RNC Chairman: Obama SoTotally Thinks Perez Hilton Should Be the Next Supreme Court Justice

Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele had this to say in reference to Obama's recent statement that "empathy" was a quality he was looking for in nominating the next Supreme Court justice:

"What was so outstanding about Miss California, let's do a little parallel... This is what an empathetic judge looks like," Steele said of celeb-blogger Perez Hilton. "The empathetic judge in this case, the judge of the beauty pageant, asked this woman a question and instead of taking her answer at face value, he was empathetic to a particular community and he thought her answer should be favorably disposed towards that particular community. And as a consequence she answered a different way. She answered honestly. She answered based on the facts of her situation, the facts of her upbringing, the facts of this country, which by and large sides with her."

My questions for Chairman Steele:

1. You chose Perez Hilton, of all people, as the model of empathy? Perez Hilton is quite possibly the bitchiest human being on the planet. His very name is snarky.
2. You are saying that Perez Hilton, a gay man, was being empathetic by siding with the gays? You do realize that the word "empathy" means sympathy and understanding for other people, don't you? Or do you just think it means flamboyant and weird?
3. An answer can't be "favorably disposed." I realize that's not a question, but it was bugging me.
   
4. "And as a consequence, she answered a different way." As a consequence of what? A consequence of Hilton thinking "her answer should be favorably disposed towards that particular community"? Are you trying to say Miss California answered as she did out of spite? Because that actually would have been kind of awesome.
   

The Importance of Being Diverse

I thought Matthew Yglesias had a nice post recently defending the idea that we should activly seek to diversify the Supreme Court. He makes the point that achieving diversity is "not an alternative to caring about the quality of the jurisprudence, it’s part of trying to get good jurisprudence."

I like this take, because in my opinion diversity is important as to the judiciary not because judges are supposed to represent the interests of the people (that's really more for the legislative and executive branches) but because the judiciary is supposed to interpret law and resolve disputes --- and "[i]t’s absurd to think that a forum of nine white, male, heterosexual Christians could possibly compose the best possible forum" for this.

Super Creepy Quote of the Week: Charlie Black

Charlie Black, a chief adviser to John McCain, had this to say recently in reference to VP nominee Sarah Palin:

“She’s going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years, and most doctors think that he’ll be around at least that long.”

Eh, wow. Where to begin. I assume he was joking about the "doctors think he'll be around at least that long," and obviously the "she's going learn national security [on the job]" part is both mind-boggling and terrifying. But "at the foot of the master"? Why is she at McCain's feet? Is she worshiping him? Is she a servant to him? Do his toes just smell really good?

Here's Hoping...

...that Biden busts out the Lloyd Bentsen line in the V.P. debates.

Gail Collins joked in her New York Times column today that McCain's V.P. pick is such an obvious attempt to pander to Hillary fans that Joe Biden is probably dusting off the old Lloyd Bentsen line already. I imagine the debate exchange between Palin and Biden would go something like this:

Palin: "... Hillary Clinton is groundbreaking... blah blah blah ...historic candidacy... blah blah blah... the highest glass ceiling... blah blah blah..."

Biden: Governor, I know Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton is a friend of mine. And Governor: You're. No. Hillary. Clinton."

Genius. I don't care if the line is recycled. In fact, that makes it better because it compares Palin to Dan Quale (and Hill to JFK). The Bentsen line: (1) allows Biden to attack Palin without seeming like a sexist jerk, (2) reaches out to Hillary fans, and (3) highlights Palin's inexperience without overtly saying it.

The But-She-Was-So-Thinking-It Quote of the Week: Hillary Rodham Clinton

As the nation reacts to John McCain's shocking decision to name the inexperienced Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as his running mate, PolitiCandy did not contact Hillary Clinton for comment. Regarding the possibility of the former Vice-Miss-Alaska being one heartbeat away from the presidency, the Yale-educated two-term U.S. senator from New York definitely did not have this to say:

"I swear to God, if that chick winds up becoming the first female president of the United States, I'm moving to Canada. Bill can come if he wants. Whatever."

Country First: McCain Takes Giant Dump on His Own Campaign Slogan

The theme of the John McCain's campaign and this year's GOP convention is "Putting Country First." Says McCain's 2008 Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker:

"Our convention will showcase a cross-section of leaders who will highlight John McCain’s long commitment to putting our country first -- before self-interest or politics."

McCain has made "Country First" his refrain, endlessly accusing his opponent, Barack Obama, of putting his campaign before the interests of the nation.

But today, McCain made a surprising announcement. After months of mulling the VP question over in his head ("Forget the campaign: who would be best for the country? Think, John, think!! Who has the qualifications to lead this great nation? Who? Who?"), John McCain came up with an answer: Sarah Palin, a woman who until 20 months ago had nothing more impressive on her resume than small town mayor. A woman whose current position is "Governor of 4 People, a Shitload of Snow, and Some Oil." A woman who scoffed last month that she couldn't answer whether she would consider the becoming McCain's running mate "until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I'm used to being very productive."

This is the person John McCain chose, and he made the decision after speaking to her about the position just once by telephone last Sunday and once in-person the day before the announcement. This is putting country first.

McCain has made clear that he is going after Hillary's disgruntled supporters, running the ridiculous "Passed Over" ad, in which he accuses Obama of not choosing the new darling of the Republican party, Hillary Clinton, for his running mate because she hurt his feelings. (And I'm sure, since the Republicans are only defending Hillary out of the goodness of their hearts, they still would have been talking about her in such glowing terms if she had been the one to get the party's nomination.) Clearly, with all of the other candidates from which to choose, Palin was selected for her perceived ability to bring in the Hillary die-hards.

McCain's introduction of Governor Palin today was telling. "She's exactly who I need," he said, before remembering his campaign slogan and wisely sprinkling some patriotic rhetoric on the statement: "She's exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of 'Me first and country second. "

But this is politics. Let's not be naive or disingenuous. Every VP pick is a strategic decision, so to question John McCain's motives in choosing Palin as his running mate would be ridiculous ... if he hadn't spent his entire campaign thus far characterizing each step Obama has made as strategic and narcissistic. McCain's campaign slogan is the implication-laden "Country First" and yet he has put strategy -- pandering to Hillary fans -- above the wellbeing of the nation. Way to keep it classy, John.

Obama to Deliver Historic Speech Shortly; PolitiCandy Obviously Peeing Pants in Anticipation

In a few minutes, Barack Obama, as the first African-American to be the presidential nominee of a major party, will deliver what has got to be one of the most highly anticipated speeches in pretty much all of time...on the 45th anniversary of MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech...in front of 7 gazillion trillion people worldwide.

No pressure, though.

Democrats Nervous about Recent Success, Endeavor to Blow Election

According to ABC News and several other sources, Obama is planning on giving his speech at Invesco Field on Thursday from a columned stage resembling an ancient Greek temple. Let me repeat that: Barack Obama, who has been battling accusations of messianic arrogance since the beginning of his campaign, is planning on giving his speech in a gigantic stadium full of screaming fans on a columned stage resembling an ancient Greek temple.

No word yet on whether he plans on dressing up like Zeus.

Republicans have already mined this sure-to-be-catastrophic lapse in judgment for one of the funniest lines of the entire election: "Is this from the Onion?" (kudos to the random McCain aide who come up with that)

Here is my list of possible explanations for this decision:

1. It's all an elaborate head-fake by the Democrats (purpose of head-fake unknown);
2. Karl Rove has been playing Jedi mind tricks on DNC chairman Howard Dean;
3. Terrorists have invaded Denver, replacing all of the fresh air with poisonous gas that transforms normal human beings into blundering fools;
4. Barack Obama actually is God and is planning on announcing it on Thursday. Yeah, so I guess the Greek columns don't seem so overstated now, do they?
5. Any suggestions?

Update: Okay, so images of the backdrop are being released now and it doesn't look THAT ostentatious. Is it possible this whole "ancient Greek temple" thing has just been a bunch of hype from the McCain camp? Damn you, Republicans!! Is there no end to your evil genius??!!
From the New York Daily News:












I still think it would have been better to err on the side of understatement, considering Obama's image issues, but hey. What do you guys think? Is it: (a) over the top or (b) appropriately grand considering the occasion?

Pop Quiz: SAT Analogies Edition

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"9/11, 9/11, 9/11" is to Rudy Giuliani as
"I spent 5 1/2 years as a POW" is to________.

Considering what McCain went through in Vietnam, I have a pretty high tolerance for him mentioning it so frequently in speeches. I mean, being a POW for 5 1/2 years and refusing to go home until his fellow prisoners were released is legitimately a big deal. I'm not discounting that. But dude, if you're going to mention it, you at least have to make it relevant to what it is that you're talking about. You can't just spit it out like you suddenly came down with a bout of Turret's. For instance, on Monday McCain responded to Jay Leno's question about how many houses he owns with...well, watch the clip:

"But could I just mention to you today, in a moment of seriousness, that..."

Okay, so here's my question for you: Do you think Obama or any of the other 2008 political players have some accomplishment that they remind us of over and over, even if it's completely inapplicable to the discussion? If so, what?

Good Cop, Bad Cop: the Obama-Biden Ticket

I already mentioned why Joe Biden could be a major liability for the Obama campaign, but Ezra Klein has made a pretty compelling case for why he's an asset: he's "an incredibly arrogant jerk." Could Biden be the perfect bad cop to Obama's post-partisan good cop? Because that's exactly what Obama needs right now.

While it's generally considered the VP-candidate's job to do the dirty work for the guy at the top of the ticket, this is especially true for the Obama-Biden team. Obama can't afford to just hang out on the ropes and let McCain pummel him, but if he hits back too hard he also runs the risk of (1) looking like a hypocrite after all the talk about running a positive campaign and (2) reinforcing the Republicans' characterization of him as the arrogant elitist. Also, I just don't think Obama does well with angry -- he looks his best when he's inspiring, not ranting. Biden's just the opposite: he's made ranting into an art form. Need examples? Check out the clips below (and vote on your favorite in the left navigation bar):

(1) Biden's smackdown of Rudy Giuliani

(2) Further smackdownery of Giuliani (check out his facial expressions at the very end)

(3) An awesomely pissed off Biden on Iraq

(4) Biden at one of the debates (I don't think I've ever heard anyone insult so many people so effectively in such a short period of time)

A Brief Debriefing: Joe Biden

A mini-bio of Obama's VP pick...

ESSENTIAL FACTS:

• Senior U.S. senator from Delaware
  
• Law degree from Syracuse Law School
• Ran unsuccessful bids for the presidency in 1988 and 2008
  

STRENGTHS:

• Experience, experience, experience. He's served as a U.S. senator for the past 35 years and is the Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee.
• Attack Dog. He's at his best when he's taking down opponents. One of my (many) favorite lines of his was in reference to Rudy Giuliani: "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence -- a noun, a verb, and 9/11."

LIABILITIES:

• The guy is a gaffe machine. See yesterday's post for examples.
  
• He's said some pretty damaging things about Obama. See yesterday's post for examples.
• He had a plagiarism scandal in his first run for president in 1988 involving his uncredited use of a portion of one of Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock's speeches.
  
• He voted for the war in Iraq.
• His strength as a six-term senator is also a liability in that it offers Republicans a long voting record to criticize.
  

POSITIONS:

• In his presidential run this year, he stated that "energy security" was his number one issue. He is opposed to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and is in favor of cap-and-trade. He has also co-sponsored or supported several pieces of environmental protection legislation.
  
• The NRA gave him an 'F' rating, meaning that he has consistently voted in favor of gun-control.
• He has a moderate stance on civil liberties. The ACLU gave him a 60% rating. He supported the Patriot Act but voted to limit wiretapping and in favor of preserving habeas corpus rights for Guantanamo detainees.
• He is in favor of universal health care.
• He has a mixed/moderate record on free trade, but also received a 100% rating from the AFL-CIO for his pro-union stances. He voted in favor of NAFTA in 1993
  
• He is opposed to the Bush tax cuts. He supports a balanced budget amendment.
• He voted in favor of the invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq but has since said the Iraq war was a mistake and has been poorly handled. He supports the federalization of the Iraqi state (granting more autonomy to the various factions within their respective regions) in order to ease sectarian violence.
• Favors troop deployment to Sudan.
• Pro-Israel; favors two-state solution to Palestinian conflict.
  
• Favors direct diplomacy with Iran, but also strategic sanctions.
  
• Consistently pro-choice.
• Mixed/moderate views on LBGT issues: voted for the Defense of Marriage Act; against the Federal Marriage Amendment; for inclusion of sexual orientation as a protected hate crime group.

MISCELLANEOUS FACTOIDS:

• In 1972, shortly after being elected to his first term as U.S. senator, his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car crash. He was sworn in from the bedside of his two young sons who survived the same accident with serious injuries.
  
• While chairman of the Judiciary Committee, he presided over the confirmation hearings of Robert Bork in 1987 and Clarence Thomas in 1991.
• Adjunct constitutional law professor at Widener School of Law since 1991.
  

Obama Balances Ticket with Occasionally Racist Old White Guy

Following conventional political wisdom, Barack Obama has selected his demographic opposite -- the occasionally racist old white guy, Joseph Biden -- as his presidential running mate. Choice quotes from the senior U.S. senator from Delaware:

"[Obama is] the first mainstream African American [candidate] who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” (cnn.com)

"You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.” (youtube.com)

So take that, Republicans!! Not only is Obama not a Reverend Wright groupie, he's even chosen an out-of-touch honkey as his running mate!!

I'm half-kidding about all of this, of course, and in any case Biden's comments are not going to be harmful because ignorance doesn't fit with the Republicans' attack narrative of Obama (also, these comments all seem to be of the foot-in-mouth variety, not intentionally malignant). What does concern me is that Biden has also made damaging comments regarding Obama's lack of experience -- and that certainly does fit the narrative. Yeah, you want to choose a guy whose strengths are Obama's weaknesses, and yeah, Biden's an old guy with lots of experience... but he's also an old guy with lots of experience who has said things like this:

"It's a well-intentioned notion [Obama] has, but it's a very naive way of thinking how you're going to conduct foreign policy."

"Having talking points on foreign policy doesn't get you there."

"I think he can be ready, but right now I don't believe he is. The presidency is not something that lends itself to on-the-job training."

(all from usatoday.com)

The whole point of choosing a counter-balance VP is to, you know, counter-balance your weaknesses -- not highlight them. It seems as though the only thing the vetting committee looked at was how much experience Biden had, rather than looking at how Biden will reflect on Obama's experience.

Every VP contender has his weaknesses, sure, but the Dems should have chosen a guy whose weaknesses are completely off-base with what the Republicans are slinging at Obama. If you've got a candidate whose weakness is inexperience, choose a running mate whose problem is that he cheated on his wife or is boring or something; don't choose the guy who has to explain why he called the candidate "naive" and in need of "on-the-job training."

The Ayers/Obama/Oprah/ Nutty-Billionare/McCain Terrorist Sleeper Cell

Here's an odd coincidence:

Harold Simmons, the nutjob behind the multi-million dollar ad campaign alleging a link between Obama and "domestic terrorist" William Ayers, is BFF with Obama-superfan Oprah!! Okay, maybe not BFF, but definitely "dear friends" -- err, better make that frenemies now. Their adorable history, according to oprahsschool.com:

Mr. Simmons along with his "better half", Annette, became acquainted with Oprah Winfrey when they were neighbors in California.

Ms. Winfrey bought the Simmons' estate in Montecito for fifty million dollars. She has featured Mrs. Simmons' tea party on her show as well as the sweet potato festival held in Golden.

Mr. Simmons gave Ms. Winfrey five million to help her build a girls school in South Africa.

Oprah Winfrey has powerful friends and Harold Simmons is showing his "sweet" side by giving to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa.

Wait a minute. If William Ayers was part of the Weather Underground, and Obama was neighbors with Ayers, and Oprah supports Obama, and Harold Simmons is friends with Oprah, and Harold Simmons supports John McCain, then doesn't that make John McCain... a terrorist???

We will continue to keep you updated as this web of intrigue unravels. Consider yourself on Orange Alert in the meantime.
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McCain Unsure of How Many Homes He Owns

Alternative answer to Rick Warren's question about when a person can be considered "rich"? Maybe when you start saying things like this:

"I think - I'll have my staff get to you. It's condominiums where - I'll have them get to you."

-John McCain, in response to being asked how many
homes he owns, Aug. 20, 2008 (via Politico)

But the real question is, did McCain say this because:

(a.) it really is such a high number that he lost track;
(b.) he's going senile (seriously, is it that hard to remember, especially when you know someone's bound to ask?); or
(c.) it's an outrageously high number and he's playing coy.

I think the most disturbing answer is the most likely: (b). What do you think?
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