The Important Story

This is the big story of the day.

This is what the "liberal" media have pre-occupied themselves with.

They are smearing Kerry, while ignoring a despicable turn of events in Iraq.

Bush To Go On Rush's Show

Rush Limbaugh mocks someone with Parkinson's Disease. And what are the consequences? He gets a visit from the President of the United States. Personal Responsibility: Republican style.

Read This Before You Vote

The Democrats have made a real mess out of Iraq.

My Take on the Columbia Council Member's Endorsements

Much ado about nothing. They did endorse the wrong candidiate, however.

The Latest on the Senior Tax Cut Bill

Its not good from my perspective. Two stories, the links appear below.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-md.briefs01nov01,0,5750164.story?coll=bal-local-howard

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/howard/bal-ho.council01nov01,0,3075876.story?coll=bal-local-howard

Kerry Responds to Bush's Slur Against Him

Why didn't "this" John Kerry run in 2004? Here's what he had to say:

If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I'm sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.
I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq . It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.
The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.
Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they're afraid to debate real men. And this time it won't work because we're going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq

Highly recommended:

This post by Kos:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/11/1/23519/7972

New Maryland Polls

Zogby Int.

Oct 31

Cardin (D) 53%, Steele (R) 44%

Zogby Int.

Oct 31

O'Malley (D) 49%, Ehrlich (R) 44%

Rasmussen

Oct 30

O'Malley (D) 50%, Ehrlich (R) 45%

Rasmussen

Oct 30

Cardin (D) 49%, Steele (R) 42%

Property Tax Cut for "Middle Income" Seniors: Part Three.

Hayduke makes a great point. The stated purpose of this bill is to keep seniors from moving out of our County, because they use less government services. This is a scary, scary precedent (Happy Halloween!!). For one thing, it suggests that some of our elected leaders consider those residents who use more services less desirable. That means the disabled, for just one example. I don't think our public leaders should be separating our law-abiding citizens into "desirable and undesirable" cohorts.

By the way, is there any data that actually shows that seniors use fewer county services. I'm sure that is not true of the fire department, for example. Or did someone just pull that assumption out of Rush's rear-end?

Maybe Your Reading the Wrong Blog: Part Two

Tales of Two Cities has an interesting post on the downtown growth issue. Read it.

Property Tax Cut for Seniors

This is an awful bill. Its unfair and fiscally irresponsible. Its a prime example of the pols using our money to further their carreers at our cost.
Note the real effects of this bill, it won't help seniors who are too poor to own property, or those seniors who have sold their property and moved into retirement comminities or in with family. Moreover, some who will get the tax cuts won't need it. Some of the individuals whose taxes are being lowered are millionares. Most people over seventy's income is passive. Many people who have more than a million dollars of assets have an income of less than $75,000 per year. It they have invested intelligently, they are making money that is not counted as income (For example stocks are real estate that have appreciated, but have not been sold). (Moreover 7.5 percent is not a bad rate of return on safe income producing assets in this low interest environment).
But why are we only helping seniors? Are their not other groups who are equally affected by the high cost of living? For example, the poor and the disabled? Why is it more important to keep seniors from moving out of the County than these people?
Finally, this loss of revenue is going to come from somewhere, right now it looks like it will be coming from public employee's retirement funds.

Howard County Council Passes Senior Tax Cut

I can't in good conscience support any of them. None of these incumbents will get Fineline's endorsement. (Not that any of them will lose a second of sleep over it.) Some of this tax relief will go to millionaires, while the poorest seniors (those who will really need the relief) will get nothing because they don't own homes. Meanwhile, that revenue loss will have to come from somewhere. County Executive Robey has already said its needed to preserve retirement benefits. I am counting on Jim Robey to be the man I think he is. Mr. Robey veto this bill.

I expected this of the the Republicans, but I am sorely disappointed by the Democrats who voted for this. Its just the type of cynical gimmick that has caused our nation so much harm and gives politics such a bad name.

Am I the only one who thinks that the timing of this stinks?

Maybe Your Reading the Wrong Blog

Hayduke has two good posts today. One, discussing his take on local races and a second musing on the growth issue.

Fineline Endorses Jim Robey for State Senate

State Senator Sandy Schrader has an admirable record for constituent service. Moreover, County Executive Jim Robey is not without his rough edges. For example, recent mailings on his behalf present Senator Schrader’s votes on reproductive rights issues in a less than fair-handed manner. In addition, I have personally witnessed an incident where the County Executive treated a constituent (until that day, a supporter of his) in a manner unbefitting an elected public servant. However, we are all human and when one looks at the big picture, the choice is clear: Jim Robey should be our next State Senator from the 13^th district.

As County Executive, Mr. Robey has skillfully presided over a period of progress and prosperity for Howard County. Under his capable stewardship, the County has progressed to the point where Money Magazine has rated it the fourth best place to live in the United States. Perhaps Mr. Robey’s finest hour came when the County faced an unexpected downturn in revenue, rather than cutting much needed county services or borrowing money, Mr. Robey did the right thing and raised taxes. That act alone sold me on Jim Robey. That kind of courage and willingness to make difficult but wise choices is rare in today’s political atmosphere and is exactly the kind of leadership we need in Annapolis.

Senator Schrader’s tenure in the Maryland Senate is marred by a series of unwise votes. For example, bowing to the far-right (so-called) religious conservative wing of her party, she has repeatedly voted against allowing pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception. Senator Schrader, in keeping with traditional Republican values, has repeatedly voted for the interests of big business and against the interests of working Marylanders. For example, Senator Schrader voted against raising the minimum wage and voted against the Fair Share Health bill (also known as the Walmart bill). Perhaps most troubling at all, she opposed efforts to roll back B, G and E’s planned 72 percent price increase.

The citizens of Howard County deserve representation that willing to stand up to big business and the special interests in Annapolis. Jim Robey is just the person for that job.

Steele Fails the Meet the Press Test

Enjoyable reading for Cardin Supporters.

What's This, the Press is Actually Doing Their Job?

From Americablog, Melman gets nailed again (its about time):

CBS's Bob Schieffer calls GOP head Ken Mehlman "lame"
by John in DC - 10/29/2006 10:53:00 AM

Unfortunately I can't give you the video because CBS is making YouTube take down video we post there, claiming copyright infringement, so we're no longer posting CBS's video. I can however quote CBS's Bob Schieffer from this morning's Face the Nation with Ken Mehlman.

CBS'S BOB SCHIEFFER: Why is the Republican National Committee spending its money on an ad down in Tennessee, the purpose of it seems to be to suggest that the Democratic candidate Harold Ford is an African-American?

RNC CHAIRMAN KEN MEHLMAN: The ad that you're talking about is an ad that is being run independently of the Republican National Committee.

SCHIEFFER: Just a minute, let's run the end of the ad, let's hear what it say.

[Woman's voice: "The Republican National Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising."]

SCHIEFFER: Yes.

MEHLMAN: The way that the law works, unfortunately it's a law that I think ought to be changed, and by the way it's a law on which people on both sides of the campaign reform think ought to be changed, is that if I talk like I do on a regular basis to candidates like Mr. [Republican Senate candidate Bob] Corker then the TV ads that are run beyond a very small limit are run independently of me. This ad is down, I'm please the ad is down, and I'm pleased that the focus of that campaign is now about questions like...

SCHIEFFER: But you paid for it.

MEHLMAN: I've talked to Senator McCain and to Senator McConnell, both of whom have been on different sides of the campaign reform issue. Both agree that a law which says the Republican National Committee pays for the ad, but it's also illegal for the Chairman of the RNC, for the political director of the RNC, or the communications director of the RNC...

SCHIEFFER: But, but Mr. Mehlman, the logic... if I think something is wrong but I take advantage of a law that allows me to take advantage of that, that's pretty lame, if I may say so.

MEHLMAN: My response to that ad is the same response Mr. Ford had from a race perspective. I would not have put the ad up. I did not think that it was necessarily a racist ad, at the same time...

SCHIEFFER: But you approved of it.

MEHLMAN: I did not approve of it.

SCHIEFFER: You said you thought it was "fair." You're on the record saying that.

MEHLMAN: Well I thought some of the issues raised in that ad, the issue of taxes, I think those are fair issues, on the other hand I personally would not have put that ad up.

SCHIEFFER: But what does that say, you talk about "values" and stuff, that you're taking advantage of an ad when you know what it says is wrong and you admit that it ought not to be that way but you're willing to take advantage of it.

Ok, so Wolf Blitzer actually demands answers from Lynne Cheney. Bob Schieffer doesn't let Ken Mehlman get away with his usual non-responsive BS. What's next, Spock with a goatee?

Desperation: Part Four

The latest on the Republican Push-Polling scandal from TPM:

More on those push-poll calls about medical experiments on the unborn. Several TPM readers in Maryland have reported robocalls from Michael Steele's Senate campaign with a "poll" question along the lines of "do you believe that medical research should be allowed on unborn babies?"

TPM Reader PR, in Maryland:

I got the same "polling" call. It starts out asking who you are going to vote for, then has a series of questions, including the medical experiment question. Also asked whether you supported marriage as being between a man and a woman, do you want your taxes raised and then asks at the end, based on what you now know do you support Michael Steele. . . .

A slightly different version of the script is reported by TPM Reader JA:

After asking you who you're going to vote for, it asks "do you want your own taxes raised or lowered?" Then it tells you that Cardin has voted to raise your taxes and will do so again. It follows with "do you believe the words 'under God' should be in the pledge of allegiance?" It tells you Cardin voted to remove them, which I assume is false. Then it goes straight to the gutter and asks "do you support medical research experiments on unborn babies?" Of course, it then tells you Cardin is for this. It finishes by asking again who you're going to vote for.

At least one Maryland reader says his call did not include any reference to medical experiments on the unborn. Some reports we've gotten say the call was the Steele campaign; others say it was a group called "Common Sense Maryland." Still others say the sponsor was "Common Sense Ohio."

In Tennessee, TPM Reader LK reports that a group called "Common Sense Tennessee," which appears to be an outgrowth of "Common Sense Ohio," is making robocalls on behalf of Republican Bob Corker in the Senate race:

It starts off asking are you for Corker for for Ford, then it runs thru a list of push poll questions; not verbatim but the substance below: -- do you favor giving the same rights to terrorists as to americans? -- are you pro life? -- do you support the NRA and how it lets us have all the guns we want to? -- do you think we have a problem with illegal aliens? Asks again are you for Corker or for Ford.

A TPM reader in Virginia says that the George Allen campaign is using a a similar question in its push-poll calls: "Do you favor carrying out medical experiments on a dead fetus?"

Then there's TPM Reader LH:

Yes, there are other campaigns doing push polls asking that question. I have received a poll asking if I agreed with medical experiments on unborn babies. The call was in support of Dick DeVos. I live in Michigan's 2nd Congressional District. I simply told the woman that as a person living with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma since the age of eight, I fully support medical experiments on cells that were artificially created in a lab for the sole purpose of curing disease and saving millions of lives. I also told her I personally found the pro-lifer's stance offensive because I am alive, and why do they think an artificially created lump of cells more important that me? My parent's were married for years before they had me. I WAS a planned pregnancy, my parent's created me naturally, just the way God intended. Why shouldn't I be saved? Why do they feel MY life is unimportant? I finished the call by informing her that my parent's love me, they have already lost one child to murder, real murder, the kind that involved a criminal investigation and would take serious umbrage with anyone who would want me to die too. I asked her why didn't she believe my parent's have suffered enough, why she felt my parent's need to lose another child and hung up the phone.

A lot of money is being spent on robocalls in these last days of the campaign, so keep us posted on what you're hearing.

-- TPM Reader DK

Larry Carson On How Growth Issues are Affecting Local Election

Interestingly, he describes Harry Dunbar as "a prominent Democrat."

More Republican Hypocrisy?

This story, from the Post, exposes Republican Hipocrisy on so many levels,

RNC Chief Ken Mehlman accepted political contributions from gay porn king?

Last week, you'll remember, the RNC, headed by Ken Mehlman, was running that race-baiting 'bimbo' ad against Rep. Harold Ford (D) down in Tennessee. One of the barbs in that ad was the claim that Ford had taken political contributions from "porn movie producers."

But it seems there is plenty of porn movie producer money to go around.

It turns out that the Republican National Committee is a regular recipient of political contributions from Nicholas T. Boyias, the owner and CEO of Marina Pacific Distributors, one of the largest producers and distributors of gay porn in the United States. This recent article on Marina Pacific's new marketing campaign form XBiz, a porn industry trade sheet, notes that, in addition to producing its own material, the "company acts as a distribution house to hundreds of lines, mostly gay, 40 of which can be purchased only through MPD."

What was Charlie Cook Smoking?

Two days ago, He moved the Cardin-Steele race to a toss-up, because of a Republican sponsored poll showing Steele was just 2 points behind.

Yesterday, the Post released it's poll showing Cardin and O'Malley both leading by ten points.