I spent the better part of three years arguing against Barack Obama's political style - the Post Partisan Unity Schtick. The reason I did so was because I believed that in order to gain a real mandate for progressive change, Obama needed to run on a progressive platform and use the politics of contrast to gain a mandate for progressive change. Clearly, that is all irrelevant now. Like Herbert Hoover before him, George W. Bush has handed a Democratic President the mandate to try whatever he thinks will work. David Broder, as is his wont, misunderstands the politics of it all yet again:

For now, Obama can benefit from the plausibility of his contention that this is "the final verdict" on the policies of the Bush administration, supported for the most part by McCain and other Republicans. But in a few weeks, the winner of the election will take custody of the problem and his name and reputation -- not Bush's -- will be on the line.

(Emphasis supplied.) This has it exactly backwards. Bush will forever be blamed for the problems he created - he clearly will be remembered as the worst President in history decades from now. Obama will have a freedom of action (and one hopes an overwhlemingly Democratic Congress) to enact bold progressive solutions. He has the chance to build his mandate while governing - a chance to have his own Hundred Days. Let's hope he grasps this historic opportunity with bold progressive action.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

The new line on the failure of Republicanism from the David Brooks right, wrapped in pretty words and "compassion," is well delivered here by Ross Douthat, it is "liberalism's" fault. Reprising the debate between George Bailey and Mr. Potter in It's A Wonderful Life, Douthat blames Baileyism run rampant:

[T]he fact that Baileyism may have gone too far doesn't meant that the Bailey vision isn't worth defending in the long run.

Apparently Potterism (greed leading to income inequality) had nothing to do with it. It was all Mr. Martini's and George Bailey's fault. Douthat uses the pernicious Brooksian device of playing the "reasonable conservative" all the while adopting the divisive and fallcious world view of the most extreme conservatives, in order to attempt to discredit progressivism. During the last 8 years, it toook many on the Left a long while to realize that David Brooks was a mendacious cretin. I wonder how long it will take for them to see the same things in the new Brookses sure to emerge. Hopefully, not as long.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

You may recall the Star Trek episode in which Captain Kirk and his crewmates are captured by attractive androids who are also imprisoning Harry Mudd. Kirk subjects the android-in-chief to the Liar's Paradox. "Everything I say is a lie," Kirk tells the android. Followed by, "I am lying." Smoke emits from the android's ears as it devotes its full computing power to a conundrum that does not compute. Eventually the android freezes up and the good guys escape.

John McCain is in danger of crashing in much the same way, for much the same reason. To win in Colorado, McCain needs to hit hard on Ayers and Wright. Or so he's being told by the state party chairman, Dick Wadhams.

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"You gets no bread with your one meatball."

"One Meatball" has been around at least since the depression. Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters and Josh White sang it during WWII. I really like the versions by Baby Jane Dexter and Ann Rabson, but I couldn't find videos of them. Here's the lyrics:

Since John McCain named John Lewis as one of the three wise men from whom he would welcome advice if he were president, McCain should heed this:

As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.

Rep. Lewis reminds us that "George Wallace never threw a bomb" or "fired a gun, but he created the climate and the conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against innocent Americans who were simply trying to exercise their constitutional rights." Evoking the memory of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, Lewis cautioned that "Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are playing with fire, and if they are not careful, that fire will consume us all."

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The Green Collar Economy is activist and political advisor Van Jones' new book. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. wrote the forward

The premise: We can solve both our economic crises and our environmental problems with one solution: creation of green collar jobs, a green collar work force and a green economy.

Jones says we cannot drill and burn our way out of our energy and environmental problems. Here's what we can do to solve the crisis, and at the same time, address our declining economy, poverty and inequality. [More...]

The McCain campaign relieved Bobby May of his position as McCain's Buchanan County, Virginia campaign chairman. The campaign found May's blatant racism a bit embarrassing.

May wrote in [a newspaper] column, "The (clarified) platform of Barack Hussein Obama," that if the Democratic senator were elected he would hire rapper Ludacris to paint the White House black and change the national anthem to the "Black National Anthem."

From the invocation at a McCain rally in Davenport, Iowa:

“There are millions of people around this world praying to their god — whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his [McCain’s] opponent wins, for a variety of reasons,” said Arnold Conrad, former pastor of Grave Evangelical Free Church. “And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation because they’re going to think that their god is bigger than you if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name in all that happens between now and Election Day.”

That might strike some as provocative given persistent, false rumors that Democrat Barack Obama is a Muslim. Sen. Obama is Christian.

And it might strike some as silly that the McCain-Palin God needs to guard His reputation by assuring McCain's election.

The Associated Press reports today that as Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin blurred the lines between church and state and billed taxpayers for her attendance at religious events:

An Associated Press review of the Republican vice presidential candidate's record as mayor and governor reveals her use of elected office to promote religious causes, sometimes at taxpayer expense and in ways that blur the line between church.

Since she took state office in late 2006, the governor and her family have spent more than $13,000 in taxpayer funds to attend at least 10 religious events and meetings with Christian pastors, including Franklin Graham, the son of evangelical preacher Billy Graham, records show.

More...

Referring to the angry McCain-Palin supporters who yell "traitor" and "treason" and "terrorist" when John McCain or Sarah Palin mention his name, Barack Obama said:

“Nothing’s easier than riling up a crowd by stoking anger and division. But that’s not what we need right now in the United States."

One might hope that cautionary statement would be uncontroversial, an invitation to civility that the McCain campaign would readily accept. Instead, the comment provoked an attack.

“Barack Obama’s assault on our supporters is insulting and unsurprising,” McCain senior adviser Nicolle Wallace said in a statement, “These are the same people Obama called ‘bitter’ and attacked for ‘clinging to guns’ and faith."

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The Gators' season is on the line tonight as they host LSU. This is a must win game if their season is to be a success. Meanwhile, the world economy is on the line this weekend as the G-7 ministers meet in Washington. Krugman is not inspiring confidence with his take on the proceedings. Might be time to relearn these lines:

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob, . . . They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead, Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread? Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time. Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

It's the end of the World as we know it:

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

DKos R200 has Obama up 12, 52-40. Newsweek has Obama up 11, 52-41. Gallup has Obama up 10, 51-41. Battleground has Obama up 8, 51-43. Fox has Obama up 7, 46-39. Hotline has Obama up 7, 48-41.

In case you haven't noticed, the Presidential election is over.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

The full TrooperGate report is here (pdf). Pages 65-67 with key findings on Gov. Sarah Palin are reproduced here (pdf).

Below are some key excerpts from the report, followed by several news articles showing that contrary to claims by Palin and the McCain campaign, the investigation was bipartisan from start to finish -- and Palin herself initially pledged to cooperate with the legislature. [More...]

TrooperGate report is out. Findings: Gov. Sarah Palin abused the power of her office.

The report by investigator Steve Branchflower found that Palin violated the state's executive branch ethics act, which says that "each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust."

The full report is here (pdf.) The vote to release it was unanimous. I'll update as I read it.

Pages 65 to 67, reproduced here, explain the finding that Palin abused the power of her office.

Florida's Jewish voters are not happy with Sarah Palin, and many who thought they might vote for McCain have now decided otherwise.

As one Jewish voter, Jamie Erenreich, puts it:

She finds so much about Palin objectionable that she almost doesn't know where to begin. There's the abortion issue, for one. Palin "wouldn't want anyone to have an abortion even for rape or incest," says Jamie. "Who is she to judge by telling me how to live my life and overturning the things women have worked so hard for?"

Equally disconcerting is Palin's seeming shallowness on some of the most pressing matters facing the country. "She doesn't know what she is talking about and makes it up as she goes along," says Jamie. "The fact that she had to be coached for two weeks [to prepare for the vice presidential debate] tells me she doesn't know anything. She just talks in circles."

Political scientists and polling data explain. [More...]