me.

Oh, and since we’re soooo close - if you have a line on Obama tickets… yes, please!

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The Chicago Tribune endorsed the Democrat.

The Tribune itself is highly impressed by this fact, and would earn a number 3 (25%-50%) for Question 34 in the study I’m working on: ‘Percentage of story content devoted to metacoverage’.

The four long paragraphs outline the history of Tribune presidential endorsements. They note the paper’s devotion to abolition and smaller government, as well as its deep, abiding admiration for the Chicago Tribune.

The Ed Board writes eloquently of Senator Obama, though their prose is somewhat marred by the graphic running with the article:

Other questions they considered included:

• Do you consider us still relevant?
• Like, totes relevant?
• Is our lame redesign causing you to consider canceling your subscription?
• If you are thinking about it, can you please not do that?

Anyway, despite a long series of bad endorsements (Dole ‘96!), nice to see the hometown paper coming on board.

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Yeah, it didn’t go so well.

According to CNN’s little worm thingie, women didn’t like McCain so much generally, but he really failed in two key areas:

The first was vouchers. It’s a pretty standard conservative talking point, but he might have played it differently.

The vast majority of public school teachers are women (74.5% in 1999-2000 and likely higher since), and they don’t tend to like vouchers much.

Whilst probably striving to draw points of difference between himself and Obama, McCain still might have played up his support of charter schools instead. They’re a bit more palatable from a teacher standpoint.

McCain started out well. In my liveblog, I thought he’d hop right into vouchers, but hit charter schools first. That was a good approach, supporting both and leading with charters.

And then he got wrapped up in Obama’s opposition to vouchers and banged on about how well DC charter schools are working.

But maybe a lot of Clinton supporters aren’t teachers; maybe they weren’t affected by the voucher stuff.

Well, I’m sure the uterus stuff got them on the Straight Talk Express:

I would consider [any judge] in their qualifications. I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade that would be part of those qualifications. But I certainly would not impose any litmus test.
…
Let me talk to you about an important aspect of this issue. We have to change the culture of America. Those of us who are proudly pro-life understand that. And it’s got to be courage and compassion that we show to a young woman who’s facing this terribly difficult decision.

Okay. McCain used to hold a sensible anti-choice position (sorry to be all rhetoricy, but he doesn’t get to wear the pro-life moniker anymore as far as I’m concerned). He even tried to get the Republican Party to amend its platform to include exceptions for rape, incest, and the health of the mother in 2000.

I just love the double-speak in the first part of that quote above.  It’s a little unclear what he’s saying, but I don’t think one could argue that he’s saying he would simply ignore a judge’s support of the Roe ruling. As I wrote yesterday, it seems like he’s saying, “I impose no litmus test, but [support of] Roe v. Wade means they are a bad judge.”

Still relatively reasonable. I don’t agree, but at least they were having a fairly rational discussion (about something that almost no one actually changes their vote on).

And then this happened:

I don’t know how you [Obama] align yourself with the extreme aspect of the pro- abortion movement in America. And that’s his record, and that’s a matter of his record.

And then this, complete with ironic finger ‘quotes’ (video here):

Just again, the example of the eloquence of Senator Obama. He’s health for the mother. You know, that’s been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything. That’s the extreme pro-abortion position, quote, “health.”

Before I fly off the handle - as I promise you I will do in just a moment - there was a better way to say this.

Some argue that stipulations for the health of the mother go too far in including things like mental health. They argue that this could be used to get around laws preventing abortion by claiming ‘mental health’ for a wide variety of reasons.

Quietly and reasonably arguing that point might not have totally lost him the rest of the (Clinton) women.

Palin is there to pick up (ostensibly) women and the base. Women appear not to have responded to Palin, but the base has. McCain didn’t have to come out swinging on this issue. The reponse, instead, seems to have come from frustration with Obama and the election.

And so, Vagina-Americans* got caught up in McCain’s downward spiral of poor polling numbers and increasingly bitter rhetoric.

John McCain might not have noticed, but those two things are connected.

My own brand of alarmist, hateful screed after the jump.

* - For the record, I might prefer Uterized-Americans.

(more…)

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1:32: The SBS guy is just offloading everything he remembers about the debate. McCain scribbled a lot. Alright, I’m out of here.

1:31: Michelle Obama is really rocking the florets lately. I hope that’s not coming back in. Is that back in?

1:30: GOOD JOB, GOOD JOB, GOOD JOB! Cut their mics!

1:30: Bob is the new Dan Rather with his folksy anecdotes.

1:29: Middle class for Obama in the closing - good.

1:28: Brighter days are still ahead. Isn’t that a Reagan quote? Kennedy?

1:28: Damn McCain he put the ‘if you can trust us’ - that’s a dog whistle for all his ads.

1:27: McCain: Please vote for me. I will keep your tax dollars safe. By spending nothing on anything, except hatchets.

1:26: McCain just did creepy laugh plus a SNORT! Bob is unfamiliar with websites.

1:24: ‘…precious children who have autism. Sarah Palin knows about them’. I think that’s my favorite quote of the debate.

1:23: McCain: Reauthorize NCLB - well there go the teachers that Obama pissed off earlier.

1:22: ‘You, I, Cindy, and… your wife…’ That’s Michelle.

1:21: ‘I don’t think America’s youth are interest groups’ - if McCain’s adviser really said that thing about the interest groups, that’s absurd.

1:19: McCain likes Teach for America? I’m kind of surprised by that.

1:16: McCain: ‘We’ve achieved equal access to schools?’ Oh, I see now that this is going to vouchers. Oh, it went to charter schools. And then to vouchers. Right.

1:15: No freaking way. Education. Thank you.

1:15: Oh, I didn’t know that ‘health of the mother’ meant killing babies. Who knew? When did McCain get so crazy pro-life? He sounded more extreme than Bush when it came up in his races. I guess he’s trying to keep what’s left of the Appalachia vote.

1:13: Here’s another 10 minutes of the debate gone on this issue. That’s 30 minutes total on nonsense.

1:12: ‘Extreme aspect of the pro-abortion [faction] of this country’ - Jesus, McCain.

1:10: ‘Proudly pro-life’, McCain? Not in 2000. Why is this now about abortion? And why is McCain bothering to shore up the pro-life vote? That’s what Palin is for.

1:10: The Ledbetter decision. Obama brings the rest of the women home to the Dems. That was a seriously bullshit decision.

1:08: ‘Rights shouldn’t be left to state referendum…popular vote’. Well put.

1:07: Why does Obama hate Breyer so much? Why? McCain: I impose no litmus test, but Roe v. Wade means they are a bad judge.

1:05: ROE V WADE. Screw you, Bob. Screw you. Education. Education. Our kids are stupid. Only 13% of voters vote on abortion.

1:04: Senator Government! If you chose to add ‘Joe’ to your drinking game. You now cannot get health insurance because of your pre-existing liver damage.

1:02: Holy shit. What are you talking about John? We’re all communists or something, and Joe knows. But is rich, so will not be part of the Revolution. Gold-plated Cadillac health care. I don’t think we’ll have that in Communist America.

1:01: I bet Joe doesn’t exist. Or if he does, that his last name is Sixpack.

(more…)

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I complain a lot about the gender-based coverage received by women candidates. Overly effusive physical description is one the most prevalent ways in which this gender-tagging occurs.

So, I feel it’s important to call out the media when they gender-tag men, too.

Levi Johnston - Bristol Palin’s fiance - isn’t a candidate, but is apparently important enough to interview.

Johnston is described first as ’soft-spoken’, a frequent gender-tag, but the AP’s Adam Goldman doesn’t stop there:

Johnston, a Wasilla heartthrob, said he wanted to set the record straight.
…
Johnston is an avid hunter. He’s dark haired, tall and muscular, sports a bit of stubble and drives a red Chevy Silverado truck. He’d be the perfect cover for Field & Stream.

Erhm, can someone check Goldman’s notebook for heart doodles? That’s insane.

This is one of the weirdest stories I’ve read in a while. The interview apparently occurred in Levi’s driveway, providing the reader with less of a portrait of Johnston, than concerns about the AP’s stalkiness.

And it’s written in a peculiar, extremely colloquial tone:

He’s bagged bears, sheep, elk, and caribou. Some of the antlers are scattered about his yard. Last July on a caribou hunt he lost a “promise” ring that Palin had given him. He said he decided to tattoo her name on the finger and not bother with more rings because he’d just lose them anyway.

Asked to describe his feeling about the Republican Convention, Johnston replied, “At first, I was nervous… Then I was like, ‘Whatever.’”

That feeling also seems abundant in his attitude toward the democratic process, of which he’s unwittingly become a part; Johnston did not register to vote in this year’s election.

Well, that’s what we learned in our ‘rare interview with The Associated Press’ - I just hope Johnston’s mother doesn’t have to call the Wasilla police to get Goldman off the lawn.

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Troopergate investigation finds ‘duh‘:

Gov. Sarah Palin abused the powers of her office by pressuring subordinates to try to get her former brother-in-law, a state trooper, fired, an investigation by the Alaska Legislature has concluded. The inquiry found, however, that she was within her right to dismiss her public safety commissioner, Walt Monegan, who was the trooper’s boss.

Meanwhile, more and more stories are coming in about the whipping up going on at McCain/Palin events - some of it bordering on race-baiting. In one particularly disturbing incident:

Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric’s questions for her “less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media.” At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, “Sit down, boy.”

Megan at Jezebel has a good rundown (with link list at the bottom), so I won’t list them all here.

McCain and Palin have not discouraged this behavior from their supporters. Instead Obama’s campaign got the blame today:

McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers adds in another statement: “Barack Obama’s attacks on Americans who support John McCain reveal far more about him than they do about John McCain. It is clear that Barack Obama just doesn’t understand regular people and the issues they care about. He dismisses hardworking middle class Americans as clinging to guns and religion, while at the same time attacking average Americans at McCain rallies who are angry at Washington, Wall Street and the status quo.”

I’m not even sure that ‘irresponsible’ can describe this behavior (and the dog-whistle response). John McCain used to be better than this. He’s the head of his party and an authority figure; failure to denounce it is tantamount to endorsement.

If someone gets hurt - and I’m thinking most the media people at these events - it will be on McCain’s shoulders.

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