If you just say up is down people don't know what to make of it.

McCain: Obama an extremist and possibly a socialist. Check out this video at about 2:30 from the end of the clip.
Also note the portion about McCain's changed position on the Bush tax cuts in which he just lied through his teeth about his own record. He never gets called on this sort of stuff.

More silly stuff below.

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This is my first diary so I hope you all will bear with me. As many have, I've received emails from conservatives regarding Obama, and like many I've been astonished at the magnitude of the falsehoods contained, the depth of the racism and islamaphobia. But I know that these ideas, while certainly  cynically encouraged, if not outright manufactured, by right wing operatives, would get no traction if they did not speak to the heart of many people's deepest fears. How can these fears be truly addressed? That is the focus of my diary (more below).

Today, J Street, the super awesome Pro-Israel Pro-Peace Jewish lobby, released their new poll of the American Jewish community's opinions on politics and American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Here's a run down of poll results:

Time For A Real Offensive Against Terrorism  Obama keeps talking sense.

"Today, we will focus on nuclear, biological, and cyber threats -- three 21st century threats that have been neglected for the last eight years."

McToughLovin’ Funny video making points.

More below.

The V.P. plot thickens

A donor to Hillary Clinton's campaign says Barack Obama told her Hillary is under consideration for VP -- but Bill's presence makes things "complicated." That and other political news in today's Election Central Saturday Roundup.

More below.

Last night, a copy of the The American Values Report landed in my inbox. It's billed as

a weekly newsletter from the religious affairs team at Obama for America.  You’ll find information on Barack and Michelle, recent values-related news, spotlights on people of faith, and ways to get involved in our campaign.

I'd try to find a way to share it, but it's a .pdf file. As well, it's actually rather unremarkable: nine glossy pages, and the description above tells you pretty much everything you need to know about this week's installment. If you want to know more about the interns helping run the campaign's faith outreach program, this is your source.

Foreclosure Phil speaks: "You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession. .... We have sort of become a nation of whiners."  Now how will those guys with the "These colors don't run" bumper stickers react to one of the GOM* of the GOP calling us a nation of whiners?

• GOM = Grand Old Men

Nancy, what took so long? Kucinich introduces article of impeachment against Bush.

Look out below.

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Just how stupid are we?
Bob Edwards Radio.com explores Rick Shenkman’s new book, “Just How Stupid Are We?: Facing the Truth About the American Voter“:
–Only 2 in 5 voters can name the three branches of the federal government.
–Only 1 in 7 can find Iraq on a map.
–Only 1 in 5 know that there are 100 federal senators.
And the most chilling…
–Nearly half (49%) of Americans think the President has the authority to suspend the Constitution.

A brutal point made "That Black Man's A Commie"

More news below...

McCain's zen budget plan:  It is a plan; it is not a plan.

But here's the thing. McCain doesn't have any numbers. None. Not vague numbers of fuzzy math. He just says he's going to do it. Any other candidate would get laughed off the stage with that kind of nonsense or more likely reporters just wouldn't agree to give them a write up. But this is all over the place.

But, of course, the media are giving McCain a free pass on this, too.

Media too polite to say Helms was racist and homophobe

When he made an appearance on CNN’s Larry King Live in Sept. 1995, a caller praised him "for everything you’ve done to help keep down the niggers."

Helms looked in the camera and replied, "Well thank you, I think."

More here.

More news below.

That to which we aspire

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Less beautiful stuff below.

This is an example of George Lakoff's framing. Think of how much information is conveyed in this one sentence. Let's take a closer look.

How bad is the GOP?  

The Swing State Project has put together the most comprehensive compendium of Republican hubris, f*ckups and misfortunes you will find anywhere, ever. Call it the "Year of Living Catastrophically", if you will. I hope you packed a snack, because this is gonna take a while.

The 10 Most Awesomely Bad Moments of the Bush Presidency

Watch out below....