Calling Eddie Murphy

The "777" we're seeing scroll across the bottom of the screen has nothing to do with news about Boeing's successful airliner. Instead, it represents the shocking hit the Dow took today following the failure of the bailout deal in Congress.

John McCain took credit for the legislation this morning. Will he also share the blame for its failure this afternoon?

It's one thing to be a maverick. It's another to be a lying, flip-flopping, out-of-his-league hothead whose utter lack of judgment has ruined his formerly respectable reputation.

The financial crisis continues to deepen. At this point, maybe we should send Wall Street gurus Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd to clean up the mess. They sure couldn't do any worse than the reckless, incompetent, and arrogant people who fed Wall Street's greed and got us into this crippling debacle.

Is America headed for the unthinkable? The chickens of the last eight years may be coming home to roost.

"Not to belabor the point..."

...but Senator Obama recently accepted an invitation from the journal Nature to answer 18 science-related policy questions in writing.  Given the same invitation, Senator McCain declined to participate.  The full text can be found here.

Debating the Debate

Was there a winner in the first presidential debate? If post-debate polling is any indication, Barack Obama may have come away with a slight edge.

A CBS News poll suggests that uncommitted voters favored Obama, with the senator from Illinois improving his image more than rival John McCain. The USA TODAY/Gallup poll shows a similar pattern, with Obama leading McCain 52%-35% when voters were asked which candidate offered the best proposals for change to solve America's problems.

I thought Obama was poised and thoughtful, McCain angry and forceful. Obama could have defended himself better, although he answered many of McCain's charges directly. And for the next debate, a couple fewer "John's right" lines might benefit Barack.

But what's with McCain refusing to extend the basic courtesy of looking at Obama? He didn't look Obama's way once the entire debate. It struck me about 30 minutes in, and I'm still stunned. Was he simply too angry? Or too insecure? One columnist thinks McCain's disrespect toward his opponent makes him look, quite simply, like a mean old man.

Image matters in politics. In the first televised presidential debate in 1960 (pictured), most viewers gave the nod to Kennedy, who appeared cooler and more charismatic than Nixon. Radio listeners, however, gave the nod to Nixon.

James Fallows of The Atlantic believes Friday's debate at Ole Miss may go down in history with that 1960 debate, the 1980 Reagan-Carter debate, and the 1992 Clinton-Bush debate:

"In each of those cases, a fresh, new candidate (although chronologically older in Reagan's case) had been gathering momentum at a time of general dissatisfaction with the "four more years" option of sticking with the incumbent party. The question was whether the challenger could stand as an equal with the more experienced, tested, and familiar figure. In each of those cases, the challenger passed the test -- not necessarily by "winning" the debate, either on logical points or in immediate audience or polling reactions, but by subtly reassuring doubters on the basic issue of whether he was a plausible occupant of the White House and commander in chief."

We'll find out in a few weeks whether Obama passed the test. And with two more presidential debates on the horizon, we'll also find out whether McCain will extend the basic courtesy of acknowledging the presence of his opponent.

Debate thoughts and oil questions

Okay, just a couple of quick thoughts here this afternoon. First of all, who won the debate? Well if you are a Republican then John McCain won decisively. If you are a Democrat, Obama probably had the edge. It's funny how this answer depends on who you ask. The conservative pollsters have McCain as the winner but CBS, CNN, and other polls have Obama ahead in this one. I really don't care who won or lost, I care about the facts.

McCain appeared to be very dismissive of his opponent, while Obama seemed relaxed and conversational. McCain's body language was very angry; he demonstrated crankiness which seems to be a continuous trait with him. After some morning research, it appears that many conservatives loved this, and thought that his grumpiness and refusal to even look at his opponent made him look "tough" and quite Presidential.

McCain railed on spending. He angrily spoke of some in Congress who spent three million dollars to study Bear DNA in Montana. He made it clear that this is an outrage. Very good, but he failed to mention that his running mate, Sarah Palin, requested 3.2 million dollars as part of a package to study the genetic makeup of harbor seals in Alaska. A conservative Republican would probably try to deny or explain away this truth, but it is fact and it is hypocrisy. Make no mistake - Obama and the Democrats are not the only ones guilty of wasteful spending. Anyone who truly believes that the Republican party does not waste significant amounts of money is delusional. Perhaps I will take some time later to detail some of the George W. Bush waste.

McCain, his supporters and most conservative Republicans believe that if we begin drilling for offshore oil in this country, we will have an immediate and significant reduction in the cost of gasoline and that this drilling is a key component to helping us reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What I would like is for someone to explain to me how this is so. I want the people who honestly believe that Obama wants to hurt people even more financially by refusing to drill offshore explain to me how this process will work. I want to know how much they expect to save at the pump, and how long it will take to see these savings. Do we get to keep 100% of the oil we find? How much of it would we keep and how much goes on the world market? I want the "drill baby, drill" crowd to answer "how much oil will we pump and where is it located, exactly?" How many new oil rigs and refineries will we have and what is the plan to overcome NIMBY (Not In My Backyard)? What will the ratio be between this new found oil and our middle eastern imported oil? T. Boone Pickens says that currently, 70 percent of our oil is imported. After we drill, what will that percentage be? I have heard a lot of screaming from conservative Republicans about drilling and how Obama's refusal to drill is proof that he hates the United States and wants people to suffer at the gas pumps. They scream about this offshore drilling, but I have yet to hear any of these people explain the details of the program or show any proof whatsoever that this idea will so dramatically improve the current situation.

Palin-Couric, Part II: "Our Next Door Neighbors Are Foreign Countries"

Part II of Katie Couric's interview with the Governor of Alaska accomplished the unimaginable - it topped Part I.

I'm beginning to wonder if Saturday Night Live shouldn't send a huge fruit basket to the Palin household. Or a few bottles of wine, maybe some Baked Alaska - something to thank the Governor for easing the workload at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Here's Sarah Palin doing her latest Tina Fey impression:



I can almost see a hospital from my house. Literally Katie, just a few blocks away. I can perform open heart surgery...

In all fairness to Palin, I believe she might be slightly more free flowing if the McCain campaign didn't handcuff her with strict talking points. In some cases, you can almost see her trying to remember exactly what they told her to say (like yesterday's question on Rick Davis). But nothing explains this exchange on Russia. You'd think after a month of campaigning, the team would come up with something better than "there's a narrow maritime border...".

Thanks, Katie - We've Got Our Answer

Breaking news on CBS last night:  The reason the Governor of Alaska has yet to hold a press conference is that she knows nothing.

Katie Couric revealed the Barracuda's true colors without even scratching the surface of her track record of lies. Could this have been any more embarrassing for the McCain campaign? Or her answers more unsubstantive?

Drum roll please...

And now, the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States of America:



After seeing this trainwreck, McCain lied to David Letterman and scurried down the street to play damage control with Couric. Come on, Senator: you really think you could get away with lying to Dave?

The CBS interview comes just a day after CNN's Campbell Brown called on McCain to end his sexist treatment of his own running mate. Brown speaks the truth:

"By treating Sarah Palin different from the other candidates in this race, you're not showing her the respect she deserves. Free Sarah Palin. Free her from the chauvinistic chain you are binding her with. Sexism in this campaign must come to an end. Sarah Palin has just as much a right to be a real candidate in this race as the men do, so let her act like one."

Amen to Brown for giving us some real straight talk.

So thank you, Katie Couric, for letting Campbell Brown and the rest of us know why the McCain campaign has been hiding its prized pitbull. The national honeymoon is over for the moose-hunting mayor from Wasilla. No longer will Americans be fooled by cheap teleprompter attack lines, blatant lies, or Karl Rove talking points.

The incoming vice president will be a heartbeat away from staring down Ahmadinejad, fixing a broken economy, and getting American troops out of Iraq. Biden, Obama, and McCain have been held to the fire - so why not Palin? It's high time we all got to know the truth about the fourth candidate in this election - the real Sarah Palin.

Postpone, baby, postpone!!

Well crafted. I wondered if this was the angle, and now it is beginning to appear that my fears were true. Some reports are surfacing which strongly suggest that if the bailout package is not approved by tomorrow, McCain will simply not show up to the debate in Mississippi. His campaign will laud him as a hero for putting aside politics for his country. The truth is, his presence at this debate is what this country needs. Taking a few hours out for this debate is not going to make or break this bailout. If you think his presence in Washington as opposed to Mississippi is critical, then Sarah and I have a bridge to sell you. Furthermore, McCain is suggesting that next week's vice presidential debate be postponed. Now we're getting to the heart of the matter. One of the biggest goals of the fall campaign is to keep Palin out of the view of the public and certainly keep her from having to answer questions. It's a tall order but if they can somehow manage to get this V.P. debate canceled entirely, this would be a major victory. Sarah Palin doesn't know her a$$ from her elbow. She is clueless when it comes to the knowledge required to assume this office. She is simply and clearly unqualified and they know it. The longer they can keep her from having to face this job interview, the better. Here's a vid:

Saddleback over Science?

Forgive me for taking us back a few weeks, but since the Unit is in its infancy we have a lot catch up on. In particular, I want to talk about Rick Warren's Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency.

Let me begin by stating clearly that this is not a criticism of any one religion or any one person's religious beliefs. Rather, it is critique of the role that such beliefs have come to play in the American political process. This is a distinction that too often goes unnoticed, and one that has serious implications for the way in which we engage in democratic dialogue.

The most egregious aspect of our candidates' participation in this event does not, in fact, have to do with their participation. Instead, it is their failure to take part in a debate on issues that arguably have a greater, more tangible impact on the lives of Americans.

Science Debate 2008 is an organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the candidates' policy positions on science, technology, and innovation. In addition to renowned scientists and engineers from across the world, the effort is supported by such prestigious institutions as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

That John McCain and Barack Obama chose to participate in a forum on the role of religion and values before one on science and technology speaks volumes about the nature of the voting public. America is strengthened, economically and militarily, through a dedication to math and science education. Our entrepreneurs flourish, in part, because they can capitalize on public investments in basic research and high-cost technologies. Americans become safer and healthier because of innovation in medicine. In every respect, America is better off when we dedicate ourselves to scientific and technological advancement.

Despite these clear realities, though, Americans don't vote based on policy positions, particularly when it comes to issues as poorly understood as science and technology. They vote on values. Consequently, politicians spend an inordinate amount of time and energy talking about things that are, at best, negligible in terms of their impact on our country. Granted, we need to make sure our future president is not a Nazi-sympathizer, but shouldn't we be equally concerned that he demonstrates active use of his gray matter? Does a candidate's personal feelings about his greatest moral failure really matter more than how he would handle investments in research and development? Does his propensity to suspend logic to accommodate the religious right really make him fit to be leader of the free world, or is his position on multinational technology partnerships more important?

This issue serves as a microcosm of what is perhaps the scariest, most disheartening truth about contemporary American politics: The issues upon which Americans cast their presidential ballots are too often fundamentally different from those that actually affect all of our lives. Every person is free to practice whatever religion he or she chooses, but when those beliefs begin to impact American science, technology, innovation, military prowess, economic competitiveness, education, and health care, they become fair game for objective evaluation and criticism. So when our presidential candidates choose to take part in a forum on religion and values before one on science and technology, let me be among the first to point out such insanity.

Please make an effort to support Science Debate 2008. It falls upon the reasonable among us to ensure that the most important issues of our generation are heard and understood.

Something stinks

I think Letterman nailed it last night...something doesn't smell right. So let me understand what Bush and McCain are saying. A month ago, our economy is basically good. The fundamentals are sound. Now, our economy is on the brink of disaster and oh, by the way, we need over half a trillion bucks to fix it. In just a few short weeks we can come this far? Things are so grave that we should cancel a presidential debate and put our campaigns on hold? I fail to understand how all this could happen so quickly. On McCain's part, this reeks of a man whose world is going too fast for him and is struggling to keep up. Explain to me how postponing the debate is going to help this crisis. I don't see the correlation. Too much happening at once, John? One wonders if Governor Palin even understands the economy at all. Hang on folks, the fun and games are just beginning.

A few things to think about

Just a few things to think about this afternoon. First, I think people need to overlook all of the hype over Sarah Palin for just a few minutes to really examine who she is. One of the big questions needs to be "why is Sarah Palin being so greatly shielded from the media; why does her campaign not want her speaking to reporters?" Great pains have been taken to keep her "rehearsed" and even yesterday during her meetings with Hamid Karzai and Henry Kissinger, her handlers only wanted photographers, no reporters. Why the secrecy and privacy here? My guess is she talked with Kissinger about how to get grass stains out of children's sports uniforms. Seriously though, I think the American people have a right to interview ALL of the candidates and ALL of the candidates should field tough questions from reporters not just of FOX News, but any agency. Clearly, there are people who do not wish to expose the governor to this process and that, my friends, is disturbing.

The next revolting thing on my mind has to do with the bailout plan drawn up by Sec. Paulson. From section 8: "Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency." Folks, this kind of attitude toward the spending of your money should frighten you. The Bush administration is pushing for a plan to spend 700 billion dollars without any contingency to help out people suffering from foreclosure or bankruptcy. Additionally, when this plan was first rolled out, Bush and friends were (and still are, at heart) against placing any kind of limits on executive compensation. If Bush and Paulson had their way, the poor taxpayers who are struggling as it is, would not only not recieve any assistance from it, they would be forced to help monetarily reward the poor performance of Wall Street executives. Another hasty, ill-conceived idea shoved down the throats of the American people without much thought for consequences. An idea sold by fear and threats of widespread financial ruin. The whole "shoot now and ask questions later" approach to this bailout sounds oddly familiar; kind of like another plan that Mr. Bush had a few years ago that had to do with war. Let me be clear that I think the bailout is probably (unfortunately) necessary, but it needs to have oversight, it needs to help Main St. as much as Wall St., and it needs to severly limit executive compensation for irresponsible actions. It needs to be carefully considered, and Mr. Paulson's wording of this plan (section 8) is certainly not anything except a demand for a blank check which only one man can cash and spend how he wants, with no input from anyone else. Not good. Let's hope that Congress will stand up to the demands of the rich for a change, and do something that makes sense for Wall Street as well as the people footing the bill.

It's Been Nearly a Month...

...and still no press conference from the Republican candidate for Vice President. Will this Revlon-wearing pitbull ever engage in American democracy? (No, an infomercial with Sean Hannity doesn't count!)

You'd think a tough, gun-toting, non-blinking moose hunter wouldn't have any trouble with the press. After all, she took on the good ole' boys up there in Alaska. Does she fear the press will ask about her propensity for blatant lying? Or total lack of understanding the core issues in this election?

Let's face it: On November 4, there's a good chance the moose population of Alaska will be more familiar with Sarah Palin than American voters will be.

It's time, Governor, to answer questions. This is beyond absurd. It's secretive, un-American, and just sounds too familiar.

"Pick Your City"

Halloween is still more than a month away, but it's not too early to be frightened - extremely frightened - by the American foreign policy that awaits the world under a potential McCain administration. Straight from the horse's mouth:



Isn't Lux Aeterna incredible background music? On second thought, maybe selections from Marilyn Manson or the Misfits would have been more appropriate.

Americans didn't vote for a reckless and manipulative foreign policy in November 2000. Nor did this country vote to send its history of strong global leadership into the deepest pits of hell. But that's what we got, in the form of ideological neoconservatism that stomped its cold feet on the core American principles of honor, trust, and dignity. This year, however, we've been given clear warning. McCain holds the same disastrous world view as W., and it might as well be on a neon sign attached to his head.

We might well experience a shower of diplomatic talk from McCain in the upcoming debates ("My friends, the use of force is only a last resort, as it always has been"). But can we really believe anything this man says?

It's Hot In Here...

Pass me a glass of ice water. Actually, call the fire department - this place is burning.

Can this be happening? We're coming down the home stretch of the worst political disaster in American history, and polls suggest it's an even money bet that we'll elect the biggest hypocrite and most dishonest hockey mom in history.

All in the midst of a war waged on a campaign of manipulation, an economy broken beyond imagination, and a political atmosphere poisoned by secrecy, cronyism, and corruption.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still have 43 days to go, and maybe this thing isn't over yet. And maybe we won't have to endure unbearable levels of capsaicin on the Scoville scale after all.

Welcome to The Scoville Unit.  It's a place for ideas and a place to vent.  Logic and reason are always welcome.  We'll see how it evolves, but we've got plenty of material to start - what else are First Dudes for?