Watching the desperation of the Republican Party as it hunts for any and all toeholds against Obama has, up to this point, reminded me of watching the quietly lethal and sleek shape-shifting terminator in the second movie descend into a writhing, flailing beast as its thrashes through its death throes in the vat of molten metal.

Typical Republicans. Can't fight about the real issues so make imaginary issues up.

This just keeps getting weirder every day.

AirForceVet: Typical Republicans. Can't fight about the real issues so make imaginary issues up.

Could be imaginary, but you know that if McCain had ties to former militia movement organizers, Soros would be funding the ads on the other side.

I'm afraid between being a computer programmer having to learn bullshiat office space-speak and a motion picture FX guy having to learn bullshiat Hollywood-speak, there's no room left for me to learn Idiot Political Speak so I don't know WTF that headline means.

I do know that any republican especially McCain, trying to categorize Obama as some kind of rich elitist is a farking moron. Unless they're counting on the stupidity of the American people, in which case, good show.

I heard McCain has ties to the NVA and viet-cong. I believe he spent nearly 6 years learning from them.

AirForceVet: Typical Republicans. Can't fight about the real issues nominate a decent candidate so make imaginary issues up.

The Dems had John Kerry in 04, the Republicans have McCain in 08. Candidates that make you think, "Did they draw a name out of hat?", "Were they drunk?" Both of those candidates are prime examples of the groupthink that goes on in the major parties.

The sad thing is that the Dems nominate an equally crap candidate that is having trouble beating McCain by a large margin. It's a race to the bottom.

Crosshair: It's a race to the bottom.

whichever side "wins" gets to clean up the bathroom after Bush used it. Would you be bringing your A game ?

I, for one, am proud to admit that I have the Weather Underground bookmarked in my toolbar, and consult with them every day.

Therion: I, for one, am proud to admit that I have the Weather Underground bookmarked in my toolbar, and consult with them every day.

That's amazing, not only do I have the same link, I had it open in another tab while reading your post.

Why do we hate America?

Therion: I, for one, am proud to admit that I have the Weather Underground bookmarked in my toolbar, and consult with them every day.

Ditto.

Pocket Ninja: Watching the desperation of the Republican Party as it hunts for any and all toeholds against Obama has, up to this point, reminded me of watching the quietly lethal and sleek shape-shifting terminator in the second movie descend into a writhing, flailing beast as its thrashes through its death throes in the vat of molten metal.

What a metaphor. Bra-VO

Mugato: I do know that any republican especially McCain, trying to categorize Obama as some kind of rich elitist is a farking moron. Unless they're counting on the stupidity of the American people, in which case, good show.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. The USA is a pretty big group.

This story will have zero resonance.

The swift boat veterans smears worked because they had Vietnam War veterans blasting Kerry on TV every night. How the hell are they going to link Obama to the Weathermen Underground... he was 6 and living in a different part of the world during the Days of Rage instigated by them.

His only real connection is that Obama sat on the board of a non-profit organization with a man who was part of the organization but wasn't convicted of any crimes associated with the Weatherman Underground.

farking pathetic

filth: AirForceVet: Typical Republicans. Can't fight about the real issues so make imaginary issues up.

Could be imaginary, but you know that if McCain had ties to former militia movement organizers, Soros would be funding the ads on the other side.

Well I suppose it would depend on the closeness of the ties now doesn't it? Living in the same century is rather tenuous. Putting them on your campaign staff isn't.

Mordant: whichever side "wins" gets to clean up the bathroom after Bush used it. Would you be bringing your A game ?

Very good point.

Mordant: whichever side "wins" gets to clean up the bathroom after Bush used it. Would you be bringing your A game ?

Yes. What better way to secure your parties position than by bringing in an A-team, cleaning up the mess that has been made by the administration before, setting past wrongs right, and restoring the reputation of the US in the international world.

The company I work for does it right. When we get a contract to take over from another company that has screwed things up bad, we send everyone we can, get everything cleaned up and working right. Give them a rapid, but properly planned and implemented, change for the better. The still fresh memory of how much the other company sucked makes us look even better.

Bringing in a retard to clean up the mess of another retard is only going to result in a different kind of mess. 4 years later the people are going to say, "Yea Bush sucked, but X sure as hell hasn't been much better, why should we vote for them again?

We've seen this, and other, mud before in the camapaign. If it didn't work before what makes the McCain camp think it will work now?

The ad explores Obama's relationship with Ayers, now a University of Illinois professor who more than 30 years ago co-founded the radical Weatherman group.

yes, the Weatherman group were a bunch of 'terrorists'. If they were active today, they would be hunted by the FBI, ATF, and the DHS. Absolutely nobody disputes that those folks were dangerous criminals. And the fact that some of them have gone on to secure jobs in academia and never paid for their crimes is a travesty of justice. Again, no reasonable person disputes this.

However....this was THIRTY YEARS AGO! They beat the rap, got away with it. It's a done deal. Trying to use them as pawns in some sort of modern day smear campaign is beyond stupid. Nobody is going to believe this is in any way relevant to current events and you only end up looking like a vindictive asshat with a grudge for trying to squeeze Obama into the radical 60's leftist movement(s) of days long gone.

I swear the Republicans get dumber as we get closer to the conventions.

Crosshair: Yes. What better way to secure your parties position than by bringing in an A-team, cleaning up the mess that has been made by the administration before, setting past wrongs right, and restoring the reputation of the US in the international world.

B-b-b-ut Clinton?

Diogenes: filth: AirForceVet: Typical Republicans. Can't fight about the real issues so make imaginary issues up.

Could be imaginary, but you know that if McCain had ties to former militia movement organizers, Soros would be funding the ads on the other side.

Well I suppose it would depend on the closeness of the ties now doesn't it? Living in the same century is rather tenuous. Putting them on your campaign staff isn't.

Huh? My point is that there are partisan billionaires on both side with histories of using speculative relationships to create attack ads. Or, more succinctly, Soros is as big an asshat as this dude.

Things that happened 30 years ago are relevant when applied to Obama.

Things that happened 30 years ago don't apply to McCain. Because he was in prison.

/POW™

Mordant: whichever side "wins" gets to clean up the bathroom after Bush used it. Would you be bringing your A game ?

Ah! I've been trying to find a pithy way to say that for months now. Good work!

I still don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows....

You'd think a billionaire would have better things to do than be a total dick.

Crosshair: The company I work for does it right. When we get a contract to take over from another company that has screwed things up bad, we send everyone we can, get everything cleaned up and working right. Give them a rapid, but properly planned and implemented, change for the better. The still fresh memory of how much the other company sucked makes us look even better.

Except that people actually want the mess cleaned up in your example. In politics people abhor the idea of a problem being fixed by the other team because they'd have to admit they were wrong in the first place.

Ain't ever gonna happen.

Gecko Gingrich: B-b-b-ut Clinton?

Do you have a point you wished to make? How the fark does Clinton have anything to do with what I said?

Crosshair: Do you have a point you wished to make? How the fark does Clinton have anything to do with what I said?

Bill Clinton did just what you described. ;)

I think the end point of american politics will be a slogan such like "At least we get to eat _fresh_ feces!"

Enjoy your collapse, at least you get to live in interesting times.

filth: Could be imaginary, but you know that if McCain had ties to former militia movement organizers, Soros would be funding the ads on the other side.

Dude, quit drinking Billow's Kool-Aid.

/His milkshake is much yummier.

Gecko Gingrich: Bill Clinton did just what you described. ;)

OK I see your point. Yes he did a reasonable job of mess cleaning and happened to ride an economic upswing. He did screw up in several areas. The 1994 AWB cost, by Bill Clinton's own admission, at least 20 seats in congress. Making the Dems a minority in congress for over 10 years. He stopped the boat from rocking, but then started rocking it with his own policies.

This is such weak shiat and the media will of course go along with it ,run it for a week and then discuss how something so false could ever get legs and hurt the candidate while contemplating their navels.

When even Faux News refuses to run the ad you know it's busted.

I heard Kevin Bacon has a closer relationship to these guys than Barack Obama does. That guy's up to something, I tell ya.

Weaver95:

yes, the Weatherman group were a bunch of 'terrorists'. If they were active today, they would be hunted by the FBI, ATF, and the DHS. Absolutely nobody disputes that those folks were dangerous criminals. And the fact that some of them have gone on to secure jobs in academia and never paid for their crimes is a travesty of justice. Again, no reasonable person disputes this.

yes, John Kerry was an 'anti-war protestor'. If he was active today, he'd be phone tapped by the FBI, ATF, and the DHS. Absolutely nobody disputes that he was a damn hippy protestor. And the fact that he went on to a successful career in the Senate and never paid for his lapse in judgment is a travesty of justice. Again, no reasonable person disputes this.

However....this was THIRTY YEARS AGO! He beat the rap, got away with it. It's a done deal. Trying to use this as pawns in some sort of modern day smear campaign is beyond stupid. Nobody is going to believe this is in any way relevant to current events and you only end up looking like a vindictive asshat with a grudge for trying to squeeze ObamaKerry into the radical 60's leftist movement(s) of days long gone.

I swear the Republicans get dumber as we get closer to the conventions.

FTFY.

/There's a saying in Tennessee...probably Texas, I think it was Tennessee...

Tor_Eckman: When even Faux News refuses to run the ad you know it's busted.

THIS

/except they did run it by "accident"

If I had a couple of billion, I'd start finding dirt on that billionaire tosser.

Oh btw, McCain is a former POW. And sitting in a hole for 5 1/2 years didn't make him go crazy one little bit, in fact it prepared him for a presidency deep in the hole the previous republican candidate created.

Just out of coincidence... say "AIP" phoneticaly.

/I'll give you a hint
//Its a euphamism for a monkey.
///Evil republicans calling a black dude a monkey!1eleventy!!1

Third Day Mark: Just out of coincidence... say "AIP" phoneticaly.

/I'll give you a hint
//Its a euphamism for a monkey.
///Evil republicans calling a black dude a monkey!1eleventy!!1

...

...

Er. What?

Well Ayers is a Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago, as was Obama.

It makes you think.

/my boss was a professor at UIC as well
//is my boss a terrorist too?

They'll never stop the


moar funny pictures

satanorsanta: Well Ayers is a Professor at University of Illinois at Chicago, as was Obama.

It makes you think.

/my boss was a professor at UIC as well
//is my boss a terrorist too?

Yes.

He's also a Communist, an atheist, an ivory-tower elitist, out-of-touch, and responsible for the corruption of our youth.

Or something. Education corrupts!

it looks as though there are some grade A idiots reading the houston chronicle, i'm glad to say

As an old fart who was actually a card-carrying member of the SDS back in the early sixties, I'm getting quite a kick out of some of these replies. I knew some of the "Weather" people. They were clowns, and part of the reason I left the movement, and that my politics changed so radically in the late sixties. To me the fact that they actually managed to cause a few minor inconveniences and blow a couple of things up is a farking miracle in and of itself. I wouldn't have credited any of those I met with the ability to find their own ass with both hands. If all "terrorists" were like the weather underground, we wouldn't have anything to worry about in the terrorism department.

I don't see what the big deal is, Jaco Pastorius was awesome.

filth: AirForceVet: Typical Republicans. Can't fight about the real issues so make imaginary issues up.

Could be imaginary, but you know that if McCain had ties to former militia movement organizers, Soros would be funding the ads on the other side.

QFT

21-7-b: it looks as though there are some grade A idiots reading the houston chronicle, i'm glad to say

Wonder why...

/I keed
//maybe

Diogenes: We've seen this, and other, mud before in the camapaign. If it didn't work before what makes the McCain camp think it will work now?

My answer: Desperation.

This really is all they have. At no point during this campaign have they really tried to engage Obama on real issues. Their few attempts have been pretty unsuccessful or at best generated mixed results.

So, about a month ago they shifted towards targetting Obama, rather than his policies. The whole celebrity thing, the elitist tactic, that sort of thing. That wins McCain few votes, but the hope is it scares people away from Obama and reduces turnout. Nobody doubts it has worked to a certain degree, but that's been largely sunk by McCain this week with his houses comment.

So, now they are grasping at their last straw: Rezko, Ayers, Wright. The problem though is they were all played out in the primaries. The Rezko matter is too complicated for people to care much. The Ayers thing is spurious at best. Everyone has heard about Wright already and it's been driven into the ground. If his comments were a problem for them, they've long since decided not to vote for Obama. None of those 'issues' are game changers. But what else does McCain have to turn to since he's even managed to turn his time as POW into something of a joke.

There's another negative for McCain with this tactic. If they want to attack Obama for people with whom he's associated in the past, it opens up the Keating Five bottle. I honestly don't think Obama will need to go there, but it's on the table if they need too.

So all faculty, current and former, of The University of Chicago are now suspect of terrorist activity?

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KEEP THEM AWAY FROM THE SQUASH COURTS.

The problem Obama has is that there is a history of the associations, which he himself documented in Dreams of my Father. If it was just Rev. Wright or just Ayers the Hannity crowd would look stupid. But unfortunately there is a documented history of these people being in his life. That is the reason this actually gets play.