This lovely tidbit showed up in the Los Angeles Times today, conviently two days after the election:

WASHINGTON — In the weeks after the fall of Baghdad, Iraqi looters loaded powerful explosives into pickup trucks and drove the material away from the Al Qaqaa ammunition site, according to a group of U.S. Army reservists and National Guardsmen who said they witnessed the looting.

The soldiers said about a dozen U.S. troops guarding the sprawling facility could not prevent the theft because they were outnumbered by looters. Soldiers with one unit — the 317th Support Center based in Wiesbaden, Germany — said they sent a message to commanders in Baghdad requesting help to secure the site but received no reply.

. . . .

"We were running from one side of the compound to the other side, trying to kick people out," said one senior noncommissioned officer who was at the site in late April 2003.

"On our last day there, there were at least 100 vehicles waiting at the site for us to leave" so looters could come in and take munitions.

"It was complete chaos. It was looting like L.A. during the Rodney King riots," another officer said.

. . . .

Some confusion came in late April 2003 when U.S. commanders in Baghdad reassigned military responsibility for the area surrounding Al Qaqaa from Army units to the 1st Marine Division, which had participated in the assault on Baghdad and eventually took control over much of southern Iraq.

According to Marine sources, when the 1st Marine Division took over, the combat unit didn't have enough troops to secure ammunition depots scattered across central and southern Iraq. The Al Qaqaa facility, they said, was of particular concern.

"That site was just abandoned by the 101st Airborne, and there was never a physical handoff by the 101st to the Marines. They just left," said a senior officer who worked in the top Marine command post in Iraq at the time. "We knew these sites were being looted, but there was nothing we could do about it."

During the same period, Marines came across another massive ammunition depot near the southern Iraqi town of Diwaniya, the senior officer said. They sent a message to the U.S. headquarters in Baghdad seeking guidance on how to keep the site from being plundered.

Commanders in Baghdad responded that the Marines should attempt to blow up the depot. The Marine officers responded that the site was too large to demolish.

Commanders in Baghdad "didn't have a good response to that," the officer said. "There was no plan to prevent these weapons from being used against us a year later."

I suppose this puts a damper on the spin by Larry Di Rita and company.

Not that it matters, since the election was decided by gay bashers.  Yet the story raises two important questions: One, how much negative news from Iraq actually will reach us? And two, how much more incompetence from the Bush Administration can our country withstand?

Wingnut Tele-evangelist Benny Hinn seeks a few good security goons. 

Here's their Equal Opportunity Employment Statement:

World Healing Center Church, also known as Benny Hinn Ministries, is a religious organization that does not discriminate against applicants for employment on the basis of race, age, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or marital status. We do discriminate on the basis of religion to the full extent permitted by law.

Some of the requriements are interesting too: 

Born again with a high level of commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Must have a valid California Driver’s License. Must be trained in the operation of all special protective equipment. Must have working knowledge of all phases of security. Must be willing to take direction and diligent in its execution. Agents must conduct themselves in a professional manner and apply biblical principles of work ethics, i.e., ‘do all things as unto the Lord’. Must be willing and able to become a member of ASIS and live to its code of conduct and abide by all aspects of Federal and Local laws.

I guess he's looking for someone to get all Biblical on your ass.

Didn't take them long.  One day after Kerry concedes, the Selective Service System publishes notice in the Federal Register that the Selective Service System is dipping into the Department of Education's databases for the names of students.  (Acrobat Required) Here comes the draft.

Addendum: This maneuver by the SSS is on point with its February 2003 memo to the Pentagon outlining plans for a draft.  Computer scientists, linguists, and medical professionals under 35, beware.

Update: Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) pulls out of Iraq because it is a catastrophic success.  Doctors and Medical Professionals: Uncle Sam needs you.

A quick programming note:  The Iron Mouth has always been about much more than politics.  Indeed, our first post detailed exactly what we were about, that is, everything:

politics, culture, religion, outsourcing, bail bondsmen, turncoats, anti-antidisestablishmentarianism, under use of punctuation, and others

The Iron Mouth continues to be about all of these things.  However, you may have noticed that politics were on our front burner during our first few months--this is to be expected.  But we are about much more than that--and plan to show you exactly what we mean.

The Iron Mouth Editors include published poets and playwrights, as well as lawyers, economists and former minor-league baseball players.  So don't be surprised to see some of our other sides soon.

Remember, we can always be reached at ironmouth@gmail.com.

The Democrats must change two things: Message and Method. 

Changing message does not mean that we have to change what we are saying, but how we are saying it.  Any party who cannot reach to the lowest common denominator is going to face a succession of failures in a democracy.  The party that can reach every person with its message and convince each person that it stands for a certain set of values will succeed.  We must be able to reach people at the most basic of human levels. 

Changing methods means a lot of things.  It means first and foremost, the formation of a local base, one that has impact in the community around it, one which addresses the needs of local people.  It also means having a permanent organization, something which we have lacked before.  It also means using best practices from organizational sciences to make sure that we have as efficient an organization as is humanly possible.  It also means drawing from our enemies--learning what they do right and then improving on it and changing it in ways that they cannot perceive. 

Finally both of these will involve considerable change in leadership.  Obviously the old way of doing things isn't working and those people who espouse those ways are going to have to move on.

Expect more on these issues in the weeks, months and years to come.  Right now we are in the wilderness.  Yet we are not alone.  Millions are with us and together we can effect the change we need to make this country great again.  But it will take work and continuous involvement.

Now comes the far right wing agenda.  Brace yourselves.

Bush will look America in the eyes and say otherwise - he's going to reach out, be a “uniter” not a divider, yada yada - but we know he's lying.  He lied in 2000.  He's lied for four years.  He'll lie again.

The silver lining is that Bush will push too far, and there will be a correction.  It will be painful before it happens, perhaps even tragic, but the correction will come.  Remember, America is still essentially a politically moderate country.  Our electorate is comprised mostly of centrists.  Bush and the GOP will use this election to validate a far right wing agenda, but they're very mistaken.  And when they push too far, we need to be ready to take our country back.

I thought it would happen this year, but apparently we haven't hit our breaking point yet.  Trust me, with this bunch in power, we will.  But we can't just sit around and complain about it.  We must take action now.  Mobilize.  Support candidates who appeal to the center, but have an ability to reach portions of our lost base.  Read Howard Dean's book, and improve upon his m.o. 

If you're religious, get involved in your place of worship; you'd be surprised how many, for example, devout Roman Catholics supported Kerry, but too many were overlooked.  And Bush grabbed them.

Find the loopholes in McCain-Feingold and exploit them.  Raise money for local candidates.  Get involved in local politics - many of our nation's future leaders start out as city and county officials. 

Know your enemy, copy him, and beat him at his own game.  Remember, politics is a tough business.  Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty.  Aim for virtue, stay true to your convictions, but embrace the dark side when necessary.  Martin Luther King was a beacon for peace, but there was always the simmering undercurrent of potential mayhem present in his demonstrations of civil disobedience.  If you convince your enemy that you may resort to underhanded tactics, if you make your enemy fear you, then you've won even when you play it straight.  Everyone was expecting a surprise from Karl Rove, but aside from the usual bullying and Jim Crow tactics, it never came.  Yet we feared him, and he won.

The impassioned comments in recent posts reveals a fighting spirit among us that we should all be proud of.  Moreover, I respect Senator Kerry's decision to stick it out to the very end.  But we have to face facts: it's all over but the shouting between the lawyers.

That being said, here are some things we must accomplish.

Number one, organization: I am speaking simply from my experience as a Kerry volunteer in Arizona, but I've a feeling my state was not atypical.  We were poorly organized.  We had great numbers this time - far surpassing the support Gore had in 2000.  But we did not use our strength in numbers efficiently and effectively.  The Karl Rove machine cleaned our clocks in the mobilization of voters.  If we're going to be successful, we should learn from our enemies.  We cannot function as a party of disjointed factions: the college kids, the hip hoppers, the various ethnic minority groups, the bloggers, the “527” groups like Move On, etc.  Jen and RW are so, so right: we must unite.  We must pull our resources together by coordinating these various support groups.  That's how we can achieve power - not power in the imperialistic sense, but political power.

Number two, recapture our base.  And by that I do not mean reaching out to ethnic minority voters, although we certainly need to work harder at that too.  Let's face it, black folks are the Democrats' most loyal supporters - just look at the election results and voter turnout in our Nation's Capital for the proof.  We must never take African-Americans and Hispanic voters for granted.  But they are there for us, and they always will be.  We need to continue to reach out to these loyal supporters, and they'll bring us home.

However, we've completely lost support from white, blue collar workers.  And there is no excuse for that.  How a President who is so far aligned with corporations and the wealthy could convince the legions of voters in America's heartland and God's Country that he's their man is absurd.  How the Democrats could lose support from the very people they claim to be fighting for is tragic.  And it isn't just the “Jesus” factor.  Reagan stole these voters from the Democrats without being a Christian crusader.  Clinton recaptured many of them in spite of his moral digressions.  But Clinton gave us a false sense of security that we still had the white, working class voter on board.  Examine the records of the Democrats' other recent candidates - Carter, Mondale, Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry - and you come to the inevitable conclusion that the GOP has captured the base of FDR, Truman, and Johnson.

I knew Kerry was in big trouble when the “hot button” issue in the exit polls was “moral values.”  We're at war, there are few jobs, we're facing an imminent fiscal crisis, and we're just waiting to be attacked again, yet the plurality of the electorate is concerned about America's “morals.”  A futher signal that gay marriage is on more people's minds than the war on terror is the fact that voters in ten states elected to ban gay marriage.  Kerry was blindsided by this hot button issue.

Now we Democrats can disparage these voters and label them as bigots, ignoramuses, or religious fanatics.  Or we can do a better job at picking candidates who can reach out to these voters on some level.  I am not suggesting that the Democrats need a pro-life, born again Christian on their ticket.  Carter fit that bill, but he could not connect with white, blue collar America.  But candidates like Clinton and John Edwards did, because of their backgrounds, personalities, and communicative skills.  Clinton had his moral lapses, but he still managed to connect with much of the Bible Belt.  Another great example is Governor Warner in Virginia, a pro-choice Democrat who has enormously high approval ratings in a very conservative state.  These are the types of candidates we need to support if we're going to recapture our base.  We cannot rely upon upper middle class, educated, urban professionals alone to win a Presidential election.

Number three, do not give up hope.  Howard Dean changed politics forever.  Grassroots campaigns take time.  But we need to be poised and diligent if we're going to take back our Government in four years.

Update: Kerry concedes.

Obviously, last night was a big blow, especially considering that the early exit polls showed a commanding victory was coming our way.  So the next question is, naturally, what next?

I think it is pretty clear.  We live in a democratic republic whose health requires that its citizens fully participate.  Indeed, much of the problem on our side is that some of our key constituencies, although participating at a higher rate than before, did not come out the way we needed to to win. 

Logically, we need to explore ways to get these people to turn out for us.  We need them to understand how important it is that they participate in the political process and what they will lose if they do not.

Paradoxically, last night's results showed that we are a healthy, if extremely confused democracy.  Many people voted--an important sign of vitality.  Unfortunately, more of these people were from the other side.  Large numbers of those who should be with us on economic issues instead turn to the other party because of the need to feel righteous and because they feel a deep attraction to answers which are simple. 

A colleague's wife put it best: Education is what is needed.  I think this means both the school kind and the political kind.  We cannot stop now.  We must improve our schools in these areas so that people learn the critical thinking skills needed to start approaching the world's problems in a way which will lead to a more inclusive society, one which is not afraid to look straight at its problems and straight at itself in the mirror. 

But the political fight must continue.  That is the nature of democracy.  Many structures were built to facilitate the recent struggle, and they must not be abandoned.  We need to start fighting every election like it is a presidential election and every local battle in order to educate the people.

Indeed the forces which we oppose began as a result of a defeat even more crushing than the one we faced last night.  In his excellent book Before The Storm: Barry Goldwater And The Unmaking Of The American Consensus, Rick Perlstein chronicled how much of “movement conservatism” was born out of the crushing defeat of 1964, when Lyndon Johnson handed Goldwater the single most crushing defeat in presidential election history.

What must be remembered is that the defeat we suffered yesterday is nothing compared to the one Goldwater faced.  That means that our struggle will be much less difficult than that faced by our opponents when they started. 

So what are you waiting for? 

America's youth, where were you today? 

You missed your call to action.  Now do not complain when the GOP pushes forth an agenda that puts you behind the eight ball.

Scores of voters were turned away at a poll tonight at 36th Street and Broadway in Phoenix.  The voters were in line before the 7:00 p.m. closing time.  An elderly white man closed the doors to the poll promptly at 7:00, denying a large number of people the right to vote.  Under Arizona law, a voter must be permitted to vote if he is in line at his polling place before the scheduled closing time.  Many of the voters had waited in line for hours only to be turned away. 

The neighborhood is almost entirely comprised of African-Americans.

Lawyers for the Democratic Party are at the scene.  I pleaded with a number of Kerry campaign offices to offer my assistance, stating very clearly that I anticipated large numbers of minority voters to be turned away at the polls.  I reminded them of what happened in 2000 in St. Louis and Kansas City.  Each time, I was assured that they had it “under control” and that they'd rather I canvass or call people on the phones.  I am very angry and I feel very powerless.  I'm about to head down there myself. 

If this is happening in Phoenix, I'm sure it's happening all over.

At the close of polls, Ohio exit polling:

Kerry 52%
Bush  48%

Kerry Bush

PA 53   46
FL 51   49
NC 48   52
OH 51   49
MO 46   54
AR 47   53
MI 51   47
NM 50   49
LA 43   56
CO 48   51
AZ 45   55
MN 54   44
WI 52   47
IA 49   49

I just bought a $40 bottle of champange. 

When Drudge continues to run “Guam Goes For Bush” at the top of one of the columns hours after exit polls for the rest of the country are everywhere.

Again Wonkette:

From an email circulated by Frank Luntz:
Way too close to call/BUT leaning Kerry by 1 percent
Fla.
Ohio
Pa.: 54 percent for KerryWisc: 3 point lead for Kerry
Iowa.: 1 point lead for Kerry (Bush supposed to win)
NM: Kerry plus 2
Nev: Bush plus 1
NH: Kerry by 3
NJ: 8 points for Kerry
Colo: Bush plus 2
Mich: Kerry plus 4

Luntz is a GOP hack.  Bet the real numbers are better.

Kerry = + numbers
FL +4
OH +5
MI +4
PA +16
IA +2
WI +5
MN +15
NV Bush up 1
NM tied at 49
CO Bush up 1
VA Bush up 1
NC Bush up 5

ALSO: WI, as of 4:41PM, 51/48 KERRY

I bet she's getting this from NYT.

Halliburton down 3.24% today.  Continues to decline in after-market trading.

From myDD (Don't even go there, the servers are creaking under the strain)

Gore/Bush 2000 numbers in parentheses.  Obviously these are not good numbers for Bush.  Let's hope they hold up.

             KERRY        BUSH
Hispanics 46 (35)      53 (65)
Cubans    32 (17)      68 (82)

FL: 52/48 - KERRY
OH: 52/47 - KERRY
MI: 51/48 - KERRY
PA: 58/42 - KERRY
IA: 50/48 - KERRY
WI: 53/47 - KERRY
MN: 57/42 - KERRY
NH: 58/41 - KERRY
ME: 55/44 - KERRY

NM: 49/49 - TIE

NV: 48/49 - BUSH
CO: 49/50 - BUSH
AR: 45/54 - BUSH
NC: 47/53 - BUSH

From Wonkette

Closer to reality, but still good.

        FL OH PA WI MN NV NM NC CO
Kerry 50 50 54  51  58  48  50 49 46
Bush  49 49 45  46 40  50  48  51 53

North Carolina?  Wow.  Wonder how long that will hold up.

Turnout Numbers

Ohio - African American precincts are performing at 106% what we expected, based on historical numbers. Hispanic precincts are at 144% what we expected. Precincts that went for Gore are turning out 8% higher then those that went Bush in 2000. Democratic base precincts are performing 15% higher than GOP base precincts.
Florida - Dem base precincts are performing 14% better than Bush base precincts. In precincts that went for Gore, they are doing 6% better than those that went for Bush. African American precincts at 109%, Hispanic precincts at 106%.

Pennsylvania - African American precincts at 102% of expectations, Hispanics at 136% of expectations. The Gore precincts are doing 4 percent better than bush precincts. 

Michigan- Democratic base precincts are 8% better than GOP base states. Gore precincts are 5% better than Bush.

      K  B
AZ 45-55
CO 48-51
LA 42-57
MI 51-48
WI 52-48
PA 60-40
OH 52-48
FL 51-48
MICH 51-47
NM 50-48
MINN 58-40
WISC 52-43
IOWA 49-49
NH 57-41

Call 1-866-MYVOTE1 or 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683).

Reports that turnout in Philadelphia is high, high, high.

George W. Bush: For November 2: You comfort others, especially this morning, and take the attitude that, no matter what, things will turn out fine. Your apparent acceptance creates comfort, strength and unity among friends and loved ones. Throughout the day, you can feel the future quickly approaching your front door. You anticipate change, travel or even moving, and feel at peace with the prospect. In fact, you begin to welcome the likelihood of change. Once you’re able to step outside of preconceived notions and expectations, you’re able to see the peace and beauty inherent in a new way of living.

John F. Kerry: For November 2: First thing this morning, you are made aware of a groundswell of activity that benefits you. This powerful locomotive is unstoppable and likely to outperform everyone’s expectations. Even so, you will experience moments of uncertainty from time to time – but not for long. The best information indicates that your momentum is irreversible. You feel very popular and beloved most of the day. Even another’s petty criticism is too limp to hit a bullseye. Enormous changes that you’ve hoped for – perhaps your own personal miracle – can occur.

Me: For November 2: Your hard work begins to pay off today. The blood, sweat and tears that have been wrung out of you during preceding days, weeks and months finally start to deliver impressive results and positive response. Compromises and adjustments are inevitable, and you’re encouraged to be flexible – especially since the ultimate payoff favors YOU. You may veer between feeling over the moon to feeling as if you’re lying on a bed of scalding hot rusty nails. Your nerves certainly get an intense workout today – sometimes to the point of numbness. Ultimately, you will come out ahead. Now stop biting your nails.

Based on the lines here in D.C. and what I've heard is happening around the country, Bush may just have another catastrophic success.

Not us.  Jake.

They know.  From this morning's Washington Post.

Despite the insistence that all was well, the erosion in the moods of Bush's inner circle over the past two weeks was unmistakable. Several of his close advisers said they were concerned because the president had achieved no last-minute momentum, and Democratic turnout was looking as if it might swamp the Bush-Cheney campaign's projections.

 Asked about the mood on the plane, a subdued McKinnon replied, in a deadpan voice: "Jubilation."

I'm hearing noise that Kerry might do much better in Virginia than anyone expected.

Update Tuesday 1:15 PM:  Zogby is now calling Virginia a tie.

Tomorrow is not yesterday.  There will be no deadlock in the Electoral College, no divergence between the winner of the popular vote and the Electoral College, no Kerry v. Bush before the Supreme Court, no repeat of 2000.  Senator John Kerry will win decisively because Americans need a President with a mandate.  If there is an election from the past that provides an analogy, then it isn’t 2000.  Tomorrow’s election is more likely to resemble the 1980 contest, when all the pre-election polls predicted a tight race, but the challenger beat the incumbent with a landslide.  Only this time, the Democrat will prevail.

Doubtless the media-crowned pundits will scratch their heads, trying to make sense of a decisive Kerry victory.  They’ll pin the election result on the war in Iraq, the economy, the Bush Administration’s failure to admit mistakes and trouble with the truth.  They’ll pin it on Osama, George Soros, the young people, the old people, the Hispanics, the Blacks, the smart people, the lawyers, the rich, the poor, the Christian Coalition that stayed home, GOTV, cellular phones, and the “Internets.”  They’ll pin it on everything, of course, except the point: John Kerry, the man.

John Kerry will win this election simply because he is a better man than Bush.

From the moment Kerry prevailed in the Democratic primaries, the Bush campaign set out to destroy him.  Mercenaries for the President - “527” organizations – came out of the woodwork and attacked Kerry’s record and persona.  These mendacious rogues took on new names, such as “Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth,” but they’re the usual suspects who brought down Governor Ann Richards, Senator John McCain, and Vice President Al Gore.  After the surrogates took their pot shots at Kerry, Bush et al gleefully joined in the orgy of character assassination.

Their relentless attacks painted a surreal image of a man.  Kerry was a fop.  He was an elitist effete, a “metrosexual” who sips Chablis in a smoking jacket while receiving a pedicure.  Kerry was a flip-flopper, indecisive, a political opportunist.  Kerry was a tax-and-spend liberal, Ted Kennedy without the charisma, a gold digger, a whipped husband, a wimp.  Kerry was a hippie war protester and Hanoi Jane Fonda was his paramour.  Kerry was French.  Kerry was weak.

In the end, the GOP unabashedly made Kerry a caricature.  They prepared Americans, most of whom knew nothing about Kerry, for the lowest of expectations.  But in doing so, they committed political suicide.  Because in the end, Kerry proved to America that he was none of the things the GOP accused him of being.  And Kerry appeared all the more stronger.

In the first debate, Kerry shattered the image that Bush had created.  By the third debate, Kerry had created a new image: that of a superior Commander in Chief.  While Bush stumbled out of the gates in the first debate, turned shrill in the second, and grinned like a drugged mental patient in the third, Kerry remained poised, confident, strong, and communicated clearly.  Moreover, Kerry saved his best performance for last.  In the third debate, Kerry took full advantage of the camera for the first time.  When he finally looked Americans directly into the eye and spoke plainly about where he would lead us, he convinced any of those who had doubts about him that he was presidential.

I was not surprised by Kerry’s performance.  But many of my friends grew impatient with him in the months leading up to the debates. “Why isn’t he answering Bush’s attacks?” they would ask, ever frustrated.  “Is he ever going to say something? Why did he go windsurfing?”  The conservative media had a field day.  Even liberals like ice queen Maureen Dowd criticized Kerry to no end.

I, however, remained confident.  I knew Kerry was saving it up for the stretch run.  He didn’t want to run out of money like Gore did.  He understood the importance of momentum leading into Election Day.  He also took advantage of the bad news for Bush, from sluggish job reports to Richard Clarke, from the Abu Ghraib scandal to the mess in Mesopotamia.  But most of all, I remained confident because I knew Kerry was a fighter. 

Kerry’s selection of John Edwards as his running mate wasn't just about geography, charisma, energy, and looks.  Kerry picked Edwards as his comrade-in-arms because Edwards shared Kerry’s fighting spirit.  And it is this spirit that the GOP, in Bushspeak, “misunderestimated.”  Before their careers in public service, Kerry and Edwards were both trial lawyers.  Much has been documented about Edwards’ success in the courtroom, but Kerry was a great trial lawyer in his own right.  After serving three years as a prosecutor in Boston, Kerry went into private practice for four more years, and he ran a very successful firm.  Kerry gained a reputation of being a skilled, prepared, diligent, smart, credible, ethical, and above all, tough attorney. 

It was this experience as a trial lawyer that prepared Kerry for his toughest contest.  Trial lawyers are pugilists at heart.  Those who have experienced life in the pits of our nation’s courtrooms are no sissies.  When you’ve stood on your feet before a temperamental judge, gone toe-to-toe with a sharp, zealous opponent, pleaded with a jury for redress, forgiveness, and justice, felt the fear of failure, when you’ve done this for several years as Kerry and Edwards did, no one can push you around.  Bush and Cheney, who are wont to blame lawyers for all of society’s ills, failed to understand this.  And in doing so, they failed to understand Kerry the man.  When the time was right, Kerry struck.  Bush could not counter Kerry’s assault.  And Americans sat as judges, giving point after point to Kerry.

It is sweet and fitting that Bush would be destroyed by the dark side of “imagengineering.”  After all, Bush ascended to the Presidency because of a carefully tailored image that Karl Rove and others sold to the American public.  Whether it was his impersonation of a Top Gun pilot or Texas rancher, Bush the image was molded after Marshal Kane, Gary Cooper’s hero of High Noon: Bush was a man of few words, but a man of action.  He had the virtues and mores that a preacher would envy.  Above all, he was a man of courage, gutsy enough to “go it alone” if necessary.  But after four years of incompetence, lies, and cover ups, Bush no longer resembled Marshal Kane, but Barney Fife.  However, Bush refused to admit his faults, because doing so would shatter his image – not only for his supporters, but for himself.  Bush was guilty of believing his own hype.  And he transferred this misguided faith in himself to an even more erroneous belief that Kerry was in fact the pathetic image he and his legions had created.

But Kerry the man proved to be better than Bush the image.

When Senator John Kerry is sworn in as our 44th President, he will lead our country with the same fighting spirit that carried him through this grueling campaign.  He will also lead us with the sound judgment, virtue, integrity, wisdom, and humbleness he has displayed down the stretch.  President Kerry will not be a manufactured image carefully created by a media-savvy sycophant, but a true life in being created by the man himself over 60 years of a distinguished life.  We are all the winners for it.

This lays out our choice better than anything I have seen yet.

The Iron Mouth gives its highest praise to the Honorable Susan Dlott, U.S. District Judge in Cincinnati.  At about 1:30 a.m. this morning, she issued an order that bars political party challengers from polling places throughout Ohio.  The judge ruled that an Ohio statute that permits political challengers in the polls is unconstitutional.  After a three-day hearing, Dlott concluded that the evidence “does not indicate that the presence of additional challengers would serve Ohio's interest in preventing voter fraud better than would the system of election judges.” 

Kerry in a landslide.

UPDATE 10:50 PM: U.S. District Judge John Adams made a similar ruling today from his court in Akron.  “In light of these extraordinary circumstances, and the contentious nature of the imminent election, the court cannot and must not turn a blind eye to the substantial likelihood that significant harm will result not only to voters, but also to the voting process itself, if appointed challengers are permitted at the polls," the judge ruled.

I wonder if the GOP will ask the goons they hired for their money back.

UPDATE ELECTION DAY: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit scored one for Jim Crow in overturning the rulings by Judges Admans and Dlott.  By a 2-1 margin the 6th Circuit ignored precedent, led by Reagan appointee and Ten Commandments advocate James Ryan and Bush 41 appointee and supporter of overturning Roe v. Wade John Rodgers.  No matter.  The Dems in Ohio have mobilized more poll watchers than the GOP.  And the Dems didn't have to pay them either.  According to the AP wire,

As voting got under way after 6:30 a.m., Democratic challenger Vicki Lynn Ward sat at the Addison Branch Library in Cleveland while early arriving voters punched their ballots. She said she was mainly waiting for a Republican challenger to show up.

"I'm just here to ensure that everyone's right to vote is protected — FROM unnecessary challenges," said Ward. She got the call at 2 a.m. that she would be allowed in the polling place.

Democratic challenger John Douglas said a presiding judge kicked him out of a church basement polling place in Cleveland. "She was screaming about police," he said.

But about 20 minutes later, Jacqueline Atkinson, another presiding judge at the precinct, told Douglas he could come back in.

"She can scream all she wants to," Atkinson told him. "Just stand by me. You have a right to be here."

KERRY IN A LANDSLIDE.

I think Abe Lincoln explained it best on February 15, 1848:

Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so, whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose--and you allow him to make war at pleasure.  Study to see if you can fix any limit to his power in this respect, after you have given him so much as you propose.  If, to-day, he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada, to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him?  You may say to him, “I see no probability of the British invading us” but he will say to you “be silent; I see it if you dont.”

Time to get it done.

Its starting to sink in over there.  They know they are in the deep stuff now.  We are mobilized, ready, and everywhere.  In 2000, the Gore national GOTV effort was comprised of 90,000.  Since Friday afternoon the Kerry GOTV effort in Ohio consists of 47,000 people. 

Pair this with a Gallup poll showing Bush trailing amongst Registered Voters, 48-46 and you get no joy in Freeperville.

A few examples:

To: RWR8189

This sucks big time. Gallup is a good poll. The MSM has scored hard with their last minute crap. Same s$$t as 2000. Now it's 2000 redux. It's all a matter of luck when it's this close. Luck and, unfortunately, lawyers. We lucked out four years ago. Hope it happens again. Not feeling very optimistic tonite. I guess this explains the long faces at headquarters today.

29 posted on 10/31/2004 6:44:31 PM PST by ModelBreaker

To: Perdogg

Honestly, I'm the less optimistic right now than I have been the whole campaign.

6 posted on 10/31/2004 6:38:20 PM PST by RWR8189 (Its Morning in America Again!)

To: RWR8189

RV is tied, Likely is a 2 point lead for Bush. Also a weekend poll for the most part. Don't worry, we are cool, don't show weakness.

34 posted on 10/31/2004 6:46:26 PM PST by cmsgop ( Bong Hits, Fraggle Rock Reruns and DU is no way to go through Life....)

[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies ]

 

“gently, respectfully, the vultures seem to circle.“

To everyone who plans to vote on Tuesday, please be patient.  High voter turnout and limited staffing at the polls means that there will be long lines on Election Day.  Do not be deterred.  If you are in line before the polls close, then by law you must be permitted to vote.  Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.  Election Day is not like last call at a bar.  If your polling place has to stay open until well past midnight to accommodate those who are in line before closing time, then by law it is required to stay open.  Do not be deterred by the networks calling your state for either candidate.  No matter who is declared the winner in your state, stay in line and vote.  Remember Florida in 2000!

Click here to access your Voter Bill of Rights. 

Four years ago, Bush won the state of Missouri by a slight margin.  But voters by the thousands were turned away in the late hours at the polls in St. Louis and Kansas City, in districts with heavy support for Al Gore.  Many voters were African Americans who rushed to the polls after work and had been waiting in line for hours when they were told to go home.  Most went home without questioning the poll workers.  These voters were disenfranchised; by law they should have been permitted to vote, and their votes should have been counted.  I use Missouri in 2000 as an example, but this tactic is widely used by GOP poll workers to turn away voters in Democratic strongholds.  Do not let it happen to you, or to anyone you know.  Get the word out.

Again, please be patient.  Expect long lines.  Bring a book, a Gameboy, some music to pass the time.  Do not be deterred.  You only get to vote in a Presidential election once every four years, and never in our lifetimes has an election been so important.  Voting is not like getting movie tickets, so it shouldn't be treated as such.  There is no later screening.  Long lines are no excuse for choosing not to participate in our democracy.  Trust me, the GOP faithful will wait in line, and their votes will be counted.  If anything, take satisfaction in knowing that by choosing to wait in line, you are pissing off a redneck who knows his vote for Bush will be neutralized.

Be resolute on Tuesday, and you will ensure a victory for Kerry.

Kerry may have luck on his side.  First, his beloved Boston Red Sox capped off the most remarkable of comebacks and won their first World Series in 86 years.  Now, the Washington Redskins on Halloween may have ensured a Kerry victory, at least if you're superstitious.

As a life-long Redskins fan, this fall brought the hope that the Burgundy and Gold would return to glory with O Captain, my Captain Joe Gibbs at the helm.  But the game appears to have passed by the Bible thumpin', Bush rootin', NASCAR tootin' coach.  The Washington Redskins stumbled yet again today, falling to the equally inept Green Bay Packers 28-14. 

If a coincidental but statistically improbable trend continues, Kerry supporters have reason to celebrate.  The results of the last game played at home by the Redskins before the U.S. presidential elections has accurately foretold the winner of the last sixteen of those political contests, going all the way back to 1940.  If the Redskins win their last home game before the election, the party that occupies the White House continues to hold it.  If the 'Skins lose that last home game, the challenging party's candidate unseats the incumbent president.  Mr. President, be prepared to clean out your desk in January.

Here is the history worthy of Robert Ripley and Paul Harvey:

On October 30, 2000, the Washington Redskins blew a Monday night game at home to the Tennessee Titans, 27-21, presaging a loss for the incumbent Democratic party.  Democrats have long blamed Jeb Bush, Katherine Harris, hanging chads, and the U.S. Supreme Court for vaulting Bush to the White House.  But Gore could just as easily blame the boys in burgundy and gold.

On October 27, 1996, the Washington Redskins whipped the Indianapolis Colts at home, 31-16, predicting a win for the incumbent Democrats. Sure enough the virile President Bill Clinton took the impotent Senator Bob Dole to the woodshed in November.

On November 1, 1992, the Washington Redskins lost to the New York Giants at home, 24-7, predicting a similar loss for the incumbent Republicans.  Two days later, Republican President George H. W. Bush lost his re-election bid to Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas.  Republicans can rest assured it had nothing to do with Ross Perot or the economy, stupid.    

On November 6, 1988, the Washington Redskins squeaked by the New Orleans Saints at home, 27-24, predicting a win for the incumbent Republicans. As President Ronald Reagan had already been elected twice, the 1988 election matched a sitting Vice-President, Republican George H. W. Bush, against a challenger, Democratic Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts. True to form, Vice-President Bush won.  Democrats can rest assured it had nothing to do with Willie Horton, Kitty Dukakis, or that damn picture of the diminutive Governor in the tank. 

On November 5, 1984, the Washington Redskins beat the Atlanta Falcons in a Monday night home game, 27-14, predicting a win for the incumbent Republicans. The next day, President Reagan handily defeated former Vice-President and Senator Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota, winning re-election with a landslide.

On November 2, 1980, the Washington Redskins were destroyed at home by the Minnesota Vikings, 39-14, predicting a loss for the incumbent Democrats.  President Jimmy Carter failed in his re-election bid, losing to his Republican opponent, former California governor Ronald Reagan.

On October 31, 1976, the Washington Redskins were crushed by rival Dallas in a Halloween Day home game, losing 20-7 and predicting a loss for the incumbent Republicans and President Ford. Two days later, Democratic Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia unseated Ford, who had a chronic falling problem due to an old football injury.

On October 22, 1972, the Washington Redskins beat their rival, the Dallas Cowboys, 24-20, predicting a win for the incumbent Republicans. Sure enough, in the midst of the Watergate Investigation, the 1972 election resulted in the electoral vote landslide re-election of President Richard Nixon over the Democratic nominee, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. 

On October 27, 1968, the Washington Redskins lost a close game to the New York Giants, 13-10, predicting a loss for the incumbent Democrats. Since President Lyndon B. Johnson had announced several months earlier that he would not seek another term as president, the 1968 election was a contest between sitting Vice-President Hubert Humphrey and a former Vice-President, Republican Richard Nixon. In a mirror of the Redskins game, Tricky Dick prevailed in a close contest.  A few years later, Nixon drew up a trick play for Redskins Coach George Allen.  When Allen ran Nixon's reverse, the Redskins lost 13 yards. 

On October 25, 1964, the Redskins edged RW's beloved Chicago Bears, 27-20, predicting a win for the incumbent Democrats. As predicted, President Lyndon Johnson won a landslide victory over Republican Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona.

On October 30, 1960, the Redskins were trounced at home by the Cleveland Browns, 31-10, predicting a loss for the incumbent Republicans. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had already served two terms, so Vice-President Richard Nixon took up the Republican mantle against Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts in the 1960 presidential election. Like the Redskins, the Republicans lost.  Republicans can rest assured it had nothing to do with Sam Giancana's crime family.

On October 21, 1956, the Redskins prevailed over the Cleveland Browns at home, 20-9, predicting a win for the incumbent Republicans. And, for the second straight election, Eisenhower beat Stevenson.

On November 2, 1952, the Washington Redskins lost a nail-biter to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, 24-23, predicting a similar loss for the incumbent Democrats. President Harry S. Truman declined to run for re-election, leaving the field open for former Illinois governor and egghead Adlai Stevenson to stand against the Republican candidate, General Dwight D. Eisenhower.  The American people liked Ike more than the smart guy.

On Halloween Day, 1948, the Washington Redskins walloped the Boston Yanks (baseball fans can appreciate the irony of the team name) at home, 59-21, predicting a win for the incumbent Democrats. Two days later, the original comeback kid, President Harry S. Truman, defeated his Republican challenger, Governor Thomas E. Dewey of New York.  Gallup had predicted a comfortable win for Dewey.  Instead of going out of business, Gallup funneled cash to the GOP and is still making bad predictions today.

On November 5, 1944, the Washington Redskins edged the Cleveland Rams at home, 14-10, predicting a win for the incumbent Democrats. And win the Democrats did, as FDR secured an unprecedented fourth term by defeating the Republican nominee, Thomas Dewey.  Ah, those were the days. 

On November 3, 1940, the Washington Redskins pummeled the Pittsburgh Pirates at home, 37-10, predicting a win for the incumbent Democrats.  Likewise, Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first (and only) three-term president as he thrashed Republican challenger and candidate with the all-time silliest name Wendell Willkie of New York (a former Democrat who had never been elected dog catcher) on November 5, 1940.

1936?  The Washington Redskins were still in Boston.  But the Boston team won at Fenway Park and the incumbent Democrats won, as FDR beat a man named Alf.

White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett spoke to reporters at a Bush rally on Kerry's response to the bin Laden tape.  From AFP: 

Dan Bartlett said that the tape should not affect the way Bush campaigns but that Kerry should have marked a 12-hour truce.

"You would think that there would be a, maybe, 12 hours to let the American absorb what has just happened today," he said.

Prodded on why, if the tape ought not to affect the campaign, Kerry should have stopped criticizing the president, Bartlett revised his statement, saying that the problem was that Kerry's attack had been "discredited."

Former Republican President Abraham Lincoln responded on July 27, 1848:

But the distinction between the cause of the President in beginning the war, and the cause of the country after it was begun, is a distinction which you cannot perceive.  To you, the President, and the country seem to be all one.  You are interested to see no distinction between them; and I venture to suggest that possibly your interest blinds you a little.

Now who is politicizing the bin Laden tape?