All Hail American League MVP Pedroia the Destroia

Boston Globe: Most Valuable: Pedroia

Pedroia was named the American League Most Valuable Player today, becoming the first Red Sox player to earn the honor since Mo Vaughn in 1995. It is the 10th MVP award in club history. Minnesota's Justin Morneau finished second, and Pedroia's teammate, Kevin Youkilis, finished third.

Pedroia, who became just the eighth player in AL history to earn MVP, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger awards in the same season

[]

The 25-year-old Pedroia emerged as a franchise cornerstone and an offensive force in his second full major league season, batting .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs while establishing franchise records for a season by a second baseman in runs, hits, doubles, batting average, total bases, and extra-base hits. He is the first Red Sox second baseman ever to be named MVP and the first AL player at his position to be so honored since Nellie Fox of the White Sox in 1959.

[]

He became the third major league second baseman ever to tally 100 runs, 200 hits, 50 doubles, and 20 steals in a season, joining the Yankees' Alfonso Soriano (2002) and the Astros' Craig Biggio (1998).

After a slow start -- he was batting .260 on June 13 -- the fiery Pedroia was consistently outstanding through the rest of the summer, but his MVP candidacy gained momentum during a late-season stretch when he seemed to singlehandedly carry the Sox.

During a five-game period when Youkilis was briefly sidelined, Pedroia batted cleanup and hit .667 (12 for 18) with four doubles, two home runs, seven RBIs, and six runs scored. He batted .345 with an OPS of .949 in the second half, and in August and September, he batted a combined .353 with a .995 OPS.

Gold Glove awards aren't always the best indicator of good defensive play, but Pedroia truly did have an outstanding year with the glove. He made just six errors at second base, the same number of miscues he committed during his rookie season.

He finished second to Oakland's Mark Ellis in fielding percentage for AL players with at least 100 games at the position. His .992 was barely eclipsed by Ellis's .993, and it stands as the third-best percentage ever by a Red Sox second baseman, behind Mark Loretta (.994 in 2006) and Bobby Doerr (.993 in 1948).

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Youkilis finished sixth in the AL in batting (.312), sixth in on-base percentage (.390), third in slugging (.569), and fourth in OPS (.958). He won the Hank Aaron Award as the best offensive performer in the league, but did not win the Silver Slugger award at first base, losing out in a vote of managers and coaches to Morneau.

Pedroia, who made just $457,000 last season, didn't have an MVP bonus provision in his contract. Morneau earned $75,000, while Youkilis got $25,000.

ESPN: Pedroia beats out Morneau to win AL MVP

MLB.com: Pedroia named AL MVP
Teammate Youkilis gets two first-place votes, finishes third

NYTimes: Pedroia Is American League M.V.P.

Bye Bye Sen. Toobz (Updated)

Mark Begich's lead over Senator Ted Stevens is now 3,724. That is a difference of 1.18% which would give Begich the seat outright. Automatic recount would only be triggered by a margin of less than .5%.

No more Ted Stevens for us! We'll have to make do with Sen. Toobz greatest hit:



UPDATE: The Anchorage Daily News has called the race for Begich, as only 2,500 votes remain to be counted.

Congratulations to Senator Mark Begich!

I Read The News Today, Oh Boy: November 18, 2008

Tee shirts celebrating the victory of President-elect Barack Obama are offered for sale at a shop on Michigan Avenue November 17, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. Obama, a long-time resident of Chicago, has set up his presidential transition office in the federal building a few blocks off Michigan Avenue. By Scott Olson/Getty Images.

We don't just need more Democrats -- we need better Democrats; the Senate Democrats are poised to leave Traitor Joe Lieberman in charge of the Homeland Security Committee. He failed to investigate the Bush Administration's failures in Katrina and Iraq during the past two years, but you can be sure he will be in high dudgeon soon enough for some perceived weakness by Obama. This is just disgusting behavior on the part of Senate Democrats who may as well be wearing "kick me" signs on their backs today.

In other bad news, AP reports that Obama's Justice Department will not prosecute anyone for torture. Again, this is a sign of weakness on Obama's part, and of not knowing his recent history. Democrats failed to prosecute the Iran-Contra criminals in the 1980s; and they formed the nucleus of the PNAC that led us into the disastrous war with Iraq. The torture cabal must be prosecuted and imprisoned so that they can't regroup and take over government again in 15 or 20 years. What Digby said: "when you let Republicans get away with murder, they will do it again."

Bushco is "burrowing" political appointees into civil service jobs -- career jobs -- in federal agencies. They're going to spend the next 63 days laying landmines for the Obama Administration.

Obama has named two attorneys who have fought in favor of Net Neutrality to head his FCC transition team.

Gregory Craig has been named Obama's White House counsel; he "quarterbacked" President Clinton's impeachment team.

The TSA's security theatre of the absurd is completely ineffective. Their own statistics show that less than 1% of people singled out for "behavior detection" were arrested (1,266 arrests of more than 160,000 people searched). As BoingBoing notes, who could have anticipated that a "'behavior detection' system whereby slack-jawed, water-confiscating security officers [are] trained to recognize your 'micro expressions' and single you out on the basis of a twitchy eyelid or a sweaty upper lip" would not work?

Query: Is Lisa Miller, Society Editor of the Newsweek (and OnFaith panelist at the Washington Post), the AntiChrist? Because she wrote a column that will be published in next week's Newsweek asking the same question about Barack Obama. Newsweek, asking if our next President is the AntiChrist. As evidence of bias, I present the fact that Newsweek never asked this question of either George W. Bush or Dickhead Cheney, both of whom could credibly claim to be Satan walking. Seriously, Newsweek: WTF?

Guardian Reports: It's Hill for State

Hillary Clinton will be Barack Obama's secretary of state. Photographs: AFP/Getty Images

Guardian (uk):
Hillary Clinton to accept Obama's offer of secretary of state job
President-elect Barack Obama reaching out to former rivals to build a broad coalition administration

Let's hope it's true.

Uncle Ted Is Back

Ted Kennedy returned to the Senate today.

Barack and Michele Obama on 60 Minutes

Watch CBS Videos Online

Transcript

Daily Inspiration

Telegraph (uk): Balloon twisting sculptures by Jason Hackenwerth

Krugman Explains the Depression to George Will

From firedoglake, which headlines this clip "Krugman Schools Will On the Great Depression". The arrogance of George Will, to spout conservative nonsense about the economy while sitting next to a Nobel-Prize winning economist.

Obama's First YouTube Saturday Address

Hooky

daylife.com: The sculpture "Fruits of Paradise - Pear" by Chinese artist couple Wu Shaoxiang and Jian Shuo is exhibited Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland. The art fair "Kunst08" will open Friday, Nov. 14 and last for three days.

Off for an unplugged weekend, back Sunday night.

Daily Inspiration

yahoo: A visitor passes by Vitaly Pushnitsky's sculpture 'Son' displayed at an exhibition during an independent national Russian award in contemporary art Kandinsky Prize at the Central House of Artists in Moscow, November 6, 2008.
(Denis Sinyakov/Reuters)

Hamster On a Piano

More Inspiration

A clay man sports an elaborate headdress at the Museum of Archaeology in Campeche, Mexico, which features various such depictions of ancient Maya in traditional dress.
(Paul Ross)

Experts describe the terra-cotta statuettes as the finest figurine art of ancient America. The museum in Campeche houses one of the most complete collections of Maya art in Mexico.
(Paul Ross)

Archaeologists say the Maya figures were buried with each deceased person on the island of Jaina, as many as 10,000 in all.
(Paul Ross)

Less politics, more art. From this Los Angeles Times travel section article.

Begich Lead Now 1022

The numbers for Begich keep rising.

Bye bye Senator Toobz.

Third Graders Debate Iraq War

An excerpt from a presidential debate in Mr. Faustmann's third grade class, Alma Michigan.

Friday Afternoon News Dump

Boston.com: Boston City Hall tops the list of the "World's Top 10 Ugliest Buildings and Monuments" compiled by VirtualTourist.com.

I love this headline: Summers may be off of Treasury short list. A guy who thinks I am biologically unqualified to understand math and science has no business in high government office. Neanderthals need not apply. We've all got the necessaries, Larry.

Vermont Senator Pat Leahy sez Traitor Joe Lieberman should lose his chairmanship. So does his colleague Bernie Sanders. They're right. Lieberman is frantically trying to save his plum, but when he tried to call Obama to talk about it, he got pawned off on Biden. Reap what you sowed, you sanctimonious gasbag. Connecticut voters overwhelmingly disapprove of the job their senior Senator is doing. 2012 can't come fast enough for the Nutmeg State.

The assistant US Attorneys trying Alabama governor Don Siegelman passed notes to the deliberating jury through the U.S. Marshals. All of those people should be fired, and the lawyers should all be disbarred. It's a shocking breach of ethics. Par for the course for the Bush Crime Family. Those AUSAs were only taking their cue from the U.S. Attorney Leura Canary, who was writing emails to them long after she had supposedly recused herself from the case because of a conflict of interest.

Ann Dunwoody is now the nation's first ever female four-star general.

Panda Video

Guaranteed to make you smile.

Guardian (uk): Meet the pandas: Meihin and Eihin
Twin cubs Meihin and Eihin were born to giant panda Rauhin at the Adventure World amusement park in Wakayama zoo, Japan

7-Year-Old Blogger For Obama

The blog: Report from Planet Stas'

When Obama heard about 7-year-old blogger Stas' Gunkel, he sent him a letter.

Senator Obama’s advice to me:

“Dear Stas, Thank you for your kind words and for your support. I am impressed with your interest in politics, especially at your young age. I encourage you to visit my website kids.barackobama.com to learn more about everything we’re doing to make your family’s future even brighter.

I leave you with three bits of advice that will make your life more fulfilling: Look out for other people, even when it does not directly benefit you; strive to make a difference everywhere you go; and get back up every time you are knocked down.

Thanks again for writing to me. Seeing young people like you who care about making things better inspires me and gives me great hope about the future of our country and our world. Sincerely, Barack Obama”

Here's a report from a Chicago TV station:



Here's one of his posts, from September 27th:

Here is why I'm asking grown-ups to vote for Barack Obama. I am 7 years old so I can't vote......

My mom told me that I shouldn't base my election analysis on "feelings" (I like him/her) or "beliefs" (I share his/her beliefs) but on logical arguments. She asked me to create my own rational explanations for my support of Obama. Here is one of my arguments:

McCain and Palin are not be qualified to be President / Vice President of the U.S. The President's job is to do good for the country and the world. To do good for the country, the President must make smart decisions on important situations.

Governor Palin believes the world is 6000 years old. This is absurd. This is not a rational belief. This is a mistake. Scientists, experiments and evidence have shown this to be completely false. Therefore, she is not rational. If she is not rational, she should not be allowed to be President or Vice President.

Please vote for Barack Obama.

I'm with Stas' on Palin. He nailed it.

I saw this at Brilliant at Breakfast, who found it at Mudflats

I Read The News Today, Oh Boy: November 14, 2008

BBC: A visitor runs by a painting of US President-elect Barack Obama dressed as Uncle Sam by Russian artist Farid Bogdalov at a gallery in Moscow.

Much gnashing of teeth over the number of former Clinton staffers being hired by Obama. I am perplexed. Who else should he hire? Former Bush administration staffers? Or naifs to Washington who would have a huge learning curve? The best source of experienced Democratic operatives for the White House are obviously the vets of the Clinton Administration. It's not like there a lot of people around from the Jimmy Carter (1976-1980) Administration to tap.

To infinity, and beyond! Obama will YouTube his weekly radio address, starting this weekend. This makes total sense. Not a lot of people listen to the radio anymore, compared to the audience getting their news online. I only ever heard the weekly radio address if I happened to be driving somewhere on a Saturday. Now I'll post it on this blog weekly. I bet the audience multiplies by more than 100-fold.

George W. Bush is such an international joke that world leaders are using him as a punch line. Sarkozy capped an argument with Putin during the Georgia crisis in August: "But do you want to end up like Bush?" Putin's response "Ah - you have scored a point there."

Republican governors not to happy with the Palin press conference yesterday. Governors trashed her anonymously to CNN: "One called it awkward: 'I’m sure you could see it on some of our faces.' Another Republican governor eyeing a presidential run in 2012 told CNN the event was 'odd' and 'weird,' and said it 'unfortunately sent a message that she was the de facto leader of the party.'"

The Catholic Church continues to drift towards religious extremism. A Catholic priest in Columbia, South Carolina has advised his parishioners that no Catholic who voted for Obama should receive communion. If he wants to empty the pews, he should ban parishioners who practice birth control. That would get rid of 80% of the faithful.

Daily Inspiration

A dog with a steel grip: Another hubcap design

DailyMail: One man's treasure: The artist who turns abandoned hubcaps into animal sculptures worth £3,000

I love the artist's name: Ptolemy Elrington.

Ptolemy created this dragon, using 200 hub caps, measured 10m long, and took over a month to build. It sold for £3,000

Hillary for State?

Politico: Hillary Clinton could be named secretary of State and Clinton is among those being strongly considered.
Photo: AP

This would be a great appointment. Hillary would have been wasted as Veep, and she should be in a powerful position. I've been hoping that she would overthrow Harry Reid to lead the Senate, but the State Department might be even more influential. Appointing her Secretary of State might even win back the hardcore PUMAs.

Politico: Hillary Clinton could be Sec. of State

Why Palin's Word Salad Matters

Our current President can't speak English, either, and look where that got us.

Palin Press Conference

Sarah Palin did her first press conference since being named McCain's running mate. You can see why the campaign didn't allow the press to have at her. She doesn't actually know anything if it's not on notes or the teleprompter. The best-candidate-handlers-can-script can only manage her sad word salad answers. Not a whit of substance. The press conference is cut off after four questions.

Begich Lead Now 814

The next Senator from Alaska

Another 10,000 votes counted in Alaska and Mark Begich's lead over Ted Stevens has increased from 3 to 814 votes (.29%).

The rest of the votes to be counted are from Begich-friendly districts.

Bye bye Sen. Toobz.

Pure Poetry

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Sarah Palin answers a question in her own inimitable language:

Gah!

Nothing specific right now.
Sitting here in these chairs
that I’m going to be proposing

but

in working with these governors who
again on the front lines
are forced to
and it’s our privileged obligation
to find solutions
to the challenges facing our own states
every day
being held accountable,
not being just one of many
just casting votes
or voting present every once
in a while, we don’t
get away with that.

We have to balance budgets
and we’re dealing with multibillion dollar budgets
and tens of thousands of employees
in our organizations.

Just one of her blithering answers in her national media death-by-a-thousand-interviews tour. Yes, these were her exact words.

Tossed word salad, with dressing ($150,000 worth!) on the side.

We Love Lists

Telegraph (uk): Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know

Rachel Maddow, Blogger

ThinkProgress: Maddow wears pajamas on air in solidarity with bloggers, says she sees herself as ‘a blogger on TV.’

Last night, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow showed a clip of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) complaining about being criticized by “some blogger” sitting “in their parents’ basement.” Maddow — who later said she saw herself as “a blogger on TV” — did the show in her pajamas to show solidarity with bloggers.

In honor of Rachel Maddow, today I will blog wearing black jeans and black Chuck Taylor lowtops. Too bad I don't own any black-framed glasses.

Traitor Joe In His Own Words

He has lied and lied and lied repeatedly. He is no longer to be trusted. Sure he says he'll caucus with the Democrats, but he's made so many promises he's broken.

And as Jane Hamsher points out, he's abused the position of committee chairman:

While it's one thing for Obama to personally forgive Lieberman for the race baiting and other gutter tactics that he engaged in on McCain's behalf during the campaign, it's quite another to let the chairmanship of such an important committee, which Lieberman has used for years to prevent Senatorial investigation into no-bid contracts and contractor abuse within the Department of Homeland Security, to serve as an olive branch.

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Lieberman, many will recall, was responsible for holding hearings into the government's response to Hurricane Katrina. But after winning his 2006 election with the help of the GOP, he decided it would be too "divisive" and refused to do so.

Good governance is going to be about more than passing new legislation, it's going to be about cleaning up the mess that has been made over the past 8 years. It's going to be about weeding out the graft and greed and corruption that has caused American taxpayers to foot the bill for outrageous deficits. The military industrial complex has been bilking the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security with no-bid contracts for things nobody needs that we're not allowed to know about for years now. The only way we're going to find out about these abuses, and right then, is if our elected officials accept that responsibility.

Not only is Joe Lieberman not doing that job, as Chairman of the Department of Homeland Security Committee he's keeping anyone else from doing it. He happily allowed a seat on the Homeland Security Advisory Council to be doled out as political patronage to a corrupt Bush Pioneer. He has no interest in cleaning up the mess he helped to make.

Is his continued happiness worth the cost of healthcare? Of the environment? Of putting Americans back to work? Of reducing our dependence on oil and getting the economy back on its feet?

Allowing Lieberman to retain control of a committee where he has done nothing but suppress meaningful oversight is going to be an awfully bitter pill to swallow when we're told that the price of "change" we all thought we were voting for is going to be too high.

Whisker Thin

After the counting of about 43,000 absentee votes in Alaska, Mark Begich leads Sen. Toobz Ted Stevens by 3 votes.

That's 3, count 'em, three votes.

Wow.

There are still more than 10,000 absentee and questioned ballots left to be counted.

Dynamic Stretching

Interesting article from the New York Times about the new scientific consensus on stretching before exercise. The old static stretching is out, and dynamic stretching, or moving stretching, is in. Stop touching your toes and start crabwalking! There's a video embedded on the left side of the article demonstrating the new stretches.

NYTimes: Phys Ed
Stretching: The Truth

Comment of the Day

From this New York Times article quoting Sarah Word Salad:

One reader's comment:

"But not me personally were those cheers for."

Who is this - Yoda in lipstick?

Unacceptable is she.

— Olivia, Rhinebeck, NY

Disgraceful

Alternet: Raped in the Military? You May Have to Pay for Your Own Forensic Exam Kit
This outrage gives "supporting the troops" a whole new meaning.

TRICARE, the United States Department of Defense Military Health System that covers active duty members, will only pay for rape kits if the victim is seen in a military or a VA facility.

But the Pentagon acknowledges that 80 percent of military rapes are never reported. And that 80 percent who go off-base to protect their anonymity (and/or their careers) are on their own. If a soldier is on leave, or is five-hours from the nearest VA, or if a soldier is simply delivered to the nearest hospital by the local ambulance driver, their rape kits are not covered under TRICARE. Neither are other forensic exams that might be used in domestic violence situations.

Front-line treatment shouldn't be conditional on where a rape occurs or where the nearest treatment is available. This is not only a parity issue, but a further obstacle to treatment and justice.

Women in the military are twice as likely to be raped as their civilian counterparts. In fact, "women serving in the U.S. military today are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq," Congresswoman Jane Harman, D-Calif., told the House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs in May.

McCain on Leno - Excerpts

McCain expects to turn his back on his deceitful campaign and be the nice guy everyone liked before. I will forgive -- but I won't forget.

Veteran's Day

President-Elect Obama marked Veteran's Day yesterday in a quiet ceremony with Iraq war veteran and Illinois Veteran's Affairs Department Director Tammy Duckworth.

yahoo: U.S. President-elect Barack Obama and double-amputee Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth place a wreath at a veterans memorial in Chicago November 11, 2008. Duckworth is director of the department of veteran affairs for Illinois.
REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES)



I always think of this poem on Veteran's Day. In my hometown this was always read at the cemetery on Memorial Day.

In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Front Page News

The Anniston Star
Anniston, Alabama

See front pages from around the country and the world the day after the election:

Newseum: Today's Front Pages > Wednesday, November 05, 2008. 730 front pages from 66 countries.

She Can't Shut Up

Keith Olbermann reviews Sarah Palin's interviews since the campaign ended and her many, many stories. Word salad!

Traitor Joe Must Go

New video from Brave New Films:

Joe Lieberman has launched consistent, deeply partisan attacks on President-elect Barack Obama, questioning his patriotism and fitness to lead. While Lieberman campaigned for John McCain and spoke on his behalf at the Republican National Convention, he spread some of the GOP's nastiest smears. Think Progress has provided thorough evidence of Lieberman's partisan politics. Lieberman should not be allowed to have subpoena power to investigate the Obama administration as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. In fact, he should not be allowed to remain chairman of this or any other committee.

Lieberman has proven he cannot be trusted to hold a high rank within the Democratic caucus. That is why we launched Lieberman Must Go last summer, a campaign that caught Congress' attention when we delivered a petition with over 43,000 signatures. Now, we ask you to help us escalate the pressure by contacting members of the Senate Democratic Steering Committee. Tell them to strip Lieberman of his chairmanship in the Democratic caucus.

We have included a sample script and phone numbers below for you to use, and we ask that you be polite when you explain why Lieberman Must Go.

LOL

Don't Let the Door

Telegraph (uk): George W Bush in pictures (Photo gallery)

Mandate

Mark Newman: Election Maps

More than 66,000,000 Americans voted for Barack Obama.

Funny

A squirrel pauses at attention as it tries to take some of the material from a U.S. flag Thursday Nov 6, 2008 in Omaha, Neb.
(AP Photo/Dave Weaver)

Hitting the Ground Running

President Bush walks with President-elect Barack Obama during a visit to the White House, November 10, 2008.
(Jim Young/Reuters)

Obama went to the White House on a mission to fix the economy. Will Bush act?

MSNBC First Read: The details on today's meeting

A source familiar with today's White House meeting tells NBC News that President-elect Obama focused on three economic issues during his conversations with President Bush this afternoon. The top topics: a stimulus package in the lame duck session, aid to the auto industry, and help for homeowners with adjustible-rate mortgages in order to prevent more foreclosures.

According to the source, Obama told Bush that action is needed on a stimulus package now - in a lame duck session - and cannot wait until after the inauguration.

Obama also urged help for automakers and encouraged the acceleration of the disbursement of $25 billion dollars for the industry.

On his third focus - housing - Obama voiced his concern that homeowners whose mortgage rates are about to go up will need aid to prevent more Americans from defaulting on home loans.

Comings and Goings

Howard Dean is stepping down as chair of the DNC. Howard Dean was the Best Democratic Party Chair Ever, IMHO. Two possibilities to replace Dean have been floated: David Plouffe (Plouffe has already said no); or a pairing of Claire McCaskill and someone else. All I care about is appointing another grass roots/fifty-state strategy Democrat to the position.

Former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe files papers to run for governor of Virginia. Ugh. Besides his corporate trough issues, how will that Syracuse accent play in Virginia?

Barack Obama has put out word that he favors appointing his close adviser Valerie Jarrett to his Senate seat, where she would be the only black woman in the Senate, and only the second black woman ever in the Senate, following Carol Moseley Brown. That would make the total of women senators 17, the highest ever. Good rundown on who Valerie Jarrett is, from Deoliver47 at dailykos.

Shepard Fairey Spoofs

Guardian (uk): Spoofing Shepard Fairey's Obama poster (10 pictures)

The original:



MoveOn.org will send you a free "Yes We Did" sticker designed by Shepard Fairey, or more if you make a donation.

I Read The News Today, Oh Boy: November 10, 2008

DailyMail: Megaleledone setebos: A relative of octopuses

The Bush Administration secretly issued an order in 2004 that allows our government to attack Al Qaeda in many countries. I want to know why they released this secret now. Getting ready for pardon week, perhaps?

In another secret move in late September, while Congress and the country agonized over the bailout bill, Hank Paulson's Treasury Department and the Bush Administration secretly changed a 22-year-old bank regulation to give banks a $140 billion dollar tax break. Bush is going to break the bank before he leaves office, just to leave Obama in as big a hole as humanly possible. Pigs at the trough.

The Bushies are also planning to throw more billions to AIG. Who's palling around with socialists now? Jerome a Paris at dailykos asks, can Obama stop the looting? Before it's too late?

In more bad economic news, Circuit City filed for bankruptcy (can't believe that their genius plan of firing the experienced salespeople and hiring no-knowledge newbies didn't work!) and DHL is laying off thousands.

Obama meets President Clusterfuck in the White House today. Here's Obama's account of his first meeting with Shrub. What a weirdo.

Musical Interlude

It's a New Day, from will.i.am

Devoured

The New Yorker: The Fall
John McCain’s choices.

John McCain sold his soul to the Republican devil. Funniest line is this, about Sarah Barracuda:

“She’s like the plant in ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ ” McCain’s friend Bob Kerrey said. “She’s devouring him.” (emphasis in original)

Strategery

The New Yorker: Battle Plans
How Obama won.

I'm With The Spaceman

Bill "Spaceman" Lee holds court at the Red Sox Hall of Fame Induction Gala. (Brita Meng Outzen/MLB.com)

Boston.RedSox.mlb.com: 'Spaceman' lands in Sox Hall of Fame
Lee offers plenty of opinions during induction Friday night

The July 31 trade that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers? That is a highly sore subject for Lee.

Perhaps it takes a free spirit like Lee to completely understand a free spirit like Ramirez.

"Manny was well loved, and then he'd have his little fits, and then we'd patch things up and we'd win a world championship," said Lee. "This year, I think Boston just kind of got fed up with winning. That's too bad."

The way Lee sees it, the Red Sox would have repeated as World Series champions if they had ignored all of Ramirez's off-field antics and just kept him around.

"We could have been world champions again," roared Lee. "And then he wouldn't have hit those 6-irons into the wind against the Cubs; he would have hit them against Tampa Bay. And we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. A prophet in his own time is not well received in this town. I was, for nine years and 142 days. And I told everybody on [sports radio station WEEI] and everything that they would not win it without Manny Ramirez. They told me to shut up. I told them, 'You guys don't like to win, do you?'

"He's the greatest hitter I ever saw. I loved the guy. He's a prima donna, and he pushed down the traveling secretary. Well, you pick the traveling secretary up, and you dust him off, and you apologize and you go back to work. He's the greatest I ever saw. I like Jason Bay. I'm not saying anything disparaging against Canadians, because I've married two of them."

Even Ramirez taking games off with injuries that didn't seem to be more than routine nags was no offense to Lee.

"He always took August off," said Lee. "In France, they give you a month vacation and give you two hours for lunch."

Even more entertaining -- or outlandish -- was Lee's take on what the Red Sox should do this offseason.

"Sign Manny Ramirez," Lee said. "We just had that conversation. He's already saved L.A. Sure, they should patch it up with Manny. You're going to have to see his number on the wall sooner or later here, aren't you? He's going to be standing right where I'm standing. Mark my words. Because if he doesn't go in the Red Sox Hall of Fame, [it's not right]."

Hitting the Ground Running

WaPo: Obama Positioned to Quickly Reverse Bush Actions
Stem Cell, Climate Rules Among Targets of President-Elect's Team

Transition advisers to President-elect Barack Obama have compiled a list of about 200 Bush administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues, according to congressional Democrats, campaign aides and experts working with the transition team.

How Obama Won Florida

Miami Herald: Inside story: How Obama won Florida
It took passion, precision and a little bit a luck for the Obama team to turn Florida from red to blue

[T]he campaign registered 200,000 new voters in Florida, opened 50 state field offices, recruited 600,000 volunteers and allocated $40 million to fight John McCain....

[]

Obama's Florida strategy was thorough and simple: ask every supporter to help, give every volunteer a job, register every eligible voter, get ''sporadic'' voters to the polls, and bring the campaign to every pocket of the state.

The campaign did it by dividing the state into five regions, or ''pods,'' each with its own staff and message geared to regional concerns. It harnessed social networking on the Internet and cell phones to allow grassroots organizers set up their own voter registration drives, home-grown phone banks and text messaging chains.

[]

in 2004, 1.6 million Democrats didn't vote, including 600,000 African American voters.......

[]

''We don't stop when we ask you to vote. We ask you to talk to your neighbors, or start a phone bank, or knock on doors or donate food,'' says Botticella, 25 and a California native.

''It's about turning conversations into relationships,'' she says.

In Florida, that means 1,414 ''Neighbor to Neighbor'' teams with a total of 22,000 volunteers.

Community organizing, baby.

Still Some Races To Be Decided

Norm Coleman only leads Al Franken by 221 votes in the Minnesota Senate race. That .01 margin triggers an automatic recount. The recount will be by hand, and an analysis of the undervotes (ballots where a Presidential vote was counted, but no Senate vote was recorded) shows that most come from counties where Obama won. And you know Franken is likely to win a recount as Coleman has already sued to stop votes from being counted; and lost.

Alaska is another state where the Senate race is in doubt. Convicted felon Ted Stevens is leading by about 3200 votes, but the website FiveThirtyEight.com (which had the most accurate prediction of Obama's win) says counting the early and absentee ballots may put Democratic challenger Mark Begich over the top.

In New York's 29th Congressional District, Eric Massa leads Randy Kuhl by 4400 votes with approximately 11,500 absentee and military votes yet to be counted. Kuhl would have to win those votes by a 2 to 1 margin to overtake Massa. The vote count won't take place until November 17th as that is the date military votes must be received by.

I Personally Am Bereft

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

Reading List

Flickr: Election Night 11-04-08

From firedoglake, why Joe Lieberman really wants to keep his Homeland Security Committee gavel: So he can investigate Obama to death by a thousand "...gates".

Ta-Nehisi Coates, WaPo: The Man of Tomorrow
King trusted whites to stand up. Obama showed me he was right.

Frank Rich, NYTimes: It Still Felt Good the Morning After

The Newsweek series (embargoed news, stuff they've known for weeks but did not deign to tell us until after we voted) is a must read:

Hackers and Spending Sprees
Highlights from NEWSWEEK's special election project.

Chapter One: How He Did It
A team of NEWSWEEK reporters reveals the secret battles and private fears behind an epic election.

Chapter Two: Back From the Dead
By late spring of 2007, John McCain's campaign was adrift, if not sinking. Then the candidate found a new narrative: the comeback.

Chapter Three: The Long Siege
The fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama turned into a grinding stasis that played out until the very last primary day.

Chapter Four: Going Into Battle
McCain's inner circle altered the style, feel and direction of the campaign. The candidate's best hope was to bring down Obama.

Chapter Five: Center Stage
Obama's aides worried the Clintons might steal the show. McCain revved up his campaign with an impulsive choice—Sarah Palin.

Chapter Six: The Great Debates
McCain bridled at reducing his opinions to sound bites. Obama prepped as if he were taking the bar exam—nothing was left to chance.

Chapter Seven: The Final Days
Obama was leading in the polls, even in red states like Virginia. But McCain almost seemed to glory in being the underdog.

Obama Roasts Rahm

Obama has named Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff. I don't particularly like Rahm as he is a corporate Democrat, always willing to sell out progressives to moneyed interests (see Tim Mahoney, D-Fl) but he is a tough guy. As long as he is just carrying out Obama's plans and not making them I guess I can live with him. The Republicans are squawking about Rahm so that is a good sign.

Here's a roast from 2005 where Obama gets after Rahm. (The entire 2 hour thing is here if you care.)

365

Obama takes North Carolina and one electoral vote in Nebraska.

Landslide.

365 - 162, with Missouri's 11 electoral votes still unallocated. (McCain leading by about 6,000 votes and will almost certainly win unless there is a recount.)

Irrelevant

Crooks and Liars: "Irrelevant"

Rightwing dopes, in pictures.

Obama's First Press Conference

Full sentences. Polysyllabic words, used correctly! Swoon.

Dancing In the Streets

From BlueGal

Highlight Reel

From The JedReport, "A Night to Remember"



Still doesn't seem real.

35 Great Photos Of President Obama

20: Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Sen. Barack Obama exits his vehicle as he arrives to board his plane October 27, 2008 in Chicago, Illinois. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

From the Boston Globe photo blog Big Picture.

Traitor Joe Must Go

Tell the Democrats to dump Joe Lieberman from his chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Speaking in favor of John McCain and against Barack Obama at the Republican Convention, and campaigning for John McCain for the last year, must have consequences.

Let Traitor Joe go caucus with his good friends the Republicans.

Sign the petition.

Making Change Happen

No posts today, I'm stationed in exurban Virginia guarding a polling place for Obama.

Get out there and

Vote!
Volunteer!
Spread the good word.

Corporations Bailing Out Randy With Money They Stole From You

Just received this in email from Eric Massa's campaign:

Randy's latest "48 hour" FEC financial report reads like a who's-who of the financial services industry (the recent recipients of $850 BILLION of your tax dollars), as well as oil and gas companies.

Here's just a small sample, lifted directly from Randy's report:

$5,000 - EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION
Date Contributed = 10/30/2008

$3,000 - SALLIE MAE INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
Date Contributed = 10/30/2008

$2,000 - CONOCOPHILLIPS SPIRIT PAC
Date Contributed = 10/30/2008

$2,000 - JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. PAC
Date Contributed = 10/30/2008

$1,000 - KPMG PARTNERS/PRINCIPALS & EMPLOYEES
Date Contributed = 10/30/2008

$2,000 - WAL-MART STORES INC. PAC
Date Contributed = 10/30/2008

$1,000 - AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION
Date Contributed = 10/29/2008

The same Sallie Mae that receives PUBLIC funds and just got a huge cut of the bailout bill? Why, yes.

The same Exxon Mobil that is gouging working families at the pump with record prices while only days ago reporting the largest single quarter profit in American history? Yup.


Please give what you can today. We cannot allow Wall Street to decide who our next Congressman will be.

It's an outrage that these companies -- whose greed has so damaged our political and economic system -- would receive billions in tax breaks and grants from hard-working Americans, and then funnel that same money back to the career politicians that perpetuate the system.


It's outrageous, it's wrong, and it has to stop.

New Obama Ad

Prank Call of the Weekend

"Nicolas Sarkozy" calls Sarah Palin.

Video Heaven

Posting will become lighter and lighter as Election Day approaches, as campaign work takes precedence.

Today's Saturday funnies are two videos from the wayback machine - primary days.

Baracky I:



Baracky II:

My Friends - The Musical

By the makers of Baracky:



And for a blast from the past, The Empire Strikes Back:

We Love Lists

Times (uk): The Greatest US Presidents - The Times US presidential rankings

The Times is a right wing rag which is why they rank George H.W. Bush ahead of Clinton. Satisfying, George W. Bush and Richard Nixon are tied at 37th, fifth from the bottom.

Good News

The Albany Project: NY-29: CQ Politics Upgrades Race From 'No Clear Favorite' To 'Leans Democratic'

New Obama Ad: "Make History"

This is only running on the web.

In What Respect, Charlie?

The Improper

NYTimes: Growing Doubts on Palin Take a Toll, Poll Finds

A growing number of voters have concluded that Senator John McCain’s running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, is not qualified to be vice president, weighing down the Republican ticket in the last days of the campaign, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

All told, 59 percent of voters surveyed said Ms. Palin was not prepared for the job, up nine percentage points since the beginning of the month. Nearly a third of voters polled said the vice-presidential selection would be a major factor influencing their vote for president, and those voters broadly favor Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee.

And in a possible indication that the choice of Ms. Palin has hurt Mr. McCain’s image, voters said they had much more confidence in Mr. Obama to pick qualified people for his administration than they did in Mr. McCain.

The more she speaks, the more we realize how little she knows.

I really liked her energy speech at a solar plant yesterday where she said "Drill, baby, drill." At a solar plant. Genius!

Obama Interviewed by Rachel Maddow

Interview in two parts:

Global Warming: Weather Gets Weirder

Cars buried under three feet of hail stones in the town of Ottery St Mary

Daily Mail (uk): October's weird weather continues as hailstorm swamps one small town in 6ft drifts

New York News

RNC pulling out of all but two Congressional races in New York.

In the 20th Congressional District (Coach Mom's Congresswoman), no more money for Kirsten Gillibrand's opponent, Sandy Treadwell. This could be seen as conceding the race, but since Treadwell has sunk $6 million of his own money into the race, it may just be allocation of resources.

The two races where the RNC will continue to fund the Republican candidate are NY-29, Crazy Randy Kuhl (R-Shotgun) v. retired Admiral Eric Massa (D-Sanity), and the 26th District, where Democratic attorney Alice Kryzan is battling Republican Chris Lee to take the seat of retiring Republican (and Mark Foley coddler) Thomas Reynolds.

McCain's Down To His Last Card

The race card.



B L A C K

That card shows you once again the Real John McCain style.

R A C I S T

hat tip to Ari at Oxdown Gazette, who noticed.

That's My Girl

Abby Wambach and nine other U.S. athletes were on a "troublemaker" list created by the Chinese government before the Olympics. China gave the list to the USOC in July, warning that the athletes (most were members of Team Darfur) might protest and disrupt the Games.

Click on the USA Today story to watch the video of Abby Wambach being interviewed in April 2008 about human rights in China.

Interesting that 9 of the 10 listed are women.

Way to go Abby, and all the athletes on the list. That's like Paul Newman being on Nixon's enemies list, an honor to have been blacklisted by an opponent so foul.

Christine Brennan, USAToady: China listed U.S. athletes as possible troublemakers

China's government was so concerned about the possibility of athlete demonstrations in the Beijing Olympics that it created a list of nine U.S. athletes and one assistant coach it thought might cause trouble at the Games, according to an internal U.S. Olympic Committee e-mail obtained by USA TODAY.

[]

"This may be the biggest compliment of my life," Wambach, a member of Team Darfur, said in a phone interview when informed of the list. "If they're worried about us, maybe we do have more strength as athletes and as people to speak out. This just gives me more empowerment."

BEIJING WATCH LIST

The 10 Americans on Beijing's watch list, not all of whom were actually Olympians:

Jessica Mendoza, softball.

Jennie Finch, softball.

Natasha Watley, softball.

Amanda Freed, softball.

Karen Johns, softball assistant coach.

Laura Goodwin, golfer.

Abby Wambach, soccer.

Jonathan Page, cyclist.

Jen Howitt, Paralympic basketball.

Cheri Blauwet, Paralympic wheelchair racer

Stood Up

John McCain calls on Joe the Plumber to take a bow, but the Republican mascot stood up McFail. Sad.

Two New Obama Ads: "Something" and "Rearview Mirror"

"Something"


"Rearview Mirror"


I love the rearview mirror ad. There's nothing that most Americans want more than to put the sight of George W. Bush out of their minds.

Dance Fever (Election Style)

Funny:

Election Protection News, October 30, 2008

Colorado: Voting rights activists and the Colorado Secretary of State reached an agreement that will allow an estimated 20,000 voters removed from the election rolls in the 90 days prior to election day to vote. They will have to vote by provisional ballot, but those ballots will be given priority and counted ahead of other provisional ballots. Not much of a deal in my estimation.

Florida: Election officials are in full revolt over terrible new voting laws, and many are allowing voters to cast full ballots after signing affidavits of residence, rather than forcing voters to vote by provisional ballot.

Ohio: The Justice Department will not intervene in the Ohio registration dispute, despite a request from George W. Bush to do so.

Virginia: There will be a hearing today in the NAACP's suit against the Commonwealth of Virginia asking for more voting machines and longer poll hours in minority precincts on Election Day. Virginia has also decided to count military ballots that don't contain a line for witness signature, a technicality required under a 2002 Virginia law that is not required under federal law.

Obama on The Daily Show

Interviewed by Jon Stewart:



Will Obama's white half suffer the Bradley Effect?

Smells Like Desperation

McCain is being forced to run robocalls in his home state of Arizona to save his home state.

I don't think Obama is spending any money in Illinois.

Egad!

In a shocking display of political gamesmanship, the Alien has switched his allegiance from Obama to McCain. I think that like McCain, The Alien has underestimated the power of early voting. It's too late!

Weekly World News: OCTOBER SURPRISE: UFO ALIEN NOW ENDORSES McCAIN!

I must acquire this issue to add to my "Dewey Defeats Truman" collection. And for the Photoshops. The hottub is the best.


Uncovered photos suggest that in a last ditch effort to help her husband’s failing campaign, Cindy McCain seduced and then blackmailed the Alien for his endorsement.

I Love These Kids

A different performance of "Vote However You Like" by the Ron Clark Middle School students. Every time I watch this I smile.

Barack Obama's Infomercial

Inspiring. I received this email from a friend tonight:

Did you see the informercial?

Man, I'm sold. I am sold through and through.

This is not en election where I'm choosing between the lesser of two evils. It is like this guy emerged and now I am absolutely convinced that he is the man who was born to lead America. Sorry to sound so naive.

But now I want to hear it and see it: "Ladies and gentlement, the President of the United States of America." Hail to the chief plays, and then walking through the door, Obama. Man, I want to see that.

Rogue Elephant

Sarah Palin publicly contemplated her future in the Republican Party in an interview today - implicitly conceding that she and McCain are going to lose on Tuesday. I'm sure McCain was thrilled when he heard that. Maverick! (Dope.)

Wolf Blitzer: And this just coming into the "Situation Room," the Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin now speaking out openly about her intentions in 2012 if, if she and John McCain were to lose this contest next Tuesday. In an interview with ABC News, Sarah Palin is now saying, she would be interested in remaining a serious national political figure, going ahead to 2012. She was asked what happens in 2012 if you lose on Tuesday, would you simply go back to Alaska? Elizabeth Vargas of ABC News asked her and Palin said this, and I will read it to you verbatim according to an ABC News transcript: "Absolutely not," Sarah Palin says. "I think that, if I were to give up and wave a white flag of surrender against some of the political shots that we've taken, that ... that would ... bring this whole ... I'm not doin' this for naught," and that is a direct quote from Sarah Palin. Clearly, leaving open the possibility that she would be interested in leading the Republican Party in 2012 if she and John McCain were to lose this presidential contest right now. Let's go to Dana Bash. She has been covering the McCain campaign reaction from the rather blunt statement from Sarah Palin that she would in fact be interested in leading the Republican Party going forward after Tuesday if they lose?

Dana Bash: I just got off of the phone, Wolf, with a senior McCain adviser and I read this person the quote and I think it is fair to say that this person was speechless. There was a long pause and I just heard a "huh" on the other end of the phone. This is certainly not a surprise to anybody who has watched Sarah Palin that she is interested in potentially future national runs, and she is being urged to by a lot of people inside of the Republican Party if they do lose, but it is an "if" and people inside of the McCain campaign do not want any discussion that has an "if" in front of it six days before the election, they don't want any discussion at all, any kind of hypothetical talk about running for the next time around. So certainly, this is not at least initially being received well inside of the McCain campaign.

Wolf Blitzer: I am not surprised, not surprised at all. It is one of those "wow, she is talking about 2012 if we lose," that is not supposed to be something that you say. You are supposed to say, "well, I'm not looking ahead, I'm not looking ahead only to Tuesday," and those are the talking points she's supposed to be saying, but she is obviously blunt and she is looking ahead if something were to happen on Tuesday that she wouldn't be happy with.

Number 17

The Boston Celtics get their 17th NBA Championship Trophy and the players get their rings. Paul Pierce was overcome -- then went on to lead the Celtics to victory over LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

McCain's Lies About Obama's Tax Plan

Here's the truth: