"If George Bush and John McCain want to have a debate about protecting the United States of America, that is a debate that I'm happy to have any time, any place and that is debate I will win because George Bush and John McCain have a lot to answer for." -- Barack Obama, earlier today.
Ladies and gentlemen, the next president of the United States.
The great thing about being a republican is that it really doesn't surprise anyone that you are an idiot. So like the sitting lame-duck president, one works from low expectations, which is sometimes a clear advantage.
From last night's Hardball on MSNBC, a right-wingnut swings and misses... a couple hundred times... (Warning: This is almost too painful to watch.)
(Tip of the hat to TPM.)
My father -- a recent commenter and frequent podcast guest -- has stated, for the record, that "Bush and Cheney [have] won two elections by playing on the sense of patriotism that most Americans strongly believe in." I am not suggesting that that analysis is not true, however, it is apparent that that "sense of patriotism" also includes a sitting president making scurrilous attacks on a presidential nominee, attacking his intentions and his "patriotism," and he did so on foreign soil.
As Josh Marshall noted this morning... "As the president who's probably done more to damage this country than any in 150 years, I can't say I'm exactly surprised that he'd do this. But it really was disgusting, even for him."
I agree, and if what the president -- and vice-president -- does represents the "sense of patriotism," I want nothing to do with it.
UPDATE: Maybe we'll have to discuss this in a future podcast... stay tuned.
The entrance of Barack Obama's pastor -- the Reverend Jeremiah Wright -- into the campaign may have been unwelcomed (from the Obama camp perspective), but it seems that -- nationwide -- the sitting president is much more polarizing than the African-American church leader. In fact, more people are suggesting that they would rather not vote for John McCain because of his ties to Bush than those that would not vote for Obama because of his ties to his pastor...
Image: Gallup
(Tip of the hat to TPM.)
It was the single best piece of journalism I have seen (outside of PBS) in weeks. Jon Stewart started off the second-half of his conversation with the GOP nominee for president, John McCain, on last night's Daily Show...
Will you take the opportunity right now to repudiate and denounce President Bush?
- Listening to Bush, McCain and the republican talk machine, the surge is "working," however April has been "the deadliest month [for U.S. forces] since September."
- The president has received a stay-of-execution (of sorts) with the report that the economy grew at 0.6% in the first quarter, and did not contract.
- And the inventor of LSD, or "acid," has died at age 102. "I produced the substance as a medicine. ... It's not my fault if people abused it."
8:08am
Intents.
8:09am
I thought this was supposed to be about the economy. Hamas?
8:11am
Bush: "One hundred eight is one hundred eight." Despite recession economics, Bush will not extend unemployment benefits.
8:12am
Bush: "John McCain will not neglect the war on terror." An endorsement the McCain campaign isn't looking for.
8:16am
Bush: "Looking good in yellow." Followed by an odd back-and-forth about the reporter's baby.
8:17am
Bush: "These are very difficult economic times." The definition of recession hasn't been met, but these are very difficult economic times.
8:18am
Bush gives a shout-out to my representative in Congress, George Miller (D-CA).
Just another notch in Bush's belt... A new poll finds "63% of Americans saying the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq... surpassing by two points the 61% who said the Vietnam War was a mistake in May 1971." (via Dan Froomkin)
Worrying about his tainted legacy, the president wonders if he should have campaigned differently...
President Bush is getting good at one thing: becoming more despised. Sixty-nine percent of Americans disapprove of Bush's handling of everything. "The approval rating matches the low point of his presidency, and the disapproval sets a new high for any president since Franklin Roosevelt."
Immediately following the horrific attacks of nine-eleven, the president's approval rating topped ninety percent, but since, his presidency has been a downward trend.
