First Door on the Left

Got your attention? Good. That’s not my sign, however. I found it posted on a right wing website somewhere. Besides, I know how to spell trespass. And you don’t really think I’d have a ‘Palin-McCain’ (note the order of the names) sign in my yard, do you? Now, on with my point…

We have an Obama sign in our front yard. The neighbor directly across the street has a McCain sign in his. Both have been there for several weeks and neither has been bothered by anyone. That is how it should be. That is not, it seems, how it is in many parts of our country.

Ohio man accused of wounding teen over McCain sign

LEAVITTSBURG, Ohio (AP) — A teenager was wounded in the arm by a man who said he wanted to stop the boy and another from taking his John McCain yard sign.

Warren Township police Lt. Don Bishop said 50-year-old Kenneth Rowles told officers he got out a .22-caliber rifle Saturday afternoon to fire warning shots, not hurt anyone. The two shots hit the van the teens were in.

Rowles pleaded not guilty Monday to felonious assault. A preliminary hearing was set for Nov. 4, Election Day.

Kyree Flowers, the 17-year-old passenger in the van, was wounded in the arm and was treated at a hospital, Bishop said.

The victim and his cousin admitted stealing signs at the Rowles home and elsewhere, Bishop said Tuesday. Rowles had the only McCain sign on a street with numerous Barack Obama signs, according to Bishop.

He said there was no evidence the thefts were anything more than teen vandalism. No charges were filed against the boys.

I am not pointing fingers here at one side or the other. This nonsense is occurring on both sides. And it’s ridiculous. Get real, people. It’s a bit of metal and plastic (or wood and cardboard). It’s not worth shooting or killing anybody over. Sure, it’s your property and people shouldn’t be stealing or vandalizing it, but really… is it worth the life of another human being?

My neighbor across the street and I have discussed this. If you want our signs that badly, come and get them. They can be easily replaced. Neither of us is going to sit on our front porch with guns in hand guarding our signs. Sure, we’d be angry at you for taking what is ours and for violating our right to free speech and expression, but we’re not gonna shoot you. We just won’t.

I voted today. Do you also live in a state that offers early voting? If so, you should definitely take advantage. Avoid the long lines and the confusion of November 4. Get it done.

We were in and out in less then 15 minutes. Nothing to it, folks. Git r done!

Also in today’s news:

I say cut the old dude some slack. He’s 84 years old. Let him resign from the Senate (in disgrace, of course), remove his name from the ballot in Alaska, and retire quietly to his big new cabin in the backwoods of Alaska. Perhaps he and his wife can have Sarah and what’s-his-name over for afternoon tea every once in a while. (They can come on their snow machine.)

Things like this, “improbable” though they may be, need to be taken very seriously… particularly with the atmosphere of hate being nurtured (and disgracefully aided and abetted by the Palin/McCain campaign) by the rabid right wing of the Republican party these days.

And, finally, “Joe Mama?” Really? Is it any wonder that “Palin drags down Republican ticket?” (As if Johnny McCain really needed the assist.)

I’ll be going to vote in just a few minutes. While I’m gone, here’s something for you to think about…

Obama makes ‘closing argument’ in Ohio

(CNN) – Barack Obama delivered a speech in Canton, Ohio earlier Monday that his campaign described as the Illinois senator’s “closing argument.”

“In one week, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need,” Obama said. “We began this journey in the depths of winter nearly two years ago, on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Back then, we didn’t have much money or many endorsements. We weren’t given much of a chance by the polls or the pundits, and we knew how steep our climb would be.”

He made it clear that the real choice in this election is between the tired and divisive politics of the past that John McCain and George W. Bush are offering and the hope, optimism and inclusiveness that his administration would offer.

Here is video of the last few minutes of his speech:

The full text of Senator Obama’s address, as prepared for delivery, and the video of the full speech are after the fold.

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Boy Accidentally Kills Himself With Uzi

An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair.

The boy lost control of the weapon while firing it Sunday at the Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo at the Westfield Sportsman’s Club, Police Lt. Lawrence Valliere said.

The boy was with a certified instructor and “was shooting the weapon down range when the force of the weapon made it travel up and back toward his head, where he suffered the injury,” a police statement said. Police called it a “self-inflicted accidental shooting.”

The victim was taken to Baystate Medical Center where he died. His name was not released.

Although the death appears to be an accident, police and the Hampden district attorney’s office were investigating, officials said.

This was no accident, my friends. This was stupidity. This was child endangerment. This was neglect to the nth degree. What kind of an adult, let alone a “certified instructor,” is going to let an eight-year-old kid fire an Uzi submachine gun? Where were his parents while this was going on? Were they standing there cheering him on, encouraging him?

There is something drastically wrong with the justice system in this country if no charges are filed in this kid’s death. This was nothing short of murder. Somebody needs to serve some serious prison time. (If it were up to me, the parents, the instructor and the organizers of this so-called “gun fair” would all be going away for a long, long time.)

P.S. Someone explain to me, please, the difference between this…

and this…

The Anchorage Daily News, the largest newspaper in Sarah Palin’s (very red) state of Alaska, has endorsed Barack Obama for the presidency of the United States…

Obama for president

Gov. Palin’s nomination clearly alters the landscape for Alaskans as we survey this race for the presidency — but it does not overwhelm all other judgment. The election, after all is said and done, is not about Sarah Palin, and our sober view is that her running mate, Sen. John McCain, is the wrong choice for president at this critical time for our nation.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, brings far more promise to the office. In a time of grave economic crisis, he displays thoughtful analysis, enlists wise counsel and operates with a cool, steady hand. The same cannot be said of Sen. McCain.[..]

Gov. Palin has shown the country why she has been so successful in her young political career. Passionate, charismatic and indefatigable, she draws huge crowds and sows excitement in her wake. She has made it clear she’s a force to be reckoned with, and you can be sure politicians and political professionals across the country have taken note. Her future, in Alaska and on the national stage, seems certain to be played out in the limelight.

Yet despite her formidable gifts, few who have worked closely with the governor would argue she is truly ready to assume command of the most important, powerful nation on earth. To step in and juggle the demands of an economic meltdown, two deadly wars and a deteriorating climate crisis would stretch the governor beyond her range. Like picking Sen. McCain for president, putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time.

They obviously have a much higher opinion of Mrs. Palin than I (and most of us down here in the lower forty-eight) do. That is to be expected. She is, after all, their “hometown girl.” They are correct, however, in their assessment that putting her one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world is just too risky at this time.

Click on the headline to read the full article.

Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, was kind enough to grant a one-on-one interview to some insignificant local television reporter somewhere in Florida today. The Ann-Coulter-wannabe proceeded to ask him questions written for her by the Republican National Committee. It was journalism at its worst. Congratulations have to go to Senator Biden for somehow maintaining his composure throughout this sham of an interview. Watch for yourself…

Wow. She really went all “Katie Couric” on him, didn’t she?

(More here.)

Is this what Sarah Palin would call “gotcha journalism?” (Except Senator Biden didn’t get got like Sarah did. He did the getting.)

Also see: “Palin “annoyed” with CBS interviewer.” (Though I really do not understand how anyone could compare the questions this imbecile asked Senator Biden to those Katie Couric asked Mrs. Palin.)

UPDATE: Compare this interview to one of John McCain by the same “journalist.” Can you tell which side she is on? (You can also see an interview she did with Barack Obama here.) Not that this would have anything to with anything, but it turns out Ms. Coulter-wannabe is married to a Republican political consultant.

“But from Gov. Palin down we have one agenda, and that’s to win on Election Day.” — Palin press secretary Tracey Schmitt, October 25, 2008.

Country First? Nope. Sarah Palin and Johnny McCain first (in that order). Politics before country. Their only agenda is to win on Election Day.

There you have it, my friends. It really couldn’t be clearer.

Also see: “Palin allies report rising campaign tension” and “Palin’s ‘going rogue,’ McCain aide says.”

The party's over

Senator Obama has recorded a new two-minute television advertisement that will begin airing in key states tomorrow. The campaign has entitled it “Defining Moments.”

Notice that he spends the entire two minutes talking about what he is going to do. Not once does he mention his “opponents.” Perhaps his opponents could take a lesson from this and use this ad as a template for their closing ads in this campaign. It would be nice to see them crawl out of the mud, if only for the last ten days.

See also: “Commentary: Republicans summon ugly old ghosts.” (No, they are not talking about John McCain.)

It’s Friday again. Just one more Friday after this one before Election Day. You are planning on voting, aren’t you?

Here is this week’s compilation of the best and brightest (in your humble editor’s opinion) political and editorial cartoons published during the week just passed. Click on them to make them bigger or to start a slide slow. Standard disclaimer applies: Your mileage may vary. Enjoy!

As always, our thanks go to the talented and observant cartoonists who, each week, help us smile through the pain.

Saturday additions:

We’ve talked about this before. There is nothing in this world that the right wing bloggers would rather scream and holler about than how the poor, angelic people on the right are always being beat up on by the mean, ruthless people on the left. Yesterday they were all up in arms about a young lady named Ashley Todd. Supposedly, Ashley was getting cash from an ATM when she was attacked and robbed (by a black Obama supporter). The (black) robber became enraged when he noticed a McCain/Palin bumper sticker on her car and then proceeded to carve the letter ‘B’ into her cheek (backwards).

Well, guess what? It turns out that young Ashley made the whole thing up…

Police: Campaign Worker Admits Making Up Story

Ashley Todd

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Police sources tell KDKA that a campaign worker has now confessed to making up a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter “B” in her face after seeing her McCain bumper sticker.

Ashley Todd, 20, of Texas, initially told police that she was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield and that the suspect became enraged and started beating her after seeing her GOP sticker on her car.

Police investigating the alleged attack, however, began to notice some inconsistencies in her story and administered a polygraph test.

Authorities, however, declined to release the results of that test.

Investigators did say that they received photos from the ATM machine and “the photographs were verified as not being the victim making the transaction.”

This afternoon, a Pittsburgh police commander told KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin that Todd confessed to making up the story.

The commander added that Todd will face charges; but police have not commented on what those charges will be.

This is not the first time something like this has happened. What is it with Republicans and their love of victimhood? I hope Ms. Todd does face charges, but I also hope she seeks the help she desperately needs. How sick do you have to be to give yourself a black eye and carve a letter of the alphabet into your own cheek? Really… try it. Bet you can’t do it. (Don’t try it… really.)

(Ashley, by the way, traveled from Texas to Pennsylvania to do volunteer work for the Palin/McCain campaign.)

By the way, Ashley, your credibility is shot to hell for the rest of your life. Was it worth it?

P.S. From the initial report:

In an official statement the McCain campaign says: “We’re shaken up by this. It’s sick and disgusting.”

Governor Sarah Palin reportedly spoke with the victim by phone.

Uh-huh.

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