BREAKING NEWS UPDATE! Hate Crime Murder In New York: "Let´s Beat Up Some Mexicans!"

Late Breaking News on the Long Island,NY Hate Crime.

NY hate crime suspect now charged with murder
By FRANK ELTMAN – 51 minutes ago
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — The killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant by seven high school students was part of a spree in which the teenagers tormented other immigrants while armed with knives and BB guns, prosecutors said Thursday. The teens were indicted Thursday on more serious offenses — including murder as a hate crime for one accused of wielding the knife — than they initially faced when arrested in the Nov. 8 killing of Marcelo Lucero. Prosecutors said the teenagers had been hanging out with friends when someone suggested they go "beaner jumping," a derogatory term they used as a euphemism for attacking Hispanics. The group drove around Patchogue and (1) encountered a Hispanic man and attempted to rough him up, but the man escaped, prosecutors said. Shortly before midnight, (2) the group came upon Lucero and a companion walking near the Patchogue train station. The group surrounded their victims, but Lucero's friend managed to flee the scene unharmed, prosecutors said. Lucero tried to fight back, smacking one of the teens with his belt, but was soon overwhelmed by the mob, prosecutors said. Jeffrey Conroy ended the fight by plunging a knife into Lucero's chest, authorities say. District Attorney Thomas Spota said the other six were unaware that Conroy had stabbed Lucero until he told them as they fled the scene. The prosecutor said that because the other teens did not know about the stabbing until afterward, they were not being charged with murder. The six suspects were arraigned Thursday on charges including gang assault, conspiracy, attempted assault and attempted gang assault. Lawyers for the six entered not guilty pleas. Conroy will answer to an upgraded charge of second-degree murder as a hate crime, as well as manslaughter, gang assault and other crimes at a Monday hearing.
Conroy could face 25 years to life in prison and the others could be sentenced to five to 25 years if convicted of the most serious charges. Attorneys for all seven have said their clients are innocent. Advocates for Hispanics and others have spoken out against the killing, which took place days after Barack Obama was elected as the country's first black president. "It is tragic that a crime of this nature, a xenophobic lynching, happened just as the United States celebrates a historic step forward in which racial barriers have been overcome," Ecuadorean Ambassador Luis Gallegos said last week.

Why Republicans Did Not Carry the Latino Vote! They Treated Latinos Like Their Ugly Dates!

I have been listening to pundits, particularly on Fox News, all asking, “Why didn´t Republicans carry the Latino Vote as they did in 2004?”
The answer is simple. Republicans did not ask us to the party. We were their ugly dates. They thought putting up a few ads in Spanish on Univision, whispering a few lies they thought we wanted to hear, would swing our votes to them. They thought putting a few bucks into the pockets of old school Latino politicians would get them our votes. Maybe that worked in 2000 and 2004, but it did not work in 2008 and it will not work in the future.
Why? Technology. We have caught up with the rest of America. More and more Latinos, young and old, are on the internet. More and more Latinos are hosting blogs and commenting in newspapers. We have found our voice and we have made connections with each other. Two of our largest concerns are Immigration issues and the resulting Racial Profiling.
The Immigration debate has impacted every brown person in America. Rampant racial profiling is occurring across the nation. Our cars are being followed. Our children are being harassed. Every brown worker in public view is being scrutinized with the unasked questions floating in many eyes, “Are you an illegal immigrant?” “Are you Mexican?” The eyes are not kind. They are angry and accusatory.
Racial Profiling is wrong, but what is worse is the poor treatment being received by the 12M undocumented workers in our country. In 2007 and 2008, we have witnessed some of the most inhumane treatment of workers in history as they were sent off to cattle barns and families sent to crony owned private prison Detention Centers.
We are also viewing what the ANTI Immigration Reform supporters are saying and videos they are posting on the internet. Much of it is not a pretty picture. On the anonymous internet, many ANTIs are not only outspoken with hate towards illegal immigrants but they frequently bash anyone who advocates Comprehensive Immigration Reform. While there are some in their ranks that have valid concerns, there are also many members from extremist hate groups like the KKK and White Nationalists. Overall, there is no doubt this group is skilled at using the internet and technology towards their advantage. They know how to mass email and fax Congress. They know how to stir up their media and shock jock advocates like Dobbs, Hannity, Beck and Limbaugh. They know how to “yank Congress´s chain” to heed their call. However, what is clear is, they are not the large numbers some of their members try to represent.
The PRO Immigration Reform supporters are different than many of the ANTI groups. They are not angry exclusionists. They seek resolution to the Immigration issues via Comprehensive Immigration Reform and the end to Racial Profiling. They are comprised of many Latinos and other groups interested in CIR. I often say the PRO CIR supporters are similar to the members of the 60´s Civil Rights Movement, advocating change and improvement of bad laws. This group is growing and wants both Republicans and Democrats to hear and respect their views. Like all Americans, PROs want an improved America and Immigration is but one issue they support. PROs also ask for Change in the Economy, Healthcare, War, and Education.
Why Latinos DID NOT vote for Republicans in 2008:
The Republican Party candidates were overrun with ANTI Immigration Reformers. Angry candidates like Tom Tancredo peppered their language with obviously racist outbursts. His comments, “Miami is a 3rd world country!” and telling El Paso citizens against the Border Fence to move across the border put him over the top as the worst candidate.
Watching the Republican candidates´ debates cast this negative light on the entire Republican party as candidate after candidate followed Tancredo´s lead. The only Republican that had any small hope of obtaining any Latino support was John McCain. In 2006, he did support CIR along with Ted Kennedy and initially was a maverick on this issue, until his view came under Republican scrutiny during the election campaign. Then, McCain flip-flopped to the restrictionist perspective. This hurt him with Latinos. What made it worse was his “ugly date” strategy of winning us over. His backdoor meeting with old time Latino politicos topped with his Spanish only ads on Latino stations like Univision created another failure! Latino Bloggers LAUGHED at these obvious ploys!
McCain was certainly not helped by the fact his own state hosts the vilest of all ANTI Immigration Reform zealots, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. This suppression raider, armed with masked, volunteer storm troopers, has rampaged across Maricopa country throwing his girth around, blathering about his successes. He boasts of his racial profiling suppression sweeps. His worst example was storm-trooping a children´s Confirmation Mass.
Many blogs, including mine, called on McCain to disavow Arpaio. He did not. I invited McCain to speak on my blog. He did not.
Why Latinos DID vote for Democrats in 2008:
Democrats respected Latino voters and listened to Latino concerns openly and publicly. Many Democrats have advocated CIR for some time, especially via the Kennedy-McCain bill. The Latino Caucus hosted the Congressional Review of the ICE raids in Postville. It became clear the Democrats were listening and acting on some issues.
Of the Democratic candidates, all supported some version of CIR. Additionally, Barack Obama and Hillary visited Latino communities and sat down and listened to them. Additionally both Barack Obama and Hillary were invited to write on many Latino blogs. Barack Obama wrote on my blog in February, 2008.
Dolores Huerta and many national Latino celebrities actively participated in the Democratic campaigns. Dolores, one of our long time civil rights heroes spoke at the Democratic convention.

How to Gain and Keep the Latino Vote:
Respect Latinos and Listen to their issues. Proudly Invite Latinos to the Party. Respond to Latino views as equally as to other constituents. Talk to them on their blogs, on the internet.
We are citizens. We love America. We are family focused, hard working, military supporting, Christian people. We do want to see change in Immigration, the Economy, Healthcare, the War, and Education, just like most other Americans.
The Republicans made a big mistake, not only with Latinos, but with all other minorities. Look at John McCain´s audiences. They EXCLUDED. They were not inclusive. This was epitomized by Sarah Palin´s “Real America” comments. The election results PROVED she was wrong. The Republicans made that mistake and if they continue it, it will no longer be the GOP, but the Grand, Long-Gone Party!

We, of all ethnicities, of every color, all of us, all inclusive, this RAINBOW, are the HEART and the Real America!
God Bless America!

President Elect Obama and My Dad Said The Same Words!! "Yes We Can! Si Se Puede!!"

My dreams were consumed by Obama´s speech last night. Watching the news shows today, my dreams were reiterated. This throbbing, throbbing vision of his speech kept tugging at me. What was it, what was it that was tugging at me? This afternoon it hit me. First, here are some excerpts from his speech that I kept re-living:

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one thats on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. Shes a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldnt vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that shes seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we cant, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when womens voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can. When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can. She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can. A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can. America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can! Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

I started crying when I heard these words. They were my father´s words. YES, We Can! He often said to me, "This country is so great, you can do anything you set your mind to. Skin Color doesn´t matter! With a good education, you can, yes you CAN!" Barack was repeating my father´s words to me, the words I have often repeated to my children, to my nieces and nephews, and to my grandchildren! We live in the best country in the World! YES WE CAN be anything we set our minds to! Yes our children and grandchildren CAN aspire to be the PRESIDENT of the United States of America!! YES!!! WE CAN!!

Tonight, on Fox News, Mort Kondracke on Brit Hume´s Grapevine blamed McCain´s loss on the Republican party, "Republicans are turning into the "Old White Peoples party. I saw ALL White Faces! We have to change to be more inclusive of other ethnicities!" I heard these same words on MSNBC and on CNN, but it struck home when I heard it on Fox News and on Brit Hume´s newscast. I saw McCain´s audience and supporters and I knew Kondracke was right. I kept these thoughts to myself, but Kondracke said them out loud!!

On my blog I often say we have evolved to a multi racial, multi cultural society, and I am constantly chastised by the ANTIs and the right wingers saying, "No! It ain´t so!" But it IS so! We are evolving. Last night I also heard a pundit say, "There is no such thing as Mayberry!" I swear, everyone reads my Blog!! (BTW, my reports tell me I have increased to over 12,ooo viewers a month! Thank you!)

We should be MORE Inclusive! We are all EQUAL!!! We are an evolving Society!!

Si Se Puede! Yes WE CAN Achieve the American Dream!!

LIVE ELECTION COVERAGE! Barack Obama - 44th President!

God Bless Our Next President, Barack Obama!

FOX WON´T REPORT: Palin Lies to Latinos & Promises Amnesty While McCain Flip Flops for Stricter Enforcement!

The two-faced McCain-Palin duo are pandering to Hispanics with lies and double talk, while McCain goes back on earlier promises and panders to his Nativist base promoting stricter enforcement. This week, Palin interviewed with Univision and promised the Latino base Amnesty.

Bet we won´t see this interview on Fox News!

See Palin´s Univision Video! Top Video on the Right. Her Immigration Comments at about 6 1/2 minutes.
Univision Reports:

1. Governor, let me ask you about immigration. How many undocumented immigrants are there in Alaska?

Palin: I don't know, I don't know. That's a good question.

2. As governor, how do you deal with them? Do you think they all should be deported?

Palin: There is no way that in the US we would roundup every illegal immigrant -there are about 12 million of the illegal immigrants- not only economically is that just an impossibility but that's not a humane way anyway to deal with the issue that we face with illegal immigration.

3. Do you then favor an amnesty for the 12 or 13 million undocumented immigrants?

Palin: No, I do not. I do not. Not total amnesty. You know, people have got to follow the rules. They've got to follow the bar, and we have got to make sure that there is equal opportunity and those who are here legally should be first in line for services being provided and those opportunities that this great country provides.

4. To clarify, so you support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?

Palin: I do because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here. It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country.

5. And the last question would be about politics. You only have two more weeks left...YesWhat is your strategy? How are you planning to win the latino vote?

Palin: I will tell you, I wish that there were more hours in the day so that we can get out there and to more of the communities with such the strong Latino vote that is out there and really tell them that we desire to work for them. We are asking them to hire us and let us work for them.

6. Thank you so much. It would be impossible to ask you to say a few words in Spanish, right?

Palin: Oh my good-well, I don't want to embarrass myself, but … but gracias and I do thank you so much for this opportunity. I appreciate it. Thank you, muchas gracias, thank you.

Racists Attempt another Assassination Attempt Against Barack Obama!

Another racist nutcase is foiled in their assassination attempt against Barack Obama. This time, these KKK, skinhead, neo-nazis were planning on murdering an additional 88 blacks and decapitating 14 more! These domestic terrorists met on an internet hate site! Thank God the FBI discovered their evil plot and arrested them! As I have reported, this is the 3rd reported assassination attempt by members of racist groups.
The AP Reports:
Authorities in Tennessee have arrested two men described as white supremacists for an alleged plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and more than 100 others. The alleged plotters were also planning a "killing spree" that included murdering 88 individuals by gunfire and 14 African-Americans by decapitation, with the attempt on Obama's life as the "final act of violence," according to an affidavit filed by a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Authorities arrested Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman, 18, of West Helena, Ark., in Tennessee after the Crockett County Sheriff's Department received a tip from the Haywood County Sheriff's Department.

Huh?? Palin´s Aids Say There is Tension in the McCain Losing Campaign Now She is Looking Forward to 2012 Going Solo! What Gives?

Palin Aids are speaking out and going to multiple Press contacts. They are saying McCain´s campaign is all but lost! His aids have screwed up her image! Palin is now looking towards salvaging her reputation and her own run for the Presidency in 2012!

What do you make of this? How can she do this so close to the Election? Has she really given up the 2008 election?

Reports are coming in from everywhere including CNN, YahooNews, Politico and others:

"Four Republicans close to Palin said she has decided increasingly to disregard the advice of the former Bush aides tasked to handle her, creating occasionally tense situations as she travels the country with them. Those Palin supporters, inside the campaign and out, said Palin blames her handlers for a botched rollout and a tarnished public image — even as others in McCain's camp blame the pick of the relatively inexperienced Alaska governor, and her public performance, for McCain's decline. "She's lost confidence in most of the people on the plane," said a senior Republican who speaks to Palin, referring to her campaign jet. He said Palin had begun to "go rogue" in some of her public pronouncements and decisions. "I think she'd like to go more rogue," he said.

The emergence of a Palin faction comes as Republicans gird for a battle over the future of their party: Some see her as a charismatic, hawkish conservative leader with the potential, still unrealized, to cross over to attract moderate voters. Anger among Republicans who see Palin as a star and as a potential future leader has boiled over because, they say, they see other senior McCain aides preparing to blame her in the event he is defeated."These people are going to try and shred her after the campaign to divert blame from themselves," a McCain insider said, referring to McCain's chief strategist, Steve Schmidt, and to Nicolle Wallace, a former Bush aide who has taken a lead role in Palin's campaign. Palin's partisans blame Wallace, in particular, for Palin's avoiding of the media for days and then giving a high-stakes interview to CBS News' Katie Couric, the sometimes painful content of which the campaign allowed to be parceled out over a week.

McCain aides, defending Wallace, dismissed the notion that Palin was mishandled. The Alaska governor was, they argue, simply unready — "green," sloppy and incomprehensibly willing to criticize McCain for, for instance, not attacking Sen. Barack Obama for his relationship with his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright..Elements of her image-making went catastrophically awry. Her dodging of the press and her nervous reliance on tight scripts in her first interview, with ABC News, became a national joke — driven home to devastating effect by "Saturday Night Live" comic Tina Fey. The Couric interview — her only unstaged appearance for a week — was "water torture," as one internal ally put it.

Some McCain aides say they had little choice with a candidate who simply wasn't ready for the national stage, and that Palin didn't forcefully object. Moments that Palin's allies see as triumphs of instinct and authenticity — the Wright suggestion, her objection to the campaign's pulling out of Michigan — they dismiss as Palin's "slips and miscommunications," that is, her own incompetence and evidence of the need for tight scripting. But Palin partisans say she chafed at the handling. "The campaign as a whole bought completely into what the Washington media said — that she's completely inexperienced," said a close Palin ally outside the campaign who speaks regularly to the candidate.
"Her strategy was to be trustworthy and a team player during the convention and thereafter, but she felt completely mismanaged and mishandled and ill advised," the person said. "Recently, she's gone from relying on McCain advisers who were assigned to her to relying on her own instincts."

When a McCain aide, speaking anonymously Friday to The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder, suggested that Palin's charge that Obama was "palling around with terrorists" had "escaped HQ's vetting," it was Scheunemann who fired off an angry response that the speech was "fully vetted" and that to attack Palin for it was "bullshit." Palin's "instincts," on display in recent days, have had her opening up to the media, including a round of interviews on talk radio, cable and broadcast outlets, as well as chats with her traveling press and local reporters. Reporters really began to notice the change last Sunday, when Palin strolled over to a local television crew in Colorado Springs.

"She was completely mishandled in the beginning. No one took the time to look at what her personal strengths and weaknesses are and developed a plan that made sense based on who she is as a candidate," the aide said. "Any concerns she or those close to her have about that are totally valid." But the aide said that Palin's inexperience led her to her own mistakes: "How she was handled allowed her weaknesses to hang out in full display." If McCain loses, Palin's allies say that the national Republican Party hasn't seen the last of her. Politicians are sometimes formed by a signal defeat — as Bill Clinton was when he was tossed out of the Arkansas governor's mansion after his first term — and Palin would return to a state that had made her America's most popular governor and where her image as a reformer who swept aside her own party's insiders rings true, if not in the cartoon version the McCain campaign presented. "There are people in this campaign who feel a real sense of loyalty to her and are really pleased with her performance and think she did a great job," said the McCain insider. "She has a real future in this party."

Palin allies report rising campaign tension

1964 Comic Book Foresaw America Growing Up, Finally Embracing the Constitution and Electing Barack Obama!

As many of my long time readers know, I attended a Catholic Elementary School. They were strict disciplinarians and taught me the need for a strong education and good behavior-citizenship.
They encouraged me to read and study, even through playtimes. Our reading lists included "The Weekly Reader" and "Treasure Chest" comic books. They encouraged me to expand my mind and think about our Constitution, Civil Rights and respect the concept of "All Men Are Created Equal!"
Today, during my daily research, I came across an interesting article about one of the "Treasure Chest" series written in 1964 entitled "the Pettigrew story." While this series was written in 1964, it was set 12 years in the future, during the presidential primaries of 1976. The Pettigrew story is both a civics lesson and Nancy Drew mystery. Cliffhangers end the first five parts of the six-part series. Pettigrew runs a close second in the New Hampshire primary, survives an assassination attempt and goes on to win the nomination with the energetic assistance of Joey and Angie Blatt, children of campaign press secretary Bart Blatt and his wife, Jane.Throughout the series, Pettigrew is always in the shadows, viewed from a distance, or hidden behind pillars and poles through the first five parts of the series. It is only at the conclusion, as the candidate takes center stage to accept his party’s nomination, that readers discover that the candidate is a “Negro,” a black man.
This is a fascinating series. (short video of the series) What is amazing is Pettigrew looks very much like Barack Obama.

American Hero, General Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama for President!

American Hero, General Colin Powell, one of the country's most respected Republicans, stunned both parties on Sunday by strongly endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, laying out a blistering, detailed critique of the modern GOP. Powell said the election of Obama would "electrify the world."

Today, on Meet the Press he said:
ENDORSING OBAMA: "We've got two individuals — either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now — which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time.. not just continue the policies we have been following in recent years. And I come to the conclusion to support Barack Obama because of his ability to inspire, because of the INCLUSIVE nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities — and you have to take that into account — as well as his substance — he has both style and substance, he has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president."
McCAIN´s JUDGEMENT & VP SELECTION: Powell said that he is "troubled" by the direction of the Republican Party, and said he began to doubt Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) when he chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. "Not just small towns have values," he said, responding to one of Palin's signature lines. "She's a very distinguished woman, and she's to be admired," he said. "But at the same, now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks, I don't believe she's ready to be president of the United States, which is the job of the vice president. And so that raised some question .. as to the judgment that Senator McCain made."
McCAIN & DIRTY POLITICS: General Powell also criticized McCain´s kitchen sink strategy of dirty politics, robo-calling, claims of socialist, muslim and his campaign for invoking the former domestic terrorist William Ayers. "Sen. McCain says Ayers is a washed-up old terrorist—then why does he keep talking about him?" Powell asked. "They're trying to connect Obama to some kind of terrorist feelings, and I think that's inappropriate," Powell said. "Now I understand what politics is all about — I know how you can go after one another. And that's good. But I think this goes too far. And I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for. And I look at these kinds of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me. And the party has moved even further to the right, and Governor Palin has indicated a further rightward shift." Powell said, "I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion that Obama's a Muslim and might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America. I feel strongly about this particular point," Powell said. "We have got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way. And John McCain is as non-discriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that within the party, we have these kinds of expressions."
McCAIN & The ECONOMY: Powell said that as he watched McCain, the Republican “was a little unsure as to how to deal with the economic problems that we were having, and almost every day, there was a different approach to the problem, and that concerned me, sensing that he didn't have a complete grasp of the economic problems that we had."Powell said a big job of the new president will be “conveying a new image of American leadership, a new image of America’s role in the world. I think what the president has to do is to start using the power of the Oval Office and the power of his personality to convince the American people and to convince the world that America is solid, America is going to move forward … restoring a sense of purpose,” he said.
OBAMA - A TRANSFORMATIONAL FIGURE: "I think Barack Obama is a transformational figure," Powell said. "He is a new generation coming ... onto the world stage and on the American stage. And for that reason, I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama." Powell, once considered likely to be the nation's first African-American presidential nominee, said his decision was not about race. "If I had only had race in mind, I could have done this six, eight, 10 months ago. I really have been going back and forth between somebody I have the highest respect and regard for, John McCain and somebody I was getting to know, Barack Obama. And it was only in the last couple of months that I settled on this. I can't deny that it will be a historic event when an African-American becomes president. And should that happen, all Americans should be proud — not just African-American, but all Americans — that we have reached this point in our national history where such a thing could happen. It would also not only electrify the country, but electrify the world."
General Colin Powell, a four-star Army general, was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Persian Gulf war, when George H.W. Bush was president; and was President George W. Bush’s first secretary of State.

Explaining McCain´s Kitchen Sink Strategy

Some of my viewers have been emailing me and asking me about ACORN, Bill Ayers, Terrorist, and other dirty political tactics being used by the McCain campaign. I promised them I would write a blog to help them understand what is happening.
McCain is behind in the polls and he is desperate. He is employing "politics as usual" dirty campaign tactics often used by those that are far behind. He is throwing the "kitchen sink" at Obama. He is throwing every dirty trick possible at him hoping, beyond hope, something will stick. McCain does NOT want to talk about the Economy, a subject ALL Americans want to talk about. He does NOT want to talk about the War!
Instead, he is employing the kitchen sink, dirty tricks strategy that is often used by the Republicans. Bush used them against the Dems and against McCain in 2000. The problem McCain has is, he PROMISED NOT to use them during his campaign.
1. ACORN
Let´s first talk about ACORN.
What an empty charge.
The charge, as the Republicans state them, is that ACORN, a community organization that supports registering voters, is loading the voter roles for an increase in Obama votes. WHAT A LIE! ACORN does support registering voters, as do countless other organizations. And they are NOT affiliated to Obama. McCain was closely linked to ACORN in 2006.
Beyond that, LOOK AT THE ACORN Voter Registration Process!!!! Their workers register new voters. The citizens complete the registration form. BY LAW, ACORN is REQUIRED to submit ALL Forms! Even those that are questionable. HOWEVER, there are 3 checkpoints in place to ensure those that are NOT citizen new voters CANNOT Vote!
Hello!!! This is CLEARLY a BOGUS McCain charge. One born out of Desperation!!

2. Bill Ayers: Ayers was an anti Vietnam Era War advocate. In the 60s, he marched against the war. He was a member of an ANTI War group, Weathermen. Some in that group were charged with some bombings. Ayers, however, was NEVER charged and NEVER found guilty of anything. (What do ALL the ANTIs say about Rule of Law??) All of this happened in the 60s and 70s. Obama was 8 years old!

Then in the 90s, Ayers, a professor, was a member of a group that supported Education for children. Obama was also a member of this group supporting Education for children. So was the Mayor of Chicago, many Illinois leaders, including many Republicans. That´s it!!

Now, in 2008, McCain and Palin are attempting to make an issue out of what Ayers did in the 1960s, to which he was NOT charged, and saying, somehow, that means Obama is a terrorist. WHAT A STRETCH!! And, WHAT A LIE!! (and, from my perspective, very desperate and stupid on McCain´s part.)

Then that poor, silly old lady (probably my age) saying at a McCain rally, "Oooobammmmaaa, he is a mmmmmuuuussssssslllliiiimmmm." Even ole McCain could not acknowledge that statement with a straight face. He said, "No. Obama is a loyal American." Yet Palin, in her meetings with like minded people, continues to make those faulty connections! WRONG! Reports say that some people in her audiences are saying to "Kill Obama!" Very Scary!

3. Joe the Lying Plumber: Many news groups have said Joe is not even a Plumber. Today, the Enquirer reported, "State licensing agencies in Ohio showed no license registered under his name. Nor is he a member of the plumber's union he claimed to be enrolled in on his MySpace page. His name is listed in the telephone books as "Samuel".More amazingly, this "Joe" may be a Republican plant with deep ties to a scandalous past. Joe Wurzelbacher is the son of Robert Wurzelbacher - the son-in-law of Charles Keating - The Charles Keating of the Keating 5 scandal - for which Sen. John McCain was reprimanded by the Senate for his part in attempting to illegally influence government regulators. "

It all became this fake plumber was a Republican plant when McCain invoked his name 40 times during the last debate. The campaign initiated the word "Socialist" into the dirty politics equation. Imagine, the Republican Administration, responsible for the deregulation driven economic crisis in our country. The Republicans that just bailed out the country with a Trillion dollar grant (just as they did after the Keating-McCain Savings & Loan crisis in the Reagan era). If anyone deserves the term Socialist, it is these folks.

4. Robo-Calling: Now, news reports are indicating the McCain campaign has sunk to the lowest levels of dirty politics. It is using robo-callers to call voters with false claims that Obama is a terrorist! FALSE ACCUSATIONS! But how many of the innocent voters will believe these lies all said to be approved by McCain?

All of these tactics are "politics as usual" for the Republicans! Meanwhile McCain continues to pretend he knows Nothing About Them! Even though his VP candidate continues to reiterate the same dirty, political claims.

The end result will not change the results.

However, we will remember! And McCain´s reputation is continuing to be ruined by this outrageous, immoral behavior!

For my viewers, all I ask is that you take these antics with a grain of salt. DISREGARD THEM COMPLETELY!

On Election Day, VOTE or Obama!

Take your mom!

Take your brothers and sisters!

Have a VOTE PARTY!!

Take your nieces and nephews!

VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

I also suggest you VOTE EARLY! Because if there are any issues with your vote (like new address), you can clear them early so you can be sure YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!

God Bless America!!

McCain´s ACORN Ties Makes Palin Look Ridiculous as she and the Right Wingers Try to Connect Obama to ACORN

John McCain´s ACORN ties make Palin look ridiculous as she and the Right Wingnuts try to connect Obama to ACORN. As recently as 2006, McCain was schlepping with ACORN, attending their meetings, looking for their help promoting his Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill and for their support for his future Presidential bid. Now, as ACORN comes under investigation for a few Voter Registration anomalies, Sara Palin is trying to make a case that Obama is responsible for these anomalies. How ridiculous. Right Wingnut Shock Jocks like Limbaugh and Beck are trying to make the same ludicrous connection. The only vague connection they can come up with is back in 1992, when Obama was encouraging voter registration (prequel to Rock the Vote), one of the many organizations also encouraging voter registration was ACORN. It is abundantly clear that the kitchen sink dirty politics strategy the Republicans are currently promoting is both desperate and NOT WORKING!

Bush Legacy: Another Raid, Another 300 to Crony Owned Prisons

Another 300 are "detained" in a SC Poultry Plant ICE Raid. Families are being ripped apart. Children are crying in the streets searching for their parents. Their families do not know where their loved ones are being "detained." The inhumanity of it all!
As the days dwindle down to a precious few, Dubya is ensuring his crony owned private prisons are filled to the Maximum.
The House of Raeford Chicken processing plants are well known for hiring illegal immigrants, particularly from Guatemala. As recently as last February, managers from their SC plant bragged to local newspapers of their hiring practices. In June, several Supervisors and Managers were arrested. As I read through this article, two things struck me.
1. The ICE investigation and Supervisor arrests occurred months ago. Why did ICE delay so many months to conduct the ice raid? Why not in June?
2. The Detention Center the detainees are going to is not listed in any article I could find on the web . Why not? I suspect they will be sent to another crony owned private prison. Why isn´t the name being reported as in other cases?
I find this whole story Very Curious. I will be following up on this story.
GREENVILLE, S.C. Federal authorities raided a House of Raeford Farms plant Tuesday, detaining more than 300 workers believed to be in the country illegally and searching for evidence of unlawful hiring practices. It was the largest immigration raid ever conducted in the Carolinas. It came after authorities determined that 777 of 825 workers at the plant had apparently submitted false documents to get their jobs.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say they'll continue their long-running investigation to determine who allowed illegal immigrants to work at the plant, known locally as Columbia Farms. Investigating the employers, they said, is as large a priority as identifying illegal workers.
The detained employees will be questioned about the company's hiring procedures, authorities said, and may be deported. Investigators will ask workers how they were paid, whether they knew anything about hiring practices and whether anyone at the company offered them false documents...
In a February series about working conditions in the poultry industry, five current and former supervisors told the Observer that some House of Raeford managers knew they employed illegal immigrants. They said the plant prefers undocumented workers because they are less likely to question working conditions for fear of losing their jobs or being deported. In a statement Tuesday night, House of Raeford denied knowingly hiring illegal workers. Federal law, the company said, requires it to accept documents that appear to be valid, and to be sensitive to nondiscrimination laws...
Raeford managers await trial
Over the summer, ICE arrested 11 plant supervisors at their homes and charged them with immigration violations. Seven plant supervisors have pleaded guilty to using false Social Security numbers or alien registration numbers. Two are awaiting trial and two more are considered fugitives. The plant's human resources director, Elaine Crump, was arrested in July. She was indicted on 20 felony counts charging that she instructed employees to use fraudulent employment eligibility forms. She is expected in court later this month. Authorities allege Crump instructed human resource employees to use previously signed employment verification documents for new hires. Crump knew that the company official who had signed the verification papers could not have witnessed whether immigrant job applicants provided the required documentation, the indictment states. That's because the company official was no longer working at the plant. Since the initial arrests in June, dozens of workers have left their jobs. The company has been hiring fewer Latinos and has turned to state prisons to fill its production lines.

While Americans Talk About Economy & War, McCain-Palin Desperately Try to Change the Subject!

Americans are desperate for the Presidential Candidates to talk about the Economy and the End of the War. McCain-Palin, so far behind in the polls, ignore the American Public and switch to gutter politics! Why? Because they are desperately Out of Touch! Out of Ideas! And most of all, Out of Time!! America does NOT want 4 more of the last 8 years!

Remember to Register! Remember to Vote!!

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Senator Barack Obama hit back at the McCain campaign and the Republican vice-presidential nominee, Gov. Sarah Palin, a day after Ms. Palin made an issue of Mr. Obama’s ties to Bill Ayers, a founder of the radical Weather Underground. In his remarks on Sunday and in his television advertising campaign, Mr. Obama, of Illinois, has sought to pre-empt what he referred to as “Swift boat”-style attacks on his character, like Ms. Palin’s in Colorado and California over the weekend. He also referred to Mr. McCain as “erratic” in an advertisement released Sunday. “They’d rather try to tear our campaign down than lift this country up,” he told several thousand supporters at a rally here Sunday. “That’s what you do when you’re out of touch, out of ideas and running out of time.”

Racial Profiling: ICE RAID Stormtroopers Bust into Citizen Latino Grandmother´s Home Brandishing Guns and Grenades! LATINOs MUST VOTE CHANGE in 2008!

Racial Profiling Ice Agents Bust into Citizen Latino Grandmother´s home brandishing Guns, Grenades and pointing their pistols! A grandmother huddles in fear, quietly handing them her citizenship papers.
Is this what life has become for Latino Citizens? Should we be forced to carry our birth certificates, passports and any other applicable citizenship papers and to endure these terrifying break ins because of our skin color? Some ANTI commenters are adament that "if we fit the description", we must be forced to accept these Suppression Raids!

All Latinos! Now is the time to Vote in CHANGE! Vote 2008!!

Mistaken Immigration Raid!

Olga Savage said she went through a harrowing life-changing experience that might have been a total mistake. The 68-year-old woman told Action 4 News that she heard a knock at her door Tuesday morning. But before she had a chance to get up she said U.S. Immigration & Customers Enforcement (ICE) agents were inside her home. “They came in with guns, grenades and holding their pistols,” Savage recalled. When she asked them why they came into her home they allegedly responded, "Show us your papers." Savage complied by showing them documentation proving that she's been a United States citizen for 40 years. She said they were shocked to see the paperwork. “They looked confused and said, 'They told us you didn’t have your papers',” she recalled. After verifying her documentation, they made copies and left. Olga said they didn't offer an apology or help. But the experience left her in bad shape. Savage told Action 4 News that she had to drive herself to the local clinic since her blood pressure rose to 280. “I told the doctor don’t let me die because I had a really bad pain,” she said. Savage said she wants to know why federal agents kicked in her door like she was a criminal, if she's been a citizen for so many years. “Why, why did they have to come like they were going to war, if I’m a women living on my own,” Savage asked. Action 4 News spoke with ICE spokeswoman Nina Pruneda about the incident. Pruneda said ICE agents would never raid someone's home and adds that the whole confusion started because Olga savage has two alien registration numbers. One number states that she is a U.S. Citizen and the other states that she is a fugitive. Pruneda said ICE will continue looking into this issue.

VOTE 2008: With the Drastic Drop in Illegal Immigration in 2008, the ANTI Immigration Reform Zealots Have No More Excuse for Racial Profiling!

With the rate of illegal immigration dropping to the lowest level in a decade, the ANTI Immigration Reform groups no longer have a reason to continue their Racial Profiling! Now, more than ever, Latino citizens should exercise their right to vote! Register and Vote! Vote out politicians who encourage Racial Profiling tactics, such as "Suppression Sweeps" in Latino neighborhoods, ICE Raids in work locations with high rates of Latinos, and all other attacks on Latino neighborhoods.

Make sure you vote, your spouse votes, your voting eligible children vote, your parents vote! Make it a family trip! Make it a party! Car Pool! Make sure EVERYONE YOU KNOW Who Is Eligible Votes!! Voters should go to Google and type in "How do I register to vote in (state)?" The directions are simple! Register to vote now, this week! Vote early! Vote! If you have difficulty finding out how to register in your state, email me on dee_perezscott@yahoo.com and I will email you your state´s easy registration instructions! Remember, now more than ever, it is important to VOTE!!!

Illegal immigration slows as economy weakens
WASHINGTON -- Illegal immigration has slowed in the past three years, and the influx of legal permanent immigrant residents in the United States now exceeds the number of new undocumented residents, according to a report released Thursday by a Washington think tank. There were approximately 11.9 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States as of March, down from 12.4 million in March 2007, says the report by the Pew Hispanic Center. The number of people coming into the country illegally decreased from 800,000 a year from 2000 through 2004 to about 500,000 a year from 2005 through 2008. The number of legal permanent immigrant residents - those granted lawful permission to live in the United States but who are not citizens - who came into the country in 2007 was about 650,000. That was the first time in a decade that new legal immigrant residents outnumbered new illegal immigrants, the study said. It cautioned that the changes may not be statistically significant because of the possibility of sampling errors.
In the past decade, large numbers of undocumented immigrants arrived at a time when legal immigration remained stable. "In the last year or two, there has been no growth at all of incoming illegal immigrants," senior demographer Jeffrey Passel, who co-authored the report, said during a telephone conference to discuss his findings. "It was growing rapidly and substantially over 15 years and now has essentially come to a halt.
"There are far fewer undocumented immigrants coming into the country." The report was not designed to explain why the numbers have decreased, but it suggests that possible reasons include the heightened focus on enforcement of immigration laws and slower U.S. economic growth. "The drop reflects the weakness of the economy, particularly the sectors that employ undocumented workers like construction," said Harley Shaiken, a professor at UC Berkeley specializing in labor issues, said there are a number of powerful forces reducing the numbers of undocumented immigrants. "People are less likely to risk everything to get here if they can't get a job."

"Republican Past" Coming Home to Roost! Gingrich Backstabs McCain, Boehner & America!

"Republican Past" is coming home to roost! In Public, Newt Gingrich said he supported the Bailout Plan (oops , I mean "Recovery Plan"). In private, he called Republican members of Congress to defeat the bill. Why? Insiders are saying Gingrich wants McCain to lose this year´s election so he can run for Prez in 2012!

Some of these Congressmen who said NO are saying they are fashioning themselves as the next generation of Newt Gingrich’s 1994 revolution. All of this Republican politicizing and backstabbing, at the expense of the American people!

Report: Gingrich Stabbed Boehner In Back, Whipped GOP Opposition To Bailout

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was working aggressively behind the scenes to defeat the Wall Street rescue plan minutes before he himself released a public statement in support of the package, NBC's Andrea Mitchell reported on Tuesday. Gingrich was whipping up votes for the opposition, Mitchell said, apparently without the knowledge of the current GOP leader, John Boehner, who was responsible for recruiting enough support from his caucus to help ensure the bill's passage. Ultimately, the GOP was only able to rally roughly a third of its members. "Newt Gingrich," she said on MSNBC, "I am told reliably by leading Republicans who are close to him, he was whipping against this up until the last minute, when he issued that face-saving statement. Newt Gingrich was telling people in the strongest possible language that this was a terrible deal, not only that it was a terrible deal, it was a disaster, it was the end of democracy as we know, it was socialism -- and then at the last minute [he] comes out with a statement when the vote is already in place." Indeed, as Mitchell noted, shortly before the bill's failure, Gingrich "reluctantly" came out in favor of its passage: "Therefore, while I am discouraged at the final collapse of the Bush Administration, and frustrated by the Democrats' passion for the taxpayer's money, I would reluctantly and sadly vote for the bailout were I still in office." The rest of the set of Morning Joe had some interesting takes on the news nugget. Joe Scarborough called Gingrich's backstabbing of John Boehner "undercutting his own." Mike Barnicle offered his own bit of reportorial insight: "Andrea, I could hug you for saying that, because I was told last night by two or they members of Congress that this was the opening salvo of Newt Gingrich's presidential campaign four years hence."

NEWT is now poo-pooing the facts and now claiming bias my MSNBC.

Gingrich Rips MSNBC

(The Politico) Former Speaker Newt Gingrich strongly disputed Andrea Mitchell's report on MSNBC this morning that he had privately moved to dissuade House Republicans from voting on yesterday’s bailout bill while publicly endorsing it.Speaking before the National Press Club today, Gingrich called MSNBC a “stunningly dishonest network.” While critical of many parts of the proposed legislation, Gingrich said he had nevertheless supported its passage and made that clear to Minority Leader John Boehner and others in the House.Still, Gingrich said that there was good that could come from the bill failing and encouraged what he regarded to be the long-run view of the matter stating, “Do you really want to get over a headache by giving yourself cancer?”

Bailout Bill Fails! Stock Market Plunges! McCain & Republicans are Teetering!

The $700B Bailout Plan initially proposed by President Bush failed! This evolved plan was a compromise. It was better than what was originally proposed by the President. This new plan incorporated recommendations provided by both Obama and McCain, including accountability, an oversight committee, payback to taxpayers and no golden parachutes for corporate CEOs.
Obama and McCain helped leaders of Congress in contacting nervous members of Congress, up for re-election, who were worried about supporting this bill, afraid of losing in November. The Dems said this was a Republican proposed bill and they needed 100 Republican votes. The Dems delivered their numbers. The Repubs could not even obtain 80, they were 15 votes short from 80! The reason: these last 15 that promised to vote "yea" were up for re-election and they were afraid that their angry constituents would vote them out of office.
I´ve been checking out some of the ANTI bail-out sites. It´s funny. Most of the people actively opposing the bailout also oppose Immigration Reform, including AM Shock Jocks. One site in particular, alipac.us, has been raging an active war against the bailout. Their leader, William, does not like McCain. I believe half of their group´s motivation was to make McCain look bad. This morning, after McCain spoke out about the success of his postponing his campaign to help support this bailout plan, alipac ratcheted up their campaign against the bill. As in the past, they provided free faxes and encouraged all of their numerous retiree members, to call, call, call and email, email, email to a list of members in Congress to vote against the bailout. They rejoiced at their victory, both against the plan and against McCain. You would think the Repubs in Congress would get it by now. When their emails, phones and faxes are deluged, it is by this same small group of 100 or less.

However, the Repubs in Congress didn´t get it. This calling campaign worked! The plan failed!
If I were to give credit (or blame) to any one group for stopping the Bailout plan from passing, I would give these ANTI groups the credit. They know members of Congress are afraid of losing in November and will not take the chance to vote for this bill. The ANTI groups tipped the scales!
After the bill failed today, the stock market dropped 800 points.
Now, we are told, Congress will not vote on the bill until after the Jewish Holiday on Thursday.
I expect the stock market will continue to drop another 800 - 1000 points a day.
The pundits are saying the Bailout Plan will pass on Thursday or Friday, mostly because the country, afraid of a Depression and the losses in the stockmarket, will pressure the holdouts into voting for the plan.
Who has been hurt the most by the plan failure today?

1. The American People, especially the retirees who have their goose eggs locked into a retirement account invested in the stock market. They cannot remove or trade their stock because they risk taking a huge penalty. They will probably ride this out and lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. This will make them angry! Very angry! Many of these types of investors voted Republican in the past.
2. McCain. He gambled and rolled craps. He postponed his campaign. Took credit this morning for the Bill Passing and it Failed! He looks like a fool!
3. The Republican holdouts who voted No today. They are sure to change their votes. They will be categorized as Flip Floppers!
4. Republicans in General. Americans know this is a Republican sponsored Bailout Plan. Now, most Republicans are ashamed to say they are Republican. I have heard several of them are claiming they are GOP Candidates vs Republicans on the ballots in November. (silly)
5. The word CHANGE. Republicans running from this president and this administration are sadly, sadly misusing this word!
I heard my friend Robert Reich say today, regardless of what happens, this is NOT an economic armageddon. He said Americans will find it harder to get credit and borrow money. He said we will be in a Recession. Why? Because consumers will no longer have the piggy bank - the ability to refinance their mortgages. This is what has kept the economy up for the last several years.

Do you know who is NOT a loser? Wall Street!

They will continue to reap the gains! People like Donald Trump and other zillionaires will continue to manipulate the market all to their benefit!
A lesson for Americans to learn? We need to vote in CHANGE! We cannot afford more of the same!

We cannot afford to gamble on Republicans running our country again! We need a change! Not just Republicans changing their names, but changing parties, changing this administration. It´s the Economy, Stupid! And we need to CHANGE from this current Administration and stop voting for Republicans as a whole!

1st Presidential Debate - LIVE BLOG Obama-McCain 2008 Presidential Candidates at Ole Miss!

The 1st Presidential Debate is Over!
My first thought, good debate.
It was like a boxing match. They both took hits. Obama was bashed a bit in the 1st half hour. I would give the first 30 mins to McCain.
In the 2nd half hour, Obama came back. Still lots of punching. McCain seemed rough and contentious almost dismissive, like a grumpy old man. It didnt work. I give the 2nd half hour to Obama.
The last half hour, Obama hit back hard. McCain still punching away.
What I took away from this, if this Campaign is about CHANGE, Obama won the debate.
Obama appeared Presidential, positive, diplomatic and able to take a punch. If America wants change, they will vote for Obama.
Obama talked about the future, his plans for Diplomatic solutions, a timeline to the end of war, economic plans for the future, tax reductions for 95% of Americans, oversight for the Bailout to ensure the taxpayers are paid back and the WS execs do not receive million dollar bonuses. He also talked about the need for Education for our children and Healthcare.
Even though McCain was loud, angry and forceful, he said nothing new. His plans sounded like four more years of the last eight years. He talked about staying in Iraq until the war is won, not backing down to Russia or Iran or any other enemies of our country. He talked about setting up a separate group vs the UN to sanction countries that are our enemies. He did not talk about economic solutions, instead McCain said nothing about Education and laughed at Healthcare solutions. His economic plan even includes taxing employers-workers for employer sponsored healthcare benefits. (That hits MY pocketbook!) Some might say McCain was strong on the War. Some would say he won from a Defense-Military perspective. However, to me, that is scary. It sounds like he advocates War with Iran, Russia, and everyone else who makes him angry and he will not seek diplomacy. His last words were the scariest, "I know what to do and I will take care of it." Sounds like he is running for Dictator, NOT President!

Sarah, the Word is Caricature! The Palin Couric Interview

Here is the transcript of the Palin-Couric Interview. We can see why McCain-Palin are doing everything possible to avoid the VP debates, including suspending the campaign.

TRANSCRIPT:

COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience. What did you mean by that?
PALIN: That Alaska has a very narrow maritime border between a foreign country, Russia, and on our other side, the land-- boundary that we have with-- Canada. It-- it's funny that a comment like that was-- kind of made to-- cari-- I don't know, you know? Reporters--
COURIC: Mock?
PALIN: Yeah, mocked, I guess that's the word, yeah.
COURIC: Explain to me why that enhances your foreign policy credentials.
PALIN: Well, it certainly does because our-- our next door neighbors are foreign countries. They're in the state that I am the executive of. And there in Russia--
COURIC: Have you ever been involved with any negotiations, for example, with the Russians?
PALIN: We have trade missions back and forth. We-- we do-- it's very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia as Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where-- where do they go? It's Alaska. It's just right over the border. It is-- from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there. They are right next to-- to our state.

(see video in upper right hand side of page)

McCain´s Trick or Treat! Cancelling the VP Debates!

Now we are seeing the REAL REASON McCain is suspending his Campaign. His PLOY: Cancel the VP Debates. How dare McCain utilize this National Economic Crisis for Political Reasons, and to continue to HIDE Palin! Deplorable!!

BREAKING NEWS;

McCain camp to propose postponing VP debate 10:44 AM ET
Biden and Palin are set to debate October 2.
(CNN) — McCain supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham tells CNN the McCain campaign is proposing to the Presidential Debate Commission and the Obama camp that if there's no bailout deal by Friday, the first presidential debate should take the place of the VP debate, currently scheduled for next Thursday, October 2 in St. Louis. In this scenario, the vice presidential debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin would be rescheduled for a date yet to be determined, and take place in Oxford, Mississippi, currently slated to be the site of the first presidential faceoff this Friday. Graham says the McCain camp is well aware of the position of the Obama campaign and the debate commission that the debate should go on as planned — but both he and another senior McCain adviser insist the Republican nominee will not go to the debate Friday if there's no deal on the bailout.

Palin during Curic Interview:

Couric: I'm just going to ask you one more time - not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation.

Palin: I'll try to find you some and I'll bring them to ya.

Alex Whalen.com writes:

I think the McCain campaign knew the Couric interview would be a disaster as soon as it was done taping and spent much of the day frantically trying to think of a way to push it out of the headlines. The clincher for me is the fact that McCain cancelled his Letterman appearance at the last second and instead sat down for an impromptu interview with, of all people, Katie Couric. The hope was to bump the Palin interview even on the CBS Evening News, which otherwise would have hyped and teased the Palin interview all afternoon and used it to lead the broadcast. Instead, CBS devoted most of its coverage to McCain and played segments of the Palin interview almost as an afterthought. Mission accomplished.
Now the McCain campaign is trying to reschedule the Vice Presidential debate. Undoubtedly they'd like to move it back as far as possible to give Palin more time to prepare. And it wouldn't shock me if they tried to cancel it all together or at least move it to a date where it can only dominate one or two new cycles before being eclipsed by other events (like a presidential debate).